#just the 'oh you underestimated me. you laughed at me. now im going to transform into something wicked and horrible and youre going to suf

[bonescribes]

𝟓 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐎𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄

𝐈. Utopiosphere - Mili

twisted creation phosphorescent apparition heart , disorientation bemusement

/

tick tock , time doesn't stop prepare your doubts eat them up quaff down the puss of thoughts red sand flows out sweet mouth

𝐈𝐈. eat your young - hozier

i'm starvin' , darlin' let me put my lips to something let me wrap my teeth around the world

𝐈𝐈𝐈. tenshou shou tenshou - kikuo

reincarnation , ascension - until becoming another being reincarnation , recombination - heal again and again

𝐈𝐕. cold - the oh hellos

and the toll for crossing i'd owe charon would atrophy the half of me the heart of gold

𝐕. welcome to the family - watsky

my less exciting features are packed inside my body they're crammed up into the balcony, they're jamming up the lobby they're falling out the window you can see them crashing through the glass when i don't keep my lids closed

/

i don't really wanna sound like a lullaby but i think every family is a butterfly you know , pretty from afar , pretty gross up close don't pity what we are , it's mostly unhideous

tagged by: @frestoniia ! <3 tagging: @brawlqueen @thuganomxcs @auburniivenus @bishonenprince + you , steal it !

[quasarlasar]

I Swear Harvey Acts Like It Is Sentient Part 9---She’s Beauty, She’s Grace, She’ll Pulverize Your Face

Harvey could feel himself begin to be shredded by the nor’easter’s winds. Soon, he’d be chewed up in the vortex and swallowed. He had no means of resisting in his weakened state, and quickly resigned himself to his fate.

He was about to be sucked into the nor’easter’s jaws when the ocean below exploded, and something flew out and struck the storm’s comma head. The nor’easter howled and unwound slightly, moving his warm conveyor away from Harvey’s path.

Wait…what just happened? Harvey wondered when the ocean exploded again.

What came out was the most magnificent hurricane Harvey had ever seen. Well, to be fair, Harvey had not actually seen that many other hurricanes, but even he could sense this one’s power. It was huge, large enough to cover the entire Gulf of Mexico like it was its bathtub. Category 5 winds whirled about in its dense core, while hurricane force gusts extended across almost its entire body. Its eye was covered by a rose mask with the beak of a bird and the fins of a fish, but Harvey could sense the power that lay hidden beneath. It unfurled its outflow canopy into two cirrus wings that sparkled yellow in the setting sun, stretching across an area as wide as Texas.

VRAAAGGHHH! The nor’easter roared, spewing graupel in all directions. Harvey turned his attention back to it. A large, spiraling vortex, pointed at the tip, had been stabbed into its head.

“Spiral Spear,” the category 5 storm said floating down to Harvey. “It’s an air elemental attack I trained myself to do.”

Harvey felt he should be impressed, but couldn’t help but notice despite being termed a “spear,” the other hurricane’s projectile appeared to be more of an arrow relative to the size of the nor’easter. As if reading Harvey’s thoughts, the extratropical cyclone yanked the mesoscale vortex out of its head and tossed it aside.

“Please tell me you can fight this thing,” Harvey pleaded to the other hurricane.

“No, but I’ve got a better way…TASTE THE RAINBOW YOU SYNOPTIC SON OF A—“

Wow…that other storm knows what it’s doing, thought Harvey to himself as the category 5 hurricane focused the setting sunlight through its cirrus clouds into a rainbow laser. The light struck the nor’easter in the center of its comma-head, where its eye had just been beginning to open. It covered it back up with its clouds, wincing in pain.

“THAT’S YOU, ISN’T IT CARLA?!” it howled before lunging south.

Carla grabbed onto Harvey and dove towards the ocean, sending them both plunging towards the sea. The nor’easter followed suit, its chilling breath on their trail.

“That was just enough to distract him! Now! LET’S GO!!!”

Carla and Harvey crashed into the deep cold waters and into the next plane of time. The nor’easter chased them through the layers of the spirit world, its icy jaws wide open.

“I WILL DEVOUR YOU CARLA, JUST LIKE I DID TO HURRICANE GRACE! AND YOU WILL SPEND AN ETERNITY INSIDE MY CIRCULATION, FOREVER SUFFERING!”

“You’re just mad because your movie was not very good!”

Carla braked and decelerated, deciding to stop in a specific plane. Harvey and she surfaced from the ocean again, in a different year in the heat of the summer.

The nor’easter breached the surface like a whale, large enough to swallow even Carla whole. But his icy clouds began to melt in the warmth of the summer sun, and he collapsed back into the water. Carla yanked Harvey away and the two of them fled south.

“NO!” the nor’easter wailed as he sank back towards the winter plane. “I ONLY WANTED TO BE A HURRICANE AGAIN!”

Harvey spun in place, dumbfounded, staring at the sea where the nor’easter had fallen. Even though he had moments ago witnessed a continent-sized storm plunge into the depths, the water had already returned to a still, glassy state.

“If you’re wondering why there’s no disturbance, it’s because once a spirit leaves a plane, their influence on the environment does as well,” Carla explained.

“EXCUSE ME…” Harvey shouted, finally lifting his gaze from the water. “WHAT…JUST…HAPPENED?!”

“Well…” Carla said, removing her mask and revealing a smooth, circular, sky blue eye, “you trespassed onto the same plane as the Perfect Storm.”

“The ‘Perfect’ Storm?” Harvey asked. “That’s not subtle at all.”

“Yeah he makes a big deal about it. Keeps trying to hawk book and movie deals about how he, as a lowly nor’easter, had devoured Hurricane Grace and then turned into a hurricane himself. He’s mad that his soul was preserved in his nor’easter form, so he keeps trying to devour any hurricanes that cross into his plane so he can transform.”

Harvey stared awkwardly at Carla, trying to process what she had just said. “So…let me get this straight…the ‘Perfect’ Storm…is…unsatisfied with himself.”

Carla shrugged. “Seems so.”

“So…does that make him the Imperfect Storm?” Harvey wondered. Carla burst out laughing.

“YES! That describes him perfectly!” she laughed, her cirrus canopy tossing to the side like hair. “You’re really funny…um…”

“Harvey.”

“Hi, Harvey! I’m Carla!” Carla said, reaching out with a spiral band and patting Harvey on the back. Harvey crumpled to the sea surface, wounded by the impact.

“OH! I’m so sorry! I must have damaged you when I dragged you away from the nor’easter.”

Harvey groaned in pain. “I guess you really are a category 5 then…”

Carla held up her mask and it dematerialized, then turned into an amethyst crown and a feathered necklace. “I suppose. I don’t really like to flaunt it though.”

