#meanwhile i did get her weapon on a lucky pull back then

[aquatxt]

been a while since I posted about HI3

but

I finally got her and her full gear a few days ago!!

[qdbs-writes]

Glad to see you’re back! I missed you! 🥺

May I please request headcanons for Erron, Cassie, Johnny, and Kitana reacting to their female S/O being shot by a sniper while they’re on a date?

thank you so much, sweetie! i missed you too, sorry this took so long!

MK Peeps' Fem!S/O Gets Sniped While On A Date

Cassie Cage

Being in the Special Forces undoubtedly had some downsides for Cassie. Was every terrorist organisation gunning for her and her family? Yes. Did she give a shit? Of course not. Cassie can't imagine there would be anybody alive stupid enough to do something like shoot her girlfriend...

So when a sniper plants one on you, Cassie is beyond outraged. The fact that you got shot in front of her, clearly someone wanted Cassie's attention and they have it now. You'll be left in the capable hands of the Special Forces medics while Cassie goes on a violent hunt for the stupid mother fucker who thought they could shoot you and get away with it.

Erron Black

Erron was a man who had trouble getting over his past, but some parts of being a gun-slinging vigilante had its benefits. For example, Erron can instantly recognise the distinct sound of cordite made by a firing gun. But it wasn't what he'd call polite conversation for the little roadside diner you'd both found yourselves in.

What he doesn't recognise is a sudden momentum knocking over his hat and the fabric and flesh tearing from your bicep in a clean line as you gasp in pain. Erron yanks you to the ground, beyond further harm, and shields your body with his own until you were certain the would-be sniper had left. Frankly, you had gotten off lucky with just a scrape, Erron has seen a properly handled sniper rifle take a man's head off from several miles away. He picks you up as he stands, and drops a few hundred dollars into the tip jar of the diner that was now missing a window. You smile apologetically at the bedraggled waitress as you make your way outside, secure in the knowledge that you and Erron have a new mission.

Johnny Cage

All his life, Johnny had worried about big windows overlooking mountains. All his life, people called him paranoid. So naturally, when you book a date in a fancy restaurant in the Swiss Alps, Johnny will be on edge. No matter how many drinks he has, he can't seem to swallow that anxiety.

When a red dot starts to hover over your forehead, Johnny's sure he must be having some kind of stress-induced hallucination. But he's also had a lot of wine, so fuck it, Johnny launches himself over the table, pulling you to the floor with him alongside a clattering of cutlery and plates. Your unimpressed glare tells Johnny that he's about to get an earful until the tall window beside you both shatters into pieces. A stunned silence falls over you and the restaurant patrons as you realise what's happened. Meanwhile, Johnny is having the time of his life, for once his paranoia has paid off! He'll also continually bring this up for at least five years.

Kitana

It happened so quickly, she almost didn't notice it. All the warning she got was a distant bang and suddenly there was a deceptively small, round hole in your shoulder, the blood spewing out as you collapse onto the floor.

In a fit of panic, Kitana rushes for you, rolling you over to put pressure on the wound. Tears pour from her eyes as she searches for life in yours. By the time healers come, you'd managed to keep focused on Kitana's face above you. The princess was distraught, not just at your injury, but the fact that she never knew that Earthrealm weapons were capable of such attacks.

[usopps-devotee]

know sounds cringe but just hear me out lets say that the red hair pirates just recruited a cute female crew member thats pretty short(like 169cm) and weak. She goes shopping alone in town ,the town the red hair pirates staying at .But than she gets attack by some thiefs that try takeing her money but when she refuse to give them they beat her and leave her with huge red bruises on the arms/legs and on the forehead that start to bleed pretty bad ...she gets still in pain and robbed....walks to the local clinic.Stay in a room to heal. Meanwhile back at ship where the guys are starting to worry about their little pumkpin desides to go searching for her .They go around asking everyone at different food stalls if they seen her keep mind that shanks and his crew are wereing their causal outfit and weapons on and super tall guys so people get scread. They finally get a to a man that saw her.he gives the directions to the clinic. Shanks and his crew get to the reception and ask for their little pumpkin is bit the receptionist tells that she can't tell where their pumpkin is at because if she has not clarifies that visitors are allowed than she can't tell them.Also because she thinks they look suspicious because there pirates

How do you think the guys will react to this fact?

short,,, anon that's like 5'6 ,,,,,,, I'm 2 inches shorter than that (like 162cm or something). please don't bully me on my birthday.

they would be relieved to have located their sweet girl but that doesn't end their worries. What happened, who attacked you, how bad was it to the point where they aren't allowing you to have any visitors? They needed to see you.

If you think they don't sneak in you're a fool, its both startling and heartwarming to hear the sound of Shanks coming in from the window. "Captain! you're here, sorry if I scared you." it was rare to see Shanks mad, the amount of rage in his eyes almost terrified you. "Who did this." his voice was calm it was clear that someone wouldn't make it till tomorrow. You told him everything, how the gifts you had gotten for the crew as well as every last berry had been stolen. From the way you described it he's surprised you made it here on your own.

"I'm so sorry pumpkin, I swear we'll never let anyone lay a hand on you again." You sat up in your bed, wincing a little at the pain. Pulling the captain into a hug, him being heartbroken was worse than all the cuts and bruises you endured. "Shanks I should have known better than to go out by myself, I'll make sure to bring someone with me next time." he gives you a small kiss on the forehead and rubs your back. "See you tomorrow Pumpkin and make to get that visitor thing fixed so we can see you."

Lucky and Yasopp are the first to come and see you, both melodramatic about your current state. Damn near tears while they explained how worried the crew was. Benn ended up stopping by before they left even bringing one of your favorite sweets to make you feel better, although he waited for the two other men to leave, wanting you to have your treat by yourself.

Shanks was the last member of the crew to visit you, to your surprise he came back in with a wide smile and familiar bags. "I didn't look in most of them," he said like you should be proud that he didn't snoop through all the gifts, all you can do is shake your head and smile. "So which one is mine?"

"That my dear captain you will have to wait and see, i want to give everyone their gifts at once."

[djfics]

Behind these Violet Eyes Arc 1 Part.1

Chapter 2: Someone who can listen

Summary: Aphelios chats with his online friend called "The Boss" and he tells about his life. Ezreal encounters Valoran High's bully Shieda Kayn.

WC: 760

October 26, 11:04 A.M. - Cafeteria

After the classes are done, Aphelios and his friends went to eat lunch at the school cafeteria. "So...how's everyone's classes?" Jinx asked the boys and sighed.

"So....much numbers......" Ezreal said and put his head onto the table. "I'm completely fine" Aphelios signed. "I almost got in trouble because of 'him'" Ekko said while drinking a bottle of water.

"Who's him?" Jinx asked while taking a bite of her salad.

"Shieda Kayn" Ekko said which Jinx and Aphelios' eyes got wide open.

"Who is he?" Ezreal asks and Jinx looked at him. "He's the biggest bully of all Valoran High and he's quite a cutie" Jinx said while smirking which Aphelios facepalm until he heard his phone ringing.

"I'll be right back guys" Aphelios signed and leaves while holding his phone.

"Looks like he's going to talk with his 'crush'" Jinx said while eating her salad.

October 26, 11:05 A.M. - School Courtyard

Aphelios went outside and decides to chat with his online friend known as "The Boss". He met online playing games and they helped him compete in Ranks. And he tells about his tough life when he's on lunch break.

The Boss: Hey, how's your morning?

Weapon of the Faithful: Same as always 😮‍💨

The Boss: Damn....Do you plan to escape from him?

Weapon of the Faithful: I can't...he's my father

The Boss: How about your mom?

Weapon of the Faithful: She abandoned me and my dad.....

The Boss: Sorry about asking you about your mom....

Weapon of the Faithful: Is okay, And how about you?

The Boss: I was raised by my mom, I don't know about my dad

Weapon of the Faithful: You have a wonderful mom

Please don't make her sad, okay?

The Boss: I will, I have to get going, I have to go to Social Studies Class, how about you?

Weapon of the Faithful: Science Class

The Boss: Good Luck!! 👍

Weapon of the Faithful: Thanks 😊

Aphelios put his phone away and leaves for Science class. He went to his locker to grab his science books until he heard a bang from the lockers. He went and saw Ezreal with a guy with black hair with blue streak and is braided, green and gold heterochromia eyes and he's wearing a black leather jacket with a white shirt, a chocker, silver rings, piercings on his ears, eyebrow and nose and black painted nails, black jeans and black convers.

"What do you want nerd?" the guy asked Ezreal which he got nervous.

"I want you to stop copying my friend's school w-"

"Is that so...No" the guy said with a smirk. Aphelios decides to interfere the two.

"Who the f*ck are you!?" he shouted at Aphelios. "Phel, what are you doing!? This is my p-" Aphelios interrupt Ezreal and went close to Kayn and pull out his phone just in case he doesn't understand sign language.

"Who are you? And why are you picking my friend?" the guy heard the robotic voice on Aphelios' phone and he get close to him.

"The names Shieda Kayn, you got to remember that y-"

"Kayn let's go!! We got training to do" Kayn turned and saw Varus along with his friends Valmar and Kai.

"Alright I'm coming...you guys are lucky that your almost get punched in the face" Kayn said and leaves with his basketball buddies.

Ezreal looked at Aphelios and glared at him. "Why did you do that Phel!?" Ezreal yelled at Aphelios and he sigh. "I don't want my friend gets bullied. Why did you do that!?" Aphelios signed angrily at Ezreal and he looked away.

"I'm sorry Phel...is just...."

"I know you want to help Ekko, but facing him will not resolve this problem" Aphelios signed. "Your right...let's forget about it and let's go to Science Class" Ezreal said and the two of them starts walking to class.

Meanwhile

Sett was staring at his phone, looking at the messages between him and his friend until he presence the ball and caught without looking at it.

"Nice catch Sett!!" a guy with green and teal hair and has feathers, blue eyes and wearing a football outfit said.

"Thanks Rakan" Sett said while looking at his phone. "Are you having a conversation with your friend?" Rakan asks Sett and he nodded.

"Yes...I want to know how 'Faith' looks like" Sett said while put his phone away. "Anyway...let's train for the upcoming game."

"Yeah" the two Vastayan men went back to train for the big game and someday Sett will meet his friend.

A/N: I know is a bit too short, but I'll try My best to post more amazing chapters. Also, Kayn, Varus, Valmar, Kai, and Rakan debuted.

[bobathirstaccount]

Fated Ch 6

Y’all - you did it to me again and did 1:1 for the vote! I had to flip a coin lmao. Anyway, let’s see what happened… 😂

***

You turned around and circled into a vendor’s stall. Pretending to check out a sarong, you watched them talk. He seemed to make a purchase and leave. Once he was well out of sight, you shot over in an embarrassingly straight line to the woman’s stall. She was selling jewelry. Finely made, too.

“Can I help you, dear?”

“Uh, yeah. I wanted to buy something. But, I don’t know where to start. What did your last customer buy? …for inspiration.” You wondered how believable your lie was. She seemed unbothered either way.

“Ohh, what a gentleman! He needed so much Help. He wanted something for a lady friend, but similarly to you, didn’t know where to start. He was so good looking, too,” she swooned.

You stayed calm. After all, weren’t you the ‘lady friend’ he was referring to? You gulped. Maybe.

“Anyway, he bought the last piece I had with this off-world gem. Very pricey. Lucky lady,” she complained.

Smiling to yourself, you found a reason to leave her stall abruptly. Time to eat and then back to work. The faster you were back at work, the faster your day would be over. Then, you could message Boba and seem casual about coming over.

***

“Anyway, what did you do today while I was working away?” You and Boba had decided to combine the drink with working on your bikes. You were lovingly disassembling your old bike so you could transfer some parts to your new bike. Meanwhile, Boba was ripping things you didn’t need off the new speeder.

“Oh, bit of this, bit of that… you know, retired guy stuff.” He heaved and pulled off the ugly fender. “Now, that looks better already. And, more aerodynamic.”

“Take it easy on the new baby,” you laughed as you stopped to sip your libation. Boba had surprised you by mixing fancy cocktails.

“Ah, it’s tough. It’ll be alright,” he tore something else off and tossed it casually aside.

“What color you painting this one?” He sipped his drink, holding the tiny umbrella still.

“Oh, I like my current color scheme. Think I’ll keep it.”

”Oh. What about a nice green shade?”

”Hm?”

He seemed amused with himself, “Nothing. That’ll look really nice.”

You put your empty glass down and crawled under your old bike. You heard Boba ask, “Refill?”

”Yes, please,” you mumbled, busy.

You heard him come over and kneel down next to you. Picking up your glass, he squeezed your thigh lightly. “Hi,” he purred. Then he was gone, leaving you slightly flustered.

You heard the sound of drinks being mixed. You put a bolt in your mouth to keep it from getting lost as you pulled a piece off your old bike. Suddenly you realized it was deathly quiet. You took the bolt out of your mouth. Just as you were about to call to Boba, you heard him say, “Now, why are you here?”

“Get what I’m owed!” An aggressive masculine sounding voice called.

“I already explained. I didn’t cheat you at Sabacc; you just suck at it. Plus, I’m pretty sure You were cheating. So it defies logic why you’re here.” Boba actually sounded friendly.

“Kark you, you nerfherder, you steal from Me and now you say I was cheating? I won’t take this insult!” You heard a weapon being drawn. Did you stay where you were? You were pretty sure he couldn’t see you from where his voice was coming from. Could you help?

