#if you saw this when it said “greater hood” no you didn't

[lowkey-loki245]

I wonder... how much of Leo's decision to sacrifice himself to stop the Kraang was affected by the Hamato Clan's motto of "Sacrifice yourself for the greater good"? Did he feel peer pressured to do it? Did he feel like he had to do this not just to save his family but in honor of his clan?

[violet-eng]

Lantern Rite Zhongli x fem!reader - NSFW of course

Summary: Zhongli likes reader! since the first day he saw her. Then, during the Lantern Rite, he finds a spot where to watch the show together and do it. The second part wasn't planned. Old man just wanted some time with his crush but ended up doing it.

Warnings: Smut as always. piv. Outdoors sex? Unprotected sex (wear a condom please)

World count: idk, but it's a lot.

(🎨by @gorooon0402)

__________________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ┊⋆ ┊ .┊ ┊ ⋆˚         ✧. ┊         ⋆ ★

The first time Zhongli saw you was at the top of the city, at the place where Rex Lapis had died. You had caught his attention, kneeling in front of the place, offerings in front of you and your head lowered.

He knew everyone in Liyue, somehow his ancient omniscience had given him that privilege, but you were a complete stranger. The cloak covering your body, the seams bruised and the hood worn, you had had a long journey, but you were there, praying.

You stood up, wiped your knees and adjusted your clothes. You headed towards the exit and brushed against his arm.

“I’m sorry,” you said, your voice soft, just like your features. You were in his eyes the most beautiful creature he had ever seen in his life.

That same afternoon, Zhongli goes to the Bubu pharmacy in search of certain medications; his human form had been difficult for him to care for in recent years. He rings the bell on the table expecting Baizhu or Qiqi to appear, instead, you are the one who receives it. This time you wear a different cape, matte oak colors without a hood, allowing your face to be seen clearly, framed by your hair.

"What can I help you?" You ask, both hands on the table and a kind smile on your lips. Zhongli, due to vestiges of his ability as an Archon, perceives a certain energy emanating from you: perseverance, an unbreakable will accompanied by nostalgia and kindness. He realizes that you have come a long way in your life, that you know hard work and have extensive knowledge about the different nations of Teyvat. He wonders why he didn't give you a Vision when he was Rex Lapis, realizing you lack one. All of this is enough to awaken something in him, a human feeling that he thought he had gotten rid of a long time ago.

"I need medicine" is the only thing that can come out of his lips, while he spreads a prescription in front of you.

"Ah, yes. Mr. Baizhu warned me that someone like you would come" you say, taking a bag.

"Someone like me?" The phrase sparks a hungry curiosity in Zhongli.

"Yes, an elegant gentleman with an eloquent voice."

Those words send a wave of heat up Zhongli's spine, although his face doesn't flinch.

"I see, it's like Baizhu" he finally says.

The following months you find yourself invading Zhongli's mind, and the more he gets to know you he realizes the greater attraction he feels for you. It's not just your face, your smile or your gestures, it's the way you care for the patients that Baizhu can't care for, the way you tell the children about the things you've seen outside of Liyue, when you help Madam Ping with her teapot or when you bandage Yanfei's ankle for running from side to side.

You are the kind of person he decided to live for as a human, the kind of pure soul he had given up his gnosis for, the creature he hates not having created, even though he knows he would never have had the ability to create something so perfect like you.

The Lantern Rite arrives, the festival is bigger this year than last, and Zhongli, who watches everything from one of the tables at the Wanmin Restaurant, cannot help but feel slightly alone. He looks for you in the crowd, perhaps you could share stories of his expeditions as you have often done for a few weeks, but he can't find you anywhere. That worries him.

He asks about you in a subtle way, knowing that people hold you in high esteem for your work as an auxiliary doctor, discovering that you have been making outpatient visits all day to some of the adventurers who suffered a gunpowder accident while preparing the fireworks.

So Zhongli heads to the city dock, where he finds you leaving the house of one of your patients. He notices that you are exhausted, so he approaches you cautiously.

"It looks like you haven't rested all day" he says as he offers you a drink.

"Is it late for the event?" you ask after wiping your lips with the back of your hand.

"No, you're just in time."

"Madame Ping's place is probably full, not to mention the plaza. I was dying to see the lanterns this year," you say, looking over the sea, where you realize that they are preparing everything for the big event.

"I know a place..." Zhongli says, not very sure of his words although his tone of voice hides it pretty well.

So you two end up crossing the water in a boat, reaching the other shore, from where you can see the coast of Liyue.

You are amazed by the sight, and you express it to Zhongli as you get rid of your cloak, revealing your clothes underneath, it is a dress, and Zhongli surprises himself by looking for where the zipper of your clothes would be or how easily It would be undoing your buttons.

The lanterns rise, and you pick up your legs as you follow the bright spots rising above the dark sky with your gaze. You watch the show and Zhongli looks at you, the amber color of the fudistant ego reflected faintly on your face.

You are alone, and that gives him enough courage to approach you, take your chin in his hand and turn your face towards his. You don't have time to react because his lips are against yours, gently sucking on your bottom lip.

You put your hands on his chest and separate yourself from him in search of air. He feels dazed, ecstatic, and ashamed all at once. He believes he has offended you, and regret consumes him until you kiss him again, this time wrapping your arms around his neck.

You feel the same as him, and that gives him enough courage to take off his jacket and tie while still kissing you. His hands go behind your back looking for that zipper that he had identified before, and then sliding it to reveal your body in lingerie. The image sends a ripple to his core and he suddenly feels imprisoned in his pants. He gently pushes you until your back is against the grass, damp from the rain a few hours ago, and he positions himself over you, your legs between his.

“Zhongli…” you whisper as you watch the way he undoes his shirt and then removes a glove with his teeth. You notice something primitive, almost animalistic, in his gaze.

As he undoes his pants you notice his hardened cock lifting the fabric of his underwear, your already wet center becoming even more soaked at the image of him on top of you.

Zhongli leans over you to kiss you as he gets rid of the fabric and is completely exposed to you. The image he gives you makes your nipples harden, and you close your legs even more before the incessant moisture that flows from you. Zhongli's body seems sculpted, his shoulders defined, his pectorals large, and his abdomen marked by his muscles. His cock points at you, big and thick, the head red with hunger at your center and a vein bulging on the side.

You gulp at the thought of what awaits you. You can't believe you're with him like this, outdoors, on the grass.

"We're alone, right?" you ask, and he smiles, leaning over you.

"Completely alone," he says, kissing your neck as one of his hands slides under the fabric of your bra, grabbing the soft flesh of your breast and teasing your nipple.

“I’ve wanted to do this for so long,” he whispers in your ear, his voice hoarse.

He takes off your bra, exposing your breasts to him. You try to cover yourself, but he grabs your hands and pulls them away from your breasts. He wants to see you, he has wanted to for weeks.

"Don't be shy," he hisses, tilting his head, a proud smile on his lips. You are completely blushing, "Let's see what else you have for me" he says, sliding one of his fingers between your breasts, down your abdomen and reaching the edge of your panties. He lowers them cautiously from both ends and when he takes them from you he brings them to his nose, inhaling your essence impregnated in the damp fabric. That only causes you to leak even more.

Zhongli throws the fabric along with the rest of the clothes and bows again, this time he won't pause as much. He glances at you as he spreads your legs with one hand, a lopsided smile appearing on his face as he notices how wet you are for him.

"All this just by touching you" he says as he slides two of his fingers through your folds making you shudder and arch your back, you are as needy for him as he is for you.

He brings his fingers to his mouth and tastes your juices, running his tongue over his lips.

"So sweet, and all for me," he growls.

He aligns himself with your entrance and suddenly you feel him slide easily inside you, it's as if you were tailor-made for him, specially created for him.

Zhongli pushes his way inside you, molding your walls to the shape of his cock.

“You're tight,” he whispers, stifling a moan, leaning over you and gripping the grass under his hands. The way you squeeze him drives him crazy.

When Zhongli is completely inside you, you throw your head to the side and cover your mouth so he doesn't hear you moan, you don't want to make him uncomfortable with some embarrassing sound.

"I want to hear you," he says, taking your hands and putting them on the sides of your head, "I want to hear you moan, scream, curse... no one else is going to hear you, only me."

You look at him with reddened cheeks, completely drugged with desire and lust. The way those words leave his lips, the way he looks at you while he's inside you, all of it makes you feel ready for whatever's next.

Zhongli moves slowly at first, drawing soft moans from you, he wants you to adjust to his size, he wants you to get used to his rhythm as he holds on your hips while he lets low moans into your neck.

You cling to his back and move your hips as if to signal that you are ready, that you want him to fuck you as he really wants.

When your insides feel empty without him, your walls clench around his tip, and then he slides all the way inside, hard and fast, giving you no time to process the thrust.

He does it one, two, three times, keeping your hips static against the grass, the friction against your buttocks burns at first, but then succumbs to the pleasure you feel every time he enters you, every time he hits your cervix and your g-spot. Every time he moans incoherently into your neck you forget that they are out in the open fucking like two animals in heat.

"So soft, so mine," he says between indecent moans as his tip arches inside you, hitting your cervix. You feel that at any moment he will cross into your uterus and split in half.

The force with which he thrusts into you is almost beastly, accompanied by grunts and his hand tangled in your hair. His mouth attacks your nipple, making you feel double stimulation.

Zhongli stands up and sits on the grass, placing you on top of him, on his hip. He never left your insides.

You cling to his neck and rest your head on his shoulder, the image of the approaching lanterns blurred by the tears in your eyes. Zhongli's hands on your hips mark the pace of penetration, sinking deeper into you if that is possible.

"Just like that, cutie, just like that~" he growls as he squeezes your glutes and abuses your pussy with his cock. You feel a knot forming inside you.

“Zhongli,” you moan, breathing heavily, arching your back and digging your nails into his shoulders.

He realizes you're about to reach your limit, and he lays you back down on the grass.

"Don't resist," he says as he lifts one of your legs and places it on his shoulder, giving you a wave of ecstasy from the new, even more pleasurable position.

You look at his face as he continues to move inside you, some of the lanterns fly above his head, the amber fire almost as intense as that of his eyes at that moment. You caress his cheek, that image of him, thirsty for your pussy with the flashlights on him, you want to keep it in your memory forever.

His thrusts become frantic and irregular in rhythm, you feel the burning in your belly and center grow more and more, like a flame of fire every time he touches the already quite abused rubbery spot. Zhongli goes on and on and on and then you feel him coming. The knot inside you unravels and you let out a scream as you mark his back with your nails. You've reached your orgasm, and overstimulation haunts you as Zhongli continues to move, seeking to reach his own climax.

He twists his mouth into a grimace and presses his hips against yours, releasing a load of his cum into your hole.

He's breathing hard, his forehead is sweaty, and his member is still inside you. You caress his chest and neck, he takes your hand and kisses the back. You are both silent, only your heavy breathing can be heard in the air.

"Oh my Rex Lapis" you finally say.

Zhongli smiles and kisses you on the lips after hearing you say that. Maybe in the future he will tell you about his past and who he really is, for now he just wants to be there, lying next to you, naked and watching the lanterns traveling through the night sky.

[melpomenelamusa]

Bad Habits Pt.1 - Chimeras

~Original story~

Previous

CW: Kidnapping, unconventional restraints.

The following week, Elafi accompanied Warrick back to the city. This time, instead of buying, it was to sell. Warrick sold most of the animals he hunted, as well as the vegetables he grew in the garden or the mushrooms he grew in the shed. He usually sold them in the town next to the forest, but occasionally he took some products to an acquaintance in the big city.

“Warrick!” greeted a fat man behind the counter. “I haven’t seen you in a while, how have you been?”

“You know, out there,” he replied, shrugging and shaking hands back.

“And who is this boy?” said the shop owner, looking at Elafi.

The deer boy was wearing a huge sweatshirt and the boots Warrick had given him. His antlers had already begun to grow during that week, and they were two small lumps of bone that peeked out from between his brown curls, hidden under the hood. Although he was confident that his costume hid the features that identified him as a chimera child, he couldn't help but get nervous at the sudden attention.

"He's my son," Warrick replied naturally. "He's identical to his mother, which is why many people say that we don't look alike."

"Well, it seems that he didn't want to take any of your genes," said the other man, before letting out a laugh. "But I see that at least he's interested in his father's business. Keep it up, kiddo!"

"Y-yeah!" Elafi replied.

They began to unload the boxes of products from the stretcher of the pickup and place them in the back room.

"You also tell lies quite easily," Elafi commented jokingly, so that only Warrick could hear him.

"Well, sometimes you have to, if it's for the greater good," the man replied, giving him a mischievous half-smile.

At some point, Warrick and the shop owner were chatting, engaged in a friendly conversation that went from a couple of minutes to almost an hour. Elafi had been entertaining himself by looking at some of the products in the store (apparently a store specializing in selling organic and locally grown products), but after a long while with nothing else to do he got bored.

He left the store. There was a small alley that formed between the store and the adjacent building. The street was basically deserted, except for the row of cars parked on the side of the street. Elafi took out his cell phone and entertained himself by watching short videos. He just wanted Warrick to get out so they could go home.

Home. Elafi was still shocked to remember how much his life had changed in a few months.

I'm glad I found someone like Warrick, he thought, feeling a pleasant sensation in his heart. If it weren't for him, I might not even be alive now. I owe him so much.

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't notice when a person stopped in front of him.

"Hey, kid."

Elafi looked up and saw himself surrounded by two young, unknown men. One of them was tall, thin and very pale, with a beanie on his head. The second, and the one who had spoken, was stocky, with dark skin and very short hair hidden under a cap with the phrase "Game Over" written on it in red letters. The two strangers stared at him and the boy felt his flight instincts kick in.