Carla looked down at Harvey, who was struggling to pull his circulation back together. “You don’t look so good,” she said. “Here, let me help.” She reached towards him again.

“No! No! No!” Harvey said, edging away from Carla’s enormous windfield. “I’m perfectly fine! I don’t need help!”

He managed to stagger a short distance away before his core broke open and he collapsed in a pile of thunderstorms.

“You don’t look okay to me,” Carla said, attempting to pick him up.

“You’re cute,” Harvey wheezed. “I mean…I’M FINE!”

Carla glared at him and dropped him back down. “Yeah, you’re definitely not okay.”

This was just too much for Harvey. He was a pathetic open tropical wave now, lying in front of a freakishly huge Category 5 hurricane who had such control of her power that she looked quietly elegant. Carla wasn’t just a storm with an eye, her whole demeanor literally was like the eye of a storm, the calm center while everything swirled around her. Meanwhile, he was panicking and sobbing and dropping torrents of teary rainwater everywhere.

“I WANT TO GO HOME!” Harvey wailed. “I WANT TO GO HOME!”

“But where is home for you?” Carla asked. Harvey could not answer. He had no idea.

“Nowhere…” Harvey choked out between crying spells. “I was just a stupid kink in a trough that got flung out into the sea. I’m just a drifter.”

Carla looked off to the side and sighed. “Aren’t we all? Little wandering rain squalls that got gifted with great power, but with no choice in how to use it.”

Harvey stopped crying and looked up at Carla. She had described exactly how he felt.

“How do you know how I feel? Are you…some kind of nor’easter?” he said, recalling how the Perfect Storm had also gotten a handle on his emotions.

Carla laughed. “Afraid not. I’m 100% tropical,” she chuckled. Then she turned to face the west, where the glow of the sunset still lingered.

“You’re not the first to end up here like this. And you certainly won’t be the last,” she said. “Not by a long shot.”

“Can you…help me?” Harvey said. Carla turned back to face him.

“It depends on what it is you want,” Carla replied. “I’m a hurricane. I’m not a miracle worker.”

Harvey began to reply, but the only thing that came out was the growling of his stomach. He clutched embarrassedly at what he thought was the center of his circulation, but there was nothing there. He hastily attempted to cover up some of his most emaciated-looking thunderclouds.

“Oh Harvey…” Carla said, picking him up and carrying him southward. “You don’t need to hide your weakness. I’m not going to try to shred you and consume your moisture like that nor’easter.”

But then Carla’s stomach growled too, and Harvey wasn’t so sure. Carla blushed nervously.

“Well…it looks like the cold dry air in the nor’easter’s plane did a number on me, too. But that’s okay…rumbling tummies are easy enough to fix. Especially in this plane…frozen at the time when the Loop Current is strongest.”

Yes folks that is Hurricane Carla, NOT Irma. She’s not as famous right now, but at peak intensity, she was just as large and almost as powerful as Irma. So....don’t underestimate her.

For Part 1: https://quasarlasar.tumblr.com/post/164725073744/i-swear-harvey-acts-like-its-sentient

For Part 2: https://quasarlasar.tumblr.com/post/165020849884/i-swear-harvey-acts-like-it-is-sentient-part

For Part 3: https://quasarlasar.tumblr.com/post/165030132759/i-swear-harvey-acts-like-it-is-sentient-part

For Part 4: https://quasarlasar.tumblr.com/post/165062895664/i-swear-harvey-acts-like-it-is-sentient-part-4-a

For Part 5: https://quasarlasar.tumblr.com/post/165071721294/i-swear-harvey-acts-like-it-is-sentient-part

For Part 6: https://quasarlasar.tumblr.com/post/165097430704/i-swear-harvey-acts-like-it-is-sentient-part

For Part 7: https://quasarlasar.tumblr.com/post/165100390219/i-swear-harvey-acts-like-it-is-sentient-part

For Part 8: https://quasarlasar.tumblr.com/post/165125372209/i-swear-harvey-acts-like-it-is-sentient-part

[avenging-fics]

Breathe ~ An Avengers Story (15/15)

AU Summary: The Avengers go on a mission to save Y/N and destroy the oncoming HYDRA resistance.

Notes: im making this the last one of the first book because the chapter after this one will take place AFTER cap:civil war so yea bucky will be on the next chapter but yeah i hope you guys like this one and would keep on reading more. this means a lot and yea. here goes. “)

Part 14 | Part 15 

NEXT SERIES

MASTERLIST

“All engines running. Departing from Stark Tower in 5 minutes.”

“Control motors fully operational, weapons system engaged and ready. We are a go, Captain.”

Steve nodded back at Barton and Romanoff at the pilot seats. Then he turned around and saw Dr. Banner recalibrating the device to track down Y/N’s location. Or at least the coordinates of the last known vantage point

“FRIDAY, run a search for any weird gravitational occurrence, unusual magnetic pulls, and gamma ray signals on a 20 mile radius.” Stark commanded the AI as he himself got into one of his suits.

“Yes, sir.” The voice responded.

“Gamma ray signals?” Steve asked. Bruce looked up and explained it to him.

“Since the other guy responded to Y/N’s powers before, we figured there must be at least a hint of gamma radiation on her since it’s somehow connected. There’s a chance but it’s a small one and we’re taking every resources we have right now.” He said. “We’re gonna find her, Cap.”

“I just have to get her back.” Steve mumbled, looking down at his hands.

Director Fury watched as the Avengers loaded up their weapons and went over mission protocols just like usual. But with the information they’ve just received on their own teammate, Agent Y/L/N, they have no rooms for failure now.

Every bit of history, files and documents they have on Y/N, or whatever names she had acquired through the years, SHIELD has managed to find them at long last. And Fury had began to arrange the puzzle pieces around her, finding out that she’s always been connected to the whole team. He made sure the team knows just enough about her past to fully cooperate. Fury didn’t even need to persuade Rogers and Romanoff. Y/N had become good friends with Natasha and Steve was undoubtedly smitten by her. The rest of the team, however, needed a push. And the information about her did it.

“Captain Rogers,” Fury called out, just as Stark flew out of the building in his suit, being the first one out there.

“Yes, sir.” Steve looked up and adjusted his shield on his back.

“Make sure the meeting we had about certain information remain among the same people who were in that room. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you all to keep the classified information classified. Not even to her.”

Steve paused, then nodded at him. He supposed it was a good idea keeping it from Y/N. The captain had a thought that maybe not even Y/N knows about her own history. And this was an idea shared by their teammates.

