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rafivadafreddy · 4 years ago

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Pretty Little Psycho.

A Nevada Ramirez and Nettie Perez Story. Part Four.

Part One - Part Two - Part Three Masterlist

Summery: Nettie worries while being stuck in the hospital, and for good reason. Word Count: 1,390 Warnings: violence, cursing, panic attack. POV jumps.

Nevada:

As he watched the girl lay there on the bed in front of him, Nevada couldn’t help but felt a pang in his chest. Nettie had come close to losing her life, why? Because she was seen with him, because his enemies were trying to hurt him? Wouldn’t be the first time this happened.

“mierda(shit)…” he mumbled and stood up. Running a hand through his hair, Nevada looked at Miguel. “I need you to stay around and keep an eye on her. OK?” he told the guy who nodded.

“OK but… jefe(boss), what if someone tries to stop by?” Miguel asked, obviously curious and oblivious at the same time.

“mira aquí(look here) the only people who should show up here are Camila and Dalvin from the café shop. Her family is dead from the information that was pulled up. So. No one comes in here unless it’s the fucking nurse and doctor! ¿Lo entiendes?(you understand?)” he spat at the man in front of him who nodded and kept his mouth shut.

Leaving the hospital room, Nevada left the building and pulled out a cigar. Lighting it up, he took in a long drag before looking around. Nothing unusual. Heading to his car, where his men were waiting. Nevada got in and didn’t look back at the hospital. It would be the last time he would see the girl. He couldn’t help but feel as if this happened was because of him.

The information he had pulled up about Nettie wasn’t too much. Just the usual records and how every single person in her family was dead aside from her.

Sending a message to one of his men, telling them to go to the girls' house to fix up anything broken. Nevada couldn’t help but feel a weird sensation in his stomach and chest as they drove away from the hospital. Shaking his head and continuing to smoke his cigar, Nevada asked them to drive him home so he could rest and forget about the last few days.

Nettie:

By the time she was finally coming to from her sleep like state, it had been two weeks since the attack. Not that Nettie knew that of course, she only remembered a strange dream and knows of how dry her mouth felt. With a groan, she tried to move but found herself slowly fall back asleep. Nurses were rushed in and Nettie could feel them messing with her, but she just didn’t have the strength to stay awake.

Never seeing the man in her room who watched the whole thing happen and was quick to deliver the message to Nevada that she had woken up.

By the next time Nettie woke up, it was a day later, and she found that waking up was a lot easier this time around. With a nurse walking into the room as she was trying to sit up, the older women rushed over to help Nettie. “Careful sweetie… you took quick a kick to the head and plenty of stitches.” She spoke and Nettie just felt like her head was throbbing.

“Hum… I- I don… “but her throat felt as if was filled with cotton and each time she tried to speak, it felt worse and worse. Like it was being scratched and trying to be ripped open from the inside.

Once a cup of water was almost drowned, bit Nettie was sure to drink slowly. Small sips until the cup she held was empty.

“Good! Now, just stay there and relax. A doctor should be by soon to check on you.” Nurse Elizabeth smiled kindly to Nettie, who just nodded and with the help from the nurse before leaving. Nettie was sitting up against the pillows behind her. She tried to remember what had happened to her.

Remembering the run in with Nevada, the cleaning of her home and going out to eat. It was going back home that things became blurry.

Looking around her hospital room, Nettie took in the flowers sitting beside the bed They were gorgeous and she found herself shocked to see them. There were quite a few flowers around her room now that she was actually paying attention to her surroundings.

When the nurse returned, Nettie asked the question that had been bothering her. “Why am I in my own room? I... I can’t afford this.” she told the nurse and felt the worry bubble up in her. She was scared. Nervous. Surely the money Nevada stoked away in her bag wouldn’t cover the hefty hospital bill she would be getting.

“Don’t worry about that. The man who brought you in already took care of everything.”

Only that just made Nettie worry even more. Who the hell brought her to the hospital?

Panicking, she didn’t even notice the heart monitor that she was hooked up to starting to pick up. A tear made its way down her cheek. The only thing Nettie noticed was the way her throat felt like it was closing up as she gasped for air and like the room was closing in on her. Her body was shaking with fear, wondering if they were back. Memories of her attack came back like flashes in her mind.

The nurse quickly jumped into action when noticing what was happening and tried to help the girl calm down. Though nothing worked.

Miguel’s POV:

Looking into the room, the man who was told to be kept on watch. He frowned. Seeing Nettie panic, the look of sheer horror in her eyes, as if she was in some kind of danger. Not that he blamed the girl, no. Miguel had a feeling that she was worried about what had happened and being in the hospital alone, well. He didn’t blame her. After watching the nurse give the girl a sedative, Miguel felt sick.

Grabbing his phone, he sent a message to Nevada.

‘jefe(boss), she’s not doing too good. Had to be medicated. Maybe you should come down and tell her she has nothing to worry about?’

Once the text was sent to Nevada, Miguel paced around the hallway. None of the nurses, doctors or securities bothered him. They knew who put him there to guard the girl's door. Though he went down the hall and turned the corner, finding the vending machine and got himself some snacks. Now that Nettie was drugged up to sleep, he would have nothing to do... again.

Hearing a nurse ask a man who he was and why he was on their floor. Miguel dropped his snacks and rushed over to Nettie’s hospital room.

There before him was a white man with greying hair, clean shaven and an expensive suit. “I’m her father. I got word that she’s been hospitalized.”

“I suggest you leave.” Miguel spoke up, stepping into the room. Eyes narrowed as he eyed the man. “Her whole family are dead.” he added, the nurse gasped and went to call security as the unknown man pulled a gun and started to shoot at Miguel and the nurse.

As a bullet hit his arm, Miguel was able to pull out his own gun with his other unarmed arm and killed the guy. “cabrón!(fucker)” he yelled and dropped his gun and gripped at his bleeding arm.

Breathing heavily, nurses, doctors and secutiry came rushing in and Miguel was on the phone with Nevada. Telling him what had happened.

“¿Qué diablos quieres decir con que tuviste que matar a alguien?!(what the hell do you mean you had to kill someone?)” Trujillo yelled on the other end, grumbling on about how he would be there soon.

As they hung up, Miguel was both stitched and bandaged. The man sat beside Nettie in her room, making sure he was facing the door. Already worried for what Nevada was going to do when arriving. He almost let some guy kill Nettie.

“Dios mío(my god)....” he groaned, already hearing his boss nearing.

“Well, Miguel! Want to explain to me just how Nettie here almost died... if you’ve been watching her the whole time!” Nevada demanded to know and Miguel refused to meet his eyes. “I mean... there’s a bathroom here in the room for you to use! Food is sent to you three times a fucking day! What more do you want?”

Though when Miguel went to answer, Nevada told him to just get out and go home. Which was what Miguel did.

Tagging: @witches-unruly-heart @garturbo @not-that-kinda-gurl08

#Nevada ramirez #nevada ramirez fic #nevada ramirez fanfic #nevada ramirez x reader #Raul Esparza #raul esparza fanfiction #raul esparza fanfic #raul esparza one shot #Raúl Esparza #raúl esparza fic #raúl esparza x oc #trouble in the heights #Trujillo

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imtryingthisout · 4 years ago

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Of Flames and Fire: Prologue

[If you hate me for writing this, just remember I hate myself more and that this began because of a joke.]

Warnings: Ask to Tag

Word Count: 3627

Fandom: Disney Descendants

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

Dirt clung to the fringes of Maleficent’s robes as she descended deeper into the cavernous warren. Once upon a time her presence would have struck such fear that not even the dust mites would have dared come near her, but such a time was over now, and now the endings of her black cloak grew more and more soiled with every step she took.

She held a twisted candelabra in one hand and her faithful staff in the other. The small flame burned a deep rouge color, more red than yellow, with how thick and low the air had become. Maleficent was surprised it still burned at all. She was thankful for the candle’s valiant effort. Gone were the days where she could summon a ball of hellfire to illuminate the room, and with all the dust and filth in the air she wasn't sure her darkvision would be of any use.

A drop of hot wax struck her fingers.

Maleficent continued onwards.

As she ventured closer and closer to her destination, the sound of barking began to ring in her ears. Viscous growls, the sound of teeth hitting teeth, shrieks and yelps and oh so much barking. Were she a lesser soul it might have frightened her, or at the very least given her a pause, but she knew that no dog (three headed or otherwise) lived down here, just a lonely master trying to cope with the sound of silence.

(Out of everything her new prison tormented her with, Maleficent never thought she would grow to loathe the quiet. The silence. Even on the Forbidden Mountain she would hear the rustling of wind, the roaring cacophony of her minion’s delight, the sound of Diablo’s deep cawing. But here, even with the tumult of the budding city of thieves and villains, her thoughts screamed louder than any noise. Here she felt more alone than she ever did atop her ruined castle.)

No door was mounted to the cave’s wall, it would be far too impractical to do so, so Maleficent raised a curved fist and knocked thrice on a wooden post instead. “Who is it?” a voice called out from lower in the room, it sounded irritated and gruff, good. Maleficent smiled “Just a passing visitor Lord Hades”.

Quicker than she thought possible, the exiled Monarch of the Underworld stood leaning against the doorframe, one arm draped over the rotten wood and his head tilted with a school boy smile (if a school boy had eyes of glowing brimstone and thorny rows of sharp teeth protruding from his gums). “Why Miss Maleficent, what brings you to my little.. home away from home?”

She took a moment to drink in his sight, he looked more or less the same as he did when they first met, a little more tired, maybe, a little less put together, thick silver-colored cuffs bound round his wrists to drain his godly might. Still something about him seemed different, she couldn't quite place her finger on it, then she met his gaze. “Kohl around the eyes, Lord Hades? I do hope you aren't going Egyptain on me”

He snorted and rolled his- yes, black lined- eyes “Nah those guys are great, but they sure as Me don’t need another Death God. Besides- Blue Hair? Blue Skin? It’s already confusing enough for mortals to get us mixed up at parties, and don't even get me started on the Ptolemaic Pantheon menagerie, cultural syncretism is fun and all but all that rewriting and re-rewriting and who’s who even got my head more turned around than the gordian knot!”