"Don't you have some money with you that you can lend us?" said the guy in the cap in a relaxed tone, leaning his arm against the wall, as if he were talking to an old friend.

The teenager felt his heart begin to pound hard against his chest.

"I don't have any money with me," he said, which was true. In his pockets he carried nothing but his cell phone, and only because he had decided to bring it on his trip to the city. He usually had a bad habit of never carrying anything with him.

"C'mon, man, just a couple of bills," the guy in the cap continued, taking a step forward and forcing Elafi to press his back against the cement wall.

"I already told you I don't have anything," the boy said, unintentionally letting a bit of irritation slip into his voice.

The two men exchanged glances. The cap guy nodded and suddenly the beanie guy threw himself at Elafi.

"Wa...!" The stranger's hand fell over the teenager's mouth, while with the other hand he immobilized one of his arms, bending it behind his back. Elafi let out a muffled whimper at the sudden pain.

The guy in the cap began to run his large hands through Elafi's clothes, feeling his pockets and snatching his cell phone. Elafi then butted his head back, hitting his captor's chin, who loosened his grip in surprise. However, at the same time, the movement caused the hood of Elafi's sweatshirt to fall back, revealing for all to see his long furry ears and the small antlers sprouting from his head.

"I-it's a... It's a chimera child!"

Elafi ran.

"Warri...!" But he didn't get very far before someone tackled him and threw him to the ground, immediately placing a hand over his mouth.

"Mmnh!"

"What do we do?" said a new, nervous voice, belonging to the beanie guy, who again had Elafi trapped in his long arms.

"I-I don't know!" replied his companion. "We were just supposed to scare the first fool we saw, take their money and get the hell out of here."

All the while, Elafi continued to struggle, kicking his captor in an attempt to free himself. In one of those many movements, his right boot came loose, revealing his cloven hoof. 

"Holy shit, look at his foot!" the beanie guy exclaimed, not hiding his genuine surprise as he continued to struggle to immobilize his victim.

"I've heard that there are people who buy these things for a lot of money," the cap guy said, with a hand on his chin. "I say we take him."

"Are you crazy?" the beanie guy replied. "We came here to try to mug someone, not to kidnap someone."

"Hey!" Warrick appeared at the entrance of the alley with a look of devilment.

"Oh, shit, run!"

The cap guy carried Elafi over his shoulder and then the two strangers began to run, while Warrick launched himself after them in pursuit.

"LET ME GO!" Elafi shouted, punching his captor's back with his fists.

"Why are we taking the chimera child with us?" the beanie guy asked his partner.

"I have a feeling we can get a good sum with him. Believe me, I'm sure Scissors will know what to do."

The strangers ran up to an old black sedan with tinted windows, parked on the street. It didn't stand out at all in the row of parked cars, except that it didn't have any identifying license plates. They opened the back seat door and threw Elafi inside, before getting in themselves.

"Let me go!" the teenager shouted, trying to reach the door.

"Scissors, let's get out of here!" the cap guy exclaimed.

In front of the driver's seat sat a young woman. Seeing them enter, she turned around with a stunned expression, watching her colleagues fight against a boy with animal features in the back of the car.

"What the fuck?!" she said, in a shrill voice.

Suddenly Warrick appeared, hitting the car window hard. "Open up!" he demanded, preparing his elbow to break the glass.

"Let's go!" the guy in the cap shouted again.

The woman, Scissors, started the car and accelerated. If Warrick hadn't gotten out of the way in time, he would have been run over for sure.

"No!" Elafi screamed, watching through the back window as Warrick's figure shrank more and more until he disappeared in the distance. Panic gripped him, which only made his struggles and screams increase.

"Could you do something to shut him up?!" the woman exclaimed, irritated. "All this noise and movement is distracting me. We could crash!"

Suddenly the beanie guy tore off his hat, revealing a tuft of white hair beneath it, and then shoved the garment into Elafi's mouth, almost making him choke.

"Good thinking, Paper," said the cap guy.

The car stopped momentarily on a lonely street. The beanie guy, named Paper, took off his belt and used it to tie Elafi’s hands behind his back, while the cap guy, later referred to as Rock, took the laces off his tennis shoes and used them to tie the boy’s ankles.

“I can’t believe this,” Scissors said, turning around completely. Her hair was cut as if someone had decided to give her a blind haircut, with strands of different lengths and sizes falling around her face. “Are we really kidnapping someone? This wasn’t part of the plan!”

“But look at him!” said Rock, pulling on Elafi’s ear. “He’s a real chimera child! Don’t you think we could make some money off of him?”

Scissors looked at Elafi curiously.

“I guess so. I heard people sell them on the black market. We could try something on the deep web. Or maybe we could ask for a ransom from that guy chasing you. He seemed very upset that you took the boy”. And then, turning to Elafi: “Hey you, chimera boy, that guy from before could pay a ransom for you? Are you his pet or something?”

Elafi didn't want to answer that question. Even if he hadn't had the beanie stuffed in his mouth, he wouldn't have wanted to answer.

"Well, it's that or sell you on the black market," she continued.

"Nh!"

Elafi pushed the beanie with his tongue and spat it out.

"N-no, please..."

Warrick didn't have any money, not enough if these people asked for a high ransom. Elafi and Warrick were barely surviving on what they could in the cabin with the two of them, and most of their food was the same food they grew or what Warrick gathered and hunted in the forest. But if these people sold him to someone else... He would have no way to escape.

Elafi didn't know when the tears started to fall from his eyes.

"Look, you made him cry," said Rock, with some disappointment.

"Oh, shut up," said Scissors, returning her attention to the wheel. "I'm going to start the car. Animal boy, you better keep quiet or we'll put you in the trunk."

Elafi didn't want to be put in the trunk at all. He nodded, shrinking as much as he could in the backseat, between the two bodies of his new captors.

"Good," said the woman, before putting the vehicle back in gear. "Hey! The boy can't see the direction to our hideout!"

"That's easy to fix," commented Rock, taking the hood of Elafi's sweatshirt and lowering it to cover his eyes. The garment was large enough to cover more than half of the teenager's face. "See? Piece of cake."

The car started moving and continued on its way to an uncertain destination. At some point, someone turned on the radio. A pop song blared through the speakers, drowning out Elafi’s soft sobs, who bit his tongue trying not to make a sound. He didn’t want to be in that vehicle, but the thought of getting anywhere terrified him too.

This was very different from when Cazador kidnapped him in the woods. Warrick knew the terrain there and was surely able to find them by following their footprints or other trails. But this was the big city. A simple car, in a sea of ​​streets, buildings, and vehicles, was basically untraceable if you didn’t have the right tools or knowledge.

Warrick wouldn’t be able to find him.

Elafi was glad the hood was hiding his face, not wanting anyone to see him cry. He pulled at his hands, pinned behind his back by the belt. The shoelaces that tied his ankles dug into his leg, the one that had lost the boot during the assault, and soon a tingling and uncomfortable feeling took over his feet. He felt pathetic. There weren't even trees here that could miraculously save him at the last moment.

Meanwhile, several miles back, Warrick cursed as he watched the black car disappear down a side street.

"Shiiit!" he exclaimed, stretching out the word as if that way he could release some frustration.

Frustration, anger, stress...

He put his hands to his head, pulling some hair. He could almost imagine new gray hairs sprouting like daisies from his skull. He ran, retracing his steps, in the direction of where he had his pickup truck parked. If he was lucky and the kidnappers hadn't turned off or gotten rid of Elafi's cell phone, he could try to find him through the device's location. How glad he was that he had decided to install that tracking app after all. 

He suddenly stopped when, passing by the alley of the organic store again, he spotted a thing lying on the ground. It was one of Elafi's boots. The man picked it up as if it were a fragile object that would turn to dust at any moment, and cradled it against his chest.

"Oh my god!" said the store owner, approaching with some curiosity and concern. "Do you want me to call the police?"

"I'll take care of it," Warrick said. His voice was hard and sharp, so much so that the other man backed away as he saw him approach and head for his vehicle. "No one who dares to touch my son will get away with their actions."

To be continued...

Taglist: @scoundrelwithboba @morning-star-whump @lancedoncrimsonwings @3-2-whump @whumped-by-glitter @string-of-broken-hearts @alyscat @oddsconvert @what-if-i-just-did @bacillusinfection @writinglittlepains

Warrick going all Liam Neeson in "Taken" is just something that fascinates me. Oh no, poor Elafi. Well, we'll see what happens in the next chapter. Thanks for reading! ⭐

[lightwing-s]

hi!! I just binged baby steps and it is honestly one of the cutest stories I’ve ever read so far💖💖 if it’s not too much trouble could I please be added to the taglist?

also is this an AU? Or is Jason still the red hood and everything? Cuz I am such a sucker for the classic “she found out about his second life” conflict!!

and her parents in the last chapter literally drove me MAD like how dare you speak to anybody like that let alone your daughter!!! But Ik that the more annoying they are, they greater the gratification will be once Jason punches the living daylights out of them and y/n outgrows them😌😌

NO WAY!! NO WAY!! NO FUCKING WAY THAT THE WRITER OF ONE OF MY FAV STORIES EVER JUST SAID SHE LIKES MY OWN STORY!!! WTF!!!

For real, I nearly busted out crying when I saw your message lmao

also is this an AU? Or is Jason still the red hood and everything? Cuz I am such a sucker for the classic “she found out about his second life” conflict!!

It is indeed an AU. I thought that making it an actual vigilante story would make things more complicated then they already were going to be lol, so I opted to let that part of the story aside. Also, this didn't start as a Jason fic, per se, so there's that too making me leave the Red Hood behind for a while :)

But Ik that the more annoying they are, they greater the gratification will be once Jason punches the living daylights out of them and y/n outgrows them😌😌

can't wait for you to read chapter vi then lol

[hazel-of-sodor]

Day 23-Greater than Yourself

Traintober 2023

Other Stories

Day 23-Big World

Greater than Yourself

Samantha sprinted down the street, running desperately for Nicole's place. Behind her, she heard the jaguar-like growl of the thing behind her.

She risked looking and saw it leap out from behind the corner, its frames bending and arching like a jungle cat. It was a sports car...or had once been in the 30s. Now it was a twisted creature of hate and metal.

She swore and pushed herself faster, cursing that Nicole's apartment was so far from any rail lines.

She heard the animalistic growl of the car's engine grow louder as it approached, the streetlights flickering out as it raced down the street after her.

She saw Nicole glance out her window, drawn by the noise before racing to the door.

Samantha finally reached the stairs to the apartment, scrambling up them as she heard Nicole unlocking the door. 

She slammed into the door, Nicole pulling from the other side...but it didn't move.

The car slowed, stalking forward, its engine revving in a harsh mockery of a laugh.

Nicole beat on the door, attempting to batter it down, but her attacks bounced off. The car reached the bottom of the stairs, waiting. Samantha could see Nicole's neighbors had been drawn by the noises, and all were struggling to open their doors, but like Nicole's their doors refused to move.

The car laughed again. Samantha closed her eyes, they were too far from any rail lines, she would never make it to the Ffarquhar sheds, but she had to try

"Nicole, I'm sorry"

Her firewoman stopped beating at her door to glare at her, "Samantha don't you dar..."

Samantha dove over the car, hitting the ground with a roll and coming up running.

She heard the car growl almost approvingly as it spun its tires, whirling around to pursue her. As she heard it approach she dove to the side, its bumper barely missing her as it swerved trying to hit her, frost spreading across her skin from the proximity. She rolled as the car turned towards her. She made the mistake of glancing towards Nicole, who was screaming as she beat at her door. The car took advantage of her distraction and lunged. Samantha rolled desperately...

SLAM! Crunch.

The street was suddenly bathed in golden light and the car yowled in pain.

Samantha looked up to see the impossible sight of her engine shaking the car like a dog with a rat, its rear fender caught in his jaws. She scrambled for the safety of Thomas's cab as the fender ripped free of the car with a screech, turning to golden dust between his teeth.

"Don't you dare touch my driver." 

Caomhnóir's voice shook with rage. Gold light shone from his lamps with burning intensity.

The car flinched back from the light, its metal melting in its heat, before roaring in defiance, shaking the stones of the street loose.

Caomhnóir let out a screaming whistle in return. But it wasn't his whistle. This whistle was much higher and shriller. The car's roar had shaken the street, the whistle shook the sky.

The car was sent flying back from the force, tumbling fender over hood.

Across the island and beyond engines awoke, shaken from their sleep by Caomhnóir's battlecry.

Samantha couldn't prevent the shudder that ripped through her when she realized Thomas had called upon the Lady's whistle, and she had answered.

The creature was struggling back to its wheels when the tank engine spoke.

"I would run if I were you."  He said, menace dripping from every word. "If I catch you, there won't be enough left of you to die."

The car locked its gaze with the golden eyes of the tank engine before giving a sharp nod, preparing to pounce.

Samantha felt Thomas tense beneath her, ready to meet the foe head-on. Golden light spilled from his cab, melting the frost from her shoulders.

The creature leaped...only to be caught.

The creature shrieked in surprise, twisting to see what had caught it.

From the ground, shadows stretched in long sinuous tendrils, cutting through Caomhnóir's golden light to wrap crushingly around the sports car's frame.

Slowly, but surely, the tendrils dragged the car towards where they reached, a puddle of shadow darker than the darkest night. The car twisted, shrieked, and bit at the tendrils, but to no avail.

Finally, as its rear wheels began to dip into the shadow as if it was liquid, it looked towards its foe.

