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cheri-translates · 4 years ago

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[CN] Season 2 Summary (Volume 3: Ch 6 - 9)

🍒 Warning: Detailed spoilers from S2 🍒

Along with the update on 3 June 2021, the CN server released a “Plot Review” which contains bullet-point summaries of S2 :>

Volume 2 Summary: here

You and Shaw are in the middle of the railway tracks. Watching as the train gets closer and closer, Shaw shields you, leaving the tracks

All of a sudden, two more people make an entrance. Shaw hides you, then confronts the two of them by himself. They appear to be investigating something. It’s a pity that before they can ask about anything, the entire passage collapses abruptly

Fortunately, Shaw brings you out safely. The misunderstanding between the both of you is cleared up

With your deliberately designed “trick” during the conversation, Shaw tells you that he came here to investigate a historical ruins. Since you’re also investigating it, you hope that Shaw can share and exchange resources

“Fine, I promise you.”

You head to the Black Swan building to attend a board meeting. During the meeting, the members of the organisation once again use the “Small Syringes” incident to criticise you. The BOSS, Victor, doesn’t say a word

“Without my permission, you’re not allowed to do investigations in private.”

Knowing that Victor is worried about your safety, inexplicable emotions occupy your heart

Afterwards, you realise that Victor met with a second shooting incident at the roof of LFG last week! Very quickly, you discover that the weapons were purchased by Gray Rhino. But these overt clues seem to be part of a scheme, making you recall the Evolver assassination incidents from before

In the evening, you’re held under duress by Set, an ex-member of Black Swan. He is seeking to find experimental records related to CORE from 17 years ago

According to information he somehow acquired from Gray Rhino, these records will appear in an auction this evening. At this moment, Victor appears, and willingly follows along

At the venue of the auction, the surroundings suddenly turn pitch-black following a loud cracking sound. In the chaos, you decide to seize this opportunity to search for that document. Unexpectedly, someone got to it first. Based on the memories you read, the document should have been entrusted to a bank, and placed in a safe vault

However, when the safe is opened up, there’s nothing inside. It turns out that this incident was a trap

Pretending to have the documents, you plan to flee with Victor while tossing them to Set. However, Victor brings you to a lift in the depths of the safe vault. What’s above is actually a building of a bank

In a small room, Victor stands before the window, looking at the quiet and pitch-black street. For now, the both of you are safe

“We need to find a way to leave.”

Victor heads outside. While you’re pondering over the incident in the room alone, the surveillance monitor outside the door shows that someone’s coming. After a moment of contemplation, you leap off the balcony, planning to use the balcony underneath the window as a buffer

While falling, you can feel time pausing for an instant

Because Victor was worried about your safety, he used his Evol

The car meant for the evacuation has been prepared. After having a change of clothes, Victor takes you out of this place. Perhaps furious at how you acted presumptuously without considering your own safety, Victor remains silent during the journey

You understand that he’s worried about you, and try to show that you’ve reflected upon yourself

“At all times, you have to take care of yourself for me.”

In the Black Swan building, the two of you analyse that the dangers from yesterday seemed to be a test. Victor gives you a document - in the capacity of a punter, he has entered the Hunter Game

His trust, a sense of security, and the motivation to get things done - you know that these are things Victor has given to you

"All you have to focus on is taking large strides and continue running forward.”

After parting ways with Victor, you return to your usual work

“Miracle Finder” has been receiving extensive attention recently due to the past spate of incidents

You discover that Lucien has expressed his support for the show on the internet

After expressing your gratitude to Lucien, you invite him to a hospital which exclusively admits Evolvers for treatments. There, you interview people who have used the “Small Syringes”, gathering materials for a show

In the middle of an interview, the director of the hospital tells the both of you that a few Evolvers who used the “Small Syringes” experienced pathological changes. However, Lucien points out that the pathological changes may not have a causal relation with the “Small Syringes”

You and Lucien delve further into the topic of Evol. When the topic of Evol and evolution crops up, he invites you to attend an external class he’s conducting at a museum which has “evolution” as its theme

The next day, you head there as agreed

While having a look around, Lucien engages his students in a scientific debate related to “evolution” and “sacrifice”

His thoughts have never changed. However, your way of thinking has changed from before, back when you had no idea about anything

You notice that there’s a stone tablet in the museum with the symbol “8″ engraved on it

“The beginning and ending of a civilisation is akin to this symbol - its start and end are linked together.”

After sending the students back on the bus, you and Lucien take a stroll along the seaside. All of a sudden, you hear an inexplicable electronic sound announcing that the both of you are currently in the Hunter Game

While discussing with Lucien whether the game could be an imitation of the experiment from 17 years ago, you ask him to hide in a police box that you can “see”. At this moment, you suddenly find yourself falling back into the museum from earlier. But when you take a careful look, the surroundings turn into a patch of empty space

Only now do you realise that everything you “saw” earlier could have been an illusion

On the other side, Lucien never actually saw that police box you mentioned. Right now, he can see that you’re in an open and spacious room, feeling around the walls

Lucien realises that there seems to be a glass separating the both of you. Neither of you can hear the other party

Lucien places his hand on the glass. At this moment, you happen to press your hand there too, covering his palm which is separated by the glass

“Why... why exactly are you...”

You finally locate the “hidden button” separating illusion from reality, leaving this strange space and joining Lucien

The abrupt electronic sound rings again. Before you, the scene instantly morphs into an abandoned building. Other players chase after the both of you, engaging in close combat

You and Lucien discuss your current situations in the game, and how to escape

“We have a simpler way.”

Making use of the folding space, Lucien instantly brings you back to the seaside during the stroll earlier

You ask Lucien if he believes that the world can go backwards while making forward progress

Lucien says that if civilisation exists in a cycle, it is possible for the world to reflect the past. But the further one walks forward, the more opportunities one has to seize one’s own destiny

“Being able to persist in your dreams is already very good.”

A few days later, Shaw takes you to the antique store to exchange leads as promised

“Returning to the main point, get that painted scroll, and be gentle.”

Faced with your series of questions, Shaw says that these symbols are merely totems. No one knows what’s within the ruins, and wanting to get in poses great difficulty

While speaking, a man clothed in black barges in, demanding leads from Shaw

Naturally unwilling to give in obediently, Shaw and the man are embroiled in a fight. In order to assist Shaw, you work together with him. By overturning a gigantic water jar, the water guides the electricity, successfully striking the man clothed in black

Not wanting the man to leave, Shaw sends you away in a hurry

“I’m tired. I’ll leave the investigation to you.”

Behind you, a wounded Shaw sits in the antique store by himself, his body temperature abnormally high

You and Savin are at the airport to pick Kiro up from his overseas trip where he “took a breather”. In actual fact, his location was unknown. While you’re feeling uneasy, and didn’t expect him to actually appear

When you and Kiro return to the rehearsal room, he quickly pulls you into an embrace

You repeatedly ask Kiro why he had to remain in the arena the last time, what happened afterwards, and why he had to hide it from you

“But when you’re with me, I always can’t help but worry about you, and hope you can be as far away from this place as possible.”

You suddenly receive an anonymous phone call which tells you to put a stop to today’s news conference. However, you ignore it

When the event is about to begin, Savin can’t be found. While you’re feeling confused, you and Kiro receive a disjointed call from him. Locating his position, the two of you realise that he’s on an empty train which should have ceased operations, but is moving forward

Ah Liu, who has the ability to transfer objects, sends you and Kiro onto the train to find Savin. Aside from that, you spot a youth

This youth is called Xiao Nan, and he has an Evol related to magnetic fields. He’s the one who made the train move, and plans to cause the train to go off the rails, crashing into the civilians who have gathered to attend Kiro’s conference for his new song. He had warned you about cancelling the conference, but you had failed to note just how critical the situation was back then

Through sieving through Xiao Nan’s memories, you discover that Gray Rhino had instigated him into doing work for the organisation as he was bullied and humiliated since young for having Evol

The youth wants to leave this extreme organisation, but he’s afraid because he has done wrong things. Kiro reassures him by talking about his own experiences in youth, which are similar to Xiao Nan’s. He also tells the youth that he has to face his difficulties with courage, and find his place in the world

The youth is finally swayed, and he does his best to stop the train

Unfortunately, the train continues to travel due to inertia. Kiro tells you to leave first and evacuate the crowd in the plaza. Meanwhile, he will stay behind to think of a way to stop the train

In order to draw the crowd away, you change into a teddy bear mascot costume, announcing that this is one phase of Kiro’s announcement of his new song

The fans are successfully drawn away, but you end up being chased by them. When you’re at your wit’s end, someone suddenly grabs your hand. He removes your headgear - it’s Kiro

“Not a minute or second late. I’m punctual for the appointment.”

Kiro brings you through small corners to leave the crowd, then returns to the stage at the conference, bringing the event to a perfect end

During the celebratory banquet, Kiro sees that you have a worried expression on your face. He reassures you earnestly that as long as you’re by his side, he’s happy

The night grows dark, and a dash of silver flashes on the roof of the Black Swan building - it’s Helios

He appears to be talking to someone

I’m not helping you to do anything. You have no right to give me orders.

Not long after you leave the building, Helios hops back in, and he sees the experiment report you left behind

“I command the both of you - forget everything that happened earlier.”

You receive a call from Gavin - he needs your help

In the STF, Gavin mentions that he has a unique witness, and he needs the help of your Evol to read his memories

It turns out that someone was shot at the train station, and the witness happens to be an elderly man who is blind. You do your best, concentrating to sense what you can. Unfortunately, you aren’t of much help

While Gavin sends you back, the both of you pass by a stall. You make the impulsive decision to pull him along to play a shooting game

While leaving, the sky suddenly begins to pour. Gavin removes his jacket and covers the roof of your heads

“Let’s go. The journey isn’t long. I’ll send you home.”

You suddenly recall that in high school, Gavin coursed through the curtain of rain just like this. Everything seems to a certain miraculous overlap

Not long after, another Evolver dies an unnatural death, and you realise that the victim is Xiao Nan

Faced with the death of this youth, you’re unwilling to sit by and do nothing. While investigating the scene of the crime, you spot a suspicious man. Chasing after him, you arrive at an unfinished building. Unexpectedly, you meet Gavin in the building

You explain why you've appeared in the building to Gavin, and he tells you that he’s currently on a mission, and suggests that the both of you look around for leads

“Right now, staying by my side is the safest.”

When you step on a protruding object, a gigantic explosion causes the ground to turn into an artificial precipice. The man who lured you here reveals himself

During this confrontation, the ceiling above you explodes and collapses. It seems that this was a trap to lure the STF over

You toss out a mini flash bomb, then pull Gavin along to escape. After conjecturing that there are many automatic explosives in this building, Gavin holds onto you, using his Evol to send the both of you to the 30th floor

After finding the main device and wanting to dismantle it, the man appears again, lifting his gun and taking aim at the device

The man is extremely enraged with the STF, as though the STF has concealed an important truth

You confront the man while Gavin focuses on dismantling the device. At a crucial point, you shoot the man in the lower leg to stop him from taking action. As expected, Gavin successfully dismantles the device

“Only when you're alive can you find the truth that you seek.”

Likely moved by Gavin’s determination, the man chooses to trust Gavin, and asks him about something before he leaves

You and Gavin finally leave the building. He carries you as he flies into the city. Feeling his warmth, you feel incomparably at ease

Right after reaching the ground, a young man dressed in uniform requests for you to cooperate with him in an investigation, as you’ve become a suspect for the Evolver assassination incidents. He also provides evidence that are stacked against you

Even though all the evidence is unfavourable to you, Gavin says that he will investigate the truth of the case, and will definitely protect you

“Regardless of position, I’ll never let you get caught up in danger.”

Volume 4 (Ch 10 - 13): here

More S2 content: here

A detailed translation of Gavin’s part is available here!

#mlqc #mlqc cn #mlqc spoilers

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wkemeup · 5 years ago

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By Any Other Name (Prologue)

series summary: When Special Agent Bucky Barnes is tasked with infiltrating the notorious gang Hydra and gathering evidence against its leader, Brock Rumlow, Bucky finds himself drawn to the woman who doesn’t seem to belong in this world of violence, the wife of the head of Hydra... you. pairing: bucky x reader chapter word count: 2.3k warnings: bucky and sam being little shits, setting up the backstory 🌹series masterlist // series playlist

If there was one thing to know about Bucky Barnes, it was that he didn’t back down from a challenge; certainly not one from a former fighter pilot with a superiority complex and a loud mouth.

Bucky stared down the end of the ring, circling with careful, steady steps as he sized up his prey. Sam Wilson rolled his eyes, a slight shake of his head, because he didn’t know quite yet the humiliation he was about to experience.

It had been a while since Bucky had knocked Sam’s ego down a few notches and it was about time someone did something about his less-than-charming attitude. Sam was starting to talk a big game in front of the rookies and, well, Bucky couldn't have them thinking Sam was some kind of Bureau legend.

“You gonna make a move or what?” Sam jabbed, throwing his arms out to the side dramatically. He let out a groan that echoed through the rafters of the training gym. Always the dramatic one.

Bucky snickered under his breath, patient, as he continued eyeing up Sam from the distance.

His left arm was clasped behind his back, wrapped with tape meant to secure his fist in the ring, and he stretched the fingers in his right hand against his hip. A soft cracking released the air between his joints.

Sam was the one with the brilliant idea to make a bet, in front of a cafeteria full of agents, that Bucky couldn’t get an opponent on the mat one-handed. It was a foolish mistake he was about to regret.

Bucky charged at Sam, catching him off guard as he let out a grunt from the impact of Bucky’s shoulder diving straight into his stomach. Sam kneed him up into his chest and shoved Bucky off of him, full force of both hands straight to his collarbone, and sent him spiraling to the ground.

“Not so easy, huh?” Sam taunted, winking over at a the young female agent with strawberry blonde hair sweeping down her shoulders as she watched from beyond the ring. Sam didn't seem bothered in the slightest when she rolled her eyes at him and passed a few dollars to the agent on her left, nodding towards Bucky.

Meanwhile, Bucky was back to his feet, jumping around on his toes, loosening his muscles and got back into position. His only free hand was held in front of him on the offense, his feet positioned slightly more than shoulder width apart, and he bent his knees, giving him the flexibility of movement and agility.

He didn’t give Sam another chance to provoke him before threw a hit to the side of Sam’s jaw, enough to get him off balance, but not to leave bruising. Bucky knew better than to throw full force with a friendly in the ring, no matter how much of a pain in his ass Sam was, but it would certainly give him the advantage he needed. Maybe leave a red mark for an hour or so. Just enough to make him regret betting against his own teammate.

Sam stumbled back from the impact of the hit and Bucky made a quick turn for a roundhouse kick where he’d usually use his left hand for additional damage. Sam grunted, knocking away Bucky’s leg before it could land and rushed at him. He got in a good hit on Bucky’s left side, but that was an easy move – some might say, a coward’s move – as he was defenseless on his left.

Though when Sam attempted to get him on that side again, Bucky turned his shoulder, blocking his left side from the attack and grabbing Sam’s wrist midair with his right. Sam looked at him with wide eyes, in shock, before Bucky simply smirked and kicked his right leg to the back of Sam’s knees.

He let out a yelp as he knees buckles and it sent him tumbling onto the mat with a heavy thud. Bucky quickly took the advantage and threw the full of his bodyweight on Sam’s back. He settled in, purposely digging his tailbone into Sam’s spine and pushing as much as his weight onto him as he could.

He sat there, whistling to himself as Sam started to scramble under him. The rookies were laughing under their breath as they watched in hoards beyond the edge of the ring. Seemed Sam’s challenge made rounds in the rumor mill and the new recruits wanted a front row seat to the Bureau’s top agents facing off in the ring.

“You gonna get your fat ass off of me, tough guy?” Sam grumbled, trying to pull himself from under Bucky, but it was no use.

“I don’t know, man, are you gonna apologize for thinking you had any chance in beating me in the ring, even with one arm tied behind my back?” Bucky taunted, grinning ear to ear as he glanced up to the ranking board hung from the rafters from their year in the academy. Sure, he was listed at number two, but his ego wasn't big enough to believe he’d ever take first when the All-American-Golden-Boy Steve Rogers was in play. At least he wasn’t sitting at fourth place like a certain incapacitated agent he knew.

“Bite me, Barnes!”

“Maybe I will, don’t temp me.”

“I’m going to kill you. I’m actually going to kill you.”

“What in the hell are you two doing?!”

Bucky looked up to find Steve pushing his way through the hoard of rookies gathered off the side of the ring watching the match with handfuls of cash passing between pockets. Steve shoved his way to the front of the crowd, hands on his hips as he saw the two of them at the center of the ring. He slumped his shoulders, a heavy sigh on the exhale.

“Do I have to ask?” he rolled his eyes, gesturing to Bucky’s hand tied behind his back and Sam’s constant wiggling around as he tried to escape from under Bucky’s weight. “You realize you’re acting like children, right?”

Bucky shrugged. “It’s not my fault he can’t keep his mouth shut.”

“I am going to mess you up so bad,” Sam threatened under his breath, but it was loud enough Bucky could hear it, so he leaned further against Sam’s back, adjusting his position as he wacked Sam on the back of the head. It pulled another groan out of him, at least, as he continued to try and crawl his way out.

“Hey dummies,” another voice called, low and sultry, carrying over the rafters in an echo and sending a hush through the rookies despite the calm nature of the tone.

Red hair tossed in a bun at the nape of her neck with loose strangles hanging out the sides, Natasha Romanoff eyed Bucky and Sam amusingly before she turned to Steve with raised brows. He shook his head in response.

“What’s up, Nat?” Sam asked nonchalantly as he propped his chin up on his hand, as if he wasn’t currently pinned under one-hundred-and-eighty pounds of muscle.

Nat smirked, lips pushing out as she leaned against the ropes of the ring. “Fury’s looking for us. We’ve got a new job.”

Steve started to break up the crowd as Bucky pulled himself to his feet. Sam, he noticed, was rather dramatic as he used the ropes for support and clutched onto his back as he walked, sending glares in Bucky’s direction.

“You gonna help me get this tape off my arm?” Bucky called after him, rather annoyed at his current predicament, but Sam only scoffed.

He ended up roping some doe-eyed recruit from the Naval academy to unwrap his wrist and unwind the tape trapping his left arm to his side. The kid’s hand shook nearly the whole time.

***

Fury noticeably wasn’t pleased when he found Bucky and Sam shoving at each other like teenage brothers as they made their way into the conference room. Natasha was already seated at the front of the table, closest to the Director, and Steve was leaning against the wall, arms crossed as he sent them a warning glare.

Bucky nudged Sam one last time and sent him a short wink before escaping to the chair closest to Steve. Sam slid in beside Natasha and they turned to the Director. He only had one good eye unobstructed by the black patch that sat over veined scars protruding from underneath and even still, Bucky could tell Fury had enough.

“Now that we’re all settled,” he started calmly, though there was an accusation in his tone. Sam slumped into his seat as Fury slid a series of folders down the table, one for each of them. A projector lit up against the wall, displaying an image of an octopus-like creature with a skull for a head and six curving tentacles emerging from the center.

“Hydra?” Nat questioned, surprised as she grabbed one of the folders from the middle of the table.

Fury nodded, hands on his hips. He was proud, it seemed, like he’d been waiting on this one for a while.

Bucky flipped open the file, a name listed in the top corner that was not his own, unlike the rest of his team sitting around him. Under it, an entire lifetime’s worth of history, of family memories and previous employments, of likes and dislikes. Bucky glanced over it, taking note of the important bullets, like the one that said he had a meeting with the head of Hydra in one week’s time.

It wasn’t the first identity he had taken on and he didn’t suspect it would be the last. Bucky Barnes had spent more of his time since his discharge from the Army and recruitment to the Bureau playing the part of a criminal than as himself.

He had an exceptional ability to compartmentalize, to lock himself behind the walls he worked tirelessly to build. It was the reason he was able to so easily lose himself to any identity handed to him; read the file, learn the backstory, become someone new. It was refreshing, in a way, to escape from himself and into someone else entirely.

No strings. No commitments. Only the case. Only the end results.

Damn the collateral damage.

His first cover was in an underground sex trafficking ring a few years back in Atlanta where he operated under the name Brian Victor. He worked his way into the system, posing as a John, walking amongst the likes of vile and heinous men, and dismantled the entire system from the inside, rescuing near sixty-seven young, terrified girls who had been kidnapped and brought across state lines.

After that, he was employed on a weapons manufacturing plant in Alaska where he took on the role of Alex Smith, a low-level crewman on the shipment yard where mariners were importing illegal bumps and accessories from Russia. That job took him nearly a full year to complete but he didn’t mind that much. He’d liked the locals, poor suckers who found themselves roped up in a scheme far greater than any of them realized. He’d been sure to advocate for their release when they were taken in with the higher-ups.

Only a week after the final trial, Bucky was given a new identity; one named Chris Roswell, a street seller for an extensive drug trafficking operation in Santa Barbara. Part of his identity was to infiltrate a crew of gang members on the west side that recruited vulnerable kids who shouldn’t have been out on the streets in the first place. He didn’t care for Chris Roswell much and he was happy to be rid of the character once the supplier was taken off the streets.

In his most recent job, he spent few months as Noah Crestal, a wealthy businessman with an inherited trust fund, who ran with spoiled rich kids and call girls and disassembled an entire underground gambling ring in Baltimore.

But he was never alone.

While he was on his own in the field, he had a team who kept an eye on him, watched his back, hacked into security systems, and made sense of the evidence he retained.

There was Steve Rogers, the team leader and Bucky’s best friend since childhood. An asthmatic, lanky sort of kid with a startling knack for trouble who grew up to be twice his own size. He finally learned to fit his reckless attitude into a body that could support a few punches and currently held the physical training course record at the Bureau.

Then, there was Sam Wilson, a grade A pain in Bucky’s ass and a damn good fighter pilot in his air force days. Sam was responsible for making sense of the evidence Bucky brought back from his undercover meetups and monitoring for talk on Bucky’s identity, to ensure his cover was secure. When he wasn’t relentlessly mocking Bucky and flirting with the rookies, he was a decent agent and a better friend. He was a brother in arms and off the field. Fought like one, too.

The last of the crew was Natasha Romanoff. A woman with more fire power in the tips of her fingernails than most men had in their entire body, Natasha was an ex-KGB agent who defected to the US following a shitshow of trauma and general maltreatment by her home country. She was the primary tech god in the Bureau and spent most of her time these days behind a keyboard. She’d spent enough time in the field and she wasn’t eager for more.

This team was what allowed Bucky to take on new names, to dive deep undercover into new identities without fear of losing himself completely. There was always a hand stretching out to him to pull his body back to the surface when he needed it. He’d seen a lot in his years in undercover work, been asked to do things to protect his cover he’d never talk about again outside of his debriefings with Fury, and it was easy to forget who exactly Bucky Barnes was under all those lies.

His team kept him in track. It’s what made them so successful, how they were able to go from one city to the next, throw Bucky into a criminal underworld with a new name, and bring massive operations to justice.

New name. New city. New criminals to take down.

James Karpov was just the next name on the list.

“Rumlow’s down a hitman,” Fury explained, clicking the remote on the slide as a man with dark brown hair and cold, brown eyes appeared on the screen.

Bucky had seen that face before. He'd heard about the infamous mafia boss Brock Rumlow and his extensive team of lawyers who have been able to get him out of every charge the NYPD has been able to throw in his direction.

He saw to the distribution of fentanyl laced drugs to the street of New York, the manufacturing of assault weapons, and the ordering of dozens of executions in the last month alone. He was a monster by anyone’s standards and Bucky could already feel the eagerness churn in his stomach. This was a job he was going to enjoy.

“This is Jack Rollins,” Fury said as an image of a mug shot appeared next to Rumlow’s. “He was Rumlow’s last enforcer before he had the unfortunate luck of actually being arrested for his crimes. Damn field day down at the DA’s office when they finally nailed him.” Fury clicked to the next image as a crime scene photo displaying a very discolored Rollins lying with his eyes open, arm handing off the side of the bed. “He was also conveniently murdered in lock up while awaiting trial just a few days ago.”

“Bummer,” Sam snickered, nudging Natasha’s shoulder and earning a smirk in response. Rollins was behind dozens of murders under his time in Hydra. It was no real loss.

“This is our opportunity to infiltrate Hydra,” Fury continued, ignoring Sam’s remark. He leaned further onto the conference table, black leather of his trench coat swinging at his knees. “Barnes will meet with Rumlow next week to take on the role of the enforcer.”

“So, like a job interview?” Natasha raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.

Fury shrugged. “Yeah, I suppose.”

Bucky thumbed through the file, skimming at the pages of information on Rumlow and his known associates; glancing over decades of monstrous crimes and gruesome crime scene photos. It was all pretty standard, nothing exceptionally out of the ordinary, except for Rumlow’s inflated ego and knack for theatrics.

The pages were filled with crimes he’d been arrested for, crimes he’d been suspected of, and the all the ones in between. Each with their own summary as to why he was never brought it, why the charges were dropped, or how witnesses suddenly went missing hours before the trial, how evidence disappeared from lock up before it could be submitted to the court. Brock Rumlow was an entitled piece of work, it seemed, though that was no news to Bucky.

Then, towards the back of the file, Bucky stumbled upon a single page nestled into the binding, one that took him by surprise because the image in the top right corner wasn’t that of a mugshot or one taken from a surveillance camera, it was an employee ID from Columbia.

A bright, vibrant smile and eyes that lit up on the page, it seemed incredibly out of place amongst Rumlow’s rap sheet. Below the image, accomplishments were listed of various degrees held, charity functions hosted, employment at a prestigious university teaching courses in literary fiction and writing composition. All of which seemed to come to an abrupt halt three years ago.

Bucky wondered if the page had been put in his file by mistake. That was, until he saw the last name listed in the top right corner.

Y/n Rumlow. Wife of the head of Hydra.

