#like there's metal that's mined and shit but they just make weapons out of it

[jewishcissiekj]

Rattatak is a barren wasteland and a war world being destroyed by its own people and locked in eternal conflict with mostly temporary buildings and living places except for the warlords and people with power's houses which are more permanent but are still very not well built and look like they're on the verge of collapse idk what the fuck this was

[serendipitous-girl]

𝐢 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞

⊱✿⊰ summary: your family wants to protect you but its impossible with the life you all lead

⊱✿⊰ warnings: kidnapping, minor torture, it will be angsty, almost dying, spitting on your face, the joker deserves his own warning tbh

⊱✿⊰ notes: this is for skye because she wanted some angsty batfam stuff and here we are. I am just shitting on the page and hoping words form at this point. I hope you enjoy and feel free to send me requests. Also this is a platonic fic sorry if you were hoping for romance action

⊱✿⊰ tags: @kozumesphone @fizzywashere87 @fashionablysouly @witherwallflower @goldierey

@finleyforevermore @baecakie @gergthecat @mqstermindswift @anyas-shitposting69 (comment on this or send me an ask if you want to be added to my DC taglist)

"Well, well, well. Looks like baby bird got caged." The clown sneered, leaning close to your face. You scrunched your nose and tried to scoot away despite the ropes scratching your wrists raw.

The Joker's finger runs along your cheek, a horrific grin on his face as he stared at you. You tried to keep a brave face, you tried to act like the domino mask over your eyes was really a shield. You tried to act like your dad, Batman.

Maybe it was your fault you got kidnapped. He said you weren't ready to go out and patrol with your family, but you went away. You stole one of Damian's mask and put on the most costume adjacent clothes you owned.

"Where should I start, little one?" Joker asked, breaking your train of thoughts. Placing blame would be set for another time. Not now, its not time yet. "Should I give you a smile that matches mine? Should I turn you into a firey decoration before dear ol' daddy bat gets here?"

You winced, trying to prevent the ice filling your veins and the fear weighing your stomach down. The Joker grabbed a knife from his table that had numerous weapons littered on top. Carefully the cold metal of the blade brushed against your skin, not harsh enough to cut just yet. He wanted to scare you first.

•───────────•°•❀•°•──────────•

"I am going to kill that son of a bitch." Jason growled as soon as he heard the news. Bruce gathered the family in the batcave, and explained the Joker had kidnapped the youngest of the family- you.

"Jason, I understand your frustration but we can't act with haste. I won't let her face the same fate you did. I won't make the same mistake twice." Bruce replied, already dressed as Batman. He was doing his best to stay professional despite his fear being ever present.

"I don't want to wait too long either." Dick added, crossing his arms over his chest. Everybody was tense, wanting their sister to be safe once again.

"I'll find where that stupid clown is keeping [Name]." Tim said, standing up and rushing towards the computer before anybody could even reply. Barbara silently followed, knowing she would be the most help to Tim.

Bruce looked at all of his family and nodded, "We'll find her and get her back."

•───────────•°•❀•°•──────────•

Your throat was hoarse and tears had dried on your face. There was no point to fighting it anymore, you only hoped he would kill you soon.

"Aw but doesn't the bird look good with her wings marked?" The Joker chuckled, slicing yet another line into your arm. The cuts were deep, sure to scar, and they were deliberate. You could only guess what he was spelling on your arms.

With the amount of blood flowing down your arms like a red river, it was to no surprise you were fading in and out of consciousness. That would be nice, at least you wouldn't be awake while he tortured you.

You almost settled into the pain, eyes fluttering close to let yourself rest, when you heard a crash. Glass was broken and there was yelling everywhere.

The Joker grabbed your face with his hand and forced you to look forward, where you saw your family (the only thing disguising their horrified looks were their masks)

"Looks like they showed up in time for you, baby bird." He grinned, spitting on your cheek. You were too tired, too fragile to even bother being disgusted. It was better than the cutting.

"Let her go and I'll think about not crushing your head into the wall." Red Hood barked out, already aiming his gun at The Joker. You tried to pay more attention but you were fading slowly,, ready to force your body to rest.

The Joker dropped your body like it was nothing, your face smashing into the concrete. It hurt, pain forming in your forehead but it was a distraction from the blood oozing out of you.

Despite your best efforts, you finally blacked out. The last thing you saw was your family lunging at the Joker, rage thick in the air.

Light flooded your eyes, fresh air blasting your lungs. You were laying down on something soft and warm, contrasting against the mildly scratchy fabric on your skin. You blinked your eyes a few times, forcing them to focus despite the dull ache pounding in your head.

"You're awake." Damian said, apparently sitting beside you. It took a little while but you realized you were in the personal hospital at the manor. He had a few scratches and bruises but nothing as horrific as the scars on your skin (and in your brain.)

"Wha-what..happened?" You croaked, throat feeling like sandpaper. Like magic, Dick appeared with a glass of water you gratefully took. The liquid in your throat was almost heavenly in the way it made you feel infinitely better.

"The Joker kidnapped you and we rescued you." Your father explained calmly, not bothering to add details. Which was probably good for you, the devil's in details.

"I'm glad your back, sis." Jason said, making you suddenly aware of his presence in the back of the room. Your entire family seemed to be in here, ready to see your betterment. Despite he general aversion to touch, Jason wrapped you into a hug.

Of course, everybody else joined in (forcefully or not) for a big group hug. You laughed, despite the hollow of your heart, watching as Tim was pushed into the hug by Dick.. It was ridiculous having a group hug after a traumatic event...how family sitcom could you get?

But somehow, it felt good to be in the arm's of your family. It felt like home.

lori © 2024. please don't copy, modify, or do anything weird with my writing! i like reblogs and comments but please be kind as this was my writing.

[lemonjestercoffee]

so i said something about alicorns being funky in my last mlp redesign post yeah? well before i get into that-

the beautiful bride and the ugly ass groom

okay okay jokes aside here's Shining's real sheets and Cadance on her own

starting off with design choice notes

Shining Armor - his was like- really hard to figure out and i didn't really know what i was doing, but i did like the concept of him having lost a leg in some sorts of battle. one thing i did know what i was doing with tho was his armor, i never really liked the canon armor so i decided to take my own stab at it. decided to make it cover the more important areas better, added gambeson underneath, put a royal crest on it, and gave them a head weapon. yes the metal horns are on all species armor, it's there not only to protect real horns from oncoming attacks but also give all soldiers an emergency weapon if they get disarmed. the tassels would be colored differently depending on rank

Cadance - the only through i really had going into her design was i wanted her to have a cloud and heart motif, but i'm unsure if the way i handled it is the best. her cutiemark is meant to resemble a Mexican sacred heart because deity of love- like come on. i also wanna kinda change the color of the carnation in her hair to stand out more, but white carnations have a different meaning so it's fiiiinee

okay now what we really wanna hear about, what the fuck did i do to the alicorns?

i decided to tamper with their lore quite a bit, as i was inspired to by the Skyscraper Gods Au by Shirecorn. now mine is no were near as drastic as that au, obviously, but it did inspire me to come up with my own quirks for them.

i went more "alicorns are more like the elves of ponies but because they can only be made by some unexplained rare mystical intervention and live for fuck off long, normal ponies see them as demigods of sorts". i've even given them things like groups or locations that they act as patrons of and prioritize above other things, but that stuff gets a little rambley so imma not do that on this post

for the anatomy tho, i can talk. i'll be using Twilight as a visual example because she's the one i've drawn in all stages

so basically the concept here is pretty similar to the canon, but with some funky add-ons.

first up- when an alicorn ascends, not only do they gain the wings/horn combo and grow an inch, they also gain some other unique anatomy from the other species.

Unicorn- along with the horn, they also receive the ear tip tufts i gave unicorns. these actually have a purpose, they're sensitive to magic energy and allow unicorns to tell where magic is coming from. depending on the unicorn they vary in sensitivity but alicorns are by far the most sensitive Pegasus- along with the wings, the get some of the extra feathers pegasai have on their bodies, namely the ones on their ankles that are used for finer trajectory adjustments in flight. they also receive the sensitivity of their hooves that's used to pick up changes in cloud texture and sense their stability Earth Pony- earth ponies may seem like they don't add shit, but they actually give two very important things. the first thing is a strength boost, as they're stronger than the other two pony species by nature. the other thing is dense as fuck hooves. that sounds kinda lame but they have rock hard hooves that allow for them to dig into dense materials and have a kick with some real bite in it that the others just can't replicate and might tear their own hooves up trying. they also add the visible fluff in the ear canal. but that's just a dust filter and if isn't cleaned properly might actually be more of hindrance

it's worth noting- if you look at Cadance and Twilight side by side- that despite being given extra anatomical traits from the other species they will always look more like the species they were before ascension. this is mostly visible in the ears, tails, and hoof shapes -unicorns have long tails with hair only growing from the underside, basic ears, narrower hooves, and usually have long fetlocks as part of their culture. -pegasai have short tails that are completely covered with hair and have rudder feathers at the base, pinned back feathery ears with restricted movement, and really shallow hooves with no fur around them -earth ponies have medium tails with even hair growth around a third of the way down, basic ears, and slightly taller hooves with varying fetlock sizes.

second up- the only uniquely alicorn physical traits that they really have (aside from height) are their hair and beards. unlike normal pony beards that are made of the same hair as their manes, alicorn beards are made of coat fur and will grow a specific length each year that marks how old they are kinda like tree rings. due to this the alicorns don't try to cut them. the manes are kinda funky cause they start out at the roots as normal hair, but then become more "ethereal" after a few inches or so. they tend to start to become ethereal roughly 10 years after ascension

they do have one more weird trait but it's less noticeable and that's the thing with the patterns. when an alicorn is first ascended they gain an extra pattern on their legs, and that pattern gains a second layer around the time they start to get their ethereal manes. you can see it happening on Twilight's lineup.

there's also a bonus thing here that has nothing to do with alicorns as much as it does unicorns- but i like the idea of Unicorn tails (flesh/bone, not hair) getting longer with age. it's usually not too noticeable because they don't normally live long enough for it to be really noticeable compared to younger unicorns, but alicorns do- so former unicorns can end up with some long ass tails in their 1000's

that's all i really got now- if i added in magic and social stuff this would have been way longer. i'm done with my rambles

[ornii]

Greetings,could i request Lucy Maclean x Male reader?,Thanks

Funny enough I was gonna do a short series on it anyway. Cause God Damn Ella Purcell takes the cake in beauty. So here’s—

The Wasteland Love Guide #1

Part 1: The Couriers Eye

Love, Betrayal, and tale as old as time.

Dim lit, you awoke in the rank scent of a sewer. The cold concrete against your back you felt a beating pain in your face. You sat up, the beating pain was too much to bear and you felt your face, and you felt, something in your.. eye. “Fuck..” you mumbled, pushing yourself up you looked around, it was too dim to make out anything specific, adding blindness only made it worse.

You literally had to shake off the potential concussion and walked along the concrete wall to a large exit, stumbling out you felt sand in your palms and and fingernails. Stumbling out into the sandy beach you looked around for any form of help. It was nearly endless sand, besides a few rundown houses. You walk your way towards it, trying to remember the last day of your life to recall what Happened, but nothing came to mind. Pushing a door open into a rundown place you spotted a furnace. Somehow the water was running.

You cleaned up your face and painfully washed the blood off your face. Breaking up old floorboards and wood you tossed it into the furnace to start a fire. Giving you minimal light you checked your body for any open wounds or cuts. None you can see thankfully. Sitting down near the fire you calm yourself and relax, and try to sleep off the pain. Nightmares echo and scream in your head, and in the last moments of your nightmare, you could remember one face.

Moldaver.

Your eyes open to a face, of a woman trying to see if you were still alive, panic kicks in and you push her away and reached for a weapon, a baseball bat. You cocked back and gripped the handle ready to swing, before you could, the barrel of a syringe gun was right at your neck. You had no idea just what it could have and taking the risk of acid or drugs shot into you would be bad. The moment was silent, only the cracking fire illuminating both of you. You clenched the bats grip hard, and you spoke sternly.

“I don’t have anything you want… why are you here?” You asked.

“I just wanted to see if you were alive. You, don’t look so good.” She responded, you noticed what she was wearing, a vault suit. It’s a dumb question but it was the only question you could muster. “You a vault dweller?” You said in disbelief, she dusts herself off, and actually stood up to shake your hand.

“Yes! I’m Lucy.” She smiled, you still in disbelief and probably losing blood, slowly put the bat down and shook her hand. “Are you here alone? I just need help looking for my Father.”

“Why are you.. telling me all this? I can’t even think straight.” You sit back down, holding your head.

“It’s probably hard to think straight with metal in your eye.” She said, and knelt down in front of you.

“You seem a bit, hurt.. but you also know your way around the place. I can help you with your eye if you can help me.” Lucy offered a deal you probably don’t have the luxury to deny. “Fine..” you relented. “How bad is it?” You asked her, Lucy leaned in to look at your eye, you saw her made a face that you didn’t particularly like.

“What?” You said.

“Damage mostly to the eye itself, your cornea is probably intact!” She said with hope for whatever reason, “thanks? Can you just take the metal out?” You replied. Lucy nods and begins to unravel her pack of shit she had. Small tweezers and bandage gauze. What proceeded was pain beyond belief as you tried to keep your eye open as Lucy, as gently as possible pulled shrapnel from it.

“MOTHER OF—“ you catch yourself before you can scream and bite your tongue.

“Sorry! Medical wasn’t my best, mine are nothing compared to my dad.” She drones on, and as the pain slowly began to subside you were interested. “You know… I always thought Vault dwellers were nutjubs for running into a hole in the ground but, fuck maybe I was wrong.” You admit, Lucy finishes your operation and patches your eye with gauze. “Our Mission is to repopulate the United States of course, it’s what we’re all supposed to do, to be a part of a better tomorrow.” Lucy said it as if it’s some slogan.

“Right..” you shrugged. And put the eyepatch on, but it’s just makeshift string with a patch of cloth. “I gotta ask you… besides wanting to find your dad, why help me? People don’t do this in the wasteland.”

“Well because it’s the Golden Rule.” She smiles, which made you, somehow happy. You smiled, but gave her a bit of brutal honesty. “You seem like a nice lady.”

“Why thank you—“

“So you’ll die a very horrible death.” You add in, and she tries to stay positive but looks a bit stunned by it. “Being a good person is gonna get you killed. The Wasteland doesn’t abide by the “Golden Rule” you aren’t gonna survive out there.” You warned her, but that dumbfounded look on her face.

“I really appreciate your concern for me, but I can’t.. a group of raiders went to our vault and, did a lot of bad things, I have to get my dad back.”

“A group of raiders… to our vault.. bad things.” You quickly came to the realization of just what happened. It seems That she went with the plan. You saw the hopeful look in Lucy’s eyes and, it made you feel hope in a world full of such evil. Were you, falling in love? Or is this her Lady Killer perk activating. You smiled, and hit your Idiot Savant perk and nodded.

“I’d be a real bastard if I just let you deal with all of this alone. Mind if I tag along?” You said, Lucy happily obliges.

“Of course! The more the merrier as they say!” Lucy turns and walks off, you shake your head and smile, following her.

“She’s gonna get herself killed.”

[e-dubbc11]

Under the Pale Moonlight

Photos are not mine. They are courtesy of Pinterest/Google.

Pairing: Billy Russo x F! Reader

Supporting characters: Frank Castle, James Wesley, and Wilson Fisk

Warnings: Swearing, violence, guns, knives, and fluff.

Word Count: 4.2k-ish

Summary: Billy is unhinged, you’ve been taken and being held for ransom. He will not rest until you are found and he can bring you home safe, and you feel sorry for anyone who gets in his way

A/N: Based off of a little conversation between @qu1etwolf and myself. She said she would like to see me try and write something with Billy and his violent like tendencies but I still wanted fluffy elements to it. It’s a bit dramatic but I’m pretty pleased with what I did here and I hope you enjoy it!

As always, thank you for reading!  I appreciate it so much and comments, reblogs are welcome and encouraged. Don’t be shy to tell me your favorite part. 💕💕 💕

That night was cloudless and quiet at first.

The sky was so clear, you could see just about every crater of the moon and the stars that were sprinkled behind it sparkled like diamonds under fluorescent lights. From far away, you could hear the occasional dog barking that cut through the silence and you could see the dark shadows of the autumn foliage swaying in the gentle winds.

The musky sweet fragrance of fallen leaves danced across your nose while the cool breeze enveloped you as you walked down the street…alone.

He told you he hated when you walked alone…anywhere…any time of day. Billy didn’t like it if you went anywhere by yourself.

“You worry too much, baby. I’ll be fine.” You had said with a warm smile.

Famous last words.

When you came to, your head hurt and your body was resting on a metal floor, the empty space was completely dark, without windows, and every noise you made echoed throughout the room. It sounded like you were inside of a shipping container.

You weren’t bound or restrained in any way but you were scared and convinced that this had something to do with a deal that your father didn’t want to make involving the company he worked for.

Pratt and Whitney built aircraft engines and while your father didn’t own the company, he was responsible for bringing deals to the table. They build engines for civil aviation and military aviation and when your father declined a business offer, it was for a good reason.

Not too long ago, he had told you about a man coming to see him that wanted to do business and would not take no for an answer and you were convinced that it was someone involved with this man that was holding you captive.

But you didn’t know how far they were willing to go, to get what they wanted.

**********

He let out a yell that could probably be heard by people outside the building on the streets below.

His office was completely destroyed.

Fragments of shattered glass decorated the floor, his laptop landed upside down in the corner of the room, the cracked mirror and the broken picture frames were also casualties of the war zone inside Billy’s office. With his gun in one hand and your picture in the other, he stared down at your smiling face trying to figure out what his next move was going to be.

He needed to find you and was ready to burn the world down if it meant he could find you faster. Billy finally found love, someone who loved him but didn’t put up with his shit, someone that put him in his place when it was necessary, and someone that told him it was ok to let go. You said you would never leave, never abandon him, and he trusted you.

But you were gone, taken someplace that he had no idea where. He wasn’t going to rest until you were found, until HE found you. Billy needed you to be safe in his arms where you belonged and he wasn’t going to let anyone take you away from him.

Still holding the frame with your picture in it, he smashed the glass and removed it to put in his jacket pocket. Billy holstered his weapon and headed for the office door where he was cut off on the other side by Frank.

“Outta my way, Frankie. Now.” He said, rage dripping from his lips.

Frank held up a hand to try and stop him from leaving.

“She’s high profile, Bill. The FBI said they were handling it.” Frank said.

“Oh come on, Frankie! Those corrupt assholes couldn’t find their way out of a wet paper bag let alone find her! I should have been more insistent that she not walk alone and I’m gonna kill every single one of them, Frank. Every…single…one.” Said Billy.

The icy tone to his voice and his mouth twisted with threat let Frank know that Billy was serious. He didn’t care who he had to kill, he was going to find you and leave a trail of bodies behind him while he did it.

“I can’t stop you, can I Bill.” Frank said.

Billy’s eyes darkened and his lips curled back to reveal clenched teeth.

“You know me, Frankie. You think anyone’s gonna be able to stop me? Especially when it comes to her?” Growled Billy.

Frank looked into Billy’s eyes, they shined with unshed tears as he grabbed him by the shoulder.

“Well let’s go get her then, yeah?” Frank said with one side of his mouth curled up into a half smile. “You have a place to start?”

“Her father had a business card from the guy that came to his office wanting to make a deal, willing to pay cash, classic red flag. The card had an address on it. He said it sounded like the same guy demanding the engines in exchange for y/n.” Billy said.

Frank scoffed. “Pfft, not too bright is he. Well I think Lieberman can get her last known location before her phone went dead, so I’ll go to David’s and you go to that address, yeah?”

“Yeah, lemme know what you find out.” Billy said.

**********

They finally had enough of listening to you bang on the walls and call out for help. It took awhile but the doors opened, the early morning sun peeked through the crack in the door, they came inside and tied your arms and legs. They put a piece of tape over your mouth as well so they wouldn’t have to listen to you anymore.

