#i ended up getting flung way way far out of the arena and i landed in this like. place?? outside a building

[punkcherries]

i had a very strange dream

[starshavegoneastray]

For Glory

Gladiator AU // b.c.

CW // blood, excessive bleading, death/dying, impaling, open wounds, violence, weapons, death as entertainment, animal skins

2,132 Words

SEVEN foot tall, menacing grin, and a sword underneath a strong grip.

THE battle was expected to be another bloodbath, at least that’s what Felix had in mind. Hyunjin eyed the excited younger boy sitting next to him on the cubiculum seats, a knuckle against his cheek. He couldn’t make sense as to why Felix would be this thrilled for one more gladiator fight that would guarantee an obvious result. Even before the match began, Hyunjin had already considered dozing off and waking up with The Secutor — the gigantic seven-foot-tall fighter in rustic chainmail and slightly oxidized bronze helmet — as the winner of today’s unethical battle.

“Don’t sleep on me this time too,” Felix chirped in the midst of the noisy crowd filling up the arena. “I want you to actually watch this one.”

Watch? Another absolute win? Hyunjin lifted his head, heaving slowly as he did so. “You’re bringing a mere human into his death.” Hyunjin spoke bluntly, confidence tainted his voice so, and was sure of the outcome anyhow it might go. “Let me ask, why are you so persistent that this person you managed to bribe over 100 silvers could even match The Secutor?”

Felix stayed silent; his lips pursed tight as he turned to look at the arena down below. “Bang Chan isn’t just some person.” There was an emphasis on the first two words, it rubbed Hyunjin in a way he didn’t like too much, yet he kept calm and let his royal friend have faith on this Bang Chan.

Hyunjin rolled his eyes, crossing his arms underneath the velvet cape that blanketed his left shoulder. “If this person was indeed more capable than that of mere soldiers, how come I’ve never heard of him?”

Felix’s reply was a simple shrug, before facing towards the silver-locked Hyunjin with a confident smirk. His golden flower circlet tilted to the side as he did so before the horns blew an entrance for the challenger.

ONE-EYED, an outcast, and an unregistered regalia sheathed behind his back.

THIS person came in like an ant in the eyes of the viewers on their seats. His hair was a bloody mess, but still allowed the scar over his left eye to see the guests that flooded the arena. A dark leather garment wrapped underneath a layer of wolf’s fur hanging on one side of his shoulder. He appeared to be an experienced fighter from the marks that color his bare arm. And amongst the roaring crowd and threatening gaze of The Secutor before him, Bang Chan seemed very relaxed.

“Interesting fashion.” Commented Hyunjin, as he took a peek at Felix’s hopeful expression before exhaling silently under his breath, almost scoffing at how easy for this mere human flesh and bones to get squashed by an average warrior that towers almost twice his own size.

Bang Chan started to move closer towards the giant. Striding two, and then three, and then four steps ever so casually, stopping just as The Secutor swung the tip of his weapon to warn the little man. Crowds began to cheer and shout, some mocking their way over to the new challenger’s way. Almost half of them made fun of how this match seemed unfair to begin with, and wouldn’t bet their precious silver and gold on something unsatisfying.

“Go home!” someone from Hyunjin’s far left, perhaps, shouted in the midst of the hectic viewers. While a group on the other side of the stadium began to choir an incoherent boo chorus, which almost received Hyunjin’s small chuckles.

But despite the never-ending protests of the guests, it didn’t stop the two men in their white tunics seated on the lowest tier of the referee’s chair to blow their horns, signaling the start of the futile battle this summer.

The Secutor strides along the outskirts of the field, keeping a hunting gaze under that rusty helmet at the daring young man. His frown deepened as Bang Chan did the same, only this time his right arm reached up before clutching onto a leather-bound handle of his sword then pulling it out in one swift move.

A clean blade, one that slightly curved at the tip with a sharp point kissing the sandy grounds. The golden square guard on its hilt was engraved with various shapes that all seemed familiar for Hyunjin, though witnessed from afar. Dark leather grip hidden underneath Chan’s hold, and an emerald pommel crested just below his fist. At a glance, anyone could mistake it for a common blade of another kingdom, but Hyunjin had suspected something else. It was no ordinary blade, at least these items couldn’t possibly be owned by any ordinary people.

There was no fear in any of Chan’s movements, not even when he began stepping forth again, dragging a thin line across the floor before The Secutor lunged a bigger step towards him. A humongous dagger on The Secutor’s hand looked more like a sword in everyone’s eyes. Chan leaped back, dodging another danger zone as the gigantic enemy roared forward, swinging his sword right where Chan’s nose would cut through, but the latter ducked and tackled the large blade with his.

The Secutor quickly belted his sword the opposite direction, Chan swung as well, their two metals clashed as another attack failed to scratch the younger man. But Chan was too focused on the blade to dodge a sudden kick to his stomach, sending him off and crashing the wall like a gust of wind.

The crowds began to cheer again, Hyunjin leaned back onto his chair, raising an eyebrow.

It didn’t take long for Chan to get back on his feet, knuckles turning white as his grip tightened around his regalia. Not once has his facial expression changed, not even when the giant pulled a spear from a broken crate next to him; probably the result of yesterday’s fight. Chan tried to approach again, but returned to his previous spot when The Secutor aimed the spear at his feet then rushed at full speed. He was trying to corner Chan.

The Secutor stepped forth, Chan stepped back. Their blades struck over and over to tire him out, enough for the bigger enemy to graze his dagger on Chan’s left shoulder. Throwing the furry coat he had in the process. The Secutor kept swinging his blade left then right, Chan seemed to follow. But not for long until the giant carved another graze on his right thigh.

“He’s going to die.” The statement sounded casual coming from Hyunjin’s lips, as if it were to provoke Felix’s poor choice on selecting a champion. The method seemed to work as the young prince began to scrutinize the arena, gripping hard at the stone wall until the tips of his fingers turned red and his face wrinkled with determination. Yet, Felix stayed silent.

Hyunjin averted his gaze from The Secutor towards the messy Chan. His bicep and knee trickled with blood, a bruise to his cheek just under his grey eye, and a tight hold wrapping the leather grip of his stupid regalia. It wouldn’t be long before the winner’s announcement, Hyunjin was convinced, training his eyes back towards the giant gladiator as he brought his blood-painted sword closer to the small Bang Chan. The second Hyunjin blinked, suddenly The Secutor stumbled backwards.

Dirt covered Chan’s palm and a cloud of dust hung midair just in between him and The Secutor, whose cuss and grunts echoed loudly whilst trying to remove something from his sight. Chan sheathed the sword on his back and went for the spear that once attacked him a few minutes ago, running towards the giant then slashed the length of the giant’s arms using the sharp tip. The Secutor started bleeding too now, his eyes red from the dirt Chan threw mixed with outrage, as he ran with the sword above his head. Chan casually ran his left palm on the ground, gathering another handful of dirt before speeding forward, stepping onto a wooden crate, jumped and bombed another cloud of brown sand and blood on The Secutor’s face. Instinctively, he shielded himself, but the defense bought Chan enough time to whack his spear upwards. Another scar now painting the opponent's forearm and chin up to his lower lip.

Chan jabbed forward, The Secutor moved backward. The humongous dagger flung side to side, eventually snapping the wooden spear off its tip. But Chan held onto the weapon, his left bloody arm reached back for his regalia and pursued the opposing corner.

When the regalia struck, it hit the giant’s sword, and Chan was sent flying backwards, centered on the field. Suddenly, a shadow casted upon him, and The Secutor was above ground, landing right where Chan stood with a thud and dirt flying around his feet.

Hyunjin didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath all this time. He didn’t expect the spear would backfire on The Secutor, nor scratch him to begin with; count Bang Chan’s dirt play. The suspense dropped a weight down his stomach when the giant warrior didn’t move. Had he killed Bang Chan, he would have stood tall and revealed the man in broken bones and shredded skin, thus claiming victory.

A crowd down below the lower tiers choired a gasp, pointing their fingers at the thinning sandy ashes. And as the dusty powder subsided, Hyunjin couldn’t believe what he’s witnessing.

Bang Chan was on the ground, holding the wooden spear on leverage where its broken end punctured The Secutor right on the gut. The gigantic dagger barely missed, leaving only a small cut on the little man’s right temple. The bigger man staggered, the wood still caught on his stomach and blood seeping out of his rusty chainmail. Eventually, he fell onto his knee, holding onto the wood in an attempt to pull it out of his gut. But a series of quick steps followed by Chan’s grip at the end of the wooden stick took him by surprise.

A mischievous grin tugged at Chan’s lips, before he forced the wood deeper into The Secutor’s abdomen. The sharp end pierced into his stomach, he started coughing blood. Any deeper and his eyes would start popping out of their sockets crying red tears. So, Chan twisted as he pushed, The Secutor hollered in pain when the wood was halfway in, and ruptured through his spine.

At this point the crowd had gone ballistic and chaotic, and the referees should have stopped the match as one fighter had been severely injured. But no horns were blown and the viewers demanded an encore.

Bang Chan quietly took in the noises that filled the arena. People who once spat his name, telling him to go home; they were praising him now, jumping and cheering out loud, glorifying the way he took down the giant like it was the work of an incredible sorcery.

A mere human, perhaps a divine outcast from a far land, foreign to the ways of an average gladiator, took down a warrior almost double his size. The Secutor had been known as a massive killer with no mercy in the battlegrounds. But that day marked the end of his decade-long title, as Chan raised the regalia over his head, striking a curved blow from above across The Secutor’s esophagus, an area free from a helmet’s protection.

He gurgled, coughed, then choked as he bled uncontrollably from his throat. Red liquid gushed rapidly, staining the area where it pooled beneath the giant until he eventually fell to his demise on a puddle of pitiless crimson fluid.

Victory had never reeked like iron as much; this stench only came from someone who scavenged for more than just winning, or a golden flower crown on the head.

The horns blew aloud, the crowd hailed victory songs, waving their tunics, throwing their wreaths and flower petals his way. Pay little attention to the dead man in the middle of the yellow field, instead triumphing over this stranger’s unbelievable achievement.

Glory.

Felix dropped to his seat with the loudest sigh he could give, before jumping back up punching the air. “Yes! What I tell you!” But it all blurred away from Hyunjin’s attention span as he leaned forward the stone wall, lips pursed and brows knitting together with only one thought in his mind.

As if he could hear them, Chan turned to face the cubiculum seats above, eyes meeting with Hyunjin’s astonished ones. A healing scar sitting across his greying orb, the other one a bright haunting shade of blue that sent shivers down Hyunjin’s spine. Hyunjin chuckled, and if his eyes weren’t deceiving him, Chan’s bloodied lip tucked sideways on a smirk before walking away with the sheathed sword behind his broad back.

“Who are you, Bang Chan?”

[thebluenoteblog]

Finally

Summary: Matthew has been in love with you since you were kids. It takes a bit of chirping and a fight for it to come out.

Player: Matthew Tkachuk

Word Count: 2.8k

Requested: Can you do a Matthew tkachuk one where they are best friends and one day at a game another player chirps him about her and Matthew gets into a fight with him and after the game he won’t talk to her about what happened and when they get back to his apartment him she makes him tell her what happened and they get into a argument and he ends up kissing her and he confesses that he loves her and she says she loves him too and more fluff

He searched for you as he made his first lap around the ice during warm-ups. He always did when you were able to make it up to Calgary. Seeing you standing against the glass wearing his jersey never failed to put him in the mood to play his best game. It took him a minute to find you, but he did, and he stopped in front of you and grinned.

You smiled back at him and pointed to the little girl standing beside you, jumping up and down in her Tkachuk jersey. Matthew nodded, he knew you well enough to know what you wanted. He skated away, and the little girl frowned, her shoulders sagging. He reappeared a moment later with a puck balanced on the blade of his stick. He bounced it a few times, then flung it over the glass. You caught it and handed it to her.

Her face lit up like a Christmas tree as she took the puck from your hands and Matthew watched with a smile on his face as you spoke to her. You pointed in his direction and both of you looked at him. He smiled and waved at her and her parents who were filming the whole interaction. He reached up and tapped the glass right in front of you and then skated away with one final glance over his shoulder in your direction.

He managed to make it the rest of warm ups without going back over to where you were sitting, but that didn’t mean that he’d kept his eyes off of you. He found himself constantly glancing over his shoulder, trying to catch your eye every time he looked in your direction. Sometimes he was too far away, sometimes you were looking at another player.

He really wasn’t a fan of the feeling that bubbled up in his chest when he looked over at you and found you watching Jonny instead of him. Matthew was the one who had been showing off for you the entire time they had been out on the ice. Jonny barely even knew you were there. Still, you were looking at him.

Matthew swallowed back the feeling. He reigned in his father’s temper and looked away, focusing on the puck in front of him. He had no right to be jealous. You weren’t his to be jealous over.

<><><><><><><>

It was during opening faceoff against the LA Kings that Kempe took his spot next to Matthew. While waiting for the puck to drop, he looked over at Matthew and asked, “Is that girl you’ve been watching all night the girl on your Instagram?”

Matthew narrowed his eyes at Kempe, a warning. A simple, don’t go there.

He took that as all the answer he needed, “I figured she was,” he grinned and nodded as he turned back to the play just in time for the puck to drop.

Nothing else came of it during the first period, but it was nagging at him which really pissed him off because that was exactly what Kempe had been aiming for. It wasn’t exactly the words that he’d said that had bugged Matthew, it was wondering what he’d meant by them. It was wondering what was coming next.

And god damn was it bugging him in a way that he never let anything someone said get under his skin and stay there.

However, he came back out onto the ice for the second period, fully intending to brush off anything that Kempe might say. Then the asshole wasn’t in the face-off and all the determination that Matthew had built up during intermission dissipated between dropping the puck and the next time that he had to deal with him.

There was a break in play with 9.34 on the clock and everyone was taking a second when Kempe skated up to him. He stopped beside Matthew and followed his line of sight toward you. “She’s hot Tkachuk. To fuckin’ hot for you.” Matthew tightened his hand around his stick and willed play to resume before he got himself in trouble with you staring right at him. It didn’t. “You’re just friends, right?” he asked.

Matthew pressed his lips together, continuing to watch you. You were talking animatedly to the little girl he’d tossed the puck to. You loved kids. You were so good with them. If only Kempe knew that there were a thousand reasons that you were too good for him and the fact that you were too hot wasn’t anywhere near the top of the list.

“It sure seems like it. She would never go for someone like you anyway.” Kempe said, moving to block Matthew’s view of you. “Hope you don’t mind, but I found her on your Instagram and followed her during intermission. Want me to tell you if she followed me back when we face off for third? Maybe I’ll slide into her DMs too. She had some pictures at the arch, she’s from St. Louis, right? Never know what could happen next time we play the Blues.”

Yeah, that was about all he could take. Just as the refs waved their hands to gather the players at the faceoff circle, Matthew threw his stick to the ice and shook off his gloves. Kempe didn’t have time to get his gloves off before Matthew was on him, slamming his fist into his face. He knocked his helmet off after the second hit and Kempe was left with nothing to protect him from a man who had a hell of a lot of anger on his side.

Kempe got in a couple solid hits, but nothing compared to the damage that Matthew did to him. Matthew knocked him off his feet and got in a few more solid hits while he was on the ice before the refs managed to pull him off. He was his father’s son through and through. He could never leave anything alone, so as Kempe was getting up on his knees Matthew yelled, “See if she wants you with your fucked-up face!”

“Still looks better than yours, you fucking rat,” Kempe spat back as he got to his feet.

Matthew struggled through the refs, but there were two of them and one of him. Finally, one of the refs looked at him and said, “Unless you want me to give you a game misconduct, you need to cool the fuck down.”

Matthew froze. He popped his mouthguard in and out of his mouth and skated backward away from the refs a bit. “I take it I’m going to the locker room?”

The ref nodded and pointed in that direction. He looked at Kempe and motioned for him to go to his own locker room. Kempe threw up his hands, “Are you fucking serious?” he asked.

The ref stared blankly and continued to point toward the Kings locker room. “Do you want a matching bench minor?”

Kempe picked up his gloves and stick off the ice and skated to the bench, grumbling under his breath the whole way.

As Matthew passed the guys on the bench he heard Jonny say, “Well… that was an eventful stoppage.”

Yeah. Real fucking eventful.

<><><><><><><><>

Matthew walked into the holding area for family and friends and you were the first person his eyes landed on. He walked straight to you but didn’t say anything. He pulled you into a quick one-armed hug and then released you. He didn’t trust himself to fully wrap his arms around you at the moment. He didn’t think he would be able to let go.

“What was that about?” You asked him, looking up with wide eyes.

Matthew stared down at you for a moment, contemplating telling you the truth. Contemplating what would happen if he just came out and told you that he had been in love with you since some random point in the sixth grade that he couldn’t exactly pinpoint. Then every reason that you were to good for him flashed through his head and the words caught in his throat.

Even if he had wanted to tell you, why would he tell you here? In an arena? Surrounded by people? It was another reason he wasn’t good enough. He wasn’t what you deserved. You should have someone who knew exactly when and where to say things like that to you.

Of course, that had him thinking about someone else saying those things to you. That feeling bubbled up in his chest again and he pressed his lips together before turning and heading toward the exit. “Let’s go home.”

“Are you mad at me?” You asked, rushing to catch up with him.

He shook his head, “No, (Y/N), I’m not mad at you.”

“Then why won’t you look at me?” You asked, reaching out to grab his arm.

Matthew refused to respond, but he also couldn’t make himself pull away from your hand when it landed on his bicep. So, he walked the rest of the way to his car with you attached to him.

<><><><><><><><>

You dropped your purse on the couch and turned to face him. Matthew stared at you, you really were something when you were fired up like this. “So, you really aren’t going to tell me what that fight was about?” You asked him, crossing your arms and studying the bruises still darkening on his face.

“No,” Matthew said, staring down at you with what he hoped was the same level of determination that you were showing him. He knew he was capable of it. He also knew that you were capable of breaking him. You had been doing it since the two of you were little kids playing on the jungle gym. “I’m definitely not.”

You huffed out a frustrated breath, “What’s the point of even having a friend in the NHL if you don’t get the insider information. You aren’t any fun at all.”

Matthew narrowed his eyes at you, “I’m no fun?” he asked, “Who flew you up to Calgary to come to a bunch of hockey games? Who-,”

“That’s so basic,” you said, “any NHL player would do that.”

You hadn’t meant anything by it. He knew that. However, all he heard was ‘Kempe would fly me out to LA to watch him play’ and he knew that was ridiculous because you probably hadn’t even followed him back. Or maybe you had. Maybe you were already talking to him. Maybe that’s why you were so determined to know what started this fight more than any other fight he had ever been in.

You waved a hand in front of his face, “Matthew?”

He blinked at you, “Why do you care so much?”

“What do you mean?” You asked him, tilting your head and taking a step closer to him. You reached a hand up and placed it on his forehead, “Are you feeling okay? Are you sure Kempe didn’t hit you harder than we thought he did?”

Matthew struggled with conflicting urges to push your hand away because it was such a patronizing gesture and the desire to lean into your touch because at least you were touching him. He decided to just stand completely still while he gathered his thought, preventing himself from saying anything stupid. “He barely hit me at all. I won, in case you weren’t watching.”

You raised your eyebrows at him, “Okay,” you said, “Everyone saw that. What I want to know is why you fought him at all.”

Matthew groaned and walked past you into the kitchen. He couldn’t have this conversation while looking at you anymore. The urge to tell you everything was too tempting. He couldn’t do that though, that was a horrible idea. There was almost zero chance that things would go the way he wanted them to. The odds were that if he told you the real reason that he’d gone ape shit on Kempe, you’d be on a flight back to St. Louis first thing tomorrow morning. He’d be getting updates on you through Brady for the rest of the season until he got back over the summer and convinced you that things could still be normal.

That small, tiny, practically nonexistent chance that you wouldn’t pull away if he kissed you wasn’t worth it.

God, he wanted to kiss you. He felt his heartbeat pick up in his chest as he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a beer. “I want to know why you care so damn much,” Matthew said, refusing to look at you as he popped the top of his beer, “You’ve never cared about why I fought people before.”

“I care because you were staring right at me for the longest time before you started wailing on him!” You finally snapped, standing right behind him.

Matthew froze with the beer halfway to his lips. He slowly lowered it to the counter and then leaned his hands against the cool surface and dropped his head between his shoulders. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Bull. Shit. Matthew.”

He sighed, “(Y/N), drop it.”

“What if I don’t want to,” you challenged, taking a step around him to stand at his side. You reached up a hand and traced it over a bruise that had formed over his cheekbone. “What if I want to know why you were looking at me while someone gave you this?”

Matthew’s eyes fell closed. Your touch was so gentle. So loving. There was so much concern behind the gesture. You had always touched him like this though. This was nothing new. He kept his lips pressed together and his face pointed toward the granite.

“Matthew, please,” you said softly.

He broke. You always knew exactly how to break him. You always had, and you always would. You were his weakness. “He was talking about you.”

You continued to brush your thumb over his cheekbone as you asked, “What did he say?”

“He said…” he paused and took a deep breath. What was the best way to say this? “He said that you would never go for someone like me. Then he said he followed you on Instagram and was going to hit you up because ‘you never know what could happen next time he’s in St. Louis’.”

You removed your hand from his face and he felt the loss like he’d been stabbed. He pressed his palms harder into the surface beneath them.

“No one followed me on Instagram.” You said.

Matthew huffed, “I’m an idiot.”

You nodded, “You aren’t telling me anything I didn’t already know.”

“Thanks, (Y/N),” he deadpanned, eyes still squeezed shut.

You stared up at him, “Can we go back to the first part though?”

“What first part?” he asked, feigning confusion. At this point he just wanted to go lay down in bed and pretend that this night hadn’t happened. That would be harder to do given his hands and his face were throbbing, but he’d gotten pretty good at filtering out pain in his time as a hockey player.

You tilted your head and raised an eyebrow, “Matthew, look at me.” Slowly he opened his eyes and turned his head to look at you. “Why would you fight someone because they said I would never go for someone like you?”

He didn’t answer you, just stared into your eyes.

“Matthew.”

“Now who’s the idiot?” he asked quietly.

You shook your head, “Maybe I just want to hear you say it.”

He blinked in surprise. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. However, you were standing in front of him looking up with big, hopeful eyes and you took a step closer to him. Challenging him. He didn’t have to be told twice. He’d been waiting for this since he was eleven years old. He placed a hand on your waist and wrapped it around your body, flattening his palm against the small of your back. He pulled you against him and you moved so easily, your hands coming up against his chest to tangle in his shirt.

“I love you. I’ve loved you for so long I don’t even remember when it started,” he said quietly, his free hand coming up to span your cheek.

You smiled up at him, “Finally.”

He let out a single breath of a laugh because, Jesus he could have been holding you like this all along? Then he ducked his head and pressed his lips to yours,

God, that was the best kiss he’d ever had.

<><><><><><><><>

Matthew woke up the next morning with you in his bed, not for the first time, but for the first time in his arms. For the first time wearing his shirt. For the first time curled up against him with a smile on your face. It was the first time that he was allowed to lay there and play with the strands of your hair fanned across his pillow and watch the sunlight dancing across your skin.

He didn’t think he had ever been happier in his life.

He didn’t ever want it to change.

[heliosthegriffin]

Playing with toys

Jaune and Cardin facing each other in the arena.

Cardin internally: Why do I feel like something is about to go terribly wrong for me today?

Jaune internally: Why do I feel like something is incredibly embarrassing is about to happen to me?

Cardin stares hesitantly at Jaune, he know’s how this going to play out, he knew at heart the universe hated him, hated Jaune too, but that was beside the point. Maybe it was better to just walk away, give him the win, and just run away, save himself the trouble.

“I give up.” Cardin says putting his mace to floor and walks away. A purple glow stops him in his tracks.

“Mr. Winchester, the fight doesn’t end till the fight starts, now fight!”

Cardin looks between Ms. Goodwitch, the exit, and Jaune, then sighs picking up his mace. 

Cardin and Jaune both groaned internally now as Ms. Goodwitch has had it out for both of them since the beginning of the semester, and in fact they was beginning to suspect that the only reason she put them together so often was just to grind their confidence further into the dust, as the only people she put them together with were each other or people so far beyond their skill level that they didn’t have a chance, just to continue to point out their flaws.

Jaune stood there behind his shield as though waiting for Cardin to move.

Cardin didn’t move though, content to just wait out the buzzer, he’ll say it’s calisthenic workout.

Jaune was just fine not taking a beating today, large aura or not, a mace to the back made Pyrrha rub icy-hot on him and she was way too grabby!

“Mr. Arc, Mr. Winchester, anytime today.” 

“Just looking for weaknesses, Ma’am.” Cardin replied.