Fury straightened his back, glancing down at his team as they absorbed themselves in the files, Steve already making notes in the margins as Natasha pulled out her laptop and the small clicks of her keyboard filtered through the concentrated silence. Sam was on his phone, calling up a contact from his former air force days who might have had some knowledge of the Rumlow family, but Bucky... Bucky was still stuck on the last page, the page with the woman who didn’t seem to fit in this world of crime and violence.

“Get acquainted with your new identity, Barnes,” Fury ordered. “We’re taking down Hydra.”

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #bucky x you #bucky barnes x you

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anonymouslyangsty · 4 years ago

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What do you think Assassin!Taka would do if he figured out how much his grandfather was manipulating him? Also, what do you think of an alternative Assassin!Taka where his first kill was his grandfather?

Very good question and very good concept.

Minor derailment for a sec (i swear it's relevant), but let's talk about Takaaki and Toranosuke in this au.

(warning, it ended up not being 'a sec'. I bolded the part where I ACTUALLY start talking about your question)

I feel like Torano's downfall was a bit of a slippery slope. He needed to gain some momentum before he went to murder and child grooming, as ya do. And I think the major step towards extreme corruption came through Takaaki.

I feel like those two have a rather tense relationship early on in the au. Takaaki knows that some of his father's dealings are fishy. Perhaps not criminal at that point, but not exactly clean either.

But Takaaki is still human. He's got a wife and young son to care for. If his father's slimy actions got out, they'd ruin the Ishimaru name. Plus, he isn't hurting anyone, right? So Takaaki leaves it alone.

That kind of dismissal only lasts for so long however, especially when you're as honest as Takaaki. Eventually, he's not going to be able to turn a blind eye, even if acting puts himself and his family at risk.

Perhaps Torano does something that goes a bit too far, that actually hurts people and ruins lives. Takaaki wouldn't be able to stand for it and, even if he cares about his father, he isn't going to deny his duties as an officer because of it.

But I think that Takaaki would make the critical mistake of trusting the goodness in his father just a BIT too much. He thinks he can talk sense into Torano, get him to change his ways without ruining his whole career. All Takaaki does is give him ample warning.

Torano cares about his son. Takaaki is a decent man, hardworking and honest. But he'll be damned if he lets his soft heart get in his way and ruin his legacy. So when Takaaki threatens to release info on Torano's illegal activities, he knows he has to keep his son quiet.

Toranosuke is very careful with how he does it. He can't just kill the man. If Takaaki shared his suspicions with anyone, his sudden death would be damning.

So he does the next best thing. Torano gets Takaaki declared clinically insane and locked in an asylum. He weaves this detailed, damning story, bribing as many people as he needs to to create a false narrative. Takaaki attacked him in his office, spouting conseracy theories and accusing him of murder!

Toranosuke deeply cares for his son, so he obviously wouldn't send him away unless it was for his own good, right? And if Takaaki's wife suddenly finds herself overwhelmed with life under the camera's eye, well. What kind of grandfather would Toranosuke be if he didn't care for Taka while his mother was away visiting family? He's just looking out for his family after all.

So that's all to say that Takaaki is alive in this au, locked away from crimes he didn't commit. After so long of being told he's insane, he slowly begins to believe it. Maybe he was becoming paranoid, seeing crimes where there weren't any. Maybe he had overreacted. Did he attack his father? He didn't recall doing so, but there was video evidence, so it has to be true.

It takes years for Takaaki to be deemed sane. By that point, he's convinced himself that he really had made up all those accusations. Taka's already gone at this stage, off training for his grandfather's purposes. But Takaaki thinks he's just off at boarding school.

Now I'll get to the point of this 'little' tangent. I think Takaaki's the one who proves to Taka that he's being used. Takaaki's an officer, likely far higher in standing than in canon. So it's plausible that he'd be employed to investigate a string of strange deaths that's caught the eye of a few officials.

It would be quite interesting for Takaaki to realize that the 'string' of murders is actually far longer than they'd realized. It'd be even more interesting for him to realize that his son is the one behind the deaths.

Takaaki is a father first and an officer second. There's no way he'll allow his son to take the fall, especially not once it becomes clear that Torano placed him into the role. Takaaki would absolutely try to make his son see reason, which means making him see that he's being used.

Okay NOW I'll actually get to the point.

If Taka found out he was being used by his grandfather...Well it sure wouldn't be a pretty sight. We already know how Taka responds to his world being destroyed: denial, unresponsiveness, and manic behavior. That's how he responded upon learning that a guy he was friends with for 3 days was a killer.

Assassin!Taka doesn't see himself as a murderer. He sees himself as an executioner, dealing out capital justice to those who abuse their power. He kills those that are irredeemable, who harm others without any empathy.

But if that was all a life, if he was working for the corrupt rather than against...He'd be just as bad as the corruption he sought to destroy. He'd be a murderer.

Put that revelation onto the realization that the man who raised him since his parents left, the man he looked up to as the pinnacle of greatness, is himself corrupt. Has himself committed the same crimes Taka killed to stop. That Taka was nothing but a tool for that corruption.

Literally everything that Taka is in this au would be a lie. He's not killing for justice, his mindset isn't the correct path, his grandfather isn't fighting for justice.

I honestly think Taka would have an extreme, violent response to that revelation. He'd see both himself and his grandfather as irreparably tainted, absolutely dripping in the blood of the innocent. And Taka has known no means of removing such blots on human society but to personally wipe them out. So that's exactly what he go out to do.

Now I'm thinking about Taka and Takaaki hunting down Torano for some vigilante justice. All while Takaaki subtly tries to convince his son not to kill both Torano AND himself. It would be very hard for Takaaki to convince Taka that he was a victim of his grandfather, and not equally as guilty.

(this is also making me think of an au where Taka's hired by the FBI for his skills in a Black Widow situation)

Speaking of that, let's get to the "Taka's first kill is his grandfather" au.

The first and biggest question is: who the heck puts Taka up to it? It would not be easy. I'm thinking that, in the normal Assassin!Taka au, Torano spends YEARS grooming Taka into accepting killing. Nobody else would have that kind of extended access to Taka except his parents.

...

Except his parents. I'm literally having ideas as I type this. New idea! I'm going to make Taka's mom relevant (and evil)! Also I'm calling her Nori because I just need a name.

Perhaps Takaaki's marriage was arranged for political reasons more than love. He had to marry wealthy, and ended up marrying the daughter of a wealthy businessman.

And that's a very useful position, isn't it? Nori is in a perfect place to learn the intimate details of the Ishimaru family. She can learn what little squabbles the family has amongst one another, what weaknesses there are, anything she could need.

Her parents are well acquainted with several politicians, all of whom are more than willing to act in favor of her family's company. All of whom are itching to become Prime Minister.

So a plan is made to leave the position of PM vacant. Assassinate Takaaki, frame Torano, get someone who'll act in favor of the company in control. Maybe throw in some Yakuza connections for flavor.

Nori is nothing if not a good actor. So when a bullet comes through a window during a banquet, going straight through Takaaki's skull and spraying the table with blood, she acts just like you'd expect a loving wife to. The event falls into chaos instantly, guards swarming the area. And little Taka, who'd been so excited to wear his new suit to the event, has to be dragged away from his father.

Nori's job at this point is to act the part of the mournful wife, suddenly finding herself a single mother. She also is tasked with beginning the rumor mill, whispering of the animosity her poor late husband and his father had for one another. How she's afraid that Toranosuke is somehow involved and, if she isn't careful, will act against her and Taka.

Somehow Taka ends up hearing about it. And well, Taka isn't the type to hide his feelings as a teenager, and he certainly doesn't do it as a child. It's an unexpected complication to the plan. Taka isn't going to just let the rumor float about. He's ready to go straight to his grandfather and demand answers, which would ruin everything.

They could kill the child, it wouldn't be terribly hard. But perhaps Nori has some attachment to him, even if she knows he was only born as a prop for her role. The only other option is to make him part of the plan.

Why frame Toranosuke for murder when you can convince his grandchild that he's a horrible man? A man so powerful that even the law can't touch him? A man so powerful that only someone truly dedicated to justice can bring him down?

It isn't hard to convince Taka to poison his grandfather. The hardest part is training him to hide his anger long enough to get the job done.

So now Nori has made way for a business partner to become Prime Minister, and she's created a hitman for the company. Taka would be a much more loyal assassin than simple money could buy. He's got a vendetta against corruption and a tarnished faith in the justice system. And Nori is in the perfect position to direct his righteous anger towards those that 'deserve it'. And if her definition of who deserves death is different than Taka's? Well, he doesn't need to know that.

#taka #takaaki ishimaru #kiyotaka ishimaru #danganrompa #talentswap #long post #tw: suicide mention #nothing happens but there's a plan #it's just mentioned in passing #an ask tag

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lonelyreputation · 4 years ago

Text

Different (part five)

A/N: Here we are! The last part! Ahhh!! Can’t believe we made it this far!! Thank you to everyone who has read! All together, Different is 64 pages long which is just insane 🤯 Thanks a MILLION to everyone for EVERYTHING!! I couldn’t do this without you all 🤧 What a wild ride this has been🤧🤧

So……Happy reading 🤩🥳 And let me know your thoughts 😉

REQUEST/PROMPT: Unrequited Love

Part ONE | Part TWO | Part THREE | Part FOUR

Let’s Chat!! | MASTERLIST

Warnings: Few swear words

WC: 7.3K // fluff & slightly angst

*Flashback to 2017*

Shawn still had the studio headphones on, and his eyes were still closed as if he was still trying to get in the right mindset to record this song, but he knew everyone was silent. After what they all just heard, he knew no one would speak a word until he said something.

But after that song…What could he say?

He squinted one eye open, bracing for the worst, but he saw that everyone looked quite satisfied with themselves, “Uh,” Shawn coughed as he spoke into the microphone, “Do I need to cut it again? Re-record the bridge? Do another set of–––”

“It’s perfect, Shawn,” Andrew smiled at him as he clicked his phone off and slid it in his back pocket, “I’m going on a coffee run, anyone want anything?”

And just like that, four out of the five people in the room jumped up, offering to help with the order. Not even three seconds later, Andrew wrangled everyone out the door, and Shawn was left in the studio with Brian.

With a heavy sigh, he took off his headphones and hung them on the microphone stand. Whatever conversation he was about to have with Brian, he knew there was no way he could avoid it. Begrudgingly, he walked out from the sound booth and plopped down next to him. He rested his elbows on his knees where he buried his face into the palm of his hands.

“So…” Brian drummed his fingers on his lap, “Are we gonna talk about that song?”

“Talk about what?” Shawn grumbled into his hands even though he knew exactly what Brian was referring to.

Brian let out a short laugh, “Seriously? We’re not going to talk about how that song just screams Y/n?”

Shawn snapped his head up and looked at Biran, “It’s not––”

Brian cut him off with a glare, “Don’t play that game,” he then softened his eyes and spoke in a less accusatory tone, “Staring across the room and laughing? Saying how there’s nobody like her? Waiting for when she’s ready?” Brian gave his friend a pointed look, “This is a song about a best friend. This is a song about––”

“So what if it’s about her?” Shawn dramatically threw his arms up in the air and leaned his head back against the couch, not wanting to look his best friend in the eye, “It doesn’t matter because she doesn’t see me like that.”

“She literally looks at you like you personally hang the stars in the sky,” Brian said with a matter-of-fact tone, “How do you not see it?”

Shawn scoffed, “She has eyes for that guy in her quantitative whatever math class.”

“She’s literally only talked about him once,” Brian scoffed back at his friend, “But she’s always talking about you, always looking at you, always wanting to be around you.”

Lifting his head up from the back of the couch, Shawn looked at his friend with tired eyes, “I just needed to write the song to get it out of my system.”

“You don’t mean that,” Brain let out a sigh, because while neither you nor Shawn had confided your mutual feelings for one another with him, he knew the two of you had feelings for one another, “Trust me when I say that she likes you.”

“I more than like her,” Shawn blurted out before his mind could comprehend what he was actually saying. His eyes grew wide, but Brian’s eyes sparkled with hope, “No––I didn’t mean it like that––I don’t know if I like her like that anymore––She’s just––”

Brian shook his head, finishing off Shawn’s sentence for him, “Different?”

Shawn slowly nodded his head, resting his chin on his hands. You weren’t different in a bad way, his mind spoke to himself, but different in a way that he had trouble wrapping his head around what he wanted. He cherished your friendship like no one else, you were closer to him than any other friend he had, and he loved you so much.

You were different in that sense––That he loved you more than any of his other friends…And the love he had for you was different than a friendship.

“Yeah,” Shawn said with a distant voice, “Different.”

///

Present Day

It had been one month since you last saw Shawn weaving through the crowd of Brian’s party to leave. One month. But in that one month, you realized just how much you missed him. You thought day and night about what it would be like to be friends with him again––if it would be worth it. And it was when you stumbled across a photo booth strip of the two of you at his New Year’s Eve party when the ache in your heart grew to be too much.

So in that one month…You gained the courage to send him a text.

Right after you had your falling out nearly a year ago, you deleted all of your messages with Shawn, not wanting to be tempted to go back and read anything from him. You didn’t want to be reminded of how nice he was and crawl right back to him––You wanted to forget that he ever existed.

So it was a bit weird when you pulled up a new message, typed in his contact name, and no previous messages showed up.

With anxiety bubbling up in the depths of your stomach, you held your breath as you typed out your message.

Hey, Shawn, I think this is still your number––

Backspace.

Hi, Shawn, it’s me…Y/n––

Backspace.

Shawn! Hi! It’s Y/n, I hope you’re doing well––

Backspace.

Why was composing a text to your ex-best friend harder than anything else you’ve ever done? It was just a text message. A text message to a person who you once saw you sneeze chocolate milk out of your nose because he did something so outrageous it made you laugh.

But it felt different.

It’s not different, the rational part of your mind spoke up, he’s still your best friend even though the two of you haven’t talked in nearly a year––you know he misses you, he made that clear at Brian’s party.

Oh, but it is different––the irrational portion of your mind shouted over your other thoughts––you confessed to loving him, he said he didn’t feel anything for you, you haven’t talked in nearly a year, and he ran out after he saw you kiss that boy.

You exhaled the breath you’d been holding in, and decided to just bite the bullet and send out the first message you typed.

Hey, Shawn. It’s Y/n! I was wondering if you were free on Saturday to go on a walk?

You hit send before any part of your brain could convince you otherwise. And right when the blue text bubble popped up on your screen, you felt your heart plummet into the anxiety that was at the bottom of your stomach.

What if he changed his number?

But it was a thought you didn’t have to dwell over for long because your phone chimed with a text message from the person on the other end.

Y/n! Hi…I’m glad to hear from you! I’m free all day Saturday so I can do whatever works for you x

A smile instantly spread across your face as you rapidly texted back a time and the location of the park you now walked at. And just as instantly as you texted him, he texted you right back that the time and place worked perfectly for him.

Little did you know that Shawn canceled all of his previous plans for Saturday just for your walk.

///

“I could’ve bought my own coffee,” You took a sip of the drink that your hand was wrapped around for warmth, “Thank you, but I could’ve done it.”

Shawn tipped his head back slightly in laughter, “Next time don’t go to the bathroom when I’m ordering,” He turned his head to look at you with a smile, “And it also helped that you haven’t changed your order.”

You looked down at your coffee cup, feeling all tingly on the inside just like you felt around him before everything blew up in your face. But you tried your hardest to push those feelings aside. You were planning on being friends with him; on a walk to rekindle your friendship.

“I’m buying next time,” you lifted your head up and smiled at him.

His eyes twinkled bright, “I’ll hold you to it––And then I’ll buy the time after that.”

You bit the inside of your cheek, trying to hide your growing smile, as Shawn just confirmed he wanted to continue on going on walks, “And I’ll buy after that.”

Shawn faced his head forward, and from the corner of your eye, you saw that he was also trying to conceal his growing smile, “I think we have a good thing going.”

You nodded your head as the wind picked up a little, causing you to scrunch up your nose, “Seems like it.”

For the next nine minutes, the two of you walked in silence. In the beginning, it was a little uncomfortable, but the more you continued down the winding path, the silence wasn’t too bad. It almost felt like the old times where you didn’t feel the need to fill the silence––you were fine appreciating his presence more than any conversation.

It was a deep sigh from Shawn that broke the silence, “I…” He took a deep breath in through his nose, and then released it out through his mouth, “I owe you a real apology.”

You weakly smiled down at your sneakers, “I appreciate that, but I don’t want to talk about that day––”

“Y/n,” Shawn stopped in the middle of the pathway. Reluctantly, you stopped with him and looked into his remorseful eyes, “I was a dick––Like an absolute asshole to you––I have no reasoning for it other than I didn’t know how to respond to you and even that,” He kept his eyes trained on you, “Is a shitty excuse.”

A sharp pain in your chest was weighing down the happiness you first felt when you saw Shawn waiting for you at the entrance to the park. Because while you did think you deserved an apology, you didn’t want to be taken back to that day ever again.

“Thanks,” You nodded, “Can we get back to our walk?”

He held your gaze for a moment, waiting for you to say something else, but you kept your ground. With a soft sigh, he nodded his head and the two of you continued to walk in silence.

Five minutes passed before Shawn let out another sigh.

“You’re really not going to say anything?” His tone was full of defeat, he was expecting some sort of reaction from you, but you kept silent as he fell slightly behind. He jogged up back to his place next to you, “I literally said that you ruined our friendship. Said that you ruined tour––when you weren’t even there! And I got mad when you brought your boyfriend around––”

“So you were jealous?”

“That’s beside the point,” Shawn rolled his eyes, “The point is that you should be yelling at me, calling me every swear word in the dictionary, and maybe not even want to be this walk with me––”

“I was the one who texted you,” you stopped walking and Shawn instantly stopped his movements, “Why would I ask to hang out if all I was going to do was yell at you?”

Shawn let out a single breathy laugh, “Because I was a dick?”

You rolled your eyes, “Okay, fine,” you let out an aggravated breath, “I considered you the shittiest person ever, I cried for months, I thought I did ruin our friendship, I never expected to talk to you ever again” you looked up at him with sad eyes to see that his eyes mirrored yours, “And it hurt like hell. But we’re passed that––I’m passed that––and I want to try to be friends again.”

Shawn nodded his head solemnly, “I’m sorry,” you glared at him, “I know you said you didn’t want to hear it, but Y/n, I feel so terrible and I should probably be apologizing for the rest of my life because I actually felt––” It seemed as though his mind caught up to what he was saying and he cut himself off, “I’m sorry. I just want you back in my life.”

You let him fidget with his fingers in silence for a few seconds, “Again, thank you for the apology, I appreciate it, but please,” your voice cracked, “I really don’t want to talk about it any longer.”

Shawn nodded his head firmly, “I––Yes––Okay.”

“Okay,” you took a sip of your coffee, “Can we get back to our walk?”

Shawn tried his best to cover up his guilt with a smile as he checked his hip against yours, “Let’s get walking.”

///

“This is the third time in a row you’ve bought the coffee,” you glared at Shawn, who had a proud smile on his face, as you took a sip of your coffee, “I’ve only bought coffee for us once.”

Shawn tsked, “Should get here before me then.”

“I don’t know what time you show up!”

“Exactly,” he winked, “Which is the fun of it.”

You playfully rolled your eyes at him, “Come on, what time do you get here then?” He shook his head as he took a sip of his coffee, “Please tell me? Why won’t you tell me? Can we just agree on a time so then I could stand a chance to beat you at the coffee shop?”

Shawn took another sip of his coffee, this time with a smile on his face, but he still left your questions unanswered.

“Fine,” you said with a huff, “I’ll just get here two hours early.”

“You’d have to get here earlier than that.”

You choked on your coffee, covering your mouth with your hand so you wouldn’t spit it out, “Excuse me?”

“Kidding,” Shawn unconvincingly said with a weak laugh, “Kidding.”

Skeptically, you nodded your head, “So, what’s going on in the life of Shawn Mendes?”

He shrugged his shoulders, “Nothing much…Recording new music, responding to Andrew’s texts telling me to check my email, sleeping…” He sneaked a glance at you as he sipped his coffee, “Going on walks.”

“No girls?”

This time, Shawn was the one who choked on his coffee as he leaned forward and spat out the hot liquid.

“What?”

You pulled a napkin from your back pocket and handed it to him, “Just a question, I thought that…” Your words trailed off as you watched Shawn wipe the napkin across his chin, “Friends ask each other that kind of stuff?”

Your voice grew higher in pitch with every word, not feeling confident at all. On one hand, you wanted to be back in the role of the supportive best friend. But on the other hand…It would absolutely kill you to know if there was a girl in his life.

Because while you wanted your previous status as resident best friend back…You still coveted the spot of being his significant other.

“I mean yeah they do,” Shawn coughed and quickly shook his head, “But no…No girls.”

A chill––that you knew wasn’t from the cool spring breeze––caused you to shiver, “No Miranda?”

“That’s––How do––” you gave him a pointed look and his eyes widened in understanding.

The bathroom incident.

He said there were no girls, but the fact that he wasn’t outright denying anything with her caused your teeth to clench. It was a name that spun around your head like a revolving door.

Recently, she wasn’t taking up space in your mind, but when everything happened with Shawn all those months ago…She was the only thing you could think of.

While you were big on not judging people you haven’t met before, there was not a bone in your body that didn’t loathe her.

Again, he coughed, “No, I haven’t seen her in…” He squinted one of his eyes shut as he looked up at the sun trying to break through the clouds, “God, it’s been months––Nearly a year?”

Nearly a year.

He hasn’t seen her since the two of you had a falling out.

A triumphant smile took over your face that you tried to hide by taking a sip of your coffee, “Well, if there’s anyone…” He looked at you with raised eyebrows, mouth slightly parted, as if he couldn’t believe the words coming out of your mouth, “I want to be the first to know.”

“How’re things with Charlie?”

It was your turn to look at him with shock written all over your face. Charlie was the last person you expected Shawn to bring up.

You cleared your throat, “Uh, actually…We stopped seeing each other.”

“Really?”

You nodded, eyes trained straight ahead at the trees that were slowly starting to grow their leaves back, “Yeah. About a month and a half ago,” you shrugged, “He’s nice and all but it’s just…It wasn’t going to work out.”

“Are you okay?”

When you looked over at him, you saw that his eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes were filled with genuine concern, “I––I think?” You took a sip of your coffee, “It was nice while it lasted but I––It was mutual––” lie, “––We both thought we’d be better off as friends.”

Shawn slowly nodded his head, concern still prevalent on his face, “Break ups suck and if you ever need anyone…” he offered you a small smile, “I’ll be around.”

“Thanks, Shawn,” You smiled at him, squinting your eyes slightly from the sun,, as it finally shined brightly through the clouds, “I really appreciate that.”

“Of course,” Shawn said with a smile on his face as he went to take a sip of his coffee.

From your peripheral vision, you noticed that he took a sip of his coffee to hide the smile on his face. It was the same smile you tried to hide from him when you found out there weren’t any girls present in his life.

Maybe you did just as terrible of a job at hiding your smile from him.

///

This time, when you rode up the elevator to Brian’s apartment for one of his infamous parties, you were alone.

There was no Charlie. There was no Shawn. And…You were okay with that.

You stepped off the elevator with a smile on your face and let yourself into Brian’s apartment when you got to his door. And just like every other time you walked into Brian’s apartment, he was downing whatever drink he had in a red solo cup.

“Y/n!” He yelled out your name with a smile as he came barreling into you, “I’ve missed you!”

You smiled into the hug, giving him a quick squeeze before he released you, “I’ve missed you too,” you said with a chuckle as Brian took hold of your wrist to drag you into the kitchen.

“You need a drink,” he dropped your wrist as he went rummaging around the fridge. He pulled out a can of coke and twisted his head back to you, “Vodka coke?”

“Sure,” you said as you leaned your back against the counter.

Brian opened the can with a psssh noise following as he poured the can into a red cup, “So,” he crushed the can when all the soda was out, “We haven’t been on any walks lately.”

You stiffened, “Um––Yeah––I––We should get back to that.”

“Mhm,” Brian hummed as he kept his eyes trained on the vodka he poured into your glass, and admittedly, it looked like a little too much for your liking, “Have you still been going on walks?”

“What do you mean?” You asked as you crossed your arms over your chest.

Brian stifled a laugh, “No need to get defensive,” he passed you your drink as you took a whiff of it, smelling the strong scent of vodka, “Have you replaced me on our walks?”

You took a big sip of the toxic drink Brian made for you to get out of answering. But he stood there in front of you, patiently waiting for your answer with a smirk on his face.

Setting the drink down on the counter, you coughed into the crook of your elbow to clear out the leftover sting of vodka on your throat, “I mean, I wouldn’t say replaced––”

Brian mirrored your position; leaning against the fridge with his arms crossed over his chest, staring at you with a knowing glint in his eyes, “Don’t even try and hide it.”

You let your shoulders drop as your eyes went down to look at your shoes, “Did Shawn tell you?”

“No.” His voice was smug. You whipped your head up with wide eyes to look at him, “It’s just obvious.”

“Obvious?”

Brian nodded his head, “Both of you seem happier…” he offered you a smile, “And if you were still upset with him, you would’ve asked if he was coming tonight so you could avoid him.”

“That’s not––”

His pointed look cut you off because there had been a few occasions where you purposefully avoided Shawn before you decided to reconnect with him.

You let out a huff, “Fine, okay, we’re friends again.”

“Friends?” Brian raised his eyebrows, “Have you talked about––”

You swiped your cup up from the counter and took two big sips, scrunching your nose up in distaste, “He apologized, I was appreciative that he apologized, we’re moving on.”

“You still like him.”

You had just brought the red cup away from your lips, hand freezing in the air, as Bian’s words echoed in your mind.

You still like him.

Did you still like him? On your walks with him you were beginning to feel that familiar warmth whenever he brushed up against you. You were starting to feel like you couldn’t stop smiling around him again. And you were beginning to feel the giddiness, nervousness, and butterflies in your stomach again.