The harder your struggled to free yourself, the tighter the ropes had become and you didn’t want to expel all of your energy. What did they want?

And why did they want aircraft engines? While he had more than enough money for the engines, he was a civilian and civilians don’t require large engines like that and your father could see right through that so he told them no.

They had also taken your watch.

It was completely dark inside the shipping container so you wouldn’t be able to see the time no matter how hard you tried but they took it from you anyway. It was the watch Billy had given you for Christmas last year, the one that he had engraved “Until the end of time. Love, Billy.”

You managed a slight smile with the tape over your mouth thinking about what he said when he gave it to you. When you looked at the engraving, he said, “It was between this and ‘nice butt’,” which caused you to burst out laughing.

You loved him so much.

There weren’t many things in this world that frightened you but you were very scared that you would never get to see Billy’s face again. It terrified you to think you would never get to look into his endless brown eyes again, lovingly scrape your nails against his scalp, or tell him that you loved him and to hear him say it back.

You needed to be in his arms again, to have his body be a warm cradle for yours, and for his soft lips to kiss you goodnight before you fall asleep.

You wanted it all back, you wanted him…forever. And he needed to know that.

**********

When he wanted to be, Billy could be very quiet. He was so light on his feet, sometimes you had no idea he was even in the same room until you turned around to see his handsome face smiling at you, then laughing because he scared you.

That skill came in handy when it was needed. When he arrived at the address on the business card, he didn’t know what to expect so he drew his weapon and went inside the building.

Slinking down hallways and creeping around corners, he checked the building from top to bottom and found everything he expected to find…which was nothing.

The building was empty.

At some point it had been occupied but looking around him, there hasn’t been any activity inside of the building in a long time. It was just an address. But who owned the building?

He needed to get back, tell Frank what he found, and to see if David had any luck finding the last location of your phone.

**********

You heard men arguing outside but you could only make out bits and pieces of the conversation.

“He said he wanted her moved.” One of them said.

Then you heard a different voice. “Well where are we going to move her?”

You heard the first voice again. “He doesn’t care where, just move her. She probably has to go to the bathroom anyway.”

That voice sounded familiar…”He doesn’t care where…”

It was killing you not knowing who “HE” was. Who could it be? And that voice, where have you heard that voice before?

Also, how considerate of them, you thought sarcastically to yourself…you hadn’t had anything to drink in hours so you didn’t really have to go. You didn’t even know how long you had been locked inside.

More talking…

“I cannot believe you didn’t get rid of her phone until you brought her here. Her boyfriend owns the best private security company in the city. You better hope they don’t track her phone or I’ll kill you myself.”

Before they tied you up, you had removed your jacket and tossed it into the corner. If they planned on moving you, hopefully they would be dumb enough to leave your jacket where it is so Billy could find it.

You felt it in your heart that he was out looking for you and when he does find you, he was never going to let you walk alone again.

**********

“The name, Bill. What was the name on the business card?” Frank asked.

Billy pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, concentrating really hard trying to remember the name your father told him was on the card.

“Wesley…James Wesley.” Said Billy. “Y/n’s father also said that they don’t want money, they want those engines. And why does that name sound so familiar, Frankie?”

Frank pressed his lips together in a straight line then hung his head before glancing at Billy again.

“Because he works for HIM, Bill. He works for Wilson Fisk…Kingpin.” Frank said softly.

Billy ran his long fingers through his ebony colored hair, hell burned behind his dark doll like eyes, and he had the acid burn of bitterness in his throat as he said, “Well then he’ll be the final body on top of the pile. She has nothing to do with this and he took her from me, Frankie and he’s gonna pay for it. They’re all gonna pay, so please tell me David found where her phone was last.”

He stared at Frank while putting his gear on and removed the picture of you from his suit jacket pocket to stash it behind his vest. Billy was ready to take out anyone who got in his way including the authorities.

“He did…down by the water where the cargo ships come in. Might be holding her in one of those shipping containers…told ya they’re not too bright. And you know I’m comin’ with you, yeah?” Said Frank.

Billy shook his head furiously.

“No, no, no, I can’t ask you to do that. You have a family, Frankie. I can’t let you risk yourself for me.” Billy said.

“And you’re part of that family, Bill so you’re not goin’ by yourself. Gimme some of that untraceable Russian ammo that I know you have and let’s go bring her home.” Frank said with a slight smirk.

“I love her, Frankie.” Billy said with a slight hitch in his voice.

“Well, let’s go so you can tell her instead of me.”

**********

They arrived at the pier under the cover of the clouded night sky. The ethereal glow of the moon peeked out briefly from behind the clouds before completely disappearing on the other side of the fluffy clouds.

The steady wind picked up a little faster down by the water as they stealthily moved through the cargo yard when they came upon a chair that had been turned over and the rocks underneath their feet had been disturbed. It looked like someone had been dragged from one of the containers, close to where the chairs were turned over.

“The door’s open, Bill…go check inside.” Frank whispered.

With his flashlight on, Billy stepped inside. You weren’t there but in the back corner, he saw some kind of black fabric rolled into a ball. It looked like it was hastily thrown there. When he picked it up, it unfolded and he recognized it immediately. Smiling slightly to himself, Billy knew you had left it for him to find.

“I’m coming, sweet girl.” He whispered to himself.

Frank stuck his head inside. “Russo, you find anything?” He asked.

Billy held out your jacket so Frank could see it. “She left it for me, Frankie.”

“The drag marks go that way.” Frank pointed in the direction they were already headed toward. “They probably didn’t move her too far…maybe in one of those buildings across the way.”

They suddenly heard some rocks shuffle along the ground, Billy and Frank turned and fired in the direction of the noises hitting two men right between the eyes. Billy didn’t even blink, he just continued walking, not bothered at all, and was careful not to leave any evidence behind.

Carnage was the only thing Billy left behind and Fisk was smart enough to scatter his men throughout the shipyard so Billy and Frank would have to check every building.

He prowled like a jungle cat, slitting their throats with his hidden blade, one right after the other, not looking back and moving on even before the body hit the ground.

Billy’s expression was blank, completely zoned out and he would not come back to reality until you were safe. Even Frank had a hard time getting through to him.

As he got closer to another building, Billy heard voices. He heard a woman’s voice, your voice. He listened intently as you spoke.

“What do you want the engines for, Mr. Wesley? You know my father is only responsible for bringing deals to the table and he’s not in charge of making deals himself, right?” You said with a sinister smile stretched across your lips.

“My employer knows that yes, Ms. Y/l/n. But we’ve tied his hands and yours.” He said with an evil smirk. “The man I work for wants to build his own planes for his spice import/export business.”

“Well if that doesn’t sound shady as fuck, I don’t know what does. You are even dumber than you look, Mr. Wesley.” You said. “Pratt and Whitney isn’t going to sell engines like that to a civilian. My father doesn’t care how much money you throw at them.”

The door opened and you heard a deep shaky voice coming from around the corner. “I think your father will do whatever it takes to get you back.”

Wilson Fisk came into view. He walked around the table and stood next to Wesley who was sitting across from you at a long table.

“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Fisk but I know my father isn’t going to give you what you want and I know that you’re not going to kill me because if I’m dead, you have no other bargaining chips.” You said.

Fisk gave you an evil smile. “You know who I am.”

“Of course I know who you are.”

**********

Outside were a couple of large SUV’s and they had some of Fisk’s men inside which Billy and Frank took care of, almost a little too easily. But Fisk didn’t know what kind of marines he was dealing with. They were trained to be silent, anticipate moves by the enemy, and to kill with zero hesitation.

Billy was covered in blood, his black clothing had a bright red sheen to it when the dim lights from overhead shined down on to it, and the front of his vest was slick with all of their blood. He acted like it wasn’t even there, like it was just a part of his gear, and if Billy had the time, he would have tortured and tormented all of them.

He would have done it slowly and with precision, to make them feel as much pain as possible for what they had done. They were just doing what they were ordered to do but that didn’t matter to Billy.

You always have a choice in life and they chose to do this, they chose to work for HIM. They took you away from him and now they had paid the price…all of them.

Frank and Billy left no survivors, they didn’t let any of them go, not even one to warn Fisk they were coming for him. They were left to bleed out on to the gravel beneath them, the tiny pebbles were painted red with their blood as it pooled under their throats where they fell.

Billy would make sure the last two would never leave the shipyard alive.

**********

“That’s it. Keep them talkin’, sweet girl.” Billy said in barely more than a whisper.

Close to Billy’s ear, Frank said, “She has a smart mouth, Bill. I can see why you love her so much.”

Fisk started to speak again.

“You think your boyfriend is out looking for you? Hmmm?” He said.

You touched your tongue to your teeth and gave him a sinister grin. “I know what you want me to say, Mr. Fisk. But you’re not gonna get it. What I am gonna tell you is that my guess is you kidnapping me is high profile to the FBI and as soon as they find their way out of that wet paper bag they seem to be stuck in, they’ll be searching for me. Sending Mr. Wesley in to talk to my father was just dumb on your part. You didn’t even try to make it sound legit.” You said with a laugh.

Frank chuckled. “You two really are made for each other.”

You could tell Wilson Fisk was starting to get angry.

“I have people all over this shipyard! I doubt they can’t handle ONE marine!” He yelled across the table.

“I’m sure Billy is waiting patiently for that phone call to come in to tell him that I have been found unharmed.” You said in a sarcastic and teasing tone. “He would never EVER get in the way of authority figures.”

Fisk made a motion like he was going to walk over and strike you when a figure dressed in all black shattered the flimsy glass by diving through the window.

Before Wesley could pull out his gun, the figure moved in front of you and pushed you away from the table when two shots came from the window. One bullet went into Wesley’s head, the other into Fisk’s chest and he collapsed onto the ground.

Clutching his chest, Fisk looked up at the figure who just shot him and they pulled the hood up away from their face.

It was Billy.

“I wanted you to see my face as I watch the life drain from yours.” Billy growled.

Coughing up blood, Fisk managed to ask, “H-how?”

Billy flashed that perfect smile of his but he had an evil twist behind it. He ejected the blade from his wrist and inched closer to Fisk’s face before opening his throat and twisting the blade so the wound wouldn’t close.

“How?” Billy asked. “You took what is most precious to me in this world, you took what was MINE. And you fucked with the wrong marines.” He hissed.

Billy removed the blade from Fisk’s neck and watched as his blood pooled on the floor underneath him and the light faded from his eyes.

Frank lifted his mask.

“You ok, sweetheart?” He asked, trying to catch his breath.

“You came for me too, Frank?” You asked.

“Of course I did. I wasn’t gonna let Bill do this by himself.” He said, cutting your hands loose. “I tell ya what, kid. I’m surprised he didn’t try and hit you before I jumped through the window, you have a mouth on you.” He said with a smirk.

Billy rushed to your side and fell to his knees. “You alright, sweet girl?!” He pulled you into a tight embrace, so tight that it made it hard to breathe and kissed the top of your head.

“I’m ok, Billy. Really, I am. Only slightly traumatized, I think.” You said with a warm smile.

Billy’s lips collided with yours, his long slender fingers tangled in your hair as he planted kisses all over your forehead and your cheeks before wrapping his fingers around your throat like a necklace and softly kissing your lips again.

“I love you…so much.” He said, his onyx colored eyes gazed at you like he hasn’t seen you in a week.

Tears pricked the back of your eyes and one streaked down your cheek before he brushed it away with his thumb. “I love you too, Billy.”

“I hate to break this up, but we gotta get outta here.” Said Frank.

On the way back, Frank and Billy told you exactly what to say when you walk into the police station. Billy held you close in the back seat while Frank drove, his heart was racing, and you felt the gentle rise and fall of his chest against the side of your face.

He came for you and killed everyone that got in his way, including the Kingpin of New York City. The rage in his eyes died down and the tension in his body relaxed as soon as he held you in his arms again. You were back with him, where you belonged, and if he had to, he would do it all again without hesitation.

Billy valued your life more than he valued his own, he loved you more than anything, and he would take on the entire city if it meant you would stay safe.

He flashed that perfect smile at you after he kissed you goodbye. You weren’t even gone for very long but you missed that smile and wondered if you were ever going to see it again.

“I’ll be back to get you and you’re never walking by yourself ever again.” He said with a wink.

No one has ever shown you the kind of love Billy has and he’s never known love by anyone which is why you always made it a point to tell him every day how much you loved him, how you felt safe with him, and how you would never abandon him like so many others had done before.

His chin rested on top of your head in the back of the car, as his fingers danced up and down your arm, soothing you and telling you he’d never let anyone hurt you again.

You didn’t want to but you had to tell him.

“Billy?”

“Yeah baby?” He answered.

“They took my watch…the one you gave me for Christmas.” You had said.

Billy kissed the top of your head. “I’ll get you a new one, my love.”

You leaned back to look up at him through your long dark lashes and pulled him in close to your face and gently kissed him.

“Until the end of time, Billy?” You whispered.

He just smiled his million dollar smile at you and replied, “Until the end of time, sweet girl.”

Before going inside the station, you paused on the sidewalk and looked up at the sky, painted black and navy with the moon cast behind the clouds. Tears welled up in your eyes because just a few hours ago, you weren’t certain you would ever see the sky again and you were incredibly thankful to be alive.

You weren’t sure the sun would ever kiss the high points of your face again or see the person you loved most that would rather watch the world burn than live without you in it.

Under the pale moonlight, you closed your eyes, and inhaled sharply. The lingering smell of salt from the shipyard still fresh as you took a deep breath in through your nose and then exhaling, watching your warm breath meet the crisp autumn air outside.

You took in the familiar city scents that you never wanted to take for granted again, fresh coffee, warm toasted almonds, and pizza slices hot from the oven. The sounds of broken bottles hitting the sidewalk, car alarms, and ambulance sirens were all music to your ears.

You were alive because he fought for you…and won.

Stepping inside the police station, you saw uniforms everywhere, they were carrying papers, rushing past you, and not giving you a second look before one stopped, looked at your disheveled appearance, and asked, “Are you alright miss?”

You stood up straight, nodded, and replied.

“Yes…I’d like to report a kidnapping. And a bunch of dead bodies.”

Tag List: @mindidjarin @saintmurd0ck @wheresthesunshinesblog @rafaelakelley @idaoftheburningmind @snowkestrel @xdervyxccgh @mattmurdocksscars @fakehappy27 @music-indie-tv @fictional-hooman @kayhi808 @munsonownsmyass @gijos @celestialams @idek-what-to-put @anastasianeedstoread @ratsys @k-marzolf @nutmeg17 @rosaleenablack @vaguekayla @qu1etwolf @danzer8705

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[d1xonss]

Desert Rose

Chapter 29 ~ Shit happens

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Rose

✧ Era : Season 3

✧ Word Count : 6.1k

In this chapter ~ The group seems to come to some sort of alliance with the prisoners they had found, making some kind of trade that was fair for all of them. But in the midst of helping them clear a new cellblock they would be staying in, a lot more death was heading their way than they had anticipated.

We carefully made our way through the darkness as quickly as possible, the metal table squeaking wildly from behind us as Rick and Glenn tried to keep up while pushing it. I took out my knife, stabbing a few lone walkers that still lingered in the way as we pushed on towards the cellblock, following Glenn's arrows on the wall.

But we all seemed to stop in unison, turning our heads as we heard something come from the other end of the hallway, Daryl turning his flashlight towards the noise. Not a second later we saw the few shadows of the inmates getting closer to us, following a good distance behind as we moved. I whispered harshly to them to keep moving while moving towards the back, pulling my bow out again and putting an arrow in place in case any of them got too close. But there was no way we could stop moving and deal with this now. Hershel's life continued to hang on the line.

We all finally made it to the common room and Rick quickly yelled at Carl to unlock the door to the cellblock. I followed close behind them to make sure they had everything handled as they shoved Hershel past the door and towards the cells. They hurriedly moved him onto a bed as carefully as they could, and Carol frantically got to work with whatever she had, using some type of cloth to try and slow the bleeding down.

Beth's eyes were wide as she stood just outside of the room he was in, tears glistening in her eyes upon seeing her father like this so suddenly. The second I turned around to face her, she rushed over and crashed into my arms, holding me close as she sobbed over my shoulder, unable to take her eyes off of him.

"Is he going to die?" she whispered upon looking at his pale skin and darkened eyes.

The thought alone killed me as I pulled back and took her face in my hands, shaking my head, "No... they're going to do everything they can to save him, he's going to be fine." I reassured her, pulling her back into me as she tearfully nodded.

Maggie stood just a foot away from us, staring at Hershel the same way Beth was, a million thoughts running through her mind as she remained frozen. I only reached out to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked back at me and placed her hand on top of mine, smiling the smallest bit in appreciation that I was able to be there, not only to help save him, but to comfort them.

We all watched Carol work hard with the white pillowcases she was given, all of them turning a deep red after only being pressed onto his injury for a few moments. I could only pray that I was fast enough, hoping that my hesitation didn't cost the man his life.

I stood still with them for only a few minutes before informing them I was going check on Daryl who was still in the common room. In reality I knew that he was fine, I just wanted to make sure those assholes still weren't following us, knowing that the rest was unaware of the fact that we weren't alone in here. But I would also be lying to myself if I said I wasn't turning away because I couldn't handle looking at Hershel's almost lifeless body anymore. And seeing his girls witness that was hard enough as it was.

I swung the door open again with a loud creak, seeing him loading his crossbow once again before turning his head swiftly upon hearing the noise. His eyes softened the second he saw me, walking over and discarding his weapon along the way, pulling me into him. I didn't realize how much I needed the comfort until I had it, melting into his touch as I wrapped my arms tightly around his waist.

"Ya okay?" he whispered against the top of my head.

"Yeah," I breathed, "Are you okay? God... so much just happened-"

"M' alright." he assured before pulling away to look down at me, "And he's gonna be alright." he said as he nodded towards the cellblock.

I breathed in and out deeply before I nodded hesitantly in agreement, his hand tucking my hair out of the way to plant a soft kiss on my lips. But the truth was, I didn't know if I believed that. How could I when the future was always so unpredictable. I found myself only nodding along because of how badly I wanted it to be true, trying not to be negative about the situation no matter how bad it looked.

"Those pricks were followin us, it's only a matter of time before they get here." he stated once he pulled away.

I removed myself from his arms as I pulled out my weapon again, "I got your back." I told him with a small smile.

He smiled back at me, nodding before turning around and loading his crossbow as he picked it up from the table, the two of us now aiming towards the door for when they finally made their way inside. My heart was beating fast in my chest, not knowing exactly what to expect from the random inmates that somehow survived in here for so long.

It felt like a long and painful silence before we started to hear their quiet footsteps coming closer and closer until the prisoner with the long, greasy hair made his presence known first. He peaked his head out from the darkness, staring at us momentarily, before glancing around at the rest of the common room, his friends only following close behind in a small huddle.

"That's far enough." I snapped.

The man with the long hair smiled at me as he pointed his finger towards the door behind me, "CellBlock C. Cell four, that's mine gringa. Let me in." he demanded.

Daryl's stance only tensed, "Today's your lucky day fellas, you've been pardoned by the state of Georgia. Yer free to go." he spoke lowly.

"What you got going on in there?" the tallest one asked.

"None of your fucking business." I spat.

"Don't be telling me what's my damn business!" the leader stepped closer while pulling out his gun again, causing my fingers to almost slip from my arrow while Daryl stepped slightly in front of me.

"Chill man, dude's leg is messed up. Besides we're free now, why are we still here?" the bigger one asked.

"Man's got a point." Daryl spoke with anger lacing his voice.

The tall one scoffed, "Yeah, and I gotta check on my old lady." he said.

The leader glanced back, looking towards the rest of them like they were stupid, "A group of civilians breaking into a prison you got no business being in...got me thinking there ain't no place for us to go."

"Why don't you go find out?" Daryl asked.

Mustache only stumbled a little over his words, seeing as Daryl and I weren't budging, "Maybe we'll just be going now." he said.

"Hey we ain't leavin!" the leader snapped.

"You ain't coming in either." T-Dog spoke suddenly, coming out of the cellblock with his gun raised towards the men the moment he saw the encounter going down.