Here Hades stood taller than Maleficent, even with his slumped posture and hunched back. The slope of the floor was curved in his favor. Her horns were a brandished crown growing, twisting, above her head and barely scraping the stone above her.

She let the humor linger in the air for a breath before speaking. “I have a proposition for you, my lord” she said while dismissing the candle and setting it down on a rock ledge. The light from Hades’ hair and lair would suffice to brighten her vision. Maleficent raised a free arm “Shall we continue our conversation inside? I feel it would be awfully rude to lurk in doorways.” Hades’ smile grew wider, almost splitting his face in two.

“My dearest disgrace to all things dignified, it would be my pleasure” He said, taking her arm and leading her inside. Despite herself she snorted. “My lord I am always dignified, it is deferential which I am not”

Hades’s new domain lay deep underground in the heart of the Isle. Despite his many years of hatred of being saddled with the burden of the Underworld, the room appeared very similar to his old home. ‘Perhaps that is the point’, Maleficent thought, wondering if his new dwelling was really of Hades’ choosing, or did he simply wake up on the Isle in a room modeled after his old kingdom, swapping an old prison for a new one. She wasn’t sure if Zeus had it in him...but Zeus wasn't the only one hurt by Hades’ failed machinations, and she knew that Hera certainitly did, fondness for her older brother or not- the Queen of Gods would not have hesitated to rub salt in any wounds of her child’s stealer. Especially when such irony would have been involved.

In another life, perhaps it would have been Hera who Maleficent would be conversing with, she did always have a healthy respect for the Golden Throned Goddess,like draws to like afterall, and there is nothing more similar yet individual than women with power.

Then again, in another life she wouldn't need to bargain, in another life she would have crushed Prince Phillip’s sword between her teeth and swallowed him whole, in another life she would have blessed the infant Princess with a gift of her own, something clever and far more powerful than any of the Three Sisters trivial delights. In another life---

Hades leads her to a sitting area, long tatham benches set interlocking with one another, made of dark ebony wood. Maleficent gathers the excess of her robe in her grip and takes a seat, then slowly lets the fabric flow down and unfurl on the clean gray floor. The Lord of the Dead seats himself next to her, and after a moment’s pause, she allows him to wrap one of his hands around her waist.

“I have come to reclaim my debt, Your Majesty” she begins, he laughs and jokes “I’m not a accountant dollface, you’ll have to be more specific. I think I still got some styx-water sloshing around in my skull” but she can see the tightness around his eyes, the stiffness in his fingers as he cleans his ear and flicks a droplet of water over his shoulder, he knows exactly what she is referring to. He also knows that his newfound lack of power might have put him in a very precarious situation. Maleficent smiles sharply.

The grip on her waist tightens.

“Then let me help to restart your memory, years ago you needed an elixir that would turn anything, even a God, mortal. I concocted such a potion on the clause that you would… how did you say it? ‘Owe me one bigtime mama '’” she said drolling her words and making air quotations with her slender fingers. The God of The Dead had the decency to look sheepish, a bright blue blush blooming under his siltstone skin. “Okay yeah might’ve been a bit drunk on success when I said that…”

“Mmhmm” Maleficent hummed, raising a single eyebrow.

“....sorry”

“In any case, a deal is a deal, and now I see to collect my end of our bargain”

“It would be my pleasure my lovely lady of labilzation--” “that one was better” “Thank you I do try, --- however I’m sure it has not escaped your notice that, unlike before, I no longer have the Underworld and all its resources at my disposal to grant your dark heart’s deepest desire-- “Lord Hades are you implying I ever had a heart to begin with?” “ Ha ha no. But you do have desires that our current predicament might limit me from fulfilling”

“And you do hate to leave your women unfulfilled, don’t you Hades?”

“Yes I- HEY” Hades began with his usual smooth inflection, not even really looking at her, before cutting himself on and standing up in outrage. Face pinched and flushed. He started pacing back and forth in front of her while Maleficent looked on in cruel delight. He was yammering about something, going on about respect and proper dues and getting wonderfully worked up about himself. It almost made her nostalgic.

“I mean I know I’m no roving casanova like dear little Zeus-y, Persphone would gut me for even trying that and--”

Then his body stilled and he turned to face her, running his hands through his hair to gather his thoughts. Pity, she was enjoying she show. “Alright I get it, playtimes over. What do you want Maleficent? What under this damned barrier could be so important that you need to cash in on?”

“You and I both know Lord Hades that there are forces far older and far more powerful than this Godmother’s little trick. Deals, oaths, dept, magic sworn by magic will be repaid in turn. ” Maleficent raised herself slowly, taking small measured steps to where Hades stood shadowed by the cavern’s light. “As for what I want? That's simple, I want your name”

Name, she hissed out the word, the word that had churned and boiled somewhere deeper than her stomach and rose up her throat, that fell down her tongue and turned sharp and low against her teeth. The word that made her eyes flash with a power that no well intentioned Godmother or once cursed King could contain.

The word that made the Lord of the Dead, Hades himself, fall stumbling backwards to his knees. The shadow wrenched away from him in haste, revealing his wide eyes and- oh how she missed this- positively wreaked expression. If she was someone else she would say he was nervous, his face too numb to be fearful, but Maleficent knew better. He was terrified.

Pleas spilt from his lips like ambrosia in a clumsy hand. He was almost begging her now, with more fervor than he ever begged before--

( In times of old when the earth was freshly taken and the sky still red with titan’s blood, three brothers gathered to divide the cosmos between themselves. The youngest made his claim to the sky and took it’s child, the mighty thunderbolt, as his symbol. He gifted the sea to the middle brother who accepted it glady, but to the oldest he gave no pearl-rich land or magnificent heaven, but the burden of the damned and dead. The darkest corners of the world, where no light reached and the wild souls wandered aimlessly in the eternal darkness. His older brother objected, of course, and perhaps he even set aside his pride to grovel, but the youngest was unyielding. )

“Please Mali, don’t, not that I’ll do anything--”

( Once Ra fell sick from a clay snake bite, and called a council of every man and women and God to come and aid him, but they could do nothing. Then he called for Isis, for surely she would have the answers to his prayers. “What ever you need, I will provide” And so Isis said to the sun god Ra, ‘Great king of The Heavens and all we hold dear, the venom in your blood is much too strong, the only way I can heal you is with the knowledge of your Name’. So Ra listed off all of his titles and epithets, of which he had many, but Isis was not deterred. ‘My Lord and King, though those names are as grand and great as you are, they are not the one of which I refer to. If you wish to continue as yourself, ruler of the Gods, I will need your Rem to cure you’ said Isis and Ra knew she spoke the truth. Banishing the other medicine men and healers from the room he took Isis into his wings and bared to her the fifth of his soul, the name in which all his power sprang from. Isis took the name and healed Ra, feeling the universe realign with her at its helm, Goddess above Gods, of life and moon and medicine and magic. The fruits of her cunning rewarded hundredfold. And she smiled.)

“-- you don't want that old thing, I mean, what would you even do with my name anyway? It’s not like it would be of any use to you here”

“That, Your Majesty, is where you are wrong.” Maleficent slammed the end of her staff on top of the end of Hades’ robe, catching him in place as he tried to flinch backwards. She knelt before him, his back arched so completely he resembled more of a semicircle than a fallen God, his body so small here compared to hers. The long tendrils of her cloak sprawled themselves across the floor, their edges slithering like snakes, writhing and engulfing them, Hades was a cold star trapped amidst a sea of dark fabric.

“You asked me what could be so important to me that I would risk claiming my due of our agreement here, under this hell forsaken barrier. Why would I step into the limelight after years of isolation to rule an island of filth and trash” she pressed a single nail to his face tilting it up, forcing him to meet her gaze. “Because here is where my child will be born, and no blood of mine will be powerless while I still live to conquer and provide”

Her child, who was barely an weight in her arms, hungry for magic where there was none, hungry for food unrotten and drink unspoiled. If Maleficent was kinder she would crush it’s skull beneath her feet and spare it from a life full of pain and longing. Years of torment and clawing at it’s own skin spared in a moment’s decision.

(Her child, who could one day release their Mother from her prison, if they had will to do so.)

Maleficent had never been a kind person.

She did, however, on the seldom occlusion, know mercy and how to manipulate the unwilling. She could just rip his name from his chest, leave him broken and shivering on the cold stone floor. The thought was tempting, it really had been too long since she last had the chance to destroy someone so thoroughly, but she knew it would be better in the long run if she could get Hades to cooperate. Never let it be said she wasn’t a patient Mistress.

Leaning her weight forward she gingerly took one of Hades’ wrists in her hand, turning it over and carefully inspecting the thick band that now encircled it . This close she could feel the way it softly vibrated under her touch, the binding sigils carved so delicately and deep into the metal.

Her skin burned on contact, but you would never tell by her expression, eyes trained on the way Hades’ life force flowed. Faint traces of his magic traveling down his veins and funneling into the band, which would pulse slightly and constrict, the sigils would glow and hold, before loosening its too tight grip on its host. Then the cycle would continue anew.

It was one of the most brilliantly constructed and horrid devices Maleficent had ever laid her eyes on.

It was a work of art.

And as she read the runes she began to recognize what artist could have made such a beautiful thing.

“Do you know just how luck you are Lord Hades? While the rest of us villains must serve a penance that will span the rest of our days, you sit here with shackles holding only until you meet their requirements. I always wondered why Auradon would risk the order of the world just to fulfill their pallid sense of morality, and here my questions are answered. It seems the true nature of your punishment is far more poetic than a measly imprisonment, no, the true keys to your freedom lay in siring a child,”

A cold sense of realization dawned on Hades, “Hera” he whispered.