You told Shawn your feelings, the irrational part of your brain piped up, if anything were to happen it already would’ve happened––He doesn’t like you like that, he made that clear.

But, the rational portion of your brain reasoned, things aren’t the same as they were a year ago. Both you and Shawn have changed, you’re not the same people, things change…Feelings change.

“We’re just going on walks,” you took a tiny sip of your drink.

Brian hummed, “So you wouldn’t freak out if I said he just walked through the door?”

“What?!”

You whipped your head around to the front door, eyes searching through the few people who congregated near the front door, but you didn’t see the familiar mop of brown curls. You searched harder for him, but still didn’t see him.

You narrowed your eyes at Brian, “Fuck you.”

Brian laughed with a shrug of his shoulders, “He’s been here for nearly an hour.”

You brought the cup up to your lips to take a sip as you rolled your eyes, “Sure.”

“Don’t trust me?”

“When have I ever?”

Brian brought his fingers up to his lips and whistled loud, “Shawn!”

And like a dog being called by their owner, Shawn emerged from the crowd, heading straight into the kitchen with a confused stare…Until his eyes brightened up when they landed on you. You spat what little alcohol you had in your mouth back into the cup and glared at Brian.

“You should trust me more often.”

The way he said it, with a hint of glee in his eyes, was almost as if he was alluding to previous events.

You brushed him off and set your red solo cup on the counter as Shawn made his way to where you stood with Brian. The three of you stood in a triangle in silence.

Shawn slipped his hands in his front pockets and rocked back on his heels, “Y/n, hi,” he finally said after a few beats of silence, “Is he bothering you?” He jerked his head over to Brian with a laugh.

You chuckled, “Always.”

“Y/n was just telling me about your walks,” Brian gave Shawn a pointed stare. Shawn’s eyes widened as he looked toward you, silently asking if you told him, but you shook your head. “Seems as though I’ve been replaced by you.”

You cleared your throat, “I think I saw Olivia when I walked in,” you set your cup down on the counter, abandoning the alcohol, “Haven’t seen her in a bit…” Your eyes darted between Shawn and Brian, “I think I’m gonna say hi.”

With a deep breath, you scooched past Shawn as he placed a comforting hand on your shoulder, momentarily stopping you from walking around him, “We’ll catch up later?”

While you wanted nothing more than to make up for the lost time, being around him––alone––still made you nervous. But you nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of your lips, “Sure.”

You didn’t see Olivia when you walked in. You had no idea if she was even here. But one thing you did know was that if you were going to ‘catch up’ with Shawn…You needed a breather before.

And that’s how you ended up in Brian’s room––again––with your head in your hands, wondering to yourself if you were starting to like Shawn again.

But deep down, you knew that your feelings for him never went away.

///

“So, Shawn,” Brian said as he watched you walk off down the hall to his bedroom, he smiled, “What’s going on?”

Shawn shrugged his shoulders as he tried to push Brian away from the fridge, wanting to grab a beer before he knew exactly what topic he was going to bring up.

Brain didn’t budge, “I need you sober for this conversation.”

“It’s not like I’ve been under the influence the countless other times we’ve had this conversation,” Shawn took up your previous place at the counter and leaned against it, crossing his arms, “I don’t see why I can’t have a drink.”

Brian raised his eyebrows and gestured his hands toward the path you walked away from them, “Don’t you see? This is your chance.”

Shawn shook his head, as he picked up the drink that you left on the counter. He took one sniff of it and pulled his head back, nose scrunched up in disgust, “God, what was she drinking?”

“I made it,” Brian proudly smiled.

“Disgusting,” Shawn said right before he took a sip. He instantly regretted it when he felt more alcohol hit the back of his throat rather than coke, “Were you trying to give her alcohol poisoning?”

Brian shrugged his shoulders, “She drank it––But stop going off topic,” he glared at Shawn because he knew exactly how his friend tried to deflect attention, “She still likes you.”

Shawn scoffed, “After how I treated her? I’m surprised she’s giving me the time of day.”

“And that’s why she still likes you,” Brian tried to emphasize his point, “If she didn’t like you anymore she would’ve deleted your number, never wanted to see you again––let alone go on walks with you––She texted you first!”

“So?” Shawn let out a deep sigh as he rubbed the toe of his boot on the floor, “I missed my chance. She said she loved me for years––years,” Shawn said in a pained voice, “That means we both liked each other at the same time at one point and we didn’t do anything about it.”

“You both like each other now,” Brian said softly, “Forget the past––” he was cut off after Shawn glared at him, “Okay, maybe not forget the past, because you were an asshole and need to learn from your mistakes––but,” Shawn glared at Brian again, “Trust me when I say she still likes you.”

Shawn picked up the forgotten cup and threw his head back to finish off the rest of the horrible mixed drink. He let out a little ah as he felt the burn in his throat, “She won’t talk about it with me. We’re not at that stage yet––”

“Your friends,” Brian rolled his eyes as he lifted himself off from the fridge, “I get it.” He patted Shawn’s shoulder, “Also, Olivia’s not here tonight.”

With that information, Shawn’s ears perked up and he tilted his head at Brian. But he just patted his shoulder one more time before walking to the living area.

If Olivia wasn’t at the party…Then she wasn’t out there mingling with everyone else, Shawn thought to himself. And it was then that he realized what Brian was trying to tell him without explicitly saying anything; that you were alone, most likely in Biran’s room, waiting for him to come talk to you.

At least he hoped you were waiting for him, Shawn thought to himself as he said a Hail Mary, and walked down the hall to Brian’s room.

///

Like the last time you were at Brian’s place for a party, you found yourself in his room trying to clear your head. Why did he feel the need to put all those doubts in your head? You were finally coming to peace with just being friends with Shawn. But with everything Biran was trying to insinuate…It only muddled your thoughts more.

And like the last time you were in Brian’s room, you saw a sliver of light come from the door opening. But this time you knew who walked through the door.

Slowly, you lifted your head up from your hands and offered him a shy smile, “Hey.”

Shawn returned your smile, “Thought you were catching up with Olivia?”

Your smile wavered as you tried to come up with an excuse, “I––Uh––It wasn’t her, just someone who looked like her.”

He nodded his head as he stood in front of you, rocking back and forth from heel to toe, “Can I sit?”

All it took was a slight nod of your head and Shawn took a few long strides until he sat next to you. His legs were spread apart, one of his knees occasionally touching yours, as he hunched over a bit. His forearms rested on his thighs and his folded hands dangled between his legs, “So…”

You stayed silent.

“I––The weather was nice today?”

You were a little confused with his small talk––especially how his sentence tapered off into the form of a question. But you nodded your head, not knowing where he was going with it, “Yeah…Little chilly for spring, but it was…Okay.”

More silence.

The ringing in your ears was getting relentless and you were starting to feel uncomfortably hot sitting anxiously next to Shawn. Whenever he deeply exhaled out of his nose, you heard it loud and clear, and it sounded as if he was trying to calm down while simultaneously motivate himself.

You go on walks with him, you thought to yourself, you shouldn’t be this nervous to be alone in a room with him.

But you were more than nervous. You felt the anxiety in your stomach grow more with each passing second of silence, you heard voices in your mind taunting you about your failed attempt at sharing your feelings with him, and you had a sinking feeling in your stomach that was warning you that something was about to happen.

Not wanting to stick around for whatever your gut was saying, you pressed your hands on your thighs, standing up from the edge of Brian’s bed, “I should probably go––”

Shawn’s hand shot out to your wrist, somewhat firm to keep you in place, but also loose enough that if you wanted to, you could walk away from him.

“So you––uh––You used to go on walks with Brian?” Shawn blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. It seemed as though he would say anything to make you stay.

Slowly, you nodded your head and sat back down when you felt him tug your wrist, “We ran into each other and it just sorta…Happened.”

Shawn hummed, “And then you stopped?”

“I started going on walks with you.”

A brief smile came across Shawn’s face as he peaked up at you, “I like going on walks with you.”

You gulped, you heard the undertone of the message loud and clear, but you weren’t sure if you were ready to re-hash everything, “I’ve been in Brian’s room for too long––”

“Maybe don’t leave…” He placed his hand on top of yours this time. Slowly, he flipped your hand around, palm facing up, as he slotted your fingers together, “Not just yet.”

Having Shawn hold your hand like this––like more than a best friend––was something you wished whenever you saw a shooting star. Unlike all the other times you held hands with him when you were just friends, it was always just a loose hold, and your fingers were never intertwined.

But now, he was holding your hand intentionally. With his fingers tangled with yours, it felt like he wanted to create a knot that was impossible to detangle.

You were torturing yourself by looking at your hands together, as you spoke barely above a whisper, “What are you doing?”

“Something different.”

You let out a sigh and shut your eyes, “We can’t keep going around in circles.”

“I don’t want to go around in circles anymore,” Shawn squeezed your hand, “I want this.”

You clenched your teeth together, letting out an aggravated breath, as you picked your head up to look at him, “We’re not doing this again.”

“Y/n,” Shawn pleaded with you, “I––Not having you in my life was the worst–––”

“And whose fault was that?” You wanted to rip your hand away, but it had been so long since you last had any physical contact with him. And you missed the warmth that flooded your veins when you were connected with him.

Shawn’s shoulders fell, “It was all my fault. But not being with you––Whenever there was good news, you were always the first person I wanted to tell. I wanted to call you and hear about your day. And I realized that I never want to lose you again.”

One…Two…Three…Four…

“Do you even like me like that, Shawn?”

His eyes were wide, mouth slightly agape, as he looked at you with shock evident on his face. But he blinked a few times, coming back to reality, as he furrowed his eyebrows together, “Why wouldn’t I––Of course I like you like that.”

“Are you sure you don’t miss our friendship?” His hand squeezed around yours at the mention of that word, “We were apart for so long. Are you sure you just don’t miss that?”

Shawn shook his head, “I don’t think you’re understanding what I’m saying––”

“I understand perfectly,” you cut him off, “You told me that I shouldn’t feel these feelings for you. You were the one who was so adamant about not ruining our friendship––”

Shawn continued to shake his head, “I’ve liked you for so long––”

“And I was so in love with you,” you ducked your head down and sniffled, “For so long. And now…I don’t understand you.”

Slowly, you started to pull your hand away from his grasp, but he only held your hand tighter, this time not giving you an option to leave. Because he knew if you left, the chance of you two becoming more than friends would be off the table.

“Please,” Shawn tugged on your hand for you to look up at him, but you still kept your head down, “When You’re Ready is about you, my feelings for you back then were so…Strong that I had to write it out, but I didn’t think you felt the same way. I wanted more, but at the time we were just friends.”

You picked your head up and narrowed your eyes at him, “And you didn’t tell me this when I told you I loved you?”

“How was I supposed to react?” His voice was full of shame, “I didn’t know you were in love with me and it scared me––”

“Do you know how scared I was to tell you?” Your voice was soft, almost fragile, as if you could feel your heart breaking all over again, “And when you said you didn’t feel the same and I––”

“Hey,” Shawn shushed you as he heard your voice grow higher in pitch, cracking at the end of your sentence. Hesitantly, he brought a hand up to cup the side of his face, as he shifted his body to face you, “It’s––I know I’ll never be able to apologize enough for what I did.“

He gulped, briefly breaking eye contact before looking up at you with pleading eyes, “I felt so lost without you and I realized that what we had was always more than a friendship. And the only time I felt relatively okay was when I saw you in the park last December,” his eyes softened, “Even though you told me off…Those ten minutes with you made me feel something.”

“This could really ruin our friendship,” you mumbled as you felt his knees knock against yours.

Shawn hummed in acknowledgement.

“How––” you felt your breath hitch in the back of your throat as Shawn’s, once still thumb, started rubbing soothing circles on your cheek, “How will we do this?”

He hummed again, not giving you a proper response.

“This,” you felt your heart stop as he leaned forward, brushing the tip of his nose against yours, “If something happened between us would Brian have to choose?”

“I really don’t want to be thinking about Brian right now.” He spoke as you felt his breath hit your face.

“What––”

“Excuses, excuses,” Shawn tsked with a subtle laugh as his eyes closed. He slightly leaned his head to the side, pressing a light kiss to the corner of your mouth, “We’ll figure it out as we go.”

“What if we mess up?”

Shawn opened his eyes, brown eyes full of sincerity, “I’d rather mess up than not know what it felt like to try.”

And without anymore excuses to spurt out, Shawn ducked his head and captured your lips in a kiss. Even though you knew the kiss was coming, you still let out a slight noise of surprise, but you didn’t back away.

You sighed into the kiss as he held the back of your neck, wanting to keep you as close to him as possible. At the same time you rested your free hand right above his knee, he slid his tongue in past your lips.

The more you kissed him, the more you thought about how right he was. You would rather mess up trying––with him––than not know what this felt like. You put your friendship on the line the first time, and it suffered greatly, but now that the two of you were on the same page about feeling something more for each other…It seemed silly to let the opportunity go to waste.

Even though you’d waited years to know how his lips felt against yours––you didn’t count the drunk pecks with each other as real kisses––you pulled away. He followed your lips to press one last kiss against them before leaning his forehead against yours.

A few moments of silence passed, “Should we…” You couldn’t help the glowing smile that spread across your face, “Should we head back?”

“Let’s stay here for a few more minutes.”

You nodded your head, pulling away from him brushing his nose against yours, as you scooted up right next to him––so that your thighs were touching––and leaned your head on his shoulder. You felt Shawn release a content sigh as he pressed a kiss to the top of your head, and rested his head on top of yours.

Neither of you knew how long you sat on the edge of Brian’s bed for, but you were in comfortable silence, appreciating feeling close to one another. It was Shawn’s hand giving you a squeeze that brought you out of your blissful daydreaming.

“Ready to head back?”

You snuggled your head further into the crook of his neck and shook your head mumbling a no.

You felt Shawn’s chest rumble with a bit of laughter as he untangled your hands and threw an arm around your shoulder, hugging you close, “Neither am I, but you know how much Brian hates when people are in his room.”

Nodding against his shoulder you let out a sigh, “Alright.”

Shawn peeled his arm off from you as he stood up, but he extended his hand to help you off the bed. With a smile, you reached out for his hand as he pulled you up, sliding his fingers in between yours as the two of you walked out the door.

Even when the two of you stopped at the end of the hallway, eyes scanning the apartment seeing how many more people showed up, he still held your hand tight.

“I’m going to grab water from the kitchen,” He looked down at you, “Want anything?”

You smiled, “Just a water please.”

Shawn nodded his head, but before he left for the kitchen, he slid his index finger under your chin, tilting your head up to look at him. His eyes shined with admiration for you, and he quickly lowered his head to press a chaste peck to your lips.

“Be right back,” you watched him stalk off to the kitchen with a lovesick smile on your face that you didn’t try and hide.

“So,” Brian seemed to appear out of nowhere as he slid up against the wall, “You told him?”

You didn’t know how he knew, but Brian always seemed to know your true feelings for Shawn. You just hummed in response.

Brain let out a small laugh, the familiar hint of glee was back in his eyes whenever he mentioned you and Shawn together, “And he told you?”

You tore your eyes away from Shawn uncapping two water bottles to look at Brian, “We talked.”

“Knew it,” Brian’s smile was wider than yours, “Called it from the beginning.”

You rolled your eyes and shoved his shoulder, “You knew nothing.”

He softly smiled at you, “He’s always been in love with you, ya know? He always talked about it.” His soft smile transformed into a smirk, “And it was so obvious you were in love with him. I’m surprised he didn’t know.”

You bit the inside of your cheek, finally knowing that your feelings for him were reciprocated. Deciding not to respond to Brian, you turned your head back to Shawn who was chatting with a friend in the kitchen as he poured the waters into red cups.

He was already staring at you, every now and then glancing at the person who was rapidly talking to him. But his eyes perked up with happiness when he saw you return his gaze.

You slightly tilted your head, furrowing your eyebrows as you glanced at the person who was talking to him, mouthing a “who?”

Shawn raised his shoulders in a shrug as he let out a small laugh, one that you returned.

You kept your eyes trained on Shawn as he politely excused himself from the person as he placed the plastic bottles into the recycling container. He went back to grab the two cups full of water, and even as he weaved through the crowd to get back to you, politely dodging more conversations, his eyes never left yours.

You let out a content sigh, your heart picking up speed, with every step he took closer to you. And when he reached you, he handed you the cup of water, throwing an arm around your shoulder. He pulled you in close to his side as he nonchalantly struck up a conversation with Brian.

Even though you had no idea what their topic of conversation was about, you blindly nodded along to whatever they said. The only thought you had swirling around in your head was how nice it felt when Shawn either squeezed your shoulder or slightly ran the tips of his fingers along your bicep.

Things were different now.

You tilted your head to the side, craning your neck up to look at Shawn’s side profile. And just like every time––since the start of your friendship––when either of you looked at each other, the other one almost looked back instantly. He smiled down at you, ducked his head down to press a soft kiss to your cheek, and you felt your smile grow even wider.

A good different.

taglist (add/remove yourself!) : @adelaidestreets, @alilovesshawn, @alina--jpeg, @fallinallincurls, @http-isabela, @lights-on-mendes, @mendesficsxbombay, @now-that-i-saw-u @particularnarry, @shawnmendez, @shawnsreputation, @shawn-youth, @turtoix, @vinylmendes, @5-seconds-of-mendes, @pupsandducks @musicalkeys, @madatmendes @im-salt-but-not-salty @sunkisseddreamer, @crossedties @fortheloveoftheaussies, @illuminatepotter

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tiaragqueen · 4 years ago

Text

Give and Take

✂ Pairing: Yandere! Mafioso! Park Jimin x Singer! Reader

✂ Word Count: 1,8k+

✂ Trigger Warning: Mention of abduction, obsessiveness, possessiveness, implied forced marriage, murder, blood, death

✂ This story is fictional and for amusement only. I don’t believe any of the members would do this in real life. All in all, thank you for reading and I hope you have a good day!

Do not re-upload my writing to another website or use it without my permission.

[Edited]

***

You know you’ve been out of BTS fandom for too long when you accidentally mixed Jimin's surname with Kim. Also, I nearly forgot to write this.

Part 1

If you like my writing, please support me on ko-fi!

“A hundred and five is the number that comes to my head, when I think of all the years I wanna be with you. Wake up every morning with you in my bed, that's precisely what I plan to do.” - Marry Me [Jason Derulo]

Being the girlfriend of a mafia boss was surprisingly… relaxed; or maybe because it was Jimin. When you woke up in a spacious room completed with a queen-size bed, a walk-in closet that kept lavish dresses and clothes in your favorite colors, en suite bathroom, and balcony, Jimin had barged in and immediately leaped on you. You remembered shrieking at the sudden attack of affection and tried to push him off, but he was surprisingly strong for someone so… short.

Suffice to say, he didn’t quite release you for the next ten minutes.

You’d never met a man so clingy, so affectionate except, maybe, a sasaeng. And even so, your guards never let them touch you. One or two times, yes, but their service was pretty good overall. However, they weren’t here to protect you now. You were left at the mercy of a mafioso, the boss one at that.

Now that you thought about it, what happened to your guards? You only remembered snippets of you going to a supermarket to buy snacks when someone abruptly knocked you out. You weren’t sure if your guards saw the culprit, but since the car was basically across the street, you concluded that they must have. After all, it was their job to watch over you.

But you supposed even the most experienced guards were nothing at the hands of mafioso.

You hoped nothing particularly bad had happened to them. Who knows what your kidnapper had done to them when you were unconscious. Wasn’t Mafia a cruel organization? It’d be understandable if the members were trained to act that way. Though, you prayed that they only knocked your guards out as they did to you.

And what about your manager? Oh, God. They must be worried sick about you. Well, maybe not necessarily your well-being.

However, it didn’t seem as if Jimin shared your concern. Not that you were expecting much from him, to begin with.

When you asked him about their conditions, he merely whined and proceeded to bury his face further into the crook of your neck.

“Why are you asking about other men when you already have me here? Am I not enough for you? Why do you even care about those puny men, anyway? They don’t deserve your attention. Not at all.”

You didn’t understand why he said it as though he was your boyfriend already, and that he deserved to be the center of your focus. In fact, you didn’t understand anything at all!

“O-of course I care about them! They’re my guards, after all. You can’t just…” You squirmed in his hold when you felt it tighten around your stomach. “You can’t just dismiss them like they’re nothing! And who the heck are you, anyway?”

His giggle sent an awkward vibration throughout your body. If he sensed your discomfort, then he chose to ignore it. He probably noticed, because he soon giggled again and nipped your neck playfully.

“I’m your number one fan, of course.”

It finally dawned on you that you were dealing with no ordinary fan, but a sasaeng. Out of all people, he just had to be one.

And out of all frantic thoughts that circulated in your head, the worst just had to happen.

“… But,” he continued thoughtfully. “now that you’re here, I guess you could say that I’m your boyfriend!”

You learned pretty early that Jimin was serious about this whole ‘boyfriend’ thing, or maybe it was just him drilling his affection into your distraught brain. Every gift, from big to small, and from cheap to expensive, piled on your floor. Although looking at the ‘cheapest’ present he gave you, it was probably worth a thousand dollars. Your favorite food would be served every day, and any snack you craved would be sent to your – or should you say, your shared – room, regardless of the time.

Compared to your manager who needed to watch over the finance, Jimin didn’t bother to hold himself from spoiling you thoroughly. It came to the point where you had to keep your gaze from wandering to the things that interested you in fear of him buying them with or without your knowledge, usually the former.

Obviously, he wouldn’t do anything without a price. This was a give-and-take world, after all.

Luckily, the price wasn’t that outrageous. Just the things a lover usually did; affection and attention. But, as expected, he forbade you to look and speak to other people for too long. Not even the guards that were stationed outside your room was an exception to his ‘rule’.

And, of course, they’d be more loyal to him than to you. You were just a stranger who was suddenly plucked from your vibrant yet taxing life into his suffocating hug. A weak woman who could do nothing in the face of a muzzle.

“If you talk to other people for longer than ten seconds, I’ll shoot them.” That was what he said to you one day, during one of his impromptu cuddles. Despite the guileless smile he wore, you knew that he wasn’t kidding with his threat.

He’d told you that he’d spoil you to your heart content, and he’d ordered his subordinates to kidnap you. How could you doubt his words?

But you were lonely. The life in Park mansion was generally quiet, and although Jimin liked to invite you to his office, it still wasn’t enough. Not to mention, the guards had forbidden you to accompany him to his meetings because you weren’t ‘official’ yet – not that you necessarily wanted to come in the first place. You weren’t sure if you wanted to know the meaning of ‘official’ – though, you did have an inkling – and quickly backed down. Too quick because Jimin had whined, hand outstretched to grasp even a hem of your clothes.

You were so lonely you decided to bite the bullet and greeted the servant who came to give your food.

“… Hello.”

The servant was startled at first, eyes bulged out of their pockets as if you were threatening his family with a gun instead. Once he discerned your friendly, albeit awkward smile, he relaxed slightly and nodded.

Just a nod. He couldn’t even bring himself to return your greeting. That was how much he feared you, or rather, your affiliation with Jimin.

The hesitant response you received sent a pang of disappointment in your chest. To think that one day, people would fear you instead of admiring you like you were accustomed to seeing. You might not have many fans, but you were happy and grateful for their efforts to watch your concerts. You loved looking at their glittering eyes as they followed you on the stage, their wide beams, and their boisterous cheers.

And now, people couldn’t even glance at you without flinching and recoiling. Granted, it was only the servants. The guards didn’t bother to notice your existence beyond necessary interactions, which was very rare.

“Please don’t be afraid of me,” you said softly as though he was a cornered animal. “I’m not Jimin. I… I don’t even know what I’m doing in here, to be honest.”

The unnamed servant frowned, and after a moment of awkward silence, finally muttered. “Young master really loves you.”

You frowned while still smiling wearily. That wasn’t what you wanted to hear at all. The reason why you spoke to him was that you wanted to talk about anything, not him. But you supposed it was inevitable, wasn’t it? After all, you were under his ‘protection’.

“I-I see…” you trailed off, unsure of what to say next. Jimin was still in his meeting, right? Maybe you could prolong this, honestly useless, conversation. “Can you at least tell me what your name is?”

He shifted a little and looked down. Ah, you really made him uncomfortable, didn’t you?

Reluctantly, he opened his mouth. “It’s–”

Drops of blood splattered your face as he abruptly collapsed to the floor, dying with a shocked expression that rivaled yours. The bang managed to deafen your ears and froze your body momentarily. Slowly, you looked up and discerned the short figure on the doorway.

Jimin held his gun in one hand, face stony despite the death he caused and the trauma he inflicted on you.

“I really don’t want to do this because I know that not many people like to see real-life violence. But sometimes they need a lesson, don’t they?” He averted his emotionless gaze to you and smiled coldly. “I told you that I’ll kill anyone who talks to you for more than ten seconds. So why did you do it? Are you doubting me?”

“N-no, I…” You began to clamber away as he slowly advanced towards you, but the empty spot on your wrist forced you to stop. “I just… I just wanted someone to talk to me, is all.”

He squinted. “Why? Am I not enough for you until you had to go to someone else? A man at that?”

“… I’m sorry. Please don’t kill me.” you whimpered, eyes stinging from upcoming tears.

“Oh, I know!” You glanced up to him when you heard him snapping his fingers. “You must be lonely, right?”

Well, he wasn’t wrong but… you really didn’t want to hear his next words. It’d be worse, you were sure of it. There was no way he’d be lenient to you anymore after he caught you talking with a servant. As far as you were concerned, it was considered a ‘betrayal’ to him.

Jimin chuckled and swiftly locked his gun. “You should’ve told me! No need for a drastic measure like that!” he chirped despite the irony of the situation. “After we get married, I’ll definitely bring you to my meetings more!”

Your breath hitched. Get what…?

“What… what do you mean?” That was impossible. There was no way he said what you heard him saying, right? No, he couldn’t. He couldn’t just–

“Get married, of course!” he beamed, oblivious to the severity of his words. “My organization only acknowledges the official members, you know? So if you marry me, you’ll become a part of us too. Isn’t that great? That way, I can freely bring you anywhere.”