“Flight systems engaged. Doors closing now, Cap.” Barton informed them at the cockpit, flipping the switches to enable the quinjet.

“Coordinates are being sent to your screen.” Dr. Banner said, “You, too, Tony.”

“I got them.” Stark replied back using their comms unit. “Let’s go pick up Y/N, shall we?”

******

Y/N was feeling weak, yes. But will she die of blood loss from several stab wounds on her limbs, and bad bruises all over her body? No, she will not. She has her powers back, as well. She was determined to fix things. Starting with Emir.

“I’m alive, Emir. You didn’t lose everything.” Y/N panted, ignoring the pain and focusing on the old man in front of her.

“Yes. I did.” He replied back. “My home is gone. It’s HYDRA’s now. I just want to take it back. Do you know how long HYDRA was in control of it? For decades, Bosnia has been under control of someone who is not even inside the country. Someone who has no relation to our nation but is powerful enough to be feared by past Prime Ministers. And what’s worst? They weren’t doing anything about it. They let themselves be controlled.”

That was about the hard drive Emir had inside the pocket watch. Y/N felt pity for her old friend. He has totally succumbed to the grief and the idea that he has to get his country back by being the one controlling it. The plan had no choice but to be done. If Emir wanted his country back in the state that he wanted it to be, he would have to take down HYDRA. But he can’t do that. No one can. HYDRA was too big of a group to take down.

Emir can only get his Bosnia back if he chose to be HYDRA’s new head so he can control his country.

“And the baby?” Y/N looked at the box, still unopened. “It would be a long time before he grows mature. How are you planning on taking over Bosnia-Herzegovina with a mere child?”

“He will be ready. For the meantime though, I have an army of HYDRA agents at the ready, preparing missiles to be fired at a quinjet heading this way.”

“No.” she froze, realizing what he meant. “How did th—”

“A tracking device was planted in your system during your time at SHIELD. We deactivated it when you were captured. But with the elite members of the Avengers Initiative and the most advanced technology in the world at their disposal, it would seem that they have found you.” Dr. Lud explained, checking at his watch. “Right on time for my missiles to launch.”

He was going to kill them. Emir was going to blow her team up in the air.

Y/N was not about to let that happen.

Concentrating hard on her abilities, even if she knows the possibility of this working is off by a long shot, she focused on the iron Emir’s blood.

But there wasn’t any.

His blood was not the same as an ordinary human.

“I suspected you to figure it out earlier, Y/N. What took you so long?” Emir smirked.

She shook her head. “What have you done to yourself, Emir?”

“Let’s just say that filtering your own blood out of heme killed my old self and brought forth my new one. You cannot control my actions, Sanguine. And you alone do not have the power to stop me.”

A radio buzzed and a man’s voice emanated from it.

“Missiles ready to launch, sir.”

Oh no.The Avengers.

Emir pulled the radio out and brought it to his mouth. “Any indications that they know they’re being targeted?”

“Negative, sir. They’re coming in close.”

Emir looked at Y/N’s face. “Then fire.”

“No!”

******

Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep

“Left wing engine is down! Rear blades are losing their power!” Natasha yelled out as the quinjet shook once more as another missile grazed them. She and Clint has been doing their best to evade as much missiles being launched at them but HYDRA rockets were fast.

“Dammit, we’re gonna have to jump!” Rogers shouted as he was searching the jet for the chutes.

Dr. Banner shook his head. There was no time. The plane is dropping and by the time they put on the parachutes, the jet will have crashed already. So he did what he had to do. Natasha saw the decision in Bruce’s eyes.

“Bruce?”

“Trust me.” he said. Then his face contorted to a grimace as he produced a low growl, alerting Steve and Barton.

“Banner! Calm down! You’ll de—” Steve was interrupted by Natasha’s hand grabbing him and Barton closer to her and the almost completely transformed Hulk. No one had the chance to protest as Banner roared and wrapped his arm around the three of them, quickly jumping off the crashing quinjet.

They fell from the dark night’s sky with Tony following behind them. “Why the hell is Banner green?!”

“We had no choice!” Natasha yelled out, feeling Banner tighten his arms around the three of them as they get closer to the ground. Steve opened his eyes and looked up, seeing the quinjet in flames and eventually get hit by one of the enemy’s missiles, then descending quickly in the dark woods where it exploded. It’s just them now breaking into a HYDRA stronghold.

All to save Y/N.

“RAAAAHHH!!!” The Hulk roared again and with a loud thud, his body met the earth. They were alive. Banner dropped the three of them on the ground and stood up, watching with a scowl as a large group of HYDRA thugs gathered about 50 meters away from where they landed, which was where the perimeter of the base started.

“They’re ready for us.” Barton said, positioning himself with his arrows. “Your orders, Captain.”

Steve turned his head towards the Hulk, watching him as he ran towards the guards and started with his attack. Natasha nodded at Steve.

“Find a way inside the gates. Use Banner as your cover as he occupies the majority of the guards. Whatever you do, get yourself inside and start looking for Y/N. Barton you go west and get to the roof, Romanoff, focus on the smaller rooms. Try and meet me upstairs. Report anything unusual or any clues. Stark you’re on the air. Monitor all exits and entrances. Assist Banner if you can.”

That’s when a loud burst of lightning came and a man dropped from the sky, blowing a strong gust of wind. Thor stood up and gripping his hammer tight. “No. I’ll assist Banner.”

He nodded at Rogers and they all went their ways, working together to find Y/N. Steve ran forward and let his team disperse and make their way to the stronghold. Natasha ran strategically, evading Banner’s fists as she knocked out a few guards and get inside. Barton cleared out a path for him with his arrows and proceeded to make his way to the roof, just as Steve instructed him to do. Tony flew overhead chasing runaways, clearing out possible exits but leaving one open for the rest, all the while keeping an eye for anyone who looks like Y/N.

Once Steve was inside the building, he ran across the halls, knocking out anyone who blocked his way, shouting Y/N’s name the whole time.

They have to find her quick. Who knows what they’ve done to her?

******

Emir’s laugh resonated against the walls. It was loud and wicked and it sounded so wrong.

“Seems like I made the mistake of underestimating the Avengers.” he said. “No matter. This place isn’t even mine. The real stronghold can’t simply be this easy to find. This place will be gone and replaced. HYDRA has better protocols than this. And with my rule, they’ll have the best of the best. Soon.”

Y/N couldn’t bear to look at this man. This man in front of her was not the same as the friend she had before. He’s evil.

He started to walk towards the box containing the child, but Y/N blocked him. The antidote lost it’s effects but it drained most of her energy and what little she had left, Y/N’s going to use it to keep Emir in this room. Just until one of her teammates arrive. Just as long as he doesn’t get his hands on the enhanced baby.