“Then you shouldn’t have to look too hard.”

“A good combatant never charges in blindly.”

“Mr. Fox would disagree.”

Cardin refused to budge though, the terrible feeling would not go away, so he held up his mace in a defensive position. Then looked Jaune in the eyes, giving the slight of hints to come attack him.

Jaune thought about it briefly before walking over, something wasn’t feeling right about this. So he lightly hit Cardin’s mace, not even hard enough to make more than a clink.

“I yield. No way am I getting past that defense.” Jaune said about to walk away.

“No, no, no way I can take another attack like that, I need to go to the infirmary.” Cardin said, looking to run at the next opportunity.

Goodwitch face went from flush, to red, to purple, before a practically demonic smile appeared as her face.

“I disagree, Mr. Winchesters defensive was the perfect trap to lure Mr. Arc into a false sense of security, to then launch a devastating offensive.” She said sickeningly sweet.

“Um, Ms. Goodwitch, none of that happened?” Weiss pointed out from the crowd.

Then a purple glow covered Cardin and Jaune, as Jaune swung over head at Cardin’s mace, a powerful clang ringing across the arena, as then Cardin pushed Jaune back taking advantage of the opening to slam the fire dust crystal in the head of the mace to Jaune’s chest, a explosive ringing echoing out as Jaune was flung into the hard-light dust barrier of the arena.

“I disagree, Ms. Schnee, but to each their own. But, Mr. Arc’s recovery was quite masterful, turning a fall into a controlled landing, then controlling the pace of the battle with his superior speed.”

Jaune was caught inches from the floor a purple aura covering him, as his body was forcefully moved into a back-flip that landed him in crouch, that he launched him into full sprint at Cardin shield first knocking him back. Taking the lead Jaune sends a flurry of blindingly fast thrusts at Cardin.

“However, speed without power is nothing but a nuisances. With Mr. Winchester’s high defense, he could afford to wait for a counter, and then win the battle.” 

Cardin was once more puppet as he was forcefully made to bat away Jaune’s now weak thrust, and what was she talking about weak thrust, each hit felt like a truck hitting him!

Batting away Jaune’s sword, Cardin swung back again hit Jaune under the ribs stunning him, then swung back and hit him again on the other side.

“That said, It was quite spectacular, how Mr. Arc forced a draw, by leveraging his superior aura levels, to absorb the hits, then disarm Mr. Winchester.”

Cardin was frozen in place as his mace hit Jaune, Jaune then staggered back and grabbed his sword with two hands to hit Cardin’s Mace knocking it out of his hands. 

Then they were both released falling to the floor panting.

“Good work boys, I’ll call it a draw for now, due to Mr. Winchester’s aura level being higher, but Mr. Arc still being armed. Now, who wants to fight next?”

Nobody volunteered.

[pearlplusau]

Chapter 6, Part 4 Finale

A monstrous scree roared from below, shaking the entire arena.

The sounds of giant wings flapping came from all over the place as the gem monster rose from below. Its eye seemed bizarre and in complete fury, but it seemed like it could locate the pearls just fine as it swooped down, aiming at Pearl, wide eyed and stiffer than a statue.

“Pearl!” Coral was too far to help her, she had to think fast, she can’t throw her lance at the monster, it's moving too fast and she might end up hurting Pearl; She can’t try to run and push her away, there’s not enough time!

Coral sprinted towards the two, using her lance as a pole, and struck it to the ground with its force to catapult herself towards the monster, drop kicked in its midsection, interrupting the attack, and smacked against a giant pillar, falling victim of a massive pile of debris and rubble. However, it didn’t poof.

She huffed and smiled at her little accomplishment, but her smile melted when she saw Pearl still stuck in motion. She grabbed her shoulders and furiously shook the core out of the pearl while demanding info, ANY info that can help them in their current situation!

“Pearl! Snap out of it! What do we do? How do we beat it?!” Coral screamed and screamed, but it doesn’t look like she’s snapping out of it anytime soon as she mutters loudly under her breath, “We couldn’t identify what gem it was, and now it’s so huge there’s no telling, IT DIDN’T HAVE WINGS! IT WASN’T SUPPOSED TO HAVE WINGS! GAHHHHH!”

The pink gem needed to take matters into her own hands, by being physical.

SMACK!

A pinkish mark, the size of a palm appeared on the side of Pearl’s cheek. The gem shook her head, waking up from a nightmare, but the current reality is far worse than the nightmares.

“I…I’m awake, thank you, I really needed that.” Pearl thanked and took a quick look at their current issue. “It’s trapped, that means we still have time before it can tunnel, or…fly.”

Coral echoed, “Tunnel? Is that the gem monster you and Garnet fought yesterday?” which led Pearl to realize she hasn’t really explained much.

“Ok, to make things quick, the monster Garnet and I fought was part of the monster we see before our eyes. That thing. The difference between yesterday and now is that it has gigantic bat wings, and it's three times bigger than it was previously. So, I would say the two same type gems fused with another type of a gem monster, which is why it went from two worm-like creatures, to a giant, deadly, hairy worm with bat wings. Individually, the worm spits acid, and it had these horns on its head. If you get even slightly scratched by them, it’ll be worse than the deadly acid! But now? There’s no telling what it can do!”

The look on Coral’s face says “ohboy…”, and Pearl did not like that look on her.

The pink gem spoke, “H-How do we stop it? And why is it so angry?”

For some reason, Pearl looked, guilty, as if the attack was her doing. “I…may have chipped its horn as an ambush, I didn’t know it would get so enraged. Garnet and I barely took it down before it tunneled away!”

The monster was struggling, trying to break free from the wreckage. It tries to flap its wings, but the body couldn’t break free. It tried to tunnel, but it looks like it has no idea how to tunnel with giant bat wings behind its back. But its struggle was leading it to a solution, and it figured out a way to tuck its wings and tunnel down the ruins.

Pearl grabbed the pink gem and they ran towards the warp pad. “Keep an eye out! It could show up anywhere!”

Beneath them, the surface cracked and rumbled as the monster coursed through the solid ground, surpassed them in speed as it sprung up while they were merely halfway to the doorway. The monster screeched and roared, the debris from its tunneling flew into the sky, and landed right on top of the two pearls, nearly crushing them. The beast widened its maw, dripping poisonous green acid, exposing its sharp fangs as well as the back of its poisonous spikes. The two pearls, still stuck under the wreckage, can only hope for a painless death.

As the monster approached, Pearl said something that really took Coral by surprise. “Coral, I’m sorry I dragged you into all this! You don’t deserve this, and if I get shattered from the monster, I want you to keep Rose happy, even if I won’t be there to see her being happy!"

Suddenly, a giant pink shield frisbeed into the monster and smacked it far to the edge of the arena! The two pearls looked back where the shield was thrown, and at the doorway...was Rose Quartz herself, panting from all the running and the usage of energy in throwing the weapon strong enough to make that distance.

“Coral! Pearl! You’re alright!” Rose exclaimed as tears of relief rolled down her cheeks. She crouched and was getting ready to leap towards them. Unfortunately, the blow from Rose’s shield wasn’t enough to knock down the fusion monster, as dark spikes swooped towards the fluffy pink gem and pinned her dress to the wall, deeming her immovable.

“Rose!!” Both pearls cried, still stuck under the piles of debris, unable to help their leader.

The monster slithered and reached up to the fallen, unconscious gem. Opening its massive maw, getting ready to strike once more!

“No!” Both Pearl and Coral screamed! Coral couldn’t bear to see something like this happened, so she turned to the last thing she would do. She grabbed Pearl’s hand and insisted on an idea for them to save their leader!

“We need to go and save her!” Coral looked into the panicking eyes of her and firmly said, “Pearl! We gotta fight fire with fire! It’s our only hope!”

Pearl showcased a complex set of emotions, but at the end, she knew what needed to be done. “Alright, let’s do it.” The two pearls joined hands, having a common goal, they felt in sync almost immediately. Both pearls engulfed in a white light, as their figures shifted and merged into one, it grew out from the debris, and the giant pearl with orange pigtails took their stance.

In her primal form of a pink leotard and white silk at the waist where to tutu should be, it was Pastel Pearl, ready for anything.

Just before the monster could get closer to the fallen pink gem, Pastel jabbed a spear at the neck of the monster, perfectly gaining its attention as it turned around and roared in incredible pain. The beast arched its back, showing its fully grown spikes, and launched them full speed towards the fusion!

As the spikes gained altitude, Pastel summoned another spear, extended it and did rapid twirls as a shield against the raining spikes, effectively defending from the attack. 

The monster screed and tunnelled underneath, preparing for another surprise attack. This time however, Pastel summoned a lance and aimed it, and stabbed it through the ground, directly jabbing the monster back. Forced to rise up from tunnelling, it spread its giant bat wings and flew up the air, higher than the furthest cloud, rendering it unobservable from Pastel’s perspective.

The pearl fusion returned the two weapons from hand and retrieved an orb from each gem. The two orbs were met and shaped into a shorter version of a staff. It’s a pink ribbon wand wrapped in a bow, gifted from a certain powerful gem. Some said a ribbon wand won’t do any good in a battlefield, but today, she’ll prove them wrong!

The giant pearl leaped to the darkening sky, finishing what needs to be done.

The two fusions floated face to face, while the monster was still in awe of its opponent’s speed and flight, Pastel wasted no time and attacked it with her wand. She unleashed the bow tie and flung the ribbon with all her might.

The monster was vicious, its flying component dominated the wings compartment and shifted in its space, dodging the ribbon left and right. It was confused and perplexed on how a ribbon could hurt, but it's not taking any chances.

Pastel and the corrupted gem fusion were gaining high in altitude, and on the fourth dodge, the two figures reached the end of the darken clouds. As the afternoon sun shone bright, the ribbon’s texture gained a glimmer effect, showcasing more than just the colour pink and white, shining so bright, it became the most glistering, dazzling piece of silk the monster has ever seen!

As the monster was bedazzled by the weapon’s beauty, the ribbon took its aim and wrapped around the bat wings, rendering it unable to fly.

The beast struggled and attempting to not plunge into its death, Pastel took this as an advantage. While carefully avoiding its spikes and horn, she went straight into its face, confronted, and apologized.

“Pearl says she’s sorry for the pain and agony she caused you, she didn’t realize how a chipped horn can lead you to such catastrophe, being fused with another corrupted gem. Please forgive her, she wasn’t trying to hurt you, she was trying to put you out of your corrupted misery.” Pastel sincerely apologized as she summoned a lance, gripping its point at the monster neck..

“And I’m so sorry...for this.”

.

.

.

-

Back at the arena, the rubbles and ruins were still in place as Pastel slowly descended from the sky, landing gracefully to the centre of the arena. In her hands were the two gems of the fusion monster, with both hands, pinkish-white bubbles formed separately around the two gems. And with one tap each, they went to a safer, better place.

Pastel stood her ground, but finally relaxed and said, “Finally, it’s all ove-”

At the doorway to the warp pad, came a familiar sound.

It was the sound of their leader in pain! Still flat on her side, the unconscious Rose was struggling in her wake, but it doesn’t sound good.

“Ohno, ROse!” Pastel realized there was a chance she might be poisoned, or worse…

She rushed to her side, reached for Pearl’s gem and retrieved a small bottle of healing tears from the fountain. She carefully dripped the essence onto the scratched surfaces, and immediately, the wounds began to heal up, leaving small but unnoticeable scars on her figure.

The fusion gentle shook the leader, “Rose, are you alright?”

Rose turned and laid on her back, head against the wall. She sluggishly opened her eyes, and greeted, “Nice to see you too Pastel.”

Pastel sighed, obviously relieved, but she’s also not ready to leave yet.

“Rose, while I still have you,” Pastel kneed as the pink gem sat upright, “I need to ask something of you.”

“Is it about the forgetting that I can summon more than one shield? I think I’ve already paid for that crime.” Rose chuckled, while Pastel gave no more than a giggle.

“Nono, it’s not that. It’s about…them. I have a question, and…they’re not exactly here right now. Can…can you tell me, something that they would both want to know?”

Rose was rather surprised by the question, but she provided an answer regardless.

“Well, there is something I have been keeping in, it was so suppressed that I had to be reminded. Before Pearl came in, I had this prophecy from a sapphire that, if nothing changes, someone I deeply cared for would suffer eternal pain, and I never wanted that.”

Pastel stayed silent, doing the part of listening until further notice...

“I guess, it's right after the idea of losing Coral. After I was told that she would be taken away if I don’t handle…certain issues, I had to…grow up and take matters into my own hands. Make decisions that don't usually feel right.”

“And well, I understand that my recent behaviour has been rather...selfish to some, and technically, that monster attack IS my fault for not dealing with it yesterday. I should’ve told Pearl what I was doing instead of leaving her and Garnet in the dark. I get how it can be worrisome, and…I’ll try to change for the better. You know, be more aware of my actions.”

Upon hearing that, the pearl gem on Pastel’s forehead glowed, but Rose proceeded regardless.

“And, while I was…meditating in my room, I realized for a fact...that I’m not…the greatest gem, in the moral perspective that is. I’m really sorry that changing Coral’s old name hurt her feelings and left her out of the events Pearl and i made, but from now on, we’ll do things together.”

The pearl gem on Pastel’s navy glowed as well.

Rose noticed the two glow, and gestured to Pastel to sit with her.

Rose taunted, “Is there…anything you would like to say to me? You know, before you go?”

Pastel got out her ribbon wand, fidgeting with the handle, slightly conflicted, but gave in. “Let me put it in the words they’re willing to face, just this once.”

Pastel spoke, “New pearl never knew the old pink, the pink she met was someone that was trying her best, trying to be a better diamond. To gain the praise and betterment of the other diamonds, and just, doing her best in every way.”

“Old pearl saw you as the same old diamond, never expecting someone would change, even until now. She never knew changing a person got so…drastic, like how she herself changed without her even noticing.”

“Though, neither of them had the whole picture, that is. But now that I’m here, there doesn’t have to be one sided stories anymore, now I get to understand everything, and that they finally get to know…each other.”

The glow from the two gems spread out, indulging Pastel in a wondrous sense of-

“Thank you, Rose.”

Acceptance.

Shiiiinnggg

.

.

.

Pastel Pearl unfused, she returned to the two pearls we know and love.

Pearl.

And Coral.

After a while, Pearl placed her hand on Coral’s shoulder. She had the most apologetic look Coral has ever seen in her gem life.

“Coral, I’m sorry things got out of hand between us, is it possible that we...forget this ever happened?” Pearl asked, sounding more like a suggestion than a plea.

The pink gem held Pearl’s hand and said, “Well, I am having trouble remembering things lately. Hows about, we remember this, together?”

Pearl gave an acknowledging smile, agreed.

End of chapter 6

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.

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(A/N: I just did one last read of this chapter and, i don't know about you guys, but it had me teared up even though i was the one writing and finished writing it weeks ago. Also i think this is the longest chapter written in a post.

We got to the part of Coral’s relationship with Pearl, how it all happened, and how it will likely proceed. I modified what Mega Pearl said at the episode “Volleyball”, but instead of talking to Steven, she was directly talking to Rose herself.

Lastly, I just wanna say thank you for reading, it's been more than a year writing for this blog, writing what i love, and to a pretty cool community. Most of you guys have showcased your gratitude by liking or even reblogging my work, and whether you followed me for a long time or have just decided to follow after reading, i want you guys to know you guys were the reason i was able to push myself in writing, you guys were the motivation i had to keep the plot going, you guys were the motivation i have to keep the blog running. 

Even though most of you guys came just because of Tripixle’s artwork, im really hoping these stories fit well in your system, or at least filled the voids of “End of stevenuniverse” or “Hiatuses on Amphibia/The Owl House”, i know mines been filled, and more stories to come! 

And last, but not least, Thank you for reading and have a great day! Byee!)

[a-forgotten-spirit]

Chained To Him

Pairing: Dad Aizawa x reader (platonic), Bakugou x reader

Summary: Villains come you look badass

Words: 3500+

Warnings: Orphan, villains parents, you watched the season you’ll be fine. 

A/N: I tried to make it as similar to the original but no one leaves the room, All Might does nothing it was great. It’s just you looking great kicking butt and taking names. Everyone lives on campus at this point. 

I AM TAKING REQUESTS FOR THIS SERIES AND OTHER ONESHOTS 

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CHAPTER 1 ~ Y/N P.O.V

I got into UA, not from a recommendation or the exams not even the practical. I got it through force, I don’t want to be a hero. I had never had that desire though I thought my thoughts might have changed due to being in the course they hadn’t. I had heard everyone's’ stories though I hadn’t spoken to anyone. This was my first ‘real school’, I was left as a baby full of power and need for parental figures. I was found by none other then Eraserhead that I now have to call Aizawa and not just Dad, it was hard but manageable, I heard people talking about how they never saw me in the exams or the practical, I never played their thoughts or questions. I knew everything about everyone from grades to quirks, I mean everyone. I grew up being Aizawas’ daughter I knew All Might and his quirk though I was sworn to never talk about which I didn’t. This stupid ‘excursion’ I guess you could call it was on today and the amount of displeasure I had was uncanny as I sat at the back of the bus simply listening to the chatter of my fellow class and a few yells from Bakugou, I wouldn’t say I had friends but I had spoken to a few of them from time to time. We arrived and they debriefed us on that this was going to be a ‘natural disaster’ exercise. My own quirk could be used in an arrangement of setting natural disaster being one of them but I don’t think I would participate I wasn’t a fan of my quirk I would go so far to say I'm afraid of it. I was a fan of No.13’s, I had grown up with all of the hero’s they knew of me but not me.  

We stood in lines listening to her go on about how her quirk and other quirks are dangerous and could kill, I was well aware. It was obvious. She bowed and everyone clapped and continued on with compliments on her speech but something happened. Something we all weren’t expecting, the lights shuttered and blew as this mist looking thing appeared in the middle of the arena, a hand coming through followed by a face. I heard my Dad call out for us not to move and for No.13 to protect us, what was going on. Was this not in the exercise? Kirishima voiced my thoughts. 

“Stay back” Dad called out his hands moving to put his glasses over his eyes, he was going to use his quirk? “This is real, those are villains” there was so many. Countless in the room. I looked around, Dad was going to fight, all of them. I went to walk forward but stilled, no one could know we were family, it would be a weakness to him. I stood and looked back, everyone was just standing there, where was All Might, where were the other teachers?

There were a few words exchanged but my eyes didn’t leave my Dads back, I would do anything to make sure he was okay. I watched his scarf fling out in a fury that circled him, I knew he was strong but he could only go for so long, his quirk was distance and stealth most of the time. Which Midoriya voiced and I watched as he ran down the steeps full speed, I watched as he flung them around like it was nothing, he was my hero both metaphorically and in reality. We began to run No.13 in front of us as we did but were stopped by the mist like substance, a portal maker. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, we are the league of villains. I know it’s impolite, but we decided to invite ourselves into this haven of justice to say hello and besides isn’t this a fitting place for All Might, the symbol of peace to take his last breath. I believe he was meant to be here today and yet I see no sign of him. There must have been a change in plans we must not have foreseen, ah well I suppose in the end it does not matter. I still have a role to play” his voice was unlike anything I had heard, it was a males voice deep and laced in danger but that didn’t stop Bakugou and Kirishima jumping him. 

An explosion went off and I fell to the floor, staying low to stabilize myself in some way, I held back as the smoke cleared and I saw the purple and black mist began to crawl over us, he could portal, he was going to send us somewhere. I didn’t have time to think, pressing the small button on my one-piece black suit my costume moved to show my arms, legs back and upper chest with the collar still firmly securing my neck. I released my quirk chains from my back spreading forth over the students as I grabbed everyone and threw us back, hearing a few screams as I landed and looked back to the male as a lowered everyone carefully the chains moving back to me looking like a spider's legs as I stayed low to the ground. We couldn’t afford for us to be separated, he was a portal maker, he could send us anywhere he wished and with all these villains how did I not know he would put us in a room with more. 

Everyone was silent as I stayed still and No.13 spoke “Class rep. I have a job for you. Run to the school and tell the faculty what’s going on here. The alarms aren’t sounding and our phones and radios are useless right now. One of these villains must be to blame” I stopped listening for a second as I watched the male his eye like slits narrowing as he looked to me. “Use your quirk to save others. Be a real hero” everyone began to gather as I rose and watched them all. 

I watched as his engines began to load. “Even if this is your only option. Are you really foolish enough to strategize in front of your enemy” again he began to spread, we didn’t have time for this? No.13 opened her suit as she tried to suck him in. It was working for now. I turned and saw some of the class still behind me. 

The mist was complimenting No.13’s power and how it was amazing but he also added what her quirk was actually used for, recusing not combat. He was right, a portal opened behind her as I put my chains out to hold everyone once more as she was being sucked into it. I held them down as I dug some into the ground keeping myself grounded. Her suit began to crack as I held on tighter and within a few seconds the back of her suit was lost to the warp gate. She had to stop as I held everyone and I heard them talking as I let Iida go as slowly everyone else as he began to run. 

“A sheep trying to escape from the wolves, I simply can’t allow that” a portal opening in front of him but he skidded to a stop as Shoji grabbed the warp. He was fast, I had to remember that. Iida continued to run as the mist began to spread. I had to move and quickly, I jumped and saw his neckpiece throwing the chains forward I gripped his neck and pulled back as hard as I could to which he followed and Iida made it threw the door. He lashed out to one of the students and I moved to grab them instead of letting him go as I pulled Bakugou and Kirishima to me but when I looked back he was gone. 

No.13 was being looked after by Ashifo and Uraraka when I walked over. “Y/N” No.13 called me over and I moved down to look at her. “Go help Aizawa. I know what you can do. I know who you are” my eyes widened as I looked down. “Save the students” I nodded and looked to the girls as I was expecting to maybe lock a few villains down. 

My chains stayed out as I looked down to see Dad still fighting, I could tell he was out of breath but I watched as the leader run at him, I couldn’t take my eyes off him as I saw Dad tackle him but his arm was gripped, his hair falling back to his face and I could see his face grit in pain but with a push he was away as he jumped I saw his elbow, destroyed, blood falling from it. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him as I saw that creature above him and then blood. I couldn’t feel myself running but I heard the yells. 

“Y/N” it was one of my class but this was my Dad, I was told to save them but also look after him, the person who took me in. The one and only who I cared wholeheartedly for, I needed to save him. They were fine, the portal was gone, I needed my Dad. I jumped, I was at the top of the stairs when I saw his arm be stepped on a yell coming from him before his head was slammed into the ground. I could hear running behind me but I lost control. This thing, this creature had hurt my Dad and he would pay. 

“Hello,” I whispered and felt the power running through my system as I jumped my veins turning black, eyes swirling into the abyss itself and I grit my teeth as I felt the pieces of the board push through my chest. This was risky but with the power that thing had he was going to kill him, I couldn’t allow that. “How dare you touch him” I screamed and wrapped the creature up sending him flying through the arena, landing with my chains encircling me as I looked to the male with blue hair my eyes narrowing and I saw he widen as I smirked. 

I didn’t have much time as this thing was running back “Kill her” the bluenette screeched I looked and he was there but I was faster I was thrown into the air my ankle caught by one of my chains, I was faster in this form. I opened my arms as the creature was wrapped up he was getting out as I lowered myself in front of him his jaw snapping and with a circular motion of my wrist his jaw was closed. I turned my head to the male the portal behind him encased as well. 

“What to do with you” I whispered but my voice was low and disoriented, I picked my Dad up with chains like a hammock and placed him gently in front of the other students before focusing back on the male. I dropped from the one I was hanging off as the creature was hoisted into the air, my body crumpling only to then rise as I saw the male his hand outstretched and around my throat. I felt the pain as my eyes narrowed. 

“Die” he yelled and I smirked, my skin peeling away but not enough to kill me, my regeneration was too fast. “What the hell” his voice was raspy as my own hand moved to grip his wrist as I pulled off the hands around his neck as he fell to his knees. “I’ve never seen a quirk like this” I wrapped my fingers around his neck. 

“You won’t have the chance to again” I whispered and ripped his mask from him and I slowly began to breathe in, chains grabbing his wrists to keep him on his knees and in place. Grabbing his face his eyes were wide and fearful as he struggled to breathe. 

“Y/N” I heard, it was All Mights voice. “That is not heroic, I know he hurt Aizawa but let him go,” he said and I narrowed my eyes letting the breath from my lungs go back into his own. 

I stood up and looked down at him as his eyes were wide in fear. So he’s a thinker. I step back but felt pain in my shoulder as I look down seeing an arrow, my chains faltered as I dropped the creature and I looked to see the portal opening with the blue-haired man getting away and within a moment the portal was closed and they were gone, leaving behind their team. I lost my shit. 

