#his blades make him look like a paralysis tick

[nanomooselet]

My Brother's Keeper (V)

This whole memory retrieval/assimilation scene is interesting for a number of reasons (putting aside the continuous wails of agony emitted watching it; I know I discuss it calmly, but that's because I'm a wizard I compartmentalise/modulate my tone in text. Hooray for incomplete degrees).

In the score, this bit is called "The Memory World of Knives" - these are Knives's memories, ones that he can share with Vash for whatever reason. By that token, then, it's how you can figure out which incidents Knives has direct knowledge of and involvement in.

He remembers the blood-soaked room of withered Plants, of course. Doubt he'll ever forget it. Not because of the Last Run, but because it's when Vash turned on him and their confrontation was put on pause - up until now.

Vash fleeing the SEEDs wreckage in ep 1/8 then entering the Plant room in ep 9, Knives withdrawing, then showing up at Jeneora Rock in ep 3, then finally Vash entering Knives's piano room in July at the end of ep 10, and the confrontation/manipulation/awakening/battle over 11 and 12. It's all a single argument/fight split into parts, separated by over a century.

Funny that the only thing Knives seems to truly regret about it is cutting off Vash's arm. Maybe… maybe because it's the one wound even he can't lie to himself about inflicting. I wonder, does he believe it was his one mistake? If he'd found another way, Vash wouldn't have stuck a gun in his face? Which makes him trying to "fix" it being what clues Vash in that he's being lied to some sublime irony. Vash doesn't trust a world where his brother never hurt him.

Anyway, Knives was obviously there in person to destroy Jeneora Rock, so he remembers that. Knives definitely intended Rosa's rejection to happen when he left her alive (interesting that he only uses her voice, not her appearance. This man has a problem with women) and he would have learned about Tonis's injuries from Zazie via the cage of bug-Worms.

Then comes the crashed ships and the vanishing reporters. Roberto and Meryl don't do anything but stand there looking blank, and that's because Knives doesn't have anything to do with them. He doesn't care to learn what they mean to Vash, so he doesn't bother to twist it. He goes for “oh they'd hate you if they knew about what you've done”, and as Vash's shame makes him vulnerable, he rips them out of Vash's head. That's them disposed of and he doesn't think about them again. (More fool him.)

The guilt that Knives planted in Vash is his primary weapon. Remember that it was his guilt that made Vash want to die in the wake of the Fall. Knives is using it to chip away at his will to resist; every time Vash is reminded of it, he reels and his defences weaken.

Similarly, it's why we don't see that much of Rem and nothing of her post-Tesla except her running into the fire. What we do see of her makes her look rather one-dimensionally nice, well-meaning but suspiciously secretive, and Vash food-obsessed, dorky, clingy, insecure and oblivious. Meanwhile Nai is very clever and perceptive and handsome and perfect and amazing with his super cool powers, just like Rem said. But she didn't actually mean anything to him.

It's conspicuous that he also doesn't actually talk at all about poor Tesla and tries to dismiss her significance ("she was but a grain of sand in the desert of their misdeeds" is a banger line, by the way; the English localisation is always excellent but goes off as the series draws to its climax, and it don't stop 'til the credits roll on the finale). These are the rare points you can find honesty in anything Knives says: via what he omits.

You have to keep in mind throughout this entire sequence that besides the geranium petals and Vash cuddling Rem in the fields of geraniums, Knives is in control. This is his world, and these are his memories that he's using to infiltrate and tear Vash's memories apart. It's not objective - there's no context, for one - nor is it complete. Vash's perspective is absent.

It's actually a bit surprising how rarely Vash's voice comes through in the series. From what I can tell it's mostly Knives's perspective that's assumed.

But oh yes, Knives knows all about the Punisher. He built the Eye of Michael, after all, and Dr. Conrad works for him. Rollo crying out to Vash for salvation that he never received probably came from Dr. Conrad, as well as that it was Wolfwood in the end who killed Monev.

And here we are at last. The dreadful cost and hidden purpose I mentioned all the way back in Part I comes due. Wolfwood's purpose, the poison lacing Knives's helpful gift. He's the viral shell carrying Knives's infection. Because Vash opened his heart to Wolfwood as a friend, he also opened it to Knives.

And so, from the inside, Knives begins inexorably to devour his brother alive.

Knives-the-person wearing the Punisher's face to fire Punisher-the-weapon and kill Rollo/Tonis, the child Vash couldn't save, is his most perfectly constructed and vile feat of manipulation below I did it all for you./Everything I did was for you. It has an almost perversely admirable precision.

Silly Vash. Did he think he'd made a friend in the Punisher? Brought out the goodness in him? The Punisher is a monster, a killer, a weapon and what's more, one who was always being wielded by Knives. He betrayed you; he isn't a good man and he'll never change because humanity never learns. Just like Knives told Vash all those years ago. Was it really "Wolfwood" who Vash loved, or was it only the part of him that was shaped by his real brother? (It's the former because Vash clocked him from the start and could tell Wolfwood never wanted to be the Punisher, but even if Knives wasn't gleefully monologuing he'd never hear it. I hate how much he's enjoying this.)

Everywhere you turn, Vash, and no matter far it is you run, I'll be here for you because I love you. (I won't let you get away.)

How foolish you are, little brother, to have your hopes kindled because you "saved" a monster. One only lives if another dies - and a monster would rather die. You should let it happen. It's a necessary sacrifice. It's mercy. Death is a wonderful thing. (Death is a mercy Tesla never received. And perhaps still hasn't.)

You're too weak to give it to them. That's why they'll never love you as I do. You make the false promise that is hope for salvation, and inevitably you fail to fulfil it, and they will always turn upon you in their despair. (I am the only one who will protect you.)

There is a single promise that you can always keep. Your real purpose. The reason you exist. What a weapon is for. Have mercy. I will wield you. You need not continue to suffer. Don't fight. Submit. Give yourself to me. Let go. Unleash your power.

By the way, literally every single one of the things he's using to heap blame on Vash is Knives's fucking fault and he is the worst brother ever of all time forever and ever amen. And a liar. Knives can never forgive humanity, he says, because only he loves Vash enough to protect him from humanity. Even a human's love, he says, is a leash; contingent upon Vash's charm and usefulness and indistinguishable from hatred...

Knives either lives on opposite planet or he's secretly human.

And still. And yet.

I pity him.

(Okay. We're in the home stretch now, guys - and believe me, I deeply appreciate your support - but you might want to brace yourself.)

(Part I)

(Part II)

(Part III)

(Part IV)

(Part VI)

(Part VII)

[tsuraiwrites]

51. Public Kiss! (fenris/anders or fenris/m!hawke if you prefer) - protect-him

for this prompt meme. thank you for the prompt, and for your patience

Fic: Under Two Moons

“Down, mage!” 

Anders ducks more by instinct than thought at this point, and Fenris’ greatsword cleaves the air above his head, meeting a pair of daggers that had been aimed straight at Anders’ back. Air displaced by the rogue wafts across Anders’ face as he takes a stumbling step away from his attacker. Fenris is already there, driving the Invisible Sister back with a sweep of his blade and a swift kick to the side of her knee. 

“Pay more attention!” he snarls at Anders as the woman cries out, finally going down under Fenris’ next attack.

Regaining his feet, Anders barely catches another masked gangster in a paralysis glyph as she takes a swipe at Isabela on the other side of the field.

“You pay attention, you just left Isabela wide open!” he snipes back. More Invisible Sisters drop from nearby rooftops and Anders groans, wanting nothing more than to be putting up his feet at Hawke’s place for an evening of cards. He’s starting to think trekking up all those blasted stairs isn’t worth it, not even for Orana’s cooking. 

“Oh, don’t let me get between you,” Isabela calls, “not unless it’s in a sexy way. On your left!” 

Again Anders is all instinct, spinning his staff to direct a cone of ice across his left side, where he catches three gangsters in the resulting wave and pins them in place. Fenris is there the next moment, dispatching them with ease. 

It’s not a difficult fight; no one needs healing yet and Fenris hasn’t bothered to light his brands, but Anders is sitting at about half his mana from the sheer length of it. He’ll never say it to Aveline’s face, but her whole division is useless when a brawl like this can break out in Hightown and no one sees hide nor hair of a single damn guard. 

Just when Anders thinks they’ve gotten the last of this particular pocket of rogues, another group shows up from a nearby alleyway. 

“Fenhedis,” he hears Fenris growl, and they exchange a frustrated look as Anders calls on more mana, prepared to sling another spell. 

“Fire in the hole!” a familiar voice calls out. As one Anders, Fenris, and even Isabela take a leap back as a fireball goes sailing over their heads. The Invisible Sisters try to scatter, but Hawke’s fire burns too fast and too hot, taking out the whole group in one go before petering out against the flagstones. Anders turns away from the sight and smell to catch Hawke sauntering up, staff in hand and wearing little except a house robe and a pair of boots. Fortunately, either that was the last of them or the rest of the gang decided to flee, because no more come skulking out of the shadows. 

“Bit dangerous, wandering out without any armor, Hawke,” Anders says mildly. Hawke blows a raspberry at him. 

“We’re only around the corner from the mansion. Besides, you guys were late and I heard fighting,” Hawke shrugs, turning to face Isabela as she struts up. “Bela! Think the non-crispy ones have anything good in their pockets?”

It’s when Anders moves to follow them that one of Fenris’ spiky gauntlets closes around his arm, the grip firm but not painful. Fenris’ sword is already cleaned and sheathed, thankfully. 

“As I said before, pay attention. You came very close to injury tonight,” Fenris says in an undertone, stepping closer. Anders bites back any protest that such a wound would do little to him – the scar over his sternum can attest to that, but he’s not really in the mood to start an argument. 

“Aw, Fenris, it’s nice to know you care,” he says, tone purposefully light. 

Fenris’ expression takes on a pinched quality, hard to read even by the light of both moons. His grip tightens the barest amount as he takes another half-step forward, right into Anders’ space. 

“Of course I care. It is not my affection you should doubt, but my patience with your lack of awareness.” 

The backhanded statement shouldn’t make his heart beat faster, just as the way Fenris is looking up at him with those wide, luminous eyes shouldn’t make a stone lodge in Anders’ throat, but it does. The understanding between them is all too new, and he’s still trying to wrestle down his instinct to snipe back every time Fenris gets so much as a growl in his voice. 

He swallows around the blockage in his throat and manages to croak:

“Thank you- I mean, I will.” 

That makes one corner of Fenris’ mouth tick up. 

“Good,” is all he says before Fenris lets go of his arm to hook his hand around the back of Anders’ neck. Anders ducks down halfway, their mouths meeting in a kiss. For a few short seconds he’s lost in Fenris, in the feel of his chapped lips and the taste of him that always carries the faintest hint of lyrium. They’re only allowed to linger for a moment, breaths mingling, before they’re interrupted by a sharp wolf whistle from Isabela. 

They part with a sigh on Fenris’ part and a disgruntled groan on Anders’, spurred on by Hawke calling back:

“If you guys don’t hurry up the food’s going to get cold!” 

Fenris releases Anders, allowing him to stand to his full height again, but not without a whispered, “Later, mage,” that sets coals alight in the pit of Anders’ stomach. 

Later, then. After dinner and cards and probably a fair amount of that imported Chasind mead Justice won’t let him touch.

Nonetheless, Anders turns to follow Fenris through the moonlit street, content to wait for now. 

[highonchocolate]

Take Two: The Guardian in Gotham Chapter 13

First   Previous   Next   Ao3

“Now that we know you do not intend to attack or harm us, the next order of business is testing and understanding your powers” Diana said, starting off down the hallway. “Batman and Superman will go over the details with you.” 

She led them to a training room where Batman and Superman were already waiting. The five of them filed in after her, looking around and taking in the room. The design was more on the minimalistic side; consisting of plain white walls, void of decoration, with lights embedded into the ceiling. Training mats spread out over half the floor, with more stacked on one side. There were no windows, or glass, and the ceiling rose high above them, at least twenty feet up.

Superman cleared his throat, and their eyes snapped from the walls to him. 

“As Diana most likely told you, we are going to be assessing your powers today. What that means is, you will explain where they come from, as well as demonstrate how they work, if possible, so that we can better understand your abilities.” 

“That all sounds good, but how, exactly, do you want us to demonstrate our powers to you?” Ladybug asked, tilting her head curiously.

“Whatever way feels the most comfortable, as long as you cause no injury to others. And yes, death is considered an injury.”

They looked horrified. 

“We aren't going to kill anyone to demonstrate our skills!” Chat Noir exclaimed, staring at them with wide eyes.

“Well, some of our members didn't realize that when they were assessed.” Superman said, eyes darting away for a second. 

“You can begin now,” Batman growled from where he stood beside Superman, his imposing black silhouette looming over them.

Ladybug blinked up at him. “Uh, alright.” She took a deep breath, before beginning. 

“So, we get our powers from our Miraculi. Our Miraculi takes the form of jewelry, but the shape can change. The jewels are what stay the same, and they have gods bound to them. When we transform, the god that is bound to our jewel will fuse with it, and give us powers. These gods are called Kwamis, and they represent abstract concepts, which is what our powers are based off of.” 

“What kind of abstract concepts?” Superman asked curiously.

“Um, well my Kwami represents Destruction, and there are also Kwamis that represent things like Intuition, Subjection, Evolution...stuff like that.” Chat Noir answered, ticking off his fingers as he listed the examples.

“How many Miraculi are there?” Batman inquired, still looming. “And what concepts do your Miraculi represent?”

Ryuko met his face unflinchingly.

“My Miraculous represents Perfection, Viperion’s represents Intuition, Queen Bee’s represents Subjection, Chat Noir’s as you already know represents Destruction, and its counterpart, the Ladybug Miraculous, represents Creation.”

“They're stored in Miracle Boxes, and it's worth saying there are many of those, actually,” Viperion added, “But the one we have had nineteen Miraculi,” 

Batman nodded once, accepting the answer.

“You said had, past tense,” Diana noted, “What do you mean?”

“Hawkmoth and Mayura stole two Miraculi from the box, the Butterfly brooch, which represents Transmission, and the Peacock brooch, which represents the power of Emotion. They're literally the supervillains we fight, like, daily.” Queen Bee crossed her arms, looking at them incredulously. “How do you not know this? It's literally all over Parisian news when Akuma Attacks occur.” 

“We had it handled Queenie, and my Cure fixes all the damage anyway, so they probably didn't see it as a problem,” Ladybug countered. “Besides,” She glanced at the three older heroes, “You have to deal with stuff like alien invasions, and plots for world domination, not some dude who wants to make a wish.” 

 Viperion frowned. “It's more dangerous than that and you know it.” 

She shrugged, looking away. 

“While you are correct that we are busy, that still doesn't excuse that we let this slip our attention,” Superman said.

“Well you're helping us now, so I guess that counts for something,” Chat Noir offered, “And uh, if there aren't any more questions, we can demonstrate our powers now.”

“Go ahead.” Diana indicated the training mats, “Just remember, no injuries!” 

“Okay, so Ryuko, you can go first,” Ladybug turned to Queen Bee, “I know you've been working on recalling your Venom, but for now, just stun her when it's your turn, since she'll already be done demonstrating.”

They nodded, and Ryuko stepped forward, facing the older heroes, and inclined her head in a small bow. 

“I have the Miraculous of the Dragon, and it represents Perfection. It allows me to transform into three elements, wind, water and lighting.” She breathed deeply, planting her feet firmly on the ground.

“Wind Dragon!” 

She shifted into a gust of wind that blew around the room once, before reappearing where she had originally stood.

“Water Dragon!”

She became a stream of water that seeped through the cracks in the training mat into a puddle on the floor, before reappearing on the floor in front of the training mat. 

“Lightning Dragon!”

She turned into a crackling ball of electricity, hovering in midair for a moment, before reverting back to human, panting slightly.

Ladybug grabbed her forearm gently, “You need to recharge, and then sit down. You have food for Longg, right?”

“Yes, but I don’t know where I’m going to detransform and recharge,” She whispered.

“Just ask Diana if there’s a closet or something where you can detransform.” 

Ryuko nodded and walked over to Diana. They spoke quite for a couple moments, before Diana pointed to a door they hadn't noticed when they had arrived. She nodded and walked into the room beyond, as Chat Noir walked forward.

“My Miraculous is the Black Cat, and it represents Destruction. I have two powers, one that allows me to destroy anything I touch, and one that allows me to create corruption in something. I also have enhanced senses.”

Queen Bee sidled up next to Viperion. “Was there a script? I don’t remember there being a script?”

“I think he’s just going off what Ryuko said because she sounded distinguished.” He whispered back.

Chat Noir’s ear twitched, and he had to bite down on the inside of his cheek to hold in laughter.

“I’m not going to demonstrate my second power, though, it’s a bit more dangerous, in a way.” 

He raised one clawed hand before him, “Cataclysm!”

His hand began to seethe with a dark, black energy that had the older heroes falling into defensive positions.

“Can I use it on this?” He indicated a nearby metal bar with the other hand.

“Yes.” Batman nodded, observing intently. With the reassurance, he walked over to the beam and pressed a single claw to the shiny metal. Within seconds, it had corroded and rusted, disintegrating entirely. 

Superman raised his eyebrows. “Impressive.” 

“Heh. Thanks.” Chat Noir rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, stepping back and allowing Queen Bee to come forward. Ryuko walked over as well, standing a few feet away from the blonde heroine.

“I have the Bee Miraculous, which represents Subjection. It gives me the power to paralyze others. I’ll be demonstrating on Ryuko, since she has already demonstrated and recharged.”

Behind them, Chat Noir’s ring beeped once.

She reached down to the striped top, its cord looped around her waist, shouting “Venom!”

It began to pulse with magic in her hand, and she quickly flicked her wrist, sending it spinning at the dragon-themed heroine and catching her between the shoulder blades, leaving a small ring of black and gold. 

It's effects were instantaneous: she stiffened up, her limbs all locking in place. The only things moving were her eyes, and the slight rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.

“How long does the paralysis last?” Diana asked, studying Ryuko’s frozen form.

There were two beeps, one from Chat Noor and the other from Queen Bee.

“Until I detransform. But after we use our powers, we only have five minutes until our Kwamis are forced to drop our transformations,” Queen Bee explained. “That'll change once you become an adult, but for now the paralysis only lasts five minutes, max.”