"Hey this is my house, my rules. I'll go where I damn well please." the leader yelled.

"There ain't nothin left for ya here, why don't ya go back to yer own sandbox?" Daryl snapped.

The strangers began to yell in obvious protest, not liking that we were trying to tell them what to do, and all the noise quickly caught Rick's attention as he flew back into the room. "Hey! Hey, everyone relax, there's no need for this."

"How many of you are there?" the leader asked, eyeing everyone suspiciously, wanting to know the exact number he would have to deal with.

"Too many for you to handle." Rick replied coldly.

His gazed scanned around to all of our faces, "You guys rob a bank or something? Why don't you take him to a hospital?" he asked.

His comment only made us freeze, slightly glancing at each other in confusion. With them being locked up in here for however long, there was no way in hell they had a clue as to what was going on just behind the thick walls.

I slightly lowered my bow as I glanced at them in slight concern, "How long have you been locked in that room?" I dreadfully asked.

He shifted uncomfortably, "...Going on like ten months." the leader informed.

"Riot broke out, never seen anything like it." the big guy chimed in.

Mustache then said, "Attica on speed man."

The littlest then spoke up for the first time, "You heard about dudes going cannibal, dying and coming back to life? Crazy." he muttered to himself, not knowing how real it truly became.

"One guard looked out for us, locked us up in the cafeteria and told us to sit tight. He threw me this piece and said he would be right back." the leader informed us.

"And that was 292 days ago." the tall one said.

"94 according to my calculations-"

"Shut up!" the leader snapped.

The tall one spoke up again, "We've been thinking that the army or the national guard should be showing up any day now."

"There is no army," Rick said bluntly, "There's no government, no hospitals, no police...it's all gone."

"For real?" mustache asked.

"Serious." he replied.

They started to grow worried about their loved ones, their past that they desperately wanted to get back and started asking us if we had any phones to contact them. We tried our best to explain that there was nothing like that left anymore and there was no way they could contact their families. Subtly breaking the news to them that they might be long gone by now. They just didn't seem to believe it, especially the leader, so we took them outside to show them all of the dead bodies we had yet to burn, and the dead world we've come to know.

The big one walked up to one of the walkers and started to poke it with a stick, cringing a little at the sounds it made, "So what is this, some type of disease?" he asked me.

"Yeah, and we're all infected with it." I replied.

"What do you mean infected? Like aids or something?" mustache asked.

I turned to him with furrowed brows, "No...if I were to shoot an arrow in your chest, you'd come back as one of these things." I gestured to a walker right in front of me.

"It's gonna happen to all of us." Daryl added.

The leader scoffed, "Ain't no way these Robin Hood cats are responsible for killing all these freaks," he paused before looking back at Rick, "Where the hell did you even come from?"

"Atlanta." Rick answered.

"Where you headed?" he asked.

Rick shrugged, "For now, nowhere."

He stood there for a moment before pointing down to the field with a nod of his head, "I guess you can take that area down there near the water. Should be comfortable."

"We're planning to use that field for crops." Rick said.

"We'll help you move your gear out." he argued.

"That won't be necessary, we took out these walkers. This prison is ours." Rick said sternly.

The leader only laughed halfheartedly at Rick's protests, "Slow down cowboy." he advised.

I pressed my lips together tightly and ducked my head down to stop the snort of a laugh that threatened to escape in such a serious situation. It shouldn't have been funny, but it was. And the look on Rick's face was absolutely priceless. My eyes moved over to my right, only to find Daryl deeply clearing his throat, seeming to find it just as funny as I did. Glad I wasn't the only one.

"You snatched the locks off our doors." the little one then piped in.

Rick then chuckled, "We'll give you new locks if that's how you want it."

"This is our prison, we were here first." the leader said.

"Locked in a broom closet?" I suddenly asked, growing serious again at their stubbornness, "Last time I checked, we're the ones who let you out. I'd say the place is ours since we worked so hard to clear it, meanwhile all you assholes did to get in was commit a crime and get caught. And could we please not play the whole "my dick is bigger than yours" game because right now it's clear to me who's winning." I sarcastically smiled.

With his manhood being threatened, he quickly pulled out his gun again and aimed it right at my head, everyone else obviously tensing up. But I didn't even flinch upon seeing his sudden movements because in the back of my mind, I knew he wouldn't do it. With everyone else standing around me, he knew in the back of his mind he would surely be dead within seconds if he actually pulled the trigger. He just wanted to prove himself somehow, assert dominance like all men seemed to do.

Daryl however didn't take the action as lightly as I did, stepping in front of me on instinct while fixing the man with a glare, "Ya best aim that thing somewhere else."

The leader turned all of his attention to Daryl, keeping his aim on me as I watched a slow smirk start to appear on his face, "She your girl?"

Daryl didn't say a thing, not wanting to give the man any power over him, but his silence was a good enough answer. The man's smirk only grew, "So that's a yes...damn and I was hoping to have a little fun with her. Well... maybe I still will." he subtly threatened.

A chill ran up my spine at his tone, causing Rick and T-Dog to pull out their guns instantly while Daryl started to walk up closer to him with his crossbow still raised. My hand inched closer to one of my knives as I took the handle in my hands, pulling it out of place before a sudden voice distracted me.

"Woah, woah, nothing like that is gonna happen. And maybe let's try to make this work out so everybody wins." mustache spoke up.

"I don't see that happening." the leader said.

"Neither do I." Rick snapped, his finger inching closer to the trigger

He was silent for a moment as he looked around to all of us, "I ain't goin back in that cafeteria for one more minute." he said with a stomp of his foot like a child.

"There are other cellblocks." mustache suggested.

Daryl took another step towards him, "You could leave. Try yer luck out on the road while ya can, before I shoot a bolt through yer damn skull." he spoke lowly.

There was an awful silence that followed after that, the men weighing out their options as they tried to ignore Daryl's obvious threat. I could sense immediately that the leader was working out a plan in his head as his eyes panned back over to me, trying to find an opening where they could somehow stay.

But then he scoffed as he finally spoke up, "If these three pussies and their bitch can do all this, the least we can do is take out another cellblock." he suggested. "Atlanta here will spot us some real weapons so we can do this. Won't you boss?"

Rick's jaw tensed as he tilted his head at the man, "How stocked is that cafeteria?"

"There's only a little left." he informed.

"We'll take half." Rick said without any hesitation, "In exchange we'll help you clear out a cellblock. You pay, we'll play. We'll clear out a block for you and you keep to it."

"Alright." he agreed with a smug smile on his face, slowly lowering his weapon upon hearing the deal.

"But let's be clear," Rick continued, "If we see you out here anywhere near our people...if I so much as see you glance at her ever again," he pointed at me, "I will kill you."

He was silent for a moment, taking it all in before finally saying, "Deal."

After we came to a somewhat civil agreement, we started to make our way back into the prison to get our share of the food, trailing back towards the cafeteria. As we walked there Daryl walked close to me and tugged on my sleeve, silently asking if I was okay, to which I only gave him a small smile as I nodded my head. I knew he was still pissed about what that guy disgustingly implied, hell so was I, but we needed to be careful about how we handled this. We couldn't just go on a rampage without it getting messy. But believe me when I say, I was tempted.

We finally made it back to the room, heading through the door to look inside the pantry and my mouth fell open slightly at how much food they had left. Piles of it just stacked up as if they had hardly touched it since the outbreak. Daryl pushed past a few of them, beginning to look at our options as he spoke out loud to the inmates.

"This is what ya call a little food?" he asked.

"Goes fast." the leader responded.

"Mhm." Daryl mumbled sarcastically, starting to pile up our share to bring back to everyone else.

The leader continued, "You can have a bag of corn, some tuna fish-"

"We said half," Rick interrupted, "That was the deal, wasn't it?"

I stayed back and eyed the interaction, watching the rest of them gather around the food to help Daryl out while I continued to linger near the door. My eyes glanced over every inch of the room they had been trapped in, noticing the small doodles on the walls and some tally marks to keep track of the days. But my attention was brought to another closed door with a big X carved into the center, piquing my curiosity.

"What's in there?" I found myself asking.

This caught Rick's attention and he didn't wait for them to respond as he walked over to pull it open, ignoring the protests of the prisoners. As soon as he opened it, he started to cough and gag slightly, covering his mouth as he slammed the door shut again, turning a little green. I stepped back upon seeing that, not wanting to know anymore, though I could only assume.

"I can't wait for my own pot to piss in." mustache stated quietly to himself.

After the guys gathered up everything as quick as they could, we carried all the food back to our cellblock and Rick went in to check on everyone else; to check on Hershel. But I didn't dare follow him, not being able to handle looking at the man, seeing him in such a state. I felt utterly terrible about what happened, and I didn't know if I could stomach seeing him unconscious like that anymore.

But Rick was quick about the trip in to see the others, keeping his half of the deal as he came back out to the common room with a few weapons in his arms. He laid them all out on a table, spreading out each and every one so the inmates could take their pick for when we led them in to clear their new home.

With spending a few extra awkward minutes with them, we all knew them by name now. The leader with the gun's name is Tomas, the one with the mustache is Axel, the tallest one is Oscar, smallest is Andrew, and the biggest one is called Big Tiny. Ironic.

Tomas held up a crowbar, examined it closely while asking, "Why do I need this," he then pulled his gun out, "When I have this?"

Daryl huffed, already growing impatient, "Ya don't fire guns, not unless your back's up against a wall. Noise attracts em, really riles em up."

"We'll be in the front and behind you guys to cover you, show you how to do it first before you do it yourself." Rick said.

"Just don't try and run off, you could be mistaken for a walker and get an axe in the head." T-Dog informed them bluntly.

"And that's where ya aim. These things only go down with a headshot." Daryl added.

Tomas scoffed, "You ain't gotta tell us how to take down a man."

"These aren't men, they're something else." I corrected, "But it doesn't really surprise me you don't need any tips on how to kill a man. I know I never did."

The inmates all looked towards me, noticing Tomas really studying my expression as he tried to tell if I was really telling the truth, his eyes slightly changing once he figured it out. Although I didn't say my statement for no reason; I didn't want this Tomas guy to think he was intimidating us in the slightest. I didn't want him to think that the little comments and disguised threats had any effect on me or the rest of us, no matter how hot shit he seemed to think he was.

Though my disguised threat definitely caught his attention.

"Just remember to go for the brain." Rick reminded, before nodding for them to move, leading the way into the dark tunnels.

It was completely silent as we made our way through the thinner halls, and I could feel the fear radiating off of them. The anticipation killing them at how long it would be until we came across a walker, dreading the moment they would have to strike. I lingered in the back with T-Dog while Rick and Daryl were in the front with their flashlights once again, listening for any noise ahead of them.

The prisoners had their weapons raised and I could hear Axel trying to control his breathing from right in front of me. His hands shook slightly in fear, and possibly from withdrawal with how violent the shakes had become. He could barely hold his metal pipe straight out in front of him. But they all immediately stood perfectly upright at the familiar sound of snarls making their way towards us from the other end of the tunnel.

"It's coming!" Axel yelled in fear.

We all shushed him at the same exact time, his frantic voice causing two lone walkers to easily come around the corner as they clearly heard the noise. For a start it was pretty easy practice. The prisoners started to slowly walk up towards the front, Daryl holding out his hand and counting down, signaling when to strike. But before he could even get to three, the prisoners all started to yell and beat the shit out of the two corpses, ganging up on them easily.

They took their weapons and hit them everywhere but the brain, the chest, the legs, completely ignoring what we told them not even five minutes ago. The rest of us stood in a line slightly behind them as we watched the scene with annoyed expressions. I looked at the men in front of me, and then slowly panned to the ones standing right beside me, their eyes squinted and their mouths slightly parted in awe of how stupid they were.

Though Rick eventually got sick of their bullshit and stepped up to kill the two walkers effortlessly. But before anyone could say anything, more of them were coming at us only seconds after hearing all the commotion.

"It's gotta be the brain," Daryl reminded while shooting one, "Not the stomach, not the heart-"

"We hear you, the brain." Axel said.

"You sure you're not deaf?" I asked unironically while taking another out with an arrow.

Oscar stepped forward and smashed his weapon into the side of its head, spinning around and looking at us in approval, "Like that?" he asked.

"Mhm." Daryl hummed.

More and more then started to come at us when hearing the action, flooding from around the corner as the prisoners were now killing them correctly, getting the hang of it pretty fast. We all stood facing the walkers, killing any that got too close to us while watching each other's backs and it was working pretty well. But my attention was diverted away from the others, sensing movement from right behind me.

At first I thought it was a walker, but as I turned my head to actually catch a glimpse, I saw Big Tiny slowly backing away from the scene. I understood if it was too much for him to handle right now because it is a big pill to swallow, so I let him walk away, but not too far.

I turned back around to kill one more walker that was just about to reach me, before I heard the man suddenly scream out from behind me. I looked over my shoulder once more and saw he had two walkers on him at once, somehow they had snuck up behind him and were grabbing at his shoulders. My feet rushed forward to help him, but bullets quickly whipping by my head and caused me to flinch, the walkers falling dead seconds later with a thud.

Without even having to look I already knew which dumbass fired a gun, but he was close to killing me. I still spun around on instinct, storming up to the man and shoving his shoulders back harshly.

"We told you not to shoot!" I yelled at him.

"Yeah...but his back was against the wall." he shrugged with a smug smile.

I gave him a cold glare while stepping closer to him, pointing my finger in his face, "Your shitty aim was inches away from killing me instead prick."

"Well-" he started to say, but was then shoved out of my line of sight.

In a flash, Daryl took out his knife and held it up to the man's throat, pinning him up against the wall. The man struggled and tried to fight back, but couldn't move from the position he was in, causing all the remaining prisoners to step forward threateningly on instinct.

"Ya stay the hell away from her, you hear me?" Daryl snapped in Tomas's face, ignoring everyone else behind him as he glared daggers at the man.

"Daryl," Rick called to get his attention, "Not here."

He then broke eye contact with Tomas, looking over his shoulder slowly at all the prisoners with their weapons aimed at him, scoffing quietly to himself as he slowly loosened his grip and pulled the knife away. But right as the man smiled cockily, turning to walk away, he shoved him once so his back hit the wall harshly as he had his attention again.

"You ever try that shit again, I'll fuckin kill ya." he said lowly before finally backing up and letting him go.

My eyebrows raised as I watched the entire thing closely. Hot.

Tomas let out a breath of air and started to rub his throat where the knife was moments ago as he moved away from him. The prisoners slowly backed off while lowering their own weapons, eyeing Daryl with a glare, but what the hell did they expect? His dumbass could've fucking shot me.

Daryl then didn't waste another second as he quickly made his way over to me, gently putting his hands on my shoulders, "Ya okay?" he asked in a much softer tone.

I nodded, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." I assured.

He smiled small, and squeezed my shoulders but then a voice caught our attention, "Guys." Rick said, as he looked at Big Tiny with concern in his eyes.

We looked to see that he had a huge gash from the walker that had attacked him, right on his back. The claw marks were red and irritated, bleeding slightly as he tried to turn his head to get a better look at what Rick was nodding to. A part of me felt bad for the man, because I knew he didn't want to fight these things in the first place, and now he was suddenly losing his life because of it.

"I'm telling you, I don't feel anything it's just a scratch." Big Tiny insisted.

"I'm sorry man." Rick apologized sincerely.

"I can keep fighting!" he argued.

Andrew then came up, eyeing the scratches before clicking his tongue, "You cut that old guy's leg off to save his life, how's this any different?"

"Look at where the bite is." Rick pointed.

"Guys I'm fine!" Big Tiny said again, "Look I'm fine, I'm not turning into one of those things."

"Couldn't we just lock him up?" Oscar asked.

"Quarantine him?" Axel suggested.

Rick was growing annoyed, "I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do."

"You son of a bitch." Andrew cursed angrily.

"I'm alright-" Big Tiny started to say, but was cut off when Tomas suddenly brought his weapon down harshly on the man's head. He paused for a moment, watching him fall fully to the ground before hitting him over and over again, Big Tiny's blood splattering all over his face.

Daryl subconsciously pushed me slightly behind him as we watched this psychopath beat his friend to death. I couldn't help but let my mouth hang open a little in shock at the sight. He did this like it was nothing to him, hitting him only one more time before slowly looking back up to the rest of us. His darkened eyes were utterly bone chilling. Just barely reminding me of Shane towards the end of his life.

None of us said a thing as he wordlessly headed towards the cellblock, and the rest of us had no choice but to follow him. But I waited until Tomas was a little bit further away before talking to Rick and Daryl, slowing our pace from behind him.

"Did you see the look on his face?" I asked them.

They both nodded as Rick started to say, "He makes on move-"

"Just give us a signal." Daryl finished.

We all nodded in agreement as we walked the rest of the way in silence. The next room we came across was an old laundry room, with clothes scattered around our feet, seeing the next door we needed to go through to reach the cellblock. But we all stopped short once we heard snarls and moans just on the other side and knew that we would have to take the many walkers out so we could continue moving forward. Daryl took out his keys from his pocket, tossing it towards the ground by Tomas's feet gesturing him towards the obvious.

"I ain't opening that." he stated.

"Yes, you are. You want this cellblock? Open the damn door." I spoke.

He stared at me, wanting to say something but Rick interrupted him, "Just one of them, because we need to control this."

He sighed and slowly bent down to pick up the keys and made his way over to the door, "You bitches ready?" he asked.

But he didn't wait for us to respond, he barely even waited for us to breathe before he swung open both of the doors at the same time, Rick's face turning red in anger.

"I said one door!" he yelled.

"Shit happens!" the man yelled back before stabbing the closest walker in the head.

None of us had time to argue before walkers were coming through both doors like a goddamn flood. But we still somehow managed with the amount of people we had, fighting them off before they could pile up. Tomas made his way over to stand in between Rick and I as he shoved a walker back, stabbing it in the head after it jumped back towards him, and I slightly faulted as I watched him. Although I couldn't move away from him because of the walker's extended hands coming towards us, I still couldn't shake the feeling I had as he only inched closer.

Though I remained focused on the dead ones coming at us, I saw out of the corner of my eye that Tomas swung his weapon harshly to the left, killing a walker, but just barely missing Rick's head by an inch. Rick luckily ducked out of the way before it hit him, but I didn't fail to notice. My gaze was torn away from the sight for only a moment, killing the next walker making its way towards me, but that's when I felt a sudden weight being practically thrown at my side.

My back hit the ground with a loud crack, as a walker crawled on top of me with its teeth snapping at my face. It didn't take a genius to figure out who threw it towards me, and anger quickly bubbled in my chest when I looked up and saw a brief glimpse of his face behind the monster's head. I groaned as I attempted to shove the thing off of me, reaching for one of my knives with one hand while my other arm kept its face away from my neck.

"T, mind the gap!" Daryl suddenly yelled as he ran over to me, instantly stabbing the walker in the back of its head.

He reached out his hand as soon as I pushed the dead weight off of me, helping me up quickly as the noise behind us died down. When we were face to face, his eyes scanned me over for any injuries and he opened his mouth to speak, but I didn't give him the chance. My eyes scanned around the room quickly before they landed on the long haired man, rushing up to him in an instant and shoved him back into a wall.

"What the hell was that?!" I screamed at him.

"It was coming at me." he said defensively, a ghost of a smirk crossing his lips.

I was fuming and I reached for my gun behind my back, but Rick quickly placed a hand on my arm, stopping me and lightly pushing me aside.

"Yeah, yeah, we get it." Rick said in an oddly calm tone, "Shit happens." he repeated.

There was a long and uncomfortable silence after the all too familiar words before Rick took his machete and stabbed him right in the head, leaving the rest of us in shock. Andrew's eyes were wide as he watched Tomas fall limp to the ground, suddenly yelling with his raised bat in an attempt to hit Rick. But I quickly kicked him back harshly in the stomach, watching him tumble down towards the cement floor. Though he recovered quickly and got up, taking off out the doors with Rick right on his tail as he followed him.