I turned to the woman who had a wide smile on her face and it dropped as I screamed put my arms out all the villains being held down to the ground with them as I was standing in the middle as more ran I collected them. Throwing them into the air and holding them as I grit my teeth. I was floating in the air as I narrowed my eyes and the woman was brought in front of me. 

“That was very stupid of you” I whispered and saw her eyes widened as she began to thrash “You aren’t even worth my time” I whispered throwing her into the air as she was picked up by another chain. Everyone was being held as teachers began to race in and I stayed in place. 

“Dads hurt, hurt Dad. Is Dad ok? Where is Dad, So much blood? Dads blood, blood from Dad. Where’s Dad” the voices came back and I turned quickly racing over to the top of the stairs as I landed with a thud the students and teachers moving as I ran over and fell to my knees. 

“Dad,” I asked my eyes scanning him as I moved his hair and heard some whispers behind me. “Dad,” I asked again grabbing his hand and felt a grip back as I laid my forehead on his chest with a sigh. “We have to get him to recovery girl. Now” I whispered and rose as some teachers picked him up and began the journey back to the school. 

“Dads ok, Dads alive. So much blood. His eyes, blood from his eyes” I shook my head trying to quieten the voices as I turned and moved back down to All Might and the teachers and now Police collecting the villains. I could see the looks I was getting as I landed near my class and All Might. 

“You did well Young Y/N” he congratulated and patted my shoulder as my eye twitched. “Can you change back?” he asked and knelt down in front of me. He looked to my chest and then back up. “You used all your quirk” he whispered. 

“He hurt Dad” I whispered and saw the reaction of the students, some figuring it out. “I had too, he was going to kill him” I added and shook as the chains tightened on some of the villains. “So many voices” I swayed and All Might caught my hand. 

“Say it with me” he whispered and I nodded, everyone was watching me. I wanted to run and cry. I wasn’t meant to show them but I had to save them and Dad, I did this for them. 

“Goodbye,” I whispered and felt all the power surge back to my chest as the board sunk into my chest once more. I fell back but someone caught me. I had little to no energy left, that was a lot from all areas. 

“Bakugou can you please take her to recovery girl” So Abkugou caught me, nice. I was lifted into his arms as I leaned against him and I passed out. I let my body be taken by him as I put my head on his chest. 

~

“She did it to save you” the voice was feminine but old sounding, recovery girl. “The whole class has come and asked about her, she saved them. You taught her well” she added as I tried to open my eyes but didn’t have the energy. “Bakugou brought her to me, she has no physical injuries it was exhaustion and I'm a sure shock” 

 I heard a sigh and then the voice I had grown up with “I’m glad she’s ok. I don’t know what I would do if she wasn’t” I felt a hand grip my own as I gripped back and met his eyes. 

“I'm glad you’re ok too” I breathed out and then went to sit up groaning lightly “Everyone knows” I whispered and brought my other hand to my head and sighed once more. “I didn’t mean too I just was so worried” 

“It’s ok, I don’t mind” his lips pressed to my head. A few more words shared with recovery girl and we were off. “I have to go see All Might and the other teachers, but after that, we can go home” he spoke and I nodded. 

“I’m going to go see Bakugou, I want to thank him” I saw the smile crawl across his face and another kiss came to my head with a ‘be safe’ as I walked off. 

Walking through the campus I walked to the dorms “Turn left” a voice sung and I went to Bakugou’s, his name written on a small plaque. Knocking lightly, It was in the afternoon, the sun coming into the room and I looked down, I was still in my one-piece suit. 

The door opened and I looked up to see Bakugou in shorts and a simple tank top as I looked down and sighed “Thank you for taking me to recovery girl” I spoke and got up about to turn away. 

“Are you ok?” he asked and I was shocked, the hot-headed Bakugou asking if I was ok. “I mean you seemed to just collapse” he added and I smiled a few voices cooing around my ears. 

“Yeah, just a lot all at once is all. How is the class” I asked biting my lip, I’ll admit I didn’t look the best at full power. I was covered in black veins and looked like something out of a horror film. 

“All worried, some scared but we all know how powerful you are. And Aizawa’s you’re Dad” he questions with a head tilt. 

Nodding I pause “Adoptive” I nodded and bite my lip once more “Yeah took me in when I was little,” he nodded in response but didn’t say anything. “I should be off, I need some rest. I hope you are ok, sorry for flinging you across the room” I tried to lighten the mood even if only slightly. 

“Can I ask you something” he called out as I nodded for him to continue “What is your quirk. I saw your chest when holding you, the scars but” he paused and shook his head. 

“It’s two quirks merged into one. The chains from my mother and the other from my father basically makes me a living ouija board” his eyes widened as I looked down to my covered chest. “Both of my parents are or I should say my mother and my father was villains” I whispered and I looked up seeing the shock and I smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow Katsuki” I turned and left the hall. I had never told anyone that. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2

[concealeddarkness13]

WHG Post Games Boat Heist Part 5

Last boat heist piece! And then just post heists and we’re done! Tagging: @ratracechronicler (also thanks for Elvira and Rebecca!), @maple-writes (also thanks for Cirrus and Asher!), and @pen-of-roses (also thanks for Lynn and Rowan!)!

Triel (this is the next day)

Elvira and I met up with Nora, Chaudhary, and the rest of the assistants near a bar. I grinned at Mirabel and Sidney, since I hadn’t seen them yesterday, and we exchanged greetings. It was almost time, so we toasted each other, downed our drinks and headed for the dear president.

And he was actually where he was supposed to be! Last night must have spooked him. I grinned and walked up to him with arms wide as if I was expecting a hug. “And the dear president remembered! Thank you so much!” He eyed my assistants, and he raised his eyebrows. I laughed. “Oh, I thought I would need assistants for the interview. There are so many questions to ask, so I wanted them to write it out as well.”

Elvira stood behind me, looking Very Serious and holding a Very Convincing Clipboard. The others would fall behind and take care of the Peacekeepers.

I steered him over toward the right side of the boat, and I smiled my best smile at him. “So, let’s start with an easy one. Who was the tribute you were most cheering for in this year’s Hunger Games?”

He laughed. So fake. “Of course, I cheered for Poli. I always knew he was going to win.”

I knew you’d say that, you lying bastard. I laughed and wrote insults down on my clipboard. I could only imagine what Elvira was scrawling behind me. “I totally believe that. Now, which was the most gruesome death?”

He looked a little unnerved by the question. Good. Out of the corner of my eye, Nora and the others were working on Operation Dunk the Peacekeepers. He frowned. “I…don’t see the relevance of the question?”

I laughed. “Oh, it’s entirely relevant. I mean, you perform this charade year after year, and you celebrate all the deaths as if they don’t matter. As if that isn’t a precious life expiring right before your eyes. They’re children, my dear president, and you don’t care, do you?”

He glared at me and turned around to see all of his Peacekeepers were gone. Nora and Chaudhary waved at him as his eyes landed on them.

Elvira smiled sweetly. “Ah, President Snow? I’m afraid you won’t be able to summon your lackeys to do away with the uncomfortable questions. Not this time. Rather, we’ve done away with them. One by one. Until one remains in the spotlight.”

He glared at us, and his hand reached for his pocket, but I was faster. I activated my magic, and multi-colored light danced on my skin like fire. I transformed the small amount of water I always kept on hand into a sharp crystal and aimed it right at his heart. I smirked as he stared at it with horror in his eyes. “Not so fast, my dear president. If you try to call any back-up, they’ll find your body bleeding out on this deck, and we’ll be long gone. So, let’s play by the rules, yeah?” I laughed as he moved his hands away from his pockets, up in the air. “So, next question, all these children’s deaths are on your hands. How many people would love to see your corpse on national television?”

Sid raised a hand, and the others in the background did the same. I smirked at the dear president. “Unfortunately, I’m not in the mood to have president-cide added to the list of crimes I’ve committed. Too many people chasing me.” I nodded at the others. Nora walked over with a smirk and emptied his pockets, and Elvira sneaked around while he was glaring at Nora and pulled him by the shirt toward the rail, and I did the honors (after deactivating my magic) of giving enough upward force to send him toppling, screaming, into the water.

I smiled over at Elvira and held out a fist to fistbump. “Well, that went smoother than I expected.” Elvira reciprocated the fistbump.

I tipped my hat to Nora. “Thank you. Anything I can do to help after you so graciously helped me?”

“I think the publicity’s helped me enough, Sparrow,” she said, adjusting one of her braids before she turned to address the crowd that had gathered on the bottom deck after the dear president drank lake water. “Ladies, gentlemen, and spectators galore, today you bear witness to the turning of the tides of history. Far from the harbingers of good news and angelic messengers of old, I am here to tell you to be afraid. Be very afraid.” I had to stop myself from laughing. So serious. “I can’t promise your way of life is coming to an end, but I can assure you it will never again go unchallenged by those you’ve scorned and reviled. So clutch your precious pearls. This world is still our oyster. And when the real pirates come to tear apart your charade, you can always count on Captain Eleanor Skeates to bear a hand.”

My phone buzzed, and I glanced at it. Shine was ready. I gave a thumbs up to Nora, and she nodded. Elvira was singing “What Shall We Do With a Wicked Tyrant” with the rest of the crew as they waited for their ride. Nora’s tender had been invisible before this, but it appeared on the starboard side. She gave me a look that invited me for drinks later, but before she could leave, I dashed forward and snatched at her hat, and she let me, she just casually took my hat. We put the hats on in sync with flourishes and shared a meaningful look no one else would understand. Nora and the others swung ropes over the water and got to their ship.

Elvira and I headed off to where we would meet with the others to escape to the airship. The Peacekeepers would be too busy with saving the dear president from the lake to bother with us. Elvira looked over at me with a Meaningful Look. “Nice hat.”

I smirked. “Thanks. I acquired it recently.” We shared a smile and continued to the airship.

Nesri

After Shine completed the new and improved disablers, I volunteered to go disable Lynne’s shocker, and also disable Alastair’s shocker. I kept glancing at Cirrus as we waited for the right time. Had we really kissed last night? I just flushed as I leaned against him. There were more pressing things to think about, but my thoughts kept wandering back to the kiss.

It was finally time to head out. Triel headed out first, and we all filed out after her. I made my way, casually, over to where Lynne’s room was. I knocked on her door and adopted the same stance Zenith always had. It seemed right for a pretend Peacekeeper.

She opened the door and eyed me suspiciously. “What do you want?”

I grinned. “I’m gonna help you out!” I pushed past her and put my hands on my hips.

Lynne breathed in deep and slow. “Are you here just to torment me? I know the Capitol is controlling you.”

I wagged a finger at her, still smiling. “That’s where you’re wrong, my friend! The Capitol is actually controlling you by making you believe what they want you to. I’m sorry Zenith decided to be a stick in the mud and pretend. He wanted to get you back quickly, since we weren’t prepared to bust you out yet.”

She grit her teeth and shook her head. “I—I can’t believe you. Not when you’re wearing that.”

I cracked my knuckles. “Well, that won’t be for very long.” I rushed her, but she sidestepped, her expression hardening and all vulnerability disappearing. I rushed at her again and managed to snag her arm. I held on for dear life. “I know how the Shades can be. They fuck with your head, make you think the way they want you to. But whatever they say is a lie.” She whirled around with a snarl and punched me in the stomach repeatedly. She wasn’t that practiced at it, so it wasn’t too bad, but still. “I promise. Don’t listen to them. Or the Capitol. I’m here to help.”

She hesitated, tears welling in her eyes, and I whirled around behind her, took off the bandage, and placed the New and Improved Disabler to her shocker, and it did its disabling with a satisfying fizzle.

Lynne blinked and turned to me and frowned. “You weren’t wearing that just a second ago.”

I snorted. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want to wear that Peacekeeper trash anyway. Not flattering enough.” I grinned at her. “We disabled the shocker and the machine that was making you see us in Peacekeeper uniforms. Now, we just need to grab Alastair, disable the shocker he has, and head over to the rescue zone.”

She sucked in a breath, and tears streaked down her cheeks. She flung her arms around me and sobbed into my shoulder. “I was so scared. The—the Shades gave me their magic. And I’m still in pain. And I thought you were trapped and I had to find a way to save you. And I’m not as competent as I thought, so what choice did I have? And…I’m just so glad they were lying.”

I hugged her tightly with a laugh. “Me too. Let’s get going.”

*

The airship was invisible, but I could still feel the hum of the engines as we approached it. A ladder fell, looking like it was connected to nothing, and everyone was here. No one looked hurt either. I grinned at everyone as we waited in line to climb up. No one in the crowd did anything. They were too busy watching the president, and the Peacekeepers were too busy rescuing the president. We were doing great!

When I put my feet on the deck of the airship, Shine’s awesome machine allowed for me to see the airship, even though it was still invisible to anyone not touching it. Triel went to check with Shine, and the rest of us crowded into the same room we had when we escaped from the arena.

The airship took off, and everyone stayed quiet. Rebecca watched the windows, probably to check and see if anyone was following us. Elvira was looking around at everyone over and over. Lynn was hugging Rowan, and Laurel hurried over to both of them. Zenith was checking Lynne and Lynn’s wounds. Where had he even found the first aid kit? Lynne was leaning up against Alastair. Asher didn’t seem to be doing good. Cirrus was having to wrestle him down, and Amy, the Avox Cirrus had helped, was waving around a weapon she must have stolen from a Peacekeeper. Good for her!

Triel walked in with a grin. Her clothes were wet, as if it had started raining, but the sky had just been clear a second ago. She clapped her hands. “Congratulations on a successful heist! I couldn’t have done it without you!”

“We did it,” Rebecca whispered, a smile tugging at her lips. “So, we’re really getting away with it? There’s not, like, a squadron after us?”

Elvira looked over at Amy. “Ah…You must be Amy?”

She nodded eagerly, ignoring Cirrus’s request to put the weapon away. I liked her. She was awesome.

Lynn looked up. “This is real, right? You’re all really here, this is really happening?”

Rebecca nodded. “We are. You don’t still think we’re Peacekeepers, do you?”

Triel shook her head about Rebecca’s previous question about the squadron. “The winds were favoring us today. No one was able to come after us.” Asher grinned at that, looking out of it but proud about something.

Lynn shook his head about Rebecca’s other question. “No, not Peacekeepers, not a dream, real. You. The you from the Games at least.” Rowan hugged both him and Laurel.

Lynne frowned. “So, what’s going to happen now? Will we be running from the Capitol the rest of our lives?”

Triel smirked. “It just so happens that a mansion that was built specifically to evade the Capitol’s eyes was bought with some totally legal money. It’s a few hours away from most of the Districts and equipped with anti-Capitol machines. You can stay there. It’s a safe haven for us.”

Cirrus turned to face her. “How long until we can tell people we aren’t dead?”

“You can tell them now. I think it should be okay to stop by your Districts so you can talk to your loved ones. If you think you could be safe staying there, you can, or you can come to the safe haven. It’s your choice.”

“Also, we got a train,” Rebecca said. “We’re kinda on the run from the Capitol, anyway. But I’m definitely down at crashing at your mansion. You?” she asked Elvira, who nodded in agreement.

Lynn, Rowan, and Laurel shared a look before Lynn spoke. “Rowan and I will stay at the mansion, we don’t have much else, but Laurel has to visit her family first and tell them.”

Triel nodded and headed off, probably to tell Shine to stop in the Districts. I grinned at the newcomers. “But you missed something spectacular! I totally kicked Cirrus’s ass in a spar.”

“Liar.” I grinned over at Cirrus as he crossed his arms. “We have witnesses you know.”

Zenith shrugged noncommittally, eyeing me. I laughed. “Well then, what about when I hit you in the face with a piece of popcorn?”

He rolled his eyes. “Doesn’t count.”

I grinned. “Rebecca one-upped you. She caught her piece.”

“And ate it,” Rebecca added smugly.

“Maybe you should spar her too.” Cirrus was trying to sound irritated, but it was more like a joke. “I bet she’d kick your ass too.”

I pretended to think about it. “I agree. She’s much more intimidating than you.”

Asher laughed, and Cirrus huffed to himself. Ha. I won.

Rebecca punched her palm. “I forfeit immediately.”

Triel came back in, eyeing me. “And who’s the one who dumped a whole popcorn bowl on your head?”

Lynn eyed us with confusion. “Just what did you all get up to while we were there?”

“Very time-sensitive and important things,” Elvira said, face in one hand. “There were unbearable spans of killing time waiting for necessary information. It was either death by boredom, despair of your fate, or commit popcorn warfare.”

Zenith grumbled, but lightheartedly. “Too much.”

And I said at the same time, “Shenanigans, tomfoolery, etcetera.” I crossed my arms at Zenith with a smile. “Who’s the one that walked into the apartment in the middle of the night, cursed with magic, and had to beg Asher to knock you unconscious?”

“That was Zenith!” Asher laughed, throwing his head back. “Got himself cursed!”

Zenith sighed, but a smile was tugging at his lips. “Who’s the one who had me and Elvira swap bodies and then race?”

He grinned, teeth a little sharper than I thought they usually were. “Are you just mad you lost?”

Zenith grumbled something about toenails, but he didn’t decide to comment.

Triel smirked. “I’m sure we’re all looking forward to swapping stories; I just have one more bit of information to give you. Even at the mansion, we’ll still have our airship. If, at any time, you want to go somewhere, or go to the mansion from somewhere else, just let me know. Shine’s already hacked into your phones and put in a good number to reach us at for instant communication.” She winked.

Rebecca whipped out her phone and texted something, maybe to Shine? They were buddies now, after all.

We kept talking as Raian showed up with warm drinks for everyone. It was so calm and peaceful. We had finally escaped from the Capitol.

[divineluce]

No Holds Barred || Morgan & Luce

Location: The Ring

Timing: July 6th, 2020

Tagging: @mor-beck-more-problems & @divineluce

Description: Happens at the same time as this chatzy. Morgan and Luce provide a very violent distraction as cover for the rescue team. Luce taps into something new?

Warnings: Blood, Death

Morgan’s insides trembled the whole drive. Her body, numb as ever, felt awkward with so many weapons tucked into her clothes. I will do whatever it takes to get them back. Whatever it takes it takes to get them back. She couldn’t fail Remmy after everything that had happened and she couldn’t fail to come back home. Whatever was in that awful place, whoever got their way-- the car rolled to a stop and Morgan grimaced, jumping out quickly with Luce before she could think about what the cost of balancing this bullshit might actually be. (Stars, did anything in the cosmos care for supernaturals at all?)

They went in the back entrance and marched straight into the training gallery Morgan had seen on her last visit. The mats had all been folded up and stacked against the wall near the free weights but the punching bags still dangled from the ceiling and the debris of the latest match littered the floor: snack wrappers, blood spatters, and dried up athletic tape. There were two doors at the end of the large room, the big pair that had taken Morgan into a series of halls and, eventually, the arena, and a smaller once that she’d assumed went to an office or a storage closet. 

Morgan shifted her trajectory to pick up one of the heavier weights. Something blunt, simple, and improvised sat better with her than the knives, stakes, and iron strapped to her body. Maybe it was the simplicity, maybe it was the accident of it all. She had only found it, after all, and if it happened to turn a skull into eggshell, well, it was just really heavy. Sometimes taking balance into your own hands meant crushing a few bones. “See anything that looks nice and flammable?” She whispered, bending down for a thirty pound dumbbell.

The small door at the end of the room opened and two sweaty faces poked their heads out. “Hey, who’s there?” a voice barked.

Speak of the devil. Morgan grimaced and gave Luce a look that said, I got this, keep going. “Just little old me, handsome,” she said, coming forward to draw them away from her friend. “Don’t you remember?”

Luce was tired. No, not physically. The phoenix tears had taken care of that last night. Emotionally tired, tired in a way that had sunk into her bones, tired in a way that did little to ease the anger that raged within her. She was fucking tired of people coming for her family. First Bea, now Nell. And Remmy. Poor, kind, stupidly compassionate Remmy. They were caught in the middle of this too. Luce was fed up, pissed off, and ready to fight. With her magic burning hot and bright in the well of her stomach… she was more than capable of making the people who’d done this pay. As they rolled up to a shoddy looking mixed-martial arts gym, its lights darkened, Luce hopped out, joining Morgan as they stepped inside the building. On her hip, one of her sharpened iron swords gleamed. Her silver brass knuckles sat snug against her hands, the metal burning hot from her body heat. 

“I got this.” Luce whispered in response as she scanned the area, her eyes falling on the small closet off to the side. Storage closet, most likely cleaning supplies. Those could make for some really interesting little fires. While Morgan spoke up, Luce hurried over to the closet and opened it. Just as she suspected, there were all kinds of cleaning solutions, rags, and towels. Opening a few bottles of cleaner, she dumped them haphazardly out onto the shelves and on the floor. Luce grabbed a couple bottles of rubbing alcohol, probably used to clean up wounds, and began to soak some of the rags with alcohol. Grabbing the soaked material, she dragged them along the hallway outside of the closet, being sure to create a path of rubbing alcohol on the ground. A grin slid across her face as she looked at the pile of cloth before her. A small blue flame sprang to life in the palm of her hand and she flung it before her. The rags ignited immediately, the trail along the floor illuminating in a blue glow as the fire crept towards the closet. As soon as the flames crossed the threshold, a small explosion rocked the storage closet and toxic fumes began to leak from the doorway. “Come on, let’s go!” Luce yelled, drawing her sword as the fire roared behind her.

“I think I’d remember a sweet little thing like you,” the man said, giving Morgan a once-over. “But seriously, you’re not supposed to be here. Come on out to the front and I’ll see if you can’t jog my memory, huh?”

“Wow, I’m hurt,” Morgan said. “Guess we should start with the part where I’m not anyone’s sweet little thing.” She swung the dumbbell, staring straight into his eyes as it cracked his face. “But I shouldn’t expect anyone who works here to get that, should I?”

At the sight of his friend’s face cracking into a mess of blood, the other man bared his fangs and Morgan and roared. 

Morgan swallowed thickly and let her eyes flicker to the back where Luce was. Flames roared up and the guards did a double take, enough for Morgan to sprint for some distance and get back to Luce. “Scream again, asshole, I dare you!” She called as she ran. The more that came this way, the easier time Blanche, Winston, and Jared would have. She made it a few feet before the vampire caught her by the hair and slammed her to the ground. Stupid ponytail.

With the flames burning behind her, casting shadows that danced around the room, Luce felt strong. She felt powerful. And, most of all, she felt angry. As she watched Morgan slam the weight into the face of one of the men, she grinned. But, the smile was short lived as the other man’s hands wrapped around her hair and yanked her to the floor. With a growl, Luce drew her sword and ran a hand along the flat of the blade, pouring magic out into the metal. The iron heated, scorched, burned and then ignited. Blue flames wrapped around the blade and she charged at the man, stabbing into his shoulder with the blade. He hissed and shrieked, fangs on full display as he recoiled from the flames that crept across his clothes. In the corner of her eye, Luce could see the side door swing open again, three more people bolting out of the hallway. “C’mon, you think you can take us?” She crowed, taunting them.

Morgan picked herself up from the floor and knocked the vampire to the ground with ease. Being on fire had a way of messing with your balance, it seemed. Bracing a foot on his back, she took his arms and twisted them out of place until black blood started to seep from his joints. The one whose face she’d broken was holding open the double doors and calling for help. Morgan’s fingers twitched, itching to summon a storm of alchemy and bring them all down at once. But there would be no separating herself from the damage here. As long as this ended with Remmy and Nell safe, it would be worth it. She took out her biggest knife and lunged at the next guard. They tousled, blocking more blows than they landed, but Morgan was able to pop her own bones back in a second and land a cut along his arm deep enough to send him to his knees. She looked again to find her sense of Luce just as a brown bear lumbered through the door, raised on its haunches, and roared loud enough to shake the punching bags on their chains.

One of the attackers, a woman with fangs just as long and sharp as the man Luce had run through with her sword, lunged towards her. Letting out a yell, the witch brought her flaming sword down. But, this one was smarter-- she dodged out of the way, flitting around with inhuman speed until she was behind her. Luce let out a groan of pain as the woman dug a hand into her shoulder, fingernails piercing her skin. The vampire was trying to make her drop the sword, she realized. Her teeth gritted together and Luce focused on her magic, letting it seethe and burn within her until it boiled out. Opening her mouth, a plume of blue flame escaped her jaws, igniting the vampire’s hair. The woman let out a shriek and fell to the ground, desperately batting at the flames. Shaking her arm out, the whole room seemed to shake as a giant fucking bear came through the door. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me!” Luce growled as she slashed at the vampire on the ground, slicing her through the stomach with her sword.