Being held at blaster point didn’t seem to phase Boba. He replied calmly, “Honestly, this isn’t a great time… for me to kill you. Can we reschedule?”

The man was so mad he made unintelligible noises for a moment. Then he said darkly, “Well. It’s actually is a great time, for me to kill you. Imma take your ship! And these two speeders!”

You lithely slipped out from under your bike and crawled behind it. Did you stay put or try to help Boba?

[sufandomgirl]

Miraculous Ladybug x Hell's Belles Series Part 1: Gabriel

[A/N: Once again, another ridiculous Hell's Belles Crossover idea. I think at this point, it's a given. Comment if you find this funny or just plain weird.]

!Season 5 Finale Spoilers!

Gabriel: Make sure that Adrien doesn't remember the villain that I was. (sets rings down) Only the times that I tried to be a good father...

Later...

Adrien: As distant as he was to me, I always chalked it up to him missing Mom. I'll miss him.

Marinette: (internally screaming) Oh, I'm sure he'll miss you...(under her breath) wherever he ends up.

Adrien: What was that, Marinette?

Marinette: Nothing! Nothing, Adrien. So, what are you thinking of doing...now that he's...gone?

Adrien: I hadn't really thought about that.

Nathalie: (with Amelie) No matter what, I can't leave Adrien. I've grown to love him too much.

Amelie: (holds her hand) You were so close to being his stepmother, and you took care of him for so long that he became like a son to you. (giggles as Adrien waves at them; waves back)

Nathalie: (waves back at Adrien) I just hope that Gabriel found some peace in the end.

Meanwhile, At the Hellp Desk...

Gabriel: (walking up to the desk) Excuse me, ma'am, maybe you could help me. I'm supposed to be with my wife, but I was told that I was to come down here to get my situation cleared up.

Penny: (makes eye contact with him) Gabriel Agreste. (looks up and down the mountain of a file) Yes, you're definitely in the right place for...clarification. Your file materialized on the floor and it still reaches above the top of my desk. (touches file) Or do you prefer that I call you by one of your alter egos instead?

Hellp Desk: (collectively lean in closer)

Gabriel: Alter ego? You must be mistaken.

Greg: (walks up behind his wife)

Penny: Sir, we know every detail of your life after we touch your file. Every single one. Like a massive temporary download. So, do you prefer Gabriel, Hawkmoth, Scarlet Moth, Collector, Shadow Moth or Monarch?

Gabriel: Miss, I'm af--! (looks around) What are they doing?

Everyone: (pulling their hair up)

Penny: Oh, them? Don't mind them. Another cool thing is if something major happens in the world like all of the destruction you caused, everyone in what you call the 'Afterlife' will find out about it. We've actually been expecting you since your first akumatization. Several deities from many different belief systems have actually called down to put their name on the waiting list for their turn to come down and give you a taste of what you deserve and we just finished constructing your pocket dimension. Sort of like solitary confinement.

Gabriel: What?! I was doing it--!

Judy: To bring your wife back? We know why, Gabriel. That doesn't negate the fact that what you did and the lengths that you went did an irreparable amount of psychological harm and what you said to that poor girl who had to fight you so many times and even tried to warn you that there would be a price to pay. You were a villain, you sure got that right.

Gabriel: Ladybug's Lucky Charms fixed everything, though.

Lily: Not everything, Gabriel. Not her trauma, or your son's or anyone else's that you hurt. Even if they did, you're still destined for your own pocket dimension on Level 9. Don't worry, Greg will get to drag you down there eventually. However, let's see how strong you are against other ADULTS WITHOUT your Miraculous. Since you know, beating up teenagers was so easy with it.

Dante: (hits "record") This is gonna be great!

Sharkie: (starting up LED chainsaw) Yeah, it is!

{Gabriel's eyes held so much fear as the Belles charged him. Bel and Greg watched with pride as their wives and friends beat up this pompous magical asshole. Angel was just happy to hand them weapons. Dante handled the livestream. He was getting better at it.}

Emilie: (watching the livestream) That's what you get for throwing my son across Paris so many times, asshole. (slow turn to Aphrodite) I'm really not sure what Nathalie--or for that matter, I--saw in him. Care to explain?

Aphrodite: Hey, that was not on me. Eros handles Paris, France. Hera and Athena made sure that I had no reign over anything named similarly to Paris of Troy.

Eros: (pokes head out of sliding door) Hey, I thought that she and Nathalie could change him! Love can change people.

Emilie: I'm afraid that's only true for some people. Hopefully, my Adrien will be okay with Marinette. Those two were made for each other.

Athena: I hope that Marinette girl and your son can live somewhat happily now. They should never have had to become soldiers against evil so young, and until the Butterfly Miraculous is retrieved, her and your son's fight isn't over. If she ever chooses to reunite with Hippolyta [A/N: Sorry if I spelled that wrong], I will hopefully get to pass an encouraging message on to her.

Meanwhile, In the Mortal World...

Marinette: (feeding each kwami their favorite and hugging Tikki)

{All of a sudden, her Kwagatama glows, pulsating and Tikki separates from her to see what it is. Her eyes get wide.}

Marinette: Uh, Tikki, Su-Han, what's happening?

Su-Han: This is...remarkable.

Tikki: It's never happened before. (flies in front of Marinette's face) Marinette, you know how you can summon any of the past Ladybug Holders by touching a Guardian seal and saying 'Reunion'?

Marinette: Yeah, I remember talking to Joan of Arc. That whole day was embarrassing and crazy. What about it?

Tikki: Well, it's only been theoretical and never happened before until now, but I think one of the past Ladybug Holders is trying to connect with you from the Afterlife!

Marinette: (gasps, shocked) What?! That's possible?!

Tikki: Until you, a lot of things were thought to be impossible, Marinette. Even with the Miraculous.

Marinette: (panics) Aaaaahhhh! What do I do? A legendary hero is trying to talk to me from beyond the grave!

Su-Han: You answer them, obviously. It should work the same. (hands her a Guardian pendant) You're one of us now, Marinette. Please, accept this pendant as an apology. Just touch the Kwagatama to it and say 'Reunion'. Think of it, like answering a phone call.

Marinette: (takes pendant; puts it on) Okay, here we go. (deep breath; touches Kwagatama to pulsing seal) Reunion.

{The bright light flashes and instead of portraits hanging, she sees Joan of Arc walking towards her instead.}

Marinette: Joan?

Joan: (hand across chest, bowing) Good to see you again, Noble Ladybug of Paris.

Marinette: Why are you bowing? How are you? What's going on? Tikki said that this has never happened before. Other, previous Holders contacting me from the Afterlife.

Joan: I am well, thank you. You've proven yourself worthy and capable of a bow. You've done it. You've stopped your Monarch. Something that I regrettably could not do myself.

Marinette: The Butterfly Miraculous, it's still missing, I was trying so hard to keep him from making the wish, and I couldn't even do that. Someone else took it. I got all the others, but...I failed.

Joan: (holds her shoulder) You did what any of us would have done. You're far too young to have grown so quickly. All of us were chosen when we were already adults. We cannot fathom how you've managed to overcome so much, yet you have. Your Guardian chose well.

Marinette: (tears up, sniffles) No, he didn't. I couldn't protect him. He had to renounce because of me. I was the only one who could take his place...(holds pendant)

Joan: (looks, amazed at Guardian seal) You...are the only Ladybug that's ever become a Guardian. The fact that you are so young and have conquered so much in addition means that Tikki may very well be right to describe you as the best Ladybug holder she's ever served. The fight may not be over, but neither are you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Hero Champion of Paris and Guardian of the Miraculous. Whenever you need any of us, we will be here. The other Ladybug Holders sent me to assure you that we are all behind you and now that your Black Cat has a Kwagatama, the same goes for him. Call upon us and we will come to your aid. They also wanted to send me since I am the only one that you've ever summoned from beyond the Veil. They're quite amazed by you as well. Same goes for my Grimalkin and the other Black Cat Holders.

Marinette: Amazed? By me? That can't be right. You're all legendary heroes who have overcome impossible odds, and I'm just a clumsy baker's daughter.

Joan: Is that the pleasant aroma from downstairs? Don't be doubtful of my next words, you and that puny kitten of yours have become somewhat of legends yourselves among us. You've overcome odds all your own and will continue to. Some of the other Ladybug Holders want to come and meet you. We just can't come all at once because that would raise suspicion in the Afterlife. We'll try to space it out, but some can't wait. (hugs her) Worry not, for Monarch is where he belongs and we will take care of him from here, like we do all of each other's enemies. Fare thee well, young Guardian. (disappears)

{The world comes back into focus and Tikki is the first to ask.}

Tikki: Marinette, is everything okay? What happened?

Su-Han: What did you see?

Marinette: The world around us kind of darkened and instead of portraits, the Holder trying to contact you just walks up to you to talk. Made me a little disoriented, coming back into focus. Couldn't you hear it, Tikki?

Su-Han: (writing this down) Fascinating.

Tikki: No. It's strange, but I couldn't hear anything. Who was it?

Marinette: It was Joan again. Side note, Su-Han, you may want to give Chat Noir a seal, too. The battle is far from over and Joan implied that maybe he'll need to talk to the previous Black Cat Holders with his Kwagatama, too.

Su-Han: Got it. Wait, Chat Noir has a Kwagatama as well?

Tikki: Plagg said that he gave him one.

Su-Han: (smiles and nods) I'll get one for you so that you can explain it to him, Marinette.

Marinette: Fine. Anyway, she also said that apparently, Tikki, you've described me as the best Ladybug that you've ever served. Despite the rest being legendary heroes known throughout history.

Tikki: (rubs back of head) Well, every Ladybug is different. Like she probably told you, you're the first not to be given your Miraculous as an adult.

Marinette: Yeah, she said that. Also, that Monarch is where he belongs in the Afterlife and that they'll 'take care of him' there. Like they do for each other's enemies.

Tikki: Well, yes, Marinette, you've earned your place as one of them and their respect because of all that you've accomplished at such a young age. As Ladybug Holders, you can summon each other from all across history and from the Afterlife for a reason. It's a huge burden and no one should feel as alone as you have. They look out for each other. Monarch is gone and they...have some grievances with him. Particularly because you are so young and they've grown fond of you, like I have.

Marinette: (hugs her to her face as she nuzzles her)

[aprilbrowines]

Scp Erased Chapter 8: operation negotiation

Summary: Surrounding the hideaway, Percy and the scp agents tries to get their culprits...with surprising results.

A neon sign hung on the window of the house as the boys took a breather. Car crash sat on the couch, contemplating on how he was going to explain to his parents about the truck.

“My dad's gonna kill me…” Fred groans in his hands. Dark star and Flamethrower were comforting him, patting his back in comfort. Spike and Crusher were holding their weapons–A pair of recolored Banzai blaster peashooters, guarding the living room.

In what is assumed to be a bedroom, Molly sits on the bed while Giovanni thinks of a plan. “Okay think think think,” Giovanni mutters; Pacing back and forth “Those guys are probably from some shadow government group. Which is worse than the regular Government!”

“Boss, Please, you need to calm down.”

“And You, you must have been brainwashed or worse…hypnotized.” Gio whimpers the last part.

Molly sighs in frustration, while she understands his concern for her; she doesn’t want this to escalate even further. After the small tour Dr. Bright gave her, she needed to fix this.

“Giovanni potage!” she said in a firm tone, “I need you to calm down and listen to me…please”

Giovanni stopped his pacing and looked at Molly in shock, did she use his full name?

–

Meanwhile outside the building the two vehicles parked in front of the building as the groups got out, Dr. Clef walked towards Percy with a glare.

“You got a lot of nerves using your power on us Pal.” He growls

“You used your weapon on a vehicle which had civilians.” Percy replied calmly.

Alto and Percival were glaring at each other, their hands hovering above their weapon in case. The silence was broken when an explosion was heard. They turned to see Dr. Bright holding a rocket launcher, smoke was coming out of it as he had a reassuring look.

“Yep,” He nods, “They’re definitely using SCP-159.”

The building was still intact. Both agents looked at Jack with disbelief.

“Dr. Bright, you could have tested it another way!” Agent Tanner shouts.

The smoke cleared revealing the building unscathed. “We might have to lure them out.” Jack suggests, Putting the launcher away.

Percy went inside the van pulling out a megaphone, she adjusts the volume before clearing her throat.

“This is the sweet jazz police! Please come out with the hostage unharmed and your hands up!”

There was no answer from the other side, Bright grabs the megaphone from her.

“Attention Criminal scum!” He said, “You’re going against a rather powerful group which is a dumb choice on your part so if you don’t want to become dust give us back our stuff and the kid safe and sound.” Dr. Clef pinches the bridge of his nose while agent Tanner looks through his binoculars. From one of the windows he could see Molly holding up a sign.

“We just want 2 talk," it said, written in green crayon.

“Dr. Clef, Dr. Bright, it seems that they want to negotiate.”

—

Both groups were sitting around the table, the tension and distrust lingered in the air. Bright, Clef, and Percy were on one side while Giovanni and Molly were on the other. His boys and the agents were blocking the way, keeping their guard up.

“HOW DARE YOU STEAL MY MINION FROM ME!” Giovanni said, Slamming his hands on the table.

“Don’t steal from us and we won’t steal from you!” Dr. Bright said back, Clef pinching the bridge of his nose.

Molly pulled Giovanni back, “Boss, please calm down.” She said softly. He grumbles, crossing his arms like a child. “Fine…you’re lucky that bear trap is with me.”

