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spacebatisluvd · 4 years ago

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Summary: Bow tries to be friendly, Hordak does not, and Catra is...Catra.

Content warning: mention of dissection and experimentation, mild dehumanizing language regarding Imp and Hordak’s failed clones, references to Prime and his purification ritual, Hordak being generally grumpy and unhappy being around anyone who isn’t Entrapta.

The journey to Salineas was a brief one. The She-Ra, Catra, the archer, and the young Queen arrived in the First Ones’ ship—which Entrapta greeted with a happy squeal of, ‘Darla!’—to escort him to Salineas. It was unnecessary, in his opinion. This was part of a peace treaty. A treaty he’d helped negotiate. He’d agreed to this willingly—happily, even. There was no need for them to act as guards.

He resented the others’ presence, but reminded himself that he was heading into hostile territory. He would likely be facing worse. So he lifted his chin and bore their scrutiny—and Catra’s awkward, nervous glances—with dignity.

Entrapta, as always, helped. She seemed oblivious to any tension between the other passengers, intent on coaxing Darla into a system’s upgrade. Assisting her with this was at least comfortable and familiar. Emily often resisted the various patches and software updates they designed for her, no matter that Entrapta promised she’d never do anything to compromise Emily’s core personality codes. Hordak was beginning to suspect it was a game, much like Imp’s games of “keep away”.

As they worked, the archer—named ‘Bow’, naturally; whatever his opinion of the planet itself, Hordak had always been pleased by the sensible nature of their naming conventions—approached. He glanced between Entrapta and Hordak, hands behind his back and rocking a little on his toes. “Sooo, how’ve you two been?”

Hordak’s eyes narrowed. He looked at Entrapta, not sure how to answer. Was this an incredibly blatant attempt at gathering intel? To what end? They weren’t at war—

“We’re great!” Entrapta said, voice echoing from inside the access panel she was currently half-buried in. “I’m so happy to have so many friends at home now! And it’s been nice being able to get to know Hordak better now that he’s not trying to conquer the world. I have so much new data to analyze and process!”

Bow looked between them again, a hesitant smile making its way to his face. “That’s. Great! I’m. Glad to hear it.” He looked up at Hordak, who crossed his arms and looked him over, trying to guess the meaning of this conversation. “Yep! Just. Great,” Bow squeaked.

“Oh!” She abruptly popped out of the access panel. “Hordak? Did you transfer your notes? You know, on the dissected clones?”

Bow went stiff and straight. “Dissected...?”

“Clones?” The She-Ra asked, standing.

Seeing their expressions, he huffed. “They were failed experiments. Incompatible with life outside their vitrine. Technically, they never attained consciousness.” As far as he knew, at least. Their brainwaves had never been especially complex. “And yes, I transferred the data to you.”

“Thanks! Oooh! What’s that?” She scurried deeper into the access panel.

That left him alone with the others. He glanced at them, then resumed monitoring the system update. “So...what about you?” Bow asked.

Hordak did not look up from the data pad. “What ‘about me’?”

“Uh. How are you? Doing okay? Settling in?”

“Conquered any villages?” the queen asked.

His ears folded back. “No, but I’m certain I can arrange something if you’re already bored with peace.”

Bow stared at him, then laughed uneasily. “Ha! That’s a joke! Heh. No offense, but uh, I never really thought you’d have a sense of humor.”

“I don’t.” Hordak eyed the archer, then turned back to the control panel. “Darla, patch into Entrapta’s communicator. I am in need of intelligent conversation.”

“Hey! I’m intelligent.” He sounded almost hurt.

Hordak ignored his outburst. “Entrapta? Can you hear me?”

“Oh, yes! So the updates to Darla’s communication systems worked?”

“It would appear so. How do the internals look?”

“Good! Though....”

“What is it?”

“Well, I was thinking. The exterior sensors could use some tweaking....”

Bow made a choking sound. Still ignoring him, Hordak frowned. “What’s the rating on your tether?” She rattled off a number. His frown deepened. “That’s designed for spacewalks and likely won’t stand up to the wind-resistance of atmospheric flight. Wait until we land to work on the exterior.”

“If I—“

“Is it an urgent repair?”

“No,” she admitted, and he crossed his arms, mouth briefly twitching into a small smile.

“There is plenty of tech for you to ‘tweak’ in here, Starlight. Please refrain from venturing outside the cabin unless the matter becomes urgent.”

At the rear of the cabin, he heard Catra ask no one, “‘Starlight?’” He refused to blush in their presence, choosing to ignore them and focus on Entrapta’s response.

“Okay,” she said on a sigh, though he could hear the smile in her voice. “But you owe me!”

He chuckled. “I’m certain you will have something dangerous and impractical for us to do when I return from Salineas, though I insist we at least take proper safety precautions beforehand.”

“You’re no fun—oh.”

His smile disappeared abruptly. “Entrapta? What is it?” She didn’t respond. “Entrapta? Can you hear me?”

“Yeah! I’m still here! I think we might have a stowaway. I couldn’t catch him, though.”

“A stow—“ Then he huffed. He knew exactly two people that were comfortable using the vents and service corridors as a means to navigate. “Hmmph. He’ll grow bored now that he’s been discovered, so long as you don’t chase him.”

“Be prepared—it looks like he’s headed your way.” She giggled, and he sighed. From the rear of the cabin, Adora walked toward him.

“That’s to be expected. Are we ready to begin the next stage of the update?”

“Yep! Ready when you are!”

“Initiating installation. Prepare for radio silence in three. Two. One.”

The subtle buzz that heralded an open connection cut out. Only then did he direct his attention to the Etherians at his elbows. “A stowaway?” Adora asked, hand on her vambrace.

“Nothing to be concerned with.”

