#smashing them to pieces is WAY too much fun to just sneak past them

[relto]

"each of these cost a fortune" shoulda thought about that BEFORE abducting sokolov and as a consequence attracting me, who delights in destroying things.

[breadqueen95]

Reflections - Chapter 3: PowerPoint of Pain

Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader

WC: 7.5k

Summary: The team has a meeting. Bucky tries to stay strong. Peter is excited. Tony has fun nicknames. 

Content Warnings: Graphic descriptions of violence, death, imprisonment, and PTSD symptoms. Cursing (fuck is my favorite word what can i say). Medical experimentation. Anxiety. Panic. 

a/n: Wow so being busy makes it hard to write, which really has made my life a little bleaker the past few days. I’m hoping that improves as I settle into my new schedule!!! Big shoutout to the lovely @morgensthau who has helped me with this concept from the beginning, being the best beta reader ever, and being the inspiration/creative resource for the character of Thea. I love you to pieces. 

Chapter 2

***

Bucky finally rolls back into his room around 7:45am. He’d stayed outside long after the sun began to rise, taking advantage of the time people weren’t asking him to make decisions. Or try to be anything. Meet any expectations.

Damn, what’s that other useful thing Pete always says?

Oh, right.

Bucky was there for the vibes only.

He doesn’t really understand what it means exactly, but it sits right in his spirit so it works for him.

Kicking off his shoes by the door, he heads for the kitchen. Bucky starts almost every single day off with long workout, but he’s gotta fuel up on some good breakfast first. He doesn’t know how to make a whole helluva lot, but he can do scrambled eggs. Pulling open the fridge, he pulls a couple of eggs out of the carton, holding them delicately in his hand—

“Good morning, Sergeant Barnes,” a lilting Irish voice sounds from seemingly everywhere at once. Jerking his hand in surprise, Bucky loses grip on his eggs. He can only watch in annoyed acceptance as his breakfast smashes on the floor, making an absolute fucking mess.

Hands still in the fateful position, he simply stares at the mess for a minute.

“FRIDAY, we need to put some kinda bell on you,” he mutters darkly, knowing full well she can hear every syllable.

“That would be impossible. I cannot be contained by a single physical entity.”

“I know,” he shoots back, a little defensive, “but you’ve gotta stop sneaking up on me like that.” Bucky is still extremely unused to the high levels of technology that comes with being coworkers with Tony Stark. He’s from the goddamn 1940s for fuck’s sake.

“Oh? Is this a bad time to remind you about the team meeting that starts in ten minutes?” She replies, the sharp edge of her programmer’s signature snark clearly present in her smooth voice.

Shit.

Bucky’s stomach falls out of his ass as he rushes to clean up the fallen eggs as fast as he can. He’d completely forgotten about the last-minute mandatory Avengers meeting the trio had scheduled yesterday. The announcement had been sent out via text late yesterday afternoon, but he’d been in a heated debate about music decades with Sam, so naturally that had taken precedence.

Even now, as he’s rushing, he’s still glad he didn’t let Sam get the upper hand. That fucker.

“How much time do I have?” He calls out as he throws himself out the front door, still shoving his shoes on as he half runs half hops down the hallway.

“Seven minutes and counting,” FRIDAY’s way too calm voice echoes around the hallway.

Fucking FUCK. The conference room is at the other end of the absolutely massive building. He realizes that he’ll have to sprint, so he kicks it into high gear. He hopes there’s no one standing in his way or they’re gonna go flying.

It really isn’t that big of a deal if he’s a little late. Steve, Tony, and Nat aren’t exactly drill sergeants; as long as he shows up for the important bits, it’s fine.

But everyone will give him so much shit. As if he’d give them the chance.

Bucky finally turns the corner to the hallway that leads to the conference room, skidding around the corner and finally slowing to an easygoing walk. Thanks to the serum, he barely broke a sweat. Those idiots can’t know how he hurtled through the halls of the compound just to get here on time.

Look, it’s not the big of a deal. It really isn’t. But with a Swiss cheese brain and the vocabulary of a ninety-year-old trying to fit into modern times, he kind of needs this.

Right before he ducks into the room, he checks his phone. Two minutes to spare. Nice.

Bucky saunters into the room, quickly glancing around the space to see who’s here. Nat, Tony, and Steve are talking in hushed tones at the front of the room. Vision, Bruce, and Rhodey have all taken seats at the conference table. Only Wanda and Sam are missing.  He snorts to himself, drawing the attention of the trio at the front of the room.

Steve, knowing him way too well, throws a pen at Bucky’s head, scolding, “Don’t start pulling that shit, Buck. The meeting hasn’t even started.”

“Don’t blame me,” he counters, pulling up a chair to sit next to Bruce, “Sam’s the one always going on and on about the importance of punctuality—”

His words are cut off as another pen hits him square on the forehead, this time thrown by none other than Tony Stark.

“Focus in, Coffin Dodger. I just got about twenty texts from folks around the compound asking me why a colossal super soldier was careening through the hallways like some sort of fucking missile.”

“C’mon, Stark—”

“Don’t ‘Stark’ me, geezer,” he rebukes, “if you somehow flattened some teenage intern, that’s extra paperwork. Money comes outta your paycheck.”

Bucky’s response is cut off by the obnoxious cackle of one Sam Wilson as he enters the room with a giggling Wanda Maximoff.

“Alright, now that Tweety Bird and Hocus Pocus have decided to grace us with their presence, we can—”

“Hey Wilson, someone break your alarm clock?” Bucky interjects, unable to stop himself from cutting off Tony’s introduction.

“Don’t worry about my damn clock, Buchanan. I was just too busy making food you can stuff in your face—"

The two bickering Avengers start talking over each other, simply having too much fun going at it to notice how every single pair of eyes in the room collectively roll. Sam and Bucky view arguing with each other as an artform. To the irritation of everyone else, they take every opportunity they can to perfect it.

Unbeknownst to them, Steve and Natasha start moving. Nat sidles up next to Bucky, Steve next to Sam. Right as their voices begin to rise, their arms move in synch, smacking the backs of their targets’ heads. Sam and Bucky look at their assailants in surprise, which they really shouldn’t be. This little act of theirs is like a well-rehearsed dance; Sam and Bucky bicker, Steve and Nat have to act the parents and wrangle them under control.

Tony just barely restrains his urge to groan aloud his frustration. When did he get cast in a goddamn sitcom? He’s primetime HBO material if he has to be anything. We’re talking Emmy’s here.

“Great, now that we’ve all remembered we’re the most powerful team in the world instead of third graders,” Tony sighs, “let’s get to it shall we?” As Natasha and Steve join Tony back at the front of the room, everyone settles in for the meeting. The weight of seriousness presses in over the group. It’s not often that the trio call for a team meeting out of the blue like this. When they do, it’s usually only for serious threats that only a team of enhanced individuals can handle. Everything else is for solo or small team missions. As Bucky looks around the room uneasily, he realizes that every single Avenger that can be here is present. Discomfort starts to brew deep in his belly.

“Let me preface everything by saying that this situation, it’s…it’s not an easy one, guys. There’s a lot we still don’t know, and some of the details we do know, we can’t tell you. But I promise it’s for safety reasons. Understood?”

There’s a general murmur of assent, and Bucky glances over at Natasha and Steve. Natasha looks like she always does; somehow calm and threatening all at once. But Steve, never having mastered the talent of masking his emotions, looks wildly conflicted. His jaw is clenched so tightly it’s a wonder he hasn’t shattered his teeth, the trademark sign of when he disagrees with something, but he doesn’t speak up.

So, from what Bucky can tell, Steve doesn’t like or agree with the idea of keeping information from the team. At the same time, he’s not openly speaking out against it in front of everyone, which is his usual play.

Complicated right off the bat, good start. Love that.

“On the evening of May 25th, the same day as the fall of SHIELD, Nick Fury stopped by my hospital room while I was recovering,” Steve began, “only Nat and I were in the room at the time. Before he went into hiding, he wanted to give us some information that had been passed along to him by a trusted contact within the FBI. Even with the little information he received, it became clear that Hydra had a base in Virginia where they were working on a long-term human experiment.”

This introduction was so typically Steve; short, to the point.

It’s truly amazing how only a few sentences can make him feel this goddamn sick.

The room is completely silent around him. The seriousness that had been present before turns downright oppressive. Bucky can feel his fingers curl into fists, the twisting in his stomach turning his skin clammy. He can feel everyone glancing at him, not letting their eyes linger, but enough to indicate how worried they are. All he wants is to relax his hands, his shoulders, every muscle in his body. He wants to reassure everyone that he’s fine. That he can handle this.

He’s not sure he can.