“So after you use your power you have to end the fight within five minutes?” Superman clarified.

Viperion spoke up.

“Well, we can detransform, feed our Kwamis and transform again. And then we can use our powers again. It just takes a few minutes to do all that.”

“Hmm.” Batman’s face seemed thoughtful beneath his cowl.

Two more beeps echoed through the room..

Viperion stepped forward to the mat. Behind him, Ladybug was pushing Queen Bee and Chat Noir towards the door Ruyko had recharged behind, an insistent expression on her face.

“My Miraculous is the Snake, and it represents Intuition. It grants me the power to repeatedly go back a certain amount in time.” He paused as Ryuko unfroze and began to shake the stiffness out of her limbs. Queen Bee must have dropped her transformation. 

“I can't demonstrate it very well here, but in battle if things go wrong, I reset time and warn us before we make that mistake again.”

There was a flash of green and yellow light behind the door as they retransformed

“A useful power.” Batman commented, face unreadable. The other two heroes murmured in agreement, strange expressions on their faces.

He shrugged, faking nonchalance even as the memories of past Akumas turned disastrous flashed through his head. “It's a powerful blessing and a horrible curse.”

His bracelet beeped once, and he stepped away to recharge as Ladybug walked forward.

“I have the Ladybug Miraculous, which represents Creation. I have the power to summon a tool in battle that will help me win, and I can capture Akumas and repair any damage caused in a fight that Ladybug participated in with my Cure.”

“So if you are not part of the fight as Ladybug, you can’t fix the damage?” Diana asked.

“Yeah, basically.”  She frowned. “So even if I’m there as a civilian, if I can’t transform before the fight’s over, I can’t do anything to repair the damage.” 

There was a flash of blue, and Viperion walked back over to them, falling into line with the other members of his team behind her.

Shrugging, she gave the older heroes a small smile and grabbed the spotted crimson yoyo at her hip. “But I can now! Lucky Charm!” 

A ladybug-patterned keychain with ‘JL’ emblazoned on it fell into her outstretched palm. She threw it into the air, shouting “Miraculous Ladybug!”

With a whoosh of magic, pink glowing butterflies soared through the room, fixing the rusted beam, and even straightening things that had shifted slightly when Ryuko had called on Wind Dragon. The three older heroes' eyes widened at the display of power.

“That’s a very useful power.” Batman commented, eyeing them assessingly. “Now, we’d like to see your combat skills. Without your powers.” He turned on his heel and walked out the door. 

“Follow me.”

“Do you want us to detransform, or just not use our powers but keep our suits on?” Ryuko asked as they followed the three of them out of the room.

“What additional enhancements do your suits bring?” Batman countered, turning right and striding forward along another hallway.

“Uh, mine gives me night vision and they all give us better reflexes.” Chat Noir piped up from where he brought up the rear.

“Any weapons?” Diana asked.

“Well, I have a lyre.” Viperion offered.

“Do you hit people over the head with it when they get too close?” ” Superman asked as he walked beside them.

Viperion looked appalled. “Of course not! It’s a musical instrument! I would protect it with my life! You never damage your instrument!”

“Okay…” Superman said slowly, turning around and walking backwards so he could face all the Parisian heroes. “What about you all?”

“I have my yoyo, and it’s pretty much indestructible.” Ladybug pointed to the spotted weapon at her hip. “Actually, all our weapons are mainly indestructible. Perks of magic I guess.”

“Oh, and I have my baton!” Chat Noir lifted the weapon in question above his head enthusiastically.

“Spinning top for me.” Queen Bee shrugged and indicated the striped top at her waist.

“Do any of you have traditional weapons?” Diana asked, looking at them incredulously.

“I have my sabre.” Ryuko unsheathed the weapon in question, the light glinting off the unmarred metal.

“A sword.” Diana nodded, “I can work with that.”

“Alright, here we are.” Superman announced, throwing the door open. “Time for your combat skills to be tested!”

@laurcad123, @liquid-luck-00, @toodaloo-kangaroo, @stainedglassm

[spectral-musette]

A scene set during the year Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan spent protecting Satine Kryze: a morning that the padawan and the young duchess spend alone together does not go quite as planned.

(warning for unpleasant parasitic space-bugs)

~2000 words

... 

         Satine found a seat on a boulder on the grassy hilltop.

           Obi-Wan was fairly far along through his lightsaber practice, bright blue blade humming as he moved as though defending against an invisible opponent. The morning was cool, overcast, but he’d still stripped off his tunics and boots, his bare feet occasionally visible through the tall grass. It was a while before he noticed her, focused as he was on his saber play. He paused, disengaging the glowing blade and walking towards her, chest heaving as he caught his breath.

           “Did you want me?” he asked.

           She felt her cheeks flush and her pulse quicken. Did she want him, oh ancestors forgive, did she want him?

           But his expression was all innocence, even as a glittering bead of sweat rolled through the fine dark hair over his heart and along its narrow path down his lean belly. She’d seen him in this state of undress before, but fleetingly, changing tunics in close quarters. This extended view was allowing fascinating insight for her as a student of medicine. And art. She swallowed hard.

           “I came to tell you that Qui-Gon left, walked down to the village to barter for supplies,” she replied, surprised by how smooth and tranquil her voice sounded. “He said to tell you there’s a storm coming in.”

           He nodded, still breathing fast, and bent to retrieve his boots, belt, and neatly folded pile of clothing, shifting the rock he’d placed on top of them to keep the wind from taking them.

           “You don’t have to stop. I don’t think the rain will start for a little while yet.”

           “I’m not really accustomed to having an audience,” he demurred, tucking the folded tunics under one arm and draping his boots and stockings over the other as he started down the hill. She stood to follow, brushing off the back of the long cardigan she’d pulled on over her sleeveless tunic.

           “That can’t be true. Qui-Gon said, at home in your Temple, many Jedi gather to watch others at saber practice.” She caught up with his long stride in a few quick steps.

           “That’s… different,” he countered.

           “Because I’m an outsider? I didn’t mean to intrude.”

           Unless he meant the lustful taint she brought to spectatorship, but surely he’d experienced that before as well - his fellow young Jedi couldn’t be wholly immune to the effects of his beauty and grace, especially if he made a habit of practicing without his tunics.

           “You didn’t do anything wrong,” he hastened to assure her. “It’s just different.” He favored her with a self-deprecating smile, a dimple appearing in his smooth cheek. “It’s embarrassing to admit, but I’m tempted to show off a bit when you’re watching.”

           She bit her lip to fight back a grin. “And you don’t show off for your friends at home?”

           “Sometimes,” he conceded. “But they know I’m doing it.”

           “And you think I didn’t?”

           “Well, you definitely do now.”

           “What if I said I didn’t mind that you want to show off for me?”

           “Well, it’s complicated,” he replied, thoughtful. “I don’t want you to think that I’m overly impressed with myself.”

           “I don’t think that. Even if you do swagger,” she teased.

           “I’m walking the only way I know how,” he defended against the familiar accusation.

           “Please. I’m a Mandalorian. I know a swagger when I see one.”

           “Will you be happier when it’s a limp? Because I think I just stepped on a thorn.” He paused, lifting his left foot gingerly.

           “You could’ve gotten dressed!”

           He shook his head. “Not until I wash up.”

           “Or put your boots on at least.”

           “Hindsight,” he sighed, dropping his clothes and boots on the grass and taking hold of his foot to examine it.

           “Is it a thorn?”

           He nodded, braid dangling over his bare chest as he attended to his injury. “I think so. But I can’t get a hold of it.”

           “Let me.”

           “It’s fine, you don’t have to…”

           “Oh just sit down, will you?”

           He obeyed, folding up his legs in a meditative posture that gave her a good view of his grass-stained foot. There was indeed a thorn right in the arch, so small that it was no wonder his close-trimmed nails couldn’t grip it. She pulled it free, a droplet of blood welling up from the tiny wound.

           “Blast,” he breathed. “My foot’s gone numb. I don’t think it’s actually a tho-“

           It shuddered between Satine’s fingers, jerking free and burying itself in her palm.

           She swore softly in Mando’a, reaching to pull it out again, but Obi-Wan stilled her hand with his. “Leave it for now, and get back to camp quickly. I’ll be right behind you.”

           Something in his tone kept her from arguing. She did as he ordered, glancing back over her shoulder to watch him limping along after her.

           Back in the shelter of the unassuming cabin built from old shipping crates that served as the Republic safe house, he stumbled in to retrieve the med kid and set it on counter of the kitchen unit, pulling out a bottle of antiseptic.

           “What is it?”

           “Bore-tick. They’re an invasive species, I had no idea they had a foothold here. They’re generally just a nuisance, but they can swarm if they smell enough blood.”

           “Charming,” she replied with a shudder. “So what are you doing?” she prompted as he opened the bottle.

           “They don’t release the toxin that makes you feel numb until they pull out. I’m hoping the antiseptic will kill it while it’s in there and deactivate the toxin.”

           “Hoping?”

           “Well it should be a short lived effect, anyway. Some species use them as a local anesthetic in traditional medicine.”

           He poured a splash of cold antiseptic into her palm, and she held the liquid, watching a tiny bubble form over the tick.

           Obi-Wan took a delicate pair of forceps from the kit, doused the ends in antiseptic, and tugged the long insect out of the wound on her hand.

           “Ouch!” she complained at the antiseptic sting.

           “So not numb, then?”

           “I wish.” She dropped the extra antiseptic into the sink and shook her hand dry.

           “You didn’t pick up any more when you were kneeling in the grass, did you?” he asked.

           She looked down, brushing at the knees of her trousers. “I don’t see any. You?”

           “I have an inkling,” he said with a pained expression.

           “Do you want me to check?” she asked, starting to step behind him.

           “Not really.” He turned, putting his back against the wall.

           She put her hand on her hip. “I’m a trained medic. I’ve pulled jetpack shrapnel out of more backsides than you can even imagine. Some of them were even as pretty as yours.”

           “Satine,” he complained.

           “I will be impeccably professional, I promise. Now, turn around.”

           She caught a quick glimpse of his flushed face before he faced the wall.

           “You’re in luck,” she told him, catching the twitching insect between the forceps and tugging it out of the fabric of the seat of his trousers. “You might’ve felt a pinch, but it didn’t make it through the layers.”

           “Good.”

           “I don’t see any on your back or your arms, either.” She examined him quickly, trying to ignore the appeal of his defined musculature, as she’d promised.

           “I don’t think they move very fast.”

           “Small blessings.”

           He took the forceps from her and returned to the counter, pouring the antiseptic over the tick.

           It seemed his hand was a little unsteady as the liquid continued to slosh out of the bottle. She put her hand on his, guiding the bottle back to the counter.

           “Not to be negative,” she said, “but your foot is looking… wrong.” It was swelling, purpling and blotchy.

           “Yes, well,” he replied, voice a bit strained, “reactions can vary.”

           Satine helped him over to one of the bunks before he lost his balance, then lunged for the pile of clothing he’d dropped by the door, looking for his commlink.

           “Qui-Gon,” she called into it.

           “Satine?” His voice sounded mildly surprised. “What’s wrong?”

           “Obi-Wan had a bore-tick in his foot. It’s turning purple and he’s …”

           “Get him in the fresher,” Qui-Gon ordered briskly. “Warm water, not too hot. The toxin will drop his body temperature, so you need to keep him warm. And keep him awake. I’ll be there as soon as I can with the antitoxin. Did you…”

           “In my hand, but I’m not having a reaction yet.”

           “Get in with him too, just in case.”

           “Will he be all right?”

           “I expect so, but do as I say.”

           Satine dropped the commlink and hurried to tug Obi-Wan unsteadily back to his feet.

           “Funny,” he mused, “Qui-Gon is usually telling me to take cold showers, lately.”

           “This isn’t the time for jokes.”

           “Who’s joking?”

           The water in the fresher warmed up quickly, and Satine stuffed Obi-Wan into the stall and climbed in after.  His knees started to buckle, but Satine propped him in the corner, draping one of his arms over her shoulder. She’d thought about taking off her cardigan before stepping into the water stream, but, upon further reflection, maybe it was for the best that at least one of them was wearing clothes.

           This was not exactly how she’d imagined sharing a fresher with him.

           She banished that thought quickly, directing the flow of water from the nozzle towards him. It might’ve been her imagination, but his skin did seem cool under her hands.

           “Fantastic job I’m doing of protecting you.”

           “Do you hear me complaining?” she inquired, nudging her forehead against his chest. His heartbeat felt strong, at least.

           “Satine.” He rested his chin on the top of her head. “I’m sorry.”

           “You’re ridiculous. This isn’t your fault.”

           “Nor is it exactly how I planned our morning together,” he confided, chagrined.

           “Let me just ask,” she said, shifting to look up into his unfocused eyes. “Bore-ticks cause partial paralysis, lethargy, hypothermia, and swarm when they smell blood, but you classify them as a nuisance? What would you call dangerous?”

           “Venom-mites,” he replied, with just a hint of a dimple. “How’s your hand?” he asked, changing the subject.

           She shifted to a one-armed hold around his middle so she could get a look at it. “Bleeding a little. Feels like it has a hole in it.”

           “No swelling or discoloration?”

           “No. Do you think it used up all its toxin on you?”

           “Possibly. Or the antiseptic worked. Or your industrious ancestors cultivated immunity to the toxins of a wide variety of venomous creatures and included that in your childhood inoculations.”

           “That doesn’t sound unlikely. I’m rarely grateful for the questionable hobbies of my forebears, but I’ll make an exception this time.”

           “As will I.” He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

           “What did you plan?” she asked, tightening both arms around his chest again.

           “Hm?” He screwed his eyes more tightly closed.

           “For our morning together. Come on, Qui-Gon said you shouldn’t sleep. If you do, you’ll probably slip and I’ll drop you.”

           “Is that a threat?”

           “A prediction. Tell me what you planned,” she insisted.

           “I was going to invite you for a walk on the shore and ask if you liked Noorian epic poetry.”

           “I’m not familiar with any Noorian epic poetry. Do you think I’ll like it?”

           “I hope you will.”

           “Recite some.”

           “What makes you think I have anything memorized?”

           She raised her eyebrows. “Go on. Maybe it’ll keep you awake.”

           He took a deep breath, and she was temporarily transfixed by the rivulet of water tracing along his collarbone and down his chest.

           “For Thou art my lady

           And I swear all myself to thee:

           My arm to defend

           My hands to lift thee up

           My feet to carry me at thy bidding

           My ears to hear thy commands

           My eyes to watch over and adore thee

           My voice to counsel, comfort, and sing thy praise.

           My honor is thine by right

           And my soul for thy asking…”

           His voice faded to a murmur as he rested his cheek against her wet hair.

           “Does she ask?” she whispered.

           “Not at first.”

           “Don’t tell me. Tomorrow we’ll go to the shore, and you can read it to me.”

           “I think I’ll leave my boots on, though.”

           She smiled, looking up at him. He was a little pale beneath his faint spray of freckles, droplets of water from the nozzle spray glistening in his short hair. He smiled back, and he was so beautiful that it took her a moment to catch her breath.  “Me too.”

[bobasheebaby]

From Within: Crimson Rain fic

Pairing: (Liam x )Raven; Madeline 

Word count: 1,201

Warnings: angst, suspended reality, claustrophobia, character death, blood, murder, paralysis, knife violence, dark, sinister, kidnapping

Summary: Raven comes face to face with her greatest fear. (Before chapter 15)

A/N: @darley1101 requested January Nightmares (4) Raven for @choicesjanuarychallenge2020. Thank you to @ao719 and my bestest boo @sirbeepsalot for pre-reading and providing feedback. (A day late oops.)

I had this done for a few weeks, but put off editing, my son is currently sick with the flu to the point I’m freaking out so please excuse any and all mistakes. And as always, thanks for your unwavering support @sirbeepsalot.

Series warnings: Mobster AU, there will be violence, and death. Possible NSFW to come. Possibly dark and deals with pregnancy loss. If you ask to be tagged you acknowledge you are at least 18 years of age.

Let me know if you want to be added or removed from the taglist.

Disclaimer: I own my OC’s, the rest I’m simply borrowing from PB for a bit.

Raven made her way down the dark and dank hallway, her elbows scraped against the coarse cement walls as they closed in around her the further she moved down the narrow corridor. Where—where am I? What’s going on?

She fought to keep her breathing steady. Panicking and screaming out would get her caught, or worse—dead. I have to find a way out.

Her head throbbed. She reached up and touched her head, pulling her hand back to find her fingertips wet and tinged with blood. So somebody knocked me out, and took me, but why?

She had woken up alone in a dark room, her body untouched, except her shoes were missing. The cool stone froze her feet with each tentative step. Fear of being found before she could escape had every nerve ending and cell on alert, her senses working in hyperdrive. The corridor smelled like mildew and she heard water dripping somewhere further along. Who would do this and why?

She debated turning back, but the path was too narrow to turn around, only as wide as her shoulders. Okay, on we go in this creepy fucking place. She tried to make a joke but all she felt was deep seated fear. She had no clue what awaited her and she wasn’t sure she was ready to find out.

She kept moving forward. The hall stretched on for miles, her feet growing so cold she couldn’t feel them. Her body weak, she would collapse if it weren’t for the walls scrapping her arms with every step holding her upright. I can’t keep going. I’ll never get out.

As she lost all hope the walls widened enough for her to turn to her left. She gasped as she made out a steel door. Her heart hammered as she turned the handle, cautiously pushing the door open.

She held her breath, praying the door wouldn’t creak and alert her captor of her presence. Is this some kind of test? She slowly released her breath as the door opened quietly to reveal a dimly lit room.

She blinked, her eyes accustomed to the darker hallway, as she scanned the room searching for a way out. She carefully stepped through the threshold, her hand slipping from the handle, the heavy steel door falling closed behind her with a bang.

She froze, every fiber of her being on alert as she waited for some indication of if she’d been heard. She barely breathed as she waited, the time ticking on, silence cold and heavy around her.

You’re safe … for now.

She cautiously moved further into the room, the light growing brighter the further she went. What is going on here? Her eyes scanned the area for a clue, her heart stopping in her chest and body going stiff as she made out a figure.

A glint of metal in the light and the figure stepped forward, dragging a body in their arms. What? Who?

Fear gripped her heart. Every cell screamed run, but her body frozen unmoving.