“No offense, but that’s not exactly reassuring,” Bow said.

His ears twitched when he heard clicking from the vents above. “It’s just—“

Imp dropped out of the vent with a screech, wings fluttering. The Etherians—aside from Catra—screamed. “What is that thing!?” Bow asked, reaching for his quiver. Thankfully, Adora seemed too startled to become She-Ra.

Imp, obviously delighted by the chaos, landed on Hordak’s shoulders and spread his wings wide, preening. Hordak just shook his head, looking at the little clone-hybrid. “You were to remain in Dryl with Kadroh.” Despite his words, he reached up to scratch the nape of Imp’s neck. Impervious to chastisement, Imp just chittered happily and settled more comfortably on his shoulders.

Adora blinked. “Wait—is that Imp?”

Seeing her, Imp chirped happily and jumped to her shoulder. “[Hey, Adora],” he said, in Catra’s voice.

She giggled. “Aw, hi, little guy! I‘ve been worried about you.”

Catra stepped forward. “Tch. Of course you’d make friends with Hordak’s spy—“

“[CATRA!]” he screamed in Shadow Weaver’s voice, causing her to shudder.

Curious, Bow approached, one hand lifted as if to pet him. “He’s kind of cute. Is he friendly?”

“Not even slightly,” Hordak said, at the same time Catra replied, “Fuck no.” They shared a look, both their ears folded back, then Catra huffed and turned away.

As if to contradict them, Adora happily scratched the top of his head, earning a happy chirr. Hordak sighed. “Though he can be bribed with food, if you haven’t given him any prior reason to distrust you.” He said the latter with a look at Catra.

Adora smiled. “I used to give him apple slices from my commissary allowance.”

“[apple]” he echoed, adding a questioning chirp at the end.

“Sorry, little guy. I don’t have anything for you right now.”

“[Useless!]” he said, using Hordak’s voice, before jumping back to Hordak.

“Well. That seems a little harsh,” she said, only for Imp to, again, declare her ‘[Useless!]’ as he dug his claws into Hordak’s shoulders.

Shaking his head, Hordak returned his attention to the data pad, punching in a few codes when prompted.

“So...what is he, anyway?” the young queen asked, joining Bow and Adora at the control panel.

His ears folded back as he regarded them, wondering why they were so intent on talking to him. He wished he could open a com-line to Entrapta; he could already feel himself growing irritated at their questions, their interest, and he wished for some kind of buffer. “His genetic makeup is not your concern.” An alert popped up on the pad, flashing bright red. He was almost grateful for it. “I have to go to the engine room and attend to this. Remain here.” He shooed Imp from his shoulder, earning an angry screech as he left to check the engines.

He growled softly when Catra fell into step behind him, though neither of them spoke as they walked to the engine room. Determined to ignore her, he began checking the affected systems. “Do you, uh...need any help?” she asked, lingering awkwardly in the doorway.

He studied her. Her arms were crossed and she wasn’t looking at him, instead fixing her gaze on the ground in front of her. His ears folded back, and he looked away with a huff.

There was much between them, though neither of them were the type to discuss such things. The past was past. Entrapta held no grudge against her, so it seemed he didn’t have much reason to cling to his anger, tempting though it was some days. Were he in a better mood, he probably wouldn’t have minded her presence. As it was, her company was unwanted and only wore at his already fraying patience. “No, Catra. I do not require help. Nor do I need to be guarded,” he snapped, bitterness slipping into his voice.

“Hey, I’m not—“ She groaned and ran a hand through her hair. “It’s not like that.”

The flashing on his data pad was growing more urgent. He turned away from her, tucking the pad away to make the necessary adjustments. She continued to watch him, fidgeting in the doorway. He knelt to make another adjustment, and she asked, “So, how have you been, anyway?”

He paused to eye her, then returned to his work. “Why is that a concern of yours?”

“Did you forget I was on Prime’s ship too?”

His fingers fumbled the hexdriver, but he caught it and glared at her. “I fail to see the relevance.”

She glared back. “Oh, yeah. My bad for being worried you might be, I don’t know, traumatized or something. You’re obviously totally fine.” He huffed, ears folded back. He didn’t respond for a while, checking the data pad and making minor adjustments as needed—aware of Catra’s gaze on him the entire time. She sighed. “Look, I...get it. Okay? We’ve both been through the...the slime torture—“

He choked. “Slime. Torture.”

“Well, what do you call it?” she demanded.

“The purification ritual.”

“Of course that’s what you’d call it. I don’t know what else I expected.” She rolled her eyes. “Can you just—be normal for a few minutes? I’m trying to be nice here.”

“That must be difficult for you.”

“Yeah, well, you’re not exactly making it easier.” She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “What I’m trying to say is, if you ever need someone to talk to. I’m available. I guess.”

His ear twitched. He hadn’t expected that. “Why would I want to talk about that?”

She looked away. “It helps.”

He huffed, checking the data pad. The flashing red icon was gone and everything else seemed in order. “We’re done here,” he said.

“Hey, I’m just trying to help—“

He held up the pad. “With the update. There are no further adjustments to make.”

“Oh.” She shoved her hands into her pockets. They walked back to the cabin in silence.

Just before they reached the door, he paused. “Your concern is...noted.”

She muttered something under her breath, but she fell silent as soon as the door slid open. Imp had—somehow—stolen the archer’s quiver and was currently clinging to some pipes on the ceiling, throwing arrows at the three while they tried to knock him down. Adora had changed into She-Ra, trying to use her height to reach him, and the floor was littered in the remains of spent arrows, as well as a net, several puddles of water, a rope, and a few scorch marks. “What is going on in here?” he yelled, marching in. The She-Ra automatically snapped to attention before remembering herself.

