#none of them are safe unfortunately bc once i have my claws in them i want to study them under every microscopic power setting possible

[tiredassmage]

achievement unlocked: make him worse!

sacrifice your most likely to be unstable oc to the kotxx machine! +50g!

[nemossubmarine]

Warhammer 40k: Wrath & Glory RP #8

We had two missing peeps this week, so we decided that the remaining two Gorm & Gimlet could have some self-indulgent RP time. For completion’s sake I’ll report them here in short form (ha! as if).

We check in on Gorm and Snorri’s body after Uffe has taken off.

Gorm takes Snorri’s shoulderpad and personal belongings and then sets his body on fire, all while mournfully howling.

Inside Gimlet follows the sign language conversation between the corporal and tech-priest.

His sign language skills aren’t very advantaged, but the gist of the conversation seems to be that the corporal is reprimanding the tech-priest for being weird and slipping up on something.

Unfortunately the corporal catches Gimlet watching the conversation, so after he is done with the tech-priest, he approaches Gimlet and says that it’s not nice to listen in on people’s hand conversations.

Also who are you again?

Gimlet says he��s here with the psyker ie Saef, which causes a raised eyebrow from the corporal.

Gorm enters the building, and the corporal comes to him, putting a hand to his arm and saying that he’s sorry for Gorm’s loss and also sorry for the tech-priest butting in.

The tech-priest is “a bit weird” and the corporal encourages Gorm not to think too much about it.

It seems Gorm isn’t in much of a thinking mood, but he appreciates the gesture.

Next up Gimlet comes to Gorm and offers a tissue. 

Gorm denies having cried any. (he totes has)

Gimlet asks what Gorm wants him to write down about this particular incident.

Gorm says to leave out the bickering with the tech-priest and also leave out Saef for his own good.

Gorm talks about the other wolf at the scene, Uffe, who he said he let go.

Gimlet is a bit surprised at that. (also he calls Uffe a big wolf boy, which is v good)

Gorm says Uffe is still a good wolf (at least for now).

Although a bit grumpy.

Gorm would like that tissue now.

Gimlet notices that Gorm has scratched off a letter from his shoulder pad, bringing the total to two.

Next the two of them go to the tech-priest.

Gorm thanks the tech-priest, to which the tech-priest says there’s no need to thank him.

They get to talking, and somehow the conversation veers into names.

It seems none of them have their original names.

Gimlet is an orphan and was named by the Inquisitor who took him in.

Gorm was given a new name when he became a Wolf, but it is close to his original name.

The AdMechs are named by Tech-Priests and the name tells of the components that make them.

Gorm asks what his AdMech name would be, and E-E \ 821 says it would be “NWZ-B183F”

They ask what the tech-priest’s name was before he became a tech-priest and he avoids the question hardcore.

Back at the ship, Gimlet heads for the bar to have some gimlets (heh) and Gorm joins him. He even takes some sips of his special stuff even though he’s running out.

Gorm says he feels Gimlet understood him back there better than anyone, so he is admittedly kind of curious about Gimlet’s time at Inquisition.

Few drinks in, Gimlet is a bit more talkative.

Apparently he was a book-keeper and did actual field work very little.

He talks about how the lesson drilled into him was to not question the Inquisitor.

Gorm comments that sometimes it’s good to question.

Apparently the Inquisitor Gimlet worked with was not the best kind of guy.

He killed some innocent people, and Gimlet implies that it was somewhat personal for him. So Gimlet left.

Gorm comments that it’s the same reason Wolves are in trouble with the Inquisition, not killing innocents.

Gorm comments that among our group of heroes he feels like a loyalist to the Imperium, which is an odd position to be in as a Space Wolf, but then again the rest of the group consists of...

...a rogue(?) psyker and an ex-ganger.

...a former inquisiton agent just watching over said psyker like it’s nbd, and was that sanctioned in any way anyway?

...and a rogue trader who’s family does some light assassination and also who is v comfortable waltzing into a criminal casino.

Gimlet comments that Captain Pepper still seems the most capable out of them. Might be the money, and the connections, and the huge ship.

Once they are sufficiently sloshed, Gorm asks Gimlet to come with him to check out the helmet he got from the auction house at Treno.