“How does the saying go again? An eye for an eye.” Maleficent pushed her nail deeper into the skin of his arm “A lost babe for a lost babe.”

Something inside Hades’ eyes broke at her words, and he begun laughing, freely, manic not maniacal, the laugh of a man who knew the entire cosmos was a joke and now he finally got the punchline. “Oh Hera!” He cried out, gathering the shattered pieces of himself and pulling them together.

He stood up from underneath her, fluid as smoke escaping from her grasp, as if his body was still atmos and ichor- not confined to rigid flesh and blood. ( A distant part of Maleficent imagines Hades, stumbling and impaling his head against a stalagmite as he has to relearn how to walk again, learn how to live in a body so forign yet familiar.) He did not offer to help her, and she made no move to rise, instead she remained sitting, her back ramrod straight and hands folded across her staff which rested on her lap.

Over the sounds of running water and the everpresent barking, Maleficent could hear the sounds of his brain work. Spinning gears within gears furiously trying to take in the new information and generate a more beneficial outcome for himself. “Alright, you want my name, you want power, you want little Maleficent Junior to grow up with magic, which I can’t blame you for. I want to get out of here and I want my wife not to kill me on my arrival, so I propose a solution that just might work for us both”

“Go on”

“ gift part of my name to the little tyke, giving them- and by extension you- power that not even this blasted barrier can suppress. That means that in the eyes of magic, I’m basically your baby’s daddy”

“And are you willing to uphold that responsibility? I have no need for a husband nor a housekeeper, but both dragons and fae are known for their possessiveness and of them I am both”

Hades didn't miss a blink, shark toothed smiled fixed back in place on his face “My magnificent Mistress of Misery from now until my chains are unfettered and I am called away to return to my Iron throne, I do swear to treat your little demonspawn as if they were born from the rotten fruit of my loins. Now, do we have an agreement?” Now he looked down at her, hand extended for her to shake. “Going once… going twice..”

Maleficent leapt forward, her hand digging deep into the weak flesh of his arm, she used to movementum to pull herself close to him, nose to nose, sharpened teeth to sharpened teeth, her horns haloing her head- two blackened crests protruding from her skull that reflected the dull blue light of the room. “Its a deal” she declared. Smiling viscously as she felt her eyes flare, not gold, but green, green as burning hellflame, fire in its purest form.

If this were anywhere else but The Isle of The Lost, thunder would crack at their declaration, a ring of light would maifest around their grip sealing their oath in color and magic. The air would ignite at their words. However, this was The Isle, and so the only illumination of fate’s rearrangement came from the flicker of light on Hades’ wrists as the runes surged, the taste of copper under Maleficent’s tongue, and the deep bone-seated feeling that something big will come. This was the stone whose ripple will cause the wave years down the line.

Maleficent hoped it would rise and drown the whole world.

She almost smiled at the thought.

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

“Huh”

“What?”

“You know when you said you had a baby, I kinda pictured- you know- a baby”

“I do hope you aren't talking bad about our child, it hasn't even hatched yet”

“Maleficent thats not a child, thats an egg”

“You think I would birth a infant mammal? Don’t be so crude, egg laying is a much more civilized method of reproduction”

“Wait does that make you a reptile? Oh sweet Zeus don’t tell me you are? What can you unhinge your jaw? Do you have a hemi--”

“Silence your tongue Lord Hades before I cut it out myself”

“Sorry sweetcheeks I couldn't resist”

“....”

“...sorry”

“Now traditionally Mother and Daughter would pass on a portion of their name until the time came where the Daughter earned to full title of Maleficent, usually by slaying their Mother and taking her name for herself. Until that day a middle name would serve as a placeholder to help differentiate them, a Mal Bertha or Mal Lamia or something of the sort. If you are giving up one of your titles, perhaps Mal Aidoneus would suffice?”

“Yeah, no”

“No?”

“Listen, Fairy G’s little parasite pocket is going to hone in on quote the name of the “The Mistress of All Evil” like a cyclopes at a half-off everything sunglass sale. You want this kid to have even a smidgen of a chance we gotta change it up a bit.”

“Well then Your Majesty I don’t suppose you have any better Ideas”

“........Malenthea”

“Hm?”

“Her name, it will be Malenthea”

“Then so mote it be”

“....”

“HOLY RHEA YOU DIDN'T TELL ME THE EGG WOULD EXPLODE--”

#disney descendants #descendants #fic #writing #my writing #maleficent #hades #Disney Hades #OC: Malenthea #Of Flame and Fire Au #descendants rewrite #descendants fic #Mal Bertha #mal descendants #fae Mal #dragon mal

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ladyshivs · 5 years ago

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Deals and Agreements

Fandom: Fallen Hero: Rebirth (all disclaimers to @fallenhero-rebirth)

Pairings: Flystep (Herald/Richard)

WC: ~3300

Tags: rebirth and retribution spoilers, mentions of minor characters, mentions of minor OCs, major headcanons, Mia Ochoa, Rat King, vomit, references to canonical character death, ask for additional tags

Richard and Mia strike a shaky deal.

---

Oh fuck, he had forgotten about Mia.

Adrenaline, muscles twitching with latent fury fear excitement dread and he was going to die they were all going to. Coming for him and for them and for her and for Her and they were all going to not die in the worst ways he could imagine. Eyes darting and finding Ricardo coming up behind Regina and Daniel floating up high with a look of mild nausea and the scramble of the Rat King in his brain. Claws on the inside of his skull. Skittering clicks. Too crowded. Certain thoughts being forced out. Legs twitching. Muscles moving, was he walking? What was. A moment of reason. Clarity. Mia Ochoa up in the old office with her tape recorder and observant eyes and keen mind. A momentary debate, fingers scrambling for the. His fingers lost.

His hands lost.

His stomach won. And lost its contents.

It couldn’t have been five minutes later. Still hunched slightly by the wall of an empty shipping container, on his knees with his forehead pressed against the cool surface. A judgmentally thin and acrid puddle in the corner and a thin line of sticky saliva dangling sickly from his mouth. Daniel had floated over and gingerly pressed a bottle of water into the gloved hands. His body felt numb and distant, but Richard managed to take a mouthful and coat his tongue, swishing and spitting roughly against the concrete floor. Somewhere. Hazy, but notable, the Rat King was busying itself with various tasks, sniffing in the corners of his mind. It had been that Rat King that had pounced on his terror, driving his body to stand and move and get away. But the rest of his mind was unsettlingly still. Focused on the physical sensation. Cool on his forehead. Burning in his throat. Aches in his back and hips. Empty in his chest. Empty in his gut. Empty in. His hands? Oh, Danny had taken the bottle back. Empty hands, shaking so badly he’d been splashing water onto Mad Dog’s gloves.

“I forgot she was up there,” cracked and ragged, acid bleeding through from his esophagus and tainting the words. Maybe if he verbalized it. Got it out of his head. It would make it go away. Make it stop. A bitter laugh but his mind still hadn’t really caught up with the consequences of unmasking in front of Mia. Unmasking in front of Her.

The Rat King hurried to handle whatever internal fire was most pressing, brushing soft whiskers along the edges of his consciousness and helping keep him calm. Abandoning its duties of keeping other people’s thoughts at bay. Daniel was suddenly a warm bright spot to his side, too flinch back yellow and burning just on the other side of safe.

“I know,” he answered, voice quiet. “But it’s okay,” Not wanting to upset him any further. Distress him any further. The armor was making him flinchy on his own but Daniel was pushing through it, laying a gentle hand on the back of Richard’s neck. One of the few places he could touch him without having to touch Mad Dog. “Mia is a good person,” which, god in heaven, he really believed meant anything. Maybe it would. Probably not. “And I’m sure we can convince her to wait a little bit before saying anything. Maybe even keep her sources secret?” it was a mild suggestion. Both of them knew that if Mia got a chance to break this story, there wouldn’t be a soul in Los Diablos willing to let her informants stay anonymous. And if she managed to break the real story? She’d have the attention of the nation on her. Daniel’s thoughts flitted over to whatever Ricardo was getting up to. Richard didn’t want to know. Couldn’t resist asking.

“What is he doing?” Ricardo knew that Richard didn’t want her dead. Well. Knew that he couldn’t kill her, if nothing else. Knew the consequences of it. Not that knowing about the consequences of something had ever stopped Ricardo in the past.

A small thought in the back of Richard’s mind cleared its throat and said something rather impolite about glass houses and throwing stones. Ricardo wasn’t the one who had just unmasked himself for dramatic effect after all.

A pause. Daniel’s thoughts were fluttering too quickly for Richard to be bothered trying to ensnare just one. He let them whip by, getting only tiny air currents of indecision and concern.

“He’s uh. He’s staring at Regina,” and Richard couldn’t bring himself yet to glance back, but if the new and exciting feeling in the air was anything to go by, Ricardo’s mods were zipping along nicely. Like standing under a power converter in a thunderstorm. “Standing in front of her and just…staring,” too long of a pause this time. Doing more than just staring then, but Richard could handle that imagery on his own. Hands would be clenching. Jaw would be tight. Apparently whatever face Ricardo was making didn’t bear describing.

And Mia. Mia was still up in the office. Her thoughts were rapid, but easy to follow once the lines of connection were established. Running from thread to thread to see how they tangled and shot off from one another. Pinning them down in central hubs. Apparently someone in her past had had ideas about Regenes. Sleeper agents. Spies and moles and conspiracy theories. Tin foil hat, some of them. Dangerously close in others. Close enough. Hadn’t Ricardo said that he’d punched that reporter? And that the reported had died in a tragic accident.

Despite the frenetic activity, there was something easy about looking into her mind. Organized chaos.

Richard’s stomach dropped again and he retched dryly, Daniel’s hand on him shifting to hold his shoulder and steady him.

