#oh man seems like a tense battle wonder who’s gonna get his ass beat by a child

[hplonesomeart]

Obligatory update on the project yeah yeah!

Although I don’t want to outright spoil all the progress I’ve made so far, I can’t deny that I’m ready to brag about this spin segment looking hella cool jksjsksp. Just need to maybe add in the flame movement for the background + fix that one minions broken face but otherwise this part is complete :D

[oneisallallisone]

All I Know, All I Know Greedling x Reader fic Chapter 3

In a land ruled by alchemy, there are some who would call you a sorcerer. You intend to understand what this means. Along your journey you end up getting mixed up with two strange brothers, a military conspiracy, a potentially world-ending event, and the avarice of something more than human.

Previous

Chapter 1

Read on AO3

_______________________________________________________________________

All I Know, All I Know

Chapter 3: What Is and What Isn’t

You, Edward, and Alphonse made your way to the Fifth Laboratory under the blanket of night. Standing in the shadows of a nearby alleyway, you surveyed the scene; a few street lamps were on, illuminating a quiet road and a ‘Keep Out’ sign that was posted in front of the laboratory. Also posted in front of the facility was an armed Central soldier. 

“A guard stationed outside of a supposedly abandoned building,” Ed observed, low enough for only you and Al to hear. 

You frowned. “Definitely strange.” 

“So, how do we get in?” Al asked. 

The three of you snuck closer to the wall that surrounded the laboratory, hugging one of the sides that was in the guard’s blindspot. 

“We could use alchemy?” Ed suggested. 

Al shook his head. “The light from the transmutic reaction would give us away.” 

“Is there a way we could go over?” you wondered. 

Ed studied the height of the wall. “Hey Al, give me a boost.” 

Al cupped his hands together and flung his brother up to the top of the wall. Once there, Ed grabbed the barbed wire with his automail hand and cut a line to send back down to you and Al. 

“You can hold onto me if you want to, so the wire doesn’t hurt you,” Al offered. 

“That’s very kind of you,” you said, taking his hand. 

Ed pulled the two of you up to the top of the wall and wasted no time jumping down to the lawn surrounding the Fifth Laboratory. Al leapt after him, somehow landing just as quietly as his brother. You doubted you could land as gracefully, having never been trained in any sort of martial art and not knowing the correct way to fall. 

From the grass below, Ed looked back up at you. He raised an eyebrow. 

Your power wanted to fly through your fingertips again. You could feel it; rising up to meet you as you were rising up to meet a challenge. With a calm exhale you jumped, and, right before you hit the ground, soft purple waves rippled from your hands and slowed your fall. 

Ed almost had a smile on his face. “Nicely done.” 

You nodded in thanks. 

Al led the way to what appeared to be the front door, but the three of you found it was boarded up and blocked off by more rows of barbed wire. 

“Man, they must be hiding something big in there,” Ed said. 

Your stomach sank a little. The closer you got to the lab, the more it felt like you were sticking your nose in a place it didn’t certainly belong. Al pointed over to a grate embedded in the side of the building. 

“There!” 

On Al’s shoulders, the young state alchemist was able to pry the grate off the wall and toss it aside. “Al, you need to wait out here. (Y/n) and I can continue on.” 

“You two will be fine?” Al asked. 

“Whether we will or won’t isn’t really the question,” Ed said, already climbing into the duct. “You’re too big to fit in here.” 

“Well I didn’t ask to get this big,” Al said, dejected, as he helped you into the crawl-space after Ed. 

You and Ed crawled in silence for a while, nothing but the dark and a few cobwebs surrounding you. You’d never experienced a particular moment of claustrophobia before, but it was unnerving being pressed in on all sides like this. 

“Damn it’s an even tighter squeeze than I thought,” Ed said. “If I was regular sized I probably wouldn’t even be able to get through.” 

A tense beat of silence struck the air. 

“DAMMIT I JUST CALLED MYSELF SHORT—” 

“Ed!” you hissed. “Shut up! What happened to us ‘not getting caught’?” 

“Right, oh, right. Sorry.” 

A few moments passed before you and Ed came upon another grate, this one bolted to the floor of the duct. The alchemist kicked through it, and you and he jumped down into the hallway below. The corridor was almost as dim as the crawl space, save for some faint yellow lights along the ground. 

“‘Abandoned building’ my ass,” Ed said. 

“Do you think anyone’s here right now?” 

“No way to tell for sure. Just stay on your guard.” 

The energy you carried surged beneath your skin on instinct. “Right.” 

The symbol on the ground was composed of circles and pentagons all nestled within each other. In the center was a cylindrical altar that bore more alchemic iconography. Blood, dark and crusted with age, was splattered in many areas around the large outer circle. 

“What is all this…?” you asked, dull horror filling your core. 

“I’m not sure,” Ed said. “But if I had to guess, I’d say it’s what they used to transmute a Philosopher’s Stone.” 

“That is correct.” A third voice. From the shadows. 

You and Ed turned quickly to see a figure emerging from a hall on the other side of the room. He wore heavy plate armor and a helmet covered his face. “I don’t know who you fools are,” he continued, “But you’ve figured out a lot just by looking at a transmutation circle.” 

“Yeah, I’m just good like that. Who are you, pal?” Ed snarked back. 

The man’s armor clanked as he spoke. “The one in charge of guarding this place from curious brats like you. Let’s just say my name is Number 48. And believe me, I am not your ‘pal.’ My orders are to dispose of anyone who ventures in. Try not to take it personally.” 

“Alright, I won’t,” Ed said. He clapped his hands together and the blue light of an alchemic reaction flashed through the air. His automail arm extended into a large blade. “As long as you don’t take it personally when this ‘fool’ kicks your ass!” 

“You’re an alchemist, are you?” Number 48 said. With speed you didn’t think possible, the armored man lunged towards Ed. It was like he crossed the span of twenty feet in the blink of an eye. “Let’s see what you’ve got, then.” He swung his massive two-haded sword high over his head. 

In one motion, Ed pushed you out of the way and leapt backwards from the guard. He blocked the tip of the sword with his automail arm, and the knight stumbled back. 

“It seems your automail just saved your life,” Number 48 said. “No matter, my sword can pierce steel as well as flesh.” He rushed at Ed again. 

“Wait!” you screamed. Extending your hand forward, partially reaching for Ed and partially focusing your vitality, a violet blast of energy sprung from your hand towards the man in the armor. It struck him in the shoulder and he spun from the impact. 

“Another alchemist?” he pondered, turning towards you. 

Wide-eyed, chest heaving from the outburst of power, you shrugged. “Sure?” 

Number 48 changed direction and charged you next. It was instinctive, what you did. Raising both hands in front of you like a shield, only to watch your energy take shape and mold an actual shield in front of you. The barrier was small, just barely enough to stop the guard’s sword from piercing your heart, but it held strong. 

“No…” Number 48 said. “This is not alchemy. What a strange opponent you make, but how excited I am to fight someone like you.”

To your dismay, the sturdiness of your shield began to diminish as Number 48 dug his blade in harder. Nothing about the position of your hands and body had changed, so you weren’t sure why it was shrinking. But you clenched your jaw in the vain effort to keep it intact. 

Ed landed a swift kick to the guard’s torso, knocking him away from you. You allowed your shield to fall. Gave yourself a brief moment to heave more air into your lungs. And then stood tall next to the fullmetal alchemist again. 

“Have you seen something like this before?” you called to Number 48, despite your better judgement. 

To your surprise, he remained where he was. “No. But I’ve fought enough alchemists to know what is alchemy and what isn’t.” 

“Well, speaking of what people are and aren’t,” Ed interjected, “I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that you’re hollow inside?” 

“Very perceptive.” 

“I could tell by the sound,” Ed said. “I spar against someone like you all the time.” 

You turned towards Ed. “Wait, so you’re saying he’s—” 

“Just like Al,” Ed nodded. 

“So there are people like me on the outside?” Number 48 asked, a strange earnestness in his voice. 

“Unfortunately.” Ed said. “It makes me sick to think there was another idiot out there who came up with the idea of bonding a disembodied soul to a suit of armor.” 

“Perhaps I need to re-introduce myself, then,” the guard said. “48 was the number I was assigned when I was a prisoner on death row. Back when I had a living body, I was known as Slicer the mass murderer.” 

“Tell me something, then,” Ed started. “Does this laboratory use condemned prisoners to make Philosopher Stones?” 

“That I cannot tell you. I was simply recognized for my skills and appointed to be a guard dog of this place. Now then,” he shifted back into a battle-ready stance. “Which one of you would like the pleasure of being killed first?”

[lifblogs]

do a oneshot about anakin ft a lot of padme's back ;) maybe some fun times with them and that backless dress after they're married

Okay, so I’m gonna level with you, anon. This really came across as a demand, especially since I didn’t state I was taking requests, so there is an etiquette that was lacking. However, this idea was fantastic, and I’m in a fun Anidala mood anyway, and I know you didn’t mean anything by it. Besides, this fic was fun. Please enjoy!

War Will Tear This From Us

1753 words

read on ao3

Padmé’s breath was labored as Anakin slowly began to undress her. Even after their time spent in Varykino on Naboo after the Battle on Geonosis, giving Anakin time to heal and grow used to his new mechno-arm, he still struggled. But Padmé knew he didn’t want her help with this, that he wanted to do it all on his own.

But maybe—

No.

She inhaled deeply—so deep in fact that she felt as if she needed more air—when Anakin finally managed to have the intricate lace of her wedding dress start sliding off of her. This was all new to her, but it was a newness that she wanted to explore with him.

Her back still bore scars from the Nexu during her attempted execution, but Ani didn’t seem to care. His fingers—both skin and metal that was warming to her touch—brushed against the raggedness of them. The scars would fade in another week or so with proper treatment, but for now they were real, and they were a reminder of what they’d faced together. She trembled from the care of which he caressed her, heat running in liquid trails down her spine.

“Ani…” she breathed, not sure what she had even been planning on saying.

She could tell he was smiling, could hear it in his voice when he asked quietly, “Yes?”

“Shouldn’t we undress together? I want to see you.”

Her cheeks reddened at this admittance, the entirety of this relationship so new to her. Yes, she’d already had her first kiss, and she had been close with Clovis, but after all she’d been through, she was married, and to Padawan Anakin Skywalker. She couldn’t calm the fluttering in her stomach or the soaring in her heart. The light in her seemed to grow even as the burning sunset faded over the lakehouse.

“Well let’s just make sure this dress doesn’t get in the way of you taking my clothes off.”

Again she found herself taking in far too much air. Part of her wanted to hold her dress up over her chest as it began to slip off of her body. Anakin, noticing her tension, pressed himself up against her and caressed her arms.

“We can wait,” he said. “Though the images I have in my mind of you… I can barely stand it.”

For a few moments they just existed together, bodies moving in tandem with their breaths. She could feel the strong, racing beat of his heart through her back.

“No.” She turned to him, and did hold up her dress, just so it wouldn’t slip around her legs and entangle her. With one hand she reached out to run her fingers through his short hair, and then caressed his face, holding his chin. “We’re married, and I’m choosing to do this with you, not because I have to as your wife, but because I want to.”

“Then why so tense?”

Testing him, she ran her hand over his body, and found him tense as well, though slightly more relaxed than her. His pupils grew larger from her touch, and this close to him, she was beginning to feel a hardness in between his legs, pressing against her stomach.

“Don’t pretend you’re not nervous too.”

At that, something in him seemed to snap and release, and she was swept up into his arms. They kissed, a kiss that sent liquid fire down in between her legs, and he tugged the rest of her dress off. Something about being bare before him while he was still in his Jedi tunics and tabard tugged at that wildness inside her. Her nipples peaked, and she found herself moving her body against his, in ways she didn’t know it could move or even wanted to, as he brought her over to their bed.

Anakin was gentle about laying her upon it, but there was nothing tender about the way their mouths came together again and again with the force to bruise.

Oh stars, this was her husband. How had any of this happened? How was she so lucky to reconnect with that boy from Tatooine?

During their decade apart she would wonder what he looked like as he slowly became a man, and now, she wasn’t at all disappointed. He was tall, toned, and now possessed a strength about him that made her want to melt, and with a face so handsome it broke her heart. He was melting into her too, so in love with the angel from the stars who’d wished for his freedom.

Anakin’s mechno-arm found her waist, and he hissed in a breath.

Padmé smiled. “How are those electrostatic fingertips working for you?” she asked.

He squeezed, clearly amazed that he could still touch and feel. His kiss-swollen mouth was open in awe. “Just wonderful.”

Anakin took this time to survey her body, and she was faced with all those dreams he’d had of her, all those thoughts he’d tried banishing with his training, all the things he had tried to keep buried. All of it burned like warming and steaming ice in his blue eyes, and Padmé was sure she was flushing down to the roots of her hair.

He caressed, and, wanting more, she slowly began to open her legs.