The bear lashed his paws through the air, claws glistening with firelight. He gripped one of the punching bags and yanked it free like it was held up on no more than a twig. The bag hurtled toward them. Morgan jumped out of the way just as it crashed to the ground, spitting sand as it caught fire. Morgan stumbled back towards Luce, gripping her bloody knife like a vice. “That definitely wasn’t on the list of things I was worried about,” she whispered, voice shrill. The bear beat his chest with another roar, steam rising from his nostrils, or was that just the smoke from all the flames? Another swipe through the room and the tower of weights went clattering and rolling. Some landed on the bear’s fellow guards, but he didn’t take his eyes off the two women. He lowered back onto his paws and began to circle them, sharp teeth bared. Morgan shuffled closer to Luce. She had the big scary sword and the firebreath, but she could also die a lot easier than Morgan. There had to be a way to go about this smart. A way to trick him. Bugbears were just stupid bears when they transformed, right?

And then the bear stepped back and in the place where his burly shadow had been lay the bodies of Remmy and Nell, their limbs twisted all wrong, pummeled worse than anything she and Luce had accomplished so far, worse than anyone so young should have to be. Remmy’s tangled mess of hair ran past the dark mess of their severed neck. Their eyes stared straight at her, glazed with death. Their swollen mouth hung open, as if they’d been speaking, screaming at the very end. Morgan stared, tears of fury spilling over her cheeks. Fuck clever. Fuck smart. Every life in this building had to pay for what they did here. She roared, a broken, keening sound in her dead throat, and threw herself onto the bear, teeth and blades bared.

Spinning the sword in her hand, creating a pinwheel of blue flame, Luce sized up the bear. It was huge, bigger than almost any animal she’d ever seen before. But, it was just a fucking bear. And if it tried to stop them, she’d kill it just as she’d killed the vampires who’d come after them. They were here to draw the attention away from the others, to buy them the time they needed to get Nell and Remmy out of there. She wasn’t going to let this fucking bear take them down without a fight. But, just as she was about to take a step forward, the creature’s shadow morphed and shifted before her very eyes until two shapes appeared on the ground. An involuntary gasp was wrenched from her throat as she took in the tangled locks of hair, the sharp jaw, the curve of their mouth open in an eternal scream as black sludge ran from the base of their severed neck. Remmy. Remmy. And next to them--

Luce let out an anguished howl as she took in her sister’s crumpled form. Nell’s arms, barely healed from the wounds she’d sustained at the rez, were bent and twisted around her. A jagged slash, wet with blood and viscera, could be seen in the space where her stomach once was. Looking up, Luce could see the bear’s mouth was now coated in red. Next to her, Morgan launched herself at the bear, knives poised, mouth outstretched. Luce watched as the woman bit and snarled and stabbed. All the while, rage and hatred pounded in her ears before giving way in an instant to an eerie sense of calm. 

Whatever the bear had meant to do to them by showing this vision, it hadn’t been this. He stumbled with surprise at Morgan’s attack, doing his best to shake her off. But Morgan’s blades had landed deep and she’d sooner let them carve through the bear’s thick skin than let go. Something had come loose in her at the sight of her friend’s mangled bodies. She was tearing as the wounds with her teeth, letting the blood seep down her mouth and clothes. She twisted one of her blades until her wrist was fit to pop, screaming as loud as she could. She didn’t notice the bear rearing up to shake her. She was hanging on one moment, drilling her knives deeper one thrust at a time, and then she was flying across the room. Her back collided with another punching bag, bouncing off and thudding to the ground in a series of cracks. She had one knife still in her hand, but her bones needed more than a second to fix themselves back again. She watched, helpless, to see what Luce would do next.

While Morgan attacked with tooth and blade, Luce remained still, her eyes still focused on her sister. Her focus had narrowed down to nothing but Nell, nothing but her corpse that lay before them. Young and fragile and broken and gone. She’d already seen Bea’s body, spread out in the clearing on the night of the resurrection. And now she was faced with the image of her other sister lying still before her. Dead. The flames of her sword began to sputter and die, the metal no longer warm to the touch. The rage, the fury, the aggression she’d felt boiling within her only moments ago had mounted to dizzying, toppling heights. But, she didn’t feel out of control, she didn’t feel overwhelmed by emotion.

If anything, the anger was a distant thing from her. She knew its intensity, but she couldn’t feel it in the same way as she once had. But, that wasn’t what she focused on. No, instead, Luce focused on the space between the rage, the energy that existed in the silence. It crackled and thrummed with a force… so familiar. So volatile, so eager for her to finally take notice of its presence. As Luce’s eyes narrowed to face the beast before her, she reached into that void, embraced the crackling power that dwelled within. Unlike the fire that burned with uncontrolled rage, this power was sharp, intense, and sent shivers down her spine. With a flick of her fingers, the wrath within her was released in a single volatile moment. Electricity arched from her palm and a brilliant flash of lightning streaked across the space between them before piercing the bear through the chest.

For a terrible flash of a moment the bear seemed to be burning from the inside out. Blue and purple lightning reflected in his eyes, burning away everything else in Morgan’s eyes. Then he collapsed with a moan and did not move again. 

“Barry!” A woman’s voice cried from the double doors, raw with grief.

Morgan staggered to her feet, grunting as she came back together one vertebrae at a time. The woman wasn’t thinking about hiding her moves any more than Morgan had been a moment ago. She was running back and forth, fighting to get around the flames. She didn’t care that she was one lightning blast away from joining her man, or that there was a zombie reaching for her flailing arms. Not until it was too late. “He didn’t do anything! He was just a bouncer, you fuck! We didn’t even bring them here!” Morgan was too tired and disgusted to argue. She struck, hard enough to send her to the ground. She hit her again. Hit her again. The woman reached for Morgan’s throat and squeezed, realizing too late that Morgan wasn’t the kind of beast that needed to breathe. Morgan didn’t sacrifice her grip on the woman to show her what kind of mistake she’d made. She bared her teeth in a grimace and snapped her very human neck. Rising slowly, Morgan looked into the dark halls beyond the room, her vision streaked with smoke and tears. She didn’t know if there were any still laying in wait for them, but she stood from the pile of dust beneath her nonetheless and asked, voice broken and growling, “Anyone next?”

Luce watched as the lightning arced through the bear’s body, the light leaving its eyes before he crumpled into a heap on the ground. For a moment, there was nothing but quiet, serene calm. The rage had subsided, the aggression had dissipated in flash. And what remained was… Warmth. But it wasn’t the familiar heat of the anger filled flames that filled her soul. It was different--

Before she could process just what the warmth within her was, time seemed to snap back into place. And in an instant, every ounce of energy she had was sapped from her body. Taking a staggering step back, Luce fell to a knee, her hand touching the ground. She peered through unfocused eyes, trying to look at the world around her. A foggy haze filled her vision and she collapsed to the ground. Exhausted, her eyes fell shut and Luce succumbed to unconsciousness.

Morgan stood numb in the dark, but nothing happened. There were footsteps in the distance, calls of “fire,” and “escaping!” and so many awful screams. Morgan turned behind her-- “Luce?” She asked. “Luce, w-we--we have to…” But Luce was a mess of limbs on the ground, her chest falling slow and heavy under her weight. Shit. The fog around Morgan fell and a blade-like clarity settled in. She ran to the Vural girl’s side and scooped her up into her arms and started back for the car. If Blanche, Winston, and Jared had done their part, the next thing would be to get out of here, get somewhere safe. Everywhere around her, bodies burned and moaned. Morgan stepped over one of the guards, their rasping breath gargled with blood. “I’d get out soon if I were you,” she said, still walking by. “This place is really going to hell.”

Luce fought through darkness, through the thick fog of exhaustion. She… wasn’t going to just tap out like this. Forcing her weary eyes to open, she realized that Morgan had grabbed her, was carrying her out of the building. Nell, where was Nell? Where was her sister? The magic within her, crackled and thrummed under her skin, reacting at the thought. Before she could wonder why, before she could question any further, fatigue overtook her and Luce fell back into a stupor. Her last thoughts before sliding back under drifting to her sister. And the hope that she was safe. 

[thehelleniclunarwitch]

Oh To Be A Barton (Chapter Five)

Tagged: @justgrits

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The Barton siblings were up in the middle of the boxing ring. Clint was donned in a black helmet with matching gloves and a mouth piece. Emily stood in the adjacent corner wearing matching purple equipment. Coulson and Fury stood with a group of other students as they all stared at the newcomers. The siblings were being tested in their first obstacle. They both knew how to fight. Barney had taught them how to defend themselves. Clint had made sure that his sister was strong enough to beat a man two sizes bigger than her.

The siblings walked into the middle of the ring and bumped knuckles. Clint winked at his sister and Emily gave him a curt nod before taking a few steps back. They both looked over to Fury and Coulson before returning their attention back to one another. The coach in the corner blew his whistle. Clint started to bounce around, but Emily didn’t move. She watched her brother closely, but staying completely still. They both knew this game all too well. She’d always strike first, Clint would always block the first swipe, but always forget that Emily would come in with a swift left hook to the ribs.

As Clint danced in closer to Emily, a small smirk tugged at her lips, and then she struck. Clint, as always, blocked her first punch, but Emily dug in deep with a hook to the ribs. Clint groaned and dropped to his knees. Emily swung around, her foot hitting Clint directly in the temple, and Clint fell over. Emily stood there staring down at her brother grinning. Clint groaned and flopped onto his back. Emily skirted away from her brother as he sat up.

Clint flipped to his feet and then brought up his hands. He struck quickly and caught Emily in the jaw. Her head snapped to the side and her lip split. Wiping the blood from her lip, she looked back towards her brother who was just grinning. Game time was over and now Emily was determined to lay her brother flat out on his back.

Emily jumped over her brother, bouncing off the ropes, and swung back to her brother punching him in the throat. Clint quickly recovered and tackled his sister. They hit the ring hard both groaning in pain. Clint caught Emily again in the chin. Emily spat out a mouthful of blood all over her brother. Clint snarled as he sat up on his sister and struck her in the stomach. Emily moved her arms trying to keep her face and stomach protected from her brother’s attack. When Clint slowed from exhaustion, Emily sat up and headbutted her brother in the face. Clint fell over onto his side. This time Emily jumped on top of her brother and began punching him.

It came to the point where they both were punching and kicking each other. One of them was going to have to end up being the dominant one and winning this to end the damn test. Emily should just bow out and let her brother, the big bad Alpha male have the win, but Emily just couldn’t let that happen. Moving just right, Emily shoved her knee into her brother’s groin. As he fell forward, Emily climbed onto Clint’s back and began choking him. Clint coughed and clawed at his sister’s hands.

“Tap Clint. Just tap and this will be all over with.” Emily hissed through her mouth guard.

“No. Way.” Clint snarled.

“Don’t make me do this.” Emily growled.

Clint struggled to release Emily’s hold around his neck, but he finally gave in. He reached out and tapped on the mat. Emily released her brother, letting his head slam into the mat. Emily rolled off her brother and climbed to her feet. Clint slowly rolled around before getting to his own feet. Emily started pulling off her gear. Fury and Coulson moved to come and join the siblings in the ring. The other students were whispering amongst themselves.

“I think that fight could have been a little more interesting.” Fury said.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Clint asked as he helped Emily take off her gloves.

“It means that I’m pretty sure you two were holding back.” Fury said.

“Emily almost tore her own brother’s head off.” A student said.

Fury glared at the other students. Coulson smirked and patted his friend on the back. Fury sighed and turned back towards the siblings. Clint was standing with his arms crossed over his chest. His sister, stood next to him with her fist planted on her hips. The pair were both staring at him with the same exact glare.

“Fine, I’ll let it go for now, but it’s on to the next test.” Fury said.

Fury and Coulson climbed out of the ring. Emily rolled her eyes and Clint let out a long sigh. Clint climbed out of the ring first. He had just straightened his back when Emily jumped over the ropes landing smoothly on her feet next to her brother. It was Clint’s turn to roll his eyes.

“Show off.” Clint mumbled.

“You’re just mad because I got you to tap.” Emily pointed out.

“Whatever. I’m done going easy on you.” Clint told her.

Emily smirked. Clint shoved his sister before walking off to catch up with Fury and Coulson. Emily grunted as she caught her balance before face planting into the wall. Emily mocked her brother as she quickly trailed behind him. The other students chuckled at Emily’s mocks. The crowd of students then moved onto the next test area so they could watch what the wonder siblings would do next.

Coulson explained to the siblings that their next test would be simply testing their strengths in weapons. On a table in front of them had a dozen different types of weapons. The siblings would be able to choose one and only one weapon. Then the pair were to battle it out and the first one to be hit three times would be declared the ‘dead’.

“Emily is no match for me. This isn’t quite fair.” Clint said.

“We are looking for areas where you need to improve, Clint. So if your sister lacks in weapons then we know where to train her.” Coulson explained.

Clint turned towards his sister. “I promise to go easy on you.”

“I thought you were done going ‘easy’ on me?” Emily reminded him.

“Oh right. Let the better Barton win.” Clint smirked.

Emily glared at her brother. She watched Clint pick up the bow and arrow. He grinned at his sister before stalking off to his starting spot. The crowd of students were standing behind the barrier. Coulson and Fury eyed Emily as she walked up and down the table a few times looking at all of the choices of weapons.

Finally, Emily chose a weapon. She happily picked up a stack of shuriken. Emily flipped one of the shurikens over her knuckles several times. Coulson smiled at the girl as Fury crossed his arms over his chest. Emily looked back over to the two men.

“Have you made your final choice?” Coulson asked.

“Yes, sir.” Emily answered.

“Your mark is over there.” Fury pointed.

Emily walked over to her designated spot. She looked across to where her brother stood. He was shaking his head at her. She knew that he thought her choice of weapon was a stupid one, but Emily had faith in herself and her ability. Coulson and Fury went and joined the group of students. Emily kept one of the shurikens in her left hand and then slid the rest of the stack into her pocket. The horn blew signaling the start of their next test.

Emily quickly ducked down as an arrow whizzed past her head. Clint swore as he moved to the next object to hide behind. Out of the corner of her eye Emily could see a large wooden crate not far from where she was. She needed to get there so she could get a better sight on her brother. Brushing a strand of hair out of her face Emily took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. With her nerves calmed Emily dashed from her hiding spot and ran towards the wooden crate.

As she moved to slide behind the crate a searing pain ran down her arm. Emily let out a small yelp as she skidded across the grass. Emily looked down at her right arm to see an arrow sticking out. Emily growled as she wrapped her hand around the arrow. With a hard yank Emily ripped the arrow from her arm.

“God damn it, Clint!” Emily roared.

“That’s a big positive one hit for team Clint.” Clint said.

“Screw you!” Emily shouted punching the crate.

“Sorry, sis, maybe the next test will be yours.” Clint called back.

Emily turned so she could peer through the wooden crate. She could see her brother grabbing another arrow. As he was distracted with loading his prized weapon, Emily quickly climbed on top of the crate, she rubbed the shuriken through her fingers before tossing it directly at her brother. Clint cursed as the shuriken hit him in the shoulder. Smirking, Emily dropped back down behind the crate.

“I think that’s a point for me, brother.” Emily called out.

“It’ll be the only point you get!” Clint told her.

“We’ll see about that!” Emily shouted.

As Clint tended to his wound, Emily quickly made her way around the obstacle course until she was the same side of the arena as her brother. She pulled out another shuriken from her pocket and held it in her hand. Emily could just barely make out her brother a few crates away from her. She watched him carefully peered around looking for her. Emily held her breath as he got up, his arrow aimed, and he began running to the next barrier. Grinning, Emily flung the second shuriken hitting him in the back of the thigh. Clint groaned, dropping down, and rolling behind the crate.

“That makes it 2 to 1, Clint.” Emily said.

“You’re going down.” Clint growled.

“We’ll see about that.” Emily told him.

Her smugness didn’t last long. Emily screamed as one arrow shattered through the crate and then a second planted right into her left shoulder. Emily fell forward and let out another painful scream. Reaching behind her, Emily pulled the arrow from her shoulder and tossed it down. Breathing heavily, Emily looked around trying to find her stupid brother. She was going to make him pay for that shot.

“That makes it a tie, sweetheart.” Clint said.

Emily got to her knees before pushing herself up. She dashed across the field to a tall metal barrel. An arrow whizzed past her as she dove behind the object. She tossed out another shuriken it landed with a thud against the crate that Clint was hiding behind. Again, Emily got up and ran to the next object to hide behind. Her new plan was to get as close to Clint as she could and strike him in his stupid face with one of the shuriken. However, as Emily ran to her next target, Clint released another arrow and it struck her in the back of her calf. Emily swore as she hit the ground hard.

“Three hits. You’re dead.” Clint said as he came to stand over her.

Emily glared up at her brother before tearing the arrow out of her calf. He held out his hand towards her so he could help her up, but Emily swatted his hand away from her and pulled herself up. Clint just stared at his sister in awe.

“You’re not mad at me, are you?” Clint asked.

“No.” Emily hissed.

“Emily, come on we’re being tested here. What am I supposed to do pretend that you’re better at everything just so I won’t hurt your feelings?” Clint asked.

“It’s fine.” Emily seethed.

“Emily,” Clint began.

“It’s whatever, Clint. Let’s just keep going.” Emily replied walking away from her brother.

Clint sighed before trailing after his sister. He had a feeling that this would happen. That a rift would form between them. The two had never been pitted against each other before. Tossing the bow and remaining arrows to the side, Clint jogged to catch up with Emily and the adults. Clint tried talking to his sister again, but Emily completely ignored him. Fury and Coulson led them down a way to the start line.

“Now we are going to test your stamina. It’s a three mile run. Follow the marked trees along the path to the other end of the testing grounds. We’ll meet you down there.” Coulson said.

“Great.” Emily mumbled.

“Just keep a steady pace.” Clint told her.

“That’s easy for you to say because you have long ass legs.” Emily replied.

“Short legs or not you always beat Barney and I.” Clint reminded her.

“That was a quick sprint across the carnival. This is different, Clint. This is three freaking miles.” Emily pointed out.

“You two get in your position.” Coulson said.

Emily sighed and walked over to one of the markers. Clint took one last look at his sister before going to his own marker. Emily grabbed her foot and started to stretch out her legs. Clint worked at stretching out his sides. As the siblings finished up warming up their muscles, Fury cleared his throat as he brought a whistle up to his lips. Both siblings got into a running position and then Fury blew the whistle.

Surprising Coulson and Fury both, Emily kept up a steady pace with her brother for more than two miles of the race. The pair had stood at the finish line watching the siblings weave around the course running with matching stamina, but once they hit a little over two miles, Emily began to slow down. Clint gained a lead over his sister once he made it to two and a half miles.

Emily was tired. She was annoyed and highly pissed off. If she couldn’t win then fine, but there was going to be no way in hell that she was going to let her brother win with such a distance between the two. Her legs burned and her knees ached, but Emily imagined Jacques finding them. She pictured him chasing them down to kill them. To finally end what had started years ago.

Finding a burst of energy, Emily easily closed the distance between the two of them just as the finish line came into view. Clint looked behind him and chuckled when he saw his sister catching up to him. He could almost feel her breath on his back as he ran through the finish line. Just a matter of ten seconds later, Emily crossed the line. Both siblings slowed, doubling over as they tried to catch their breaths.

“That was actually quite impressive.” Fury stated.

“Glad you’re entertained.” Emily snapped.

Coulson and Clint both laughed.

“One last physical obstacle before we break for lunch.” Coulson said.

“Oh joy.” Emily said sarcastically.

Students held out water bottles and towels towards the siblings. Clint chugged his water, wiped his face, and then hurried to catch up with the director. Emily angrily sipped her water before wiping the sweat from her face. She walked with Coulson to the next training spot.

“Don’t let these tests get you down.” Coulson said.

Emily looked up at him with a cocked eyebrow.

“Just because Clint is placing in first doesn’t make him better than you.” Coulson told her.

“I never had a problem with Clint being better than me before.” Emily replied.

“Are you feeling pressure because you think you need to impress us?” Coulson asked her.

“It’s not that I want to impress you, but if I don’t do well I don’t want you guys to decide that I’m not worth it, but Clint is and in the end I lose my brother.’ Emily explained.

“Emily, we wouldn’t have brought you here if we didn’t think you were worth it. Shields has been watching you and your brother for months now. We didn’t want you because you could do the physical stuff.” Coulson told her.

“Then why did you want me?” Emily asked him.

“You stole money from the President and nobody noticed until three months later.” Coulson said.

“Hey, it’s not my fault that the government has a shitty security system.” Emily replied.

Coulson chuckled. “Just remember that we could have arrested you and you could be in juvie.”

“Why aren’t I?” Emily asked.

“Directory Fury insisted that we had you handled since you were under our watch.” Coulson answered.

Their conversation stopped as they reached the next spot. Emily groaned when she saw the obstacle course in front of her. She looked up at Coulson with an annoyed look on her face and Coulson just patted her on the back.

“After lunch is all intelligence and technology tests. You’re going to blow him out of the water. I just know it.” Coulson told her.

“You’re going to be the death of me.” Emily groaned as she walked over to her starting point.

“This is an obstacle course. Clint will go first and then you’ll follow, Emily, when he’s finished. We’re looking for who can get through it with the fastest time.” Fury explained.

“We all know it’s going to be Clint so can I save myself the embarrassment and just skip this one?” Emily asked.

Fury sighed.

“Come on Em, you love obstacle courses.” Clint said.

“Yeah, when we’re doing it for fun and there’s a waterslide at the end of it.” Emily scoffed.

Clint shook his head.

“Just take your marks.” Fury said.

Emily rolled her eyes. Clint powdered up his hands and began jumping up and down to warm up his muscles. Coulson came to stand next to Emily as Clint took off into the obstacle course. Emily didn’t even bother to watch how amazing her brother was doing.

“So who are all of the kids watching us?” Emily asked.

“Students who had free time. These bunch always like watching the newbies go through what they had to go through.” Coulson answered.

“They work for Shields too?” Emily asked.

“Some of them do. A few of them will be transferred to other government agencies that deal with their specialities.” Coulson explained.

“Shields must like them young.” Emily pointed out.

“The younger, the better, actually. You guys are more capable of soaking up the information and training we give you. Plus most people don’t expect a bunch of kids to be spies, assassins, and hackers.” Coulson told her.

“Building your own tiny army. Good choice.” Emily said.

“You know you’re too smart for you own good, right?” Coulson pointed out.

“Yeah, I know. Clint always tells me. So did Barney.” Emily said.

“Barney?” Coulson asked.

“Huh? Oh nothing.” Emily said.

“Time!” Fury shouted.

Coulson and Emily turned to see that Clint finished the obstacle in an amazing 5:46. Emily sighed and began powdering up her hands. Coulson stood back with the small group of students. Emily cracked her fingers and wiggled her muscles loose as she waited for Fury to blow the whistle. Once he did, Emily shot off her marker and started bouncing through the obstacle.

“You know, Coulson, she may not be placing first, but she can hold her own.” One of the students said.

“She’s pretty impressive for her age. Just wait until you see her after lunch.” Coulson said.

“Where did you even find these freaks? In a circus?” A girl asked with a laugh.

The brunette that was standing next to the boy who had just spoken shoved the heel of her foot into the girl’s foot. The nasty girl howled out in pain and the other girl stood there with a slight smirk on her face. The boy sighed, shook his head at his friend, before returning his attention back to Emily and the obstacle course.

Coulson and the students gasped as one of Emily’s hands fell from one of the bars. She gripped tighter with her left hand and began swinging to get some momentum. She finally caught herself back up and continued on with the obstacle. Shocking Fury, when she landed on the finishing marker at 6:00 minutes on the dot.

“I told you that Emily wasn’t that weak.” Clint said to the shocked Director.

“Let’s break for lunch.” Coulson said when Fury couldn’t come up with a reply.

Ignoring his sister’s complaints, Clint swooped her up and planted her on his back. Emily gave in and wrapped her arms around his neck as he followed the group of students inside to the cafeteria. Clint dumped his sister off at a table and then went off to get their lunch for them. Emily groaned when she finally got to sit down. As she waited, Emily stretched out all of her muscles and checked her body where she ached. Emily found several bruises all over her arms and legs.

“You were quite impressive for someone who is so short.” A voice said.

Emily looked up to see a girl sliding into a chair across from her. Her brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she was wearing a gray headband. She was dressed in the Shields training gear and she was staring at Emily with big eyes.

“Uh, thanks? I think.” Emily replied.

“I owe Peter twenty bucks. I figured you would have quit after the first activity.” The girl told her.

“I’m sorry, but who are you?” Emily asked in annoyance.

A tall lanky boy came and joined them at the table. He sat down next to the girl and elbowed her slightly. She looked over to the boy and he gave her a look and then shook his head.

“Forgive my friend, she lacks emotions and forgets that not everyone is emotionless like her.” The kid said.

“Uh, right.” Emily said.

“I’m Peter and this is my best friend, Piper.” The boy introduced.

“Emily and I’m sure you know my brother Clint.” Emily said as her brother dropped down next to her.