She watched him smirk. Emir must think that Y/N hasn’t got the power to hurt him, an old friend. He must think that she doesn’t have the guts to try to stop him, knowing how dear he was to her.

“Emir, please stop.” Y/N continued to beg. She’s not giving up.

“Sir. The enemy is closing in!” One of the guards busted in the room and Y/N used that opening to use her powers to grab the man’s rifle from across the room. As fast as she can, Y/N ran to one of the metal cabinets, using those as her cover and shot her weapon at the guards and Emir. Peeking from the edge of her cover, she saw a couple men got hit and fell to the floor, while Emir hid outside the room next to the door.

Y/N huffed, crawling closer to the bed where the box holding the now crying baby was. She has to get to it before Emir does. But as soon as Y/N was out of her cover, Emir looked over and fired his weapon on her direction, making Y/N back away again to her cover, lucky enough not to get hit by any of the bullets from Emir’s pistol. She pointed her weapon at the door again and emptied out her rounds for cover as Y/N braved it and ran to the child.

******

“Tony? Any sign of her?” Steve demanded as the last of the HYDRA agents on his floor fell. None of them were a match for Captain America.

“She’s still inside. That’s for sure.” Tony answered through their comms unit. “Clint? Natasha?”

“Nothing from me but I am in the main control room and I’m looking at surveillance and mappings.” Natasha informed them.

“I just heard gunshots coming from below me. It could be her.” Barton said, with a grunt. He was in the middle of a fight. “Someone has to go check it out because the roof is where they had their missiles and I need a—-”

“RAAAAAAHHH!!!”

A pair of giant green feet landed with a loud crash on the roof and started tearing the big machines around him apart. Some of them exploding but none of those can stop the Hulk.

As soon as he received the information from Barton, Steve ran up the stairs quickly, hoping for Y/N to still be alive when he gets there. Those gunshots. He knows she’s efficient with guns especially with her abilities but their opponent was a scientist. He could’ve done whatever bad things he had in his mind to Y/N. Steve has to save her.

“Cap, keep going left. You’ll reach a corridor. Y/N’s there and under intense firing conditions. She needs help. I’ll meet you there as fast as I can.” Natasha called out.

“Got it.” Steve grunted, knocking another thug out of his way. Captain Rogers saw a glimpse outside where Stark was taking gunfire from both the roof and the ground. He was occupied. Everyone is. Emir didn’t care how many HYDRA casualties were in this base.

Soon, Steve rounded off to a left turn at the corridor and immediately took cover as a group of agents fired at him. Gripping his shield tight, he stood up and walked towards them, not taking any of their bullets. With a jab of his shield to the agents and a punch, he knocked them out as fast as he can. That’s when Natasha reached him and used her pistol to take down the remaining agents. Running forward they both came into a huge room filled with wrecked hospital beds and equipment. Emir was behind the door on one side of the room, shooting at Y/N, covering herself and something else using the metal cabinets around them.

“Y/N!” Captain Rogers shouted but Y/N didn’t hear him. A large piece of the missile launcher from the roof crashed down in the middle of the room, destroying the ceiling with the Hulk holding onto it as a couple agents above them shot more bullets at Banner.

Steve used the SHIELD to cover himself and Natasha. The Hulk roared again, leaving the room as he jumped into the roof once again.

Y/N looked up from the chaos and saw the Hulk eliminating his opponents. She also saw Emir on the other side of the room, trying to walk across towards her and the baby. He pointed the gun at her and shot his last bullet and Y/N used her remaining energy to call up her abilities and stop the bullet. Once he realizes he was out, Emir seethed with rage, mustering up his legs to go to her. Y/N saw how dark his eyes became. Dark with wrath and there was no stopping him.

Clutching the child close to her, she stood up and jumped, using her magnetic powers to pull her body from the ground and fly towards the sky and land on the roof. Not knowing about his teammates calling out to her.

Steve put down the shield and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Y/N’s form flying up to the broken ceiling and out into the roof. She couldn’t hear him.

“We have to get to the roof. Now!” Steve shouted. “Stark! She’s on the roof!”

Natasha fired her pistol at the scientist and watch him drop to the ground with a loud grunt. She nodded at Steve to go on as she handled the scientist. Barton dropped from the broken ceiling and assisted her.

“We have to take you in, doctor.” Natasha mumbled as she restrained him.

He chucked darkly, “Then you’d have to get out of here soon. Flames will soon envelop this place. This isn’t the real stronghold, you see.”

Romanoff looked at Clint. “Let’s go.”

“Everyone. You have to get out of the building now.” Maria Hill screamed at their ears. Their backup’s here. “I have Banner and Thor with me on the quinjet. The building will blow up and soon.”

“Where’s Y/N?!” Tony yelled out, destroying the last of the machines that were firing at him.

“I can’t see her on the roof! I can’t find her anywhere!” Rogers shouted back, seeing Natasha and Clint with the scientist at the far edge of the roof getting on the quinjet.

Y/N was still holding onto the child, stumbling down the stairs as she reached the ground floor.

“Urnggh” she groaned, feeling the pain in her limbs, almost falling to the grass just outside the building perimeter. She looked behind for a brief moment but kept running towards the woods for cover. The stronghold will explode.

And it did. Fire erupted in all corners of the building. Crumbling concrete fell on itself. Machine and metal debris flying everywhere. The bright red and orange of the explosions in direct contrast to the dark night and the forest or Bosnia-Herzegovina around them.

Feeling movement in the little bundle in her arms, Y/N looked down and saw the child. The baby, no more than 4 months, were crying uncontrollably. Y/N’s heart went out to it. To see such chaos from one so young. And the experiments Emir did to this child. The poor creature. This baby was going to be used as a weapon. No one deserved that hell of a life. She’s the only one it has now. Emir specifically explained to her that this child and her were the same. Only when this child grows up, Y/N’s abilities won’t be able to compare to it. This child will be more powerful than her. This child was also Inhuman and an enhanced. The only logical thing to do was to kill this baby. Prevent such a power from existing.

But it’s only a child.

Killing it would go against any morality.

Y/N had no choice. She couldn’t do it.

“I’m sorry.” she sobbed and brought the child closer to her, lulling it to stop it’s tears. This child was her responsibility now. She has to protect him.

And with the raging fires and explosions behind them, Y/N started her long journey to protect this child. Away from everybody. Away from danger.

******

“Steve, we need him alive!” Romanoff stood between him and Dr. Emir.