“You’re so beautiful,” he told her.

“I assume you are too underneath all those robes.”

“You really want to see me naked, don’t you?”

Padmé was breathless as she answered, “Yes.”

So Anakin stepped back, and began to undress for her. Padmé immediately leapt off the bed, completely unashamed by her nudity now, and the ways in which her body moved. She reached for him, slapping his left hand away from his belt.

“I want to do that!” she snapped.

It turned into a war to see who could get his clothes off faster, leaving them giggling. The fight ended with Padmé on top of Anakin on the bed, legs spread over his muscled thighs. He’d just finished kicking off his loose-fitting pants that she had done the honors of untying the laces of, and for some reason she still had his belt. Jokingly, knowing she could explore and play with him, she made to tie the belt around his wrists.

His grin was lecherous.

“Padmé, you don’t want to do that.”

She leaned in, kissed his nose, and asked, “And why not, Jedi?”

“Because I can do this!”

On this, he grabbed the belt, and used it to pull her off of him. He twisted her onto her stomach. Her surprised scream turned into a moan as he pressed against her. Oh, he was hard, and Padmé wasn’t sure since she didn’t have any other measurement to refer to, but he seemed so large. The hot length of him throbbed against her ass. Then that strange, but welcome sensation became a myriad of pleasure as he began to kiss her back, holding her hips all the while.

“What is with you and my back?” she got out, voice low and throaty. 

The laugh that had been building in her throat died as he kissed her topmost scar. That cut had been the longest, the deepest, and it was still sore. But his touch there brought something new to her body. Not pain. But care, pleasure. It brought tears to her eyes.

“It’s beautiful,” he responded, sounding drunk off of her. And Padmé herself was getting drunk off of his voice, his touch, feeling his thighs against hers, closing her in.

She got up on her forearms, and twisted, reaching back, grabbing him by the back of his neck as he leaned in. Even while twisted in a slightly awkward position, Padmé couldn’t stop herself from marveling at the sight of her husband, naked above her. Each muscle had a soft gleam in the dimming light, proving just how hot he was, how much he wanted this. The promise of sweat and movement left her practically drooling, and she shifted against him, moaning with want.

“I love what I see, too.”

They kissed, and then he ever so gently extricated her from him and made her face forward again.

“Stay still.”

“Oh, so you’re going to command a senator?”

“I serve the Republic,” he answered. “But I’m detached from it, so, in a way, I can do as I please.”

“In your dreams. Besides, if there really is going to be a war, you have to follow my orders since you’ll be directly serving the Senate.”

“I thought that was a dictatorship.”

“Fine, then do we vote that I can give you orders?”

“Of course.” Anakin gyrated against her, leaving Padmé even more hot and wanting, moaning beneath him. He went on, “And what are your orders, my lady?”

She pressed back, trying to shove him off of her, but it didn’t work. Instead, it left Anakin holding himself up with his core, running his hands over the front of her body. Their motions turned into a wild thing of desperate, dry-humping, and Anakin’s left hand finding the wetness in between her legs.

“That you stop this nonsense, and fuck me already,” she growled.

“As long as I get to take you from behind first,” Anakin negotiated.

Padmé didn’t even care in which way they came together. They had all night to explore each other, and right now she just wanted him inside her, even while a part of her wondered how he’d even fit.

“Blast, I don’t even care,” she breathed. “Just figure out how to get in me.”

“Can I have help?”

She giggled, realizing that he was as clueless about her body as she was about his—maybe even moreso.

Rolling her eyes, she relented, “Sure.”

Anakin let out a victorious whoop of joy and then continued to lavish her back with kisses, even beginning to lick her. All the while, he lowered himself down her body, and she lifted herself up, ass in the air, ready for him to learn her.

Anakin was an eager Padawan, and with desperate and humorous fumbling, he eventually managed to fill her. With her back pressed against his muscled torso, his cock in her up to his balls, she realized she wanted to experience this for the rest of her life. He held her as he took her, and Padmé gripped his arms, even the mechno-arm.

This was her life now. This was her husband. And for now she didn’t spare a thought for the war that could tear it all away.

[twokinkybeans]

The Arachnoids: ROCK BAND AU [Starker] - Chapter 6: HEADSTART HERO

READ “CHAPTER 6: HEADSTART HERO” ON AO3

Find the masterpost with all the chapters linked here!

Taglist: @crystallinecrimsonmoth​​​​ & @staticwhispersinthedark​​​​ (Let me know if you want to be added!)

-

Chapter 6: Headstart Hero

Peter knows exactly what it feels like to be standing in the crowd, anticipating the start of a show. The strange connection you feel with all these people that you’ve never met, the laughter, the chatter, the excitement coursing through your veins as you wait for the lights to finally dim.  Standing backstage holds the same kind of elation; yet it’s completely different. He too, is waiting for the lights to dim. Every time the lights flicker, every time the crowd makes a little more noise, he feels his heart skip a beat. It can’t be healthy to be so tense. His ribcage feels tight and he swallows. Peter tries to shift his guitar strap a little in the hopes of gaining some breathing space. Not that it helps of course, ‘cause it’s not the strap that restrains him.

Next to him, MJ and Ned are fighting equal battles with themselves. Playing for the New Year’s Eve show had been challenging enough, but somehow, this feels different. Like they’re gonna have to prove their worth. This is their chance to get their name out. To connect with potential fans. It’s overwhelming. Very, very much so.

It shouldn’t be long now, please, please don’t keep him waiting any longer. He-

The lights dim at last, and Peter is hit with the screams emerging from the crowd. Astonished, he knows he should jump to action right now. It’s almost as if someone else takes over his body when a broad smile plasters itself on his face and he runs into the stage lights.  “Welcome!” MJ laughs into her microphone. She looks absolutely stunning. Her aquamarine dress swirls around her loosely as she walks. Venus, for sure. “We are the inner concentric, the outer radial lineament, the spider-like volcano-tectonic structures from Venus. We have come to Earth to give you a hint of the whirling desire that is found on our planet. We are… The Arachnoids!”

Ned kicks off with a fast-paced rhythm, the deep vibrations of the bass drum tingling on Peter’s skin. Everything about this makes him feel so utterly hyped up. He lets his pick rain down on the strings, earlier nerves forgotten. His fingers glide over the notes so easily. The stage lights are blinding, but he knows how big the arena is. He knows exactly how many people are out there- watching him, cheering for him. 

He walks forward, dancing to MJ’s sweet harmony, and slides to his knees to get a break from the lights for a quick second. The group of young adults pressed against the front barrier raise their hands to him and scream. Peter’s eyes widen when he sees one of the girls is wearing a bright-pink tee with ‘The Arachnoids’ written on it with a black marker. He grins widely at her and winks. The girl instantly tears up and brings her hands together in a heart-shaped symbol. “I love you, Peter!” She mouths excitedly.

Peter can’t help the stunned chuckle that rises from his chest and he stands up again, walking over to MJ while quickly waving to the girl in the crowd once.  Then, he turns around and leans against MJ, his head dropping backwards onto her shoulder. MJ plays along. She moves her hand up to ruffle through Peter’s hair as she keeps on singing through the high notes of the chorus. “And now we’re hoooo-hoooooome!”  Peter jumps away from her and bounces on the balls of his feet and moves his head along to the music. He runs towards the other side of the stage, giving the crowd a good show as he keeps playing with his instrument raised high in the air.

Somehow, his glance is pulled towards the small backstage area he can see from there. Tony’s seated on top of the transport cases again, watching the show intently. Peter can’t help feeling surprised at the fact that Tony’s here watching them play. 

Peter swallows when he realizes that his solo is coming up, the exact one Tony had given him the unsolicited advice about earlier today. He presses his lips together and makes the split-second decision to play it Tony’s way. He may not have practiced it yet, but he knows he can do it. He wants to. Why he wants to please Tony so badly is a mystery to him, but he doesn’t have time to think about it. That’s how he takes a few steps closer towards the edge of the stage and takes a deep breath. His fingers find their usual pattern, his pick hitting each snare perfectly- D-string, he reminds himself. Play the F on the D-string. 

And oh, Tony had been right. Peter flies through the solo so much easier than ever before. Endorphins release from his brain and make him feel nice and warm all over. He turns his head to look at Tony again. The man’s eyes are wide as he watches Peter play all the way through the solo with ease, and Peter wonders if the man had expected him to actually listen. Peter most certainly didn’t.

As soon as the solo ends, he breaks his gaze with Tony’s and resumes playing chorus’ rhythm, walking over to Ned who’s happily smashing on his drums. The new kit suits him perfectly. Peter has to suppress the urge to look at Tony again and he scoffs quietly to himself. He’s starting to get weirdly attached to the other guitarist. Asshole or not, there’s… something about the man and it’s inherently annoying to Peter. So, that’s why he refuses to look over even once for the rest of the show, and by the end of the set, he’s nearly forgotten that it even happened. 

Nearly.

-

“You guys were fantastic out there- Woah!” Harley laughs and pulls Peter into a tight hug. Peter chuckles, patting the other boy’s back in return. It’s a little awkward, with his guitar between them, but the intention is what matters most. “Thanks, dude!” Peter sighs happily and pulls back. He only then realizes how much his shirt is sticking onto his skin. “Ugh, I need a change of clothes.” Harley chuckles at that. “One month into this tour and you won’t even notice anymore,” he jokes. “We’ll all walk around smelling like shit- part of the fun, I say!” Peter laughs and shakes his head at that. Harley, in return, looks very pleased with himself.

“Hey, I gotta go switch the stage set-up- eh, tell MJ I’ll talk to her later?” Harley asks, leaning in a little as if he doesn’t want anyone else to hear it. MJ’s standing a couple of feet away from them, talking to Liz, one of the other roadies working on this tour. “Uhh, sure!” Peter answers, noticing the small blush that spreads on Harley’s cheekbones. The blonde grins and glances over at MJ once more before taking a step back. He finger guns at Peter and winks. “You’re a hero!”

Peter snorts, it’s adorable how clearly the boy is trying to get MJ’s attention. Not that he actually has to try very hard. MJ and Harley have been messaging each other every single day since the New Year’s Eve show. Sometimes they even facetime. Peter can tell that MJ is slowly starting to open up to the idea of Harley possibly liking her, but he’ll keep his mouth shut about it. She has to figure it out herself. In her own time. 

“Hero,” Tony scoffs from behind him. Peter has to actively keep himself from rolling his eyes at the remark and he turns around. “That’d be me,” he deadpans. Tony lets out a surprised laugh at that and Peter feels a stupid happy feeling emerging in his chest. No, he reminds himself. Don’t let him get to you. He doesn’t want to befriend the man so quickly. He might be less of a prick today, but that doesn’t mean he’s suddenly a kind presence to be around. He’s very much not that. “Space hero… Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?” “I guess.” Peter eyes the man, unsure what he wants from him. Tony licks his lips once and tilts his head.

“So,” Tony starts slowly. “Seems my advice wasn’t that bad after all, mmh?” “I never said it was bad.” “But you didn’t like it.” “I didn’t ask for help, Tony.” Peter narrows his eyes a little, trying to read the man’s face. Tony’s deep brown eyes hold something so… Unexplainable. It’s no fragility, neither is it playful. It’s some weird mixture of every possible emotion out there. It makes it feel both very intense and deep, and closed-off at the same time. There’s so much to see that it’s impossible to know what’s truly going on. Peter sighs. “Unsolicited, but it worked. Yes. Thank you.”

“Ah,” Tony exclaims proudly and Peter instantly wishes he hadn’t said it. It’s irritating and he knows that whatever words Tony will speak next, it’s gonna be something cocky again. “When the student is ready, the teacher appears. Mmh, never thought it was true. When do we start your classes?” Peter huffs and looks away for a second.  “I’m not taking classes from you. I’m sure you got better things to do than waste your time on beginners like us.” Peter instantly regrets his words when he sees a flash of rejection on Tony’s face. The man straightens his shoulders, eyebrows furrowing together. Peter knows that whatever he said, it triggered the man’s jerkiness full force. “Fine, I’m just trying to be nice. But you’re right, Peter. I got better things to do,” Tony spits out and he stalks off.  “Fuck,” Peter mutters to himself. He messed up. Nice job, Parker. Keep going like this and you’ll find your ass on a plane back to New York first thing in the morning. He wishes he knew what had set Tony off so much, but at the same time, he can feel anger bubbling up inside him. It’s so utterly frustrating that Tony can’t handle anything without stomping his feet and throwing a tantrum. It’s not Peter’s problem. It’s not his issue to solve. “Go fuck yourself,” he mumbles quietly. Feeling annoyed with the fact that the whole, hazy feeling of post-concert bliss has shattered. 