Bucky always knew he wasn’t the only one that Hydra fucked with so royally. After Zemo had worked hard to frame him for the United Nations attack two years ago, Steve and Tony banded everyone together to track him to the Hydra facility in Siberia. They managed to capture the bastard with little effort, but they were too late to save the soldiers still in cryo.

Was he naïve to think that was it? That he could allow Hydra to fade into obscurity? Nothing left to torment him with?

Photos begin to materialize on the screen behind the trio, who shuffle out of the way so everyone can see. They reveal stark white walls, so painfully familiar to him, but this time marred by scorch marks. Door hinges have been melted, the doors themselves ripped away from the frame. The Hydra symbols, which had been pasted in many places, had all been burned in some way. Usually right in the center. Bucky’s not too knowledgeable about fire and burning like this, but somehow these marks look…angrier than the others. Less controlled. Vengeful.

Everything else indicated using the fire as a means to an end for escape. Burning the Hydra symbols was…well, it was nothing short of symbolic itself. Replacing the emblem of their captivity with one of their own.

The skull and snakes from his nightmares might be warped, but it still feels like a knife in his gut every time he sees it on the screen. He fights to keep air in his lungs. Keep his heartbeat steady. Once the physical symptoms of panic begin to take hold, Bucky won’t be able to keep it under control for much longer after that.

“Guys…what is this?” Rhodey mutters. Only the small tremor in his voice reveals how jarred he feels.

“One of the two documents Fury’s contact managed to recover was the first page of a project proposal. It’s incredibly vague, but the information still indicates that they wanted to create another kind of enhanced individual. One with what they called ‘elemental kinesis’,” Natasha explains. Despite her straightforward manner of speaking, Bucky can see the little wrinkle she gets between her brows when she’s worrying about something.

That very small sign tells him how unprecedented this situation is. Natasha isn’t often fazed by anything, especially something earthbound. She and three other people in this room had faced an alien invasion, for fuck’s sake. Hell, has anyone even considered the possibility of an elemental outside of fiction before?

“From what we’ve gathered,” she continues, “elemental kinesis is the ability to move one or more elements with one’s mind. Maybe even conjure. I think it’s safe to assume they were pushing for all four elements but were happy to settle with only one.”

“Based on,” Tony begins, waving a hand at the array of images, “all that, it’s pretty safe to assume that fire’s the winner.”

“So how do the powers work?” Wanda inquires in her quiet voice.

“Well, we think that—”

Tony’s response is cut off by the conference room door suddenly swinging open, the loud and abrupt click startling everyone inside and turning their attention toward the disruption. Panting with wide, nervous eyes is none other than Peter Parker.

Bucky wishes he could say he’s surprised to see Peter, but honestly, this tracks.

“I’m so sorry I’m late Mr. Stark” he huffs as he traipses into the room lugging his huge backpack, “I must’ve missed the text about the meeting, but Happy told me after I dropped my stuff in my room and wow everyone’s here oh my god hi adult Avengers—”

“Kid—"

“—I know we all know each other but I’m a huge fan—”

“—kid—”

“—and Ms. Maximoff I love the red hair really nice—”

“Peter.”

Tony’s exasperated use of his given name instead of a nickname finally gets Peter to stop talking. He turns toward his mentor, looking a little surprised and then nervous when he sees the stern look on his face. Bucky would’ve snorted at the very clear Dad Tony dynamic happening right now, but he knows he’d get worse than a pen to his head if he did, so he and Sam settle for shaking with silent laughter next to each other.

If there’s one thing they can agree on, it’s that teasing Peter Parker is one hell of a fun hobby.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Tony asks now that he’s got the kid’s attention.

“Um…attending the team meeting?”

“Yeah I got that, I’m wondering why you’re upstate instead of in school like a 16-year-old should be.”

“It’s...it’s June 25th, sir.”

“Is that supposed to mean something to me?”

It’s here where Pete looks genuinely hurt. Bucky feels the laughter die at the look on his face, and Sam goes still next to him too. For as much enjoyment as they get out of poking fun at the kid like older brothers, he also cares too much about him to laugh at his wounded expression.

“It’s the first day of summer break,” Peter says very quietly, “you said it would be okay for me to stay here this summer full-time to work in the lab and train. Happy drove me here with him when he came back this morning from spending the weekend with May and I.”

Well damn. This is just downright painful to watch. Tony closes his eyes as he realizes his mistake.

“Shit,” Tony mumbles, pinching the bridge of his nose, “sorry, kid. You gotta remind me about stuff like this. I keep telling all of you that time is meaningless to me, but does anyone listen? No, they just show up at meetings and surprise me—”

“—weird flex for a genius but okay—”

“—are you really sassing me right now while trying to convince me to let you stay?”

“—no but if you have your facts—wait, so it’s okay that I’m at the compound? I can still stay?”

“Yes to the compound—”

“—Nice! —”

“—no to the meeting.”

“What? C’mon, Mr. Stark! It’s a team meeting! I thought I was part of the team?”

“Okay, let me adjust that then: this is a Legally Adult Avengers team meeting. Is that you? No, you’re an infant. A fetus, even. Banner’s assistant is in the lab, go check in with her and get started on some work.”

Peter looks ready to raise a riot right here in the conference room. Despite the clear outrage the kid’s feeling, Bucky actually thinks Tony has a point here. In the past (think over 70 years) Bucky might’ve advocated for letting Pete stay, letting him get any experience he could to help him in the field. But even with the little information he has about the situation, he knows he doesn’t want someone as young as Pete anywhere near it. Too much could happen.

Peter has the chance to still be a kid. Bucky knows, just like so many others sitting in this room, that that’s a precious thing. He won’t be able to hold onto it for much longer, and if his feelings about the situation are correct, it’ll be even less if he goes today.

“Please, sir. I just want to help.”

Right before Tony responds, just when Peter seems like he’s going to give in and go to the lab instead, Vision shifts forward to lean over the table across from where Peter is sitting.

“Considering the potentially volatile nature of the fire elemental, I’m sure Mr. Stark just wants--"

His thought trails away as his mellow voice is overtaken by Peter’s gasp of enthusiasm and everyone else’s groan at Vision’s complete inability to read the room. Tony whirls and glares at Vision, every muscle tense. This is the second time he’s been caught completely off guard in a matter of seconds and he’s not happy about it.

“Pete, I know what you’re going to ask, but you still can’t come,” Steve jumps in, “this person is incredibly powerful and potentially very hostile.”

“Say no more, Mr. Captain America sir. I’ll head down to the lab!”

Sam and Bucky, who’d snorted at Peter calling Steve ‘Mr. Captain America’ stop short at that, looking at Peter with wide eyes. The room falls silent again, and Bucky knows that every single person is watching the kid’s retreat in shock. None more so than Tony, who had been ready to throw hands with a powerful semi-robot just seconds ago for spilling the secret.

“Okay, now I’m suspicious. You’re not gonna try and sneak onto the jet, right? Because I’m not above throwing you out the window—”

“Are they gonna come live with us?” Peter asks as he turns back around with the air of a kid at Christmas.

“—and—I’m sorry, what?”

“Because having a Pokémon as a roommate would be, like, one of the sickest things to ever happen to me.”

“…I’m not even gonna pretend I know what that means.”

“Pokémon, sir! They’re basically a Charizard, which is honestly so cool, and—”

“YES, I’m hoping they’ll wanna live at the compound, yes,” Tony cuts him off emphatically before Pete can really get going on one of his tangents.

Bucky’s embarrassed to admit, even to himself, that for once he wishes Tony had let him keep talking. Whatever these ‘Pokémon’ are, they sound kinda snazzy, and he really wants to know more. Maybe he can ask when he gets back. Away from Sam, obviously.

“Can I tell Thea about them?”

Bucky smiles softly to himself as his question. Thea is one of Peter’s best friends, and she almost always comes up to the compound with him during the school year. She’s a teenage firecracker with enough wit to go toe-to-toe with Tony Stark himself, and Peter’s so hopelessly in love with her it’s ridiculous.

Sam’s also been very vocal about his suspicions that Tony’s somehow roped her into doing his taxes for him, but he’s never been able to prove it.

“After everything is over, sure,” Tony sighs.

“Yes! Thank you, Mr. Stark!”

With that, the wiry teenager is off and running down the hall. Everyone stares at the open doorway in surprise, not really believing any of that just happened. Let alone have the outcome it did. Nat quietly makes her way over to the door and shuts it, making their meeting private once again. Bucky finally remembers everything he learned before Peter slammed his way into the room, and his palms start sweating again.

“You’re gonna let him tell Thea about a Hydra experiment?” Bruce asks incredulously, finally breaking the silence, “he wasn’t even supposed to know!”