“I couldn’t find Y/N. I didn’t save her tonight and it’s all because of that bastard.” Steve almost growled, sending the most deathly glare towards the scientist. Every fiber of his being wanted to kill Emir right there and then as soon as Stark carried him over to the quinjet just as the building exploded beneath them. Without Y/N.

Emir chuckled, but here wasn’t any humor to it. “That woman is gone, Captain. Everything is gone.”

Thor grabbed Steve’s hand, as if stopping him from doing something he’ll regret. “Rogers, have faith. She might have escaped.”

Steve shook his head. He knew that everyone in the jet, Banner, Barton, Tony, everyone. They knew it would be a goddamn miracle if Y/N survived those explosion. And if the building didn’t kill her, her exhaustion could. There was no guarantee of anything.

But one thing was for sure.

They couldn’t save Y/N.

She’s gone.

Comments? Critiques? Concerns? Send them in! :D

Tag list: (dm me if you wanna be tagged whenever I update)

@animexchocolate , @seninjakitey , @barnesandnoble13 , @goldwanderer , @anotherotter , @lefandomimagines , @merrahonthawall , @independentgirl , @angelinaisherewhoop , @travelwithwords , @mrssierrarogers , @pottergirlpotterworld , @capandbuck , @chevycastiel1967 , @all-the-kings-horses

[shooter-nobunagun]

Church Assassin

//You didn’t think I’d forget about Mirza, did you? (Truth is I almost did...^^;; that’s what notes are for!)

Those black eyes held no emotion as the assassin stared, the bloodied mace in his hands now transforming into a frightening morning star strewn with enormous spikes. One hand was still trapped beneath Mirza’s foot, and her gun had been lost somewhere during the scuffle; she was essentially helpless and entirely at the mercy of this Church assassin, and it didn’t seem like he was in the mood to be merciful.

“P-Please, I-I-I haven’t—I’m not, I’m not a beast...j-just let me go! I swear, I-I won’t, I won’t bother the group anymore; please, please...!” Her lips trembled and before she knew it tears were falling, Sio hiccuping with fear as the Bloodletter pulsed wickedly, as if sensing her tainted blood. “I-I don’t, want to die...!”

“...Alas, I’m afraid not, my dear. Sweet as you are, I know what happens to those who turn...” Those spikes were now an inch from her face. “Just look at how eager my Bloodletter is; it smells your blood, yearns to cleanse it. The further along the mutations, the more it hungers.” A spike pierced out right next to her eye, splitting a few hairs and leaving just the slightest red line on her cheek. “But for you, I promise to make it as painless as possible.”

Painless? That thing? Her eyes slid over to those sharp spikes, coated with the blood of countless past victims. If she weren’t about to be one herself, the girl would’ve snorted in response. She futilely tried to free her arm in a panic as the assassin took a step forward.

“P-Please, don’t...!” 

“Think again, wanker!” There was an explosion of fire and glass, Sio immediately ducking back as Mirza cursed, now busy trying to put out the fire on his clothes, only to be clobbered by the blunt end of the Stakedriver.

“Fucking bastard; Sio, you all right? Tell, you keep an eye on that asshole; if he tries anything funny, put an arrow through him. Or two,” Adam muttered angrily, making sure Mirza was out cold before helping the girl up. “Sio!” 

“Adam, y-you...I...you’re bleeding!” She winced as the hunter gently checked over her injuries, seemingly not caring about the puncture wounds in his own torso as he bandaged her fingers into a crude splint. “M, Mirza, I didn’t...he was here the whole time...!”

“Yeh, I should’ve known he’d get desperate enough t’ pull somethin’ stupid like this,” Adam’s eyebrows furrowed with anger, but mostly at himself. “Honestly, I fucked up; shouldn’t’ve left ‘im alone without doing anythin’...” Those slim fingers in his hands, now bloodied and mangled from Mirza’s cruel treatment; blood boiled in his veins, but Adam knew he had to keep a clear mind if they wanted to get out of this without anymore collateral. “I’ll be completely honest: in my opinion we should just get rid of him...permanently.” Sio gave a small gasp, but Adam didn’t seem deterred. “He’s already revealed his intentions, which is to murder anybody who might even turn into a beast—couldn’t be more like Geronimo and just exterminate actual beasts, that cunt. Besides, it’s not like the rest of the group has any strong feelings about him anyway.”

“B, But, if we do, g...get rid of him, how are we going to explain his disappearance to the group?”

“Uh, squirt? Last I checked, beast huntin’ was an extremely dangerous profession where even the best can get killed at any second; I seriously doubt anybody’d bat an eyelash if we just say he met some misfortune with a beast,” Adam raised an eyebrow, still surprised by the girl’s naïveté at times. “‘Sides, it’s not like we announced he was comin’ with us or anything...hunters come and go. It’s just par for course.”

“I, I see, but still...” Even though Adam made very good points, and certainly she did not want to be around Mirza ever again, there just seemed to be something...unsavory about murdering someone, especially one who’d helped them, even if it was a ruse. ‘Then again, it’s not like I’ve hesitated when we’re fighting rival hunters...so why am I conflicted now?’ 

“A-Anyway, you’re hurt! That was from...MIrza, wasn’t it?” 

Adam nodded wordlessly, hissing slightly as Sio now helped patch him up in return. Deep, bloody holes that she could easily stick a finger through...shuddering, the huntress tried not to think too hard about how it would’ve felt had it not been for Adam’s timely actions.

A groan made both of them jump, Mirza regaining consciousness but now firmly hog-tied and guarded by an expressionless, stoic Tell, who also had an arrow trained right on his heart. 

“My my...how the tables have turned. You surprise me, Muirhead.” Despite him now being the victim, the assassin did not seem concerned at all. “Perhaps it was you I underestimated, and not the girl.”

“Shut th’ fuck up; I’ve no interest in talking to you.”

The cursing didn’t throw Mirza off at all; if anything it only served to amuse him further. “Oh? Well that’s too bad, considering I’ve an interest in chatting with you...especially you, Miss Ogura. That leering grin, and even though there was no way he could get out of those knots and Tell’s watchful eye, still Sio shivered as she tried hard not to turn away.

“Wha, what...do you want? Y-You said, the Healing Church...you, work for them...don’t you?”

“Correct; I am employed by them to hunt down the infected who are about to turn...so that we may quarantine this disease before it spreads.” His eyes narrowed slightly, as if recalling some long-lost memory. “It’s a shame really, but someone has to do the dirty work. Oh, all those good hunters...but in the end, what matters if they’re destined to become beasts? A monster is a monster, in the end.”