“Hey Pete, we killed it out there!” Ned interrupts his thoughts as the drummer nudges his side. “And those fangirls in the front, can you fucking believe it? We got fans!” Ned’s enthusiasm instantly lightens Peter’s mood a little. Tension leaves his body and he grins widely at Ned. “We’re gonna be huge, Leeds. One day, I’m telling ya!” “Let’s toast to that, boys!” MJ chimes in and hands both of them a small bottle of water. Peter eagerly takes it from her hands and skews the cap off.

“You,” he says as he brings the bottle to his mouth, “-are a lifesaver.” “I know,” she smirks and chugs some water down as well. “Has anyone seen Harley? He said he’d see me after our set,” she then asks, voice wavering slightly. She cranes her neck to try and spot him. “He just hopped by, told me to tell you he’d see you later. Not sure what he was up to, but running ‘round as always,” Peter tells her. MJ seems pleased with the information that Harley told Peter to make sure she wouldn’t feel left behind. “Poor dude,” Ned mumbles. “I’m sure he doesn’t get paid even half of what he deserves.” “He loves the job, though,” MJ smiles. She tilts her head at Peter. “I saw you talking to Tony, by the way! He seemed nice today?”

Peter scoffs. “He sorta was, in his own way. But one wrong word and he turned all bitchy again.” “Ugh, there’s always some issue with him, isn’t there? Do you still wanna watch their set after that?” “Yes,” Peter answers. “They’re a good band. Who knows when we’ll be kicked off the tour, we should enjoy it while it lasts.” He tries to bring it jokingly but knows it sounds petty as fuck. Dammit, Tony sure brings out the worst in him.  “Yeah,” MJ smiles. “I vote we stay.” Peter simply nods and takes another big sip from the water and wipes the small stains of sweat from his forehead using his sleeve. He still feels low-key guilty about the whole encounter with Tony. The least he can do is watch the show and give them their support. He’ll have to try to ignore the nagging thoughts clawing at his mind. He can do that, he hopes.

-

Read the next chapter >> 7: Ice Cream Ignition

[kbim]

Every Hero Has Their End(SWF)

During hero training at U.A, Y/N gets a disturbing phone call from home. And Bakugou Katsuki is there to soothe them however he can.

Warnings: Death, Established relationship, Comfort

PSA: I will be trying my best to make this a Gender-neutral and Quirk-Neutral Fic.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28103730/chapters/69066837#workskin

      I've found out that the world is the most peaceful whenever I'm training at school; Watching as my classmates shout encouragements to each other, and knowing that right now, we are all oblivious to the chaos and bloodshed happening outside of these gym doors. Oblivious to how fast heroes are losing their grip on what faith the public has in them, and since All Might has stepped down they are losing it even faster.

"Oi, dumbass. You just gonna sit there and mope like an extra or are you gonna let me beat your ass to a pulp?" And this was my favorite part, the unbreakable wall of angry optimism; Bakugou. When I looked to face him he had poor Izuku in a headlock and was practically dragging him on the floor, Izuku was muttering about some kind of suit upgrade or maybe it was All Might? With him, it's always one of the two. "Cause this shitty nerd won't stop holding back."

I quickly flipped bakugou off. "Ya know that you don't need to call everyone names, it just makes you seem more like a kid" As I walked up to the pair I peeled Izuku from Bakugou's grasp, letting him drop to the floor. "And haven't you bullied Izuku enough." I reached my hand out to help him up. As he held onto my hand I could feel Bakugou's glare, he always hated it whenever I did 'relationship things' with other people. Even though this was just me helping the beating bag up.

"Thanks Y/N" Izuku quickly quipped out as he started whipping the dust and dirt off of his hero costume, unaware that he was still holding my hand. I didn't really care, I knew it was just an accident but I could feel Bakugou's glare shift down to where we were touching. He quickly stomped over and grabbed my wrist, ripping ti away from Izuku's.

"Tch. I thought I told you to stop touching TRASH." As Bakugou pulled you towards him he made sure that the last word was directed at Izuku, making sure it came off harsher. Izuku took the hint and left, quickly finding his squad over the other side of the gym. I gave a soft wave in his direction, as I did I could hear Bakugou huff and puff.

"You really need to work on your passiveness, I and Izuku are just friends. You know I have no interest in our class-mates." I patted his chest as I walked by him, going to continue my endurance training. Even though I was daydreaming and not really training, as I kicked at the rouble I made Bakugou came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. placing my arms on top of his I leaned into him. "And don't worry, the term 'Class-mate' extends to all of the other classes as well." That earned a small chuckle from him.

"As your boyfriend, I have the right to mark you as mine, AND to keep shitty nerds away from you." He moved his hands away from me and turned me to face him, as I looked up to him I spotted multiple spots where Izuku had hit him. I would never say it to his face but, Izuku isn't the little weak kid that he knew before U.A. "And anyways I really wanted to fight someone on MY level." At that his face morphed into a large smirk, he grabbed onto my shoulders and threw me to the left. I wasn't prepared for such a movement and landed on my side.

"Dude, WHAT THE FUCK?!" Leaning onto my elbow, I looked at him. "You could at least give me a god damn warning" He quickly stalked over to me and stood over me.

"Nah."

Well, what a wonderful boyfriend... If he wanted a fight I'll give him a fight. I leaned back and kicked my legs up behind him, which kicked him over my head. As my legs held their momentum I flipped over to lay on my hands, laying in a lower push-up position. As he landed on his hands he activated his quirk and flipped to land on his feet unharmed. I went to activate my quirk to push me onto my feet but I found myself unable to use it. When I looked over to Bakugou he was wrapped up in Mr.Aizawa's capture 'scarf'. I got up to walk over to the pair.

"Y/N, you have a phone call. And next time please make sure to silence your cellular device during school, it interrupted my nap." He handed me my phone, which was showing an active call from my mother. "Now please don't make me have to get up again"

As he turned and started walking away he let go of Bakugou and deactivated his own quirk. "THANK YOU SENSAI!" I pulled the phone up to my face and quickly greeted my mother.

"Hey Y/N, h-how are you?" I could hear the presentation in her voice.

"Um, I'm a good mom. Not to rush you but what's with the call during school?"

"*Sigh* Well, I and your father just got the news that..... That ..." I grumbled, she knew not to call me during class and this was just taking too long.

"What do you NEED mom?" Oof, that came out kinda harsh.

"Oh, um. I just wanted to tell you, that. Your brother was fighting a villain downtown, and that. . . The villain delivered an a-a fatal blow to his head. And t-that when the other h-heros f-f-found him he w-was pronounced d-d-d-dead on arrival."

I heard my phone hit the ground, and I could feel myself drop to my knees. I don't recall telling my body to do so but my hand slapped over my mouth as I started sobbing. This couldn't be true, my elder brother had just gotten out of hero school and was fighting with the pros. They couldn't have failed him like that.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As Y/N was on the phone Kirishima had walked over to me, scolding me for the 'unmanly' move I pulled on Y/N. Saying a true man doesn't attack like that. I didn't care too much about it, in the heat of battle, a hero does everything they can to stop the villain. He doesn't have to be manly about it, he just has to get the job done. As I peaked around Shitty Hair I could see you drop your phone and fall onto your knees. Tears were streaming down your face, I could hear the muffled sobs from all the way over here.

As I grabbed Shitty Hair's shoulder a pushed him to the side, with much less force as when I did it to you earlier. I couldn't control what pace I was going at but I felt my feet hit the ground as I ran towards you. When I got closer to you I slid onto my knees to slow myself down, it was quite effective If I must say.

"Y/N?! What's wrong? Why are you crying?!" I pulled you into my chest and reached for your phone. The screen was cracked but I could still see the call active. I brought it up to my face. "Who are you and what the hell did you say to Y/N?!"

"I-i'm their mother, and I-I h-had informed them t-t-that their brot-t-ther had d-d-died in combat with a v-vll--ian today." Oh Shit. I hung up the phone and wrapped my arms around y/n, they sobbed into my hero suit. When the others run up around us I tightened my grip onto y/n.

"As the class rep, I deserve to know when one of our classmates are in trouble" "Bakugou! What's wrong with y/n?" "Did they get hurt?" "Oh shit man" "What should we do? "What happened?" "Kacchan What happened? "I bet Bakugou said something to them." "Ribbit, I'll get Mr. Aizawa"

"Back the FUCK off, they brother just fucking died man." y/n tensed up and started sobbing louder. I followed my brow and squeezed them. "Shit" I moved you to rest against my chest sideways and moved my arm to hold your bridal style. I stood up and pushed through the extras and made my way towards the gym doors. I could feel their tears soaking my suit, they gripped and released the loose cloth as a stepped through the doors. I could hear the others call after me but I had to intention of stopping for them.

When I got up from my room at the dorms and placed them down onto the bed. As I laid down next to them I covered us both with the blankets.

[im14andivebeen14foramonth]

The Parent Trap AU

This absolutely WONDERFUL art is done by @sanderssidestrash27 Thank for making this I love it so much!!!!!

Summary: Almost twelve years later, separated at birth twins Roman and Remus both end up at the same Camp Sanders. What chaos will ensue those short eight weeks? And where will it lead the twins when their time together ends?

     "And, once again, we have a winner! Presenting Mr. Napa California, Remus Parker!" The crowd of boys watching the tournament let out an uproar of applause and shouting as Gavin held Remus's hand up above his head in victory. Remus grinned, whooping along with all of the boys and swooping his arm in a righteous bow. "Now, do we have any other competitors?" Gavin asked. 

     Remus walked over to the group of onlookers to them all high fives, grinning and laughing at their words of praise. Even he couldn't deny it (not that he ever would), he *was* pretty good at fencing. Great, even. 

     "Oh come on now, boys!" Gavin said as he surveyed the nearby campers. "Someone here has got to be able to beat this champion, let's give it a go!" 

     "I'll try!" Roman declared as we walked up to the scene. He had a soccer ball tucked under his arm and had two other boys trailing behind him. They all looked like they just walked off of the soccer field, still sweaty and hot of breath. 

     "Alright, epic, let's go!" Gavin scribbled down *Roman James* next to *Remus Parker* on his clipboard. Above that sat rows upon rows of *Remus Parker*s next to previous opponents, all of their names crossed out and a star besides his every time. 

     Roman walked over to the pile of equipment while Remus talked with his friends. 

     "You're gonna win this one again, man," one of them said. 

     "Yeah, you're gonna whoop his ass, dude!" Another boy exclaimed. Everyone gasped at the foul language before laughing. "Besides, look at him. He's whooped from his soccer game, he wouldn't be able to win even if he tried." Remus grinned before turning to look at his new challenger, who was already suited up. 

     "Good luck, Re!" Camden said as Remus grabbed his sabre. 

     "Thanks, Cammy. But, I don't need luck." He tossed his blade into the air, catching it in and landing in a fighting stance. He pointed the protected tip of the weapon only an inch from Camden's chest. Who immediately flinched back. Remus smirked, proud of the reaction he was given. "I'm Remus Parker. AKA the best fencer in the whole country, AKA the one who's about to beat this poor boy's ass." The boys burst into laughter and playful applause as Remus made yet another ceremonious bow. Janus *did* always tell Remus to be confident in himself and his abilities, though he always made a point to assure Remus that he got his confidence from his other father, whomever that may be. Janus usually left that part out. Well, whoever it was, Remus had to thank them one day. Without them, he wouldn't be able to wack other people with long swords. The thought made him giggle quietly to himself. 

     "Alright boys, are we ready?" Gavin asked. Remus turned back around sliding his protective mask over his face. 

     "Yup," he stated, getting into position.

     "You know it," Roman said. Remus didn't know who this boy was, but he couldn't help but want to laugh out loud at his clear British accent. What British dude would want to come to a camp like this when he could be enjoying a cup of tea with the Queen or something? Remus almost laughed out loud.

     "En garde." Gavin said, crouching down to get a better view. The two boys touched their blades together, tense and ready for battle. Most of the campers held their breaths, a few of them letting out words of praise for the player they were rooting for. Things like *let's go Roman* and *you got this Roman* rang out amongst the crowd. Anticipation hung in the air like a rope, swinging back and forth between the opposing teams. The noise dropped as silence filled the air for a few frightful seconds before Gavin declared the magic word:

"Fence." 