"Get on yer damn knees." Daryl demanded, aiming his crossbow at the inmates that remained.

I followed his lead right along with T-Dog, watching them hesitantly lower themselves to the ground, a mix of shock and sadness crossing over their features. Their hands were raised in the air in surrender, Axel beginning to panic that he would die too right along with the rest of them.

"We don't have any affiliation to what just happened. Tell them Oscar." he pleaded.

"Stop talking man." was all Oscar said as he kept his head low.

It had been only minutes before Rick came storming back into the room furious, starting to aim his gun at Oscar's head while yelling at them that they knew what was going to happen the entire time; that they planned this.

"Sir please! Please listen to me, it was them that was bad it wasn't us." Axel said with so much emotion in his voice.

"Oh, that's convenient." Rick snarled.

"You saw what he did to Tiny, he was my friend. Please, we ain't like that. I like my pharmaceuticals but I'm no killer. We ain't the violent kind, they were. Please, I want to live!" Axel pleaded.

I felt my face soften when I was listening to the man, lowering my bow the tiniest bit. This man was close to sobbing, begging for his life, I couldn't kill him because I knew that what he was saying was true. I saw the look in Tomas's eye, we all did, Axel and Oscar were different. They looked like they just wanted a chance.

Rick moved over to Oscar and asked, "What about you?"

The man shook his head, "I ain't never pleaded for my life. And I ain't about to start now, so you do what you gotta do." he said.

Rick didn't falter, in fact I think I saw him grip his gun tighter, not seeing the same thing I was as he was so obviously blinded by rage. I hesitantly put my weapon away, walking up to him slowly to place a hand on his shoulder, bringing him out of whatever rampage he wanted to go on.

"Rick." I spoke quietly.

He looked at me from over his shoulder, and I gave him a certain look with a tilt of my head that he could read like a book. He stood there for a moment, weighing out his options, before slowly lowering his gun and placing it back on his hip. He only muttered something about following him to the cellblock, before he beelined it out of the room, almost embarrassed at the anger he felt.

I felt myself relax, nodding towards the door for the men to get up and follow as we all walked silently the rest of the way towards where they would stay.

~ Thanks for reading!

[boygiwrites]

Harley D. Dixon 36

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📖Chapter List.

"Harley?"

Merle. It's Merle!

My voice comes out as a screeching cry — "Merle!" — like I've just watched him get shot at the climax of some dramatic movie, before I'm breaking free of Glenn and crashing into my Uncle's arms, and he's warm like the Georgia sun around me and he's alive.

"Holy shit," I hear him rasp in my ear as he hugs me tight. I'm thinkin' the exact same thing! Holy shit!

"You're al— You're a—," I blubber, pulling my face away from his neck to look him in the eye. "You're alive!"

It's been a whole year since I last saw him, but almost nothing about him has changed. His face is broad and wrinkled by the sun, nose ugly and crooked from all those bar fights, and he's still got that look of a brute about him that my Dad never quite mastered.

He didn't die in Atlanta. He didn't die anywhere. He weren't layin' out on the concrete roof of a skyscraper, slathered in sweat and blood as the dead tore into him with wet fingers like greedy kids at a barbeque — Not like he was during so many late nights, dyin' over and over again in my nightmares — because he lived. I got no idea how, and I sure don't got no idea how I ever doubted him, neither.

"I sure am," He smirks, his dark blue eyes tinged with adrenaline.

He glances over my shoulder at Dad, chuckling to himself at the sight.

Dad hasn't moved. Not even an inch. He stands there, staring at us with that same look on his face as when he watched me step onto that frozen river last year, afraid for my life but without anything he could do to save me, help me, pull me back into safety.

His gaze darts between Merle's face and mine over and over again, as if he can't decide who to look at.

Why ain't he happy to see him?

Merle's chuckle dies away, leaving us in a terrible silence. I can't figure out what's wrong.

"I asked you nicely to drop yer shit," One of Merle's friends warns them. "Or did you forget?"

Reluctantly, Dad and Glenn throw their weapons aside, lifting their hands in surrender.

"Merle," Dad eventually says in greeting, tense and unfeeling, glancing at me once again. "Long time."

"Forever," He agrees. "And Harley's barely grown a hair's width, haven't ya, princess? Woof. What the Hell happened to yer hair?"

"It got a bunch'a blood in it, so I cut it all off and now I just keep it short. Daddy helps me." I giggle as he ruffles my hair, my gaze dropping down to his other hand — Or, well — Blade. He ain't got no hand at all. I gasp, "What the Hell happened to yer arm?"

"You like it, huh?" He lifts it up, the metal glinting just a few inches from my eye. "Fixed it up myself."

"Woah," I breathe, looking into my own pupil in the reflection.

"You can tell her all about it back in town," His friend with the brown skin angrily butts in. He shoves his gun at Dad and Glenn, his wavy, black hair suckered to his forehead with sweat as he sneers at them. "I know a few guys who'll wanna have a chat with these fucks!"

Merle lowers his blade as he stands to his full height. "Hold up, India. You're really gonna ruin my nice family reuni—?"

"I don't give a shit if it was Christmas, Merle. They gotta pay."

"Arjun's right." The other man steps forward, snatching the gun and knife from my holster and throwing them aside, making Dad and Glenn tense up, relaxing only slightly when he steps back. "They're comin' back with us. Frankly, whether you like it or not."

I don't know why, but I back away from Merle, slowly at first but then I'm running to hide behind my Dad.

What? Coming back with them?

Back, where?

I thought it was all just a big misunderstanding, and that now I got my Uncle here, everything's alright?

Uneasy, I glance at the dead man laying off to the side. His vacant eyes stare at the sky as his blood trickles out from around the bolt lodged between his eyebrows, slowly dripping into a big puddle on the tarmac. Eric, I think they called him.

"Are you serious?" Glenn exclaims in outrage. "We've got a kid! Merle, that's your niece!"

"Wanna tell me where you're holed up?" Merle asks, and when Glenn's stammering is met with a smug look of indifference, almost like he's bored, I realize he's not going to save us from this. This isn't a reunion anymore. "Didn't think so. Wherever you're set up, I'll bet'chu my other arm our place is ten times the fuckin' paradise. Just make this easy for us, man. Harley won't be in no typa trouble."

Peeping around my Dad, I look up at his face. "Daddy, what's goin' on?"

I don't wanna go nowhere with these people when the invite's like this. They're angry with us — Real angry.

Dad looks like he's about to explode. "Merle—"

"It's either that or the Indian and the fat-ass shoot us all in the head right now," He deadpans. "And while I wouldn't be too sad about Glenny here gettin' his shit rocked, I don't fancy it happening to you or Harley. Okay? C'mon. This is a favor, brother."

I look up at Dad again, but he's silent. What's gonna happen to us at Merle's paradise town?

Glenn takes a step forward. "You can't do thi—"

BANG.

His hands fly to his thigh. "Fuck!"

As Dad gasps, I squeal, "Glenn!"

He shot him!

"I'm not messin' around, cowboy," The white man snarls, marching forward and grabbing Glenn's arm. "Get movin'!"

We're leaving with them. We really are.

Dad quickly picks me up and protectively cups my head to his shoulder, his grip on me tight. I wrap my legs around his waist, not realizing how much I'd been wanting to be in his arms. Oh, my God. I know we killed their friend, but can't we just tell them we're sorry? It was in self-defence, and nobody alive this far into the end of the world ain't done it at least once. We were only here for baby formula.

Dad grunts as the Indian man shoves us forwards with his gun, the sound of Glenn struggling to walk behind us.

He needs a doctor. We can't run away even if we wanted to, not when he's like this. That man knew that when he shot him.

Merle's laughing his ass off. "Holy shit, Boyd! Ya ain't have to shoot him!"

"Whatever, Merle. Just get the keys outta my pocket 'fore I shoot you, too. You're drivi— Shit!"

Mouse suddenly lunges at him, biting onto his ankle and shaking his head from side to side, growling nastily.

"Shit! Shit, get him off!" He cries out as Merle rears his leg back and kicks the dog in the face.

Yelping, Mouse backs off before a couple gunshots split the tarmac around him and he turns on his heel, scampering away through the trash and litter. My heart jumps and sinks at the same time, watching him disappear into the trees with his tail tucked.

I feel Dad's muscles tense under me.

Lowering his gun, Merle calls out after him, "Scram, poochie!"

"Shit, that hurts," Boyd winces down at his blood-soaked jeans, shoving Glenn forward. "Hurry it up. I got a date with the med bay."

"It's gonna be okay, chicken," My Dad's mumbling into my ear as we all make our way across the parking lot, fingers squeezing the back of my neck. "I can feel yer little heart racin'. It's gonna be okay. Me and Glenn and Merle ain't gonna let nothin' happen to you."

Merle said this was a favor. If we told them where the prison was, we'd be leading a bunch of angry people right to our family, and they might want to take our food or our beds or even our lives, just like those people that Jim was with who threatened the Greene farm. If we just let them take us to their paradise instead, then maybe— Maybe they can sort this out? They won't shoot us all in the head?

"Where are we goin'?" I mumble into my Dad's shirt, watching the forest shrink behind us. "I don't wanna go."

"I know ya don't, chicky. Me, neither." He steps up onto the curb of the pavement, then back down on the other side and through the main parking lot, approaching their car. The man keeps his gun on us as he pulls the passenger door open. "But it's gon' be okay."

"Shut up and take shotgun," The man nods at the seat. "Your kid can sit in your lap."

Without answering, Dad climbs into the car, door slamming shut behind us. I watch over his shoulder as Glenn is forced into the middle of the back seats, his face wrung in pain, his fingers curled around the blood gushing from his thigh. Arjun and Boyd take a seat on either side of him, the fatter man shoving him upright before pointing his gun at the back of Dad's head, scaring me into looking away.

"We're gonna take a little drive," Merle sighs as he swings into the driver's seat and pulls his door shut.

He twists the keys into the ignition, engine rumbling to life.

As he peels outta the car park, Glenn's pained groans growing louder by the second, I wonder where that beetle went.

We end up at a checkpoint gate.

Merle's got his window rolled down and he's chatting it up with another one of his scary-lookin' friends, who I guess is a guard. They're talking about work schedules and other gossip, until Glenn makes a loud noise and he bothers to ask who we are. Oh, that's the guy from my old group up in Atlanta, he's telling him, And my brother and his daughter. My niece. I told you about her. Can you believe it? I ain't really listenin'. I'm looking out at the tall walls of sheet-metal, the barbed wire curled along the top of it, the people holding big guns up in the tower, spitting on the ground and smoking while they stare down at us with loose smirks. Somehow, it feels a little like the prison.

"No shit?" The guard eventually exclaims with a grin. "Hey, congrats, man. That's some crazy luck you got."

As he looks us over, twiddling his fingers in greeting, I feel my Dad's grip on me tighten before Merle pulls his attention back. "You're tellin' me, man. But listen. We gotta head on down to the blocks — Tell ya about it later — so get Philip for me, will ya?"

"Sure. I'll radio him," He nods. "But, yo? Where's Eric at?"

"Just open the fuckin' gates, Mendoza," Boyd snaps, pressing his gun harder to Glenn's temple. "I'm gettin' impatient."

The guard makes a shrugging gesture before he takes a step back, whistling sharply at somebody. "Open up! They're good!"

"What the Hell are, 'the blocks', Merle?" Dad grits as the guards begin to pull the gate open and Merle drives through. All the barbed wire and metal walls fall away, revealing pretty town houses and flower beds lining the streets. Merle weren't lyin'. This place looks like— Well, it looks like paradise. It feels like we've gone back in time, to before all the blood and death and walkers. "What's the plan?"

"The blocks are where we put the undesirables." We pass a woman and a man walking together with a baby stroller and a cute little dog on a leash, and they're happy and clean, and I wonder if they know what 'the blocks' are. They look like all they gotta worry about is what they're gonna have for lunch. I also wonder where Mouse is right now. Poor little guy. "They're gonna question you and the Asian."

"His name is Glenn," I mumble unhappily, knowing nobody gives a shit. They shot him.

Dad scoffs. "Should'a known you wasn't gonna send him to a doctor. Y'all ain't the special-treatment type, is ya?"

"Fuck you, Merle," Glenn whines from the backseat. "Fuck you."

"W-wait," I frown. "Ya can't leave him like this, Merle. Herschel says it ain't right."

Merle shrugs. "Who's Herschel?"

"He's an animal doctor. And he says you always gotta take the bullet out, or it might not get better. Please?"

"Princess, I think what you're sayin' is adorable," He says as we turn a corner, the streets suddenly becoming a little duller — No flowers, less people, open dumpsters and construction cones lining the curb. "And I get it, but it's outta my hands, okay?"

"Well, can't ya at least give him a bandage?"

"What about Harley?" Dad cuts me off before I can argue any more. "She sure ain't goin' to no, 'block'."

"Hey. I'm stayin' with you," I turn to face him. If that's where he and Glenn are goin', that's where I'm goin'. I'on care if the blocks is where they put their 'undesirables'. I'll be an undesirable with them. I can't be on my own. "Daddy, I gotta stay with you."

He ignores me. "Merle?"

"I know she ain't. Don't worry," He reassures him, pulling in next to a half-built house. "She can stay in my apartment."

"Good," Dad slowly nods, but it's not good at all.

"No. Dad, don't leave m—"

"It's better this way. Okay?" He scolds me, brows raised as he waits for me to answer, but I know that look in his eyes. I know why his fingers are shaking. He's scared. I give nod, before he pulls me in for a hug. "Okay. So, shut up and give yer Dad a hug."

Merle cuts the engine off.

"We're here. Get out." Arjun shoves his door open and climbs out, pulling on Glenn's shirt. "I said, 'Get out'. Come on."

"Fuck you," He whines again.

Dad places a kiss to my hair, pulling away as Boyd rips our door open. "It's gonna be okay. I'mma see you soon."

I shake my head. "How you know?"

"I'mma make 'em."

"What's the matter, asshole?" Boyd taunts as Dad reluctantly climbs out, leaving me in his seat. "Never been to prison before?"

"Sure," Dad jokes, pinning the man with a unamused look. "I'm gettin' fuckin' deja vu."

The door slams in my face.

"Come along, then, tough guy."

It's gonna be okay, I repeat in my head as he shoves my Dad forward with his gun. I'mma see you soon.

I watch them go. I want so bad to run out and cling to my Dad's leg, so tight they'll have to let me stay with him, but I remember what he's always told me. Sometimes, little girls don't get what they want. It's always for my own good, so I bite my tongue as he and Glenn hobble down the steps of the building's cellar door, a cold sense of grief washing over me as the top of their heads disappear.

It's only now that I realize I don't even know where I am.

"You heard yer old man," Merle says to break the silence. "It's better this way."

It's like I'm back in the parking lot at Arrendale State Prison, sitting on Merle's hip while they take my Daddy away. That jury was just a bunch of pansies, princess, he told me, They don't get what it means to be a Dad. He's innocent.

"They're just gonna ask him a few questions," He tells me now. "Nothin' he can't handle."

"I wanna go with 'em," I murmur to myself, staring longingly at the closed cellar doors.

If it's just questioning, why can't I go, too?

"No, ya don't," He laughs a bit, twisting the keys into the ignition. "C'mon. Let's go kick back at Uncle Merle's place, huh? Like old times?"

I say nothing as he pulls into the street.

"It'll be fun. Ya still like Twinkies?"

The door to Merle's apartment closes behind me.

Dumping his backpack on the floor, Merle stretches his arms over his head, groaning as he meanders up to his kitchen cabinets.

"Got 'em stashed away up here somewhere."

"Woah," I mumble, looking around. "You live here?"

"Welcome to my humble abode," He chuckles to himself. "It ain't too big, but you won't hear me complainin'."

We ain't never had no apartment. Apartments are for hipsters and rich kids, as Dad liked to say, but it looks like Merle's been living it up since the world ended. I'm kinda jealous, but it ain't his fault I sleep in a cell and had to eat mushrooms for four months.

As he paws through his groceries, I head over to the lounge area, picking up the magazine laid out on the coffee table. The shiny lady on the cover smirks at me, and when I notice how she got no clothes on, I quickly drop her back down. The cashews scattered at my feet and the empty bag of crisps shoved under the sofa suddenly seem very interesting, and also the baseball bat laying across the cushions. Merle was never very good at cleaning up after himself. Turning away, I pass the dining table, approaching the open window.

Sunshine sweeps over me as I push the curtains aside. The street below is loud, busy, normal. A pair of ducks wade around in the still, green water of a stagnant fountain in the nearby gardens, one dunking its head under as an armoured truck drives by.

"There they are."

If Dad was here, he'd prolly tell me that joke about ducks I like — What time does a duck wake up? At the quack of dawn. We read that in a fortune cookie when he ordered Chinese food one night. I hope he and Glenn are alright, but I ain't so sure.

Merle drops the box of Twinkies on the table. "Here we go, princess. Sit down."

Turning away from the window, I take a seat opposite of him.

"Are those real?" I ask. "No way."

"You know you sound like some sorta feral animal, askin' all these questions." He throws one to me. "Yeah, they're real."

"Thanks, Uncle Merle."

"We got a lotta catchin' up to do. You gotta be nine by now, right?"

"Yeah, I think so!"

"So, little miss nine-years-old, wanna hear the rest of that story?" He grins, taking a Twinkie for himself.

Tearing the plastic open, I nod, taking a bite. "We all thought you was dead."

"So did I, girl." He jokes, shaking his head. "Oh, man, I thought I was dead. Weren't no way any old Joe was gonna get himself outta that pickle, but I ain't any old Joe, am I? Nah. I thought of you, I thought of yer Daddy, and I cut myself outta them cuffs."

"That's how ya lost yer hand?" I giggle in disbelief, earning myself a nod. "You crazy, Merle. Did it hurt?"

"'Course it hurt. But I got it cauterized, got it all bandaged up with my shirt. You know, y'all was gone, time I got back."

"Wait, what? So, we missed ya?"

"By at least a day, is my guess. Fires were cold. I found one of yer socks on the ground. Kept it with me for weeks."

Oh. My Uncle is a real asshole — He's exactly the typa person he used to pride himself on protecting me from — but I know he loves me. To think, if we'd left just a few days later than we did, he could'a been with us this whole time. I used to think about that every day. Things prolly would'a been worse with him around, sure, but he's family. You're supposed to stick around when things get worse.

"Sorry, Merle," I sigh, fiddling with the crumbs on the table. "We didn't wanna leave. Really. But we had to."

"Yeah," He sneers. "Was it Officer Friendly?"

"Nah, it was me." I admit. "I got real sick. We thought I got scratched by a walker and we went to the CDC."

He deflates a little. "Well, shit, huh? What happened?"

"It was like I was dyin'. Dad was angry at everybody. He broke a walkie. Turns out, I just had food poisonin' from some bad jerky Glenn made. Ain't nobody ever taught him how to cure meat properly, you know. After that, he was kind of our only friend."

"What, y'all like that little twerp, now?" He chuckles awkwardly, taking another bite of his Twinkie.

"Merle," I pause, a little embarrassed I have to say it out loud. "Merle, I like all of 'em, now."

It's been a year — A year.

I like Officer Friendly. His woman, Lori. I like the Asian, and the housewife, Carol. I like all of 'em. I don't know when it happened, or if I really had a choice in it, but everything is different now. Even if some things are still the same, like Merle.

That group is my family, but he don't need to know that. I know he'll just say call me brainwashed.

"And to be real honest," I reluctantly add, "They're prolly wonderin' where we are right now. Y'know?"

This Twinkie is nice and all; I'm finally back with my Uncle again. I even saw a dog on a leash. But I hope he don't think I want to stay here. It ain't really a paradise if my family ain't here with me, or if my Dad and my friend are locked up in a cellar right now, being questioned. I gotta go back to my real home sometime. I don't belong here. Ya don't belong in a place that you got taken to at gunpoint.

Merle looks down at his empty wrapper, wordlessly crumpling it in his hand. I can tell he's pissed off.

"How much do you like it here?" I ask, suggesting, "I know you got new friends and all, but what if you came back with us?"