“Tch, load a good that’ll do you at this point,” Adam muttered darkly, still refusing to engage the other man. Perhaps when the scourge first appeared, an aggressive quarantine campaign may have had some effect. But now, with most of the population already half-beast... “I don’t believe it. Th’ Church has little power left at this point, so there’s no real reason you’d keep working for ‘em. Unless you really are a nutter...”

“My, Muirhead, I thought we weren’t going to converse?” The assassin gave a light chuckle. “You just can’t resist knowing, can you? Both of you...and perhaps a few others, that seek to know the Truth...” He gave another laugh and Adam scowled, wondering if perhaps Mirza truly had gone mad, after all this time. 

“Bear in mind. Some places are better left untouched, and some secrets are better left alone....only fools do brazenly roam..."

The two left Mirza tied up, still under Tell’s gaze as they discussed in a more private corner. As soon as they disappeared from the assassin’s view the huntress dropped to her knees, shaking even as Adam pulled her close.

“Th-that, that was...h-he...” She didn’t even finish her words before tears rolled down her face, shoulders hunched over as small sobs wracked her body; the shock wearing off as the realization of how close she came to dying, and her own condition, hit her full on. There were too many things happening, as if she didn’t already have enough to worry about; now there was an assassin to deal with, and the sinking horror that her illness was further along than any of them realized. “I, I, I-I don’t...I don’t want to die!”

“Shh love, there there...” Adam patted her hair and murmured soothing words in her ear. “You’re not gonna die; I’ll protect you, I swear. Remember, I promised you this night will end...and I aim to see it through.”

Sio nodded, throat too tight to say anything and so she could only nod weakly. “I, I know...but still, sometimes it’s just so hard...!” She was so tired of everything: the unending horrors of Yharnam, hostile hunters and mysterious beings that might as well be gods...all on top of keeping a close watch on her blood sickness that was creeping ever closer. She leaned against Adam’s chest, relishing in a few minutes of peace as she listened to his heartbeat while he rubbed a soothing hand along her back.

Still, no matter how bad she felt or how tempting it was to just close her eyes right there, Sio knew they couldn’t leave such matters unresolved. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to sit up, wiping away the last of the tear stains. “So, about Mirza...do we really want to just...kill him?”

“Yeh really still hung up on that?” Adam cast her a curious glance. “Well, I mean...is there some reason you want to keep him alive? Is it sympathy?”

She didn’t want to admit it, but Sio supposed that was part of it. “W-Well, maybe...I guess it just feels...wrong to outright kill someone, even if he does want to kill me...I don’t know, maybe it’s because we already worked together before, it just feels...” She glanced at Adam helplessly, unable to put her emotions into words, but Adam simply nodded in understanding. “B-Besides, I think he might be a valuable source of information.” 

“...I understand where you’re coming from, and yeh, I’ll admit at one point I did consider him a comrade, even. But this,” he took one more look at her bandaged fingers and shook his head, “I can’t forgive him for that. Even if we need more info. Not to mention logistically speaking, how the hell are we going to keep him from tryin’ to go after you? It’ll be impossible to keep an eye on him every second...”

“We won’t have to...” Those emeralds stared at her in confusion, but in Sio’s mind the plan was already formulating. “No, if I play this right...we won’t even have to worry about him turning on us.”

“Uh, if you don’t mind me asking—and excuse my language—but how the bloody hell d’you propose we do that?”

Those wide maroons, still shiny with tears but now set in a determined glance. “We’ll just convince him to join our side. Abandon the Church’s goals. Yes I know, it won’t be easy—but I have a feeling, he’s not actually that loyal to the Church. He just...agreed to do it because of some other reason...which I don’t know, but I bet I can fish it out of him...”

“I—uh—ah, hell...y’know what, I’ll just trust you on this. I don’t like it one bit, but if anyone’s got the brains t’ make this work it’s you.” Sighing heavily, Adam could only nod in agreement. “Still, that doesn’t mean I’m going to let him wander wherever he pleases. If I feel we can’t trust him at any point, then that’s it; no more second chances. Fair enough?”

Sio nodded. “Fair. A-And, thanks, Adam...for always watching my back.”

He didn’t say anything, only pulling her close for one last embrace before both of them nodded and headed back, Sio taking a deep breath to steel herself.

“Ah, and the lovebirds return. Needed a moment to yourselves? How sweet.” Adam growled in the back of his throat but Sio cut him off with a single arm.

“Mahesh Mirza. I don’t like you, and clearly you want to kill me, so let’s get to the point: give up fighting in the name of the church, and really join our group. There’s no reason for you to keep trying for your goals at this point. The Healing Church is as good as dead...and if it’s infected hunters you’re after, well we’ll be seeing plenty of them.”

At this the assassin threw his head back in pure laughter. “Bargaining? Really? I half-expected you two to come in and behead me without another word—and judging from Muirhead’s face, that’s what he has in mind. But you, Ogura...you’re even willing to give your enemies a second chance?” He shook his head in amusement. “I can’t tell if you’re a soft-hearted fool or an idiot savant.”

Sio gritted her teeth but forced herself to not give into Mirza’s taunts. “You’re right, we can just kill you right here and nobody would even care. But you don’t actually want to die...at least, not like this—a boring, pointless death, not even able to fight back. That’s why you go out of your way to specifically hunt those who haven’t turned yet; regular monsters are too ordinary.” Mirza hadn’t said a thing but she could’ve sworn his eyes were changing. 

“You enjoy the chase; the thrill, the challenges...actually, it wouldn’t be inaccurate to that it’s not the Church that’s using you, but you’re using them...isn’t that right?” Sio didn’t know where this strange, new confidence was coming from, but somehow the more she spoke, the less she was afraid; even daring to saunter up to the very man whom tried to decapitate her with a knife. “In fact, I know that feeling too...the tension when you’re just one step away from victory, or death...that’s what you live for. That’s why you came with us, and bided your time.”

Mirza laughed in return. “Oh, and here I thought I was doing such a good job hiding my intentions,” he replied sarcastically. “But then again, I figured you were different...not just your blood sickness, but you yourself...you too, enjoy the hunt more than you care to admit. You hunt not only to find a cure, but because you genuinely relish the bloodshed...don’t you, Miss Ogura?”

Sio’s heart thumped so loudly she was sure everyone could hear it, but outwardly her face betrayed no other emotion. Mirza wasn’t the first to point it out, and she herself admitted many times already she did enjoy the hunt; the way it made her feel alive like nothing else.

