#like this red gun called spread. it shoots 8 ways and if i use the special - it shoots 8 ways but BIGGER and it makes it hard to look

[jils-things]

after the firework ended, me and my sister played cuphead co-op together! now i usually get over the bosses really quickly since ive kinda mastered them in a way? but having a second player makes things difficult for 2 reasons: the boss health is doubled and the IMMENSE amount of clutter that gets on the screen from our shooting is so fucking funny....

[excelsi-or]

welcome to svt (pt. 20)

hi friends~~ I am going to try to get this done and finished in the next three days. It’s written. The last few chapters just need to be edited!

I hope the first week of 2022 has been kind to you all. xx

w.c. 2.1k (angst? tw. blood and guns mentioned)

ch. 1 | ch. 2 | ch. 3 | ch. 4 | ch. 5 | ch. 6 | ch. 7 | ch. 8 | ch. 9 | ch. 10 | ch. 11 | ch. 12 | ch. 13 | ch. 14 | ch. 15 | ch. 16 | ch. 17 | ch. 18 | ch. 19 | ch. 20 | ch. 21

‘Where did you say she was?’

Wonwoo waves Jihoon off. ‘You’re literally breathing down my neck. She’s inside.’

‘Inside the house of a hitman.’

Wonwoo huffs. ‘She warned me not to tell you where we were tonight.’ Shaking his head in dismay, he says, ‘I’m right here. I have the scope.’ He motions towards the sniper rifle that is sitting in the window. ‘And Boss told me to shoot if necessary. She’ll be fine.’

Jihoon rounds on him. ‘When was the last time you fired a weapon?’

Wonwoo looks at him out of the corner of his eye, his gaze focused on the screen. ‘When was the last time you did?’

That’s a little wake up call. Jihoon takes a steadying breath. ‘Sorry, I’m just—’

‘—overprotective.’ Wonwoo monitors her using a heat signature drone. ‘I know. So is Mingyu. Which is why she and I agreed, no partners.’

‘And yet.’ Jihoon spreads his arms wide.

‘I lost contact with her for like two minutes and wanted to keep you in the loop.’

‘You panicked,’ Jihoon counters.

Her voice hisses, ‘Your arguing is distracting. Shut up.’

Jihoon moves to the window to check the scope. He tries to find her in the crosshairs.

‘Thirteenth floor, sixth window from the left,’ Wonwoo says.

Jihoon is meticulous as he shifts the rifle. Before he can catch sight of her, Wonwoo’s voice pulls his attention away.

‘Hey, hey. You need to move. There’s someone coming.’

Jihoon glances over his shoulder when she doesn’t respond.

Wonwoo tries again. ‘Can you hear me? You need to get out of there or you’re going to have to get behind that desk and hide.’

‘What’s going on?’ Jihoon asks. He’s already got his phone out to text the group chat.

Jihoon (19:22)

SOS.

You’ve shared your location.

Seokmin, Soonyoung, Mingyu and Jun all reply that they’re on their way.

‘Yo,’ Wonwoo is now standing, ‘if you can hear me, raise your hand.’

Jihoon rushes to Wonwoo’s side. The heat signature in the room doesn’t stop what it’s doing. But Jihoon can see the heat signature that Wonwoo’s worried about. It’s just stepped through the front door.

‘What’s happening? Do you know who that is?’

Wonwoo runs his tongue along his top teeth. ‘Yes, I can tell who that blob of red is. It’s probably Johnny. And she’s now lost her window for a clean getaway.’

‘As in hitman Johnny.’

‘Yeah, that’s the one.’ Wonwoo gives him a slight shove in the chest. ‘Find her. See what she’s doing. Why she isn’t responding.’ In the meantime, he checks the connection of their comms.

Jihoon manages to find her. She’s standing with her laptop on the desk. She’s chewing her bottom lip, suggesting nervousness. He describes all this for Wonwoo. ‘We gotta go in there.’

‘And kill a hitman? That will only make Taeyong more paranoid.’

The “and if Taeyong is LT, we’re screwed” is clear despite it not being said.

‘I wasn’t suggesting that. We just need to knock him out so we can get her out of there.’

‘Neither of us will make it there before he gets to the office.’ Wonwoo checks the feed again. ‘She needs to get down now.’

‘What are we supposed to do from here?’

Wonwoo worries his lip between his teeth.

Jihoon hesitates. ‘If I shoot him and he’s not the leak, he might die for no reason and, like you said, Taeyong will be paranoid.’

‘He literally kills people for a living and you wanna be sympathetic. Now? He’s going straight for his office, and I can’t get through to her.’

Jihoon checks the ammo in the rifle. ‘Will this kill someone?’ he asks as he puts the clip back in.

‘I guess not every shot is a kill shot,’ Wonwoo mutters as he tries to come up with another solution. His eyes widen when her heat signature drops to the ground. He looks over at Jihoon who is just straightening up next to a literal smoking gun.

‘Did you just shoot her?’ Wonwoo looks back at the signature and watches the red blob curl into a ball. It shifts, Wonwoo assumes under the desk, taking a flat object—probably a laptop—with it just as the door opens.

‘What now?’ Wonwoo demands.

‘Hey, hyung, we’re here.’

Wonwoo takes a second to register who it is and to remember to use codenames. ‘Gyu?’

Jihoon sprints to the door. ‘The guys are here. We need to go in and get her.’ He yanks the door open. ‘Shoot that guy if he gets anywhere close to her before we get there. Text Shua hyung to be ready for us.’

Wonwoo’s jaw drops before Jihoon books it to the stairs.

Jihoon calls Seokmin as he swings around the staircase.

‘Hyung, where are you?’

‘Head to the building across the street,’ Jihoon says without preamble. ‘She’s shot and the hitman’s in there.’

Wonwoo’s voice is urgent. ‘She needs a distraction now.’

‘Kill him,’ Jihoon responds. ‘Take the shot if you need to, Jeon.’

When Jihoon gets outside, he can see Jun waiting at the door, the other three nowhere to be seen. He sprints across the street and a loud ringing blares through the open door.

‘Where is she, Jeon?’ Mingyu asks in his ear.

‘Thirteenth floor. Third apartment from the west side.’

‘Thirteenth floor is far,’ Soonyoung complains, a little breathless.

Jun and Jihoon hurry up the stairwell. The elevator is in use by someone else. They manage another flight of stairs before people start spilling into the stairwell. It makes it difficult to go up, but no one pays them any mind.

‘He’s not leaving,’ Wonwoo tells them. ‘Where are you guys? It’s hard to differentiate you from everyone else.’

‘Just shoot him, Jeon,’ Jihoon hisses.

‘I’m not going to kill him. Shooting him gives us away. At least shooting her means we probably take the bullet with us.’

‘We’re really running out of time,’ Jun mutters. ‘What if you shoot a window?’

Wonwoo doesn’t respond.

They push onto the 13th floor, past a few occupants. An elderly woman with a walker heads towards them. Jun pauses as the sound of fighting fills their ears.

‘Help her,’ Jihoon insists.

Jun nods, understanding Jihoon’s “start the car” look. He smiles at the elderly woman. ‘Let me help you downstairs.’

The woman squints up at him before smiling. ‘Thank you.’

Jun holds the stairwell door open for her and nods at Jihoon one last time before letting the door close behind him.

Jihoon hurries towards the end of the hall, intending to count three doors from the end, but he notices one of the doors ajar. He pushes through it and the fighting in his ear syncs up with the sounds in the room. He scurries past, bypassing Soonyoung and Seokmin taking down this Johnny character. The lights in the apartment are all off and someone drew the curtains. It’s so dark that Jihoon can barely make out their faces let alone Johnny being able to recognize them.

Jihoon finds Mingyu helping his partner up from under the desk.

‘Heading—car.’ Wonwoo’s voice cuts in and out before there’s silence.

Jihoon peers out the window and sees Wonwoo waving before going back to dismantling the rifle.

Seokmin and Soonyoug burst through the door.

‘Did you kill him?’ Jihoon asks, noting the blood on Soonyoung’s shirt.

‘No, that’s from the job we just got back from,’ Soonyoung answers. He motions with his head to the living room. ‘He’s on the couch sleeping. But we need to get out of here before the firemen do.’

Her groaning gets all of them to freeze.

She pulls the handkerchief that was in her mouth out. ‘You,’ she shoves her laptop into Seokmin’s hands, ‘take this.’ It has blood on it. That doesn’t escape any of them. ‘Press the enter button as we move through the cameras.’

Jihoon’s eyes scan the floor. ‘Did you—’

‘None of my blood is on the floor.’ She stuffs the handkerchief back in her mouth and screams. The fabric muffles the sound.

It’s then that Jihoon realizes that she doesn’t have her shirt or jacket on and notices her leg. He bats Mingyu away from his half naked girlfriend. Slipping his sweater off, he helps her into it and zips it up as far as it’ll go.

Jihoon hears the sirens. ‘They’re coming.’

Mingyu ushers Seokmin and Soonyoung forward. ‘Golden Ears can hear the sirens. Move.’

Seokmin and Mingyu make sure to clear the stairwell so that no one sees them. Jihoon has to carry her bridal style partway, because she can’t move fast enough. She alternates between screaming bloody murder and sobbing into his neck to muffle her distress.

By the time they make it to the lobby, there are firemen outside preparing to go in.

‘Pretend like you’re fine,’ Jihoon whispers into her ear as he sets her down. Soonyoung takes her other side to alleviate some of the weight.

They all act as casually as they can, running out of the building and past the firemen.

Seokmin and Mingyu get into Wonwoo’s car. She passes out before Jihoon can get her into the other car. Once everyone’s inside, Jun and Wonwoo peel out of their parking spots in different directions.

Soonyoung is on the phone. ‘Minghao, can you just watch the traffic cameras here? I don’t know if Seokmin understood what to do and she’s,’ he glances at the back seat, ‘she’s out. Shua hyung on standby?’

‘ETA 15 minutes,’ Jun announces.

Soonyoung repeats this before hanging up the phone. ‘How is she?’

‘I don’t know.’ Jihoon shakes his head as he rubs a hand up and down her arm. Soonyoung leans around to adjust the makeshift tunicate she’d made with her shirt. ‘Wonwoo should have just killed him. I should’ve just killed him.’

‘We don’t kill,’ Jun reminds him, meeting Jihoon’s eye in the rearview mirror. ‘We avoid it if we can.’

‘Well, if she dies, I’m quitting.’ Jihoon presses his lips to the side of her head, staring out the window with his heart thrumming hard in his chest.

Joshua assesses the situation when they arrive. He already has her blood on hand from when they’d taken it a month ago. He also has the member whose blood type matches her just in case.

‘I have my friend at the lab on standby too,’ Joshua tells Jihoon, ushering him out of their sterilized spare room. Jeonghan is inside with gloves. ‘And if we have to take her to the hospital, we will. Cheol already agreed to it.’

‘I can’t believe you shot me,’ she grumbles after four days of sleeping.

‘To be fair,’ Jihoon fixes the blanket over her body, ‘you were being annoying.’

‘Have Wonwoo or Minghao gone over the data?’

‘Johnny’s not the leak.’

‘Great.’

‘Also, luckily, Seungcheol says that Taeyong hasn’t called asking if we were there or not. Might have thought it was just his leak.’

‘Helps that he doesn’t actually know we’re doing this for him.’

Jihoon sits down in the chair next to her bed and holds her hand to his lips. ‘I’m glad I didn’t kill you.’

‘I’m glad you didn’t kill me either,’ she murmurs. Her eyes fall closed.

‘You should sleep more.’

She nods, but hazily opens her eyes again. She can see the paleness in his face, and the darkness under his eyes. It’s clear to her that he’s been awake for most of the last four days. ‘You need to sleep too.’

Jihoon hums and leans back in his seat before noticing her motioning for him to join her in the bed. ‘Jagi, you’re—’

‘It’s not like you actually severed or punctured anything important.’ She waves him into the bed. ‘Shua oppa told me that the shock is probably what made me really tired. The pain is from getting shot, not losing any organs.’

‘That doesn’t mean it hurts any less, you idiot,’ Jihoon sighs. But he does climb into the bed next to her, avoiding her injured leg.

‘At the very least, we crossed out another hitman,’ she mumbles, already getting drowsy.

‘Two, actually. Minghao and Wonwoo managed to clear one other guy.’

As he laces their fingers together, she nuzzles closer to him. His head rests on hers.

‘Maybe we just sleep today.’ He rubs his thumb back and forth across her skin. ‘No more talking about work.’

They hear something break upstairs.

Her words slur together as she asks, ‘Are we just going to ignore that?’

‘Yep.’

[anothertimdrakestan]

Set In Stone - Choose Your Own Love Story Prologue (Tim Drake or Bart Allen x Reader)

Words: 2k

~ AH!!! Welcome to my newest multi chapter fic! Except there’s a twist! It’s up to you dear reader. I’ll be writing two different stories about each path, like a choose your own adventure, except you choose how your love story progresses to the eventual end! There will be a private masterlist specifically for this series where you can choose the way your personal love story unfolds. Just know that the future is never cemented, meaning you can always go back and try again! Think of this as the prologue to the actual event, but your first decision drops tomorrow, meet Bart or dig deeper into Tim? Hope you enjoy! ~

Seeing teenage heroes was really something else. They were your age, and they weren’t grumpy and old like the Justice League. “Okay well this is fun and all but I wanna hang with people my age!” you groaned following J'onn down the never ending corridors of the Watchtower. “You know your powers are not fit for the type of missions the Young Justice team attempt, you are arguably weaker than the regular human” he reminded you. That was rude. “Am not! I’m an asset! I can’t get hit cuz I know where they’re gonna swing so who cares if I have a mental breakdown every once and while!” J'onn knew you weren’t wrong, you taking a hit was a rare occurrence, but the Justice League refused to risk you even taking one hit, you’d protected thousands by scanning the infinite number of different possible futures. 

“Everything you need is here” you replied “I knew you were gonna say that, like I literally knew it” you also knew you had to prod J'onn just for about two more minutes until you met Nightwing. “Oh my god Nightwing fancy seeing you here!” you grinned at J'onn who now understood your goal. “Hello, I didn’t know the YJ team had a new member?” Dick glanced at J'onn who shrugged. “Do not blame me Nightwing, Flash found her and the team agreed she stays with us” you rolled your eyes before starting with Dick Grayson, but he didn’t know you knew that yet. 

“Hi! Y/N, no last name. Flash found me when he ran into the future and I was totally feeling the mode because I got these powers [ you tapped your head as Dick smirked ] and I can like see different parts of future when I’m super focussed, so like short time is kinda easy but far away and hard and I don’t remember anything from my past. I’m like a future only kinda girl.” you sighed, hoping you’d made sense. Dick’s eyes lit up. “So you don’t have a family, and they’re just keeping you here?” you nodded, crossing your arms to try to look more emotionally secure. 

“Dibs” and something sparked in your head, this was a new future. It hurt. You sunk to the ground clutching your head as a new future bounced around your consciousness. Trying to shake out of it you realized you’d been carried to a med bay, Dick and J'onn stood above you looking concerned. Pushing them off you as you got up you explained “sometimes people make big decisions that change the future, I’m guessing you calling ‘dibs’ on me changed something, but I’m a little too tired to check if that’s okay, also what does dibs even mean?” and Dick smiled, “you’ll have to come find out!” and against J'onn’s protests he pulled you towards the Zeta Tubes. 

Flash zipped in front of you and Dick. “No.” and Dick waved him off. “I’m taking her to the manor, get her to meet the family maybe I’ll get a sister if Bruce is in a mood” he waggled an eyebrow at Flash who was focussed now on you knowing he couldn’t get in Dick’s way. “I know you don’t know him yet but if Jason Todd asks you to do anything that seems dangerous say no. And watch out for Damian’s swords. I guess just look for Tim Drake, he’s a good one” and he patted you on the shoulder. “Go feel the mode kid”  and you face palmed. “Flash you mean crash the mode oh god don’t even try to be cool” you groaned. “You totally have to meet Bart” Dick mumbled before he cleared you for zeta tube access. 

You appeared in what can only be described as a man cave. There was a giant computer where a tiny boy sat covered in leather typing. There was a teenager looking about your age punching dummies while another boy was shooting literally guns at the dummies. “Welcome to the batcave!” Dick announced loud enough for the three boys heads to turn. The smallest boy stopped typing and stalked over to you. “A little young for you Grayson, stolen her from the baby justice team?” you knew this was Damian Wayne, and you couldn’t contain yourself.

“OH MY GOD BATMAN HI!” you screeched pulling him into your chest. “You’re totally crash like so cool but you’re so little right now! Last time I saw you, you were like super tall but you totally got moded or something - oh I wasn’t supposed to say that don’t worry!” Dick nudged you “this is Robin, Batman, Bruce Wayne, is in his office” and you slapped a hand over your mouth. “Right, no spoilers” and Damian stood still, processing his own future. “Moving on, Tim and Jason!” the two older boys had come down to get a closer look.

“Hood, Drake, this is totally cool!” you exclaimed, shaking their hands. “Why is he Red Hood and I’m Drake? Not Red Robin?” Tim looked puzzled. Best not ruin his life like that, this was one of the few things you planned on changing. “Because I know you’re Tim Drake! So does the world, Drake is a good LAST NAME right? Red Robin is totally crash for a hero name!” and Tim looked a little confused, but brushed it off. “What the demon said, she new?” and you shook your head, explaining your story again.

“20 bucks says adoption papers” “50 says she gets a room” “75 on a new animal persona” the boys started screaming bets as soon as they heard the “family trauma emotional instability” part. “Why can’t she be in Young Justice? Or the Outsiders? She’s still a teenager” Tim looked confused. “I dunno man, she’s been with the JL for a while because she’s apparently delicate which is bullshit” Dick explained and you strongly agreed. “None of you could even land a hit on me” you puffed out your chest. “Care to defend that claim?” Damian unsheathed a sword. “No! J'onn sai-” you cut Dick off. “Absolutely ”.

Now you were dodging and ducking Damian’s advances. You’d swung a couple punches but it means undoing some focus which allows Damian to get his own shots in, so you mostly stayed on defense, letting him get frustrated and tired. “I think you’ll get better with practice baby Batman” you teased him. Next was Jason, bullets were hard to avoid because you didn’t have lightning fast reflexes, although that would be nice. But Jason wasn’t as calculated as Damian so you could play a little dirtier. Knocking his guns out of his hands you let up, “this is boring I’m done” you raised from the ground where you and Jason had tumbled down on. 

“So you really have powers. Your moves are all the most probable choice mathematically, you can’t be running the numbers in your head that quick!” Tim was toying with a tablet, shocked at your prediction abilities. “That’s right Boy Wonder, that was fun but I’m feeling kinda diz-” and then you realized you’d overworked yourself a little bit, and it all faded to black. 

You woke up to fully aged Batman. “Oh god no I’m back. How am I back! Damian you were just a kid like ten minutes ago! How long have I been out?” you began to throw blankets off yourself, blankets? You were in a bed in someone’s room. “Calm down, Y/N, Y/N! It’s okay!” and the Older-Damian just enveloped you in a hug. You couldn’t remember the last hug you’d had. Literally couldn’t remember. And it was a welcomed comfort. Pulling away you got a closer look, and it wasn’t Damian Wayne, but Bruce. 

“Bruce right? Current Batman?” you whispered, trying to wrap your mind around what had just happened. “That’s me, I see you’ve met my son, at multiple ages too” his eyes were smiling but his mouth wasn’t, it showed concern. “Yes, I did, I’m sorry for being a nuisance, it’s a pleasure to meet you but clearly I’m a bit moded so I should head back to the tower” you explain beginning to get up. “Actually that’s something I wanted to talk to you about, if you feel alright? [ you nodded, your powers were still a little too weak to peek ahead at what he was going to say ] Well, as you can see, I’ve got a couple of children, and you haven’t even met all of them. And I take them under my protection and I train them, and it seems to me you want training. Now you’re not ready for field work but you can start with me and my team, and maybe do a couple visits with the Young Justice team when Tim heads over. I think I can help you, and give you a family, would that be something you want?” 

A family, you had one of those. And you knew the word brought you warmth, that had to be a good thing. “I think I’d like that a lot, but I’m kinda already with the Justice League ya know? Their personal magic 8 ball.” and Bruce shook his head. “They won’t be a problem for me, you’ll fit right in with my family” and you felt a smile spread over your face. “Then it’s a deal!” and you stuck out a hand, Bruce clasped it, pulling you in for another hug. 

“We’ll talk later about what this means logistically, but there’s someone really excited you’re here.” and Tim Drake came bursting through the door, holding cookies. “Welcome to the team Y/N! You don’t know Alfred yet but he made these! I’m so glad you’re here!” he was beaming with excitement. And blushing? “Hi Tim, I’m glad to be here!” you chirped. Bruce mumbled something about paperwork and left the room as Tim continued. “This is totally cool, if you want I can call Bart I think he’d totally want to meet you! Or, you and I could hangout just the two of us!” there was that blush again. “Yeah! Can I just sit and think for a minute before I catch up with you?” this was a decision you wanted to read into, it felt important. 

Tim left, and you sat back into the plush bed, diving into the future. And it was something you hadn’t seen you. There were two futures, still fuzzy from the infinite decisions to be made securing the future, but it was clear enough to see that it was your wedding day. Down one path you saw a beautiful wedding with someone you haven’t met yet, and you looked beyond happy. You heard yourself whisper “if only Tim were here to see this” wiping a tear away in the arms of your lover. Recoiling back you knew this future wouldn’t do, not at Tim’s expense. So you went towards the other. Same set up, but this time it was Tim that you were marrying, but the same tear slid down your cheek “if only Bart could be here” you recognized the name. Bart, the guy you’re supposed to be meeting. 

And you were stuck in the middle no matter what. Like yin and yang you couldn’t find a future where you didn’t end up in the arms of one at the other’s grave. Or worse, in the futures where you tried to pick them over yourself both lost their lives saving you. So how you do pick? Who gets to be your future and who has to perish to secure it?

“Y/N you ready yet?” Tim called from down stairs. It was years out, but you knew every decision you made from now on was one step closer to the loss of a hero. And there was nothing you could do about it. 

First Decision:

Get To Know Tim Drake First

Meet Bart Allen

 ~ I really hope you’re excited to make your own fic! The masterlist with the choices goes up with the actual start tomorrow! I can’t wait!!! ~

[katerinawinters]

Predator: Huntress Alpha ch 8

"Is this…" she paused, looking around the narrow space in disbelief. "Is this your apartment?"

 Jarak looked from her and followed her line of sight around the cramped space, trying to see what she saw before nodding.

 "Jarak, it's so tiny!" she blew out an exasperated breath as she sat the fruit on a narrow counter jutting from the wall in an area that looked to be a small kitchenette. Turning back around to the hunter, she gave him a confused look. "You're way too big for a tiny apartment like this. Is rent high here or something?"

 Tilting his head in question, Jarak lifted his gauntlet and clacked the tips of his claws against the data-pad. Entranced, she watched him as he read the holographic information before closing it and lowering his arm.

 "I do not pay rent," he answered firmly.

 For a moment, Justice let the little scene playback in her head and remembered the backward lettering he pulled up from his gauntlet, with a slow spreading smile of realization, she fought back the urge to laugh. He had looked up the word rent.

 Pressing her lips together, she stifled her laughter to ask another question, but Jarak's eyes narrowed as he watched her closely, and he cut her off.

 "Yautja do not use money. We gain what is needed ourselves. We bring honor to our clan, and if I am worthy, the clan leader will decide what to bestow to me."

 Nodding, she walked toward the bed which dominated most of the back wall, save for the two doors on either side of it, the bed looked properly proportioned, at least. Although, she noted it was another black leather mattress. Pulling Larsa from the harness, Justice carefully put her on the bed.

 "So, does your leader not think you are worthy enough for a bigger room than this?" She asked, genuinely interested. Maybe this leader of Ojibwe was a real dick. She knew it was only a matter of time before she would need to meet the reigning yautja, and she wanted to know as much as she could about the hunter beforehand.

 Turning in place, Jarak watched her as she sat cautiously at the end of his bed and shook his head once at her question. "Rakkah is a worthy leader. He has shown respect to my victories. He has offered me much, but I need little. I have taken a ship as one of my bounty payments, that is all I require."

 Right now, she was positive she possessed more information about yautja than all the galaxies combined. Nodding once more, Justice glanced around the cramp quarters and reassessed. It was spartan, just like the hunter's ship. Besides the ridiculous amount of weapons lining the left wall, there was not one other piece of personality lying about like it was in her apartment back on LV594. Baby toys had been scattered across the living room floor. Dirty clothes, hers and Larsa's were sitting in a pile by the door ready to be taken to the laundry unit, and the single holo-photo of her and her sisters kept on a tiny piece of flimsy, all smiling and posing within their suits and guns, tucked under her pillow. All lost to her now.

 Running her fingers softly across the bottom of Larsa's soft foot, she looked up to the hunter. Whatever he saw shining back in her eyes made the hunter stiffen suddenly.

 "Stay here, I will return," without waiting for a reply Jarak turned and left through the only door.

 Justice waited until the door shut once more before finally standing. Taking off her backpack and pulling the gun's strap over her head, she sighed just as her stomach let out a deep growl. Walking over to the kitchenette, she surveyed the simplicity of it: a counter, a sink, and a glass refrigerator nearly tall as she was holding a huge rack of raw marbled meat inside.

 A meal of champions, she thought wryly.

 Washing off the fruit, Justice took a tentative bite and smirked at the tart flavor. Grabbing and washing three more, she began to walk the length of the apartment. Similar to his ship, the uneven black walls were covered in various striations and grooves, hiding a number of hidden compartments and interactive displays. Circling back around until she was at the bed, she stopped in front of one of the two doors. Pushing the data-panel, she was surprised at the spacious--of course, all black--bathroom beyond.

 Stepping into the bathroom, she was relieved to see that this one had a large blank space of wall next to the data-pad. Scrolling through the yautja lettering, she found the selection she wanted and tapped it. The portion of the wall next to her shimmered and rippled as if the metal had turned to water before blinking into a dark mirrored surface. Looking at herself in the floor to ceiling mirror, Justice sighed. Her clothes were filthy with dirt and grime, and her braids, which hung to her waist, faired no better. Picking one up, she was beginning to pick out some of the dirt trapped within the coiled braid when the door to the apartment swooshed open again.

 Stepping in holding two black leather sacks, Jarak walked towards the kitchenette counter.

 "The other human women have provided you this," he waved a hand brusquely to the bags and stepped back.

 Justice looked up at him in surprise. "There are other humans on your planet?"

 Well, there goes that theory of her being the first to have collected such rare yautja information, she thought sorely.

 "Yes, Rakkah's mate and Akur's," he replied as if she knew the mentioned hunters.

 Too tired to delve into the subject, she began to reach for the sack as he turned back toward the door.

 "Wait, you're leaving?"

 Pausing, the towering hunter did not turn around as he answered. "Yes."

 Justice felt a twinge of guilt as she looked around the tiny space. "I don't want to kick you out of your room--your very small room," she added with a smile as he turned to look at her directly. "To be honest. I kind of expected you to put me in some sort of holding cell."

 His eyes glimmered in the shadow of his pronounced brow ridge, and his fanged mouth beneath his mandibles moved slightly. "We have no holding cell," he informed her seriously. "Yautja do not take prisoners."

 "Right," she nodded, crossing her arms and leaning on the counter to her right. "Yeah, you just kill whoever you don't like or send the rest to your creepy science ones."

 Jarak didn't argue that.

 Not sure what else to say, Justice looked away. "Where are you going to sleep?"

 "I do not currently require sleep," Jarak responded, his naturally aggressive tone at odds with the simple statement.