“Uh,” she said.

“Well,” Bow said.

“It’s his fault,” the Queen said, looking decidedly unqueenlike when soaked in water.

He speared Imp with a look, but he meekly flew to Hordak’s shoulders, chirping pathetically. He held his wing as if it was hurt, whining softly. Hordak sighed, taking the quiver of arrows when it was offered. He returned them to Bow. “This is why you will not be accompanying me to Salineas,” he told Imp. “Let me see your wing.” Imp whined, pulling it out of reach. Likely because he was faking for sympathy. “Imp.”

Entrapta dropped down from the vent, her mask down. “Oh, what’d I miss?! It looks like you guys had fun!” Seeing Imp, she pushed her mask up and held out her arms. “Aw, were they playing too rough?“

Realizing he could get more sympathy from Entrapta, Imp blew a raspberry at Hordak before flying into her arms, cuddling close and chirping pathetically. “Poor little guy. Let’s get you fixed up!”

Hordak gave Imp a disgusted look, but didn’t object when Entrapta made a show of checking Imp’s wing—indeed, perfectly fine—finishing her exam by kissing her fingertips and bringing them to his wingtip for a kiss by-proxy. “There!” she declared, “All better!”

Catra smirked and leaned close. “Did she pull that move on you after the last battle?”

His ears flexed, and his cheeks grew hot. He crossed his arms and glared at her, though that didn’t wipe the smirk from her face. Thankfully, her voice was pitched too low to carry.

He exhaled slowly, walking away from her without another word. “You shouldn’t encourage him,” he said as he came to stand beside Entrapta. “He’s not actually a child, though I admit his neoteny is a curiosity.” A fortuitous one, as it had likely saved his life on multiple occasions. Hordak’s soldiers had not always been the most savory of characters, but most were reluctant to harm a child. (And those that weren’t had a tendency to...disappear. A curiosity he’d declined to examine more closely.)

“Ooh—you don’t know why Imp is Imp?”

“I do not. He is...unique.” The only living result borne of his efforts to create a clone by patching his own faulty genome with bits and pieces of compatible Etherian animals. Both a success and a failure, all at once. “I considered running further tests, but....” He reached out to scratch Imp’s head. “I decided that could wait until he reached the natural end of his lifespan.”

“[Sentiment!]” Imp growled in Hordak’s own voice, sounding suitably disgusted.

“Yes, you little cretin. I hope you’re pleased with yourself.” Imp gave a happy chirr. “Now go fetch some towels. You are going to help clean this up.”

“[Cretin!]”

“Do not argue with me. If you can’t behave yourself, then I cannot send you to stay with....” He sighed, pained by his next words. “‘Aunt Lonnie’ and your ‘Uncles’. Am I clear?”

Imp responded to this with a hiss, but he did dart away. Whether or not he would actually return with the towels was yet to be determined. Hordak and Entrapta started to exchange notes, but he quickly became aware that the others were staring at him with wide eyes. Again. He glared at them. “I agreed to many things when I signed our treaty. I did not agree to be stared at like an animal in a menagerie. So I will ask this once; what. do. you. want?” He enunciated each word sharply, still glaring.

Bow and the Queen blushed and looked away, but the She-Ra just kept smiling at him. This only caused his scowl to deepen, until Catra spoke up from the rear of the cabin. “Just wondering how Shadow Weaver managed to be worse at parenting than the Horde Lord himself.”

He sputtered, so thrown by that statement he wasn’t even sure how to reply. “Imp is not a child! He’s—“ He growled. “Are we done?” he asked Entrapta.

“I think so.”

“Good. Find me before we land. I’ve had enough of this,” he said, stalking out of the room—and making a special point to hiss at Catra as he left.

She had the gall to wave at him.

A/N: “Neoteny”, by the way, is just a term for the prepubescent traits an animal retains after reaching adulthood. Many domesticated animals display neoteny—cats’ playfulness and their vocalizations, for example. In this case, I’m using it to refer to Imp’s general child-like appearance. (It’s also the most scientific way possible to say something is adorable.)

#Hordak #Entrapta #Entrapdak #Catra #Bow #spop fanfic #intimacy log #Imp

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secondgenerationnerd · 6 years ago

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People Can Change

Author’s Note: HELLO MY LOVES! Sorry for the radio silence. I am in the middle of moving and life is crazy. But the wonderful @hauntedfishponyturkey requested this fic! It is very early so please excuse any spelling mistakes! Enjoy!

Warnings for swearing and underage drinking

There are very few things that Irey West hates in her life. Brussel sprouts. People that look for misery. Bullies at school. Villains that try to kill her or her family. You know, the standard things in life. But probably right at the top is visiting the Watchtower with her father for Justice League business. At 12, she’s still too young to be in the meetings, but he brings her anyway. This usually leaves her on her own for a few hours. She doesn’t mind that. She minds that she can’t stretch her legs the way she really wants to.

She jogs around the watch tower (well…her version of a jog…which is like an Olympic runner’s sprint). Irey’s bored out of her mind. Mar��I had dance class so she isn’t here. Lian and Jai are both grounded after a prank on Atom went wrong. Jon had chores. Milagro is on Oa. Colin in Gotham. There’s no one else for her to hang out with-

“HEY!” Irey, lost in thought, hadn’t noticed someone come into her path. Too late, she tries to stop, crashing into him. He looks like her Uncle Dick…but younger and much…much shorter. With much angrier eyes. Eyes that are locked on her,” Watch where you’re going, carrot top.”

“Sorry I was lost in thought.” They stand up. His eyes narrow at her bright red hair and dark green eyes. Irey knows she looks more like her father, almost to an absurd degree, but she’s never felt bad about it.