“I was wondering how long until you found us.”

The cool voice made the hair on Raven’s arms stand on end. The sickly sweet voice tinged with superiority was familiar.

The figure took one more step forward, her entire body bathed in the light. Her platinum blonde locks, cherry red lips, and forest green dress pristine as always.

Raven’s body pulsed. What the hell is Madeline up to?!

“We were beginning to think you wouldn’t ever find us.” Madeline shifted her position, the body in her arms finally falling under the lights, his tall build limp in Madeline’s arms.

“Liam …” Raven gasped. Her entire body screaming for her to move and pull him from Madeline’s clutches.

“Well now that you’re here, we can move onto the show, can’t we Liam?”

“What are you going to do?” Raven asked, her voice shaking. “Liam, wake up, fight!”

Madeline cackled, the noxious sound bouncing off the concrete walls. “I’m afraid Liam is paralyzed.” She smirked. “He won’t be fighting back.” She looked down at his barely moving chest. “I was almost thinking you would miss out on the main event.” She released her hold on Liam, his body falling to the stone floor with a thud. “It really would have been a shame if you had … I mean it wouldn’t be nearly as fun without your screams as my soundtrack.”

“Wh—What are you going to do to him?”

“I’m making sure that no one gets what is rightfully mine.” Madeline kneeled beside his body, slashing his shirt open with her knife. “He was mine. You had no right interfering and taking what was planned since he was a child.

I was always meant to be by his side. Not somebody like you.” Madeline ran her blade down the center of Liam’s chest, his skin slicing like butter.

Madeline smiled, the sinister glint in her eyes making Raven’s stomach turn.

“It won’t be long now before the paralytic I gave him stops his heart.” Madeline’s fingers curled around the opening of the cut, pulling the incision open exposing his ribs and sternum. “I really want to see the last beat in his heart … don’t you?”

Raven’s stomach lurched, she nearly fell to her knees, her feet rooted to the ground, unmoving.

“You felt so entitled! You ruined everything!” Madeline smashed the hilt of her knife into his ribs, a loud sickening crack echoing through the room.

“You should have left well enough alone!”

Crack!

“It was planned since we were children!”

Crack!

“He was mine!”

Crack!

“If I can’t have him no one can!”

Madeline slid the tip of her knife between the breaks in the ribs and sternum, carefully lifting the sternum. She removed the broken bone, tossing it aside.

Her lips curved upward as his slowly beating heart was exposed.

“Now then, let’s watch as the life fades from him” she turned to Raven. “ … and remember his death is on you.”

Raven opened her mouth, a silent scream escaping as the sound of his beating heart filled the room.

Thump.

Nearly a minute passed as Raven watched in horror.

Thump.

“It won’t be long now.”

Thump.

Liam’s heart pulsed and laid still.

“It’s a shame you had to die … if only you’d done as you were told …”

Madeline turned to Raven, her body disintegrating into ash, floating away on a nonexistent wind.

What? What’s happening?!

Raven stared confused at Liam’s lifeless body and the place where Madeline used to sit. She blinked, sure her mind was playing tricks on her, a person couldn’t just vanish into nothing.

She gasped as her eyes opened and the space next to Liam was once again occupied. The figure was no longer Madeline, but Raven staring at her with a gleeful look on her face. “He took my mother from me. He deserved to die.”

Raven awoke with tears streaming down her cheeks, her lungs gasping for air. What was that? It felt so real?

She sat up searching the bed for Liam. She let out a relieved breath as she found him sleeping soundly next to her. Thank god!

I can’t let resentment destroy us.

Feedback fuels me, please like, comment reblog or send an ask. Feel free to scream, I promise I can take it.

Masterlist can be found in my bio.

Taglist will be reblogged.

[ask-marcus-cally-and-ari]

Only Human

Chapter 9: Breather

As the van made its way through the forest, Marcus asked, “So what’s your deal?” 

“Doctor kidnapped me and a Sniper, cut us up, then put my head on the Snipers body,” Spyper shrugged. “I’ve been stuck as a hybrid ever since.”

Marcus winced. “Oh… wow. Uh. That sucks. What happened to the other head and body?” 

“The Medic made another hybrid. Sny. Me and him are good friends, although it does get kinda weird at times since...Y’know, he has my body. And we both have this weird tick where we’ll switch into the other's voice for a moment,” Spyper replied, gesturing to his neck. 

“Oh. What does that even feel like?” 

“Uh… It's hard to explain. Have you ever had sleep paralysis? Where you know you’re awake and you’re aware of what's going on, but you can’t do anything about it?” 

Ari nodded. “I know what that is.” 

“It’s kinda like that. My brain gets paralyzed for a moment and I can’t do anything when that tick starts going, even though I know it's happening.” 

Marcus winced. “That must suck.” Briefly, the teen looked up at the van ceiling, hand on his gun. 

“You okay, kid?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Bad experience with things above me.” Marcus relaxed upon seeing nothing on the ceiling. “You understand, right?” 

“Yeah, I understand. I once fought Brutal myself.”

“Oh, wow!” Ari beamed. “Did you win?” 

“I did. Cut his head right off,” Spyper chuckled, punctuating his words by sharply jerking his hand across his throat. 

Ari whimpered, suddenly very pale- and far less excited. 

“Hey, he was terrorizing a team, and I just happened to drop by,” Spyper shrugged. 

Marcus leaned over. “Real talk, man,” he whispered, “Please try not to go into detail with stuff like that. Ari… isn’t that kind of person.” 

“Oh, sorry. It’s not often I meet people who are faint of heart. Y’know, I hang around Freaks all day. ‘Faint of heart’ isn’t exactly common with us.” 

"That's obvious," Cally responded dryly. 

“Jester and Pure fit the bill, though,” Spyper added, glancing back at Ari and Cally. “Well, not so much Pure.” 

"Who?"

“Christian Pure Spy. He’s a priest that lives nearby.” 

“Who’s he running with as far as other Freaks?” Marcus asked. 

“He’s friends with me Intelligent, and looks after Chaos Kin and Jester. He’s also friends with Polite Spy...But uh...That’s about as far as his good connections go,” Spyper said awkwardly. 

“So he’s a good guy?” Ari asked. 

“By himself? Yes. But he has some… questionable friends outside of the ones I listed.” 

“Define questionable, please,” Cally requested. 

“He’s friends with Christian Brutal Sniper and Gentlespy,” Intelligent answered, looking up from the chessboard.

Marcus twitched, then sighed. “Yeah, let’s stay our @sses away from there.” 

“Yeah, good idea,” Ari winced. 

“What about that Jester person you keep mentioning?” Cally asked.

“Count Jester is their full name. They’re on the more lighthearted side of Freaks,” Spyper replied, clearing his throat. 

“Friends?” 

“Me, Intelligent, Chaos, Pure, Pancakes...A whole bunch of people, actually.”

“Who’s Chaos?” Ari asked. “Good guy?” 

“Chaos Kin? Yeah, she’s a good guy. A bit aggressive, but that’s really only towards people she doesn’t like.” 

“Can we trust her?” 

“Against Freaks like Brutal? Yeah, you can trust her,” Intelligent said. “She’s helped several good Freaks since becoming a Freak herself. She’s helped Medizard, Dr. Dum and Mr. Dan, SomeCleanTrash, Weaselcake, Bellatrix…” Intelligent listed off a handful of different Freaks. “If you asked her, she’d probably help you.” 

“How many Freaks can we trust?” Cally asked. “And is there a database for you guys?” 

“There is, but HECU are the ones who maintain it, and are the only people who can access it,” Spyper replied. 

Cally raised an eyebrow and pulled out her laptop. “Let’s fix that, shall we?” 

“Like you can get through HECU’s firewalls-” 

“I just did. Marcus, Ari. Check this out.” 

Marcus snickered at the look on Spyper’s face. “Impressed?” 

“How did you get past their firewalls!?” Spyper spluttered. 

“With my laptop. Alright, let’s see here...” 

“All you have is a laptop, and aren’t you 17? How on Earth did you get past the firewalls of such a heavily guarded agency?” Intelligent implored, taken aback. 

“The only reason whoever sent Christian Brutal Sniper and Gentlespy found me is because I got past the firewalls guarding the plan to cause basically the end of the world as we know it.” 

“How you got these skills, I will never understand.” 

“My parents used to refuse to feed me if I forgot to do something or didn’t do a good enough job. I had to make money somehow. Ethical hacking was a good way to do it.” 

Ari whined upon hearing this. “They what?” 

Intelligent and Spyper gave each other pale and mortified looks. 

“What?” Cally asked, tilting her head. 

“That is so beyond not ok,” Spyper grimaced. 

“Got me the hacking skills I’m probably gonna need.” 

“Jester has their work cut out with you,” Spyper sighed turning back to the road. 

Cally shrugged and went back to the laptop. 

** 

Rudra was bowed over her desk, hunched over her computer and rigorously scrubbing through every piece of footage of the three teens she could get her hands on. First was the viral video of them fleeing Brutal, then there was a series of videos from the motel they had stayed at, and finally, a very short clip of them fleeing that very motel at night. It wasn’t much, but visuals on the teens could at least help her agents pinpoint the exact people they were looking for. And this combined with the knowledge they already had would make the process of searching for and identifying these three when found all the easier. 

A knock at her door, along with a soft white glow, interrupted her process. 

Rudra sighed heavily and sat back in her chair. “I knew you’d show up eventually.” 

“I was given a tip that the Heart, the Brain, and the Body had awakened, so I came to talk to you.” A black woman in a white robe stepped in. “What can you tell me about them?” 

“All three of them are teenagers. Barely out of high school,” Rudra replied dryly.

The woman, who had been sipping a drink, choked on it. “What?!” 

“I was just as shocked as you are. Why do you think my agents are running around like mad trying to find them?” 

“This is preposterous! They were supposed to select ideal hosts!” 

“Well, I guess they took that a bit too literally. From what I can tell, instead of picking people who already possess the qualities the powers are best suited to, the powers decided to build ideal hosts from the ground up by literally joining with them in the womb,” Rudra sighed, rubbing her temples. “I mean, why else would the powers decide to join with literal children?” 

The woman put her head in her hands. “This is not how it was supposed to go!” 

“Was there no way to ensure the powers would go to people who already possessed the qualities they needed, Mercy?” Rudra implored. “Was there no way to ensure they wouldn’t go such an extreme route?” 

“Had I thought that this option was on the table, I would have forbidden it.” 

“And now three kids are stuck with having to save the world,” Rudra sighed incredulously. 

“Oh, bother. Do they at least show promise?” 

“They do. From the security footage we pulled from the motel they stayed at, we can see their powers activating. Most notably with Ari, the bearer of the Heart.” Rudra pulled up the video feed and turned the computer monitor towards Mercy. 

“Hmm. Ari did not take the negative emotion well. They’re tender-hearted, aren’t they?” 

“Seems like it. They’re an empath. Ari wears their heart on their sleeve. Literally. Look where the Heart’s mark showed up.” Rudra pulled up the feed from Brutals confrontation with the teens and showed it to Mercy. 

“The girl with the Brain. She has not used her powers yet.” 

“No, but she has already demonstrated intellect indicative of the Brain. She managed to get past the firewall that kept outsiders away from the plan to convert the Earth's population into Freaks. Her breaking down the firewall is actually how they even got into this mess.” 

“Given how I overheard a few members of your cybersecurity team panicking on my way here, I believe that’s not the only firewall she got past.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“Apparently, within five minutes of the first breach, an attacker broke into your system and downloaded your Freak database before leaving the system. Your team is still trying to figure out what happened.” 

Rudra exhaled sharply and held her head in her hands, going silent. “I didn’t fight a war just to be saddled with this sh@t,” She groaned. 

“I didn’t get cut in half to handle this either.” Mercy sighed. “I understand why she did it, though. The Brain’s purpose is to gather information and utilize it correctly. Information concerning what she and the other two are up against would be a great help.” 

“My question is: Why didn’t they come to us for the information? HECU literally builds itself on protecting people from Freaks, why wouldn’t HECU be their first option as far as refuge goes?” 

“Perhaps paranoia. Given their situation, paranoia is perfectly justified,” Mercy pointed out. “I recall attacking you and the Legion at some point the first time you visited my hideout over paranoia.” 

“And the fact that I was at the forefront of the army should have tipped you in that we were not there to fight,” Rudra sighed, dragging her hands across her face in exasperation. 

“You have never liked me. Besides, it had been a long thousand years. Paranoia was justified given the situation. Speaking of new situations, how are the wife and daughter? Did she like the sword staff?” 

Rudra jerked her head up. “...Sword staff? I don’t even own a sword staff. Mercy, what did you do?” 

“I gave her a present. And trained her on safe handling. You knew the possibility existed when you asked me to babysit.” 

“I expect this from Hero, not you,” Rudra groaned. 

“We both know I have an affinity for bladed weapons.” Mercy looked around. “Does the bearer of the Body share that affinity?” 

“No. The only weapon we’ve seen him wield is a handgun he carries.” 

“Oh. Is he good with it?” 

“He is. And he’s cunning. He faked being shot to get Brutal to lower his guard, then shot him in the heart.” 

Mercy grinned. “Impressive,” she mused. “Mankind might actually have a chance.” 

“Now if only the powers didn’t choose a bunch of kids to be humanity’s saving grace,” Rudra groused. 

“Indeed. Or, as you mentioned being possible, create them,” Mercy sighed. “I certainly hope it never enters their heads that they are weapons if that’s the case.” 

“No. The last thing these kids need is to act like they’re weapons and nothing more. That’ll do more damage than it’ll help.” 

“I am aware. Especially the empath. When I think about it, perhaps the power to take on others’ emotions was not a good idea to give them without them first learning to control it.” 

“You think?” 

“I would have prepared for that had I known it would happen,” groaned Mercy.  “As it stands, I will keep close tabs on them. I suggest you do the same.” 

** 

In Spyper's van, the Trio was reading over the database. “So, Spyper, you have a clone or something? Or just someone created the same way? What is RED Spyper to you?” 

“An enemy. I’m pretty sure the doctor who made me created him too as a form of spite,” Spyper groused, scowling heavily. “He’s basically my evil counterpart. A doppelganger, kind of.”

“An evil twin? Like on TV?” Ari asked. 

“Eh...I guess.”

“Cool!” 

“Cool to you. Not to me! That Spyper’s been a pain in my a$$ for years!” 

“Oh. That’s bad.” 

Marcus glanced at Cally, who was staring at the screen, tattoo and eyes glowing pink, face void of emotion. “Uh… Cal? What’s going on?” 

“Is something wrong back there?” Spyper asked, looking over his seat. 

“Cal?” Ari whined. “Cal, cut it out! Say something!” 

No luck. Cally gave a noise akin to a computer hum. 

“Hey, hey! Kid, come on, snap out of it!” Intelligent urged, shaking Cally by the shoulder. 

Cally didn’t reply; she locked eyes with Intelligent, keeping at least one hand on the laptop. 

“Kid? Kid, can you hear me?” Intelligent implored, growing increasingly worried by Cally’s continued silence. 

Cally’s eyes shone, glowing pink voids, hungry for… something. And then, in an instant, the light fell away, replaced with the soft brown eyes she had normally. “Ugh,” she groaned, “my head.” 

“Cal? Are you ok?” Ari exclaimed, climbing to Cally’s side. 

“I- huh? What happened?” 

“You blacked out, Cal,” Marcus replied, crossing his arms. 

“Oh… crap,” Cally groaned. “Good to know. We need to get help.”

“And that’s exactly where we’re going. I’m bringing you three to HECU. In the meantime, you three should probably get some rest. It’s a long trip there,” Spyper said.

[askdawnandvern]

A Lamb Among Wolves Ch:40

Chapter Forty: Unshakable

Agony. It was the only word that could possibly come to mind as she watched the exchange play out between the two wolves she loved so dearly. It felt like a twister full of daggers was swirling within her chest, and every hateful utterance or spiteful statement was like another errant blade caught in the squall dragging itself along her very core. She found herself immobilized as she watched the warring wolves, hidden in the darkness behind the slightly opened corner door to her husband's study. Watching in mute horror through the tiny slit as the two wolves gnashed their bared fangs at one another. She desperately wanted to step in, to stand between the pair and try to force them to reconcile before it went too far. But with each increasingly heated statement came a fresh pang of pain within her chest that forced her to remain still. Trapped there, unable to do anything but watch. Her one paw wrapped on the doorknob trembling while the other gripped lamely at the rake she had carried indoors. And each time she had nearly found the power within herself to enter the room, another snarling accusation or verbal attack between the wolves would send a fresh surge of paralysis to run through her.

Audrey had always taken pride in her ability to read mammals, especially those closest to her. It was a trait she thought she had in common with her husband, even if it was something her family had never taken it up as one of their signature traits in the same way the Hunters pack had. Even without such a tenant hanging over her families head, she had always been able to bring enough to the table to stand on equal footing with Dorian. It was something she had finely honed over the years, and it had helped her nip a number of brewing spats and arguments in the bud well before they could even get off the ground.

When it came to her family, she could read the subtle nuances of body language and the tone of someone's voice quite well. And that always managed to be more than enough to give her deep insight into just how serious an underlying situation or problem was, especially when it came to Dorian. But the fight she was witnessing now told her just how out of practice she had grown in the years since the boys had left the ranch.

With her children gone, the relative quietness of rural life had dulled her senses. And despite her husband's relatively rare grumpy days, the wolf was generally honest with her about everything. It was the kind of thing that prevented the need to probe any deeper into his statements, to study for any hidden meaning, and without a job like Dorian's that put such a skill to practice every day she lacked the opportunity to regularly exercise it.

And that's why she had failed to notice the storm clouds that had begun to form the moment she had revealed to Dorian who Vernon was bringing back to the ranch to join the family for the reunion. Clouds that had continued to build on the horizon from the moment the pair had set foot on the ranch. Looking back, perhaps she had been ignoring them, but more than likely she had naively believed that whatever the problem at paw was, it was probably nothing more than a trifle. But either way, the she-wolf cursed herself for simply brushing aside the red flags long enough to allow this whole mess to come about.