 "But what if you did and you wanted to sleep? I have no problem sleeping on a couch…" she paused, looking around the empty place once more. The front of the apartment was suspiciously empty as if it were designed for seating, but she would bet her last credit that the hunter used the bit of open space to train in. "Ok, floor," she corrected.

 "No," his deep tone was final.

 "Fine," she said, throwing up her hands and turning back towards the bed to sit next to Larsa. "I'm not going to argue with you. If you want to go sleep in a tree or whatever, be my guest."

 As if completely satisfied with that option, Jarak turned back around and began walking to the door.

 "Wait, how do I contact you," she called out just as the door opened. "...if one of your brethren tries to come in here or something happens and I might need you," she explained. "I would like it to be said I at least attempted not to go with my natural inclination of shooting first."

 Slowly, Jarak turned his head until one eye caught her gaze over his shoulder. "No one would dare come into my space."

 Like all statements from the hunter, the words were simple, but the meaning was lethal. Letting her gaze drop past the red tips of his long dread-like spines, she observed the strong striation of muscles corded along his wide back, tapering down to his narrow waist. Justice remembered the way the hunter had slung the adult xenomorph by its tail with ridiculous ease as if it were the size of a cat, and she couldn't imagine too many people or even other yautja crossing Jarak and surviving.

 Opening his data-pad on his gauntlet once more, he turned around fully and stepped back towards her until he stood only a foot away. Holding out his hand, he gave her a waiting look.

 Justice cocked her head in a smile as she obediently laid her hand in his. "How did you know what my rings were for?"

 With a gentleness that seemed wholly strange on the humongous crab faced alien, Jarak carefully turned her hand over until her palm pressed against his. Justice could feel the rough ridges of his tough skin press against hers and marvel at the heat that radiated through it. For something with no discernable heat signature, he sure was hot to the touch, she thought. Again that made her think of the amazing sleep she had against the creature the other night.

 Touching one of the two white and silver rings she wore on each hand, Jarak activated her personal computer.

 "I am yautja," his voice growled out over her like a rumbling blanket made of storms and thunder. "There is little I do not know."

 Watching him type on the holographic keyboard her ring projected, Justice gave him an evil grin that caught his attention. "But you didn't know what rent was."

 Entering the data with a gruff growl, Jarak turned on his heel and left.

 Inside the sacks, Jarak had brought her was proof enough that a human lived on the planet: two thermos-like containers filled with still warm food, bottles of shampoo and soap, a pillow, and even a few baby things.

 Justice stared at a stuffed giraffe and turned it over in her hand in absent thought. Were the yautja purposely bringing human women with children back to their planet? And if so, why? It couldn't be torture, she thought as she looked at the hastily written note on a piece of flimsy that she found in the bag as well. Supposedly the woman, named Ember, was more than excited to meet her. Following the helpful instructions on the flimsy, she walked up to the wall near the kitchenette and activated the data-pad, and searched for what the note told her. With a push of a button, a drawer popped out of the wall to her right, and Justice smiled.

 A basin that is what yautja called their washing units. Shaking her head in a smile, she thought it was fitting. A washing machine was much too verbose for the towering Jarak to say. Basin in his deep guttural voice was much more appropriate.

 Stripping off all of her clothes until she stood completely nude, Justice stuffed her clothes into the drawer-unit and activated the washing cycle. Walking back to the bed, she grabbed one of the sacks in one hand and scooped up Larsa in her other arm. Settling the grunting baby onto the pillow on the bathroom floor, Justice fiddled with the controls on the shower until a black wall raised from the floor. Stopping just above her knee, the half wall turned the bottom of the large black shower into a tub. Pressing a few more commands, Justice filled the tub with water before stepping in with a deep groan. Sitting down, Justice was surprised at the spaciousness of the tub. It was deep and perfectly long enough for her, which was rare indeed.

 Closing her eyes for a few precious seconds, she was about to let her head lie back against the wall when Larsa began to fuss. Adjusting so that breasts were pressed against the bathtub's wall and her arms were folded on the rim, Justice stared down at her daughter.

 Catching her mother's eye, Larsa opened her tiny toothless mouth and let out an agitated sound. Justice rummaged in the bag with one wet hand and pulled out the soft giraffe. Making little noises, she knew Larsa enjoyed, Justice danced the doll over the baby and played with her from the rim of the tub, letting the sight of the little girl's gummy smile soothe her.

 "We're in a new place," she whispered as she kissed the giraffe's mouth against the side of Larsa's cheek. "We are surrounded by big scary-looking hunters, but it will be ok," she said, repeating the kiss on the other fat cheek. "Soon, mommy will meet their leader and hopefully talk him into letting us stay for a little bit."

 Playing with her until she was content to quietly look around on her on, Justice grabbed the large sea-sponge that was tucked in the bag and dipped it in the water. Water dripped and splashed as she raised each leg to the surface of the deep tub and ran the soft sponge over her legs. Her mind drifted back to LV549 and the "woolly woolies" in the primigenius. The large docile tusked mammoths were most likely safe but no doubt scared and lonely. For a year now, she had been working with the beast, studying their glowing tusk and their behaviors. Over time she had become attached to them. Their liquid black eyes staring at her with eternal patience as she fed them their favorite leafy treats while she performed her never-ending scans. Even Larsa had learned to enjoy the large beast, engaging them in a battle of stares that made Justice's eyes feel dry just thinking about it. Now her mammoths were bound for an early death on the infested planet. Before she fled the lab, Justice had made sure to call all her mammoths in from the outside enclosure and back into the lab before sealing it off. Inside they would have access to their daily reserves of water and food, but the supplies would run out, and the poor, gentle beast would starve--if they were lucky. Justice could only pray that the xenomorphs wouldn't sense the beast through the reinforced walls of the lab and work their way inside.

 Standing up in the now tepid water, Justice paused, looking around. There were no towels. Did yautja not dry themselves with towels? That made no sense. No one this advanced and this meticulous with their technology walks around soggy after each shower, she thought resolutely. As the water drained at her feet, she stood naked and braced one hand against the wall as she jabbed a finger at the control-screen in the shower, going through the options. Stopping at one foreign yautja word, Justice repeated it a few times in her head, searching for a translation. Gusting? After a second, her eyes widened in realization, and she smiled. Pressing the button, she stood back. Narrow vents opened up along the sides of the shower stall, and warm air began to blow through them.

 Dry, she stepped out of the shower stall and scooped up Larsa and her things. Changing, cleaning, and getting Larsa ready for sleep, Justice walked naked across the room and found the "gusting" option for her now clean clothes. Letting it run its cycle, she walked back towards the bed and sank down on the mattress, letting the cool leather press against her naked skin. Rummaging through the second bag, Justice grinned at the folded sheet tucked at the bottom and flipped out, spreading it partially over Larsa.

 Positioning her gun to the right of her, Justice stifled a yawn as she took a big gulp of the soup from the thermos. Fatigue was catching up to her. She needed to be rested for tomorrow because if for some reason things went south, she would need more than enough energy to fight her way off yet another planet crawling with aliens.

 by katerina winters

[taylizmasterpost]

Liz After the Agency (September 2012 - September 2014)

So, Liz is spiraling. Her mental health isn’t doing great. And she was just asked to leave The Agency (presumably to take care of herself, although the public reason given was for her to start a solo career). Things are bad.

However, in the darkness, there’s always a light. And the light for Liz, in this case is her neighbor, Bryan Brown.

24 September 2012 - Liz and Bryan tweet at each other for the first time:

17  October 2012 - Taylor writes This Love:

Now, this COULD be about Liz, considering the back and forth. However, I’m more inclined to believe Taylor wrote this about Swiftgron’s first break up, right after they got back together, which you can read more about here. 

The same day, Liz makes a vague tweet about jealousy:

It’s crazy weird to me that the same day Taylor is celebrating getting back together with Dianna and writing This Love, Liz is pissed off and jealous about something. Coincidence? Maybe. But I don’t think so.

22 October 2012 - Red is released. According to a later interview with the photographer who did the Red booklet (who happens to be Liz’s current roommate), Taylor based the concept of the photoshoot on some headshots they’d taken for Liz: 

“Taylor is a mutual friend of ours. Stephen and his brother were friends with her years before, and I became friends with her separately. What ended up happening was one of her background singers needed headshots. When Taylor saw them a few months later, she came to me and was like, “Liz showed me the shots you took of her, and I need my album to look exactly like that.” Clearly, this was a no-brainer. I said, “OK!” Before then, I’d been kind of burned out on music photography. A lot of the shoots were super controlling. I needed a new perspective on the field itself and wanted future shoots to be very free-flowing — just the artist and a minimum crew. Luckily for Stephen and me, that’s exactly how Taylor presented the Red album shoot. So it was just the three of us shooting everything together. She wanted everybody else to remain off set, allowing for a more personal and intimate experience.”

So, I don’t know why Taylor did this. Maybe she wanted to look like a hipster for the Red album and Liz was the best she knew. Or, maybe, she wanted to scream to those who knew her well that this album was about LIZ HUETT. 

In this series of Liz headshots, there’s also one specific photo of Liz wearing the Stevie Nicks moon necklace that Taylor possibly gave to her:

Is this possibly one of the reasons why Taylor wanted to mimic them for the Red album? 

Later that day, Taylor goes on Good Morning America and says she wrote a new song “like two days ago” (probably talking about This Love?)

And after that, Taylor tells the LA Times that Begin Again and State of Grace are about the same person:

“There were a few track list choices I knew I was going to make way in advance,” she said. “I knew I wanted to bookend the album with ‘State of Grace’ and ‘Begin Again’ because they’re inspired by the same person who inspired a few songs on the record. I wanted to start and end the album with the first and last song I ever wrote about that relationship.”

“Then in between those songs, I wanted to paint a picture of the ups and downs I’ve experienced in life and love, not necessarily in the order it happened chronologically,” Swift continued. “I like to spread the emotions out in a way that never makes you feel like there’s a sad lull, then a burst of four songs in a row about joy. At the end of the day, I make a track list based on what my gut feeling tells me.” ‘Begin Again’ is my song version of a cliffhanger ending. Throughout the whole album, there have been songs about the trials and tribulations of love and loss, and there at the end of the record it starts all over. As soon as I wrote that song, I knew exactly where I wanted to put it.”

Now, I don’t think this means Begin Again is about Liz. I think it means that Liz is the past relationship in the song, and Dianna is the present. And Liz actually has a song called “Good About Her” that kind of mirrors Begin Again and I find that HILARIOUS and also kind of a smoking gun.

26 October 2012 -Taylor goes on Katie Couric. Katie asks if Taylor’s ex in WANEGBT got the message and Taylor says she “hasn’t heard from him since” and also mentions “some of my exes like to write really long emails.” Now, if the song is about Liz, this is a lie, because she definitely did get lunch with Liz after WANEGBT came out. However, I think it’s fair that what she’s hinting here is that things did not end well in that messy relationship.

25 October 2012 - Liz quote tweets Caitlin about crying on the treadmill to All Too Well :

8 November 2012 - Liz releases Never Know on YouTube:

The lyrics that make me think this is about Taylor are the “now and then I catch myself singing your old song.” ESPECIALLY in the context of that treadmill tweet and Liz probably having written this during her Nashville sessions over the summer. However, it could also be about Jason, who, as we know, was a struggling musician before he became a photographer.

18 November 2012 - Taylor shoots the MV for IKYWT, wears the same black and white shirt she wore around when Liz first joined the band. Liz calls the news of her leaving the Agency “bittersweet.”

And “bittersweet” is the exact same phrasing that around a week later Taylor would say the ex who most of Red is about used to describe listening to the album:

19 November 2012 - Ali Puliti tweets about listening to two Liz demos -- Blessed Are the Brokenhearted and Dammit, meaning this song, which wouldn’t be released until 2018, was likely written during those summer 2012 songwriting sessions:

When the song was eventually released by Jana Kramer in 2018, Liz posted this on Facebook:

The song also notably contains the lyric “cause I could hear you in the kitchen, playing your guitar” which REALLY REALLY makes me think of Taylor. Although it could maybe be for Jason, who was also a musician.

Here’s the story Liz told about the song:

“‘Dammit’, actually, was a story that I lived out. Like, I was with somebody I was, you know, getting very serious. We were talking about starting a life together and we even had this house, like, picked out in the city where we lived and we would drive by it and be like ‘one day when we buy that house’. And, so, when we broke up, the pain of, like, saying goodbye was really, you know, really intense, but it was also mourning the loss of the hypothetical future. So, it was like saying goodbye to the past memories and stuff, sort of what we almost had and that’s where that song came from. So, honestly, I didn’t write it for anyone else, but myself, truly. But, um, it’s beautiful that music has such a way of resonating with someone who might not even know and they connect with it so much that another artist would want to sing it. It’s such a high compliment.”  

And here’s a quick clip of Liz singing it. So, seems like a Jason song, if not for the fact that she wrote it almost a year after they broke up and kept it hidden for years before eventually giving it to another artist.

13 December 2012 - Taylor’s birthday. Liz does not wish her happy birthday. This, to me, is the biggest evidence that there’s some amount of bad blood between them at this point.

14 December 2012 - The Music Video for IKYWT comes out. Taylor wears a shirt she wore a LOT when TayLiz was first a thing in 2009. She also wears a key necklace, which will be important later.

17 December 2012 - Liz posts a picture from Claire’s birthday party using a picture without Taylor in it (even though it seems fair to assume Taylor would’ve been invited).

20 December 2012 - Liz tells a fan her favorite song from Red is All Too Well:

21 December 2012 - Liz wishes Claire happy birthday. Further signaling bad blood with her and Taylor since she didn’t bother to do it for Taylor.

9 January 2013 - Liz releases Blessed Are the Brokenhearted:

Here she describes love as “burning up out of control” which is the same phrase Taylor used on Red -- “burning red” -- and Begin Again -- “I’ve been spending the last eight months thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end.” Also, the idea of love as an out of control flame really does describe their relationship.

20 January 2013 - Liz releases One Hand on the Wheel:

Here, much like in Red, Liz describes a relationship using the metaphor of a car. The relationship is messy, maybe even toxic. There’s even a lyric that sounds like it could be out of treacherous: “Being wrong shouldn’t feel so right like it does / But it does.”

22 January 2013 - Liz releases Wreck of Who I Am.

This is the song that is the strongest evidence for me that Liz WAS going through some mental health stuff over the summer when she was doing all this songwriting, and that that Reddit post about running into a drunk Liz who said she was fired for being “out of control” seems somewhat accurate. Here Liz sings about her battles, the way she’s losing them, and asks her younger self what she would think if she saw her now.

I’m not going to go into too much detail on Liz and Bryan (since unlike her and Jason there’s no need to use them to say much about TayLiz) but, despite his flaws, he was the person to pick Liz up off the ground when she was feeling this way, so he should get some credit for that.

Sometime around this - Liz releases Stones. Similar upbeat nature to Blessed Are the Brokenhearted with mentions to some of the struggles of Wreck of Who I Am.

Choice Lyrics:

When you’re knocked off your throne And lying on your back Things will never be so clear Cause when you see it all like that Sooner or later it comes around Yeah we all taste that bitter truth But all the stones you’re throwing now Will be the ones they throw at you

Also with these batch of songs, we get Sun Out of the Rain:

So baby, hold on, the storm will roll away It may be pouring down, but it’s only for today A million pieces might be falling into place And when there are no words to say We’ll make the sun out of the rain

29 January 2013 - Chantelle Paige posts a picture of Liz and Taylor and talks about a “sad night turned awesome.” Once again, I think this is a throwback from that night in 2012.

2 April 2013 - Liz goes to therapy. Her and Bryan are dating at this point.

2 September 2013 - Liz tells a fan on twitter that she hasn’t been to any of the Red shows, which to me definitely backs up that fan account of Liz being bitter about being fired.

23 December 2013 - Liz wishes Taylor Happy Birthday. This seems like a peace offering to me, considering they haven’t spoken in like a year and she refused to do this the earlier year. Also worth noting that Swiftgron is on its last legs at this point.

1 March 2014 - Sara Evans releases Put My Heart Down, which was co-written by Liz and is about walking away from a toxic relationship:

Now, from what I know of Liz and Jason, this doesn’t seem like their dynamic at all. It’s too soon for it to be about her and Bryan However, it does remind me a LOT of what Taylor was writing about on Red. Her are some choice lyrics:

I never pictured us fighting this much Thought we were figured out, but it’s so messy now Your words cut so deep and I think you should leave

Put my heart down and walk away This kind of love is dangerous So pack up all your things, just leave some air to breathe A million toxic tears fallin’ like rain over here This is the final hour The end of our story tonight And I don’t wanna fight

Now, please go listen to Treacherous, Battle/Let’s Go and Story of Us and tell me this is not the same relationship.

Bonus though, this song is copyrighted for 2014, making it make even LESS SENSE for it to be written about Bryan. 

17 July 2014 -  Timothy James Brown releases a song called Change My Mind that was co-written by Liz. I’m out of video links, so here are some choice lyrics:

All the horses became soldiers Dark as night to drag me away A complicated kind of heartbreak When you promise somebody you’ll stay

I know you’ve been hurting I know more than most I don’t have the courage Where you’re going, I can’t follow

To me, this reads as Liz making peace with leaving the Agency. She recognizes her demons, and how they ruined her relationship with Taylor, and says “where you’re going, I can’t follow” because she’s not in a good enough place to keep touring with Taylor.

So things are looking bleak in TayLiz land. However, Liz seems to be recovering! She’s writing songs acknowledging some problems in the relationship and her own battles, and she’s also in therapy and dating Bryan. It’s time for some reconciliation. But first, let’s see what’s up in Taylor-land:

Liz References on the Red Tour

[time-to-cause-chaos]

catch me to infinity

5 times Wanda catches Peter, and 1 time she doesn't know if she can. (Reblogs appreciated <3) (st*rk*r shippers, pls DNI) (also this is PLATONIC, not slash so yeah, pls don’t read this as slash)

AO3 link    WC: 5,738

1. Accidentally, off a couch

“Wanda”  Peter says, laying across his chair, feet dangling idly in the air.  

“Wandaaa”, Peter whines again.  His half-finished hot cocoa sits abandoned on the coffee table while Wanda sips hers quietly.

Wanda pauses the tv, raising an eyebrow and looking over to Peter with an unimpressed look.  

The guy on the screen is leaning against a wall, mouth half-open, caught in the middle of a joke.

“We’ve watched this episode like a million times.  I can probably tell you every single line and scene by heart at this point.”

Wanda sighs, “Which one should we watch then?”

A quick glance at the window says they’re still stuck inside, if the storming winds and downpour mean anything.  They didn’t have a problem with some light rain, in fact, if Tony and Steve hadn’t expressly told them they couldn’t go outside, they would already be soaked and muddy.  The last day they’d gone outside in the cold though, the next day was full of fevers and snotty napkins so it was decided they’d actually listen this time.  That rainy day had still been awesome though and there were absolutely no regrets, even when Peter was delirious and giggling everywhere in a haze.

The sitcom playing in front of them was one of Wanda’s favorites - probably why Peter had put up with watching it for the millionth time - but at this point, she was barely making it through the episode without wanting to rip her hair out.

She was bored.

Peter came around her and sat on the back of the couch, his feet planted on the cushions.  Flipping through the shows was a waste, they’d also gone through nearly every episode they could and starting a new show right now sounded exhausting.

Wanda slumped and Peter got up, standing on the sofa, “There are so many things we could do, we’re in the Avengers Compound, there can’t be nothing to do.”

“We could go swimming?” Peter asks.

Wanda groans, “Then you’ll be the one explaining why we got sick again”

“Wanda, it’s indoors”

“N-o” she spells out, “No swimming”

“Well what about-”, Wanda doesn’t figure out what Peter was going to say because his balancing act comes toppling down, maybe balancing on his heels and pacing on the headrest of the couch hadn’t been one of his best ideas.

Peter yelps and his arms come over his head as he crashes to the floor.

...Except the crash never comes.

Instead when Peter opens his eyes, his nose is one inch from touching the floorboards and his limbs are covered in bright red ripples of light.

“Whoa”, he breathes, uncurling himself and spreading his arms out, as if he was floating.

Wanda scoffs and with a flick of her fingers, let’s go of her hold on the mist and helps him close the gap between himself and the floor, dropping him harmlessly on the floor.

He picks himself up and looks at her, mouth agape, “Wands, you have powers!” he shouts in glee.

She rolls her eyes and snorts, “Really, Peter?  That is news to me.”

“No, no I mean imagine all the fun things we could do with this”, Peter’s hands flail wildly to emphasize his point, “we could prank the others, for one”

She smirks up at him, “That’s actually not a bad idea”

“When have I ever had a bad idea”

Wanda’s eyebrows pinch together in exasperation, “The swimming idea?”

“Okay, fine moment of weakness but anyways,” he grins, “We need supplies, I’m going to get supplies” 

He snaps his fingers and is out the door before he can hear Wanda yell, “If Tony grounds you, it’s not my fault!”

2.  Mysteriously, for the suspense and drama

Peter laughed into the comms as he kicked one of the bad guys down, “Was that a dad joke, Mr.Stark?”

“It was a pun, there’s a difference Spidey” Tony grunts, blasting up into the air and firing another guy down a stairwell.

Clint pops on the comm link, crackling into their ears, “I’m pretty sure that was a dad joke Tony”

Peter shoots a web onto the ceiling and swings around, webbing up the last few people in the room, “Mr.Stark, just make sure to give us a warning before you go full dad-mode and start playing golf and bringing us our lunches”

“I actually think I did bring your lunch to your school that one time”, Peter doesn’t have to see Mr.Stark’s face to know he’s smirking.

“Nope, nuh-uh, no I definitely don’t remember that”

“Oh yes you do,” Tony laughs, “Your face was red the entire time”

Peter grimaces,”No idea what you’re talking about”.  Oh he definitely did, it had been embarrassing, god and Ned’s jaw was practically on the floor while MJ watched unimpressed as the entire class’s eyes bulged.

“I think I saw some dudes slip up to the roof, I’m going to go grab them” Peter says, changing the subject and looking for Tony for confirmation.

“Go ahead, Underoos.  I’ll be right behind, just going to make sure law enforcement have a hold of these guys, first.”

Peter nods and slips out of the room, already running up the fire escape.  

He bursts out onto the roof and immediately has a gun trained on him.

“Make one move, Spiderman, I dare you”

“Well, I do love a good dare”

Peter ducks behind a potted plant just as the guy fires a bullet.  Spinning out from his hiding place he yells, “I’m going to call you Boots!”

The man was wearing heavy black combat boots with large wedges, a short person’s true love, Peter thinks.

He had thick wedges too on most of his sneakers, but he assured himself Tony he only wore them because they were fun to wear.

Speaking of, he was pretty sure Mr.Stark made his shoes with wedges in them too-

Peter yelps and ducks as the gun fires again, missing him by a foot this time.

Anyways, he was average height, thank you very much.  Anyone who said otherwise could eat his webs and dirt.

Peter notices a slight hesitation in his opponent’s movement and immediately shoots a web out, yanking his gun arm down.  

He flips behind him and punches him down right before the man flips back up, nailing Peter on his nose and forcing him back.

Peter yelps and realizes their fight is nearing the edge of the roof, which had a good 8-story drop behind it.

He tries to push his punches in another direction, trying to redirect them both before one of them goes over but the man stays strong pushing them closer and closer to the edge.

Wanda’s voice comes in through the comms, “Peter, where are you?”

“Roof” Peter barely gets out through his grunts.

“I’m under you” she says.

Ironman comes out through the roof access door and watches as Peter stumbles, barely inches from tipping over the side.

He raises a metal hand, ready to shoot but Peter stops him, “Just trust me”

He would’ve let Tony handle it, but the blast could knock him off too, not just the other guy, and if he was going to plummet off a building today, he wanted to do it on his own terms.

Balancing on the small wall, the only thing keeping him from falling off, Peter jumps sideways just as the man raises a leg to kick him down.  

Peter smirks, using two fingers to salute, “Sayonara, sucker” he laughs as he pushes off and starts free-falling backwards, wind and gravity pushing on him.

That was so cool, he thinks.  It was a perfect reenactment of those scenes in movies where a character will dramatically fall off a roof narrowly escaping their nemesis and then gets caught by like, a dragon or a flying pirate ship.

It’s called a fashionable exit, to all the uncultured misfortunes who think it’s stupid.

Mr.Stark was probably pretty confused about what just happened though.

He plunges through the air for a full three seconds before he’s caught by Wanda’s magic, floating mid-air.

He catches a glimpse of her pursed lips and smiles, “You’re so dramatic” she tells him, concealing her amused eyes.

Wanda takes them both up to the roof where Mr.Stark already has the man Peter was fighting, tied down.

Tony groans in exasperation when he sees them both, already having figured out their little magic act.

They just laugh.

3. To annoy, off the counter

It’s a Friday and the essay sitting on the table next to Wanda has already been long abandoned.  He was not going to waste another minute trying to figure out what personal connection he could make the short story they’d been assigned to read during class.

He related to it because he’d been in a similar situation maybe?  

But anyways, he wasn’t going to waste time trying to find a way to spread that over 8 detailed sentences and supporting textual evidence.

He’s sitting on the counter and watching Wanda and Vision read books next to each other on the chairs.  Wanda’s legs are resting on Vision’s lap and as fun as it was watching them both, he was still exhausted and not in the mood to face the dangers of his other homework for tonight.  

Didn’t Mr.Stark say not to risk his life unnecessarily?  This should definitely count because just looking as the textbook took away two hours of his energy, at this rate he’d be on his death-bed by nightfall.

Munching on a protein bar, he looks up at the ceiling.  

The only one in the building right now, besides Vision and Wanda, was Steve - well technically Mr.Stark too, but he was in a board meeting that Pepper begged him not to bail on so he was off-limits.  

He glares at Wanda, trying to get her to notice him bored out of his mind, but she stubbornly stays focused on the page.

She’s actually reading Harry Potter, the result of Peter’s pestering, and she loved it.  The plan to get Wanda to do something with him was interfering with the joy he would usually feel though.

Like yay, my pseudo big sister is finally catching up on all the books and movies she’s missed while working with evil people but also please please please notice me before i throw my stupid homework into the sink disposal-

His alarming train of thought still didn’t catch her attention so he slumps before getting up and deciding to walk all over the counters and ceiling.  You know if that mark on the wall from when someone - ahem Clint ahem - had thrown a pen on the ceiling, acted like a mark he could pretend he was doing an obstacle course.

Yes, he could see it now, he’d do a cartwheel over the pen mark on the ceiling, then run on the wall, then he’d jump over the couch, and jump back onto the counter, the living room was plenty big enough.

Wow, this is a sorry excuse for fun.

He did the course three times and was skittering across the ceiling when Steve walked in and immediately shook his head at him.

Peter freezes in surprise and looks guiltily at Steve.

“I’m guessing the homework didn’t get done”, Steve says.

Peter sits criss-cross on the ceiling, if he gets down, he’s probably going to be guilt-tripped into doing his homework and no thank you.

Steve sighs and looks at him, “At least get down, you’re going to fall and get hurt.”

“No I won’t.  I’m part-spider, this is like my natural territory”, Peter says.

“You have the traits of a spider”

Why did he always have to pull out the school detention PSA voice?

“But look!  I can do a cartwheel on here, I’ve been doing them and I’m fine”

He’ll get down, as soon as he does just one, little cartwheel to annoy Steve.

Of course, that’s when his body decides to betray him and he slips, losing his grip on the ceiling.

He wasn’t worried about falling and smashing his nose at all, he knew Wanda would catch him every single time, in fact he’s already crossing his arms over his chest and scowling as he hovers on his back 3 feet above the ground.

Steve walks by him, still suspended in the air, and ruffles his hair, “Homework now”, then probably feeling bad for Peter, he adds, “Tony said you can use the lab later if you finish early”

Peter groans, “Fine”

Wanda puts him on the couch and he walks over to her and drops in the chair next to her on the table.  She hasn’t looked up once this entire time, not even when she’d caught him in the air, only unlatching her fingers from Vision’s and stopping his fall with her powers.  