She recognized his face. Not just as a face from the crowds but as Herald’s boyfriend. That tangle of lines smoothing out in rapturous efficiency; Herald’s boyfriend was Mad Dog. And Mad Dog had given Mia the push in the right direction to investigate the dirty money from Senator Carmichael’s campaign. And the dirty money led to the company that operated the Special Directive. And manufactured Regenes. And Mad Dog was clearly an escaped regene. And the kidnapped woman said that he’d once been a vigilante. One that worked with Charge. And Vernon (that was his name, the reporter that Ricardo had punched in the mouth at his funeral all those years ago, that had been) had all these theories about how well a mask could hide things. And a new tangle. Smaller. And, wait, hadn’t Mad Dog maimed Herald?

Richard’s stomach heaved one final time and his mind could feel Mia peering down at them. Could see his back shuddering and Daniel tenderly patting his hair. By some unknown grace, Mia shelved that one for the moment. Turned her attention back to the computer sitting on the ancient desk behind her. There was fear in the undercurrent of her thoughts. Reasonable doubt and suspicion. Mad Dog, she couldn’t remember his name, couldn’t recall if she’d ever known it, didn’t kill people. He didn’t seem to enjoy it when people got hurt. And as far as she knew, even with all the propaganda the city could muster at his disposal, Herald had never killed anyone either.

But Marshal Charge had killed people. Villains. And even though the magazines and official reports put their spins on those stories. The hero doing what needed to be done. It didn’t change the fact that he had ended lives.

A second brush of fear from her. Vernon had been killed, probably not by the Rangers, probably not by Charge. But by god, then by who? At the order of people like Senator Carmichael most likely. Or even the kidnapped woman in the chair down there. And he hadn’t had nearly as much first-hand information as she did. His information was from back alley deals with people who knew a guy who’s roommate had known a guy who had once seen a regene that wasn’t blue skinned and dead eyed.

Richard pulled back. That was enough of that, for now.

At least he had a partial angle to work from now. And with another swig and spit of water, at least his mouth was tasting a little better.

“How are you doing?” even toned. Every syllable drenched with worry. “We have time for you to rest,”

“I’m alive,” he managed to croak out, clearing his throat with a hack and savoring the awful acid burn. The offer of rest was an unwelcome one. No rest for the wicked, aha. “Stupid, but alive. Which is better than I thought I would be,” an easy admission, one that Daniel would be able to piece together with a little time to remember. Richard had admitted, on more than one quiet and hushed evening, that he was afraid that the ‘kill switch’ certain Farm scientists had made threats about would be real. That if he had tried to hurt Regina in any way, some half electric-half psychic trigger would be unlocked, stopping his heart. Freezing his lungs. Maybe it would be as simple as causing a blood vessel in the brain to burst. “How are you faring?”

Daniel made a low, non-committal noise. “Worried. Which I’m sure you can tell,” he added on, slightly sheepish. “Take a few more minutes Richie,” as soft as rising through a cloud, gathering dew on his cheeks. “That was a lot all at once,” the wince hiding in his words never made it to his face, but it peeked out in his voice.

“And it wasn’t even all of it,” the words forced their way of his mouth and sat, impatient and ugly in the space between them.

“I know,” the hand. Well, that was cheating. Threaded itself up and into his hair. Soothing even if Richard was in no mood to be comforted. “It’s gonna be okay, though. I’m here,” a break. “We’re here,”

He still creaked and popped in his joints as he rose to his feet. Right. So. Danny’s hand was lingering on the back of his head, gently tangling into his curls. Wanting to press out that things were going to be okay. Not believing it all himself, but wanting to support. To be there. It hurt as much as it helped, sunburn crisping up Richard’s skin wherever Danny touched.

“I’ll be alright for now, lover boy,” whisper thin and still cracked at the edges. He could manage so long as Regina stayed out like a light. He wasn’t planning on being around when she woke back up. “I have to go have a word with Miss Ochoa,” a flash in the pan of concern and then it settled back, wind slipping those words away. Daniel trusted him not to do anything he’d regret to the reporter. Say or do something that would hurt himself? Maybe. And not a very good consolation. “I’ll be care—more careful,” he amended. It took a monumental surge of effort to lean in. Press his forehead against Daniel’s and god Mia could see this, oh fuck. “Do me a favor and make sure Ricardo doesn’t try to kill Her while I’m up there?” forced the nervy anxiety into his voice.

Daniel nodded, silent for a long moment. Richard could practically see the words lining up behind Danny’s teeth. And finally. “You know if you need me, I’m here.” A small increase in pressure from the hand on his head, for emphasis. A massive increase in the weight pulling his heart down to his toes.

“I know,” it was more a sound from his chest than it was words from his mouth. And even softer still “I love you,” not knowing why it was fighting its way up but not having the energy to stop it.

“I know,” Daniel offered back—trying for little bit of lightness. He slid the hand out from Richard’s hair and rested it on his shoulder. On the armor, for a brief moment, and then slid off entirely. “Did you want your helmet?” he asked without warning, drifting back a little and almost bending to pick it up.

“Don’t see much point in it. She recognizes me,”

Daniel’s face made an interesting expression, thoughts diving and then swooping from side to side, covering his bases. Many of the same ones Mia was quietly considering. “Oh.” Was all that made it out of his mouth. Still, he reached down and moved the helmet from the ground where Richard had tossed it to the chair he’d been sitting in. “Be careful,” he added, turning midair to float towards Ricardo and pull him into some ghost of conversation.

Richard turned his attention to the metal stairs and the woman waiting above him. She chanced a quick look down at him, face carefully neutral and then pulled back and away. Preparing. Setting the tape recorder on the table and adjusting herself in the chair. Could he offer her protection? Not really. But he could claim to, if he wanted to go that route. He could threaten her into silence. He could ask politely. Or.

Ah, beans.

“Miss Ochoa.” Even without the mask, he could feel Mad Dog sliding into position. Whatever it was that could pass as confidence and security of self slipping over his shoulders. He could do this. Even his voice tried to pitch downwards, to mimic the voice modulation.

“Mad Dog,” she swallowed back her fear and tried to sit up straight. A professional. She could handle this. She’d spoken with him before. “Thank you for the invitation to all this,” not a forced platitude. A distracted one, though. She was memorizing his face, confirming that he was the odd man Herald had been seen out and about with. Trying to recall if she’d seen him elsewhere. And, somewhere in a smaller tangle of knots, noting that the height should have been a dead giveaway.

“I’d like to offer you a deal,”

“Is that right?” her eyes shot over to the tape recorder. To the computer. Back to him. All in a flicker of a second. Easily excusable as nervous glances to anyone who couldn’t see straight into her head.

“I can offer unrestricted access to the files in that computer,” he nodded for her benefit. The password would be easy enough. Regina was as brilliant as she was fucked in the head, but she had always been shit at passwords. If it wasn’t all zeros it was all nines. “As well as,” he took a deep steadying breath. “I can offer exclusive interviews to you. If I’m not dead by the end of today,”

“I’m guessing that means an offer of protection is out of the question,” her eyebrows lifted but it was more muscle memory than anything else. Her mouth knew how to conduct an interview, knew which questions to ask. The rest of her was taking a back seat and trying to figure out the safest way out of this. Mess. Building even.

“I can offer it to you,” he admitted with a shrug. “But I can’t even ensure my own safety, let alone yours,”

“Fantastic,” said as a four letter word.

“Relax. For the time being, Her people,” he tilted his head down towards Regina. Mia’s gaze stuttered for a moment before returning to him. “Are going to be interested in capturing or killing me. And then capturing and killing the two Rangers downstairs. If I’ve done this correctly, they don’t know who you are yet, or that you know what you know. I don’t know about Senator Carmichael’s people,”

“I’ve been careful,” Mia interrupted. “They shouldn’t have any idea that I was looking into them,”

“Good.” He let the word ring heavy and firm. “Then this is my offer: exclusive interviews. Photos. Videos. All the files and information you can pry from that computer. First hand testimonials--,”

“On camera?” voice lilting upwards in eager hope.

“No.” a small flinch in her mouth. A harder one in her mind. Unsatisfied. Let her be. “I don’t do well recounting the details. Emotionally I mean,” he added, letting himself. Mia’s expression changed. Slightly. Letting himself seem more human. Vulnerable. Worming a little bit in. He could plant that seed in her mind. He might, if she didn’t want to let it grow on her own. “Describing any breakdowns I have during the interview will have to suffice,” drama sold stories. The visual of a live interview, a living regene-turned-villain sobbing his trauma out on tv screens across America. And on the other hand. If she had control over the descriptions, could pick and choose how to let his story unfold without the mess of a live interview and people drawing their own conclusions about his expressions? His body language? Pros and cons. Pros and.

“And in exchange?”

“You don’t reveal my identity unless absolutely necessary,” she rolled her eyes a little. Obviously. “And you sit on this story for as long as you can—as I said earlier, if I don’t die tonight..I’ll be…I can offer you something much bigger than an escaped science experiment getting revenge,” her eyes narrowed, posture relaxing.

“Bigger than Senator Carmichael’s corrupt campaign? Because that’s going to be national news,” her fingers steepled together, elbows on her knees, resting forward. Looking up at him.

“Much bigger. International treason levels of bigger. Deep and dangerous,” he should have been more nervous talking about this, but it seemed his body had absorbed enough adrenaline in the past two hours and couldn’t possibly take another bite.

An audible swallow. Mia’s mind already picking out which threads might lead to something that massive. Deciding with widening pupils if this was going to be worth pressing. “And if I say no?”

“If you leave here and immediately type up this, you mean?” he nodded to the tape recorder and Mia nodded back, mouth set firmly. “Early morning special edition for tomorrow? I won’t do anything to stop you from doing that. And I won’t take any ‘revenge’, if that’s what you’re worried about,”

“Oh really? You would just let me leave?”