“Yeah, and why not? If I’m going to be trapped in this damn nightmare, might as well get some sort of satisfaction, right?” As guilty as she felt, somehow just admitting that yes, she did enjoy a good fight, lessened the anxiety that had been eating at her all this time. Was it so wrong? She’d always been different her whole life, the blood sickness notwithstanding—and despite all the terrors, hardships and obstacles, she felt that she belonged at last, even if it was with a rag-tag band of what were essentially marauders. “It’s true, I have the blood sickness...but I haven’t turned, not yet—despite what your Bloodletter may sense, there’s still time...you would waste such an opportune target just for the sake of precaution?” She tossed her head with a snide look. “Really, given what you’ve just told me, I half-expected you to keep quiet until I literally started sprouting claws and fangs. That would be a real fight...not something pathetic like this.” The edge of her spear just grazed his chin. “You scared that if you don’t kill me now, I’ll be stronger than you right when I’m about to turn?”

The assassin scoffed. “Hardly; an inexperienced huntress like you ought to watch her mouth around the Church...” But the slight tension in his voice did not escape her. “Those who are infected need to be stopped before they can endanger others.”

“Right. Uh huh.” The huntress rolled her eyes. “But anyway, since you don’t seem keen on changing your mind, I guess we’ll just have to get rid of you.” She casually turned her head back at Adam, who wasted no time in charging up the Stakedriver. “Too bad, Mirza...I have to admit, I was kind of looking forward to that fight...” Sio licked her lips as she sauntered away, letting Adam take the lead.

“...Some places are better left untouched, and some secrets are better left alone. Only fools do brazenly roam." The Stakedriver was a second away from being fired when Mirza spoke. Adam didn’t move a muscle, instead waiting for Sio’s command.

“...Go on, I’m listening.” Sio waved Adam off.

“If you’re that determined to prove me wrong, Miss Ogura...then I’ll tell you. That which you seek.” The assassin’s eyes glittered, as if in a fevered madness. “What the Church wrought, and how this all began...if you can slay the Nightmare, I’ll take it as a sign that you actually know what you’re doing.” Mirza laughed. “Hell, I’ll even join your merry little band, if you so wish...”

“The...Nightmare?�� Yharnam and its obsession with blood, dreams, monsters and gods... Sio closed her eyes briefly. “And where is this place that only fools go looking for?”

There was a shuffling noise, Adam readying his Stakedriver as Mirza managed to wriggle a hand into a pocket (despite the tight ropes), but it was only a toss a small vial of something towards them, the glass container rolling to a stop just at her feet. “You’ll need this to enter.” Sio picked up the small jar, only shuddering slightly as she made out the bloodied, single eyeball suspended within it, its pupil muddied and sunken. “When a hunter becomes drunk on blood, and starts turning into a beast...they get taken by the Nightmare, destined to wander forever, engaged in an endless hunt.” Another chuckle from the assassin, as if he were truly enjoying himself for the first time.

“Yours will look the same, Ogura, soon enough. It is a fate that no Hunter can escape"

Sio said nothing as Mirza continued to laugh, instead quietly clenching her fist around the small glass vial. No matter the odds, she would not let herself succumb to what many other hunters before her had. “Come on, let’s go then.” Without even a backwards glance at Mirza, who was still tied up (though she had a feeling he wouldn’t be for long), both men instantly followed her towards the lamp.

“Don’t forget, I’ll know whether or not you’ve slain the Nightmare...best be heading to the Cathedral Ward now, if you don’t want your pretty little eyes to end up the same...” The laugh continued to echo after them as they slowly vanished.

Nobody said a word after that, but after they landed with a swirl back in the Dream, it was all Sio could do to not stumble to the nearest crevice and collapse into exhaustion. The rest of the group was mercifully elsewhere, only Hunter giving a slight greeting upon their return and a quip about everyone else wandering in the Nightmare Frontier. 

“Sio, you aren’t serious...” Adam followed her into what was now considered her private little corner inside the building, behind the counter where runes where engraved. “You’re really going to trust that cunt’s words?” 

The huntress heaved a sigh as she shucked off her overcoat, careful not to bend her fingers too much. “I know Adam, I know...trust me, normally I’d be getting the hell away from whatever Mirza’s trying to play at, but somehow I just...” She gave a frustrated sigh, before sitting down in the only chair with her eyes closed. “...Even though it’s only a hunch...I just can’t shake this feeling he’s telling the truth; that there is something more out there,” her bandaged fingers toyed with the glass vial containing the bloodied eye, “something that will help us come closer to understanding this whole dream...and therefore ending it...”

There was a long silence, only the fire crackling until there was the soft rustling of cloth, Sio turning around to see Adam shed his outer gear as well and sitting on the floor. “...You know, out of all my years hunting, I don’t think I’ve met another hunter quite like you. I-In a good way of course,” he stammered, Sio’s steely gaze turning on him with a raised brow. “It’s not that I don’t trust you; you’ve proven plenty of times that you know what you’re doing. But, I feel like each time we try to come closer to finding out whatever truth there is...the more peril you put yourself in, “ he whispered softly, gently stroking her bandaged fingers and Sio found herself shivering slightly. “Not to mention, we both know you’re on a time limit; and I don’t fancy finding out what that limit is.”

“I-I...” She couldn’t say anything else after that; He had a point—was if her wild goose chases to find the truth would be just that: a wild goose chase? Wasting time looking for something that may not even exist, instead of trying to end this dream and cure your sickness... And yet the despite all the evidence against it, her internal compass still pulled her towards it; like a mysterious beacon, whenever she thought about seeking the truth her soul felt it was the right thing to do.

“...That being said, I already promised I would help you see this night through, to the very end.” Somehow Sio found herself sitting in his lap, though she didn’t seem to remember how or when that happened. “And if that means going to the ends of this nightmare to do so...then I will follow without hesitation.” Despite the seriousness, his eyes were smiling at her, in that very peculiar way that only he could do. “I trust your judgement, Sio.”

Sio felt her face flushing, and it definitely was not from the fire. Even though she and Adam were considerably less prickly with each other now, it was still rare for him to genuinely complement and praise her skills at such length—and even from before, when all her classmates had made fun of her strange fascinations, and only Asao stood by her. She barely managed to stammer out her thanks, laughing nervously about how she appreciated his loyalty when he simply turned her face towards his and kissed her. 

It wasn’t the same as their first kiss, when it had been a volatile combination of pent-up frustrations and desire; this one was much softer, warmer and comforting, like the tight embraces she’d come to cherish. Both her hands wound behind his broad shoulders, fingers threading through those fine strands of silver that felt like silk between her scarred fingers. His breath was pleasantly warm against her skin, Sio sighing as Adam pulled her a little deeper into his arms. Without the bulk from their coats, she was able to feel more his warmth; unconsciously she pressed herself against his well-built chest, shifting her position as she felt fingers slowly undo the top buttons of her shirt.