Now she looks up and smiles at him, poking his forehead and pushing his computer towards him.

He groans again.

4.  To spite and win, off the balcony

Peter licks his lips, running through the plan again.

There’s someone coming down this hall, he can hear their soft footsteps padding on the floor.  Peter’s going to jump out and get the offending person out of the game, it’ll be easy as long as he times it right.

He jumps out from where he’s hiding behind the door frame and pulls up the gun aiming it at the unsuspecting form.

His paintball gun chooses right then to stall and dang it, that means that he has no defense or attack.

He looks up to find Clint grinning at him coyly, gun already trained on him and finger poised on the trigger.

He yelps and jumps out of the way just in time, the purple paintball splattering against the counter.

Peter runs back through the hallway, getting away from Clint and his treacherous smile (it was the smile of a deranged man who would do anything it takes to win paintball) and finds a cleaning closet to hide in while he fixes his gun.

Did the plastic pieces just have to jam right then? Talk about shitty luck.

He picks at the inside of the barrel with a toothpick and grins as a faint click ensures that the machine is functioning again.  The paintball that had gotten stuck shoots out and Peter ducks out of the way as pink splatters against the dark wall.

He knows Clint’s prowling the halls for him right now and he prays the man didn’t just hear the shotgun go off.

Slowly creaking the door open and making sure there’s no one there, he tip-toes out and runs to the balcony, it’s the perfect place to hide out and wait for his next victim.  The second anyone enters the living room, he has the perfect view on them and nobody looks at the balcony until it’s too late, which means more wins for him.

He underestimated Clint though.

The older man jumps out (umm where did he come from??) and kicks Peter’s gun away from him with a triumphant laugh.  Peter backs up against the cool metal railing and looks at him imploringly, “Can we talk this out?” he offers weakly.

He really regretted voting for the no superpowers rule now.

“Any last words, Parker”

Peter turns his head around, looking for a way out.  It was too high to jump from without his webs and it won’t be possible to run around Clint without getting hit by a paintball.  

Right before he decides to accept his inevitable defeat he sees a flash of bright red hair hiding in the branches of one of the thick, green trees below them.

“You know what, you got me Clint” he smirks, letting Clint bask in his moment of victory for a second, “Just kidding” and he flips himself back off over the railing.

He really wishes he could’ve seen Clint’s face at that moment, sadly success came with a price.

Right on schedule, the sharp red crackles of electricity catch him a couple of feet from the ground and he plants his feet on the ground, turning around to face Wanda.

“Thanks Wands”

“Oh I didn’t do it for you”

It takes him a second too long to figure out what she means but by the time he does it’s already too late, a dark red paintball slams into his protective vest.

“You’re a traitor, Wanda” Peter sulked, wow and here he thought he could actually win - or at least come second to Nat.

“All is fair in love and paintball”

5. Unwillingly, off a stage

Wanda had decided to pick Peter up from his Decathlon practice, it was always Happy who did it but he was sick and plus, they could grab some ice cream and talk before they had to head back.

She tapped her fingers idly on the steering wheel, rapping out a misplaced tune and glances again at the school gates.  

She fixes the rearview mirror and frowns, Peter should have come skipping out 15 minutes ago.

Wanda steps out of the car and smooths her wrinkled hoodie, running her fingers through hair once in the window before walking towards the school.

Her sneakers squeak, echoing loudly through the empty hallways and she has to wrinkle her nose at the spitballs stuck to the walls and lockers.  Someone’s book report flits around in the air and suddenly, she’s incredibly grateful she never had to go to a real high school.

There’s a piece of paper with a handwritten “Academic Decathlon” scribbled on it taped loosely on heavy, wooden doors and she pushes them open, shivering at the rush of cold air that bursts out.

Peering in, Wanda sees Peter on the stage but he’s not alone.  There’s another high-schooler gripping hard at his shoulders and sneering at him, speaking words Wanda’s not close enough to hear.  It doesn’t take any amount of genius to know the two boys weren’t friends/

She doesn’t even have time to intervene because Peter’s pushed off the stage, it’s barely a 2 foot fall but Wanda doesn’t care, she’s angry.

Peter looks at her in surprise with dark red cheeks once she puts him, gently, on the floor.  He practically curls in on himself and she honestly wouldn’t be surprised if her skin was a similar shade as his, just not for the same reason.

She stomps up to the other boy who’s looking at her in alarm and pokes a harsh finger at his chest, “You. bastard.” she accentuates each word by pushing her finger even harder against his t-shirt, “What’s wrong with you?!”

She may not have gone to high school but she definitely knows what a bully is.  She’s had plenty of her own in the past, even if she hadn’t realized it at first.

It wasn’t fair Peter had to go through the same thing, school wasn’t supposed to be like this.  It was where you were supposed to goof off with your friends and learn, not get pushed around by kids because they think they’re better than you.

A hand tugs at her wrist and she’s so wound up nearly forgets to soften her face when Peter tugs again, silently asking her to just drop it.

She looks back at the bully who’s gone pale and pushes him, sending him stumbling back a few feet.

“Don’t touch my little brother again, asshole” she snarls before whipping around and dragging Peter out the doors by his backpack.

By the time they get to the car, Peter still hasn’t said a word and instead opts to look out the window, not even sparing Wanda a small glance.

Her face is still aflame and her hands are still clenched around the wheel as she pulls to the side of the road and parks, looking over at Peter.  His eyes are tinged red.

“I’m sorry” he whispers, the second they’re parked.

“Don’t say sorry, it wasn’t your fault, but why didn’t you fight back?  Just one shove”.  It doesn’t make sense, Peter is strong enough to take on super-soldiers, he practically is one himself with all his advancements, so why doesn’t he just push back?  He doesn’t have to get hurt like this, he doesn’t deserve to.

“I’m just Peter Parker.  I’m not Spiderman at school so it wouldn’t make sense, I can’t just do that”, his fingers dig into his thighs and he kicks lightly at his backpack.

“Then you could’ve said something to us,” she’s looking up at him, eyes almost crazed.  It’s not okay, it’s not even close alright, it’s awful that this happens to him.

And she knows it’s not just a one-time thing.

Not when bullying at Midtown has been discussed far too many times for comfort, not when he’s come back with bruises and marks even when he hasn’t patrolled in days, and definitely not when Peter just tried to subtly wipe a tear from his cheek.

She feels tired all of a sudden, as her raging wave of anger reaches a crescendo and plummets to the ground, scattering, dropping her intentions to take care of anyone who even comes close to hurting Peter with some well-placed punches and kicks.

Wanda sighs and squeezes her eyes shut, blindly, she grabs Peter’s hand and asks, “Was that the Flash guy?”

“No, Flash never gets physical, he’s not too bad.  This is someone else”

“So you’ve been getting bullied by multiple people?”, it’s not a question, she already knows.  “Peter, you’re Spiderman, you know this isn’t right so please, please the next time this happens just” she exhales, “Just please, promise you’ll tell someone, anyone and they’ll take care of it”

“Promise” Peter breathes from next to her.

“Okay” she pulls back into the traffic, “I’m getting cookie dough ice cream, which one do you want?”

+1.  This one was definitely not supposed to happen, shit, shitshit

It’s getting really hard to breathe.

Which should probably not be happening, but in Peter’s defense, he hadn’t even wanted to skip class.  MJ had told him to, quote, “Get out of here before your dumbass throws up on someone’s shoes” and for once he’d actually listened, deciding going home and sleeping his fever off was better than being stuck in a stuffy old classroom, doing schoolwork.  

The heater of the apartment sounded like heaven and sunshine right about then.

He was just going to take the subway when one of the tv’s turned on, flashing a news report about the Avengers fighting the group of people near the tower.

According to the news channel, they had a whole lot of advanced technology, from ray guns to shapeless contraptions you couldn’t tell heads or tails of.

And there were a lot of them.

So of course, Peter had immediately donned his warm hoodie and jeans and switched into his suit, already swinging towards to get there, it made his stomach queasy and his head spin, but it was fine, he was already almost there.

“Peter, you’re not doing this right now, stop it and go home”, Tony’s voice is playing through Karen the second he’s in range.

“Technically, I’m supposed to be in school right now, Mr.Stark”, Peter swings onto a roof and crashes against someone, knocking them down before looking at the metal cube object they had abandoned.

It was glowing a light purple, which should probably not be happening.

He walked cautiously around it and his eyes widened as the glow got brighter and spread more, covering the entire cube now.

“Shit!”

Peter manages to scramble back before it explodes, leaving a black scorch mark on the floor and the smell of smoke in the air.

“Peter!?”

Oops, he’d forgotten Mr.Stark was there.

“Yeah I’m fine, just where did these people get all this stuff?”

“No idea, but Pete, I swear to god get out of here, or else I’m calling your aunt”, there’s a strangled grunt and the comms go silent.

“Mr.Stark??”, there’s no answer, “Karen, take me to Mr.Stark”

He swings two buildings away and lands on the 9th floor balcony, entering and running towards the signal.  When he enters the room, Tony’s being held up against the wall by someone who’s wearing heavy metal body armor, it could pass for an Iron Man cosplay if you squint really hard.

He jumps over, kicking them down and ducking a punch.  Grabbing the wrist of the armor, Peter twists their arm and slams them on their back before immediately looking back at Tony and helping him up.

“You okay?”, Peter questions.

“Yup, something she used fried the comm link though, I can’t get to to anyone else”

Peter nods and they both run through the halls, racing to get to the top of the building. 

“What do they want?”

“I don’t know, but right now I think they’re just trying to blow stuff up”

Bursting onto the roof, there’s only one person there with some weird silver spear, which honestly looks pretty harmless compared to everything else.

The man there, sees them and immediately backs off, dropping everything and stumbling away with a forced smile.

Tony still closes in on him and Peter webs his wrists and legs to the floor, just in case.

They’re both looking down onto the other rooftops for trouble when the headache Peter has been ignoring grows, and he stumbles back feeling his fever spike.

Tony approaches him and kneels down next to him where he’s sprawled on the floor waiting for the dizzy spell to pass.

“Kid, you have a fever”, Tony says after asking Karen for his vitals.

Peter swallows and fights the urge to keel over and vomit, “I’m fine”

“If I had a penny for every time I heard that” he jokes, voice unbearably soft, “Listen, you stay here and I’ll come and get you when this is over, ‘kay?”

Peter’s about to nod when someone flies onto the roof, they’re wearing goggles and using mechanical wings to help them fly.

Peter’s too dizzy to do anything so he watches as Tony raises a gauntlet and fires it up with a low whine that resonates in Peter’s keyed-up ears.

“Back off”, Tony says as a warning.

The girl smiles and takes off the goggles, slipping them up on her head with a puckish smirk, folding her wings in.

“Pleasure to meet you Iron Man, as well as you Spider”, she has a lilting accent that Peter can’t place.

The gauntlet doesn’t falter, even as Tony shifts so Peter is stuck in his shadow, “What do you want?”

“I want one of your inventions.  I may not be in charge of all these idiots, but my best friend is our leader and if you get me what I want, this can all be called off.”

“Best I can do are scraps from the intern labs, sorry.” he says, before firing a repulsor as she ducks out of the way.

“I wasn’t going to this the hard way but I suppose I’ll have to”, her curly, brown hair whips in her face as she puts it up into a ponytail, still dodging Tony’s blasts.

Peter’s spidey sense flares just as her wings do and she’s coming at him at full speed, lifting him up and flying up, past the buildings.  Oh he really has to hurl now.

Tony swears and tries to blast up, only to realize the girl had stuck a small square chip on him and his suit’s shutting down, his breathing clips and he looks up to where Peter’s being flown up.

He gets out of the suit and runs to the edge of the roof, “Wilson!” he calls, signaling Sam over from where he’s hauling debris out of the street for a car to get through.

Sam flies up to him and without a word, grabs him and flies him over to where Clint, Natasha, and Wanda are a few buildings away.  The whole 30 seconds he hasn’t taken his eyes off the Peter-shaped speck in the sky that’s getting harder and harder to see.

He stumbles over to Clint who’s looking at Wanda in concern, arms braced behind her to catch her if she falls. 

Tony briefly wonders what’s going on, before looking up at the collapsing building in front of them, the scarlet circling her wrists, and the sheen of sweat covering her forehead.

Clint looks over to him, swallowing, “Steve’s in there trying to get the rest of the people out, we can’t get in though, it’s too unstable.  The second Wanda lets go, the entire place is coming crashing down”

Tony can’t hide his panic anymore and he points up the sky, “Clint, it’s Peter”

Clint follows his finger and he jerks, seeing the red and blue suit in the distance, “Oh god”

The comms finally crackle back online and Tony swears his heart skips a beat when he realizes the bird lady just dropped Peter, oh my god.

They’re well over 4,000 feet up and his heart is in his throat as Peter’s screaming floods through the comms.  

Wanda hears it too and her hold on the building falters as she falls to her knees, eyes squeezed shut.  Clint moves to hold her but hovers around her instead, glancing back up at Peter when Wanda has a semi-stable grip again.

Natasha kneels on the ground next to Wanda, “You’re going to have to catch him”

Wanda’s voice teeters on a cry, “I’m trying”

Tony holds back his own cry and desperately tries to speak into the comms, if Peter realizes Tony’s trying to get through to him he doesn’t acknowledge it.

The comms are filled with wheezing and rushing wind and Tony’s gripping his arm so tight because that’s his kid dammit, and he can’t do anything.

Wanda’s attempts at catching him are proving futile, she can’t handle anything else without dropping the building which she can’t do, not when Steve and a whole lot of people are depending on her not to let it go.

“Sam, can’t you take your wings up and get him?”.  He doesn't care how panicked his voice sounds right now.

“One of the guys stuck a chip on it, the thing’s dead-weight now” Sam says, voice filled with sorrow.

Tony gulps in a breath and falls on his knees next to Wanda, “You have to catch him, Wanda” there’s a grim undertone in his voice hiding the waver and pure terror flooding through his veins.

Wanda grunts, tears are shining in her eyes, if it’s because of the strain or Peter, he has no idea.

“GUYS! Guys, guys, I’m falling!” Peter screams into their earpieces, voice cutting out, hot tears squeeze at his eyes.

Wanda looks up with a new sense of determination and her eyes flash, Tony suddenly knows that anyone going toe-to-toe with her would probably run first chance instead of fight.

“You can do it Wanda, come on” Tony pleads.

Peter’s form is getting bigger every second, little by little.

At around 500 feet, a faint glimmer of red runs over his body but it’s not enough, it slows Peter’s fall the tiniest bit before he’s hurtling through the air again.

‘Tony, Tony, Tony” Peter says his name like a prayer in the comms and Tony clenches his fist again, switching between looking at Wanda and Peter so fast, he wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up with whiplash.

The strain on Wanda’s forehead grows and her eyes squeeze shut as she tears at her limits.  

Tony stands beside where she’s kneeled on the ground, trying to see if he’d be able to catch Peter if this didn’t work.  He really hoped it didn’t come to that though, he didn’t have his suit and with the speed Peter was falling at, he didn’t know what would happen.

Eyes focused on Peter, Tony realizes a thin, flickering layer of red is very slowly growing over his body.  Relief bubbles in his throat and Wanda is able to slow Peter enough so that he and Sam can grab onto him, they all fall to the ground in a pile of limbs.

Tony grabs Peter under his shoulders and holds him upright as he gags and chokes on nothing, taking off his mask and brushing his curls off of his sweaty face.

Tony’s ears ring with the lingering screams of Wanda and Peter, his throat feels raw and he realizes that in his panic, he had been screaming too.  And it wasn’t just his ears that were buzzing, it seemed like everything was still ringing, the air vibrating with panic.

Peter was held close to Tony’s chest as he shook with heaving gasps and suppressed sobs, dried tear tracks streak the sides of his face and Tony tries to comb his fingers through the knots in Peter’s hair.

Looking around, Tony took everything in, everyone’s faces were pale and Wanda was barely holding herself up on her elbows, her heavy pants were forced through clenched teeth.

She’d let go of her hold on the building as Steve had come running out, waiting till he was out of the damage zone before sending it all crashing down.  All of that had happened just seconds after she had managed to gradually slow Peter down and get him to the ground in one piece.

A sigh of exhaustion huffs through Tony’s nose and the team sits in silence for a few minutes, trying to process all the chaos that had just happened.

Clint was helping Wanda, shakily, sit up and Peter crawled out of Tony’s arms to her before wrapping his trembling arms around her shoulders and whispering something to her.

Tony doesn’t know what was said but Peter was safe, everyone was safe.  They were all alright and his breaths started to come easier.  

Natasha sat next to him giving him a small, reassuring smile.  He leaned back and shut his eyes, making a mental note to add a parachute to Peter’s suit, among many other things.  Also to thank Wanda, because if she hadn’t been here...Tony didn’t want to think about it.

That was done now though.  Tony’s chest feels much lighter when Peter smiles at him over Wanda’s shoulder, the type of smile that conveys a million emotions, with nothing else.

He gives a shaky grin back.

[stacy-randell]

Note: music and picture on My Wattpad 1~The Assignment

It's 8:00 in morning and you just arrived at Stark Tower

📷

As you walk into the building wearing (Pic Above) jamming to (song above) you see Steve and Clint making their way into the elevator.

You call out "Hey Babe ... can you hold the door" (Referring to Steve)

Clint just rolled his eyes putting his hand out to stop the door from closing. You wink at Clint and give them both a quick hug.

"Hey...I saw that Clint just because he accepts my nicknames doesn't mean that you get to roll your eyes at us, besides you could have been my honey or bunny but you said no so I gave it to Wanda and Vision and together they are honey-bunny" you say while crossing your arms like a five year old.

Clint exchanges a look with Steve and just laughs.

Steve asks "What song you listening to today"

You take your headphones out and let the music fill the elevator.

You look at the two men towering over you waiting to see if there is any recollection in their eyes or if they sing along.

Clint starts bobbing his head slightly to the music and Steve just looks at you with confusion written across his face.  You just roll your eyes and start singing along.

As you are about to reach the top floor the song ends and you quickly connect your phone to the floor and blast (song above) right when you exit the elevator.

You start dancing and singing along to to song and as you go through the doors you grab Natashas hand and start dancing. You point to Tony who is already bobbing his head along. The other SHIELD agents just look at you in bewilderment while everyone else either roles their eyes at you or joins in. When the song ends you slide on your knees, then get up and take a bow "thank you... thank you" you say as you blow kisses to everybody.

There is some slow clapping coming from one of the corners of the room. "You sure do know how to make an entrance". You spin around to find no other than Nick Fury slowly coming out of the corner. You immediately smile at him. "Hey Buddy, did't see you there. . . besides I don't know how else to enter a room" you say with a smirk. "Maybe I need someone to teach me. . . maybe my Love could teach me or my Stud Muffin" you say sweetly.

Fury just looked at you with confusion then looked at Bruce for some kind of explanation. Blushing he smiled at you then proceeded to explain "I'm her Love and Thor is her Stud muffin"

Fury just sighs and explains everybody's assignment "Okay well (child) anyways so... Team 1 is Thor and you are with Tony, Bruce, Natasha, Scott, Y/N, and along with some back up from the available and qualified SHIELD agents. Your team will go to London to search for Loki. Team 2 is Steve and you are with Clint, Sam, Wanda, Vision, and along with some back up from the available and qualified SHIELD agents. Your team will go to the 2nd HYDRA base on our list in Germany to search for James Barnes AKA the Winter Soldier"

As Fury continues to give everyone their assignment you look up at Steve who has a hard expression on his face. "hey babe. . . there's nothing to worry about you'll find him" you give him a reassuring squeeze of the hand. He just nods in response.

After some time Fury finally dismiss us and tells the teams that they are leaving tomorrow at 12:00, Steve tells us to get ready for training  at 10:30.

As I head to the elevator Natasha and Wanda follow you. You only see Nat because you are looking for the perfect playlist for training today.

"Well hello Cutie what have you got going on this morning?"

"Nothing much Cutie-pie" replied Nat.

"And what about me Cuddle-Bear?" asked Wanda. Your head snapped up to see Wanda there, with a somber expression on her face.

You immediately start apologizing saying "I am so so so so sorry honey I did't even hear or see you. I was trying to find the right song and playlist" you ramble

Wanda bursts out laughing as you stand there in disbelief and you look to Nat who is trying to hold in her laugh.

Wanda says between laughs" I'm joking cuddle bear. . . I was just messing with you. I know how the right playlist helps you focus and get in the zone"

You let out a sigh of relief as you came to Wanda's floor you joke "I'll just have to get back at you at 10:30 then". She exits knowing that you'll stay true to your word and smiles back at you.

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

Training~

📷

Flashback to almost a year ago~

Its your first day and you're behind nervous. You try to calm your nerves with (song above). You approach the Tower wearing (pic above). You walk into the building telling yourself to calm down and just be yourself.

"Yourself... who is that " you thought . You never really fit in considering you can create forcefields, teleport, and read minds. You make eye contact with who you knew from the news as Captain America AKA Steve Rodgers. You are just so starstruck but you compose yourself, Take out an earbud and blurt out " Hey , hot stuff"

He just looks at you blushing and confused. " Ummm. . . can I help you"

"I hope so" you reply with a wink. "I'm the new recruit. . . Y/n" you hold your hand out so he can shake it.

He takes your hand and is about to reply but you beat him to it. "There's no need to introduce yourself, I know who you are, everybody does" you say with a smile.

Shocked he responded "Well um. . . I should take you to Fury then. Follow me"

You follow him into the elevator and are about to put your headphones in when Steve asked "So what kind of skills do you have?"

"Wouldn't you like to know " you say crossing your arms and glaring at him.

He is taken aback and starts to apologize but you just chuckle.

"I'm joking. . . wow is everybody this uptight? You'll know when I show everyone. Fair?"

Relief spreads across his face " You got me there for a second. . . I was really worried that we got off on the wrong foot and it would have been awkward between us."

"Its only awkward if you make it awkward Steve" you smile

"Hey, can I call you by a nickname? It just helps with the tension in the first few weeks before we get close, since we will be working together? "

"I don't know . . . the ones Tony call me I don't really like"

"Aww come on please!!! My nicknames are never mean or anything. They are always terms of endearment. I'll call you Babe and you can call me Baby. That's not so bad is it?" The elevator dings indicating that you are about to meet everyone.

He agrees and you both walk out the elevator and into a huge conference room.

*****************************************************************

📷

Present~

You arrive at the gym at 10:28 wearing (pic above) and right before you enter you put on (song above) and blast it in the gym.

You enter the gym walking, playing different invisible instruments to the song, straight towards the punching bags.

***********************************************************

Flashback~

You walk into the room filled with all of the people you admire. Fury introduces you to everybody and asks you to show everyone your powers.

"Well you see I can Teleport." You disappear and reappear behind everyone. "Create forcefields" you create one thats in-front of everybody and call out "shoot at it". Nat takes out her gun and shoots at it 3 times. The bullets hit it and tumble to the ground with clinks.

"And read minds" you wink at Steve who turns beet red. "But I don't do it without your permission. So there is no need to worry Babe" you smile.

Everyone just looks between you and Steve.

Tony speaks first "Well . . . I guess Rodgers and Y/N got to know each other real well on their way up" he says with a smirk.

You just laugh and say "Well . . . when am I going to get to show you my moves"

***********************************************************

Present ~

Right as you are about done and taking one last swing at the hanging bag Scott comes from the other side of the gym and once you guys make eye contact you both immediately run towards each other trying to pin the other down.

You pin Scott down easily without using your powers, since you want things to be fair and it really challenges you, he tries to get up but you put pressure on his hand thats behind his back.

"Say it Hubby"

"Fine. . . you're the best damn Wifey I have ever had" he struggles to say

"And...." you reply

"And i'll always be there to serve you ice cream for as as long as I live"

"Damn straight" you let him go, smiling as you help him up.

Just then Steves loud voice booms through the gym

"Okay everyone line up so we can pair you up"

You stand between Sam and Wanda waiting for further instructions you greet Sam "Hey Romeo. . . you ready?" wiggling your eyebrows at him.

*****************************************************************

3:00 Pm~

Training went by slow and terrible. . . . but not for me 😏

You kept your promise and gave Wanda a beating she'll remember. Nobody was able to keep you pinned down because of your amazing distraction skills.

When Clint pinned you down on the mat he held your hand above your head and was straddling your legs so you couldn't move them. All you had to say was "I bet your wife likes this position" with a wink and he loosened his grip on you. That was enough to pin him down.

He tapped out and just glared at you as he walked away.

Tony laughed "Thats why she's my Favorite "

"Clint what happened? I though you had her. She didn't even use her powers. . . as far as we know" Steve asked

"Yeah well you didn't hear what she said" Clint grumbled

You just smile at him and Steve dismisses everyone

You head up to your room to shower, change (pic below) and start to get dinner ready. But not before you put on the perfect song (song below)

📷

**************************************************************************

While getting lost in the song and waiting for the lasagna to be done your mind started to wander. [which is never a good thing] Thoughts and feeling of sadness, loneliness, and unworthiness overcame you. A minute ago you were fine but now after getting in your head. . . you just have this overwhelming feeling of sorrow. You didn't realize that the mask you wear to hide all of those bad thoughts fell, and you stood their with a tight and sad expression on your face.

Peter and Nat walk in and see you with a frown on your face. "Hey Princess are you ok? what's wrong?" Peter asked putting his hand on your back, startling you back to the world.

You immediately slap a smile on your face. "What . . . yeah. . . everything is fine, don't worry about it my Prince" as you give him a quick hug.

Nat just looks at you asking "Are you sure about that Y/N. . .you looked like you were thinking real hard there" and right before you were going to try to convince Nat that you were fine the oven beeped.

"Saved by the bell" you chuckle as you go to pull out the food from the oven. "FRIDAY can you tell everyone that dinner is ready and can you two set the table?"

***********************************************************************

After dinner you head to the roof blasting (one of the above) songs just walking back and forth letting the view and wind wash away your worries about the missions tomorrow. You finally decide to go to bed blasting some songs (one of the above), not caring if others hear before you drift off to sleep.

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

End of the first chapter 😊

I hope you like it and please feel free to leave suggestions and comments so I can improve.  If you have any song requests for moods or feelings just let me know any i'll incorporate them into the story. Also if its annoying then let me know

[k0ekienut]

Stay Alive

Decided to be mean over on Discord and write some future angst for @glacecakes Baby Varian AU on AO3- Alchemy Lullaby: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25816972 (THIS IS AN AMAZING READ, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!) 

This is pretty much entirely based on Hamiltion’s- Blow us all away & Stay Alive (Reprise)

Warnings~ Major Character Death, gun shot wound, small mention of blood

Hope you enjoy!

-

Varian was a recently graduated college student and while he's back in his home town, Corona, he hears someone trash talking his dad, Eugene. Who it was? That's what Varian was trying to find out, nobody messes with his dad, nobody calls his dad a dirty thief! His thieving days were far in the past, Eugene was an honorable man who deserved the world in Varian's eyes.

He asks around the town about who had been talking about his dad, Varian didn't like that answer. 

Andrew

Of course it was Andrew, that man did whatever he could to try and bring the Royal Family down.

Andrew. Where was he, Varian was going to kill him! But, where was Andrew? Varian asks around the town once again, of course. 

Of course he was at a play, that man always tried to pretend he had some sort of class. The playhouse wasn't far, Varian makes his way down the street.

-

  He swings the door to the building open, where was that bastard!

"Andrew, ANDREW!"

The man turns around and looks at Varian in annoyance. "Shush! I'm trying to watch the show!"

"You should've watched your mouth before you talked about my dad!" Varian is pissed, how could Andrew act so casual when he just went around talking about Varian's dad in such a horrible way!