“Please, that’s not even the most sensitive thing he’s ever told her,” Tony retorts nonchalantly, “and the kid does my taxes—”

“—I knew it—"

“--so she’s good for it. So can it Wilson, because we’re now fucking moving on, so kindly shut the fuck up and let us tell you about the experiment’s body count, and no not the fun kind.”

An awkward silence fills the room as the pure weirdness of everything that just happened sinks in. Peter has always been beyond adamant about being included in every single thing the team does, so for him to back off so easily on this? It probably had more to do with his delight about living at the compound for a few weeks, but still.

“Tony,” Bruce mumbles, getting the man’s attention.

“Fucking…what, Bruce? What?”

“…your taxes? Really?”

“Get fucked, Jolly Green Giant. Anyways, let’s talk about murder, because even that’s easier than this conversation.”

Just like that, Tony whips the everything right back around in the weirdest conversation shift he’s ever been a part of.

Before Steve or Nat can stop him, he waves his hand and the next batch of pictures have replaced the previous one. Steve’s eyes flicker to his for the smallest of seconds, and Bucky grits his jaw as he works to ignore his worried stare. Steve had warned Bucky that the meeting today has to do with Hydra. That it would most likely have every single one of his triggers involved. He even gave him the option of sitting this one out. Wanting nothing more than to never be a burden or a source of worry for Steve, he shrugged him off and promised he’d be here. That he’d help.

Now that he sees what’s next, he sort of wishes he’d taken him up on the offer.

His heartrate, so fast and uneven with the anticipation of more information after Pete left, very nearly stops at what he sees.

A metal table with what appear to be metal restraints.

Drawers full of needles.

Countless vials with the same, sadistic sedative they used on him. Bucky would know; it went into his body more times than he can count.

A tiny, windowless room, completely barren save for the toilet in the corner.

The only humanity they’d let her keep was a toilet.

He catches himself; her? They hadn’t even told them who it was yet. Why would he fill that in?

Trying to ignore that needling in his brain, he refocuses on the scene in front on them. The door only confirms that the room was meant to be a prison cell; it’s about five times as thick as the others in the facility. It looks like they had installed an advanced kind of locking system, but he can’t be sure with the state of the door. Whereas the other doors simply had their hinges melted, this one had been absolutely brutalized. He can’t access the assassin-part of his brain that could tell him how they’d done it, but he just knows everything about this is pure, unadulterated, rage. Maybe even desperation. It reminds him of the symbol destruction.

A faint ringing sound begins to sound in his ears. His mind feels removed from him, returning to Siberia. Reliving every single time they strapped him down—

No. No.

He’s come too far to allow this to take hold of him. With everything he’s learned about trauma, he knows it’s more than fair for that to happen. That isn’t the point.

The point is that they made someone else go through this. They locked someone else up. They stole someone else’s life.

If he leaves now, if he falls apart, they won’t let Bucky participate in the mission. He isn’t sure of a whole helluva lot these days, but he’s damn fucking sure he needs to be there.

“If it wasn’t clear before now, these images make it obvious that HYDRA followed through on that proposal and tried to carry it out with a prisoner. This cell, with the amount of effort they put into building it, indicates long-term captivity,” Natasha explains darkly.

“Tony said something about a ‘body count’,” Sam points out slowly, as if he’s scared to know the answer, “I’m guessing they had to fight to escape?”

His question is wordlessly followed up by a new series of images from the bunker. Bucky can’t even try to find disgust or discomfort as he takes in the numerous, lifeless bodies that take up every inch of the screen. Each is either wearing a white lab coat or a black tactical suit, each embossed with the Hydra symbol somewhere. Those are soon replaced by closeup shots of the wounds that killed them: a single, precise hole over the heart or somewhere on the skull. The wound is ringed by a small circle of black, charred skin.

“There weren’t a lot of people left in the facility when they broke out,” Tony explains, “apparently a lot of the muscle had been reassigned to help with the DC launch. But as far as we know, everyone who was still there was killed.”

Bucky subtly glances at the faces around him, fully expecting to see shock, even revulsion at the scene in front of them.

Instead, he finds grim understanding. Rage, even. The Avengers are full of people who try to avoid killing, at least when they can afford to. But they understand why this person felt they had no other choice. Why they sought those lives as some kind of payment for what these people had put her through.

There it is again. Speaking of a ‘her’, as if he somehow knows.

That can’t be right though…right? They’ve been in Virginia this whole time, and he was off playing executioner, so how--

“I’m guessing you found them?” Sam asks, cutting off his fevered thoughts, “The elemental?”

“Yes,” Steve confirms, and a single photo fills the screen next to him, “this is her.”

Her. Her.

Bucky loses all semblance of calm when he looks at her. It’s not replaced by the cold fear and anxiety he felt earlier, but instead by a burning, all consuming, fiery anger. For any other person, this level of anger would make them messy. Make them unreliable. Him? It tends to make his aim more precise. Sharper.

Because she was so, so young. So innocent. She looked…happy.

In the picture, it looks like she’s in her late teens, maybe early twenties. The sun is setting into the sea behind her as she grins into the camera, her nose scrunched and eyes sparkling. Her joy seems effortless. Steve says her name, but Bucky can’t focus on anything other than her face.

All the while, there’s this persistent prodding in the far reaches of his brain. He can’t even describe what it’s supposed to be, what it’s trying to tell him.

“This is our girl. She disappeared when she was 19 in November of 2009 from the area around UCLA. She’d started there in August for her freshman year. Majoring in Biology. Her parents lived in a small town up north near the border with Oregon, and she didn’t have any family or close friends in the area when she moved down to LA for school. On top of that, she kept pretty busy with two part-time jobs and 15 credit hours.”

“She started off isolated and stayed that way,” Bruce murmurs from behind Bucky, “that and the stress made her pretty vulnerable I’m guessing.”

He tilts his head, looking closer at her face. A small detail is hidden right there under her eyes, one he didn’t see on first glance.

“She had stuff going on before she started at UCLA, didn’t she.”

Bucky had spoken without meaning to, a statement rather than a question at that, and now he feels a little embarrassed as everyone’s eyes shift to him. He doesn’t normally talk in meetings if he can help it, and this is why. He hates being the center of attention. After being isolated for so damn long, never being allowed to speak, well…it’s taken some getting used to, again.

“There’s…um…” he clears his throat uncomfortably, “she has dark circles under her eyes. Pretty prominent ones. Takes a while for them to get that bad. I’m probably wrong though—”

“You’re not,” Tony interrupts grimly, “she had a lot going on. By the time she left for school, her parents had fallen into pretty severe debt. They were small business owners, ran a pretty popular antique shop in town. But they were hit hard by the Recession. Had to take out a ton of loans just to keep the store open and the lights on at home.”

“From what we’ve gathered from the police reports, she fought her parents on going to school. Wanted to stay behind and work, help them start to pay things off and support them,” Natasha adds darkly. “They convinced her to go, in the end.”

“Hydra probably used all of that against her,” Wanda speaks up with a knowing tone, “money is very motivating, and with what you found in the police report about going to school in the first place, she probably carried a lot of guilt. She wanted to help her family.”

Bucky finds himself nodding along as Wanda speaks. He knows firsthand how stressful it can be to go without money. Watching his mom and Becca have to try and fight through winters with threadbare coats year after year was nothing short of awful. Until he was big enough to finally bring in some money from his boxing winnings, he spent a lot of time feeling helpless and guilty for not being able to fix it.

“Pretty much right on the nose,” Tony confirms, “the other document Fury’s sources were able to recover that day was a pretty nondescript flyer. It advertised a need for participants in a ‘groundbreaking medical research study’. It promises a lot of perks, the most important two being, ‘generous financial compensation’ and a willingness to work with students around their classes and schoolwork.”

“Even with that, I mean…c’mon, a research study? That pays? I know we’ve got hindsight and all, but this still seems too good to be true,” Sam points out.

“The flyer claims that the study is ‘backed and funded by the CDC’, which adds a ton of credibility. They probably had contacts in there who could help cover them if she happened to contact them,” Nat explains.

No one even had to say anything. Hydra, who already had a firm foothold in every facet of the US government by this point, had more than enough resources to target vulnerable students like her. They managed to promise her solutions to two major problems: time and money. Having more of both would’ve made a world of difference. And even if she had doubts, which she most likely did, there was enough effort that went into legitimizing the whole thing that she would be more than reassured.

All she wanted was to go to school and help her family. That’s all.

Natasha takes a deep breath, as though she were steeling herself, and continues, “The timeline around her initial disappearance is hard to pin down. She didn’t have any close friends and didn’t know her roommate all that well. No one was keeping track of her. By the time her roommate reported her missing, she’d already missed a couple of days of classes. She would’ve called it in earlier, but it wasn’t uncommon for her to not see her for days at a time. She took a lot of night shifts or ended up sleeping in the library to catch up on schoolwork.”