No, that wasn’t great. It’d never be great. You might not see another violence, hopefully, but you didn’t want to become a part of them. People tended to lump someone with their affiliations, and that meant they’d perceive you as a criminal, too!

You slowly shook your head, the tears started to spill. “Jimin, no… I can’t. I can’t marry you – I don’t want to.”

Jimin blinked owlishly. “What do you mean? Of course, you want to! You’re my girlfriend, after all!” he chirped. “My parents have seen your pictures, and luckily, they want to meet you tomorrow!”

You could’ve sworn your heart stopped beating for a second as the news crashed your head like a brick.

“So I think we should sleep early. It’ll be bad if you start yawning in front of them.” He giggled and plopped down beside you. “Don’t worry, we’ll be eating together from now on. I’ll tighten the security so people can’t come into our room as they please. That way, you won’t be lonely anymore!”

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jamiedc-they-them · 4 years ago

Text

The Little Things (Platonic)

Requested Imagine: “Could you please do an agents of shield x reader in season 4 when the reader got taken by Aida early in the season and was replaced with an Lmd so when daisy and jemma are escaping the base and coulson is chasing them the reader is with may and sacrifices herself with her. So when daisy and jemma find her in the framework it’s just sad and a happy reunion?”

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Anniversaries where weird, they came around every year and yet you were expected to do something different for them; maybe a party or going out for the night or whatever.

There were different kinds too; Birthdays, holiday seasons, time since abandonment/ death.

Wait, what?

Daisy had been celebrating the last and final time she had been abandoned and sent back to sent back to the orphanage. At least that one made her runaway and meet you guys.

Speaking of you guys, she was currently looking at a photo of you and your father that you had in your room. She knew that the death of him still weighed on you heavily. She had wanted to find you and try and provide some comfort but had instead found an empty room with that photo.

“Hey,” Daisy said in greeting to her scientist best friend. Jemma looked at her with a smile in greeting, “Have you noticed anything different about Y/N?” Jemma furrowed her eyebrows in thought at the question.

“I’m….not too sure. I haven’t seen her much. Maybe she’s busy.” Jemma suggested, but Daisy could tell her friend was now trying to piece it together.

“I mean, sure. But, with what? We’re all trying to stop the Watchdogs here. To my knowledge, there’s not much else going on really.

“There she is.” Daisy said, moving over to you when you entered the lab in a more dejected fashion, “Hey, Y/nn.” She said, giving you a friendly smile.

Yours was timid, but it was expected, “Hey.” You said in your naturally soft voice.

Daisy fought the urge to look back to Simmons, despite knowing her friend’s eyes were on you both like a hawk, “So, I’ve been meaning to ask you something….Are you ok?” She was blunt, both because she didn’t have another way to phrase it, and she just genuinely wanted to know what was hurting another of her best friends.

She knew Jemma was the same when someone she cared about was hurting, so she knew the British woman would back her up if needed.

You went to answer, but your eyes glossed over a little. She turned to see who it was, only to see Coulson talking to Simmons.

When Daisy looked back to you, she saw you gulp back those tears that had piled up. It was then that it hit her on what the issue was.

She softened her eyes and posture as it hit her, “Oh, Y/nn.” She said in a softened voice, as if not to scare a wounded animal.

“I’m sorry.” You said, as if at fault. But you had a slight laugh at the end of it, even if a teary one.

“No, you have nothing to be sorry for! We should’ve noticed –”

“It’s ok.” You assured her, but you could tell she didn’t fully believe it, “Daisy, I’m fine, really. It’s just a thing I’m going through. I’m not just this, you know.” You told her. You then left, not wanting to be reminded of your dad any longer.

She watched you leave, but her gaze was worried. She was older, so it was her job to look out for you. She knew how you could be at times.

It had been a few days since that time, and the sister figures had done a decent job of dealing with this latest issue while also helping you deal with your own. Or, rather, they thought they had been.

They both watched as you walked with more of a confident one. Don’t get them wrong, they were kind of glad to see it. But they couldn’t help the nagging feeling they both seemed to share when they met each other’s gazes with a look.

The look that conveyed that both thought something was wrong. They just weren’t sure on what that was.

“She seems….happy.” Daisy didn’t really have another way to put it. Part of her did feel a little envois of it.

Fitz, seemingly realising this, approached her and put a hand on her shoulder, “Maybe she’s found some peace with it. Grieving is different for everyone.” He reminded her, gently. Trying not to cross a line that had been drawn in the sand the second Lincoln had died.

She put a hand on Fitz’s, squeezing it. She did appreciate her brother’s attempt at comfort, really, “I know….it’s just, I didn’t expect it this quick.” She admitted.

Jemma couldn’t help the nod, “Y/N always feels before she acts. She never did leave things on the best of footings.” She didn’t exactly want to talk about this behind your back. But, the three seemed to agree one thing, anyway.

This flip of yours wasn’t normal.

It was later still, and everything was falling apart. Jemma and Daisy’s hunch was right, you were an LMD (a Life Model Decoy. A robot version of yourself essentially) and so where most of the team. Everything was spiralling. But none so more than Jemma Simmons.

The woman had just ‘killed’ the love of her life in a bid of survival. Daisy had watched it happen, the two sisters at each other’s throats for a moment. However, they soon realised that they were all that was left of the crew and were the only ones capable of bringing everyone else back.

“Hey, Jem, we will get Y/N back, alright? I promise you.” She said, firmly standing by that belief.

“I can’t lose you, either of you, Daisy! Please don’t do this!” Jemma begged one of her sister figures, the one she could save right now to not risk it all and die.

“I made you a promise Jemma, ok? Now, I can’t get out of here without your help. But, once we do, we will find the others. We will find Y/N and we will bring her home.”

She held out a hand for Jemma, one that was then clasped as the two rose up off of the floor, “We got this.” She assured her.

She was sure of it; she was going to bring you all home.

==================================================================================

Jemma and Daisy had met you at the same time, on the BUS when the team was first formed. You had been with SHIELD for a while, but you always seemed to be a background extra type of agent, you just kept your head down and did the work.

This would be your first time as a main and in the spotlight.

Skye was new, thrown into the deep end and told to swim. So far, she had managed to, barely. But, barely being above water was always more preferable than being under it and drowning.

When she saw you, though, she saw someone else who was slightly over in their head and out of their element. Hell, even the people she’d come to see as the siblings she never had (Fitzsimmons, but that list included you) seemed it as well.

Still, you succeeded in your mission, bringing Mike Peterson in non-lethally. However, it was what happened after that made Daisy want to befriend you both.

It wasn’t just that you both shared the same sense of humour, or that Jemma was one of the kindest souls she knew.

No, it was the way you all took care of each other. It was the way Jemma seemed to notice that you were a bit shaken. So, in her own awkward way that she had back then, she took you into the lab and helped calm you by injecting you with something to calm you with.

She then sat with you and got to know you, letting you rant and get it all out of your system. However, what made Daisy smile the most was the way she didn’t mind; she was more than wiling to lend an ear.

Who was there to talk to Skye when she relapsed a little with some of her old coping mechanisms? Jemma.

Who was there to pick her up when she fell or failed at a thing Ward wanted her to do? You were.

Who was there when you had a panic attack or had a depressive episode? They were.

Your sister hood was born through all of those factors.

They had released the sleeping gas, and it had worked on some of the agents. Other than that, it had alerted everyone else to their presence.

LMD Mace (the new face of SHIELD) made a b-line for Daisy. She didn’t mind, she was more then ready to kick fake-Mace’s ass anyway. It would help her vent her frustration over this whole mess anyway.

Plus, she knew it was something you’d do, it was a trick you’d picked up from the academy; to channel your pain and anger into your opponents, but not letting it rule and ruin you.

Still, pain was pain and pain hurt. It especially hurt more when the emotional turned physical. For her, it was when she was shot in the back by LMD Coulson, then by LMD Mack. Two of her closest friends coming to bring an end to her.

No, she had the real versions to save. She had a family to bring back home.

So, she channelled all that pain and hurt; the abandonment and scars she had endured and gathered over her time before she met you all, and put it into her Quake that sent the both flying backwards and threw the glass, shattering that that wasn’t already in that state.

Slowly, she got to her feet. She was bleeding from the bullet wounds, but also the scratches and bruises were finally catching up with her. She made her way to the door, having to lean against the doorway to steady herself.

As she did, Jemma noticed her and helped guide her to the cart they were pushing. They then hatched a vague plan of Agent Davis flying them out. He hadn’t had much experience, but she didn’t care at this point.

Daisy hit the floor, groaning as she did so. A hand was offered to her, she took it graciously. Once she was up, she faced you once again, “Neat trick, where’d you learn that one?” She asked. The trick in question was a bit of foul play in terms of getting your opponent on the ground. Something SHIELD definitely would frown upon.

“Dad.” You said, wanting to leave it at that.

Daisy, with her experience of parents, nodded and let it go, “He would always take me out to a place like this and train me. Told me it’d help calm me when I was anything but. He only did it when he saw that I was getting stressed, though.”

“No other time other than that?”

“No other time. I got myself through those one’s though.” You said with a cheery smile. Daisy mirrored it, but it wasn’t as bright.

‘You shouldn’t have had to, though’ she thought to herself.

One obstacle she didn’t bank on (or want to) deal with, was LMD you. However, it seemed you were a packaged deal in his one; with LMD you came LMD May.

And, with that deal, came a remote detonator in your hands.

“Y/N….May.” She said, brain working overtime to try and find a way out of this that didn’t involve getting blown up, “You don’t wanna do this.” She said, opting on that one.

“We have no other option.” LMD you said, “Coulson told us to stay here and stop you if you tried to leave, we’re doing just that.”

“But you don’t want to hurt us, right?” Jemma asked, trembling smile on her face as she looked between you both.

“Coulson says that doesn’t matter.” LMD May replied with.

“That doesn’t sound like Coulson.” Daisy argued.

“Either way, we won’t have to regret this decision.” May said, putting her finger closer to it.

“Wait!” Daisy called out, “You have to feel something.” She tried.

“Y/N, I need you to look at me,” You complied, “You have to feel something right now, right?” She was tired, oh so tired. But she was so close.

She saw something glimmer in your eye, “Something.” You agreed.

“That’s love, Y/N. That’s love for us and the team, you’re family. I know you care about us, and that you don’t want to hurt us. Please Y/N….” She watched you as the conflict in you grew and grew.

They made their way up the ramp, Daisy almost collapsing as Jemma held her, shouldering her weight. She was bleeding badly, borderline passing out.

However, she had bought them the time they needed to start up the Quinjet and have it rise out just as the explosions rocked the base, “Thank you Y/N….I’m coming.” She said in a tired voice as she gulped, finally processing the fact that her plan had worked.

She found you sat in an unused Quinjet (something she’d then do herself much later on in time) and just sitting there. You were spaced out, as something had clearly hurt you.

Jemma was sat next to you, hand holding your own as you seemed to hold it like a lifeline, your head rested on her shoulder. Her head rested atop your own.

She made her way over, sitting on your other side and grabbing your other hand. She didn’t ask the cliché question; she just held your hand.

“My dad……he -- he….” You couldn’t get through it without choking on the words. However, it was all Jemma and Daisy needed to know as they both tightened their hold on your hands.

“We’ve got you.” Daisy promised you, “You have us.”

“….I know, thank you both. You guys being the closest things I’ve had to sisters and you’re all the closest thing I’ve had to a stable family.” You said, giving them all a teary smile. They mirrored it.

“Of course, that’s what friends are for.” Jemma pulled you both into a hug at the words.

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The framework was a world that they, obviously, didn’t know. They were outsiders here, having to adapt to a new world that they barely knew the rules of.

What they did know, was that HYDRA were in control and all of their friends were scattered all over the place.

So, they were off to a great start, it seemed.

Daisy had found May, but quickly learnt that the woman didn’t know anything about the other world. She was then called into a meeting. Following May, she found someone else she was looking for. That being you.

You were quieter in this world. You didn’t seem to really have any friends, you seemed to just keep to yourself.

She sat down in the chair and listened to the briefing, but you ignored her gaze as it flickered to you every now and then.

As she did what she could to really pay attention to the briefing on the target, she couldn’t help but wonder one thing: where you always like this? Was this a side to you she either didn’t know about or didn’t want to acknowledge?

You had, obviously, been in the field for longer than Daisy had. Still, she saw the way you handled yourself on the field like any other agent. They were still pieces of the person she saw, though, the friend she had made and the sister she had grown to know and love. It was in the blush you’d get at praise, or the way you would always give her an encouraging look whenever she was send off on a mission.

She had been found out trying to help Mack, only to find that he was forced into going with what she said. It had led to her being the cell.

AIDA had walked in, trying to offer a life with Lincoln. As much as she wanted it, she knew it wouldn’t be worth letting the rest of you all die. Lincoln wouldn’t want that.

So, AIDA tried something else, “You know….that Y/N sure is a tricky person to work out,” She smirked at the way Daisy fixed her with a dark look, “So many layers to unpack. Seemed her father was just the tip of the iceberg.” She seemed to enjoy the taunting.

“Leave her out of this.” Daisy tried to muster up as much hate as she could, but the beatings had taken it out of her.

AIDA, however, seemed a bit impressed, “Still got it, don’t you? That fire and spark, yet a caring and protective side as well?”

“If you touch even one hair on her head –”

“Oh, don’t worry, I won’t hurt her. She’s living without her regret of opening up,” Daisy looked shocked at the news, “That’s right, she wished she was a little less open. Now, I wouldn’t have gone with that with everything she’s been through. But people can be surprising.” AIDA then got up, “Hope he doesn’t kill you.” With that, she walked away.

She was left in the hands of Fitz, hands that used to be caring but now were used for hurting. The darkness that Fitz had always struggled with had come to the surface, and this one seemed to relish in it.

She was alone, clinging onto what life was left within her. She was, at least, until the doors opened. Looking up, she saw not only May, but you as well.

A moment later, she had her powers back and the three of you were breaking out. She sent AIDA through the glass and looked at the body on the floor with a sense of triumph.

You were here, and you were on her side. Don’t get her wrong, she was happy May was too. But May wasn’t the name used to make her give into AIDA’s demands.

Turns out the robot was wrong, which Daisy was thankful for.

The way back was met with danger, but what was new? Well, mainly your cynicism.

They were talking about the Patriot (Mace’s alter ego in this world) having been killed in an airstrike. As you spoke about it, May revealed some key information on it. That being that it was her who had caused the death.

“You couldn’t have known.” Daisy comforted, looking at you as if expecting the same.

“She did, but she did it anyway.” She definitely didn’t expect that. May, however, nodded at it.

Seemed the cold and warmth you both had was swapped to a degree.

“What?” You asked her, finally confronting her on her staring and look she was giving you.

“Nothing.” She said, looking away.

You made it to the TV station, going in and uploading the footage May had that would put HYDRA in the ground.

When Daisy left the room after her talk with Ward, she saw you looking at the footage with an expression of anger. She approached you, “What’s wrong?” She asked as she came beside you.

“My dad was killed by HYDRA, turns out,” You said bluntly. Daisy was lightly taken aback by it, you had never been like that before in this type of fashion, “And only now am I just hearing about it.”

“I’m sorry.” She offered in a heartfelt gesture to try and find the sisterly bond you had back home.

You shook your head, “Yeah, well, I’m more pissed at just finding out now than the event itself. We were never the closest, so….” You said in a flat tone.

“Family is family.”

“Sure.” She could tell you just wanted to move on. So, she let that request be followed through with.

You had made it back to the base, where Daisy reunited with Jemma. She had a large smile when she saw that it was you, pulling you in for a hug. You may not have known who she was, but you returned it, for her sake. She seemed like she could need it if she was honest.

She pulled away, seemingly giving you a once over with a beaming smile at the fact you were there. As said, you didn’t know who she was, but this meant something to her, so you just let her have this moment.

Daisy and the team where waiting for you at the entrance to the base, you were coming home from a few months of undercover work and they all stood eagerly awaiting you.

The door had opened, but they had gotten their hopes up before only to be disappointed before. Still, they looked, and this time it was you.

You had a conflicted look on your face, but a smile was on your face as your eyes went glassy. Daisy was right over, embracing you, one you returned tightly.

“This is new.” She joked, in reference to how tightly you hugged.

“Just….I need this.” She complied with it, tightening her own hug as well.

Her family was whole once again, that was all that mattered.

She was then arguing with Jemma about how they unfortunately couldn’t save Fitz, when she said something that she wasn’t meant to, “We need to get everyone out first! Then we can save Fitz! Look, this Y/N isn’t the one we know, Jemma. I need my sister back the way she was.” She didn’t even think about it, she just wanted to get you all back home and get her family back.

However, at a scoff, they both looked and saw you stood a small distance away, clearly having heard those words as you shook your head.

“So, what, I’m the broken one?” You didn’t even give her a chance as you then walked away. Jemma took a shaky breath as she looked to Daisy, the two sister’s having a silent discussion about who should see you.

In the end, it was Jemma who had left.

Daisy sat on one of the spare beds, mind racing with thoughts of how to proceed. She knew that you guys needed to know eventually that this place wasn’t real, but she didn’t expect you to find out like that. Hell, she definitely didn’t expect the reaction she got from you, the scoff, and the look of anger.

A moment later, however, you came and sat next to her. She almost didn’t believe it, that you were here. But she only waited for you to talk. Now, she expected anything.

“So….was I like a square peg in ‘the real word’?” You asked, keeping your eyes straight ahead, but you decided to just be blunt in this moment.

Daisy chuckled a bit, lowering her head to the ground as she did so, “Yeah, or I thought you were anyway. Stupid, huh?” She chastised herself.

“Nah,” Now you both met eyes, “You….I only showed you part of who I was. But, there’s more to me than my dad’s death. I appreciate the help that you apparently gave me there, I do really appreciate it. But, that’s not the only thing I’ve got going on. Just like I’m sure that you’ve suffered a lot more than you’ll ever let on, which I respect not wanting to go into. But, there’s to us then one thing.”

She nodded, “I know, and I’m sorry that I did that. I just wanted to help.”

“I know you did, but I’m not always going to be that sad person you need to protect. I can do that myself, just like you can too.” You told her.

“Ok.” She said, finally letting herself believe it that she didn’t know everything about you.

She then moved it onto the issue at hand, “So….now you know….What do you think?” She asked.

You gave it some thought, “Oh, you know, it’s out there. Then again, most things here have been.” You gave her one of your soft smiles that she was used to.

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So, you had come around to it, and you were now all packing up to leave through a backdoor that Doctor Radcliff (one of the creators of this place) had left for you all to get out.

Now, you just had to get to that place. So, you all got the crew together, boarded the Quinjet, then went to that place.

That place was a factory, but you weren’t one to judge. Or, rather, this version of you wasn’t? Maybe? You didn’t know, no one had really told you. All you knew was that Jemma had approached this version of you the way you were here, which was nice.

On the way, Daisy had started to do that, you saw it was a pain and struggle, but she was trying. That was all you could thank her for.

You all entered the warehouse, with the gateway being a drop into lava. Not the best exit, but a way out was a way out.

Mack had then found out, and he wasn’t exactly taking it well. Like, not well at all. You, however, kept an eye out, it was going too well.

And it was, as HYDRA agents stormed the place and fired at you all. You all went for cover as you did what you could to keep them off Daisy as she held out her hand, her power opening the portal.

As you all did what you could, members slowly went through; May and Coulson were first, then a bleeding Fitz and Jemma, then it was all of you that were left.

As you made your way to it, a bullet struck you, taking you to the ground. Daisy wanted to stop and run over, but she then saw the look in your eyes that told her one thing; keep going.

You were bleeding, and you weren’t doing great on the moving department at first, but you then started to. Mack was still covering you, even grabbing your gun as a backup.

As you moved and Mack covered, she took a breath before putting her hand back out as the power left her hands again a hit the portal.

As it opened, she checked on you again. She knew some part of you would want help, but right now that part wasn’t the one that was there. This was the one that cared more about others, the one that let them be helped instead of you.

You finally made it to the portal, you gave her a look, “See you on the other side.” She smiled at you. Then, you fell into it.

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You were all out, and AIDA was defeated. You all sat at a bar, with your family. Daisy looked at your food, different from what you’d normally get.

“Look at you, being all reckless.” She joked.

“Maybe for today, sure.”

She smiled and shook her head. She didn’t know what else you had to show her that was new, but she was willing to see. She knew people couldn’t just be codified and put in a box. People were different, they grew and changed.

#agents of shield imagine #agents of s.h.i.e.l.d imagine #daisy johnson x reader #daisy johnson imagine

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mischiefandspirits · 4 years ago

Text

Colony of Gotham (3/7)

The Colony of Gotham is an urban legend that is whispered about in the dangerous city. It’s said the Colony is a family of demons and spirits that stalk the night, hunting for the souls of the guilty.

When Bruce became Batman, he’d never intended to be mistaken for a demon. He was happy to lean into it, though, and as he gained his partners – as his family grew – they all followed suit.

First Part ~ Previous Part ~ Next Part

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Duke Thomas lost his parents when Joker unleashed a new version of Joker Venom onto a crowd. While most of the infected were rounded up to be cured, some disappeared, Duke’s parents among them. The boy was determined to find them, no matter what it took, which landed him in trouble with both his foster parents and the law. Even when he was labeled a delinquent, though, he continued to search.

Meanwhile, a similar search came to its end.

Harper Row’s hunting had eventually led to her crossing paths with Batman. Despite her fear, she refused to back down under his warnings until her brother Cullen was attacked by some of his classmates while she was away on one of her searches.

Bruce, having been keeping an eye on the woman, stepped in to ensure they got justice for the attack and, in the process, helped her get custody of Cullen so they could both be free of their abusive father. In the face of all these changes and with Batman’s promise to find the other killer, Harper agreed to stand down.

However, Cass would find him first by taking a bullet for him after her father sent men to attack Harper and Cullen to draw her out.

Having expected a monster like Orphan, not this small child who stared up at her with the most apologetic eyes, Harper immediately forgave the girl and worked with Bruce and Batman to clear Cass’s name and take the girl under her wing. It was hard as Cass didn’t understand any language but body, but Harper and Cullen were willing to put in the work. In an effort to help, Bruce brought the Rows into the fold and promised any aid they could require.

Cullen was fascinated, but also happy to keep to the normal side of life. Bruce may have secretly wondered why the other children he found himself faced with couldn't be that level headed.

Harper, on the other hand, was more taken in, but also wary of getting too involved now that she had two people relying on her care. She went out sometimes in all black body armor with a full face mask and short hooded cloak, but she stayed out of sight enough that Black Bat remained an unknown myth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A trip to Los Angeles had Tim declaring he was never going with Bruce on business trips ever again. The first two days had been nice enough, but then Bruce caught him pulling an all-nighter working on a case that he wasn’t supposed to be working on and banned him from coffee.

Which was how a half-awake, phone focused Tim found himself nearly stepping out in front of traffic. Thankfully someone not dead on their feet spotted him in time and she pulled him back onto the sidewalk. He tried to laugh it off as just being too focused on his phone. That failed when he turned to walk away and almost immediately walked into a newspaper rack. The girl insisted on walking him to his hotel. When he pointed out he was going to pick up something from his father, she declared she’d walk him there and back.

When he returned back to Gotham with a new number in his phone, he refused to look her up. No, she was just some random civilian. He didn’t care if Wonder Girl doesn’t even wear a mask! Obviously that was her! A hoodie doesn’t help hide anything, Cassie! You and Kon are terrible! How do you two even have secret identities? At least Superman had those stupid glasses!

No, she was an ordinary civilian.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Duke Thomas’s search eventually ended when he teamed up with Batman to free his parents and the other missing Joker Venom victims from the Court of Owls, his photokinetic vision helping them navigate the labyrinthine tunnels. Unfortunately the Court’s experiments paired with going so long without the antidote had left the victims catatonic. Even still, Duke was so grateful that he did what he could to help Batman with his cases in the future.

Bruce, giving in to the inevitable even if he was wary to have a meta vigilante in Gotham, brought Duke into the Colony. There was some debate over how he’d fit in until Duke made it known that he would prefer getting some actual training before he went into the field for real.

This doesn’t stop Tim and Bette from glaring eachother down over who got to move on from Robin first.

Cass suggested settling it with a Mario Kart race.

Tim won.

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One day Jinny “Hex” Woodson got fed up with all her friends discussing their Gotham friends -- ones she was pretty sure none of them were even allowed to have since no one was even supposed to go to Gotham -- so she packed a bag and headed out to find her own Gotham friend.

She decided the place was alright enough. It was actually kind of nice that no one questioned her for having a pair of pistols holstered on her hips. Someone even tried to mug her despite them.

It was hilarious.

She was having trouble finding her new Gotham friend, though. At least until a kid fell off a fire escape she’d been passing under and into her arms.

It was fate.

Apparently the kid had been trying to take a picture of a bird (aka Tim was scouting for a stakeout) and the railing hadn’t been quite as sturdy as he’d thought (it had only let him balance on it in a crouch for two hours before giving way). It was then that he noticed her guns.

“You’re not going to shoot me, right?”

“Angel, you’re so skinny, you can't even see your shadow. I don’t need my guns to whup you.”

“Angel?”

“Because you fell from heaven.”

Tim was not amused. He was even less amused when she declared they were friends now. No, he doesn’t get an opinion on the matter. Should have thought about that before throwing himself at unsuspecting women. She doesn’t even swing that way, Angel.

Around the same time that it hit the Young Justice team that they were all friends with the same Gothamite, it also hit the Colony that Tim had somehow managed to befriend the entire team.

Except no, Tim affirmed that they befriended him. He had no input in this whatsoever, thank you very much. It was probably Kon’s fault, really. He had probably set it all up. Tim was definitely going to give Kon the cold shoulder.

At least until his badgering got too annoying.