I never said anything that wasn't true, your dad is a dirty thief and scoundrel, and by the looks of it, you probably are one too."

Varian didn't think it was possible to get any more irritated, but here he was.

"Just like that?!"

Andrew rolls his eyes, why wouldn't this damned kid just leave? "Yeah, I don't fool around, I'm not your little schoolboy friends."  

Varian knew it was stupid to say, but he says it anyway. "Well, see you on the dueling ground! That is, unless you wanna step outside and go now!"

"I know where to find you, piss off, I'm watching the show now."

The whole conversation with Andrew in the playhouse left Varian pissed as he stormed home. He couldn't believe this, how could Andrew act so careless and casual

Varian arrives to his destination and slams the door behind him. Eugene was nearby.

"Dad! You should've hear the garbage Andrew was saying about you! You would've never let it slide and I was not about to!"

"Varian, slow down."

"I came to ask you for some advice... this is my very first duel and they don't exactly cover this subject back in college..."

"You did what?!" Eugene was shocked, sure Varian made du- no, no very thought-through decisions at time but a duel?

Eugene sighs, there wasn't much he could do about Varian challenging Andrew now. "Did your friends attempt to negotiate a peace?"

"That man never apologizes! We had no choice but to let the peace talk cease."

"Where's this happening."

Across the water in Equis..."

Both of the deadpan. "Everything is legal in Equis..."

"Alright, so this is what you're gonna do, Stand there like a man until Andrew is in front of you. When the time comes, fire your gun in the air. It'll put an end to the whole ordeal." 

"But... What if he shoots and I'm a goner?"

"He will follow the rules of a duel if Andrew is truly a man of honor."

Varian had a lot of doubts, Andrew was no man of honor, but he trusted his dad.

"To take someone's life, that is something you can't shake Varian." Eugene's voice was more serious.

"Dad!"

"You don't want this man's blood on your conscience."

Varian thinks about that for a second

"Okay, I promise."

"Varian, take my gun, I trust you to be smart, make me proud son..."

-

The boat ride across the water was tense, this could be Varian's last moments. But, in that moment it didn't matter to him, he was a Fitzherbert with pride and when someone talks bad about his dad he would never let it slide!

They dock on land, it was time.

"Andrew, how was the rest of your show?" Varian was trying to be polite

"I'd rather skip the pleasantries and get this over with."

"Grab your pistol" Andrew wasted no time.

"Confer with your friends..." Varian was scared out of his mind

"The duel will commence after we count to ten." The two men say in union.

Varian's thoughts were screaming in his head

"Look him in the eye, aim no higher."

"Summon all the courage you require."

"Then slowly and clearly aim your gun towards the sky..."

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8-

BOOM

the sound of a gunshot rings through the air.

his-

his hip-

The red spread across his clothes.

There was so much-

what-

How-

His gun... He aimed towards the sky just like his dad told him to...

Why?-

Varian collapses

-

It was getting late, where was Varian? Eugene was getting sick with worry, this ordeal should've been over quick, maybe he should-

There's yelling, sounds like someone running

"EUGENE!"

Kiera? Cataline? what were they doing here?

"It's Varian, you need to hurry! He's at the medi-"

The two didn't need to finish what they were saying before Eugene bolts towards the Medics place.

-

The door slammed open, “WHERE'S VARIAN, WHERE IS MY SON?!"

Eugene wasn't just worried anymore, all he could feel was pure panic. What happened to Varian?!

"Mister Fitzherbert, come in, they brought him in a half and hour ago. He lost a lot of blood on the way over." The medic was staying professional, keeping his voice calm despite the chaos.

“Is he alive?!"

Eugene couldn't lose Varian, he couldn't lose his son, not like this. 

"Yes. But you have to understand, the bullet entered just above his hips and lodged into his right arm..."

Eugene was a mess already, tears were threatening to spill. "Can I see him... Please..." 

"Mister Fitzherbert, I'm doing everything I can, but the wound was already infected when Varian arrived-”

Eugene was mostly tuning out the doctor at this point, none of that mattered, all that mattered to him was his son.

Infected the word rang in his head despite his best efforts to tune it out as well.

"Varian"

“D-dad..." Varian sounded so weak

"I did exactly as you said dad... I held my head up high...”

Eugene didn't bother holding back his tears, "I know, Varian, I know, you did everything just right."

"Before they got to ten... I was aiming for the sky...” Varian sounded delirious, barely conscious.

Eugene tried his best to reassure his son that he did nothing wrong, he did everything right. But Varian just repeats, "I was aiming for the sky..." in a quiet voice.

Eugene was almost sobbing at this point, "Please save your strength and stay alive..."

He was so desperate he couldn't leave, he could di-

Eugene hears the door slam open once again 

Rapunzel

"No!" Her voice sounded so desperate..

"Rapunzel!" Eugene's voice sounded... broken

"Who did this Eugene, did you know?!" 

Her attention is taken from Eugene the moment she hears her son, "Mom... I'm so sorry..."

"I forgot what you had taught me." 

Rapunzel was already sobbing, her son... Who did this to her son...

"My son---" It was all she managed to get out through the tears that were streaming down her face

Varian's eyes were starting to look hazy, "We played piano...”

"I taught you piano."

"You would put your hands on mine..."

Rapunzel looked back on the memories with Varian, the happy moments they had spent together.

"You changed the melody every time."

Varian lets out a small laugh, "I would always change the lines." His voice sounded like it was getting weaker

"Sh, I know, I know..." Rapunzel needed Varian to save his strength. He had to survive this.

His voice sounded like it was getting quieter...

"I would always change the lines..." Varian's voice was a whisper

"I know, I know..."

Un deux trois quatre 

 Cinq six sept huit neuf

 “Good”

 Un deux trois quatre

 Cinq six sept

Varian echos Rapunzel’s words,

Huit neuf 

Sept huit neuf— 

Sept huit…

Varian didn't say anything back this time, It was silent.

Varian was silent.

"Varian? VARIAN?!"

Eugene and Rapunzel yell out their sons name, hoping for any response, anything at all!

The doctor enters the room once again and check the young adult’s pulse, He shakes his head.

Varian was gone, the light of the couple's life gone.

Rapunzel drops to her knees and lets out a heart wrenching scream, Eugene cries out for his lost son.

The boy that came into their lives all those years ago was gone. 

[thorne93]

Inside the Criminal Mind (Part 9)

Prompt: You’re married to Dr. Spencer Reid of the BAU, and are a distinguished doctor yourself on the team. You’re sent down to Miami, Florida for teaching and as a side request from the FBI, to investigate a string of missing persons. When you think you’ve figured out who the unsub is, your life becomes more complicated than you ever could’ve imagined.

Word Count: 1447

Warnings: (throughout the fic –>) death, blood, gore, killings, language, disturbing mental notions, mentions of rapes/murder/etc (You know, Dexter and Criminal Minds related business)

Notes: Thank you so much to @arrow-guy​​​​, @carryonmyswansong​​​​, and @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo​​​​ - without each of you, I couldn’t have finished, written, or properly navigated this story. Each of you helped me fish out details that were incredibly important to me. Beta’d by @carryonmyswansong​​​​ and @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo​​​​… Aesthetic by @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo​​​​

This is a crossover of Criminal Minds x Dexter. First time writing Dexter.

Also, the timeline is after Season 1 of Dexter, but during season 14-ish of Criminal minds into Season 15. Enjoy!!!

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

Rossi’s wedding was tomorrow and you had a flight to catch tonight to meet Spencer tomorrow morning. You were sure this was fine with Dexter, hell he probably wanted to be alone with Rita or have a night to himself anyway. The two of you had been in constant contact. 

“So I’m flying home for the weekend,” you sent in a text after your class. 

“Why?” 

“I’ve got a wedding to attend.” 

“We’re in the middle of something,” he reminded.

“It will have to wait. If I don’t go, it’ll look bad. You can wait three days to pursue this.” 

“Fine. Text me when you get back.” 

“Will do.” 

After your last class, you got in a cab and went to the airport straight from campus. When you arrived, Spence was actually on a case, leaving you to have your home all to yourself. This was a great time to get some laundry done, find your outfit for the wedding, and get prepared for tomorrow. 

The following morning, the door clicked open. 

“Y/N, are you here?” Spencer called out. 

At the sound of his voice, your heart leapt with joy as you raced to the foyer from the kitchen. You wrapped your arms around him, throwing your legs around his waist as he caught you, laughing. 

“It’s good to see you too,” he said through laughter. 

You immediately pulled back and started to kiss him fervently. 

“When did you get in?” he asked as you continued to pepper his cheeks and neck with kisses. 

“Last night.” 

“Well welcome home,” he said warmly before finally kissing you back. “So we’ve got to be at the wedding by 2--”

“Right, and it’s 8 am. We’ve got time.” You jumped down and grabbed him by the tie, pulling him up to the bedroom. 

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

You and Spencer laid in bed as he held you. 

“Guess you really did miss me,” he mused before kissing the top of your head. 

“More than you know,” you said dreamily. 

He sighed. “As much as I hate to end this, we do need to get showers and get going to the venue.” 

“I know, I know,” you said with chagrin. “Can’t we just blow it off? Stay here in bed.” 

He chuckled before kissing you. “I’d love that, but we have friends and responsibilities.” 

“Ugh,” you groaned as you rolled your eyes and laughed. 

The two of you showered together quickly and then got out and began getting ready. You put on a silver glittering dress while Spence got into one of his very best tuxedos.

“Wow, I know you look good in a suit, but damn.”

“Well I think round two will have to wait until after the wedding,” he said with a grin. “Ready to go?” 

You nodded. “Absolutely.” 

With your hair curled into a nice updo, your jewelry settled on you nicely, and your clutch packed and ready to go, you two exited the house and made way for the wedding.

“There she is!” Garcia said as soon as you entered. She made haste to get over to you and hug you tightly. 

“Hey, good to see you,” Matt said kindly as you two embraced before hugging Kristy, his wife. 

“Good to be back, at least for now.” 

“There’s my favorite professor,” Rossi said happily when he found you. 

“Hey,” Spencer said, as if he were offended.

“Oh come on, kid, you know I like ya, but Y/N here looks a hell of a lot better in a dress,” he said with a wink. 

“So you excited? Finally the big day!” you commented.

“Yes, it is. Wasn’t sure we were going to make it here on time.”

“Oh?” 

“It was crazy,” Tara suddenly said, piping in. “Reid and JJ were locked in a jewelry store with a guy that was playing some sick game of truth or dare. Had them tied up and everything.” 

You turned to your husband who had his arm around you. “You didn’t tell me that,” you accused, a little miffed. You two always told each other when you were in danger. 

“I hadn’t had a chance yet. I was so happy you were home and then we got ready for the wedding…” he said, trailing off.

“Well it was absolutely nuts,” Tara continued. “Reid shot the guy though. Saved JJ’s life and a judge’s. He’s a true hero, Y/N.” 

“I know he is,” you said sweetly. 

“Well we better get to our places,” Rossi said, glancing at the time. Everyone parted and made way to their assigned areas when you turned to Spence.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were in a situation?” you whispered, the anger apparent in your voice.

“There hasn’t been time. You just got home. I didn’t want the first thing we did to be for you to worry about me. I’m fine. I got a cut on my hand, that’s all.” 

“You better tell me everything that happened when we get home.” 

Then the ceremony started. It was short and sweet. The reception began and everyone was having a great time. Spence danced with you, one of your absolute favorite things to do with your husband. You danced with Rossi and Luke. Garcia, Emily, you, and Tara ended up having a hilarious four way sort of dance going. At one point, Garcia tried to get a conga line going. At that point, you were convinced everyone was tipsy. 

Emily’s speech was fantastic, and you glanced towards Spence a couple times, and at one point you found him looking at JJ. You tried to think nothing of it, but something about the fact that Tara said they were held hostage together on a case, and the fact that they were looking at each other during a sappy love speech bothered you. JJ’s expression seemed… overly sweet, and in a sense, secretive. Like when two people share something no one else knows, and they give each other a knowing glance.

You let the thought go and continued to enjoy the event. At one point, Spence went to get you a refresher on your drink while you talked to Will and Matt. However, while you engaged in conversation, JJ and Spencer seemed to be acting strangely. 

JJ got entirely too close to Spence then when she put her hand on his chest, she nervously pulled away. Red flags and alarms went off in your head but you decided to keep your composure. 

The rest of the night went rather smoothly, but you backed off the alcohol so you and Spencer could talk about the situation he was in before you got there. 

The two of you went home and you made your way up to your bedroom to start disrobing and doing your nightly beauty routine. 

“So, you wanna tell me what happened while I was gone?” you inquired lightly. 

“There’s not much to tell really,” he said nonchalantly. “We were following the unsub, his next target was the judge. We located him at a jewelry store. He put it on lockdown. We had our guns on him, but he had his gun on the retail clerk, we couldn’t get a clear shot. He told us to lower our weapons, so we did. We kicked them over to him.”

At this point you were in your bra and panties, your jewelry still on, listening. He was down to his boxers, grabbing his pajamas and getting ready for a shower.

“Spence,” you sighed. “That’s exactly the sort of thing you tell me about when you get done with the case.”

“I know,” he said, apology in his tone. “But it was already so late. I knew you’d be flying in, and I was flying. I just wanted us to relax and try to enjoy this.”

You nodded, understanding, motioning for him to continue while you got your jewelry off. 

“So he gave our gun to the judge and dared her to shoot one of us. JJ tried to distract him or talk him down. In that time, I got a piece of broken glass off the ground, cut myself loose, and shot him.”

“Ankle holster?”

A proud smile spread on his face. 

“Yes.”

“I’m glad it came in handy.”

“Me too.”

“So you saved JJ’s life and the judge’s. Wow. I’m so glad you’re okay.” You crossed the room and gave him a tight hug, thanking your lucky stars he was still here. “So how did JJ keep him distracted?”

“She played his game. Truth or dare.”

“Huh,” you mused. “Well I’m glad it all worked out.”

“Me too.” He kissed your forehead and went into the bathroom to jump into the shower. 

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

Tagging:

Forever Tag:

@essie1876​​​​​

@magpiegirl80​​​​​

@letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked​​​​​

@iamwarrenspeace​

@marvel-imagines-yes-please

@superwholocked527

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@rda1989​​​​​

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@ellallheart​​​​​

@breezy1415​​​​​

@marvelmayo​​​​​

@paintballkid711​​​​​

Spencer Reid

@camigt1999​​​​​

@ultrarebelheart​​​​​

@lenawiinchester​​​​​

@esoltis280​

[stepphase]

Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay: 9 things to know before playing

Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay: Of course, it is a game that arrive after eight years of anticipation and hype. Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay have officially launch in Global. As well as, it is already a broken Steam records. In fact, its fans expect of a game from CD Projekt Red. Also, the studio of The GTA 6 and Assassin's Creed Valhalla is a massive game. With a gigantic open world that is explore in the Night City.

After all, i have spent 40 hours with this game. And i feel fraction of what Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay have to offer. As well as, i have notice few thing which is powering through Cyberpunk 2077 weekend.

Image: CD Projekt Red

1. Loot every single thing

After all, here is a way to make money is to sell armor. In fact, a lot of enemy will drop their armor or gun after get killed. Just pick every single thing and sell them. After all, Crafting is big element of the Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay. Also, you can craft armor, weapons and much more. As well as, you can use dismantle weapon to upgrade weapons.

2. What difference backstories make

After all, when you will start the game you will get 3 option with backstories for V: Nomad, Street Kid, Corpo.

In fact, there is 2 main impacts. The first effect the open hour of the game. As well as, if you will start in a Night City, different Characters, it is depend your choosing. Of course, the Corpo is in office building. And the Street Kid is in Sleazy bar. As well as, Nomad is in the Badlands desert outside of the Night City. After all, After gameplay of an hour you will come at the sam epath with fun for hire with your pal Jackie.

Af course, the second effect is with a different dialogue option that is base on the backstory that you choose. After all, when i went for Corpo, that give V ability to politic his own way to certain sticky situations. Also, your backstory won't make difference.

3. Don't just play the main quest

After all, i have spent 5 days around to get the Cuberpunk 2077 Gameplay review. Also, i force to ignore side quests and focus on the main storyline. Of course, Don't do this.

As well as, the Cyberpunk 2077 story is strengths and its relationship between V and Johnny Silverhand. As well as, the mercenary play by the Keanu Reeves with a characters called V. Of course, the Cyberpunk 2077 is explore a Night City. Also, Gameplay itself is encourages and prompting you regularly and take break with the main quest for other stuff.

In fact, its amazing to play Side Quests then the Main Quests. Also, from reining in seven AI-powered cabs is rogue to solve mystery of slain mayor. After all, it is my favorite that the rogue cabs have personalities often legitimately funny.

As well as, the more Side Quests will give you the access of the better endings. After all, i finish the game in 37:30:26 hours with less Side Questing. In fact, it is really clear that the ending i did in Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay and there is many possible ending. Also, i get the worst ending by the way.

Note: Do more Side Quests to get more resolute and satisfying ending for V.

4. Do gigs to get cash

As well as, in Side Quests, to help a character to complete overriding goal with "gigs". After all, their is a more mercantile: And a "fixer" will definitely ask you to go do a job for them. Just like an incapacitate enemy and sneak through hideout and place a tracker on vehicle. Or to take risk from one place to another place. After all, your'e a gun for hire.

In fact, this things is fun with challenging and it will take 15 or 20 minutes maximum. Of course, You will definitely need the money in Cyberpunk just to buy weapon, cars, and upgrades. Also, i find these gigs is the best way to make it.

5. Stack attributes

After all, you will get option at begin of the game is to distribute points for attributes: Body Reflex, Cool, Intelligence, and Technical Ability. As well as, you will have perks that you can unlock in attributes.

In fact, i spread the attribute points and perks senievenly. And i also have idea that skill trees in most AAA games. After all, i end up unlocking all perks eventually. In fact, you are better off choosing that how you wanna approach combat and tailor attributes point and perks.

Of course, there is a 2 ways to handle the combat: Stealth and Force but there is a subdivisions. Also, you can specialize in the meelee weapons, and fisticuffs or gunplay. Also, you can optimize sleuthing hacking abilities and stealth kill offense. After all, the cool attributes and the related perks will make enemies harder to detect you. As well as, you can hack tech to distract enemies. Also, throwing daggers.

In fact, you can adjust your style in game but do not do what i did. Just try to be balance.

Breathtaking Johnny Silverhand. Screenshot by CNET

6. Pump Body and Technical Ability to open doors

After all, there is a Body and Technical Ability to attributes both highly useful to navigate Night City. In fact, both is use to open lock doors. Also, have more benefits like getting higher Body points that will lets you hijack cars and open parked cars. In fact, there is a Technical Ability that will let you hack mainframes to get money and to crafting components.

Breathtaking Johnny Silverhand. Screenshot by CNET

7. No two playthroughs will be the same

After all, the choices is really matter in Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay. Also, it is a true in Main Storyline. As well as, do not go in game with impression that make small and cosmetic differences. How you complete missions and react it will have a drastic effect.

After all, I have a suggestion that open section in game and you are task with getting a piece of the military tech from the gang. As well as, there is a option to meet with operative from mega corporation that tech was stolen. In fact, when I demoed game in August i didn't bother meet the operative and a result to blast my way out of gangs hideout. After all, i play this time i meet operative and result her corp's forces to shootout with gang and leaving me scurry away easily.

8. Do not use fast travel everytime

As well as, this is a similar vein. Also there is a fast travel point to the city that you will be able to use it. After all, when objective is other side of Night City. In fact, you would not have the time to dally dilly but you will often be rewarded for travelling via motorbike and car.

Of course, there is a lot of things to do in Night City. As well as, you are bound to find something if you will travel manually. After all, you will definitely find multiple cool things as i find regular stops en route to next quest location after see it. And the icon beckoning me into the HUD map.

After all, the Night City Police Department will pay you if you break it up and apprehend the perps. As well as, the Fighting crime yield solid loot that you are left disappointed with payoff.

9. You can fail Side Quests

After all, you will definitely fail Side Quests and would not get chance to re-do them.

In fact, when the first time i experience i was midway through a Quest revolving a killer that is trying to seek forgiveness from the dude he killed. Also, at the end of the Quest, one of that dialogue option is "Alright, i've seen enough". As well as, it is reverse psychology trick that i choose. "OK, fine" and the Quest just ended.

After all, this is same for challenges. As well as, one "gig" taking part in shooting contest with rifle with the top prize. As well as, there is not a single option to redo it. I Just Lost it.

Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay

Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay: After all, Night City is like a deranged experiment in a social Darwinism. As well as, it is designed by a bored researcher who keeps one thumb permanently on the fast forward button.

In fact, that line is from William Gibson in 1984 novel Neuromancer. Of course, it help to define genre known as the Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay. As well as, the book conjures world to cutting edge trends are embarrassing cliches and desperate hustlers rise overnight and also fade without the trace.

After all, the Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay by the Witcher studio CD Projekt Red in Night City. As well as, the Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay was announced in 2012 and that is based on the tabletop series which was launched in 1988. Of course, it is a years of work that is report months of the brutal crunch time. In fact, CD Projekt Red have deliver on incredibly ambitious vision. As well as, it is a vast virtual city with complex narrative and also the roleplaying system.

As well as, it is dont by playing elements straight and safe. Of course, the Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay is frequently satifying and also a impressive game. Also despite setting in fast moving future that is never surprising.

Trailer

https://youtu.be/BO8lX3hDU30

After all, the Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay take the place in eponymous year 2077 which is at the Night City. As well as, it is a California Megalopolis where interlocking freeways thread between the skyscrapers and the street markets. In fact, you can imagine Los Angeles with the mile high holo billboards and the pedestrain friendly urban planning. As well as, there is a de facto breakip of the America.

Also, that is failed urban utopia has become an autonomous zone that is dominated by gangs and multinational corporations. After all, on every single street level, the surface has plastered with sexed-up ads and also nihilistic graffiti. As well as, it is an ultra-rich have retreated in cavernous hotels and apartments with gilded servant class. After all, the citizens disposable and the body is malleable, ripe for the dramatic cybernetic modding which is blends with chrome.

In fact, your protagonist is mercenary named V that is hail from three possible background. As well as, 2077's is small corporate overclass and the Night City teeming slums or the nomadic group at outside the city. As well as, V is a neon hair corporate taider for insance. Also, with a short origin story mission that is be drag in bloogy interdepartment conflict. Also, V is countless freelancer drifting at Night City demimonda. In fact, join heist arrange by flinty femme fatale and naturally its job falls..

Sexed-up Billboards, Nihilistic Graffiti, and Literally Gilded Service Class

After all, V is a witness cold-blooded into the crime of the Night City’s. As well as, in ensuing chaos and coverup. Also, its ends with a piece of dangerous experiment technology. Also, they resurrect the digital ghost of the Night City legend: In fact, the metal-armed punk rocker is the terrorist Johnny Silverhand and voice by the Keanu Reeves. As well as, Johnny’s suffering frustrated outbursts and cynical quips.

After all, they also figure out that who built tech and how to stop the deadly effects. As well as, appealing to the criminals and also corporate loyalists who will stab them in the back.

Of course, this is a threat in a narrative that is big by a standard to the open-world games. After all, i finish Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay in 37:30:26 hours. As well as, that covers major Side Missions and cruising around the Night City. Also, I left a few small tasks undone.

After all, Every single neighborhood is pack with jobs just to discover, random crime to stop, and conversation to overhear. After all, when you become the more powerful, crime bosses, and local fixers then start to ask out for help. As well as, they will try to sell you a secondhand car. Also, in the opening mission, you will definitely find major endgame story branches that is depend on your loyalties.

More

After all, the Cyberpunk 2077 map's overwhelming experience. With the waypoint icons, pack and selecting a given item requires zoom in. As well as, the game does a good job of spin extends side arcs from core missions. Also, it is a calamitous first act, that given multiple leads to the main goal.

As well as, they tracked down require the cutting deals with the characters and also contacting heists to other participants. After all, these partners will ask for help with their problems. it Also, continue subplot to the main story and open doors to fresh Night City subculture. In fact, you will find more gigs but the several option section that will feel like V and Johnny Saga.

Night City future are eternally relevant

After all, the Cyberpunk 2077 tropes have survive because of the ring true. As well as, Cyberpunk 2077 depics hyper-stratified societ. Which is rewards cruelty and exploits vulnerability, also commercializes everything. This game conventions help it avoid facile event references that is still feeling contemporary.

After all, Cyberpunk 2077 falls in irritating caricature. As well as, V and Jackie develop blend for streetwise cynicism and buried hopefulness. As well as, those dialogue is overladen with spanish aside. After all, this game is straightforwardly reproduces 1980s Cyberpunk's surface of level fascinating with China and Japan. in fact, it is arming japanese gangster with katanas. And building Japanese Characters around archetypes like a honor-bound samurai.

After all, the USSR hanging with them, and the Cyberpunk 2077's gender and race worldbuilding is feel like an alt-history relic. Also, it will let you customize V's voice and body shape.

After all, the tabletop series author Mike Pondsmith have stat that the rules of detail fictional society is political. As well as, the Cyberpunk import social conflict for a dramatic effect like an long subplot about the sex workers. In fact, its vulnerable class of the real people. Also, its trying to overthrow bosses.

In fact, these conflicts do not feel fail or successful social commentary. Also, its stock neo-noir conceits which happen just to involve oppression. Also, Cyberpunk 2077 is a brand of exploitation. After all, it is a piece of fiction that does not add stories and ideas it is borrowing.

After all, CD Projekt Red has created a sprawl populate a world. where meandering freeways also outlying deserts and the rows of factory-farm also greenhouses feel beautiful craft.

Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay is a powerful machine with million slick toggles, but they feel disconnected

After all, the Cyberpunk 2077 areas have the shortcut doors to the high-tech or high-strength players can unlock. As well as, it is not clever puzzle-box design you had find in the Dishonored or Deus Ex. Also, you can choose to kill the enemies, a thread of the missions where you have to bring the targets in alive. After all, this option affect gameplay style or character interactions.

After all, your background and stats in the Cyberpunk will produce extra dialogue choices. As well as, they rarely change how conversations unfolded. In fact, a lot of game is roleplaying choices are crude binaries or illusions. Also, the Cyberpunk 2077 is powerful machine with million slick toggles. But more of them will feel disconnected.

After all, its a silver lining for me just like a reviewer and granted because Cyberpunk 2077 pre-release for PC build was fully unpredictable bugs. As well as, its mercenery keeps reappear behind me when i knock him unconscious and also forcing me toshoot him. As well as, when i try to move their body some enemies clipped through floors and exploded.

I can destroy you just with my brain with a four different ways

After all, this game is open-ended roleplaying and few elements reminiscent of sims just like Deus Ex. As well as, purchase weapons and clothes are supplemented by the upgrade tree for games key stat. Also, dexterity, strength, and cool. After all, you can visit back to the alley technicians which is called ripper docs. As well as, they also install bionic weapons and swappable upgrades with perks.

As well as, Cyberpunk 2077 can approach a lot of areas by slip past enemies undetected. Also, you can shoot everyone. After all, there is a clever hacking minigame that provides blanket benefits and making enemies much more vulnerable or glitching out the security camera. After all, there are “quickhacks” for actions. As well as, in stealth, you can deactivating turrets or making vending machines chirp to distract the enemies. In combat, you can fry the enemy's brains by making implants malfunction.

After all, this system will help to carry the Cyberpunk's considerable length. Instead of the rewarding hyper-specialization and the game encourages versatility also mixing up firefights with the sneaky sections. As well as, Quickhacks add a touch of much-appreciated absurdity to the combat. In fact, it is satisfying to infiltrate a criminal hideout. Also, incapacitate cluster of the mooks by uploading some contagious poison brain virus. As well as, wait for their buddies to notice you, start a shootout with futuristic-looking “tech pistol”. Then knock the final gangster out with the mind powers.