Some liquid courage is needed so Gimlet has another jumbo-sized gimlet to go with a crazy straw and a paper umbrella.

Gorm asks if there’s a change for the bar to get some Fenrisian mead, and the bartender says to take it to the captain.

It’s really not wise to open up a chaos-infected helmet at one’s own quarters, so our heroes sneak into the quarantine area at the ship, where they can lock it into a separate location and open it with robot hands.

The helmet looks bad, and Gorm is clearly disturbed by what he sees.

Gimlet recognizes the scarring on the helmet to be something called “fleshmetal”, which means the armor has started to fuse into the flesh of the wearer.

Indeed, when they peek inside the helmet they can see bits of flesh and even a piece of skull, stuck to the inside of the helmet.

Gorm says this helmet belongs to his packmate Harald.

Even though Gorm asked people to stay back with Snorri, it was because he believed he could take Snorri one-on-one, Harald, however, Gorm is certain he can’t, because Harald is a mountain of a man.

So he’d like to have someone to have his back, and he’d like that person to be Gimlet.

Gimlet, quite drunk, just gives a thumbs up. 

Gorm also theorizes that there might be another Wolf with Harald, as Harald almost never went anywhere without the pack leader Rolf.

Gorm also believes Rolf would not be corrupted.

But he can’t be sure as he was thrown out of the pack after an incident some time before.

Gimlet says that makes their situations pretty similar.

That’s it for helmet adventures. Next up, Gorm goes to find Layla, who is doing her homework at the ship’s arboretum.

Gorm takes her with him to the practice range and gives Layla an ax he was given as a baby.

He wishes to see her fighting prowess, and asks Layla to hit him with the ax. If she manages to do it, she can get the scorpion claw Gorm took as a trophy.

Layla tries her best. Of course she can’t do it, but she tries. Even tries a sneak attack.

Gorm is very impressed and lets Layla have the ax.

Gorm next goes find Layla’s mother Jennifer.

Gorm says he has seen a lot of potential in Layla and he wishes to train him in the ways of the Wolf.

Jennifer is doubtful. She only wants her kid to have a good, safe childhood. And she doesn’t want Layla to have false hopes, as she can’t become a Space Marine.

Actually, Gorm says, some women are currently becoming Space Wolves, so she could totes do it.

Jennifer says that Layla sees Gorm as a replacement father figure, the kind of dad who wouldn’t have died to scorpions, and Jennifer wishes Gorm wouldn’t abuse that adoration, to let her grow and make her own decisions.

But yes, Gorm can play with Layla. Not train, play, she is still a child, after all. 

And that’s all for that! Next time maybe finally plot advancements so I can maybe talk with my cool ideas (tm) with someone bc they’re not spoilers anymore? Pls?

[dailyarturia]

I apologize for bothering you for your objective opinion so much, my king, but once again I need your objective opinion. This time I need your objective opinion on the Berserkers. I'm severely concerned that I have shit taste in Berserkers, and I know that unlike me you are definitely a man of culture.

very large. back from ye olde days where berserkers generally couldn’t actually communicate so unfortunately a bit lacking in complex characterisation compared to others. lovin the whole ‘made to kill his own children in rage which is what qualifies him as berserker in the first place and now gives his all to keep this singular parentless child safe despite supposedly being made into a mindless raging beast’ thing. 8/10

bucket knight. also an old school zerker who can’t talk outside kariya’s fever dreams but he does scream in french sometimes. an overly loyal knight who nonetheless put his own wishes above what he believed were his king’s once and then spent the rest of his life feeling guilty about it to the point where it straight up drove him crazy because he couldn’t understand that arturia has -15 consideration of her own wants. his kink is getting shamed and he would probably get a heart attack if arturia did that hands on her hips disappointed look pose in his general vicinity. 8/10

get OUT of my HOUSE. ugly and horrifying but could totally beat gilgamesh in a fight and the image of ol gregory getting his nuts kicked in by a metal underpants enthusiast is high quality content so he gets points for that. 3/10

this is what we in the scientific community call a daughter. a good girl who just wants to be loved but has severe trust issues after being abandoned by the person who literally created her. can in fact talk but it takes a lot of effort so she doesn’t bother because like, fuck humans right, why should she put in effort to make herself understood when they’re not gonna want to understand her either way. I’m so blessed & grateful that moriarty is her dad now. 9/10