“You’re a speedster. How much thought can you be lost in?” While Irey resembles her father, she is still very much her mother’s daughter. She notices his Robin uniform.

“We’re significantly smarter than the bat family, even if it does take a second for them to catch up.” The other boy-Robin- scowls at her.

“Whatever you say, Gingersnap.”

“You’re a jerk!”

“And you’re still an idiot!” Somehow this quickly devolves into them fist fighting. Her dad and Uncle Dick-who it turns out is the older adopted brother of this jerk- pull them off each other.

“Damian!” Uncle Dick shouts.

“Iris!” Her dad shouts. Irey glares at Damian,” Iris, you know better!”

“Damian, you know you’re not supposed to hurt other people!”

Nothing the older men helps. The two preteens glare at each other with venomous hatred. Irey can now add something else to the list of things she hates.

Damian Wayne.

17-year-old Irey can’t believe her brother is this stupid. And she tells him as much.

“Do you just enjoy being grounded?” She asks, leaning against the doorframe. Her twin rolls his eyes.

“I’m not going to get grounded! Mom and dad said they aren’t coming back until Sunday. It’s Friday. So even if they come back tomorrow, I can have the place cleaned up easily.”

“Not the party, dumbass. Mom and dad will probably just be happy we didn’t blow anything up. I’m talking about breaking into dad’s cabinet and stealing the recipe for his speedster booze.”

“Again, they’ll never know.” Jai gives his sister a charming smile. She rolls her eyes.

“Who all is coming?” Irey reaches up, retying her ponytail.

“Mar’I, Jon, Colin, Milagro, Lian- “Irey rolls her eyes when he mentions his girlfriend’s name, along with a few other young heroes,” And…Damian”

“…I’m calling mom- “Jai grabs her before she can get to her phone.

“It was the only way to get Mar’I here. Please? One-night truce? For your brother who you love so much?”

“…You clean up the party by yourself. No matter how hung over you are.”

Jai grabs her face and kisses the top of her head (damn genetics for making him four inches taller than her),” You’re the best sister ever!”

“I know.” Irey goes to her room to change out of her pajamas. Normally for a summer party she’d go with high waisted shorts and a crop top with a hoodie over it, plus her trusty beat up converse. However, this is her house and she’ll be damned if Damian fucking Wayne thinks she dressed up for him. She decides on a plain yellow tank top and red flannel shirt unbuttoned over it. She searches for her favorite pair of skinny jeans, finding them in the laundry hamper. She decides to brush her long red hair out.

I really should cut this she thinks. Chances are it’s going to get her killed eventually. But not tonight. Jai knocks on her door. She gags at the smell of his aftershave.

“They’re all here!”

To be fair to Jai, it took about an hour for things to devolve into madness. Mar’I and Jon, with similar metabolisms to Jai and Irey, are trashed on the speedster booze. Both are naturally happy people, so Jon laughs as Mar’I floats in the air. Irey keeps an eye on her, as Mar’I decided on a spaghetti strap tank top…which doesn’t exactly keep her tatas in place. Milagro and Colin are in the backyard with Suren and Sin, laughing and plaster on the normal booze.

Jai and Lian had disappeared a while ago. Irey has no interest in walking in on them so she sits on her couch, ignoring her friends and playing video games on her tablet. The couch sinks and she looks up. Damian offers her an uninterested glance.

“West.”

“Wayne.”

“I’ve been informed we have a truce. And you are the only one that isn’t inebriated.” He offers her a cup of whiskey.

“I’m not worth the drink. Burn through it too fast to even get buzzed.”

“I’m trying to be nice. Take the damn drink.” She sighs and takes the drink. She winces at the burn,” So what have you been up to?”

“I suppose the same as you. Balancing two lives. Though you actually have school to go to. I prefer homeschool.”

“No one to argue with you when you’re wrong?” She uses her super speed to get an actual drink. If she’s talking to her archenemy, she’s going to need it.

“That’s part of the reason. The other is I tend to…find myself arguing with my administration about my grades…” Irey actually laughs at that. They talk a little more and both are letting down their guard.

Irey won’t lie. The more they talk, the less she finds herself looking for reasons to hate him. And she also checks him out a bit. Since they’re first meeting, every time they’ve had to meet up, they have been on hero business…and there were too many other heroes to keep them from killing each other. When they’d met he had been skinny and didn’t wear much past his Robin Uniform. But now…She can definitely see the muscles under his button down. Irey isn’t sure if it’s the booze but she thinks he might be checking her out.

“You know… Irey…” That’s definitely the booze. He doesn’t use her nickname ever,” …I never apologized for the day we met…when we fought…”

“We were kids. Probably held a grudge about it for too long. I should have been paying attention.”

“Still doesn’t excuse my behavior. I’m sorry, Irey.”

“I forgive you. I’m sorry, Damian.” Damian nods. Jon and Mar’I are making out in their corner, which Irey isn’t shocked about. But Damian doesn’t seem happy,” Um… I don’t know if you care, but I have those designs you requested. I was going to email them to you later.”

“Thank you.” They make they’re way into her bedroom. Irey pulls up the file on her computer. She’s very aware of his hand on the small of her back. They’ve gone from barely able to stand each other to him in her room, touching her back,” These are excellent. As always.”

“You think so?” Irey’s shocked.

“Of course. Just because I disliked you doesn’t mean I can’t admire your work.”

“Disliked? Past tense?” His eyes aren’t as angry as she remembers.

“Well…Things change. People grow.” She must be drunker than she thought…Or maybe he’s drunk…Maybe both of them? But Damian’s a lot closer than she thought.

“And…how do you know if I’ve changed?” She’s very aware that his hands are on her hips. She’s also aware that she doesn’t want him to take them away.