“I would. Really. But I can’t speak for Herald or Charge. And I can’t speak for what Her people will do to you. Or what Carmichael’s people will do. I want this story out, Miss Ochoa. It’s what I’ve always wanted. Just not before it’s all complete. You go to press with only this half of the story now? I can almost guarantee that you’ll be dead before you find out the end of it,”

Richard let her have the privacy of her own mind for a moment. There had been a shudder of almost childlike terror that she was doing a very good job of suppressing. She didn’t want to die, not the way Vernon did.

“I accept,” there was a condition, Richard could feel it. “On one condition. Off the record,” she leaned and clicked the tape recorder off. The one on the table off. The one in her purse kept spinning. Pretty sneaky, Richard couldn’t find it in himself to disapprove. “You and Herald are together?” his stomach pitched and from the way her face suddenly pinched in, he could tell his own had tightened back.

“It’s complicated,”

“Sure,”

“I’ll…be able to tell you more later. Part of the deal,” Mia was going to agree—sensing that she’d probably pushed hard enough for the moment and could save the gossip column interview for later. Richard cut her off before she could speak. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you need to get the files from the computer,”

Mia frowned, rising to her feet. “I can’t take it with me?” not indignant, just. Mildly startled.

“If you can be sure you know how disable all of the tracking measures put in place? Be my guest. But I wouldn’t want them to track it down to your office. Or your apartment. Or wherever you were thinking of stashing it,”

“Right.” A quiet agreement. Glancing up at him. Silence from her thoughts and then a more genuine question. Interview time was clearly over. “What are you going to do with her now?” Mia glanced out the cracked window.

“Not a clue.” Mia scowled at him.

#fallen hero rebirth #fallen hero retribution #fhr spoilers #fhr fanfic #richard abekket #ricardo ortega #daniel sullivan #mia ochoa #the rat king #regina

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architecturepolh · 2 years ago

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Godfall metacritic

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Ascend in Godfall, a first-of-its-kind, looter-slasher, melee action-RPG. You are the last of the Valorian knights, masters of combat equipped with legendary armor called Valorplates. Godfall's 70 price tag works against it big time because as it stands, it's difficult to recommend such an expensive game to anyone when it recycles the same content repeatedly throughout the entire. The blueprint for this game reads like a tried-and-true AAA success: Play as incredibly powerful knights, armed to the teeth with weapons and armor, able to summon forth various abilities and powers, cutting down anything that’s in your way, while being in awe of the. Like other looter-style games, Godfall could become a much more appealing prospect in time. Unfortunately, its repetitive locations and missions, lack of strong narrative, and uncompelling characters may fail to impress players and those factors prevent Godfall from living up to its potential. Counterplay Games' high fantasy action RPG failed to impress with its repetitive gameplay and underwhelming story. On the surface, Godfall looks like an incredible experience. Godfall is an ambitious action RPG with gorgeous graphics and great combat mechanics that jump off the screen. Essentially, this means that the first paid. Generally unfavorable reviews based on 199 Ratings. 19 Godfall (63) Godfall was the first game confirmed for the PS5, although Sony will be hoping that it's not a sign of things to come. Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF. A paid expansion was previously known to be coming to the game, but the release window for this has now been tightened to the second quarter of 2021. Godfall feels like a game that will probably occupy that space for the PlayStation 5 (to which it is a timed console exclusive), putting it in the company of games like Ryse: Son of Rome on the. On the other hand, Epic has no issues with cryptocurrency on its storefront.

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Prison Architect is a fairly well-known management simulator sitting at 83 on Metacritic, so it’s apparently quite good.īehaviour Interactive, the developers behind Dead By Daylight, recently upset its community with an NFT collaboration.

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So no hours of grinding to play catch-up are necessary! It’s also available on Playstation Plus this month. The Challenger Edition of Godfall is a beginner-friendly version that buffs newbies up to the endgame content.

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Next week’s free games are Godfall: Challenger Edition and Prison Architect, which will be available for free beginning Dec. Though it dresses itself up as a Diablo-esque looter-slasher and drenches you with gear and weapons at pretty. If you haven’t played the former yet, know that the Doctor and Spirit killers are bound to raise your blood pressure. The problem with Godfall is that beauty is pretty much all it's got. This week’s free games include indie darling While True: Learn() and the asymmetrical multiplayer horror powerhouse Dead By Daylight. Sure, it’s better to give than to receive but consider this a treat for being good all year! Ascend in Godfall, the first-of-its-kind, looter-slasher, melee action-RPG.It’s time for another round of freebies on the Epic Games Store.

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Experience every update and improvement since launch assembled in one Ultimate package. The game is an epic odyssey, where players control a Valorian knight on its. Godfall: Ultimate Edition is the best and most complete way to enjoy Godfall. Tear through foes as you climb through the elemental realms and challenge the mad god, Macros who awaits you at the top. Godfall is a looter-slasher developed by Gearbox that started as a PS5 exclusive before being backported to the PS4. You are the last of the Valorian knights, god-like warriors able to equip Valorplates, legendary armor sets that transform wielders into unstoppable masters of melee combat. With Orin close to the thrown, Macros will perform the Rites of Ascension��‎ by gaining Aetherium from his Lieutenants to become a god, rule the Warriors and destroy Earth.Īperion is on the precipice of ruin. It’s an action-RPG looter that focuses almost all of its efforts on the fruits of its combat flow. In a battle between both brothers, Macros defeated Orin and knocked him off of the Central Tower. He turned against the dark side, Warriors against Warriors, a battle between brothers. So Macros sold a vision to everyone he never believed in. Macros wanted to be the only heir to the throne, he wanted to be become a god.

#Godfall metacritic

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immortal-imagines · 7 years ago

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The Lucky Boomerang - Part 7

Summary: It was widely known that Captain Boomerang didn’t work well with others; a true statement, until one particular accomplice caught his attention. His decision to spare her caused the pair to become deadly. They were nearly as famous as the Clown couple themselves. Renowned for her easy escapes and incredible stealth, Lady Luck was an appropriate partner for the Aussie bank robber. Their luck changes when a certain metahuman brings them both to Belle Reve Penitentiary and they are forced into joining Task Force X. (Side note: In this imagine, Boomerang is at Belle Reve)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11

(Captain Boomerang x Reader)

Warnings: Mild swearing

Word Count: 1,043

A/N: Thank you for being patient for this chapter! I’ll be posting a Suicide Squad imagine request next, so look forward to that! Also, my tag list is getting very long, so thanks so much for the support!

Deadshot had seemingly lost his cool and didn’t want to hang around. As the group reached the building, instead of hiding behind Flag like the rest of the soldiers, Deadshot stormed through the smashed-up door. Harley skipped in behind him, with (Y/N) and Digger in close pursuit.

The huge glass foyer was empty. The floor was littered with shards. Harley and (Y/N) picked their way through, their heels crunching as they walked. Glancing at the security cameras, Digger scoffed, “Looks like we have a spot of luck, eh?” He winked at Lady. She giggled at his little pun. This was the Digger she had missed, the one who made her laugh, who didn’t take himself too seriously. Being locked up for so long had supressed that side to him. Now that they were “free”, they could partly enjoy themselves. “Don’t make me shoot you,” Deadshot chided. He apparently didn’t appreciate the humour.

(Y/N) and Harley simultaneously decided they didn’t want to wait any longer for Flag’s orders. While the others were distracted, they went on ahead. Flag only noticed they were gone when he heard the ‘ping’ of the elevator doors closing. He looked up to see Harley’s bright grin and (Y/N) wave as the elevator ascended.

A small beep was emitted from the phone tucked into Harley’s shorts. She pulled it out, showing (Y/N) the message: ‘I am close. Be ready…’

“So, how long have you and Boomerang been a thing?” Harley asked, tightening her ponytail. (Y/N) grinned, thinking back. “Going on 6 years now.” Harley’s eyebrows shot up. The conversation ended there, however, when a bubbling monster dropped from the ceiling. With a flick of her heel, Lady had decapitated the thing, only to be greeted by another. Harley swung her bat, imitating Lady’s previous kill. There was a brief pause from the fight, while (Y/N) adjusted her lipstick, before another monster flew in.

“Ugh, do these things ever give up?” (Y/N) huffed. Harley grinned in response, before pulling out her gun and firing two quick shots straight into its head. She blew a strand of hair out of her face and held up her hand to (Y/N). Lady slapped it in congratulations, just as the elevator doors slid open, revealing the rest of the squad.

Flag gave the girls an incredulous look when he saw the dead bodies littering the floor. Harley stood on one’s head as she exited the lift. (Y/N) laughed, noticing her boyfriend’s proud, if slightly concerned expression.

Flashback:

“Please stop going on missions without me,” Boomerang huffed as (Y/N) entered the apartment, looking dishevelled and covered in bruises and a little bit of blood. “Dig, I am perfectly capable of doing things myself!” Digger raised his eyebrows at the blood. “It’s not mine if that’s what you’re thinking,” (Y/N) assured him.

She flopped down on the sofa and Digger moved to get a cloth. “Leave it, Dig,” She held up a hand to stop him. “I’ll have a shower in a bit.”

He sighed, before sitting next to her and pulling her close. “I just worry about you, especially when you leave without telling me where you’re going.”

“I left a note!”

Boomerang pulled the crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. It read: ‘Gone out. Be back for dinner x’. “I’m going to need a bit more information than this, Lady.” She rolled her eyes, “You worry too much. We both know I have more than enough on my side if things get messy.”

“I’d just like to know where you are. If you went missing, I don’t know what I’d do.” He squeezed her shoulder tightly and planted a kiss on her forehead. “I know, Dig. But I’m not a child. You need to let me do my thing. You know I’m perfectly capable,” She smiled up at Boomerang and placed a hand on his cheek.

“Next time, I promise, you can come with me,” Lady held out her pinky. “I promise.”

Present Day:

“Come on. Let’s go,” The blonde motioned into the next room.

“I don’t like this, Flag,” Deadshot murmured, pulling on his mask. “Pussy,” (Y/N) scoffed. The older man merely glared in her direction.