The worst part was that Stephanie stole his phone to get Cassie’s number when she found out she and Tim had been flirting. She stated it was so Stephanie could defend his honor if she tried something, but he caught both her and Bette in a group chat with not only Cassie, but Kara Danvers aka Supergirl and Suzanne “Cissie” King-Jones aka Arrowette.

Apparently, they didn’t get to be teased since the girls actively sought out their super friends.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Talia al Ghul personally informed her that the Heir to the Demon was now living with his biological father Bruce Wayne so she would be wise to keep her distance from Gotham, sister or not, Cheshire knew she’d made the right call keeping her nose out of the Waynes’ business.

It didn’t occur to her that when Talia al Ghul had met Bruce Wayne over ten years earlier at a party and decided to spend the night with him, the woman believed he’d given up his training to settle down for a life of luxury and frivolities. Cheshire didn’t know Ra’s had only allowed Talia to keep the child that had been an accidental result because he’d seen Bruce’s promise and believed, if raised properly, the child could become what he thought Bruce hadn’t.

That Talia had only brought her son to his father because she had no other choice.

The Demon’s Daughter fled to Gotham with Damian after her father was killed by Slade Wilson. She had hoped that between Bruce’s former training and the shadowy Colony of Gotham, Damian would be safe until Wilson could be dealt with.

Damian did not get along with his siblings. He made an attempt to pick a fight with Tim that failed when Tim refused to fight a child. Cass tried to fight him in Tim’s place, but Harper told her no. Damian tried to stab Dick when he hugged him and Dick disarmed him before he could without releasing the hug. He picked a fight with Jason and got his butt handed to him. Damian snuck out to prove himself, picked a fight with Nightwing, and got his butt kicked. Damian tried his hand with Tim again and the older boy, annoyed, agreed then used knockout gas on him the moment the fight began. Dick tried to talk with Damian and they ended up fighting. Damian, of course, got his butt kicked.

Stephanie was standing on the sidelines the entire time, encouraging everything.

Soon enough the Colony noticed Slade holed up near Gotham and launched an attack. Due to the danger, Bruce pulled in everyone, leaving the Robins and Alfred to keep an eye on Damian, Duke, Cullen, and Cass in the manor while Catwoman took guard outside. When Damian found out about the attack and tried to go after Slade, Tim sent him in the opposite direction then followed after him in the suit he’d been designing for post-Robin while the others took shelter in the cave.

Tim knocked Damian out and dragged him back to the cave where they locked him in a cell, to Bruce’s annoyance. Damian woke up and realized his father was Batman when he overheard Bruce reveal that Talia was likely coming back for Damian now that Slade was taken down. He also heard the family’s argument over it. None of them wanted him to go with her, but in the end they agreed that it was Damian’s choice.

When she did come, Damian remembered what the others said about him having a choice and some things about family Dick had said when the two had had their private conversation. He decided to stay with them, citing that there were things his father could teach him that he couldn’t learn while helping his mother rebuild the League.

She was obviously annoyed and disappointed, but didn’t fight him on it.

It wasn’t easy. Damian still fought with all his brothers as well as Stephanie, though Duke did his best to keep out of it. The youngest Wayne tried to challenge Tim and Bette for his place as Robin, but Dick and Bruce were able to get him to agree to training instead with the reminder that he was lacking the theatrical and teamwork skills that the Colony utilized and were mandatory as Robin.

Bruce didn’t mention that he wanted more reassurance the boy wouldn’t step over the line before ever letting him near the field.

Damian was not impressed when he discovered his father’s relationship with Selina Kyle and made it well known.

She thought it was adorable.

Damian would never admit that the kitten she gifted him was what calmed him. He simply didn’t see the point in wasting any energy on outwardly disliking the woman when his father clearly wouldn’t be changing his mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Duke took Tim’s place as Robin, he made sure to keep his own contributions to the role quiet. Robin was a legacy while his meta abilities were not. Tim was not quite so subtle in his new role.

No one was sure where the name Corvid came from since the new bird didn’t speak in words, only trills. He wore an armored suit that was blue on the chest and arms and black on his sides with white detailing. His legs, hands, and feet were all black as well except for the blue splashes on the outside of his thighs. A white belt draped over his hips while black bandoliers crossed over his chest, a silver and black bird logo covering the cross. The bandoliers connected to his cowl, which was open at the top unlike the Bats’ which allowed his feather-like hair to fall down around his face. It was shoulder length and faded from black at the roots to blue at the tips, much like the wings that formed from his feathered cape.

They said he was a fallen star stolen away by the Colony. He soared soundlessly through the air on wings that never flapped, leaving behind a trail of blue light. He was more migratory than the others. Sometimes he flew above Batman and Robin, sometimes Batwoman and Red Hood, and sometimes Batgirl and Nightwing. A criminal could only hope they got the warning of seeing one of the others first or he’d have them in his talons hundreds of feet in the air before they even realized he was there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time passed. Damian grew closer to the rest of the Colony under Dick’s instruction.

Jason and Kate bonded with him over their more aggressive styles (to Bruce’s consternation) while helping him learn ways to calm his temper.

Despite their rough start and continuing antagonism, Damian grew to respect Tim’s quick mind as he tutored him in strategy and the Colony’s language.

He also developed a respect that had nothing to do with fear -- not at all -- for Barbara after she repaid an insult he gave her by sharing with the entire family a video of him fawning over some stray kittens in the park. He never discovered how she got the footage as he had made sure there were no cameras in the vicinity before acting in such an undignified fashion. (It was Dick. He pouted for weeks when he realized the cute video he took of his adorable baby brother was used for such purposes.)

A similar kind of respect grew for Harper as he quickly learned to be noticeable when approaching her. She had far too much experience with bats and birds sneaking around and far too little concern over jabbing them with a stun gun in revenge, whether they meant to scare her or not.

He was not afraid to admit he was scared of Cass once he realized who she was, though. He knew her skills and knew she could take him down in seconds if it came to it.

He was skeptical of both Stephanie and Bette, who he believed to be vapid, but Stephanie’s pranks were amusing when they weren’t directed at him and Bette introduced him to social media revolving around animal rights (and cute animal pictures).

Although he was rather dull, Cullen was by far the best person to be with while working on his newfound appreciation for drawing and painting, especially if the older boy was doing his own artwork for the webcomics he and Duke collaborated on.

While not being the most mentally or physically skilled, Duke was the most patient of the lot and could be trusted to keep his mouth shut so he was the one Damian went to when he needed assistance with homework (a rare occurrence, but the American schooling system was so different from his League tutors, to the point that sometimes they even seemed to contradict one another) or wanted to practice his Trillic.

Though he would never admit it out loud, Dick was Damian’s favorite of the lot. While he didn’t have Duke’s patience, he was just as considerate and confidential. When something happened, Dick was always willing to hear him out and talk him through it until he understood. Or at least was on the path to understanding. Dick did not share Jason’s anger, his father’s suspicion, Tim’s caution, or Duke’s anxiety. He had only sympathy. Damian knew his mother would consider Dick weak, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a year in Gotham came and went, Dick went to Duke and Bette. The three talked, eventually bringing in Harper as an idea began to blossom.

Robin had a sword. They said he got it from his shadow.

The only thing not pitch black on the Black Bat was the thin golden outline of the Bat’s symbol on their chest. Their face was featureless, not even possessing eyes like Batgirl. They never made a sound. If you saw Robin, then his shadow was behind you.

There was no time to run.

On the other hand, those who believed themselves safe during the day proved to be foolish.

Bright spirits had come to Gotham.

They wore metal armor and carried their wings on their chests. They came and went in flashes of light bright enough to stun.

Bluebird was their guide and donned armor of blue. Her voice echoed with the voices of lost souls and lightning danced across her form.

Lark was their prophet and donned armor of gold. He could see the past, present, and future and fought with the strength of ages past.

Hawkfire was their messenger and donned armor of red. She spoke with the voices of everyone she passed and her armor blazed with the heat of the sun.

Though they walked the day and seemed to be creatures of light, it was nothing but a trick. They were will-o'-wisps, false lights. They were birds.

The Colony had invaded the day.

With the three working together, Bette offered to turn Duke and Harper. The two accepted. Afterwards Harper sought out Cullen and Cass to offer them the same. She wasn’t surprised with Cass’s easy agreement, though Cullen’s was a little more shocking as he’d never shown any interest in the Colony’s nightlife. Quite the opposite, in fact. He simply shrugged and told her vampirism had nothing to do with the nightlife. It was just how their family worked.

He and Cass were greatly amused, but unsurprised when Harper, Bette, and Duke forgot to mention the latest turnings. They decided to keep their own mouths shut to see how long it would last, though he did confide in Alfred. Not that it was necessary as the man seemed to put it together himself the moment he saw Cullen.

It took three months for Bruce, Tim, and Barbara to figure it out for themselves, then an additional two for the rest to find out when Duke casually mentioned it during a family meeting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Damian blamed Tim when he found himself stuck in a room with Superman’s spawn Jonathan Kent while said superhero in disguise interviewed Damian’s father for the newspaper.

Clearly, Tim’s horrible curse had somehow rubbed off on Damian and the older boy would pay dearly once he returned home by way of Damian renaming all of Tim’s non-case related computer folders and creating a maze of invisible thread around his room.

At least the half-alien had good taste in video games. And his voice was nice enough that his incessant chatter was more like a soothing white noise than a nuisance. And Superman clearly would have trained Jon in discretion, even if not to Damian’s family’s standards.

For the record, the only reason Damian accepted Jon’s number was so that Dick would be so pleased Damian had finally acquired a friend that he wouldn’t allow the others to tease him over something that was clearly Tim’s fault to begin with. And when that plot fell through, he simply forgot to delete Jon’s number because he was busy expanding his revenge to include Jason and Stephanie.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harper, as Black Bat, wore Cass's Orphan suit from Young Justice. I wanted something a little more lowkey from what she normally wears since she's not really supposed to be spotted.

Tim's suit got the most reworking because I like and dislike elements from all his Red Robin suits. The end result is one with the body armor from his Young Justice (TV) Robin suit, but with the New 52 wings paired with the bandoliers, logo, and cowl from the original Red Robin suit. Except I left the cowl open on top like the ones Kid Flash and Impulse use. From there you replace the red with blue and the yellow with white. I honestly wish I was better at drawing so that I could give a visual of what I'm going for here.

Cass's Black Bat suit is her Batgirl one, just with her belt black instead.

Haper, Bette, and Duke wear Signal's armor as Bluebird, Hawkfire, and Lark, just in blue, red, and gold instead of yellow. The bat logo is also replaced with their individualized bird logos.

Vampires’ animal forms:

Duke: Cape wild dog

Harper: Maned wolf

Cullen: Crab-eating fox

Cass: Northern bat

#batman #batfam #colony of gotham #fanfiction

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thebestpersonherelovesbucky · 4 years ago

Text

Promise is a Big Word

@whumptober2020

No 9. FOR THE GREATER GOOD “Take Me Instead” | “Run!” | Ritual Sacrifice

No 10. THEY LOOK SO PRETTY WHEN THEY BLEED Blood Loss | Internal Bleeding | Trail of Blood

Summary: Chris knows it’s a trap. But he’s willing to step right into it for Sebastian. Even if that means coming face to face with a vampire.

Read of Ao3

It’s a trap.

Chris knows this.

He knows a lot of things now.

He knows that he and Sebastian didn’t meet by chance. Sebastian came into Chris’s bakery four months ago because he was sent there, not because he was looking to satisfy his sweet-tooth.

He knows that Sebastian deceived him. Those first weeks of batting eyelashes and nibbled lips and sweet shyness had been a lie.

He knows that he’s not the first human that Sebastian’s tried to trick. If things went according to plan, Chris probably would have been one that he succeeded with.

Chris knows all of this and he’ll still walk into this trap because these past four months have been some of the most wonderful of his life. Because Sebastian, at great personal risk, admitted the truth. Because Chris Evans loves Sebastian Stan with all his heart.

Sebastian left Chris in order to keep him safe from the coven. For a vampire’s familiar to break their most solemn rule is the ultimate betrayal.

“If they find out that I told you,” Sebastian tearfully explained, “they’ll kill you. I could never forgive myself.”

Chris tried to argue.

“I don’t care, Seb.” Chris pet a hand over that soft hair. Sebastian’s eyes had fallen closed the second he touched him. “I just want you. We can figure something out.”

“I’d forgotten,” Sebastian said, “what real love looked like. The way my parents looked at one another. Thank you, Chris, for giving that back to me.” He took Chris’s hand and kissed his knuckles. “It isn’t safe. And I won’t risk you getting hurt. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for everything.”

He left then, vanishing from Chris’s life as mysteriously and quickly as he’d come into it.

That had been five days ago.

Since then, Sebastian’s number has been disconnected and his apartment is empty and he’s left his job at the library. He was just…gone. And Chris, heartbroken as he was, could do nothing but accept that.

Until today.

When Chris received a text from a blocked number that made his blood run cold. A text with several images. All Sebastian. Sebastian tied to a chair and beaten to a pulp. With it was a simple but vicious message.

Familiars can take a lot of damage and I don’t plan on killing him.

Seconds later, he got an address and a time, and Chris could only assume that meant they wanted him to go there.

Chris didn’t even hesitate. He threw on his shoes and jacket, grabbed his keys, and drove to the address.

It’s a church out in the middle of nowhere. Abandoned. There’s a little overgrown cemetery in the churchyard. They probably picked this place for the dramatic irony. Some of the myths are true, Sebastian’s told him. They are faster and stronger than humans, but not so much that someone trained in such matters can’t kill them. Sunlight won’t kill vampires, but it does hurt them. Garlic and iron deter them. A wooden stake or silver bullet through the heart will kill them. They don’t, however, have an aversion to religious artifacts.

Now that Chris is here, a chill washes over his body. Nothing is going to stop him from going in there, but he wonders if he stands a chance at succeeding. Apparently, there are secret groups of hunters who do train for this sort of thing. They keep the rest of the world safe from the tales who lurk in the shadows. Chris, however, is not part of one. He has no idea he’s walking into.

When Sebastian first told Chris the truth, Chris didn’t believe him. This hadn’t surprised Sebastian. Most people don’t believe in vampires nowadays. They really didn’t two hundred years ago when Sebastian learned about them either.

Back then, from what he’s told Chris, Sebastian had been living in the Romanian countryside with his mother and stepfather.

“I’m just a horrible cliché,” Sebastian had said. “I know it.”

He’d led a quiet, peaceful life. Just like he does now, Sebastian enjoyed reading and watching the stars and learning. He worked hard. Took care of his family. He was as he is now. Sweet-natured and kind-hearted, with a desire to be useful and helpful.

There’d only been one problem.

Sebastian had made the mistake of falling in love with the wrong person.

Two of them.

He’d met Darius in the market, by chance, Sebastian thought, and the two hit it off immediately. Just like he and Chris had.

“I was completely smitten by him,” he’d told Chris. “I thought it was real.”

Which was entirely the point. But Darius hadn’t meant any of it. He was the coven’s familiar at the time and used Sebastian’s love to trick him into taking his place.

“The agreement needs to be entered consensually,” Sebastian explained. “I didn’t understand what I was agreeing to. I thought we were declaring our love for one another. As soon as I consented, Darius laughed, and it sounded so cruel and I couldn’t imagine why it made my stomach turn.” Sebastian huffed a humorless laugh. “Of course, I found out after he spun around and just walked away, leaving me in the middle of the woods. Alone, I thought, but I wasn’t. Silas appeared behind me and claimed me as his familiar.”

The only way to break the contract is for his vampire to release him or for him to find a replacement. Which is why he struck up a relationship with Chris. Just as he’s done to other people in the past.

“For a long time after that, I thought I loved Silas. He…warped everything.” Sebastian sighed with a shake of his head. “He’d sent Darius to me. Silas told me he’d chosen me after Darius had wanted out of their contract when really it’d been Silas who grew bored of him. But I believed the lie for so long. That this beautiful, sophisticated immortal picked me of all people to be his familiar because he thought I was special. That he loved me.”

Silas had taken care of Sebastian. Or made him think so, anyway. He lavished him in spoils and riches. Gave him attention and affection. Let him have whatever he wanted.

“I was quite devoted to him. He could get me to do anything for him. But…” Sebastian wiped his eyes and chuckled darkly. “When I did something wrong…he acted as though I’d done it on purpose. The first time it happened, I had just been talking to another vampire in the coven and he made it out as though a simple conversation with someone else was some sort of betrayal. Like, I was doing something behind his back. He called me all sorts of horrible names and then left and didn’t come back for a month, and when he did, he acted as though it’d never happened. Silas said that he couldn’t stand the thought of me with anyone else and it made him act crazy.”

Whenever Sebastian talked about the past, he let Chris hold him. Chris never knew if that was to let Chris feel useful or if he simply craved the affection. He had a feeling it was a little of both.

“He said all that, but he still shared me with other vampires. Important ones. Coven leaders and their sergeants.” Chris wrapped his arms tighter around him when Sebastian trembled. Sebastian’s chin trembled. “Afterward, though, he’d insult and berate me, but I’d still do it because I just wanted to please him.” His voice cracked when he said, “After a few decades he grew bored of me and made me look for people to be my replacement. And as much as it hurt, as much as I begged him to keep me, I did it for him. I still wanted to please him even by finding someone to replace me.”

That’s how Sebastian found Chris. He’d been looking for someone to replace him as Silas’s familiar.

And Silas wants Chris.

Or did, anyway.

Now that Sebastian’s told Chris everything, Chris is pretty sure Silas just wants him dead.

As a familiar, Sebastian hasn’t aged. He doesn’t possess the same attributes as a vampire, but he has some of their powers and none of their weaknesses. He’s stronger than a typical human and more resilient, but his heart still beats and he can bleed and he can hurt, and Chris has no doubt that Silas will continue to make him bleed just to punish him for his insolence. Chris can’t let that happen. He won’t.

Chris glances out at the church again before taking a deep breath and getting out of the car. He marches straight to the building without even pausing and when he reaches the doors, he shoves them open.

It’s dark. The entire place is lit only by candlelight, little flames flickering and throwing dancing shadows on the walls and floor. Most of the pews are gone and those that remain are broken or overturned. The stained glass windows are all broken; not completely, not all of them, but the glass is shattered. Beer cans and empty bottles and discarded cups are scattered around the place. The walls are graffitied. Looks like this is a popular party spot for the local kids.

There’s something on the floor. Something that Chris can tell doesn’t belong, but he can’t tell what it is. A smudge of some sort. It runs all the way up the aisle.

He pulls out his phone, turns the flashlight on, and nearly drops it when he realizes what he’s looking at. Blood. There’s a trail of blood that leads all the way up to the crumbling altar.

Hand trembling and throat painfully dry, Chris follows it. When he’s almost there, Chris lifts the light away from the blood and points it at the altar. Only he sees nothing. A few overturned chairs and a cracked marble basin. No Sebastian.

Chris hears a noise behind him. He gasps and spins around to see no one. But he does notice something he hadn’t before. The confessional booth.

If the vampires are here, they no doubt know that Chris has arrived as well but he still tries to be as quiet as possible as he makes his way over there. The booth is kept private by a thick, velvet curtain. It’s torn in places and even singed a bit at the bottom, but otherwise still intact. Enough, anyway, to cover the entrance of the confessional booth.

Once Chris is close enough, he clenches one side of the curtain, tries to brace himself for what might be behind it, and then flings it aside.

“Seb!” he exclaims when he sees Sebastian hidden away in there, still bound to a chair. “Oh my god.”

Chris’s heart falls. Not only are Sebastian’s legs and arms tied to a chair, he’s gagged and appears to be unconscious. His head hangs limp and he hasn’t stirred at all. Blood is smeared around his nose and chin. Dripping in perspiration, Sebastian’s incredibly pale and his breathing is labored. Both eyes are black and blue, his face swollen. There are bite marks not only on his neck but up and down his arms as well. They’ve been feeding from him.

Torn between calling for help -- possibly leading more humans to slaughter by doing so -- and scooping Sebastian into his arms to make a run for it, Chris drops to his knees at Sebastian’s side and immediately checks his pulse. It’s weak, but there. He gently slips his hand under Sebastian’s chin and lifts. This produces a painful groan and frightened whimper. His skin is cold and clammy. He wants to untie him. Wants to remove that gag. He doesn’t know what to do first and doesn’t want to cause him any more pain.

“Seb…” Chris whispers and taps his fingers against his cheek. “Sebastian, c’mon, open your eyes for me.”

Another soft sound makes its way through the gag. The white cloth between his teeth is stained red, bloody drool leaking through it.

“Baby, please.” Chris needs to fight back the tears that burn his eyes. “Please, open your eyes.”

Eyes scrunching, another groan rumbles in Sebastian’s throat before he actually manages to lift his chin out of Chris’s palm. He’s shivering now, as though his body has just realized it needs to. Those eyes slowly open and take a moment to uncross before he can focus on his environment. One of them is all red instead of white.

“Oh my god,” Chris breathes. “Seb. Seb, can you hear me?”

When Sebastian’s eyes finally land on Chris, they seem to take him in with awe and adoration. As if he simply cannot believe what he’s seeing. For a moment, it even looks like he might smile. Until it dawns on him where he is and the state he’s in and that Chris is here.

Sebastian’s eyes grow wide with fear, then, and he shakes his head and mumbles something that Chris can’t understand.

“H-hang on, baby,” Chris murmurs. “Lemme get this off of you.”

Trembling hands make heavy work of untying the knot behind Sebastian’s head, but after fumbling with it for a bit, Chris finally gets it and gently removes the gag. Once it’s out, Sebastian coughs and spits out more blood. At his side again, Chris uses the end of his sleeve to wipe Sebastian’s mouth clean. He tries to be gentle, but he must hurt him since Sebastian winces and whimpers.

“I’m sorry,” Chris says as he next attempts to loosen the restraints at Sebastian’s wrists. “Seb, I’m gonna get you out of--”

“What the fuck,” Sebastian growls, weakly but with enough venom it freezes Chris’s heart, “are you doing here, Chris?”

Sebastian’s never looked at him like this before. Cold and hateful. As though he despises Chris with every breath in his body.

“I…” Chris's throat swells. “I came to help--”

“Don’t you get it?” Sebastian snaps. “It was all fake. I don’t give a shit about you.”

“You don’t mean that,” Chris replies. “I know you don’t.”

“You don’t know anything.” He spits at the ground in front of Chris. “Truth is, I still love Silas. Y-you…you’re nothing compared to him.”

Despite the bite to his words, they don’t sink into Chris’s heart. Sebastian doesn’t mean it. Tears slip from his swollen eyes. His breaths collide, one after the next. He’s trembling from head to toe. And he won’t look at Chris.

“Tell me you don’t love me,” Chris says. “And I’ll leave.”

Sebastian’s hard expression falters. He looks away from Chris, lip quivering.

"I don't love you," he whispers, with barely enough volume to be understood.

"Sebastian," Chris says, putting steel into his voice. "If you mean that, look me in the eye and say it."

This time, Sebastian’s entire face crumples in pain. A different kind of pain, but pain nonetheless. He chokes on a sob, his entire chest trembling with it.

“Please, don’t do this.”

“I have to,” Chris answers as he tries again to work the tight knots out of the ropes. “I love you.”

“Chris, please.” Sebastian’s voice wobbles off key. “You--”

He cuts himself off so abruptly, and with a gasp at that, that Chris looks up from what he’s doing to see that Sebastian’s eyes are wide, his pupils dilated, and while normally that seashore color of his eyes would draw Chris in, right now all he sees is Sebastian’s terror in them. Chris looks over his shoulder to where Sebastian’s gaze has landed but sees nothing. He glances to Sebastian again.

“What? What is it?”

“Chris,” Sebastian whispers, hushed but hurried. “You have to go. Right now.”

“Seb--”

“Run!” he shouts. “Run, Chris! Run!”

Before Chris’s mind can even form a response to that -- whether to listen to Sebastian’s advice or to ignore it -- someone knots fingers through his hair and yanks him away from the chair. Chris lands with a thunk against one of the crooked pews, his head knocking on the thick wood. It’s disorienting, and somewhere beyond the ringing of his ears, Chris can hear Sebastian’s voice.

“Seb…” Chris tries to answer. “I’m…”

Chris can’t finish that. Something wraps around his throat and quite literally steals the breath right from his lungs. He’s hurled back up, but not to his feet. No, Chris is hoisted in the air, and as he claws uselessly at the fingers around his neck, he somehow realizes that this is Silas.

They’re about the same height, but Chris definitely has more muscle tone, and yet Silas has him held up above his head as though he weighs nothing. His grip has loosened just enough to let Chris breath. Barely.

“Silas, please,” Sebastian cries. “Let him go. I’m sorry. You don’t have to do this. I learned my lesson.”

“Shut up, Sebastian,” Silas growls. “You do nothing right, do you? You can’t even be a good hostage. You know, I ought to turn him. Right here in front of you. And once he awakens reborn into something far superior than this pathetic shell I hold, he won’t be able to control his thirst. Not with the sweet scent of your blood right in front of him. Perhaps you do have further use after all.”

“No,” Sebastian pleads on Chris’s behalf. “Just let him go. I’ll find you someone, I promise; just, please, not him. Please.”

Instead of answering Sebastian’s pleas, Silas turns those blood red eyes on Chris. If he wasn’t currently holding him by the throat, feet dangling and breaths backing up, Chris might find him attractive. Long black hair tied into a loose braid behind his head. Deep widow’s peak. Long, angular features.

“How would you like that, human?” Silas says to Chris now. “Would you like me to turn you and allow you to feast upon your lover?”

“Fuck you,” Chris manages to grunt through clenched teeth, and if he could, he’d probably add a kick for good measure.

His response only makes Silas laugh. To him, Chris is probably no more threatening than a fly and just as irritating.

“Or better yet.” His eyes fill with vulgar intrigue. “Why don’t I turn you, Sebastian?” Silas sneers, still looking at Chris. “You’ve requested it in the past. I could acquiesce now. I can even serve you your first meal.”