Thomas glared, "Be grateful."  He said, "They will be more merciful than I would have been."

The car was dragged under with one last screech of defiance.

***

Far away on the Uman and Din Railway

The car broke through the ground, spitting out shadows as the tendrils withdrew. It rose to its wheels growling, only to freeze at the sight before it.

A Great Western 47xx towered above it, shadow tendrils drifting in the air around it like a mane of shadowfire. While they would have been enough to make such a beast pause, the car could see the truth.

For once something could see the truth of the beast towering before them, towering with the mountains behind it, a thousand thousand tendrils whipping around it, some thin and sharp enough to cut paint from metal without scratching it, others larger around than the engines alongside it. More teeth than those of every creature to ever live grinned at the car in predatory hunger. Eyes, countless eyes watched their prey from every angle.

"Well little beast," the being uttered, "did you truly think Caomhnóir so powerless?"

Its voice rang from a thousand angles, threatening to rip the car from the ground on which it stood from the meer force of its voice alone. 

"Did you think there were none greater than yourself that would answer his call?"

The car trembled under the presence of the being before it.

The titan leaned forward, grinning eagerly, "Know this little beast. I was not the only one to answer his call, merely the swiftest. Be grateful I was the one to reach you instead of the Lady."

The car whimpered under the onslaught of her attention.

The former 47xx's grin sharped, and she lunged.

***

Samantha was slow to leave the safety of Thomas's cab. Even when she heard Nicole nearly rip her door from its hinges in opening it when the creature's grip disappeared, she could only sit and try to control her panicked breathing. Nicole scrambled up into the cab, wrapping her arms around Samantha even before she stopped moving. 

"Don't you dare do that again."

Samantha clung to her firewoman, "I told you that your apartment was too far from the tracks," she tried to joke weakly, but Nicole just nodded, "First thing this weekend I'm finding a place by the line. I can't go through that again."

"Agreed," Thomas chimed in.

Samatha's eyes widened as she realized no one had checked on him, she scrambled down from the cab and began examining him.

Thomas huffed fondly, "I'm fine driver, physically. It'll be a while before I can sleep though."

"You're telling me," Nicole grumbled, but her hand was rubbing Thomas's side as she said it.

As other people began coming out of their houses, Samantha remembered the elephant in the room, or rather, the tank engine on the street.

Thomas stood in the middle of the street, when she looked down she saw the stone pavers had been pushed aside, revealing worn rails underneath.

"How are you here?" Nicole asked from beside her.

"The tramway used to run through here to reach the quarries," Thomas said, glancing down at the street. "The line was closed in favor of the new route in the fifties."

Nicole gave him an unimpressed look, "I know that. I also know those rails were pulled up, and multiple buildings stand where the line used to go. How did you get here."

"The land remembers the line," Thomas said defensively, "I asked the Lady for her aid in reaching you."

Samatha was the first to realize what her engine wasn't saying.

"You have no idea how to get back do you?"

The tank engine sagged embarrassedly, "No...I didn't think about it till after I had reached you."

Taking pity on her engine, she kissed his cheek, "Thank you. I have no idea how we’ll get you out, but thanks for saving me."

"I'd happily do it again." He said softly.

***

The next morning on the Uman and Din...

Freda and Gwyn were having a pleasant morning until they came within earshot of the sheds. A horrendous screeching and crunching could be heard. Freda sighed and increased her pace, wondering what her engine had gotten into this time.

She walked around the corner to find Screech happily chewing on a mangled Mercedes. Causing it to squeal horribly. The car was pinned with her tendrils, leaving the eldritch engine free to peel off pieces of metal at her leisure.

Freda glanced over to Abbey, the star class watching with vindictive enjoyment.

"Just what did the car do?"

"It tried to attack Caomhnóir's driver." The express engine said grimly.

Freda turned to glare at the car. Screech politely pausing so the car could focus on the glare.

"You've missed the trunk," Freda said flatly.

Riiiipppppp

[megamaster64-comms-open]

6000 years ago, a civil war broke out on the planet Cybertron between two factions: Autobots and Decepticons. The Decepticons and their leader Megatron wanted to take the planet for themselves, using it as an epicenter for galactic domination. However they were stopped by the Autobots and their leader, Optimus prime after 200 years of war. With Megatron dying in combat, and his ideals dying with him over the next few generations, the remaining Decepticons were declared war criminals and rounded up over the next few years. After the war a scientist by the name of Shockwave, who was working on a project to produce bio-mechanical soldiers in a hope to bring his faction back, was forced to leave the planet as he was eventually found by a new task force known as the Maximal Coalition. 

Unable to fight in his old age, the cyclops stole a ship, taking several protoforms with him, eventually landing on the planet earth on September 15th, 1982. He would spend the rest of that year setting up his lab and working on his experiments. Shockwave didn't want an earth altmode, as he could find nothing of comparable size to him so he just used a large piece of cloth as a cloak and hood.

He would go around the outskirts of the town he landed next to, collecting materials he needed. Although, as more and more towns folk saw him he became a sort of urban legend. Enter 1983:

Evan Afton was a very frustrated child, his home was more comparable to hell. Everyday he would be bullied by his older brother, Michael, abused by his father, William, and ignored by sister, Elizabeth. Michaels friends didn’t make things much better, always helping his older brother with his pranks, and throwing constant jabs at him, be it verbally or physically. The night wasn’t any greater for him; he could only go to sleep at 6:00 am after surviving a set of monsters created by hallucinogenic gas. All of this left him bitter, angry, vengeful, but he knew he was powerless in his current position. And he knew for a fact that his older brother was going to make his birthday hell too, still, he couldn’t do anything. That was until he heard rumors about the StitchWraith, a wizard that could give you any kind of forbidden knowledge you wanted or grant any wish your heart desired. On top of that there was speculation that Henry Emily and Evans' own father had visited the StitchWraith before and that's how they made their animatronics so life-like. However, there was a catch, you shouldn’t go looking for the wizard, you should let it find you. For only then will you be considered worthy of its power, you don’t want to end up like ‘Scary Susie’. He knew all about ‘Scary Susie’ the girl that supposedly went insane after learning something from the wizard she was not prepared to hear. With that information he went home and asked his father about it wanting to learn more. Instead William yelled at him and told him to never ask about the wizard again. Knowing that neither his brother or sister would be of any use he waited until the night to put his plan into action. And he did just that once he had the cover of darkness. Running out of the house and into the woods, roaming around for a short while. Just waiting, and waiting, and waiting some more. He was starting to think that the wizard was just that, a myth, a rumor. That was until he saw a bright yellow light beaming at him in the distance. The light got closer and brighter and before he could even comprehend it, there stood the wizard. A large metal being covered with a dark gray tarp, it had found him. “You humans…” it spoke with a gravelly tone. “So addicted to your myths of magic, when in reality it is simply science beyond your comprehension…” Evan tried not to sob in terror at the enormous being, putting on a brave face and asking it one question. “C-can you make me strong?” He quivered, despite this fearful tone of voice The wizard looked down at the boy with intrigue. “For what purpose?” The wizard said as he looked closer at the boy. Evan told him everything about his life up until this point, seeing an opportunity the StitchWraith took him under his wing and told him to follow. Leading him to a hovel with a large hornets nest seeming to take over one side, the inside was lined with metal plating and pipes. On the walls were pods containing big blank, gray figures with empty eye sockets. The wizard walked over to one of the pods, taking out one of the figures and placing it inside of a large chamber that was next to a computer. He gestured for Evan to get inside, and Evan did just that. Standing next to the blank being while the wizard began typing on his computer. “How will this make me strong?” The boy grunted. “You will see in time my dear boy…” The wizard reassured him. As The StitchWraith finished what he was doing on the computer he pressed a button and the chambers door closed. But before it closed all the way a bald-faced hornet found its way inside. Landing on the gray figure. The chamber was sealed and everything inside began to glow, and Evans bones began to feel heavy. He stumbled and fell on the gray body and the hornet fell on him. Still buzzing. Seeing the insect Evan panicked and tried to get the bug off of him. But found that it was stuck to his shirt, and his shirt and other articles of clothing were stuck to his skin, and he was stuck to the gray figure.

HORNET!!!! This is a thing I'm going to be doing for a bit! Taking peoples takes on certain fnaf characters and combining them with Transformers! Why? Because I think it's fun! Starting with the vengeful Evan au! Vengeful Evan au belongs to @cookieruma29 The Story behind this piece is in the reblogs!

[sophi-s]

Cost of Kindness

Chapter III: Between joy and sorrow

By: sophi-s

Fandom: Darksiders video games

Words: 7,405

Characters: Raphael, Darksiders OC

Warnings: None

Summary:

After a crazy adventure outside of Haven, Nicola finally is in shape to try and find her way back. As sad as she is about it, she bids her farewells to her new angel friend. However, it seems Raphael isn't quite ready to say goodbye just yet. And so the fearful human finds herself in the company of an archangel stuck to her like glue.

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

Until the sun peered shyly from behind the horizon to announce the arrival of another dawn, Nicola slept like a log. Literally. She hadn't stirred throughout the whole time of her dreamless, magically induced sleep. Were it not for her steady breathing, because as pale and motionless as she was, some might have thought her dead, not sleeping. After long hours, she finally opened her eyes as the remnants of the arcane haze fell and left her mind unshackled. The fog receded from her sight and she was fully expecting the ceiling of the room she occupied in Haven to greet her. Only to be met with disappointment when the dark interior of an underground tunnel filled her vision instead.

For a couple of seconds she was absolutely stunned, unsure where she was or why. The shock of waking up in a strange place had her frozen while her brain was trying to process what in the actual Hell was happening like when she awoke after her first night spent in the Maker Tree. Slowly, the memories of the recent events creeped back into her head. Raphael. Kitten. Demons. My leg… Right… She did feel much better than before but still a little woozy, possibly because half of her brain wasn't fully awake just yet. Massaging her eyelids to rub away the vestiges of sleep, Nicola sat up and scrutinized her surroundings blinking groggily. The same, damp sewer, the same cold darkness. Yawn, which followed, was so wide one might think Nicola intended to swallow everything in this "room".

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the aforementioned angel sitting a couple of feet away, supporting his head on his hand, elbow on his knee while a small cat slept in the rumpled fabric of his green waistcoat. His hood concealed his features as his wings rested against his back and shoulders which steadily moved up and down in the rhythm of a calm breathing. For a moment it might have seemed Raphael was dozing as well but at the quietest move Nicola made, his wary eyes open to look at her without any traces of sleep in them, glimmering like two bright stars from the shadow the hood was casting over his face. It was so abrupt that it made her jump a little.

"Oh! H- hi! Good morning. If it is morning, I mean.."

At her greeting, the cat perked its head up with a "mrowf" noise and shot her a dirty look for daring to interrupt its rest before yawning almost as widely as she did. Raphael answered her with a nod and a small, affirmative sound in the back of his throat but otherwise remained quiet, content with watching her in silence when Nicola leaned down to inspect her thigh and determine whether or not she was in shape for walking anywhere. And to her not unpleasant surprise, the wound was almost fully healed and moving her leg wasn't painful anymore. She did feel the recently present damage to her muscle but she wouldn't call it "pain". More like strain. And that was in like seventy percent of her body from the previous day, even if not as intense as she expected it to be. She really did over exert herself quite a bit. Still, with all certainty she could say Raphael did an unbelievably good job. If only human doctors were in possession of even a teeny tiny part of the healing abilities he had, the world would've been a much safer place.

Though, she couldn't really decide whether the fact that her leg seemed to be perfectly fine was a good thing or not. On the one hand it would mean that nothing hindered her any longer. If the sun is really up then she should wait no longer and set out to make sure the nightfall doesn't catch her again and look for a way back home. Home… In spite of herself she smiled sadly. How quickly she started to refer to Haven as her second home. Her own was irreversibly lost after all.. Reduced to nothing but a grim rubble with all her childhood memories buried underneath. Nicholas died so that she may get out of there alive. He would love it in Haven if he had a chance to see it… In this last safe sanctum for her kind, other survivors, makers.. They were her new family. She could only imagine how they're feeling right now. She should've been back ages ago. She has to return as quickly as possible. The idea of asking Vulgrim for help wasn't completely off the table. She could probably promise him something in return for taking her to the Tree and give it to him later. Nicola can be pretty convincing if she has to but she wouldn't put that past Vulgrim to deny her still. She'd have to play it smart should she fail to find the way back herself. He doesn't trade in favors in exchange for promises after all. No matter. One way or another, she will get back to Haven. That, or she can say goodbye to her wretched life.

But on the other hand… Glancing up at Raphael, who was half-busying himself with petting the very content cat and half-watching her, she realised with a twinge that she'll have to leave him. In those few short hours he'd done so much for her.. so many things she was grateful for… And on top of that, with how sad and lonely he was, Nicola couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor man. She'd never met an angel before and hadn't come to know one well but those she'd seen when this nightmare started didn't make a good impression on her. Raphael was so much different from his kin. She still wasn't sure why he decided to help her even though he didn't have to. And that made her feel empathetic towards him, especially every time he gave her this suffering look which told her a long story of pain and misery. Nicola may have known him for barely a couple hours, if not less, but somehow the thought of leaving him here possibly never to see him again was making her heart sink. Because of the apocalypse, she was running really low on friends and so no one could blame her for wanting to keep every single one she had left or recently made. And honestly, after the angel saved her life and treated her wounds she would lie if she said he wasn't on the right path into the alarmingly small circle of people she held dear to her. Such experiences have a way of bringing people closer to one another, despite the differences they may possess. And besides, what would leaving him here be if not cruelty?