Catching them completely off-guard, twenty of the bubbling monsters fell from the ceiling. “Shit,” Digger gasped. He whipped out a boomerang and sliced the nearest ghoul. The soldiers pummelled the things with bullets and it wasn’t long before Deadshot and Harley joined.

“This is ridiculous,” Lady tutted. She raised her arms at the beasts attacking Boomerang and clicked her fingers. Black goo flew everywhere, coating Digger’s jacket. “Thanks, doll. But maybe next time avoid the coat?” The Australian chuckled darkly. His lack of attention worked against him, as a monster rushed him with a knife, plunging it into his chest. Digger fell to the floor, but not before executing the thing.

The whole room seemed to slow to a stop and (Y/N)’s only focus was on Boomerang, as he lay on his back, unmoving. His hand reached up to the blade that was sticking out of his chest. He pulled on it and a wad of money came out, impaled on the end. Lady breathed a sigh of relief and Digger gave her a thumbs up.

Harley shot at the monsters dragging Flag away and the room fell silent. They were all dead. Deadshot leaned heavily against a desk, panting. “Haven’t had a fight like that in a while,” he said between breaths.

They’d barely left the room before more monsters attacked. “For God’s sake,” Diablo yelled. He stormed forward, hands outstretched. Flames exploded from his palms, disintegrating anything in the immediate vicinity.

“Why couldn’t he have done that earlier?” (Y/N) huffed. “Why did I have to do all the work?” Boomerang ruffled her hair. “You did great, Lady.” She grinned up at him. Although she didn’t need his approval, it was always comforting when he showed his pride.

“Well done, Flame Boy,” Digger slapped the tattooed man on the shoulder, as he passed him on the staircase. Diablo grimaced.

“Wait here,” Flag instructed. “We don’t want to give this dude a heart attack.” He strode through a door at the end of the room.

(Y/N) frowned, “Am I the only one who thinks something smells fishy?”

Tag List: @a-girl-who-loves-disney @thranduilxlegolasx @squireboredom @tokentransboy @taz-t-mary @bookchic20 @sporadichologramblizzard-ed17414

#the lucky boomerang #Captain Boomerang #captain boomerang imagine #captain boomerang x reader #suicide squad #dc #suicide squad imagine #harley quinn #harley quinn imagine #deadshot #jai courtney #jai courtney imagine

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daleisgreat · 4 years ago

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20 Years of PS2: Flashback Special

October 26th this year marked the 20th anniversary of the North American launch of the PlayStation 2 (PS2) and I am ready to commemorate it with another flashback special recounting my highlighted highs and lows with the system since its launch. Like with my previous console retrospectives I have un-vaulted a few of my older podcast episodes focused on the PS2 and uploaded them to YouTube that you can check out embedded at the bottom of this piece for your listening pleasure. One of those episodes was recorded around the then-10th anniversary of the PS2 in 2010 where we brought on two hosts from the PSnation podcast and we waxed nostalgic for three hours about our favorite PS2 games and memories. The episode proved to be our most downloaded ever to the point we had to purchase more web server space to handle the downloads. Now I think the best way to start off this special on the PS2 would be to remember that leading up to its October 26th, 2000 launch, that it was impossible to ignore….. ….The Hype The PS2 was the first Sony console I purchased. I never owned a PSone because our family opted with the N64 (of which I have no regrets and many great memories of), and by the time I got my first job a decent way into 1999 where I could afford a system with my own income, it was either heavily speculated at that point or confirmed the PS2 would be backwards compatible with PSone games. This was a big deal learning of this in 1999. Up until that point in America, backwards compatibility only hit consoles (excluding handhelds) in small waves with the limited Master System library working on the Genesis with an adaptor, and the under-performing Atari 7800 having back-compat built inside the hardware so it could play 2600 games. So for having the mega-successful PSone library being guaranteed to work on the PS2 on launch day sold me on saving my money on a PSone system and waiting for the PS2.

The other big selling point for the PS2 was that it would be the first game console in America to support DVD movies. DVD players first started hitting in America in 1997, but it was a very slow growth process for them because they remained at a high price point their first few years on the market, and VHS tapes were exponentially cheaper. For you younger kids growing up with streaming tech, I feel obligated to say how big a deal was that PS2 was able to play DVDs. When I first saw what DVDs could do in 1999 at a friend’s place I was blown away with no longer having to rewind tapes, being able to pick certain scenes to jump to, interactive menus, extra bonus features and the big jump in picture quality. This is also why Dominic Toretto and his motley crew were hijacking semis in the first Fast & Furious film in 2001 for their precious DVD player cargo. With the PS2 being able to play PSone games, having guaranteed third party support from most of the PSone game publishers, being able to play audio CDs (which were still a major seller in 2000) and DVDs all for the launch price of $299 made the system garner mammoth hype leading up to the October 26, 2000 launch. The Launch After instantly getting sold on DVDs at my friend’s place in 1999, I started to collect some of my favorite movies on DVD leading up to the PS2’s launch and by launch day I believe I had roughly a dozen movies already with some of my then-recent favorite films at the time like Fight Club, Go and Detroit Rock City being early DVD favorites. The console was the first game product I remember our local Software Etc. offering to pre-order, and I was able to pre-order early enough to confirm a system for me at launch, which was a relief after hearing how Sony announced shortly before the launch they would be reducing the amount of systems available at launch by half from one million to 500,000. I pestered a co-worker at the time, Troy, a couple months before launch if he would be able give me a ride to the store that day to pick it up since the store was opening early before school started and he gave me his word. I thought it was not going to happen when he quit where I worked a few weeks before the launch, but somehow I was able to figure out where his next job was at and called him up at his other job a couple days before the PS2 launch to see if he would still honor his word and he assured me so. I showed Troy many thanks by covering breakfast for him that morning!

22 games launched with the PS2, and despite the variety, there was never a ‘killer app’ on the PS2’s launch. Despite Sony being a powerhouse of a first party publisher on the PSone, they only had one game available for the PS2 at launch with the puzzle game, Fantavision. I have always felt the PS2 launch got an unfair look over the years, as indicated in this AV Club piece. While there was never one end-all-be-all game, there were still plenty of solid ‘fans of the genre’ titles in my opinion. Racing game fans were covered with Ridge Racer V, the original Midnight Club and MotoGP. Over the years I became a fan of the three launch PS2 tag-focused fighting games Street Fighter EX3, Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore and especially putting a ton of time into the first Tekken Tag Tournament. FPS fans had a solid port of Unreal Tournament, and the heavily anticipated TimeSplitters with the gaming press at the time hyping it up to be the GoldenEye-killer since a fair amount of the development team worked on that hit FPS title. EA Sports had their latest NHL and Madden entries at launch, and the first game under their “EA Sports BIG” label with the original SSX. I think it is forgotten at that time the gaming mags and early online gaming press outlets heralding SSX as the surprise best original game out of the PS2 launch. For myself all I wanted was TimeSplitters and Madden NFL 2001. I knew my friend and former podcast co-host, Chris would be picking up TimeSplitters, so I stuck with Madden and a memory card for my pre-orders. Troy and I got there an hour before the store opened, and only one other person was ahead of us in line, so we were in and out of there in a breeze….only after the store manager jipped me out of a memory card I pre-ordered because there was a shortage on those too, but apparently the manager got first priority on the several she pre-ordered and offered to sell me one outside the store. I asked if it would be for MSRP, and she just gave me a knowing grin, and I was not having any of that and said no thanks and was fine waiting for their call when their next shipment of memory cards arrived (which was only about a week later, and for Madden it was not that much to get worked up over).

Those first few months of the PS2 launch from late 2000 into early 2001 were a memorable time during my senior year of high school. I played a plethora of Madden NFL 2001 against my neighbor friend Rich, and my brother-in-law, Shawn. I watched the hell out of those first dozen DVDs and threw in a few random PSone games I picked up too. Chris picked up several PS2 games at launch and for about two weekends a month I met up with him and the two primary games we played were TimeSplitters and Tekken Tag. The original TimeSplitters blew us away with its customization options for FPS multiplayer with being able to play against a huge variety of bots and in-depth level creation editors. We would create a map where we started in a room with all the ammo and weapon pickups, and a sea of mindless bots would march down a lengthy hallway to enter a room where we would be anticipating their entrance so they could rush into a hasty demise. I totally devoured Tekken Tag with Chris and got into its roster of characters and tag-style fighting, and especially its five star bowling mini-game, Tekken Bowl. Chris’s family had access to purchase bulk boxes of those rectangular bricks of school cafeteria pizza, and I have nostalgic memories putting away that delicious pizza while consuming the PS2 launch window games. Early-through-Summer 2001: My First Apartment Three Blocks Away From a Blockbuster Video As the months wore on after the launch window, the only early 2001 game I really enjoyed was the PS2 port of Quake III, even with its ridiculous loading times! For not having a powerhouse PC at that time, it was a fun alternative to experience the deathmatch chaos that was dominating the PC scene at the time. In the spring I got Onimusha: Warlords, and while I was digging the samurai/zombie action, the Capcom tank controls eventually got the best of me and I had to step away from it after a few hours. It was not until well into the summer of 2001 that I started experimenting more with the PS2 library when I got my first apartment with my friend Matt. We lived a few blocks away from a Blockbuster Video and so we made frequent trips there on weekends chancing random games that popped out to us. We did not have a computer at our place, and the high-speed Internet era was about another year or two from catching on, so that was one of the last years you could really just chance a game by going by the box and from whatever was available in print at the time.