Modern Cyberpunk 2077 is the broad vibe and a specific retro-future setting

After all, this saga is felt rote. In fact, it is Dungeons & Dragons codified that is Tolkienesque fantasy. As well as, Cyberpunk 2077 is distilled recognizable elements from influential fiction like Blade Runner and Neuromancer. After all, it is a loosely define cyberpunk genre that begins as a ground to space operas. Also, the post-apocalyptic is wastelands and heavily influenced by the hardboiled fiction.

As well as, it is permeated science fiction which has innovation cliches. Nowadays, “cyberpunk” has 2 contradictory meanings: tech-heavy futuristic media which is felt organically grown from the present-day to social conditions. Also, its specific set of the 1980s and 1990s influenced retro-future noir conventions.

After all, Cyberpunk 2077 sits in the timeline where the Soviet Union still exists. As well as, Japan is an economic and cultural superpower that is with chaotic warzones and big cities. In fact, this game set decades after when original tabletop release. And the CD Projekt Red tune down retro aesthetic enough just to avoid ostentatious anachronism.

Of course, there is a periodic flashback to an earlier era and also creating a strangely hilarious setup. Where 2077 is look sort of from this real-world in 2020. After all, fictional 2020 is actually a sci-fi 1980s right down to the vinyl record and the eye mount camcorders.

Bugs

After all, if the Cyberpunk is a game for the perfection than i consider it is a serious problem. As well as, i hope CD Projekt Red will definitely fix it. As well as, it is roll out one round of pre-release bug patches. Also, it is a huge sandbox with autosave system, which is not a deal-breakers.

Of course, the Cyberpunk is hype as triumph of the next-generation gaming. Also, it is sheer size which will take advantage of the modern computer and console specs. Of course, my PC is really powerful enough for games.

Cyberpunk 2077 is released on December 10th on PC, Google Stadia, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X, Fifa 21, Capsix Robotics, GTA 6 Project America, gta 6 release date/characters/map/news/rumors, cyberpunk 2077 release date, cyberpunk 2077 warn streamers to avoid dmca strikes,

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After all, you can contact us to let us know if we are missing something on our page. I hope you like it and thank you for your visit.

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[pi-cat000]

MSA time travel idea (part 35)

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Vivi POV, 8, 9, 10, Lewis POV, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, Lance POV 18, 19, Lewis POV 2, 21 , 22, Vivi POV 2, 24, 25  Lewis POV 3,  Mystery POV , Vivi POV 3, 29, Lewis POV 4, 31, ViVi POV 4 , 33, 34

Part 36: here

.

LEWIS POV:

Whereas he barely felt the knife stabbing into him, Lewis definitely feels it come out. It doesn’t help that the thing pretending to be Arthur seems to be going out of its way to cause as much pain as possible. And yes, there is a lot of pain. Even with a whole lot of adrenaline smoothing over the worst of it, it is probably the worst thing Lewis has ever experienced. It briefly whites out his vision, so he almost misses Arthur as he steps out of the torchlight. What Lewis does see, in amongst the white spots, is that twisted uncanny smile, smug and self-assured. Nothing like any expression he has seen Arthur make before. It’s all wrong.

Lewis doesn’t remember kneeling, but he must have because suddenly Vivi is crouched in front of him, supporting his weight, preventing from face-planting into the concrete. Quickly, she ties her scarf around his side.

“I’m fine,” He mutters, trying to wave her away, “Go after Arthur.”

“You’ve been stabbed,” Vivi objects, frustrated, adding, “…and I can’t,” blue eyes meeting his before flicking over to Mystery who is blocking her way. The dog is glowing red, and his growls make Lewis’s neck prickle with unease despite not being the target. Right. Because, not only is Arthur possessed by that thing, but Mystery is a supernatural whatever as well. If he weren’t in so much pain, the revelation would be more impactful.

His next words are drowned out by another louder shout.

“ALRIGHT ASSHOLE…STOP RIGHT THERE!”

Both he and Vivi turn. Lewis stares openly at the middle-aged man who seems to have materialised from the gloom, holding a shotgun that moves between all three of them, landing on Arthur.

“Nobody move.” Is ordered in a tone consisting of visibly uncontained rage which doesn’t bode well in the slightest. Just when Lewis thinks they are done with the nasty surprises, another one comes crawling from the woodwork. Lewis struggles to stand so he’s ready to run if need be, his side throbs with a spike of intense pain.

The man, Lewis vaguely recognises him but, with the darkened surroundings, he is hard to really place, addresses Vivi, “Never heard of Arthur huh?”

Vivi stiffens, and Lewis realises, with a quick note of leather clothing, that this must be the leather-wearing crazy guy from earlier. Though, given the circumstances, perhaps he isn’t as crazy as initially thought.

“Good thing I didn’t believe yah now isn’t. You kids are in some real shit,” The man glowers past them, “I finally got ya. Nowhere to run now.”

“I’m sorry. Have we met? You human’s all look alike,” The body snatcher, Lewis refuses to think of this thing as Arthur, sounds mildly irritated.

“You fucking know who I am!”

“Oh, don’t flatter yourself.” Lewis recognises one of his chef knives as it is waved around flippantly.

“Sonofabitch. You’re going to regret messing with…”

“Hold it. Wait…” The body snatcher interrupts, clicking its fingers, “I remember. Wait. No…I’ve lost it. Maybe give me a hint?”

The man’s face twists into a snarl of furry, “Slimy rat-bastard…If you think for one…”

“Oh! I’ve got it! Mickey. No. Micky. Yes. Apologies. You were such a useless, forgettable host that it completely slipped my mind.” If the body snatcher is trying to make the other man mad, it is succeeding. Worried, Lewis observes the livid expression on the gunman’s face. Even in the dark, the rage is very apparent.

“How is that gunshot wound treating you? It looks infected.”

“How about I give you a matching one, and you can tell me all about it!?”

“Tch,” Arthur’s green eyes narrow losing some of their humour. Then, seemingly addressing none of the people present, it comments, “And this is exactly why leaving hosts alive always backfires.”

Before, when the creature had been supposedly conversing with Mystery, it had made clear eye-contact with the dog. Now, it gestures loosely into the middle distance. It’s talking to Arthur, he realises, and it simultaneously fills him with hope and makes him sick to the stomach.

“They all get this notion in their head that it’s my fault their pathetic lives went down the toilet. And then it’s all ‘you’ll pay for this’ and whatnot.” It turns Arthur’s eyes back to Micky, “I suppose you’re still mad about your brother. Dan was it?”

“Don’t say you dare say his name!”

“Dan? Short for Daniel? The most promising exorcist in three generations and far better than you could ever be? That Daniel? …Maybe if you’d been even half of what he was, you wouldn’t have been possessed so damn easily. I mean, this kid put up more of a fight, and he’s pretty much a walking collection of neurosis.’”

“I said shut the fuck up!”

“Did you even go back to bury him, or did you just leave him there? What happened to all the ritual, funeral nonsense to send his soul on its merry way? How disrespectful.”

The gun clicks. It’s like it wants to get shot! Lewis feels Vivi tense beside him and knows that she has come to the same conclusion.

“Stop!” Vivi lurches uprights, trying and failing to dodge around Mystery. “If you shoot, you’ll kill Arthur!”

“That fucking brat sent us to our deaths. He’s just as guilty.”

The body snatcher sniggers, “I’m sure Dan would be very unimpressed at how you’re threatening this poor innocent human. I mean, if he weren’t a shish-kebab at the bottom of a cave.”

A loud, almost animalistic, yell. In the fraction of an instant before the gun goes off, Arthur’s body lurches to the right. For a moment, it looks like Arthur might manage to dodge. Lewis’s breath catches.

Crack.

The gun fires. Arthur flickers. It is as if, for a split second, there are two people overlayed atop each other. If the body snatcher is planning to dodge, protecting both itself and Arthur, it fails, stumbling, visibly hurt.

Next, there is an explosion of energy, briefly lighting the space with ominous red. From the flash leaps a giant canid creature with many lashing tails, obstructing his view. The gunman, obviously just as surprised by its appearance, turns wildly, aiming the gun at the new threat. A second shot discharges with another loud crack, point-blank, right into second monster’s chest. The giant- Lewis thinks it might be a fox- doesn’t falter, slamming into the gun-wielding maniac, jaws closing on the weapon.

“Arthur!” Vivi’s voice snaps his attention back to Arthur. Lewis is not sure where the bullet has hit but the way the body snatcher’s face twists, spitting to itself, “You little shit,” before toppling over backwards, means it hit somewhere. He struggles to follow Vivi, who has already run forward, ignoring how his side burns and his breath is more laboured than it should be. Lewis hurries up to his prone friend, spotting the quickly spreading stain of red on Arthur’s left shoulder.

“Shit. Shit. Shit.” Vivi mutters, “Bleeding…that’s a lot of blood. Need to control the bleeding.” She pulls off her shirt, placing it over the wound, pressing down. Arthur’s eyes snap open, bright green, focusing on Vivi and then on him. They flicker to golden-brown.

“Arthur?” Vivi breaths, also noticing the change.

“Vi…”

“Shh. Don’t speak. Everything will be okay. I don’t think its hit anything important. Just lie still.”

Gold flickers to green again, and Arthur grins, “What’s…up. You…goin…watch him die …with me?” The words get chocked off when the gold returns. The smiles twists into something more pained. Lewis leans in as Arthur tries to speak again.

“No.” Vivi puts out a hand, leaving a red mark on his shirt, “Don’t make skin contact.”

Green and gold flicker again, so fast that the two colours bleed into each other like coloured ink running together. “Even if …you save him…I’ll be here. You’ll never get me out…He’ll be mine for…” It’s the body snatcher, struggling to form words as blood trickles out the corner of Arthur’s mouth.

“Don’t talk,” Vivi snaps. The hand nearest to him twitches, trying to touch her wrist. But the blood loss has made it slow and lethargic, allowing Vivi to draw away.

“Lewis, hold his arm down so it doesn’t try to grab me. I need to keep pressure on this. Do you have your phone on you? We need to call for help, like an ambulance, and….”

Vivi’s instructions wash over him as he stares at the hand then back at Arthur. If they do save Arthur, then they would be right back to where they started, with this thing piloting around his friend’s body. Probably, hurting Arthur in the process because he can’t imagine that it’s a present experience. Lewis takes his phone from his back pocket and places in on the ground.

“Lew…is.” It’s Arthur again, barely managing to speak, breathing hard as Vivi pushes down, stemming the worst of the flow. Even the two words sound so defeated and sad. Lewis can’t just do nothing. Not when he can save Arthur from this thing. In that moment, in the seconds between Arthur’s breathing and the sounds of fighting behind him, Lewis reaches to take Arthur’s hand.

“Look after Arthur.” He orders. Vivi makes a brief noise of objection, but it is too late.

Skin against skin.

Arthur’s hand is unnaturally cold.

There is a sharp pain in his palm which travels up the limb. Quickly, he lurches upright, stumbling two steps back to get as far away from Vivi and Arthur as possible. A portion of his arm begins to turn a sickly green, which travels up towards his shoulder. Arthur, the real Arthur, is now the picture of horror.

“W…hy?” His friend coughs. Lewis finds he can’t respond, body frozen. Slowly, green creeps, inching along, making his skin crawl.

Then, a heavy weight hits him from behind, causing him to stagger. Jaws and sharp teeth clamp down around his upper arm, halting the green. One large, red eye stares at him, almost apologetic. As if moving in slow motion, Lewis sees the fox bite and hears the crunch of bone splintering. Blood droplets spin hypnotically in the air.

It is probably fortunate that, right then, Lewis is yanked back and away. If he can’t handle the pain of a stab wound, he can’t imagine enjoying the sensation of having his arm ripped apart. This is what Lewis thinks while he falls into deeper, more complete darkness.

He is falling, nothingness surrounding him. He is falling right up until he isn’t.

Above him, a ceiling fades into view. Confused, he blinks at the pale grey roof overhead. Is he dead? He doesn’t feel dead. Hurriedly, Lewis sits upright, grasping for his arm. It is still there, attached to his shoulder, no worse for wear. Except, Lewis’s eyes widen, watching the limb flicker, disappearing then reappearing. He can feel it and move it, but when he stares at it for too long, it doesn’t seem real. Transparent.

“…have known… too good to be true….It’s always too good to be true…” The irritated voice, though muffled, is familiar. Lewis twists, searching for its source, finding himself on the floor of a grey-coloured version of the Kingsman workshop. However, unlike Kingsman Mechanics, which was always alive with activity and the sound of machinery, everything here is still and eerily silent. Through the open garage doors, instead of the Tempo desert, Lewis sees an expanse of endless grey void. Across the floor and ceiling spreads several jagged cracks like the room is seconds from falling to pieces.

“…there was no way in any of the hells that some punk human would get away with breaking The Rules and not have it blow up in their stupid face...”

Leaning against the workbench, a few feet away, is Arthur. Only, it’s not Arthur. The skin is tinted green, not unlike his arm in those brief moments before Lewis was pulled down here.

“…and I just got suckered in like some witless porn.” Growling, kicking the bench irritably, not-Arthur grumbles, “What a waste of potential.”

Slowly, Lewis tries to climb to his feet without catching its attention. He is unsuccessful because, no sooner has he moved, its eyes snap to him. Now, instead of bright green, they are flecked with golden yellow.

“Hello Lewis,” It greets in a voice so like Arthur’s that it grates on Lewis’s ears. A larger crack appears across the ceiling, lengthening, almost splitting the room in half. Grey dust rains down around them, and the room shakes.

“Nice of you to stop by, even if it is for a few seconds. I was so looking forward to possessing you too. It really is a shame.”

Lewis glares at the twisted, mock version of his friend, who, despite everything, is still grinning. Now his mind is no longer muddled with the pain of a stab wound, there is new mounting anger. He clenches a fist.

“What’s the matter big guy? Had a rough day? Not often you get stabbed by your best friend now is it?”

Lewis should be scared. This thing has made it apparent that it didn’t give two shits about killing him. Hell, this bastard had stabbed him. Lewis glances briefly at his side. There is no wound to be seen. In his mind’s eye, he sees the last few minutes flash past. He can see Arthur, in pain. His best friend had looked so defeated. Somehow he knows it is this things fault. Everything until now, all the supernatural weirdness and confusion, this thing is at the centre of it all. No, Lewis isn’t scared. He's furious.

"There's the Lewis I was waiting to see. None of that sentimental concerned crap…only anger,” The fake-Arthur grins wider, noting his rage.

"This is your fault." He snaps in lieu of a proper come-back, taking an aggressive step forward clenching and unclenching his fist. "What did you do to Arthur.”

“Hehe, still more worried about Arthur? You really should adjust your priorities, considering there is a high chance that my removal will kill you. Losing an arm isn’t pretty.”

Lewis twitches. The rage builds. It builds in waves, expanding to fill his chest and, before he knows it, he’s across the room, picking the fake-Arthur up by the shirt, and slamming into a wall. There is no real-Arthur here to hold him back. He wants to wipe that smile off its face and make it pay for all the stress and hurt it has forced on all of them in the last few days.

“What happened to Arthur!”

A scoff of contempt. “Nothing happened to Artie, aside from getting shot, he’s back in his body. All he had to do was sit back and not interfere, but instead, he got in the way like the suicidal little shit he is. I’d watch out for that, your friend is a real basket case.”

Lewis sees fire and red. He slams the creature against the wall, causing new cracks to form and spread like a spider web. It feels unevenly satisfying to hurt this creature. It feels good right up until the body snatcher turns its face into something that looks almost exactly like Arthur. No smug smile. Just pain. If it weren’t for the green skin, Lewis might have believed it.

“So willing to hurt Arthur. You’re giving me goosebumps.”

His grip falters. “You’re not Arthur,” He retorts.

“No. But I look like him.  Not that that matters when assigning blame. No wonder Arthur is scared of you.”

His anger simmers down into something more akin to apprehension. Before, outside his family diner, the demon had said something about knowing the truth behind Arthur’s reason for avoiding him. What did this thing know?

Lewis grits his teeth, "I didn't do anything to Arthur. I couldn’t of. It must be something else. Another variable." That’s what Vivi said, and she is right. Why does it sound like he's trying to convince himself now?

"Is that what you think, or is that what our good friend Vivi thinks? She's smart, I'll give you that, a real catch, but you can't rely on her for everything. You have to make your own decisions based on what you want. You know Arthur is scared. You saw it. Pure fear."

The body snatcher gives him a shove in the chest, forcing Lewis to drop the other to the floor. Tense, he watches it spend a moment straitening its shirt in a very Arthur-like move. Suddenly, he feels very guilty despite knowing this was only a replica of his friend.

It grins again, glancing up, “I can show you, you know. I have Arthur’s memories. I can leave them behind before I’m forced to leave." More cracks are appearing now, covering every surface like one half of the room is about to fall away. Deliberately, fake-Arthur leans towards him, “What do you say?”

“Arthur will tell me the truth when he’s ready.” Lewis wants to object further but finds the words stuck.

It laughs, an unpleasant sound, full of malice, “Not if he thinks the truth will hurt you. He’ll continue lying for forever if he thinks it’ll protect you. Besides, you might die right now, so Arthur might not even get the chance. Then you’ll never know.”

Uneasy, Lewis swallows, realising that it is right. Arthur would lie to protect him and Vivi. It is probably the reason why he’d been lying for the last few weeks.  Lewis frowns down at the ground, breaking eye contact, trying to work through what he actually wants and not liking the answer. Its got him. Despite knowing that having Arthur’s memories is a bad idea that it will cause more harm than good, he finds he doesn’t care.

"Well, do you want the truth or not? Quickly now, I don't have a lot of time here."

Why is Arthur scared? He needs to know why. He desperately needs to know.

“I want to know.” He says it before he can really help it.

One elongated step and the body snatcher is suddenly close, acting before Lewis can change his mind. He attempts to move back, but the body snatcher is reaching up, grabbing his collar, yanking him down to eye level, “Good choice.”

Lewis instinctively pulls back, but the faker's eyes swirl hypnotically, shifting to a more potent green, holding him in place.

"It’s been nice talking, I think I’m beginning to see why Arthur’s so damn obsessed with you, so much delicious internal conflict...but alas our time is up.”

The walls around them crumble, splintering apart.

“It may be a day, a year or even a few decades, but I’ll be back so we’ll meet again. That's a promise."

The workshop dissolves.

"Until then, enjoy Arthur’s memories. And remember, you wanted this."

..

Note: Lewis joins Arthur in the pit of bad decisions. 

Part 36: here

[what-is-your-plan-today]

Stark Spangled Banner Ch 28: Crossbones

Summary: The Avengers uncover the identity of the mysterious Crossbones and mount a mission to apprehend him in Lagos.

Warnings: Bad Language words. A bit of light smut. No under 18s please!)

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark

Stark Spangled Banner Masterlist  

Hit me with an ask for a Tag/Request

(also for this one, I’ve played a little bit with the official MCU timeline for Ant Man’s appearance here but let me have some creative license!)

 January 2016

“Are you sure this isn’t a team call?” Katie asked Steve, watching as he picked up his SHIELD.

“No.” he said firmly, as they walked down the corridor.  “We don’t even know if he will be there.”

“But…”

“Katie, stop it.” he chuckled, pushing the door open to enter the hangar. “We’ll be fine. This is intelligence gathering, I’ve no intention of heading straight off after this guy, not until we find out what his play is.”

“His play is arms trading.” Nat interjected dryly as she appeared at the side of the jet.

“Which we are going to gather intelligence on.” Steve looked at her sternly “Nothing more.”

Katie bit her lip, she wasn’t convinced.

“We’ll be fine.” Steve continued, putting both his hands on her shoulders before he deftly changed the subject. “Don’t you have an interview to be getting ready for?”

He watched as the gentle smile spread across her face, a surge of pride flooding his system. She’d recently found out that the author of one of the books SIP had published last year had worked their way onto the Pulitzer Nominee list for fiction. The book itself held a plot centred around a War Veteran and the letters he wrote to his girl back home, and she’d roped Steve into helping the author keep it as factually correct as possible, something he had found strangely nostalgic yet enjoyable. Upon publishing it had flown off the shelves, the original 500 copies went within 3 hours causing a mad scramble for a second run and downloads had been off the scale. Other than the Thrombey book they had published, it was their biggest seller to date, shifting almost half a million copies in a month, and with a foreword from Steve Rogers, critics had raved about how poignant it was. It hadn’t won the prize, but simply being a nominee Katie had explained was an honour in itself. The Publicists at SIP had arranged for the author to be interviewed in a few newspapers and magazines along with one of them also requesting Katie, to discuss the launch of her new Foundation. This was going to work alongside the September Foundation Tony was launching, but instead of focusing on inventors and science she was focussing on authors and the arts. After a lot of deliberation and brain storming with Steve she’d called it the March Foundation. A play on words to honour both the War Based fiction that had inspired it and the man who had saved her life as March was the month of Bucky’s birth. A decision that had really touched Steve.

“Just be careful…” she sighed as she eyed Natasha heading up the ramp into the jet.

“I’m always careful.” Steve kissed her gently.

“Now that’s just an out and out lie…” she mumbled against his lips. He grinned and pulled back, pecking her mouth once more before he started up the ramp. He paused at the top and turned to face her. “We’ll be back late tonight. Don’t wait up.”

“I won’t!” she teased.

He flashed her another grin and then he hit the button and the ramp started to close. A loud siren told Katie that the hangar door was opening and that was her cue to leave. She headed back over to the steps at the side, leading up to the mezzanine and as she reached the top she saw the jet fly out of the side and over the frosty compound grounds. It was up and gone before she had reached the double doors at the top.

The base was a hive of activity already, despite it being little after 7am. Katie was heading for an hour or so in the gym before her day began properly. She stuck her Bluetooth headphones in, selected the usual work out play-list and began to run on the treadmill, slowly at first to ease herself in- she was a little bit stiff and sore from her sparring session with Natasha yesterday. Nat had really upped the ante on Katie over the last month or so, which was good as Katie was now pretty much on a par with her when it came hand to hand, something Steve had been completely astonished to see after walking in on the two women just as his wife floored Natasha with a well-placed leg swipe the red head didn’t see coming. 

40 minutes later, Katie swapped to the rower to finish off, and was approximately half way through the 3k distance when her music cut off and the screen to the right of the machine switched over from the play-list to Rhodey.

"Hey Kiddo," he smiled as she stopped rowing to look at him. "Sorry to interrupt, but we’ve had a sensor trip on the outer perimeter of the facility."

"You send someone out there?" she frowned, catching her breath as she picked up the bottle of water that was to her right.

"Yeah, Sam is currently out there looking for it, just thought, well seeing as Cap and Nat are out, you’re technically the one in charge so…”  

She let out a snort. Being 3rd in command was something she didn’t really care for, knowing full well it was Steve’s way giving her some kind of authority over simply being the Captain’s Wife, but she’d accepted the gesture simply because he’d been so excited when he had asked her she couldn’t refuse.

"Thanks Rhodey.” she said, already halfway out of the gym “I’ll be right there."

She moved quickly to the armoury, grabbed a gun and a fleece jacket before quickly making her way outside.

"What's going on up there, Sam?" Rhodey spoke in her ear as she walked into the cold air, spotting Sam circling above.

"I'm at the location of the sensor trip, but I'm not seeing anything" he said, “oh, hang on…”

“What is it?” Katie asked, watching him as he circled above her.

“Roof top…”

“Gimme a lift?” 

Sam swooped down from the clear, winter sky and she grabbed his arm as he effortlessly pulled her up, dropping them both onto the flat roof of one of the buildings.

"I can see you." Sam called out loudly as they landed.

Katie frowned, as she didn't know what Sam was talking about until out of nowhere a man in a red and silver suit, with an insect like helmet suddenly appeared. Katie cocked her gun and aimed it at him.

"Who the hell are you?" she questioned. As they watched the man started to awkwardly introduce himself to Sam, his mask lifted to reveal a shaky smile as he waved.

"Hi, I'm Scott. I know who you are, obviously, you’re Katie Stark, I mean Rogers…” Scott started trying to hold back his enthusiasm and motioning towards Sam and Katie with a chuckle, "I'm a big fan.”

"Appreciate it. But like the lady asked, who the hell are you?" Sam echoed Katie’s earlier sentiments.

"I'm Ant-Man." Scott or Ant-Man answered confidently. Sam and Katie shared an incredulous look and Katie mouthed the name back to him and he shrugged. Katie lowered her gun slightly.

"Wanna tell me what you want?" Katie questioned Ant-Man as the man tried to explain why the 2 Avengers hadn’t heard of him.

Scott pointed towards a building to their left, maintaining eye contact with Katie as he spoke "I was hoping I could grab a piece of technology. Just for a few days, then I'd return it. I need it to, uh, save the world- you know how that is."

"Yeah, we know exactly how that is," Sam said to Scott and Katie felt her mouth twitching into a grin.

“What piece of technology, and what do you mean saving the world?” she asked.

“I’d love to tell you but Hank Pym said never to trust a Stark.” The man called Scott, or Ant-Man was almost apologetic. “Even though you’re technically a Rogers now.”

Katie frowned, she’d never heard of a Hank Pym before, but that was irrelevant now. Sam gave a sigh besides her and stepped forwards.

“We’ve located the breach.” he spoke “Bringing him in…”

"I'm really sorry about this." Scott rushed out and as Sam reached out to him he vanished.

“What the…” Katie spun round and felt something hit her, hard in the back. She fell forward onto the gravelled surface of the roof before rolling onto her back, gun raised again just in time to see Sam flying backwards off the edge, tumbling through the air and grappling with something whilst flying over the lawns of the facility.

Katie could do nothing but stand and watch from her vantage point as Sam continued to wrestle with, then shoot at the man who could shrink and grow seemingly at will. And if she was completely honest, it was kind of entertaining to watch.

“This guy would actually be pretty useful.” Katie mused into the coms, trying but failing to hide the amusement in her voice “Are you recording this? For future, recruitment purposes obviously.”

"All over it." Rhodey responded, a slight chuckle punctuating his confirmation.

It was when the two men crashed into the storage unit that Ant-Man had wanted to break into in the first place that she started to get concerned.

"Err do we have cameras in there?" she questioned Rhodey.

"Uh… negative." Rhodey answered after a short pause.

“Shit.” Running to the side of the roof she scaled down the metal ladder at the side, dropping the last 8 feet or so, landing gently before she ran towards the storage building. At that point Sam came crashing backwards through the metal door and she flung her arms up to shield her face from the debris before glancing up. Sam’s flight pattern was jerky and off and he was gripping at his pack on his back.

"He's in my pack!" Sam shouted before he landed hard in the dirt and with a groan, pulled himself into a standing position, yanking off his goggles.

“You ok?” Katie asked as she got over to him.

Sam sighed. "It's really important to me that Cap never finds out about this."

The pair of them scouted around but to no avail, there was no sign of Ant-Man, or Scott. Katie instructed Rhodey to get the door fixed and lock it down again and said she would speak to Tony to find out what was in there. Sam was luckily not hurt, just a slight bruising to his pride so Katie left him at the lab with Lawson to look at making the repairs to his pack before she headed off to get changed.

*****

Steve and Natasha landed in Sadove, Crimea and were instantly greeted by the man who was leading the investigation into the raid on the local police station. The last 3 out of 6 hits the guy had made had been on small, local outfits with less resistance than the other places he had hit but that was hardly surprising. The former SHIELD base he had hit in Mexico had been heavily guarded, which made Steve think that he had perhaps suffered losses to his team which was making him rethink his strategy. As Natasha chatted to the man in his local language, Steve hung back before the man nodded to Natasha and strode towards him.

“Captain Rogers.” he said, English thick with accent “Inspector Chernov.”