"You seem… troubled."

Raphael stated, making Nicola look at him again. Even after only a few hours spent with her, he sensed her current mood without a mistake. He was pretty insightful. Not that Nicola was trying overly hard to hide it but still. Maybe that's just something the angels do. She sighed in response. I really am.. She thought. It wasn't as though she didn't have a lot to be grim about but this particular thought at the forefront of her brain bothered her the most at this given moment. She didn't want to go just like that but she knew she had to. If only to make sure other guys are alright. But honestly she doubted that Ulthane would ever let her out of his sight again after the stunt she pulled, no matter what she tells him afterwards. In turn, this might be the last time she sees the kind and selfless, not all there angel. Whether she likes it or not, it was time to bid farewell.

"I… I wanted to thank you again for what you did for me."

She started as she stood up - still a bit wobbly from all the crazy stuff that happened so recently - looking around in search of her backpack and shotgun. Both were resting under a wall not far from where she was laid down before, right next to the place where the mummified Goreclaw used to be. Raphael must've moved it further down the sewer where the rest of the corpses were when she was sleeping. Sooner or later it would start attracting pesky flies and other nasty vermin if not things far worse, not to mention the smell of decomposing meat. A little reluctantly, she flung the backpack over her shoulder and picked up her gun before turning to face Raphael. An increasingly unsettled Raphael who seemed to have taken the hint what she intended to do.

"Really, thanks. It's been very nice to meet you. But I have to go now."

"Go? Where to?"

The barely audible note of fear in his voice and the look he gave her made Nicola feel even worse for having to part ways with him.

"I'm going.. home."

Nicola to some extent knew how to read certain people but the blank stare of the angel before her was giving her a really hard time.

"Look, I can't stay here and I'm sorry but I have to go.."

She said hesitantly and turned towards the exit from the tunnel to leave for the surface, quietly wishing she didn't suck at saying her goodbyes. This was one of her greater weaknesses, right after small animals. Especially cats.

"Goodbye. And good luck! I hope we'll meet again.."

With that short farewell, Nicola turned away to walk off into the sewer and begin her search for Haven. But a firm grip on her shoulder stopped her from taking more steps and made her glance back in bewilderment. Somehow, Raphael shifted from a sitting position to standing and closed the distance between himself and Nicola in one beat without producing a single sound. Not going to lie, it was quite scary and Nicola couldn't help a startled squeak that escaped her. But even though he spooked her yet again, the distressed face he pulled made Nicola bite her lower lip. And the hesitant plea leaving his mouth made it even worse.

"Stay…"

"I- I can't! I really need to go!"

"Please…?"

Raphael quietly begged her. His flared and bristled wings were quivering anxiously and his face bore the most pitiful pleading look she'd ever seen. God, why do you have to make this so difficult? It was strange. He'd been doing fine without Nicola for who knows how long. Well… fine might not be the right word to use in this case but whatever. Though, now that she thinks about it, it makes sense that he wouldn't want to be left alone again. Especially because loneliness doesn't serve healthy people well and Raphael looked like someone who could use the help of a specialist. Still, Nicola found herself asking.

"Why do you want me to stay?"

Instead of answering, Raphael glanced down from her face, looking at the point on her chest, just below her collarbone. Nicola awkwardly cleared her throat to get his attention once she felt like his gaze was going right through her mortal shell and piercing into her very core.

"Uhh.. What exactly are you thinking about?"

Not bothered by it, Raphael squinted and lifted his forefinger, extending it to the place he was looking at. And seriously, for a second Nicola was considering batting his hand away since it could without a doubt be viewed as invasion of personal space when the pad of his finger connected with her chest where it ended and her neck began. And in this moment white flash passed through Nicola's eyes, followed by a deathly chill somewhere inside, tearing into her heart from within with icy claws like a vicious beast. As though someone had poured freezing cold water into her body. And amidst this coldness was a tiny wisp of warmth pressed against her ribcage, as if it was trying to get out. To get as close to Raphael as possible. She gasped in shock and fear and from the unexpected and not physical pain - so intense it made her feel sick - which wasn't really… her own. She felt it, experienced it but she knew it wasn't hers. Somehow Nicola knew that it belonged to someone else. And this someone was standing right in front of her.

Slowly but surely, it was starting to make sense. Why Raphael was constantly so shaky, so easily frightened, so… wrong. It all lasted barely a fraction of a second before both she and Raphael abruptly backed away with astonishment painted across their faces. Neither of them was entirely sure what on God's green earth just happened or why it happened. Whatever it was, neither of them would say it felt pleasant. Nicola was fairing better than the angel however. While she was only mildly frightened and befuddled, he immediately retreated into the corner and curled up on the floor, wrapping himself up in a feathery cocoon of his wings, trembling like a leaf on a gale.

"Raphael..?"

She huffed trying to steady her own breathing as she cautiously approached him just when he started to mutter obscene nonsense again. This time Nicola couldn't even determine what exactly he was saying. He spoke way too quickly and he was only able to pick up single words like "torment", "soul" or "help". This odd sensation, this pain she felt was undoubtedly in him. All. The time. Every day of his existence. It became clear. Nicola could imagine that even she would sooner or later go absolutely mad if the suffering he's experiencing without a moment of rest was hers. It was nothing short of a miracle that he retained at least some small semblance of who he used to be. Ever since she came to him, he did start to make more sense than before, possibly because she could at least partially distract him from this pain. But if he needed distraction, why would he leave his White City behind? Angels may have been mean to her race but surely they would help out their brother in need, right?

All questions Nicola had most likely could be answered by a story of his past which he wasn't ready to reveal just yet. Perhaps, if she's careful enough, one day he will open up and tell her about it. But until then, she remained in darkness of uncertainty. Still, she couldn't help but wonder.. Carefully, she crouched and laid her hand on Raphael's shaking shoulder, making his head snap up with a fearful look to his round, empty glowing eyes.

"Who… who did this to you?"

The angel opened his mouth as if to answer her but no words came out. Only a soft huff. Tears welled up in Nicola's eyes when his face scrunched up in something between anguish and misery. And that was enough for her to snap. In spite of herself, Nicola reached around the angel's neck and pulled him into a tight hug burying her face into the side of his green hood which despite the stench surrounding everything here still held a barely noticeable scent of something that brought to mind clean cotton with a tint of vanilla. His entire body went rigid as she did but only for a moment. Merely seconds later, he relaxed, his breathing evened out and he moved his own arms around her back to return the embrace that brought a tiny bit of comfort that could at least partially fill the emptiness he felt within for so long he couldn't even remember how it is to not feel it.

"Don't leave me alone…"

He breathed against her ear, clinging to her desperately as if letting go of her would mean his inevitable end. Up this close, Nicola could feel his heart - much bigger and more powerful than her human one - hammering uneasily against his ribcage. Similar, but completely different. And for some reason, her own heart suddenly skipped and beat once alongside his in the exact same rhythm before everything returned to normal. Or maybe she was just imagining things? Possibly…

This warm and tight embrace, even though it was meant to comfort him, still gave Nicola an odd feeling of safety. All of the sudden Raphael seemed to her not like a stranger she met by chance not even a day ago but like a good, old friend she knew she can trust no matter what. The decision of leaving Raphael behind was difficult enough before but now… her heart fell to pieces. It was next to impossible. She couldn't just leave him like this. He doesn't deserve to be abandoned again. No one does.

What do I do? Nicola knew she could neither stay with him, nor can she return to Haven without risking that her conscience would make her feel shitty for the rest of her goddamned days and that a thought that she doomed some poor soul to descend into utter insanity would make her share his fate. But there has to be something she can do.. Anything.. Then, an epiphany struck her.

"Wait.."

She said once Raphael let her go and she could look him in the eye as he gave her a questioning yet hopeful stare.

"You could come with me!"

"Come with you..?"

"Yeah! The Tree is much safer than here and there's a lot of useful stuff there. Also, it doesn't stink that much…"

Not only that. Other survivors, even as skeptical as they are towards angels, surely wouldn't mind Raphael poking around. Having a skilled healer on their side would certainly change their mind even if they weren't eager to let him stay. Ulthane, Elanya and Yarin can be persuaded if they don't agree at first. After all, if Raphael's presence will mean that "wee uns' " are even safer, then Nicola couldn't think of a reason why they shouldn't relent. Not to mention that Raphael can fly. It would make it a child's play to find the Tree. Back in Haven she could also get the poor angel patched up and cleaned up a bit, since he himself is in a rather sorry state. That's the least she could do for him in return. Only one thing was left to do, considering how uncertain Raphael looked. Convince him.

"What is this… Tree?"

"This is a safe place for us, humans, and it's… kinda our new home now."

Before, Nicola was absolutely certain Raphael's eyes couldn't turn bigger and rounder but he was very quick to prove her wrong. Not to lie, it was quite impressive. He blinked a couple of times as if to make sure he heard it right.

" 'Us' ? There is… more of you out there..?"

Nicola nods enthusiastically once she realises she's on the right path.

"Yeah! Ulthane made us a safe place to-"

"Ulthane?"

He interrupted with confusion on his face, making Nicola stop in mid sentence to look at him questioningly.

"Ulthane… the Black Hammer?"

"Yes, he's a-.. Wait… you know him?"

Humming thoughtfully, Raphael drummed his fingers against the cold floor. His answer didn't clarify much however.

"No.. Azrael does.."

"Who?"

An angel most likely. Probably one of Raphael's former acquaintances. Mentioning this "Azrael" seemed to have brought some memories back, very fond ones at that since for the first time today, a ghost of a smile passed across Raphael's face and an absent look in his eyes turned warmer and not so frightened anymore.

"Friend.."

Seriously, for a moment Nicola wanted to say that she's sorry because she just assumed that Raphael's friend could be dead but she bit her tongue before she could tell him that when she realised he actually used the present tense and not past. Which indicates that Azrael, whoever he is, is still out there somewhere. Instead, she wanted to tell him more about Haven but he once again interrupted her.

"The Balance is upset.. the Third Kingdom is vital to it… Humans. Humans live still? Not everything is lost then.."

Oh boy, here we go again. Unwittingly, Nicola pulled an annoyed face. For the umpteenth time, Raphael unintentionally made her feel like an uneducated imbecile. Why is the Universe even more complicated than we initially thought?

"Yes, he does the right thing.. They need a protector."

Nicola decided to patiently wait until Raphael is finished thinking out loud, even though she once again had no clue what he's saying. What Balance? Third Kingdom? The what?

"The Horsemen cannot do this alone… It is the duty of us all… to- to uphold the Balance."

The WHO??? Nicola could only imagine how stupid she looked with that dumb face she just made. What. The actual fuck. The Horsemen? As in… the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? They are real too? So it is a legit end of the world like the one in the Bible! How lovely! It's honestly a miracle that anyone has lived if that's the case. What else? Maybe it will suddenly turn out that snow is warm, sun is cold and skunks don't stink. Though with all the chaos going on around, Nicola would hardly be surprised if dogs suddenly started chirping and birds barking. She really just wished for the things to calm down already.. Returning to normal seemed to be off the table unfortunately but for God's sake, can the demons at least just go home or something? But… Now that she thinks about it… Could the mysterious warrior clad in crimson be one of the infamous Four? He didn't look like an angel, even though he bore quite a few similarities to Heaven's denizens, nor did he seem purely demonic in nature. And he was there when the Apocalypse began.. Curious. Especially because if it wasn't for his interference, Nicola would have probably been dead by now. All he did was stop for just a second to tear the bus door out once he saw her struggling to open it from the inside. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't, who knows? Eventually, Raphael glanced at her with a more certain look on his face.

"You don't stand a chance. Not against the Destroyer."

Yeah, no shit, Sherlock.. Nicola thought, still having the clear image of the flaming dragon standing barely fifteen feet away from where she was hiding in her head as if it happened yesterday. He was terrifying, no one is taking this away from him, but screw that! That's one gigantic motherfucker. Nicola was pretty sure she could comfortably live in a room that was the size of his goddamned head. If he tried to eat her, she'd probably get stuck between his teeth at best. And so far that's the last place she wanted to find herself in. She really didn't need help in figuring out that a bunch of humans still shitting their pants at the sight of a single Wicked could stand up to the bloody Destroyer. What are they, the legendary dragon-slaying knights or something? Not to be pessimistic or anything.. but Nicola wouldn't be surprised if that thing could kill her by so much as breathing in her direction. He does breathe fire after all. It goes without saying that he also has a huge horde of ugly assholes under his whim, jumping at the tiniest flick of his tail. So yeah. Chances for success in an open confrontation are pretty miniscule. Fortunately, what Raphael said next made her sigh with relief.

"You need all the help you can get… I will come. If this is your wish…"

Victory! Now that was the solid dose of serotonin Nicola had been missing for quite some time. Not only can she return home and assure her strange little family that she's alright but also she doesn't have to leave her newfound friend behind. Her conscience will stay clean, Raphael will be safe in Haven, maybe even recover to some extent, and the humans will have a powerful angel healer on their side. To her it was a win-win.

"You will?! That's awesome, thanks!"

Nicola was quick to gather her humble possessions and waited for Raphael to get up and take whatever he needed. But surprisingly, all he took was the kitten which he held against his chest since it wasn't really pleased about being manhandled but the angel simply ran his finger through the fur on its head to put it back to sleep again before depositing it to a small knapsack he had on his belt where it could rest safely. Apparently, he wasn't attached to anything he stored in his hideout over the time he spent here. Well, there weren't many useful things to take anyway. At least that's what Nicola thought before, because Raphael leaned over one of the bigger crates and reached for something apparently hidden behind it. And oh boy, the thing he pulled out… An ornate, gilded staff, as tall as Nicola is. The centerpiece was flanked by two slender serpents coiling around it in a beautiful, symmetrical way to the very top crowned by a pair of wings and a ring between them.