     With that one, little word, Remus smirked under his gear. His attitude reeked of confidence as he swung his sabre back and forth towards Roman. Roman arched his back, avoiding every blow with surprising ease. Shocked, Remus almost lost his footwork, barely avoided the tip of Roman's blade. He regained his thoughts and ran by Roman to the nearest tree. He jumped with as much grace as he could muster, kicking his foot off the tree and propelling himself in Roman's direction. Roman, however, was able to jump back and duck, moving out of the way and missing all four of Remus's attacks. Roman, catching on to Remus's style quickly, decided that it was his turn to strike. So he jumped forward and launched his sabre at Remus. Remus was able to block Roman, causing them to run backwards into the grass. Remus, having to run backwards, lost his footing and rolled onto the ground on his back. The air was knocked out of him and he clutched the dark grass with his free hand, gasping for air. A chunk of the dewy plant was ripped from the Earth as his hand flew up to his chest. When he was finally able to regain his composure, he lifted the hand up to his eyes to block out the obnoxious rays of sun and view his determined opponent. He saw Roman lurking above him. He looked like he was trying to be dramatic, waiting until the very last second to strike. *What an idiot* Remus thought, rolling his eyes. *Two can play at that game.* Remus played there, pretending to be beat. The crowd of boys had quickly caught up with the two and were now shouting at each opponent. Some called for Remus to get up, while others cheered Roman on to finish his work. Roman, being the over-the-top and confident that he was, flexed his muscles in show. Remus almost chortled at his dumb this boy was, but instead kept up his act. Finally, done with his dramatics, Roman brought his blade up above his arms, lowering it to stab directly in the middle of his chest. That's when Remus rolled away, jumping to his feet and letting out a battle cry as he ran sword-first at Roman. The 6drown let out an uproar of yells while Roman shrieked out of pure terror. He ran away from Remus and up the stairs of the outdoor dining hall with Remus following only steps behind. Remus was able to run ahead of the other and hopped onto the seat if the bench. The boys continued to fence and he shimmied down the bench and Roman along the wooden deck. Until, that is, Remus got to the end of the bench and also the end of the deck, which if course, with Remus's luck, lacked a railing. And as he turned back around to find a route of escape, Roman decided to make his final strike. Where was his dramatics when Remus needed them? As the tip of his blade collided with Remus's chest above his rapidly beating heart, the force caused Remus to stumble and tip backwards, before eventually falling off of the deck…

     And into a trough of water. 

     Oh. *There* were his dramatics. Great timing. 

     As Remus hit the water back-first, the now large crowd of onlookers all gasped and fell still. Droplets of water splashed through the air and hit the warm grass, a few campers getting wet in the process. Still, they sat there, tense and unmoving. Finally, Remus was the first to move as he slowly turned his head towards Roman. He lifted his arms, watching as water pooled off of him and back into the trough. Turning back to Roman with his arms still extended, he growled. 

     "Really?" He snarled, his strained voice muffled by his mask but clearly seeping with rage. Roman had one of his hands up to his mask to cover his mouth in shock. He shook his head in an attempt to regain his thoughts before quickly dropping his sabre. 

     "Oh my God, I'm so so sorry! Here, let me help," he said as he extended his hand towards Remus. Remus peered up at Roman, smirking. He went to match onto to Roman's hand, but before Roman could even think of pulling him onto the dock, Remus yanked his arm as hard as he could. 

With a small, high-pitched shriek, Roman went falling butt-first into the container of water. Even as Remus was hit with the spray of water and even more soaked, he couldn't help but burst into a loud fit of laughter. As he continued to laugh hysterically, Roman looked down at himself. He let out a choked, offended scoff before shoving Remus back into the water, causing him to both stop his laughter and get even more wet. When he resurfaced, he saw Roman laughing just as he had been before and huffed, clocking Roman in the face. What could he say, his dad always did teach him to stand up for himself. And if that meant punching some random dude in the face (or even shoving someone down the steps, something that apparently his father found funny but told him to stop doing after the fourth time. Sorry, Billy, but that was MY Thomas the Train.) then so be it. 

     When Roman came down from the initial shock of being punched, he turned to Remus and decked him the same way he had, right square in the face. Now *that's* when things got bad. 

     The two boys went full out brawl mode, rolling around in the water, kicking, cursing, punching, and everything in between. Both boys found the other to be surprisingly around the same strength as himself, along with very similar fighting techniques. Punches right to the face and bites on the arm seemed to be both of their go-to's, apparently. Finally, after fighting for what felt like ages, they both felt Paris of strong arms wrap around their middles in an attempt to untangle them. They continued to go at each other's throats until the second they were dropped a feet apart in the grass, soaked and furious. 

     "Boys! That is enough!" Gavin said as he stood by Roman's side. 

     "There is absolutely no fighting at this camp, do you hear me? We work through our differences with words and nonviolent activities only. Is that understood?" Leo asked, hands held on his hips as he looked between the two boys. 

     "Yes, sir," Roman and Remus muttered in unison, their muffled responses dripping with annoyance and little guilt. Their minds were elsewhere, both secretly hoping that their masks were enough to protect them from the other's blows. Neither of them had been prepared for the other's strength, their egos to big to think that they would be beat. If not, they'd both walk out of the situation with black eyes and bloodied lips, not to mention a crap ton of red scratches. A cool story in Remus's opinion, but to Roman, who had never been in a legitimate fight before, he would be horrified. People might think he was a fighter, something he kept solely for playing and daily activities, up until now. His dad would kill him, his grandfather scold him, and his butler worry over him endlessly. A part of him found this new endeavor cool, secretly hoping to keep a few small marks for a while. But longer lasting ones that would stay after the eight week camp were not worth worth any of that. 

     Sure, Remus's dad would be mad, and his nanny worried sick, but they were used to this kind if behavior from Remus. Many days he'd come home from school beaten or bruised, either from his adventures or his schoolmate differences. Janus had to even go to his schools sometimes to pick him up or clear things up with his principal and teachers. He was always really good at convincing people of things. Remus felt bad when his father had to come get him or patch him up, but he always tried to be better for him. He knew he wasn't easy to handle all the time, especially with only his dad and nanny there to take care of him. But, like usual, he would definitely be given more chores and a scolding. Not to mention, black eyes hurt. A whole lot. If he did have any, however, he was lucky that his nanny had been teaching him how to use makeup lately now that he was getting older. Some ice and concealer would do the trick.

"Boys! That is enough!" Gavin said as he stood by Roman's side. 

     "There is absolutely no fighting at this camp, do you hear me? We work through our differences with words and nonviolent activities only. Is that understood?" Leo asked, hands held on his hips as he looked between the two boys. 

     "Yes, sir," Roman and Remus muttered in unison, their muffled responses dripping with annoyance and little guilt. Their minds were elsewhere, both secretly hoping that their masks were enough to protect them from the other's blows. Neither of them had been prepared for the other's strength, their egos to big to think that they would be beat. If not, they'd both walk out of the situation with black eyes and bloodied lips, not to mention a crap ton of red scratches. A cool story in Remus's opinion, but to Roman, who had never been in a legitimate fight before, he would be horrified. People might think he was a fighter, something he kept solely for playing and daily activities, up until now. His dad would kill him, his grandfather scold him, and his butler worry over him endlessly. A part of him found this new endeavor cool, secretly hoping to keep a few small marks for a while. But longer lasting ones that would stay after the eight week camp were not worth worth any of that. 

     Sure, Remus's dad would be mad, and his nanny worried sick, but they were used to this kind if behavior from Remus. Many days he'd come home from school beaten or bruised, either from his adventures or his schoolmate differences. Janus had to even go to his schools sometimes to pick him up or clear things up with his principal and teachers. He was always really good at convincing people of things. Remus felt bad when his father had to come get him or patch him up, but he always tried to be better for him. He knew he wasn't easy to handle all the time, especially with only his dad and nanny there to take care of him. But, like usual, he would definitely be given more chores and a scolding. Not to mention, black eyes hurt. A whole lot. If he did have any, however, he was lucky that his nanny had been teaching him how to use makeup lately now that he was getting older. Some ice and concealer would do the trick. 

     "Boys!" Leo said, snapping his fingers. "Up here!" Both of the boys shook their heads and left their thoughts behind to linger on their own in favor of listening to the counselor. "Now I want you two to apologize to each other. And take off your protective gear, it must be soaking wet by now." 

     The two boys huffed and turned to face each other. In unison, the two reached up for their masks, dipping their heads downwards and sliding them off. As their arms fell to their sides, they lifted their heads, and immediately locked eyes. They both gasped at what they were met with. 

     Light brown eyes met the same pair of light brown eyes in return. They scanned each other's face, taking in their similarities. Scattered freckles splayed like the night stars, fluffy light brown hair, only partially wet as the summer sun quickly worked to dry it. Unfortunately, they both had obvious scratches and bruises along their faces, most noticeably on their cheeks and noses. It was as if both boys had the same thought process as the other. So, not only did they *look* alike, but they *thought* alike. Strange. 

     "Well, boys?" Leo asked after a few silent seconds. The boys looked over to him, confused. 

     "Sorry?" They asked in unison, the man's speech only seconds ago now long forgotten. 

     Leo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'll take it. Now please, get to your respective cabins and clean up before dinner in the mess. If you require any assistance, the medic cabin is that way. Now go, shoo. And please, no more trouble." Flapping his hands,bhe ushered the boys along. They stared at each other, not breaking eye contact as they walked towards their cabins. Once they hit a fork in the road between their two cabins, Gavin ran up to them. 

"Wow, it's like you two are twins or something! That's so weird!" He said before running off. 

     The boys looked back at each other, sparing one last glance before they glared and stomped off. 

     This was war. 

Taglist: @sanderssidestrash27 @dew-drop-of-honey @ab-artist @iinyxtello @safesandersides @yep-another-fander @savetheupholstery

I hope you guys liked it!!!!!

[frozenartscapes]

@patricia-von-arundel Millie takes after her moms. She’s got one’s strength and the other’s inability to back down from a fight. As she grows up and finds more courage, it leads to inevitable results.

---

It all started with one, admittedly unfair, statement.

“My dad says your mom is nothing but a tyrant. And your other mom must be whipped pretty good to go along with it.”

Millie had gotten into an argument with this group of boys once they recognized her royal clothing. Her Mom had taken her out into the town centre to just get out of the palace.  And despite Mama’s insistence that they stay together, Mom tends to parent more at a distance, allowing Millie some free time by herself. Normally, that goes without incident for the ten-year-old.

Not this time.

“My Mama is not a tyrant,” she growled, clenching her fists tight.

“Right, and starting a war that killed thousands of people makes her a saint,” the boy teased sarcastically, “Saint Edelgard! The destroyer of lives!”

“She only did that because she had to!” Millie cried in defence, “She made the world better!”

The boy scoffed. He was definitely at least a head taller than her and older by a few years, and he sauntered right up to tower over her, “My dad used to have a good life before the war. He said so himself. But then your precious Mama swept in and ruined everything. Face it, brat, your mother is a heartless bitch. You’re just too stupid to see it.”

“You don’t know her!” Millie declared boldly, not backing down despite the fear in her gut, “You don’t know how kind she really is!”

The boy gave her a shove, one rough enough to send her stumbling backward. “The Emperor is a heartless monster, and the sooner someone offs her the better,” he spat, “I bet she doesn’t even really care about you! She’s probably got you brainwashed just like she did to that merc-”

She was too short to reach his jaw, so she settled for his ribs. And she struck him so hard she felt something crack under her fist. It was only once he doubled over in pain that she could reach his jaw, and she didn’t hesitate to make her move.

Byleth moved through the crowd, casually checking out stalls. It had been an hour since she and Millie had split up, and she figured it was probably time to find the girl. As she scanned the crowd, her eyes landed on a group of people all gathered around something near the far end of the marketplace. And they all seemed to be pretty riled up.

She headed over, and as she drew near she realized the crowd was watching a fight. A pretty intense one, from the sound of things. She pushed her way through and stopped dead in her tracks when she finally saw who was fighting.

“El is going to kill me.”

To Byleth’s horror - but also pride - there was her precious little girl beating the everloving shit out of a boy almost twice her size. Two others lay nearby, both down for the count. Millie had her own fair share of bruises and scrapes but none of that seemed to register as she continued to punch the boy. She had him pinned beneath her on the ground, using a hold Byleth had shown her in case she’d ever have to subdue someone without a weapon.

Byleth snapped out of her surprise enough to make her legs work, and quickly strode into the ring. With one hand, she lifted her daughter up off the boy by the back of her collar. For a moment, Millie kept swinging, now shouting angrily at the person intervening. But once she saw who was intervening, she let out a tiny squeak before curling in on herself.

“Do I want to know?” Byleth asked dryly. She was trying to play it cool. After all, she must have had her first fight when she was around Millie’s age. But then, this was Millie, a girl who until this point had never shown to be this aggressive and was also just as much Edelgard’s daughter.

“He called Mama a monster!” Millie cried, still hanging from her collar in Byleth’s grasp, “He said she didn’t love me!”

Byleth glowered down at the boy in the dirt. He met her gaze and cowered a little further away. Byleth then turned to the crowd, and stated firmly, “Right. Nothing to see here! Go on! Back to your days!” As the crowd dispersed, she then said to the boys, her voice low and dangerous: “You all had best head home and get those injuries treated.”

“I’m gonna tell my father about this!” one of the boys threatened.

“Sure. Have fun telling him how you got your ass kicked by a little girl,” Byleth told him, her voice still menacing, “I await his response.”