Steve shook the man’s hand “Pleasure to meet you in person Inspector.”

“So you are interested in the man who raided our local station…” “He’s been on our radar for a while.” Steve said, choosing his words carefully “But we don’t have much to go on.” “Well, I’m not sure we can help but I can take you down there and you can see for yourself.” Steve nodded. “That would be great, thanks.”

It wasn’t a long drive, and once they arrived Steve and Natasha were allowed to wander round the scene undisturbed, providing they didn’t interfere with the police and teams already swamping the area. Their search showed them nothing new and they moved to watching the CCTV which the Authorities had refused to send them. They could have hacked into it, but Steve was keen to keep the tentatively growing communication lines with Crimea and Russia as amicable as possible, especially in the light of Sokovia. The Avengers were not a political party, so by remaining respectful of their requests to meet only in person he hoped it went someway to proving they were here to help and had no ulterior motives.

As such they sat in the mobile control centre, scanning the CCTV. Steve watched the footage and sighed.

“This isn’t Hydra.” Nat said.

“I know, it’s not their MO. This guy is too haphazard.” Steve pondered “Just wondering why, considering how well organised he is, he is leaving so much devastation behind.”

“Minimum effort leaving maximum casualties.” Natasha said, watching the footage “He simply doesn’t care who he takes out.” “Well he’s hardly gonna care about that if he’s dealing black market arms.” Steve sighed.

They watched the footage, and Steve held his hand up to Natasha to play it at normal speed when they reached the bit where the key perps were on screen.

“What’s he doing?” he frowned, looking at Crossbones. The man was stood in the middle of the room, looking around.

“He’s scanning for Cameras.” Nat answered as they both watched. 

There was something familiar about the way the man walked and held himself, but Steve couldn’t quite place it. As they continued the footage, Crossbones located the camera they were watching through and looked directly up at it, pulling his mask up to reveal his mouth, clearly saying something.

“Can you enhance that?” Steve asked. Natasha tapped at it.

It zoomed in on the man and Natasha spoke “looks like something about it being personal…”

She held her phone up to the footage and then pressed something, and the phone spoke to her in a robotic voice.

“Big Guy…I just want you to know, this aint personal…” Steve’s gut clenched. The last time he had heard those words were in an elevator in the Triskelion.

“Rogers?” Natasha looked at him, noticing the nerve which was twitching in his jaw “What is it? Does that mean something to you?”

“In a fashion.” he turned to face her. “It’s Rumlow.”

****** The interviews went well and once the photos etc were done Katie and Tony retreated to the living area of the Tower for a well-earned drink as they put the final touches of their tour together. They were to start visiting various Universities across the US to roll out their foundation grants. To ease them both in gently, the first University they were going to was Columbia, so not far from home. Tony and Pepper would be presenting and discussing to students within the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Katie in the School of the Arts for Students on the Writing Programme.

Their chatter moved from work to Tony asking how the Compound was going, and Katie remembered the events of that morning.

“You ever heard of a bloke called Hank Pym?” she asked suddenly.

Tony paused for a moment, frowning at her sudden change of subject, but something stirred in his mind. “The name rings a bell, hang on…FRIDAY, search all files reference Hank Pym.” He instructed, tapping at something on his tablet.

After a few seconds something flashed up in the corner of the screen.

“Yeah, here you go.” He pressed another button causing the image to reflect in front of them as a hologram. “He worked with Dad and SHIELD on a programme called Project GOLIATH.”

“What the hell was that?” Katie asked, taking a pull from her bottle.

“A research programme into some kind of Nano particle.” Tony said as the pair of them simultaneously ran through the information on the screen.

“Ahhhh.” Katie nodded, “makes sense…” “What does?”

Katie explained about the encounter with Scott and Tony gave a hum of agreement. 

“That could actually be kinda useful.”

“I know.” she agreed “But he vanished after he got whatever he wanted. Any thoughts on what it could be?”

“That facility holds a load of crap that was Dad’s” Tony said simply “Could be anything.”

“Well, nothing we could see was missing, but it might be worth you taking a look.” she suggested.

He shrugged “I can do, but there was nothing remotely dangerous in there. Was just a load of old signal jammers and code breakers we don’t really need anymore.”

“Well, I did try and ask what him what it was he wanted, you know, on account of him saying he was saving the world, maybe we could have helped with that, being the Avengers and all, but he simply turned round and said ‘Hank Pym told me never to trust a Stark’.”

She drained her bottle of beer as Tony did the same and he stood up, taking the empties to retrieve 2 more from the fridge.

“Clearly one of many in the long line of people dad pissed off.” Tony rolled his eyes as he popped the lids, before he sighed “I’m actually surprised no one tried to kill him before, you know…”

Katie looked at her brother and swallowed. Tony had no idea how close to the truth he was, that their parents had been assassinated by Hydra, who had made their car crash look like an accident.

“Sorry.” he slid the beer across the bar, mistaking her guilty silence for one of upset “That was out of order.”

“For all his faults I don’t think Dad wasn’t a bad man.” Katie spoke quietly “And he did love us.”

“I know.” Tony nodded, squeezing her hand.

She stayed for another drink and then headed home. She had checked in with Sam before heading back to their apartment and she was settled on the couch with a glass of wine when Steve called.

“Hey Soldier.” she said, smiling at the screen as she flicked the phone to project the image in front of her, muting the TV.

“Hey gorgeous.” He smiled back

“So, how was it?” she asked

“We got the intel.” 

“Solid?”

“Pretty solid yeah.” Natasha spoke, appearing by his side. “We think we know who he is anyway.” “Who?”

Steve sighed “Rumlow.” “What?” Katie spluttered into her wine glass. “Are you sure?”

“Oh pretty sure.” Steve said, “He left me a clear message.”

“Steve recognised him on the Video so I ran a crosscheck.” Nat said “ Turns out he was listed as severely injured and was taken to the hospital. After that, our trail runs cold.” 

“Until now.” Katie sighed.

“We’ve also got a list of his associates, some known faces he’s been seen with.” Steve shrugged “So we’re putting out an alert.”

“Doesn’t give us much to go on though.” Katie rubbed at her temples.

“When have we ever had much to go on?” Natasha asked and Katie shrugged

“Fair point.” she conceded as Natasha moved off out of sight.

“So how has your day been?” Katie looked back at Steve as he spoke.

“Not bad actually.” she said, “Interviews went well, oh, and we had a bit of an incident at base before.” “Incident?” he frowned, “What kind of incident?”

“Attempted break in, nothing major.”

“Everyone ok?”

“Yeah, honestly it was no biggie, I’ll fill you in on when you get home. For the rest of the day once the interviews were done Tony and I drank beer.”

“Sounds pretty productive.” he raised an eyebrow

“Beer is always productive.” Katie informed him and he chuckled.

“We’ll be airborne in 30 minutes and then we should be home in about 4 to 5 hours.” He said, as Katie looked at her watch. It was almost 8:30 pm. 

“Alright, I’ll see you soon.”

“Love you.”

“And you.” she cut the call with a yawn. She was tired. Really tired, so she headed off for a bath. After soaking and listening to music for 40 minutes she dried off and shoved on one of Steve’s T-shirts before climbing into bed and lay there for a moment, flicking through the TV channels. She settled on an episode of Family Guy and snuggled down into the large bed, wrapping herself in the soft covers. It always felt odd sleeping without Steve being there. Sometimes she quite enjoyed being able to starfish in the middle of the Emperor sized bed but tonight she wasn’t enjoying being alone.

****

Steve was whacked when they arrived home. Bidding good night to Natasha he headed back and let himself into their quarters. Crossing the hallway he made his way into the bedroom and paused, a gentle smile spreading on his face. Illuminated in the light from the hallway he could see Katie was curled up in the middle of the bed, using his pillow as a hugging buddy. He quietly crossed the room and perched on the bed, stripping off his boots and uniform top. He paused slightly as Katie stirred and he turned to look at her, gently brushing her hair of her face. He glanced down at the freckles he knew by memory, long thick lashes, soft pink lips…she looked so peaceful asleep.

She stirred again, and the her nose wrinkled in that adorable way it did when she was waking up and she cracked an eye open before her face split into a smile at the sight of her husband.

“Hey.”

“Hey baby doll.” he smiled, his hand cupping her cheek  “Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you”

“It’s ok.” she yawned, leaning into his touch.

"Did I tell you how beautiful you are?" he asked, and through the tiny sliver of light coming from the hallway Katie could see his eyes were full of their usual warmth.

"I don't think you did today, no."

"Well you are" he dropped a soft kiss on her head. “I’m gonna take a shower and then I’ll be right with you.”

She watched him appreciatively as he stood up and pulled his compression-shirt over his head, heading into the en-suite. For a moment she was tempted to join him, but then decided against it, laying back onto her side, dozing.

It wasn’t long before the bed dipped and she felt him slide under the covers next to her. She turned over to snuggle up into the crook of his shoulder, her head laying on his chest.

“So, you wanna tell what the incident was today?” he asked, his right hand reaching up to play with the strands of her hair that fell over her shoulder.

“Oh yeah.” she grinned before she launched into an explanation about Scott-slash-Ant Man. He fell silent for a moment but in the end came to the same conclusion as Tony had, there was nothing in there that was dangerous so they just needed to remain vigilant.

“Yeah, well Sam seemed to be taking vigilant to the extreme as he’s already been on the phone to numerous contracts, trying to track him down.” she said “I think he’s a bit annoyed the guy basically kicked his ass. Rhodey caught it all on video but Sam told me never to tell you about it. He’s taken it quite personally.” “I’m not surprised, he had his ass kicked.” Steve sniggered. “Where do I get a copy of the CCTV?”

Katie grinned, “I have it on my phone, Rhodey sent it to me.”

“Play it.” he instructed.

“What now?” “Yes, right now.” he nodded, moving so he was sat up, jolting her off his chest.

“No Sam will kill me!” she laughed, propping herself up on her elbow

“Screw Sam!” he snorted “He plays those damned Phys Ed videos every chance he gets.”

“That’s true.” Katie pondered “Ok, hang on…”

She turned, reaching over for the phone and the TV remote. Blinking at the sudden light, once her eyes were accustomed to the change she pressed a few buttons on her phone and beamed the footage to the TV on the wall. She had to admit, it looked even funnier from the video play back than it had when she had been there.

Steve let out a huge, genuine laugh, his head thrown back, banging against the headboard, arm clutched across his chest as he laughed, and laughed.

“I’m so showing that at our next briefing.” he said, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes.

“You can’t…” “Oh, I can!”

****

The next morning the pair of them made their way to the briefing room both munching on a piece of toast and each carrying a mug of coffee. It was early, before 8, but Steve wanted the team to be prepared. Everyone filed into the room along with some good humoured grumbling about the time before they dropped into their preferred seats and looked to the front of the room.

“I know it’s early and I’m sorry…” Steve said, holding his hands up, looking round at the team assembled in front of him “But this is important.”

“More important than sleep?” Sam yawned.

Steve ignored him. “Alright, here's what we already know," Steve began to explain how they believed Rumlow to be Crossbones, the masked man who had been causing a whole lot of chaos in the wake of what happened at the Triskelion. Katie knew he was annoyed at himself for not realising he had survived sooner, but even if they had, they’d so much going on, not to mention Ultron had been a much bigger threat in the immediate future

"He's been targeting former SHIELD labs and police stations all over the country and selling products on the black market.” Natasha spoke.

“Police stations?” Katie asked.

“We think he suffered heavy losses at the raid prior to the last three, so he’s going for easier targets whilst he regroups.” Natasha answered.

“Still no intel on who his buyers are?” Wanda asked.

“No.” Steve shook his head, “He seems to have become an independent terrorist, and doesn’t appear to be working for anyone”

“Our recon yesterday told us that Rumlow seems to be operating with this guy.” Natasha explained as the photos flashed up “He’s known as the Black Mamba…” “Black Mamba?” Wanda deadpanned. “Cross Bones and Black Mamba?”

“NATO has every available pair of eyes out looking for them.”  Steve ignored Wanda and looked at Rhodey.

“Soon as they break cover, we’ll know.” Rhodey nodded

“So then what?” Sam frowned

“More recon?” Katie asked

Steve looked at his wife and nodded. “Possibly, but for now we need to let intelligence do their job. But be prepared, when we get a lead I want to be ready to go.”

There were mumbles around the room and Steve let the team lead the discussion. Sam commented on the crap code names again, causing Wanda to laugh. Katie suggested they should compile a detailed profile on Rumlow, see if they could find a pattern to his behaviour, nodding to Vision. the AI had a knack for it as did Katie, so Steve and Natasha nodded, both agreeing it was a good idea.

“We need to be vigilant.” Steve said, “Keep our eyes open for anything that’s out of the ordinary.” He caught Katie’s eye, a wicked smirk crossed his face and she shook her head smiling as he continued “Speaking of which…FRIDAY, play the video”

“Certainly Captain Rogers.” The pictures of Rumlow and Black Mamba disappeared from the screen and suddenly the footage of Sam spiralling through the air started to play. The room started to snigger as Sam looked at Katie who held her hands up in an “it wasn’t me!” gesture.

“Oh come on Man!” he groaned as the room gleefully watched the film, laughter ringing round the room.

******

The next 4 months ticked by with no further information on Rumlow. They pulled together a potted history which tracked the hospital he had been in, when he had escaped (the local authorities had been searching for him for ages since he threatened his nurse upon waking before violently breaking out) his movements since (ones they knew about and some they hadn’t) but it didn’t give them anything new.

Katie and Tony were buried deeply in their Foundation work, which was taking up a lot of Katie’s time so she wasn’t as close to the investigations as she could have been. Steve was fine with that though, the further away she was from Rumlow frankly the better, but he still made sure she was involved with what they had found and she attended the briefings as best she could when she wasn’t travelling the country. Steve’s chest burst with pride every time he saw his girl on the news, in papers, as the press seemed to be lavishing praise upon the siblings for what they were doing. 

Then, one day in the middle of May, they struck gold when one of the Facial Recognition Alerts they had set up pinged to Black Mamba being spotted in a Lagos, Nigeria. As a result Steve had scrambled them all to attention as soon as he could, which was 4 am. But there were no complaints about the time, not when they knew this could be their chance to bring him in. They all pitched round the screen as Steve and Natasha identified the local police station that they suspected of him hitting, given where the FR had pinged several times.

“We think they are scoping this area.” Nat said, drawing a red circle round a part of the town.

Katie moved the screen with her fingers, enlarging the aerial shots as she looked at them, her analytical brain going ten to the dozen.

“Layout looks pretty standard.” she said, scanning the map, frowning slightly. Something was nagging at her. And as she looked, she realised what it was.

“What is it?” Steve asked, recognising the tone of her voice and frown on her face.

“The Science Institute.” she said, nodding towards the screen. “Big white building at the end of the road.”

“Biological weapons are big on the black market.” Sam cottoned on, nodding slightly.

“Yeah but his recent previous hits and our pattern analysis don’t give us any reason to believe that’s what he’s going to be aiming for.” Nat suggested

“You said yourself that you suspected he was going for easier targets whilst he regrouped.” Katie said “What if he has?”

“We have to assume Rumlow will go for the police station, it’s the best intel we have.” Steve said, and he noticed the look on Katie’s face as she crossed her arms and opened her mouth to argue. “But we should be vigilant, keep alert.”

She exchanged a glance with Sam, who simply shrugged

“We do this with stealth.” Steve continued, “I want us on the ground and out of sight, we need to catch him with as little fuss or danger to civilians as possible”

"Yeah, and with that in mind Viz you may need to sit this one out." Nat tossed out and Vision nodded deprecatingly

"We're still working on him blending in." Wanda added.

"Same for you too Rhodey.” Steve looked at him “We need someone back here, we could be gone a few days.”

Rhodey nodded. “No problem Cap.” “Get what you need. Wheels up in twenty." Steve dismissed everyone who immediately went their separate ways to prepare for the upcoming mission leaving Katie, Natasha and Steve alone

“You think she’s ready?” Natasha looked at Steve, nodding to Wanda. He took a deep breath, staring at the door through which she had just left with Vision.

“You say she’s been training hard…” he said after a moments pause, looking at Nat.

“Yeah, she has but…her powers are still largely impacted by her emotions.”

“Aren’t everyone’s?” Katie asked. “I mean I’m angry or upset I fight harder…” “Yeah but,” Nat sighed “It isn’t the same, she can do a lot of damage.”

“We have the bare bones of a team as it is.” Steve shook his head and Katie looked down, feeling slightly guilty. She had discussed this with Steve, she wasn’t going. The Stark Foundation Tour had another few visits to Universities this week. Steve spotted the look on her face and he gently nudged her arm “That’s not a criticism honey…” “I know…” she bit her lip. Maybe she should postpone…

“Throw in the fact that this is the first full team mission we’ve had since Ultron and I don’t see any choice but to take Wanda” Steve shrugged, ending the conversation.

Nat took a deep breath and nodded “You’re right. And maybe being in an actual mission environment might help her gain some control, I mean practice makes perfect.”

“You trying to convince me or yourself?” he asked, eyeing her

“Both.” she drawled, heading out of the door.

Katie took a deep breath as Steve turned to her. “You best go.” she said softly. He bit his lip before he pulled her into an embrace, kissing her softly.

“I’ll call as soon as I can.” he promised, pressing his forehead to hers.

“Stay safe, please.” she sighed as he kissed the tip of her nose and hurried out of the door.

Once he was gone Katie sank onto a chair, her head in her hands. She was torn, really torn. For the last year or so, post Ultron, they’d had a pretty quiet time of it, mopping up any stray Hydra operatives that strolled into their patch. But this, this was big. Was the Foundation really more important than heading off whatever shitty plan Rumlow was trying to pull off? She was still an Avenger…she’d never quit that, and would never quit that.

“You’ll always be Iron Man, Tone…” the words she had stated to Tony when he had decided to quit active service echoed round her head. And then she realised, she’d always be Supernova, whether she wanted to be or not.

“I’m gonna regret this.” She groaned to herself as she jumped up, and headed after Steve.

*****

Steve, at first, had tried to argue against her coming but when Natasha had pointed out they could do with the support he had relented and the team had been bolstered by Supernova’s return to active duty.

Their support staff had done a great job on such a short time, and rented the group a 4 bedroomed apartment overlooking the street the Police Station was on. It wasn’t fancy, but it was the last place anyone would think would house Avengers. Over the first 24 hours they set up a command centre, with coms links back to base and the next morning they began their recon.

The first 2 days were completely uneventful. No sign of Rumlow or any of his associates. Nat was the expert at covert ops and so she took the lead, directing them to all the right places coaching Wanda along the way and Steve was pleasantly surprised to see how well the younger girl took to the task, blending in with the locals. Katie took to observing from up high with Sam, and she was focussing on the Biological Institute, unable to shake the nagging feeling she had about the place. She hadn’t mentioned it since their brief a few days ago, but Steve knew when she had an idea in her head she wouldn’t rest so he left her to it. Between them they had the area covered, which was good enough.

On the evening of the 4th day Wanda, Sam and Natasha headed out for a little undercover work in the bars at night, “So you guys can have a little undercover activity of your own” Sam teasingly stated, patting Steve on the back as he left, drawing an exasperated sigh from the soldier. Nevertheless, the door had hardly shut before Steve had his wife pinned up against a wall, hands wandering all over her body, lips and teeth clashing, her hand fisting in the slightly longer strands of hair at the top of his head as they’d furiously taken advantage of their first time alone in days.

The next morning Katie woke at about 5:45 and rolled over only to find the bed empty besides her. Steve could never rest when they were in the middle of a case like this. The clothes they had shed the night before were now neatly folded and placed on top of the dresser, and she had to smile. Even now he was a total neat freak. Knowing full well where he would be she climbed out of the bed, pulled on Steve’s T-shirt and a pair of shorts before making her way into the dark corridor. She stopped in the doorway of the small dining room which was functioning as a makeshift office and sure enough, there he was, the lamp softly illuminated his handsome face as he flicked through a file, crease evident between his brows.

“Soldier, you’re up so early?” she said gently. Steve had heard her coming of course. Smiling softly, as he was always pleased to see her, he turned to face her as she crossed the room.

“Yeah, sorry, I woke about half an hour ago and couldn’t get back to sleep.”

“You know, I get that you’re fed up of just waiting but sitting here re-reading all this isn’t going to help you know.” Katie said, taking the file off him and dropping it onto the wooden table, before she perched on the edge.

“I know, it’s just so goddamned frustrating.” Steve ran his hand over his face. After pondering for a moment Katie stood up and walked behind the chair and placed her hands on his shoulders. He let out a groan of satisfaction and leaned back in his seat as she kneaded the muscles with her hands. She found a particularly bad spot just under his shoulder blade and began to push harder with her thumb. Steve couldn’t decide if it was pleasurable or painful and made a little noise, which was half way between the two.

"God your shoulders are so knotty." She mused and he left out a breath through his nose moving his head to the side.

“Yeah well, I did a lot of exercise last night.” He quipped back as her hands continued to work at his shoulders.

“I’ll say.” She grinned. “You know that thing you did with your mouth last night is actually illegal in several countries.” “Good job we live in the land of the free.” He said, voice low as he fully relaxed under her touch.  Katie carried on working at his muscles in silence for a moment, happy to let him bliss out. 

"So… answer me a question?" She spoke after a short while, rousing him a little, and he hummed, unable to bring himself to be bothered to talk.

"If you couldn’t sleep why didn’t you wake me to help you?” Her voice was loaded as she leaned forward to wind her arms around his neck, running her hands up and down his chest from behind. Steve loved it when she touched him like that which was why he pouted slightly when she pulled away, but the pout didn’t last long and a smirk crossed his face as Katie walked round to the front of his chair

“And how, exactly, would you have done that?" His hands moved to rest on her hips as she lowered herself so that she was straddling him. She slid one of her hands around the back of his head to tangle in his hair the other settling on his chest.

“Reckon I can think of a few ways.”  she smirked slyly before using her hand in his hair to pull him forward and connect their lips. Steve kissed her back immediately as one hand crept up the back of her top, the other on the side of her thigh, sliding up her shorts.

“Sleepy yet?” She murmured.

“Not exactly the word I would use.” Steve raised an eyebrow.

She grinned and then began to rock her hips on top of him grinding down on his growing hardness and he sighed slightly, kissing her harder as she pushed down again. With an automatic reaction he raised his hips, rocking up to meet her and this time she groaned as she could feel the friction of their clothes grinding against her spot. His hands were now firmly holding her hips underneath her, no, his top, and he sat forward so his mouth could cover the spot under her ear that drove her wild. With a soft sigh she titled her head to the side as he trailed kisses across her jaw until his mouth met her lips again. His hands reached down to grasp the hem of her top and he had just begun to slide it upwards when they were interrupted by a raspy voice.

"I thought all the making out fully clothed supposedly stopped when you reached the age of 17." Natasha scoffed from the doorway. Katie looked up over Steve’s shoulder as he sighed, dropping his head onto her chest.

“Don’t you know how to knock?” Katie sighed.

“Don’t you know how to lock a door?” she replied, dryly.

“I take it this isn’t a social call?” Steve’s voice was muffled as he spoke into his wife’s chest.

“Half and half.” Natasha arched an eyebrow, “Unsociable hour it maybe but Wanda’s already up and wants breakfast, she was going to head out to the local bakery but I thought it might be an idea to start the re-con early.”

Steve’s head looked up to Katie’s as she shifted off his lap and straightened out her clothing and hair. Steve glanced down at his crotch and Katie raised an eyebrow slightly as he stood up and adjusted his sweats in an attempt to hide his slowly ebbing arousal before he turned to face the red head.

“Well, you’re the expert in this covert stuff.” He said, looking at Natasha. “What have you got in mind?”

*****

“All right, what do you see?” Steve was coaxing Wanda, as ever, to observe her surroundings, see and hear everything, on the job training he supposed you could call it.

Meanwhile, Katie glanced down from the rooftop on which Sam and her were currently stood, her scanners doing their usual work. No weapons spotted yet.

“Standard beat cops. Small station. Quiet street. It’s a good target” Wanda’s voice came through the ear piece Steve was wearing.

“There’s an ATM in the South Corner.” he replied “which means….”

“Cameras” Wanda said instantly.

“Both cross streets are one way.” He carried on

“So, compromised escape routes.”

“Means our guy doesn't care about being seen, he isn't afraid to make a mess on the way out.” Steve concluded. “You see that Range Rover halfway up the block?”

“Yeah, the red one? It’s cute”

“It's also bulletproof,” Katie cut in as FRIDAY completed a scan on the vehicle “Which means private security…”

“Which means more guns, which means more headaches for somebody. Probably us” Nat finished

“You guys know I can move things with my mind, right? “ Wanda replied

“Looking over your shoulder needs to become second nature.” Natasha continued

“Anybody ever tell you you're a little paranoid?” Sam asked and Katie turned to look at him, retracting her face plate to give him a grin.

“Not to my face. Why? Did you hear something?” the exchange continued.

“Eyes on target, folks” Steve said with an air of authority, bringing them back to the job in hand. This is the best lead we've had on Rumlow in six months. I don't want to lose him.”

If he’s here, of course

“If he sees us coming that won't be a problem. He kind of hates us.” Sam replied

As Steve watched he noticed that a garbage truck was slowly pushing its way through traffic, with no regard to pedestrians or other vehicles. He frowned and kept his eyes on it as it continued to gather momentum as it went.  

“Sam…see that garbage truck?” he said “Tag it.”

Sam’s small drone launched, swooping down to scan the garbage truck as Katie instructed Friday to do the same.

“Give me X-ray.” Sam spoke.

“That truck’s loaded for max weight.” he replied “And the driver’s armed.” Sam added.

And in the second that it dawned on Steve what was going on. The raid was going down, but Katie had been right all along, a fact she cottoned on to as well.

“It’s a battering ram” she said as realisation flooded her body.

“Go, now!” Steve yelled. “There not hitting the station…” “The institute…” Sam looked at Katie, and she nodded as the two of us took off after the truck.  ***** So, we head into Civil War... I’m not sure I’m ready!!!

Tags

@the-omni-princess​

@momobaby227​

@geekofmanythings16​

@angelofhell-666​

@thewackywriter​

@marvelfansworld​

@cobalt-gear​

[elusive---ivory]

The Woman In Velvet pt 9

Holy shit????? 9 parts??? Holy moly???? This is insane!!! I can't believe people are actually interested lmao. Well, the masterlist will be up soon enough, as for now, enjoy.

PAIRING: Arthur Fleck x Oc

WARNING: NSFW (near the end.)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Taglist:

@princessgeekface @mijachula @gloomybih @memory-mortis @radio-hoo-ha @moonstruck-witchy (if you'd like to be apart of my Taglist. Just message me, and I'll tag you)

Sandy looked at herself in the mirror. It was almost 6. She looked over to her dress on the bed. It was a long black velvet gown that her mother used to wear. She picked it up from off the bed and posed with it in the full length mirror. As she slipped it on, she saw how comfortable it fit on her. Sandy laughed, twirling around in the dress.

She carefully applied her makeup. Her eyelashes touched her thick framed glasses as she pushed them back onto her face. Her lips were ruby red from her lipstick. Sandy smiled widely in the mirror.

Arthur watched as she got ready. He told previously that she could. God, did she look marvelous. Arthur watched her move.

Sandy caught Arthur staring at her through the doorway of the bedroom.

She smirked. "See something you like?"

Arthur blushed, looking away. "Uhh, yeah. Just you."

Sandy giggled at his boyish behavior. She looked over at the clock.

"Oh shit. It's 6. I'm heading out, Artie." Sandy kissed Arthur on his cheek.

He grabbed ahold of her hand. "Just be safe, please."

Sandy smiled, sweetly kissing his lips. "I will dear."