i’ll be honest I still have no idea what his character is supposed to be like its not like he had a lot of screentime in extra and extella is very bad to its side characters. ?/10

the fucking supreme. pandered to like a dozen of my kinks and gave me a few more. my first 5*. the end of my f2p days and the start of my journey to becoming the monster god. the design. the skillset. the teeth. the c l a w s. a king despite hating kings. a machinelike killer despite living for the thrill of the fight. a man who wants to just die already yet obstinately refuses to. a contradictory mess that denounces every ideal he used to live by yet clings to them harder than ever. a monster whose personal arc after being summoned isn’t how he’s still human at heart or whatever but how he was a monster before he looked like one already so like, don’t even worry about it. his mad enhancement is EX(C ) and his material entry revealed that this weird rank is bc it’s not even actual battle rage, he’s just so fucking stubborn it gets classified as mad enhancement. EX/10 the love of my fucking life

the smile of an angel. seems completely rational at first but is still classified as a berserker with EX rank mad enhancement because of her inhuman determination to save as many lives as possible without any regard for the quality of that saved life. she’d amputate all of a person’s limbs in an instant if that’s what it’d take for them to not die. she has canonically beat people to a pulp to ‘cure’ their mental issues. completely dedicated her life to becoming a healing machine at the cost of her own health and even personhood. her profile says she doesn’t actually listen to others but in her myroom lines she takes an active interest in your hobbies and opinions and she also gets flustered when you call her an angel. i literally cannot fucking wait until ch america hits NA server she’s so fucking good and i want everyone to love her. 15/10

THIS IS WHAT A FRIEND LOOKS LIKE. the actual embodiment of “cool guy has a chill day”. a smile that rivals the sun and an attitude that turns even the most ordinary days into a grand adventure. his mad enhancement is basically just that he’s kind of an idiot. 10/10

OX MOM OX MOM OX MOM her mother got knocked up by an ox demon in a dream and had to raise her in secret, and her human father didn’t accept her until she proved to be really strong and even then only as long as she would exterminate anyone who stood in the way of the clan. so scared of being shunned for her demon origins despite being loved & trusted as leader of the minamoto clan that she straight up exorcised her demon self into a separate personality to kill it (& herself with it) and was only barely stopped by the four heavenly kings. nowadays fiercely protective of anyone who knows about & accepts her demonic side to the point of insanity, which is where her EX mad enhancement comes from. a huge crybaby but gets shit done anyway. 10/10

THIS IS ALSO WHAT A FRIEND LOOKS LIKE. someone who was labeled and locked away as something evil due to being what is by all means called a monster even though he’s got a really gentle personality and likes being helpful. really good example of the whole “heroes and villains are nothing more than the roles individual complex people are forced to take on” theme fate likes to play with. has difficulty talking but it’s easy to come to an understanding with him as long as you call him by his personal name asterios rather than the name of the monster minotaur everyone assumed he’d be and he thus inevitably became. 10/10

the only reason he’s a berserker is because his name and the word “berserker” have the same etymology and the grail had no idea what other class to put him. this is the canon reason. he doesn’t have any mad enhancement to speak of beside being a lil hot blooded and liking to fight. literally only here because he likes to throw punches. got his ass beat by li shuwen in ch america because despite loving to throw a punch he’s not actually a martial artist and can’t win from someone with actual technique. a classic ‘jack of all trades master of none’, he literally sucks at being every single class but can’t not be summoned as a heroic spirit because he’s from the oldest english epic poem and a prototype for many other heroes. a free spirited adventurer who takes things as they come but can be responsible when it matters. 9/10 

once a good & wise ruler but fell into insanity in the last few years of his rule before finally getting assassinated. loved rome with all his heart for its beauty & splendour but got overwhelmed by the conspiracies and other evils that were also a part of it until the goddess of the moon, who he was in love with, made him insane, which he claims saved him in his bond ce. determined from then on to become the ugliest most evil motherfucker in all of rome so that he could take all the nastiest parts of rome with him in his inevitable death and have his dear cousin nero live in happiness, if only for a while. summoned as a hero despite being very close to an anti-hero because the good ruler he was before going insane responded to a call to save the world and still intent to do his part by simply dragging everything evil down with him. 8/10 wouldn’t it be nice if chapter rome had actually paid attention to roman servants other than nero.