Capcom debuted two classic single player franchises in the first year of the PS2 in the forms of Devil May Cry (left) and Onimusha: Warlords (right) We rented plenty of stuff throughout the remainder of 2001. Some titles like the quirky action/adventure game, Okage, was decent, but nothing remarkable. Others we ate up like Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, where it perfectly encapsulated the addicting hack ‘n slash, action-RPG loot-fest gameplay of the acclaimed PC Diablo series on console. We took turns passing the controller progressing away at the stylistic action title Devil May Cry, which blew us away back then. Speaking of stylistic Capcom titles, we re-busted out Onimusha and I witnessed Matt get past my hang-ups and go on to blitz through it. It recently got remastered on PS4/Xbox One and worth checking out if you have yet not. Summoner was a so-so fantasy themed action game, but we were looking at the options screen for that game and for whatever reason we decided to check out the credits from the options. After a minute of that we realized this was a waste of time and pressed the X button to proceed on out of there, and instead were bamboozled at the following bonus cinematic it unlocked. We must have watched it at least four or five times throughout the day, because we got more out of that sketch than Summoner itself. It was a radio skit that was CG animated for this game and kind of went on to have some notoriety in gaming circles, but if you are unaware than I will encourage you to click or press here to experience it for yourself. Holiday 2001: A Flurry of All-Time Classics Arrive

The fall of 2001 was a big quarter for PS2. Several classic exclusives hit that holiday season for it. Metal Gear Solid 2 was the first entry in the series I played. Matt and I rented it, but its stealth-focused gameplay was too much for us at the time and both us kept messing up sneaking through the speech scene near the end of the opening boat mission. It would be over a decade before I revisited it and finally played through it in its entirety off the PS3 HD collection of the PS2 and PSP games. I loved both Sons of Liberty and Snake Eater, but I would have to give the nudge in favor to Snake Eater with its superb origin story, nonstop 007-homages, an extraordinary ladder climb like no other, one of the best theme songs in videogame history and one of the best final boss battles in videogame history too. The first of many yearly WWF/WWE games hit in fall of 2001 with WWF Smackdown: Just Bring It. We had the multi-tap, and for that game it greatly benefitted because it became a hit with our neighbor friends where we would play a seemingly infinite amount of Royal Rumbles and Survival elimination matches. I threw it in again a few days ago to prep up for this and to relive the dozen zany created wrestlers that still lived on in my save file. The graphics have come a long way I can say for sure! Twisted Metal: Black was a big deal for Matt and I at the time. The gritty, M-rated cutscenes for each character’s opening, middle and ending cinemas that were unlocked from their story mode completions inspired Matt and I to play through the story mode in co-op with every single character. Thankfully the game saved the cinemas unlocked, because Matt and I were so impressed by how they stood out at the time that we forced them upon several friends that stopped by over the coming weeks. Gameplay-wise, it was a well-refined, straightforward Twisted Metal car combat game, but its M-rated makeover from the T-rated PSone entries struck a chord with us.

Speaking of M-rated games that were huge for us that year, that was when Grand Theft Auto III released and changed the gaming landscape as we know it. I was vaguely familiar with the first two games, but with the third one having 3D gameplay and a more expansive open world, it seemed like it would be a surefire hit, and boy was it ever. I loved SimCopter on PC (an early 3D open world game), and the gaming mag previews gave me the impression that it would be SimCopter, but with guns and violence, and it delivered on that front in spades. I dug its primary narrative for it too, but I think it is safe to say that I was like nearly everyone else and eventually wound up having more fun getting lost and immersed in Liberty City’s world and eventually causing so much mayhem just to see how long I could hold up against a five star wanted rating. 2002: Highs and Lows The early months of 2002 I recall was when I kept going back to those same fall 2001 games I just broke down, but later came around on going all in on those aforementioned PS2 fighting games. I picked up a copy of Tekken Tag for myself around this time and invested a lot of time into it. I took a chance on Street Fighter EX3 and after getting over the initial awkwardness of a 3D-based Street Fighter game I got crazy into EX3 with its devastating meteor attacks, optional tag team fighting and its colorful cast of characters such as the affable Skull-o-Mania! This was right when Guilty Gear X released too and I absolutely ate up that title with it upping the WTF quotient like no other fighter before it. Its unique roster performed all kinds of bizarre attacks, and learning its intricate control systems with complex mechanics like instant kill maneuvers and ‘roman cancels’ had me studying its manual for days!

In late spring of 2002 I moved out of my first apartment so my renting marathons with Matt were over, but shortly-thereafter I landed my first sort-of major gaming press gig. I was independently submitting reviews to GameFAQs for a few years at this point, and the management at the website Game 2 Extreme (G2X) contacted me to coming on board and said while they would not pay me, they would offer me free review copies of games. As a freshly turned 19 year-old, I looked at this as an opportunity to bigger and better things and jumped on it. I will never forget the very first review copy I received for the so-so monster truck driving game, Monster Jam: Maximum Destruction. I spent the rest of the decade jumping to different websites to write for every couple years and lost track of all the titles I got to review. I can attest for the PS2 there was a wide range in quality of titles I received to review. For some of the higher performing games like SOCOM III, Hitman 2 and Star Wars: Battlefront I was able to review, there were bottom of the barrel licensed titles like Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly and Hard Rock Casino to balance things out. Also around this time of mid-2002 my PS2 became my first console to brick on me. Worst of all, it was a gradual, painful death. First, it stopped reading blue-disc games on CD-ROMs, and then it started getting sketchy performance out of certain silver-disc games on DVD-ROMs. My brother at this time had his own PS2 that he won in a local grocery store contest a few months earlier. The PS2 network adaptor coincidentally came out in mid-2002 as well and he was freaking addicted to playing the original SOCOM online all the time. I did not want to shell out $300 for another system so I believe after testing that SOCOM still worked fine on my degrading PS2 I offered to trade my breaking-down PS2, for his newer model for $100 and the condition that if my system I was trading to him would stop playing SOCOM that I would go back on the trade. Thank goodness that never came to be, and as an impressionable 19-year-old at the time I became kind of bitter to the PS2 for a few years with it being the first system I purchased to break down on me. A few years later though after having a couple 360s and my PS3 also all brick on me, I later came to accept that sometimes these systems go bad, especially when getting the first wave of systems rushed through manufacturing in time for launch. For the last two game console generations I have since waited a couple years after each system launch to purchase it in hopes of the console’s manufacturing process being less prone to producing faulty hardware. Sports-ball Love There was a ton of sports games on PS2 and I was lucky to review a lot of them. The football titles in particular I had to plead with editors not to trim down on 3000+ word counts because I exclaimed how the readers wanted to know each and every little detail of what was improved and added in the latest game. I had fun reviewing some of Midway’s arcade sports offerings that generation with NFL Blitz 20-02 and MLB Slugfest: Loaded. Another quirky arcade baseball game was 2K endorsing Konami to release MLB Power Pros in North America. It was a cartoony, cel-shaded baseball game that saw adorable pint-sized versions of MLB players duking it out, but fleshed out with in-depth single player modes. On the PSone I was happy to see Arena Football finally receive its own videogame, and on the PS2, EA acquired the license and released two AFL games that were faithful renditions of the sport, especially the second game that added both AFL divisions. They were sadly the last games released to get the AFL branding as the long running indoor football league finally folded operations last year after a 30-year run.

Two under-the-radar sports series I recommend tracking down on the PS2 are the Power Pros and Arena Football games. I played almost all of the 2K games on Xbox, but as I mentioned above I played a lot of Madden and NCAA Football on PS2 because the PS2 versions had exclusive online support for a couple years, and additionally because of my rivalry with my brother-in-law, Shawn. This generation saw both of EA’s football games explode in popularity and it was no longer apparent the NCAA game was the NFL title slapped with college teams and rules over it. Shawn and I played a lot of Madden at first, but eventually shifted over to the NCAA games more, with the 2003 and 2004 editions we especially played to death. I liked the variety of teams and unique playbooks, and found myself picking Navy a lot because of their unorthodox playbook that focused on fullback running plays. Shawn only played the football games to the point where I could hardly compete with him. One priceless memory of mine was having an awful game full of turnovers and pick-6s, and I swear to god I am not embellishing this: we were playing five minute quarters and it got to the point I wanted a moral victory to avoid a shutout and make one score, and somehow luck struck on one play where I connected on a deep throw in the final minutes of the game and proceeded infuriate my brother-in-law as I celebrated as if I won the game. I understood his frustrations because I will forever remember the final score of that game: 100-6. A Terrific Twilight The PS2 sold so well into the 360/PS3/Wii generation that its cross-gen viability lead to a regular slate of games releasing through 2009-ish, and a handful of sports titles sneaking out after that with the final PS2 game, Pro Evolution Soccer 2013, being released in North America in 2012. If you were keeping up with release schedules, you will notice that two types of games dominated the PS2 in its cross-gen years. One were ports of PSP games from Sony, with titles like Motorstorm: Arctic Edge and the pair of Syphon Filter games getting ported up to the PS2. The Wii was technologically not that far advanced from the PS2, so a lot of cash-cow licensed games on Wii also got ported to PS2 with titles like X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Ghostbusters being completely different playing games by other developers when compared to the bigger budget versions on the 360 and PS3. Some PS2 exclusives also snuck out in this timeframe like the first two Katamari titles and the first two Guitar Hero games. I was a big fan of both games and invested serious time into both series. There are many fond holiday 2005 moments of passing the guitar around to family members trying to best each other’s high scores.