“Was she close with her parents? Would she have talked to them about the study?” Bruce asks.

“They were very close,” Steve affirms, “but they never said anything about something like that to the cops. They led a massive search effort to try and find her, but nothing ever turned up. The searches pretty much stopped when they died a little over a year later.”

“That cannot be a mere coincidence,” Vision murmurs thoughtfully, “was it some sort of vehicular accident?”

“Any official report that gave an official cause has either been destroyed or hidden so well that even my tech can’t get to it,” Tony grumbles.

Most likely destroyed, then. If the stories Tony likes to tell are true, then he hacked into the Pentagon when he was in high school. On a dare.  Despite the outlandishness of the whole thing, Bucky’s actually inclined to believe him. Knowing the guy like he does now, it just makes too much sense.

“The only resource we have to go on are news outlets. Since the disappearance was a big statewide story, the LA Times even made it a front-page headlines,” Steve explains.

Bucky’s attention is once again drawn to the screen. He didn’t think the horror he felt in that room before now could be matched, but it seems he was wrong.

TRAGEDY IN CRESCENT BAY:

PARENTS OF MISSING GIRL PERISH IN GAS LINE EXPLOSION

Underneath those awful words in a photograph of the bare remains of what he could only assume was their rural home. The entire thing was completely engulfed in scarlet flames that leapt high into the inky black night. First responders had already arrived in the scene, but they could only stand by. Seems like it was already too late by the time they got there.

Despite the sheer amount of ugliness happening within the picture, Bucky’s eyes kept drifting to something in the corner, illuminated the flashing red and blue lights of emergency vehicles. A massive tree stood right at the edge of the property; only having been saved from the explosion by the distance between the actual house and the road. A little tire swing hung from the sturdy branches.

He wonders if it’s still there.

“Please,” he hears Sam scoff, bringing him back to the present, “we can all agree that this ‘gas line’ excuse is bullshit, right?”

“Seeing as it happened less than a year since she went missing, we think so too,” Nat agrees, “that, and the city had those lines inspected less than two years prior. With the droughts in California, they were worried a spark would cause a wildfire. A line that close to combusting like this would’ve been found when they checked.”

“Did anyone keep looking for her?” Wanda inquires, her voice a near whisper, “After they died?”

“No. Civilian searches faded away pretty soon after, and without the pressure from her parents, police largely halted their efforts too.”

The room goes silent once again. The heartbreak of it all, the amount of destruction HYDRA had inflicted on her life…it would take anyone more than a few minutes to process it all.

There’s one question that’s more important, though.

“Where is she now?”

He can’t find it in himself to be shocked when his own voice is the one that asks, only able to focus on Tony as his mouth opens to answer.

“Alright, next stop in our little PowerPoint of Pain is DC in 2014. Union Station, if you wanted me to get real Google Maps about it. Either way, that’s the next time we see our girl.”

The still from the grainy security footage does nothing to hide how much she’s changed. Every change on her frail body points to long-term captivity and abuse. She was nothing but skin and bones, hunched over as though trying to make herself seem smaller. The camera is able to capture most of her face as she looks back over her shoulder toward it. There’s some bruising on her face, and her wide eyes look dim and empty.

…wait, Union Station?

Bucky’s not certain about the timeline of those first few weeks of his freedom. He knows it was stressful and disorienting, but concrete details elude him, even after Shuri’s help. If someone were to ask him how he got out of DC and the US, he really couldn’t say for sure.

But as he looks at her now, takes in those eyes and her face, he feels…he’s not sure, exactly. It’s like there’s an itch at the edge of his memory. The only thing he can compare it to is when there’s a word right on the tip on his tongue that he can’t find – like he should know her but can’t figure out how.

Sick of the frustration that has only continued to build, he chalks everything up to his brain trying to assign meaning to a story so similar to his. He feels like he knows her because, in a sick way, he is her. Everything about this situation is eerily familiar, down to the exact day and city where he made his escape. That would be a lot for anyone to process, let alone a very traumatized and still recovering man.

More pictures fill the screen in pairs. Always some kind of screengrab of the girl next to a building of some sort with fire damage. His stomach sinks as he puts the pieces together. Each image he sees, she looks a little healthier. She isn’t starving anymore, and at least from what Bucky can tell, she isn’t being beaten regularly. But her face looks harder each time; darker.

“Once we narrowed in on a potential match, we sent FRIDAY on a little scavenger hunt across the states to try and find where else she’s been. We’ve been able to find her trying to settle in tons of different places over the years – ‘trying’ being the operative word, here. FRIDAY always found her in a new city pretty soon after some kind ‘accident’ was reported in the city at a business of some type.,” Tony describes.

Bruce scoffs a little, adding, “Let me guess: these accidents always involved fire in some way.”

“You’d be right,” Natasha admits with a humorless smile.

“How do you know they’re accidents? How do you know it wasn’t on purpose?” Rhodey questions, a hard edge to his voice. The man has seen too much to not be a little suspicious of something like this; they all have.

“We can’t be certain, of course,” Natasha speaks up again, “but no one was ever hurt. They always happened in nondescript places, not hugely symbolic in any way. If she were trying to make a statement with her powers, wouldn’t she go for something…I don’t know, bigger?”

“You never answered me before,” Wanda points out, “about how her powers work. Did these incidents happen at places she worked?”

“Yeah. Security footage in or near each place caught her in uniform several times.”

“That makes me think, at least right now, that they’re connected with her emotions. She was likely never taught how to control her fire for herself, as Hydra prefers to operate through brainwashing and complete control. Minimum wage jobs, which look like the majority of what she had to settle for, can be highly stressful. She likely just…lost control, and her powers erupted due to high levels of emotion.”

All three of the leaders gape at Wanda a little, along with the rest of the team. Everything Wanda said makes complete sense. Even with everything they experienced, everything they were, it could be hard to understand something new like this. Looking at the senior Avengers, it seems like everyone felt like that.

“We, uh…we hadn’t gotten that far,” Steve admits, “but that honestly explains a lot.”

“It also kinda explains where she’s ended up” Natasha mumbles, more to herself than anything. Even so, FRIDAY takes that as her cue, and pulls up a map of…the state of Colorado?

“The Dynamic Duo here, along with our lovely little Irish gal, tracked Firebug to a small town in the Colorado mountains called Aspen Creek,” Tony says.

“It’s small, isolated, and relatively peaceful,” Steve explains quietly, his eyes growing a little sad, “it has everything she’s been struggling to find the past few years. It’s far enough away from the highway to keep outsiders away for the most part. She’s been there going on eight months now; the longest she’s ever gone without an incident.”

She feels safe there.

Bucky can’t help but think it. More photos of the small town come up, giving everyone an idea of what the town could be like. As he looks at the blue mountains that surround it, he can’t help but understand. It’s probably given her more serenity than she’s known in a long time.

As he’s reflecting on this, a small kernel of guilt begins to settle in his chest. It’s then he realizes where this is going.

“Now that we finally know where she is,” Steve says quietly, “we’re launching a mission to bring her in.”

That small kernel grew into a raging storm, sending his insides roiling as Bucky tries to understand and use his logical thinking. Even so, along with that remorse comes indignation at Tony. At Natasha. At Steve.

“What makes you think,” Bucky grinds out through his teeth, “that we have any right to take her away from this? From a place she might think of as her home?”

Steve always tells him how impulsive Pre-War Bucky used to be. There’s nothing but impulsive anger in his emotional question.

“Buck, I know it doesn’t seem fair—”

“Not fair? Not fair?” He feels everyone’s eyes on him, but he’s so far gone in his outrage that he can’t find it in himself to care. “She hasn’t lost control in months. She’s doing so much better—”

“That doesn’t mean she won’t again,” Tony reasons, “and she’s not in control when it happens. She might not mean to hurt anyone, but anything could go wrong—”

“—you don’t know that—”

“—and neither do you,” Tony retorts before taking a breath. “These mountains are bone dry, Barnes. One wrong move, one little spark, and the entire mountain goes up in flames. Once that happens, it’s not just some smoke damage or a scorched wall. That’s miles and miles of destruction. People losing their homes. People dying. You really wanna risk that? You really think she could handle shouldering that kind of guilt?”

He looks down then. Bucky’s still clenching his jaw so hard it hurts, the anger and sadness still churning inside of him, and he hates to admit it, but…he gets it. As someone part of a team like this, he knows they have to make tough calls like this. It’s just part of the job.

Doesn’t mean it doesn’t feel personal. Or that this one doesn’t hurt worse.

“It’s not just that,” Natasha breaks the tense silence, “Steve and I learned yesterday that we’re not the only ones who’ve been tracking her.”