The boy snapped his jaw shut, mouth forming a tight line. With an angry huff, he and the others skulked off to deal with their wounds. 

It was only once they were gone that Byleth set Millie down, as she still wasn’t entirely sure her daughter wouldn’t run at them again. But Millie had deflated, and upon release she took a shaky step back, staring down at the ground in shame. Byleth watched her curl into herself, guilt consuming her, and quickly dropped to her knee to be on her level.

“Hey, now,” she said softly, wiping away the tears on her baby’s cheeks with a tender touch, “Come on, Kid. Don’t cry.”

Millie sniffled. “Am...am I in trouble?” she asked meekly, still not daring to meet her Mom’s eyes.

“Are you kidding? You took down three boys twice your size all by yourself! I’m glad to see you were taking our lessons to heart,” Byleth told her with pride. But then she frowned, remembering that she was the parent in this situation. Clearing her throat, she added, “But... You really shouldn’t go around picking fights.”

“But they said awful things about Mama!” Millie protested, “I just... I just got so mad! They were wrong! I couldn’t let them-”

“Hey, hey,” Byleth interrupted when she noted how worked up Millie was getting, “It’s ok. I know... I know what some people think about Mama and... It can be hard to hear those opinions.”

Millie rubbed some of the blood leaking from a gash on her lip away with her arm. “Did you ever get into a fight because of that, Mom?” she wondered shyly.

Byleth smiled. She thought about all the humorous times. Bar fights started because one drunkard couldn’t keep his mouth shut. Duels to defend her wife’s honour. Arguments settled by fisticuffs. But then there were also the...less...trivial times she had to defend her wife. Battles. Wars. Deaths of those she once considered friends.

“I’ll never stop protecting your Mama,” she told her daughter earnestly, “I love her so much, and it can be hard, sometimes, to think that not everybody sees her the way I do.” She drew a deep breath. Parenting was hard. “But sometimes... Violence won’t solve things. Punching someone won’t make them see your point of view. If anything, it’ll only make them less likely to agree.”

“But!” Millie protested. She was stopped when Byleth raised her hand to tell her she wasn’t finished.

“As frustrating as it can be, sometimes,” she continued gently, “As much as I want to prove to people how wrong they are, as much as I want to show them the truth, I know that sometimes I can’t. I can’t change everyone’s mind. Not even your Mama can do that. Sometimes people get so stuck in their way of thinking that you can’t pull them out of it. That’s just how people are.

“What’s important is that you know the truth,” Byleth told her, pulling her girl in for a hug, “You know your Mama loves you. You know who she really is. What other people think doesn’t matter.”

Millie sniffled as she accepted the hug. “Is...is Mama going to be mad at me?” she asked nervously, “For fighting?”

Byleth thought back to the times she came home from those bar fights and duels, beaten up and blood-spattered but triumphant, only to be reamed out by the Emperor for starting trivial fights on her behalf. She winced slightly before pulling back. She gently touched the beginnings of a black eye on Millie’s face and conjured up a healing spell. “What Mama doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” she said simply.

---

Mama was waiting for them when they returned to the palace. She knelt down as Millie ran up to her, arms extended as an open invitation for a hug. Millie accepted gladly, squeezing her Mama tight. Gentle arms wrapped around her. Soft words asked about her trip to the town. Millie settled into the embrace feeling nothing but comfort and safety and love.

Yes. This was the truth about her Mama.

After a moment, they broke apart. Mama instructed her to go wash up for dinner, and Millie happily obliged. As she scampered off, Edelgard stood and leveled a glance at Byleth.

Her wife winced. She knew that look. It was her “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed” look.

“Hubert told me what happened,” Edelgard said, surprisingly a lot softer than Byleth was expecting.

Dammit. Of course��Hubert saw it. Byleth had to stop trusting that man when he said he wouldn’t be following.

“Look, El, I...” Byleth sputtered, “Jeralt... He let me wander around markets when I was that age. Younger, even! And I just thought...maybe... She’s gotten a lot braver, El, and I just wanted to give the kid a little freedom, and-”

“He told me she was a formidable warrior,” Edelgard interrupted, her voice still suspiciously soft, “He told me she defended my honour with as much vigour and strength as you do.”

Byleth was at a loss of words. She felt like she was stepping onto a minefield - one wrong move and she was done for.

But then El chuckled.

“Figures she’d start to take after you,” she said lightly, that glorious smile on her face reliving Byleth’s panic.

“Oh thank Sothis, I thought you’d be mad,” Byleth sighed, feeling the tension in her muscles relax.

“Oh, I’m still mad,” Edelgard told her, suddenly her voice not very soft anymore. She watched Byleth tense again, as if she was preparing for the Emperor to whip out an axe from behind her back.

She smiled again, rendering Byleth only more confused. “Hubert tells me she fights well, but does little to block attacks. Rather, she just powers through them, leaving her open to injury,” Edelgard informed her, “I’d like you to fix that.”

[temporary-joyride]

Hi my name is Kenna and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the latest Dream video, here’s why:

Man, they fall for it every time don’t they? “I gotta set up my recording” and just BOLTS every time, I love it. I’m slightly convinced they just let Dream get the head start. One time on a live stream, Dream said there’s quite a few like 2 minute attempts at the beginning before they actually get into the game, since they all have nothing (and it’s 3v1 so,,) and I honestly just think it’s pretty cool how this close this came to being another outtake so many times. But dude just kept running, and ended with him winning the game.

A particular favorite moment of mine is Dream camping out in the tree. Almost like hunger games style, the three are down there talking about what to do, how to get him down meanwhile Dream is just sitting there . But my god, he just quietly leaps out of the tree with no one even NOTICING for a moment and he’s on like one heart that was so funny I swear. 

Dream is scary. Unpredictable even to the audience. Which is super cool. I absolutely love watching the first person perspective of being on the verge of death with nowhere to go but down, right into the hands of the enemy. I love watching Dream tower out and jumping into the water pool and not explaining what he’s doing (I’ll elaborate why in a little bit)

Imagine running for so long you watch your friends cycle on who’s leading the hunt to kill you. Imagine feeling relieved after hearing that Sapnap stopped for food only to see Bad taking his place. Imagine running thousands of blocks on half a heart, blood pumping, bones aching, skin burning. Imagine the breath that catches in your throat when you hear “How is he not dead?” when you might as well be.

This terror in the way your furnace crackles in the tense silence. Flinching against cold stone walls while you listen to “I think he’s underground” This whole video was split second decisions, heart wrenching luck and a killer use of logic. 

A brief intermission to appreciate the fact that Dream placed the water correctly so he could make the portal without having to any time. An intermission to appreciate the way Bad screams “He’s making the portal!” and Dream starts placing faster. An intermission to appreciate shoving himself up against the wall and swiping at Bad’s feet while waiting for the portal to load. 

This video was dread in the way those three made potions. Last time you could hear Sapnap’s heart drop when he saw Dream get the brewing achievement. This time, “We should go get his brewing stand and bring it back to the overworld” this dread that comes with seeing Dream turn back the way he came but knowing there’s no way he’ll get that stand back. This dread of being chased by 3 buffed killing machines and relying on that reckless agility to outlast their advantage.

Cinematic masterpiece. Skyscraper (2018) could never.

Ahem also moment to appreciate the funniest trick in all of Minecraft Manhunt, Dream running up the stairs and breaking the block below him and running behind the three of them. 

Leaps of faith. Realizations run this game. 

“Where are you guys?” Dream whips around so quick, this was pretty much his first chance to kill one of them and actually set them back a bit. At least it seemed like it, the other two were not far behind at all. Dream getting stuck in the wall was a nightmare. 

Running through the fortress, failed sprints and badly timed jumps. Escaping onto the ledge and rifling through your pockets for a warm vial of glass. The hunters are screaming and hollering right at your back, and pain of another stab wound. Realizing that you don’t have time. Realizing that you need to go. now. Put that plan into action and jump. Try not to look down and convince yourself you’ll make it in time. Trying to somehow speed up and already quick animation and ignore the incoming heat of bubbling steaming magma.

He knows his friends too well. I almost thought he was gonna run out of tricks, after the nether bed, the potions, everything he did in the last video, surely he’d run out of things to do. But this man is a master of bluffing, and this was a smart move. A birch forest, the sound of drinking a potion, and three men booking it out of there. The only difference? One wasn’t a strength potion. Bluffs might be my favorite part of any given Mincecraft Manhunt, they have such a bad-ass tone.

Backtrack for a second, I said I don’t like Dream explaining himself and the things he’s doing. One downside of teams in a manhunt is the need for communication, effectiveness falls apart without cooperation. Bad was smart last time to use DM’s to communicate certain information. Even more so this time that they all conspired before-hand. Dream can’t risk saying anything.

While not doing so probably would have helped him even more, that maniacal laugh is something to remember. I like when he doesn’t explain because, I like looking at the covered portal and going “Damn, guess it’s over” but the video doesn’t slow down a bit. I like watching Dream keep running, keeping farming endermen. I like wondering “what is he doing?”

I love the moment where you get to go “Oh. Oh that’s smart. That’s really smart” I love the realization that Dream is a force to be reckoned with, I love seeing a play that reminds me that this man is a wicked genius, but that he doesn’t have to tell me so. I love watching an insane play I didn’t see coming, anything to inspire that awesome feeling when you realize “he’s not stuck in here with them. they’re stuck in here with him”

Last but not least. One shot. Barely time to process it, especially before your eardrums get obliterated. One too hard of a hit, one bad placement of a block, one swift turn. Pop! Thunk. 

The world stops rendering after you die, behind bickering and victories you see purple light endlessly shimmer and flood the sky. Breathless euphoria of an almost-impossible win. Sapnap and Bad debating whether or not he needed to go through the portal. After many rounds of this, George already knows they lost. He stays quiet because he knows, they’ve played this so many times, they both know that all Dream had to do was kill the dragon, and he did. 

Imagine slaying a murder machine while a deafening roar makes your head hurt. Imagine you and your battle-worn teammates standing over the dusty remnants of their prey and knowing that they couldn’t beat the odds after all. Imagine the thrill of chase, the horror of hiding, the tension of fights, the determination of trickery. Imagine a rematch. 

Scary cool.

[sailor-cresselia]

Zi-O 29-30: Blade spoilers within (from someone who has NOT watched Blade)

Ha! Black!Woz walks out of the Storytime vault and into 9-to-5.

White!Woz: Haha sweet I get to choose Another Blade

Swartz: Hey, what do you think of being a person who gets used… you know, hypothetically speaking…

White!Woz: ...ah. Well. Shit.  

(We continue this super spoiler-iffic liveblog under the cut. It gets long - this one made it to about 3,000 words. My apologies to mobile users. Just... scroll. Scroll like your life depends on it.)

Awww… the café from Blade has photos from back then on the counter, that’s so sweet. And Amane’s actually wearing the recent necklace for Chalice – that’s a really nice touch there, Toei. Product placement, but it’s a really nice tribute.

Another Blade’s design is – that’s terrifying, that’s a lot of knifes. I like how the spade symbol glows red, and it doesn’t have the ‘handle’ part of a spade. It’s a heart, too. But the thing is… this is the second Another Rider to not have the lens-eyes. Everyone up to Another Zi-O had them, and he notably didn’t.

I know people have been saying they’re proud of Sougo for managing to graduate, and I agree. I really do. I’m happy for our book-dumb protagonist. It’s actually kind of nice to see all four of the ‘team’ together. You know, for certain definitions of ‘team’.

Noting here the Tsukuyomi hasn’t told Sougo that his ‘dream’ was. Not actually a dream, so much as a memory. It makes sense that a small 8-year-old reality warper would take the trauma of something like what Swartz did, and assume the first time he saw it was a nightmare, too.

(Seriously, screw that guy.)

Okay, so, I have not watched Decade, but… from the two (2) films I’ve seen with his cast – WxDecade and the first Hero Taisen movie – this seems to be pretty damned in-character for this Daiki guy. “Lol sup hi just saying hello don’t mind me” *proceeds to steal all your transformation trinkets*

Case in point… Sougo and Geiz don’t notice their personal watches are missing until they go to activate the button on the side. Not when they don’t pull anything out – no, when they go to turn them on. Boys. Boys please.

Also, can I just say that I’m starting to see why people pair Tsukasa and Daiki? I mean, the guy came out in a ~magenta~ apron. And they’re both little shits.

Sougo just shoves Woz in front of them. Woz!Kikai is so OP, oh my god. First the mind control thing when it debuted, the satellite dish lasers in Another Zi-O, and now it has extendable robot arms to grab the watches back. Oh my god.

(Kaito, suddenly copied into another existance as Baron: GFDI just let me be a tree spirit already)

(I know it’s a doppelganger, but seriously. So many Barons. So little patience on his end for people constantly trying to revive him as a pawn.) 