I recall being stoked that the PS2 became the first home console in North America to get an official FirePro Wrestling game with 2007’s FirePro Wrestling Returns. I remember speaking to some of the people working for its publisher, Agetec, at E3 and how excited they were that they finally got Sony to loosen up on its restrictions of releasing 2D games on the system now that the PS2 was in its waning years. Another hit stealth PS2 release from this time was Silent Hill: Shattered Memories that hit America in early 2010. I had a friend visiting from out of town that was huge into the series, but was unaware of this PS2 entry and so we stayed up all night deep diving into that unique take on the series. The first two Yakuza games hit late in the PS2’s lifecycle and I was especially eager to play them because they were being hyped as spiritual successor’s to the Shenmue games that I ranked so high. I played a good ways into the first Yakuza, but recall getting stuck at a funeral escape stage in that game, and unfortunately never got back to it. Yakuza 3 on PS3 is the only title in the series I finished, and now with the Kiwami remakes of the first two games I need to one day just dedicate a year to only playing the many Yakuza games that have since released. MISC Memories -I never got too invested into the online PS2 scene. Usually that was because my brother was always using the PS2 to play SOCOM online a lot. I would use it from time to time to test out online play for games I was reviewing, with Star Wars: Battlefront and SOCOM 3’s online play standing out the most of what I reviewed. I do recall taking up Sony on its mail-in offer for a free copy of Twisted Metal: Black – Online with purchase of the PS2 network adaptor and having fun online in that for a couple weeks. My brother got the PS2 version of Final Fantasy XI, and I briefly dabbled in that for a couple hours, and it was interesting at that time playing an MMO on a console with a controller. The original Xbox had a significantly better online interface with Xbox Live, so that became my preferred console online play option. Only exception to this was for the 2003/2004 installments of Madden and NCAA Football because EA Sports held off on implementing online play for their Xbox games for a couple years, and that was key for me opting in on their PS2 versions when both of those football titles were surging in popularity and lead to the most consistent online play I did with PS2.

-There were so many PS2 games being released in its heyday from 2001-2006 that I would take random payday visits to Best Buy when they had gargantuan videogame aisles in hopes of discovering games I never heard of from smaller label publishers. This worked out both ways in learning of little known ‘hidden gems’ of that era, and eventually finding utter trash. -One odd peripheral I received for review was the PS2 ‘Clash Pads.’ It was a pair of controllers that were connected together with a little accessory box that had switches to give your gaming partner/opponent advantages and disadvantages for gameplay. The controller was a mess to operate, and the added perks and penalties it implemented were mind-boggling. I will instead recommend Namco’s light gun for the Time Crisis games….but only if you still have a standard-def TV. -Popular in the retro gaming scene lately is HDMI cables for retro game consoles to up-convert a system’s signal to HD and provide a much improved looking display than the muddy, watered down graphics that would result when plugging in composite cables into an HDTV. I picked up the HDMI PS2 cables from Pound last year, and they worked nicely on my slim PS2. I understand there are more expensive alternatives out there that yield noticeably better results, but for $30, the Pound cables provided enough of a bump up in quality for me.

-I busted out several games over the past week to prep up for this flashback special. I was finally able to play my copy of the BMX title, Downhill Domination and regretted not trying it out sooner. I had a blast revisiting a couple old favorites in Rumble Racing and Motorstrom: Arctic Edge. Wish I could have tried out more games, but the PS2 was giving me ‘read disc errors’ with half of my attempts and I could not determine if it was the HD cables causing this or if it was the PS2 itself simply aging out. -I touched on a couple wrestling games on the PS2 already, but as a whole I would give the slate of wrestling games for the PS2 in America a hearty thumbs up. I believe I played the entirety and unlocked everything from all the first-run SmackDown games on PS2. When firing up Just Bring It again, I cracked a smile because I completely forgot Fred Durst was a playable character, complete with “Rollin’” for his entrance theme. FirePro Wrestling Returns was a long anticipated console debut for the franchise in America. Multi-platform games I played on other systems like the car-combat spinoff, WWE Crush Hour and the pair of Backyard Wrestling games were fun alternative wrestling games to take a break from the annual core WWE game. Yes, there was a car combat WWE game, and it is surprisingly halfway-decent. I picked up the PS2 version of TNA Impact, but it was a victim of the ‘disc read error’ from the past week. Ditto with the Ultimate MUSCLE-licensed Galactic Wrestling. I picked that one up long ago, but never played it all these years and was stoked to sit down with it on a couple occasions this past week to play it, but alas it was not meant to be.

-A game that was able to load on the PS2 this past week was Namco Bandai’s The Fast and the Furious. It turned out to be an ok-open world street racing game, much like Need for Speed: Underground on the PS2, but with more of a focus on drag races. Odd memory of the day I picked up this game I will never forget: I was out of town for a hockey game killing time at a pawn shop a couple hours beforehand with a buddy where I randomly bought this with a handful of other games. In a gut-punch of irony, it was later after the game while re-fueling on gas, I was catching up on my timelines when I found out earlier that day was when Paul Walker perished. -Another game I was hoping to throw in this past week was 24: The Game. I am a huge fan of the show, and I remember playing a demo of it at E3 2005 and thinking it was surprisingly alright for a licensed-based game. Sadly, that disc was also a victim of the ‘disc read error’ message, so instead I will point everyone to this highly entertaining spoof video review you can see by click or pressing here from then-GameSpot staff member, Alex Navarro.

-Speaking of PS2 games based off licensed TV properties, I want to shout out The Shield: The Game. It was a very by-the-numbers third person action game, and featured unremarkable gameplay, but having the show’s cast well represented visually and aurally in the form of voiceovers was enough to quench my fandom for that show. Despite the five out of ten I gave it in my review at the time, if you were a ardent fan of The Shield, then it was just something you had to play. -I am a big fan of the PS2 slim, but it is worth mentioning a major caveat of the slim: it does not support the PS2 multi-tap for reasons perplexing me to this very day!

-It is almost a prerequisite that I purchase faithful videogame conversions of my favorite board games and TV game shows every console generation and the PS2 was no exception. It had an adequate version of Risk with multi-tap support which was a semi-worthy substitute when we were not up for setting up the board game. Its versions of Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune had a bountiful amount of hosting video clips from Trebek and Vanna, respectively, to perfectly capture the look and feel of the show. The PS2’s version of Family Feud however is easily the worst version I have ever played. Insanely short entry response times, unresponsive button inputs and overall clunky design forever marred the Family Feud brand! Looking back at my review I am guffawed that I scored this a six out of ten. -The last fighting game I was really into on PS2 than the others previously mentioned was Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution. I first played it at Chris’s place like how he introduced me to most other fighting games, and Chris would school me at it nonstop. A short while later, I was staying over at my sister and brother-in-law’s place where they also had that game. I stayed up late after they went to bed and spent hours mastering Wolf since he was the sole pro-wrestler of the roster. Next time I met up with Chris I finally won ONE match against him, but after that he refused to play me again!

-Now while I gushed earlier of my adoration for TimeSplitters during the launch window of PS2, I would be remiss if I did not give some well-earned props to the third game in the series, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect. In the past several years, that game has remained in the rotation of go-to couch multiplayer game with my friends Derek, Brooke and Ryan. It retains the same style of FPS gameplay and creation options as the first game, but now with a ton of extra characters, weapons and levels available. My preferred playlist would be rocking the disco level with its appropriate theme music, and playing as a big bear (complete with bear claw strike!) and whamming everyone with gigantic bananas on the dance floor. Classic times! One of the Best Systems Ever? That is what hardware sales and overall critical reception trend to be when looking back at the PS2. While I now look back fondly at the PS2 as a whole, especially my first two years owning the system, I cannot deny for a few years in the system’s heyday I was not too keen on the system due to it bricking on me and preferred playing games on Xbox and GameCube instead. Like I stated above, I came around on this a few years later and had a blast with the PS2 in its cross-gen sunset years, and revisited its vast library numerous times over the years. While I cannot say it is my personal, all-time favorite console, I can safely rank it among my top tier of favorite systems.

If you want even more PS2 nostalgia coverage from me, then check out the three PS2-centric episodes of my podcast I have un-vaulted from my personal archives and embedded below. Right now I have my general all-encompassing PS2 retrospective I recorded on its 10th anniversary and the PS2/Xbox/Wii installment of the history of comic book videogames episode uploaded. Finishing it off is the PS2 installment in our history of RPG videogames series.

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This episode has special guest hosts from the PSnation podcast where we deep dive for three hours of nostalgic memories of the PS2.

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Matt and I spare no expense at elucidating on every major and minor comic book game on the PS2.

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Just over three hours we spend breaking down nearly every RPG to hit the PS2! My Other Gaming Flashbacks Dreamcast 20th Anniversary GameBoy 30th Anniversary Genesis 30th Anniversary NES 35th Anniversary PSone 25th Anniversary PSP 15th Anniversary and Neo-Geo 30th Anniversary Saturn and Virtual Boy 25th Anniversaries TurboGrafX-16 30th Anniversary and 32-X 25th Anniversary

You’re Still Here!?

Somehow you still made it to the end of another tome of a flashback special from me, so that means I must reward you with an oddball PS2 anecdote of my past! I referenced in past specials how I attended several retro videogame conventions that took place every year in Milwaukee - The Midwest Gaming Classic. At the time the podcast known as Team Fremont Live would always host Jeopardy-style game show each year. My brother and I were picked to be contestants that year! To spice things up for the crowd and get them involved, after every few questions of trivia there would be a quick videogame challenge for extra points and prizes for the crowd and/or contestant. I got picked to play a single stage of the space shooter/shmup, Castle Shikigami 2. Two incredibly loud kids got picked from the crowd got selected to only verbally trash talk and distract me, and if I lost one life then the kids would get a game, but if I somehow overcame the odds and finished a level on a single life then I would win. Now I enjoy playing an occasional shmup, especially in March (it is intergalactic Shmuppreaction month, ya’know!), but I nowhere consider myself legitimately good at the genre and usually lose at least a couple lives a level for almost any shooter I play. Somehow the shmup gods were on my side that day, because even with one of those kids unleashing maximum effort with trash talk directly against my ear, I somehow zoned them out and unbelievably managed to finish the stage and beat the boss with one life. I was at zenith-level of goosebumps during that boss battle and had a cool-down moment of emotions as soon as let go of the arcade stick. My prize? Metal Gear Solid 2, which I would eventually give a serious effort to and finish several years later! That moment, along with the 100-6 loss in NCAA Football 2004, are my two most cherished PS2 moments I will forever remember….and now you can too, because the MGC staff record my attempt and posted it on YouTube. I have embedded it below, or you can click or press here to see it yourself.

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#videogames #ps2 #metal gear solid #rumble racing #yakuza #grand theft auto III #smackdown #24 #the shield #family feud #tekken tag tournament #guilty gear x #street fighter ex3

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