“Because…If you hadn’t…If I hadn’t…I would feel confident to try this…” He leans down and kisses her. Irey doesn’t even hesitate before kissing him back. Damian pulls back,” I’m sorry. I shouldn’t do this when we’re…not ourselves.”

“You’re right…” Irey pulls back. “Talk about it tomorrow?”

“Agreed…”

Irey will admit she was wrong. Jai ends up cleaning up the party, horribly hung over. Irey keeps touching her lips, wondering if Damian would keep his promise. Jai has a little pep in his step after seeing his girlfriend and spends the day whistling. She grabs her jacket,” Be back later.”

“Where are you going?”

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want answers too.” She runs to Gotham, thankful to stretch her legs. She follows the directions to the building Damian wanted to meet on. Irey smiles when she sees him, for the first time ever. He’s in a dark corner, with a dark jacket,” Hey…”

“Hi.” He walks towards her,” Do you want to talk about last night?”

“Yeah…But mostly, do you regret it?”

To her surprise, he doesn’t hesitate,” No. I only regret not doing it sooner.”

“Really?”

“Of course. You’re beautiful.” Irey’s been called many things by boys, but beautiful hasn’t been one of them. She’s always been skinnier, meaning lacking curves.

“How long have you regretted it?”

“Not kissing you…about two years…being hateful to you…pretty much the first day.” He’s closer to her again. Irey looks up at him.

“Me too…” Irey doesn’t realize she meant it until she says it. But she doesn’t regret it. Damian’s hands are on her hips again.

“Do you regret the kiss?”

“No…I was kind of mad when you stopped.” He’s leaning closer. Irey smiles, closing her eyes.

“Let’s see if I can fix that…”

He kisses her again. And Irey kisses him back.

There aren’t many things that Irey West hates in this world.

And Damian Wayne isn’t one of them.

#Speed Demon #Irey West #Damian Wayne #oneshot

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khiphop-stories · 7 years ago

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Umbrella - Chapter XVI

You can find all previous chapters here.

Lesson Sixteen: Race against the past

[Christian Yu, DPR Live]

“Do you want to go out for fresh air? Do you need a glass of water?” He asked her while his eyes darted through the club, looking for one of her friends. How could they have possibly left her alone like this?

“I don’t fucking need a glass of water! I want the fucking truth, Ian!” She raised her voice, almost screaming at him. In that very moment he was glad the music in the club was loud enough to drown out her voice, otherwise they would be center of attention right now.

“What are you talking about?” He responded seemingly calm, his eyebrows creased and face tensed.

“You slept with Jenn while we were still together, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t cheat on you Hyeri,” he let out a brief sigh. Was it naive of him to believe he could simply move on from the relationship without any issues occurring? Was it naive of him to think they were mature enough to remain acquaintances without holding grudges against the other?

It wasn’t a bad break up. They didn’t scream and shout at each other at the top of their lungs like crazy people. It was a rather civil break up and it wasn’t too much of a surprise. She might have seen it coming even before he even made up his mind to end things. Before parting ways, he had told her one last time that he truly cared about her. He apologized for how things turned out and she calmly listened to him. But despite her calm and collected exterior, there was a small volcano seething inside of her chest - one that was on the verge of bursting any moment. He betrayed her. He walked away from her. After all they had been through, he chose the easy way out. He gave up on her just like that. She was casted aside like trash in the bin.

“She lives right next door. You seriously want me to believe nothing happened between you and her?” She scoffed at him.

“Let’s not do this here,” he shook his head at her.

“Why? Are you afraid she might see?”

“I don’t want to fight with you,” he replied in a calm, yet firm tone.

“You always act so innocent. Like you’re a good guy who’s never committed a sin,” she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“Yes, I fucked up plenty of times. But I’ve always been honest with you. I didn’t cheat on you. I wouldn’t hurt you like that. I loved you.”

“If you really did love me, you wouldn’t have left. You were only in it for the chase. Jimin was right about you all along. You’re just a fucking player.”

“You know this is exactly one of the reasons it didn’t work out,” Christian let out short breath as he shook his head at her. The irritation was now evident in his voice. “You always believe the worst in me.”

“That’s because I’ve seen the worst of you! Be honest, Ian. Throughout this whole relationship you always thought of yourself as someone better than me, when you did something just as wrong as I did! You always judge everyone else, but you’re not that innocent either!”

“Hyeri, I know you’re only saying these things because you’re hurt and you’re drunk. For the sake of our past relationship, let’s stop here,” Christian swallowed down the words lingering on his tongue; his raw thoughts that would have broken her apart if he ever said them out loud. He could have gone all out, throwing back accusations at her, defending himself. But he knew it wouldn’t make anything better. No, he would only be pouring gasoline on the fire.

“Am I wrong though?” She raised her brows at him as she let out a chortle, her eyes taunting him.

“We were both equally at fault. It was wrong of me to give in to temptation, but it happened and I can’t turn back time and undo it.” Christian took in a long breath, a futile attempt to calm his nerves. He knew this was one sick mind game. She was trying to hurt and provoke him with her words, but he wouldn’t let her win.

“Does Jenn see it the same way? Would she still be with you if she knew what you did? ”

“Leave her out of it,” he barked back at her, reaching his limit of patience.

“She probably thinks you’re an upright guy. Maybe I should just tell her the truth.”

“Honestly Hyeri, what do you fucking want from me? What happened was over a year ago! Yes, what I did was wrong and selfish. It made a mistake, but I’m trying to put it behind. I’m trying to move on!” He slowly raised his voice at her. His chest was moving up and down in frustration.

“Is that why you’re pushing me away? Because I’m a reminder of your mistake?”