Bucky’s eyes snap up toward the screen again, nausea setting in once again. Yet another shot from a security camera fills the screen, the umpteenth today. They’ve seen so much awful shit in the last hour or so, but this is the one that makes him feel the most dread.

Two men, hulking and sinister despite trying to blend in, stalk through what looks to be an airport terminal.

“After Firebug’s identity and location became clear, FRIDAY alerted us to the arrival of two known Hydra operatives arriving at the Denver International Airport yesterday. They could be here for something else, but we feel it’s not a coincidence.”

“So we can’t afford to wait any longer,” Sam mumbles in front of him, “she can’t either. If they get her again…”

His voice trails off, a faint shudder wracking his strong frame. Bucky feels a deep cold settling in his bones, invading deeper than any of the times he spent in cryo. It’s sheer dread at the severity of the situation.

Before, they might’ve had time to take things slowly. Be cautious in their approach. With someone as seemingly explosive as Firebug, that would’ve been the best way to handle things.

With them involved? They need to move in, and they need to do it now.

“I hate this,” Bucky says finally, “I hate everything about it. But” he pauses, meeting his best friend’s eyes, “we can’t let them take her again. We can’t.”

“We won’t,” Steve assures him firmly, a steely edge to his eyes.

“So basically we have to convince an emotionally unstable, defensive, and very traumatized young woman to come with us right after we meet her,” Rhodey quips sarcastically, “oh, and she could light us all up like a fucking bonfire.”

“You got it Rhoadster,” Tony fires back.

“Don’t call me that.”

“Sorry Cross Rhodes starring Britney Spears.”

“I could murder you right now and a jury would find me innocent.”

Even as Rhodey and Tony continue to fight, and as Steve begins to methodically brief everyone on the plan, Bucky’s eyes linger on her face. FRIDAY’s brought up that first picture of her again, the one where she still has light in her eyes. She’s probably done it for pragmatic reasons, but he can’t help but hope she’s trying to remind them all of what they’re fighting for.

We’re coming, he thinks, we won’t let them take you again.

***

chapter 4

[halloweenhoneylover]

the star puzzle

summary: based on 5x13 (bc long hair reid rights) in which emily tells a funny little story and spencer is the sweetest know-it-all :’) (spencer x fem!reader)

word count: 1.7k

author’s note: i haven’t written for fun in the hottest second and im embarrassed so pls don’t roast!!! also trying my hand at romance is scary ahahaha how do yall do this

Emily’s nose wrinkled slightly.

Damn puzzle.

She fidgeted with two wooden pieces, and the sounds of them dully clinking against each other drew the attention of a certain doctor. With squinted eyes, he observed her fumbling for a moment before muttering a quick, “What is that?”

“It’s called a star puzzle. It’s basically impossible to figure out.” The resignation was clear in her tone. She’d been trying to put together this unbelievably frustrating puzzle for the past fifteen minutes, and she felt further from figuring it out than when she began. Utterly infuriating. “You have to put all of the pieces back together to form a perfect star. But the origin of it is kinda a romantic tale.”

Your ear perked up a bit, your interest thoroughly piqued. Always a sucker for a little romance, a small grin tugged at your lips as you quietly tucked the corner of your page down and shut your book. Ms. Austen could wait a little longer. Perhaps love stories were for the naive, but who were you to deny yourself the small rush of joy of hearing about two people fall in love? Your eyes flickered towards Spencer for the briefest of moments, and your smile widened ever so slightly. I wouldn’t mind falling in love with him. As if that process wasn’t already well underway. So you settled further in your seat on the couch to listen to Emily.

“There was this young prince who wanted to win the heart of the fairest maiden in the land.” 

At this, Spencer’s heart skipped, and he spared a fleeting glance to his right at the girl on the couch who had the most endearing smile on her face as she intently watched Emily. The fairest maiden in all the land, he thought as his cheeks flushed slightly. He was quite familiar with the prince’s endeavors.

 “So he climbed to the top of the tallest tower in the kingdom, and he caught a falling star for her. Unfortunately, he was so excited, that he dropped it, and it smashed into all of these pieces. So he frantically put it back together to prove his undying love to her, and he succeeded, and they lived happily ever after.”

A moment of silence and a furrowed brow. 

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

Emily narrowed her eyes at him. “What do you mean?”

“You can’t catch a falling star. It would burn up in the atmosphere.” You could almost hear the cogs in the poor boy’s head turning as he tried to grasp the meaning of her words. Amusement danced across Rossi’s features as he shared a knowing look with Emily.

“Yeah, but it’s not literal, Reid. It’s a fable.”

“But there’s no moral. Fables have morals.” You ducked your head in an attempt to suppress the laugh bubbling in your chest and the blush painting your cheeks. As always, you were fascinated by the mechanisms of Dr. Reid’s mind. And by the look of confusion on his face, a look that only made you more smitten which you had thought was an impossible task by now.

“Okay so it’s just a romantic little story—the point is it’s basically impossible to do because you have to take all of those pieces and fit them together exactly….” She trailed off, watching him easily fit together the pieces she’d been agonizing over for far too long. His nimble fingers were purposeful in their task and within seconds, produced the desired star. Emily’s jaw dropped. That little son of a—

For a moment, he looked at the star, reveling in his success with a somewhat smug smirk (he loved solving puzzles), before a thought popped into his head. Turning his gaze to the right, he caught your eye as you gawked at the puzzle. He gave you that signature tight-lipped smile that made your heart swell and wordlessly offered you the star. 

Your breath caught, and for some reason, you couldn’t look away, and neither could he. So you both sat there in this little moment of stillness on the edge of revelation. This felt so much bigger than one friend offering another a look at a stupid little puzzle, but there was that underlying current of fear, of ‘we both want this so, so much, but neither of us can say that this means more because what if they don’t feel the same way.’ Hesitation had locked you in place, but screw it. A little breathless and a lot of warmth buzzing in your chest, you finally recovered your expression from your previous look of utter amazement and took the star. 

You took the star.

Spencer thought he could still hear the air humming from that second-long moment that felt like a freaking hour, and his fingers were buzzing from where yours had brushed his for the most minuscule of moments, he couldn’t stop the smile that split his face wide open. He didn’t know if you took it to look at his handiwork, or to give your approval, or to accept this profession of his undying love for you, but whatever it meant, you took the star, and that was enough for now. 

Staring down at the wooden puzzle in your hands, you focused so intensely because you needed a moment to recover from whatever the hell just happened. Maybe you blacked out for a minute and were in heaven for the entirety of three seconds, or maybe you’ve watched When Harry Met Sally too many times to not have a skewed perception of romance and friendship, but he had to have felt that, right? There was no way he didn’t have his world turned upside down by that incredibly small interaction—or maybe you’re just way too in love with him to be judging things correctly. Either way, you’re somewhat surprised the star hasn’t completely burst into flames under the intensity of your stare, and you try to grapple with what just happened and what comes next.

“Not too shabby, Dr. Reid.” It comes out as the ghost of a whisper because you’re not sure you could have managed any more than that. The smoldering remains of your previous grin haunt your lips as you finally summon the courage to meet his eyes again. 

He’s beaming.

“Why, thank you, Miss (Y/L/N).”

And you can’t help but mirror him.

Wide eyes and the most knowing smirks you’ve ever seen are silently flying around the jet as the others look at each other to confirm, are you seeing this? It’s been extremely apparent, the burgeoning crushes between the two youngest members, and this is just the icing on the freaking cake. Dear Morgan is just bursting at the seams, knowing that the next moment he gets the good doctor alone, he will be teasing him to the highest heaven. Maybe Reid’s new nickname will be ‘young prince.’ Morgan is sure he will love that (he won’t). And poor, poor Garcia, gripping her knitting needles so tightly that they might be pulverized, cannot even slightly suppress the glowing of her heart as she watches her two most favorite people fall even more in love, and by God, if she’s not going to do something about it. What she’s going to do, she’s not quite sure, but she has the rest of this plane ride to figure it out, and when she does know, it’s gonna be good, and they’re going to get together and be together forever. Simple, really.

Yet, Emily might be the most pleased of them all. This was absolutely not her intention when she had told the story of the prince and the maiden, but by no means was she opposed to the outcome. Her grin was contagious as she locked eyes with Rossi and JJ and even Hotch, breaking his ever-so-stoic demeanor. She could not wait to claim responsibility for their inevitable relationship, and boy, what a story she’d have for their wedding because of course, marriage is inevitable too. At least for these two, it seems. 

When finally the silence stretched on too long and the team’s gaze weighed too heavy on the young almost-lovers, they startled out of their reverie with nervous chuckles and burning cheeks. You handed the star back to Emily, “Neat little thing!”

“Sure is,” she replied with the most frustratingly canny smirk. You avoided her eyes; it was clear what they were insinuating.