"Baby, I got an inklin' that's not how any of this is gonna go down," Merle scoffs lightly. "I'm sorry, but it ain't."

"I—? I don't get it. Why not?"

Don't he wanna be with me and Dad?

"Think about what yer Dad said just now." He straightens, his metal blade clanking as he lays his arms on the table. "Things are better this way. We got running water here. Plumbing. Electricity. Hell, girly, I can even get'chu some of them Disney movies you like."

"I don't—"

"What was it again? Fox and the somethin'? Fox and the Hound? I can trade Patty for it. We can watch it tonight."

Swallowing the stale glob of Twinkie in my mouth, feeling it slide down my throat like tacky glue, I leave the last bite on the table.

"I don't know, Merle," I guiltily shrug. After a long, uncomfortable silence, I ask, "Can I have some water?"

He relents, sighing. "Sure, baby. Hang tight."

As he stands up to go back into the kitchen, I forget all about his promises of snacks and movies, thinking of my group back at the prison instead. They don't got no Twinkies, or TV, or my favorite movies, or even electricity, but I would still rather be there than here. There's gotta be some way I can convince Merle to leave this place with us. He must love us more than he loves his apartment.

I begin to wonder when we are actually leaving. They can't make us stay here, can they? This is just a visit?

Dad and Glenn are gonna get questioned for killing that man, Eric, and then Merle will vouch for us?

Either way, everybody must be worried about us. If not now, then definitely in a few hours from now when they realize we ain't came back. That trip never takes more than an hour. They'll wait for us, and then they'll wait just little longer, and then Rick will grab his gun and come looking, but he'll find nothing but mine, Dad, and Glenn's weapons laying next to a body in the abandoned parking lot.

We only drove for about ten minutes to get to this town. We never ran into it, but it can't be so hard to miss.

I really hope we ain't stuck here long enough for it to come to that. I just wanna go home.

BLIP.

The sound of a walkie chiming makes me jump.

Putting the cup down next to the sink, Merle groans to himself and digs into his backpack. "Shit."

"What is it?"

"It's gonna be Mendoza," He complains, before he presses the button down and there's a voice the other end. "Hear that?"

I shake my head. "I can't hear so well, now."

He pulls a face at me. "How ya mean?"

Instead of explaining myself, I just push my hair back from my ear, revealing my hearing aid before smoothing it back down.

"You got a hearin' aid?"

"I got two. Without 'em, I basically can't hear nothin', and with 'em, it's kinda hard to hear fuzzy things, or faraway things, but it's mostly like it was before," I say timidly. "Shane accidently shot my ear off last Fall. Messed me up good and proper."

"Shane," Merle sneers, laughing to himself. "Shane Walsh. I'll kill that motherfuc—"

"Dad already did."

"Oh," He chirps, sounding pleased. "Well, that works out, then, doesn't it? How?

"Beat him and kicked him 'til he ain't never got up again."

"Good to hear yer Daddy's still got his balls intact. What, so you know sign language and shit now?"

"Sure. So, what'd the radio say?"

With a sound of annoyance, he grabs his keys from his backpack and shoves them in his pocket. "I gotta go help out with sum', and I wanna see yer Dad down at the blocks soon, anyway, do some catchin' up. I'll prolly see you in a few hours."

I perk up. "Can I co—"

"No, ya can't come," He deadpans, opening the door. "I'mma lock this behind me. Don't open it for nobody."

"O-okay," I nod, obedient.

"Help yourself to anythin' you want, princess. See ya later."

The door slams shut, the lock clicking loudly — SNAP — before his footsteps retreat down the corridor.

Letting out a breath, I slump against the table.

Old times. 

Lucky me.

Merle's got a big collection of movies.

While the fiery colours of a cool gunfight flash over me, voices shouting war cries, I flip the cover of a different CD over in my hands. I figure I gotta keep myself occupied while Merle's gone, and he did say I could help myself to anything I want.

"Tom and Jerry," I read aloud to myself, smiling at the cartoon animals and shrugging.

The movie cuts out when I press the eject button, and the disc comes sliding out. I take it, replacing it with the new one.

A colourful menu pops up on the screen. Aw, cute!

I find myself grinning up at it like a monkey who's discovered electricity for the first time, pressing play on the remote and absentmindedly watching as the episode plays out in front of me. I'm surprised I even remember how a TV works. It feels like I've snuck outta my bedroom in the middle of the night, snacking on ice cream straight outta the tub while everyone else sleeps. I feel naughty.

I wish I could share this with the rest of the group, especially Carl. Ain't none of us watched TV in forever.

Jerry the mouse is slapping Tom the cat in the face with a banana peel when there's a knock on the door.

Flinching, I turn around.

I wait a moment, watching the door, making sure I really heard it. If it was Merle, he'd probably just open—

"Hello?"

Shit.

That's not Merle.

I press the eject button, and the silly noises and bright colours cut out.

"I don't think you should've done that," The man behind the door muses in the silence that follows, his voice calm, amused, like he's talking to somebody he knows, but I don't recognise the sound of it. "See, now I know you're in there. It was a bad move."

I really wish I had my knife or my gun on me.

Who the Hell is that? Wh— Who would want to talk to me?

"Now I think it would make sense if you would come and open the door for me. No point in hiding, Harley."

I can't help it — A sharp gasp leaves me.

"Yes, that's right. I know your name," He laughs, sounding almost fond, as I slowly rise from my position on the rug and creep over to the door, pressing my ear against the wood to hear him better. "My name is Philip, but people call me the Governor."

Phil. Merle mentioned that name at the gates.

A friend of his?

"Your Uncle Merle probably told you not to open the door for strangers, but we're not strangers any more, are we?"

How do I make him go away?

"I know your name," He muses boredly. "You know mine. If you want, I'll even tell you my favourite colour. It's green."

I don't give a shit what his favourite colour is.

Maybe if I just keep quiet, he'll think the TV is broken, or that he made a mistake — There ain't no little girl named Harley in here. Because there's no way in Hell I'm opening this door for anybody, even if I know their name and their favorite colour.

My heartbeat hammer, hammer, hammers against the door. Please go away. Please.

After a long pause, I hear him laugh to himself again. "You're not going to open the door, are you?"

No, I ain't.

"Smart girl."

Suddenly, I hear the sound of keys jingling.

My blood runs cold.

I jump back as the doorknob rattles in front of my face, watching it turn, gasping as the door opens. He had keys the whole time?

The man lets himself in and closes the door behind him like he owns the place, like I ain't just gave him a very clear message I don't want him in here, walking past me and coming to a stop in the middle of the room with his hands in the pockets of his grey slacks, smiling quaintly at me. He looks like an office worker, a harmless one, his clothes ironed and clean, hair damp and combed to the side.

I stare at the stranger — because that's what he is — horrified, violated, wanting to jump out the window. 

"Who are you?" I frown with my chest puffed out, trying my best to sound confident.

"Well, I just told you," He jokes, nonchalant. "My name is Philip."

"You ain't supposed to be in here, Philip," I warn him. "My Uncle, he's gonna kill you."

"Oh, I doubt that very much," The man chuckles to himself, like I've just made a very funny joke. "Mind if I sit, honey?"

I do, but that don't seem to matter.

He rounds the sofa and carefully dusts the crumbs off the cushions before taking a seat, gesturing for me to do the same.

"Come on," He beckons nicely. "Sit where you like. Don't be scared."

"I really don't think—"

His face hardens. "Don't be rude, either."

Shit, this is bad. What the Hell do I do?

I glance at the front door. I could make a run for it, but it might be better to pretend everything's okay. I don't wanna make him mad, and I definitely don't wanna get lost out there, so I shuffle my way over to the lounge area and sit on the rug again.

When my eyes dart to the baseball bat laying next to him, his smile returns. I think he likes that I'm scared.

"I'm going to confess something," He decides.

Too afraid to speak, I keep my mouth shut.

"Before I came here, I'd planned to promise you I would take you back to wherever your group is. Get you to tell me where they were that way," He explains, lacing his fingers in his lap as if he's in a business meeting. "But I realize you wouldn't fall for that."

He's right. I wouldn't.

I guess that's why he's here. He wants to know where my group is. "You ain't here 'cause you're mad about Eric?"

"Did you kill him?"

I shake my head.

"Then, no," He simply says. "I hope you're good at keeping secrets, because between you and me — I never liked him."

"Well, I sure as Hell ain't tellin' you nothin'," I say bravely, thinking of baby Judith. "I ain't even told my own Uncle."

"I know that." He continues smiling at me in a way that makes me wonder if his face is stuck like that permanently. "I could also tell you that the only reason I'm asking is to help your people out, share our resources. But you wouldn't fall for that, either."

Where is he going with this?

"So," He says patiently, "It turns out I'm not going to do either of those things. Do you know what I do here?"

"You're the president," I guess.

"That's cute." His smile lifts into a smirk for a moment, before he shakes his head. "No. I'm Woodbury's leader. 'Governor', remember? Everything I do is in my people's interests, just like I'm sure your Dad does everything in yours. When I start hearing that there's a new group around, I think of what that might mean for us. Have you ever had something like that happen? A new threat?"

"There were people who wanted our farm," I hesitate to admit. "And no, that ain't where we're livin' now."

"I didn't think so. What did you do about it?"

"We hung one of their guys in a barn. He was our friend, but... Sometimes, you gotta kill yer friends."

Philip is still smiling at me, but his eyes are all empty, like they're not really his. I've seen those eyes on dead people.

"I'm glad we have an understanding," He nods slowly. "In the past, I've had to kill my friends, too."

"Good for you."

For the first time since he opened that door, his smile completely drops. "You know who else I'm prepared to kill?"

My heart beat starts to hammer, hammer, hammer against my ribs again.

"Your Daddy," He says with that expressionless look on his face. He don't look so much like an office worker no more. He's a killer in fancy britches, with the blood freshly washed off his forearms. He's a wolf and I'm the little piggy, and I made a mistake when I didn't run away. My fingers tighten around my knees, the sweat hot and slippery on my skin. "If you don't tell me where your group is, I will cut your Daddy's throat open and make my apologies to the unlucky fool who has to clean up all the blood he leaves behind."

I can't speak. I can't. The words are congealed somewhere at the back of my throat, making it very hard to swallow.

"I wouldn't even have to kill the other one," He smirks a little. "I'm sure that gunshot will do it for me. Sepsis is nasty stuff."

Dad and Glenn. Oh, God, I knew it. We didn't question Jim when he was our prisoner, so why would they question them?

Of course Dad didn't want me there with them. They're in danger. They're in danger, and I'm up here in this apartment, eating snacks and watching cartoons and that's all I'll be doing when they cut their throats open or hang them from the ceiling.

"Oh, ple— Please don't," I huff, grabbing my belly so I don't throw up on Merle's rug. "Please don't."

Lifting his hands up, the man makes a gesture of peace, his smirk widening before he drops them in his lap. "Oh, I won't. I haven't exhausted all my options, yet, honey. It wouldn't be wise to kill your Dad right now. This is just something to think about."

I hug myself tighter as he stands from the sofa.

"For when I come back," He adds, staring down his nose at me, cowering at his feet in a ball.

I don't have it in me to glare at him.

All I want is to go home with Dad and Glenn and Mouse and never step foot in another paradise again.

Smiling that stupid, empty smile of his, Philip steps past me and crouches down next to the TV, picking up the Tom and Jerry cover. He chuckles to himself at the picture on it, before putting it back down and pressing the disc back into the player.

On the screen, Jerry starts hitting Tom with the banana peel again, but it's not so funny any more.

"Enjoy your cartoons, honey," He says oddly sincerely.

I watch him stand back up and make his way to the door, not sparing me a backwards glance as he closes it behind him. A grating burst of laughter comes from the TV, and before I can stop myself, I cry out — "Ugh, shut up!" — and punch it hard.

The disc slides back out, silently landing on the rug.

"I wanna go home," I whine to nobody.

Author's Note.

This chapter took a while to come out, but I hope the wait was worth it!

I can't believe I finally get to write Merle! Harley is very glad to see him again, even if she knows he isn't perfect. Meanwhile, Daryl isn't too pleased. Things have definitely changed.

Writing the Governor was SO fun. He's very creepy. Whenever there's I have a character who's really smart or has a way of dictating a conversation, it's always humbling when I remember that means I have to be those things in order to write them lmao. I hope I'm doing him justice.

Also hope you enjoyed the chapter! See you in the next one!

@poetoflawed

[rubydubydoo122]

In every universe Jason Peter Todd dies young. It’s a fate sealed across the multiverse. Maybe he could hope that there’s one universe where he doesn’t. aka, Jason, Dick, and Bruce go multiverse hopping, and are not having a fun time. (Ps, when I started writing this fic I hced Jason as Latino, but I don't really believe in that hc anymore, so just a heads up if you don't like that hc)

TRIGGER WARNING -> Child Death (it's Jason)

“Shit.” Dick squatted down right where he was and ran his fingers through his hair, “Fuck.” He ran his hands down his face, “Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, three times is a pattern.”

Jason blinked. He was still picturing his lifeless eyes staring up into the sky. He was still picturing his frozen body curled into the corner of the dumpster. He was still feeling the way Bruce cradled his lifeless body. “Huh?”

Dick looked to Bruce for help, but something must’ve clicked, “You knew? Bruce, you knew and didn’t–”

“I didn’t want it to be true.” 

“Ah, yes. And the multiverse is just going to bow down to your will.” Dick spit back venomously.

“Obviously not. Dick, it was two times, I didn’t want to worry you two if I was wrong.”

“Since when have you ever cared about worrying us? At least if you’d’ve told us, we could’ve saved Jason!”

Jason decided that if Bruce and Dick were going to make a scene, he was going to take in their surroundings. Make sure someone like… Ultraman doesn’t show up. 

They were on the Wayne Enterprise rooftop… and was that… whispering? Jason stood up and let out a whistle, “Oi! Quit the bickering!” He signed ‘ Someone’s here’ ,  and continued talking “I swear, it’s like we were sent back ten years.” Keeping a hand on the kris in his pocket, Jason rounded the corner where he heard the whispers coming from.

There was someone lurking in the shadows of the HVAC unit. He almost didn’t notice them, but after years of fighting the bats and assassins, and bat-assassins, he knew what to look for. “I can see you.” 

The person lept from the shadows, running at him with a metal stick. A bo staff. It was also a kid, who was very obviously new with the weapon. Jason grabbed the stick, and yoinked it out of the kid’s hand before he could land a hit on him. “Hold it, kid. I’m–”

Suddenly a bundle of red, green, and yellow kicked him right in the Jaw, and punched him in the gut, “Get away or–” He could see the recognition and confusion flutter across Robin’s face, “Who are you?”

“It’s One bad night for ART.” Jason put his hand in the air.

Robin put his hands on his hips and tilted his head to the side, with a little smile “That’s not mine, that’s B’s.” 

“You’re really gonna make me sing it?” Why couldn’t he have chosen a poem or something. Actually, no. He’s been telling poems to Jason's seconds away from death. He should’ve chosen an emo phrase like Bruce. “ I've lived long enough to have learned; The closer you get to the fire, the more you get burned; But that won't happen to us; 'Cause it's always been a matter of trust” 

A soft smile spread across Robin’s face, “You sound just like Papi. Give me one minute to yell at this Cabron. ” he spun around to the kid. “ You are supposed to be back at the cave. Agent A is gonna be so mad at you.”

Now that the kid was in the light and not attacking him, Jason could get a much better look at him. He was slightly taller than Robin, but based on the baby fat on his face and the scolding, he was probably younger. He had an awful bowl cut, (which, wow, his parents must hate him for that,) and was wearing a domino and a black sweatshirt. There was a camera strung around his neck.“What Agent A doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Besides, he’s on vacation.”

Robin scoffed, “Agent A always knows. I bet his butler senses are sending out a beacon to give you a look as we speak.”

“Well, I’m sorry if you’re a shit liar, but I think I can get away with it.”The kid gave him an ‘I'm scheming’ grin that was eerily reminiscent of Tim.

Wait. Hold up, “Tim?”

“Apapapapa,” Tim held up a finger, “Codenames and it’s Crow.”

“No it’s not. We just call him Egg. Since he’s supposed to be in the nest.”

Oh, Jason is totally calling Tim and Damian Eggs when they get back to their timeline.

Tiny Tim groaned, “You’re not the boss of me.”

“Well, I’m older. So yeah, kinda.”

“I’m taller.”

Robin crossed his arms, “I’m sorry if you missed the part where that giant is me.” He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder, “So technically, I’m taller.”

Tim frowned and then looked to Dick, “Is alternate reality me taller than Jason?”

Dick winced apologetically, “Sorry, Timmy, you only reach 5’6”.”

Tim let out a long spew of curses and something about his winning argument.

Bruce came out of the shadows he was hiding in, “Language.”

Robin raised his eyebrows, “So all Bruce’s are the same across dimensions?”

Dick made a so-so motion, “Our Bruce is older and grumpier.”

“We’ll fix that.” He grinned and gave Tim a look that could only spell out trouble. “I’m gonna call our Batman. Then you’ll probably be given some light interrogation, but then we can go to the cave and have hot chocolate together!” 

Now that the kid mentioned it, Jason was really hungry. And tired. How many hours have they been at this cosmic adventure? Four? It would be well into the morning in their Gotham. 

Robin lifted a finger to his ear, “Batman, we have an Egg out of the Nest. I repeat, we have an Egg out of the Nest. Also we have an ART situation.” a pause, “calm down, they’re nice.” Another pause, “I am not too trusting. I just have a good judge of character. It’s a different version of Me, you, and Nightwing, but older and they said they had their own Egg, so really, how bad could they be?” Robin grinned, “Also, N looks like he’s in his protective big brother mode, so we’re safe with them. We’re on top of the Wayne Enterprise building.” The grin faded into a soft smile, “Yeah, yeah, me too, Old man. Take your time. Grapple safely. Don’t hurt your back” Robin brought his finger from the com, and looked to Bruce, “You ok, B-man? You look like you’re gonna hurl.” 

Bruce shook his head, “Nothing. It’s just, you can be too trusting of people you want to believe you can trust.”

Jason groaned, “Oh my– Bruce, it was literally one singular time. I told you we would talk about it later.” Preferably, it would be never, but Bruce is going to keep pushing it in his own Bruce way.

“Hey, Skunk-Hair Jason, Are you gonna give me back my bo-staff?”

Was Tim a little shit in every universe? Jason saw something flicker across Robin’s face at the comment though. That’s fair, his Tim called him skunk-hair often, but that was probably the first time Robin heard it. It’s gonna do wonders for his self esteem.

He heard the telltale sound of a grapple hooking behind him, “I think I’ll just give it to Daddy-bats.” He pressed the button to retract the staff, and tossed it over his shoulder. 

As expected Batman caught it, “Egglett, I thought we agreed, no more sneaking out.”

“But I didn’t sneak out, I walked out of the front door. Besides, this isn’t our biggest problem right now. Dick, you said there was a pattern? I’m assuming it’s related to the realities you’re being sent to.”

Dick glanced at Robin, “Yes, but…” He looked to Bruce for help.

Batman moved so they were all standing in a relative circle. Meaning he was in between Jason and Jason, “How about you start from the beginning, Chum.” It was his Bruce voice, not his Batman voice. 

So Dick told him. How they’d gotten hit by the interdimensional ray, how they were in the warehouse, how they thought they were sent to the past, at first, how Jason had died. 

He saw the way Robin moved a step closer to Batman. He noticed how Batman shifted his weight closer to Robin.

Dick then moved on to tell them about the Alley. About the sudden confusion, because they were definitely in Gotham, just not their Gotham. He told them about the frozen kid in the corner. Jason.

At that, Robin seemed to freeze. Definitely thinking about the Man who had saved them. Weighing the pros and cons of life and innocence. Death and sins. Though, Tim seemed to pick up the pattern, and grabbed Robin’s hand.

And finally, Dick told them about them walking back from the library. And a 13 year old Jay getting hit by a car.