"Whoa…"

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't hide her amazement. That was some sick looking staff. The design seemed to ring a bell but she couldn't quite tell where exactly. Unlike Raphael himself, the staff was well kept, clean and undamaged, even if a bit tarnished. Apparently in his solitude, the angel cared for it well and often. For this last piece of home he has, Nicola realised with a pang of sadness. Even in his fond expression she could see the attachment to this one small part of his past. Okay, maybe not that small… Once Raphael was ready and glanced at Nicola to confirm it, she nodded and walked off into the dark tunnel with the angel trailing after her like a duckling.

"Oh, and by the way…"

Considering what Nicola had seen before, she figured it would be best to warn Raphael about some of Haven's denizens. Well.. by some she specifically meant Vulgrim. Despite his queer way of being and shiftiness, Nicola still somewhat liked him. The demon merchant was hardly a good material for a friend but so far he proved only two things to her. That he can be cunning and annoying. And that he's unbelievably helpful. And in truth, Nicola couldn't help but grow a little fond of her exceptional neighbour. Especially because Vulgrim was the only demon so far that didn't try to kill her where she stood but instead engaged in a conversation. That might be because he's just scared of Ulthane but he seemed rather harmless. Hell, he even sometimes provided useful resources if Haven could afford a trade with him. In a way, he too was helping humans survive. But if he suddenly jumped out of that Serpent Hole of his… Nicola could already see Raphael blasting the demon into Oblivion without a second thought. And that was something she didn't want to happen. Better safe than sorry.

"There's this… guy sometimes swinging by to say hello to us.."

Even as she spoke, she didn't stop walking and the quiet tapping of the end of the staff against the floor told her that Raphael kept following. How do I explain to an angel that a demon means no harm?

"The name's Vulgrim. He's a little… Ugh, how do I put it?"

"A demon… Crafty fiend, far more powerful than he lets on. Yet, so… deceivingly docile.."

Nicola halts as though she's just come face first into an invisible barrier once she heard Raphael grumble distastefully to himself. Turning around, she gawked at him with non hidden shock. And while she expected anger or at least disgust, Raphael looked rather… resigned for the lack of a better term. And only ever so slightly annoyed.

"You know Vulgrim?"

That literally came out of nowhere. The description of Vulgrim Raphael just gave was so unbelievably accurate. Nicola already suspected that the demon is much more dangerous than he seems but simply refuses to put his power to use and do something constructive with it. And now she got a confirmation. From a very unlikely source but still. Raphael was quick to offer a clarification and answered her question with his own.

"Who doesn't?"

"Ah, that's fair.."

She chuckled. Vulgrim is that kind of a "person", who seems to know everyone and has been to pretty much everywhere. He offers his merchandise to every creature that can afford it and it shouldn't be that surprising that some people, even angels like Raphael know him, or at least know of him. She suspected the latter part in this case. This makes it much easier to explain to Raphael that he's a friend.

"He's cool though! He's helping us keep it together and doesn't really bother anyone in the Tree. Vulgrim is really helpful if he wants to."

To this, Raphael answered with a doubtfully raised eyebrow and a thoughtful hum. He didn't seem convinced but what he said fully satisfied Nicola.

"Hmmmm… so I was told.."

Before they even noticed, they were right below the well lid which was Nicola's original entrance to the sewer. And honestly? She was so glad that she decided to come down here. Otherwise, she wouldn't have met Raphael. Some part of her still dreads to wonder what would happen to him if she didn't find him. He was already at the brink of losing it but now it didn't seem as bad as before. In a way, Nicola saved him too, it seems. Before, he was barely registering what was happening around. Now he was more or less capable of a relatively normal conversation. Sure, he tended to talk to himself quite a lot but she supposed that the solitude and whatever nightmares he'd been through have taken their toll. Climbing up the ladder, Nicola pushed the lid out of the pavement and immediately the golden light of the new day spilled through it, banishing the darkness and ouch, it hurt her poor eyes.

Even though Nicola wasn't in utter blackness all the time thanks to the arcane wisp of light that followed Raphael everywhere whenever he needed it, the bright pillar of sunlight struck her like a physical force, leaving her mostly blind for a good ten seconds. Still, another breath of fresh air tasted like ambrosia to her. No stench of the sewer and rotting meat. Thank God.. It took only a few seconds afterwards for her sight to get used to the brightness but still she needed a moment to wipe the tears from her eyes. Before she exited the sewer however, a quiet hiss behind her made her stop.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw Raphael recoiling from the light with his eyes squeezed tightly shut and a grimace on his face, shielding himself from the radiance with his left wing. Right.. How long he'd spent down there, Nicola could only guess but she could understand how dizzy it might've made him and how much it burned his darkness-adjusted eyes. More than that, to him the sunlight probably felt like it does to a goddamn vampire.

"Raphael? You okay?"

The angel didn't answer her, simply kept still, slowly lowering his wing to look at the light flowing through the opened way out, blinking rapidly so that his eyes adjusted to it quicker. And once they did.. Without a word, he hesitantly reached out towards the bright sun rays and put his bandaged hand right through the border where the light and dark clashed with one another. And immediately, once the warm glow caressed his skin, his face brightened in mute fascination. The fact that he hadn't seen the daylight for way too long became ever so apparent to Nicola and made something twist inside of her sadly.

"The sun…"

Raphael breathed and let his mouth form a wide grin once he fully entered the illuminated area and turned his face up with his eyes closed to soak it in.

"Blessed Creator, I missed it.. oh how I missed it…"

It took less than a second for Nicola to decide that she's going to let him have that moment. They were in a rush, true, but she simply didn't have it in her to tell him to hurry. She didn't want to interrupt him because even with all the dust and grime on his emaciated face, for the first time since she'd met him, Raphael looked so unbelievably happy. Truly happy. Just because he could feel the warm light of the sun upon his skin. And with a full smile he underwent a sudden change. All fear left him, his features softened and Nicola would dare say that even as broken, mad and defeated, in this short moment he looked… beautiful. As an angel, which humans often imagined, should. Under all that dirt something was glistening from the surface of his skin under his eyes, on his cheeks and forehead, the sunlight painted warm streaks on his long, white hair that fluttered on the cool breeze from above. In spite of herself she smiled too. This look to him suited him far better than a sorrowful, troubled frown. She could already tell, she will be always trying her best to save this precious smile.

With a deep breath of fresh air, Raphael opened his eyes to look out at the clear sky in shades of delicate blue and… in a flash of gold accompanied by a quiet whizz disappeared. Nicola's jaw fell open. Her human mind will never stop getting surprised over the stuff like that. And even if it will, it's going to take a long time. Before she could even start wondering where the angel vanished to, a large silhouette blocked out the sun. Still a bit surprised, Nicola looked up right at Raphael's kind face and his outstretched hand as he offered her help in getting out of the stinking well. So he can teleport. Lucky bugger. To be frank, Nicola felt a small sting of jealousy. And while she expected him to simply let her hold onto him as she pulled herself out, he hoisted her up in one fluid motion and set her on the pavement beside him the moment she took his hand.

The odd angel kept surprising her. Despite his thin frame, he was quite strong. For human standards that is, she didn't know how his physical strength was viewed among his brethren. During the initial armageddon she caught glimpses of much more sturdy-looking angels after all. The memory actually made her wonder if Raphael knew that one angel she saw talking to the warrior in red. The one who got… brutally squashed by that gigantic fuck-off demon that nearly made her heart refuse to keep fighting out of pure horror before she booked it. At least she could only assume that he got squashed because as soon as she saw the hand shoot out from the pit of boiling magma below she averted her eyes not to look at it and all she remembered now was a female voice desperately crying out a name she couldn't quite recall right now.

I'll ask him another time. She thought as he was pulling her out into the outside world. Still, the caution he did it with… Sighing inwardly, Nicola realised that Raphael already has something in common with her other bizarre friends. He too handled her as though one uncareful move could harm her and treated her as though she was made of porcelain. For quite some time Ulthane was afraid to even touch any of them not to break something and there were very few people in Haven who could resist poking a little fun at the maker. Oh well. Looks like it's a privilege that last members of the human race get. Everything is either super gentle with you or is trying to ruthlessly murder you. Nothing in between so far. Only Vulgrim seemed to be mostly neutral towards them but that was one exception.

Outside of the sewer the day was unusually warm. The sun was shining down at the crumbling Earth from a clear sky, no clouds hindered its rays and the air movement was a bare minimum. Nicola didn't wait long before unzipping her vest. Cooking inside of it was the last thing she fancied right now. Judging by how high the sun already was, she'd say it was far past the morning hours. Actually, maybe even somewhere around midday. Looking down at her watch confirmed that she guessed it right since it showed the exact time of

11:56 A.M.

Now's the high time she started looking for a way back. She walked over to one of the tallest buildings nearby to search for a suitable vantage point - careful this time, not to get jumped by some asshole again - and glanced back to see if Raphael was still following her. And in agreement to what he'd accidentally shared with her back in his hideout, Nicola has taken a note that he's.. limping. He was leaning on his ornate staff heavily and his eyebrows were furrowing with each step he took but his eyes were quickly shifting between all directions of his surroundings, always on watch for a threat. Still, there was an ever-present weariness to his pace. To put it simply, Raphael looked tired and moved with difficulty, as though he was in constant pain. In a way, he was.. But somehow Nicola knew it wasn't really the same pain one feels when getting injured or ill. This was something… else.

Nicola decided maybe she will ask him about it later, once they're safe. Maybe. They had to find Haven before the sun sets after all. No time to waste. Though… she didn't really know how to approach the matter. Raphael had done so much for her already. Asking him for help and a lift made Nicola feel incredibly awkward. Especially because she wasn't quite sure if asking an angel to fly her somewhere was considered rude by his people. But it had to be done. Otherwise, they might not make it on time.

"Hey.. Raphael? I forgot to say that but… there's a little problem.."

"A problem..?"

Raphael cocked his head to the side as he looked down at the small human woman wringing her hands nervously. Why was she nervous? The archangel could no longer sense or even see fear in her, yet something was still wrong. For some reason she was feeling uncomfortable, whether it was his presence or something she was about to say.

Why should she ever trust you? Your kind destroyed her life!

And that was unfortunately the truth. Half of it at least. Demons too had their part in it. Raphael knew he holds no ill intentions towards her or her kin hiding from the Apocalypse in the Tree she kept talking about but something told him that Nicola is still afraid of him. She just doesn't know it yet.

"I'm not entirely sure where we need to go.. I got… a little lost..?"

Ah. So that's the problem. Honestly, Raphael was half-expecting something truly horrendous but if being lost is the only problem they have - for now that is - then there's nothing to worry about. The directions to the safe place are surely buried in her mind somewhere, accessible and possible to dig out. All she needed was a gentle nudge in the right direction. And if that doesn't work, Raphael can always try to search through her memories himself if she won't have a problem with that. Though, considering how fragile humans are, both physically and mentally, Raphael didn't want to risk irreparably damaging her mind that way. This was the last resort. Instead, he reached out to her and laid his hand on her shoulder, summoning his magic to take both of them to the top of the crumbling block of flats looming over them.

"Wh- whoa! Hoo.. lee!"

Nicola loudly exclaimed to make her astonishment apparent once they reappeared on the rooftop high above the destroyed city. Raphael could only imagine how odd teleportation must feel to a human who's absolutely devoid of any magical abilities and not used to it being used around them.

"Will this help?"

Shrugging off the surprise, the human walked up to the ledge, so close it made Raphael feel mildly uncomfortable, and looked out at her ruined home bathed in daylight. Squinting at the sun and shielding her eyes from its shine, Nicola looked around, murmuring under her breath

"Gimme a second.. The cathedral is there, the shopping mall there… So the Tree should be somewhere around-…"

She tapped her chin thoughtfully for a moment before she turned to her left and her face immediately brightened as she pointed into the distance.

"There! Look!"

Glancing towards the place Nicola was pointing out, Raphael could barely make out a massive shape between ruined buildings. It really did look like a grand tree. An enormous shadow standing tall above the ground. And Nicola was pretty much vibrating with ecstasy and shifting on her feet like a small child impatiently waiting for something amazing to happen and beaming.

"It's right there! We did it!"

She squealed like an excited child as well. But Raphael knew it might be too early for celebration. That was quite a long way… How she even got from there to here anyway, he may never find out. What's more important, if Nicola wanted to make it all the way back there, it might take her a whole day if not longer and each minute spent out in the open means that demons have a bigger chance of discovering her and putting an end to her existence. And that Raphael couldn't allow. Every human that survived counts. He could see why she asked him to come with her and he decided he won't fail her. He won't fail anyone ever again. The faster they leave, the better. Turning to the excited woman standing beside him, the archangel unfolded his arms and crouched.

"Hold on to me…"

Nicola's mood shifted instantly. Sometimes it was kind of disturbing how humans can turn from happy to sad, angry to calm, excited to apprehensive and vice versa in the matter of seconds. Her eyebrows wandered up as she eyed him cautiously.

"Huh? You want to-..."

In response, Raphael gave her the most reassuring smile he was capable of despite the coldness of his tattered soul feeling especially troublesome today after he unwittingly created some sort of a link with Nicola. Or maybe not as much with her, as with the bright, heavenly spark inside of her. By all means, the flash of blinding pain, as intense as the day he tore out the first fragment of his being and multiplied by the amount of times he repeated this, was not a pleasant experience. The memory still lingered at the back of his head but he tried anyway.