Percy clears her throat to clear the air, making sure that the negotiation doesn’t dissolve into a battle. “It appears that there’s some explaining that needs to be done.” she said. Dr. Clef nods as he looks at Giovanni.

“Mr. Murder, We have a notion that you’ve infiltrated the foundation, stole some of the items, and released dangerous anomalies out into the city.”

He placed down files revealing security cam photos of what seem to be Giovanni and another person with him at site-19, the back of their hair was a lighter pink than Gio’s. Giovanni looked at the photo and then Dr. clef and then the photo again.

“Hmmm…I see now.” Giovanni said, rubbing his chin inquisitively. He doesn't see now. “Well it certainly sounds like something I would totally do…cept for the dangerous part.”

“We’ve already re-captured scp-173 the killer statue but the others won’t be so easy. If you could tell us where they disappear to, it would make the search easier.”

“Uhhh…well the thing is…i don’t know where they are.” Giovanni admits awkwardly. “But me and my boys can help find them.”

Dr. Clef resisted the urge to facepalm himself, he looked at the Blyndeff girl who had a pleading look on her face. She wanted to show them that Giovanni’s not a bad guy. He sighs in defeat.

“Very well then, you and your boys will be an unofficial mobile task force.”

“Oh can we call ourselves the lost boys?” Ben asks

This wasn’t gonna be an easy search.

[heleciacrow]

Aaaa probably my request that got deleted but here we go again 😭🥲

Fanfic request: Heimdall x reader (y/n)

Heimdall has to go get y/n because they need to do a quest together for Odin. Heimdall goes into y/n's room without knocking. Turns out he just walked in on y/n in the middle of changing clothes since y/n just got back from training. Y/n doesn't mind Heimdall being in the room, so Heimdall takes the advantage to annoy her. At some point, Heimdall gets flustered because of something y/n did on or not on purpose. The rest is up to you ;)

This would prob be a one shot

Y/n can be she, he or they, up to you! (But for this request preferably she)

You're amazing, sorry about that. I'm gonna work on it for you ☺️

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

All Father has been coped up in his study once again, listening to his raven rambling about some problems in one of the realms and need to be tend as soon as possible. But of course, Odin cannot go there himself to check it nor fix the issue. He wanted Thor to deal with it but he knows that it would be an issue for him. He checked the prints of other issues but mostly in Asgard and it's more important that going to the realm where his attention was also needed. So he called Heimdall, his loyal watcher of all Asgard.

"As you can see, I am currently buried with other matters here." He explained, Heimdall smile proudly at his father as to what he needs to do "With honor to follow your command, All Father. I will see to it will be handled as soon as possible." Satisfied with Heimdall's eagerness to fulfill this request, Odin added another "But you're not doing this by yourself, of course. You need to bring Y/n with you since she can unlock the barren doors in Nilfeim. So go and fetch for her and leave as you can." He instructed. Heimdall internally sigh on why he need to get Y/n with him when he knows that he can just figure out how to unlock the barrens, but Odin knows what he's thinking "Destroying the sealed door won't work, Heimdall. Now go and get Y/n so you two can start." With not much of a choice, Heimdall agreed to take you with him, much to his dismay. He left Odin's study and proceed to walk down the hall where your room is lead to be.

Meanwhile, you just return back from your training. You enjoyed sparring with the Valkeries all the time and yet, it will leave you completely messy. A bit of your clothing was torn up of your abdomen and mud smeared on some part of your face. You feel lucky to have a clean basin and a spare of clothes to wear. Putting down your weapon next to your bed, you pick up the basin and place it there. Taking off piece by piece of your top and bottom, you sat on your bed with the basin next to you. Damping a piece of clean rag to wipe away the dirt that you collected from your training, unaware of the approaching figure outside of your door.

Your skin glistening with small drop of water, you continue to cleanse yourself, enjoying the relief. Once you are done cleaning, you went to put the basin back on the table and pick up some clean clothes for you to wear but before you could proceed, the door of your room opens, your head turn quickly to find Heimdall standing at the door frame with eyes widened in surprised, his Bifrost eyes moving from your toes going up to your bottom and to your back. Words got stuck in your mouth as you don't know what to do. But Heimdall is quick to close the door behind him as he steps inside your room. You pull the cloth to at least cover your chest "what the hell are you doing here?" He shake his thoughts out of his mind and compose himself before walking around you with interest "My... Is this what you hide in your armour? What a delightful sight to see." He commented, the smirk on his face growing as you try to cover your body from his observing eyes "Heimdall... Did you ever have any manner to knock at least?!" He didn't really care to be honest and just proceed to check you out "Well, it's not my fault that you did not lock your door, sunshine. I must say, you always catch everyone's eyes and now I know why."

You sneered at him while you put on your top and he whistled at your movement. "Why are you hiding them? You should feel lucky that for I am the one who came to see you." You can tell he's trying to annoy because of it but you just roll your eyes at him "whatever... Can you please get out?" He look at his nails and just look at you, not really planning to leave anytime soon "I don't think I will, but I wanted to know how you hide all these beauty?" Now you don't know if he's being serious or just plainly mocking you, but you had enough "You're not really leaving?" No, he's not leaving. He even approached you closely "what is it you want?" You asked "well, All Father asked me to fetch you because you will come with me in Nilfeim, no but unless you wanted to seduce me like this." Frowning at this, you shake your head before picking up the pants you're gonna wear tho you wanted to get back at him for invading your privacy. Instead of showing annoyance at him, you smirk "I am not trying to seduce you, Heimdall." You turn to face him again and close the gap of your body since he did not move from his spot while teasing you, you press your chest on his as you look up with enchanting eyes with your smile not faltering. Staring at his Bifrost eyes, your hand moves to his chest, moving your head upwards and making your lips close to his, you feel his heart speed up. You can tell he did not see this coming and whispered closely to his lips "Would you like me to seduce you?" You asked softly, he was about to lean down to close the gap of your lips together but you turn your head away and proceed on putting your clothes on, before walking over to your door "well, since All Father needed us to be working together, let's go. We don't want him waiting now, do we?" Leaving him there, he was shocked, flustered and many things started to fill his mind, once he got over his initial shock from your action, he grin menacingly while looking at the door where you have gone to "Oh, don't try me, sunshine. You just opened a new possession to be mine."

His eyes burned with desire now thanks to you. Now he just needs you naked again but with a sole purpose to claim.

(I'm not sure if this what you wanted but I hope it is to your liking🌹)

[inquisimer]

MER MER MERRRR "non ducor duco - I am not led; I lead" for Cullen x Lavellan???? pls :3

happy fridayyyyyy💜 my muse is slowly trickling back in, have some Neria and Cullen sparring at Skyhold

for @dadrunkwriting

Neria leaned against the stone wall of Skyhold’s infirmary and watched the match in the sparring ring with a sort of lazy interest. She didn’t really have an eye or mind for battle tactics—that’s what they hired Cullen for, after all—but Josephine said it was good for morale to have the Inquisitor observe the training.

So, she observed.

The newest recruits, the ones who still adjusting to the chafe of armor and the weight of a sword at their sides, were clustered around the fence. Some perched on hay bales while other leaned on their shoulders, eagerly watching the ongoing match.

Gemma and Lukas circled each other. He wielded only a greatsword, held diagonally to prevent easy access to his torso. His opponent held a smaller blade and a shield loosely raised just off from center. Both had been with the Inquisition since it’s inception and there was both more confidence and more solemnity in the way they approached their drills. They had tasted the battle they’d volunteered for firsthand now—they knew they were the lucky percentage of green recruits who’d made it out of Haven alive.

With no warning, Lukas lunged across their impasse, striking out with the pommel end of his weapon in a move meant to stun so that he would have time to execute a true blow with his heavy sword. The crowd tensed, a few gasps rippling through the newest recruits, but Gemma saw what the observers did not and raised her shield in time to parry the strike. Taking advantage of Lukas’ forward momentum, she ducked under his arms and slashed at his side. Her practice sword clanged against his armor, but between that and his solid stance, the blow was negligible. Meanwhile, Lukas had recovered and she was forced to tuck and roll away, surrendering any advantage in favor of escaping a losing blow.

“Stop.”

The bout halted immediately at the Commander’s word. Both combatants dropped their weapons, chests heaving despite the briefness of their encounter. Cullen pushed off his position on the fence and approached Gemma.

“What did you do wrong?”

“My strike—it should have been lower, to keep him off balance.”

Cullen nodded. “And you?”

“I was telegraphing,” said Lukas, rubbing the back of his neck with one gauntlet. “So she got her shield up before I could stun her.”

“Correct. And tell me why you know what you did wrong?” Cullen’s voice took on a twist of exasperation. Both soldiers stared sheepishly at the ground.

“Because we’ve been making the same mistakes since we signed on,” Gemma finally mumbled.

“You have. If you do not learn from your mistakes—“

“Have you given them a proper demonstration, Commander?” The crowd parted for Neria as she left her station by the infirmary. She unfastened her cloak as she went and threw it across a nearby barrel, rolling her shoulders. Her emergence chased away the shame and discouragement of the ended match and the spectators glanced eagerly between the Inquisitor and the Commander.

“Inquisitor.” Cullen eyed her somewhat warily. “How do you mean?”

“Have you given them a proper demonstration?” she repeated. There was a rack of practice weapons alongside the ring and she pulled a stave from it now, whipping it a few times to get a feel for the weight and balance. “In my experience it is hard to take technique, even one drilled a thousand times, and apply it without any context of the flow and practicality.”

“I—no, I have not,” Cullen admitted. “Time for such demonstrations has been…limited.”

“No time like the present.” Neria cocked an eyebrow and gestured to the sparring ring with her staff. “Shall we?”

“You want to—now? Here? Maker’s breath—“ He closed the space between them and dropped both his head and voice so that only she could hear. “Didn’t the Ambassador suggest you merely observe?”

“I’m sure she’ll be positively thrilled to see me actively engaging in leadership,” Neria fired back, then she put space between them and raised her voice. “Unless you’re concerned about your pride, Commander?”

Laughter rippled through the gathered crowd, which now included a number of scouts and servants in addition to the recruits. Those who had been on the receiving end of the Commander’s ire quickly hushed it, however, and Cullen narrowed his eyes at her.

He plucked a practice sword from the rack and draped his mantle over the fence. When he took his place opposite her, his face was all business, assessing her loose stance and the grip on her stave as only one with Templar training could.

“I’m aware you’re manipulating me.”

“I should hope so,” Neria quipped. “Terms?”

“The Commander always says that we must practice as we would perform in the field, that practice makes permanent,” Gemma piped up from her new perch on the sideline. “The rules in the ring are no different than those of battle.”

Neria raised a brow and Cullen confirmed this with a slight dip of his head. She grinned, catlike and sly.

“Very well.”

Both took their stances and Lukas, looking positively gleeful to be standing in the Commander’s usual spot, slashed his hand downward.

“Begin!” he declared.

As soon as the word fell from his lips, Neria slammed the end of her wooden staff against the packed dirt. An opaque orb coalesced at chest height and flew across the ring toward Cullen. Reflex brought his shield up before it connected, but it didn’t matter. Her paralysis spell took root on the metal and spread in vertical circles from the point of contact. Cullen froze in a blocking position and Neria traced a glyph in the air before her, weaving mana through the end of the practice staff. It wasn’t as effective as with a proper weapon, but the shape completed and a purple bold of arcane energy blasted across the field.

Her paralysis spell shattered under the force of Cullen’s willpower and he angled his shield to bat the arcane bolt away. A roar tore from his throat and he charged, closing the space between them with a speed that belied his heavy plate.

Neria was no stranger to battle at this point, truly she hadn’t been such since she set foot outside of Kinloch Hold. Instinct took over and she pulled herself through the Fade, dodging his bash and—fwoosh—appearing on the other side of the arena. She whipped around and brought her staff up to her face.

Thwack!

Her arms shook under the force of Cullen’s blow. He was close enough for her to see the sweat and concentration in his eyes. For the briefest moment Skyhold faded; she saw the fields outside of Amaranthine and the glint of metal off an upturned sword and the edges of Blight creeping in—

“AHHHH!” The Fade exploded in her immediate vicinity and Cullen was thrown backward. He landed on his feet, thrusting his shield forward to counter the momentum. Neria spun her staff and thrust it sharply upward. Before the spell could take root, however, Neria felt the world come into sharper focus.

She gasped. Her lungs pressed against her ribcage as she felt distance grow between herself and the Fade. The weakness hex on the end of her staff fizzled out.

Her mana pool drained without warning and Cullen bore down on her even as his Cleanse took proper hold. She’d known it was coming—a mage doesn’t simply forget the way a Templar sharpens reality—but her legs still gave way and without the Fade at her fingertips, in her mind, in her chest, she could do nothing but fall to the ground.

The assembled spectators gasped. She couldn’t even raise a weak barrier and Cullen was a mere breath from having his blade at her throat—

Like a bolt, Neria rolled, bending her much smaller frame around Cullen’s bulky one. His pace stuttered in surprise—there weren’t many mages who could physically withstand a Cleanse.

A fact that Neria had been counting on.

It wasn’t easy, but she ignored her protesting limbs and threw her stave to the side, drawing a dagger from her belt. Before Cullen could fully recover, Neria flung herself at his back.

She wrapped her legs around his middle as best she could and pressed the dagger to his bared neck. “Yield.”

For a few heaving breaths, Neria thought he wouldn’t. That the adrenaline of a battle—even one in practice—would carry him forward. But then his wooden practice sword thudded against the dirt and a cheer erupted from the now substantial crowd.