“So…you think I’m gonna die.” Robin didn’t look all that scared, but Jason knew himself. It was in the way he crossed his arms, and looked at Dick defiantly. It was in the way he was in fight mode. Then like an omen, the bat signal lit up. If it’s the Joker, Jason is going to scream. 

Batman placed a hand on Robin’s shoulder. The one that was farther from him, so it was more of a half-hug. “Do you think it could be anything else? Maybe a smaller detail you missed?”

They all turned to Bruce, but Bruce just shook his head. 

Batman nodded slowly, “Alright, we’re all going back to the cave. I’m assuming your suits are in the duffle, so you two,” He pointed to Dick and Bruce, “Can suit up. The kids can be on house arrest. Once we deal with that,” Batman pointed at the bat signal, “we can work a way to get you three home.” 

There were protests from Robin and Tim, but Bruce fixed them with a batglare™ which shut them up immediately. 

Jason raised his hand, “What’ll I be doing?”

Batman blinked at him, “You’ll… be at the manor.”

The kids will be on house arrest , He thinks Jason’s a kid then. “Oh. ok.” It’s ok. He’d make good use of this.

The drive to the cave sucked. Mainly because the Bruces got front seat privileges, and the four of them had to squish together in the back.  Jason did solve the problem by propping his knees up against the passenger seat and making sure to kick it every once in a while to annoy Bruce. Dick, who was sitting in the middle, used the newfound space to stretch out his legs, and give Robin and Tim more room. 

Robin had wrapped his cape around himself, like he was a burrito. Jason forgot he used to do that. It was mainly because the Robin suit had too much leg. Even if he was wearing tights under longer shorts. It was less revealing than Dick’s version of the suit, but still mildly uncomfortable at times.

Tim was squished in between Dick and Robin, but he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he shifted so that his head was resting on Robin’s shoulder. Robin froze slightly at the touch, but then lowered his cheek to rest on the top of Tim’s head.

God, is this how he and Tim would’ve been if Jason hadn’t died? The bickering on the roof, but moments where you could tell they really cared about each other. And yeah, sure, Jason and Tim definitely bickered now, but sometimes, with everyone, he felt like he was making his way through glass that had shattered on the floor.

Dick discreetly took a picture of the two, which was a bad idea, because it would just hurt more in the long run. When they had to go home and this reality would never be theirs. When Dick realized that the brother he wanted would never be Jason, because the Jason he wanted was long dead.

As soon as they got to the cave, Bruce and Dick made a beeline to the stalls to change. And all Jason could think about was how much the cave had changed since his time as Robin.

It was a lot emptier. The area for the training mats were smaller, Tim’s collection of bo-staffs was down to two, and Damian’s sword and knife collection wasn’t even there. Half of the work benches were gone, and so were half of the vehicles they now used. 

Most importantly, the two cases that held the suits of two dead Robins weren't there. It was just… an empty space. 

Batman walked up to him, and grunted, “Jay was wrong, I’m still taller than you.”

Jason blinked for a minute, because Batman? Making jokes? “Your ears don’t count.”

Batman pulled down the cowl, and did the thing where you measure with your hand. Except he went up a bit, so that his hand barely brushed his curls, “Yup, still taller.”

It hurt. It was weird looking at a Bruce who was younger. The one Jason wished to come back to since he crawled out of his grave, only to find the Bruce he was looking for had died too. Maybe that’s the reason why he and Bruce were never on the same page anymore. They were looking for someone in each other who only existed in their memories. Jason and Bruce would never be the same people they were before that day in Ethiopia. 

He glanced over to where Jay was helping Tim take off his domino without getting the glue dissolver in his eyes. “I’m not that kid, ya know.”

Bruce gave him a rueful smile, “I can tell, but you’re still my kid. Alternate reality or not.” 

It was as if he had grabbed Jason's heart with both hands and started to squeeze it until it would eventually explode. The only reason Bruce could say that was because he didn’t know half the things Jason had done. He didn’t know anything about him at all. 

Bruce looked like he was about to say something else, but the security alarms started going off, immediately displaying on the Batcomputer.

Dick and Bruce(the older one) burst out of the stalls.

There were Joker goons– why did it have to be the Joker?– flooding onto the lawn, jumping over the fence, and heading straight to the manor. So they were after Bruce Wayne, not Batman.

Except it was the Joker. And something, something Jay dying. And something, something the Joker murdered Jason. Things are not really looking good. 

Bruce(the younger one) pulled up his cowl, and looked at Jay and Tim, “Stay here.” He then made eye contact with Jason, with a look that clearly said ‘ look after them’ , then looked to Bruce(the older one), and to Dick, “Lets go.”

And the three of them glided up the stairs.

They watched the Batmans and Nightwing split up and make their way through the manor, on the Batcomputer. He watched as they silently took the goons out one by one. He watched as the Joker waltzed right into the manor. Damn, if Alfred was here, he would have shot that psychotic lunatic down already. 

Jason saw a little shadow dart past the Study. Except… It was too small for Bruce or Dick, but Robin was sitting right next to him, looking at the screen intently, hand hovering to warn them if needed. And the spot where Tim was standing was empty. “Tim?”

If they weren’t in the situation they were currently in, it would’ve been comical how wide Robin’s eyes got. Then his jaw clenched, “Why in the world would he sneak off now of all times?”

“Tim’s just a little shit across universes.” Jason paused, because if some rando started talking like that about Tim, he would probably give them a nice slap across the face, “He’s doing that thing where he comes up with a plan and forgets not everyone is on the same brainwave as him.”

Robin groaned, and reached over to click on something, “Tim, care to share what you’re doing with the class?”

There was a lengthy pause, but they could see Tim on the camera, crouched down behind a decorative couch in the fancy living room, “Arming the traps.”

Robin crossed his arms and started tapping his foot, “You really think that two Batmans and a Nightwing can’t take down the Joker?”

“I just want to help.”

“You can’t–”

Jason placed an arm on Robin’s shoulder, “How ‘bout this Tim, We switch places and you tell me how to arm the traps from the cave?” 

“But–”

“I’m only gonna ask once. I’m coming up there to get you either way.” Jason moved to grab his helmet from the duffle bag and a couple of shurikens from the rack.

“...fine. I– Eep!”

Jason turned his head to the screen so fast, he was sure he’d get whiplash. There on screen was the Joker holding Tim by the collar.

A laugh came through the coms, “I think it’s a bit past your bedtime. Don’t worry, Uncle J will tell you a bedtime story…”

Jason was already halfway up the stairs, “Stay here, Robin. Tell Batman.” Robin nodded, and Jason practically sprinted across the manor to get to Tim.

He could practically hear Bruce yelling at him in his brain about attacking the Joker without a plan, but here’s the thing— Jason genuinely did not care. He was going to make sure what happened to him would not happen to this baby version of his little brother. The Joker connives to get a rise out of Batman. It’s why he terrorizes the city. It’s why his exploits get worse and worse. It’s why he hurt Babs and killed Jason. And the Joker has only gotten worse as time went on.

Jason reached the living room and was about to fling a shuriken at the Joker’s arm to make him drop Tim, but he suddenly moved to put Tim in a headlock, with a gun to his head. 

It was eerily reminiscent of the way Jason had held the Joker during that confrontation. With Him, Bruce, and the Joker.

The Joker let out a laugh that grated against his ears like nails on a chalkboard, “And who might you be? For a second there I thought you were one of mine.” The Joker tilted his head, “Though, maybe you are… did you raid Daddy’s wardrobe? I do say, you look nice, but I think I wore it better.”

Jason tsked in a way that would make Damian proud, “With your pasty looking face? No chance. Let the kid go.” 

The Joker pouted, “But the show hasn’t even started! We don’t even have a full house yet. Batsy’s going to have to make a tough choice, huh?”

There was a crackle of electricity near the other entrance to the living room, “Let him go.” Dick’s voice was dangerously low.

“Well if it isn’t the first boy blunder. My, my, you’ve grown up quite a bit. And a new costume change I see? A shame, I liked the other one better. Though I do suppose this one leaves more to the imagination.”

Jason was going to strangle the clown, and then bash his face in, and then grab his gun and shoot him multiple times, and then–

The Joker brought the gun closer to Tim’s head, “Apapa, Big Red. Wouldn’t want Timmy’s big brains painting the carpet. The dry cleaning would be just terrible.” started cackling like he had just said the funniest joke ever.

He could see the panic flash on Tim’s face for a second, before he closed his eyes and took a slow breath, and painted over the fear with apathy. It was something his Tim could do much faster, but it was still… unnerving to watch a kid barely older than 10 do. Tim rolled his eyes, “You know for someone named the Joker, you’re not very funny. I’ve seen Batman laugh at Robin loads of times. He’s known you for what, fifteen years? Yet you still haven’t gotten a laugh out of him.”

The Joker hit Tim’s temple with the gun “Shut it, brat.” He turned his gaze onto Dick, “Say, Nightwing, what would ya do if I… say, killed the little b–haha! The kid. What would you do if I killed him? Would you punch me hard? Maybe if I fanned the fire, would the punches keep coming? Would they? Until I could no longer see straight? Until I could no longer breathe.” the Joker giggled “And only my Dark Knight in shining armor– a true love's kiss from Batsy could bring me back.” The Joker, since he got out all he needed to say, let out a full body laugh.

Dick’s jaw clenched so hard, Jason would’ve thought he was about to break a tooth. 

And Tim had the biggest ‘what in the ever loving fuck?’ expression on his face, “Mr. Joker sir, could you put me down? I think you’re a bit too delusional if you think you’re even close to being in Batman’s league.”

“Tim–” Dick was about to warn him to probably take the sass down three notches when the Joker started laughing again. Both Batmen stood at the same entrance as Dick, though their 

“Batsy! There’s two of you! This is wonderful!” He frowned, and looked directly at Jason, “Hm… I wonder where the little birdie is? Hehehe, Oh well, we can just start without him. Good thing too, my hands are getting sweaty. Who knows, my finger might just slip…” The Joker curled the finger that was on the trigger, but Jason knew he wasn’t going to pull it. Not yet. It wasn’t dramatic enough yet. Batman subtly shifted closer to Jason. 

Figures. Of course he would make sure that he could get in between the Joker and Jason if need be. Though, as much as it pains him, he wasn’t going to try to kill this one. Not because the Joker deserved to be spared or because Bruce told him to stop killing. No. It was because he knew Robin was watching through the cameras, and he didn’t want that version of himself to see the person he had become.

“Such an old house. I wonder if there are any ghosts here.” The Joker looked at Jason and shivered, but it was for the bit, because he gave him a grin that made his blood run cold, “Haha! Definitely. Though… I can feel something in the air. Like it’s making room for another ghost to join.” The Joker laughed, “Now, I based this off of a dream I had once. How did it go again? Right, I didn’t have an extra gun on hand, but it’s ok! Hehe, you won’t need it anyways.” He readjusted his grip on Tim and gave Jason a wink, “ You want to stop me, you’re going to have to kill me. All you’ve got is a head-shot. I’m going to blow his addled, deranged brains out, and if you want to stop it– Hahaa! You’re going to have to shoot me, Hehehee! right in my face.” The uncontrollable laughter kept getting louder and louder– How did he know ? They were in a completely different reality , How did he know ? “Of course, you don’t have a gun, so maybe a batarang would do. Right to the neck.” The Joker looked back to Jason, his head tilting as his grin grew impossibly bigger, “This is turning out so much better than I thought. I’ll give you to the count of three. One… Two…Thr–”

“ No!” Except it didn’t come from Batman, or Batman, or Dick. It came from Jason. But It didn’t come from Jason. It came from Robin .

A batarang hit the elbow that was holding Tim, sending him to the floor just as a shot rang out. Except the bullet didn’t clatter to the floor or into the wall, there was the sound of metal piercing through skin. But it didn’t hit Tim. Because the barrel wasn’t facing where Tim had been

It was facing Jay.  

Blood was gushing from the kid’s neck as cackles rang throughout the Manor.

“You know that’s how you wanted that night to end, Red. You aren’t supposed to be here, and you know it. Not here, not anywhere! Haha, you’re supposed to be– ACK!” 

Jason couldn’t tell if there was electricity crackling, or if it was just the static in his ears. He couldn’t tell if there was the sound of skin meeting skin, or if it was just the pounding of his heart. 

All he knew was that he took off his helmet as he bent down to put pressure on the bleeding. The bullet went through the side of his neck. Almost exactly where Jason had his scar from the batarang. Except the wound was deeper and he was losing more blood. And Jay was smaller.

Tim crawled up to them, “J-Jason…?”

Even through the domino mask, Jason could feel the demanding gaze from Jay, “No. Tim. ‘s not… y’r fault.”

“But, if-if I hadn’t left, then- then the Joker, he wouldn’t’ve–”

“Not. Your. Fault.” Jay grabbed Tim’s hand, “Don’t… die. Not f’r a… long time. Live.”

“You– You’re the one who’s…You’re actively bleeding out. Right now.”

“No. Batman… d’sn’t need…  R’bin. Br’ce…Bruce needs…. Someone’a… tell ‘im he’s not… ‘n dark. Bruce. Needs. Us.” Jay brought a weak hand from his heart to Tim’s, “Hope.” Jay looked to Jason, and gave him a tired smile, “‘s the thin’... w’th… feathers.”

Jason tried his best to return the smile, “ ”Hope” is the thing with feathers - That perches in the soul - And sings the tune without the words - And never stops - at all -” Jay gave a content breath out. He closed his eyes to just… listen. “ And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard - And sore must be the storm - That could abash the little Bird- That kept so many warm -” with each stanza, Jay’s pulse got slower and slower. “I’ve heard it in the chillest land - And on the strangest Sea - Yet - never - in Extremity, It asked a crumb - of me.”

Jay took one breath in, and he could see Tim squeeze his hand tighter. And as he let his final breath out, there was a soft, “ Te Amo.” that escaped Jay’s lips.

“Jason?” There were tears pooling in Tim’s eyes, “Jason, please . Say sike right now, this isn’t funny.” 

Jason leaned back and started to take off his bloodstained gloves, “Tim–”

“I-I promise I won’t sneak out to take pictures anymore. I promise I won’t sneak coffee, and I- I won’t lie to Alfred. I won’t make fun of your height anymore, just please – Jason , I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Come back.” 

“Tim…”

He looked up at Jason all bleary eyed, “Why won’t he say sike? He’s Robin , he- he– he can’t be gone.”

Jason spread his arms, and Tim immediately dove into his chest and started sobbing, “He- He’s never… He’s never going to be… big like you.”

Jason held onto Tim, “ Pajarito…” He rubbed small circles into Tim’s back as he sobbed harder. 

He wanted to stay. He didn’t want to leave Tim all alone just like that. He didn’t want Tim to lose one Jason just to lose another.

But the room turned white, and they were gone.

[abbythewritor]

"Fairness" One Piece x Saitama reader, Nine.

"Just a Normal girl looking for an everyday life. At least, if you call sailing across the seas with idiots with useless dreams a simple task, then you might wanna see a doctor. Seriously."

Warnings: Blood, gore, mentions of Luekimia, and heaps amount of blood and strength. It might be a little cursing, but not bad, and maybe some flirting in there, but it's mostly clean.

Other things:

-You didn't get bald due to your powers; you got bald to an extreme illness.

-You part of the straw hat crew, but others are interested in you and your power.

-Everyone that is a male is taller than you.

-Monsters from the OPM world will appear in One Piece, and I'll make some new monsters you will fight.

Enjoy the Ninth chapter, everyone!! :)

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

"CU-A-AH-CUTIE!!!!!"

The ground below you exploded as you landed in front of the admirals and a Giant orc whose head was bleeding.

Your eyes were darkened, your wig nowhere to be found, as your bald head was revealed, to the world, a new world.

Everyone around you was shocked, as your face didn't change a shade, as the dust finally calmed down, as your eyes and face looked up at the three men, your mouth son forming a snarl shape.

It seemed like Luffy made it as well, as he was smiling, his body all wet thanks to Jimbei helping him. I didn't have time to chit-chat; instead, I teleported from my spot, somewhat closer to the three admirals, as my leg returned. "DISTRACTING WIND KICK!" I yelled, kicking the air right in front of them as a blast of wind came from the impact, but Aokiji froze the air somehow, which made my eyes widen, as the three bolted to me.

I was able to teleport away, didn't know Luffy had a plan as when I teleported, a large log was thrown at them.

Stopping, Aokiji froze the log as well, forcing it back to Luffy, who broke it into millions of Pieces, using the gatling attack, but with his foot to send the pieces back to them.

That destracted the three, as I grabbed Luffy's hand. "Come on!" I zoomed quickly behind them, both of us flying to the execution platform Until Kizaru caught up to us, about to kick Luffy. "Too Slow, Mugiwara..." My eyes widened when he kicked Luffy far, my head whipping that way. "Luffy!" I yelled, blocking Kizaru's kick to my easily, as my head looked to him. "You made it this far little one, I'm surprised....especially with that injury of yours..." I smirked to him. "Do you think I'd let a sharp stick take the best of me? Think again!" I pushed his leg of, both of us going back as I slid on the floor, as he just simply landed as well. "Your strong. Guess I won't back down when facing you this time..."

But, as he was saying that, the men were about to execute Ace, which I saw, as my eyes widened. "ACE!!" I yelled, the weapons about to go down on him as Kizaru saw a chance to leave, not bothered to fight me which pissed me off, but I bolted, faster to Ace, not wanting him to die yet.

I was far away, I needed to move faster, but, time had different plans, as the weapons were already almost to the kill points.

'SHIT! NO! THIS IS NOT HOW FAIRNESS WORKS! HE CAN'T DIE! NOT LIKE THIS!' I thought, moving even faster, but, it was too late, as I was just too far away from him.

Or so I thought.

Sand erupted under the platform boards, killing the two guards before the blades could poke Ace, as mine, and everyone else's eyes widened, as Sengoku's teeth gritted with annoyance, looking for the coraprate.

My face turned releifed, a smile plastering my face as Crocodile strood firm in the crowed, his cloak blowing in the wind, sand swirling around him as the marines pointed guns at him, as he didnt' hesitate.

"I thought that it was to our advantage to have you since you hold a grudge against whitebeard. Crocodile." He finished, Luffy's eyes widened in surprise, hopping out of the debree, ignoring the marines surrounding him as well, as Marco landed on a metal beam above, while Jimbei was still in the water. I smirked, as I look straight at garp. "He still wanted to kill the old man. But he and the waters have changed. Do you think he's stupid to let the Marines get what they want?"

Crocodile looked to me, landing beside him as I touched his hook. "Are you alright?" He looked down at me. "I should be asking you that." I smiled. "Ah, right, just a scratch, I'll pull through, thanks for Saving Ace." He nodded, and looked back at Sengoku. "Don't think I switched dramatically, I can kill the old man later, like Y/n-san said....I won't let the mairnes have this win...or a taste of victory.." His words sent shivers down your spine, as you saw a white line go to his neck. Curious, my head tilted, as I simply grabbed the white line, which only scratched me. "Huh? What's this?" Crocodiles eyes widened, as he recognised the white line, as he looked to hear a familiar laugh, Doflamingo walking to the two of us. "Hey, you, gator guy! You turned me down and now, you wanna team up with Whitebeard and this cutie? It makes me Jealous." He smirked, his power leaving my hands, as I glared to him, as crocodile did as well. "I'm not gonna team up with anybody. I'll make an accepting arrangement to Y/n....she earns my respect..." Corcodile spoke, Doflamigno's smirk growing wider. "So that means your still giving me the cold shoulder, even taking the cutie with you, how fair is that?" "Looks like it's fair to me...I ain't taking her no where bird brain....think of it as being fair." I smile up at him when he looked to me, as Doflamingo let out anouth laugh. "I see then, let's see how this fairness deal plays out!" He attacked as well as Crocodile, as both of them clashed together, knocking some marines back.

My eyes widened with surprise, worried, but saw this as a helping opportunity, Luffy did as well, as we bolted away, heading back towards the platform.

We scattered everyone, clearing a pathway like bowling pins, as I was able to catch up to him.

My eyes looked up at Ace, who was looking down, not at us as I knew how he felt, which made me want to push forwards, to not loose.