"Trust.."

He simply said, making Nicola swallow and smile nervously, half-heartedly joking

"O- okay. Just don't drop me, alright?"

“Of course..”

She uncertainly conceded and wrapped her arms around Raphael's neck for the second time this day, holding on so tightly that for a human it would surely be excruciating. No wonder. A human doesn't need to fall from a very high place to get themself killed or at least crippled for the rest of their life. But Raphael had no intention of letting her fall. Putting his free arm around her, holding her securely against his chest, the archangel unfolded his grand wings. The soft breeze rolling above the city immediately caught in his feathers, calling and beckoning him into the vast skies. It's been way too long since his last flight. Luckily, it's an ability that once learned is never forgotten.

Raphael shot up into the air just as Nicola tightened her grip even more, holding on no worse than a koala bear. Not wasting any more time, he swept over the human city turned into a dreary graveyard, heading towards the Maker Tree and gladly leaving the sewers behind in favor of the brighter future opening up before him for the first time in centuries.

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

Listen, Raphael needs and deserves a hug, okay? For being a precious guy <3

Send over all the hugs for him 💓

EDIT: Gonna upload it on AO3 tomorrow

[zwiezraczek]

Blurb request! 20 She/Her Y/N joins the team, but gets hurt when she "dies". Thank you 😊

Love at First Sight [Blurb]

20. “I think I just found somebody to love” // You get hurt as you join the team

Part 2: Wounded

(No problem about the pairing haha ^^)

You were the big brain and not the reckless person you pretended to be. You only pretended, never showing how lonely you felt at work when your co-workers invited you to go and get a drink with them. Loneliness scared you, but people were scarier. Their judgment, their looks, their words, everything. If you could, you would curl up in your bed, binge-watching another show, a useless one, the kind of show that didn’t require any IQ and then, you would binge-eat. The perfect plan. Nobody would care if you died, they would be relieved and you knew that. Maybe your parents would cry for a moment because they always saw you as the happiest girl of the family: the one with a great job, with great abilities, with money and everything. Everything but happiness. Serotonin stopped flowing through your brain as soon as you started working for this evil company, wanting money, more and more, never enough as you sunk into more anxiety, maybe depression. But you didn't care, right? You had human contact, you even called your mother everyday and laughed with her, and as you hung up you got yourself a cup of tea before beginning to over-think how all your high-school friends were married, had children, a house and a debt. And you? You had none of these.

This was when One stepped in, during one night, as you were lying on your bed, under your blanket, maybe crying, maybe not, looking at the ceiling. Failure. Big big failure. You wished that you weren’t here, and somehow, feeling someone’s presence eased your mind: did our time come?

“Wow,” the man said as he approached the bed looking at you. “People tend to put gun against my head telling that if they pull I’m dead.”

“Pull the trigger if it amuses you, take whatever you want too, don’t care,” you muttered still looking at the ceiling. You accepted it, it was only a matter of time now.

“Okay,” he said, sitting on the bed next to you. “I’ll need your brain right here, for more greater good than money y/n,” the stranger said, and you immediately looked at him. A murderer would know your name? Not impossible. “I’m a kind of Robin Hood, stealing from rich bastards to give to poor people.”

“Wow, where were you Robin when I needed you,” you asked, looking back at the ceiling.

“Looking for you, I, we, me and my team, will need your abilities to track the bad people and to help the ones in need. You’ll be more than a stain in the whole painting, a bug in the system with your small legs and antennae wiggling you know,” he said as he put his hands against his temples, miming antennae. “You in?”

You thought about it for a second, maybe you were more reckless than you thought when you accepted to be part of this crazy thing, without even knowing what it was about. You maybe were desperate to be needed, to help others.

~~~

Unfortunately, nothing was as easy as it seemed. You had to die. Legally speaking of course, you had to jump of a bridge, with many people around, into the cold water, with one of your co-workers coming “too late” to save you. You began to sweat, your palms moist as you stepped on the edge of the huge bridge, you first sat as people used to do there. Somebody is down there waiting for me if I lose my shit, you thought as you squeezed your hands together. Nothing could go wrong, right? You were so far from the truth. You got up, you knew you had One’s eyes on you from afar, him telling you when your co-worker arrived, you looked at them and smiled. Finally some relief. And as you prepared yourself to jump, hearing vaguely your name coming from the mouth of your co-worker, you slipped. This wasn’t how you were supposedto die, really. You feel the air hitting your face, water being closer and closer as you fell down, you felt death, for real. You closed your eyes, a splash, darkness, water and coldness. Slowly, your body began to sink, cold taking over your body as you fell asleep, for a long moment it seemed…

~~~

Fuck, Four muttered as he saw you slip from the bridge. He knew how dangerous this situation was for both of you, because he had to put an oxygen mask on your face, but with you being unconscious, everything became way more difficult. She had to slip from that fucking bridge, she fucking had to. He swam up to you, seeing you drowning, eyes closed and put the oxygen mask on your mouth, he touched your neck to look if your heart was still beating and thankfully it was. If he could sigh, he would. He wrapped his hand around your waist, delicately not knowing how to handle this situation underwater because you had to swim for a long moment with him, to reach somewhere when nobody would notice you coming out, a place where Five stayed with Three in order to greet you. But you were unconscious, and Four had to swim for two, struggling as he never did, cursing under his breath until he reached the spot the boat was waiting for them.

Four dragged you out of water, looking at your pale face in this foggy weather. He quickly found himself overwhelmed by the amount of beauty he saw, your rosy cheeks and nose as you breathed slowly, eyes closed, visibly cold. He held you against his chest to bring you to the boat, having a closer look on your face, you were freezing to death and he wished his body could provide enough heat to not let you die, you seemed too angelic to die. And if you would, he would kill One for this. And as he reached the boat, Five hurrying him up to get you up there as she knew what happened, and left you in Three’s arms to bring you inside, he whispered to himself “I think I just found somebody to love…”

~~~

Four sat by your bed everyday, you were in a small coma for a few days after your bad fall, with a broken hand too. And he is here, waiting for you to wake up. It became his morning routine, to go and say hello to you, to look at your face, to hold your hand. He didn’t know you, he felt weird about it, but at the same time he wanted to be the first one you would see when you would open your eyes. He even practiced his lines, imagining every possible dialogue, day dreaming about you opening your eyes – which color were they? Would they shine? Would they look at you the same way he looked at you? During these moments, Three would appear in the medical trailer, laughing a bit as he saw Four all worked up about their new recruit, Eight, you.

“Don Juan de la Ukraina,” he would tease him as he put a sandwich on the small table next to your bed.

“Fuck you, fuck Two,” Four would reply, with a grumpy face.

“My pleasure, of course Don. Hope your girl will wake up soon so you can woo h…”

“Stop it,” he would stop him as soon as he could, face becoming reddish.

“Oy papi, you are so much in love,” he would laugh and go out, Four still hearing him from where he was sitting.

~~~

You felt light on your eyelids. You felt warmth, a weight on your hand, cologne. You felt again, after a few days of dreaming and wandering. Your fuzzy mind only remembering the moment you fell, water, bubbles, darkness. Slowly, you began to open your eyes, struck by the light. Your throat still dry, and your mouth felt like paper as you wanted to ask where you were, and who was probably holding your hand, but the weight disappeared as soon as you began to open your eyes. And you saw him, these blond locks and blue eyes looking at you, fondly, with care. A look you forgot, nobody looked at you with so much care and passion, and even your fuzzy mind could figure this out. He gave you some water to drink, carefully as you gulped half the glass. He smiled.

“Who are you,” you managed to ask, with a weak voice as you looked at him, thankful.

“The guy who got you out of trouble when you fell off that bridge,” he answered, putting his hand on your shoulder. “I’m Four, welcome in the Ghosts crew, Eight.”

[idatenjumpfanatic]

i think by the examples you've given, you're putting Sho more on the Neutral Good (NG) alignment rather than chaotic.

In the simplest terms, lawful-chaotic are the two extremes of this part of the alignment in the same way good-evil are, while neutral is the little bit of both. Lawful characters are strict with the rules/codes set in place whilst chaotic ones wouldn't give two damns about it.

Neutrals, on the other hand, recognize the rules/code, but will break any of them should it be necessary for their ideals. The only exception is the Lawful Neutral (LN) because their driving force is the rules they're told to follow, regardless of consequence. "that's law, it doesn't matter if it's unjust" is the thinking of a LN, not a LG.

LG, although they do their best to follow the rules, recognize if they are unjust but will deal with said injustice through the system set in place, and is willing to work with authorities to make the changes. For a NG, they'll decide to not follow that specific rule anymore. If it were up to a CG character, they'll raise hell and disrupt the system entirely. Robin Hood doesn't follow the laws; he follows his own moral compass. He steals, lies, and scams the rich so he could give the money to the poor.

LG characters work for the people, while LN characters work for the system.

Like I said before, Sho is not willing to play dirty just to deliver justice, so he doesn't qualify to be CG. Everything he does he does them in respect to the code that benefits the good. For discussion's sake, I'll use the prison break as the example.

Sho recognizes that there's a reason to as why they were arrested, but also considers the fact that they're wrongfully accused. Still, instead of causing a scene, he lets the detainment happen.

(bless u again YayaKoishii for subbing the show)

He doesn't defy the police force immediately, because he recognizes their authority hence answered the questions in full honesty when he was asked. If he were CG, he'd be fighting/arguing tooth and nail against the unwarranted arrest of himself and his friends (what Makoto was doing). If he were NG, he'd be playing along with the interrogation, but the same goal stands which is to prove their innocence.

However, once he recognized that the police captain (LN: he's willing to push through with the arrest and imprisonment regardless of Sho and the others are kids) would not be willing to sit around and listen, then he starts to defy. However, it wasn't him that instigated the prison break: Kyoichi (NG: he tried the bureaucratic method set in place first, but once he found out that the police wouldn't listen then he opted for the illegal solution) and Big Boss (I'll put him under True Neutral: he puts his people, and the ones he respect, first even if it branded him as an outlaw) did. Because of these two's actions, Sho realizes that there's a better good people out there than the police captain, and hence he starts following them and their authority instead. Now, in his eyes, the police force are the antagonists because their methods were not in place for the greater good based on his experience. Because of that he won't be willing to work with them hence continuously running away from them.

However, this changes because of this scene:

Now the police captain is willing to hear them out and prove their innocence, the very thing Sho and his friends want them to do in the first place. Since the police establishes this, Sho now becomes willing to cooperate with them and provides proof without hesitation. If he were CG, he'd be questioning first how sure was it that they were really absolved of unfair consequences if he did.

Sho's willingness to give second chances is the key thing that convinced me to put Sho in LG amongst the other good alignments. You mentioned the bandits so I'll defend that stance in passing as well.

Sho didn't see the bandits as good people immediately, since they sabotaged him and the trailer. However, once he saw that Terry was still willing to uphold his end of the deal Sho sees that they are good people, and since their Idaten Battle was what made them be like that versus how they initially met, in his eyes that was what the punishment delivered.

Saying that I think that also brings up another difference between LG and LN: the opportunity for change. LG characters will never give up on their villains when they see that there's room for rehabilitation (ex. Batman in the comics and earlier cartoon series) for them, whilst for LN the existing punishment equated to the transgression would suffice.

To compare, another commonly branded LG character is Aang from Avatar: the Last Airbender. He's very strict with his no-killing rule and the culture he was raised in, the same way that Sho takes his father's teachings to heart, and is vocal about it as well. This level of resolution would've put them as LN or LE if not for the fact that these ideals are meant for the greater good (saving lives for Aang whilst seeing the silver lining in every MTB rider for Sho).

even after experiencing Shin the Shadow scamming him in this same episode, Sho still believes he'd change because this is what his father taught him.

I'd give more examples, but I'd be at this forever lol. You still bring good points though! Paladins as a DnD class will not hesitate to slay people in the name of justice, and that is an extremity Sho won't do, but at the core the reason they fight, and how they fight, stays the same.

Idaten Jump x DnD Moral Alignment Chart

Surprisingly this was more fun to make than I anticipated.

If you want to read through all my lines of reasoning, feel free to read under the cut. Feel free to add more to the discussion!

Also, I used this article to pinpoint each character in their alignment, but I'll pick a few lines that best describes the alignment under the cut.

Lawful Good "They seek to eliminate evil, and are willing to forego their own comfort or safety to protect others."

Sho Yamato - Sho is the textbook definition of a superhero in terms of morale. He refuses to sit idly and is very much willing to go out his way to bring justice to every wrong he comes across. That's his very character.

Miss Yuki - Yuki, much like Sho, goes out of her way to help out. Even before she found out about Sho as the owner of an Idaten Bike, she was quick to assist them to make sure he doesn't caught in a bad place. This behavior is recurring, and her compassion extends to even to the likes of Gabu despite what the kid did.

Ayumu Yamato - Much like his brother, Ayumu is very willing to help out deal with situations. He's empathic, and is willing to take the extra mile to help or thank people (ex. meeting Kiku). He doesn't like to stand to the side, but is still an obedient kid considering how much he respects Sho and the "no riding" rule early into the Team X arc.

Neutral Good "Those under this alignment are willing to recognize unjust laws, and are open to bending the rules if it helps more people."

Kyoichi Shido - I initially put him under true neutral considering his behavior earlier on, but for the entire show it seemed more fitting that he'd be put in neutral good. He's a lot less willing to go out his way compared to Sho, but will step up and help someone out if need be. That doesn't mean he's all goody-two-shoes though, as he will go against the rules if it meant for the better good (ex. rescuing Takuma from the volcano eruption despite Idaten Battle rules stating no riders should interfere with a race). A more prominent example though is that he's more than willing to omit information and even say hurtful things to Sho and co. if it meant helping the team improve.