It was far too late to intercede now. She had blithely let the pressure continue to build without taking a long enough time to actually look for the root cause. She wouldn't be able to make any reasonable headway trying to act as a mediator between the two. If she chose to run in at any point as the wolves argued, to get between them and try to prevent the whole argument from spiraling any more out of control than it already was, they would simply argue around her. They had both been allowed too much time to entrench themselves within their own minds. To build their barriers as high as they could as they stared each other down.  At this moment they were past the point of negotiation, past the point of being open to reason. As painful as it all was to watch from the sidelines, the argument needed to play out before the she-wolf could finally do anything to fix it. If only she had known just how far the two would force each other to go in an effort to get the other to budge.

She had dropped the ball completely, and she hated herself for it. She had assured Vernon she would talk to Dorian about his behavior as soon as things had gone completely sour during the first night's dinner, and while she had done so behind the privacy of their bedroom doors, she had failed to pry deeply enough into his hidden motivations.

At the time the source seemed feasible to write off as it simply being related to the ewe's former reputation, and while she hadn't been able to get Dori to outright admit it, he had begrudgingly promised to try better the following day. It was a big pill to swallow after all, even with the ewe's more recent heroics to diminish from her past actions. And while Dori and herself lived by letting the past go in favor of those who were trying to make amends, that didn't necessarily mean it was always easy.

Even Audrey was somewhat reluctant about the ewe when she first heard about her over the phone. After all, until Vernon had reminded her that Dawn had turned out to be the same lamb that he had been friends with in elementary school, all Audrey had to go on was her involvement in the night howler scandal. And despite her willingness to give mammals a chance, it would be a lie to admit she was ready to welcome the diminutive ewe with open arms from the start.

But as she listened to her son go on and on about his mate, pouring his heart out to the she-wolf about her, she knew whatever misgivings she had would need to be put aside in favor of simply trusting her son's judgment. And by extension, she knew it would be as difficult, if not more so for her husband.

Meeting the ewe was what changed all that for her. She was such a small, timid little thing, shaking like a leaf as she quietly fiddled with her hooves in the passenger seat. At first glance, it just didn't seem possible that the slight, delicate ewe she was looking at had been capable of hurting anyone. The way she carried herself, her mannerisms, and the way she spoke to Audrey when the wolfess was able to finally draw her into a conversation. Well, even Audrey's rather rusty senses could easily tell that Dawn was more sick to death about the whole reunion than anyone else. But when it came to talking about her son, the ewe's entire demeanor seemed to change. She was still nervous yes, but there was something behind her eyes, a determination in the little mammal that reminded her so much of herself at that age, and the heart she wore on her sleeves proudly when it came to Vernon. The love was genuine, and it had melted the she-wolf's heart in seconds. And she was sure given enough time and exposure it would do the same to her stubborn old husband. She couldn't imagine the Dorian she knew being unable to see that same overwhelming love that the ewe held for their son.

But after the disastrous events of the couples second night out she should have known there was more to Dorian's problem than simply the ewe's past exploits. Even more than the supposed 'Hunter Family Reputation' or Zach's accident. And it was something in hindsight she knew she should have headed off at the pass right then and there. She shouldn't have simply made him sleep alone, she should have hashed it out. But at that point, she hadn't even known the full extent of the secrets he was keeping. Not until it had all come pouring out of Dawn at the family barbecue.

She could still see the crumpled little ewe fresh in her mind, gasping for breath as she sobbed through her retelling of her confrontation with Dorian. Of the words her husband used as her tore into the little lamb who had been brave enough to face him. It wasn't typical of Dorian to speak like that, even at his angriest. It was abnormal, and in the decades she had been by the white wolf's side she had never once seen that side of him. Yet she could tell the ewe's claims were true by the earnestness of her tears, and all the current performance going on before her right now did was simply eliminate any shadow of a doubt about Dorian's erratic and inappropriate behavior. The heavy drinking, the screaming, the shattered glasses scattering across the dim study. These were not the actions of the Dorian she knew and loved. Something was wrong, and the situation was escalating faster and faster as she watched the older wolf dig in deeper.

She tightened her grasp on the handle of the old faded rake she had pulled from the barn as Dorian began to imply that Dawn had simply been using Vernon's affection for her. The muscles around her heart tightening as images of the whimpering ewe returned like a hot flash in her mind. It was only the fact that Vernon cut him off, preventing him from further defaming the ewe that kept Audrey from breaking her own vow not to intercede. The rake in her paws was aching to swat the law wolf upside the head, but Vernon had managed to keep his cool for the both of their sakes. And as the she-wolf relaxed her grip, she found her attention drawn back to the old rake in her paws.

The rake was another mistake. Not that Dorian didn't deserve a swift swatting after the things he had said about Dawn. But more so that she had let her emotions blind her so much that she had left a ticking time bomb in her brief absence.

Vernon had always been a hot-blooded pup when it came to his emotions, something she knew he had inherited directly from her. Whenever he felt an injustice was being done he was sure to speak up, and most often Audrey had been the one to encourage that behavior in him.  But that quality had proved to be a double-edged sword during Vernon's adolescence just as it had been with her own, a quality of hers she still struggled to keep under control to this day. His rebellion against them and the system that had taken his friend away was proof of just how difficult the wolf's sense of righteous indignation was to contend with. In moments like this, the case was much the same. And with Dorian being the root of the problem and not the voice of reason in this situation, who would be left to try to talk Vernon down with her just as emotionally compromised as he was?

And so while she was seething over Dorian's behavior as she trudged toward the barn, she had left her son behind to seethe without any mammal that could capably talk some sense to the wolf in his state. She had left the barbecue without her watchful eye, and as always Yuri had used that window of opportunity to torment the already troubled wolf without her there to reign him in.

She couldn't blame Vernon for the state she found him in upon her return, his muzzle wrapped around Yuri's throat. Nor could she truly blame Yuri at this point, as his behavior toward Vernon was always abhorrent. No, in her mind the blame fell squarely on her shoulders. But that didn't make it any less horrific to see. Her sons, her little pups quite literally at one another's throat had managed to shake the she-wolf to her very core. The only positive thing she could say that had come from the situation was that it had managed to fully reawaken those dulled senses within her. Despite the tears that were flowing as she watched Vernon's tearful apology to the rest of the family and his mate, her mind was clear and sharp in regards to what needed to be done. The time had come to take back control of her home, of her family, and the only way she would achieve it was by keeping her emotions tempered and focused at where they were needed the most. Bringing the rake along just offered extra bargaining power, a totem meant to give her all the more strength and resolve to follow through. But all of that power seemed to leave her as soon as she heard Vernon declare he was leaving the pack.

At first, she hadn't been sure she had heard it correctly, but as the wolf reiterated his intention it felt as though her heart had suddenly stopped. It had felt as though a fist had landed squarely in the center of her chest. Audrey clasped lamely at her aching bosom as tears began to form in her eyes.

'No...' She mouthed inaudibly. 'No, no, no..." The wolfess whimpered softly.

It wasn't surprising just how much Vernon was willing to put on the line for his mate, but what shocked her was just how bold a move he was making. Had she been in the same situation, the wolfess couldn't have even fathomed pulling from the families accursed native roots. Not for lack of desire, but simply because she wouldn't have even remembered such a small clause in wolf cultural history. Of course, she knew what he was trying to do almost immediately. It was an obvious drastic measure to make Dorian listen to him, a plea to get the older wolf to understand just how strongly he loved his mate. But her bigger concern was the rising fear that Dorian wouldn't back down despite the severity of it.

"Dorian, don't..." Audrey muttered weakly. "Don't do-"

"Get out..." It was barely audible, but the silence hanging over the room had amplified the white wolf's response to such a degree that it sounded as if he had shouted it directly into her ear. Once again the she-wolf's heart seemed to stop as she fell to her knees behind the door. The wolf had made her fears a horrific reality, and his sharp reiteration only managed to act as another punch to Audrey's gut as she began to silently weep.

"GET OUT!" The white wolf snarled. "GET OFF THIS RANCH AND RUN BACK TO THAT CITY OF YERS!"

Audrey bit down on a finger in an effort to keep her sobs from growing loud enough to be heard.

'How could he?' She thought to herself, the burning pain in her chest swelling with each sob she tried to keep down. 'How could he do this!?'

"I'LL BE OUT FIRST THING TOMORROW MORNING!" Vernon snapped back. Audrey could see the shimmering tears forming in his eyes despite his attempts to look imposing. It was clear he hadn't expected Dorian to take him up on his gamble, just as she hadn't. "THEN YOU'LL NEVER HAVE TO SEE ME AGAIN!"

"AND Y'ALL CAN KEEP YER PRECIOUS REPUTATION INTACT!" Vernon continued, but Dorian clearly wasn't backing down. The white wolf leaned up in his seat, placing his paws on his desk as he glared back at their son.

"GOOD!" He heard Dorian retort. " US HUNTERS DON'T NEED ANYMORE TROUBLE FROM AN...OMEGA LIKE YOU!"

Audrey felt almost as if she were going to drop dead on the spot. The agonizing pain that tore through her insides as Dorian's vile decree registered was almost impossible to bear. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of her as she tried her damnedest to keep her paw clasped tightly around the doorknob to keep from slumping to the floor completely. Her vision was blurry now, the steady stream of tears almost blinding her as she struggled to watch the scene. She could see the vague blur of Vernon storming away from the desk, only becoming clear again as she wiped a shaky paw over her eyes. As Vernon came to a stop at the far office door, it was only then that she noticed it seemed to be slightly ajar, something she was certain hadn't been the case early.

A slight squint managed to catch the glimmer of the familiar orange and brown patterning of Dawn's tortoiseshell glasses barely visible through the slit. The ewe was quietly watching the fight from the other side, eavesdropping just as Audrey had been.

The horrific realization was enough to fill the she-wolf with overwhelming nausea. Her stomach muscles clenching tightly as the myriad of emotions whirled through her head. It was bad enough for Vernon to be subjected to this, to suffer being spurned by his father over Dawn's past, something Audrey saw as trivial. But for Dawn to see it too made it that much worse. Disbelief, shock, horror, sadness, guilt, each emotions fighting to hold the dominant spot as they flushed over her whole body in wave after agonizing wave. And now it was topped off with a fresh heaping of terrible shame over her beastly husband's behavior.

'Stop, stop him!' Her mind was screaming. 'Apologize Dori! Don't be dumb! Apologize before it's too late!' It was what she wanted to say, what she wanted to yell to her husband, but it died in her throat as bile rapidly filled the empty space. She could see the regret imprinted on every line and wrinkle on Dorian's face. The wolf had clamped his paws over his muzzle as if in spite of his own hideous retort, and she could see that tears had started to steadily stream down the old wolf's face. But despite the look painted across his muzzle, the older white wolf remained silent. It only served to twist the knife that much deeper for Audrey as she struggled to comprehend what was going on in Dorian's head. It was clear his own actions were hurting him probably as badly as she was suffering now, yet he refused to admit it. To relent and apologize. Was his pride really so all-consuming that the wolf just couldn't bring himself to overpower it?

"I'll be glad just to never have to see you again." Vernon muttered sharply, and with that her son disappeared behind the far door, slamming it shut tightly in his wake and leaving the law wolf in a perturbed silence.

Audrey wanted to retch. She was so disgusted, so repulsed by her husband's behavior that she actually threw up into the back of her mouth. This monster wasn't Dori, it couldn't be. And yet it wore his pelt, it spoke in his cadence and used his mannerisms. It was as if her husband had been replaced by some sort of crazed zealot, the kind that brought to mind many of her experiences with the more devout native wolves in the area.

Slowly the white wolf seemed to ease in his chair, his ears slowly sagging down against his head as his posture slipped into more of a deep slump. But the disturbing silence remained, it's deafening and disgusting thrum hanging over the stilted air left in the study. Only to be broken by a familiar, yet devastatingly mournful howl that Audrey could hear petering through the office window on the crisp Autumn winds.

Dorian's ears shot up sharply, high and pointed as the weary howl mingled in the stagnant air. The wolf rising to his feet for a moment as he turned to face the window. He stood like that for long after the primary howl had come to a close, only slumping back into his seat as a chorus of multiple, weaker howls filled the vacuum of silence.

But for Audrey the howl was the final straw. Among the torrent of unbearable emotional turmoil beneath her surface, the small flicker of a flame that had been stoking beneath it all had begun to grow. The same fire that she knew she and her son shared, whether through influence, genetics, or purely a sense of morality that seemed to be ingrained in the both of them. She could feel the flames of rages burning through her others emotions as if they were kindling, feeding and growing until it had become an inferno in her mind. Her grip on the rake in her paw tightened as the heat flowing through her veins caused all over her muscles to start clenching. With a burst of energy, she was standing again, rising with the flames inside her body as her muzzle curled into a hateful sneer.

She had never been an 'abusive' mammal, never on to strike any of her loved ones in anger or otherwise. But in that moment, the only images that were flashing in her head were still shots of beating Dorian down with the rusted old rake. Of wailing it over the wolf's head over and over until she managed to knock some harsh form of sense into her brutish husband.

In a flash, Audrey kicked the door to the study so hard it nearly came away from its hinges. The door clacked loudly against the bookshelf to its side, knocking a few books to the floor as the she-wolf stomped into the room. However the white wolf didn't seem to react to the sudden noise, his head remaining tilted toward the desk as she rounded the corner.

As she approached the desk, Audrey raised the rake high in the air, ready to strike in a moments notice. But just as she was about to let the serrated steel fly, she finally caught sight of the wolf's face.

Dorian was still seated slumped at his desk, his shimmering eyes blearily focused on the empty glass in his paw, although not truly looking at it. His stare seemed to be as though he was looking far and away. Through the glass, the desk, and the nothingness beyond. His ears hadn't even perked to the sudden flurry of noise, remaining sagged sharply against his head as he seemed oblivious to the world around him. His features were etched with a mixture of agony and misery, every worry line in his fur exposed and wound up tightly as the wolf let out a soft, mournful sigh.

Audrey had used many descriptive statements to describe her husband throughout life. Stern, loving, stubborn, sweet, foolish. Those were all terms that at one point or another or sometimes simultaneously she had used to describe her husband. But in this moment Dorian looked like nothing she had never seen before. He looked so drawn and weary, as if he had aged twenty years during the course of the weekend. In fact, he kind of reminded her of Father Hunter during his final days in the hospital. There was only one word that came to mind that perfectly encapsulated how Dorian looked in that moment, pitiful.

Wearily the wolf managed to look up at her, her bleary eyes taking a moment to adjust to what he was seeing before a mild look of worry set in. Dorian ran a paw over his eyes, sopping up the tears as quickly as he could while turning away.

"Y'all fixin' to use that?" Dorian mumbled, drawing his finger and thumb to the corners of his eyes before dragging them down his snout.

Audrey glanced up at the rake still hanging aloft in her paws, taking stock of the object for a moment before reluctantly lowering it to her side and taking a seat in the chair Vernon had left in front of the law wolf's desk.

"I might..." Audrey replied. The she-wolf could still feel the anger boiling beneath her pelt, but Dorian's pathetic look had managed to diminish it to some degree. At least enough to place it back into the category of 'last resort'.

Dorian let out a soft, inaudible grumble, idly twiddling the glass in his paw as his dull stare returned to it. The dim light of the study danced along the sides of the tumbler with each jaunt.

"Heard all of it...?" Dorian murmured weakly. "I take it?" The white wolf's steely grey eyes rose to meet his wife's. In turn, Audrey gave a curt nod.

Dorian let out a beleaguered groan before shifting his attention back to the glass. The wolf remained quiet for a short while, allowing silence to once again dominate the study as he seemed to ruminate carefully over his words.

"Sh-Shouldn't have had to see that..." Dorian muttered.

"No." Audrey corrected, leveling a glare at the wolf. "That shouldn't have happened."

The white wolf's ears perked slightly, his expression a mixture of confusion and disbelief as he looked his wife's way. At least, that was the emotion he was trying to convey, but underneath Audrey could see the obvious signs of guilt.

"Shouldn't ha-?" Dorian stopped, lazily shaking his head. "It ain't my fa-!"

Audrey dropped the head of the rake on his desk with a loud clatter, cutting the wolf off midsentence.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" Audrey spat, doing her best to keep her voice from wavering. "As far as I'm concerned this weekend is almost entirely yer fault!"

"My!?" Dorian sputtered. "I-ME!? I mea-!" The wolf's voice cracked as he placed his glass down firmly on the desk. The wolf opened his mouth to speak again, but nothing came, and soon the white wolf simply closed his muzzle. Dorian let out another weary sigh as his head sagged despondently, his eyes once again finding his glass as he reassumed his dead to the world stance she had found him in. He lingered like that for a while, until Audrey was forced to push the conversation forward.

"Dorian." Audrey asked, her voice firm but with a lilt of concern. "Something is wrong."

The wolf lazily lifted his head. "What?"

"Somethin' is wrong with you Dori." Audrey continued. "I can see it." The she-wolf reached out a paw, gingerly placing it on the edge of his desk as she stared into his eyes. "I can see it in yer eyes, I can see it deep down in there."

Dorian let out a slight scoff.

"How long?" Audrey asked.

"How long what?" The slightly buzzed wolf replied.

"How long has whatever it is been eatin' you up without me seein' it?" Audrey asked.

The white wolf let out another sharper scoff, his posture straightening as slipped into his former composure. The wolf wiped his eyes again before slapping a paw against his desk.

"You know how long!" Dorian shook his head. "You heard what I said to the boy! Do I need to repeat it?"

Audrey crossed her paws. "Y'all mean that nonsense about Dawn's past?"

Dorian sneered. "Nonsense!? NONSENSE!?" The wolf chuckled blithely. "The ewe is a criminal! One of the worst criminals Zootopia, naw, Animalia has ever seen! And I'm just supposed to just let her into to this family cause she says she's 'changed'?" The wolf emphasized the word in a mocking tone. "It's Bull!"

"That's bull!" Audrey replied bluntly.

Dorian simply laughed in response.

"Why, because she saved the city once?" The wolf shook his head. "Doesn't exactly negate the first crime does it...?" The wolf drew an arm across the room idly. " And who knows what was goin' through her head that night in -"

"She saved out boy Dorian!" She snapped back. "Who knows what her father would have done to him!"

"She's also the reason our boy ended up there in the first place!" The law wolf was quick to retort.

Audrey simply shook her head. "Yer still lyin' to me."

Dorian choked back a laugh. "Lyin'? LYI-!?"

"Yes lyin'!" Audrey snapped back. " Unless you've been drunk all these years and I never met the sober Dori, because the Dori I know and love don't think that way!"