“No.” Sebastian sounds horrified. And by the quiver in his voice, Chris assumes that the threat holds some very real merit. “Please. Silas, I’ll do anything you want.”

Taking another long, hard look at Chris, Silas shifts his gaze back to Sebastian again. The corner of his mouth lifts in a horrendously charming smirk.

“That would certainly teach you a lesson,” he murmurs, “would it not?”

Rather than answer that directly, Sebastian struggles against the restraints so hard that he moves the chair. He glares at Silas, eyes hard and lip curled over his teeth.

“I’ve given you everything!” he yells through his teeth. “I’ve devoted my life to you! Just give me this one thing! Just leave him alone or--”

“Or you’ll what, Sebastian?” Silas releases Chris and lets him drop to the floor, leaving him to cough and gasp for air as it rushes back into his body. “What, precisely, will you do?” He’s ended up behind Sebastian with Sebastian’s face captured between his hands. Silas forces his head this way and that. “Have you thought your threat through well?”

“You can’t kill me,” Sebastian replies, defiant and even smug. “Vampires can’t kill their familiars.”

“You are right,” Silas says, slapping a hand over both Sebastian’s mouth and nose, “they cannot. However, my love, you’d be horribly surprised by how much a familiar can live through.”

Still on the floor, Chris pushes himself up to shaky elbows. The skin around his throat and neck is bruised and tender to the touch. He knows there’s nothing he can do to physically stop Silas from hurting Sebastian, so when his mouth opens wide and he moves to bite Sebastian’s neck, Chris does the only thing he can think to do.

“Take me!” he shouts, reaching out as though he can somehow stop Silas that way.

His words, though, they do have the desired effect. Mouth right at Sebastian’s neck, Silas flicks his gaze to Chris.

“What did you say?”

“You wanted me, right? As your familiar?” Chris says. “Take me instead.”

Hands still on Sebastian’s face, keeping silent but most definitely not still since Sebastian is thrashing against his powerful hold, Silas leers at Chris and sniggers.

“You wish to be mine, then?”

“No.” Chris shakes his head, pushing himself back to his feet. He teeters a bit before remaining upright, the blood and oxygen rushing from to his head too quickly. “Of course, not. I’ll do it anyway. I will consent to being your familiar. But I have a few conditions of my own.”

“Interesting,” Silas replies. “Go on, Christopher. Tell me your conditions.”

“First, you don’t ever touch Sebastian again. You don’t hurt him, in any way. You don’t even think about him.”

A twitch of a smile. Then, “Anything else?”

“You don’t take me away from my family,” Chris says. “Or Sebsastian, if he chooses to stay with me.”

In the chair, still with Silas’s hand covering half his face, Sebastian struggles against the hold and is yelling things behind the palm over his mouth. Objecting, probably, to what Chris is trying to do.

“Is that all?”

“I won’t hurt anyone,” Chris tells him. “I’ll do whatever you need of me, but I will not hurt anyone. If you can agree to that, then I’ll be your familiar.”

“Done.”

Silas roughly releases his tight grip on Sebastian and glides over to stand in front of Chris. Though Chris’s view of Sebastian is now obstructed, he can hear the harsh intake of breath now that he can breathe again.

“Chris…” Sebastian gasps for more air. “Don’t…you don’t…know what you’re doing. Don’t do this.”

Chris would love to answer him and tell him not to worry. That everything will be okay. But he can’t seem to speak. Not until Silas has him repeat the ritualistic words that will tie him to Silas until the bond is severed. The same words Sebastian had been tricked into saying. And a few additional words to accommodate Chris’s conditions.

A strange, powerful sensation washes over Chris the second he finishes reciting the words. The air feels different, like silk against his skin. Chris can see things, hear things, that he couldn’t earlier. And he feels an unusual pull to Silas. Like gravity has shifted and now draws him to the vampire.

“This should be interesting.” Silas slips a hand, cold but surprisingly soft, to Chris’s cheek. The touch is gentle, and strangely enough, Chris hasn’t recoiled. He doesn't know why. “You might want to untie him now. I’ll be seeing you.”

Gaze following Silas as he leaves the church, disappearing from the doorway in the blink of an eye, Chris is overwhelmed with the oddest emotion. Loneliness. Chris feels lonely without Silas and has a strange desire to go after him. To be near him to quell this emotion.

“Chris. Chris, look at me.”

Dazed and slightly confused, Chris looks for the source of that sweet, soft voice. Sebastian is still there, still tied to that chair. Somewhere in the back of Chris’s mind, he’s aware of what he came here to do. He should untie Sebastian. He loves Sebastian. He loves him so much and while these new feelings don’t exactly eclipse that, Chris is having trouble reconciling the two.

“Sebastian…”

Chris slowly walks back over to him, dropping to his knees by his side and finally manages to untie the knots. As soon as his limbs are free, Sebastian throws his arms around him. He cradles the back of Chris’s head and just holds him close.

“Chris,” he says. “You’re all right. You’re gonna be okay. I’m gonna help you through this.”

“He…he left me.” Chris’s voice cracks. He doesn’t know why he’s so sad. Why he feels abandoned. He feels nothing for Silas but contempt and yet he hates that he’s been left behind. “He left me.”

“Look at me.” Sebastian readjusts their positions so they can look at each other. “It’s not real. I know it’s intense, what you’re feeling right now, but it’s not real. It’s just from the newly formed bond. It will fade, I promise.”

Looking into Sebastian’s eyes makes things a little clearer. No, Chris doesn’t really care about Silas. He’s here for Sebastian. That’s what matters.

“You’re hurt.”

Sebastian’s mouth tugs itself into the briefest of smiles. Chris missed that smile. It may’ve been only a few days since he last saw it, but he missed it.

“I’ll be all right,” he assures Chris. “It’ll take some time for my connection to Silas to fade as it goes into you.” That smile falls and his face twists. “Why did you do that, Chris? Why?”

Fingers touching Sebastian’s cheek, Chris wipes a few tears away. There’s really only one answer to that.

“Because I love you,” he says. “I love you so much. I couldn’t let him hurt you anymore.” Something hurts in Chris’s chest. Something that has nothing to do with Silas. “You didn’t mean it, did you?”

“Mean what?”

“That you didn’t love me.”

Sebastian smothers down a sob. He shakes his head, holds Chris face between his hands, and plants a wet kiss.

“No. No, of course not. I love you, Chris. I love you so much.” Sebastian rests his brow against Chris’s. “You’re going to be okay. I’m going to help you. I’ll get you out of this, Chris. I promise.”

“Not…not by hurting anyone,” Chris says. “I don’t want anyone else to be hurt.”

Shaking his head, Sebastian sniffles and wipes at his face. “No. Other than Silas, maybe.”

Chris grins at this. Though there’s a part of him that rejects the idea of anything bad happening to Silas, it’s drowned out by the desire to keep Sebastian and his family and everyone else safe. Even if that means finding someone to kill Silas.

“Sebastian, we have to get you home,” Chris says. “I need to clean you up. Will you let me look after you?”

“Yes, Chris. As long as you promise to let me do the same.”

And that’s one promise that Chris never intends to break.

#evanstan #chris evans #sebastian stan #whumptober2020 #No. 9 #take me instead #run #No. 10 #blood lose #trail of blood #fic #blood #past abuse #minor violence #vampires #manipulation

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junejalow · 4 years ago

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Bandit/Blitz "You're my charming idiot."

This is for RandomPersonDasHere, their prompt is for Bandit and Blitz under the prompt "How can you still be so idiotically charming?", changed it a tiny bit to fit with the idea I thought of .

A simple training simulation, that's all they had to do. At least that's what Blitz though. He could hear Ace curse further down the hallway of the building they were slowly advancing in, sparks of electricity crackling from somewhere followed by a muffled chuckle of victory.

Bandit.

Blitz thought to himself. The attackers weren't told who they would be going against and vice versa, but he knew that sound all to well. His significant other was being his usual little asshole self by waiting last second to place his CED-1 down just to fuck with people. His attention was drawn to the sound of chalk grenades going off two rooms from him along with rounds fired and peppering the hallway a bit.

"Four attackers and four Defenders left!"

Sounded the announcer over head.

Shifting a bit into the doorway to get a good peek inside, Blitz immediately noticed Mozzie down against the wall and Finka close by, also down. He cursed under his breath, Finka had gone head with Ace earlier to check out an extra route before she had traced her steps back but clearly rain into trouble. Unfortunately that meant pests were around and drones would be out of the question to see who all was on the defending side. He met up with Ace further down the hallway who had held up in a room across from the guarded corner he tried to access moments before. Elias gave a silent motion to the Norwegian to get behind him so his shield could take any bullets and blasts for them.

"Your sneaky boyfriend got away from me, can't believe he got me with his battery." Ace grumbled behind him, keeping his free hand on his shoulder with his pistol aimed over Blitz's shoulder. He clearly wasn't happy with the trick but knew Bandit could outsmart and out play them easily. The German was a crafty guy.

"It's just a training exercise Ace." Yet... Blitz found a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He fell hard for Bandit's personality and gruff nature years ago, they were a couple before they even came to Rainbow and thankfully Six allowed them to keep their relationship as long as it never interfered with their mission at hand. Even during training, they put that aside and focused. Then again. Trust Bandit to never keep a promise if he couldn't cause chaos. The man basically LIVED to cause mayhem. A man of opportunity that wasn't scared to take a leap. Fine. Blitz would play along.

Bandit was still snickering to himself as he backed into the safety of the reinforced room and boarded up the doorway, He glanced over towards Rook who had long since placed down his armor pack for them. He almost looked bored with how long they had been waiting but it also told them whoever was on the other team where the more careful and calculated operators of the attacking team. Or they weren't taking this serious, hell he wasn't. "I just bagged Ace's last Aqua Breacher."

Rook gave him an amused smile, "You know he'll come after you now mon ami (my friend), he takes pride in those breaches and you just stripped every bit of it away."

"Stripping someone's ego is a good thing, it get's in the way." He retorted. "Besides, this is f-"

Bandit was cut off by the announcer above along side a muffled flash noise, bullets and thud of a body dropping.

"Three defenders remaining!"

"Scheiße(shit)" He swore.

Finka, Ace and now Blitz?

Of course his goofball of a boyfriend would be pitted against him despite this being a surprise training session with no info given. He started to think a bit more seriously now, Blitz wouldn't go easy on him and Ace was already upset for the stunt he just pulled with taking out his gadget. Of course that left him without any batteries left. Rook held one door while he had the other. He knew Mozzie was down, he hadn't heard from the aussie in awhile now. He wasn't sure who exactly was down now, Kapkan had left earlier to place his EDD's around the place for anyone who didn't watch their footing and Echo was off somewhere flying his Yokai drone. Bandit had hoped to hold out longer but now this was survival. They had to run the timer down.

Blitz made a mental note of who all was left for their side vs who they had found so far. Ace was still with him, they wanted to clear rooms before heading for the main room since they had already pinpointed it earlier.

Finka is down, Ace is with me, Buck is searching the bottom floor and Glaz is circling around outside.

He glanced back for a moment, mentally marking the operator downed in the room to the right who had tried to sneak up on them only to get Blitz's shield flash to the face and Ace landing a well placed shot to the head on Echo. Bandit's hiding in the target room, Mozzie and Echo are down.

That's three out of four.

Who else do they have?

He thought to himself as him and Ace advanced upstairs as quietly as possible. They could access the main target room from a hatch in the far bedroom.

"I do not like how quiet it is min venn (my friend)" Ace mumbled to him quietly, worried they were going against one of the more skilled operators of Rainbow. Just as the thought left his mind, he was snatched into a room by a muscled arm around his neck and was shot in the back four times before being dropped. The figure darting into an adjoining before Blitz could catch full view of the person. They weren't making this easy at all.

"Three attackers remaining!"

"Playing games now?" He called out, "It's not like anyone to strike and flee!" Elias wanted to provoke the defender, he wanted to take more of them out. His main target was Bandit after all. "Glaz, light up the target room but leave Bandit if you see him."

"As you wish." The Russian replied with a knowing grin to his voice. Well aimed shots echoed on the far end of the building, within minutes the announcer went off again.

"Two defenders remaining!"

"Come out little rabbit, I know you're up here." Blitz called again, taking his corner's carefully and checking the doorways incase he was dealing with any type of explosives. His answer was a flash bang rolling towards him out of a side room, he quickly brought up his shield as it went off. The ringing got to him but a flash of movement from the corner of his eye had him shifting his weight and shield, vibrations against it told him he had reacted just in time to avoid any major damage but a sting to his lower right calf alerted him to just how close that encounter had been. He glanced through the window on his shield and saw Kapkan holding up a C4, ready to toss it with a glint of amusement in his honey brown eyes locked onto the German's own brown eyes. His heart sank for a moment before a shot whizzed by and tagged Kapkan just above his protective covering, staggering the large man back a few steps. Elias took the change and shot the C4 in his hand, causing powered chalk to coat the area and took the man down with it. He silently thanked Glaz for the shot taken and remained quiet as he moved back down the stairs, all surprise lost upstairs with the battle.

"One defender remaining, One minute remaining in the scenario!"

Now or never Elias! Move!

He did just that, rushing the last stretch and bashing through the boarded up door closest to him. Without hesitation he pressed the button in his grip and flashed the room, hearing a grunt of surprise and a angry curse to his left he immediately turned and shot only to find the spot empty. What happened? He heard the noise but no one was there. He took a careful glance around the room, no where to hide. Rook laid across the room with a chalk mark center of his face plate near an opened door with splintered wood laying around. "Dom ran?" Blitz mumbled to himself in disbelief. The defender would never run off site if this was a real mission, but Bandit had completely left the training area more than once out of annoyance or pure boredom. "Bandit! I'm not playing hide and seek with you mein liebling! (my darling)" He half joked with a serious tone.

When no answer came he figured the man had gotten bored with the training simulation, wouldn't be the first time he let the clock run. He worked on setting the diffuser down but didn't notice the C4 charge set near by until the ringing officially left his ears. He didn't run, it was a distraction. White filled his vision as it exploded. He landed flat on his back, coughing from the dust.

"Defenders win!"

The announcement above rang out, the defenders had won and attackers lost. He sat up and glanced at Bandit who came back into the room, he could see the smirk the man wore behind his balaclava. Oh what Blitz wouldn't give to wipe it off his face right now, but he had to admit that was a nice play on tactic's. The German had used the effects of Kapkan's flash bang against him to hide the beeping of the C4.

I got cocky and he used that to his advantage.

All of the inside operators filtered out of the training building so the next group could start their run. Elias gave praise where it was due, but ignored Bandit as pay back. Of course he didn't like that at all and of course Blitz didn't care, at least he didn't show that he secretly did on the outside. He headed for the locker room to change out of his gear, taking his time so only him and Bandit was left. "You really fucked up out there, out played by yours truly. I'm surprised really, you aren't usually that sloppy. Or maybe you went soft on me? I'm pretty sure that was it, am I right mein liebling?(my dear)" Dominic mused as he came up behind Elias who was sitting on a bench, placing his rough hands on his shoulders. "My poor little Eli', not wanting to hurt me even for training. I truly am touched."Elias couldn't help the smirk that tugged at his lips, releasing a chuckle from his chest. "After all of that... How can you still be so idiotically charming.""I'm just good at what I do." "You really are Dom, you really are." He replied, glancing up at his boyfriend who placed a soft kiss to his forehead. Earning a soft smile from Elias. "But, you're my charming idiot."

#rainbow six siege #Blitz #Bandit #Glaz #Kapkan #Buck #Finka #Mozzie #Rook #Ace #Echo #Fanfic #Request

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georgefancys · 5 years ago

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police violence and propaganda in ITV’s Endeavour

“That’s not what my dad says... he says you’re all bastards.” - Tommy Cork, Endeavour, ‘Neverland’.

- first of all, I’m white, so if any black people or other poc want to weigh in, please please do. this isn’t going to be a post about race specifically (mostly because there’s barely anything to talk about, Russell Lewis loves him some white characters) but obviously since a hugely disproportionate amount of police violence in real life is towards black people, that has to be a part of the conversation.

- second of all, all cops are bastards. yes, in the uk too.

- it’s not like i’ve seen anyone in the fandom defending fictional police officers or anything (unlike, say, some people in the brooklyn 99 fandom), so this isn’t a response to anything i’ve seen, but if we’re all going to be stanning a cop show i think this needs to be addressed.

- i’m not any kind of expert, i’m just taking information i’ve learnt elsewhere and applying it to Endeavour.

- i’m very willing to debate on stuff, but read the whole post before you do.

Police corruption

so, the overarching plot in Endeavour, from the pilot to the season 6 finale, is police corruption. However, the corrupting influence is not the police force itself. Instead, it’s the Freemasons, a “secret” society. All the corrupt police officers in Endeavour, from ACC Deare to DS Chard to DS Lott are either Masons themselves, have Masonic connections, or are being bribed/blackmailed by Masons. The point of the corruption plotline is that the police are not corrupt themselves, it’s an external influence that is causing the police force problems. Our main characters are the good police officers!! They hate corruption!!

Fred Thursday

Fred Thursday is a narrative foil for Morse. His family life is a reflection of what Morse doesn’t have. This is a large part of season 1, mostly in Fugue and Home. However, he also does morally ambiguous things that Morse doesn’t agree with. For example, in the season 1 episode Rocket, Thursday is xenophobic towards a German engineer, which Morse is vocal about disagreeing with. We the viewers aren’t supposed to agree with Thursday about this, but there’s never a point where Thursday goes ‘oh yeah I probably shouldn’t hate this German dude who obviously isn’t a nazi’. He keeps his views, and this is never addressed again.

In the season 5 episode Quartet, Thursday covers up for a woman who pushed her abusive husband down the stairs, saying that he must have tripped. Morse also vocally disagrees with this. However, I think the writer intended Thursday’s actions here to be more sympathetic. Which yeah, fair enough, right? The wife doesn’t deserve to go to jail for defending herself. But the problem here is Thursday’s interpretation of justice. At no point, even after seeing evidence of domestic abuse towards the wife twice (and it’s implied that there was more that occurred prior to the episode that he knew about) does he arrest or question the husband. He thinks that because the husband died, that’s justice done. He didn’t actually try to carry out justice using the legal system. And I know that legally domestic abuse can be a tricky thing, especially in the 60s, but Thursday essentially ignores his duty as a police officer to intervene in the obvious domestic abuse situation, and then covers up for the wife. And the line that genuinely bothers me so much, and is what makes me think we’re meant to interpret his actions as good:

Thursday: God was out, he left me in charge

Like, no, Thursday, you’re a police officer and it’s your job to carry out the law, not allow an abuse situation to escalate to the point where the wife is forced to kill her husband in self-defence and then lie about it. And i’m positive that this was a quote featured on the official Endeavour Twitter page when the episode aired, so I think we’re meant to be like ‘oh yeah, that’s reasonable’, not ‘uhhhhhh wtf’.

Another, more recent example: season 7. During episode 1, ‘Oracle’, Thursday believes that Carl Sturgis is guilty of the murder of Molly Andrews - his girlfriend - on the towpath. He is questioned. He says he is innocent, and also has an alibi for the murder. Morse believes that Sturgis is innocent; Thursday believes he is guilty.

[SEASON 7 SPOILERS]

Thursday then spends the rest of the season following Sturgis around, trying to find evidence that he’s the towpath killer. Morse finds out about this and tells him to stop. He doesn’t stop. A different man is caught in the act at the towpath, and after being chased by a group of young women, is hit by a car and dies. It’s decided that he was the towpath killer.

Then, Strange searches a house that turns out to be owned by Sturgis. During this search, Strange finds a kidnapped woman, Jenny Tate, in an upstairs room. It turns out that Sturgis did kill Molly Andrews, and all of the other young women at the towpath, and that the man who died at the towpath was a copycat killer. Thursday’s actions here - stalking Carl Sturgis - are justified by the narrative because Sturgis was guilty all along, despite there being evidence to the contrary, and lawfully Thursday should not have been pursuing Sturgis after he was released from police custody.

But the worst thing Thursday does is literal police violence - and on quite a few occasions.

The “Good” Police officers

Now, I’m going to talk about two instances within the show where Thursday uses unlawful violence, and people within the CID cover up for him.

1. Coda.

(disclaimer: i haven’t watched this episode in ages, so if i get a fact wrong i’m sorry but i know the general gist is right)

Thursday is interrogating Bernie Waters, a young man with connections to the Matthews gang. He wants information about... something, I think it might be regarding a possible power struggle within the gang, or a crime somewhere. Morse is waiting outside, unaware of what Thursday is doing. He goes into the warehouse where Thursday and Waters are, to find Thursday... it’s unclear what he’s doing, honestly, the scene is framed so we can’t see properly, but it’s enough to cause Waters pain, and when Thursday lets go, Waters is bending over and breathing heavily.

Now, Morse doesn’t agree with this, and tells Thursday so. Morse: ‘I don’t remember anything about that in the Sergeant’s training manual’. He knows that Thursday isn’t above iffy conduct (he punches Teddy Samuels in the face in the pilot, and pays a newspaper salesman for information in Home). But in the end, out of loyalty to Thursday, Morse doesn’t mention it to Bright. (Similarly, in the pilot, Morse is outright asked by the CS if Thursday punched Samuels, and Morse says no, he didn’t.) Thursday gets away with it.

So, Morse is the so called “good” police officer. Telling Thursday he doesn’t agree with his methods isn’t going to get him to stop. He’s the one who people say, oh, but he doesn’t commit acts of violence towards members of the public. He just turns a blind eye to the officers that do do that.

And I don’t care that Waters is a criminal, or has connections to this gang. Police officers don’t beat up people so they give up information. That isn’t lawful.

2. Prey.

I had a conversation with another member of the fandom about this recently, and we both agreed that it really bothered us. For a large portion of the episode, the CID has in custody Mr Hodges, a park warden who offered a lift to Ingrid Hjort, a missing young woman. He’s also implicated in a similar case from around a year ago, in which a woman was sexually assaulted and left in a coma. He’s in custody for much of the episode, constantly changing his story about Hjort, but maintaining that they can’t prove his guilt. In a search of his property, Strange finds underwear belonging to the woman from a year ago, which would prove his guilt in that case. However, before Strange can return and present this evidence, Morse and Thursday are questioning Hodges again. Hodges says ‘I didn’t do it, and you can’t prove that I did’, while leering at Thursday. Thursday says ‘Can’t prove it, he says’, stands up and starts beating Hodges.

Again, this isn’t presented as a good thing. Morse attempts to pull Thursday off Hodges, and afterwards CS Bright yells at him, saying they’d just received evidence from Strange.

However, a plotline in this season is a bullet in Thursday’s lung, left from when he was shot at the end of the previous season’s finale, Neverland. This causes him pain and frequent coughing fits. And, you know, he’s dealing with a lot at home, like his son saying he wants to join the army. Bright understands this. Thursday is under a lot of pressure.

Then, Bright tells Thursday that he will write in his report that Hodges fell down the stairs on the way back to his cell.

So this time, instead of having a junior officer showing loyalty by not reporting an incident, we have a senior officer lying to protect his subordinate. And again, it’s framed like Bright is proving his loyalty to Thursday, but... police officers should not beat up people they’re questioning. Like Bright said, they had just gathered enough evidence to charge Hodges, so this was unnecessary.

Other incidents of note

There’s a lot to talk about in Inspector Morse and Lewis too, but I’m not going to elaborate on them in this post. If you want me to, drop me a reply or DM and I will. These include:

- Morse lying about his identity in order to gain entry to a suspect’s college rooms (Inspector Morse, ‘The Dead of Jericho’)

- Morse and Lewis entering a possible suspect’s flat without a warrant (Inspector Morse, ‘Last Seen Wearing’)

- Lewis entering a member of the public’s house and threatening her child by shouting in his face and grabbing his arms (Lewis, ‘Expiation’. This is called out in the episode by CS Innocent, however she doesn’t actually punish him in any way, and it’s framed as if Lewis’s actions were perfectly reasonable because the child was withholding information. It’s also worth noting that this child is black.)

- Hathaway threatening a teenager after he possibly is lying during a murder investigation (Lewis, ‘Intelligent Design’. The teenager commits suicide soon after, and it’s strongly implied that while the threats weren’t the sole cause of him killing himself, they were the breaking point for him.)

- Lewis and Hathaway hounding a suspect for the entirety of an episode despite him not being guilty of anything (Lewis, ‘The Mind Has Mountains’)

- Edit: Morse lying about a woman's involvement in several murders in order to get her a lesser sentence (Inspector Morse, 'Service of All the Dead')

General points

Often in police shows, the police officers commit actions which, while illegal, are framed within the show as being necessary evils. For example, two detectives have strong reason to believe a suspect is guilty. Instead of obtaining a search warrant, they enter the suspect’s house without one and search the place for evidence. They end up finding evidence that the suspect is guilty. Despite the fact that the detectives broke the law by illegally searching the house, they are justified by the fact that they found enough evidence to prosecute the guilty person. We, the viewers, are meant to find these illegal actions reasonable because they ultimately lead to justice being served; the ends justify the means. Well, no. In the case of police officers breaking the law, they don’t.

Conclusion

Endeavour is hardly the worst example of ‘copaganda’, i.e. propaganda specifically designed to paint the police force in a positive, rosy light. It’s set in the 1960s, it isn’t relevant in the 21st century. Nevertheless, I believe that any show where the main characters are police officers is a form of copaganda, even if unintentionally. We are meant to side with the protagonist in any media (unless they’re an antihero, which is not the case in Endeavour). In Endeavour, the protagonist is Morse, who is a police officer. The majority of the main characters are also police officers. No matter how morally grey Thursday is painted as, he is still a protagonist.

I’m not saying we should stop watching Endeavour. It’s one of my favourite shows. But, when a show incorporates police officer characters and police violence, we need to think critically about it. We need to challenge the ideas put forwards in the show instead of just accepting them. Yes, there are more important things to be worrying about right now, but I wanted to make this post because the murder of George Floyd and the ongoing riots in Minneapolis made me consider the implications of television shows which paint the police force as the good guys, because we live in a world where the police force are not the good guys. And when our media is telling us that they are, we need to stop, take a step back, and think about why that is.