Kakeru Sakamaki - Kakeru wasn't given enough screen time by the show compared to Sho and Makoto, but given how he responds to situations he has a very strong sense of right and wrong. He's quick to call out Shark Tooth in episode 1 how the race's winning conditions were unfair and is even willing to compromise for the training grounds, but he doesn't have enough driving force to push through what he says.

Chaotic Good "They don't care much for rules or regulations, but a strong sense of right and wrong remains rooted in the hearts of Chaotic Good characters."

Makoto Shido - Girlypop is very willing to throw hands against every antagonist in the show. - But for real though, Makoto, much like Sho, is very willing to step up and deal against injustice, but unlike her friend who'd do it through races, Makoto is very much willing to forego those formalities to get the point across (throwing a metal basin against one of the rouge gang members in ep. 10, consequences be damned, and she even has a wrench ready for round 2). She's also very vocal about injustices towards her as a female, and although her fighting against is has a notion beyond herself. She's belittled constantly because of her gender (and Japan IRL is very patriarchal), but yet she proves time and time again that she's just as capable as the rest of them, and by extension proving that girls are equal to their male peers.

Lawful Neutral "Lawful Neutrals believe in organization. Many are devoted to law and order, believing that their nation or faction would collapse without it."

Arthur - Predictably as a knight, Arthur has a very rigid moral code. Although he could've fallen more in Chaotic Good during his disguised era, with his fake reckless/clumsy acts causing mayhem, my defense is that his people, his royalty were the ruling organization before Shark Tooth, hence he's only doing what he can to restore that rulership while he's by himself. The reason why he falls under neutral instead of good is because he's more rigid with his morales, hardly considering Gabu an ally while battling against Team X, unlike Yuki who has the patience to console Gabu despite it all. Another reason why I consider him more neutral is because of his response to Imperial Knights and possessed Kyoichi: he may mourn that they were possessed by the Dark Emblems, but he doesn't let that hinder him from accomplishing the responsibilities assigned to him.

True Neutral "...are often characterized as survivors, doing whatever they have to do in order to keep themselves or their loved ones alive and thriving."

Koei & Kiku - It makes sense that these siblings are more likely to look after each other first before anything, considering that they're financially struggling. Koei was a pickpocketer prior to being hired by Gabu, and even then he chose to work under Shark Tooth as a means to fund his sister's medical needs rather than going for an honest job. - Kiku could've been put in the Chaotic Neutral aspect, since she desperately yearns for her own freedom and disobeyed Koei and the hospital staff for it, but considering how quickly she was to try and protect Ayumu after she befriended him this alignment seemed to suit her better. She's quick to defend her loved ones on their behalf, going out of her way to defend Koei's honor not only to strangers but to Sho as well. However, maybe it's because she's physically ill but we've never seen her go out of her way to help out people she didn't know, so she fails to be in the Good alignments because of that.

Chaotic Neutral "...chaotic neutral characters value their freedom above all else." "Chaotic Neutrals are individualists first and last." (note: the initial candidates for this category was Yoko and Rika because it's so hard to find recurring characters under this alignment, but after watching through some eps I found the best candidate for it)

Hosuke - Since most of Hosuke's screen time is dedicated to his character as an amnesiac owl, this is how I based him. In a literal sense, episode 2 his introductory lines is literally begging for the group to free him, but overall as a character Hosuke tends to put his wants first, even so much as to throw the kids under the bus when he felt neglected in favor of women flaunting over him in episode 7 (side note: a character trait of his that I absolutely despised, and im thankful they toned it down much much later on in the show) and demanding more food from the Four Kings in episode 38 without regards of whether they had more or not. He his selfish yes, but what keeps him from being categorized under the evil alignments is that he wouldn't go out to cause unnecessary harm, and is willing to accept the consequences of his transgressions (sometimes). If something is not going his way, he will very much be vocal about it.

Lawful Evil "...are capable of vicious cruelty and plenty of illegal deeds — but they follow a strict internal code, and thus often believe they are doing what is right or honorable." - Putting it out now, "lawful" doesn't mean the laws of the land or ethics as a whole, but rather a character's capability of adhering to a set of rules. Tyrants, fanatics, and extremists are best examples of this alignment, but the reason why Gabu isn't on here will be explained later on

Taiga Samejima - Despite the examples given, I consider Taiga to be in this alignment is because of the definition of following a strict internal code. Yes, he's willing to put heinous henchmen out there to hinder the protagonists, or for the benefit of Shark Tooth, but still he believes in playing fair during Idaten Battles. Outside that though is a far different topic (in episode 11 he had no qualms about Captain Jackal deserting Sho and co. in an abandoned island, but scolded him and the crew for violating the rules of Idaten Battle). He followed and assisted Gabu without complaints, only trying to step in and interfere when he realized that his brother was going too far. Yes, he's capable of harm, and yes he will do it if need be, but only if it doesn't go against his own code.

Neutral Evil "They have goals to accomplish, and they're certainly not going to stand in their own way."

Gabu Samejima - It's like this alignment was meant for him. Gabu will do whatever it takes to become the strongest out there and hold the power for himself. What makes him different from Lawful Evil is that he doesn't care; if you're in his way, he will take you out. He has an eye for theatrics through intimidation, and gains satisfaction from it. He's self-serving and willing to blackmail and manipulate people to get what he wants, but he's meticulous about it as well. He's impulsive, sure, but he won't go out of his way to cause unnecessary collateral (and yes, during the Team X arc sabotaging plans and wanting to abandon the group multiple times was necessary collateral for him; he knew he couldn't get Imperial X by himself, despite what he says). He hardly holds remorse for his actions, since he could really care less about what the others think of him.

The Four Kings - As Gabu's loyal henchmen, they'll do whatever they needed in order to give Gabu the upper hand—moral code be damned (hence why they fall in this category and not in Lawful Evil). Although there are times they question Gabu, in the end they'll still bend their backs for him.

Chaotic Evil "These characters often take pride in causing suffering, and pursue destruction for its own sake."

Takeshi Yamato (possessed) - Takeshi himself is not an evil man, but under the possession of the dark energy he aims for nothing else but mass destruction. He's willing to not take down but to obliterate anyone for this cause, without any regards for anyone or anything (he let Sho fall hundreds of feet off the air for the sake of winning). Chaotic Evils are the most dangerous and destructive out of all the alignments, so it also stood to reason that the biggest threat of the show falls here.

[bobasheebaby]

60 Once Upon a Time Prompts

Clearly I’m trying to keep my mind busy. 60 OUAT quotes I love this time. Most of these are angsty again, but some are sweet or hopeful. I tried to pick ones that would work for most if not all books. Another long one so breaking at 15 again.

1 "When I win your heart NAME, and I will win it. It won't be because of any trickery. It will be because you want me." — Killian James Hook

2 “Magic always comes with a price." — Rumplestiltskin

3 "Maybe I don't need answers. Maybe I just need to punch you in the face." — Emma Swan

4 "True love isn't easy, but it must be fought for because once you find it, it can never be replaced." — Prince Charming

5 "Your happy ending may not be what you expect. That is what will make it so special." — Snow White

6 “I will find you. I will always find you.” — David/Prince Charming

7 “Love makes us sick, haunts our dreams, destroys our days. Love has killed more than any disease.” — Rumplestiltskin

8 “Now that I know you love me too ... “ “I don’t.” “ ... what?” “Love you. I don’t. I’m sorry. You said I would always be in your heart, and ... that is too cruel a fate. Go live your life. Live it without me, because there is no place for us together. And fill your heart with love for someone else — someone who can love you the way I never have. The way I never will.” — Prince Charming & Snow White

9 “What do you see in me?” “Evidently the same thing you see in me. A second chance.” — Evil Queen & Robin Hood

10 “I’m sorry, do ... do I know you?” “No. But you will.” — Belle & Mr Gold

11 “I do hope you like apples.” — Regina Mills

12 “What the hell are you doing here?” “Helping.” “Well, you’re too late.” “Am I?” “I thought you didn’t care about anyone but yourself.” “Maybe I just needed reminding that I could.” — Emma Swan & Killian James Hook

13 “I love you, NAME. I just wish I was strong enough to stop all this. I’m just not.” “You may not be strong enough, but maybe we are!” — Regina Mills & Emma Swan

14 “The future isn’t always what it seems. I will see you again.” — Belle

15 “Why should we trust you?” “We don’t have to. If he/she tries anything, I’ll shoot him/her in the face.” “Quite hostile, aren’t we?” “Just being clear.” — Emma Swan, David Nolan & Killian James Hook

16 “We have history together.” “That would explain the distrustful look on her face.” — Regina Mills & Mr Gold

17 “Because hero’s do what’s right ... not ... what’s easy.” — Snow White

18 “You promised me the truth, not a bloody tour.” “The truth is tricky. You have to look for it.” — Killian James Hook & Emma Swan

19 “‘Envy’ is just another word for ambition.” “Well, that’s just ... not true.” — Zelena & Evil Queen

20 “NAME, I’ve seen what life has thrown at you, and you still fight against the darkness every day. Sooner or later, your heart will find its way to happiness.” [sighs] “that doesn’t feel possible.” “But it is. I know you, and you feel things deeply, with or without it, you feel things with your whole soul. Don’t let anything hold you back.” — Snow White & Evil Queen

21 “You must leave, because despite what you hope ... I’m still a monster.” “Don’t you see? That’s exactly the reason I have to stay.” — Mr Gold & Belle

22 “Love is sacrifice.” — Mulan

23 “I know love when I see it.” — Princess Aurora

24 “I suppose this is your doing.” “Most things are.” — Regina Mills & Mr Gold

25 “That thing out there is dangerous. And NAME ... he/she left to protect you. So even if I don’t believe in his/her methods, I’m going to honor his/her wishes. I’m going to keep you safe.” — Mulan

26 “You’ve grown so much.” “You know me?” [smiles] “I’m your mother/father/grandparent/aunt/uncle.” — Anita & Red Riding Hood

27 “No matter what you might’ve done in your past, NAME sees the good in you, and ... that tells me one thing.” “What?” “That it’s in there. So if we can all see it, why can’t you?” — Belle & Ruby

28 “I’m so sorry. I know what it’s like to lose your family.” “I didn’t lose my family today. I protected it.” — Snow White & Red Riding Hood

29 “You saved me.” “No. You saved yourself. I just reminded you of what you already knew.” — Ruby & David Nolan

30 “He’s/She’s not that powerful.” “Love how you underestimate me. Adorable.” — Ursula & Rumplestiltskin

31 “NAME. Shall I move some things, make a bit of space for your rage?” — Mr Gold

32 “Two people with a common goal can accomplish many things. Two people with a common enemy ... can accomplish even more.” — Mr Gold

33 “He’s/she’s a snake, NAME. You need to be careful you get into bed with.” — Regina Mills

34 “You didn’t pick a great friend in NAME, NAME. But he/she does make a superlative enemy.” [smiles] “Enjoy that!” — Regina Mills

35 “I believe you can do anything you want, as long as you can dream it.” — Dreamy (dwarf)

36 [about love] “It’s the most wonderful and amazing thing in the world. Love is hope, it fuels our dreams. And if you’re in it, you need to enjoy it. Because love doesn’t always last forever.” — Belle

37 “Now go, find your love. Find your hope. Find your dreams.” — Belle

38 “You see me as a villain, NAME. But that’s just your perception, you’re wrong. Learn your place in this town/country, or soon enough you won’t be in it.” — Regina Mills

39 “Well, if you can’t beat him/her/them ... drink.” — Sidney Glass

40 “Love makes people do foolish things.” — King Leopold

41 “I thought you’d only risk your life for love or revenge.” “One other important thing — me.” — Tinkerbell & Captain Killian James Hook

42 “There’s not a day that will go by that I won’t think of you.” “Good.” — Killian James Hook & Emma Swan

43 “Please, you couldn’t handle it.” “Perhaps you’re the one who couldn’t handle it.” — Emma Swan & Killian James Hook

44 “There’s nothing more important than family.” — Evil Queen

45 “You were right, NAME. You don’t abandon family.” — Evil Queen

46 “How can he/she remember who you are, when he’s/she’s lost sight of who he/she is?” — Jiminy Cricket

47 “I‘ve spent far too much time looking for my husband/wife. It’s time to bring him/her home!” — David Nolan

48 “Ok, don’t take this the wrong way, but how the hell did you get here?” — Emma Swan

49 “I want justice.” “Tread carefully. It’s dangerous to confuse vengeance with justice.” — Princess Aurora & Mulan

50 “Why can’t you just listen to me?” “Why couldn’t you have trusted me?” — Mary Margaret & Emma Swan

51 “Family is everything, my dear. Losing all hope of having one — there is no greater misery.” — King George

52 “Just who are you, NAME?” “Wouldn’t you like to know.” — Killian James Hook & Emma Swan

53 “You know, there's not a ton about my father/mother that I remember that doesn't suck. But he/she used to tell me that there are no coincidences. Everything that happens, happens by design, and there's nothing we can do about it; forces greater than us conspire to make it happen. Fate, destiny, whatever you wanna called it, the point is... maybe we met for a reason. Maybe something good came from us being together.” — Neal Cassidy

54 “Well, who doesn’t love a surprise?” — Emma Swan

55 “Doesn't matter now. I'm over it. And you.” “Why do you wear the, uh ... key chain/necklace/ring/item I got you?” [stops short to think this over, then pulls the item off and hands it back] “To remind myself never to trust someone again.” — Emma Swan & Neal Cassidy

56 “There's no greater pain than regret.” “Try abandonment.” — Mr Gold & Neal Cassidy

57 “I'm not sad. I'm pissed. Yes, NAME just died, but I lost him/her years ago. All that time thinking that he/she didn't love me, only to find out that he/she did, and it was too late. I can't even tell him/her how angry that makes me, or how much it hurt when he/she left, or how terrified I was when he/she came back. I knew the moment I saw him/her, I never stopped loving him/her.” — Emma Swan

58 “We've only been together eight months. I've had leftovers in my fridge for longer than that.” — Emma Swan

59 “I say we fight!” “Fighting is a bad idea. Giving in to one's dark side never accomplishes anything.” “And how many wars has a clear conscience won?” — Prince Charming & Jiminy Cricket

60 “Oh, you foolish girl/boy! Don't you know? Love is weakness.” “No. It’s strength!” — Cora & Emma Swan

[sonicasura]

Sonic May Cry

Today is Groundhog Day and the entire internet is going into a huge 'Into the ___Verse!' shtick. Basically an Into the Spiderverse based trope where alternate universes cross into one another specifically the characters. This story came from a recent What If situation involving Sonic the Hedgehog that was stewing in my brain yesterday.