“No, I don’t blame you for what happened. It takes two to tango.” “Then how come you stopped loving me from one day to the other?” She shook her head at him in confusion. The anger in her chest had turned into a painful sting, as though someone was twisting a knife right through her heart.

“I didn’t break up with you, because I stopped loving you. I still care about you, Hyeri. But I think we both need this. We both need to move on from this relationship, because we bring out each other’s worst.”

“And Jenn brings out the good in you?” She quirked up one of her brows at him.

“I like the person I am with her... She makes me want to better myself...”

“...and I didn’t,” Hyeri looked away as a bitter chuckle left her lips.

“That’s not what I said. It’s just...you never really trusted me, did you? Because I didn’t trust you either. I always got anxious when you were out with other guys. I became obsessive. I wanted to own you...It wasn’t healthy. I behaved unreasonably and your reacted to that. At some point it just turned into a vicious cycle.” Christian’s gaze softened at her.

“You think it’s gonna work out with Jenn?”

He remained silent, his eyes dropping down onto the floor. “I really like her,” he whispered almost inaudibly. “You can’t keep it from her forever. She will find out sooner or later. Even if I’m not the one telling her, we both know who will.”

~*~

You squinted your eyes together, trying to get a look at her face.

“No way.”

“What?”  

“I know her.”

“Introduce me then!” Dabin demanded enthusiastically, his face lit up with a joyful smile.

“I don’t think that would be a very good idea,” you let out an abashed chuckle, before pressing your lips together with an apologetic expression planted on your face.

“Why not?” Dabin furrowed his brows at you in suspicion.

“’Cause she probably hates me?”

“Why? What did you do?”

“Long story short, we were trying to enter the same student’s association. There was only one open spot and I got in.”

“So what? You won fair and square.”

“Yeah…well that’s the problem,” you shook your head with a chuckle. “I didn’t. I was in some kind of relationship with the head of the association.”

“What do you mean by some kind of relationship?” His eyes widened.

“Sex with no strings attached,” you told him straight forward.

“You slept your way in?!” His eyes widened at you.

“Hell no! I wouldn’t go that far! It started before I knew. But it would be a lie to say I didn’t use it to my advantage when I did find out,” you admitted meekly. “She had the better qualifications... I knew I was only chosen because…you know. But I never said a thing.”

Dabin stared at you at loss for words.

“You think that was a bitch move, don’t you?”

He didn’t have to tell you what you did was wrong. You knew it was wrong, but you didn’t feel all too sorry. It was how the world worked. If there was one thing you had learned growing up in this competitive society; it was that nothing in this world was handed to you for free. There was always a price to pay. You could have right the wrong and revoked your application, but you didn’t. You didn’t, because doing the right thing wouldn’t get you anywhere. There was nobody who would fight for you, but yourself. If playing dirty was what was needed to survive, you would adjust to the rules.

“Yes,” he nodded his head in response, and for the first time you felt ashamed of your actions. The way he looked at you made you feel little. He was probably the kindest person you had ever come across in your life. You didn’t want him to think less of you.

When Dabin noticed the change of expression in your face, he instantly released a warm smile. “But I’m not gonna judge you, Jenn. We all have our reasons.”

“You should go talk to her though,” you changed back to the original topic. “You don’t need a wingman...or a wingwoman for that matter. You’re charming enough,” you encouraged him with a smile.

Ever since the day you saw him perform onstage, his shy and awkward side surprised you every time. He exuded so much energy and confidence when he stood on the heightened platform. How could that rapper with so much stage presence and charisma, and the boy who could barely look into a girl’s eyes be one and the same person?

~*~

You were on your way back to the room, after you had finally been able to convince Dabin to approach her. Not far from the room you saw Christian. A smile appeared on your face and you wanted to wave at him to get his attention, but you realized he wasn’t alone. He was having a heated argument with someone. But you couldn’t see who was standing in front of him. The person wasn’t tall enough and it was too crowded in this place.

You decided not to meddle in his business and quietly return to the room. However, as you made your way through the crowd Christian’s eyes met yours. Shortly after Hyeri walked past you with a tear streaming down her reddened cheek.

“Jenn…” He called out for you as he reached his arm into your direction.

I’m posting this chapter because there has been a really high demand this time round LOL and because I will be on a short hiatus starting next week. I don’t know whether I will come back to update Umbrella. Probably not, but I’m only going to be away for two weeks :) Please bear with me haha. I’d still love to read your comments and thoughts on this one, so hmu. What do you think Christian did? Also, thank you guys so much for you amazing support and love for this story! <3

#christian yu #christian yu scenarios #christian yu imagines #khh scenarios #khh imagines #dpr live scenarios #dpr live imagines #dpr live #umbrella #you guys stuck with me for 16 chapters...#i'm crying #thank you guys so much #queued

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abadoodlesss · 7 years ago

Text

Voltron - More Than A Prisoner - Chapter Three

Read previous chapters Here.

Next: Chapter Four

Summary: Bella is adjusting to life as Voltron’s prisoner, making a few new friends as well as continuing to make Shiro her enemy.

Three days had gone by since Shiro dragged Bella back to her cell after the second interrogation. She had been confined to her cell since then.

As one could imagine, there wasn’t much to do. Bella spent the majority of her time pacing around the cell or sitting in various locations. All she could do was sit and think, perhaps talk to herself but she couldn’t bring herself to do it yet without feeling silly or just downright crazy.

It was strange. At least when she was a prisoner on Lotor’s ship there was always something to do: be afraid. Bella was constantly terrified that the Galra Prince would finally figure out what he was to do with her. He had visited her a handful of times, letting her know who was in charge, who controlled her fate, who to be afraid of. And she was. Lotor horrified her. He was dominant, a ruler, people listened to him and he didn’t take well to disobedience. Every time Bella was around the prince it felt like she was walking a tightrope. The second she made a wrong move she would fall down to the depths below.