Arthur watched as she went out the door. His heart beated loudly in his chest. Arthur turned off the TV, heading out of his apartment.

Sandy's heels clicked on the pavement as she walked towards Dee's car.

"Sandy!" Dee yelled, excitedly. Her smile was wide with her dimples spreading ear to ear.

Dee pulled Sandy into a tight hug.

Sandy smiled, giving in to the hug. "Hey, Dee. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm just fantastic. Have you met my boyfriend, Doug?" Dee said, as a very tall man in a black suit emerged out of the car.

Sandy shook her head. "No, I don't think I have."

The man named 'Doug' grinned. "I don't think I have neither. Very nice to meet you, Sammy."

Sandy huffed. "It's Sandy."

"Oh, right, sorry." Doug falsely apologized.

Sandy rolled her eyes and got in the car.

The three of them rode down to Wayne Hall. Protesters in clown masks and makeup were yelling and screaming from left and right. Sandy looked around at the chaos, smiling a little bit.

"Look at this, Dee. Our city's in peril. I hope the asshole that caused this goes to hell." Doug rambled, behind the wheel.

Sandy turned her head towards Doug. "Funny you say that, Doug. I'm pretty sure the people outside would definitely love to hear you opinion on the matter." She remarked.

Doug glared at Sandy through the rear view window.

"We're here." Dee said, trying to cut the tension.

The three of them got out of the car. Sandy was still infatuated with the protest behind her. It gave her hope. She noticed someone sneaking off out of the crowd. It looked like a familiar yellow jacket.

"Hey, Sandy. You coming?" Dee called, pulling Sandy out of her thoughts.

Sandy backed up, blinking a little bit. "Uhh, yeah." She turned around and followed Dee into the bar.

It was a very elegant looking bar. The red lighting matched the velvet booths in the bar. Sandy looked around. There was a lot of older gentleman alongside very scandalous women. Sandy sat down at the booth.

"I'll take a dry martini, please." Dee told the waiter.

"Whiskey on the rocks." Doug ordered, taking out an expensive looking cigar.

Sandy raised her eyebrow at Doug. "I'll take a cherry cola."

"Really, Sandy? Come on. Live a little. Here I'll order you a chardonnay." Dee said, signaling towards the waiter.

"No, Dee. I'm cutting back on drinking. I already have a bad smoking habit. I don't need to add alcohol to that." Sandy said, leaning back in the booth.

"Alright, whatever you say." Dee rolled her eyes, teasing.

Sandy crossed her arms. Despite just getting here, Sandy already felt tired of babysitting them.

After a while, lots of the protesters swarmed inside the bar.

Doug, after having a total of five drinks, drunkenly stood up, yelling in their faces.

"Listen here, you fucking scum, ya got ten seconds to get out of my bar." Doug slurred, standing dangerously close to a protester's face.

"You got a problem, buddy?" The protester said, pushing Doug back.

"Yeah, you are." Doug pushed back.

Dee drunkenly stood up as well. "Yeah, you fucking tell him, babe."

Sandy watched in horror, dragging Dee back to her seat.

"Oh, yeah, well watch this tough guy." The protester took out a gun, shooting Doug in the face.

Dee and Sandy screamed, ducking under the table. Soon, a bar fight broke out between the protesters and the old gentleman at the bar.

Dee was hyperventilating. "What the fuck?!"

Sandy looked at Dee, putting her hands on her shoulders. "Calm down, Dee. We have to get out of her." Sandy calmly stated.

"What about Doug?" Dee exclaimed.

"He'll be fine. Just hand me the keys." Sandy grabbed on Dee's hand and ran outside the bar.

Sandy grabbed the keys from Dee and revved up the car. More protesters were yelling out on the streets. Sandy pulled out from the parking space, denting a few cars in the process, before driving off.

Sandy sighed in relief as they got away from the scene. She pulled over to her apartment building. She looked over to Dee, who was quivering in the front seat. Sandy, then, looked down under the seat for a pack of cigarettes. When she found some, Sandy stuck one in her mouth, getting lipstick all over it, and pressing the car's cigarette lighter.

Dee looked terrified at Sandy. "How can you be so calm in a situation like this? My boyfriend just got murdered."

Sandy looked over at Dee, again. She grabbed the cigarette lighter, lighting her cigarette, then blowing smoke out her nose.

"How long did you know your boyfriend?" Sandy asked, deflecting Dee's question.

"Well, a few weeks." Dee said, crossing her arms. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Sandy laughed. "A few weeks, huh? Was it before or after he paid you?"

Dee turned her head away from Sandy. "It was after. Ok? God, why are you being such a mega bitch?" Dee threw her hands in the air dramatically.

Sandy continued to laugh. She inhaled another drag from the cigarette. Slowly, her laughter subsided. "My heels broken. I should probably go home." Sandy said, blankly.

Dee eyed at Sandy's behavior. "Sandy, are you ok?"

Sandy smiled at Dee. "To be honest, I thought this night was gonna be a bust, but as it turns out, I feel fantastic."

She handed the keys to Dee as she got out of the car.

"I'm sorry about your boyfriend. I'm sure you can find another one that pays more." Sandy yelled, walking into her building.

Dee glared at Sandy as she walked away.

Sandy limped up to Arthur's apartment. She knocked on the door. To her surprise, the door was unlocked.

"Arthur?" She called.

Sandy looked around in the bed, then slowly moving to the kitchen. She noticed shelves and food were all over the floor. Gently, she opened the refrigerator door.

Arthur cradled himself, not wanting to face Sandy.

"Hey, Artie." Sandy spoke softly. "Why don't you come on out?"

Arthur gave no response.

"Please, Art?" Sandy put her hands on his knee.

Arthur looked over at Sandy, and grabbed ahold of her shoulders, sobbing into her.

Sandy petted his hair, whispering sweet nothings in his ear.

"Let me draw you a bath, dear." Sandy kissed Arthur's cheek, before getting off of the kitchen floor.

"Why are you so nice to me?" Arthur asked, pitifully. "All you've been is sweet and kind. I just don't get it."

Sandy lifted Arthur from the ground. "I love you, Arthur. Is that what you don't understand?" Sandy hugged Arthur's fragile body. He melted into the hug, feeling Sandy's warmth.

"I just don't understand how an angel like you could love a guy like me." Arthur mumbled, slumping into her neck.

Sandy smiled, rubbing Arthur's exposed back. "Come on, dear. I've got a warm bath waiting for you."

Arthur peeled off his remaining clothes, slipped into the bathtub. Sandy was still in the bathroom, looking for some type of body wash. As she turned around, she saw Arthur's nude body in the tub. Sandy blushed, slightly, kneeling down to his level.

"Is there anything I can get you?" Sandy asked, maintaining eye contact.

"Yeah, could you stay?" Arthur's eyes pierced into Sandy.

She was almost about to decline, but something in her said yes. She nodded, staying in her position on the floor.

"So, how was the rally?" Sandy asked, nervously. She gulped, trying not to lead her mind down south.

Arthur looked at Sandy. "It was fine." He mumbled. Arthur noticed blood on Sandy's lip. He lifted her chin, touching the busted lip.

Sandy hissed in pain. "Ah, fuck."

Arthur's eyes went wide, letting go of her chin. "What happened?" Arthur asked, concerned.

"It's nothing, dear." Sandy answered, reassuringly.

Arthur frowned at her response, but didn't want to push it further.

"I did like the way you lifted my chin." Sandy smirked. She ran her fingers across his jawline, lifting Arthur's chin up. "Just like that." Sandy whispered seductively.

Arthur melted at the touch, holding onto Sandy's hand.

"It almost makes me want to join you in the tub." Sandy giggled, splashing Arthur a little.

Arthur nodded his head. "I'd like that." He whispered.

Sandy blushed, standing up to unbutton her dress. After unbuttoning it, she placed it on the towel rack behind her. She unclasped her bra, which fell to the floor. Sandy peeled off any other clothes left remaining on her body, and stepped in the tub with Arthur.

Arthur admired Sandy, as she laid on the opposite side of the tub. Arthur smiled at her. Sandy turned away, blushing.

Arthur leaned over and pulled Sandy closer towards him. Before Sandy could speak, she was already straddling Arthur's thin waist under her thick thighs.

She cleared her throat. Sandy felt Arthur's arms sneak around her waist, keeping her upright.

Arthur sat up and rested his chin on Sandy's shoulder. She relaxed into his touch.

"Sandy?" Arthur whispered.

"Yeah?" Sandy whispered back.

"Can I touch you?" Arthur asked, griping onto Sandy's waist.

Her eyes widened. "Touch me where?" Sandy questioned, putting her hands on Arthur's chest.

"Everywhere." Arthur said, softly putting his lips on her neck. Sandy gasped, nodding at his request.

Water spilled out the bathtub as Sandy grinded onto Arthur. He tilted his head back into the bathtub and moaned. He kissed Sandy's neck, feeling himself inside her. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, biting her bruised lip.

"Artie." She whispered, moaning.

Arthur went in deeper, keeping a grip on her thighs. Sandy tugged on his hair, warranting a moan from Arthur.

Arthur came before Sandy, yet staying inside her. Once Sandy came to her close, she fell on top of Arthur, laying on her chest.

[gwoongi]

𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝖺𝗌𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗎𝗌 ✰ taehyung (8)

𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝖺𝗌𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗎𝗌 kim taehyung / reader genre: zombie apocalypse au words: 6106

“No matter what,” by now, Taehyung was close to tears, choking on his own words, “you keep finding something to fight for. I have nothing else to lose- you’re the only thing keeping me on this Earth right now, Y/N. You’re the only thing I have left.”

a/n: spot the merlot murders easter egg :D

warnings: dirty sex, hyper realistic sex, body hair, impreg kink, face riding, the L word, violence, death, gore, graphic imagery, unprotected sex, its a zombie apocalypse ok its ok to be dirty

01. denver ↝ 02. holiday with me ↝ 03. sad forever ↝ 04. surely ↝ 05. scorpion ↝ 06. shakespeare ↝ 07. thrones ↝ 08. moon motel ↝ 09. zombies

Namjoon remembers the day that the news came to California, that the outbreak had gotten worse. Like most, he knew of the war; he knew of Jongun’s scheme to betray South Korea after an alliance that turned to shambles, and he was no fool to the media that went against all laws to stream illegal footage of nuclear sites in Russia, in America, in England, in countries that nobody knew were developing nuclear weapons. After the first North Korean bomb hit in America, and after Namjoon had urgently booked a flight to visit Kyungmin at UCLA, he didn’t think it could get much worse.

Like most idiots who didn’t take the urgent evacuation broadcasts seriously, Namjoon realised how dangerous it was to be in the cities when the military opened up the quarantine zone in the northern section of LA. Small explosives went off, bursting holes through the concrete walls, allowing a tide of infected zombies to surge into the streets.

Namjoon and Kyungmin had been on campus at that time, hauled up in a Lecture Hall used for business majors. It had been just them, with a couple other students who couldn’t afford to make it out in time, with the lights out and the food from the cafeteria in blankets, the whiteboard playing the news right up until the stations shut down to conserve power. The explosions rippled the Earth, shaking the entire Lecture Hall to the point where Kyungmin woke up, rubbing her eyes and searching the hall for her brother. Namjoon and another exchange student called Xell, from Japan, pushed up to the ashy windows and peered outside, seeing the chimney of smoke across the city. Xell muttered something in Japanese, calling out to another group on the front row.

“Okay, Kyungmin, time to go,” Namjoon breathlessly said, stuffing a pistol into her hand. She recoiled for a moment, a strangled noise of surprise slipping out of her mouth, “Okay, honey, you know how to use this, right?”

“Are you serious? Of course I don’t!”

Namjoon brushed it off. “Alright, it’s a semi-auto. You know what that means? Means you gotta load a round into the chamber before shooting. Face it downwards, yeah, pull back the slide, then release it.”

Kyungmin hands shook as he spoke. “Joonie, please-”

“We need to fucking get out of here as fast as we can,” Namjoon continued. Whenever Namjoon got nervous, he had a habit of swearing when it was unnecessary. Over the years, Kyungmin had just learnt to get used to it, especially since everybody in her family besides herself had the exact same habit. Maybe she was adopted, she thought briefly, before being pulled back in by Namjoon’s words. “Okay, yeah, okay? Stay close to me, do not let go of my belt, okay, honey? I know, this is scary, and I’m not making sense, but trust me, something bad is going to happen and we can’t be here when it happens. You get me?”

Kyungmin looked towards the front of the hall, “and what about the others?”

“I can’t save them all, Min.”

“But we might be able to,” she reasoned, tugging at his hand. “Please, Joonie.”

Namjoon hesitated, as if he considered it. And then, outside the window, a series of howls and growls rang through the vents and he shook his head, a look of agitation spreading across his face. “No. Kyungmin, I’m sorry, I love you, but we can’t, I gotta keep you safe, okay baby? Yeah?”

“Everybody makes tough calls, I get that, but we can save them,” Kyungmin ranted, confused and scared, emotional, empathetic. “They’re my friends, Namjoon, I can’t just leave them-”

“We are gonna die if we stay here, Kyungmin!”

Namjoon never raised his voice. In response, his sister froze, the gun halting in shivers.

“And I am not being held accountable for your death,” he continued, shaking his head with every word, his hands smoothing back her hair that was by now, greasy and thick. “Please, Kyungmin. Please.”

Namjoon doesn’t remember the entire scenario, but he remembers escaping the hall moments before the windows fell through, splintering the students left inside, and bodies with peeling skin and bloody blisters became crawling through the open spaces, their teeth rotten and sharp, fingernails like talons.

UCLA was worse; smoke engulfed the outdoor campus, with dust in the air and debris on the pavement, a bike upside down with blood and an arm poking out from underneath a fallen side of the building. The wheel moved in the wind. This had happened recently.

Taking hostage of a black Peugeot, Namjoon and Kyungmin barely escaped the embrace of death, driving crazily through the scenes of that end-of-the-world movie, where buildings collapsed and fires spread in each apartment, bodies falling like leaves from a tree to the concrete with sickening thuds and explosive red bursts. In the sky, Kyungmin could see the distinct colours of a military helicopter, the side doors open, a zombie hanging from the legs, and another being tossed out of the side and down onto the floor. It landed with a human thud straight ahead in the road, and three seconds later, pulled itself up to a standing position and stared at the front window of the stolen Peugeot.

People were running, screaming, covered in flames or blood or dirty hands and rotten mouths, crashes and bangs and explosions bursting Kyungmin’s eardrums as she flinched, watching a nearby gas station burst into ember. At this point, she didn’t know if the screams were human or not.

“What the fuck is this?” Kyungmin asked frantically, cradling her ears as blood dripped from her left eardrum. “This is seriously some sort of fucked up Train to Busan shit.”

“It’s the fucking military,” Namjoon cursed, veering to the right sharply to avoid a mother cradling a baby. He stepped on the breaks just as sharp, looking back to the mother and shouting for Kyungmin to open the back door. As she turned to do so, the mother fell with a breath of wheezy air to the floor, stains of red jumping to the window. Namjoon blinked, and hit the gas.

The military had betrayed them- they weren’t protecting them at all. No, no, no; the military were setting them up. They were letting the issue get too wild, and then they released it to the public, letting innocent people die, throwing bombs onto the cities. On the radio that seemed to still be in signal, Namjoon realised California was a hell of a lot safer than the likes of Houston, which apparently, “just saw thousands of casualties after a Napalm bomb, the same model used in Vietnam in the 60’s and 70’s.” Yeah, Namjoon was fucking lucky that he was in California, although, things seemed to be just as bad here as it would be anywhere.

It felt like a scene from the movie 2012, where the Earth opened up and underground trains fell and crashed into giant ravines pulled out of nothing, and multi storey car-parks gave way and cars drove themselves off cliffs. Only, it was much more preserved, with the same amount of panic, and with every dead person jumping back up sixteen seconds later to complete the cycle. As he drove, further towards the trees, all he could see was fire, burning everything and everyone, the wildlife jumping from the burning safety of their homes covered in flames, the baby deer running ahead as their mother rolled over, putting out the flames, following her family further into the city where Kyungmin saw, through the mirror, that the zombies avoided them.

For some reason, Namjoon thought of all this when Taehyung pulled up at a motel in a secular part of the journey-to-wherever-, located in a circle of dead trees, the moon logo no longer working. The Moon Motel, in all its glory. Namjoon hopped out of the van when it stopped rolling, feeling unusually weird. Maybe it was the memory of California. Maybe it was the fact that nothing he wanted to happen was happening. Or, maybe it was simply because he was starving, and tired, and disgustingly dirty.

“Hey, I’ve read about this place.”

Hoisting his backpack higher up over his shoulder, Taehyung moved to look at Kyungmin as she jumped out of the back of the van, drawing closer to the motel, “Yeah?”

“Mm. A journalist said that it used to be in a chain of motels, spaced across the globe,” she continued, following Taehyung towards the building with her hands in her back pockets. “Apparently, some rich fancy poly couple owned it after the previous owners died.”

“Oh. That’s sad.”

“Yeah, the article said that the poly couple, the new owners, were vampires.” She laughed gently, tossing her jaw upwards to inhale the oily smell in the air. “Imagine that.”

Taehyung was about to make a comment about how vampires weren’t real, but then he remembered that he lived in a world where dead people came back to life to eat everybody. Suddenly, the idea of vampires didn’t seem so impossible after-all.

And like everywhere else in the apocalypse, the Moon Motel had seen better days. The front door was busted, mostly covered in mossy mould and turning yellow around the handle. The interior was mostly stable, smelling stale and wet, with the golden couches and a brown suede suite that Namjoon sat down on with a hefty sigh, thankful to sit somewhere that wasn’t the van.

“I doubt there’s much here,” he said tiredly, waving in the direction of the kitchens. “I take it rooms are somewhere out back.” He yawned, “knock yourselves out…”

Kyungmin hummed quietly, finally overcoming the car sickness. “One of us should keep watch. I noticed a ladder to the roof. I’ll stay up there for a few hours ‘til one of you’s comes up to switch. That okay?”

“Yeah, sure thing,” Taehyung nodded. Before leaving for the back bedrooms, Taehyung called Kyungmin’s name and tossed her a revolver, the bullets clinking as she caught it in her hands. “Just in-case,” he added with a friendly smile, and she nodded, dipping her head to look at her feet as she hurried past the two of you. She shut the door firmly behind her. Namjoon lay, passed out, on the brown couch and Taehyung threw you a look over his shoulder, nodding in the direction of the rooms. “Sleepover?”

The bedrooms were in a satisfactory condition. Although not as chic or glam as they could have been before the world began to end, it looked expensive, with golden interior and a chandelier with no accessories, and burnt candles with wax leaking down off the shelf, like icicles. The bed, an egg shape on top of a platform that crumbled, lay untouched, the sheets still messy as if someone had only just clambered out of them.

“This is nice,” Taehyung commented off-handedly, dumping his bag by the door. “Never been to fancy places like this before.”

You shook your head, “Me neither. I could never afford to leave Denver.”

“Oh, yeah?” he asked. Despite being distracted by checking the room was secure, his tone was laced with sincerity, with interest, a genuine interest nobody had ever really shown you before. “How come?”

“Family trouble,” you replied truthfully. “Kind of a long story.”

“We’ve got time,” he assured.

“Not now,” you answered, shrugging off Taehyung’s jacket, setting it on top of the vanity with a quick inhale. The room smelt used, with the faint aroma of nicotine and a vanilla perfume, the wet smell of armpits. Taehyung shrugged in reply, not really in any position to demand a backstory.

A few moments later, after you sat down on top of surprisingly intact silk bed sheets, Taehyung poked his head out of the bathroom with a smile- “hey, the loo works in here!”

“Woah,” you replied. “Really?”

“Yeah!” Taehyung confirmed. He laughed, finding it funny that he was sharing an excitement with someone over the primitive use of a toilet. “Maybe now I can take a shit without feeling like people are watching me.”

Laughing, you watched as Taehyung stepped across the room, joining you on the egg bed. “Truthfully, how long’s it been since you actually took a shit?”

“I don’t even know,” he muttered. He moved to lay back on the sheets, his arm that had slung around your waist bringing you down to join him, like two little sardines in a tin. “This feels so good.”

You hummed in reply, curling to stuff your face in the crook of his armpit.

You lay like that for a while, feeling so utterly safe and relaxed and calm and quiet, until Taehyung wriggled on the bed and sat upright, a frown tugging on his lips.

Glancing at him, you rolled over onto your back. “Everything okay?”

He inhaled a breath. “Y/N, I was so afraid of losing you today.”

Oh. You hadn’t been expecting that, at all. Pushing yourself up onto your elbows, you stared at Taehyung with a confused expression. “Huh? Where’s this coming from?”

“It’s been on my mind for ages, and I said so in the barn that I didn’t wanna lose you, I said it in the trailer park, and I’m saying it again now- no, don’t interrupt, please, just let me get it all out.” He sighed, continuing: “Y/N, I think the world of you. I just feel so protective of you and there’s this weird thing in my head that makes me act funny whenever something revolves around you. It’s not fucking love- no, it’s not love, but, it hurts. Thinking about losing you fucking hurts my head. And, that- that thing today, the thing we saw, that’s what I’m afraid of. Not afraid of walkers coming for us, no, you’re strong, you can take them. But, God, I’m so afraid of someone hurting you, someone intelligent with a gun that doesn’t miss a target, from someone who is aware that they’re causing pain. Y/N, I don’t even know what I’m saying or why I’m saying it but I adore you so much. Sometimes, I forget there was even a time where it wasn’t just me and you. You know what? Fuck- it might be love. How long has it been? You don’t have to know someone ages to love them.”

“Taehyung, I-”

“And,” he rasped, his hands quivering. He didn’t even feel you reach to hold them, “today was so scary because I didn’t want to lose you or anybody else in the van and I need to get this off my chest because it’s killing me and every day we face a new threat and danger, and fuck, if I die tomorrow, I don’t wanna die knowing I never told you that I cared about you. God, I’m so thankful to be here with you right now. I don’t have anything else left.”

“Hey, Tae, please-”

“No matter what,” by now, Taehyung was close to tears, choking on his own words, “you keep finding something to fight for. I have nothing else to lose- you’re the only thing keeping me on this Earth right now, Y/N. You’re the only thing I have left. With you, I feel invincible. Y/N- I love you so much, you know that?” He paused, sniffing, cradling your face with his hands. Taehyung lifted it up to meet his gaze, his thumb brushing away a tear that hung down your face, “Yeah? You know that, right baby?”

He felt a nod against his hands, “Mm. I know.”

“You mean the world to me,” Taehyung whispered. He couldn’t fucking see- God, he was crying, like a little baby, choking on his own salty tears. “‘m gonna fight to get you somewhere safe, okay? I swear, baby, I’ll kill every damned biter on this Earth, just as long as you’re safe.”

Taehyung had moved significantly closer to you throughout his talking, his knees touching your own, the hotness of his breath on your cheek. He visibly jerked when you laughed quietly, your mouth against the palm of his hand. A gentle kiss, and then, “you said biter instead of walker.”

He laughed, too. “Hey, I just...I just said all of that, and that’s what you have to say?”

You joined in his laughter, the sound filling the room like a vinyl. Taehyung then bundled you in his arms, collecting you, picking you up off the sheets and onto his thighs, his nose brushing against your own. He felt his eyes go cross eyed, taking in all of your features up-close for one of the first times ever. He’d never noticed the small mole in your cupid's bow, or the little cut that over time had scarred into a fossil white, just below your left eye. Oh, how much he loved the little things, the flaws that would have once made a difference in an Instagram following, flaws that would have defined you, that do now but in a completely different way. He held in a breath, without realising, questioning how he went so long without saying something, without having a moment of realisation that you are his everything.

As a silence fell across the room, Taehyung smoothed his hands up your arms, exploring the skin, until they came to cup your head, as if it were a delicate doll that required careful handling. Like an open book, you read his face, noticing how his eyes appeared softer, a quirk in the corner of his lips bringing his mouth upwards to a smile, his eyes unusually glassy. He stroked your hair gently, his bottom lip curling upwards and then, it became apparent that he was trying not to cry.

Taehyung brought your face closer, his nose nudging against yours, his eyes closed and eyelids stuck together with tears. He opened his mouth, as if debating to speak, but stopped, opening his eyes to stare at the way you bashfully shrank in his hands. He moved closer, his lips brushing against yours, and his brows knitted together when you moved away, your fingers curling around his wrists with a childish whine that he apparently liked.

“What?” he murmured quietly. His eyes glanced upwards: “Ah, shit. Is this too much-? I can stop, we can stop, I’m sorry, ‘m sorry-”

“No, it’s just-” you began, cutting off with a tight laughter. Taehyung retracted, staring at you with an uncomfortably anxious expression.

“I,” he started, shaking his head gently, “I thought we were on the same page.”

All at once, you tightly held onto his hands with a firm shake of your head. “We are, Tae, it’s just- fuck. I’m ugly. And my skin is dirty and my hair is greasy and God knows what my legs and armpits look like right now. I look so...conventionally unattractive.” You scoffed, “Everything I hated about myself before all this started is back and I just- I don’t know how you can like me.”

As expected, Taehyung didn’t say anything for a few moments. He sat, silently, staring at your face, and you watched his eyes flit from various spaces. From your eyes, to the middle of your brows, to the dirt on your cheek, to your sunken cheekbones, to the acne scarring that had faded over time on the apple of your right cheek, the On Its Way Out pimple on your chin and the chapped skin of your lips. For a moment, you thought he might not answer at all, that he might sit up and back away, sleeping in the room next door. Or worse, he could laugh, criticise each flaw that made you feel ugly, revert back to the old norm of society where body hair was seen as illegal on women, and acne was gross and dry skin was dirty and a tiny bit of monobrow hair was unlady-like.

Taehyung’s mouth made a noise, the noise of lifting your tongue up and down, the sound of chewing a banana until it was mush. “But, baby...it’s natural.”

He laughed gently, “Everything about you is natural. D’you think I expect to find a Brazilian wax down there? Babe, we’re in the middle of a fucking zombie apocalypse. I don’t care about any of that, none of that even matters anymore. Neither of us have washed our hair in like, well, forever, you think I care about it?” Taehyung reheld your head, “You hear me, yeah? I love you.”

There was no necessary reply; with a mutter of, “I love you so much”, Taehyung didn’t think he really needed anything more. 

He wasted no time in bringing your face towards his, his fingers on your chin and jaw, guiding you closer, wrapping you snug to his torso as if skin to skin wasn’t close enough. Each kiss was different, more passionate and wild and sensual and everything in between, his hands palming at your skin, pawing your lower body like an impatient kitten wanting milk.

“Have you done this before?” he muttered, his arms around you as you shakily brought your trousers down your thighs. With one arm, he held your waist and with the other, he wrapped it around to help you wriggle out of your clothes, bunching them up in his fist and tossing them away from the bed.

“Yes,” you replied in an equally soft tone, speaking through pouty lips. “Many times.”

Taehyung made a noise of approval. “Oh? This makes things more interesting.”

“It does?” you asked, shifting in his lap. He groaned quietly, his hands jumping to your middle. “You say it as if you’ve never done this before.”

He shrugged slightly. “Was a long time ago. With someone I didn’t really like that much.” A hand on his crotch. “Fuck- was a one time thing. Haven’t done it since.”

“Oh? This makes things very interesting, indeed.”

“Now you’re just mocking me.”

He smiled when you let out a giggle. “Smart boy.”

Taehyung hummed, a sort of reply, and wrapped his hands back around the back of your head, his fingers pulling you forward to meet his lips in a hard kiss. The force was sharp, splitting your lip on the inside, but the pain was pleasure.

It was clearly apparent that he knew what he was doing- his grip was experienced, and it left you breathless. Taehyung- at some point- lifted himself up to shimmy free from his jeans. The bulge in his pants did not go unnoticed, and neither did the breathless moan that left your lips when his erection sprang free, a salute like a soldier.