Neria peeled herself from the Commander’s back and retrieved his fallen weapon, grasping the blunted blade and offering him the hilt.

“Well fought, Commander,” she said quietly. He studied her, searching as if for some ulterior motive or false mask. If he found one, it was of his own making.

“And you, Inquisitor.” He returned both of their weapons to the rack and replaced his mantle across his shoulders.

“Well?” he barked. Those who were not training scrambled to return to their duties and those who were snapped to attention under his glare. “To work, recruits!”

[ask-paradox-and-friends]

Chapter 28:The Next Choice.

The God Fighters Council Room

*The remaining god fighters minus some were set up in the room. Ares was sitting near Hermes where Zues would sit. To the Right was Shiva who had all four of his arms regrown were bandaged He had a load of bandages wrapping on his jaw and chest still somehow Not fully recovered from the fight with the hulking monster that Hermes was sure would've ended many of their fighters next to Shiva was Thor the very quiet warrior who was very bored None of these mortal seemed to interest him outside of the ones that won but he knew they were no match For him so he dropped the interest. To Hermes's left was Loki of asgard who was poking fun at Anubis both Gods were angrily yelling at each other about what to do and complaining about their pantheons loki was saying that Odin shut himself off Thor was no fun and the Nordic group wanted to finish the tournament and then consider what to do with the Egyptian group tried to pull Anubis out of the battles out of fear.*

Loki:oh come on don't be such downers. You're forgetting we're still stronger then them and The remaining fighters aren't to going win and beside we've been needing to change up our council.

Ares:YOU DARE!?

*Before Ares could move Hermes stopped him*

Hermes:easy. As you know we have taken heavy losses. And those who lived got badly hurt.

*Shiva made a pained groan as he nodded*

Hermes:now we need a plan. There has been reports of Gods going behind our backs to lead demon armies To destroy the mortal worlds and all failed. Gods siding with the mortals have also left heaven. Mai's group of female Roman goddesses have murdered many belonging to the Mesopotamian pantheon. Sunblood had managed to get the gods of his pantheon to bring down a good amount of the gods who are connected to the underworld or invading gods.

Ares:there's that and the fact my soldiers and guardian angels have said the elves dwarves and even Giants and demons have worked together with Yokai and spirits to take out forces and the worlds are working together. Demons are learning magic. Yokai are getting quirks and that's just the start giants are commissioning cyclops to make gear for them and some how many demi gods are telling me they're being destroyed by divine Weapons. I fear hell and heaven are being uprooted.

*Anubis snarled at this and jumped on the Table*

Anubis:THEN WE WIN THIS AND KILL THOSE EINHERJARS AND SHOW THOSE MORTALS WHY WE GODS RULE! SEND ME IN SEND ME IN!

*It was then that the door was struck open revealing Susano no mikoto had appeared he found out A great manslayer was going to be the next fighter. He didn't care if it was this Pico or whoever he wanted to show his stuff and glared at Anubis the Egyptian jackal tried to stare him down but his aura and his drive let out such a power that Ares felt strangled and Hermes for once looked uneasy To which susano declared*

Susano:it has come to my attention that humanity sent their greatest manslayer to battle so heaven's greatest godslayer shall battle Them.

Ares:how'd you know?

Susano:Hermes told me.

Ares:HERMES!

Hermes:the mortals did it all the time so I evened the playing field and to be fair he kept asking me.

Ares:we have standards..

Hermes:that are making us lose. Idk about you but I prefer life.

*meanwhile in another room*

HUMAN FIGHTER CONFERENCE ROOM

*the room that was chosen was a small unfurnished room that had a wide table that was made of the hardest metals of heaven and hell as the seats were set up. In one seat was Tsugu hugging Hercules's club while drinking tea in another was Kaito drinking a cup of coffee and had taken his hat off showing his flowing aged silver hair that was once purple. Garou came in with Deku. Garou had come into the room with an Apollo tattoo and Deku sat down making a woodcarving of Zerofuku and the seven lucky gods. Mai was in one of the table having been revived But unfortunately thanks to the eyes of the lord she had to have her nose eyes ears along with her mouth plugged and covered as she randomly bleed from then Paradox was there as well Trying not to grunt in pain as he sat down. He now had a massive line on his body from his hip to his face that was like a 3rd degree burn from Shiva and so he was in a little pain at soon as they sat down Dearil walked into the room he had acquired a new Shiney arm that was made of materials of the many worlds. It was a beautiful platinum and so he sat at the end of the table looking like the king of the Einherjars and he looked around.*

Dearil:so our next foe is Susano.

Garou:so a storm god? Hmm..wasn't one for rain.

Deku:the god who invented Kendo. Hmm Kaito I think I found your match.

Kaito:*waves hand as if he doesn't want to fight him*

Tsugu:the wild God. Hm.

Paradox:he better not be like the ballsack or the wannabe carpenter.

Mai:HA! GOOD ONE! WHAT WAS THAT KAITO?

*Dearil looked over seeing Pico having walked in with Naruko the ginger soldier took a small salute as naruko hugged the king now she might have been a foxy vixen but she knew who was good and who's Bad and the king was a good old man and she smiled*

Naruko:so about that assignment?

Pico:can we?

Dearil:yes.

*they then revealed they were wandering the underworld trying to figure out why Brunhilde did everything as ragnarok Seemed excessive.*

Pico:so it seems Brunhildes's boyfriend Sigfrid is locked into hell on behalf of odin.

Paradox:Sigfrid is a Germanic demigod though.

Naruko:so Brunhilde is using us to get laid and Odin is planning something~

Tsugu:What? Why?

Deku:goddamnit why am I always used by bastards?

*the group talked and argued only for Dearil to raise his hand*

Dearil:Now for our champion I've chosen a shinsengumi captain.

*he dropped a file*

Dearil:in many lives they were unimportant and were two separate people but in one world they were one person and lived a longer life. They shall help us.

*meanwhile Brunhilde was choosing who to go only to turn and see three people. A large man with a torn haori a man with an eyepatch with a blooded Robe and finally a rather handsome individual with dark black hair tied into a bun and they walked up.*

???:you are choosing a person to battle? I wish to step in.

Goll:who?

???:I was once Sakamoto Ryoma. But now…

*they put on their blue hyori showing they are the captain of the third division.*

Saito:I AM SAITO HAJIME!

*and thus Humanity's greatest manslayer have joined the Battle to fight the heaven's greatest godslayer.*

MEANWHILE WITH BUDDHA

*Buddha was wandering the underworld he had found out about Brunhilde and was so confused about the situation he soon set out to discover why only to see why Sigfrid was down Here only to see a familiar face. Odin.*

Buddha:well hello dindin!

Odin:...

Buddha:I'm here cause I heard a rumor going around and heard about you keeping a demigod down here. I looked forward and saw you had a plan. Why dindin? Is this important dindin?

*he dodges a punch from the god and he chuckled getting ready to fight as Odin smiled*

Buddha:Aw did I touch a nerve dindin? Is he part of your plan dindin? HAHAHAH

*Odin soon summoned his spear Gunir and aimed it only for a large purplish white fist swung out and stalemate it.*

Odin:you? But your!

Sunblood:dead? Yes I was. It's an upside of knowing gods that live in the void. before you say Anymore I know your plan. You wish to use ragnarok to bring back the primordial Goddess who brought life to your universe. The “Genesis”. Arkhé correct?

Odin:*after an hour of laughing* YES! This is my passion my battle! You shall not interfere!

*Odin soon let out an aura that cracked the floor and shook the air only for Sunblood to let out a little of his own which let out a blinding light that eclipsed even Apollo they soon took a step towards each other Odin's spear shall meet Sunblood's mech*

*while Brunhilde walked to the arena she and goll was stopped by Loki.*

Loki:hey girls♡

Brunhilde:what is it loki?

Loki:I got out of a meeting and well we're pushing this fight forward and shall be fighting as you know us gods are stronger then your fighters so why not give up now? I'll make sure uncle Odin will spare you.

Brunhilde:what do you want in return?

Loki:I–what?

Brunhilde:you want something from me.

Loki:what? I can do this good for you? I'm trying to save you.

*Brunhilde walked Away with one last taunt ignoring Göll's look of confusion and fear*

Brunhilde:nah. We'd win.

*loki soon left to his room and his doll making craft sighing in a tone of love.*

Loki:*hugging the Brunhilde doll* your look in those eyes and how you spoke to me was so cold..but I can't get enough of it…I love that side of you.

*in the arena all of humanity was suprised as the whole of the arena was made to be a complete replica of Kyoto in Japan during the end of the Era of the samurai.*

Heimdall:IM SORRY ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO GET CLOSER BUT AFTER APOLLO AND GAROU WE NEED TO MAKE SURE YOURE ALL SAFE!

*the screens played still playing to the living to show the next fighters.*

Hiemdall:AS YOU CAN SEE THIS IS JAPAN AT THE END OF EDO AT THE REQUEST OF A GOD HE SHALL FIGHT THE HUMAN HERE!

*Cue Groans of disgust from the gods.*

Hiemdall:THE GREASTEST SWORD GOD IS HERE TODAY! HE ONCE CUT DOWN THE TEN HEADED SERPANT OROCHI AND THAT DAY KENJITSU THE WAY OF THE SWROD WAS BORN THAT DAY! HE SOON GOTTEN HIS SWORD THE SWORD OF THE HEAVILY CLOUDS! AND HE HELD BACK THE GODS OF TAKAMAGAHARA! SWIFT LIKE LIGHTING! FEROCIOUS LIKE A STORM HES THE STRONGEST GODKILLER! SU! SA! NO!

*Susano looked around and smiled he looked like he walked into a funland.*

Himedall:AND NOW TO HIS OPPONENT! THE EDO PERIOD WAS A PERIOD OF DANGER! OUTLAWS WALKED THE STREET! THE IDELS OF MEN WERE ALMOST AS SHARP AS THE SWRODS THAT CUT THEM DOWN! WHO IS THE STRONGEST MANSLAYER THAT APPERED IN THIS TIME? IS IT THE LEADER OF THE TENGU CRIME GANG? THE LEADER OF THE CHIVALROUS SHINOBI? THE LEADER OF THE SHAMADA MILATRANTS? MAYBE THE SUMO WRESTLERS? NO! NO! NO! ITS THE RONIN WHO LIVED TWO LIVES AND SPENT YEARS CHASEING ONE MAN AND MADE THE WORLD BETTER! THE ONE WHO HELPED STOPED JAPAN FROM BECOMING A BRITISH COLONY! THE ONE WHO REFORMED THE SHIENGUMI! THE ONE WHO MADE ENEMIES BECOME ALLIES THE ONE WHO BUILT AN ARMY OF THOSE THEY DEFEATED! SI! ATO! HA! JI! ME!

*Saito soon walked out. They were a smaller person With black hair brown eyes and a handsome face that made many women faint or swoon only for susano smile being hyped the humans haori was light blue and had the Kanji for 3 and was wearing western shoes and tucked in baggy Pants and soon two Voices were heard their adopted son and daughter.*

Haruka:GOOD LUCK UNCLE HAJIME!

Taro:COME ON MA—I MEAN PAPA! BEAT HIM!

*Saito laughed and threw off their robe showing despite being seen As a man's man and a handsome one but they were in fact a woman! And a rather good looking one.*

*of course everyone was surprised but the Shinobi the Sumo wrestler she fed and helped the swordsman club of weapon collectors the tengu crime gang the well meaning apprentices and the many people she helped along with the brawler Turned warrior monk quited them all to make sure they focused on the fight.*

SAITO HAJIME VS SUSANO NO MIKOTO

HUMANITYS BEST MANSLAYER

VS

HEAVENS GREASTEST GODSLAYER

[doamarierose-honoka]

Black Widow's track record in the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn't always been flawless. The highs ("Captain America: The Winter Soldier") were certainly high, but the lows ("Avengers: Age of Ultron") were just as low. Still, the operative otherwise known as Natasha Romanoff was always the MCU's secret weapon. She practically ran away with every film she appeared in, and for a large part of the franchise's initial run, she was one of the few female characters making a consistent impact. But as Johansson continued to turn in solid supporting performances, it was hard to ignore the fact that she'd yet to get a chance to stand on her own.

By the time Marvel finally delivered a solo Black Widow project, it felt like way too little, too late. "Black Widow" found itself somewhere in the middle of the franchise's 15-year output: it did its title character justice, in a way, but it wasn't exactly worth the wait either. It didn't help that the film came hot on the heels of Natasha's shocking sacrifice in "Avengers: Endgame," perhaps as a conciliation prize for over a decade of demand for more female-centered stories.

"Black Widow" was only the second MCU film to feature a female lead after 2019's "Captain Marvel." Why exactly did it take so long for Marvel to give the people what they want; to recognize that the future is, in fact, female? The answer is tangled in a whole lot of red tape, but the behind-the-scenes book "MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios" boils down years of conflict to one pervasive issue: the obstinance of former Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter.

A tentative start

A Black Widow movie had been a topic of discussion even before the formation of the MCU. Conversations were taking place as far back as 2004 when Lionsgate optioned the rights to adapt the character in a feature film. Back then, Black Widow was considered the easiest Marvel character to bring to the big screen: there was already a precedent for spy films with the rise of Jason Bourne and his gritty, jet-setting contemporaries.