looks like a bratty child but talks like an archaic mob boss. has horns and huge claws. easily bribed with chocolate. has a huge sword but just fucking headbuts her enemies instead. 10/10

many berserkers are angry men but only he is anger man. classified as a berserker not just due to his battlefield conduct but also the insane commitment he had to the laws of the shinsengumi, to the point where he would personally execute former comrades who broke them. both the first and last member of the shinsengumi, a man who dedicated his entire life to upholding its values in a rapidly changing japan. surprisingly rational and during gudaguda 2 okita didn’t even realize he’s a berserker because he didn’t become the fanatic that qualified him to be summoned as one until after okita’s death. one of the coolest skillsets in the game and definitely some of the sickest animations. 10/10

NORMALISE

FINDING

AND KILLING

ACHILLES

10/10

my fuckign girlfriend 10/10

the cutest enabler. 10/10

please god let me meet her. 10/10

when will takeuchi die

[darkestsight]

Random Scene #17

(One of what looks to be multiple sequels to the last Random Scene with cat!Rip once again though actually featuring surprisingly little Rip and quite a lot of Jax.)

Jax entered the Waverider’s library just in time to see Professor Stein throw a large book across the room. The leather-bound tome hit the screen on the opposite wall with a loud thud before tumbling to the ground.

“You know that book was an antique and probably worth quite a lot of money,” said Jax, raising his eyebrows.

Stein glowered at him as he looked up from the desk where he sat. “Be that as it may, I currently have rather more pressing concerns than the book’s resale value,” he snapped, and then he sighed and ran a hand through his white hair. “I’m sorry, Jefferson. I afraid I am somewhat frustrated at the moment.”

“That’s an understatement. I could feel your frustration all the way down in the engine room.” Jax walked up to the desk and leaned against it gazing at the scattered notes and books which covered the surface. “I take it the search for a cure to Rip’s little feline problem isn’t going so well.”

“To put it mildly,” Martin said, wryly. “The statue is clearly ancient Egyptian, from around 300 BC if I could hazard a guess, and was most likely dedicated to the cat goddess Bastet but other than that I know nothing. I’m a scientist. I barely even believe in magic. I know nothing about ancient Egyptian spellwork or any other spellwork for that matter. Merlin, I most certainly am not.”

“You’re not even Harry Potter,” Jax said with a smirk.

Martin frowned. “Who?”

Jax gave him a disbelieving look. “Are you seriously saying you don’t know....” He stopped and shook his head. “You know what never mind.”

Martin let out a sigh. “The point is I am way out of my depths.”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Jax, placing a hand on Martin’s shoulder. “This is why Sara’s trying to track down an expert, remember? Even if we did find a spell to turn Rip back, if any of us tried to use it, we’d probably end up turning the rest of us into cats too.”

“That is a distinct possibility,” said Martin with a nod.

Glancing around the room, Jax added, “Where’s Rip anyway? I thought he was going to be helping you.”

“Yes, well, unfortunately it’s rather difficult to do research when you can’t even turn the page in a book,” Martin said as he gazed back down at his scribbled notes. “I’ve left him in the care of Dr. Palmer and Mr. Rory.”

Jax stared at him. “You left Rip with Ray and Mick?”

Martin waved his hand dismissively. “I know, even as a cat, Captain Hunter can probably take care of himself but I was concerned about there being more possible side effects from the spell so I thought it best someone keep an eye on him.”

“Let me just get this clear,” said Jax, leaning closer and giving Martin a meaningful look. “You left Rip with Ray and Mick?”

Martin’s eyes suddenly widened as realization dawned on his face. “Oh, my God. What have I done?” He pushed his chair back and stood up. “Maybe we should go check on them, uh, just to be on the safe side.”

Jax nodded. “Yeah, I think that might be a good idea.”

With Gideon’s help, they were able to quickly locate both Ray and Mick in the galley though when they entered they saw only one. There was also no sign of any cat.