“Nice to meet you.” Clint said as he shoved a plate in front of Emily.

“You guys were pretty amazing out there. You guys have been one of the best duos out there in a long time.” Peter said.

“Thanks.” The siblings said together.

“Who trained you?” Peter asked.

“Traveling Wonders.” Clint answered.

“Heard of them. I know they used to be quite popular before everything happened.” Peter stated.

“Yeah, they were great to us and we were always busy.” Clint replied.

“Did you work for the circus?” Peter asked.

“Sometimes, we were there more or less to help out.” Clint answered.

“Take my peas.” Emily whined interrupting the conversation.

Clint sighed, but picked up sister’s plate anyways and slid the peas onto his plate. He in return gave her his carrots. As he returned her plate, Emily switched their milks taking his chocolate milk and giving him her strawberry milk.

“How long have you two been with Shields?” Clint asked cutting into his piece of meatloaf.

“About three years. We’re transferring out at the end of the month.” Peter said.

“Where?” Clint asked.

“Gotham City. Bruce Wayne is going to be our foster family.” Peter answered.

“Billionaire Bruce Wayne?” Emily asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

“So you’ve heard of him?” Peter laughed.

“Don’t even think about it, Emily.” Clint said.

“What? I’m not thinking about anything.” Emily snapped.

“Yeah, whatever. I see the glint in your eye.” Clint pointed out.

“I don’t take from every rich person, Clint.” Emily growled.

“Bullshit. I’m telling Coulson that you can’t be left alone computers.” Clint said.

“Who said I needed a computer?” Emily growled.

Clint sighed. “You’re not stealing money from Bruce Wayne.”

“You never let me have fun.” Emily complained.

“You’re right, I’m so mean. I’m such a horrible brother. How dare I stop you from siphoning money from a billionaire. What kind of a man am I?” Clint told her.

“A lame one.” Emily answered.

“It was a rhetorical question.” Clint hissed.

“Don’t ask a question if you don’t want an answer.” Emily informed him.

“You’re going to be the death of me.” Clint sighed.

“Yeah, well when I read about getting stuck with a ball and chain, I thought they meant a husband not a controlling older brother.” Emily retorted.

“I knew I should have dropped you off at the orphanage.” Clint said.

“Like you’d be able to make it three days without me.” Emily snapped.

“Damn well could have.” Clint growled.

Emily grabbed a handful of mashed potatoes then smashed them into her brother’s face. Peter’s mouth fell open and Piper chuckled at the sight of Clint. Emily proceeded to wipe her hand clean on Clint’s shirt before storming off.

“Emily!” Clint shouted as he tossed down his fork.

“I think you should let her go.” Piper stated.

Clint whirled around to glare at her.

“You know nothing.” Clint spat.

“That may be true, but if you go after her she will hurt you.” Piper said as she stood up to throw away her plate.

“Sorry buddy,” Peter apologized before following after Cat.

Clint grabbed a napkin and cleaned his face up as best as he could. Tossing all of the trash away, Clint stormed towards his shared bedroom with his sister. He took a quick shower and then dressed in a new Shields uniform. He was just pulling on his boots when there was a knock on his door.

“Come in.” Clint called out.

The door pushed open and then Natasha was poking her head around the corner. When she spotted Clint on the bed, she leaned against the frame staring at the boy.

“You might want to come with me right now.” Natasha said.

“I don’t have the time. The next part of our testing starts soon.” Clint told her.

“Yeah, well, your sister is going head to head with Fury right now.” Natasha said.

“Where?” Clint asked.

“Out in the front court in front of the whole training center.” Natasha told him.

“Shit.” Clint swore springing up to his feet.

Clint followed Natasha out of the room and down the hall. The two jogged towards the front of the building. Out the large windows, Clint could see crowds forming around the front court. Fury and Emily were standing toe to toe. Emily may be a kid and way smaller than the Director, but she wasn’t afraid to argue her point. Peter and Piper flanked to Natasha and Clint’s side the minute they stepped outside.

“I tried to stop her, but she actually knocked me on my ass.” Peter said.

“What happened?” Clint asked.

“Fury tried reprimanding her about her behavior in the cafeteria. Apparently, he saw your guys’ argument on the cameras and confronted her. Emily just snapped.” Peter explained.

“I could have you put on probation.” Fury snarled.

“Go right ahead! That’s what you want anyway.” Emily hissed.

“What I want is for you to follow the rules and be respectful.” Fury said.

“Well I wanted to be apart of this and not be pitted against my brother, but it looks like neither of us are going to get what we want.” Emily informed him.

“Nobody is pitting you two against each other. We only just want to see where the two of you stand.” Fury told her.

“Could have fooled me. I see the way you go all moon eyes over Clint every time he comes out on top and the look of disappointment on your face when you look at me.” Emily growled.

“Emily, that’s not true.” Fury said.

“Emily,” Clint called out to her. “what’s going on?”

“Here comes your golden child now.” Emily said with a roll of her eyes.

“What the hell are you doing?” Clint demanded to know.

“Nothing. Forget it.” Emily hissed.

“Come on, Em, talk to me.” Clint pleaded with his sister.

“Like I said it’s nothing. Just prepare yourself. I’m going to damage you in the next few rounds.” Emily snapped and stormed away.

Fury sighed and turned towards Clint. “Clint,”

“I told you this would happen.” Clint said.

Clint walked away from the Director and hurried after her sister. He watched as Coulson swooped in and walked with the girl towards the tech lab. Clint slowed down and rubbed at his aching head. When he finally reached the tech lab, Emily was already seated and ready to go. Coulson pointed to the computer that Clint would be working at.

“Your first mission is to lead your spy through the process of breaking into this vault without setting off the security systems or getting caught on the cameras.” Fury said.

Emily looked up to see Peter standing at the vault in the room across from her computer. He pressed his face against the glass and waved at her. Emily gave him a slight wave back. In the room across from Clint was Natasha. Emily slipped on her headset and cracked her fingers.

“Peter, can you hear me?” Emily whispered.

“Loud and clear.” Peter replied.

“Are you two ready?” Fury asked.

Both of the siblings nodded. Natasha and Peter both went over to their marker. Emily talked nice and low to Peter so her brother couldn’t hear what she was telling her spy.

“Stay to the left. I’m going to rewire the cameras so they repeat the same visual over again. By the time you get to the opposite corner I should have the security lasers revealed so you can crawl through. When you get to the vault I’ll have the four digit security code for you.” Emily informed him.

“Just that fast?” Peter asked.

“Do you doubt me?” Emily replied.

“No ma'am. Let’s get this show on the road.” Peter told her.

“Fastest team to steal the money and get back to their beginning marker wins.” Fury said.

“Got it.” Clint said.

“Begin.” Fury said.

Emily’s fingers were already flying across the board. In seven seconds, the camera’s internal system had been redirected and was replaying the same scene over and over again on a loop making Peter seem invisible. In eight seconds, Peter was in the opposite corner and the security lasers were visual.

“Crawl under the first three, backflip over the next two, and then slide under the last one. I’ll have the passcode ready for you.” Emily told him.

“On it.” Peter replied.

Coulson was amazed at how fast Emily’s fingers slid over the keyboard. A bunch of codes filled the computer screen to the side and Emily scanned them quickly. Peter did exactly like he was told. Just as he slid under the last laser and pulled himself up at the vault, Emily had the passcode.

“6395.” Emily said.

Peter entered the code. As Peter, emptied the contents of the vault into his backpack. Emily was going through the codes again. She smiled to herself when she found whatever she was looking for. There was a popping noise, Peter turned around to watch the red lasers disappear.

“You’re clear to walk back to the beginning marker.” Emily told him.

Peter happily zipped up his backpack. He flipped off the stairs to the vault. He skipped over to the beginning marker and smacked the red button signaling the end of their mission. Both Peter and Emily glanced up to see their final time. 34.09 seconds. Emily pushed her headset around her neck, stood up, and then gave Peter a thumbs up.

Clint was at a complete loss through the whole thing. Thankfully for him, his partner didn’t suck. Natasha told him just to figure out the passcode to the vault and she could get herself to the vault, but when she got there Clint didn’t have the passcode and she got caught on the camera. Clint sighed and tossed his headset down.

“Mr. Parker. Miss Romanoff. Thank you for your help. You may carry on with your day.” Fury said.

“I totally could have that under twenty five seconds, but your codes weren’t codes I’m familiar with.” Emily said.

“I had a feeling about that.” Coulson said with a smirk.

“Well you got me on that one, but you won’t be fooling me on anything else.” Emily replied.

“I’m hoping you’ll continue to blow me out of the water Miss Barton.” Coulson told her.

“For your next test,” Fury interrupted. “we want to see how well you do with tracking.”

“What exactly does that mean?” Clint asked.

“You will be assigned a person and you will have to find the person. Said person could be anywhere in the world.” Fury explained.

“Yes!’ Emily fist pumped.

“Are you excited Miss Barton?” Fury asked.

“This is my speciality. I have found several people this way before. About to be blown out of the water.” Emily said.

“Our fastest hacker can find someone in just 22 seconds.” Coulson informed her.

“I can do it in half.” Emily smugly said.

“We’ll see about that.” Fury said.

“One name. One code. You’ll have the person’s location, and I mean coordinates and address in eleven seconds.” Emily said.

“Well then I won’t keep you waiting.” Fury said.

Coulson handed Emily a piece of paper. She opened it and read the name. The second Fury signaled for them to begin Emily’s hands began working. Coulson watched the clock closely as Emily did exactly what she said was going to do. At eleven seconds, Emily held up her hands. Fury walked over to check her screen.

Fury leaned in. Sure enough on the screen was the image of Anthony Stark. His coordinates; 4.0500* S, 39.6667 E, Mombasa, Kenya, Africa. Fort Jesus, Nkrumah Rd, Mombasa 80100, Kenya.

“Holy shit.” Coulson whispered.

Clint held up his hands after 2:36 with the location of Maria Hill. Fury nodded and the pair put down their arms. Emily cleared her screen and then placed her hands in her lap waiting for their last test. Fury explained that they needed to hack into one bank account and transfer 25% of the balance into an offshore account. Emily looked over at her brother with a big grin on her face. Clint glared at her before returning his attention to his screen.

“The bank account you’re going to take from is on screen now.” Fury said.

Emily left that account alone and went to work. Coulson was already smirking, but stayed quiet. He watched Emily work very quickly. She switched between two screens a few times before finally entering the last code and then holding up her hands. Just a few minutes later Clint was holding up his own hands in finish.

Fury walked over to Clint nodding in approval. When Fury came over to Emily and he started to look at the screen his eyes grew wide. Coulson was doing everything in his power not to break down in a fit of laughter. Fury said nothing, but whipped out his phone and started pressing a few buttons. Curious, Clint got up from his seat and went over to his sister’s screen.

Emily hadn’t taken money from the chosen account. No, she found Director Fury’s personal account, took 35% percent of his balance, and then donated it to her one of her favorite charities. Clint looked over to Fury and he could see that Fury was checking his bank account to see if she had actually done what she just did.

“I told you not to mess with me.” Emily said before sliding out of her seat and slipping from the tech lab.

Coulson left Clint with Fury and hurried after the young child. He easily caught up with her and walked with her down to the cafeteria where he purchased them a snack from the snack bar. Coulson drank his water and ate his apple while Emily munched on a thing of gummy bears and a water.

“I’d like to train you in your hacking ways.” Coulson said.

“How are you sure Shields is even going to want to keep me around?” Emily asked him in return.

“Because I’m going to fight for you.” Coulson said.

“I’ll let you train me on one condition.” Emily said.

“Name it.” Coulson replied.

“When I have to train, I want to train alone. I don’t want to train with my brother or with Natasha or any other students here. I want a personal trainer.” Emily said.

“That can be arranged.” Coulson said.

“Then we have a deal.” Emily replied, holding out her hand to the older man.

The pair finished up their snack. Emily left Coulson and headed to her bedroom. Coulson went down to the offices to meet up with the Director. He was sitting at his desk talking on the phone. He held up a finger towards Coulson before quickly finishing up his phone call.

“The council isn’t sure if they want to keep Emily on board.” Fury told him.

“I’ll talk to them. She has a lot of potential and I want to personally train her.” Coulson said.

“That’s a lot of responsibilities with that one. Are you sure?” Fury asked.

“She’s difficult, sassy, and has quite the attitude, but I like her. I think with the right training and patience she can become one of our best.” Coulson explained.

“Fine, then I’ll back you against the council.” Fury said.

“Thank you sir,” Coulson said.

Fury just nodded.

Out in the hallway, Clint was walking with Natasha. She was explaining to him how pleased she was with his progress today. He apologized a dozen times about the first tech mission, but Natasha said he’d get better with more training.

“There was something I needed to ask you though before we go our separate ways.” Natasha said.

“What’s that?” Clint replied.

“I want you to become my partner.” Natasha told him.

“I’m a newbie who needs a lot of training. Why do you want me?” Clint replied.

“You having an amazing talent with a bow. You’re incredibly smart and I see the way you are with your sister. You have a heart of gold. I tend to lack with caring and sensible decisions. I could use a partner like you.” Natasha explained.

“And Emily?” Clint asked.

“Trust me, Clint, Emily is going to be taken care of.” Natasha said.

Clint held out his hand. “You got yourself a partner.”

Natasha shook it. “Great.”

Several hours later, all of the students were tucked away in bed. Clint was sleeping peacefully in his own bed. His hearing aids sitting on the nightstand so he never heard the pitter patter of his sister’s footsteps as she sneaked from their room and down to the tech lab.

Coulson had been alerted immediately when somebody had used his login information to gain access to a computer that he usually didn’t use. He wasn’t surprised when he found Emily sitting in the big leather chair in front of the computer. Her legs dangled over the edge of the chair and they were swinging back and forth. Glasses were perched on her nose and her hair was pulled back in a messy bun.

He could see that she was scanning through files. Coulson entered the tech lab. His slippers kept him quiet as he moved over to the other side of the lab. He pulled out a chair and took a seat next to Emily.

“Couldn’t sleep either?” She asked not bothering to look up at him.

“I slept fine until I got an alert that someone hijacked my account.” Coulson said.

“Sorry about, but I figured you wouldn’t have mind and would have preferred me doing it this way rather than hacking the system.” Emily explained.

“What are you doing out of bed, Emily?” Coulson asked her.

“Like I said, I couldn’t sleep.” Emily answered.

“What are you doing?” Coulson asked.

“Looking for somebody.” Emily told him.

“Can I help?” Coulson asked.

“It’s useless, I don’t think he wants to be found.” Emily said.

Coulson left it alone. He leaned in when he watched her pull up another screen.

“Are you a Captain America fan?” Coulson asked.

“He’s my favorite.” Emily said.

“Mine too.” Coulson said.

“I promise I’m not doing anything bad, Coulson. I just couldn’t sleep. I’ll leave in a little bit.” Emily told him.

“Alright, I’ll leave you alone.” Coulson said.

“Goodnight, Coulson.” Emily said.

“Goodnight.” Coulson smiled and left her alone.

Emily returned her attention back to the screen and kept reading. She knew a lot of things about Steve Rogers already, but Shields had a lot of information on him that she didn’t know. At the end of the fifth page, Emily noticed a name was highlighted.

James Buchanan Barnes.

Emily clicked on it and when she saw the man’s picture she recognized him as Bucky. Steve’s loyal friend. Emily read through the information that was available to read. At the bottom of the page she noticed that a few of the file pages were locked. Emily’s mouse hovered over one of the links, she pulled up a box to enter a few codes to hack through, but the tech lab door burst open.

“I think it’s time for bed.” Fury stated.

Emily sighed. “Fine.”

“Next time ask for permission.” Fury told her.

“Yeah, like that will happen.” Emily scoffed.

Emily hurried past him and back to her room. Fury walked over to the computer. He exited out of the box, but then froze when he saw what file that Emily was trying to hack into. He looked behind him to make sure that she hadn’t returned. Fury clicked in a few codes himself to make the link disappeared. The next time Emily hacked into the files like Fury knew she would, The Winter Soldier file would be gone. He didn’t want to give the child nightmares even though she annoyed him greatly. He just couldn’t do that to her.

“Sorry, Emily, you’re just not quite ready for that mission yet.” Fury said before leaving the lab and heading back to his own room for the night. Fury had plans for her, but he had to wait until she was a little older and more mature for what Fury needed from her.

[melodyalanaroster]

Summer Lovin’

There were no words to describe how ecstatic Alana was to be going back to the beach for a chill vacation with Nathaniel.... To escape the drama and responsibilities of every day life... And to have a little fun before returning to the daily grind of preparing for the end of the year. Nathaniel had rented a hotel room for the two of them, which meant plenty of nightly snuggling and cuddling without him running off. She could tell that the mere thought of the weekend was making him happy... What he didn’t know what that she had a surprise for him...

Day 1

When they got to the hotel room, she told him to go ahead to to the beach and wait for her while she set her stuff down. He looked puzzled for a minute. “Why?” He pondered. “You’ll see!” Alana winked as she slipped into the bathroom.

As she walked towards the beach, she noticed Nathaniel waiting at the Stairs, staring at the ocean. “Now, I told you to go to the beach and wait. Not sulk by the stairs, Mister.” She mused. Nathaniel jolted up, turned around and dropped his jaw. “Woah.” He gasped. “Is that all you have to say? I was expecting more of a response.” She giggled as she walked up to him. “I... wow... you are... a knockout... Alana.” He stuttered. Alana smirked. “I knew you’d like it. I figured that with it being our weekend, I’d do something a little... Special.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. 

As they walked along the water’s edge, one of Nathaniel’s hands ran down Alana’s back. She couldn’t help but shiver each and every time he touched her. Alana only wanted one thing... To find a secluded spot where she could enjoy the warmth, love and strength that came with being held in his arms. Suddenly, she could hear voices coming towards them from the distance. “Well now, you weren’t lying when you said coming here was worth it! There are some real knock-outs around here.” Alana looked annoyed. “Oh god. I can’t get any peace.” She thought as she figured the voices were commenting on her. She turned around, preparing to happily tell the voices that she’s flattered but she’s taken, only to realize that the voices were coming from a group of girls. “Well, someone’s got a husky voice.” she thought. “Hi... What’s your name?” one of the girls asked as she ignored Alana and walked up to Nathaniel. “Dafuq? Can’t this bitch see that Nathaniel and I are together? Does she even realize who the fuck I am?” Alana thought. Discomfort washed over Nathaniel as he rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, I just wanted to have a drink with you. You’re so cute.” the girl persisted. Nathaniel sighed, clearly brushing the unsubtle pickup line off. “Fucking seriously? Are you kidding me?” Alana thought. “Excuse me? Sweetheart? Are you blind or just stupid? It’s clear that he’s with me.” She huffed. The girl turned to her and smirked. “Oooh, look who’s baring her claws. Sorry, but I have trouble believing that a knock-out like him could go out with an ugly thing like you.” A flash of annoyance crossed Alana’s face for a split second, only to turn into a calm smirk. She stepped closer to the girl and placed her pointer finger on the girls collar bone. “Now listen up deary, because I’m only gonna tell you this once. This “knock-out”, as you keep calling him, is MINE! Can your microscopic brain comprehend that? As in MY man. As in, I don’t appreciate useless, pathetic, THOTS like you thinking that it’s okay to walk up and flirt with him! Oh, and as for calling me ugly? Sweetie, you must not have realized precisely WHO THE FUCK I am! Because anyone in their right mind wouldn’t dare speak against me. Now, you have two options... One, run away and make damn sure I never see you or your gaggle of bumbling idiots again... Or Two, continue to bother my darling and me on our much needed vacation and suffer me ripping you to shreds and tossing your entrails into the ocean to become FUCKING FISH FOOD! Oh, and the best part? If you do go with Option Two, nobody will bother avenging your sorry ass!” As she finished speaking, she grabbed Nathaniel’s hand and began heading towards the opposite side of the beach, making sure to flash the girls her I.D. tattoo.

When they reached the opposite side of the beach and stopped walking, Nathaniel began to laugh. “Ha ha! What was all that? Since when are you jealous?” Alana huffed. “I hate it when girls flirt with you! You do the same thing with me! As it is, even on a basic level, even a blind person could see that you’re with me! The fact that they dared to insult me was even worse! I was ready to...” She began. Nathaniel didn’t let her finish her sentence and kissed her passionately. Within a second, the anger that filled her had been washed away. “Now, the last time I checked... According to custom, guys are supposed to defend their girlfriends. But seeing you constantly reverse those stupid rules... You can’t imagine what a turn-on that is.” Alana looked at his shorts and noticed his bulge. “I think I have an idea.” She smirked. Nathaniel instantly pulled her closer to him and kissed her. The only word crossing Alana’s mind being “FUCK!”.

A couple of hours later, they decided to get drinks at the bar. As they were sitting at a table, casually drinking their cocktails, Alana suddenly heard her name being called. “Mels! My little sunflower!” the voice called. She turned in the direction of the voice and immediately looked horrified. “Auntie! Your skin!” She choked as Agatha walked up to them. “Yeah, I forgot to put on sunscreen!” Agatha turned to Nathaniel. “Hey kiddo! Good to see you!” she smiled. “Hey Agatha.” Nathaniel greeted. “Auntie! You know the women in our family need to wear a lot of sunscreen! Hell, I’m wearing at least two layers!” Alana scolded her aunt. “I’ll be fine! I’ll put on some aloe and it and I’ll get better!” Alana took a drink and sighed. “This is why mom and I worry about you.” “Now, Melody, I distinctly remember when we had to chase you around to make sure you had sunscreen on before jumping into the water!” Agatha cooed. “But I grew out of it!” Alana called back. Nathaniel began laughing. “Seriously, each and every opportunity that she got to go swimming, she’d just jump in the water! One summer, she was in the pool so much that the chlorine actually bleached her hair a little!” Agatha continued. “So? Agatha? What brings you to the beach?” Alana asked. “I just wanted to have some fun! Don’t worry, sweetie, I won’t impose myself on your romantic time!” Agatha laughed as she walked to the bar. “Sorry about that darling.” Alana sighed. Nathaniel ran his hand along her cheek, kissed her and chuckled. “It’s alright love. I love your family. They may be crazy, but at least you can tell that you all love each other.” Alana smiled. “I love you so much Nathaniel.” Nathaniel kissed her forehead. “I love you too, Alana.”

Day 2

The beach had become an arena. An athletic battle had begun between lovers on the beach volleyball court. Nathaniel didn’t seem to enthusiastic with the idea at first... Until Alana decided to make things interesting. “Come on! The loser takes the winner to dinner!” She pleaded. “Alright, fine.” Nathaniel smirked, instantly roused by the competition. “I’m already thinking of my lobster, yum...” He grinned. “Oh, really? Now, I thought you were bankrolling this trip.” Alana smirked. “You promised to treat me to dinner if I win and I definitely intend to win.” Nathaniel grinned. “We’ll see about that.” Alana laughed. Soon after, they began to compete to the fullest extent of their power. Alana using her training to the best of her ability, without overdoing it. Nathaniel proving himself to be a formidable opponent. As Nathaniel became more enthusiastic, Alana let more and more of her training show... Her moves becoming progressively more ferocious and precise. After a very well timed spike, the ball surged past Nathaniel and landed in the far corner of his side of the court for the game point. He had tried to spike it back with one wrist, only to slip and fall back in the sand. Alana sauntered to Nathaniel, straddled over him and smirked. “I believe you owe me dinner. I’m thinking crab.” Nathaniel looked up at her and narrowed his eyes. “Not sure if kebabs come with crab.” Alana huffed. “You wouldn’t dare!” Nathaniel slid out from underneath Alana and looked away. “We never said we were “eating out”.” “I’ll show you!” Alana called as she began to chase after him.

In no time they both had fallen into the sand. “Way to go, I’m going to have a swimsuit full of sand!” Nathaniel cheered. “It’s your own fault!” Alana snapped back, laughing. At that point, Nathaniel looked at her intensely before giving her a long, lingering kiss. As usual, Alana’s body caught fire with each and every caress from Nathaniel’s tongue.... Driving her mad.