As we kept fighting, dodging, trying to survive, as got closer and closer, until Luffy got hit with an Ice shard, as my eyes widened. "LUFFY!" He flung back, his back slamming and sliding on the floor,

Admrial Aokiji stood before him, taking the ice weapon out of his arm, towering over Luffy. "I owed a favor to your grandfather.." He lifted the weapon again. "But I have no choice! Because you chose to risk your life!" But, before he could stab Luffy again, I bolted, standing in front of Luffy, which made his eyes widened,until Marco kicked his side, sending Aokiji flying.

My eyes widened, eyes locking to the man, as Luffy did as well. "Y-Y/n." He spoke, as I just look up at Marco with admiration. "Thank you, for saving my tail.." He smirked down at me. "No problem Miss, Yoi, don't get your cute but in danger again ok?" He winked, turning to fight again as my heart raced, my mouth soon letting out a snort as I turned to Luffy. "Are you alright?!" He nodded, but winced when he leaned on his bad arm, as I held it gently. "Hang on." I ripped both of my pant leg fabrics, exposing my rather large thighs, as marines started to blush, as I wasn't bothered with the stairs, as I kneeled down, wrapping Luffy's arm with the fabric. "So no dirt or debree will get into it." His face watched me with awe, the sunlight shining on the battlefield behind me, as his heart raced, a small smile forming his lips. "Thank you, Y/n-san. What would I do without you?" I sighed. "Probably be dead." He chuckled. "Your right, but, that's not who I am. I came here fighting, for a purpose, for a reason, and that's to save Ace, so you can join my crew." My eyes widened. "Why would saving Ace make me join your crew?" He smiled. "So I can prove to you how good of a captain I can be, even if everyone is separated. Yet again, I'm not just saving Ace to get what I want, I'm saving him because he's my brother-" He pause when we heard explosions, as the giant Orc that helped a ship to land, got shot down, as mine and his eyes widened.

"N-No.." I whispered, as the Orc was an innocent soul, which was falling down to his death.

As he was falling, I saw him look to whitebeard, who held a face of remorse and sadness, as he looked back up to Sengoku.

The action made the old man pissed, as he clenched the weapon in his hand, as he began to walk, towards the edge of his own ship.

Everyone was watching, as he jumped over, right on the ground below.

"WHITEBEARD HAS DECENDED TO THE PLAZA!!" A marine yelled, as the man stood back up, Marines pointing their guns as him. "Stay back, my sons!" he ordered, looking ahead as he lifted up his two handed weapon, a white ball of energy coming out of it while he yelled swinging it to the left.

Cracks were made in the air, which caused your eyes to widen, which broke, a large amount of energy escaping as a shit tone of marines scattered everywhere, like an invisible bomb went off.

As i held onto Luffy as the wind picked up, soon it died down, as whitbeards face was lined with black, as he was angry, his own main grew hopping down with him before he held up his fist. "GUYS! RESCUE ACE AND DESTROY THE NAVY!!!" His words made me smirk, as I was done with Luffy's injuring, both of us hopping up, as we joined them, both of us bolting.

'Don't worry Ace.' I thought, as me and Luffy looked up at him, who's eyes were filled with water.

'We're on our way!'

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

It was tragic. Oars death.

It affected ace, as of the whitebeard crew, as Marco stood in front of him, with a blank face. "Thank you, Oars." He spoke, turning, to seek out the battle, as it was pure an utter chaos, more chaotic than before.

Whitebeard was walking, preparing energy on his weapon again. "Clear the way for me!" He ordered, his crew following orders as they ran, whitebeard about to do his main attack again, until Aokiji went up in the air, putting his hands together. "ICE BALL!" I large amount of ice spread throughout, heading to whitebeard to enclose him, as I turned, looking that way. "OLD MAN!" I yelled, telling Luffy to go ahead, as I bolted, Aokiji landing, as some marines though he was trapped.

But oh boy, where they wrong.

The ice suddenly broke, as I simply punched it, freeing the Yonko, as the Admrials eyes widened. "Ah! The kid is on his side! How could I forgotten!" Getting his powers ready again, as he jumped, about to attack me. "ICE..." I turned, Whitebeard growling with annoyance as his weapon came up, stabbing the Admiral straight through, protecting me.

My eyes widened from his actions, time stopped, as whitebeards large hand was shielding me from some shards, his hand bleeding. "O-Old man!" I yeld, as he glared down at me. "Don't be reckless next time brat.....your lucky it was just my hand and not your heart.." I gulped, as Aokiji's hand grabbed his weapon, Ice forming on it, as my eyes widened. "Pops!" I yelled, him not changing a shade, until Aokiji was hit, spread apart while he turned himself into snow.

A gaint man, his arm lined with Dimon projectect whitebeard, as he landed in front of him and me. "Pops! Move forwards!"

Whitebeard nodded. "Right, I leave him to you. Don't fail me." Whitebeard moved forwards, as I followed after, going ahead of him, as Aokiji was left with the Dimond dude, as the battle and war continued.

Luffy was way ahead, looking up at Ace, as Garp noticed this, his body shaking with sadness and fear for Luffy's life, as Sengoku just simply looked to him not saying anything.

But, as Luffy continued to run, he got slashed down, by a navy Vice admiral, as my eyes widened again. "LUFFY!!!" He slid on the floor, face first, his breaths more tired and heavy. "Vie admiral? The same rank as G-Grandpa?" He asked, slowly getting up, he tried to fight him off, but another Vice admrial came to help, Knocking Luffy down again, which made me run faster. "DON'T GET UP! I'M COMING LUFFY!!" I ran even faster, when Kizaru sent an explosion his way, as I teleported behind kizaru, kicking him easily out of the way, into the nearest building, as I was beside Luffy once more. "Luffy! Fuck, Luffy can you hear me?!" I was worried, until Kizaru came back. "Why don't you both just go away?" I dodged him, but he kicked Luffy away, making him fly to whitebeard, who caught him like a doll.

I sighed with releif, but still felt worried as Luffy was gravely injured, whitebeard glaring to him, as Luffy was upside down. Kizaru smirked at the sight. "OOOH! Whitebeard's command has dulled. You could've done better than that. I can't belive that you let that piece of crap...who is so reckless, take the lead!" His words made me angry, though they were meant to whitebeard who was holding Luffy, as my face lined with Anger. Soon enough, I stepped in front of him, and Luffy, my arms holding out widem my face serious. "I won't let you hurt either of them!" Kizaru's eyes slightly widened. "Oh really?That's a bold move coming from you Little one..." He readied his devil fruit again, as Whitebeards crew stepped in front of him also, ready to protect pops at all cost. "Oh how touching! A family reunion....let's see how all of you can survive this-" "THERE THEY ARE! Y/N-GIRL AND STRAW BOY!" A familiar voice spoke, as I turned and smiled, everyone else did as well, as Ivanka grew in size, herself like a giant as some pirates and marines spit their Saliva out. "I KNEW IT! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I THOUGHT WAS HAPPENING!" she told Jimbei, who was standing beside her large head. JImebi jumped down, worried for Luffy as Ivanka looked to me. "IS HE DEAD Y/N GIRL?!" My brows furrowed, looking down. "He's badly injured..." Ivanka called, Luffy struggling in whitebeards hold, as he tossed him to some crew members to get checked out and treated, as I bolted, running that way. Luffy struggled against their hold, getting out as he pleaded to let him go and save Ace, as everyone heard his hurtful cries and please, but as he left and tried to run, he just tumbled to the floor again, as I rushed to his side. "Luffy!" I spoke, worried, as Jimbei went beside me, as I shook him, trying to get him to wake up, but nothing was happening, as he was passed out.

"Shit..! Surgeon you have to do something, please! He needs to save Ace!" The doctor reasurred me he will do his work, as Jimbie looked back, as whitebeard and Aukini clashed, large amounts of Whit/red energy clashing each other, as I never seen so much power in my life. "Y/n-San! Let's leave Luffy with the surgeon! We need to move forwards!" I didn't like his statement, but understood as all Luffy wants to do is rescue Ace. I turned to look at him, my face gently caressing his face. "Don't worry Luffy...we'll rescue Ace...you'll recover...I have faith...." Before i left, I pecked his cheek gently, yet lovingly, before running with Jimbei, advancing to the battle.

Marco seemed to be coming with us, as many allies of the whitebeard pirates joined as well, all of us heading to Ace's direction. Looking to Marco through the smoke, I yelled to him. "Try to see is you can get to Ace by air!" Liking my statement, he already thought of that plan as he advanced high in the air, which the admirals saw.

Sengoku, annoyed, spoke in the snail thing. "WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING!? SHOOT HIM DOWN ALREADY!!" As some of the marines tried to shoot Marco, but didn't work. "W-WE CAN'T" They replied as Marco got closer, until Garp got up from his seat, bolting to Marco, who easily got knocked back by him.

But, for Marco to do an areal attack was all apart of your plan, as you looked to Jimbei. "Give me a boost!" I spoke, Stopping a little ways from him as he knew what I was doing, and nodded..

Once Jimbei bended down a little, I ran to him, his large hands getting stepped on by my feet as he used his strength to push me up high in the sky, as I used my incredible speed to get even closer, right up to Sengoku's face. "You think that was the only move he thought of!? Think again!"

I puched Sengoku, away from Ace as he stumbled off the platform, his teeth gritting with annoyance, looking up as I landed on the platform, my eyes dark.

Ace was shocked, looking up at me, as I didn't let my guard down, as I simply sat down, as I knew Luffy was going to get up. "Ace.." I spoke, himself still not believing I'm right next to him, as my head turned to face him. "Are you ready to be rescued?" My words were almost a myth, as he just looked down at me, as I simply blankly looked at him, as I scooted closer.

But, as I got coser, Garp, Sengoku, and some of the Admrials surrounded the two of us, as his eyes widened. "Get out of the way!!" I didn't change a shade of emotion, instead, I looked to the four, before my eyes slightly widened. "Die." Energy came out of me, a unique sound going throughout everywhere, as the energy spread through the adrmials, pushing them back, as their eyes widened, recognizing the power.

All of them landed to the floor, some other marines and pirates unable to stand, as tinted yellow electricity and light came out of me, as if the energy is destructive.

'I-It can't be...' Ace thought, looking to me with utter shock, as did garp and the admrials.

Ivankove and Jimbei where shocked as well, Marco and pops smirking, as of Doflamingo, who him and Crocodile paused their fighting, looking my way, as did Mihawk, whoput his sword away. A small smile formed his lips, as he finally understood me, as I was just like Luffy, not wanting to back down. "Looks like you evolved, little rabbit...." He spoke, his heart racing wildly, as Whitebeard's smirk was still on his face. "The brat........"

"Has conquerer's Haki..."

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

Author: WOOOOHOOO!! Another chapter done! Sorry it took awhile, I have been busy with my everyday life and writing other chapters from other books. I hope you all are still doing safe, and don't forget about the fanart contest by the end of the week!

For this book make sure you do two things.

Draw Y/n by herself.

And draw any character from this book with her, or your favorite scene so far.

The only Major rule I require is no adult content, or your art will be disqualified!

Anyways, I have to prepare for work tomorrow and have a blessed evening!

BYE LOVELIES!!"

[cibeeorsomeshit]

Trigger Warning 🔞

: gun sex (ao3)

Blitzø thought he heard it wrong. Stolas’ fancy talk and/or horny talk was unintelligible at the best of times, but those were all simple words Blitzø understood but couldn’t comprehend. 

“Shit, you got some suicidal tendencies you haven’t told me?” Blitzø forced himself to stay put and not be backed into a literal corner. “Because then you need a therapist and not a fuck buddy. Shit. Fuck.” Blitzø was still reeling. 

Stolas’ slender talons played with Blitzø’s flintlock pistol, stroking and caressing in the way Blitzø was so familiar with, though usually it was directed at something benign: a pen, the rim of a wine glass, Blitzø’s back. The closest thing to a weapon those hands stroked was Blitzø’ dick and no matter how good he thought he was, his dick wasn’t powerful enough to blow a hole in Stolas’ stomach. 

“How is this different from the bear trap?” Stolas asked, not at all ashamed or embarrassed. Not at all like the times Blitzø sussed out some sort of buried kink Stolas had, usually by doing something unexpected during sex and felt Stolas’ wet hole or mouth clenched tight around him. Like when Blitzø slapped Stolas in the face with his tail for being a brat and Stolas’ whole inside convulsed around his dick and soaked it until Blitzø thought his dick was going to be puffy and wrinkled like he was in the shower for too long (later Stolas told him what was not how dick skin worked so whatever.)

“Because a bear trap is just a glorified bite, you asshole.” A bite that broke his fucking arm, but Stolas, the freak that he was, hadn’t allowed Blitzø to stop and pleaded to keep being fucked while his blood soaked through the mattress. 

“You know it won’t kill me, right, Blitzy?” 

So what? Blitzø wanted to scream at him. With where Stolas was planning on shoving the pistol, if it did go off Stolas wouldn’t be able to walk it off like he did after most of their session. 

Stolas brought the pistol up to his face, pressed his mouth to it, kissed up the length and swirled his tongue around the opening, gunpowder residue sticking to the pink flesh. “I know you like this weapon, darling, and anything you like I cannot help find interesting.”

“You’re gonna shove a horse up your hole next?” 

Stolas smiled, cheek pressed against the wet metal of the gun. “Well, you do have lots of horses to put inside of me.”

“Your pussy will probably break them.”

“Awww…” Stolas cooed like Blitzø just paid him a compliment (which, okay, it kind of was.) “One idea at a time, darling. Are you amenable to mine?”

“Why now?” Blitzø snatched the pistol back, and Stolas let him easily enough. “You could have found someone to shove all sorts of stuff  into you, including firearms.”

Stolas looked genuinely surprised at Blitzø’s inquiry. “Why would I ask anyone else?” he replied. “I trust you.” 

Blitzø put the pistol down. 

“What?”

“Of course I would not force you to participate if you do not wish to.” Stolas sunk back into the numerous plush pillows on his bed, waist so small it drove Blitzø fucking crazy when its all stretched out like this. “But I would not go look for someone else for this particular fantasy.”

“Because,” because Blitzø just had to confirm. “You trust me?” 

“...yes?” Stolas was looking more confused by the second. “Are…you alright, Blitzø? We really don’t have to —”

The golden pistol, already half-cocked, pressed against Stolas’ chin, forcing a surprised exhale out of him. 

“You’ll only let me do this, huh, Stolas?” Blitzø whispered, low enough that it would have been inaudible to anyone else, but Stolas’ hearing picked it up perfectly. 

“Yes,” Stolas said, holding Blitzø’s gaze. He was hyper aware of the muzzle, first firmly at his jaw, then slowly moving down to his neck, his chest, paused there, right over his heart. 

Sex between them was usually loud enough to drive away most of Stolas’ staff in the entire wing. Stolas loved to scream and Blitzø loved making him scream. Even when they were not actively fucking, they were loud —  laughing or swearing or talking. Quiet was not part of their conscious routine.

Everything was quiet now. Even their breathing. Even — “Your heartbeat,” Blitzø said. 

“Hm?” Stolas spread his legs and caged Blitzø between them.

“It’s slow.” Blitzø clarified.

“Nothing to be nervous about.”

The pistol moved further down, teasing Stolas’ opening, playing with the folds there. Stolas widened his legs and sighed. 

“Fuck,” Blitzø said. 

“Preferably,” Stolas replied. 

Blitzø dipped the tip of the pistol inside of Stolas, glancing up to check on him. But Stolas had his eyes closed, mouth opened slightly, finally breathing a little harder. Blitzø’s free hand pressed against Stolas’ chest, feeling the rhythm there. Still frighteningly calm. 

“Is the gun fully cocked?” Stolas asked.

“Fuck,” Blitzø repeated, and did as he was told. He moved slowly, all the way until it could no longer fit, with the frizzen blocking the way. 

He fucked Stolas slowly. The pistol glistened with slick and cum and Blitzø was pretty sure the gunpowder was now all wet and useless anyway. Stolas hummed happily, like this was a half-asleep lovemaking where being close was more important than pleasure. Blitzø trembled from how hard he was controlling the weapon he normally paid no mind to where the bullet would end up. He carefully moved his finger. Stolas must have felt it.

“Is your finger on the trigger?” 

“Yeah,” Blitzø said roughly.

“Yesssss…” Stolas hissed, yet all of him unfurled, melting into a puddle. His orgasm was as quiet as everything else, leaking onto Blitzø’s gun, his hand, his thighs. 

Still laying flat on the bed, Stolas curled around Blitzø so they were a snug little ball in the middle of the mattress. “Sorry for ruining your gun,” Stolas said. 

“Yeah.” Blitzø was so speechless. He didn’t even cum, but there was fire licking every part of him, so different from arousal, and nothing like the surge of power from taking a life. Blitzø was boneless from it, and couldn’t tell Stolas that this had just become his favorite gun. 

[trickstarbrave]

exploring elder scrolls lore is a lot like playing historian and theologian. its interesting, complex, and contradictory in ways many media tries and fails to create realism. it is told primarily through unreliable narrators, in game texts that contradict each other as much as they agree, with varying opinions and perspectives you are tasks to sort through and come to your own conclusion on often enough. sure, skyrim drops the ball sending you on infinite annoying fetch quests and plots that feel like they dont even effect the world around you and killing a god has about the same weight as getting a cool sword, but there is still some meat behind the bland surface they couldn’t quite scrape out despite their best efforts.

the problem with it i find, like most fantasy stories and epic tales, is that is male focused.

“but brave” people cry “female characters do things all the time!” this is true, we do actually have more substantial female characters in the elder scrolls who are just as important as their male counterparts. sure their male counterparts are usually not important at all, but there is equality in there. and you can be bi presumably because bethesda couldnt figure out how to code any other sexuality in the game. but what i mean by “male focused” is that most of the lore and mythos we get concerns male heroes, battles, and war. there are politics sure, but mostly things like religion and battles. the importance of textiles is never considered, different cuisines are afterthoughts, fashion is relegated mostly to armor and cheap trinkets for you to enchant. if it does not exist to further grand tales of combat, is largely ignored, and this is increasingly more and more the norm in the elder scrolls.

it isnt entirely non-existent. if you go looking you can find bits and pieces. but most things presumed to be “women’s work” are largely ignored despite making up most of daily life. weaving isn’t a skill you can learn when historically we do see people wear armor made of linen, but you can sure mine and melt down metal, something also mundane and usually boring, because blacksmithing and mining are seen as a traditionally masculine jobs. so saying “ugh no one wants to spin thread” doesn’t exactly hold up when its equally as boring to make dozens of iron ingots and iron daggers to level up smithing.

it’s also just a shame because (and this is touched upon more in older games at least) what clothes people wear can tell a lot about their culture, background, and class. it could be used for stealth, for blending in, and if you are dressed incorrectly you look like and are treated like an outsider. how food varies region by region shows what food they have available to them, what they produce, what goods are more expensive, and also can talk about background and class. riften and solitude should not be eating largely the same food just with different mead. nor should they be mostly dressed the same. these things add richness and complexity to a world that is now largely ignored because who gives a shit just pick up a weapon and fight that’s all that really matters.

skyrim in lore has sheep. of course it does, because they live in a cold climate with a limited growing season, they have devote more time for crops to feed their people and not on textile crops like you might see in warmer climates with longer growing seasons. yet you dont see any sheep, just goats. you don’t see shepherds, or hear about them. you dont see piles of wool, or women spinning thread by the fire or weaving. you don’t see them dyeing yarn or fabric or sewing clothes. even if you don’t want to make your player do it as a game mechanic you could have it be present in the world as a logical part of the setting just as you have npcs working in fields. instead clothes just magically appear in chests and other loot cabinets and are relatively worthless except to enchant despite fabric being a very expensive, labor intensive product to make. it just pops into existence anonymously, largely unimportant and uninteresting. they always say very little, and mean nothing unless you want to play dress up or enchant for a spell caster.

it’s not like the designers have never had to think about these things before. they have, at least subconsciously. fabric is still very clearly heavy and wool. it contains classic pop culture “viking” imagery (including some that are uhhhh very not historically accurate like men wearing women’s broaches), but that’s about it. why they dress like this is unanswered. how their ancestors dressed isn’t really important. how they vary from location to location is also not important, because large swaths of land obvious wear and eat the exact same thing, that’s why there is no regional food or styles of dress across all of europe /sarcasm

anyways throw a dog a fucking bone every now and then i am tired of constantly looking for lore that isnt about fighting and killing and breaking shit. what did they wear and why, how did jewelry evolve, what dyes do they have accessible to them and how rare are they, fabric weaving, gossiping, give me it back so the world feels slightly more alive. 