Spencer stared down at the book in his lap, trying to resist the painfully strong urge to watch you for a little while longer as you tried to steer the conversation to easier topics. He was a little afraid of how enamored he was because it was a lot. A lot a lot. He let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding and let the tension from his shoulders fall as he carefully fingered the binding of Pride and Prejudice. He’d only really picked it up because you suggested it. ‘I know you’re not very into romance,’ you had said. ‘But I’ll still think you’ll enjoy it. Mrs. Bennet never fails to make me smile, so at the very least, I think you’ll get a laugh out of it.’ He thought it was funny the way you buffered your suggestion, as if he wouldn’t do anything you asked him. And it was true. Mrs. Bennet made him laugh too, but he found himself more and more enthralled by the relationship unfolding between Miss Bennett and Mr. Darcy. He was going soft, and he had a sneaking suspicion as to why (or a very clear reason that was just really hard to come to terms with) (ie., his overwhelming love for you). He gave in to his urges and glanced back up.

He was met by your perpetual grin as you chatted softly with Emily. As your eyebrows raised or your nose scrunched, he let the butterflies in his stomach roam free. They were uncomfortable in the best way possible. Satisfied with one last look at you, he reopened the book and tried to keep reading, but his thoughts ran rampant. He’d given you a little star puzzle, a star to represent his undying love for you. It wasn’t much, but it was something. He knew he couldn’t catch a falling star, but he’d find a way if that’s what you wanted. A faint smile graced his lips as he thought, I’d do anything. If she wanted it, I’d give her anything. I’d give her every star in the sky. 

[laddieseddiemunster]

Hi! Thx for replying by for specification, I really loved the rebel aspect about the little sister imagine and maybe you could do one for like when it’s the day after she drank the bottle and the guys didn’t find her in the cave but can sense her around the boardwalk. I read in a few that when a new member is added they can feel it so that’s the route I’m going for. If not it’s cool.

Thank you for this ask! I really love the whole little sister concept with the lost boys. This ended up kind of turning into a wholesome fic cause I didn’t want to copy my other one. Hope you enjoy!

New Arrival (Lost Boys & 13 y/o Sister!Reader)

warning(s): mentioning of kidnapping, sneaking out of school, alcoholism, peer pressure

Some might say you were too young to be ditching school, but the hell with them, right? Though you weren’t sneaking out of school to a party. No, you were meeting up with friends to go exploring through some abandoned places. Sure, these places could be haunted, but the slight fear makes the experience more fun for you and your friends. Nothing spooky has ever happened before, so why should something happen now?

One of your friends came up with the idea. It was supposed to be a celebration for you and your friends most hated teacher because they had just gone missing. It was the ‘I’m glad you’re gone and I hope you never come back’ type of celebration. You didn’t know exactly what abandoned place you were going to, but wherever it was, it seemed to be really closed off near the mountains.

This abandoned place was beautiful, but it didn’t seem too abandoned. It was a cave that looked like it was something else originally, but it was decorated so nicely that you could hardly tell. The only problem was, there was some fire lit in the cave to bring light in, which probably means someone was in here not long ago.

Instead of deciding to leave, you chose to stay because you didn’t want to look like the one that was all scared. You’ve been to many abandoned places with your friends, but the slight fact that this place could possibly not be abandoned gave you the creeps.

As you all gathered up in the center of the cave, one of your friends thought it was a great idea to play a game of truth or dare. You made the smart move and decided to go with truth, because there was no way that you were doing a dare in this cave. One of your other friends decided to go with dare, and the dare they got was to crawl through the tunnel up hidden in the cave that no one had the balls to go into. You were thankful you didn’t have to do that.

Unfortunately for you, it came a time where you used up all of your truths, and now you were forced to do a dare. If you chose truth for a certain amount of times, then you had to do a dare no matter what. One of your friends came up with that idea, and you were currently hating them for it.

Your heart beat started to pump faster and faster as you thought of what horrible dare you would have to do in this cave. The answer to your question, was not thrilling or exciting as you might have guessed. Your friend handed you a tall looking wine glass that had been sitting on a table when you had first gotten to the cave. Your friend told you that for the dare you’d have to take a sip of whatever substance was in this glass.

Both of your eyes looked down in the direction of the bottle in your hands. The liquid inside was blood red, and it didn’t smell too appealing either. You almost gagged and immediately shook your head. There was no way you were going to drink this. All your friends started to whine and tell you that you had to do it because it was a dare. They started to chant “chug!” over and over again. You realized that if you didn’t drink it, then your friends would never let you live this down. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath. “If I die it’s their fault,” you thought to yourself before putting the opening of the bottle up to your lips.

The substance burned your throat the second you swallowed a tiny portion of it. You let the bottle drop onto the floor and smash into thousands of pieces. You started to cough as you felt the burning from the liquid practically in your chest now. Your friends crowded you asking if you were okay, but you couldn’t answer them. You were barely able to breathe, more or less speak.

While you were trying to catch your breath, you heard some screaming coming from the other end of the cave. You thought this day couldn’t get any worse, but boy, were you wrong.

The screaming was coming from your friend that was given the dare to explore one of the tunnels in the cave. Well, they were now squirming out of the tunnel, and they looked scared shitless. They were screaming loudly that you all needed to leave now, and you definitely weren’t going to argue with that. The rest of your friends now looked pretty afraid, so you all grabbed your things and left as quickly as you could.

Your friend started to calm down when the cave was no where in sight and you all were safe. They claimed that they saw a couple people hanging from the roof at the end of the tunnel. A couple of your friends thought it was all a bunch of bologna. Some of them actually wanted to go back and investigate, but you were quick to shut them down. There is no way in hell that you were going back to that place.

->

The boys woke up and immediately noticed something was off. They could feel in their blood that a human had just been turned. Though, they didn’t know how. David could tell that it was from his blood, so he knew that someone drank the bottle. That, or one of them didn’t fully kill someone, and they hoped to god that that wasn’t the case.

Once they all saw the broken bottle of David’s blood on the floor they knew what had happened. They could also smell in the air that their were humans in the cave just a couple hours ago. Their main concern wasn’t to go out and kill some people that were in the cave, the main concern was to find you. A new vampire out in public could be dangerous. Lots of terrible things could happen that they didn’t want to think about. They knew they had to find you. Before Max did.

->

You didn’t feel too bad after a couple hours. You were able to breathe, and the burning in your chest went away. It was almost like nothing had happened. Well, so far.

Once you felt 100% you decided to take a walk around the boardwalk. Your friends were most likely already there. You met up with them there almost every day. Your mom dropped you off at the boardwalk before scurrying away to the nearest bar. It wasn’t a surprise to you at all. Sometimes you wondered how your mother even remembered to pick you up after school cause of all her drinking. You hoped one day she’d get some help for herself and you, but you’ve been hoping for that for years.

After your mom dropped you off you decided to look around for your friends. You usually met up with them around the carousel, but when you got there, they were nowhere to be found. You figured that they were probably still spooked over what happened at the cave, so you decided to go for ice cream because you knew it’d be a while before your mom would come to get you.

While you were in the line to order some ice cream, you started to feel a pounding in your chest. It felt like your heart was about to explode. You fell onto your knees and tried to take a few breaths. You could practically hear your own heart beat. It sounded like your heart was a ticking time bomb that was ready to detonate. A couple people in the line crouched down to your level and asked if you were okay.

As you looked over at the people trying to help you, you noticed that a weird feeling appeared in your throat. Almost like a thirst. Not a thirst for water though. You could practically smell the blood from their veins. It was quite unsettling, and the thirst in your throat kept increasing. It was like you were looking at them as if they were a meal. The people didn’t understand. They probably thought you were about to pass out.

The thirst was too much for you to handle, so you pushed past the people to try and stop it. Of course, that didn’t work at all. There was hundreds of people walking around, and you were stuck right in the middle of the crowd. The thirst didn’t go away, and the crowds only made it worse. The pounding in your chest didn’t help much either. You felt like you were dying, and no one around you seemed to care.

Your vision started to blur, and now your head was pounding along with your heart. You almost felt like your legs were about to give out. Until you felt someone grab onto both of your shoulders to keep you upright.

“Are you okay, kid?” Your vision came back and you looked up to see who was talking to you. It was a tall blond looking rocker, who definitely was considerably a lot older than you.

“Y-yeah! I’m fine,” you tried to get away from him, but he wasn’t budging. He hard a firm grip on your shoulders.

“Oh good, you found her,” you turned to your left to see a shorter blond with curly hair. He had a leather jacket on that had lots of vibrant colors. Since you had been on the boardwalk a good amount of times, you knew who these guys were. They were a part of the biker gang that was known for being feared. These guys were bad news.