Day 3

The very thought of their wonderful weekend coming to an end made Alana’s heart ache. This was the first, fully carefree, weekend they’ve had since getting back together, and she didn’t want it to end. Between her having to prepare the Black Tower for her upcoming absence and his desire for her to not get involved with his situation, they still didn’t get to see each other as much as they’d like to. She couldn’t help but let her mind wander to all that plagued her outside this weekend. If she could stop the outside world and stay in this moment forever... But she knew that was impossible. In the end, they’d have to return to reality. Nathaniel clearly noticed, because at that moment he began playfully teasing her by splashing her with water. Seeing how she wasn’t reacting, he dove underwater and she felt something pull her legs. She hardly had time to take a breath before she was pulled underwater. As soon as she resurfaced, Alana flung herself at Nathaniel to dunk his head underwater. But the blonde Adonis refused to give up. “You’re gonna get it!” She called. “If you keep it up, I’m going to get really mean.” He smirked. “Oh? Care to elaborate?” She inquired. “I’ll just say two words: strings and top!” He narrowed his eyes, his smirk getting wider. She brought herself closer to him, the grin on her face becoming more mischievous. “Bring. It. On.” He raised and eyebrow. “Are you really daring me?” She looked up at him. “Did I stutter? Yes, I’m daring you.” “You’re playing a dangerous game.” Alana couldn’t help but giggle. “I love danger.” Once again, Nathaniel dove and pulled her underwater. Both of their bodies got closer right away, and when they came up for air, she felt his fingers messing with the strings to her top. “Come on then... What are you waiting for?” she teased, the look on her face inviting him to take the joke to it’s logical conclusion. His eyes narrowed and bore into her. “It’s tempting, be careful, I’m going to do it.” “Go ahead... Give into temptation.” Alana felt the fabric slip off her chest. Right away, he pulled her towards him and pressed her up against his warm chest. Her heart raced, catching on fire as it touched his burning skin.... And the fact that he slid his lips over her shoulder only made matters worse. He was driving her out of her mind... The last shred of her sanity slipping away with each and every move of his body against hers.

They made the weekend last as long as possible, but they definitely had to go back at some point. This weekend would definitely join the memories Alana used to try to chase the nightmares away.... As it had become one of the happiest times of her life.

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

With the release of the Summer Event, I knew I had to make a part of Alana’s Canon for it.

[teamoliv-archive]

Cutscene: New Beginnings, New Dangers

“Well, I guess we have good news and bad news. Good news is we get to start Ivory and Molly’s huntress career early. Bad news, we’re surrounded.” The group that now consisted of Team OLIV, Lapis’s younger sister Lazuli, and Ivory’s former partner in crime Molly stood in a ring surrounded by far more Grimm than they had anticipated when they were told of a ‘swarm of monsters a team would be useful to take down’. Swarm was a bit more apt than anyone really was comfortable with; there were dozens of spider-like creatures that would let out screeches as they crawled closer and those jaws looked poisonous. A team they were, but professionals they were not. This was going to take some creative teamwork.

“Alright, everyone, split up and take a section!”

Violet turned toward one section of the creatures as they charged. She flared out her whips and hurled herself upward and over the Grimm, a flurry of cracks and blows staggered several of the creatures while surrounding ones were blown apart one by one.

“I’ve got backup, keep pushing!” Ivory stuck herself in a kneeling pose, braced by one of her targets locking her in place while she carefully turned and blasted at any Grimm that got too close to their area.

“Got it!” She landed on one of the spider-creatures and jumped again, shooting at the grounded monster, causing a spit of bile to misfire and hit the ground. She aimed down and a brilliant flash followed her next shot, blinding the pack with a loud popping sound.

Lapis kept to a defensive, leaving his shield up as he pushed forward slowly. He saw the giant buzzsaw contraption of Briar’s drive through the spiders with her in it, chopping off legs and sometimes abdomens as she passed, but many were making their way to him. He blocked and parried with his shield and weapon, shoving any away that tried to leap at him.

“You know, I could use a little help here!”

“I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it!” Molly ran her weapon through the pack and with a pivot, flinging herself toward Lapis with her hand out. “Tilt-a-Whirl!”

“Wait, what’s Tilt-a-WOOOOAAAH!” Before he finished his statement, Molly grabbed his arm and let the momentum swing them around, throwing her in a circle with her saw being carried in the wide arc to batter and slice the surrounding Grimm. Lapis only had time to brace himself and keep from falling over from the force before he put his weight behind his arm and flung her off into the distance and into an oncoming second wave. She landed frustratingly expertly with the saw’s teeth biting into the oncoming Grimm and her perched on in the inside and waving.

“Woo! Let’s hear it for team attacks!”

Lapis stood up and popped his shoulder to make sure it was still in place. “You’re supposed to plan that out ahead of time! That was my shield arm, too...”

“We got ‘em, didn’t we? Besides, everyone else is doing fine.”

Lazuli watched “her” section of Grimm tangled up in a web. They weren’t dead or even injured, but they were busy. She looked up at the dizzying array woven through the sparse trees around them where Onyx was lounging.

The web tightened as Onyx looked down at Hamelin’s sister with an expectant look. Would that he had the vocal strength to throw his voice again, he’d have reminded her to start firing. Despite her time as the Arena’s prisoner honing her skills and unlocking her semblance, she had little to no experience with Grimm yet.

He tightened it again as the Grimm tried ti wiggle free. Sure he made it look effortless, but he wasn’t going to be able to hold this forever. One creature gets loose and tries to skitter up his wires to get to him. He dodges and rakes his claws around to dispatch it, but now the rest were getting free.

Lazuli wasn’t used to this implicit teamwork that her brother’s team did. She’d have to think of a way to handle what was about to be a rain of spider Grimm. Shooting them directly was only doing so much. She looks up to Onyx and realizes there was at least one thing she could do- but it would be a long shot. “Hey! You trust me, right!?” Onyx clung to his web and gives her an incredulous look. “I need an answer! Are we friends or not?” She heard a barely audible and scraping sound that closely resembled “Yes, now do something!” before she closes her eyes for a moment and springs into action.

“Good enough.” With visible effort, she jumped from wire to wire as carefully as she could before her aura began to glow and manifest a figure next to her, connected at the chest by a spectral chain. Said chain connected to the duplicate of Onyx wasn’t nearly as strong as others were. In fact this was probably her weakest one, but she hoped that would change with her time with Lapis’s team over time. From what she managed to figure out her semblance was strictly related to personal bonds and her duplicates were only as strong and the friendship and trust between her and the one she was trying to recreate. The duplicate Onyx grasped her hand and helped hurl her into the nest. Lazuli swung her weapon with precision, taking out spiders as she ascended while the duplicate followed suit and kept her stable. It couldn’t mimic his weapon’s finer details but she managed to clear out the web before slipping on one more wire and falling.

“Uh oh...” The duplicate faded as she lost focus. To make matters worse the mess of wires weren’t easy to grab. She fell about almost to the bottom before something stopped her fall.

“You need to work on your balance.” Onyx’s scratchy voice responds, having already sped to the bottom to catch her and set her back down.

A loud bang signaled the end of the swarm as Ivory took out one more that was about to lunge at Violet. With the group calming down and brushing themselves off, Violet spoke up. “I think we did it.” Then the rustling got louder, followed by a tree melting.

“Oh right, the big one...” An enormous version of the spiders they had fought before crawled into view, venom dripping from its fangs.

“Everyone get ready!” The group takes up fighting poses again before a translucent stalactite crashes from above into the creature.

Onyx was the first to panic, followed by Ivory. The rest looked more confused and stunned. A figure stood behind them with a stack of paper bunched up in one arm and a quill in the other.

“Pardon the interruption, but my partner and I have business to discuss with the lot of you. I have to say between the number, the open job searching, and your.. distinctive features,” The man glanced accusingly at Molly’s massive buzzsaw weapon, “You are almost comically easy to find.” The Grimm roared again as it recovered from the blow to the head. The man just sighed and with several blindingly fast strokes of his quill, spiked chains materialized from around him and entangled the large Grimm.

“Let’s not waste time. Hari, get rid of that thing.”

“No problem.” A larger man, this one covered in scars shown off by a small vest with a combination of brass knuckles and gauntlets followed close behind. He charged the creature and slammed his fist right into the monster’s jaw, causing it to reel from a dust explosion. Several more blows followed, assisted by more of those aura swipes as the other man kept sketching on his paper. With one more strong blow to the head, the Grimm fell to the ground before it could do anything.

Hari turned to face the six. “See that kids? That’s how the pros do it. Call it a free lesson courtesy of Uncle Hari. Auroras, why don’t you explain this one?”

“Who are these guys?” Lapis muttered to himself. They were easily outclassed. Professional huntsmen had been sent for them? Was this because of Briar and Reynard?

Lazuli cautiously stepped forward. “Who are you? You said you had ‘business’. What do you want with us?”

“Auroras Hallward and Hari Lackey of Blood Brothers LLC,” Auroras responded, “We were sent to locate and escort you to our client. You are of great interest to a few interested parties. Normally confidentiality would prevent me from explaining who that is. However, I have been given leave to extend a more public offer first.”

“You’ve got a couple of options here.” Hari points specifically to Team OLIV, “I’m pretty sure your parents are all worried about you kids wandering around on another continent. We’re here to take you home and put you to work. Onyx, Ty’s got an offer for the four of you. No hard feelings or anything. Come on, your old man’s got a lot planned and he’s willing to give you all jobs.”

Onyx stared hard at Hari. Those names were familiar- old teammates of his father before he turned to business. He always did wonder why he had never met them before while Cobalt Ymir was around. Ivory spoke up instead.

“You want us to believe Tyrael Cheshire wants all of us? After what happened to Lilac...” She pauses for Onyx’s sake. She didn’t want to reopen the old wound; it was still his sister after all.

“Wait.” Lapis stepped between Auroras and Lauzli, “You said four of us. What happens to Briar and my sister?”

“That is our other job here.” He stares at Molly with keen intent, adjusting his glasses. “Your mother misses you, you know. She wants to accept you back and you’re welcome to take your friend with you.”

Molly’s pulse raced. Of course Darcie would come looking for her. Why didn’t she think of that? Part of her was scared of how she would have reacted to Jade’s death. She had taken it pretty hard herself, but she had the comfort of being swept up in finally being a huntress. Something was still wrong. “Why would she send mercenaries instead of her own people to find us?”

“We were already going this way and it’s basically getting paid twice for the same job.”

Lazuli looked to Molly worryingly. “Y-You can go if you want, but I need to stay with my brother. Family’s more important than friends sometimes... I.. I get it.”

“Wh-What, no! That’s not it! C-Can’t you just tell her I’m okay? I’ll come back once I finish-” Whatever she was doing.

Violet gave a hard look to Hari at his comment. “Did you really talk to anyone besides Onyx’s dad? How do we know you’re telling the truth here? My dad gave us his blessing to get out here and get our licenses.”

“Ty’s the man with the offer. Besides, Auroras made the deal. Talk to him.”

“Perhaps I should rephrase. Our job, as we were paid to do, is to locate and bring the lot of you two the parties that want you. The offer is a generous one that our employers took time out to offer you. However, your compliance is not a required factor. If you choose to resist, we’ll simply have to take you there by force.”

“And there it is... Everyone get ready for a fight!”

“Can we handle these guys?”

“I don’t think we have a choice. We have to try!”

[lykaonimagines]

Encaged - Loki x Reader Part 1 Request

Paring: (Pre-Relationship) Loki x Reader

Word Count: 3,096

Description: Starting description in image above, we’ve been talking back and forth on ideas for this one so there is much more excitement to come in the next part :)

Requested by: @xcasiferx 💚

Requests & Upcoming  Masterlist

“Ah hah! Just the man I was looking for!” The Grandmaster boasts as he sweeps his arm around Loki’s shoulders and guides him down the hall. “Have you yet seen my newest prize?”

“I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure,” Loki responds lightly with a smile.

“Well my good man, you’re in for a treat today,” he responds with a wide smile. “Just had her shipped in and she’s quite the feisty one.”

Reaching the dungeons, The Grandmaster leads Loki to a cage near the end, where the form of a woman sits huddled in the corner shaking.

“Darling pet wouldn’t you come over so my friend could see that pretty face?” He calls to her.

She shakes her head violently and buries her face in her arm as he sighs.

“Guards, persuade her to come over would you?” He calls.

Within seconds the sound of the electric shock on her skin is painfully evident, followed by a a sharp cry.

“Now be a doll and come see us,” The Grandmaster tries once again. “I’d hate to have to do that again.”

This time the woman carefully turns and crawls her way over to the cage wall in front of them shakily.

“That’s a girl, show us that pretty face,” he coos reaching in to grab her chin. His fingers biting into her jaw as he tilts her head up, her hair falling out of her face as she stares back at them.

Loki’s heart seemingly stops for a moment as he stares into her Y/E/C eyes, and carefully takes in her soft features. “She’s beautiful,” he mumbles before he can stop himself.

“Glad you think so too,” The Grandmaster smiles, slapping him on the back. “This little beauty is going to the arena.”

“She’s what?” He asks snapping his head up. “To fight?”

“Exactly,” he nods stroking her cheek as she tries to look away. “Need a little beauty in there now and again for my champion to toss around.”

“But he’s going to kill her, she’s just a mortal, she’s already hurt,” Loki insists as he looks sadly at the bruises and cuts over her face and body.

“Ah ah ah,” he responds letting go of her chin to wag his finger at Loki. “Don’t get attached to the sacrifices. This is what keeps my games from getting stale.”

Before Loki can respond, a guard comes running into the dungeons calling for The Grandmaster, “Sir! Another fighter’s been brought in!”

“Oh perfect,” he smiles brushing off his robes. “I will see you at dinner,” he nods at Loki before exiting.

Loki thinks about following for a moment, but decides to kneel down to the woman’s height and look at her face more closely. “Hello little one.”

The woman immediately looks down, her hair covering her face, and doesn’t respond.

“What’s your name darling?” He asks but still gets no response. “How about where are you from?”

She continues to stay silent and Loki finally sighs before reaching in to place his hand on her head. She quickly jerks away from him, but he holds his hand in place.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he whispers, “Please look at me darling.”

The woman finally glances up at him, her eyes full of fear and pain.

“That’s it,” he says softly with his hand still extended. “I want to talk with you, let me in.”

She continues to hold his gaze, but still shies away from his touch, causing him to sigh and climb back to his feet. “I will be back to see you again tomorrow little one, maybe we can speak then.”

-

That night Loki’s dreams are haunted by the pair of Y/E/C eyes full of pain and fear he’d seen earlier. After several attempts of sleep, he finally decides to get up and make his way down to the dungeons once more.

Slipping unseen through the halls in the early morning light, he finally reaches the end of the cages to stand before hers. A soft sob reaches his ears, as his chest tightens at the sound. She’s shivering in the corner with her back towards him, her shoulders trembling with each sob.

Looking over her form, he waves his hand so a jacket covers her shoulders seconds later. Jumping in surprise at the appearance, she falls over and scrambles to get back to her feet as her eyes meet his, a small growl in the back of her throat.

“You looked cold darling,” he comments, sitting on the floor outside her cage. “I came to check on you.”

She stares at him silently, before pulling the jacket back onto her shoulders.

“Could you tell me how you got here?” He ventures, holding a hand out into the cage.

A low growl is all he gets in response, her Y/E/C flickering toward his momentarily, she bares her teeth at his smile.

He sighs and shakes his head, “If you’re going to bite me, get to it.”

The woman just grunts in response and pulls the jacket closer to her form, her face to the wall.

“I’ll keep this up until you finally speak with me,” he promises getting up to leave once again. “I’m not so easily discouraged.”

-

And so the pattern continued on for a week, Loki rising early to visit the mysterious woman. Each day he’s greeted with growls and the back of her head.

Walking down the corridor into the dungeon once again, his breath catches in his throat as he sees the door to her cage open, and a guard holding her by the throat.

“Fight you little bitch!” He yells spitting into her face before tossing her across the cage.

She lands hard, scrambling to her feet and backing into the corner. As the man approaches her, she lunges out biting and clawing his arm in a rage, before being flung back into the corner.

“Try harder!” He yells kicking her in the ribs. “You won’t last two seconds in the arena like this.”

A rage filling Loki, he storms toward the guard, when a laugh stops him dead in his tracks.

“She’s got some spunk doesn’t she?” The Grandmaster proclaims watching over the display in front of him. "Awfully fragile, but some spunk none-the-less.”

Glancing over to see Loki standing in the shadows, he waves him over, “There’s my runaway prince! You’re just in time to see the show.”

As Loki approaches, the guard picks up the woman once again, by her throat and dangles her off the ground as she struggles.

“He’s hurting her,” Loki states, clenching his jaw at the sight in front of him.

“Of course,” the Grandmaster rolls his eyes. “She won’t get any better if she doesn’t get roughed up a bit.”

“But it would be an awful shame to have her pretty face damaged, or have her too roughed up to even perform right?” He tries, closing and opening his fist behind his back.

“Good point princy,” he remarks. “You, guard! That’s enough for today. Let the poor thing rest up. She needs her beauty sleep.”

The guard shrugs before dropping her to the floor of the cell, a loud smack resonating through the dungeon causing Loki to cringe. He quickly locks up the cell before joining the two men.

“Time for brunch then,” The Grandmaster announces, wrapping an arm around Loki’s shoulders, as he glances back at the crumpled being in the center of the cage.

“I would hate to pass up on brunch,” he begins with his biggest smile, “But I’m not quite hungry, and had planned on training myself today, if that is alright by you?”

The Grandmaster’s eyes flicker up and down his body before smiling back at Loki, “Of course of course, you have to keep that shape somehow. Join me for dinner this evening.”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” he grins back, excusing himself from the man, and trekking back to follow the guard now disappearing into the guard’s quarters.

Slipping into the quarters behind him, Loki remains in the shadows as he follows him through the large dormitory style room, and into their community bathroom.

Sliding up behind the man as he stands at a sink, Loki sinks one dagger into his back, and reaches around to slap a hand over his mouth, gripping his jaw with force.

The guard struggles in his grasp as Loki stares into his panic stricken eyes through the mirror in front of them.

“Now now,” he coos as he slips his hand down to the man’s throat. “I thought you enjoyed the strong overpowering the weak? You seemed to have a marvelous time tossing around an abused mortal woman.”

“Please,” he wheezes against the tight hold on his throat, “Doing… my job.”

Loki clicks his tongue as his grip tightens. “It’s not smart to lie to the God of Lies. You and I both know you enjoyed that far more than doing your job.”

“OK,” he admits clawing at Loki’s hand on his throat, causing him to remove the dagger and sink it into a new spot on his back, a groan going through the man.

A wide grin overtakes Loki’s face as he turns the man to face him, lifting him up by the throat, “There you go, getting to die with a shred of dignity.”

“Let… me go,” he struggles to say, gripping Loki’s arms.

“Can’t and won’t,” Loki answers quickly. “You’re going to see what it’s like. And you’re never going to touch her again.”

Another few moments of struggling, Loki pulls out his other dagger and sinks it into the man’s chest cavity before dropping his body to the floor.

Gathering his daggers, he kicks the man under the sinks and retreats back into the shadows as sounds of approaching voices near the room.

-

The sound of footsteps approaching causes the woman to snap her head up quickly to see Loki kneeling in front of her cage once again. Within seconds the jacket she’s become familiar with appears on her shoulders once again.

“Why do you keep coming here?” She whispers softly, her gaze dropping not meeting his eyes.

Barely picking up her voice he leans forward, “I wished to make sure you were alright.”

“How could I be alright? I’m in a cage,” she snaps back, a cough racking through her body seconds later. Her voice sounds rough and uncomfortable.

“Give me a moment,” he sighs getting up and walking away.

In his absence, she carefully looks over the green jacket before putting her arms through it and buttoning it up. The smell from it is pleasant; warm, inviting, musky, and slightly fruity.

She looks back up as she see him approaching, and he extends a hand holding a cup through the bars.

“It’s just water,” he comments as she eyes the cup in his hand. “You sound thirsty.”

“And I can trust it’s not poison how?” She comments.

“Because I’m trying to gain your trust, and poison would be a very poor way to do that,” he replies.

A small laugh escapes her before she can stop it, her hand immediately going to cover her mouth. He smiles at her softly, extending his arm further into the cage.

She finally resigns herself to crawl over, taking the cup carefully from his hands she takes a small sip. The cold water hitting her throat causes her to chug the rest of the liquid frantically, not realizing how thirsty she really was.

“Thank you,” she whispers softly as she hands him the cup back.

He takes it back, carefully letting his fingers brush hers before speaking, “Could I know your name?”

“Y/N,” she finally says hesitantly. “It’s Y/N.”

“Beautiful,” he replies looking into her eyes.

Her cheeks flush at the depth of his gaze, and her eyes quickly go to the ground, “Why are you being so nice to me?”

“It’s not being nice, treating you as you should be treated,” he answers quickly. “You don’t deserve any of this.” He gestures to the cage and around the dungeon.

She raises an eyebrow at him, but slowly gets closer, “What’s your name?”

“Loki,” he responds reaching a hand out to her. “Could I take a look at your arm love?”

“Why?” She asks leaning away from him.

“Give me some trust,” he insists, his palm up toward her.

She eyes him curiously before putting her forearm in his grasp.

Carefully he rolls the sleeve up and looks over the open wounds on her arm, clicking his tongue angrily. “Brutes,” he mumbles. “This is going to tingle. Trust in me.”

She swallows thickly before nodding, and watches a green glow incase her arm. Tingles run up her arm, and through her body causing her to shiver as he smirks at her.

“What are you doing?” She finally asks.

Releasing her arm after a few moments, he nods toward it satisfied.

She looks down at her arm, realizing all the wounds that were there moments before now have vanished. “Why?” She asks looking up into his blue-green eyes.

His smile dropping from his mouth, he gazes into the distance lost in thought before the words come to him, “Let’s say I know a man that was held and treated as a beast as they treat you, and he thinks about how different things could have gone in his own life if someone had been there for him. Maybe the monster in him wouldn’t haunt him as it does.”

Y/N reaches through the bars to grab Loki’s hand this time, her thumb rubbing circles in his palm, “You’re the only one I’ve met in this hell that I wouldn’t consider a monster.”

He smiles down at her sadly but squeezes her hand. He slowly allows the illusion on his arm to fade, showing his natural skin to her. The small patterns running along the blue skin are battered and scarred, obviously not healed properly.

Y/N sharply inhales at the sight, but doesn’t release his hand as her eyes travel along the scars. She raises her other to touch his skin before Loki stops her.

“It’ll burn you darling,” he says roughly.

“Nothing worse than I’ve been through already I’m sure,” she mutters pulling her hand back and putting a single fingertip to the raised pattern on his blue skin.

Loki holds his breath, watching for signs of discomfort, but none come. She carefully runs her finger along the pattern, causing a shiver to run up his spine at her ghost of a touch.

“Your markings are beautiful,” she remarks looking up at his now slightly red eyes.

“I- thank you,” he responds, a light blush covering his cheeks.

“What do they mean?”

“I’m not sure, I wasn’t raised in my true form,” he says hesitantly. “I only found out this was my true form recently.”

“Where were you raised?” She questions, placing her open palm on his forearm.

“Asgard,” he responds looking down at her hand.

“The realm of gods,” she says softly with a smirk.

“The one and same,” he confirms meeting her eye.

“And what are you the god of Loki?”

“Mischief,” he responds simply with a smile.

“So you’re the fun one?” She asks with her own smile.

“See, not everyone gets that part of it,” he winks before putting his hand on hers. “Could I see your hand?”

“You think I’ve been burned?” She questions raising her eyebrows.

“I don’t see how you can’t have been,” he nods.

She slowly turns her hand over for him, as he gently strokes his fingers across her own and her open palm. “Remarkable,” he mutters looking over the skin in amazement. “Where are you from darling?”

“I… I don’t know,” she mumbles unhappily. “And I have never really been affected by the cold in my life, I don’t know if that is to do with where I’m from or… I don’t know.”

“Interesting…well where were you before here?” He presses.

She sighs gently before looking up into his eyes again, “I don’t know the exact location, but you could just call it a slave camp.”

His previous smile vanishes as he searches her eyes, “How long have you been captive like this?”

“As long as I can remember,” she says softly. “My earliest owners I can remember said my parents didn’t want me, and sold me to them. I don’t remember them or that event though. So it could be a lie. I really don’t know.”

“This is the only life you’ve known?” He questions, his heart breaking as she stares down at the  prison floor.

“I’m not used to anyone being kind to me,” she mutters instead of answering his question, her eyes flickering back up to hers. “It’s… strange.”

“Strange in a bad way?”

“No,” she responds, her face slightly flushing. “A good way… it’s a odd feeling. But I like it.”

His smile slowly comes back, and he squeezes her hand in his, “Well get used to it. I’m going to get you out of this, and off this planet.”

Her head snaps up quickly, her eyes searching his face, “What do you mean? How could you possibly? You’re friends with that man.”

“I have his favor,” he nods. “I will try to get him to see some sense. At the very least let you belong to me.” Noticing her frown he quickly adds, “So I could get you out of this cell and keep you safe until we could leave.”

Staying quiet for a moment, she finally squeezes his hand back, “Do you think that will really work?”

“It’s worth a try,” he says. “And if not, I will find a way. I promise you Y/N I will not allow you to die in that arena as some sick sacrifice for a game. Trust in that.”