"X-Men" screenwriter David Hayter had been tapped to write and direct for Lionsgate — but whatever progress he made was halted by a new wave of ill-received action vehicles. "Unfortunately, as I was coming up on the final draft, a number of female vigilante movies came out," Hayter told the "MCU" authors. Some — like "Tomb Raider," "Underworld" and "Kill Bill" — were bankable hits. Others, however, weren't so lucky. After the less-than-auspicious release of the Charlize Theron-led "Æon Flux," Lionsgate pulled the plug on its Black Widow movie.

"'Æon Flux' didn't open well," Hayter recalled. "And three days after it opened the studio said, 'We don't think it's time to do this movie.'"

Hayter went on to develop Zack Snyder's "Watchmen" and Netflix's "Warrior Nun," but still looks back with regret on Lionsgate's canceled plans. "I accepted their logic in terms of the saturation of the marketplace, but it was pretty painful," he continued. "I had not only invested a lot of time in that movie, but I had also named my daughter, who was born in that time period, Natasha."

Designing Natasha

When Black Widow made her MCU debut in "Iron Man 2," Hollywood was still acclimating to the idea of a female-fronted superhero film. Fans seemed to want a solo Black Widow film right off the bat, but Marvel and its notoriously meddlesome Creative Committee remained lukewarm to the idea.

Johannson, meanwhile, was working hard to prime Black Widow for an imminent solo film. With the help of Joss Whedon, Nastaha's appearance in "The Avengers" felt much more grounded and nuanced. "Joss Whedon and I talked about her past," Johansson said. "Who is she? How does she get to be a mercenary? What path do you follow in order to get to that place? We both wanted to see the darker side of her — why did she have to learn those skills?"

Johansson's conversations with Whedon would lay the groundwork for Natasha's long-gestating solo film. "The Avengers" established her strong relationship with fellow Avenger Clint Barton, spun a compelling tale of her time before S.H.I.E.L.D., and reintroduced her as an operative with her own agenda. Johansson seemed much more at home in the role, which only made her performance that much more captivating. Natasha was holding her own with a handful of superpowered men. But that, in turn, raised an "obvious question": if Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man got to continue their arcs in their own films, why couldn't Black Widow?

Trouble in the toy aisle

As years passed, Marvel continued to drag its feet on a solo Black Widow movie. "There's no definitive plans," Kevin Feige said in 2011. "But we have started talking, and talking with Scarlett, about what a Widow movie could be."

But despite Feige's claims of progress, Marvel seemed no closer to greenlighting a Black Widow film. At the end of the day, the argument kept circling back to merchandise sales. "Toymakers will tell you [female heroes] won't sell enough," Whedon said in 2013. And given that the head of Marvel at the time, Ike Perlmutter, had made his name in the toy business, he had no problem clinging to that philosophy. For years, Black Widow action figures were conspicuously missing from toy shelves. The same goes for the female characters that followed in her footsteps, like Zoe Saldaña's Gamora from "Guardians of the Galaxy."

Things seemed to come to a head in 2015 when IndieWire's "Women and Film" blog uncovered an email sent from Perlmutter to a Sony executive. The message was brief, containing a short list of female-led superhero movies and their respective box office takeaways. Perlmutter cited "Catwoman" and "Elektra" as financial disasters, likely to discourage Sony from investing in a female action hero. (In 2014, Sony had announced its plans to develop a female-centered story for the Spider-Man Universe — just days before Perlmutter sent his email to Sony's Michael Lynton.)

Kevin Feige's last straw

By the time Perlmutter's email was leaked to the public, the outcry had reached its zenith. Female fans seemed more visible than ever, but female heroes continued to be sidelined in the MCU. It wasn't just Black Widow; fans were also disappointed in Marvel's decision to exclude the Wasp from "The Avengers," despite her being a founding member of the supergroup in the comics. Though she'd later appear in "Ant-Man," the 2015 film didn't do quite enough with her character. "Guardians of the Galaxy," meanwhile, had pulled a large female audience in its theatrical run (more than 40% of the audience was female). Change was certainly in the air, but Marvel remained unmoved by it.

Even Marvel head Kevin Feige had seemingly had enough and all-but-directly addressed Perlmutter's emails in a 2014 interview with Comic Book Resources. "I very much believe that it's unfair to say, 'People don't want to see movies with female heroes,' then list five movies that were not very good," he said. "And they don't mention 'Hunger Games,' 'Frozen,' 'Divergent.' You can go back to 'Kill Bill' or 'Aliens.' These are all female-led movies. It can certainly be done."

Feige's "unusually blunt criticism" of Perlmutter and the Creative Committee was one sign of his efforts behind the scenes. In 2017, Vanity Fair reported that Perlmutter had been "quietly sidelined" in "a long-overdue" management restructuring at Disney. Sources close to Marvel cited Perlmutter's "outdated opinions about casting, budgeting, and merchandising" — as well as his financial support of then-President Donald Trump — for the studio's switch in leadership.

The next generation

Once Feige was promoted to Chief Creative Officer, the MCU immediately pivoted to make its projects more inclusive. With films like "Black Panther" and "Captain Marvel," the franchise was finally beginning to mirror its audience. Those efforts paved the way for "Black Widow" to finally bow in 2021 — but even with all that red tape finally cleared, the film would have its own set of problems.

Still, for all that frustration, at least we know why it took so long to get more women-centered films off the ground. Marvel has since introduced a handful of powerful female heroes, all of whom owe some measure of debt to Black Widow, and to Johannson. It is, of course, a shame that she never got to truly enjoy the fruits of her labor: with Natasha's death in "Endgame," the MCU lost one of its most nuanced characters. "Black Widow" proved that she still had plenty to give, all while offering a brief glimpse into the sort of blockbuster vehicles that fans (and actors) have been denied for years.

Alas, such is the nature of a trailblazer. Marvel is still grappling with a new set of issues in its latest phase, but with Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, it's safe to say that the Black Widow mantle is in good hands. Hopefully, we won't have to wait another 10 years to see her solo vehicle.

[ggomomomo]

Pledge Myself to You

Cross posted in AO3 Inspired by Episode 2 of Spy x Family

Marinette leaned against the window of the shop, slightly bouncing on her heels as she checked her wristwatch again. It was fifteen minutes past their agreed meeting time. There was no sign of Tim. Not even a call or message. 

She sighed internally, pulling her coat closer. It happened so quickly—she found a single father in a boutique she frequented and they decided to fake date because of their circumstances. For him, it was for the sake of his child’s schooling. For her, it was because of her brother (and the inevitable need to protect her identity and continue her job). 

In hindsight, it was absurd. They barely even knew each other. But Marinette chose to trust him and went ahead and told everyone she’d be coming with her boyfriend. She had a creeping feeling that it was going to backfire on her. She did not like said feeling. 

“I hope he’s okay,” she whispered to no one in particular. “What if something happened to him?” 

She peered at both ends of the street and continued waiting.

---

“FUCK!” 

Explosions boomed throughout the entire warehouse, followed by an onslaught of gunshots. Red Robin scrambled to get the door, holding it open for Red Hood, who carried the stolen goods out. “Timmy, you dragged me into a death trap!” Hood barked out, pulling out his own guns. 

Red Robin jumped at one of his assailants. “No.” Kick. “Names.” Punch. “On.” Jab. “The.” Dodge. “Field.” Strike. “Jay!” 

Curse the agency’s shortage of spies. He just had to be dragged into another mission to steal back jewelry. On the same day he had to go to the promised party with Marinette!  He was lucky Jason agreed to go with him, or else the task would be a hundred times more inconvenient. 

He glued himself near the entrance, waiting for the goons to come out as Red Hood started the van. His jaw clenched. Thirty-eight of them inside . . . I have less than ten seconds to deal with each. As soon as they popped out, he began, tackling them one by one and picking up discarded weapons. He glared at the van where Jason was comfortably waiting, not even bothering to help him. 

When he finished, he made a mad dash towards the vehicle. 

“I’m so late,” he hissed, frantically removing his cowl. He took one of the suitcases to check if the contents were intact.

Meanwhile, Jason sped through the highway. “It’s your own fault for taking this job.” 

Tim held up a necklace to eye level. “It’s not my fault I’m the best one they have.” 

Jason clicked his tongue. “Show-off.” He madly swerved to the side. “I get a cut, right?” 

“Pick whatever you want.” Tim slammed the case shut after taking a nice diamond ring. “I get this one.” 

---

Marinette shivered. How long has it been? Forty-five minutes? An hour? 

“So this is what it feels like to be stood up,” she mumbled. 

She just had to suck it up and tell Adrien she was still a single, lonely office woman who definitely didn’t have a suspicious side job.  Her worry sprouted from the frequent arrests of the police. If she didn’t have a convincing fallback, she’d end up in trouble and make her brother fuss over her again. 

She walked languidly, wondering if she could skip out on the party instead. But if she did, her coworkers would just gossip about her more often. Plus, she had the gift prepared. Marinette heaved out a sigh, straightened her dress, and headed to the venue. 

Lila greeted her first when she arrived. “Marinette! You’re late!” 

“Sorry, I got held up.” Marinette grimaced and gave her the gift bag. 

“I thought you were bringing your boyfriend.” Alya raised an eyebrow. 

“Ah, um he had an emergency . . .” 

“That’s too bad! I wanted to meet him.” 

She settled on a chair in the corner as the girls whispered among themselves. They’re probably saying I made it all up. Her shoulders slumped. Which, technically, isn’t wrong. 

The party was warm and lively, but she was barely familiar with any of the people. She was a stranger amongst them, a functioning adult who couldn’t fit into the norms of society. She folded her hands neatly on her lap. 

“Hey, Mari!” Nino approached her, handing her a glass of punch. “I was hoping to meet your boyfriend tonight.” 

Marinette forced out a smile. “He got too busy tonight, sorry.” 

“Adrien’s been asking about you, you know,” he relayed. 

She fiddled with her thumbs. “Can—can you tell him I brought a nice guy?” 

“You can’t do that, Mari, you know how Adrien gets really concerned about you!” Alya stepped in. “I’ll make sure he personally gets the news. You can’t just lie to him, he’s your brother!” 

Marinette’s gaze lowered. Why do they have to involve themselves? 

Maybe . . . maybe if I killed everyone here I wouldn’t have to worry about anything. 

She blinked. No! Bad Marinette! 

Nino nervously steered Alya away. “We’ll get out of your hair, Mari. Thanks for coming!” 

Adrien would want me to live a ‘normal’ life. But I can’t let go of something I’ve known for years. Her hands clenched into fists. Maybe it’s better if I leave . . . I have nothing to do here anyway. 

She stood up abruptly. “Excuse me—” 

The door slammed open, revealing a disheveled Tim who had a bloodied head. Scratches littered his hands and face, along with some dirt marks. Marinette gasped as the guests gaped at him. 

Tim swayed a bit as he spoke. “Sorry I’m late! I’m Marinette’s husband, Tim Drake!” 

“Boyfriend, not husband,” Marinette corrected in a whisper. She took out a handkerchief to clean his face. 

“Oh god, I forgot about that,” Tim winced. 

“You okay, man?” A wide-eyed Nino walked over to them. 

“Yup, nothing to worry about!” Tim chirped. “It’s just a client who got a bit aggressive, that’s all. It’s pretty normal in my line of work.” He turned to Marinette. “Are you doing okay?”

Doing okay?! You should ask that to yourself! Marinette’s lips parted. 

“No way! You’re married?” Lila stared at both of them. “We never knew about that, Mari.” 

Marinette could see her livid face reddening and her teeth grinding together. Before she could explain, Lila struck again with her saccharine tone. “Does he know about your late night trips to hotels?” She sneered. “You giving ‘special massages’ to your clients?” 

Marinette bit her lip. Those were my targets! 

Something flashed in Tim’s eyes before he went back to his cheery demeanor. “Mari told me about that already! I think it's admirable.” 

“What?” Lila’s nostrils flared. 

“She worked hard to support her adoptive brother. It’s brave of her to step up after their parents died and she took care of both of them all by herself.” Tim beamed. “So I think it’s pretty amazing.” 

Marinette’s cheeks flushed. “We—we should get going, Tim. It’s pretty late.” 

---

Tim felt embarrassed to bring a creaky van to bring Marinette home but he had no choice. Luckily, she didn’t seem to mind and looked more relieved to get out of the stuffy party. 

“Sorry about the husband thing,” he blurted out. 

“It’s fine,” said Marinette. “Umm, you were still out of it.” 

At the side mirror, he caught a glimpse of a car racing after them. His eyes narrowed. Shit, did they follow us? A tracker in the jewelry? 

The car hit them in the back. “Mari, hold on, okay?” Tim turned the car, pressing hard on the gas pedal. 

“What—what was that?” Marinette turned to look at the back. 

“Uhhh, just those clients!” he laughed uneasily. “Looks like they’re not yet satisfied with the deal.” 

Her eyebrows furrowed. “Is that okay?” 

“We’ll just have to give in to the chase.” 

He parked the van into a corner and they both hopped out to sneak into an alley. There can’t be a lot of them,  right? He took Marinette’s hand and led her into another street. God, I shouldn’t have let Jason leave early. 

He picked up a stray metal bar as they ran. Her hand’s really soft—no, it’s not the time to think about that! 

“Does this happen often?” she quizzed, keeping up with his pace. 

“Not that often,” he explained, “Er—you see, sometimes they do that as a test, like an extra criterion in the business deal.” He stopped and struck two of the men who cornered them, rendering them both unconscious. 

“It’s a special transaction of sorts.” They zipped into another path. “And it’s worked wonders in our projects.” 

“So that’s how it is,” she said thoughtfully. “That’s interesting.” 