“Wh-what?” The fact that they had been looking for you only sparked red flags. Luckily, your thirst started to become manageable. You didn’t quite feel it anymore. It was strange that the second these guys showed up was the second your thirst started to wear off, but you weren’t exactly complaining about it.

“Uhh, kid, you’re going to have to come with us,” the shorter blond said trying to take your hand.

“No!” You pulled your hand away from him, but the taller blond still had a grip on you.

“Kid, listen, you’re a-”

“No! Let go of me!” The blond rocker now grabbed onto your wrist. He was pretty strong, so no matter how hard you pulled, he didn’t budge one bit. The two remaining members of the gang had now joined in. Four against one.

“This is the one, right David?” The shorter blond asked. David. Now at least one of them was revealed.

“Yes,” the one called David said. He was definitely the leader. You recognized him because he always led the pack whenever you saw them around the boardwalk. “We have to take her back.”

You cursed under your breath realizing that you had to get out of this and fast. “Help me! I’m being kidnapped! Help!” You screamed for anyone to hear, but everyone just kept walking. It was like you were deaf upon ears.

“Stop it, kid! Ow!” The blond rocker yelped in pain as you bit down hard on his wrist that gripped onto your arm. He still didn’t release you, no matter how hard you tried. The other two blonds laughed at the two of you.

“Jesus Paul,” the brunette scoffed. “You’re scaring the hell out of her!”

“You’re not being kidnapped,” the shorter blond said with a mischievous smile appearing on his face. You could tell that he liked scaring people. “Well, not literally.”

The brunette shoved the shorter blond aside and walked towards you. “What’s your name?”

“Why would I tell you that?” You replied trying to back away from him.

“We’re not here to hurt you. You’re not being kidnapped,” the brunette said and turned back to glare at the shorter blond. “We’re here to help you.”

“From what?” You asked still unconvinced.

“We’re gonna explain that. Just tell us you’re name first,” the brunette said.

You rolled your eyes at told him your name. They all followed by telling you their names. The brunette was Dwayne. And the shorter blond was Marko.

David pushed Dwayne aside to walk towards you. “Let’s get to the point, okay?” You nodded even though you didn’t know exactly what he meant. “You drank from the bottle, didn’t you?”

You gasped softly. Dammit, you knew that you shouldn’t have drunk from that bottle. All because of some stupid dare. You shut your eyes and nodded.

David sighed. “Look kid, this is going to be really hard to explain, and I can’t do it here. You’re going to have to come back with us.”

“How do I know you’re not going to hurt me?” You asked not fully trusting them.

David chose not to put his hands on you. He felt that that would probably freak you out even more. “I swear to you that we won’t. We are here to help you, and protect you.”

“Protect me from what?” You asked.

“Yourself in a way.” You gave David a questioning look. What the hell was in that drink? “Listen to me very carefully,” you nodded. “You’re no longer...human. That drink contains something that turns you into... one of us.” He said which didn’t help your confusion.

“It’s hard to explain, but I can explain it better if we’re not in public. You’re going to have to trust us. If you don’t, it can be bad for you.” David said which still didn’t make much sense to you. But, you wanted to know what was the matter with you, so you nodded.

The boys took you out of the crowds and towards their motorcycles. You still didn’t exactly trust them, but if they could fix whatever was wrong with you, then you were willing to take the risk. David motioned for you to get on the back of his bike, and you had to take a breath before getting on it. Millions of thoughts raced through your brain, but you tried to convince yourself that these guys might actually be trying to help you.

The ride was actually kind of thrilling. You could tell David had no intention of driving slow. It didn’t surprise you when you saw them stop right in front of the caves entrance. You hoped to never see this cave again, but it didn’t look like this cave was ever going to leave your life.

You walked in trying not to look at the broken glass on the floor from the ‘wine’ bottle.

“Is this what you drank from?” Marko asked picking up some of the broken glass.

You gulped and nodded.

David and Marko shared a glance. Unfortunately, it didn’t look like a good one.

“Y/n, we are not exactly human,” David started. “You’ve seen all the missing posters around the town I’m sure?”

You nodded again.

“Those people are missing because of us. We are...killers. We have to feed from people to survive. If we feed, we will never die.” David said. You started to fidget. Maybe they weren’t trying to help you. Maybe they wanted you to be their next victim.

“So, you’re...cannibals?” You asked hoping that that wasn’t the truth. The two blonds started to laugh, but Dwayne glared at both of them internally telling them to stop.

David shook his head. “No, we’re...” David took a deep breath. He didn’t like stating the exact name of what he was, “...vampires.”

You scoffed in disbelief. You weren’t only in the worst place in the world, but now these guys claim to be vampires.

Marko and Paul shared a glance and mischievously smiled at each other. You were about to call them crazy, until you saw both of the blonds faces change completely. Their eyes turned golden, and their teeth were now sharp fangs that could pierce anyone’s skin.

Before you could scream, Dwayne put his hand over your mouth. “It’s okay, they’re not going to hurt you.” He tried to sound reassuring, but it didn’t work too well. The blonds turned back to normal after a few seconds, and you started to calm down. After Dwayne took his hand away from your mouth, you started to put two and two together.

“Is that what...I am?” You asked hoping that your conclusion was incorrect. The last thing you wanted to be was a vampire.

David nodded. “In that bottle, was my blood. Since you drank it, you’re now one of us.”

You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. Vampires were supposed to be fake! Not real! You couldn’t imagine killing people in order to survive. “Is there any way to turn back?”

David looked away before shaking his head.

“You mean I’m stuck like this forever?!” You raised your voice. This was worse than death.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Marko said.

“It’s worse than it looks!” You fired back making Marko look to the ground.

“Well, on the bright side you’re going to be our sister now,” Paul said with a smile.

“I don’t want to be your sister!” You said which made Paul’s smile fall. “I want to be normal!”

“Look, I understand that you probably want to think this over. There is a bedroom over there if you want to be alone.” David said pointing over to a room that was covered with curtains. You wondered why. You didn’t want to argue with them anymore, so you got up and walked over to the bedroom closing the curtains behind you. This was definitely the worst day of your life. You had to bite your lip to fight the tears that were threatening to fall. Crying wouldn’t help anything at this point.

You ended up spending the night there. The boys brought you food before the sun came up, but you never said a word to them when you came to give you the food. You woke up the next day assuming that it was morning. Instead, it was six in the afternoon. The sun was probably already down. You groaned realizing that your mom was probably pissed right now.

A couple minutes later, Dwayne, Paul, and Marko walked in your ‘bedroom’. You sighed and sat on the bed trying not to look at them. Marko walked to the side of the bed you were closest on, and he showed you a teddy bear that he had been hiding behind his back. He gestured for you to grab it, and you hesitated before grabbing it. The bear was brown, and it had a big smile on its face. You looked over at Marko and he shrugged his shoulders with a grin. You smiled and hugged the teddy bear tightly letting your head rest on the toys head.

Paul walked over to you and showed you a cake he had been hiding behind his back. On the top of the cakes was writing made out of frosting that said “Sister?” on it. You chuckled and took the cake.

“Is this...breakfast?” You asked not exactly knowing what to name this meal.

“Hey, if you don’t want it, I’ll eat it,” Paul said laying down on the bed.

“Did you write this?” You asked Paul pointing at the writing on the cake.

Paul nodded.

“Well, you have terrible handwriting,” you giggled looking at the words on the cake that were so hard to make out. It looked like someone drunk had written it.

Paul glared at you before grabbing the teddy bear and throwing it at your face. While you were distracted, Paul took his chance and wrestled you down to the bed and grabbed the cake looking like he was about to drop it on your face. You screamed for him not to do it.

“Take back what you said!” Paul pretended to be angry, but you could tell that he was just playing. Though he probably would drop the cake on your face.

“I take it back!” You gave in and Paul put the cake down on the bed.

You looked over at Dwayne who looked like he was trying not to bring up the elephant in the room. “Where’s David?” You asked him.

“He went out.” Dwayne said with a frown on his face. “Look y/n, you’re not a full vampire yet, you’re half. In order to be full, you’ll have to make your first kill.”

You looked away from Dwayne. Your good mood was now gone. “Do I have to make a kill?”

“Well, it’s probably best that you shouldn’t right now,” Dwayne said which gave you some hope. “You’re pretty young, so it’d be best if you wait til you’re older. It’ll be hard, but you’ll be able to do it.”

You sighed. “Will I ever get to see my friends and family again?” You asked Dwayne.

“It’s probably best that you don’t. You won’t be going to school anymore, so it’d be hard to explain to people why you aren’t going,” Dwayne replied.

“I’m not going to school anymore?” You asked.

“Well, as long as you’re with us, then no,” Dwayne said. No school? You hated school. Maybe this life wouldn’t be so bad after all. Then you remembered about your mother. You couldn’t just stop seeing her. Even though she wasn’t the best mother, you still loved her.