Sougo: Okay, so, you guys’s past is my future, and since it’s 2019, anything that happens in 2068 is the future now, so aren’t you talking about things that haven’t happened yet?

Woz: My lord, please, verb tenses get complicated enough without you speaking.

OOF. Yeah, uh, there’s gonna be a. A few problems with Blade ‘2019’. Namely that he isn’t supposed to be in, like. Japan. Ever again. Because Bad Things Happen when he is around fellow Undead. (He made an exception for Gorider, because a certain zombie f*er was stealing his gig, and poorly at that.

((Am I saying that he’s an asshole who is also a zombie, or that he would do a zombie? … Both. I’m saying both.))

Sougo: Okay, so, we need one person who can fight on both ends, and really, if a team is going after Geiz’s watch, it ought to include Geiz, and you guys want me to go after the Another Riders, so of course the groups are me with Tusukyomi, and Geiz with Woz! :) It’s only rational! :) And if you happen to work out whatever’s going on between you, well, that’s just a bonus, isn’t it? :)

Geiz: ...if I kill him, it’s your fault, you know.

Tsukuyomi: This is a terrible idea.

Sougo: I know! :)

(gasp) Dark Toei is giving us the forbidden rebel backstory!

Oh goody Woz was the leader of their team! And he said he was going to ‘infiltrate’ Oma Zi-O’s camp! And everyone died because he seems to have switched sides. Delightful.

White!Woz: Excuse me? I see a pair of powerups here, but not the one I specifically requested you get.

Daiki: Lol you mad?

White!Woz: ...fight us irl bitch.

Daiki: Heh.

Huh… So… when White!Woz’s tablet makes someone do something, they’re supposed to hear his ‘narration’… and maybe that’s a recent idea from the team, but. When it seemed that he was compelling Sougo to come after him – I can’t remember when, it was during either Shinobi or Quiz, but Sougo and Black!Woz were talking in 9-to-5, and he summoned Sougo away, that didn’t happen. Hm.

Sougo: Dang, couldn’t even knock the watch out temporarily. Drat.

Hm. Regulus is showing up in the daytime now… and so is the rest of the constellation. That can’t be good.

Oooh, nifty. Another Blade has the inverted heart for Chalice on her torso, but the spade for Blade on her. Well, blade. As well as a circular saw, which is a bit overkill when you consider the literal knives sticking up from her shoulders.

Oh, hey, remember that theory about how the Another Riders are technically the enemy that each rider fought? Like how Another Gaim opened cracks into the Helheim forest, and Another OOO bled Cell Medals like a Greeed?

And remember why Kenzaki can never return to Japan?

Undead are drawn to fight each other.

Okay, I get why a speed versus speed battle, to counter Woz!Shinobi, would wind up with Diend summoning Accel. But why Birth? Date’s version was never particularly fast – he’s more of a Mighty Glacier. And the suit isn’t really intended for speed, since Gotou was only particularly speedy when he used the Cutter Wing ‘attachment’.

And then I am immediately answered. Bike juggling to get Woz into the air, so that ‘Birth’ can shoot him down without mercy. (Was reminding us of the bike form really necessary? Was it? I don’t think it was. I could have done without seeing that in-action again.)

Diend: Wow, that’s cold, even for me, watching your friend get beat up like that.

Geiz: Bold of you to assume we’re friends. He’s a born liar. I mean, he’s using a ninja form right now.

Geiz: Yeah, no, Woz, screw you. I know you wanted a distraction. Asshole.

Diend: Aw, look, they do like each other.

OH THANK COSMOS it’s Chalice Versus Zi-O. ...for now. There’s about minutes left for everything to go terribly, terribly wrong. (Because Blade.)

And then it immediately went terribly, terribly, wrong.

Kenzaki and Hajime haven’t transformed in years, because they can’t. They would feel each other’s power, seek each other out, and be forced to fight. Probably the only time Blade has reappeared was in a slightly-alternate reality. (shakes fist at Gorider). And Kenzaki looks absolutely terrible. How did you get here so fast, sir? That jacket has clearly seen far better days, is the damage recent?

Some excellent ‘teamwork’ on Geiz and Black!Woz’s parts – using Shinobi’s finisher to get the two targets in one spot for Geiz’s finisher. Clever. Pity that the other two watches aren’t here.

And with that, and some brutal slashes exchanged between Blade and Chalice…

we move to episode 30.

The power-up watches get all electro-staticy, and try to start a chain reaction with White!Woz, but it doesn’t hold up. Hm.

Geiz: What’s your issue?!

Diend: Looking for my boyfriend-rival. No big deal.

Oh man, neither of them want to be in this fight, but they don’t have a choice. Zi-O accidentally knocks Another Blade into the line of fire for Actual Blade’s finisher, so naturally Chalice steps in to try and take the hit.

It doesn’t… technically work. She still gets knocked out of her transformation, back to Amane, and he’s still in his armor.

Kenzaki: oh god oh shit what the hell?! Amane?! what’s going on oh shit

Woz’s storytime vault…

Oh… The Day of Oma is apparently meant for Sougo to stop the end of the world… apparently as brought on by the Battle Fight.

… Rider versus Rider, right? A pair of Riders who can’t coexist, but also can’t not coexist. And yet another who is supposedly erasing all Riders from history. Starting with the primary members of each group. So… if Blade goes, the world goes. If Chalice goes, the world goes. If they both go, Oma Zi-O rises.

“An interesting game, Professor. The only way to win is not to play.”

Zi-O II’s shot in the opening has been replaced by Zi-O Trinity.

Geiz can relate pretty hard to Kenzaki’s resignation to having to fight Hajime, but also to his desperately not wanting to do that thing.

Once again, we have the question of “What is the future you are aiming for?” The question of “And then what?”

Geiz wants to see the one that Sougo – that they will create.

<3

Junichiro: Hey, what are your plans for the new era?

Sougo: ...Uncle, you have no idea how loaded that question is with this group.

(or does he?)

Hey, that camera’s a clue in more ways than one, isn’t it? Another Blade was attacking photo studios, because Hajime’s a photographer. But that camera’s awfully similar to Tsukasas. Who asked you to repair, that, I wonder…?

Yeah, Woz, you’re kind of being a hypocrite here. Criticizing a woman for wanting to reconnect with an old friend/mentor, while unable to get over the urge to lord over having been Geiz’s superior. GEIZ has a point in his anger. WOZ is just being an ass. And Sougo hones directly in on this.

Kid’s got a decent Charisma stat, too.

When Amane picks up the photos, through to when Kenzaki calls for Hajime. That! The Background!

I think that’s a piano ballad version of “Zi-O: King of Time”!

OST when?

And, also, can we get another instance of Future Soldier in-show anytime soon?

Okay, okay, sorry, back to the show.

OH NOOOO.

Firstly, White!Woz summons the two into a fight.

Then he forcibly activates the Another Blade watch inside of Amane.

The transformation has a screen with Another Blade’s face appear and move over her, just like the card that appears when Kenzaki transforms.

Ow, my heart.

OH SHIT RIGHT.

These two episodes have made no effort to hide the green blood that both Kenzaki and Hajime have – from the miscolored bruises to actual bloodstains. And Undead can be ‘sealed’ away – that’s where the Rouze cards come from in the first place. Another Blade – no. Amane doesn’t want them to fight – doesn’t want them to have to fight. So she seals their powers. Their emblems move onto the Another Blade… armor, I guess is as good a word as any.

And now their wounds are red.

But she just took the powers of two Jokers, absorbing them into one person. Leaving one person with the Joker designation.

Herself.

Please note that I typed this immediately before restarting, only to watch the Sealing Stone appear.

It’s the end of the world as we know it, and nobody feels fine.

Oh, the cinematography of this show. A beam visually separating Sougo and White!Woz from their angles on the stairs – it’s going the opposite direction, making an x with the handrail behind them.

We’re back to the question of “And then what?”.

White!Woz’s future is gone, the potential isn’t there anymore, so he’d rather there not be a future at all. I guess we’ll never see if my ‘a future frozen in an endless moment’ theory was right. Pity. I was wondering if they would go that route for him.

Oooh, an orchestral version of ‘Zi-O: King of Time’!

“You can’t just give up! What’s the use in assuming that it’s over?” Sougo is cheering on even his enemy this boy is not nearly as dark as he assumed in the Ryuki arc, oh my goodness. “You can’t say that any one future is set in stone, so keep trying, keep opposing us! I’ll... No. We’ll keep foiling your plans, but you can’t just give up on the world.”

And the orchestral theme just keeps rising in the background.

Oh… and Sougo said the same thing to Woz. Geiz says that he can’t stand living in the past. And, like I guessed last episode, in like, the fourth section of this liveblog… The past that they’ve lived is, technically, still in the future from where they are now. From Sougo’s perspective, and from the perspective of time itself, none of that has happened yet.

Besides, like Geiz is saying, they came to the past to change history anyway. They’re making a new future, all of them – Sougo, Tsukuyomi, and Geiz… and Woz.

“Do you want in?”

“… That sounds interesting.”

Hm. The Trinity watch – which is somehow successfully created by White!Woz – has all three of the current Belt Voices, doesn’t it? The two that the Ziku Driver uses and the high-pitched one from the BeyonDriver.

“If you use this, I will accept it.”

… accept what? The option to create a new future? The future that Sougo’s aiming for?

Nifty – the light from Regulus and the Day of Oma burns out the clouds from the Sealing Stone.

Pffft - ‘the light is guiding us’ no, no it’s not so much that…

(I love the ‘wtf is going on’ faces from Kenzaki and Hajime)

GEEZ Trinity’s basically a mini-Sentai mech, with all three of them in one place inside.

“Guys, no, I’m sorry, I know none of us know what is going on, but I have to take control for a second, I have to do my speech okay, it’s in my contract. This is not optional.”

I like how the hand on the clock moves to point to whoever’s in control of the body.

I really like how Trinity forms all of their weapons – and how they dissolve when discarded. Nice touch.

And I really like the triumphant section of ‘King of Time’ playing behind this fight.

...Regulus is shining still, brighter than before. With a ‘shine’ of pink, yellow, and green. Their colors.

“Why did you choose to let me stay?”

“Because I think you have more potential.”

White!Woz accepts that ‘his’ world will never exist, and that Sougo will create a better one. He goes out peacefully, and warning Black!Woz – no. Warning Woz that Sir Swartz is planning more than they know.

He goes out with a shimmer of golden motes of light, and the glitching effects that have been a key sign of time re-writing an existence.

Oma Zi-O: You’re almost done… only six more until you’re me.

Sougo: But what I don’t want to?

Daiki yoinked the Future Note. Show off.

Which, of course, creates a slight problem for me and my potential ‘fix it’ of Zi-O, down the line in the Re-United ‘verse. Or, rather, a complication.

See, the draft I’ve got has at minimum one of the Den-O’s and Zeronos ferrying Riders back and forth. THAT is how I plan to deal with the amnesia issue. Not warning them in the present and past, like I had planned. But having the ‘contemporary’ versions of them just. Sorta travel backward, and pretend that they’re the ones that from in the past. Just… ya know, keep their past selves unaware of what’s going on, take the brunt of temporary power removal. Fill in for themselves when Zi-O and Geiz meet them.

And I had everyone scheduling this from Tsukasa having somehow duplicated Black!Woz’s book when he grabbed it during the Ghost arc. I have never seen Decade, and have no idea if that would even be part of his powerset. But, like, Trinity just knocked off his ability to turn Riders into weapons and stuff, so. Ya know.

I’m apparently not that far off, if I can work Daiki into it. … need to watch Den-O and Decade first, but that’s just how it goes.

The complication is my stated ‘not wanting to touch on Zi-O’ aspect. I now admit that I want to handle it somehow, but if they keep airing concepts similar to ones I’ve been working on for months, I’m going to get accused of lying.

Arceus, Cosmos, and Gaim DAMNIT.

Of course, you may have noticed I skipped a scene there during the re-cap.

Because not for the first time, something has been saved by Zi-O taking powers away. I’m still decidedly not here for the amnesia concept, and I am not okay with the fact that certain characters have potentially been un-created – Ankh, Parad, Poppy and the like among them – but here’s the thing.

Both Kenzaki and Hajime remember being Blade and Chalice. They can properly retire – They’re both bleeding red. Hajime was never human to start with – he was using the Spirit card to be human. But he seems to be human now. The Blade and Chalice watches appear to have taken their Joker situation out of the picture.

Like how his intervention by introducing the father to Emu, who clearly went on to point him to Hiiro, saved the son during the Ex-Aid arc.

Like how the girls would have never gone missing during the Fourze and Faiz arc, to say nothing of Takumi and Kusaka being decidedly more alive than usual.

Like how Kaito also appears to be alive again after the Gaim arc.

And how neither the girl or her brother died in the Ghost arc.

How Rentaro can become Shinobi in a newly created potential future.