“Ah, Mr. Rory,” said Martin upon seeing the former criminal.

“What’s up, Professor?” said Mick who was busy rummaging through the cupboards. As they watched, he opened the oven too and peered inside.

“Where’s–” Jax began looking about the room but he was interrupted by the sound of a loud thud followed by an even louder cry of pain.

They turned towards the location of the noise and saw Ray crawl out from under one of the tables grimacing and rubbing his head.

Ray’s eyes widened when he spotted Martin and Jax. “Oh. Hi, guys,” he said, a nervous smile appearing on his face.

“Raymond,” said Martin, gazing sternly at him. “I came to see how the Captain is faring. Where is he?”

“He’s, uh...” Ray got rather clumsily to his feet knocking over a chair in the process. “He’s... um...” He bent over and righted the chair before straightening up once more. “Well...”

“Ray,” said Jax, warningly.

“I’m not exactly sure,” Ray finally confessed.

“What do you mean you’re not sure?” Jax demanded. “Where’s Rip?”

“Haircut drove him away and now he can’t find him,” said Mick, who, having given up on his search, was now busy fabricating himself a beer.

Ray winced guiltily. “I didn’t mean to. I just thought he might be hungry. You know Rip’s pretty skinny even as a cat and I thought it would be best to make sure his new body got the proper nutrition so I fabricated what I thought would be the most appropriate.”

“Kibble,” Mick said as he grabbed his newly fabricated beer and popped the top off the bottle with his thumb. “The idiot tried to feed the Englishman kibble.”

Jax groaned and ran a hand across his face.

“Well, you’re the one who kept waving that shoelace at him trying to get him to play with it,” Ray shot back at Mick.

Taking a sip of his beer, Mick shrugged unapologetically. “At least, I didn’t keep trying to pet him.”

“He likes being petted,” Ray protested.

“Not when you sneeze all over him.”

“I can’t help my allergies.”

“Gentlemen,” said Martin, holding up a hand. “This is not helping. It’s imperative we find the captain as soon as possible. Do you have any idea where he might be?”

Ray looked downcast. “I’ve got no clue. He could be hiding anywhere. He’s even small enough to fit inside some of the ship’s duct system now.

Jax shook his head. “You’d better hope Sara doesn’t find out about this.”

With sitcom level timing, Sara’s voice called out from the galley’s entrance, “Find out about what?”

They turned to see her standing in the doorway, hands on her hips as she gazed expectantly at them.

Ray paled looking very much like he would like to bolt out the door. “Hey, Sara,” he said, his strangled voice almost a whole octave higher than normal. “Um, we seem to have a bit of a problem.”

Sara’s intense gaze turned on him. “What sort of problem?”

Ray visibly swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.

Jax decided to put him out of his misery. “Ray and Mick managed to piss off Rip so he took off and now we can’t find him.”

Sara rolled her eyes. “Well, I can’t say I’m surprised,” she said. “You’re lucky he didn’t decide to try his new claws out on you. I suppose we’ll just have to wait until he calms down and comes out of hiding.”

“No, you don’t understand,” Martin said, gesturing agitatedly. “I’ve been reading up on these sort of spells and it’s possible his condition might degenerate even further.”

“Meaning what?” asked Sara, frowning.

“Meaning,” Martin continued, “that though right now we are dealing with Rip’s mind and memories inside a cat’s body, he may slowly start to become more and more like a cat, to forget who he is or that he was ever human.”

“So,” Sara said, slowly, “this might not actually be Rip off in a huff somewhere but an actual scared cat hiding who knows where inside the ship.”

“Exactly,” Martin replied, glumly.

Sara closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose as she muttered several curses under her breath. “Fine,” she said when she was done. “We need to search the ship top to bottom and find our cat, I mean our captain.”

“Maybe Gideon knows,” suggested Ray, his face lighting up with hope.

Everyone gazed expectantly up at the ceiling.

After a moment’s pause, the A.I. said, “I’m afraid my scanners were not calibrated to locate feline life signs.”

There were several groans in response.

Jax narrowed his eyes thoughtfully but made no comment.

“So we do this the hard way,” said Sara. “Everyone spread out and start searching.”