Dorian scoffed, turning his head away from the she-wolf.

"She's been rehabilitated Dori." Audrey continued. "Paid her debt's to society and is tryin' to make a clean break."

Dorian grumbled, the sound something between acknowledgment of Audrey's words and annoyance. However, he continued to avert the she-wolf's gaze.

"You and I both know how y'all have always said over and over again how important it was to give mammal's in that situation the chance to prove themselves without just writin' em off."  

Dorian grumbled again in a way that was nearly identical to the one before.

"Fer the gods sakes, y'all drilled it into the boy's skulls over and over again!" Audrey added. "And yet yer surprised when you see yer boy takin' that to heart?"

"The key word bein' there..." Dorian muttered, his eyes briefly finding Auddey's before shifting back to the window. "Is tryin'."

Audrey scrunched her muzzle up in distaste, tilting her head slightly.

"You tryin' to tell me you don't think that girl is tryin'?" Audrey asked, raising a curious brow. She could already tell the wolf was trying to throw her off again, his renewed stance a defensive posture that was a clear sign he was circling the wagons. But what topped it off was the fact that he crossed his arms tightly as he turned to answer her.

"Well if this weekend is any reflection of her attempt's at tryin'..." Dorian flashed Audrey a scowl.

Audrey rolled her eyes.

"So she screwed up." Audrey replied, extending her arms out and offering the dour old wolf a shrug. "Mammals make mistakes."

Dorian scoffed.

"And Dawn was probably the most remorseful about breakin' those rules next to Vanna!" Audrey continued.  "Certainly more upset with herself than you've ever gotten with any of the other boys and gals when they broke that rule!"

"Oh p-"

Audrey stood, placing the rake down as she loomed over the white wolf's desk. "Tell me we haven't ever bungled up things involvin' family!?" Audrey shook her head. "Y'all gonna tell me yer Pa welcomed our relationship with open paws!?"

Dorian's ears dropped, the trace of a guilty expression crossing his muzzle as he struggled to remain defiant under the she-wolf's accusation. Dorian seemed to struggle for a moment, raising slightly in his seat in a lame attempt to stand toe to toe with his mate before ultimately deciding to sit back down. The white wolf opened his muzzle, but Audrey was quick to cut him off.

"How many times did Pa Hunter catch us gettin' frisky huh!?" Audrey snapped. "And if you want to talk about the family reputation you sure as hell remember the time he caught us in the back of the food stall tryin' to multiply like bunnies!"

Audrey could see a deep crimson flushing through Dorian's muzzle as his eyes shifted back to his empty glass. The seemingly uncomfortable wolf once again returning to idly playing with the tumbler as he let out a few awkward coughs. Audrey crossed her arms, flashing the white wolf an accusatory glare. Despite the fact that he wasn't looking directly at her, she could see his posture slacken further under her gaze.

"At least Vern's got a better grip on his howlin' than you did at that age! You couldn't even stand a little foreplay without lettin' everybody know what we were up to!" Audrey scoffed. " And we got the same speech about soilin' the Hunter name over gettin' caught by yer old mam' that I'm sure you gave that little ewe last night over just bein' around Vern and the family!"

Dorian glared up at his wife fiercely, a renewed fire in his eyes as he jumped to his feet to meet her gaze with equal fervor. But behind the sudden intensity, she could see the hint of anxiety setting in by the way his pupils quavered. It was the same way Ulric's pupils danced under the same circumstance. "Why are you even defendin' that little G-!?" Dorian stopped short of completing the slur, most likely out of fear as to how the she-wolf would reply.

"Gimmer?" Audrey completed his statement, making sure her delivery of the phrase was dripping with enough disgust to further shame the wolf for his abnormal behavior. "Is that what you were gonna say?"

Dorian's ears sagged as the wolf slowly slinked back into his seat.

"Because I think you've used that word enough fer a lifetime over this weekend." Audrey shook her head. "Seems like its a fairly recent addition to that vocabulary of yers."

Dorian scoffed as he returned to playing with his glass.

"Dorian." Audrey lowered her voice, her tone taking on a more pleading sound as she eyed the pitiful heap of a wolf. But despite the change in her approach, the wolf seemed to ignore her attempt to draw his gaze. She waited only for a few moments before grabbing the white wolf by the bottom of his muzzle and tilting his head up to face her. But even that effort was somewhat thwarted by the law wolf averting his gaze.

"Dorian!" Audrey shook his head slightly in an effort to force him to look at her. He was clearly trying to resist, but eventually, the continued shaking caused the wolf to buckle. With a tired sigh, Dorian looked up at his wife, and while he tried to retain some sort of determined look in his steely grey eyes, the way they quivered slightly told her that it was hurting the wolf just to meet her gaze.

"In the thirty plus years we've been together y'all ain't never used that kinda language." Audrey said with a frown. "Not even when interrogatin' criminals! Not even when you were fightin' with yer Pa over me!" Audrey continued to gently shake his head in time with the words she felt the need to emphasize. She could see the hint of guilt in the wolf growing as she spoke. From the faintest trace of something he was hiding deeply behind his facade of confidence and carelessness into a visible rising panic that was barely being contained.

"I could never imagine my mate would be capable of sayin' somethin' like that to anyone, no matter how angry he was!" Audrey continued. "So stop lyin' to me and tell me what this is all about!"

"I-I..." Dorian averted his gaze, only for her to shake his muzzle again.

For a moment she thought she finally had the wolf pinned to the wall. That she had finally pierced the massive barrier he had been building around himself for most of the reunion. But suddenly, Dorian pulled his muzzle free of her grip with a jerk, pushing her arm away with a dismissive paw before recoiling into his chair.

"I ain't allowed to call a mammal scum!?" Dorian sputtered. "After what she did to my boy!" Dorian extended an arm toward Audrey, feigning a look of horror and disbelief as he slipped right back into his lame act. "OUR boy!" The wolf emphasized the word as his ears sagged down in clear disappointment.

"Because of that..." Dorian stopped, again taking a moment to change his phrasing clearly due to Audrey's previous objections. "Because of her, we nearly lost Zach!"

Audrey crossed her arms, looking down and away from her mate as she tried to steel herself for what she thought might be coming. Dorian was slipping, and his desperation was growing more and more obvious with every passing moment. With each failed attempt to lie directly to her face, the law wolf's movements became increasingly jittery and jerky. His even tone faltering more and more as the speed and delivery of his rebuttals increased. He was clearly uncomfortable, and was looking for any out he could get the she-wolf to accept. But just how far was Dorian really willing to go to try and worm out from under the investigative pressure she was putting on him? Would her husband be so callous as to try to play on her emotions in an effort to avoid discussing a topic?  It would be a new low for him. Then again, her husband seemed to be pulling out all the stops when it came just how low he could sink tonight.

The second the wolf's pleading eyes met hers, that phony entreating expression of sympathy she could practically predict the exact words that were going to come out of his muzzle.

"After what she did, how can you-"

"Don't..." Audrey said with a low growl, her ears flattening against her head as she glared down at her mate. The usually bold white wolf seemed to shirk in his stance, his head cowing slightly into his shoulders. But despite his defeated posture, the wolf maintained eye contact.

"Don't...what?" Dorian asked.

"Don't. You. Rutting. Dare!" Audrey hissed, balling her fists tightly as she loomed over the wolf. Audrey glanced back at her rake, quickly scooping it up in a paw before raising it high over her head.

Dorian flinched, but only for a moment as he desperately tried to keep up his act.

"I'm jus-!"

"You think I can't tell when someone's tryin' to manipulate me!?" Audrey spat, causing the wolf to shift his attention back down to his glass. The shame coming off the older wolf was palpable.

"How could you...?" Audrey whimpered softly as she lowered the rake, letting it drop lamely against her side. "How could you try to use somthin' like that on me?"

Dorian looked up for a moment. Now the guilt was truly shining through on his muzzle.

"Yer wife." Audrey felt tears starting to well up in the corners of her eyes. "Yer mate."

Dorian let out a soft, mournful whine.

"The one you pledged to yer honesty an loyalty to above all others under the harvest moon all them years ago!" Audrey's tone was a mixture of sadness and rising anger, the two emotions battling it out to take command over the situation as she struggled to come to terms with what her mate had tried to do.

"To even imply..." Audrey's throat went dry, the words dying in her throat as the powerfully painful concept burned a hole into her mind. "That I don't care about my son's accident because I'm sidin' with that girl over you...I..."

The she-wolf balled her fists tightly, turning away from the wolf for a moment in order to try to regain her composure. The tears were silently streaming from her eyes now, but she managed to keep an even and calm tone as she spoke.

"I've never been so insulted..." Audrey continued, biting her lip harshly as she fought to suck back the tears. "And so ashamed of you..."

"A-Auddey..." She heard Dorian murmur.

"Did our tithe mean nothin' to you?" The words carried the same disbelief in their tone as the mere thought had made her feel the moment it had popped into her mind. "Were you just spittin' into the wind when you spoke those words to me or did they actually mean somthin'?"

"Auddey." Dorian said more firmly, but Audrey couldn't bring herself to look at the wolf as he spoke. "I didn't mea- I mean I...I..."

Audrey turned on her heels, glaring sharply at the crumpled wolf sitting in the chair behind the table. The wolfess grit her teeth tightly as she stabbed a claw at him.

"You know how terrified I was when I got that call!" Audrey spat, her vitriolic tone causing the law wolf to jerk slightly in his chair. "How terrified we both were!"

Dorian nodded dumbly, his muzzle remaining shut as he guiltily eyed the she-wolf.

"I was a wreck fer weeks!" Audrey ran a shaky paw through her hair, pushing it free of her tear-filled eyes. "I could barely sleep, I could barely eat, I was just so damn terrified that at any moment I was gonna get another call tellin' me...t-tellin' me..." Audrey couldn't even bear to finish the sentence, her darkest fear far too painful to even mention aloud.

The she-wolf began to pace in front of the desk as the suddenly mute white wolf continued to watch.

"There ain't a day that goes by where that buried fear ain't livin' in the back of my mind, worryin' that this day is the one where I'm finally gonna get that call!" Audrey turned to face Dorian as she came to the front of the desk, slamming her paws out on the face of it with a sharp snap as she glared down at her husband. The white wolf seemed to be growing smaller and smaller by the minute as he slunk deeper into his padded green chair, the skin under his muzzle almost matching the chair's hue.

"But I had to learn to live with that risk since yer first day on the job." Audrey said with a whimpering sigh. "And we both had to live with it when most of those boys went down the same road you did."

The she-wolf ran a paw through her hair again, but despite her best efforts a few stray strands kept slipping free and dangling over her face. "I mourn every damn day, every time ANY of y'all go to work. And my heart rejoices every time you make it back in one piece!" Audrey sniffled. "It hurts me to stay quiet whenever one of y'all gets hurt, whenever there's any kind of problem, because I always go back to the day I almost lost my pup..."

"Auddey..." Dorian said weakly.

"Of course I ain't gonna tell y'all not to go!" Audrey spat. "To force you not to do what y'all wanted because I was scared!" Audrey lamely wiped a paw over her eyes to clear the fresh wave of tears that had started to form. " I ain't so selfish I expect everyone around me to bow to my every whim!" Audrey's nostrils flared as she let out a sharp exhale. "I just wanted my boys to be happy! I wanted my family to be happy!"

Audrey let out a quivering sigh as a chill ran up her spine. It all hurt so much, too much for this old wolfess to take. But somehow she had managed to stay standing despite the overwhelming pounding in her chest. The feeling agony that hung heavy in her chest made it almost impossible to breathe, but somehow, she managed to press onward.

"And I thought you wanted that too..." Audrey said softly. "But whatever yer runnin' from...your willin' to throw away everythin' just to avoid it! Even yer family!"

"Th-that's off base." Dorian sputtered, the wolf clinging to whatever remnants of composure he had left as though it were a life raft in a stormy sea. "I-I ain't runnin' from anythin' I-!"

"BULLSHIT!" Audrey snapped! "Dorian Everett Hunter, you are many things, but you ain't a good liar!"

"I ain-!"

"HUNTERS CAN SMELL BULLSHIT!" Audrey cut him down mid-sentence. "Yer the one who taught me that, and yer boys." The she-wolf crossed her arms once more as she appraised the wolf. "And lookin' at the state yer in now it wouldn't even take a Hunter to sniff out the bull yer tryin' to sling."

Dorian grit his teeth, letting out a sharp snarl as he shot to his feet. The wolf slammed a fist against his desk as he met Audrey's gaze.

"DAMNIT AUDDEY, I AIN'T DIS-!"

The she-wolf cut off Dorian by slamming the desk with her own paw in equal measure, her nose practically touching her husbands as she lunged forward.

"Dorian, I swear to the gods..." Audrey whispered, staring back at her mate with a gaze so sharp and cold it almost felt as though blades were firing out of her sockets. "If you don't trust me enough to tell me the truth about what's going on in the next five seconds I am turning around and walking out of this study..."

The she-wolf stabbed a sharp claw toward the door her son had exited through just moments before, but her gaze remained fixed on Dorian.

"And then I am walkin' out of yer life forever." Audrey snapped coldly. Dorian could never know how much that had pained her to say, to even be able to keep up her fierce and confident front in the face of her husband while her insides were screaming in emotional agony at even the concept of leaving the wolf she loved so dearly. But if Dorian was willing to sink to the bottom of the barrel in an effort to throw her off his scent, then she was more than willing to join him there.

Luckily the threat seemed to have the desired effect almost instantaneously. Fear, honest to the gods fear. It was an expression Audrey was certain she had never seen Dorian experience in her life. Yet she could see it in his eyes the moment the idle threat left her muzzle. His ears sagged sharply, the wolf taking a stumbling step back as he stared at Audrey in disbelief.

"A-Auddey." Dorian reached a paw lamely to his chest, but it never reached it, simply hanging in the air somewhere between as he stared dumbly back at the she-wolf.

"O-Our...?But..." Dorian trailed off, seemingly unable to put whatever he had to say into the proper words. The wolf gulped audibly, closing his eyes and staying that way for a few moments before managing to find some semblance of his speaking voice.

"Our tithe..." Dorian muttered weakly.

Audrey could feel the tears flowing out of her eyes, but despite it, she managed to maintain her cold and serious demeanor as her unflinching glare remained fixed on her husband.

"Oh now y'all care about our tithe?" Auddey spat. "Seems like y'all only seem to care about the sanctity of a tithe when it's convenient fer you."

Dorian looked wounded, the wolf's paw finally managing to clutch his chest as he eyed the she-wolf in disbelief.

"B-B-But-."

"Honesty Dorian." Audrey continued to stare through her mate. "Loyalty, honesty, carin' fer each other whether rich or poor, fer the best or worst. That's what it means to be someone mate." Audrey's piercing glare finally broke, the she-wolf letting out a shuddering exhale as she looked down at the wolf's desk, studying the grooves in the polished oak.

"If you won't be honest with me, yer wife." Audrey muttered, running a paw lamely across the smooth surface of the desk. "The how am I supposed to believe that sacred bond means anythin' to you?"

Dorian slowly slumped into his chair, the wolf's head downturned as his eyes seemingly returned to the empty tumbler in front of him. Silence once again filled the dimly lit room, leaving the air stagnant with the foul nature of the previous arguments that had echoed through the fine redwood walls. It felt like an eternity to Audrey, the emotional tumor that hung heavily in her chest feeling as though it was set to burst out of her with every excruciatingly long second that eked by.

She was nearly ready to make good on her threat, just so she didn't have to stand in that room for a second longer and endure the agonizing heartache Dorian's silent treatment was giving her. But finally, a weak voice pierced the deafening noiselessness. A meek, whimpering wisp of a thing that almost reminded her of Dawn's own voice, like the last pleading calls of a defeated pup.

"I'm scared..." Dorian muttered.

Audrey felt the weight in her chest bottom out as she tried to register what the wolf had said to her.

"What?"

The white wolf slowly lifted his head to reveal a steady stream of tears had started to flow from his eyes as he barely managed to meet her gaze. It was a look that made her feel almost powerless, pulling all the heat and rage out of her in the blink of an eye, and in its absence came the overwhelming desire to go to his side and comfort the crestfallen wolf. She was still his mate, and to see him suffering like this felt agonizing. But until he finally came clean with the true nature of what had consumed the better part of his mind, she needed to hold firm to her convictions. Even if she had to forcibly seat herself, clutching the armrests of the chair for dear life in order to do so.

"I...I'm scared Auddey." Dorian whimpered. "I'm so damn terrified. I have been since..." Dorian trailed off, the wolf placing his head in his paw before sweeping it back through his hair. All the while his arm trembling violently. "I can't function...I can't..."

"Dori..." Audrey cooed softly. It was surely a night of firsts alright. And it only continued with Dorian's startling admission. She had finally gotten through, cut through all the lies and evasion and got to the heart of whatever it is that was eating at the wolf.

Dorian had always been a confident mammal, and his demeanor reflected that in spades. He never seemed to show weakness, at least not when it came to displaying feelings of fear or terror. In fact, Audrey aside most mammals tended to assume Dorian was fearless. A towering pillar of strength that both the North Meadowlands Community and the Hunter family could depend on. When it came to the she-wolf, she hadn't seen the white wolf fearful of anything since the death of Papa Hunter, and even that appeared more subdued when compared to his current state. She had seen the wolf at his softest, and his sweetest, but never had she seen him so terrified.

The white wolf looked back up at her with glassy, watering eyes. A pleading stare that seemed to be begging the wolfess for help.

Dorian looked at her paw for a moment before glancing back at the empty glass on his desk. His eyes rose to meet hers once again for a split second, and in it, she saw the glimmer of mammal looking to run. The wolf reached a paw into the darkness at the fringe of his desk, pulling out a very recognizable decanter full of brandy. Dorian was just about to pour when the sudden appearance of a rake over his paw stopped him dead in his tracks.

The white wolf's nervous glance darted up to meet hers.

"I think we've heard more than enough from 'that' Dorian." Audrey said. Her tone was firm, but with a distinct air of concern lacing her words.

Dorian stared at her for a few moments before slowly nodding in agreement and placing the bottle back into the darkened shroud of the corner of his desk as Audrey pulled the rake away. The law wolf followed up with sliding the glass into the dark along with it before cradling his head in his paws.