Resources:

Official George Floyd memorial fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

Minnesota Freedom Fund (raising money to pay bail for those arrested in the Minnesota riots): https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/donate

Change.org petitions to hold the police officer who murdered George Floyd accountable: https://www.change.org/p/mayor-jacob-frey-justice-for-george-floyd?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_22414602_en-US%3Av4&recruited_by_id=2b2e5010-a181-11ea-8693-a9223455fd7b&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=psf_combo_share_initial

https://www.change.org/p/minneapolis-police-dept-hold-minneapolis-police-accountable-for-killing-george-floyd-as-he-begs-don-t-kill-me

Black Lives Matter website: https://blacklivesmatter.com/

A report of the independent review of deaths and serious incidents in police custody. This is very long, and even so only a general overview, but I would recommend Trends in deaths in police custody and suicides following police custody and section 13, Police Misconduct: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/655401/Report_of_Angiolini_Review_ISBN_Accessible.pdf

Some graphs showing deaths in police custody in England and Wales over the past decade: https://www.inquest.org.uk/deaths-in-police-custody

Article about increase in deaths in police custody in the UK: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/police-custody-deaths-uk-latest-increase-2017-a8462616.html

#endeavour #itv endeavour #lewis #itv lewis #inspector lewis #inspector morse #itv inspector morse #endeavour morse #fred thursday #robbie lewis #robert lewis #james hathaway

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lilacyennefer · 5 years ago

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How to Disappear

A/N: I was listening to Lana Del Rey and the song ‘How to Disappear’ came on and I got this inspiration for a short Jax story, so here it is, and I hope you guy will like it, and feedback is greatly appreciated!!

TW: language, violence, a bit of sadness

" Joe met me down at the training yard Cuts on his face 'cause he fought too hard I know he's in over his head But I love that man like nobody can “

You’re waiting at the Teller-Morrow for Jax and the others to come back. You got here from work to meet with Jax, only finding Gemma here telling you that they had an important business to take care of. She asked if you’d wait for them and you told her of course you would. You finally hear the sounds of the motorcycles and Jax and the boys park their bikes. You get up from the bench you’ve been sitting at and start walking towards them, and when you get closer you see Jax’s shirt covered in blood and his face full of with cuts and bruises. You immediately got worried, and you cup his face in your hands to check his injuries. It’s not as bad as you first thought, there’s a cut on his lip, a bruise on his cheek and another cut on his eyebrows. Out of the tree injuries the cut on his eyebrow is definitely the worst, it’ll need stitches. Jax sees your worried expression and he puts his hands on the top of yours, and tells you that he’s okay. You nod, but you tell him he needs stitches. You’re a nurse, and being a nurse around the club always comes in handy. You walk with him to the club house to take care of him and the rest of the Sons.

“ Cry on his shoulder 'cause life is hard The waves came in over my head What you been up to, my baby? I haven't seen you 'round here lately “

Since weeks Jax is busy with club business and he always comes home with new cuts, bruises and sometimes even with wounds caused by bullets. You can’t help but feel really worried about him, can’t stop thinking about what if he’ll never come home back to you and your son. You’re sitting on the floor in front of your bed what you share with him, in the house you share together. You’re smoking a cigarette, a bad habit you only do now when you’re really nervous, and you’re crying. You’re crying for your husband, the father of your son, and for your future as a family. You hear the front door open and you know it’s him who came home. He walks into the bedroom and sees you immediately. You look up to him, no new injuries this time. He has a frown on his handsome face as he sees your eyes red and puffy from the crying. He sits down next to you, his scent fills your lungs immediately, and you feel yourself relax a tiny bit. Tonight, he’s here, he’s fine. That’s a little bit of victory. You lean your head on his shoulder and keep crying, you can’t stop yet, you have to release the stress of what the last few weeks caused. He wraps an arm around your shoulder, bringing you close to him, letting you cry on his shoulder. He knows why you’re crying, and he feels guilty. You knew what this life was about when you got together with Jax, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t worry about him and his safety. He kisses your forehead gently, whispering calming words to you, telling you that everything will be fine. You believe him.

“ Now it's been years since I left New York And I've got a kid and two cats in the yard The California sun and the movie stars And I watched the skies getting light as I write “

You met with Jax 6 years ago when you came to California from New York. You got a job offer from a hospital in a small town and you always wanted to live in California, you always thought that it’s the promise land, with movie starts and never ending sunshine. You were right about the sunshine, but instead of movie stars you found a motorcycle club, and before you could realise you were in love with the VP of the club. First, it started as a hookup, you thought it was fun and dangerous, and Jax was incredible in bed. But you fell in love with him, and later he revealed that he feels the same. The two of you made it official, then later you got married in Las Vegas when the two of you visited it for a weekend. It was an impulsive decision, but the two of you were still very young, and in love. Years later you got pregnant, it was unexpected, but you decided to keep it. Jax was really scared at first, so were you, none of you were ready to become parents, but how months passed, and when Jax felt his son move in your belly for the first time, his worries got replaced by excitement. Your son Thomas was born months later and the two of you were the happiest.

“ As I think about those years As I whisper in your ear I'm always gon' to be right here No one's going anywhere “

It’s almost 4am and you still sit in front of your bed on the floor with Jax. He asked you if you remember when the two of you met for the first time. You nod, of course you do. He tells you how he immediately knew his life would change. He immediately knew that you’re the one for him. He keeps whispering in your ear, telling you how grateful he is to have you, and that you gave him a beautiful son. He tells you that everything is okay now. He fixed everything, and he’s safe now, you’re safe and your son is safe too. You nod, and you whisper ‘I love you Jackson’, he kisses your forehead again, and he tells you he loves you too. He leans closer to you, forehead touching yours as he whispers “I'm always gon' to be right here, I’m not going anywhere.”

Tag list: @harrysthiccthighss

#Charlie Hunnam #Jax Teller #jax teller x reader #jax teller fanfiction

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akimmito · 4 years ago

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Heroes are made by the path they choose

First | Previous | AO3 | Next

Master List

Chapter 11

It's not the MT

Silent Hill: Nightwing and Robin have gone to Paris.

It’s a Nara: Do you know their motives? We are not aware of any crime or related crime network between Gotham and Paris

Silent Hill: Red Hood told them about the MT

Almost pretty: Corvus should pay him a visit and shoot him in the knee

Three balls: with real bullets

Plasticine: or a rocket launcher

Wild goat: Can I go? So I can test my confetti grenades

Silent Hill: I think that sense of humor fits in well with Gotham

Needle: With the rogues

Olive: I totally approve of any kind of aggression against the nosy man

Great mother: If you do something illegal, make sure no one knows it was you

Almost pretty: the boss has spoken

Divine gift: It’s my duty to remind you that you must be investigating, if the foreign watchers have affairs with us, we will know in due course. Let's not do anything rash.

It’s a Nara: He’s right. I'm going to check the security cameras for any sign of them… Is Nightwing wearing his own outfit or did he come as Batman?

Silent Hill: Batman can't leave Gotham

The Antibiotic: Do you think if I get on a roof I can get a Nightwing autograph?

Wild goat: If you get on it, maybe Byakko accidentally shoves you into the void

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

Marinette sighs as she watches the group chat, foreign vigilantes while she and Felix have plans to get out of Paris, just wonderful, but she can't stop to think about it. She must first speak to Damian and then prepare for her travel.

She's heading towards her son's room, she can hear the little barking of the puppies as she gets closer. Adult dogs are used to sleeping in a room set up for them, except for Ícaro, the Australian Shepherd, who likes to sleep with Damian when he visits (which means that there will now be five dogs in that room, alongside Picatso, Dafne prefers to sleep with she). She knocks on the door and before long, he opens it, wearing only his pajama bottoms because his shirt is being used as a bed by Ringo.

"Is something wrong, mother?" Damian opens the door completely for her to enter, ignoring, for the moment, his previous fight against the cubs for his kidnapped shirt.

"Yeah... Tomorrow I will go on a trip with Felix, we will go to Turkey."

"Why?"

"Oh well, it's... there's a prodigy in Turkey and it seems like a demon wants it, so we'll find it before it becomes a problem." She explains, she was about to tell him about John, but with her out of the country, there was nothing to prevent him from discovering his identity and she doesn't know what could happen for his small Machiavellian head.

Marinette loves her child, but she can't quite predict it right now. Luka, a divine gift for her, explained that Damian doesn't want to be taken away from her and that he fears that someone external can achieve it, that he desperately clings to the only person who loves him for what he is and that if they take him away from him add more weight, separate he from his new family; that she represents his whole world. He also explained that it will take a while for him to get used to receiving people outside the MT, especially if they seem to show interest in she and that after Michel Laforet, well, the boy doesn't have a good impression of men. Although he showed bewilderment about his reaction for his two new clients, since he was openly hostile and he could not give him a definitive answer, but that he would analyze his behavior to help him go through the process he's living.

"I see... why don't you take me, mother? Am I not good enough to accompany you on your missions?" She sighs to see his hurt look and sits on the sofa in the room, inviting him to sit next to her, he immediately obeys and sits down, allowing himself to be embraced by his mother.

"It has nothing to do with anyone's abilities, if it did, it will lead other team members not only to Felix." She explains, beginning to pat her son's head, looking up at the ceiling as she decides to explain herself better and be totally honest with Damian. "When I founded the MT, I had been working alone with Felix for a while we were looking for evidence to convict Gabriel Agreste once and for all, we found so many charges that the prosecution would have a field day in the case... so that our victory was bitter because someone stole the butterfly brooch..."

"Mother, why are you telling me that? I know the story. ”He interrupts, not understanding Marinette's intentions.

"I know, you know the origin, but not the process." She responds with a nostalgic smile. "We spent half a year locked up cursing the person who dared to steal the Miraculous and realized that, as heroes, we could not hunt it without attracting attention... Hence the first idea of the MT arose and we founded it officially a week after the last Gabriel's trial, along with Kagami and Tomoe, who joined Luka soon after. Adrien decided not to be an active part of everything, but he became an unofficial member a year later because of his desire to find Nathalie's murderer, becoming an informant and investigator, everything that we could not take, he did it by getting a job modeling in the city where I was supposed to go. "

Damian did not know that, he believed that Agreste was affiliated with the MT just because he was previously one of the heroes, but, considering that not all the old Miraculous wearers are related, he should have considered another possibility (especially since the old wearers still wield a prodigy and he doesn't). He credits him for his commitment and intelligence to have a reason to go to those places, that also explains why he has been modeling for so many brands (some very strange ones like a brand of sardines with yellow peppers, he still remembers the jokes in the chat about his sardine costume).

"After we had an initial team in place, we started building our local network and expanding it using my grandmother Gina's connections, before long we were up and running and took Tomoe's recommendation to build a stronger team, in part for our work and so that the prodigies would have more places to be transferred… Each person who associates with the MT and proves to be loyal, receives the tattoo of the guardians. "Damian goes away to see his mother, that is something that he didn't know, why? "That is why everyone knows magic, although not everyone is compatible..."

"Why don't I have it?"

"Because I wanted you to have options, not because you are my son and part of the MT means that you must bear that responsibility. I took you out of an organization where you were against your will… I wasn't going to put you in another, that's why we didn't introduce you to training until you asked for it. "Damian doesn't know what to say, is she taking his decisions into consideration? Does he want to be part of it in the same way as the others? He doesn't know, because he doesn't know what it means to be a guardian, but if he ask, his mother is sure to explain and give him all the time he need to make a decision.

"Why are you telling me now?" It's the only thing he can ask, he doesn't understand how conversation came to that.

"Because it's one of the reasons I am not taking you to Turkey." He understands, that is a job for them as guardians and he's not one, it should be obvious, but he still feels displaced. "The other is directly related to the history of the MT... I learned to work with Felix, we both know what to do and we don't stop, we create our own system over the years. We have had our difficulties, like four years ago in Liverpool, but here we are... And we just need to learn to coordinate us, for you. "

Marinette draws him back into her hug, this time placing a kiss on his head.

"What is the reason for the nicknames in the chat?"The question surprises Marinette, he was complaining about it, especially since his is Olive.

"Protect the identities of informants affiliated with the MT, that is, those who received a tattoo, but who are not part of the official registry."

"Is your lover one of those?"

Marinette smiles in amusement, of course her child would start tying up dots. Taking into account that they are traveling almost unexpectedly (he knows when it's so and it not a planned one, because she would have warned him in time) and for that to happen he must have found out very recently, that is, the day before and that day was see to John.

"Yup... And I won't tell you what his code name is." He just clicks his tongue, there are four users whose identity he doesn't know: God Shit, Not in Hell, Guardian Angel and Silent Hill. It could be any one of them, but he's noticed that Silent Hill maybe a girl, so he dismisses it. Returning to the users, only one is active, the others have not spoken to date, despite the fact that they are registered and that makes it more difficult... especially since man is related to magic, the occult and those things, hardly he can dismiss one and only because he's sure Guardian Angel is too bright for someone he know deals with demons, leaving him with the last two.

"I'll find out eventually. "He declares and Marinette knows it's true, one way or another he will. She hoped that didn't imply any international problem, considering that John lives in England.

"I know." She hugs him tighter before releasing him. "I wish it lasted longer, but I have to finish packing... Rest, Damian. I will come in the morning to say goodbye, I love you. "

Marinette gets up, but not before leaving another kiss on her son's head and then leaving the room.

Damian watches her go and his head begins to form a plan to take advantage of his mother's departure.

He will find the lover and question him (he will also threaten him a lot).

----------

Marie L. @MarieLenoir

It's always a pleasure to contribute to a good cause. Istanbul wait for us.

Chloe B. @BourgeoisQueen

I also want to travel, how unfair it's to be trapped in Paris

Dick Grayson @TheFlyingGrayson

The vigilantes of this city feel very happy or maybe Batman is too gloomy

Roy @RoyHarperQ

@TheFlyingGrayson Probably, although Green Arrow can be very gloomy when he wants

Jason @IAmYisus_XD

@TheFylingGrayson yes, well, it's that Batman is the living reflection of Gotham... gloomy and a piece of shit

-------

Damian gets up early and rushes into his mother's room to get Plagg out and talk to him, the night before he placed an order for various types of gourmet cheeses and his beloved Camembert cheese (specifically Camembert from Normandy), to please the more exotic tastes of the little god (especially since he has money that he doesn't use and has been accumulating for too long and this was a strategic move for information).

He takes him to his room, Longg is already awake and looks at him without much surprise, deciding to ignore the situation, knowing that he's a boy on a mission, the best thing to do is wait and advise him in a timely manner.

"Plagg, I need you to tell me the name of my mother's lover."

"Boy, as much as you want to say it, I won't betray... What's that?" The little cat asks noticing that the computer screen is on a website that he knows well, that's where Marinette asks for some cheese on occasion.

"That is the cheese order I made for you, if you tell me the name, of course, otherwise, I will cancel... All those cheeses that mother only allows you to eat once every three months, lost by a man." Damian smiles when he sees the excitement shining in Plagg's green eyes, he is sure he will say him.

"Did you ask for Camembert?"

"The original, Camembert of Normandy. "

Plagg is in conflict, so many delicious cheeses at his fingertips.

"When you get back from Turkey, they'll be here waiting for you." Damian keeps pushing for the name, he needs to know it, and besides Felix, Plagg is the only one who knows him and the little god is easier to convince. "You just have to give me a name. "

"FINE! Don't torture me, boy. "

"So?"

"John Constantine, blond, out of the same hell. You will recognize him immediately, he never quits the damn cigarette. I don't know how Marinette enjoys being with him, it's all the unpleasantness of humans combined in the same man. ”Plagg says wearily. "I better see those cheeses when I get back or I'll cry with Marinette about how cruel you were to me. "

"I think we all know that's impossible." Longg intervenes from his location, away from both of them. He watches with a little amusement the interaction of both, he knows that to obtain that Plagg decides to cooperate normally requires less moral methods. "It would be more credible that you were cruel to my dragon. "

"I can use blackmail, however, you're warned, boy. I can also cause nightmares. ”Plagg leaves the room to give his warning, returning to Marinette.

Damian smiles and goes back to bed satisfied, waiting for his mother to say goodbye and to plan how he will get to that man to talk. He pulls out his phone and starts checking group chats, Not the MT is always one of the most active, although Let's save Adrien is also usually enough active when they plan crazy and ridiculous ways to get rid of Lila Rossi, Adrien's wife. Among the most extreme forms is sending her to hell or offering her as a sacrifice to some ancient god in America, although he knows that they will not do that, because only his mother can and she doesn't approve (she also scared them telling her about how everything can go wrong and condemn them all to hell, no one ever mentioned it again later.)

After a while finishing reviewing all the conversation that followed about the vigilantes and as the other heroes they know or admire got sidetracked, he leaves his phone aside and lets Picatso jump on him purring happy to be petted, the puppies seem they share the idea and they also get into bed... the best they can, although their jumping skills leave a lot to be desired, at least they are creative dogs.

Several minutes later, after feeling sorry for Ringo and putting him to bed, Marinette, completely groomed, gives him a funny but affectionate look before fully entering and sitting on the bed.

"Felix will be here soon, do you want to have breakfast with me before I leave?"

"Of course, mother."

She smiles and takes Titus in her arms to carry him with her, Damian takes Ringo when he gets up and Milo jumps out of bed to go after them, with Picatso following close behind. Ícaro continues sleeping.

-----

Bruce Wayne is Batman

I can jump from eighth floor and survive: Who changed the name of the chat?

I'll rest when I die: The same one that changed our names ... at least it's right

Hell rejected me : I think it gives us more personality than our names

I can jump from eighth floor and survive: Ok?

I can jump from eighth floor and survive: So! Since we will spend several days in Paris, I thought it would be good to wait a little to see the routes without them knowing about our presence

Hell rejected me: So yeah you are going to show up

I’ll rest when I die: It seems so, although from what I discovered patrols take turns in pairs or trios, last night only the sighting of Byakko and Genbu was recorded.

I’ll rest when I die: And last night it was Pyxis and Caelum

Nothing escapes me: They must have a very well protected base of operations, perhaps magic, I identified a network that connects all of Paris, but not the source

Nothing escapes me: I deciphered the accessible code, but it's incomplete. I don't think I can go any further

I can jump from eighth floor and survive: That only tells us how competent they are, I think we can get to know them and not meddle more in their affairs

Hell rejected me: Considering that all your interest is sexual, yep it's posible

I'm not Batman: What are you talking about?

--------

Max is not usually frustrated much, he has had to develop his patience and mental strength to solve the problems he encounters, but among the attempt to find the source of the MT by an unknown hacker (although if he must guess it must be related to the bats) and appreciates the magical defenses that only allow just a bit to crack all the code, just the general parts that don't show anything from the entire system. Of course, he could hack back and issue fixed, preventing him from trying again, but his priority is developing a new algorithm for butterfly detection, the old one was unfortunate when tested with one of Duusu's feathers (being that they share the same characteristics).

He has not slept the last twenty-four hours and is beginning to resent, but he must wait for Marc's arrival to be able to drop into one of the beds at the base for a little nap, if someone else comes with him, much better, so they can check all manual while he rests.

With Marinette and Felix going on a trip, it's inevitable that the leadership will fall into the hands of Chloe, who seems ready to go to war at the first hint of the butterfly (also Kagami, but she's leaving more ready to go on a murder mission).

This is not how he thought everything would go, they had seven years of preparation and at the moment of truth, none of them really knows which direction to take. Marinette and Felix are very determined to analyze the whole situation from a general perspective, looking at each variable and, while he agree, most of the team seems to want to just go after the thief and take away the jewel, without fully considering that this new villain's way of acting is much more lethal, his Akuma are well thought out to generate problems for them if they make any mistakes, as happened with the last attack if it wasn't for the second chance they would have lost (Luka explained what happened).

"Good morning..." Marc comes in yawning, his hair totally disheveled and still wearing his pajama bottoms, but with a dark blue sweatshirt on. He decided to sleep at the headquarters the night before to facilitate his arrival, in the same way Luka and Alix, because their work schedules allow it (advantages of being their own boss).

"Good morning, today you can dedicate yourself to review the surveillance cameras... although so far none have caught the butterfly."

"Okay, I'll check."

"I'll leave you then, I'll go to sleep... will you wake me up when breakfast is served?" Max gets up from his chair and feels his bones creak with movement, resentful at his disuse.

"Sure." He smiles sleepily and adjusts himself to the vacant post, ready to manually check each camera, starting with the ones closest to the last Akuma and starting to rewind to, perhaps, identify something.

He spends about three hours like this, watching the video tapes of at least four cameras from where the Akuma originated, noting that the butterfly is arriving and then the giant rhomb is present, but when he looks for the route... he only loses it, as if it had just appeared near the victim's residence.

There are multiple cameras in that area, but there are still blind points, if someone knows the exact location, they should be able to position themselves in those places. Could it be that the new villain was close to his future victim? Will he live there or did he decide to run to the place? If it's the latter, it makes him bolder than Gabriel, that's for sure, but it should make him more sloppy and still they are unable to find a clue.

According to Max, who was reviewing footage, the first Akuma came out of nowhere. No camera records the butterfly that should have come from somewhere.

So for him there are only two viable alternatives and neither is positive for his research.

Still, the possibilities are various and he can only guess the villain's line of thought.

#dickinette #dick x marinette #ml x dc #maribat #Damian & Marinette #mominette #au ml

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neon-caskets · 5 years ago

Text

Onwards and upwards

A Billy/Four x reader from the film 6 Underground.

After your boyfriend’s death, you try to move on, try to cope. Such a big change in your life left you in a bad place, but there’s another change one night when you receive a very unexpected visit.

TW// Blood/injuries, cursing, mentions of death, angst, depression/grieving process

(Y/n = Your Name)

2,939 words

The funeral was, in a word, bleak. Six people showed up, including you. Two of them left before the end, not because they couldn’t face it, but because a nearby pub was showing the football on television and the pair didn’t want to miss it. His mother sobbed hysterically. The only one comforting her was you, but she was broken in a different way; she lost a son, you lost your lover. Two men dressed in black, hidden behind sunglasses, ducked beneath umbrellas, watched from a distance. You thought it odd that they’d wear sunglasses on a cloudy day, but your mind was too busy elsewhere to care all that much. It rained too. Nonstop. Yes, bleak was the word.

You were well into the grieving process too. The denial came first. You were at work when you got the call. It was from his crew, the other skywalkers, parkour lovers, thieves, people you’d grown close to over the years. They had been on a job in Kyiv, looking for a diamond necklace, the Kalahari, worth fifty million dollars. And he didn’t make it. Police showed up and shot at the team, taking down a few. Your boyfriend fell seven stories onto solid concrete and his body was never found. At first, you didn’t believe it. You got the call at work, teaching languages at a local high school. And of all the twenty languages you had dedicated your life to learning, not one had the words to express what you felt. You didn’t believe them. He was talented, skilled, thieving his whole life. He was your skywalker. But his friends were serious. Billy was dead.

That took you to anger as they told you what happened. The members of the team who weren’t shot on sight ran, leaping across rooftops, racing over scaffolding, jumping through windows. Billy lost his footing. He had the Kalahari between his teeth and the ledge of a rooftop under his fingertips. Instead of helping him, a girl in the group grabbed the necklace, and Billy fell seven stories to his death as the others escaped. She left him. She took the necklace instead of his hand. With a fifty million dollar necklace, it’s easy to disappear and protect yourself, which was lucky for this girl, because if you knew where she was and had the means of doing so, you’d hurt her in ways she never knew possible. Because she left him to die.

But you didn’t know where she was, didn’t have the means of getting your revenge and releasing your anger. So you bargained. Your mind was polluted with ‘what if’ and ‘if only’. ‘If’ became the one word you couldn’t get out of your head. What if he hadn’t lost his footing on the roof? What if the cops shot the girl who left him, instead of shooting someone else? What if he never found the necklace? What if he never went to Kyiv in the first place? But none of that mattered now. Did anything matter now?

The numbness was depression. It crept in somewhere around the first ‘what if’. It didn’t leave for a very long time. The days spent lying motionless on the sofa melted into months. You hadn’t been at work since his death. You just lay here from sunrise to sunset. Immobile. When the TV in what was once your poky shared flat wasn’t off, it was on the news. You didn’t care about the car chase and gunfight in Florence when it was reported. Didn’t move to watch Turgistan’s evil dictator being overthrown a couple of months ago. Everything felt heavy to you.

It was almost one year since his death, but step five of grief, acceptance, wasn’t coming to you. His birthday was tomorrow. You had a cake, a tiny thing, but Billy was never one for massive shows. It was barely the size of your hand, fit one candle comfortably, and was sitting in your kitchen, serving as a reminder than the man you loved was gone and was never coming back. You’d been trying to move on, really, you had. But everything was sore, like part of you was gone. His pictures were still on the wall. The Polaroid of the two of you that you treasured was still in your purse. His clothes still in their drawers. You were very careful with how often you wore his jumpers and hoodies because you feared that if you washed them too much and too often, the scent of cologne, London’s sky, and Billy would disappear forever. The only thing you changed was the lock on the door to the flat. Something about the only other key to your home that existed being lost in the world unsettled you. Maybe it was the stress and lack of sleep controlling your train of thought.

Lack of sleep... You needed rest. You retired to your bedroom, bare feet cold on the hard wooden floors. The room was not the tidiest. The bed was unmade, but that wasn’t a concern. You trudged past your dresser, the dust gathering on the photo of the pair of you atop a skyscraper when Billy persuaded you to let him try to teach you parkour. Only a few grazes and bruises were sustained that night. He kissed each one tenderly in apology when you got home. He was wholly sorry, forest green eyes glazed with concern when you limped home after the trip. Eyes as pure green as spring evolving into a warm summer. Eyes you’d never get to see flutter open again in the lazy morning when he’d just lay with you, sunlight peeking through your curtains.