After studying his features in silence for a few minutes, she reaches out her other hand to run it along his jaw. His breath hitches in his throat as her fingers slowly brush down his jaw and her gentle gaze holds his, “I don’t know much about trust Loki, but I’ll trust that you’ll try.”

“I will succeed in some form,” he presses on, tilting his head so his cheek lays in her palm.

“Thank you,” she whispers looking into his eyes, before hesitantly leaning forward to press a kiss to his forehead.

He looks up seemingly surprised, but his expression quickly changes to a smile, “I’ll be back for you.”

-

Requests & Upcoming  Masterlist

Tagged: @xcasiferx @harleykittykat

[aftermathdb]

DEATH BATTLE Review: Nightwing vs. Daredevil.

The ninety ninth battle. It’s been what?- Almost eight years, and we’ve come this far. This episode is just… full of a lot of firsts. Like it being the very first Live-Action Battle. Two acrobats, fighting it out in the arena. One will live, and the other……… will be resurrected because let’s face it, this is comic books.

Nightwing′s Preview.

Nightwing: The first Robin, and the first one to leave the nest… Er, cave, as it were. We know how this goes, we see some background and a quick overview of his stats.

We get a rundown of some of the things he’s done, and some of the feats he has. We also get the backstory as to him falling out with Batman, and his graduation to become Nightwing.

Especially since we also get to see how Bruce failed a second time to keep a Robin by his side…

(Red Hood vs. Winter Soldier confirmed?)

Nightwing’s arsenal also gets a page, much like many other previous characters.

By the looks of it, only the variants in the Wing-Dings will give Nightwing an edge at all.

And Nightwing’s feats put him ahead of the game. These are quite impressive for just a regular human with intense acrobatic and martial arts training.

(I’m starting to get the feeling that being able to sneak around Superman is becoming less and less of an impressive feat. But sneaking around Batman is an impressive feat. Give that guy a taste of what he give Commissioner Gordon for a change!)

Overall, Nightwing seems very primed for this battle. It honestly feels like a great way to introduce the character, and unlike his mentor, Nightwing actually possesses a sense of humor and (to me, personally) a lot more likable.

The end line is from when he introduced himself to Starfire after she got flung into the future. Remember that episode?- Man, I miss that show.

Daredevil′s Preview.

Daredevil has an edge or two right off the bat. As a kid who trained to be like his father, he was a pretty good acrobat and fighter. Plus, he’s got a good Netflix show. And thanks to that, I’m sure we all know his backstory. Boxing dad, chemicals in the eyes, superpowers, rigged match gone awry, and dead parents. Because what’s a superhero without dead parents?

(What do comic book creators have against parents?)

But anyways, on to the more kick-ass stuff.

Matt’s overall stats gives him an edge in height and weight. But that’s not going to mean much unless he has some abilities and skills to back him up.

So by the looks of it, they’re both equal in terms of being at peak human physique, and are fairly even in martial arts skills. Daredevil’s radar sense seems to also let him have a perfect detection of his surroundings, and we even get a comparison on how it works.

Overall, his arsenal is what would really set him apart.

Considering that this isn’t as versatile as Nightwing’s arsenal, it says a lot about how much Daredevil relies on his powers and skills to win fights.

And his feats are quite something to be impressed about.

(So they’ve both broken concrete. Good to know).

End line is something from his series. At least, I think so… It’s been a while since I last watched it.

The Battle Itself.

There is no animator for this Live-Action battle. Nightwing will be portrayed by Danny Shepard while Daredevil will be portrayed by Tyler Tackett. This is also a co-lab with ismahawk, who made a five-part Nightwing fan series. So, look out for references to that. Devil of the Night is composed by Brandon Yates.

So, for this being the first live-action battle, there’s a lot of firsts. And the battle opens with Nightwing trying to sneak up on Daredevil, but it not working because… it’s Daredevil.

The primary reason for the fight starting is because they’re both after a briefcase that is important to a case they’re both working.

(Honda: If you hit the trunk, it’ll open).

We get a staredown, and then the action starts.

So, both of them seem to be fairly evenly matched at the start. And the acrobatic work is pretty good too.

Now, you’ll have to excuse me, because I am not exactly an aficionado in live-action fights like this. I’ve been spoiled by the high-budget movies, and high-budget CGI, so I might not be the greatest expert here. Since these sort of live-action comic shows are typically more story-driven than action-driven, it feels a bit… slow.

an aspect about the fight that I don’t really like is that the battle has pauses for brief moments.  While I get that it’s so that the actors can catch their breath, it feels out of place here. Had this been a gun fight, where the combatants would be taking cover behind different objects, there would be a better justification. But here… it feels really out of place.

(At least we get some flips. Every Death Battle needs at least two good flips to feel real (Dammit Torrian, you’ve spoiled us viewers with your choreography and flips)).

And Nightwing’s tech gives him something to figure out about DD. He’s got some sort of anomaly in his brain, and he [Nightwing] is about to formulate a hypothesis. Because he has been trained by Batman.

The little wrestling portion seems to have dislocated Daredevil’s shoulder, but true to Daredevil fashion, he just fixes it himself. What a boss.

Anyways, Nightwing seems to be eager to test his hypothesis by rendering the arena completely dark. And neither fighter is hindered a bit. Daredevil’s super senses and Nightwing’s nightvision tech essentially make the darkness moot.

And just as Nightwing is about to attack, Daredevil deflects the weapons, just like how it was mentioned that he could do back in his rundown.

(The wing-dings landed in a car’s door)

The battle rages on until it Daredevil pins Nightwing down and is ready for a finishing blow in

5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

Nightwing uses the sonic wing-dings from before and overloads Daredevil’s senses before taking him down.

By the way, that last shot there is a reference to the Nightwing series by ismahawk (I told you to look out for references)

(Jeez, Dick. You just killed a blind guy).

Verdict + Explanation.

So, overall, most of the fight was dead even. Nightwing took strength thanks to several of his feats like keeping the jaw of a shark closing in on him, and Daredevil took speed thanks to his bullet deflection narrowly outpacing Nightwing dodging gunfire.

And in terms of arsenal and equipment, they were also pretty even. Neither suit would be hindered by electricity, and both were very durable.

But much like Spider-Man vs. Batman, only one of them had something that would stop the other in their tracks. Much like how Spider-Man’s spider-sense renders Batman’s stealth useless, Nightwing’s sonic wing-dings would cause a sensory overload on Daredevil’s end.

And the way that Nightwing could deduce it also plays a minor factor. As he is a smart cookie, and his mask sensor would let him know something was up.

Some notecards also indicate that Nightwing could also take advantage of other aspects of Daredevil’s powers, and turn them against him. Effectively reducing Daredevil to just sonar, smell, and other senses outside of his ultra-sensitive touch.

In the end, both fighters were very even, making really feel as if it could go either way, but Nightwing’s detective skills and varied arsenal ended this bout.

Overall impression.

Overall, it feels like a big factor was a variant of the “He’s Batman” argument, but after going back and listening to the explanation a few more times, it became a lot more clear that between the two of them, fifty-five times out of a hundred, Nightwing would come out on top.- At least, that’s how it came off to me.

The pauses in the fight didn’t really feel appropriate, but for a first live-action battle, it was really great. Overall, I’d say that it earns a good 8.6/10. It doesn’t have the same feel as other battles, and I feel that it would take some getting used to. So really, 8.6/10, with some room to grow.

Next Time…

To be honest, I wasn’t sold on battle 100. I was honestly expecting something like Samus vs. Master Chief, Galactus vs. Unicron, Darkseid vs. Thanos, Ruby vs. Maka, or even Wario vs. Rouge. Heck! I was also expecting something like Jaune vs. Tucker, or Danny Phantom vs. Jake Long! But this… This was unexpected. It took a comment on the site to really sell me on it, and even then, I’m still a bit hesitant.

So yeah. Mario vs. Sonic. It’s happening again. While I’m more looking forward to seeing Wiz and Boomstick, it took this comment to really make me see this as not being a waste of time:

So, while I can understand why they tried to hype it up, it took some convincing.

Is there a fight that you want me to review? - Send an ask/request, and I’ll look into it!

Do you want to read my fanfic based around DEATH BATTLE itself? click here!

Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you next time for…

A new rematch.

[dumbledearme]

chapter twenty-eight—from nowhere to nowhere

read Child of Land and Sea here

Act IV — To Stop The Tide

Part III — We don’t have to say it ‘cause we both know it’s true: I wouldn’t have nothing if I didn’t have you.

There was a boy in a Greek tunic and sandals crouching alone in a massive stone room. The ceiling was open to the night sky, but the walls were twenty feet high and polished marble. The boy huddled in the corner, shivering from cold, or maybe fear. He was spattered in mud.

The double oak doors moaned open. Two guards in bronze armor marched in, holding an old man between them. They flung him to the floor in a battered heap.

"Father!" the boy ran to him. The man's robes were in tatters. His hair was streaked with gray, and his beard was long and curly. There was blood on his face. "What did they do to you?" the boy cried. "I'll kill you!" he yelled at the guards.

"There will be no killing today," a voice said. The guards moved aside. Behind them was a tall man in white robes. His eyes glittered cruelly. "You helped the Athenian kill my Minotaur, Daedalus. You turned my own daughter against me."

"You did that yourself, Your Majesty," the old man croaked.

"You love your maze so much," the king said, "I have decided to let you stay here. This will be your workshop. Make me new wonders. Amuse me. Every maze needs a monster. You shall be mine."

"I don't fear you," the old man groaned.

The king smiled coldly. "But a man cares about his son, eh? Displease me, old man, and the next time my guards inflict a punishment, it will be on him!" And he swept out of the room with his guards.

The boy and his father were left alone in the darkness.

"What will we do?" the boy moaned. "Father, they will kill you!"

The old man swallowed with difficulty. "Take heart, my son," he tried to smile. "I will find a way."

A bar lowered across the doors with a fatal BOOM, and Andy woke in a cold sweat.

Chiron had decided to call the war council in the morning. They met in the sword arena to discuss the fate of the camp while Mrs O'Leary chewed on a toy. Chiron and Quintus stood at the front. Clarisse and Anthony sat next to each other and led the briefing. Tyson and Grover sat as far away from each other as possible; the two of them didn't really get along. Also present around the table were Juniper, Silena Beauregard, Travis and Connor Stoll, Beckendorf, Lee Fletcher and even Argus.

"Luke must have known about the Labyrinth entrance," Anthony was saying. "He knew everything about camp."

Juniper cleared her throat. "The cave entrance has been there a long time. Luke used to use it."

Silena frowned. "You knew about the entrance and you didn't say anything?"

Juniper's face turned green. "I did say something. Yesterday. I didn't know it was important, okay? It was just a cave. I wouldn't have paid any attention except... well, it was Luke," she blushed a little greener.

"I think it's the jaw," Andy pointed out. "When I saw him for the first time, I thought damn."

Silena giggled. Anthony glanced at Andy annoyed. He really had no sense of humor whatsoever.

"Interesting," said Quintus. "And you believe this young man would dare use the Labyrinth as an invasion route?"

"Definitely," Clarisse said. "If he could get an army of monsters inside Camp Half-Blood, just pop up in the middle of the woods without having to worry about our magical boundaries, we wouldn't stand a chance. He could wipe us out easy. He must've been planning this for months."

"He's been sending scouts into the maze," Anthony said. "We found one."

"Chris Rodriguez," Chiron said. He gave Quintus a meaningful look.

"Ah," Quintus said. "The one in the... Yes. I understand."

"The one in the what?" Andy asked wondering if something else had happened to that poor boy.

Clarisse glared at her. "The point is, Luke has been looking for a way to navigate the maze. He's searching for Daedalus's workshop."

Andy remembered her dream. "The guy who created the Labyrinth?"

Anthony confirmed. "The greatest architect, the greatest inventor of all time. If the legends are true, his workshop is in the center of the Labyrinth. He's the only one who knew how to navigate the maze perfectly. If Luke managed to find the workshop and convinced Daedalus to help him, Luke wouldn't have to fumble around searching for paths, or risk losing his army in the maze's traps. He could navigate anywhere he wanted – quickly and safely. First to Camp Half-Blood to wipe us out. Then... to Olympus."

Beckendorf put his huge hands on the table. "Wait a sec, you said 'convince Daedalus'? Isn't he dead?"

Quintus grunted. "I would hope so. He lived, what, three thousand years ago? And even if he were alive, don't the old stories say he fled from the Labyrinth?"

"That's the problem, my dear Quintus," said Chiron. "No one knows. There are rumors... well, there are many disturbing rumors about Daedalus, but one is that he disappeared back into the Labyrinth toward the end of his life. He might still be down there."

"We need to go in," Anthony announced. "We have to find the workshop before Luke does. If Daedalus is alive, we convince him to help us, not Luke. If Ariadne's string still exists, we make sure it never falls into Luke's hands."

"Can't we like... blow the entrance?" Andy suggested.

"No, you moron," growled Clarisse. "We've tried that in Phoenix. It didn't go well."

"And I'm the moron?" Andy sneered.

Clarisse glanced at her with hatred. "Jackson, if don't shut up, I swear-"

"The Labyrinth is a magical architecture, Andy," Anthony meddled. "It would take huge power to seal even one of its entrances. In Phoenix, Clarisse demolished a whole building with a wrecking ball, and the maze entrance just shifted a few feet. The best we can do is prevent Luke from learning to navigate the Labyrinth. We need to get to the workshop, find Ariadne's string and prevent Luke from using it."

"But... If nobody can navigate in there," said Andy, "what chance do we have?"

"I've been studying architecture for years," he said. "I know Daedalus's Labyrinth better than anybody."

"From reading about it."

"Yes."

"It's not enough."

"It has to be."

"It ain't."

"Are you going to help me or not?"

Andy realized the others were watching them. "Of course."

Chiron cleared his throat. "First things first. We need a quest."

"We all know who should lead this," Clarisse said. "Chase."

There was a murmur of agreement. Anthony shifted uncomfortably. "You've done as much as I have, Clarisse," he told her. "You should go, too."

The girl shook her head vehemently. "I am never going back in there."

Travis Stoll laughed. "Chicken!"

Clarisse got to her feet violently and said with a shaky voice, "You understand nothing, punk. I will never go in there again! Never!" And she stormed out of the arena.

Travis tried to apologize, but Chiron stopped him. "The poor girl has had a difficult year. So we have an agreement that Tony should lead the quest?" Everyone nodded. "Very well. Son, it's time you visit the Oracle."

Andy paced the arena waiting for Anthony. The others seemed busy enough, chatting, laughing, telling jokes.

Juniper came toward her. "I want to tell you something," she whispered urgently. "Luke wasn't the only one I saw around that cave." She glanced behind her shoulder. "The sword master. He was poking around the rocks."

"Quintus? When?"

"I don't know. I don't pay attention to time. Maybe a week ago, when he first showed up."

"Did he go in?"

"I'm not sure... Andy, he's creepy. I didn't even see him come into the glade. He was just there. Appeared. I don't think we can trust him." Grover then called her and she went toward him.

Distressed and uneasy, Andy headed across the fields and into the Big House. She had to see why Anthony was taking so long. When she got to the stairs, she hesitated. She heard sobbing coming from below. Andy crept around the back of the stairs and saw that the basement door was open. She peered inside. Clarisse was sitting with Chris Rodriguez. He was shaking and sobbing.

"Please, Chris," she was saying, "try a little more nectar."

"You're an illusion, mom!" he shouted. "Get away from me!"

"I'm not your mom," Clarisse's voice was gentle and sad. "I'm Clarisse. Remember me? Please... say that you do."

"It's dark!" he yelled. "So dark!"

"Come outside," Clarisse coaxed. "The sunlight will help you."

"A... a thousand skulls. The earth keeps healing him."

"Chris," she pleaded, close to tears. "You have to get better. Please. I need you to get better."

Chris's eyes were like a cornered rat's – wild and desperate. "There's no way out, mom. No way out." Then he caught a glimpse of Andy and made a strangled, terrified sound. "Child of land and sea! Child of Poseidon! Get away!"

Andy backed away, hoping Clarisse hadn't seen her. She ran back to the arena and found that Anthony had returned. "Where were you? I got the prophecy," he said.

"What did the prophecy say exactly? The wording is important," Chiron said.

Anthony took a deep breath. "You shall delve in the darkness of the endless maze. The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise."

"The lost one!" Grover perked up. "That must mean Pan!"

"You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand," Anthony continued. "The son of Athena's final stand." Everyone looked around uncomfortably.

"What else?" asked Chiron. "It doesn't sound complete."

Anthony hesitated. "I... I don't remember."

Chiron raised an eyebrow. "You don't remember, Tony?"

"Something about... Destroy with a hero's final breath."

"And?" Chiron insisted.

"The point is," Anthony cut, "I have to go in. I'll find the workshop and stop Luke. And..." he turned to Andy. "Will you come?"

"Yes," she said promptly.

He smiled relieved. "Grover, you too?" Grover nodded. "And Tyson. I'll need you too."

"Yay!" The cyclops clapped crazily.

"Anthony," Chiron warned, "this goes against the Ancient Laws. A hero is allowed only two companions."

"I need them all."

"Consider well, son," the centaur said. "You would be breaking the ancient laws, and there are always consequences. Last winter, five went on a quest to save Artemis. Only three came back. Think on that. Three is a sacred number. There are three Fates, three Furies, three Olympia sons of Kronos. It is a good strong number that stands against many dangers. Four... is risky."

"I know. But I need them."

Chiron sighed. "Very well. Let us adjourn. The members of the quest must prepare themselves. Tomorrow at dawn, we send you into the Labyrinth."

Quintus pulled Andy aside as the council was breaking up. "I have a bad feeling about this," he told her. "I don't like the idea of you going down there. Any of you. But if you must, I want you to remember something. The Labyrinth exists to fool you. It will distract you. That's dangerous for half-bloods. We are easily distracted."

"You've been in there?"

"Long ago," his voice was ragged. "I barely escaped with my life. Most who enter aren't that lucky." He gripped her shoulder. "Andy, keep your mind on what matters most. Find an anchor. If you can do that, you might find the way. And here, I wanted to give you this." He handed her a little silver tube. It was terribly cold.

"A whistle?" she asked.

"A dog whistle," Quintus said. "For Mrs O'Leary."

"How-"

"How will it work in the maze? I'm not a hundred percent sure it will. But Mrs O'Leary is a hell-hound. She can appear when called, no matter how far away she is. I'd feel better knowing you had this. If you really need help, use it; but be careful, the whistle is made of Stygian ice."

"What ice?"

"From the River Styx. Very hard to craft. Very delicate. It cannot melt, but it will shatter when you blow it, so you can only use it once."

"Thank you," Andy said, not very thankful. She went to find Anthony, promising herself she would not use the whistle. She had trusted Luke once, she remembered. She would not do that same mistake again.

Andy entered the Athena cabin carefully. The place was a workshop for brainiac kids. She found Anthony sitting on the ground, surrounded by large books, rifling through old scrolls. She knelt beside him. "You okay?"

He frowned. "Just... trying to do some research. Daedalus's Labyrinth is so huge. None of the stories agree about anything. The maps just lead from nowhere to nowhere."

"We'll figure it out."

Anthony dropped a scroll. "I've wanted to lead a quest since I was nine. Maybe... Maybe I shouldn't have asked you to do this. Or Tyson, or Grover."

"Hey. I'm not scared," she told him. "Not one bit. Because I know you're gonna do awesome," she sang out the last word.

Anthony raised his head. He looked at Andy so attentively she wondered if she had forgotten to put on a bra or something. He leaned over as if to kiss her, but then his body tensed and he sighed. "I'm worried," he confessed.

"About the prophecy?" she asked. "What was the last line?"

And then, as if he couldn't contain himself anymore, he did kiss her. Briefly, tensely, but warmly. Anthony backed away and stared at his own hands. "Chiron might be right," he muttered. "I'm breaking the rules. But I don't know what else to do. I need you three with me. It feels right."

Andy smiled weakly. "As long as it feels right..." she nudged him playfully. "We can do this, Anthony. If we do it together."

The gray eyes met the sea-green ones. "I don't want anything to happen to you."

Behind them, somebody cleared his throat. It was one of Anthony's half-brothers, Malcolm. His face was bright red. "Um, sorry," he said. "Archery practice. Chiron said to come find you, Tony."

The gray eyes left the sea-green ones. "I'll be right there," Anthony said and Malcolm left in a hurry. He stood up. "You better go, Andy. Get ready for the quest. I'll see you in the morning." And he left her there surrounded by maps that led from nowhere to nowhere.

But the butterflies in her stomach told a different story. She was finally getting somewhere.

[veliseraptor]

we gladiate but I guess we’re really fighting ourselves, 2.7k, ragnarok-based au with more of that sweet whump, I’m on a roll I guess, forgive the lorde title and also thank @portraitoftheoddity​ for, like, a lot of the ideas under this fic, it’s all her fault

The roar of the crowd was almost deafening.

Once, Thor might have found a kind of satisfaction in this sort of audience, but at the moment he couldn’t find much satisfaction in anything.

He was at the end of the universe. His father was dead, Loki could be anywhere (or dead, knocked out of the Bifrost and falling back into the Void), his secret sister was picking up her bloodshed where she’d left off, and Asgard…

While he was standing in this arena, playing this Grandmaster fellow’s games, anything could be happening. He needed to get back, and whatever the Valkyrie said, he was going to do it. All he had to do, apparently, was defeat this Grandmaster’s favorite. He could do that. He was, right now, angry enough to destroy almost anything.

Thor’s eyes stayed on the opposite side of the arena, ready and waiting, tense energy humming through him. He glanced up toward the Grandmaster, lounging on his couch, and then away.

He hoped there would be time to teach that man a lesson before he went.

A hologram of the Grandmaster shimmered into being overhead. “Ladies and gentlepeople!” He said, gleeful and exultant. “What you’ve all been waiting for. I give you: your champion!”

Thor planted his feet and put on the helm he’d found. He swept all thought away - of Odin, of the Valkyrie, of Loki and Hela and Asgard. Ready.

The door opened. But it was no monster that walked through. Even at this distance Thor knew that gait, the way of holding himself, the knife-sharp silhouette.

Thor faltered.

“Loki?”

His head cocked to the side. Thor saw him shift slightly.

It was the only warning he had before Loki vanished and appeared next to him. Thor spun toward him, relieved - Loki could get them out of here, perhaps he’d even planned this-

One of Loki’s knives slashed for Thor’s chest and he jerked up his shield to block it, but the illusion melted away. The knife that stabbed into the back of his shoulder followed by one to his leg was considerably more real.

Thor yanked the latter out and threw it away; this time when Loki - the real one, this time - went for him, he caught his arm.

“Loki,” he said, low and urgent. “What are you doing? Asgard-”

Loki snarled wordlessly at him and twisted, snakelike, pivoting and wrenching Thor’s arm. It was a familiar move but this time it caught him by surprise, pitching him head over heels to land heavily on his back. He raised his weapon to catch the downward stabbing thrust and shoved Loki back, surging back to his feet.

“Stop it,” he hissed. “We don’t have time for this. I need to win so that-”

Loki went for him again, whip-quick and without hesitation. Thor moved to sweep his legs out from under him but Loki dodged around him, long-bladed knife stabbing for Thor’s side.

Thor knocked it aside with his shield and swung his weapon into Loki’s chest, sending him flying. The crowd roared and Thor ran, diving before Loki rose to pin him down.

“Is this part of your plan?” Thor demanded. “Or are you really trying to-”

He broke off, finally looking at Loki’s face - really looking at him. Half of his hair was shorn like Thor’s, a fresh-looking scar drawing a jagged line along the side of his head. There was one of those devilish disks stuck to the side of his neck, and his eyes were-

Feral. No recognition. Nothing but blazing rage and animal ferocity.

In that moment of horrified realization, Thor’s hold loosened, and Loki twisted out of his hold and flung him off, backing away.

What had they done to him?

“Loki,” Thor said. “It’s me.”

He shifted to the left. Thor moved to defend, and Loki grabbed him from behind and stabbed him in the kidneys.

Thor roared and twisted away, ripping the knife out. Loki had already cut him three times, and while none of them were terribly serious, thus far he wasn’t doing well for himself.

Loki was the barrier between him and escape.

Nothing had changed. He still needed to win.

Maybe now more than ever. Whatever this Grandmaster had done to Loki, he would find a way to break it. Whatever Loki had done, he was the only family Thor had left - and this was wrong. More than wrong.

Stop holding back. Your strength has never been defense.

This time he didn’t wait for Loki to move. He smashed the club-like weapon into Loki’s shoulder even as he dodged, and Thor heard something crack. Loki’s face went white but he didn’t even pause, shifting seamlessly into his own attack. Thor’s eyesight blurred and Loki’s foot drove into his short-ribs; he grabbed Thor’s head and cracked his nose on his knee. Thor grabbed Loki by the tunic and threw him as hard as he could, charging after him as he rolled to his feet.