How Mondo got to meet his father.

… admittedly, his apparently re-creating the events of Ryuki might be a problem. I haven’t had a chance to watch any of the RIDER TIME specials, but I hear that’s what happened? Sorry, Shinji.

But here’s the thing. A not-insignificant number of things have turned out for the better… and as long as the ‘you were never riders’ thing can be… worked around…

Hmn.

((also, just a quick note, if you comment on any of the sections in here, I’d really appreciate it if you specify which statements you’re talking about. These recaps get really long, so... y’know, it’ll make it a little easier for a conversation.))

[rhysie-cakes314]

Day 2 of Challenge- Lost

“If you’re not back by 10pm on the dot, I will officially assemble the Avengers to find you, do not think I’m kidding, I am not kidding. This is no joke. On second thought, maybe we should come with you. You can start going on your own next year, I don’t know why I let your Pops talk me into this, I’m going to go get my things. I could use the exercise anyway,” and he was rambling. Tony knew he was rambling. Somewhere deep down, he knew he was being unreasonable too, but he was just so nervous.

Steve placed a hand on his husband’s shoulder and gave a tight squeeze. It grounded Tony, reminded him that he wasn’t alone in his anxiety. It also had the added side effect of shutting him up. “They will be fine, Tony. Your dad knows you’ll be fine because you’re a mature, well-behaved big boy now, aren’t you?” Steve directed the last comment towards Peter.

To his credit, Peter nodded with the seriousness of a soldier on a mission. “Of course, Pops.” He looked at Tony, who was crossing his arms tensely in an attempt to stop fidgeting, “Plus I’ve got JARVIS, right dad?” He held up his Stark phone proudly with a grin. It was not a commercially available model; Tony had designed it just for Peter. It had JARVIS on it, just like all of his own devices.

Tony tried to glare at the grinning kid, but the lopsided smile slid onto his face without his permission. The kid was just so cute. “Yeah, yeah. Get over her and give your old man another hug,” he spread his arms open wide, bending to one knee.

Peter hugged him fiercely before backing away to stand next to his friend, Wade, again. “We gotta go, we’re gonna miss the good candy!”

Wade nodded in agreement. The two boys had decided to coordinate their costumes this year, and Steve had already forced them to photograph for an hour today. Wade made for a very skinny Wolverine while Peter’s eyes were hidden behind his Cyclops goggles Tony had helped him make. He had done most of it himself, but Tony had to help a little with the LED wiring. The effect was worth it. Tony made sure to text Professor X a pic, knowing Xavier could appreciate his son’s adoration of the X-Men.

“Back by ten!” Steve yelled after them as they took off into his old neighborhood. He reached over to lace his fingers through Tony’s. “Let’s go to dinner.” He felt warm and fuzzy. His family was everything he could’ve wanted in life, and memories of trick-or-treating with Bucky had him nostalgic.

“That’s not along the path that my dads laid out for us,” Peter said uncertainly when Wade began pulling him towards another neighborhood an hour later. Pops had been very particular about where they were allowed to trick-or-treat, but Wade did have a point. They were nearly finished with all of the houses on that path, and there was still another hour before they had to head back and meet his parents.

“Pete, c’mon. Do you really want to pass up on all that extra candy and go home early? There’s no reason your dads even have to know. I sure won’t tell.” His eyes were alight with mischief. If anyone could convince Peter Stark-Rogers to break bend the rules, Wade Wilson was the man for the job. He wasn’t sure why he could, Peter was usually such a stickler for rules, but when Wade set them on a path of mischief, it always resulted in laughter and a good time. Plus there was something extra fun about having a shared secret they could allude to later.

Peter bit his lip, a slight blush colouring his cheeks, and Wade wished he didn’t have those goggles on. He wanted to look his best friend in the eyes to see what he was thinking. Without explaining himself, Peter suddenly whipped out his phone and turned it off. “Can’t have JARVIS alerting them,” he explained when Wade stared at him in confusion.

Wade felt his face break into a grin. He gripped Pete’s arm again. “Let’s go!” and the two boys took off running, determined to get twice the candy they already had.

Tony pushed the lava cake around his plate, watching it slide in a fudge trail. Steve knew he hadn’t really touched his meal either. Finishing his own slice of pie, he leaned forward to catch Tony’s attention. “Are you really that nervous?”

Tony startled, looking up to meet Steve’s eyes. “That obvious, huh?” He smirked, but the fear was clear in his eyes.

Steve reached out to clasp his lovers’ hands. “Honey, you haven’t eaten at all. And Italian is your favourite.” He searched Tony’s eyes for a hint of why this bothered him so much. All he saw was raw fear. He sighed. “Parents are out on porches watching over all the kids, no one is going to get nabbed without plenty of witnesses, and Peter knows the path, he can’t get lost. Buck and I started trick-or-treating on our own even younger than this!” He let go and threw his hands up, exasperated when Tony didn’t seem convinced. He loved the man with all of his being, but it was a constant battle to keep the genius from helicopter parenting and smothering their son in protection. “When did you?” Maybe this had something to do with a traumatic experience. Steve knew there was still plenty about Tony’s childhood that he never talked about.

Tony’s face scrunched up in confusion. “When did I what? You lost me, Cap.”

Steve shook his head amusedly. “When did you start trick-or-treating without Jarvis?” It was a fairly safe assumption that Howard and Maria had never taken Tony, so Steve figured it was probably Jarvis. The butler was more of a dad to Tony than Howard.

Tony surprised him with a sharp laugh. “Steve, I never trick-or-treated, that was something for normal kids.” It hurt Steve, the way Tony sounded so casual about that. His tone gave no inkling of sarcasm or that he had the notion that there was something wrong with that. “Oh god, Steve, you look like a kicked puppy. It’s not a big deal.”

The server returned with their check, and Tony filled out the receipt with a flourish. “Did you ever get to be a child?” Steve asked quietly. Tony gave him a pained smile. It was answer enough. They stood, and Steve put his arm around Tony’s waist as they exited. He wished, not for the first time, that he could bring Howard back from the grave to kick his ass. “We should throw a costume party next year,” he suggested suddenly. It wasn’t trick-or-treating, but at least Tony would get to dress up. Peter would love it too, and he could just guess at how thrilled Thor would be to participate in another Midgardian holiday.

Tony chuckled, probably thinking along the same lines. “Yeah, okay sweetheart,” he agreed easily. They took their time walking back towards Steve’s old neighborhood. The sun was slowly setting, the sky a gorgeous array of orange and pinks. Tony inhaled the crisp autumn air and allowed his current happiness to chase away the lingering bitterness about his childhood for the time being. He had a great life. The love of his life had married him, they adopted a wonderful son, and his team had become his extended family where he never really had a real one. Life was good.

“We’re lost,” Peter’s voice wobbled, but his tears didn’t spill over. None of the houses in sight looked familiar, and Peter couldn’t remember what street they had started on anymore. He should have never listened to Wade.

“No we’re not,” Wade said quickly, leading the way in the same direction they had been walking for what seemed like forever. “I know where we’re going,” his voice confident.

The problem was that Peter knew him too well. He could always tell when Wade was lying. “No you don’t!” He shouted angrily. He was scared and tired, his feet hurt, and he just wanted to go home. “You’re just making it up and you know it.” He stomped his feet to punctuate his words.

Wade stopped walking to face his friend. It wasn’t such a big deal that they were lost. Why did Peter care so much? They’d make it back eventually. Wade always found his way eventually. “Fine, you’re right,” he admitted. “But if we walk around, we’ll figure it out eventually. Chill out.”

Peter shook his head and his face was red now. The tears finally began streaking down his cheeks. He knew Wade was never scared, and he wanted to be brave like him but he just wasn’t, okay? New York was huge and full of scary people who did horrible things. He would know, his parents had to fight the scary people all the time. “It’s not chill,” he cried miserably. “I’m scared,” he admitted in a whisper.

Wade pulled him into a hug. Peter was trembling and hiccupping. “I’m sorry,” he comforted. Peter was such a scaredy-cat. He should have expected a reaction like this. It was a real testament to how scared the younger kid was that he hadn’t thought of the obvious on his own. He grabbed Peter’s shoulders and pushed him out of the hug, forcing them to be face to face. “But I promise we’re fine. Just turn your phone back on, and JARVIS will navigate.”

Slow realization dawned on Peter, and he gaped at the other boy. “I didn’t think of that, I’m so stupid,” his voice was even more miserable now. “Plus now my dads will know we broke the rules.”

Wade reached out and snatched away the costume goggles so he could really look at his friend. “Peter, listen to me.” He waited until Peter was meeting his gaze. “You are not stupid.” His voice was firm. “You were scared and that makes thinking hard. You’re one of the smartest people I know. You even understand what I’m saying when my brain won’t make words right,” and that got a giggle from Peter. Peter’s giggle always made Wade’s stomach feel weird. He didn’t really know why but it wasn’t completely unpleasant. “And your dads will just be happy we’re okay.”

Peter stared at Wade for a moment in silence. He wished he could control his blush whenever Wade complimented him, it was so embarrassing. “Yeah, okay.”

“Young sir, you are off your trick-or-treat path,” JARVIS sounded peeved. “Would you care to explain?”

Peter groaned. “JARVIS just help us find our way back, please?” He knew he was whining, but he really was tired.

There was a beat before JARVIS responded, “head north and turn left at the next street sign.” Peter and Wade let out a collective sigh of relief. They were going to get chewed out enough as it is, they didn’t need a lecture from J too.

It turned out Wade was still allowed to spend the night, probably because Tony and Steve never really liked to send him home to his abusive parents, though they hadn’t found proof to give to children’s services yet. Peter was going to be grounded for two weeks.

“I really think it should be two months,” Tony muttered bitterly as they entered the penthouse from the elevator.

Steve chuckled. He could understand the sentiment. “I think Peter scared himself enough that it was a punishment on its own, Tony.”

Peter blushed but didn’t look away. “I wasn’t that scared.”

Wade burst out laughing, and that was really more of a cackle. Wade was cackling at him and Peter glared at the other kid. Wade showed no remorse and just stuck his tongue out before Peter took off chasing him towards his room.

Later that night, when they had finally come down from the sugar rush and were almost asleep, JARVIS spoke up. “I just want you to know, young sir, you’re never truly lost if you have me.”

Peter smiled sleepily at the ceiling. “Thanks, J” he whispered before drifting off to his dreams.

[therainroguefanfiction]

🔥 ℝise Ⱥbove I̾t ◈ Chapter 016 [A Hard Lesson]

📑 Table of Contents | ◂Backward

Word Count: 2,938

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

〈“There’s a moment in your bones, When the fire takes over. Blood is running, Heart is pumping, as the battle gets closer.” The Score, “Unstoppable”〉

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

I stifled a yawn as I walked to school. Man, why did I stay up so fucking late playing with that angry chihuahua? I had only planned on playing for a few hours, but his trash-talking got under my skin and I refused to let him win bragging rights. Our match-up didn’t end until three in the morning when his mom came in and screamed at him to go to bed.

“You look like shit,”

“Fuck off, Bakugo.”

He grunted, yawning loudly from beside me. “You didn’t win,”

“Neither did you,”

“I would have if not for the old hag!”

I hummed, not really having the energy to argue with him. He got the same amount of sleep that I did, so how can he have the energy to be so loud? Kids these days are nuts. The classroom was full of energy too, but it died down a bit when we entered. Guess they remembered our little spat the day before.

My eyes landed on Midoriya, who was chatting happily with Ochako and Iida. Now that I know for certain that he’s Toshi’s successor, I feel this strong need to protect him and look out for him. Toshi can’t be with this kid at all times, but I’m his classmate, I can.

I stepped over to his desk, readjusting my bad. “Izuku Midoriya, right?”

His cheeks grew red. “Y-Yes. Did you need something, W-Winchester?”

“Hm, you can drop the last name. Let’s be friends.”

“Hah?!” Bakugo grabbed the back of my shirt, attempting to yank me back and away from the greenette. “Why the fuck are you tryin’ to befriend that nerd?!”

I scowled and whipped around, slamming my foot into his stomach. “Will you shut the fuck up? It’s too damn early for your issues!”

“Woah, she just attacked Bakugo!”

“They fought after class yesterday, too.”

“Yeah, what was that about?”

“Oh my god, what if they’re dating?!”

Oh for fuck’s sake. I ran my hand down my face, turning to look at the green-haired boy, my glare softening when he jumped. “Oi, Izuku.”

“I-I don’t mind being your f-friend, Winche – ah, Jen!”

“Oi, you damn bitch,” Bakugo growled, throwing at punch toward my head. I kneeled down, swiping his legs out from under him with my own. He jumped up quicker than I anticipated, explosions going off in his palms. I stepped back, fixing my stance as my hands started to heat up, fire licking the skin of my palms.

“K-Kacchan! W-Winchester!” Izuku looked between the two of us, his expression full of worry.