The team began leaving with various amounts of enthusiasm, Mick only after fabricating himself a second beer.

On his way out, Ray called, “Here, Rip! Here, kitty kitty kitty!”

Sara slapped his arm. “Not helping.”

“Honestly, Raymond, do you really think that’s wise?” said Martin.

“Couldn’t hurt,” said Mick. “Here, kitty kitty kitty!” None of them noticed while they ventured out into the rest of the ship that Jax stayed behind.

When he was sure the rest of the team was out of earshot, he gazed up at the ceiling and said, “Gideon?”

“Yes, Mr. Jackson?” Gideon replied. “You know those sensors of yours are pretty damn good.”

“Why thank you, Mr. Jackson.”

Pursing his lips, Jax folded his arms over his chest. “So if you wanted to, I don’t know, recalibrate them to pick up feline life signs, which you could easily do yourself by the way, it should only take a second or two.”

There was no response from the A.I.

“Not that you’d need to,” he continued. “I’m sure you have ways of keeping track of Rip whatever shape he’s in and I’m pretty sure you’d never let him out of your sight especially when he happens to be a cat. You get what I’m trying to say here?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” said Gideon, defensively, finally breaking her silence.

Unfolding his arms, Jax placed his hands on his hips. “Come on, Gideon. Cough it up. You know exactly where Rip is so where is he? And no more lying.”

“I am incapable of lying,” was Gideon’s prim reply.

Jax rolled his eyes. “Of course, not. You just avoid telling the truth when you don’t want to.”

“Are you suggesting I am keeping things from the crew?”

“I’m suggesting,” said Jax, eyebrows raised pointedly, “that you are an A.I. who is too smart for her own good and who is willing to do whatever it takes to protect her captain.”

Gideon seemed to relent somewhat and her voice lost some of its defensiveness. “I merely thought it would be in the Captain’s best interest if he were not disturbed,” she explained. “The events of the day have been rather stressful and the actions of the others do not appear to be... very helpful.”

“That’s an understatement,” Jax said with a snort. “If I promise not to disturb him, will you tell me where he is?”

Gideon was silent once more.

“I just want to check to make sure he’s ok,” Jax insisted.

There was another pause before Gideon declared, “Very well.”

Under Gideon’s guidance, Jax began making his way through the ship. He was surprised when she led him up to the bridge and into Rip’s parlour.

Standing by the entrance, he gazed around but saw no sign of the cat.

“Gideon, I don’t–” he began but the A.I. interrupted him.

“Please lower your volume, Mr. Jackson,” said Gideon, her own voice much quieter than usual.

“Sorry,” said Jax, more softly, “but where’s–”

She told him.

Jax’s eye widened. “Seriously?”

Taking the chair from Rip’s deck, Jax placed it beside the large cupboard at the side of the room and stepped onto it. Stretching up onto his toes, he was just able to see the top.

There, nestled behind a pair of odd looking helmets, curled up into a stripey orange ball, was Rip contentedly sleeping away, his sides slowly rising and falling as he dozed.

“How the hell did you get up here?” Jax said, whispering so as to not disturb the sleeping cat.

As he watched, Rip shifted in his sleep placing a paw over his nose.

Jax bit his lip resisting the sudden urge to giggle. Quietly, he climbed down off the chair and put it away.

“The others are never going to believe this,” he said, grinning.

“Are you going to inform them of the captain’s whereabouts?” asked Gideon.

Echoing down the corridor from the depths of the ship came the sound of someone calling “Here, kitty kitty kitty.”

Jax smirked. “Eventually,” he said. “For now, I think you had the right idea. Let’s let sleeping cats lie. I’m sure Rip could use the rest.”

On top of the cupboard, Rip Hunter, once Time Master and now cat, let out a tiny snore.

[hale-of-stiles-heart]

Superman!Derek here we go. Okay stiles is nothing like lois like Noah fence to her but naaa. So Scott has somehow managed to get into life threatening danger that Derek use just used to having to save him but THIS TIME Scott has a hot friend who doesn't. need. this. And so superman is a little baffled and like almost forgets to save them bc liek have you seen stiles? So then stiles is salty abt being the damsel in distress bc GOD KNOWS he can defend himself he's a sheriff's son. (1)

So, this is officially my first Super!Derek work! (also on ao3!)