The sound of the crowd vanished. It was just him and Loki, the two of them dueling again and it was every time they’d sparred over the last centuries, it was the times they’d fought more recently. He knew the way Loki moved - but he didn’t, somehow, something had changed. He was wilder, more savage, less refined.

And Thor’s rage was only building. He beat Loki down again and again, but he got back up each time. His movements were slowing, though, his right arm next to useless where Thor had broken something already - collarbone, probably. Thor could almost be impressed. His breathing sounded strained, and even without hearing it Thor could sense that the tenor of the audience had changed. They weren’t cheering for Loki anymore. They were waiting for him to fall.

But Loki wouldn’t surrender. Of course he wouldn’t surrender. Nose bloodied, collarbone broken, ribs probably cracked and he was still fighting, and Thor couldn’t just tell him to stop.

Finally, finally, Loki dropped to one knee. His head bent forward, panting, and Thor moved cautiously toward him, lowering his weapon.

“Do you yield?” Thor asked, almost vibrating with tension.

Loki mumbled something under his breath. Thor drew a little closer, still at the ready.

“Do you yield?”

Loki’s head rose. His smile was thin, sharp, and feral.

Loki, behind him again, swept Thor’s legs out from under him and pounced, knife slashing like lightning for Thor’s throat.

Lightning.

He didn’t decide to reach for it. It was just there, a surge of power from deep within, a flash that blinded him and then the smell of seared flesh. For a moment, Thor just blinked at the sky.

When he rolled to his feet, bracing himself to counter again, it was to see Loki, halfway across the ring, sprawled on the sand and not moving.

The cheering bled back in slowly. Thor walked over equally slowly, looking down at his brother’s limp body.

“I win,” he said dully. The Grandmaster was shouting something. A favor, he could ask for a favor.

I need to get off this planet. Tell me how to leave.

Thor bit the inside of his cheek, a part of him furiously angry at himself. “Him,” he said, gesturing at Loki. “I want him.”

**

A troop of beautiful (and astonishingly underdressed) handmaidens doted on Thor, tending his wounds; by the significant glances they kept giving him he had the feeling they wanted to tend something else as well. Loki had been dumped somewhat unceremoniously on the only bed in the room, which was a slightly disconcerting detail that Thor was trying not to consider.

He endured the treatment for the worst of it and then shooed them away. “What about him?” He asked, indicating Loki. They blinked at him like he’d said something in a strange language.

“What about him?”

“Won’t you heal him?”

“The Grandmaster doesn’t waste resources on losers,” one of them said. Thor’s expression darkened and he gestured at the door.

“Out,” he said simply. And then paused. “Wait. How long...how long has he been here?”

“Three months,” said the closest of the maidens, who seemed decidedly disgruntled.

“Three-” Thor cut off. They were all watching him, and he pressed his lips together. “Out.”

He waited until they all left, with a few disappointed backward glances. Three months. How could it have been three months? Loki had been knocked out only a few seconds before Thor had been. And yet…

Three months. How long had it taken to reduce Loki to this...state?

Thor rubbed his face and went to Loki to examine him. His breathing was strained but steady. Someone had cleaned the blood off his face but not his clothes - some of it Thor’s, but not all of it.

He looked for something sharp to cut the damaged garments away. He didn’t find anything for cutting and ripped them instead, though the material, whatever it was, didn’t tear well. Not leather. Something synthetic - like everything on this planet of trash. Loki’s chest was a mass of bruises, and by the looks of the swelling around his shoulder Thor had been right about his collarbone. Then there was the tracery of red, raised burns, spreading like tree branches.

He hadn’t been able to summon lightning like that before. Not without Mjolnir.

Thor stripped off the rest of Loki’s clothes but did not find anything life-threatening. He poked through the bathroom and found a great many ointments, but none of them seemed like the sort of salve to be used on wounds. He gave up and went back to Loki.

Loki, who stirred with a groan, body tensing and relaxing. “Loki,” Thor said, though he stepped back just in case. “It’s me. Thor.”

One of Loki’s eyes open to a slit. It fixed slowly on Thor.

He hissed like a cat and moved, rolling over and pushing himself up. Or at least he started to try, only to collapse with a cry as his right arm buckled. Thor held up his hands, something wrenching in his chest, but Loki shrank away, the feral gleam in his eyes now fearful, almost frantic. A cornered animal.

“You’re hurt,” Thor said. “I’m trying to help.”

Loki just stared at him, bad arm curled into his chest, panting unevenly. His ribs had to be hurting. Thor was, frankly, astonished that he hadn’t passed out again for the pain; Loki’s tolerance had never been particularly high.

Remembering how he’d fought in the arena, though...Thor wondered if that had changed.

“Let me help you,” he tried again, emphasizing the word, help. Loki shouldn’t be like this. Loki should be sharp and clever, devious. Not watching him like a wounded animal expecting attack.

“How’s that working for you,” said a faintly familiar voice. Thor turned in surprise as the Valkyrie waltzed in and over to the bar Thor hadn’t touched, pouring herself a drink.

“How’s what working for me?”

She jerked her head in Loki’s direction. “Him. You took a risk, there. Gast’s always disappointed when there’s no murder.” Her voice was perfectly neutral.

“Gast,” Thor said. “That’s his name?”

“En Dwi Gast,” she said. “Don’t use it, though. ‘Grandmaster’ is better.” She glanced over at Loki again. “I thought you were going to leave the planet. Save Asgard, whatever. Instead you...want this guy?”

Thor set his jaw. “He’s my brother.”

Her eyebrows twitched. “Oh,” she said. “Well, that’s less disgusting than I thought it was.”

Thor didn’t think he wanted to ask. “I’ll find another way off.” He glanced at Loki, who hadn’t moved, or said anything. “When Loki’s better…”

The Valkyrie hooted, a strangely humorless sound. “Huh,” she said. “You’re a little late for that.”

“What do you mean?” Thor asked, his stomach sinking.

“I mean,” she said, “he was just a little too smart. The Grandmaster likes his pets clever, but there’s such a thing as too clever.” She shrugged. “So he fixed him. Couple of months ago.”

“Fixed-” Thor’s voice strangled, rage and disgust both squeezing his throat closed. He looked toward Loki, who seemed to have decided Thor wasn’t making any immediate moves and settled back into a watchful posture, though his breathing sounded ragged with pain.

“Yep,” the Valkyrie said, the ‘p’ thoroughly enunciated. “Sorry about that.”

Thor managed not to slump. “You’re a coward,” he shot at her.

“Probably,” she said. “But I’m a live one.” She drank the rest of her glass and left as easily as she’d come. Thor stared after her.

Then he looked back at Loki.

“I’m going to fix this,” he said. “I am.”

Three months. If it had been that long on Asgard...too late for my father. Too late for Loki. Too late for all of them.

Loki seemed to be flagging. Thor moved carefully away, hoping that distance would help.

Either it did, or Loki’d just hit the end of his tolerance, because he moved clumsily from the bed to the floor - putting it between them, Thor noticed - and seemingly went to sleep. Thor waited until he was sure he was out, then went over to him and sat down. He touched the jagged scar he’d noticed before. His chest felt tight.

He shifted to push Loki’s half shaved hair back and paused as his fingers found something metal in the divot between the top of Loki’s spine and the base of his skull. He turned Loki’s head carefully to look at it more closely, his heart starting to pound.

It looked a little like one of the obedience disks. Thor circled it, found where it was embedded in skin. He wondered how deep it went.

Such a thing as too clever. So he fixed him.

Was this how? Some, some device tampering with Loki’s mind, stealing away everything that was Loki and making him into little more than an animal-

Thor pulled his hand away before he pressed bruises into Loki’s neck. If this thing was like the obedience disks, then somewhere there was a controller. All he had to do was find it.

He’d free them both. And then…

Thor glanced down at his hands. A few threads of lightning crackled between his fingers. He didn’t know if he could control it yet...but maybe he could learn.

And then there would be hell to pay.

[albionscastle]

We’ll Meet Again Pt 4 (A Collins Fic)

Ok so I’m apologizing in advance as this chapter is just as dark as the last one. But I promise the next couple will be bright and wonderful.

Again with the graphic descriptions of warfare, death and the like. The scene in the tunnel later on I got from a photo I saw of the aftermath of The Battle of Britain, which I won’t post here but it was pretty horrific. My great nana told me horror stories about the Blitz when I was younger so a lot of this stems from her experiences...which probably somehow just makes it worse.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

FIC MASTERLIST

SEPTEMBER 15 1940 LONDON 6AM

When you woke with the sunlight streaming through your small window, Jack’s blazer was still wrapped around you, his smell filling your nostrils with every breath, letting you believe for half an instant that he was there with you. You sighed, allowing yourself the time to make-believe, to remember the little moments from the day before. The feel of hand as it slid across your back, the little snort he emitted right before he laughed, and the way he had looked at you, as if you were the whole world.

Your heart clenched as a sob rose in your throat. You felt the absence of him like a missing limb, a deep agony inside of you. It hurt to breathe, just knowing that he was back out there, every second in danger, every moment another opportunity for a German fighter to shoot him out of the sky.

God, how were any of you going to make it through this?

It was 2 hours before your shift at the factory and the crisp breeze was calling your outside, a walk would do you good, perhaps blow away the feeling of dread that had been with you since you waved Jack off the night before. Looking out the window you breathed it in, nose wrinkling at the distant smell of smoke. The bombers had come again last night, as they did every night and day, though this had been on the other side of the city. The radio was reporting it as a small raid, much smaller than the ones the city had experienced in the last week. They were saying that it was a sign the Germans were going to back off because their tactics weren’t working. All their attacks had done nothing to hold back the RAF so why would they think their attacks on the cities would dampen British morale?

You felt wrong. The clear blue sky mocked you. Something was coming, something big and you somehow knew there was no way you were going to able to escape it.

Pulling the jacket over your thick overalls you decided to see if Margot wanted to walk in the garden with you. You made sure Jack’s letters were tucked safely in the deep pocket before making your way down the hall to her room. Hand poised to knock, you heard the sound of music from inside, inviting you to push open the door a few centimeters, peeking inside.

Your breath caught when you saw her, still in her pyjamas, Charlie’s uniform jacket on a hanger in her hands. Her fingers ran over the olive green wool, smoothing it before holding it up in front of her, head resting against where his heart would have been. Tears stung your eyes as she began to move in time to the song, their song she had told you once. Her eyes closed as she danced, tears leaking from behind her eyelids and you backed out of the room, your heart breaking at the sight of her.

You ran downstairs and out into the garden, chest heaving as you tried to hold back both your tears and the rising panic. There was so much sadness, so much suffering, how could you keep your hope alive in the face of it all? You thought of Jack, of the jacket you wore being the only piece of him you had left and what that would be like? Would you sleep with it every night or hang it away to be brought out only in moments like the one you’d just witnessed. The thought of never seeing him again, hearing his voice or feeling his skin against yours was such a torment that you wanted to scream, yell and rage against whoever was responsible.

How long you stayed crying in the garden you didn’t know, the sound of Margot’s steps making you realize it was getting late. You tried to wipe away the tears before she could see them, not wanting your sadness to eclipse her. At least your Jack was still breathing. You hoped.

“I know you miss him Y/N” she said sadly, her hands on your shoulders.

“How do you do it Margot? How do you go on feeling like this?”

“I have to, for Charlie, he would have wanted it. And I remember. All the happy memories that keep him alive in my heart. Some days I can almost fill the hole he left behind with them, most of the time I can’t but I still try. One day at a time, it's all you can do.”

If Margot could pull through this, then so could you. You had hope that she didn’t have, the hope of seeing Jack again, of feeling his warmth and his beating heart. Margot would never again see Charlie’s face, hear his voice or feel his touch. All she had was her memories, and they were enough to sustain her. You thought to yourself that you had never met a stronger woman in your life and you could only hope to be even half as strong in the face of things to come.

You both sat and talked for a while, letting Margot tell you stories about Charlie, laughing at some of the antics he’d managed to pull. He sounded like a really decent fellow and you wished that you could have met him.

“Right, enough reminiscing, we have to get to work.”

With a sigh, you both stood, trying to shake off the melancholy. The sense of impending….something...you couldn’t shake off and it stayed with you like a heavy blanket as you began your work. The factory was dirty and hot, and more often than not you ended the day greasy and grimy from head to toe. You loved it. Loved feeling useful and needed, loved knowing you had some small part to play in the effort to win the war.

Collins’ blazer hung in a locker in the common room, too far away for comfort and you felt nervous and jumpy without it, the urge to wrap it around yourself despite the grime almost overwhelming. Biting your bottom lip until it bled you kept going, trying to squash your anxiety, one eye on the clock.

11am

You were looking over blueprints with a co worker when you heard the screeching wail of the air raid sirens begin. All around you people ran for cover, heading for the shelter. Your eyes wild, you tried to push the opposite way, towards the common room and everything you had to keep Jack close to you. “Y/N! Forget it, we have to go!”

“No! Go, I’m right behind you!” You flung open the locker door, hauling the jacket over your shoulders as you ran for the exit behind the others, Margot glaring at you.

“Think about how he’d feel if you got yourself killed trying to save his damn uniform!”

“I couldn’t leave it, Margot. His letters. I couldn’t.”

She sighed in comprehension.

“Come on then. We have to hurry.”

You rushed out into the daylight, surrounded by the screams and running feet of the people still left on the streets. There was a droning, grinding sound, pulsing louder and louder overhead and you looked up towards it.

“Oh my God!”

The skies above the city were full as row upon row of German bombers flew over like a swarm of locusts. The rat tat tat of anti aircraft fire echoed around you as you realized what you were seeing. The bomb bay doors of some several hundred enemy planes were wide open, fat, dark objects pouring from their bellies and plummeting toward the ground.

The earth around you shook from the guns and you could hear the BOOM CRUMP CRUMP of heavy bombs finding their targets, not too far away from where you stood paralyzed.

“Get in the shelter! Now!” margot’s scream roused you as the bombs continued to fall, closer and closer.

There was the rumble and crack of them tearing buildings apart, the terrified screams of women as they ran for cover. Through the thickening dust you could see the formations overhead, watching as scores of Spitfires and Hurricanes came screeching into the arena, lines of tracer fire streaking across the sky. A bomber was hit and you saw it dive, breaking apart. The Spitfire behind it twisting and spinning into position behind a German fighter.

He was up there. You knew it and you couldn’t look away, no matter what you saw.

The same Spitfire fell into a terrifying spin and you held your breath as he plummeted toward the ground, pulling out in time and racing back into the thick of the fighting.

Suddenly there was a BOOM beside you and the ground shifted, knocking you into the air to land with bone-jarring force on the street. You were lucky that Jack’s blazer and the thick denim of your work clothes protected your skin from the concrete and you lay trying to catch your breath as rubble landed around you, explosions popping from all directions.

Your ears rang and acrid smoke filled your nostrils as you crawled over the pavement toward the shelter entrance. Two sets of arms hauled you up, your body screaming as they dragged you inside and down the wooden steps.

“I’m ok.” You managed to croak as one of the girls forced a tin cup of tepid water to your lips. “Where’s Margot?”

“I’m here, you idiot.” she pushed through, a blanket in her hands. “You like a fright Y/N, what the hell were you thinking?”

“Spitfires.”

“I’m starting to think your Jack is the one who should be worried, not you. You have a death wish.”

More explosions rumbled around you, everyone in the shelter jumping as the earth shook.

“I think they hit the factory. There’s hundreds of them. It's not just certain areas, they’re just bombing the entire city.”

Margot managed to get you over to a cot, helping you clean up as best you could. There was brick dust and soot all over you, all over Jack’s blazer and you shook it out before hugging the wool close. It still smelled like him, faintly now. When you thought about how close you’d come to losing it you wanted to be sick. Instead you curled up under the blanket as your head ached and spun, Margot sitting sentry silently beside you.

It was an hour before the sirens stopped and the all clear was given. Your head pounded and you could feel the bruises forming all over your body. There was a large graze on your cheek and a cut across your forehead that had bled like a bitch. White dust coated your hair, making it itch. But you were ok. You had survived.

The sight that greeted you as you exited the shelter was nothing short of the end of the world. A huge crater surrounded by rubble marked where the main floor of the factory had once been. What little was left standing was engulfed in an inferno. The street was full of rubble, crumpled and mangled vehicles and fire seemed to rage all around you.

“We have to get back to the boardinghouse.” Margot called through the smoke.

You nodded, moving toward what seemed like a clear path. The building beside you groaned and you both screamed  and jumped as it came toppling down in a rain of stone, dust and flame, crashing into the street where you had just been standing. A little further along you met another huge crater. Margot tried to tug you back as you stepped to the edge.

“Leave it Y/N, there’s nothing we can do for anyone in there.”

She was right of course, you realized when you saw what lay inside. You gasped, hand covering your mouth as you looked over the remains of what used to be a trolley car, the crushed and dismembered pieces of what used to be its passengers scattered about the hole. A young woman lay there, no older than you, like a brokendoll, her vacant dead eyes staring at you accusingly, half her body ripped to shreds by fractured metal.

Bile rose and you scrambled away from the edge, falling to your knees in the ruined street, gasping and vomiting, tears streaming and your chest tightening.

“Oh God, oh God oh God.” you were almost hysterical as Margot pulled you back to your feet.

“Y/N, you have to stop. We have to get out of here. You know they’ll be back. It's not over. I need you to calm down.”

She held your head, forcing you to look at her, to watch her take deep, calming breaths which your body slowly started to mimic as you managed to gain control of yourself again.

“Are you with me?”

“I’m with you.”

You walked arm in arm, avoiding the craters and the piles of stone. Explosions still rocked areas in the city, flames meeting petrol and other incendiary materials. It was strange, you thought, as you made your way through the streets. Whole blocks had been left untouched except for dust and paper debris while others had just been decimated.

Here and there bodies lay in the streets, some volunteers from the ambulance corps already there to cover them up and check to see if any might still be alive. You felt completely useless against the sheer enormity of the horror, what did you even know how to do?

Your neighbourhood had been left untouched and you wanted to weep with relief when you saw all the other girls crowded outside the house beside a Red Cross lorry. Della and Dolores rushed over, screeching, sure until that moment that you and Margot had been lost in the factory explosion.

“They need volunteers,” Dolores was explaining as Della forced water over your face, tutting over the injuries when you winced. “They want people to go back in and help look for survivors who might be trapped.”

“You know they’ll come again, right?” you handed a canteen of water to Margot, who had reappeared from inside the house with two sandwiches.

“That’s why they want ‘volunteers’, it’s going to be dangerous no matter what.”

“Well, count me in. Margot?”

“I’m sure as hell not sitting around for the next bomb to drop so I guess I’m going too.”

You were taken to an area of the city where the fires hadn’t reached yet. Piles of stone and brick was all that remained of the whole street, a few skeletal wooden frames still standing. But not for long. Men and women, civilians and Corps rushed back and forth with stretchers, supplies and survivors who were dazed and injured.

“Here.” A man handed you Red Cross armbands, which you slid over the arms of Jack’s blazer, and a bag filled with bandages, alcohol and water. “Check for signs of life, if they’re dead then mark them with the grease pencil. Listen for survivors trapped under the rubble. Call out if you hear anyone. Get as many people as you can into the Tube, there’s a triage set up down there. Do not, under any circumstances, go into a structure, even if it looks solid. Call for help if you hear someone inside. Any questions?”

You all shook your heads, dispersing to help the volunteers already in the thick of things. What seemed like hours passed as you hauled stone, dug into wreckage and searched for survivors. More often than not you simply were marking bodies for pick up.

“Over here!” Margot called suddenly. “Hurry!”

Sticking out of the rubble was a child’s arm, fingers grasping, still alive. With a cry for help you scrambled onto the pile, tearing up your hands as you dug at the wreckage.

“Hold on honey, we’re coming! Della, Dolores, help!”

The four of you dug around the arm, revealing the face of a little boy, no more than four years old. His face was black and red with soot and blood, one eye swollen completely shut.

“Mummy! I want my mummy!” he started crying the moment his head was free.

His mother was dead, half her body covering his, under the rubble. She’d died protecting him. Tears streaming down your cheeks you worked to free him, noticing one little leg was broken.

“Here sweetheart, have some of this.” you let him sip of the water, gently wiping his face and knowing how much moving him was going to hurt. Margot had run for a stretcher, Della and Dolores were out of sight, called to help someone else. You had been left alone to comfort the child.

“Where’s my mummy?” You cried as you held him, keeping his head turned away from where her body lay a few feet away.

You murmured words of comfort to try and keep his mind off his pain and fear. Stroking his forehead you told him about the heroic pilots you’d seen while he spun in and out of consciousness.

“Over here! Hurry please!” you heard Margot’s voice and sat up to see her about half a block away, two men with a stretcher following behind her. Standing up you waved, glad to see her, smiling as she waved back, pointing the way to help.

2pm

You hand stilled in midair as the sirens began to screech, the familiar and terrifying grinding noise of German bombers quickly filling the air. Everything slowed down as you turned your face to the sky, horrified as it turned black with swarms of planes.

They were right above you, rows of death, black spots falling from their cavernous insides toward you.

You spun, time almost standing still, a scream dying on your lips as the ground in front of Margot suddenly erupted in a geyser of earth, stone and fire. Your body was thrown forward, over the screaming child in your charge, soundless screams tearing from your throat as you saw the crater stained red where your best friend had just been standing.

There was nothing left.

Moments passed in a daze as bombs rained down around your city, volunteers running past you for the shelter of the Tube.

“Oy, luv, come on, let’s go!” An older man clambered up to you, taking in the situation. “You need to get your boy to safety! Here now, that’s the way.”

His arm came around you, helping you to your feet. The boy screamed as he was lifted, bringing you back.

“His leg’s broken, we shouldn’t move him.”

“Better a few minutes of pain than dead miss. Let’s go, I’ll help you.”

The child hollering in your arms, helped you down from the rubble, running beside you, his hand on your back as he led you to the Underground.

“Here now, miss, you’ll be safe down ‘ere.”

He handed you off to a volunteer before disappearing, lost in the sea of terrified civilians. The boy was taken from you into the triage area, closed off by hanging sheets. The screams and moans coming from behind them left no-one in any doubt of what was happening behind them.

“Come with me miss, looks like you could use some help.” An elderly Nurse drew you behind the sheets, sitting beside you.

You looked around at medics trying to save lives, set broken limbs and stitch gashes. An exhausted looking doctor with blood covering his apron walked past you, wiping his brow and barking orders. A pale arm hung from under a sheet as a stretcher was carried past you into the tunnel. A decent look in that direction made you wish you could be anywhere but inside that Underground tomb. Bodies covered in sheets lined both sides of the tunnel, as far as your eye could see in the darkness. Hundreds of people. Men, women, children, it was unfathomable.

The nurse began to clean your face and hands and you winced when she dabbed at your skin with alcohol. Tears streaked through the dirt and blood on your face, dripping onto the sleeve of the blazer.

“I’m going to have to stitch this.” the Nurse handed you a bottle of brandy, motioning that you should drink it. “I’ve no anesthetic, this won’t be pleasant.”

You didn’t care, pain meant you were alive, unlike Margot. She would never feel anything again. You drank heavily from the bottle, the alcohol burning its way into your stomach as the Nurse applied the needle to your face.

The pain was nothing compared to what you felt in your heart.

“Y/N.” a whisper beside you, Dolores with Della standing beside her, dirt covering them. “Where’s Margot?”

Sobs rose in your throat as you shook your head, unable to put it into words. Dolores sat beside you, holding you against her shoulder as the Nurse kept stitching, Della kneeling to clean and dress your torn and broken skin.

There were no words to be spoken, nothing that could even be said to make sense of it.

When the bombs stopped falling finally at dusk you all made your way home, silently.

When morning came you didn’t move from your bed, that part of Jack wrapped around you, dirty and bloody, his letters safe. Dolores sat on the bed a copy of the paper open to the front page. They were calling it The Battle of Britain, a decisive victory with poetic speeches about the bravery of the pilots who’d risked their lives, “The Few” they were being hailed as, heroes they certainly were.

“Here, this came for you. Hand delivered.” Dolores handed you an envelope with your name and address scrawled on it in writing that wasn’t Jack’s.

With rising fear you stared at it, noting the dirty fingerprints. Your hands shook as you tried to open it and Dolores had to take it from you to finish. You watched her slide out a single slip of paper, it looked as though it had been torn from a flight book, crumpled and filthy. She looked it over and handed it to you without a word.

It was his writing, seven words scribbled across a page streaked with petrol and tears. And they made you weep.

“I’m alive. I love you. Forgive me.”

“He’s ok, thank God he’s ok.”

Dolores simply lay down beside you, holding you while you both wept.