"Dorian, I'm not going anywhere." Audrey cooed. "Let it all out."

"I hate it..." Dorian whimpered. "I hate this feeling." The white wolf sniffled. "I feel so rutting weak!"

"You ain't weak Darlin'."

"I am!" Dorian snapped his head up, letting out a soft growl. The kind of growl that gave Audrey the impression it was directed inward rather than at her. Dorian's angry expression quickly faltered as he turned her attention back to Audrey. The concerned she-wolf reached her paw out, finally managing to snag one of her mates paws. Audrey gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Why do you think yer weak Dori?" Audrey cooed sweetly.

The white-wolf pawed at his eyes, trying to get the tears to stop, but his efforts were in vain as the wolf struggled to continue.

"Because I failed..." Dorian replied weakly, his voice breaking completely as the words came forth. "I failed this town, I failed my department, my damn family! I failed to keep 'em safe! ANY OF 'EM!"

Audrey quirked a curious eyebrow. Was whatever her husband's problem was still somehow related to Zach? She could tell he was being genuine with her now, but earlier when he had brought up Zach's accident his demeanor made it clear it wasn't the heart of the matter. Maybe it did have something to do with what almost happened to Vernon in Zootopia, but even so, no one could blame the older wolf for not being able to help protect their son when he had no idea what was happening.

"Killers in my own midst!" Dorian whined. "Mammals I saw as friends...I can't believe I..." Dorian took in a sharp breath of air, only to let out a shuddering series of coughing sobs.

"Honey please, please!" Audrey cooed, squeezing his paw tightly. The she-wolf leaned out of her chair in order to wipe the older wolf's eyes free of the hot tears.

"HOW DID I NOT SEE IT!?" Dorian let out another whine.

The wolf's statements were only getting more and more baffling by the minute. It was clear the wolf had been holding this dark secret in for far too long, but regardless she wouldn't be able to help if she couldn't get a clear assessment of what was going on. Audrey brushed away another tear with her thumb before sliding her paw up against her mate's face and drawing his eyes back to her.

"Dori..." Audrey's tone remained sweet and comforting as she stared back into Dorian's steely gray eyes. "Please start from the beginnin'. I can't make sense of what yer sayin'."

Dorian let out another hoarse weep before doing his best to try and regain some of his composure. The white wolf pulled his paw free of Audrey's, leaning back into his chair as he pawed the tears away from his eyes. With a shuddering sigh, the wolf placed his paws on his desk, wrapping his fingers together as he brought his eyes to meet Audrey's again.

"Do you remember officer Merino and McCria?" Dorian asked quietly.

Audrey quirked an eyebrow. The names were certainly familiar. While they weren't around often they regularly showed up to Dorian's monthly card nights along with some of the others at the station and Representative Ruddy. Although she knew for a fact that Dorian had known the sheep and alpaca since he was in middle school, and well enough that they could easily bring out his more jovial side when they spoke to the wolf over the phone. They were some of the few mammals that knew there was more to Dorian than imposing officer that managed to strike fear into the hearts of most of his own recruits without saying so much as a single word.

Audrey nodded softly.

"Of course I do." Audrey replied.

Dorian took a slow deep breath, rubbing his temples with his paws for a few moments before managing to continue.

"I've known Alan and Deb since I was a fairly young pup." Dorian replied. "Hell Alan and me were as tight as Vernon is with that goat boy." The wolf added, gesturing vaguely in the direction of where Vernon departed.

"O' course things kinda fell off over the years." Dorian continued. "Family, kids, life, ya just don't have as much time to maintain those kinda friendships the way ya used too." Dorian placed his head back into his paws, slumping the full weight of his body on them. "But still, I THOUGHT I KNEW them!"

"Dori..." Audrey said quietly, her voice laden with concern. Dorian didn't look up, but the wolf continued, seemingly keen on barreling through it now,

"Back when the first night howler incident happened." Dorian grumbled, wiping a paw through his hair. " I mean...after Bellwether was caught and after Zach got hurt...there was an investigation."

Dorian managed to lift his head slightly, exposing a single bleary and bloodshot eye to Audrey.

"D.C. sent a bunch of Feds out to investigate Zootopia's government and public services from top to bottom." Dorian muttered. " Bellwether's little conspiracy made mammals both inside and outside Zootopia antsy about just how deep the corruption may have run. They were afraid there were still sympathizers and co-conspirators workin' behind the scenes even after she was put away, and the threat it could pose not just to the sovereignty of Zootopia, but the nations outside of it." Dorian brushed the hair out of his eyes before placing his fingers on his temple. "And part of that investigation involved bringing together the district police chiefs fer a meeting, interviewin' 'em and doin' deep background checks on every one of us, as well as the mammal's workin' at our precincts."

Audrey nodded. "I remember that." The she-wolf said. "I remember how much you were goin' on about bein' forced to sit near Chief Latrey from the South Meadowlands District."

Dorian let out a weak, halfhearted chuckle. "That coyote always was a prick..."With a sigh the wolf leaned back in his chair, running a paw through his hair in a clear effort to push it out of his eyes. "Always lookin' down his snout at my officers, callin' 'em 'quaint'..." Dorian trailed off, giving his head a brisk shake as if prevent himself from going on a tangent and returning to the point.

"I shouldered most of the more intense scrutiny, as did most of the other chiefs. But once I was given the clear, and they started investigating my officers, my words when it came to vouchin' fer their character weighed heavily into just how deeply each officer was investigated." Dorian muttered.

"And when it came to Merino and McCria, I vouched fer 'em up and down." Dorian shook his head. "I was willin' to appoint them both to the heads of our undercover night howler division I was so sure of 'em."

Dorian chuckled weakly again, trailing off into another strange, almost bemused sigh. "I believed in 'em that much." Dorian continued. "They were good cops, good friends...I thought..."

"Even when that water buffalo from precinct one looked 'em both over and said to me in private he wasn't too sure about 'em, I rose to their defense." The white wolf grit his teeth as the low thrum of a growl began to emanate from his throat. "I stood toe to toe with that towerin' mass of mammal and said 'These are good cops, and just because we're rural don't mean we don't know how to pull our weight in the North Meadowlands.'"

The wolf placed a paw to his brow, pressing his fingers into the flesh above his eyes softly. " I chalked it up to everyone still bein' on edge about sheep after..." the wolf shook his head. "If I had only known..."

"Dorian." Audrey cut in, placing a paw on the desk as Dorian turned back to face her. "What happened? Please. Tell me what happened."

Dorian let out a long, tired sigh.

"After Mr. Bellwether's attempted attack on Zootopia a few months back...a lot of interestin' facts came to light."

Dorian placed his elbows on the desk, clasping his paws together before leaning his muzzle into his paws.

"Aster's manifesto, details of his plans, all sort of tidbits of information. More stuff comin' out every day as the investigations continued." Dorian muttered. "They dug and dug for every tie the mammal had." The white wolf raised a paw slightly, massaging his forehead for a moment before returning to his stance. "Every mammal who was set to benefit should his plan have gone off without a hitch."

Audrey nodded softly, encouraging the wolf to go on.

"You see, part of old mad mammal Bellwether's plan involved bringing the North and South Meadowlands police forces in to clean up after the night howler bombin'." Dorian muttered. "With the Zootopian Reserved Miltary Base stuck in Sahara Square, in the center of all the madness, Aster surmised we'd be the first line of defense, both to keep night howler infected mammals from spillin' into the Meadowlands, as well as to take back the city."

Dorian leaned back in his chair, the old seat letting out a soft squeak as he reeled back into darkness. Audrey couldn't see the wolf's face very well behind the dark shadow, but she could still hear him.

"Along with the Alpine Ridge police, we would be sent into Tundra Town in an effort to cut through to the base in Sahara Square." Dorian began to rock softly in the chair, the slight squeak only adding to the tension as the wolf continued his story. "We'd re-arm there, and hold the spot until the North Mammalian National Guard arrived with back up. And once they did, we'd take back the whole city over the course of several days."

The wolf ceased his rocking, allowing the uncomfortable silence to return to the room for a moment. The tension had grown thick enough to cut with a knife.

"It was gonna be dangerous." Dorian sighed. "Nothin' between us and our limited supply of tranquilizers versus a whole mess of savage mammals with no quick way to cure 'em."  The wolf continued, his tone growing weary and clinical as he continued to prattle off the details. "Of course, Aster had assumed, and rightfully so, that we'd more than likely have to rely on live firearms to get through."

Audrey let out a soft gasp, placing a paw to her lips as the gravity of Dorian's statement registered with her.

"You mean...?" Audrey trailed off, her muzzle unable to produce the words necessary to convey the horrible conclusion she had come to. Despite the dark of the room making it rather hard to see Dorian's expression, she could easily make out the wolf's affirmative nod.

"A hefty cost..." Dorian muttered weakly. "One we'd have to carry fer the rest of our lives..."

Audrey was shocked to say the least. But despite just how bewildered and stunned she was by just learning the full details of the horrible scenario Dawn's monstrous father had been planning for, she found herself more curious about something else."

"Just how did you find out about this?" Audrey asked. "I mean so much detail...I can't imagine that was public knowledge at the time." The she-wolf continued. "Did you find out at work or-?"

"I'm just tellin' you the same thing the investigator from Sahara Square's Police Department told me when he came out to our office." Dorian replied. "Along with several officers from his own precinct with arrest warrants fer Merino and McCria."

Audrey furrowed her brow in confusion.

"W-what?" The she-wolf asked.

Dorian fell silent, the wolf leaning back into the dark shroud outside the range of the weak lamplight. Slowly Dorian leaned back into the light, his tired bloodshot eyes and miserable expression coming back into clear view as he eyed the wolfess wearily. The wolf looked absolutely devastated.

"Aster had been in contact with the both of 'em about three years back..." Dorian said softly. "They were workin' with him."

Audrey's eyes slowly widened as the realization fully dawned on her, the shock coursing through her at a sloths pace before she finally managed to stammer a response.

"W-What?" Audrey let out an uncomfortable chuckle. "You can't be serious!?"

Dorian sighed, closing his eyes as his head drooped softly.

"They knew all about it. Especially the bit out our department bein' deployed to clean up the mess." The wolf shook his head softly. "And what their role was gonna be in it."

"Dori..." Audrey was at a loss for words. The she-wolf had no idea where to even begin with what her husband had just dropped in her lap. It seemed like it was all a dream, yet the sincerity in his voice told her it was all too real.

"Ya see, Aster had plants in all of the departments outside of the big four districts. All of 'em there to make sure the clean-up was a complete failure." Dorian sighed, running a trembling paw over his hair. "To pull back while the other officers were under attack and tell the public outside how they were completely overwhelmed in the savage chaos and barely got away." Dorian began to growl softly. "Some of them goin' so far to ensure that the other innocent officers didn't make it back by taken' it upon themselves to finish the job."

Dorian placed his elbows on the desk, slouching his head into his paws with a terse motion as he let out another shuddering, tearful sigh.

"And that's what Merino and McCrea were plannin' to do to me, Zach and Vanna."

Audrey's heart dropped, a familiar rush of anguish and terror overtaking the wolf as she even considered the notion of what the wolf was saying had it come to pass. The muscles around her heart felt as though they were clamping down like a vice as she struggled to reply, to say anything to her husband. Audrey opened her muzzle to speak, but the words just wouldn't come.

"You see, Alan and Deb used that position I gave them, confiscatin' night howler to stash aside a little bit of the drug to use fer themselves." Dorian muttered. "With Aster supplyin' basic instructions on how to synthesize it from that Doug fella, they had started making their own night howler pellets and stockpilin' them."

The wolf ran a paw through his hair, dabbing the sweat off his brow as he did.

"They were waitin' for the day we were gonna be deployed to clean up Aster's mess." The wolf growled. "Bidin' their time watchin' the back of the group until we ran out of our limited stock of tranq weapons. Once that happened, they were going to pellet as many of us as they could, startin' with me, Zach, and Vanna, and continuing with as many other officers they could safely strike during the confusion before high-tailin' out of there."  Dorian let out a sharp exhale of air, breathing in with a stuttering whimper.

"With nothin' to put us down safely, we'd either be kilt by the remainin' officers or tear each other apart." Dorian hissed. "And in the off chance our bodies were even recovered, there'd be little to no way to prove that foul play had been involved." Dorian leveled his bloodshot gaze on his mate, his lids squinting tightly around his steely grey eyes. "They'd just think another bomb went off, or that whatever night howler weapon had been used had made the effects of the drug transmissible."

"B-but why?" Audrey whimpered, still struggling to overcome the surreal shock of the wolf's account.

Dorian squeezed his brow between his thumb and forefinger.

"So after everythin' was all over, they could slip themselves into the previously occupied roles of Sheriff and Deputy with no muss 'er fuss." Dorian replied. "They'd be the next most capable officers in-line anyway. And bein' the highest rankin' survivors in the attempts to save savage Zootopia, why, the county would see 'em as heroes."

"Oh...Oh Dori..." Audrey whimpered, reaching out a shaky paw toward her husband.

"All of that..." Dorian muttered. "All of that schemin' and plannin' because they wanted my job..." The wolf sank his head back into his paws, letting out another shuddering sigh. "They were willin' to kill us over it..."

"Dori..."

The white wolf's head quickly snapped back up, and he slammed his paw against the desk so sharply that it caused Audrey to jump in her seat. A fresh stream of tears was pouring down his fur, but his muzzle was twisted up in malice and hate.

"AND I DIDN'T EVEN SEE IT!" The wolf spat, growling through his teeth. "I TRUSTED THOSE MAMMALS WITH MY LIFE AND THEY PLAYED ME LIKE A DAMN FOOL!"

The wolf ran a trembling paw through his scalp, harshly dragging his hair away from his face that clung to the increasingly sweaty and tear-soaked fur. "HUNTERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO SMELL BULLSHIT!" Dorian continued, slamming his paw against the desk once more. "It's that keen intuition that helps us separate friend and foe! To protect our community, our FAMILIES!"

Dorian allowed his head to fall to his desk, knocking his forehead against the oaken wood with a dull thud.

"And those two were lyin' right under my nose..." Dorian whimpered. "Mammals I thought were my friends...only waitin' there to stab me in the back..." The wolf glanced up at his wife with watering eyes, but his head remained fixed against the desk surface.

"And worst of all, they were gonna hurt our boy...and Vanna....and who knows who else." Dorian whimpered. "They were a threat to my family, and I was blind to it." Dorian wiped his eyes, taking a sharp snort in an effort to suck back the tears steadily streaming from his eyes. "T-that's on me. That's my fault." Dorian said coldly.

The wolf let out a strange, almost strangled sounding sigh. It almost sounded as if the wolf was momentarily amused with himself despite the choking sobs that broke up the sound.

"I remember the morning after Aster's plan failed..."Dorian muttered. " Back when as far as the world knew, he was the sole mastermind behind the whole operation. I was the one to break the news to them." Dorian chuckled darkly. "They looked so surprised, so scared of what almost happened." The wolf rolled his eyes. " Only in hindsight did I figure out that was nothin' but fear for their own hides." Dorian shook his head. "They could feel the noose tightenin' around their throats, and if I hadn't been so damn blind I would have realized it was the same guilty expression that I get from criminals every damn day."

"Dori..." Audrey cooed, placing a gentle paw on the white wolfs hair and gently brushing his ear in an attempt to calm him down. "Why didn't you say anything?" The she-wolf asked. " You should have come to me, you should have told me."

Dorian shuddered, wiping lamely at his tears again.

"I wasn't allowed to at first." Dorian whimpered. "The investigation into the conspiracy was still ongoing, and in order to root out more of Aster's plants and supporters I had to keep the arrests as quiet as possible." The white wolf let out a tired sigh. "Hell I still ain't supposed to tell, but, I just..."

"Shh, shh..." Audrey tutted, continuing to stroke the troubled wolf's head gently.

"It gutted me Auddey..." Dorian whimpered. "Ripped my insides up somethin' fierce." The wolf placed a paw over his eyes, letting out another choking sob. "After what happened I wasn't certain about anythin' anymore."

"What do you mean Dori?" Audrey asked.

"I kept second guessin' myself, couldn't read mammals at all." Dorian whined. "After the first few days I differed all interrogation duties to the other officers because I didn't trust my own judgement!" The wolf whimpered. "And I just...I couldn't trust anyone."

Dorian leaned his head up on a paw, causing Audrey to draw back slightly as the wolf adjusted himself.

"I even started keepin' Ruddy at arm's length because I wasn't sure I could trust him! And I've known him since kindergarten!" Dorian shook his head. "I mean the investigator told me they had already looked into him, and he was clean, but still, it was about my judgment. My-my..."

"You were afraid?" Audrey asked softly, caressing the wolf's cheek with a paw. Dorian leaned into it, placing his paw on hers as he tried to take comfort in the gesture.

The wolf nodded softly.

"Petrified." The wolf scoffed. "But the people of the North Meadowlands look up to me. My officers look up to me..." Dorian muttered. "My family used to look up to me...till I messed it all up."

"Oh Dori..."

"I'm supposed to be a pillar of the community, a mammal others can rely on. Especially my family." Dorian whimpered. "But I didn't know who I could rely on..."

The wolf rolled his eyes.

"And everyone just keeps coming to me, asking my advice and to make judgment calls." the wolf pulled free of Audrey's caress, slamming his paw against the desk weakly. "AND I JUST CAN'T!" The wolf hissed. "I CAN'T RISK MAKING THAT MISTAKE AGAIN!"

"Dorian." Audrey tried to interject, but the white wolf clearly wasn't done. His steely gaze returning to one of resolve despite the tears still clouding his eyes.

"If someone gets hurt..." Dorian continued. "If my family gets hurt because I make another mistake I'll never forgive myself."

"Is that why y'all are so against Dawn coming into the family?" Audrey asked, despite already feeling confident in the answer.

Dorian turned his head to the side, averting his gaze from the she-wolf.

"H-How can I trust that ewe?" Dorian shook his head softly. "With her father doin' what he did, and what she did before him..." Dorian's ears sagged softly as his sorrowful stare managed to find his mates once again. "What if she hurts our family? What if she hurts..." The wolf trailed off, seemingly unable to finish his sentence.

Audrey reached out a paw, gesturing for Dorian to extend his own. The wolf reluctantly reached out, slowly grasping her paw once again and interlocking his fingers. As Audrey gently rubbed her thumb against the top of his paw, the wolf averted his gaze, a look of guilt crawling across his muzzle as his sight fell to the open window.