With the paladins, no matter how intimidating Shiro (and consequently Keith) tried to be, she wasn’t afraid. The paladins wouldn’t hurt her, she was sure. Shiro may talk a big game and try to scare Bella but he’d already proven he wasn’t going to hurt her. He had plenty of chances to just kill her, but he didn’t. He had been rough with her but Bella knew he was just trying to assert dominance. Besides, whatever Shiro could dole out, she had already experienced ten-fold from the Galra. Being a prisoner of Voltron wasn’t so bad.

The paladins themselves weren’t so bad either. Bella became well acquainted with Lance in the past few days. He had insisted that he bring down meals to Bella and he always stayed to chat for as long as he could. Bella knew he felt pity for her but genuinely wanted to be her friend, which she appreciated. It was nice to have someone to talk to, even if only for a few minutes at a time.

Bella also got the chance to meet Hunk. He and Pidge came down with Lance two days ago. Pidge didn’t stay long. She introduced herself and asked Bella if she knew anyone named Matt. She said he was a prisoner of the Galra too.

“I’m sorry, Pidge, prisoners don’t really see each other unless they’re in the same cell.”

She didn’t take the answer very well. With a mumble of some sort of thank you, Pidge left as Lance and Hunk called after her. The remaining three dropped the subject even though Bella was curious.

Hunk passed the tray of food under the door, apologizing about the food he was forced to make her.

“Shiro wont let me have any artistic license, so I guess you’re stuck with green goop. Sorry.” He told her.

“Green goop is better than nothing at all.” She said, digging in. It was an acquired taste but Bella could get it down.

The three of them got to chat a while longer, having a few laughs (mostly at Lance’s expense), before the two had to return. Lance said he didn’t want to stay too long, afraid Shiro would get suspicious, but each time he tried to stay longer and longer, drawing out his goodbyes.

The next day, Hunk came down to give Bella her dinner.

“Is Lance alright?” Bella asked, thinking it a bit strange that Lance wasn’t tagging along with Hunk.

“He’s fine, just asleep.” He said, sliding the tray into the small slot in the door.

“I didn’t think it was that late.” Bella had no real way to tell time, with no sun and moon to gauge and no clock of her own, she just guessed the time based on when her meals came.

“It’s not, I’m actually a little early with dinner.”

“Hmm. I didn’t know Lance had the circadian rhythm of a grandmother.”

“Hey, if anyone’s the grandmother of this team it’s me. I worked hard for that title.”

“My apologies, granny.”

They both shared a laugh for a moment.

“But he did have a long day training, so don’t hold a grudge against him.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, granny.” She joked. “Do you have enough energy in you to stay and chat or do you need to go to sleep too?”

“I wish I could stay but we’re about to go eat dinner.”

“Oh don’t rub it in.” Bella said, her stomach growling at the thought of eating something besides green goop.

“I’ll see you tomorrow for breakfast.” Hunk said, bending down and sliding what looked like a crumpled up ball of cloth into the slot before leaving.

Bella unraveled the ball to reveal a stack of three chocolate chip cookies. With a smile, she took a bite.

The next morning, Bella awoke feeling disgusting. It had been awhile since she last cleaned herself and it was pretty evident by her appearance. Her hair almost felt heavy because of the amount of oil seeping from her roots. Her hair was tangled and she could feel a layer of grime coating her body. She could only imagine what she looked like. Bless Lance and Hunk for being able to talk to her without gagging at either the sight or smell of her.

“Morning, Bella.” Lance called in his chipper voice.

“Morning, sleeping beauty.” Bella said.

“Sorry about not coming last night.” He said sliding what seemed to be a plate of toast under the door, but who could be sure with all the food there was from other galaxies.

“It’s alright, you needed your beauty sleep.”

“I’m sorry, did you just say I need beauty sleep?”

“Yes.” Bella said through a giggle.

“Well, you’re not so great yourself.”

“Maybe I’d be my usual ten out of ten self if I had clean hair.” Bella said, toying with a knotted strand on the side of her head.

“Yeah, when’s the last time you bathed? P.U.” Lance joked, pinching his nose for extra effect. Bella’s giggles were interrupted by a booming voice.

“Lance.” It called. “What are you still doing down here?”

The black paladin came down the hall, looking calm but Lance knew Shiro wasn’t happy with him.

“Just delivering breakfast.”

“What did I say about talking to the prisoner.”

“I’ve got a name.” Bella called. Even if she wasn’t actually offended, it was amusing to her to see Shiro’s eyebrow tick when she spoke.

“To not do it.” Lance answered, like a child answering their parent when they did something wrong.

“Then what are you still doing here?”

Lance looked to Bella through the window. His eyes conveyed something apologetic.

She gave him a small nod, as if to affirm that it was okay if he left.

As Lance’s footsteps echoed off the walls, Shiro turned to Bella. “Get up.”

“Why?”

“You’re not in a position to question me.”

“What about now?” Bella asked changing the way she sat. “Or is this better?” She asked, moving her right leg out. “Does this seem like the position of someone who can ask questions?”

Shiro wasn’t having any of her sass. He opened the door to her cell and dragged her up and out by her arm. “You better start showing some respect or -.” He started.

“Or what? You’ll kill me? You can’t get those Galra secrets out of me if I’m dead.” Bella taunted.

He tightened his grip on her arm to the point where it hurt but remained silent until they came to a door.

“Where are we going?” Bella asked, trying to distance herself from Shiro.

“You are going to take a shower. Lance wasn’t wrong, you reek.” He said, bella felt her cheeks flush before she shoved down her embarrassment and replaced it with confidence, however fake it may be.