Derek was painfully used to having to save Scott McCall's life.

The reporter was still green, a new hire at Argent Enterprises who had only been working for a few months. He was practically right out of journalism school, still wide-eyed and awestruck by Metropolis.

Derek didn't mind Scott at that much, especially since he was more tolerable than most of the other reporters that flocked to crime scenes hoping to get a glimpse of him. Unlike most, Scott was content to simply report on the stories he was given, rather than go chasing after an interview with Superman.

Objectively, Derek understood why so many reporters and photographers wanted five minutes with him, understood the intrigue of having a living, breathing superhero flying around the city. He understood the need to know more and ferret out the answers to incredible mysteries.

But, personally, he hated the way reporters buzzed around like flies on a slab of dead meat, like blood sucking parasites wanting a picture or soundbite of Superman to launch their career and fill their pockets. He hated the way that half the time he had to split his attention between saving the day and saving the overzealous reporters trying to get some footage of the action.

Fortunately, Derek never had to save Scott from those kinds of incidents. Unfortunately, he had to save Scott from other incidents.

The first time Derek had to save Scott it was because the reporter had gotten lost and inadvertently wound up in a rather rough neighborhood. He had gotten shot at by some white guys who lived and breathed the Second Amendment as he tried to get somewhere safe.

He wound up getting lost even deeper in the neighborhood, apparently having no sense of direction whatsoever. Derek found him cowering behind a dumpster when the sound of gunshots drew him to the scene.

Deflecting more gunshots from the ignorant city rednecks, Derek led Scott out of the neighborhood by the back of his shirt like a disapproving father who had caught his son smoking. After ensuring that Scott wasn't hurt in any way, suffering no gunshot wounds or other injuries, Derek had escorted him back to Argent Enterprises' main office, instructing him to stay out of trouble.

A few weeks later, Derek had to save him again.

Somehow Scott had gotten caught up in the middle of a scuffle between two super villains who had apparently gotten into an argument in a local Starbucks. One of them had reportedly cut in front of the other in line, incensing them enough to throw a punch that had the other guy flying through the wall.

Scott had gotten clipped by the punch as well, making him spill all of the coffee he had been picking up for his co-workers. But that was the least of his worries as he wound up as a hostage inside the coffee shop, shaking like a leaf under a small table.

After hauling off the villains to jail, Derek had hurried back to the Starbucks to make sure that everyone was alright. He had cocked a curious brow when he noticed Scott amongst those taken hostage, wincing when he saw the coffee stains on his t-shirt.

A pattern had formed after that, one that consisted of Scott inexplicably getting into trouble and Derek saving him. It had quickly become an almost daily occurrence.

Scott had an uncanny ability to attract danger though he insisted that his friend, whose name he claimed was Stiles, was the real lightning rod for trouble. And lucky Derek got to pull him out of burning buildings and yank him away from more superpowered fights in the middle of the city.

So, when Derek overheard a police radio call detailing that a couple of reporters had somehow gotten themselves trapped on the roof by yet another super villain that called Metropolis home, he immediately knew that one of them must be Scott.

With a quick glance around the office to make sure no one would notice him leave, Derek discreetly gathered his things in his suitcase and rushed to the elevator. Five minutes later, his suitcase was safely tucked away in his apartment and he was soaring over the skies of Metropolis. Super speed definitely had its perks.

He followed the sound of police sirens and fire engines to the scene of the crime where Livewire was hurling balls of concentrated electricity at the first responders. The air crackled with static as currents of electricity raced through her body, sparking blue at her fingertips.

Her ghostly white skin seemed to glow in the bright sunlight of the late morning, making it look even more unnatural than it already was. In stark contrast to her skin, her neon blue hair stood straight up from her scalp, almost resembling a mohawk.

She was barely recognizable, looking nothing like she had when she spent her days hosting her vitriolic radio talk show where she had ranted and raved about everything from abortions to Superman being an illegal immigrant. She could have given Tori Lahren a run for her money.

And there, on the roof an apartment building that had been left vacant for renovations was none other than Scott, looking terrified as he gawked at the electricity bending woman. He had a microphone clutched tightly in his hand as though he had been on the roof when the villainess attacked.