"Part of my gut is tellin' me she's genuine..." Dorian murmured. "That she's been rehabilitated and she deserves the chance fer a clean break..." The wolf let out a soft whine, running a paw through his sweaty mop of hair.

"But I'm so scared of takin' that risk and bein' wrong." The wolf whimpered. "I just keep seein' her wrap sheet in my mind and thinkin' 'what if she goes right back into it? What if she goes right back to crime?'"

"Dorian..." Audrey said softly, with a lilt of concern. "That doesn't really make any sense." The she-wolf shook her head. "That gal risked her own life and essentially killed her own father to save the city, to save out boy..."

"I know...but...if I make the wrong call I'll...I'll..." Dorian whined. The white wolf's head dipped down, his eyes darting away from Audrey's own in a clear attempt to retreat back inside of himself. "I'll never fergive myself Auddey."

"Dori my love..." Audrey cooed as she reached out her other paw to Dorian's chin. Gingerly the she-wolf drew his muzzle back toward her. Looking deeply in his eyes, she could see a fresh film of moisture shimmering on the surface as the wolf seemed to once again be fighting back tears.

"It ain't yer call to make."

Dorian furrowed his brow in clear confusion, only for Audrey to slightly roll her eyes in response.

"Vernon is an adult Dori." Audrey continued. "And when it comes to his life, whether it's got to do with who is a part of it or what he chooses to do with it, well..." The she-wolf frowned softly. "It's his call to make, not yours."

Audrey could see that glimmer of fear return to her husband's eyes for just a brief moment.

"But-."

Audrey quickly placed a finger to her husband's lips, silencing any further protest before the she-wolf could get to her point.

"Our job is to be there to offer our advice and opinions..." Audrey continued. "To be there if he needs us, and most importantly, to trust his judgment."

Dorian simply blinked at his wife in silence as she drew her paw back from him, and slowly the white wolf leaned back into his chair. Dorian's eyes taking on that familiar far and away look that told her Dorian was mulling over her words in his mind.

"I know yer sufferin' right now Dori." Audrey cooed. "Yer all torn up inside about yer intuition and about trustin' new mammals. About trustin' Dawn."

Dorian winced slightly as the ewe's name left her muzzle, that familiar flash of discomfort and fear behind his gaze finding Audrey's own for a second before shifting off and away once again.

"But you need to trust yer family." The she-wolf returned to gingerly rubbing the side of the wolf's clasped paw with her thumb reassuringly. "You need to trust me." Audrey continued, offering the white wolf a concerned smile.

"And you need to trust yer boy."

Dorian glanced back up at the she-wolf, his eyes widening slightly in surprise.

"Vernon ain't in doubt about his intuition." Audrey said. "And neither am I." The she-wolf's grin widened, revealing her fangs. "And I can tell those two love each other as much as I love you."

A fresh sheen of moisture seemed to gloss over the wolf's steely gaze as he looked back at her, letting out a soft whine.

"Y-you mean you ain't-?"

Audrey chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Leavin'? Pfft..." The wolfess rolled her eyes. "You really think I could ever leave you?"

Dorian's muzzle shifted down toward his desk, the wolf letting out another soft whimper as he continued to avoid Audrey's gaze.

"Well I mea..." The wolf mumbled. "Y'all said..."

"Dorian Everett Hunter!" Audrey said, her tone a mixture of shock and amusement. "You think I'm just gonna up and walk away from my mate!?" The she-wolf slapped a paw against her knee. "The wolf who gave me the best thirty-some-odd years of mah life!? Who gave me seven beautiful pups who have grown into fine young wolves?" Audrey shook her head in sharp disagreement. "That I would really ever leave the love of mah life!?"

"Auddey..." The wolf's tears were steadily flowing now, and Dorian was lamely pawing at his eyes in order to try to stop them. "I..."

Audrey rose from her seat, making her way carefully around the large oaken table before beckoning the white wolf into her waiting arms. Dorian didn't hesitate for a second, the wolf practically jumping out of his seat and clasping his arms around the wolfess as if he were holding on for dear life. Dorian let out a quiet sob as he buried his muzzle into the she-wolf's shoulder.

"I love you Dorian Hunter." Audrey cooed. "And I always will."

With that, Audrey placed a paw under her mate's chin, lifting his muzzle and bringing his gaze to meet her own before bringing her lips softly against his. It was a deep powerful kiss, the emotional baggage that had been welling in her mate clearly fueling the force and neediness of his mate's comfort. Not that Audrey minded in the slightest. Despite being together for over three decades, the wolfess never seemed to tire of her husband's touch. Every kiss still retained that fire she had first tasted when they were love-struck teens.

Audrey wanted to lose herself in the kiss, to give in now that her mate shared his burden with her and cleared the air. But she had to make sure the wolf was truly ready to let go of the reigns when it came to his sons, to be willing to defer to their judgment in the face of his own uncertainty. And that was going to start with mending the fences with Vernon and keeping him from leaving the pack.

Slowly Audrey broke the kiss, trailing away from her reluctant mate as he slowly opened his eyes.

"And those two love each other just as much..." Audrey said with a sigh. " You need to do right by them."

Dorian frowned, his head sagging as his eyes took to staring at the floor. The wolf fell silent, and the soundless ambiance grew more and more deafening as Audrey awaited her mate's response. The seconds that passed felt like an eternity as the she-wolf grew increasingly uncertain that she had managed to finally get through to her husband. In fact, she had begun to prepare for whatever last, grasping rebuttal Dorian was surely preparing when the wolf finally spoke again.

"By Oldwyn's beard..." Dorian mumbled, releasing his grip on the she-wolf before slowly slumping back into his chair. Dorian placed a paw to his muzzle, gently squeezing it between his thumb and forefinger before drawing it out to his nose and letting out a tired sigh.

"I really hackled everythin' up, didn't I?" The wolf asked, turning his head back to his mate and raising a brow. Audrey chuckled, shaking her head dismissively.

"At least y'all figured that out now, instead of after Vernon was gone." Audrey replied.

Dorian leaned an elbow on his desk before leaning his face into his paw.

"Vernon....teeth to tails!" Dorian spat. "I was gonna let my boy just..." The wolf shook his head.

"I...I can't believe I was so...so...so damn..." Dorian stuttered.

"Stubborn?" Audrey completed the sentence for the wolf, only for the wolf to let out a terse sigh.

"Ugh..." Dorian groaned.

"And pigheaded." Audrey continued with a smirk. "And foolish, and ignorant, and-"

"Alright, alright, I get it!" Dorian rolled his eyes, only to draw another chuckle from the she-wolf.

"It's just..." Dorian ran a paw over his scalp with a shaking paw. "How do I even begin to make this right Auddey?"

The she-wolf crossed her arms, throwing the wolf a knowing glance.

"I think an apology would be a good start." Audrey said, shifting her hips slightly as she spoke.

The white wolf nodded slowly.

"Yeah...I guess..." Dorian muttered, leaning his head back into his paws and staring down at his desk. It was clear the law wolf was back inside his own head, mulling over what Audrey hoped, was a multitude of ways to make things up to the couple for his abhorrent behavior.

"Great." Audrey replied, making her way back around the desk. "I'll just go find 'em and bring 'em back in."

Dorian nodded, but remained silent as he continued to stare through his desk.

Audrey was nearly at the same door Vernon had left through earlier when Dorian suddenly called out.

"Wait!" Dorian barked.

Audrey turned to glance back at her mate, the she-wolf throwing him a discerning glare.

"What is it?" Audrey asked. "Y'all ain't havin' second thoughts now are ya?"

Dorian waved his paws defensively.

"No! Of course not!" The wolf replied. "I just had a better idea is all!"

With that, Dorian pulled his laptop open and began to furiously type away at the keyboard. Audrey watched him for a few moments, cocking her head in confusion before the wolf suddenly raised a paw and gestured the she-wolf toward the wall next to the door.

"Auddey, can y'all pull out a few more bottles of my good brandy from the liquor cabinet?"

Audrey let out an irritated sigh, crossing her arms as she glared in the direction of her mate. However, the law wolf seemed too distracted to notice.

"Oh Dori, we been through this already." Audrey scoffed. "Don't y'all thi-"

"It ain't fer drownin' sorrows." Dorian protested as he reached toward one of the dark corners of his desk. From the shadows, the wolf dragged his desk phone closer to him before taking the device off the hook and starting to dial. "It's fer celebratin'!"

Audrey raised a curious eyebrow at the white wolf's confusing statement, and was about to ask him exactly what he was preparing to celebrate only for the wolf to hold out a paw as he placed the phone to his ear.

"Hello Clover...this is Dorian."

[ajokeformur-ray]

"Shamrock Holmes": Sherlock x Moriarty x Reader

TRIGGER WARNING FOR MORIARTY’S DD/LG KINK

You awoke with a heavy chest, like someone had rested a cement block on you.  Even moving your neck felt like a chore, especially after you felt a sharp pain in your shoulder blade, causing you to hiss.  When you finally managed to force your eyes open, it took a couple moments for the blurriness to go away before you realized that, nothing was wrong.  You recognized your own ceiling, your kitchen in the other room across from you, fully visible because of the open windows and partly cloudy afternoon.  Because of this, you were aware now that you are indeed in your own apartment; the feeling of your rather comfortable couch underneath you was one of the only things you felt besides your paralysis and pain.  But what the bloody hell was on your chest?!

Propping yourself up on your elbows, you tried to push yourself up, somehow being able to successfully.  It had only caused your shoulder to throb more, making you choke out a cry as your torso plopped on the back of the couch.  Well, at least you made it into a sitting position now rather than being confined on your back.  Now, you could see much clearer.              You swallowed down the taste of bile and tried to fight off the feeling of sudden dizziness and minor nausea.  Even though you were in your own home, something felt horribly wrong.  It didn’t make sense, but the last thing you remember was walking in the door and hanging your jacket up, so you had no proof that something was definitely off its rocker.  You had just stepped inside after a hard day’s work as a *insert dream career*, and next thing you knew, you were laying on your couch with a feeling similar to that of sleep paralysis.  No memories, no proof.  But there was still that feeling of suspicion in the pit of your belly, huddling down like a puma preparing to pounce. 

Tick, tick, tick…

You groaned.  Even the ticking of your wall clock made your head pound.  With as much strength as you could muster, you turned your head to at least check and see what time it was.  You normally got off work at around 1:00 in the afternoon (you worked nights), so if you had been out for a day or two, you’d definitely want to know.

Tick, tick, tick…

How odd.  The clock ticked yet didn’t move.  It was stuck in place, the time reading 12:23.  The battery must have stopped while at work.  Did it stop almost a half hour past noon, or midnight?  God, you didn’t want to think about it.  You reached up and rubbed your eyes, once again staring at the clock.  You still heard the ticking.  Why wasn’t the minute hand moving?  Perhaps it was a hallucination.  Yes, that had to be it.

Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick…

No, that ticking was too real, and it wasn’t coming from the clock.  It was coming from ON TOP of you, on your poor weighed-down chest.  Suddenly more alert, your senses sharpened, you dared to look down and let your vision clear once again.  When it did, you wished you were still blind, or still unconscious.  Either would have been fine with you at this point.  Memories of an intruder and a sudden fist to the back of your skull after securing the door caused a mental supernova, giving you a rush of adrenaline.  Cases of this happening were a danger in London now; you knew this because you were on good terms with Sherlock Holmes, who often talked to you when he had nothing else to do.  Of course, he was always busy, so you got to converse with him maybe once every other month if you were lucky.  Sometimes you even assisted him with cases.  Some people swore you two were dating, but others doubted that Sherlock was capable of falling in love.  You didn’t have a crush on the detective, and you were sure he didn’t have a crush on you.  You two were hardly even friends, just acquaintances.  If even that.  Sometimes that moody man liked to push you away.  It hurt you when he did, but not too much.  Sherlock’s assistant, John Watson always reassured you that it was normal, and that he [Sherlock] was hard to get along with.             “It’s okay,” you would always say, “I just wish he wouldn’t work himself so hard.”             So you had always promised yourself to never get in any sort of trouble, to never make Sherlock have to save you.  Well somehow, your private promised had been broken on this day.  Because strapped securely to your chest was a bomb, ready to detonate if Sherlock couldn’t solve the puzzle in time.  The offender would have a script ready for you, force you to call the pink phone in Sherlock’s possession, and kill you if you dared to plead for help.  But Sherlock would recognize you, you knew it.  That could either be a good thing or a bad thing.  You didn’t know whether to hope for death or salvation in case he did recognize your voice.

(E/c) eyes widened, and you writhed in shock and terror, whimpers passing your parted lips before turning into a scream that could come straight from a horror film.  Your heart jackhammered on your ribcage, for you haven’t felt fear this real or raw for countless days.  Never in a million years, would you have been worried about becoming a victim of a crime as gruesome as this.

“Don’t scream, sweetheart!  It would be a shame to have to kill you now~.”

A taunting voice, followed by an even more taunting laugh made you shut your mouth and freeze.  The speaker leaned in the kitchen doorway, dressed like he was attending a formal party.  His dark hair was slicked back, and his matching eyes glittered in the natural light from the window in the kitchen.  Your apartment was on the top floor of the complex, so it was often much brighter inside than others.  This brightness also allowed you a good look at his face.  Unfortunately, he didn’t look the slightest bit familiar.

“Good girl/boy,” he grinned in a way that sent chills up your spine.            The man started towards you, making you instinctively gasp and attempt to squirm away from him.  That was difficult to do under the weight of the bomb on your tiny body.  Your reaction and failed attempt made him laugh.             “Sugar, there’s no need to be that afraid,” he said, “I don’t have any desire to hurt you, believe me.”             He paused in front of you, kneeling down to look up at you.  You leveled a glare at him.             “You’re such a pretty/handsome little thing,” the man awed, a hand resting softly on your (s/c) cheek.  The featherlight touches made you whimper and bite your lip to keep from crying.  You were too afraid to scream again, or to make any noise at all.  Your eyes watered up, so you squeezed them shut.  The man was wearing a wider grin than he was a couple moments again.  You could practically hear it.             “Yes, cry if you need to, Sweetie,” he mused, “It wouldn’t be any fun if you kept your cool all day.”             “Burn in hell!” you shouted, a couple tears wetting your cheeks, “Just burn in hell, you wanker!”             There was a brief silence as the man gasped in mock offense.  Your glare never left his face.             “Now, that’s no way to talk to Daddy, is it?” he questioned, making you cringe, “Bad girls/boys get punished, you know.”             “Dare I ask who you are and why you’re doing this?” your voice was low and monotone, only slightly shaky.  You always thought of yourself as a scaredy-cat, so the sound of your leveled talking shocked you.             The man hummed, “You sound too calm, still.  We can’t have Sherlock recognizing you now, can we?  I mean, he already knows who you are, and it’s not like it’d be hard for him to trace your location if he realizes it’s his precious little toy in need of her/his life saved.”             He said the last part in a cynical fashion, turning his back to you on his heel as he stood up, seemingly taking something out of his breast pocket.  You gulped.             “How do you know I’m acquainted with Sherlock?” you demanded more strongly, “Have you been watching him?  Do you want to get caught?!”             When he didn’t answer, you felt a surge of triumph.  Perhaps you unveiled what he was really after…something as simple as attention.  It was strange, but people had strange motives sometimes.  However, your feeling of ascendancy was quickly replaced with terror yet again when you saw the man turn to you with a grim expression.  In his hand, a butterfly knife.

            “Not exactly.  It would be quite thrilling, though.”

            His next move was fast.  Before you could blink, he was on one knee, his hand gripping yours to keep your leg in place.  You opened your mouth to demand what the bloody hell he was doing, but you were cut off by a yell of pain, and then you were silenced again when he clamped the hand that was on your knee over your mouth.  One of his legs pinned yours to the couch.  He had slit your thigh twice with his blade, leaving behind two large rips in your (f/c) jeans and of course, two deep lacerations that would definitely need stitches.  You shouted again and then sobbed into his hand, shaking all over despite the bomb on your chest.  You hardly felt that anymore.

            “How I wish we were in a more isolated area,” he teased, examining the blade that was now tinted with crimson, “I’d love to hear your scream once more.  You’re so, innocent, my dear.  The innocent ones always have the very best screams, no?”             He kept his hand over your mouth for a couple seconds longer before removing it, allowing you to freely bawl in agony, so that’s just what you did.  Hanging your head to hide your face, you cried as softly as you could, hands moving to grip your wounds.  Blood seeped through the cracks between your fingers.  The warm liquid dripped down the backs of your hands and gathered at the base of your wrist like a large raindrop.  You didn’t notice your attacker biting his lip.

            “Now, this is much more stimulating, isn’t it?” he asked, running the bloodied knife across your collarbones and then up the side of your neck.  Panicking, you grabbed his arm, trying to push him away with minimal effort.  You were too weak with fear and hatred to do much as he teased your skin with the weapon like one would tease with a feather.             “Now you sound just like the other bastards,” he continued murmuring to you.  You were starting to wonder if this was his way or flirting, or if he was just trying to scare you.  Either way, your stomach turned green.              “You won’t stand out like a sore thumb now.  That Sherlock will think nothing of you but a helpless, crying victim.  You’ll end up just like the others, princess/prince…a splatter of burned blood and guts on the wall!”             Knowing he would hurt you now, you continued to cry at the pain in your thigh and of the bomb crushing your chest.  You were starting to wonder how much time you had left.             As if reading your thoughts, the man once again gave you a sinister smile, pulling away but keeping the knife pressed firmly on your jaw to let you know you weren’t off the hook yet.  Your tears stopped falling and your breathing started to slow down.  This almost had you wishing you were a sobbing, shivering mess again.  This man clearly wanted you stuttering and pitiful on the phone, either for the hell of the aesthetic or to keep you anonymous.  If you got yourself together again, he might cut you again.  This time, not even on your thigh.  Is this how he got his other victims to weep?  You thought otherwise.  You weren’t just any regular girl/boy to him.  He knew Sherlock cared about you…at least somewhat.  And if he wanted attention from him [Sherlock], he would of course inflict more torture on you. 