Taehyung hissed in a breath at the feeling of your hand wrapping around his stiffness, his eyes closing. On top, you muttered something he missed entirely, too focused on the feeling of your palm cupping his dick and balls. He felt like he couldn’t breathe, the words stuck in a clump in the middle of his throat, his fingers quivering like thighs after an orgasm. He moved, slightly. You moved too, with him, to squat over his thighs.

“Na-need lube,” he sighed shakily, his hands nonetheless prodding at your inner thighs. He hooked a finger underneath your underwear, his fingers basically already touching your genitals. “These gotta come off too.”

“You think I’m just carrying round lube with me?” you replied with a frown. Moving off his thighs, you shimmied further down, your face downcast. “I’ll just spit.”

“‘snot enough.”

“It’ll have to do.”

Grunt. “You got a condom?”

“No, but I’ve got faith in the fact you’ll pull out.”

“Pulling out’s not protection.”

You sighed with exasperation. “Well, let’s hope for the best. It’s this or nothing, babe.”

Babe. He writhed. “Whatever. I’m ready to be a Dad.”

With his help, and by help, it meant Taehyung didn’t remove his hooked finger as you pulled down your panties. At the sight of Taehyung now somewhat level with your pussy, you felt self-conscious. Insecure and ugly. After a dragged out moment of simply staring, he softly cursed, a gentle, “fuck”, and he curiously curled a finger between your folds, mindful of the tame hair, unbothered.

“Yeah, well,” you groaned, head back between your shoulder-blades, “if we’re still knocking around by the time this is all over, I’ll let you be the Dad of my kids.”

“Mm, yeah?” Taehyung hummed, oddly vacant. His eyes were glazed, lost looking. “Yeah, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? Me filling you up? Putting a kid in you?”

“Mhmpf!”

“Imagine our kids,” he huffed, three fingers up there. You whined as two scissored. “God, I want you. Wanna fill you up with my cum, put a baby in you. I want a life with you.”

“What? Like we aren’t having a life right now?”

He removed his fingers, a coating of juice and white covering his fingers, drooling like wax on a candle. “Nah, this ain’t life. We’re living, sure, but this ain’t a life. ‘M gonna get you out, I promise. Gonna go somewhere safe.”

He doesn’t say anything else after that, except the occasional fuck or shit, or intake of breath. Taehyung thought to himself, with the nape of his neck resting on the low headboard of the premium suite bed, watching you settle over his crotch with a look of need, want, and love, that if this were happening three years ago, he’d have taken his time. He would have gone to lengths to take you on dates, to visit the bowling alley that his friend Nate back at Uni worked at part-time, or to the diner owned by a chain that started in Chicago. For sure, he would have prepared lube and condoms, and flowers in a glass rose, twenty candles or something, rose petals in the bathtub for after, meringue in the freezer and Ultraviolence on the vinyl.

But now, in a world where losing someone has the same probability of seeing someone on the street outside your house, Taehyung couldn’t care less about taking his time. This time tomorrow, he could be dead. He won’t be, but he could be.

That’s what he told himself as he watched you take his cock with one hand, too small for his girth, and groaned with his fist wrapped around your hair as your mouth wrapped around his length. He told himself again when you settled down on his middle, sitting on his cock, one hand on his tummy and the other back on his thigh, the cowgirl on a horse, facing him instead of away. And again when he straightened up off the headboard, wrapping his arms around your body, one hand on your lower back and the other running along your wrist raised in the air like silk on skin, and again when you rolled forward in a wave to kiss him, to kiss him like you’d never kissed anybody before.

And God, it was some kiss. It was the kind of kiss a lover gave to their other half when they came back from the army, the kind of kiss where you’re physically afraid of moving away in-case they disappear. Taehyung had never, ever felt so loved, so wanted, so content with somebody in his entire life, and there was a margin of possibility that this could be the last time he ever kissed somebody, or held somebody. In any case, it was the first and last time he’d ever tell someone he loved them.

For some reason, he laughed as you sank down on him, a breathy giggle against the curve of your neck. You rested your hands on his shoulders, stabling yourself, and you peered down at him with a smile: “Enjoying yourself?”

He nodded with a small laugh. “Fuck yeah. Wish I had my phone, would have recorded this so I could watch it over again.”

“You’re into that?”

“I can be.”

“Dirty boy,” you said.

Taehyung lifted his hips to meet your thrusting, a shaky whimper making him grin. “I don’t wanna forget this moment.”

“Who says you’ll forget?”

He groaned at that. You moved faster, sinking up and down, skin sweaty and shining, your hips rocking forward and a shy hand between your breasts.

It’s nothing special, if Taehyung compared it to stuff before the outbreak. He’s a lad- he’s watched porn, he knew how things went if you had enough time, and lights, and patience. But, to Taehyung, this was bliss. Having a moment of intimacy with you was something his heart swelled with joy at, and his hold around your body tightened with every tight thrust, every slowing rise and fall, right up until the pivotal moment of release. Taehyung moaned, louder than ever, his mouth hanging open and lids half-closed, watching you through his thick eyelashes as you significantly slowed down.

“Cah-can’t hold it, Tae,” you said quietly, your voice close to a whisper if anything.

He gently took your forearm, sending an encouraging squeeze. “It’s okay, baby. ‘s okay.”

You whimpered softly, the high-pitched wheeze sending blood rushing to Taehyung’s dick, twitching inside you, begging for release. Impatient, Taehyung moved his hands to your lower body, one on your hip, the other underneath your ass, helping you deliver deep bounces until the gates opened; when you came, you saw white. You could see the white walls of a square room, everything white and pastel yellow, the figure of a man stepping towards you with a suit and tie, the man being Taehyung, his hair longer than it is now, shiny, plastic, fake, not real, a dream, not real- when you came, the weird, offhand smell of lemonade filled your nose as a dribble of creamy white ran down the vein of Taehyung’s cock.

Your arms gave way, weakened after your hard work, and Taehyung lifted you up off his dick to simply hover above him with thighs on either side of his hips. Once he removed himself with a slick sound, he let out a large exhale of breath, the tone gravelly and animalistic in some sense. Resting your hands on his shoulders, although they moved in jitters across his body, from his collarbones to his neck to the tuft of hair sticking up on his head, you gently eased yourself down, running the wetness back along the tip of his dick, your eyes widening when he groaned loudly; one hand cupping his balls and the other on your hip with his arm wrapped underneath your ass, Taehyung let out a gruff, “fuck”, and let go, cum splashing up onto your cunt, dripping like a leak in the roof, spread like cake frosting.

Reluctantly, Taehyung let his arm slip, giving way and letting you drop onto his thighs with a tired thud. He stared, dazed, bringing his fingers to join at your hair, pulling away the knots. After all that, you couldn’t help but feel embarrassed, shyly moving out of his eye to hide your body, a slight dusting of rose on your cheekbones. Taehyung whined softly, his hand wrapping around your wrist- “Hey, are you alright?”

“Mm,” you replied quietly, looking to him with an admiring gaze. He paused, pleased. Dropping your gaze to your bare cunt, Taehyung’s gaze followed, a smile pulling at his lips. In fact, his brow even quirked with satisfaction, exactly like planned. “Just gotta clean this up.”

“I could help,” he offered. Implying that he would get on his knees and lick the mess away, of course. You flushed.

“Taehyung, I dunno, that sounds kind of-” you began, but, catching sight of the way his face widened at the thought, his eyes glued to the stickiness of your vagina, his fingers tapping erratically on the sides of your thighs.

“Just like a bath, only rougher.”

“I don’t think that’s entirely accurate,” you breathed, practically burning with mortification when Taehyung shuffled down the bed to lay down on his shoulder-blades, his elbows propping him up almost expectantly, like a dog waiting for dinner. Curving your brow, you simply watched him, curious.

“What, you worried about the taste?” he asked bluntly, smiling as an afterthought. “The smell?”

“Yes, and yes,” you admitted, stroking his V-line with one finger, a feathery touch that made him shudder. “I mean...the hair…”

He groaned in amusement, his head falling backwards. “Y/N,” he exclaimed, his mouth widening to reveal the same set of weirdly white teeth. “Most males have hair and women still go down on them. D’ythink it’ll be different for me to do it? Honestly,” he huffed dramatically, taking your hand whilst supporting his body with a single elbow, “I’m not picky like that. I’m seriously the best person you could have sex with, really.”

“...Lucky me,” you sighed, after a breath of thought. His eyes flashed open wide for a split second, content with that answer.

Taehyung smirked through a chuckle, one produced by the tension in his throat, and tapped his chin with his finger, coated in dried cum, his tongue wetting his lips in anticipation, “sit.”

(And sit, you did.)

“No matter what, you keep finding something to fight for.”

As if it had just been touched by the demon underneath the bed, you pulled your leg back underneath the sheets of the motel bed, wrapping it around Taehyung’s legs, out in a starfish position.

You glanced up at him. “Hm?”

His Adams bobbed up and down, as if it was suddenly hard to swallow. “Joel Miller said that. The Last of Us, 2014, Naughty Dog. A story of a man who got loaded with a 14 year old, smuggling her across America to become the cure to humankind. He said that to her, at the end of the game.”

“Oh, yeah?” you muttered, face smushed against his breast. “It’s a nice thing to say.”

He made a noise of agreement, but it fell short. “Yeah, but wanna know the context? He got selfish. At the start of the game, he loses a daughter, probably the same age as Ellie when he finds her.”

“Who’s Ellie again?”

“The girl.”

“Oh, right.”

“Ellie is immune to the zombie apocalypse- I mean, how fucking fortunate? She’s being taken to this gang of scientists to become the cure, but he kills them all when they try and kill her to take brain samples, or something. Anyway, he takes her back to his brother’s little camp in the woods, and just before the game ends, he tells her that. He looked at her, said to her face, “No matter what, you keep finding something to fight for.” She made him swear to it.”

You hummed with interest, propping your chin underneath his nipple to stare up at him, enthralled by the shadows cast on his face from the angle. “You like that quote?”

“It applies,” he explained, moving his hair from his forehead. “Back in New York...ah-” he inhaled a breath. New York brought back a flood of memories, that was obvious. It seemed as if talking about it was difficult, and you rested a hand on his bicep with a meek smile, “you don’t have to say it, baby.”

“No, no,” he continued, not rudely. “I want to. Look...I lost my sister. For all I know, she’s dead. I mean, I hope she’s not, but when we got separated in New York...man, I lost it. My body went into a shutdown, I searched New York with a baseball bat with nails, some stolen gun I didn’t know how to use properly. My mate, Bogum, was with me for a bit, before he left with his friends to go somewhere better. As if there’s anywhere better. My sister was everything I had in America, and losing her like that...I just, shut down. My body couldn’t cope.

“Point is, is that I don’t wanna lose anybody again. I don’t want to lose you like I lost her, Y/N,” he rasped, his chest filled with something tight. It felt like he was breathing poison. He repeated the quote, lost in the words, his eyes closed gently.

You sat up completely, looking down at him with a washed over expression. His lips pulled back to a frownish smile, his fingers reaching to loop a strand of hair behind your ear. “Should cut your hair.”

“That’s enough video game references from you tonight, Tae,” you laughed breathily, pulling your hair back to fall down your back. “But, yes. I agree. Help me cut it tomorrow?”

He nodded against the pillows, bringing you down to join a kiss, and then press your nose to the shell of his ear. “Course. I’d do anything for you.”

And it went without question.

[fangirlfanwritings]

Ms. Powers- Part 25

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5  Part 6  Part 7  Part 8  Part 9  Part 10

Part 11  Part 12  Part 13

Part 14   Part 15   Part 16   Part 17   Part 18   Part 19   Part 20   Part 21  Part 22   Part 23

Part 24

AN: Infinity war content; slight TW about babies

If you haven’t read the other chapters it can also act as a stand alone chapter

*About 2 years later*

You and Steve had gotten the call to action and you two found your lives once again put on hold for the greater good. Flying under the radar for nearly two years had brought you right back to saving the world. You looked at what played before you; alien creatures attacking Wanda and Vision, trying to take the stone from his head. Your smaller missions over the last two years had nothing on this.

You watched as Wanda tried to fend off the woman who attacked her. The train moved quickly out of the way and the woman saw Steve, throwing the glowing weapon towards him. He grabbed it with easy and the two of you stepped from the shadows. Sam took his chance and went for the woman.

Steve and Wanda went for the taller man while you rushed to Vision’s side. “Let’s get you out of here.”

“It’s good to see you again, Y/N,” his voice laced with pain. You lifted him up and carried him away from the aliens. You watched from a safe distance as the two were lifted up back into the sky.

The team walked back to you and Wanda ran to Vision’s side. “They beamed back up,” Sam told you.

“Should have killed him while you had the chance. Something tells me mercy isn’t going to be our friend.”

******

You looked around the building you were back in after all these years. Rhodey ended the hologram of the Secretary and smiled at you all. “It’s great to see you, Cap. Y/N,” he greeted and hugged you and Nat. Small talk about the rough couple years held conversation until the voice of an old friend entered the room.

“Hi, Bruce.”

“Nat,” he nodded.

“This is awkward,” Sam whispered and you smacked his shoulder.

******

You entered Wakanda and watched amazement come over the team. You stepped off the jet and hugged T’Challa. “Good to see you again.” You watched as Steve hugged Bucky with a large smile on his face.  

“Buck, I’ve got someone I want you to meet.” Steve looked back at you and you walked to his side. “This is my wife, Y/N.”

“So this is the Y/N I heard so much about last time.”

You hugged him and smiled. “I’ve heard so much about you, Bucky. It���s nice to finally meet you.”

“Woah, woah, wait,” Natasha put a hand up. “Did you say ‘wife?’”

You grinned and nodded. “We had a small ceremony with a couple of witnesses; didn’t feel like waiting any longer,” you looked up at your husband.

“Looks like we’ll have to throw a celebration after we defeat this enemy,” T’Challa spoke. “Come, let us talk inside.”

******

You floated into the air and watched from above as the monsters started spreading out around the Wakanda border. You spoke into the com. “They’re fanning out. If they break the barrier we’ll be surrounded and won’t stand a chance.”

“We need to open the barrier.” T’Challa gave the command for windows to be opened in the only defence you all had.

“Get ready,” you said to the team. “Sam and I will cover you guys from above.”

You heard the signal given and watched as the alien’s seeped in. You were off in an instant sending flaming balls, balls of energy, and anything else that could kill your enemies right at them. You saw a large cluster break through and willed the Earth to fold, crushing them in between the ground you rose up.

“Care to do that for all of them,” you heard Sam say.

“Only if you think our ground team could survive an Earthquake.”

“Fair point,” he quickly said before shooting out more enemies on the ground.

You continued your air strike and saw Bucky getting disarmed and thrown to the ground by a large dog like creature. As it began trying to claw at his face you flew down and kicked him off of the soldier. As he gained his senses back you watched as the creature turned around and sized you up. Running towards you, you quickly took your knife out and jumped onto the side of the creature’s neck when it was close, sending the knife into its head and spilling green blood from it. It went limp on the ground and you looked back at Bucky. “You good?”

He nodded slowly and looked at the creature’s body before looking back at you. “I like you.” You smiled just before another alien came from the side and took your out. You rolled with it and managed to fling it off, then sent a deadly electric shock into it.

The fighting continued and seemed like it would never end. You were relieved when Thor arrived, happy to see an old friend and to gain another up against the forces you fought against. You got word from Steve that Vision was in the field and that he had eyes on Thanos. You flew as quickly as you could and appeared in the woods in seconds.

You saw as Bruce was made into a hologram of himself and floated through Thanos, landing and getting trapped in a large rock. T’Challa jumped to attack but was grabbed by the throat and slammed on the ground. Rhodey shot all he had and was crushed while Bucky was knocked aside. The girls were brushed aside like they were nothing and you watched with horror as Steve slid under the giant and stood in between him and you. You watched as he landed blows and held back his hand until Thanos sent a punch that knocked him out. All that was left was you and Wanda.

“You have to do it,” you yelled to Wanda and took off running towards the purple titan. He went to punch you and you caught his hand in yours.

“You’re strong.”

You pushed him away and watched as he skidded back a few yards. You willed water from the nearest creek and had it wrapped around him, forcing it into his mouth and lungs. You watched as he moved his gloved hand and a purple glow shot towards you, breaking your hold. You felt like your breath had been knocked from you and tried to regain your control. This time you sent the earth around his legs, setting his legs in stone and working its way up as you forced the air out of his lungs.

You saw his eyes go wide as he tried to break free and clawed at his throat. Just as the stone was about to grab his gloved hand he managed to send the purple beam out and broke your hold again. “You want to act like a man and fight me fair and square?”

He raised his hand and you saw a red glow. “Not really.” The red came quickly at you and you lost consciousness.

You woke up and strained your eyes to see clearly. Your hearing was muffled but was coming back. “You should have gone for the head,” was the last thing you heard before the click of a snap echoed around you. You got yourself standing and looked at Steve, who was now up and holding his side. Thor stood looking at his axe from its spot on the ground.

“Where’d he go?” Steve looked around. “Thor, where’d he go?”

“Steve?” All eyes went to Bucky as he walked into the clearing. The solid form of Bucky turned into ash in the wind and fell to the forest ground leaving only his gun behind. Steve walked over and got down on his knees looking at what remained of his best friend. He looked to you with pain and suffering that you had never seen.

You looked back at Wanda and saw her turning into dust as she lay over Vision. Thunder erupted from above and you felt a flutter in your stomach. Something didn’t feel right. A moderate pain evolved in your gut and you looked to your husband. “Steve?” He saw fear in your eyes for the first time and stood up quickly.

“Y/N?” The strange feeling grew and you were on knees holding onto your stomach. “No, no.” He was by your side with his arms around you. “Look at me, Doll. You can’t leave me.”

The pain and feeling slowly went away and you looked at him. “I’m- I’m ok. It’s gone. The feeling is gone.” You looked at yourself not sure of what had happened. “I don’t understand.”

“We need to get you checked out and make sure nothing’s going on.” He went to move you but realization hit you and you grabbed him by the collar and held him still.

“Steve,” urgency laced your voice. You weren’t aware of your friends congregating around you. “FRIDAY, connect me to the safehouse.” Fear and worry wracked every fiber of your being as the phone rang and rang on speaker. Finally the small voice answered.

“Mommy? Daddy?” The eyes of all the Avenger’s grew in surprise at what they were hearing.

Tears poured from your eyes. “Hi baby,” relief washed over you. “Are you ok? Is Gracie ok?”

“Yes, Mommy.”

“Mommy, I’m scared,” you heard Grace call from the background. “Aunt Jenny disappeared.” You had left the girls with Jenny while you and Steve left for missions.

“I know sweetheart, I know.”

“Listen to me girls,” Steve spoke. “Stay inside and go to your room. Do not let anyone inside the house. Understand?”

“Yes,” they said and you could hear they were scared.

“I’m on my way. I will be there as quick as I can. We love you.” The girls muttered it back and you hung up.

“We have to go,” you went to get up but Steve stopped you.

“I will go. You need to stay here and get checked out after whatever just happened.”

“I need to go and see them, Steve. I need to see that they are ok.”

“And you will. I will go get them and bring them right back here.” The look he gave you told you you weren’t winning this battle either. He and Rhodey were on the quinjet while Natasha walked you back to the palace.

******

Darkness from the night shrouded the palace and amplified the somber mood that carried in the halls. Steve walked off the jet with two sleeping girls in his arms. Rhodey put their bags down in the room that was set up for them and Steve gently set them in their bed. When he stepped out into the hallway he saw Natasha leaving the room set up for you and him.

“How is she?”

“She’s ok. She’s resting. They ran some tests and found out what you saw out there.”

“And?”

“She was pregnant, Steve. Not too far along but the snap took the baby.”

“But she can’t have kids.”

“I know that, you know that, and she knows that. But it happened. She’s taking it as expected.” He nodded and thanked her before walking in the dark room and sitting on the side of the bed. Your tear stained cheeks were all he could see. He reached out and stroked your cheek. You opened your eyes and looked into his blue eyes.

“Stevie-”

“I know, Doll. I know.” Tears welled up quickly in your eyes again and you looked around for your babies.

“Where are they?” He told you and walked to the room next door. He picked the sleeping girls up and carried them back to your room. Your heart leapt when you saw both of them there. He handed you Gracie and you scooped her in your arms, holding her close.

Ellie and Steve joined you in bed and you extended your arm over your two little girls. Steve did the same and rested his hand on your cheek, rubbing the tears away. “We’re going to be ok, Y/N.”

[kiraawrites]

The Shed

A fiery youth blazes her way out of an underground prison for the weak, empowered by the suffering of her fellows and the death of her loving mother.

Word Count: 1486 (word limit was 1.5k)

Constructive criticism welcome!

“Kathryn Shaham. Birthdate: 07/12/2150. 7 Intelligence. 4 Strength. 15 Charisma. 4 Dexterity. Total: 30/100. Status: The Shed,” read her name card as she peered at it through the darkness that shrouded her.

Kathryn glanced around the humid tunnels that were covered by the smell of human sweat and filled by constant groans of discomfort. Stepping through the mountains of filth, she felt kicks in her abdomen and looked down at her swollen belly. Every strike was a sharp reminder of the life that would soon be released into the chaotic storm of the Shed, where one’s voice became lost in the murky tunnels. Kathryn furrowed her brows as she toyed with the possibility that the child would be satisfactory for life on the surface. 35 points. Is it really that hard? Her heart pounded at the suggestion of salvation, for the Shed was Elysium’s Purgatory.

The guards beside the gate to the surface would always say, “It’s for balance. Perfect distribution of social classes. Our society is a better place without the Unskilled.” They always explained with a clipped voice, making sure to never look them in the eye. The truth ached. The government felt that their life was not worth living. They were burdensome, like defiant children that did no chores. Kathryn fumed when told that she was privileged; privileged to be housed in a slum built on the shabby bricks of dishonest lies and violent anarchy. The Shed swallowed up whoever could not bring themselves to do one of the two things that would give them enough pennies for a plate of food. Its seedy undercurrents have ruthlessly drowned numerous souls that did not sell themselves or sell contraband. This harsh reality wrapped itself around Kathryn’s heart; a barbed wire sinking even deeper into her sore flesh every waking morning when the smuggled clock beside her tiny bed would scream with the same agony that spread around the Shed with the strength of a tsunami wave.

The act of selling one’s body to strangers was what brought about Laila’s existence. The baby wore a mop of brown curls and was glued to her mother. Her meaningless babbles gave meaning to Kathryn’s cavernous heart, filling it with the warmth of familial connection. Without a breath of hesitation, Kathryn swore that she would never commit these indecent acts again for Laila’s sake. Grabbing a handful of bronze coins, Kathryn built a stall in the not-so-discreet black market. She traded cigarettes which men bought so eagerly, each stick being a grasp at temporal happiness, numbing the emotional wounds that have tormented them over the years.

8 years sped by at an alarming rate in their mundane lives. Kathryn was 26 and had built a following, her charismatic skill playing greatly to her advantage. The family of two had aged like fine wine, working in tandem to scavenge for success where, to the untrained eye, there was none. Among the regulars, Laila could easily recall one of them. He had a tall and well-built figure and worked as a hitman. Recognising Kathryn from her past work, he would attempt to wrap her around his little finger with the desperation of a puppy begging for treats. Alas, she knew better than to be a trusting fool.

He had been pursuing her for 6 weeks when one evening, he trudged to her stall with a wine-red face and a bottle of it in hand.

“Come with me, my dear. You will not have to wallow in this miserable market any longer.”

It was true, for hitmen topped a society ruled by spilt blood. Kathryn shook her head and pushed him away. His eyes shone bitterly and he raised the bottle over his head. He swung it down. Again, and again. Her screams echoing each blow as blood poured from her nose. When she dropped to the ground, forever silenced, Laila ran. She flew through the crowds to the house of the elder that took care of her living area. Shaking him out of his nap, an endless torrent of words and tears poured from her face.

Gin, calling a man who wanted child entertainers for his business, stopped mid-shout when Laila spat out, “B-but I can sell! Mother taught me. We had the cigarette stall.”

His eyes softened. He did have a necessities store that needed tending. Behind the cashier counter, Laila matured into a teenager with the charm of her mother and fiery ambition fuelled by a calling to rewrite fate. Gin showered her with his wisdom, teaching her how to fight anyone with both punches and prose.

On her 20th birthday, she banded together a resistance using Gin’s connections to every part of the Shed. Their mission was to end this systematic oppression and prove to the world that the Unskilled were not merely bumbling proletarian fools trapped in a dungeon, satisfied by their meagre possessions and empty future. In their early days, they would charge against the gate and fail. The guards were too many and too strong. Lives were lost. Soon, Laila began to hear giggling whispers wherever she walked.

If one gate closes, another one must open. On her way to the store, she looked up at the roof. Eureka! In a matter of hours, her men were armed with metal spades, ladders and tons of rope. Having chosen a place where guards did not usually tread, they started their work with passionate hearts. Heave-ho! Heave-ho! Layers of sweat built upon their foreheads as they peeled off the soil’s layers. Freedom was literally at their fingertips, as they broke through a grassy patch and daylight’s glory was unleashed, dousing the tunnel floors with a blessed yellow glow. Jubilant cries leapt from the mouths of the men that had been dreaming of this since they were a wee baby, crying in the dark tunnels; a house they rejected from being their home. The elders, with the recollection of living on the surface as young toddlers, felt a stabbing pain. They remembered being taken away as blossoming children, thousands of futures stolen by an idealistic government that wanted to polish its people to perfection.

Waves of people erupted from the small hole in the ground, their sweat clinging to the air like the scent of revolution. However, the positive energy that emanated turned rancid at a twitch of the clock’s second hand. It started with a surface dweller (or “normal” human) whipping out a pistol and firing at the wall of dirty flesh. He curled his lips at the beasts before him, clad in holed-out rags and smelling like a living garbage dump. Restless howls echoed through the city, waking every soul on that Sunday morning.

Laila wove her way through the fallen bodies and pounced on the gun’s owner. With a tiger’s growl, she threw his weapon to the road that was soaked in blood, a canvas of a thousand shades of red. An armour-clad squadron encircled her, their arms tensed and ready to fire. A rabbit in the middle of a wolf pack, she had been drained of all rationality. She shivered and gaped like a fish until she heard Gin’s cry.

“Retreat!”

Submission. Defeat. A raging forest fire started in Laila, wanting to burn these unspeakable outcomes to the ground.

“Take me to your leader,” she growled, glaring daggers at the squadron.

“I’m already here. Turn around.”

————————————————————————

“You do realise that our economy will drop drastica-”

“What economy? More than a quarter of your people are stagnating underground. You talk about economic productivity while leaving us to rot.”

“In Elysium, we value the best of the best. There is no sub-par item, person or activity being carried out in this nation. Your presence is akin to a faecal stain on the Mona Lisa.”

“The very foundation of your nation is subpar! The surface broke with a measly few spades.”

Their chests were heaving in the President’s office. He motioned for his secretary and whispered into his ears. The secretary then pulled a long black box from the top of a shelf and handed it to him.

“We’ll sign this deal.”

Laila’s heart leapt from her chest at the sight of the pen that would ink their freedom. She bit her lip, her breath stopping in her throat. This was her life’s pinnacle. The sweet ambrosia she had been chasing for so many years.

“But you are… Another matter altogether.”

He grabbed the box’s insides and pulled out a slender gun. She choked on her own anguished surprise, shooting a hand out to grab it.

“A danger to society.”

He fired. The bullet flew past her hand and dived straight into her gaping mouth, piercing the soft tissue folds of her throat. Her eyes rolled back and her body thudded on the floor.

“Secretary, decorate the gas chamber like the wedding of a beloved child. We’ll have a sweet party in there.”

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