Tim fought off another attacker. He pushed the body away but when he looked up, another was leaping towards him. He sidestepped to dodge, but Marinette got a clean kick on the guy, causing him to roll across the cement. 

Marinette’s hands flew to her mouth. “I’m so sorry! I interrupted your transaction.” 

Tim smiled, feeling a tug of pride in his chest. “No worries. Thank you. Outside help is always welcomed.” 

He took her hand again and they fled the scene. That’s a handful of them. There better not be more. I need to think of a way to get rid of them all at once. Gunshots rang out this time. 

“Tim . . .” 

He looked back at her. 

“Do—do you want to get married for real?” 

He immediately stumbled, tensing at her words. Marinette rambled. “It’s—it’s just that we already told everyone, and we—we can at least make it official for the school interview and all. Also, I’m still worried about the cops coming after me. But if you don’t want to, that’s okay! I understand! I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have suggested it in the first place—” 

“Mari!” He cut her off, skidding to a stop and holding both her hands. “I’ll be happy to marry you.” 

She stopped. “Re–really?” 

He nodded. “I was planning to bring it up anyway . . .” 

He dug through his pocket. Fuck, where did the ring go?  

“Let’s go get our papers done later,” he offered. 

“Later?” 

“Better than to delay it, right?” 

Tim cursed, hearing voices yelling at them. While they ducked behind a wall for cover, he picked up a fallen grenade from one of the unconscious bodies and bit off its pin before tossing it towards the gunmen. 

“In sickness and in health . . .” Tim recited, hoping he’d get the vows right. 

The grenade flew up in the air. 

“. . . in sorrow and joy . . .” 

He slid the pin ring into her finger. 

“. . . No matter what kind of trouble we run into . . .” 

The blast rattled everything around them, sweeping a wind through their clothes and igniting a blast against the bleak night. But nevermind all of that. Tim was only lost in her eyes and pinkish cheeks. He could hear the pounding of his heart over the explosion. 

“. . . I pledge myself to you.” 

[owlswritingcafe]

The Stars and The Night Sky

Warnings: None at the moment

Reader: Gender Neutral

Word count: 1.2k

Rating: SFW (For now, may have mature themes in later chapters)

Genre: Series, Slowburn, AU, Isekai, Harem, Multi-chapter

AO3 Version

Summary: It’s been a while since Genshin Impact had finally finished its story production and you had just gotten dolled up for a convention made just for fans like you! You spent MONTHS planning your costume and checking out the venues to check off what you wanted to visit for each day.

That is to say… Visiting the actual Tyvat, was definitely not part of your itinerary.

Prologue: Fishing up a Tiny God

You’ve been a long time fan of the game Genshin Impact , from buying merch of your favorite characters to even cosplaying some of them. Hell, you probably think most of your money went into pulling for that one character you loved since they just wouldn’t come home!

However, never in all your years of living would you have ever thought you would actually visit Teyvat other than in the game or fan made recreations…

But, here you are.

Sitting at the fishing spot at the start of that game you loved so much.

Fishing up some emergency food.

You swore on your life you were just heading to the restroom at the convention you were at. You heard of people needing to imagine water to use the bathroom but this was absolutely ridiculous. Honestly, you weren’t sure if this was a dream or if you played Genshin so much that you’re hallucinating about being in it, either way, time to check…

YOWCH!

Yeah… Yeah, that pinch hurt like hell.

Looking in the reflection below, you notice a little addition to your costume that wasn’t there prior.

Lumine’s flower.

A sense of dread fills you up inside. Do you take Lumine’s place in this world? Or would it be Aether? Or both twins’ roles in general? Do the twins even exist in this world-

You feel a super strong tug on the fishing rod that you held, breaking you out of your train of thought. So much so that the force almost took you down with it if you didn’t stand your ground. Man, is this what it was like when the traveler got their Paimon? This was even worse than trying to fish for rare fish in game, was emergency food that worth it?

You hear some howls of hilichurls and wolves in the distance (Luckily much farther from where you stood).

…

Emergency food is absolutely worth it.

And a one, and a two-

And pop goes the Paimon!

While Paimon sat down, trying to catch her breath and cough out leftover water in her system, meanwhile, you help give her a pat on the back and help her.

It currently took all the willpower you had to not pinch her chubby wittle cheeks. She is so much cuter in person!

“Man, is Paimon lucky to see you! Paimon thought she was a goner for sure!” Paimon perked right up after getting all that water out her system. Gosh, even her voice was cuter in person! It was much more reminiscent of her Chinese voice rather than the English version but just as charming as the English version.

“Well, I’m glad I could help! But, what were you doing in the water anyway?” Despite the game being finished back in your world, your memory of certain parts of it seems to be quite patchy. In fact, your memory in general is pretty scrambled. Perhaps the traveling from one world to another scrambled your memories?

“Uhm…” Paimon scratches her head with a saddened look in her starry eyes. “Honestly, Paimon doesn’t quite remember what happened… Paimon was just floating around and then she was in the water the next!” You couldn’t tell if she was telling the whole truth, a half truth, or flat out lying. But, judging by her expression, you didn’t want to push her.

“So, what about you? Paimon’s never seen anyone with your kind of clothes before!”

You paused before you fully formulated a response.

Paimon is trustworthy, right?

After all, she did accompany the traveler in the game through thick and thin, even when things were getting real dicey. Plus, right now, you have no weapon, no power, and no working phone, so you should at the very least keep some emergency food with you. In all seriousness, you are absolutely and utterly alone in this world right now. The knowledge you have of its video game counterpart will only get you so far with the real thing. A Teyvat tour guide would be extremely helpful for you at this moment (And some teammates but we’ll get there when we get there).

“Well…”

You decided to confide in Paimon about your predicament.

“So… What you’re trying to say is that you fell here from another world with no memory of how you even got here? And in your world, this place is a popular game?” You nodded.

“I don’t quite know why I’m here. In the game, there were two other characters in my place. I’m not much of a fighter either.” You mentally sighed at that last part, your characters’ levels really speak volumes since there were times you were too lazy to fight the monsters in game.

“Well… You saved Paimon’s life, so she will do her best as a guide!” The little God puffs up her chest with pride. “Although, Paimon doesn’t quite know how much help she would be since you said you know most of Teyvat already…” She looks down in sadness for not being of much help to you in that aspect.

“That’s okay, your company is all I need. After all, I’m pretty much alone in this world, and anyway, this version of Teyvat could be completely different from the one that I’m used to.” You give Paimon a few reassuring pets on the head as you give her a warm smile.

“So, you can still be my guide in this world!”

Paimon brightened up in response.

“Mhm! First things first, we’re off to one of the Statue of the Seven!”

You and Paimon go through the usual route the traveler did in the game.

Wow, it’s one thing to play the game but it’s a whole other thing going into the world itself! Honestly, you don’t think you’ve ever seen plants this green or water so clear and blue!

The two of you end up at the cliff like in the game. The view was breathtaking in person. Back home when you played the game, this particular cutscene seemed rather lackluster when the game just seemed like a breath of the wild clone at first. But now that you’re here in person, you don’t blame the traveler for looking so amazed.

“Paimon’s not sure if the Anemo God knows anything about you coming into this world, whether they or the other Gods answer you is another thing, but it’s always best to try!”

You nodded, she’s right. There could be a possibility Venti might know something about this situation you’re in, or at least, he can point you in the right direction.

Although… Knowing that drunkard, his lips are going to be sealed tight as per usual.

Arriving to the little island that the Anemo Archon Statue of Seven resides, you touch the statue like what the traveler did to activate it.

What you expected was for the anemo particle to gently travel to you and get absorbed like in the game.

What you didn’t expect to happen was for it to fly 40 mph towards your head to the point you fall backwards and onto your back with Paimon crying out your name and shaking you as the darkness overtook your mind.

Damn, you really got your ass handed to you by a damn energy particle.

Notes: Reader will have specifics of their costume described, but i try to keep it to a minimum though so you can imagine your own design. Also i’ll try to keep characters in character as much as possible but some may be OOC.

If i add sumeru then I will try to make it as accurate as i possibly can and try to do my research, I’ll basically try to do an overhaul and fix what mihoyo is too scared to do, characters will also look different as well. I’ve been a long time player of genshin and fandom lurker but this is my first time writing for the series! My writing has gotten rusty once more, so I hope this fixes my skills up.

*One more thing, if you would like to request anything, feel free to send me something either through my tumblr ask or in the AO3 comments!

Prologue (You are here), Chapter 1, Chapter 2

[kiranogareru]

STAR GAZING

WARNING: Language, but this is all fluffyyyy

A/N: I present to you, my first requested work. Dedicated to @mysticmaee I apologize for taking so long, I hope this meets your expectations. Enjoy and again I'm so so sorry it took me so long

Y/n and Bakugou -as much as he refuses to admit it- have been pretty good friends for a while and they recently started dating

Katsuki is well aware of the fact that he isn't all that good at this whole relationship thing!

He knows how a relationship is supposed to be like, he's read all those things about them in novels before and even though they appeared unrealistically perfect to him, Bakugou couldn't help but compare himself and feel inferior to those fictional men and their romancing abilities!

He has observed how well Y/N seems to be fitting the role of a girlfriend and has taken mental notes of the way she always shows him how she feels, whether that's through words or affectionate little gestures, such as simply holding his hand!

Bakugou has never really been the type for physical contact, one could even say he is quite touch starved in all honesty, which makes him a little bit timid to show her his appreciation that way, since it makes him feel uncomfortable and it gives him this weird fluttery feeling inside

The blonde thinks back to the short time they have shared as a couple and how sweet Y/n has been to him, even before, when they were just friends and he insisted on pushing her away!

Bakugou is suddenly left dumbstruck, when he comes to realize that he never even asked her out properly! She just kind of blurted out her feelings and he simply claimed her as his..and by his, he means his one weakness, but of course it goes without saying that he would never reveal that!

He then decides that he wants to try harder. He knows he can do better 'I can be the best boyfriend she's ever had, I'll be her number one!' he tells himself

'She put so much effort into approaching me and I know I made it even more difficult -I can't help it, that's just how I am- but the least I can do is put in just as much effort, it's only fair!'

He doesn't want to be a shitty boyfriend, because for 1 he knows that's not what she deserves and 2 he's the best, he's not one of those stupid extras, who would let her slip right through their fingers!

'It's time I finally lowered my defenses' he thinks, although he's still hesitant of showing his softer side and unsure of what that can possibly lead to

Katsuki walks in silence as he rakes his brain for a way to make it up to Y/n for the way he's been so far.

It's not like he's treating her bad or anything, as a matter of fact he is at his calmest when he's around her and all he does is admire the way her beautiful e/c eyes sparkle when she's focused on something she enjoys, or how her face lights up when she's happy, or he revels in the taste of her lips against his own whenever they share an unexpected kiss!

This warm feeling spreads throughout his chest and blood rushes to his cheeks, tinting them with a shade of pink, at the thought of the memories!

That's when it hits him and the perfect idea pops up in his head. If he's learnt anything from romance novels, it's the fact that every relationship starts with a date!

And that's something they haven't done yet, which gives Katsuki the opportunity to change that!

"Katsu?" Y/n stops in her tracks, making him break out of his trance and do the same

"You zoned out, is everything ok?" She asks with a soft smile, placing a hand on his cheek

"Tch, everything's fine dumbass, I'm just thinking" Bakugou returns the smile, resting his hand at the back of her neck, gently pulling her head closer and leaning in to leave a chaste kiss on her forhead

Y/n is left speechless and her cheeks burn up at the sudden action, Bakugou doesn't usually behave this way, especially not in public!

'I don't know what he's been thinking about, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with this adorable change' She ponders

Y/n is quick to wrap her arms around him and bury her face in his chest, inhaling the scent of burnt caramel and cologne -something that she's grown so accustomed to, that it now brings her comfort

Bakugou's eyes widen in surprise and he lets out a breath as he relaxes, bringing one hand to her head as his other one makes it's way to her back to hold her close

They stand there in each other's embrace for a bit, before they decide to continue their walk to the dorms, hand in hand

•••

Once they reach the dorms, they catch the attention of a few of their classmates and friends. It's only logical though, since a smiling Bakugou Katsuki is not a sight one could easily miss!