            “Now, do you see this?” he showed you an old-fashioned cell phone screen.  There, was what he planned to have you say to Sherlock.  Shyly, you took the phone in your hands, the other moving away from the wound.  They were streaked red with drying blood.  The thought of having to lure Sherlock and Watson into danger was enough to get a couple more tears out of you.  This dreaded phone call…it was finally going to happen.             “Awww, are you afraid of talking on the phone?” he teased, “I don’t blame you.  I’m not fond of it, either.  But look at it this way: all you have to do is read exactly what’s on that screen.  I have it all written out for you.  Wasn’t that nice of me?”             “Go fuck yourself,” you sneered.             The intruder arched an eyebrow, slowly removing the knife from your jaw, to your surprise.             “You’re very brave, talking to Daddy like that,” he remarked, “but you’re also very stupid.”             Just as you were about to request that he stopped referring to himself as ‘Daddy’, you were halted by another wail of pain as he slashed the knife not across your clothed skin, but in the two wounds.  He applied such force like he was ripping open the toughest stitches, and it made your vision go red as you screamed at the top of your lungs into his hand (he had covered your mouth again).  This hurt much worse than the skin being torn, for he had broken open bare muscle, fresh vessels, and what felt like a couple nerves.  Fresh blood once again gushed from the two injuries.  They had to be at least a good inch deep.  Again, you were sobbing, much to his satisfaction. 

            “Now, I’ll give you a moment to read through the script, love,” he snapped, once again holding the blade to your neck, “and do be quiet about it.  We don’t want this party crashed so soon, do we?  We haven’t even gotten to the best part.”             This time, you opted not to say anything, but instead let your eyes land on the script as he got out the telephone he would be using to contact Sherlock.  He started dialing the number for the pink phone with one hand, never letting the blade down from your neck.              “I’m positive he’ll answer right away,” the man commented more to himself than you, “He’s always very good about that.”             You hardly heard him.  Not only were you still crying too hard, but you were too engulfed in those dreadful words, too paranoid about what Sherlock would think about you, allowing yourself to end up like this.  In the iron grip of a masochistic killer.  Would he choose not to like you anymore because of your weakness?  Would he be angry?              You continued to read, hardly understanding the meaning of any of it, but one particular word caught your attention.  Was it a typo?  It had to be, because in the place of where Sherlock’s name should have been, was the word ‘Shamrock’.  Puzzled, you scanned the sentence again.  Yes, it was definitely a mistake on this bastard’s part.  If the situation didn’t mean life or death, you would have laughed out loud.  In fact, the corners of your lips did turn up a bit amidst your tears.  Your brain was shouting at you for being so ridiculous, but you couldn’t help it.  The simple little typo was a spark of light in the darkness.

            “Do I see you smiling?”

            You jumped and frowned, startled as you looked up at the amused/frustrated sadist like he’d just asked what 2+2 is.              “Smiling, you say?  You accuse me of expressing joy with a bloody bomb strapped to my chest?!  You accuse me of grinning like a schoolgirl when Death himself is standing in the far corner of this room?!  You are insane!”             He shrugged innocently, “I’m willing to bet my life that I saw your pretty little lips turn up.  Is there a problem?”             You hesitated, about to show him the screen, “Well…there’s a-“             “Oh, don’t question anything!” he pressed the green call button and shoved the phone in your free hand.  You almost dropped it.  With blood on your palms, holding things was rather difficult.              “Read exactly what’s on the screen, little girl/boy,” he repeated, pressing the blade to your neck almost hard enough to draw blood.  You winced and squeaked.  “Just because you’re young doesn’t mean I won’t tie you down and set the bomb to go off in a couple minutes.  Long enough for me to get out clean and you to become spoiled stew.”             You inhaled sharply, hardly having room under the weight of the ticking bomb.  If you lived through this, you’d hear that ticking while trying to sleep at night.

            “Hello?”

            Oh God, you gulped at the sound of Sherlock’s voice.  He sounded as if he’s been expecting a call like this.  Not an ounce of question or surprise in his baritone voice.  You sunk your teeth into your lip and took a few deep breaths.  The captor smirked.              What the hell could you do about that fricken typo?!  This man had told you to read EXACTLY what was on the screen, didn’t he?  He hadn’t mentioned if that meant calling Sherlock ‘Shamrock’ or not, but you didn’t want to take the risk, especially since he was holding a knife to your neck.  You supposed you’d be calling Sherlock a new nickname now.  Perhaps humoring this killer wouldn’t be so bad…it would also give the detective on the other end of the line a little clue that it was you.  Your sense of humor was incredible, and could often drive people insane.  You used to be told that if you were ever kidnapped, the kidnapper would return you because of your knack for pissing people off.  But you never would have guessed that you’d actually need this humor one day.

            When you hesitated to speak at first, you felt the blade press further into your skin.  This time, blood was drawn.  You gasped and whimpered, your voice three octaves higher than it normally would be. 

            “Is there anyone there?  Tell us where you are.”

This is a Sherlock collab so here’s my addition to it:

“Hello,” You glanced at Moriarty, who was now smirking, “Shamrock.” You got through the typo flawlessly, though your heart was pounding in your chest. 

There was silence for a split second and then you heard Sherlock’s sharp intake of breath and a muttered, “He’s got her, John.” You heard a low groan of frustration, muted because John was away from the speakers, and you knew that they were coming for you.

Your code word had gotten through - Shamrock. After annoying Sherlock several weeks ago, this had become a word that would signal that you were in trouble. The fact that Moriarty knew this suggested that the flat had been bugged, and you felt a wave of anger course through your system at the invasion of privacy.

You could only hope that they would make it to you in time as you read through the rest of the script. As you did, Sherlock listened intently, unable to ask you questions or even reassure you. He wasn’t Sherlock right now, he was Detective Holmes and he would find you. 

Moriarty snagged the phone off you and snapped it shut, returning it to his pocket without looking away from you. “Very good, sweetheart. Poor Sherlock…” he cocked his head at you and smirked and stood there, watching you as your vision began to blur and fade at the edges. You felt like you were being squeezed through a too-small tunnel, your breaths coming in hard pants… you were falling, fading…

You were unconscious before you hit the floor.

You were being rocked gently from side to side, a low rumble coming from just under your head. You were being moved at a fast pace, and you realised upon opening your eyes that you were in a taxi, your head on Sherlock’s shoulder. John’s hand was on the crook of your elbow, holding you steady.

If either of the men had noticed that you were awake, neither of them addressed it, so you closed your eyes and mumbled “I love you, Shamrock,” a gentle smile coming to your lips as you felt Sherlock’s head crane to drop a kiss on the top of your head.

When you woke up again, you recognised your surroundings almost instantly after opening your eyes. You were at home in 221b. Sherlock’s Belstaff coat was draped over you, and there was a lukewarm cup of tea on the table opposite you.

Sherlock was pottering around in the kitchen with his latest experiment, and John was on his laptop, no doubt typing up the latest case on his blog. 

You stretched luxuriously, your muscles groaning in protest as the last few days caught up with you, and you gasped, jolting upright.

John put his laptop down somewhat haphazardly and stood up, coming over to you. He checked your pulse and gave you his Doctor smile, which didn’t help to put you at ease.

“What happened?” Your voice was hoarse from disuse, and you only just noticed Sherlock’s had whipped up at the sound of your voice. 

“Moriarty got away. But, you’re safe now. Just rest up. Doctor’s orders.” John gave you a tense smile and turned to Sherlock, who was now at his side.

“How do you feel, Y/N?”

“Exhausted. Achey. Bit tense.”

Sherlock nodded, his jaw flexing as he looked off to the side, his hands coming up to steeple beneath his chin.

You grinned. “Oh, he’s got his thinking cap on again. Poor Sherlick… can’t let the case go.”

John grinned, pleased to see you feeling well enough to joke around. 

Sherlock huffed, “Oh for goodness’ sake.”

Your greatest triumph came from the fact that Sherlock was too used to his poor name being abused that he didn’t retaliate anymore - he simply suffered through it so long as it only happened within the four walls that you all called home.

@deanssweetheart23

[childofmyth-art]

A LeafGreen Myth - Chapter 2: Blue Attacks

Mild Violence Warning

We arrived at Viridian City again, and after a quick visit to the Poke Center, we headed straight for Route 22, upon rumors that it leads to Victory Road.

I released my team, now back in their Pokémon forms, and clapped my hands together, an eager look upon my face.

"Let's get another member!" I declared. We spread out and walked through the tall grass in different sections. I searched extensively but found nothing. I was beginning to feel it again. Deep in my chest the sensation of--

"ARAHH!"

My head whipped up at the scream and I dashed in its direction. It sounded like a Pidgey, might even be Nicole. I pushed through a bush frantically, weaving along the grass to find Nicole roosting on an extremely annoyed Mankey's head.

The Mankey turned to look at me, but did nothing. If he would have gotten up he would have disturbed Nicole and for some reason he didn't seem peeved enough to chase off the one annoying him. That is adorable. I tossed a Poke ball and caught him with no problem, Nicole fluttering back into the air as he was sucked into the device.

I let the Mankey back out and smiled. "Listen, I'm about to do something, and Nicole will explain. I have to go find John." I put my hands on both of my Pokémon and after they turned, I quickly looked the Mankey over before leaving.

His hair jutted out in all directions in brown spikes, and his Pokémon ears, also fuzzy and brown, stuck out of the mess. He had an equally unkempt brown fur vest that exposed his chiseled abdomen with tan pants and black boots. Hung around his neck was his Pokémon snout as a necklace. It was fake, to my relief. A tan, brown-tipped tail whipped behind him.

I turned and ran off, calling for John. After I was a few yards away arms grabbed me from behind. A hand clapped over my mouth as I let out a surprised squeak, muffled by the palm covering the lower half of my face. I twisted defiantly, granting me a glance to see who was holding me. Blue was there, a crazed look in his eyes as he held me tightly, painfully.

He flung me to the ground and stood over my body. "I saw what you did." My old friend hissed in a hushed tone that I almost missed.

"You touched them and-- and they changed ..." He continued, waving his arms and looking crazily mystified. I was scared, too frightened to move. I knew what Blue was capable of, even back then. He used to bully me, violently, back in Pallet Town after he changed.

Blue looked down at me and smiled. "I want my Pokémon to change, too."

I shook my head furiously. "No, no, Blue, you can't. Only I ca--" I was silenced by a stinging pain before I finished my stammering when he slapped me out of nowhere.

"Don't lie to me!” he shouted, “I've read about people like you. There’s one of you born every hundred years. They have your eyes, black and white. They change their Pokémon into humans and... they can share this power." Blue paused, his eyes boring disdain and a seething fury into my very form.

"...but I never thought it would actually be you ."

My eyes widened in terror, a crippling fear that reared its ugly head from the recesses of my mind, displaying itself on my face at the realization that he knew.

"No Blue, Pokémon are to stay as creatures… that is the natural way. People can't just turn Pokémon into humans. It's wrong. You can't do this, Blue!" Against everything my mind was screaming, my voice stayed calm and orderly.

Blue reached into his pocket and pulled out a rectangular object clutched idly within his hand. He tightened his grip on it for a moment, and in a quick display, a dangerous gleam reflected upon the sharp metal that appeared. There were no words, only a firm pressure as he pressed the knife’s edge on my neck, too frozen to try and shake him away.

"Give me the power," he simply said, his tone demanding as he knew of the advantage and control that he had over me.

I gulped, feeling the cold sharpness of the blade as the lump on my throat passed through. "O-okay..."

I raised my hand to his temple, fingers visibly shaking as I hesitantly placed my palm upon his person. My eyes glowed a blinding white, and power surged through my arm. Blue caught his breath, seemingly dazed, squeezing his eyes shut and biting his lower lip akin to experiencing pain.

I felt my strength waning, energy from my body quickly draining as the transfer happened in a span of a short moment, even though it seemed to stretch on for longer. By the time it was done, I grew dizzy, my breaths ragged, exhaustion ticking as my eyes returned to its previous, non-magical state.

Blue blinked his eyes open and flexed his fingers experimentally as he felt something coursing through him. A mysterious smile crept upon his features as he did, that manic gaze trailing back towards me. The knife jammed closer to my throat then, and my breath hitched at the more forceful pressure. He wasn’t laughing, but I could see that gleefully psychotic expression dancing within his eyes, a swirl of darkness I couldn’t even begin to understand.

"Now that I have this power, I no longer need you."

Bound to fear I was, I could only cower in place and look on, paralyzed. It was the only thing that ran through my mind, nothing I could do seemed to make any sense at that point. I was ready to accept my fate, tears pricking my eyes at the thought of losing my life, when a roar resounded somewhere around us. Blue turned around to discern what it was, just to get tackled in the face by a green blur. He cried out in surprise, and I took my chance to escape, crawling away from under that maniac in a frantic frame of time. I looked back, panting over my shoulder as I watched the scene that was unfolding.

John, using Blue's face as a launch pad, leaped away and stood in front of me, growling at my attacker.

Blue stood and brandished his weapon menacingly, unafraid. "You wanna go, Poke-freak?"

John stomped his foot, eager for action, ready for an attack.  My first thought was to scramble across the ground to put my hand on John's forehead before anything could happen. He was enveloped in a green light once again as Blue rushed him. Johnathon, now in his human form, leaped out of the glow and kicked Blue in the stomach, sending him flying back. John turned back and stood in a defensive stance in front of me.

Blue smirked and charged again, but this time at the last second he leaped and jumped over Johnathon. He landed smoothly on the ground in front of me, his hand clenched on his knife as he raised it up, aiming for my head. The moment was too fast for my still reeling mind, I couldn't even flinch.

Without turning, Johnathon reached a hand over his shoulder and latched onto Blue's wrist, halting his blade. He used both hands and bent down as he used his strength to fling Blue over himself and into the ground, face first.

Blue didn't even seem fazed as he rolled away and leapt onto his feet. He dashed towards John, knife held tightly as he flailed it about in the air.

With amazing precision, John caught both of Blue's wrists, and that's when the fight turned into a battle of strength. The boys pushed against each other, trying to injure one another while avoiding the steel’s cold edge. Sweat began to dot John's skin at the effort he put in, and he grimaced at the struggle and the boy in front of him.

I sat in silence, frozen in fear of failure. I should help, I should get up, I should do something at least... but I didn't know what to do, what to say. So I just sat there and watched, in a state of paralysis, looking on as my attempt to start over was straining and losing, as if it was never meant to happen.

John tightened his grip, arms flexed and slowly giving out as he made a low wheezing noise. His eyes squeezed shut as the knife drew ever closer.

Suddenly, a blinding light sprouted between John's shoulder blades, and green vines snaked out of his back. One struck Blue across the face while the other yanked the knife out of his hand. A wound opened up on Blue's cheek and he cried out in pain.

John pushed him down and stomped a foot onto his chest, "LEAVE!" he roared at a terrified Blue. The smug visage of my childhood friend seemed to have disappeared, and it was a surprise to see.

Blue nodded hurriedly and scurried away once John released him. Like a vengeful animal, he turned back and pointed a finger at me in an attempt to pick up what fragments remained of his pride.

"I'll see you again, Mythica. And trust me, I'll get rid of you one of these days." He spoke of finality, a dangerous threat that he planned to carry out, but then he ran before John or I could do anything else.

I curled up onto myself, wincing at his death threat and the painful weight in the pit of my stomach. Just like that I had almost lost everything again. I had almost failed, was almost left alone again with this crippling feeling eating me up from within. John probably couldn't even look at me. I knew it. I knew he’d want to leave me, I had almost let him die. I did nothing but watch. He hated me. Just like Blue… just like everyone.

Tears rolled down my cheeks as the dark thoughts in my head consumed me, yet I made no sound.

They hated me.

Footsteps approached me and I shook my head.

He hated me. Why didn’t he leave already?

"Master?"

Please leave.

Don't put me through this.

Johnathon crouched down beside me and his arms wrapped around me firmly, yet tenderly. He turned me around and pressed me against his chest.

"Please don't cry, Master. I'll protect you..." I desperately grabbed handfuls of his robe in my hands, holding onto something solid.

What? Didn’t he hate me?

"You don't.... want to leave? You don't hate me?" I was shocked as my voice came out timidly, a crack that broke my calmness, for once displaying any kind of emotion.

John's embrace became tighter and he shook his head. "No, never. It's my duty to stay and protect you, Master. That's just what I'm going to do." He didn't even question why I thought he would hate me. Somehow he knew not to ask, because I couldn't tell him. I couldn't tell anyone. Not... yet.

I felt a heaviness weighing my chest, and I wretch out a sob from my throat, pressing my face against John's neck as I began to cry in earnest. I never made a sound when I cried, but there was something in Johnathon that seemed to calm me and bring something out that no one else could.

"H-Help…" My voice choked out before I could process what I had said. John pulled me back and wiped away my tears with a tender thumb. I looked up at John's face to find him close to mine, his gaze unreadable yet comforting all the same. A red flush spread across my cheeks, yet he seemed unfazed.

"Let me try," was all he said in a breathy whisper. I gulped but did stay still, and he moved closer. I instinctively closed my eyes, listening to his breathing, as his hand moved up to cradle the back of my head. The soft air stopped momentarily, when a pressure pushed against my lips. I inhaled sharply, shock overtaking me for a second, before relaxing to the sensation and pushing back against his lips. We moved together, perfectly synchronized. My first kiss was gentle and beautiful.

And wrong.

We broke away for air and I noticed that I was lying flat on the ground, John hovering over me. We gazed into each other’s eyes for a moment, red meeting white, before his cheeks lit up brightly at the realization of our closeness. He quickly and clumsily shuffled away from me, sitting up a few paces as he fumbled with his words.

"I-I was just trying to make you happy…” he stammered, clearly confused. “I'm not sure what overcame me, Master."

I stayed on the ground, staring at the sky as I calmed down. This was wrong. I knew it was, it went against nature. It wasn't supposed to happen. Pokémon and people can't be together in this way.

"Master?" Johnathon asked, a nervous hesitance present in his tone when he called for me. He must be as afraid as I was, then.

My eyes shifted to his face, and slowly, I smiled. I didn’t care what nature said. I'm a freak. I'd go against nature as I please, for it abandoned me just like my parents. I'd do what I want. I wanted help, and John's the one to do it, so in turn I wanted John.

I climbed to my feet. "Let's go find the others."

Mankey | Male | George | Timid | Ability: Vital Spirit | Lv.3