[nightmare-foundation]

Rwby world building headcanons bc I have nothing better to do

-Dust grows like a plant, but specifically a really resilient plant. You can pop it down anywhere and before you know it, you have a little dust garden. Of course, when harvesting Dust you have to leave a little behind so it grows back, kinda like mushrooms. This is why Vacuo doesn't have a ton of Dust anymore; Mantle and Mistral both mined Dust so thoroughly they didn't leave anything behind. There's efforts to replant Dust though, and Vacuo is slowly getting better.

-Dust is EVERYWHERE, and since it's quite literally everywhere, it has... interesting effects, depending exactly on where and how much. Floating islands aren't unusual at all, and are common tourist destinations. There's thick jungles caused by plant Dust, and the reason why Menagerie has such a wide desert is partly because of Burn Dust. Dust creates many, many mystical sights. Because of how much Dust there is on the continent where the Grimmlands are, the weather and terrain is very volatile.

-Animals utilize both aura and Dust, and are generally far more intense than our animals. Animals have to compete with not just each other, but also humans and Grimm. Another note is that dinosaurs do, in fact, exist on Remnant. Imagine coming across an Ankylosaurus that has earth Dust in its tail, or massive scorpions that use lightning Dust. Yeah, this is the kind of shit people regularly deal with.

-Everyone and everything on Remnant is connected by a pretty minor telepathic field. It's how Grimm can sense emotions.

-Everything on Remnant varies a lot in size, and everything is generally more intense than on earth. Animals can be absolutely massive, and storms are naturally more powerful on Remnant. The power of hurricanes are a bit more strong than ours, and are very devastating. Animals are essentially buffed too.

-Humans/Faunus are far, far more powerful on Remnant due to a mix of evolution and aura. The most average of Huntsmen can easily lift thousands of pounds, and can run as fast as a cheetah. They also have 2 hearts to deal with the added stress on the body, and more powerful lungs (I'm not a biology nerd, don't ask me how it works). Size varies a lot as well, so people can be as small as 3-4 feet tall, to even up to 8 feet tall. They're also naturally far more intelligent, given everyone went from 1700s to scifi in less than a century and regularly make complicated mechashift weapons as children. The senses are also naturally boosted (and faunus still have far better senses. Good luck sneaking away from them).

-Vale is tropical and is much like Florida in terms of climate. Yes, there's tons of little lizards all over the place. However, it's colder in the winter, so they do occasionally get snow.

-Humans are far more resistant to things like temperature and radiation. Because of this, despite the constant blazing heat in Vacuo and the freezing cold in Solitas, humans could somewhat easily live there. It's definitely still possible to freeze to death or get heatstroke, though.

-There's many Oasis' in Vacuo that are there because of naturally occurring plant and water dust.

-Beneath Vacuo is an extremely large maze-like cave system. In the past, over the years, it was used as a sort of catacombs. Now, people are forbidden from venturing inside themselves. If you go in, there's a very good chance you'll never come back out. This cave system causes many sinkholes all over the desert, and Grimm and animals use it to travel.

-Around where Atlas is located, Solitas has a massive frozen sheet of ice connected to the rest of the continent. Atlas is located where the beach would be if the ice wasn't there.

-The naturally occurring metals on Remnant are far more tough, and the man-made metals are as well. These metals are often used to make Huntsman weapons due to their durability, and to reinforce and even make buildings in dangerous places.

-Years are 6 months long, but the months are twice as long as ours, being roughly 8 weeks long. Years are about the same length, but are a bit longer (rather than 365 days, there's almost 400 days).

-Humans naturally live a bit longer, if you don't consider the Grimm. The oldest recorded person was 120 years old.

-There's 4 zodiacs people use. The Grimm zodiac, the Dust zodiac, the animal zodiac, and the fairytale zodiac. Most of them range from 12-16 signs, but the Dust zodiac only has 6. Specific kingdoms are more likely to use specific zodiacs, such as Atlas using the Grimm zodiac, or Vale using the fairytale zodiac. The Animal zodiac was created by Faunus, and is slowly becoming widespread amongst Faunus outside of Menagerie. The White Fang use the Grimm zodiac alongside the Animal zodiac.

-Mistral is the most rich in resources, and while it's not the kingdom that has the most Dust, it still has quite a lot. Atlas is home to the most Dust-rich continent. The 'dragon' land in Mistral rivals it in how much Dust there is.

-Humans can be naturally born with unusual colors, like purple or red eyes, bright white hair, etc.

-Vale and Mistral are home to the oldest mountain range on Remnant, not unlike Appalachia. Yes, there's many superstitions.

-Ghosts do actually exist on Remnant, but they're more of a leftover of aura. They're not totally sentient beings.

-Each kingdom has their own language. Atlesian is the closest to English, but Mistralian can be compared to Japanese (with some places having languages similar to Korean or Chinese). Vacuan is similar to Arabic, but there's people who speak languages that are similar to Afrikaans or Xhosa. Valian can be compared to Welsh or Irish Gaelic, and there's also places where languages differ, and some languages can be compared to German, which is also widespread in Vale.

-Remnant in general is kind of a death world where everything wants to kill you.

-Theres descendants of the old royals of the kingdoms that are still alive. The King of Vales family, the Regalia's, are a wealthy and well known family, and even are part of the Vale council. The same can be said for the Mistrali Emperors descendants, the Yings.

[nothought-headfull]

Where I personally stand on headcanons for COD men. Don’t argue, I won’t budge, make your own headcanons okay.

Price: Probably makes dad noises when he sits or stands just due to the amount of wear and tear the job has done to his body, even being in good physical conditions. Probably snaps crackles and pops too (same dude). But I don’t see him as an old old man. Don’t think his visions as shit as so play it off to be, if he has glasses it’s probably some mild script from squinting all the damn time plus like a mild astigmatism. Also I think he smells musky and burbony but in more in the context of cologne scent notes rather than literal bourbon. I don’t see him as the kind to drink on the job.

(And now for a break bcs I rambled :) )

Ghost: Autism coded (not literally diagnosed but very similar), yes that’s just to make me feel better for when I stare into the void like he did in the car with Ale and Rudy. Probably thinks two fish in a tank is peak comedy for a while. I can see him having scars on the body and face but I personally don’t think they’re quite as extensive. Will admit I haven’t read the comics (bcs I’ll cry probably), so that may not be canon complaint and I’m willing to admit that. I also feel like based on the way homeboy firmly grasps everything that recoil and vibration from weapons has a tendency to lock his hands up or make them stiff.

Gaz: man is gorgeous, clearly takes pride in his appearance and selfcare. Wouldn’t be surprised to find out man has like a 12 step routine or something. His hair is beautiful his stubble is beautiful. I will sing his praises until I die. I love a man that enjoys selfcare and does a great job while doing it god damn. But I also get some adhd vibes from him, the way he goes 0 to 100 in some missions and then goes back to acting appropriately. His focus is in multiple places at once and he probably has the most chaotic internal monologue second to Soap.

Soap: and on that topic we have our most feral demolitions specialist (I love him.) I feel like he cracks jokes to lighten the mood, and can’t handle when folks on the mission are business only (and in hindsight really appreciates two fish in a tank but felt bad he didn’t in the moment). Honestly I was surprised in game how many times Soap could manage to put metal in the microwave and laughed that he considered it an option to distract. It was great. I want my mind to operate on that sort of level of engineering and pure chaos. Also feel like he’s accidentally given himself chemical burns on at least two occasions or didn’t handle C4 correctly and started itching. If I remember correctly it’s sort of like touching fiberglass? I could be wrong on that.

Alex: Most beautiful facial hair in game (sorry Price). the mustache details are just beautiful. I feel like out of the field he’d be the guy to use beard wax and care products. Like he puts a lot of pride into that but not in the full hipster look way (no disrespect, just not the vibe I catch.) I personally hate the way facial hair feels but I know he takes damn good care of it and it’s gotta be soft. I will not back down on this one bite me.

Alejandro: This dude looks like he smells fucking phenomenal. His hairs prettier than mine for fucking real. Also I’m willing to bet like he smells like a combination of musk, cedar, and eucalyptus. But I’m willing to lean into it that he may have citrus of some sort or cinnamon in those cologne notes. I can’t decide which is better in this situation. Even breaking him out of prison he looks god damn fine and put together. He’s beautiful. I adore him

Rudy : seems like the kinda guy to always be out together, the hair has product in it for fucks sake. He’s perfect. Like every detail of him screams I love looking good and I love doing it and honestly he’s so right for that. Multi step hair are guy. What the hell is 3-in-1 product? He doesn’t know that.

[ozymoron]

tell me a bit about sophia (i mean if u want) im interested

gladly. i love talking about her

shes a 20 something year old german trans woman living in nz. shes 5'10" (somewhere around like 177.80cm) and a lesbian. she uses she/her pronouns but is fine with being called a guy or people using he/him for her as long as she know they believe her when she says shes a woman (like they dont mean it in a transphobic way). she has a deep voice and a german accent i havent really got much of the worldbuilding down yet but i do have most of her personality down. also her story takes place in some vague year between 2000 and now

shes kinda a huge loser like in the sense that she spends most of her time just sorta sitting around at home drinking beer and smoking while listening to industrial and hardcore and metal and shit (shes almost definitely depressed but im yet to explore that side of her lmao). she drinks and drives, shes incredibly wreckless. she kinda doesnt care that much about others but more in a way where shes just kinda always in her own head only thinking about herself and what she wants but when it comes to the people close to her shes incredibly protective like a guard dog. she acts like kinda a silly idiot around her loved ones but as soon as someone even looks at any of them wrong, shes fully ready to kill them. she clings onto her friends and stuff like theyre the last thing she has left. less in a desperate kinda codependent way and more in a "i could not live without you i will protect you with all i have trust me please stick around and keep me in your life i will make my existence worth your while" kind of way

shes a wannabe badass but also just is a badass. like she acts all cold and stoic but laid back, i guess in a way trying to seem all mysterious and cool but mostly just comes off like a bit of a jackass (cause she kinda is a bit of a jackass but she means well. sometimes.) i havent got to this part of the worldbuilding so i dont have an explanation for why she is this way but im planning that theres something she has to fight against or something like that. i have a bit of a vague idea of what i want but no specifics but she has a side to her where like shes actually kinda badass. she wears a wolf mask and carries around this baseball bat which the tip is like covered in nails and shit. im planning she gets covered in blood often because women covered in blood is awesome. im planning a theme with the group of characters she hangs out with where they all wear some kind of animal mask and each have their own weapon which like reflects their personality and whatnot

she works in a fast food restaurant which i feel like explains a lot about her

she mostly wears the mask to hide her identity but also to just hide her face in general. shes not insecure about how she looks but more just worried about what other people think of her. shes on hrt but she wants to keep her body hair cause she likes her body hair which includes her facial hair though she does regularly shave it cause she knows it gets her misgendered. she also wears a spiked collar and sometimes a leash (if shes not wearing a leash shes wearing some kind of bondage harness thing) both to continue the whole wolf dog thing shes got going on and also for sexual reasons of course

she has a romance thing going on with another oc of mine called blair (the name is a placeholder im so bad at picking names). blairs tiger/big cat coded shes more of the happy-go-lucky chaotic type. sophia goes incredibly soft for her like the whole trying to be a stoic badass thing completely drops around her she would sacrifice herself in a heartbeat if it meant blair was kept alive and safe which worries the fuck out of blair cause half the time she does not need to sacrifice herself but she puts herself in danger for blair often times for no reason cause she believes its what she needs to do to keep her safe. like her life is meaningless without blair so she'd rather be the one to die than live without blair. which like yeah theres a flaw in her logic cause like if she dies shes still without blair and now blairs sad but yknow. maybe she'll figure that out someday not sure tho shes a little stupid

idk what else to write so ill just add little tiny things i added to her for fun her favourite movie is evil dead 2 (this is me projecting onto her), she moans when she pees, she would give everything to be a werewolf, she had her drivers license taken from her she still drives tho. she shouldnt but she does, she hates beer but drinks it anyways. i think she doesnt know theres other kinds of alcohol. no idea how she doesnt know maybe she just hates herself and wants to drink shit that tastes bad for fun,

shes all i have left im going crazy

i also have a playlist for her if anyone besides me cares i care so fucking deeply. also my tag for her i feel also illustrates her personality well

[gayboyasher]

THANK YOU FOR PERMISSION ITS SO GREAT TO SEE SOMEONE AS OBSESSED WITH HIM AS ME- I'm busy tonight but the one request I'll send for now is how Ghiaccio would feel about his boyfriend getting into pretty much EVERYTHING he's into. Like they listen to all his rants about language and learn about it on their own time to talk to him, or like (as a personal headcanon of mine that he's hyperfixated on the Beatles) he gets into all the same music as him and just kinda obsesses over stuff with him to bond!!! I hope this!!! Makes sense!!!

OFFICIAL MOOT!!?!?!?!!1!11! Honestly that’s so real. I actually Headcannon him into being more like rock/metal type of songs, but the Beatles or any calmer songs since it sooo clashes with his personality. Imma just write head cannons and stuff

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He doesn’t FORCE it on you, but he definitely plays music and stuff like that around you.

Living in Italy and not knowing the language well was annoying to Ghiaccio

THAT he will make you learn.

He likes being silly, if you have a stand he will try to get you to be able to correlate attacks for you both to do, and if you don’t, he still wants to correlate attack but just a tad bit differently

Headcannon alert!! But he probably goes to the gym.

DRAGS brings you with him

Probably trying to show off while doing reps

He tries convincing you to work out, but once again he’s not gonna force you

If you do start acting like him, and start listening to his music, and start speaking his language, and start working out like him & with him, and start even using your stands/weapons like him

He almost falls in love with you all over again.

“Has anyone told you how handsome you look holding a sniper Bello?”

God, sometimes he’s good at complimenting. But other times there’s just awkward compliments

“You wanna be like me so much Amore, it’s nice.”

Sigh.

He’s just excited to have someone understand him

If you pick up his anger though

That’s something completely different

He’s not used to dealing with someone else’s anger, he can barely understand his own!

Emotions are a touchy subject with Ghiaccio

So are compliments, because he can’t compliment people for shit

He tries to bring your anger levels down

He didn’t realize how influential he was

He’s not the type to be

All in all though, it blows his ego up, like literally almost makes it EXPLODE

His pride is even more higher too

[thatphsycopath]

First Meeting

Everyone complains about their jobs. Restaurant workers complain about rude customers, teachers complain about parents or other teachers, office workers complain about long hours in an office with blank walls that are so boring they just might go insane. But I mean, come on, every hallway looking exactly the same completely void of paintings or any form of life; everyone wearing boring suits and dresses for “professionalism”; the never spoken of understanding that it’s not personal it’s just business. God, it just makes me want to puke.  

Even now, sitting in the mess hall shoving a cold ham sandwich in my mouth, I can’t stand the blank white wall in front of me. Why did the Commission even choose white anyway? Are they really that unoriginal or are they going for the subtle symbolism of their correcting the timeline to be pure? If they’re being honest maybe they should add a splash of red, be honest about the gruesome trail of crimson that follows their best.  

Speaking of best- my eyes cut up to the entry way to the mess hall sensing the presence that’s about to come through the doors. He steps through, also dressed in a boring ass suit, not even glancing at those around him before making his way past me to the counter behind my table. I keep my eyes forward, not allowing myself to follow the old man with my eyes, but I let my mouth open before I think too much about it. 

“You’re not going to like it.” 

I hear him pause for only a moment before glancing over his shoulder at me. He seems torn, can’t decide if he wants to ignore my (probably annoying) presence or if he doesn’t want to turn his back to a possible threat. I take a sip of my own coffee in front of me, 

“Coffee here’s always shit. Your best bet is to grab some when you're out on missions.” 

His jaw clicks. I must have said one sentence too much for him. “I’ll keep that in mind.” 

I tilt my head over my left shoulder, finally facing him head on, a small smile painting my face, “Not trying to interrupt your old man brooding. Just thought you’d like a heads up.” I tilt my head to the side, considering, before I grab my now empty cup and plate and stand. “Then again, you can’t really get coffee when trapped in the end of the world, so anything must be better than nothing to you Mr. Hargreeves” 

I send him another little smile before I start walking away. Quickly stopping when the old man appears in front of me again with a flash of blue and a glare on his face. I quickly glance to his right hand, clocking the metal spoon clutched in his grasp. 

“How do you know who I am?” 

“You’re dripping coffee on the floor.”  

I blink as his glare only hardens, “You drink your coffee black... did you take a random spoon just to have a weapon?” 

“You’re making me want to use it as one. Now I asked you a question, how-” 

“It’s in your file.” 

He blinks, his gaze shifting. He’s more curious than threatened now but definitely still on edge. "And why were you reading that. Where is it?” 

“It’s in the file room. That’s kind of its whole thing, having files.” 

He inhales sharply. Ah, I’m annoying him. Good. 

“Why were you reading mine?” 

I tilt my head, “Did you not read mine yet?” 

“Why would I read yours? Who even are you?” 

“They call me Circe, I’m your partner Number Five.” 

His eyes dart around my face looking for any sign of deceit. He won’t find it. 

“No one told me anything about any partner.” 

I let my smile grow a bit more, “No, not yet. But the Handler will tell you soon.” I lean in a little, turning my voice to a whisper. “The devil wears stilettos, rather than hoof beats we were warned about listen for the clicks.” 

“What the fu-” 

Faint clicking stops his sentence cold. His eyes dart to the entrance, grip tightening even more on his spoon of mass destruction. The handler walks through the door, heels clicking just like I said, with a patronizing smile painted on her ruby lips. 

“Five! Just who I was looking for, I see you’ve met Circe. Wonderful!” 

I glance up and down at the Handler. She chose to wear a navy-blue dress today, she really shouldn’t have, it clashes with her lipstick and hair. Makes her look like the staple Grandma of the 4th of July. I choose not to tell her. 

“A partner wasn’t ever part of the deal.” Five’s jaw clicks again. I wonder if he knows it does that when he’s annoyed. 

If possible, the Handler’s smile grows, “Oh, but you were alone for so long Five! The directors and I just want to make sure you don’t fall off the deep end. She’s here to help you, Five.” 

“I don’t need a babysitter.” 

“He really doesn’t” I raise a ring covered finger to point at the spoon still in his right hand, “He’s got a spoon Handler, and I don’t think he’s scared to use it.” 

Her smile grows even more, “Try not to push him too much, dear. You are meant to be helpful not annoying.” 

I puff up my cheeks with air slowing before blowing my bangs out of my face. “You never let me have any fun.” I dart my gaze back to Five seeing the annoyance just building behind his eyes, “Would you like to see the file room, Five?” 

His gaze shoots to mine before narrowing again, “I don’t think you understand, you wannabe witch. You could be the actual sorceress Circe, and I still wouldn’t want to be your partner. I work alon-” 

“Alone. Yes, yes.” I flap my hand, long sleeve flapping with it, “but the Handler doesn’t change her mind so you are stuck with me for the time being, so you might as well read my file so we’re on equal ground, yes?” 

The Handler claps her hands between us, “I’m so glad you two are getting along!” 

I blink at her, glancing between her overjoyed expression and Five’s angry one, “I’m glad your delusional enough to be happy, Handler.” 

A/N: I'm trying to get back in to writing fanfics again and with my recent obsession with Five (even if the plot was shit he was soooo pretty in season 4) I thought this would be a good place to start. Let me know if you guys want more of Circe and Five!