And taking alternate universes thing, I delved in deeper with an another alternate universe involving the original Devil May Cry. Mix them both together and I got this.

Time is a very fragile thing and the wrong move can break it. Or: Classic Sonic/Kid Sonic gets blasted into the Devil May Cry universe and causes some big changes.

"Sonic! Run! The rift is closing! If you don't get out of there, you'll be lost in time and space forever! No! Don't do it! Don't leave me! Please! Sonic!!!"

Time was a very precious thing to have. It should never be taken for granted and should never be toyed with. The mechanized menace called the Time Eater had done more damage than either Robotniks could've estimated. The rifts were closing even faster than they should. Someone was going to be left behind with no choice. His best friend Tails wasn't going to be that person if he could help it. His best buddy would be fine without him. For this was his end not Tails. The end of Sonic The Hedgehog. And he welcomed it with open arms.

Great sacrifice comes with a greater reward. Fix their broken hearts, brave little warrior. Heal the wounded hearts of the Sons of Sparda, Sonic the Hedgehog. Right now, they need you the most.

Mitis Forest on the outskirts of Fortuna, a light shone brightly in an open flowerbed. The soft daffodils, petunias and dandelions were greeted by the weight of a small light blue furred hedgehog. The little beast barely reaching 2 ft in height with both face and stomach round with baby fat showing he was quite young. White gloves and red running shoes were the only clothing worn. His muzzle was light peach along with the center of his stomach.

Quills slightly long just like the ones on his back and stubby little tail. Black pupil like eyes slowly opened to be greeted with a vast starry night sky. 'Huh?' Thought Sonic the Hedgehog as he took in his surroundings. He was alive yet… 'What happened? I should be dead.' Sonic thought for a moment. 'This isn't my world that's for sure. And why does my back feel stiff?' The hedgehog then he picked himself off the ground and looked at what he was previously lying on.

Shock became evident as eyes widened when they laid on 7 gray lifeless stones amongst the grass. They looked to be cut into perfect diamond shapes but to Sonic these gemstones were far more precious. 'The Chaos Emeralds?! Why are the Chaos Emeralds here? No better question, why do they look so dead?' He thought picking up one of the lifeless emeralds. It felt really cold to the touch but the hedgehog could feel a tiny bit of energy in the stone.

'Could the emeralds have saved me? No… It did something else. Before I blacked out I thought I heard something. I also feel different too. I feel the same but I can't shake the nagging feeling that something about my body had changed.' He thought before looking at the lights coming from up ahead. He picked up the stones before hiding them in his quills. It was sorta weird on how the Emeralds could hide themselves in his fur like they weren't there but he never bothered about the details.

Sonic walked a bit closer up the hill to see the lights were coming from a large city. What struck him as odd were the large demon statues scattered about the whole place. 'Ain't getting any answers standing here. That city looks like a good place to find out where I am.' With a goal set in mind, he disappeared into a streak of blue as he ran over to the city at supersonic speed.

This city was very odd and quite creepy to the blue blur. Everyone was wearing hoods over their heads, there were armed soldiers about and the place seemed...tense almost ominous. It was the kind of feeling he got running into Robotnik's base or places like Chemical Plant Zone. That something nasty was brewing on the surface. A feeling that no town or city should have.

Speeding past everyone had earned a very unexpected cry of sorts. "Demon! There's a demon!" Demons? This was even stranger to him than meeting his older counterpart that could TALK. His voice box was stunted so he couldn't actually talk but the problem would resolve himself once he turned 10 years old. A few years didn't look so bad though it'll suck if no one can read his charades well.

A tiny hand grabbed his nose surprising the little hedgehog that he nearly crashed into a dumpster when he skidded to a halt. Plucking the nose grabber wasn't as shocking as finding out who had done the deed. A little human baby with white hair and blue eyes had managed to hitch a ride on him. A baby boy in a blue onesie had hitchhiked a ride on the FASTEST thing alive.

'#$#!@ How the heck did you get on me?! You must have insane reflexes to grab me in mid-run!' Sonic thought looking at the baby. His brain halted upon spotting what was really odd about the infant. His right arm was blue with little red scales and had tiny blue claws! It was even glowing light blue through the cracks of each scale! 'Nevermind. You ain't no normal baby because human babies don't have an arm like that.' He thought with a deadpanned expression.

The baby merely babbling as he tried to grab Sonic's nose again though Sonic pulling the baby away from his prize. The child was giggling and all happy before he immediately began to cry strangely. The hedgehog easily catching onto the sound of what he could guess were soldiers behind him yet they were talking about a 'project Nero'. Sonic immediately looking at the baby or Nero in his hands and couldn't help the rage bubbling inside him. He pushed it down before cradling the child in his arms and breaking into a sprint.

'No way those jerks are getting ya little buddy! They're insane to think babies are some kind of science fair project! Time to ditch this crazy island!' Sonic thought as he began to steadily speed up. He needed enough speed to run across ocean surface and he didn't want to accelerate too quickly or he would end up hurting Nero. It was a good thing to know that city was an actual island so he had many places to go from there.

The hedgehog glimpsing a map about a port town that was the closest to Fortuna or the island he was on. A smile grew on his face as he saw what looked like a pier leading straight towards the wide open blue. Without hesitation, Sonic sped up further before using the pier as a ramp. Both hedgehog and baby flying high into the air as a blue streak of light amongst the starry sky.

Nero giggling happily at the sight before him and the rush of wind going by his form. 'Glad you like the wind as much as I do. Have zero clue on caring for a baby but I could find some way to take care of ya.' He thought with a smile before looking down to see they were getting closer to the water. Being quick he immediately began to run after touching the top gliding across the dark blue surface.

Finding land once more was a good feeling considering he had been running for quite a bit. Truth was that the hedgehog wasn't fully recovered after waking up in this new world. The effects were beginning to show as fatigue was starting to slowly wash over him. He rather not drown with a baby in his arms. Sonic sped up a bit more so he can at least reach the beach.

He could rest there with Nero for the night before picking up his search for answers tomorrow. The hedgehog quickly slowed down as he skidded off the water and into the soft beach sand though not without tumbling up a bit at the end. Seaweed had gotten tangled around his legs leading the blue blur to take a header though taking the brunt of the impact so Nero wouldn't.

Something hard hitting his head was the last thing he felt before falling to his side and vision going black. Yet for a short second, he felt saw something red and blue coming closer to him. Everything was whispers leading to silence.

"Are you sure that woman wasn't hallucinating on what she saw? Humans tend to easily be mislead." A cold male voice said with irritation. Two twin males with snow white hair and pale skin walked across the beach shores sand. One whose hair was slicked back, eyes verdant, dressed in black shirt, long blue coat embroidered in gold and blue katana being the only difference to his twin.

The other had his hair down, bright blue eyes and wore no shirt but a black shirt, red coat, and had a giant black broadsword on his back yet walked easily as if the blade weighed nothing. "Lady swore on her own mother about what she saw Verge. Something was travelling across the ocean. A blue blur faster than even you! She said it was heading towards this very beach." The male in red fired back.

"My name is Vergil. You know that so use it foolish brother. I don't know why you took her words or judgment to account so quickly Dante." Vergil growled back at his twin. "Says the guy who raised a giant tower in the middle of the city." Vergil was ready to stab his twin when a streak of blue grabbed their attention. It was coming from over the distance as it glided upon the watery surface.

It slowed down enough for both twins to see what it actually was: a small blue hedgehog in red running shoes. They didn't question the absurdity upon noticing the little guy tripping before rolling into a rock head first knocking the fella unconscious. The brothers running to inspect the injured animal who was nearly balled up into a perfect sphere.

"A demon nestling? No, the little guy doesn't feel like it yet he does have some odd energy. Yet there's something demonic on him." Dante spoke loosening the hedgehog's balled up form to uncover a sleeping Nero cuddled into the hedgehog's fur and stomach. Vergil's eyes widened upon the baby's demonic arm and the energy flowing from it. 

Dante quickly catching onto who the baby actually was. An amused yet heartfelt grin growing on his face at the very conclusion he came to on Nero's identity. "Holy shit. The little fuzzball must have took all the impact so this little fella wouldn't. Never suspected ya to be the first to get laid without protection." Dante quipped only to earn a snarl from his brother.

Verdant eyes soften upon the sight of the infant before looking at the hedgehog that shielded his child from harm. 'The little furball is a mere nestling in age yet it's unfathomable for him to have that type of speed. If trained properly, this young creature will be a powerful force to be reckoned with. A worthy comrade and general." Vergil's devil hissed within the depths of his mind. Neither of them weren't blind to the massive potential the little hedgehog had.

"Vergil! Earth to Vergil!" Had snapped the young man out of his thoughts. He realized that he was cradling both his child AND the hedgehog in his arms. "Looks like someone's demonic maternal instincts decided to kick in. You snatched both the tykes and growled at me." Dante joked with a mischievous grin on his face. Vergil secured the two children into his left arm before pulling out his sword, the Yamato.

He brought the blade slicing a rift in the center of time and space revealing the interior of a shabby shop. He sheathed his sword while a blue spectral one stabbed into his laughing brother's chest. Dante recoiled from the sudden weight yet was still laughing as he followed his brother into the rift. He'll clean up the blood later. Teasing 'Mama Vergil' was more important.

After all, it isn't everyday that a little hedgehog who can run at supersonic speed across the ocean before crashing onto the beach with your older twin brother's baby with him. Or said brother instantly going into papa devil mode and growling at you for even trying to help take care of the unconscious tykes.

It was hilarious on how quick Vergil's personality just swapped because of his primal maternal instincts. The little hedgehog had a nasty bruise and cut on his head from hitting stone at how fast he was going earlier. Vergil threatening to stab his brother if Dante didn't get any bandages to wrap around the injury or any baby products for his son Nero which was the name on the tyke's onesie.

Yet, when Dante came back to seven lifeless stones on the counter of his desk as Vergil sat on the couch with a sleeping Nero nestled into a long silver black tail fast asleep coming from said brother's spine. The little hedgehog was on Vergil's lap while the older brother applied some ointment to the little guy's injury. The hedgehog wincing from the sting but not fighting back or even screaming in pain. "Looks like Sonic is quite the trooper. Despite being conked out, he ain't even letting out a whimper." Vergil gave his brother an odd look.

"Sonic?" The oldest asked in pure confusion. "Got to call him something until he wakes up. Since he was running across the ocean at Mach 1 speed, I thought the name Sonic suited the little guy. He must have some insane pain tolerance though. A bump to the head with your crappy homemade medicine would have me howling." Dante quipped as he handed the medical tape and bandages to his now growling brother.

"By the way, why are there a hunk of rocks on my desk?" The younger male pointed out casually picking up one of the stones. His eyes widened a bit upon detecting the small bit of peculiar energy hidden deep inside the stone. "It was on 'Sonic'. Hidden amongst his fur and quills when I went to inspect for any other injuries despite the absurdity. There is or was some intense power within all 7 of the stones. Something must have drained them dry except for a miniscule amount." Vergil explained giving his brother a serious look.

"Another mystery added about our fuzzy little guest until he wakes up. Glad you still follow the rules that I've set up after the 'recent' incident. 'No hoarding or using any items of potential magic or otherworldly power without Dante's knowledge.'" Dante joked before getting stabbed with another spectral sword in the stomach. The youngest twin had locked the jewels into a lockbox before stuffing them away. After treating both children, Vergil retired to his room upstairs.

Laid both Nero and Sonic down onto his bed before curling his warm body around them followed by his blanket. His demonic nature giving him the incentive to have both in his 'nest' and to keep watch of his 'young'. The thought had him let out an amused snort. Vergil rested his eyes and arms holding both kids near his chest before drifting off to sleep. It was the first night in years that his dreams weren't plagued by gruesome nightmares.

That's it! Kid Sonic basically babynapped Nero from Fortuna, ran across the ocean all the way over to the beach in Capulet before accidentally knocking himself out.

Sonic is like 5 years at the time during the events of Generations. This takes place after the events of Devil May Cry 3 but Dante didn't let Vergil fall into hell. Vergil is under 'Dante' arrest hence that rule until he can be trusted.

He isn't as distant since the events in later games didn't happen so expect this Vergil be a bit softer.

Plus neither of the brothers are blind to the potential our blue blur has and Vergil is going to take the initiative quicker than Dante. This Sonic is going to be OP as hell.

Until next time folks! Jambuhbye!