You knew you wouldn’t sleep tonight, but your bed was still welcoming when you fell back onto it and closed your eyes. You could still see the last smile he gave you, like a memory seared into your eyelids. You couldn’t tell if that comforted you or killed you inside.

“I can’t believe you persuaded me to let you come to London on this job,” One, the genius billionaire leader of the ghosts, complained to Four. Their mission went badly when Four got distracted by thinking he saw you, and when bad guys started shooting and instead of shooting back, Four ran to protect the girl who he mistook for you. A bullet nicked his cheek, but frankly, he’d have taken all the bullets in the world directly to the chest if it meant protecting you. “We have rules for a reason, Four, and this fuck up proves it. If you’ve been to the city before, you don’t get to go. Two didn’t get to go to Paris on a job-”

“Which is why I see this as a little unfair,” Five added, trying to stop the bleeding of a slash wound to Two’s bicep sustained during the fight in London.

The sound of police sirens wailing stopped the group in their tracks. One and Seven were propping an injured Three between them. Five was trying to help Two, who was mumbling disoriented French to herself after being hit in the head and losing blood through her arm. Four was leading them through alleys and backstreets that he knew like the back of his hand.

“We need to get off the streets. After that little incident back there, we’ve got every cop in London looking for us,” Seven stated, exhausted after the mission gone wrong. “Four, anywhere nearby? We need to get Two and Three patched up quick.”

He recognized where he was. This was the street he used to live in. The street that housed the love of his life and so many thousands of memories with her. The street he left and hadn’t returned to in nearly a year. He didn’t even know if you still lived here.

Four turned to the group and told One, “I’ve got a place, but you won’t like who owns it.”

Police sirens and urgent voices in the distance prompted One to answer faster. “I’m past caring, just get us there.”

He took them to the block of flats that he used to call home, to the flat that at one point was his paradise. He never let go of the key; it was the last tangible thing tying him to you.

The image of Billy’s smile disappeared as you opened your eyes. You heard something scrabbling at your door, muffled curses, frustrated voices. Slowly, your only armor being the last baby blue jumper that Billy wore, legs bare and chilled as you padded barefoot to the door, fear and uncertainty crept in. Billy was always the one to reassure you. He had a confidence about him, a comforting warmth that he exuded. You were just cold now.

There was silence for a moment outside your door. You were barely a few inches from it, head hung back as you prayed the people would leave. It was the middle of the night, for goodness sake.

They knocked. Three brief raps.

The fact that they knocked struck you as odd. You certainly weren’t expecting anyone. Your hand clasped around the door handle, and you opened the door a crack, then all the way.

It was like the day you found out he died. No words in any of the twenty languages you knew could explain what you felt. Only this time, it wasn’t because he was dead, it was because he was standing in front of you.

“Hi, love.”

You staggered back. You couldn’t help it. How? How was this possible? But then it started falling shakily into place. His body wasn’t found. The scrabbling noise? You changed the lock, he still had his old key. He wasn’t able to open the door.

“Y/n, I know,” Billy told you, hushed yet filled with concern and sympathy, and immeasurable guilt. “I know... but can we come in?”

You were silent and stepped aside, eyes not leaving the green of Billy’s, despite the strange sight of the people Billy was with just strolling inside your flat and setting about healing themselves, finding food and water, resting. At least they were polite enough to close the door behind them.

“You’re dead,” Your voice was a painfully quiet stammer. “They told me you died. You fell... you fell seven stories onto concrete... I went to your funeral!”

“I know, Y/n, please listen-”

“How could you do this to me?”

Your words were barely audible, but Billy heard them. He felt absolutely guilt-ridden, heart breaking for what he did. But you didn’t know that in exchange for faking his death and joining a vigilante group, he made sure you were safe and looked after. Those months that you were off work, Billy asked One to make sure your boss kept paying you, since he always remembered how you would complain about your boss, Billy listening intently. When you fell hard into your depression, Billy made sure one made sure the bills were paid. He thought it would mean your safety was guaranteed; something he’d never been able to do before. He watched the funeral too. You did think the two men with sunglasses on in the rain was strange, but looking back, how you didn’t recognize Billy was what was truly strange. The other man who was with him? You turned your head and found One patting Three vigorously on the face back into consciousness. One and Billy were there.

“William. Why?”

William. That’s how he knew he was in trouble. It was always ‘Billy,’ ‘baby,’ or an affectionate ‘sweetheart’. It was never William.

“That,” He pointed to One, “Is a billionaire arsehole named One. He faked his death and started a group of vigilantes trying to make the world a better place. That woman over there, the blonde arguing with your telly in French? That’s Two, but her name is Camille. The dude on your sofa is Javier, or Three. Five is the doctor with the first aid kit, helping Two.”

“Call me Amelia,” Five added as she bandaged Two.

“Seven, Blaine, is the only one with common sense, clearly,” Billy stated as Seven checked all the blinds and windows were closed so that they wouldn’t be spotted by the helicopter that watched London after the ghosts’ incident. “I’m Four.”

You, as much as you were absolutely baffled by the scenario you found yourself in, figured that this little explanation was better than nothing. “Where’s Six?”

“He died on our Florence job,” One chimed in, finding a beer in your fridge and cracking it open.

You didn’t put two and two together, so Billy explained, “Did you watch the news about Florence? Massive car chase? Gunfight?”

It hit you like a ton of bricks. There was news helicopter footage of a man running down the Duomo. You never watched but knew it happened. “That was you?”

“Yeah. We also did Turgistan. Evil dictator was overthrown ‘cause of us.” Billy had a hint of pride in his voice.

You waved your hands slowly, flippantly, to stop him. “Hold on... you let me believe that you died horribly a thousand miles away, so you could join a group of vigilantes?”

“Well when you put it that way it sounds pretty shit-”

Your arms locked around him and you buried your head in the crook of his neck, hands trailing through the curls of blond hair on his head, breathing him in, savoring the feeling of him being back in your arms. “You’re back. You’re back...” You mumbled it like a prayer into his skin, clutching him as sobs wracked your body. The others of the team were too tired to care; they were busying themselves in your kitchen, living room, exploring the flat; they took no notice of you two whatsoever. Billy, however, Billy wrapped you in a tight embrace and held you there, grounding the two of you to the spot. Almost a year of wondering if he made the right decision. Almost a year of wishing he could apologize to you. Almost a year of wanting to feel you in his arms like this again. Almost a year without you, and it drove him mad.

His voice trembled as he whispered so only you’d hear, “I’m so sorry, Y/n. So fucking sorry for what I did to you. I never wanted to hurt you.”

Your voice was quieter than his but just as shaky, “I know, sweetheart, I know... But you’re here now, and that’s all I wanted. The chance to tell you I love you, just once more.”

His arms held you tighter, “I love you too.”

You and Billy sat on the end of your bed as time ticked onwards towards the morning. You patched up his cheek where the bullet grazed him earlier, just about burst into tears when he told you why the mission went bad in the first place, and made small talk about what you’ve both been up to in the last few months. Your stories weren’t quite as action-packed as his.

When the two of you returned to the kitchen to be with the others, you found Camille still slightly dazed, talking to Amelia in French, and Amelia nodded along with not a clue as to what Camille was saying. Being fluent in French, and nineteen other languages, you were happy to translate. This seemed to impress One. He had heard a lot about you, not just from Billy, but from the research he had done. If Billy had been taking the team anywhere else but here to rest up, One would have said no. But it was useful being here. He wanted to have a conversation with you at some point.

Blaine had picked up on the cake with the sad single candle and Billy’s name iced on and was counting down the minutes to morning. You noticed this and grinned, overjoyed, and joined him. Three... Two... One... You lit the candle and brought the cake to Billy, who couldn’t stop grinning. He blew out the candle and the room filled with ‘happy birthdays’ from everyone.

“What’d you wish for, Cuatro?” Javier asked, raising his brows curiously.

Billy smiled at you. The same smile that haunted and comforted you when you closed your eyes when you still thought he was dead. “I got part one of my wish already,” He squeezed your hand across the kitchen counter. “Part two... maybe Y/n would be able to take me back after fucking up in the worst way you can fuck a relationship up?”

Everyone looked at you in anticipation. You nodded, too choked up to speak, and framed Billy’s face gently with your hands, kissing him tenderly. It always felt like the first kiss with him, excited and loving, but this one was more serious, as if every ounce of love for you he possessed was being projected through the action.

When you pulled back, One nodded slowly and finally asked, “Y/n, I’ve been doing some research on you. Fluent in twenty languages, graduated early, got your degree in teaching after a brief stint working as an analyst for, who was it, MI6? Translating in the big leagues looks great on any resume. I’ve got a job opening. We’re always on the move, ghosts don’t tend to stay in one place for very long, but we need someone who can make sure we say the right thing.”

All eyes fell on you. Billy’s hand held yours a little tighter. If you said yes, he’d be over the moon. If you said no, he’d likely quit with the ghosts to be here again; leaving you felt like part of him was across the world and lost.

One continued. “I’ve got a job opening for a number Eight.”

A smile tugged at the corners of your lips.

~~~~Want a part 2 to this? let me know!!!~~~~

#billyxreader #six underground #6 underground #four x reader #ben hardy #angst #fanfiction #fanfic #xreader #death #number eight #eight #four x eight #eight!reader

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faulty-writes · 5 years ago

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[This was a request using an oc fanchild. I do enjoy writing some pieces featuring the children of possible heroes/villains. I tried to make it cute, I hope you enjoy.]

Pairing: Mirio x Fem!Reader

You smiled as you carried your son in your arms, his blond hair bouncing with every step you took. He looked exactly like his father, apart from a few features. He had your eyes and the aspect of your Tanuki quirk which made him have fluffy ears that poked out of the top of his messy blond hair, paws in place of where normal human hands and feet would be, and of course, a tail. Kane or Beans as you enjoyed calling him, was always so excited to see his father, Mirio Togata and you had considered yourself lucky for having married such a wonderful man.

Let alone be the mother to his child, though you and Mirio had struggled with what to do with Beans ever since the accident. Recently a villain attack had left your son with a missing leg, of course, Mirio remained the more optimistic of you two and got your son a metal prosthetic leg, he even customized it with a paw at the end. If anything to match the rest of the paws Beans had so he wouldn’t feel any different. He was still learning to walk with his new leg, which is part of the reason why you tended to carry him everywhere. Not that you minded, he was your son and you loved him endlessly.

“We’re almost there, are you excited to see Daddy?” you questioned, nuzzling your nose into his hair. Your own ears perked up as you held him and your tail, while longer and skinnier than Beans, swayed happily as you approached the doors to your husband’s Agency. You knew he normally got off patrol this time and didn’t hesitate to walk through, a few people greeted you. Mainly the receptionist and the few hero students Mirio kept around. “Hiiiiiii!” your son greeted them back with an enthusiastic paw raised. You chuckled and ruffled your son’s hair. “Save all that energy for your father.” Beans tended to be a little hyperactive and it was almost amusing to watch Mirio try to keep up with him.

“Okay!” he replied, wiggling just a bit in your arms as you walked down the hallway toward Mirio’s office, you politely knocked before walking in. “Hi there, sunshine!” your husband greeted, still dressed in his hero attire. Yellow mask, red cape and all before he spotted Beans, “Hey! There’s my little guy!” he said as he jumped up from his desk but you held your hand up. “Huh?” Mirio came to a stop and tilted his head. You smiled and slowly lowered your son to the floor, keeping hold of him as he tried to get his balance. Once he did, you hesitantly released him.

Watching his little arms stretch out to his sides as he tried to take a step, then another with his prosthetic and stumbled a bit. “Ah!” Mirio cried out, the hero in him wanting to rush and catch his son. But Beans regained his balance and smiled, “It’s okay Daddy!” he said with a bright smile that was exactly like his father’s. Of course, his determination was like Mirio’s as well, at least to a point. As frustrated as he got with his new leg, most of the time he remained positive. You pressed your hand to your chest, your heart pounding with each step your son took. Stumbling and almost falling as he tried to walk towards his father who had crouched down on his knees, his arms stretched out to hug Beans when he finally made it to him.

“Good job! You’re amazing!” Mirio said as he lifted his son into his arms, jumping to his feet and carefully tossing his son into the air. Catching him just like he did with Eri so many years ago, Beans laughter filled the air and you couldn’t help but smile. Your son was certainly your little miracle, though you were worried. You almost lost him in that villain attack, Mirio had been busy taking on the countless Nomu’s that were scattered around. But he had stopped when he heard you scream, you clenched your son to your chest as you were pulled through the air. The Nomu that had snatched you up had wings and claws that dug into your shoulder. Leaving a bloody wound.

Of course, Mirio chased it down but the Nomu’s must have some wicked sense of humor because the next thing you recalled from that moment was falling through the sky. The tall buildings coming into view as you hurtled toward the ground and you recall hearing the sound of Mirio’s scream. In your head, you had your son cradled to your chest. But you were wrong and only realized that he was nowhere in sight right before you hit the ground. Waking up in the hospital with a concussion wasn’t as nearly as painful as when you found out the condition of your husband and son. Mirio had gotten a few bruises and fractures, his right arm shattered.

But your son, his body was riddled with bruises and cuts and the worst part. He was missing his leg, your heart shattered when you learned that. You had tried to blame yourself at first, believing it was your fault because you didn’t protect your family. Believing that if you had a stronger quirk, Beans wouldn’t have gotten hurt. You also shared the fact that you felt like a terrible mother, having allowed your son to get so gravely injured. But much like the hero he is, Mirio didn’t allow you to think or believe such things. Yes, it was unfortunate what happened, but he convinced you that your son knew he was loved and that he knew his parents would do anything to protect him. Which was true, you’d happily take a bullet or use your body as a human shield if it meant protecting your son.

He was your whole world and you loved him more than words could express. Though your son had been upset when he found out he had to get a prosthetic leg, Mirio had promised he would make it so Beans forgot he even had one. Which is part of the reason why he ordered a custom made one. It was hard at first, the frown never left your son’s face no matter what you said or did. It was a rather dark time, you understood that and no child should have to go through something like that. You and Mirio knew giving him space wasn’t an option, that he needed his parents to be stronger than him. So, you began carrying your son as well as take an hour out of each day to help him practice walking.

You always praised him when he did a good job, giving him plenty of affection and motherly hugs. Mirio did the same and continued to encourage his son that he could be a hero no matter what. It doesn’t matter what disadvantage people might think you have, you can still rise to the top as long as you believe in yourself. Beans loved heroes after all, and it was prideful to see how much he loved his father. Always bragging that his Daddy was Lemillion, the greatest hero ever. It made you happy to see that your son’s depressed mood was beginning to lift, that’s all you really wanted was his happiness.

“Mommy!” Beans called, making you snap out of your thoughts. “Hm?” you turned your head, gasping when you saw he was on the floor with Mirio’s arms around him. “What happened?” you questioned as you walked over and your son’s eyes prickled with tears. “I fell because of this ...stupid leg!” Beans shouted, curling his hands into tiny fists and Mirio frowned. “It was kind of my fault ...heh.” he rubbed the back of his head, a little embarrassed. It was so easy for him to forget that his son couldn’t exactly run around like he was used to, at least not yet. You frowned and sat on the floor, across from them.

“It’s not stupid,” you said, a stern tone in your voice which made Beans look up at you. “You just need to practice more ...that’s all, that’s what Mommy and Daddy are here for. To help you,” you explained and watched Mirio readjust his position so his son was now sitting in his lap. “What if I can’t do it? What if I’ll never be able to run again?” your son questioned, his voice cracking as he did spoke. “Shh.” you scolded him softly and crawled your way over. Leaning against Mirio’s shoulder as you reach up to gently run your hands through Beans hair.

“Remember what Daddy said?” you questioned and heard your son sniffle, “D-Don’t give up?” he said, almost as if it were a question. But you nodded, “That’s right! Don’t give up.” you repeated and Mirio smiled before leaning down to kiss his son’s cheek. “It’s okay to take a little break yeah, but giving up is a no can do!” he replied and you nodded, “Yeah, you want to be a big strong hero like Daddy one day don’t you?” somehow whenever heroes were mentioned, your son got sparkles in his eye. “I ...I can be like Daddy?!” he questioned, his tears seeming to dry as he looked at you with a hopeful smile.

You loved that smile more than anything, “That’s right.” you replied, giving him another affectionate head pat. Your fingers playfully flicking his ears which made him giggle in response before you rose to your feet. “How about I grab a board game?” you suggested and Mirio laughed as Beans squirmed on his lap, his arms stretched out to you. “Hm?” you paused and chuckled. “You want to pick one out with me?” you asked and your son nodded his head enthusiastically. “Okay, okay,” you said as you scooped him into your arms. His hands curled into your shirt collar as you made your way to the closet. Allowing him to pick whatever board game he desired.

Usually, they distracted him enough and Mirio was more than willing to play along, though you didn’t particularly like board games yourself. It made your heart swell with happiness to see your son smile and for a moment, forget about his troubles. This was your family and though you hadn’t told Mirio or your son, you were taking extra training classes to improve your combat and quirk skills. No one will ever hurt your family again, hurt your son again, and take something precious away from him. This was your silent promise, now and forever.

#mirio x reader #togata x reader #bnha requests #bnha fanfiction

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badacts · 5 years ago

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eyes on me (pt.4)

This fic is about Gotham’s revenant problem.

(part one) (part two) (part three)

Gotham is a stinking, ratshit city sulking in a sickly combination of sea fog and smoke. Goddamn, Jason missed it.

Things he didn’t miss so much: being in the same locale as his own headstone.

He’s aiming for the grave of Marc Rand, recently undeceased, but his feet move of their own accord to a spot on the northern side of the cemetery. He’s been here once before - it was raining, and he’d been sick when his boots stirred the smell of wet soil underfoot, spent the night shaking and sleepless in the dingy studio apartment he’d been squatting in.

Now, his helmet filters that out. He takes in the smooth white marble of the twin headstones, one for Catherine and one for him. A memento to his old life, still bedecked with a bouquet of white carnations.

He’s not sure what possesses him to look closer at the flowers. They’re fresh white, unstained by smog and age so far, with a card on the tie binding the stems. He’s expecting the name of one of Bruce’s society pals, looking to make nice by dropping flowers on some dead Crime Alley kid’s grave, or maybe some stalker Wayne fan.

Instead, the card says: I am the soft stars that shine at night.

“I am not there,” Jason murmurs, words falling like stones into the silence, “I do not sleep.”

He always loved that poem. It’s either a particularly on-the-nose joke on Bruce’s part, or something else entirely. And he knows it’s Bruce - even in the florist’s typography, the ‘- B’ is instantly recognisable to a child who grew up in Wayne Manor.

So that’s why he follows Tim back to the Cave from the hospital. That, and the fact that his replacement may or may not fall off his bike on the way without supervision.

Of course, Timmy doesn’t seem particularly pleased to have his help. If looks could kill, Jason would be dead for the second time right about now.

“Just sit there and don’t touch anything,” he tells Jason, pressing an ice pack to the back of his head with his left hand while typing at the computer with his right. He sounds grumpy. Not angry, as such, but still low-key pissed that Jason dared give him a teeny, tiny concussion.

Really, he should have caught himself. Jason is good, but so is Red Robin, and Red Robin can’t afford to be taken out by an (admittedly ably assisted) tumble on a rooftop.

Jason is going to keep putting down the fact that Tim did get him in a chokehold to his brief moment of mistaken sympathy. He’s going to have a bruise in the shape of Robin’s shinguard on his throat to remind him of that, too.

“Here,” Tim says, files folding out across the largest screen. “This is everything I have on Rand. I’d read it to you, but I’m still seeing double.” Because he’s dramatic as hell.

“I didn’t grow up on the same street as you, but I can still fucking read,” Jason snaps, waiting for Tim to vacate his personal space before he steps closer to the computer. There’s a discarded batarang there, gleaming black against the table, and Jason can’t resist picking it up to feel the familiar weight. Tim isn’t watching, and what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Probably.

Of course, before Jason can start the aforementioned reading, the Batmobile pulls into its spot, its familiar snarl cutting to silence.

It’s not like Jason didn’t know there was a decent chance of running into Bruce when he came here. It’s just that he’s never as prepared for it when it actually happens as he thinks he will be beforehand.

Batman is hard to read in the cowl, but Jason can tell he isn’t surprised to find the two of them here. His attention jumps to Tim, still holding the ice pack, and he demands, “What happened?”

“Hit my head,” Tim replies, surly, with another of those killer looks at Jason. “It’s fine. We’re going over the Rand case.”

“Let me look,” Bruce replies, pulling back the cowl and letting it hang down his back. Tim, sighing, allows it with bad grace. “Were you knocked out?”

“No. It’s a mild concussion.”

“They just don’t make Robins like they used to,” Jason says lightly, because he doesn’t want to watch this - the Bat clucking over his newest chick.

“I’m not the one that died,” Tim points out. He’s a shithead, and any regret Jason might have felt over giving him a head injury evaporates.

“Not yet,” he says, and even he isn’t sure whether it’s a threat or not.

Bruce pulls away from Tim, pressing the ice pack in Tim’s hand back into place. “We’ll get Leslie to check you.”

“I’m fine!” Tim exclaims, waving his free hand in exasperation.

“We don’t take risks with head injuries,” Bruce says, like it’s a lesson learned by rote, right before he turns his gaze onto Jason. “Did you do this?”

Jason shrugs. “I maintain he did it to himself. Turns out he’s clumsy as hell.”

“Fuck you,” Tim mutters at him. Jason would have gotten a double swear jar penalty for that one, but Tim doesn’t even get a look.

“You injured him. Again.”

Tim rolls his eyes. “It was an accident, Bruce. I’m fine.”

“This,” Bruce points at Tim, like he’s pointing at a little cuddly bunny rabbit, and not a buck-sixty of highly-trained muscle and creepy, canny brain, “Cannot happen again.”

Jason leans back against the desk, casual. “Well, that’s it, Timmers. You had a good run, but Dad says no head injuries ever again. Time you retired.”

Bruce is scowling. “That’s not-”

“Or I can lend you a helmet,” Jason cuts him off, smiling. “The colour’s right and everything.”

“This isn’t a joking matter,” Bruce snaps. “You nearly killed him.”

It’s an atomic bomb of a comment. Just like he meant it to be. Tim looks surprised, but he shouldn’t. Or maybe Bats doesn’t talk to him that way, saves it all up special for Jason.

“Yeah,” Jason says, stripped bare of anything but the truth - no attitude, no humour, nothing, “I did. I hurt him. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to kill you.”

There’s plenty he doesn’t regret. Plenty of blood on his hands he’d happily get all over again. But there are also things he would take back, starting with the sick bite of a chainsaw between the vertebrae of drug pushers and ending with his bullet in Tim Drake’s shoulder.

Doing what he does is a necessity. He believes that to the core. The taste for violence, the pleasure in it, the crack and wavering of his control - that’s dangerous for him. It’s an addiction that he needs to kick.

He’s not sure if his words are offering that up as supplication, or just rubbing what he’s done in Bruce’s face. Bruce doesn’t give anything away. He never really does; not for free.

“And every time you did, you took yourself further and further from what that represents,” he says, and points at the thing Jason has been trying to ignore this whole time.

His old uniform, enshrined and adorned with the worst inscription Jason has ever fucking seen. It’s certainly no do not stand at my grave and weep.

Because Jason isn’t dead, but the kid he was? The kid that Bruce claimed as his own, the one he claimed to love? That kid is. And this is the grave.

A good soldier. A good fucking soldier.

“Bruce,” Tim says, and he sounds tentative. He’s watching Jason’s hand, while Bruce is looking him dead in the eye.

“Every time you do, you prove me wrong for ever letting you wear it,” Bruce continues.

“Fuck you,” Jason rasps, and throws.

It’s a direct hit. The glass cracks and falls in a cacophony, echoing in a roll across the cave to the point it compounds on itself. The batarang lodges directly into the armour over where Jason’s fifteen-year-old heart would have been.

“Fuck you,” Jason’s mouth says. “I was never your soldier.” His brain, that part of him that has been getting quieter and quieter since he left this place, the useless part that screams you replaced me over and over, is deafening. All he can hear is that, and the insistent thrum of his own heart.

There are hands in the front of his jacket. He and Bruce are eye-to-eye, and it gives Jason a great view of his rage. In that moment, Jason has never been surer that he’s about to be hit, and that’s saying something, considering his entire life.

He’s holding the front of Batman’s uniform so tight that his nails are breaking on the kevlar weave.

“Stop.” That’s Tim, probably not for the first time either. But this time he prises himself into the space between them, unignorable.

Bruce leans back immediately, letting Jason go. Unfortunately, Jason can’t quite convince his hands to release, or his brain to stop screaming.

Tim is holding his wrists, face very series. He whispers, “Breathe.” Jason wants to break him in half, but he doesn’t, and he doesn’t, and he doesn’t.

His fingers relax.

“Gentlemen. What on earth is the meaning of this?”

It’s Alfred. He looks furious.

All three of them freeze. Then Tim lets go of Jason like he’s on fire. It would be funny, if it weren’t for Alfred’s gimlet gaze bearing down on them. Or if the entire preceding five minutes hadn’t happened.

“Master Tim,” Alfred says after a long moment where none of them move, “I believe you have some homework to finish.”

Tim opens his mouth like he’s going to protest, and then sees the escape route for what it is and takes it like the scuttling schoolboy he is.

Once he’s gone, Alfred turns. “Master Bruce.”

There’s a very long silence. Then Bruce says, “Hrn,” and turns away in the direction of the showers.

That just leaves Jason, still taut with adrenaline to the point his hands shake, standing below, and Alfred like an avenging angel above him, and a pile of glittering glass shards in the corner.

“Master Jason,” Alfred says, and then smiles. “Welcome home.”

#for the 12 people who like this fic and MYSELF bc i love it #happy new year (almost)#jason todd #bruce wayne #tim drake #alfred pennyworth #batfam #eyes on me #batfam fic #my fic

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