The rest of the day goes by pretty quick as usual, since everyone is studying either alone or in groups, but once that's out of the way most of the students normally spend their free time by engaging in their hobbies of choice

While Y/n is hanging out with Jirou in the purple haired girl's room, singing and having a good time, Bakugou takes that chance to go to the kitchen and set his plan in motion

He has all the time he needs to prepare a few things for later

While the ruby eyed boy is in the middle of cooking, Sero walks into the kitchen, Kaminari following close behind him

"Kacchan?!" Kaminari exclaims in surprise

"Hm?" Katsuki turns around and realizes he has an audience

"How come you're cooking today?" Sero questions in confusion

It's not uncommon for the explosive boy to cook for his classmates, but he had done so just a few days ago already, that's what didn't sit right with Sero

"All of you extras cook like shit, tonight we're having some actual food!" Bakugou's voice remains low in volume, but his usual aggression is evident in his tone

"It smells amazing, what is it?" Sero technically drooling as he walks over to check

"I bet it's something spicy!" Kaminari declares, knowing his friend's taste

"Damn right Dunce Face! Let's hope you idiots can handle it this time! Tch" Bakugou tries to mask the smile forming on his face with his signature, cocky, smirk

"Kaminari.." Sero gives the electric blonde a look

"I know right!" Kaminari laughs, returning the look

"What are you idiots on about?" Bakugou raises an eyebrow

•••

As soon as the table is set and dinner is served, the students pick up on something unusual

"Hm? Where did Bakubro go?" Kirishima points out, while looking around the room

Kaminari and Sero stand back to back with a hand on their chin and wearing a knowing expression of confidence on their faces! The sparkles surrounding them are technically visible at this point

"What do you know? Spill the tea!" Mina interrogates with a pointed look

"Has anyone seen Y/n? I thought I saw her come downstairs earlier.." Jirou asks, seemingly popping up out of nowhere

"They are probably fu-" Sero wraps Mineta up using his tape with an unbothered face

"Shut up you nasty grape!" He scolds "They are on a date! We are sure of it!" He continues pridefully

"Who knew Bakugou could be so good with the ladies, right!" Kaminari comments, almost in disbelief

Meanwhile Y/n is comfortably sitting on a blanket behind the dorms with Bakugou. The night air feels cool on her skin, but not cold enough to give her goosebumps. It is rather refreshing if anything

They place their now empty dishes on the tray that's sitting in front of them and Bakugou pushes it aside

"That was delicious!" A look of content spreading on her features

"Hm, of course it was!" He cocky voice sounds. A winning smile playing on his lips

"Katsuki, this is so sweet..thank you" Y/n softly speaks, tilting Bakugou's head slightly with a hand on his cheek and leaving a feather-like kiss on the other

"You don't need to thank me dumbass..you deserve it!" His tone calm and loving

Bakugou lifts his hand and places it over her smaller one that is resting on his face

They lie down on the blanket, eyes staring at the wide night sky, littered with sparkling gems

"That one reminds me of you!" The excitement clear in her voice as she points at the sky

"How can a star remind you of me dumbass?" His laughs in amusement

"The way it shines looks like an explosion, it's powerful and beautiful!" Her explanation flusters the blonde momentarily, but he gathers himself and starts looking for the perfect star

"That one right there is you then!" He gestures towards it

"Is it now? How can a star remind you of me eh?" She teases

"It stands out, it's so bright and has such a stong presence!"

"Katsu..you idiot" She murmurs feeling bashful

"Huh who are you calling an idiot, idiot?"

Y/n intertwines her hand with his and Bakugou tenses up!

He still isn't used to the gentle gesture, since he has always perceived his hands as weapons, however as he eases into it he starts rubbing small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb

"This side of you is so soothing, so intoxicating~" She smiles before continuing

"I'm so lucky to be the one who gets to see you so peaceful..Dynamite" He is caught off guard by the mention of his hero name, which only she knows this far

The first reaction that comes to his mind is to kiss her and his body acts just as fast, pulling both her and himself to sit up and doing exactly that

His lips connect to hers in an uncharacteristically slow and passionate kiss! It is as if Bakugou is pouring everything that he can't put into words in this kiss!

He pulls away with his confidence restored

"Do you want to be mine?"

"I'm my own person idiot and we're already dating!" She laughs, knowing what he meant, but wanting to mess with him regardless

"I know that dumbass! You think I would date some sort of weakling?" He asks matter-of-factly

"I'm already yours and you're all mine!" She boasts

"Damn right!" Bakugou cups her face in one hand, tilting it upwards and leaning down slightly to capture her lips with his once more

[imaginationmess]

TAKE MY HAND (ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE) [BAKUGOU KATSUKI X READER]; TWO

Bakugou Katsuki X Reader

AGED UP AU!

Summary: When you take on the burden to keep the ones living safe, which causes you to become a traitor, but you had to pick a decision, and it cost their trust in you. You reverted to your old violent self. Months later, you find yourself face to face with your old friends. They want you to help them because they know you can handle yourself in this current state of the world. They are still ignorant of the state the world is. They have no idea how more dangerous it has become.

“We are still fucking fighting and won’t stop fighting. If you fucking give up, we lose!”

BEFORE READING! PLEASE READ DISCLAIMER!

Previously Chapter ONE; Masterlist

Chapter TWO

Word Count: 1,600+

Spoiler Alert for Anime watchers: There will be mention of Midoirya’s new quirks that haven’t been introduced in the anime.

Once the four of them have taken a shower and had time to discuss with each other weighing the pros and cons of trusting you. You did have a good record of keeping up with your promises before the incident where you betrayed all of their trust. It’s a tie between trusting you or not trusting you over a deal.

They are gonna reconsider the vote about it, later at night. They are all curious how you became a Mafia boss from just an original teenager who wanted to become a hero. To only become a cold killer and making a name for yourself years later.

They only have heard stories and rumors of the alias you go by.

Glitch.

A masked individual who is widely known for their cold,calculated mind and a heartless killer who didn’t care who gets caught in the crossfire. A leader who rapidly climbing up the ladder in the mafia world during the time of the apocalypse. A leader who became to hold more territory and killing off of other leaders to take their territory and expand their army.

A name alone made your enemies tremble in their boots.

They are hoping to get better judgment, seeing how things are run here.

The young boy that goes by the alias Speedy gave them a quick tour, but didn’t show the whole building due to being confidential from outsiders. He is just following orders. He was taking them to the cafeteria to grab something to eat to only notice where the children were eating all together were pointing at them. Most of them have eyes of admiration and pure awe looking at them.

“They are fans of you guys. They have seen the old video recording of previous sports festivals. We had to keep them somewhat entertained. Glitch got her hands on those old videos.” Speedy explains to continue to eat his soup.

The boys nod, understanding why the kids are so excited to see them in the flesh. It was weird, but somewhat comforting that the younger generation isn’t taught to hate heroes.

“I would keep those degrading comments of Miss Glitch to yourselves because the people who live here aren’t fans of heroes, much less of outsides. I heard you guys arguing earlier outside the room. You weren’t very quiet.” He looks at Bakugou in a way saying you are the loud one, before adding, “Everyone here would not agree on whatever image you decide to picture her.”

“Why wouldn’t they agree? Isn’t she a killer though?” Todoroki is just addressing the tension in the air. Midoriya and Kirishima choked on their food before coughing. They forgot Todoroki still struggles to read the social situations.

“Yes, she has killed many, but it is done to keep everyone safe. At the state of the world, it isn’t run by heroes who never got their hands dirty. It is run by killers because prison doesn’t exist. Who is gonna be the one to put those low lives underneath the ground? You guys never faced the true danger of the current state of the world. You are always protected just because you attend a prestigious school before the apocalypse hit.” Speedy spits out before taking a deep breath and just continues eating his food. His left hand was

“I apologized for his comment. We just have a history of them. It didn’t end on a good note. I know yo-.”

Speedy interrupts Midoriya by slams his spoon on the table before taking a deep breath to recollect himself.

“You don’t know any of our experiences. It was hell before Miss Glitch came to save us and took us in with no judgment. She taught us how to freaking survive by teaching us numerous tools such as self-defense and weapon handling. She never expected anything in return, unlike other mafia groups.”

The sound of a clap pauses the tension being created by five of them. The ex heroes in training look up to see meet the emotionless man covered with tattoos and scars. The same man who was within the room left to the minor from earlier. He placed a hand on top of Speedy head to ruffle his hair.

“Go ahead, eat with your sibling. Take a breather. I will take over making sure these little shits behave.” He removes his hand from his head before taking a seat beside the teenager.

“But-” Speedy was hesitant on leaving his position.

“It’s an order. Spend time with your sibling. Enjoy the night off.” The older man takes out a red apple from his pocket. Speedy stares at the four outside and gives a quick nod before taking his leave.

Bakugou Katsuki was staring at the man with suspicion as if he saw him before this mission. He wasn’t the only one who was thought so. Midoriya recalls those same tattoos, but it must have been a long time ago. He couldn’t easily recall. They were eating quietly until they finished.

“Let’s start ny introducing myself. I am Daichi. I am usually the one who runs this base when Miss Glitch isn’t present. It must have been your lucky day because you would have been tortured to death for trespassing.” The hairs behind their neck rise and getting goosebumps.

They sense malicious by the way he is sounding. Midoriya’s danger senses were activating and going crazy causing him to want to step away from him. It takes him back to when All For One and Stain’s presence.

Daichi’s yellow eyes stare at every one of them as he takes out a pocket knife directs it at Midoriya who was sitting in front of him. “The only reason you four are alive and even getting treated with special treatment is because of Miss Glitch. Step out of line, I wouldn’t hesitate to beat the shit of you wannabe heroes. That’s the only thing. I am allowed to do.” He swiftly put his pocket knife after cutting his apple into six pieces which fall on the napkin. He claps his hands together cutting through the tension for him to drop the act to replace it with a fake smile.

“Anyways comes to my question. What did you talk about with the young boy making them lose their composure?”

He was oblivious enjoying tormenting these wannabe heroes.

_______________________________________

Meanwhile, inside the hero’s refuge base where there is a tall metal barrier that runs underneath 20 feet underground.

There was a young man with black hair with his signature scarf, looking at a map looking where to travel to get more food and other resources. They are running out of places to investigate. The last 2 locations were a complete bust. It has been cleaned out completely. He is one of the leaders of the camp where they have stayed safe since the beginning of the apocalypse.

There was a knock on the wall, before someone coming in through the curtains. They pull a chair across from him, before taking a seat. They are twirling it around for them to rest their arms on the top of the chair.

“Aizawa, I can’t believe you took my suggestion seriously.” The young male with the purple bed hair as if he just rolled out of bed, comments. He has a small scar above his eyebrow. He has a few scars on his arms that have grown muscular.

“It was insane, but not outside of the possibilities.” Aizawa laid back in his chair and stares at his former student who is now somewhat a version copy of himself when it comes to fighting styles.

“Do you tell the trio? Whom they are gonna be meeting?” The purple-haired questions, not seeing they would be willing to see a former classmate that so-called became a traitor in their eyes.

“No. They wouldn’t be willing to do it despite us being a tight spot right now when it comes to resources.” Aizawa answers, before ruffling his hair and keeping his eyes closed. He is stressed out and not having a lot of options. They are running low on adults that were pro heroes. They have lost many throughout the apocalypse. Many of them abandon their original mission to save themselves.

The apocalypse revealed the true heroes who aren’t for the money. They are a good amount of pro heroes who got captured by mafia groups to have power. Some of them show over time randomly at their doorstep after being spared by the mask individual Glitch. That’s the only information they are allowed to share about their interaction with Glitch.

Aizawa and the other leaders of the camp believe the individual took them close enough for them to walk to their camp. Aizawa suspects it is one of his former students whom he didn’t have any contract  ever since the infamous incident. Majorly of his students calls them to be traitors.

“I still don’t get why we never told the truth about what actually happened that day.” The purple-haired male looks to the side to see Eri outside away from any harm playing with Kota.

“Hitoshi, It was a quick agreement exchange of keeping our mouths close and follow whatever story they want to make up. She swore to keep her word on securing your guys safe within her presence.” Aizawa applies pressure on his forehead to relieve the headache.

Aizawa remembering back to the U.A dorms where you are smiling and being a normal teenager. The image of that student whom he watched over for months became dark. She was no longer a child, but an emotionless shell of what she should be.

The lifeless eyes staring back at him, covered in bruises and blood that wasn’t her own. She was carrying unconscious Eri. You were bathed by your enemy’s blood. The remaining light of innocence in your eyes had vanished from existence. It only reveals just cold, calculated eyes that were staring at his soul.

“Aizawa.”

💣-💥-💣-💥-💣-💥-💣-💥-💣-💥-💣-💥-💣-💥-💣-💥-💣-💥-💣-💥-💣

I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!

Any thoughts/Feelings/Predictions that you have while out reading this chapter.

I would love to hear them! <3

If you wish to be tagged, do comment down below.

[themaribatpit]

Jasonette July Day 9: Pixie

Written by: The Maribat Pit  @jasonette-july-event

Prompt: Pixie

Rated: T

(By popular demand, a slight continuation of Game On @aespades, @certainmuffinbagelcalzone.)

A/n: Edits have been made because I noticed the paragraph errors AFTER posting this.

Marinette was really starting to miss the days of working with Chat Noir at that moment, and that was saying something.  “Bugaboo” and “My Lady” were starting to feel more tolerable when she wasn’t being called that every second of the day.  Being called “Pixie” regardless if she was Ladybug or Marinette, was really starting to get old, fast.  For reasons that she could not understand, that’s what Jason insisted on calling her.  Sure, she was a lot smaller compared to him, but that coupled with needing to hang back and let Red Hood and Arsenal deal out the heavier hits was starting to get on her nerves.  She was just as experienced as them, she had a mentor just like they did, and had been saving lives for just as long as they had.  Ever since she had joined them, she thought that she would be fighting alongside a team again.  Now she was either supporting them or using her sewing skills to add improvements to their suits.  She was in good hands, some might say hands that were a little too good.  All this frustrated her to no end because she liked Jason, she would have thought that someone who had been a vigilante from a young age would understand what it felt like to be constantly underestimated. 

“Unbelievable,” she snapped one night as she came home from another mission.  She pulled off her pink flats and threw them across the room as she entered her apartment.  She didn’t even get the chance to use her Miraculous, she was effectively closely guarded bait on that last mission.  She slumped on the bed in frustration and Tikki hovered over to her, her antenna drooping in concern.  “Some days I want to wipe that smile off of that stupid face, just to prove I can.” Marinette grumbled into her pillow.  She didn’t hate Jason, she knew that there was some good in him.  Roy was the more optimistic and cheerful of the duo, like Jason, he had also been mentored by a more experienced hero.  Jason was a lot more reserved and cynical by comparison, though he wasn’t a complete Ice Prince like his brother Damian. 