He let go of her arm as the door slid open to a bathroom. Showers lined the walls, off to the left were bathroom stalls and opposite those were sinks.

Bella tried to hide her excitement as she speed-walked inside. There was no curtain, only a frosted glass door that she opened to a tiled stand-up shower. She reached her arm in an spent a few moments figuring out the perfect temperature.

Bella turned back to Shiro who was leaning against the door jam, arms crossed.

“Are you gonna leave…?” She trailed off.

“I don’t think you’ve earned privacy. Besides, I gotta make sure you don’t run for the doors.”

“I’m not getting undressed in front of you.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“I’m not doing it.”

“Then don’t shower.” He said matter of factly.

Bella still stood with her arms crossed, matching Shiro’s stance. They held intense eye contact, but Shiro was growing impatient.

“Trust me, I’m not gonna look at you.”

“Hmmm, for some reason I’m finding it hard to trust you.”

“Fine, back to your cell then.”

“Or you could just not be a pervert, just throwing out options here.”

“What’s going on in here?” A small voice asked. Pidge came to the doorway, looking in between Shiro and Bella.

“He’s trying to watch me shower.”

“It’s not like that Pidge, I’m keeping watch to make sure she doesn’t run.”

“I could do that.” Pidge offered. Shiro looked unsure. “I mean, having a fellow girl in here might be less… this.” She said, motioning to Shiro and Bella.

Shiro thought for a moment. “Fine. Fifteen minutes.” And he was gone, of course not after sending a final glare Bella’s way.

She watched him walk away, then looked to Pidge. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Pidge said. “I’ll wait outside.” She continued, going to leave but she turned her head back to Bella. “Just don’t run away, it’ll make me look bad.”

“Promise I won’t.” Bella said.

Bella stepped out of the rags the Galra called clothes. She sported the Galra’s signature colors, dressed a tight black long sleeve underneath a loose fitting purple shirt that had a jagged hem with black pants to match. The clothes had been a “gift” from Lotor, he said she should be thankful he gave her anything to cover herself at all.

Thinking about the Prince disgusted her as she threw her clothes to the ground, dirtying them more than they already were.

She stepped into the shower and felt utter bliss as the steaming water cascaded over her body. A pleased sigh escaped her lips as she turned letting the water run down her back and over her head. Finding the bar of soap, she lathered up her body, scraping away at the layers of dirt and sweat.

Bella squeezed a dollop of shampoo onto her hands, working it into her roots down to the dead ends of her hair. She sat on the floor of the shower, watching as the bubbles trailed down her body and into the drain. She stayed there for a while, the bubbles were gone and the warm water was starting to fade away, but she still sat there.

“Are you alright in there?” Pidge called, poking her head in the bathroom but covered her eyes.

Bella sighed. She knew she couldn’t hide away in the shower forever. She grabbed a towel hanging off the shower door and wrapped herself up.

“Yeah,” She called. “Sorry about that, I lost track of time.” Bella explained.

“Don’t worry about it.” Pidge dismissed, not really looking at Bella.

“Pidge? Do you think these are alright?” Lance asked, walking into the bathroom as he looked through a pile of folded clothes in his arms, which he almost dropped the moment he looked at Bella.

He immediately turned his attention to his shoes, not wanting to be caught staring at the skin that her towel couldn’t cover. Lance’s heart dropped the second he saw her though. He couldn’t deny he thought Bella was as beautiful as her name entailed, but seeing her now amplified this thought. Her messy dark hair was tamed now, without streaks of dirt and tangles. Her blue eyes seemed to shine brighter against the contrast of her now clear skin.

“I-I-I brought these f-for you. I thought y-you’d be more comfortable.” He said, handing over a few pairs of pants and shirts of various sizes, still trying not to look at her.

“Where did you steal these from?” She asked, grabbing them from him.

“The majority of the pants are mine, a few of the shirts too. One’s from Hunk and those shorts are from Pidge.” Lance explained as Bella held up a much too big shirt. It was a golden yellow and would go down to her knees but it was softer than anything she’d ever felt before. “I just thought you wouldn’t want something more comfortable and less Galra-prisoner chic.” He said with an awkward laugh, rubbing the neck of his neck as he spoke.

“Thank you.” She said. Lance gave a smile at the genuine tone of Bella’s voice.

“It’s no problem.” He said, watching as her eyes scanned through the clothes. “Well, I’ll let you get dressed.” He finished, going to turn away but Bella put her hand on his arm. She planted a chaste kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you, really, for being so sweet.”

Lance searched for something witty to say but his mind drew a blank. He let out an incoherent slur of words, mumbling something similar to “you’re welcome” before dipping out of the bathroom.

Pidge and Bella walked back to her cell silently, side by side. Bella had gotten dressed in Lance’s clothes, opting to use Hunk’s shirt as pajamas.

“Thanks for what you did back there.” Bella said, breaking the silence.

“Huh?”

“Offering to ‘keep watch’.” She said. “That was nice of you.”

“It was nothing. I didn’t think Shiro would do anything I just knew things would go over more smoothly if I stepped in.”

“Well, I’m glad you did. I had half the mind to start throwing bars of soap at him until he left.” Pidge giggled at the image.

They made it to Bella’s cell.

“I’m sorry for being so… weird a few days ago.” Pidge confessed. “I just- I was hopeful that you knew Matt and I was disappointed that you didn’t have any information. I know it was kind of childish, deep down I knew you wouldn’t know him I was just- desperate.” Pidge��s eyes wear starting to gleam, tears glossing over her eyes

“It’s alright. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of any help.” She said. “I hope you find him.”

“Me too.” Pidge said with a sniffle, replacing her frown with a sort of smile.

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