Normally there was no way either of them would risk such scandalous behavior in an open area, but Sio reasoned she deserved a break after so many streaks of bad luck. Not to mention everyone else save for Hunter and Tell were out, and those two weren’t the type to nose around, thankfully. She heard Adam murmur something about maybe stopping before they got too carried away but she shook her head and shushed him with another kiss, this one deeper than the first one and certainly more passionate. He seemed to take that hint, brushing her strands from her cheek as his tongue slowly swept across her lips to ask for permission. 

She knew nothing about relationships or marriage, or even courting—but she did know the feeling of warmth, the pleasant tingles rushing through her body as both of them became more entwined with each other. The collar of his shirt was undone, exposing a sliver of heated skin she pressed her palm against, relishing both the heat and the steady thumping of his heartbeat. His lips were now tracing her delicate jaw, Sio gasping as it brushed against a sensitive spot and her grasp tightened; there was a low chuckle from the man at her reactions. 

We probably should stop...but somehow, I can’t... Her vision was hazy as he traced shapes through her shirt, a sudden bloom of heat sinking low into her stomach—a new and intense feeling, Sio getting restless from the heat building up throughout her body. It held the same intensity as the thrill of a fight, but it mingled with her desire for him; a strange yearning that made her want to bury herself in him. 

“Eager, aren’t we?” Another low chuckle and Sio panted from the warmth of Adam’s hands as they dipped underneath her un-tucked shirt and smoothed across her stomach. “We should probably stop...”

“Ah...I don’t, see you stopping anytime soon,” she breathed against his ear, unconsciously grinding her hips downward to soothe the heat that did not seem to be going away. Each movement sent delicious tingles up and down her spine, Adam groaning very softly as he also starting moving in sync with her. “B-Besides, I thought you trusted my judgement...”

They were both panting now, hips rocking together in some sort of clumsy rhythm but neither could stop. What began as something to quench that heat only seemed to be fanning the flames hotter, it seemed; Sio found herself bracing herself against his shoulders, using them as leverage as the pace increased yet the knot inside her stomach only grew tighter.

‘What is this feeling...I don’t know what’s going on, but it feels so good...!’ She relished the friction from the rough cloth rubbing between her legs with each movement...it made her want to simultaneously curl her toes and arch her back. Everything felt so hot, as if she was on the brink of breaking through something...whatever it was.

“S-Sio...I-I’m serious, we should...really stop...” Adam was panting as fast as her now, his own face flushed a deep pink while his hands gripped her slender hips. “Even though it feels...amazing...with you...” He pressed their foreheads together, those deep emeralds reflecting her own eyes back into her.

“Nnng...I, I know...b-but, I just, can’t...ah, wh-what is this...I’ve never, felt it before...” Pure, scintillating pleasure from his touch—she’d never been this close with anyone, physically or otherwise, and the fervor from their little session was almost overwhelming. There was a sort of urgency added to the flames now, as if she had to reach this one point now, causing her to gasp and buck her hips unsteadily as she nearly let herself go to this hedonistic pleasure.

“S-Sio! You—!” Her quickening pace did not go unnoticed by the silver-haired man, who couldn’t even finish his sentence before roughly grabbing her hips, almost slamming himself into her as she couldn’t help but cry out. “Seriously—!”

“N-No, please, I’m...c, close...to, s, something...” Yes, she was almost there...just a little more, just a little faster, and the end of this teetering tightrope she was walking across would be in reach... “Ah, Adam...!”

The resounding clatter of throwing knives dropping on the floor shattered whatever nirvana Sio was about to achieve in her pleasure-filled haze. Both of them froze at the commotion, only to see a very sheepish-looking Hunter looking away in embarrassment. 

“Och, sorry ‘bout that...didn’t mean t’ interrupt...oy now, dinnae ye two be givin’ me tha’ look! T’was a right accident, that was. ‘Sides, not like I saw no nothin’...though at the rate ye two were carryin’ on...” Hunter shook his head and gave a low whistle. “Be grateful the place’s empty as it is. This building ain’t exactly the place I’d chose fer a tryst, but eh, guess ye take what ye can get.”

And with that the surgeon placed all his knives into the storage box this time, and strolled out without another glance back, leaving the two of them staring at the floor in an awkward silence. All the passion she’d been experiencing just seconds earlier was completely dead, Sio now feeling a mixture of embarrassment and frustration at having come so close—if only Hunter had come in a few seconds later—

“Well, squirt, guess we should’ve stopped, ‘ey?” Adam had a roguish grin on his face, still flushed from their activities. “Just kiddin’; wasn’t like I wanted it to end, either... He gave a pained groan as Sio reluctantly pried herself off his lap. “Well, not like this, anyway...”

“A, Adam...” Her voice came out as a squeak, Sio suddenly feeling incredibly shy and embarrassed now that her mind was recalling what exactly just transpired. Going at it like a pair of animals in heat...grimacing, she mentally berated herself for letting her base wants get the better of her, especially in a time and place like this. “I-I, I’m, sorry...”

“Hey, don’t be sorry; ‘s not like I regret anything,” he gave her head a playful ruffle, “an’ from the looks of it, you don’t either, yeh?” He winked and Sio felt herself turn even redder. “Though I gotta say, I definitely wasn’t expecting you to be so...well, aggressive...but I like that, this...duality of yours...it’s what makes you special.”

Adam smoothed out his clothes, before helping her up and Sio could only blush and mumble shyly as she buttoned her shirt up. Seriously, what the heck had that been about? ‘It’s like that time I almost lost control, after Logarius...except this time I actually did lose control...’ But there was no denying it had been pleasurable, and quite so, at that. Even with the lust fading, still the warm crevice between her thighs tingled ever-so-slightly whenever she thought back to the heat of the moment, when they were tangled together and moving in sync to reach whatever goal it was...

“Anyway, don’t dwell on it too much; Hunter won’t say anything, you know that.” Adam was putting on his overcoat again, looking and acting as if nothing had happened at all. “Speaking of which...to that place Mirza was talking about—through the Cathedral Ward?” Sio nodded. “I have a feeling, this ‘Nightmare’ he’s talking about...it won’t be easy to defeat. An’ if we’re really going on this wild goose chase, then I don’t know about you, but I’d like some backup; and honestly, I can’t think of anything better than our original trio, yeh?

The ‘original’ three, just her, Adam and Hunter...Sio felt herself smiling at the idea, nodding silently as she gathered up her equipment and the two went to find the surgeon, Sio patting the vial in her pocket on last time.