“Maybe it’s because they’ve been doing this for a little bit longer.” Tikki suggested, after Marinette complained about it for the umpteenth time.

“Batgirl and Black Bat are only a few years younger than me,” she reminded her, “and there’s no doubt that they could hold their own in a fight.  No one gives them stupid nicknames, just shortened versions of their real names out of costume.” Tikki awkwardly scratched the back of her head.  “I bet you that he barely remembers what my real name is.” Marinette was getting increasingly furious at the thought “it’s always ‘Pixie this’ and ‘Pixie that’. I know I’m shorter than him, but I have taken on giant robot dolls, literal monsters, and I once rode a dragon!” Marinette yelled. 

Marinette throws a pillow at Tikki, only for it to phase through her. “What does he think I do as Ladybug? Create Christmas presents with my Lucky Charm?!” 

 At this very unfortunate moment Jason happened to return back to their apartment with Roy in tow. “What’s got you riled up, Pixie Pop?” Jason quipped after seeing the frustrated look on her face. This was the last straw for Marinette, “Stop calling me that! Does it please you to demean me? Does it bring you joy to fucking bully me day in and day out?” Jason and Roy take a step back from Marinette’s outburst. Marinette continues “I have kept Paris safe ever since I was 13, I didn’t have the World's Greatest Detective or a Robin Hood cosplayer helping me. It’s always you two off saving the day while I’m the distraction. Do I have to remind you that I’ve beaten Robin and Red Robin?” 

 “So have we, right Roy?” Jason says look backwards to Roy. Roy meanwhile was slowly walking backwards with his arms up in surrender.

 “Don’t drag me into this please.” Roy pleaded. 

 Marinette continued her rant, “So why do you keep calling me Pixie Pop like I'm some pet or stuffed animal?” She storms up to Jason and pulls him down to her height by the collar. 

Roy sensed the tension and wanted absolutely no part in making it worse, “You know what? I’m gonna go get us some shawarma.”

Jason looked over at Roy “Really, Roy?” A slight scowl made it clear he knew Roy was essentially leaving him to face Marinette’s wrath.

“All I know is that they are open at four in the morning and I’m hungry, so I’ll be right back.” Roy said, and he left the room.  Just as he thought Roy was out of earshot, Jason heard sprinting down the hallway.  Roy had abandoned him to face the burning blue fire in Marinette’s eyes.

Marinette let go of him, she didn’t need them, she had made that absolutely clear. 

“I’m done,  I don’t expect you to understand what it’s like to be underestimated all of the time.” she muttered harshly, “to always be kept at arm's length, because no one trusts you to do anything right.”

Marinette had no idea just how deep her words cut him, and Jason couldn’t really blame her.  As far as she knew, compared to his brothers, he might as well just be ‘the one with the guns and leather jackets’.  He hadn’t really told her about what had happened all those years ago, he didn’t even like to think about it himself.  Roy was one of the few people who understood what he’d been through. It was true that both of them started out as sidekicks, maybe the red in their costumes helped them stand out from their mentor’s shadows.  Their time as young crime fighters had left their scars. They were blindsided when they found someone who had been a heroine since she was 13, and took to it with the same determination they had when they were younger, more innocent, more naïve. 

 As Marinette flitted around the room, gathering her things, every nerve in Jason’s body was screaming at him to stop her.   He reached out and grabbed her by the arm, trying not to think about just how small it felt around his hand.  “Look, I’m sorry,” he began. What could he say to her? That he knew exactly what that felt like? That the last thing they wanted was for her to end up like them?  That every hit they took in a fight was one that she wouldn’t have to, so that she wouldn’t turn out broken like they were?  The problem was she didn’t see them as broken, she saw them treating her like glass.  If she was put through the same ordeal, Jason had no idea what he would do.  If she shattered just like they did, then in a way, they would have failed her.  If she came out still whole, still brimming with light, then what did that say about them?

 Marinette pulled her arm away, “I’ll show you, then you’ll be sorry” she told him bitterly.  With her backpack in hand and shoes on her feet, she pushed past him and walked out the door.  

 Jason remains staring at the open door, regretting how he had treated her. He grew fond of her during their time together as ‘Red Arse Bug’.  She had a cute face, cute voice and she wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. “Stupid, stupid” he says to himself, facepalm at each syllable. Even with the now hostile relationship with Marinette, he knew he had to follow her. He had to stop her from making the same mistakes he did, so that she would not become like him. He put on his helmet and left to search for clues as to where Marinette would go and what she would do.

 Marinette wandered through Gotham city, unsure what to do now that she stormed out of the apartment she shared with Jason and Roy. She felt like everyone belittled her, Selena did, and now so did Jason. She needed to do something eye-catching, to prove to everyone that she didn’t need their help.

As she wanders past the Iceberg Lounge, she gets a spark of inspiration. If she could take down the Penguin single-handedly, nobody in Gotham would doubt her ever again. With unyielding determination she calls out “Spots On” and turns to Ladybug, ready to take on one of the cruelest crime lords in all of Gotham. Ladybug walks up to the front door and kicks it down, sending the door flying and knocking any unfortunate goons behind it. Penguin’s gang whipped out their guns, tire irons, pipes and anything that could count as a weapon and were now charging in to stop the intruder. 

 Marinette swings her yo-yo to wrap around one of the goon’s ankles, before swinging him around crashing him into several others. A guard points his rifle behind Ladybug, she spins around, sending her yo-yo towards the gun and pulling it from his hands. As the guards begin to group up together in an attempt to minimise the effectiveness of her yo-yo, Marinette looks up and begins to smirk. She flings her yo-yo upwards and hooks it onto a chandelier. She yanks it down, sending the chandelier crashing onto the unsuspecting guards. 

 Marinette dusts her hands and proceeds to walk through into the main hall. She proceeds to kick down that door too, she is then greeted by The Penguin surrounded by his gang. “I’m taking you down Cobblepot.” She shouts, swinging her yo-yo as if it was a lasso, preparing for a fight.

 The Penguin stands up from the seat of his large chair. “What are all you idiots waiting for?” He shouts all around him. He points his umbrella at Ladybug, and begins shooting his umbrella gun. “Get her!” The penguin roars, at this cue every gangster charges at Ladybug. 

 Marinette gracefully dodges and weaves around Penguin’s army, knocking each one out one by one. Until only The Penguin remains, she wraps her yo-yo around his umbrella, easily disarming one of Gotham’s most wanted. She walks towards The Penguin, slowly unravelling her yo-yo in anticipation of tying him up and sending him to Arkham Asylum. 

 The Penguin takes out a little remote control from his suit pocket, “It's not over yet.” he snarls and pushes a button. At that moment the entire building shakes.

“Born on a Monday” a voice groaned, followed by another loud thud. “Christened on a Tuesday.” the same voice groaned. Then a giant hand shoots up from beneath the floor, “SOLOMON GRUNDY” roared the giant as it emerged from the floor. 

 Red Hood and Arsenal had been watching the fight from a careful distance outside the Iceberg Lounge.  “Well, she’s managed to take on Penguins goons just fine,” Arsenal observed through the small pair of binoculars,  “she’s certainly had plenty of time to get very creative with that yo-yo”.

Red Hood’s hand was still itching to reach for one of his pistols, ready to jump in at the first sign of trouble. “By the way, how was your shawarma?” he asked sarcastically.

Arsenal looked over at him, raising an eyebrow “Hey, I’m not the one who said the one thing that just made her angrier, you were on your own there.”

“Nice to know you had my back.” he grumbled.

“Oh I do in a fight, you just decided to be an ass and poke the angry girl with a stick.” Arsenal pointed out.

Their banter was interrupted by an earth shattering thud, following a loud groan “Born on a Monday.” At that moment their blood ran cold. Red Hood and Arsenal rushed towards the Iceberg Lounge. Both worried for Ladybug and aware of what comes after that dreadful nursery rhyme. 

 “What are you two doing here? I can handle this.” growled Ladybug as Red Hood and Arsenal arrived. 

 Before either Red Hood or Arsenal could answer, they were interrupted by Solomon Grundy smashing the ground where Ladybug was standing. Ladybug gracefully dodged the punch, grappling onto a ceiling lamp to swing towards Grundy with a kick. 

 The giant grabbed Ladybug while she was mid-air and threw her towards her partners. Red Hood catches her, holding her tightly as the two fly across the room. He shields her from the shock, taking the brunt of the impact as they crash into the wall. 

 Red Hood groans “You okay?” Ladybug looks up to see she was relatively unharmed, but Red Hood had taken the brunt of the throw. Concern visible on her face as she sees Red Hood’s damaged helmet, and the bruised and bloodied face beneath.  

 Their quiet moment together was interrupted by Arsenal's cries for help. Every arrow he had in his quiver wasn’t making a dent in Solomon Grundy. Ladybug decides to cast Lucky Charm in desperation, and swings her yo-yo up. The ladybugs converge to form...a polka-dotted stick of dynamite. 

 “Arsenal!” She called. “Tie this to the end of an arrow, Red Hood and I will keep it busy.” She tosses the dynamite to Arsenal and tells Red Hood to tie Grundy down.

 Ladybug using her yo-yo grabs on to Solomon Grundy’s left arm while Red Hood uses his grappling hook to hold on to his right arm. Leaving Grundy exposed and immobile, giving Arsenal the opportunity for a clear unobstructed target. 

 Arsenal draws and aims the special Lucky Charm Explosive Arrow. The giant zombie growls “Arrow Boy no hurt Grundy.” 

 “Arrow Boy yes hurt Grundy” quipped Arsenal, before releasing the arrow causing a thunderous explosion into Solomon Grundy’s face. The giant slumps, Ladybug and Red Hood quickly release their hold and watch its body fall back into the hole in which it came from. 

 Solomon Grundy’s body lays motionless in the basement of the Iceberg Lounge as the three peer over the hole in the ground, “Let’s get outta here before the GCPD or worse, Batman arrive” Red Hood points to the front door, and the three of them leave the lounge to head back to their apartment.

As the three arrive home, they each find a nice comfortable spot to collapse onto. Jason claimed the sofa, slumped down Roy in the middle of the living room floor and Marinette sat at the dining table. “I vote for a week off.” groaned Roy.

“I second that motion” agreed Jason. 

“I still have design work to do.” Marinette told them, not really looking at either of them at that moment.  She was torn between appreciating their help, and frustrated that she hadn’t been able to handle the situation herself like she thought.

“Still that was one hell of a fight, and hey, you still managed to take on a squad of goons by yourself.”  Roy said, “I’m so proud” he said dramatically pretending to wipe away a happy tear. 

He nudged Jason in the leg, “um, yeah, good work” he said awkwardly, slightly lost in thought. Marinette smiled slightly, before turning her attention back to her little fairy friend perched on the table. 

“So does this mean Red Arse Bug is back together?” Roy asked enthusiastically, Marinette wasn’t really paying attention. 

The name still needed work, for one thing.  For once Marinette felt like her powers were being used in harmony with their abilities, but she wasn’t sure if it was a feeling that she should get used to.  Marinette could still vividly remember seeing Jason’s bruised and bloodied face beneath his helmet.  Jason stood up and walked over to the fridge, looking for ice to dull the swelling on his face.

“Not with that name,” Jason grumbled, not entirely sure if Marinette was willing to stay after their argument.  Someday, somehow, he would tell her the full story of what happened to him.  Right now, that was a whole Pandora’s Box that he just wasn’t prepared to open.  Nestled at the bottom of that box was hope, a hope that no one else would meet that same fate.

“...Lucky Shot?”  Marinette suggested as she carried Tikki over to the sofa and sat down.  Both Jason and Roy looked up, it made some sense, seeing as they both used projectiles and she had her lucky charms.  Jason tentatively made his way back to the sofa, ice pack in hand.

“Sounds better than ‘Red Arse Bug’.” Jason remarked, as he sat back down. 

“Well, let’s see if our little adventure made the news” Roy said, as he reached for the TV remote.  Jason tuned out Vicki Vale’s voice as she reported on the fight that took place at the Iceberg Lounge. 

As Roy slept at their feet, Jason knew if they were going to continue working together as a team, they couldn’t keep her in the dark any longer.  

“Hey Marinette.” Jason speaks softly. Marinette's ears perk in surprise, hearing speak her name for the first time. “I’m sorry, for what I said and how we treated you. You’re right.” He gestures to the sleeping Roy on the floor, “Both of us started out as sidekicks, we both grew up in the shadows of Batman and Green Arrow. Both old men with impossibly high standards, everything we did was never enough.”   Marinette listened intently as she shuffled closer to him on the sofa.  “We’ve both been to hell and back, Marinette. Literally in my case.” he explained, Marinette glanced down at Tikki for a moment, as if silently asking if her magic was somehow involved in this.  “But always remember, we have each other’s backs, just like The Three Musketeers.” Jason told her, Marinette giggles at his literary reference.

“Roy’s Porthos, you’re Aramis, I guess that makes me D’Artagnan.” Marinette chimes. Jason loved to see that hopeful smile on her face.  What scared him the most was the idea that something or someone would try and take that away from her.  They couldn’t keep treating her like glass, and they couldn’t keep treating her like a sidekick if they wanted to keep her from making their mistakes.  They were all going to fight like hell to make sure this world didn’t break her the way it broke them.  Marinette leaned in close and rested her head on his shoulder.  He felt her calm even breathing, fanning his neck as she slept peacefully at his side.