“Stop this immediately!” Iida demanded.

Bakugo smirked. “Fuck video games, I’ll beat your ass in real life instead!”

I grunted. “You can try. No guarantees I can control myself.”

“Enough,” Aizawa slid the door open, narrowed eyes going between the two of us. “Sit down,”

We stared each other down for a moment before I stood up straight, closing my palms to extinguish the flames. Smoke rose from my hands as I headed to my seat.

“This ain’t over, bitch!”

“Yeah, whatever.” I sighed, falling onto my seat. What is it about this brat that brings the worst out in me? He makes me wanna punch shit. He’s gotta have a second quirk that lets him push people’s buttons. And look, Peppermint is glaring at me again. Does he have a hard-on for Bakugo or some shit?

“Today’s training will be a little different. You’ll have three instructors – me, All Might, and another faculty member will be keeping tabs on you.”

Three teachers? Is this because of the break-in yesterday?

“Sir! What kind of training is this?”

Aizawa held out a card, the word ‘rescue’ written in big, bold letters. “Rescue. You’ll be dealing with natural disasters – shipwrecks, stuff like that.”

Gee, what a nice selection we have. Just shipwrecks, huh? I rolled my eyes. This sounds like it’s gonna be a pain.

“Disasters, huh? Sounds like we’re in for a big workout…”

“Totally!”

“Real hero stuff… This is what separates the men from the boys. I’m shaking with excitement!”

“Finally, I’ll get to show off how good I am in water, ribbit.”

“Guys, I’m not finished yet,” Aizawa said, annoyance lacing his voice. “What you wear in this exercise is up to you, I know you’re excited about costumes.” He clicked a remote and the shelves extended from the wall carrying the metal cases. “But keep in mind, you haven’t gotten used to them yet and they might limit your abilities. This special training is at an off-campus facility so we’ll be taking a bus to get there. That’s all. Start getting ready.”

Rescue training… I wonder what kinda shit we’re gonna be doing. I stifled a yawn as I grabbed my case and followed the girls to the locker room. Man, my stomach is killing me, I shoulda ate breakfast, but if I had, I woulda been late for class. I sluggishly pulled my costume on, ending up being one of the last girls to leave the room. The group was gathered outside, waiting for Aizawa to give them the order to get on the bus.

A whistle filled the air. “Gather ’round, class 1-A! Using your student numbers, form two lines so we can load the bus efficiently!” Iida ordered, blowing the whistle again.

Man, that shit’s fucking loud. He takes this shit way too seriously, what is with him? I ignored the group, stepping onto the bus and making a beeline for the backseat so I could get some peace and quiet. Iida was the last person on the bus, falling into his seat with his head in his hands.

“The bus’ open layout ruined my boarding strategy…”

“Iida, you really need to chill.”

“If we’re pointing out the obvious, then there’s something I wanna say. About you, actually.” Frog turned to Izuku, whose cheeks flushed at the sudden attention.

“About me? What is it, Asui?” His voice reflected the nervousness he was suddenly feeling.

“I told you to call me Tsu.”

“Oh yeah… right…”

“That power of yours…” she continued. “Isn’t it a lot like All Might’s?”

My body tensed and I leaned forward in my seat, making Tape Boy glance at me curiously from my right. Damn, this girl is really perceptive, ain’t she? And she doesn’t seem to have much of a filter, either. I mean, it’s hella obvious, but that’s beside the point. Shit, what do I do? Should I step in and change the subject? What if I start a fight with Bakugo? That always gets people’s attention. Can this kid handle it himself?

“W-What? Really? You think so, huh? I never really thought about that. I guess it’s kinda -” He started to ramble on as his panic built and I deadpanned. This kid is a fucking disaster.

“Wait, hold on, Tsu. You’re forgetting All Might doesn’t hurt himself, that makes a huge difference.” Red commented, making Izuku let out a sigh of relief. “Still, I bet it’s cool to have a simple augmenting type of quirk. You can do a lot of flashy stuff with it. My hardening is super strong and can destroy bad guys in a fight,” He held out his arm, skin hardening like rock. “But it doesn’t look all that impressive.”

“Ah, no way! I think it’s really awesome looking! You’re definitely pro material with a quirk like that!” Izuku is starting to fanboy again.

I sighed, leaning back in my seat and folding my arms behind my head. I wonder if I can get in a nap before we get there.

“You really think so? Seems like it’d be easier to be a popular hero if I had something flashier!”

Popularity ain’t everything, kid.

“My naval laser has the perfect combination of panache and strength.”

“But it’s way lame if it gives you a stomachache, sweety.”

“Well, if any of our classmates have pro quirks, it’s Todoroki, Bakugo, and Winchester.”

Wait, what? Why me? I barely even used my quirk.

“Sure, but Bakugo is always angry and Winchester is really anti-social so they’ll never be that popular.”

“What did you say?! I’ll kick your ass!”

I leaned forward, eyes narrowed at her. “Don’t fucking lump me in with this dumbass. I don’t want to be popular, people are dickbags.”

“Who the fuck are you calling dumbass, bitch?!”

“Would you prefer dipshit? Donkey? Angry hedgehog? Edgelord? Murder? There’s plenty to choose from for your ass.”

“I’ll kill you!”

“See?” Frog stuck her tongue out, pointing at us.

“You know, we basically just met you two, so it’s kinda telling that we all know your personalities are flaming crap mixed with garbage.”

“Is that the best insult you could come up with, brat?” I glared at Sparky, my eyes flashing as my hands started to burn a bit. “Maybe stop having your kid brother write your lines for you.”

His face flushed.

“You’re gonna regret the day you applied to this damn school, you loser! I’ll kill you!”

“Enough! Classmates are supposed to encourage each other!” Iida intervened.

“I’m going to encourage this dumbass to explode!”

“Wait, what did you just say? Phrasing, dude.”

I scoffed. “It’s easy to talk shit, especially when there’s a teacher around. Try doing it when we’re alone and see what happens.” I stared Sparky down and he swallowed, turning his face away.

“Alright, just apologize, all of you!”

“Sure, if they go first.”

“Like hell I will!”

“Hey, hey, we’re here!” Aizawa rose his voice as the bus pulled up to a stop. “Stop messing around.”

“Yes, sir!”

Everyone filed off the bus. Someone was standing outside waiting for us. Is that… the fucking Michelin man? The fuck, they really let anyone teach at this school, don’t they?

“Hello, everyone! I’ve been waiting for you!”

The group stared in awe and started going wild over this guy. Apparently, his name is Thirteen, the space hero. Honestly, I’m not too interested. I moved closer to Aizawa, putting him between myself and the group, lowering my voice. “Yo, teach. Can I skip this? I didn’t get much sleep last night, see and I -”

“No,”

“At least let me fin -”

“No,”

“Son of a -”

“I can’t wait to show you what’s inside!”

I followed Aizawa as the two teachers led us into the large, dome-shaped building. From the vantage point that the stairs offered, I could see the inside sectioned off into different zones.

“Holy crap. It looks like some kind of amusement park!”

“A shipwreck, a landslide, a fire, a windstorm, etc.” Thirteen began. “I created this training facility to prepare you to deal with different types of disasters. I call it the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, but you can call it the USJ!”

I resisted the urge to facepalm. What is with that shitty ass name? This guy has zero creativity.

“Hey, shouldn’t All Might be here already?” Aizawa moved closer to Thirteen. “Let me guess, he booked an interview instead.”

Thirteen moved closer, lowering his voice. I was close enough to hear them, but I don’t think the others were. “Actually, it’s something else.”

“Hm?”

“Apparently, he did too much hero work on the way to school this morning and used up all of his power.” He held up three fingers. “He’s resting in the teacher’s lounge.”

I scoffed, shoving my hands into my pockets, moving to stand against the pillar nearby. “Dumbass,”

Aizawa sent me a look. “That man is the height of irresponsibility. The clock’s ticking, we should get started.” He moved to lean against the pillar beside me, folding his arms.

“Excellent! Before we begin, let me just say one thing! Well, maybe two things, possibly three, four, or five.”

Oh my tap dancing fucking Satan. I facepalmed, ignoring the weird look from Aizawa.

“Listen carefully! I’m sure you’re aware that I have a powerful quirk.”

Nope, I ain’t.

“It’s called ‘black hole’.”

How edgy.

“I can use it to suck up anything and turn it to dust.”

“Yeah! You’ve used black hole to save people from all kinds of disasters before, haven’t you?” Izuku asked, excitedly, his eyes sparkling.

“That’s true, but my quirk could also very easily be used to kill.”

My body tensed up and I let out a sharp breath. That’s a lesson I had to learn on my own, the hard way. In a way, I’m relieved this guy is laying it all out on the table like that, I just hope these brats take it to heart and actually listen. I glanced at Bakugo.

“Some of you also have powers that can be dangerous.” He tilted his head just a bit in my direction and I could feel his eyes on me through that damn helmet. “In our superhuman society, all quirks are certified and strictly regulated, so we often over-look how unsafe it can actually be. Please don’t forget that if you lose focus or make the wrong move, your powers can be deadly.”

I lowered my head and crossed my arms, nails digging into the fabric of my overshirt. This guilt, this overwhelming remorse that I have to deal with… it will never go away. Never. I… I don’t want these brats to experience this, not even the ones that piss me off. Taking a deep breath, I pushed away from the pillar, moving to stand beside Thirteen, well aware of all the eyes now staring at me, including the two teachers.

I stared at the ground, shoving a hand into my pocket. “You’re probably thinking that it’ll never happen to you, right? That you’re strong enough, that you have enough control, but you’re fucking stupid if you think that. You could have all the fucking control in the world until you meet that one person, that one fight, that one decision that pushes you over the edge. You can feel your control slipping but no matter how fucking hard you try to pull it back, it’s just out of reach. It’s your body, your power and yet… you can only sit back and watch as it destroys shit.”

My hands clenched harder, nails digging into my skin as I looked up, narrowed eyes scanning the shocked expressions of my classmates. Bakugo’s accusing gaze, Peppermint’s guarded gaze, Fumi’s worried gaze.

I took a breath. “But that’ll never happen to me! Your arrogance, over-confidence, ignorance… None of it matters when you’re staring at the face of the life your power just claimed. The eyes that will never shine again. The lips that will never take another breath. What then? It’s far too late, then. Too late for your realizations. Too late for, ‘I should have listened!’. You can never take it back. All you’re left with is this overwhelming feeling of guilt, remorse, and even a little hatred toward yourself. Every human being has this… innocence within their heart. Think of it as a white rose – untainted, pure. When you take a life, whether accidentally or on purpose, that rose becomes tainted by their blood. You can never go back to how it was, you can never reclaim that innocence, you can never…”

I released a shaky breath when Thirteen placed his hand on the small of my back. God, get your shit together, Jen. I shook my head and forced a grin. “Well, that’s what I read in an Agatha Christie novel, anyway. Brilliant writer, that one.” I walked back over to Aizawa, refusing to meet his worried gaze. “Sorry for interrupting, sensei. Just felt like a good time to promote an author I love.”

The tense air dispersed, a couple of students laughing as they believed the act I put on. I’ve always been a damned good liar, maybe I shoulda been an actress. Still, I could feel Bakugo, Izuku, and Peppermint staring at me, but I didn’t let my grin falter.

Thirteen cleared his throat. “Thank you for your insightful… reading, Winchester. Please refrain from interrupting in the future.”

“Sure~”

“She’s absolutely right about everything she said, though. Even if you’re trying to do something virtuous, like rescue someone. Thanks to Aizawa’s fitness tests, you have a solid idea of your quirk’s potential and because of All Might’s combat training, you likely experienced how dangerous your powers can be when used against other people. Carry those lessons over to this class. Today, you’re going to learn how to use your quirks to save people’s lives! You won’t be using your powers to attack enemies or each other, only to help. After all, that’s what being a hero is all about – ensuring the safety of others.” He bowed. “That’s all I have to say, thank you so much for listening!”

The group cheered, hyped up by Thirteen’s speech.

“Right, now that that’s over.” Aizawa pushed away from the wall.

That feeling of crushing dread suddenly fell upon my shoulders, ten times stronger than it had been yesterday. My stomach turned, my legs shaking. What the hell… is this fucking overwhelming feeling? I… I feel like I’m fucking drowning…

The lights started to flicker and my attention snapped to the source of the crushing aura, right at the center of the dome where a fountain sat. A black and purple portal started to open. No… it can’t be him. I swallowed hard as people started to emerge from the shadowy gate.

I instantly recognized that Golem looking mother fucker from Gramp’s study and I started to have flashbacks of that night, of his lifeless body, of the blood, smeared all over that bastard. It’s them… the fuckers that turned my life upside down.

The fuckers that killed my Gramps in cold blood.

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

▸ Forward

📜 Read more by checking out my masterlist 📜