Derek had hoped to spare a few moments analyzing the situation before acting but his plans were spoiled by one of the first responders. One of the police officers had pointed him out and joyously called, "Look! It's Superman."

Despite wanting to roll his eyes at the fact that the officer had just informed Livewire to his presence, Derek launched into action. He dove at Livewire who snarled at him indignantly, flicking a few strikes of electricity at him as he rushed at her.

Fortunately, the electricity didn't do much other than annoy him a bit, sending a few tiny jolts through him. That is, until she intensified the strength of the current, hurling a huge bolt at him that resembled a strike of lightning.

It struck him in the chest, shocking him into a halt and a premature fall to the concrete roof of the apartment building with a loud crack. He heard a few startled gasps from Scott on the other side of the roof as he pushed himself to his feet and shook himself.

He took another minute to reassess the situation as his fingers twitched with the aftershocks of the assault, glancing around the rooftop. The first thing he noticed was that the stone of the roof was crumbling, the second thing he noticed was that Scott wasn't alone.

There was another man on the roof with him, tall and lean in a red plaid shirt and khakis that looked more skintight than Derek's own outfit. His brown hair was artfully disheveled, dark in contrast to the pale white of his mole dotted skin that immediately reminded Derek of a marble statue.

His big brown eyes were alight with a fierce fire of determination as he watched Livewire, his brows furrowed in concentration. Derek noticed that his plush pink lips were moving rapidly as he frantically whispered something to Scott, squeezing the other reporter's shoulder.

Derek was captivated. The man was so gorgeous, the mere sight of him drowned out everything else.

Everything else including Livewire getting ready to zap him with an even stronger hit of electricity, tendrils of blue sparks coiling around her hands to form a large ball. She stalked closer silently, a wide smirk stretching across her dark lips, making her look almost demonic.

Derek never would have even noticed if it hadn't been for the other reporter with Scott. Standing up taller, he cupped his hands around his mouth and called to Derek, "Dude, watch out!"

Derek turned just in time to see Livewire standing over him, a twisted grin on her face as she prepared to shock him. But before she could, Derek swiped her legs out from under her, making her topple to the ground with a banshee-like screech.

They grappled for a few moments, Livewire forgoing using any of her superhuman abilities in the heat of the moment, instead favoring clawing at Derek's face while shrieking. Derek didn't even bother using all of his own preternatural strength to subdue her, able to pin her arms behind her without it.

He secured her wrists with one of the reinforced zip ties his good friend Batman had given him, reminding Derek to send him a fruit basket. Her powers neutralized, Livewire kicked and screamed as Derek carried her down to the street to the army of police officers who took her into custody and Mirandized her.

With Livewire in the backseat of a police cruiser, Derek hurried back to the roof to rescue the two reporters, worried that the roof might cave in. He hovered over the roof as he made his way to Scott and his friend who was grumbling something so quietly that even Derek couldn't hear him.

"Superman!" Scott called out in relief, visibly sagging as he sighed. He looked exhausted, like the slightest breeze might knock him over.

His friend, on the other hand, looked furious. He had his arms crossed over his chest as he glared at Derek, making him hesitate for a moment in fear that the unknown reporter was one of the people who hated Superman.

"Are you two, alright?" Derek asked as he approached them, lighting down on the roof a few feet away from them. He was a bit wary, not sure how the unknown man might react.

"We're fine," the other reporter growled snappishly, giving Derek an unimpressed once over. He sauntered over to Derek, poking him in the chest with every word, "I didn't need you saving me, y'know. My buddy here might be a little helpless, no offense, Scotty, but I can take care of myself."

Derek bit down on a smile, ducking his head at the indignant tone. He could hear fond exasperation underscoring every word so he didn't take any offense, instead pressing his luck and inquiring, "Is there anything I can do to make it up to, Mr..."

"Stilinski," the man answered immediately, a small smirk curling up the corner of his lip. The smirk growing, he tacked on, "And you could start by going to dinner with me this Saturday. Eight o'clock at the diner on Fourth and Kent."

"I'll be there," Derek grinned widely. He had grown used to saving Scott so it was only fitting that Scott's friend saved him from yet another Saturday night alone.