“What about my family? I can’t just leave my mom. I’m all she has!” You told them.

“It’s probably best that you don’t see her. If you see her and she calls the police, it could be bad,” the brunette explained.

Your mom was probably worried sick about you. The least you could do was check up on her, and make sure she’s okay.

“Can i at least go check up on her? Just to see if she’s okay? I won’t talk to her, I’ll just look through the window,” you suggested.

Dwayne looked over at Marko and Paul for an answer. They both shrugged their shoulders.

“Okay,” Dwayne agreed. “But just this once.”

You were glad that they were letting you see your mother, but at the same time it felt like they were controlling your life. You didn’t choose to be like this, but now you can’t get out of it. All because of a stupid dare.

Dwayne drove you to your mothers house. It sucked because you wanted to see how she was doing, but you couldn’t speak to her. You could only look through the window. You hoped to god that this wasn’t the last time you’d ever see her. The thought of that made you sad.

You told Dwayne to stay on his motorcycle, and that you wouldn’t be long. As you walked over to the front window you noticed a car pulled up in the driveway that you had never seen before. You shrugged it off and decided not to pay much attention to it. You crouched down next to the window and took a look trying not to look suspicious.

When you looked inside your house, you saw that your mom was sitting down on the couch. She looked like she was talking to someone, but you couldn’t see who. Suddenly, someone walked over to her. It was some guy you had never seen before. He grabbed onto the back of her neck and started to kiss her. She definitely wasn’t trying to push him away. He ended up getting on top of her, and she let him.

Your breath hitched and you started to see red. You mother didn’t seem like she was worried about you. It looked like she was having the time of her life. You had been gone for almost a full day, and she cared so much about you that she was hooking up with some guy in your own house. You knew she wasn’t perfect, but this was crossing the line.

You felt tears start to form in your eyes, and you tried to blink them away. Some still fell, but you were so angry that you didn’t care. Angry and sad. Angry because you just realized that your own mother didn’t look like she cared that you hadn’t been home for almost a day. Sad because of the same reason. She obviously didn’t care. She cared more about alcohol and this random guy more.

Dwayne noticed you wiping away tears from your eyes as you walked back to his bike.

“Are you okay? What’s the matter?” He asked.

“Nothing. Just drive,” you ordered him as you hopped on the back of his motorcycle.

“Is she okay?” Dwayne turned around to face you. He saw that your lip quivered and that your eyes were watering.

“Yeah, she’s just perfect, okay?” You barked back not looking at him.

“Tell me what happened,” Dwayne said while grabbing onto your arm.

“Nothing! Just take me home!” You said with a slight whimper. Dwayne decided not to keep bothering you with the question. Obviously something happened, but you weren’t going to tell him. Dwayne was a little surprised that you told him to take you home. Because you meant the cave. You wanted to go back to them. Dwayne realized in that moment, that whatever you did see, made you not consider the place with your mom ‘home’ anymore.

Dwayne said nothing to you on the ride back to the cave. He didn’t want to upset you any more than you already were. Dwayne wasn’t planning on telling the other guys about what had happened. They’d probably get worried and shower you with more questions.

David was already back at the cave when both you and Dwayne came back. When you walked in, you noticed that Marko and Paul had big grins on their faces. Too bad you didn’t feel like smiling along with them.

“Where’d you guys go?” David asked.

“We went for a ride,” Dwayne said which was half the truth.

David nodded before standing up. “Y/n, I got you something.” You sighed. You weren’t exactly in the mood for any more gifts. All you wanted to do was lay down in bed for the rest of the night. It was a terrible day, and you felt like nothing in the world could make it better.

Before you could tell him that you weren’t in the mood, David pulled out a black leather jacket that looked around your size.

“I thought that sense you’re one of us, that you should look like us,” he said handing you the leather jacket. You took it in your hands and admired it for a few seconds. It wasn’t too crazy like Marko’s, but it did have some design. The front had some golden print, and some beads were stamped on the upper part of the sleeves. The edge of the sleeves also had some golden printing. There was no zipper or buttons. It looked like a smaller version of David’s jacket.

“If you don’t like it I could go get another one,” David suggested.

“No! No, I like it,” you said still admiring it. You had never owned a leather jacket before. Up until now of course.

“You could decorate it, too,” Marko said pointing to his very decorated jacket.

You still felt a little hurt from the past situation, but you weren’t sad anymore. You felt welcomed by the guys. Even though they’re vampires, they’re now your brothers. Whether you like it or not, that’s not going to change.

“Try it on,” Paul said and you obeyed. You pulled the sleeves over your arms and noticed that it was a perfect fit. David sure knew how to pick the right size and jacket. You couldn’t exactly look into a mirror to see how it would look, so you looked over to your new brothers.

“How do I look?” You asked them.

“Like one of us,” David said and you smiled.

[impaladolan]

What if y/n tried to sneak out again and ends up opening a door and it’s literally a conference room and grays ins sitting head of the table and it’s filled w mafia men lmaooo and she’s just like oh sorry was looking for the bathroom which is an obvious lie cos girl has one in her room and she runs away and one of them catch her and take back to grays I mean does he punish her in front of the men girl that’s up to you but even if he doesn’t I feel like it’s like a lowkey funny concept like poor girl she just tryna escape hahaha

Anonymous said

i think it would be fun if y/n just constantly winds up him now in hopes he will get sick of her antics and just tell her everything hehe like maybe one day she steals his rolex, smashes all the plates lmaoo idk now that i type that out i feel like he won’t care and just spank her ass every time (which i highly doubt she’s gonna complain about lol)

Capture - Grayson Dolan [7/-]

summary: y/n has always been a curious women, but when she stumbles upon something she’s not supposed to.. things become too much to handle...

warnings: swearing & humiliation/degradation..

a/n: do y’all want to do tags @?? and also, thank you sweet anons for the prompts! love you all 💕

The events to which had pertained early this morning continuously played on a loop in your head. Rerun after rerun, and you never ran out of film. It really made you question your decision-making skills, or rather any of the skills and manners you have acquired in your short time of living. You couldn't help the "imbalance of homeostasis" moreover your impulsive, fluctuant feelings that would come over you like a rushing water at times. It really made everything a bit more difficult to understand. In shorter terms;

What the hell even happened?

You couldn't deny or even feel guilty for the wrongdoings of this morning, but nor could you exactly excuse them. Yes, it was a heat of the moment type of thing and you really should have expected him to come barging in like that, but it still had taken you off guard. Although, when you think back to what happened, you don't regret it.

You miss it.

You miss the way it felt, to be sat atop of him and needing for his scared touch. He was like a drug. An addictive, life sucking drug that wouldn't wash away from your mind. He was all you could think about.

He is all you can think about.

The wanting demand to know his name, the request to see his godawful handsome face, the aching of his touch. Everything about him was mysterious and daunting. He drew you in, like a magnet against steel. The burning desire you have for him doesn't make sense.

How could you be in love with someone you barely know? Someone who had taken you away from everything you've ever known. A man that knows the ins and outs of you, yet you couldn't even recognize his name?

It feels like a game. A stupid, twisted fucking game that you're bound to lose to.

Sighing to your intrusive thoughts, you blow a wavering piece of hair from your face. You were stuffed under the lengthy duvet and your eyes were directed at the spinning ceiling fan above. The industrial, artificial wind-making machine upwards reminded you of a similar one placed in your room at home. Of course, this one didn't have a squeak but it still made the pit of your stomach drop in an agony-filled remembrance of home. It feels like forever ago when you used to run every morning. The feel of the harsh wind against your cheeks and the subtle pumping of your heart was washed away with the same old gray walls that you were enclosed by every single waking moment.

The sudden thought of just that sparked energy within you.

You were pretty exhausted from prior events and you thought you’d be able to get a nap or two in. But your overthinking and legitimate thoughts clouded your head and you just couldn’t find a way to sleep properly. Although now, you were ready to explore.

Well, explore the kitchen.

The mere thought of a tall glass of iced water sounds satisfactory. Especially for your often dry throat. So, you hassled out of the flooding white covers and marched straight to the door, pulling down the only thing that covers you; a large white t-shirt— presumably his. The urge to soothe the parchedness that swirled within you only strengthened as you trekked past the door and into the ominous hallway. You werent for sure if he was home or not, but at this point it really didn't matter. You were thirsty and you were gonna do something about it, one way or another.

You retraced your steps from only a few days beforehand, when you had tried to escape, which had ended in complete failure. Thinking back to it, it surprises you that he actually knew you were in the walk-in pantry the entire time.

It seems like he knows just about everything.

Like you remembered, the hall opened up into a large, modern looking kitchen that could possibly sustain an expensive restaurant if it really had to. Before you could pause in absolute awe by just gaping at it, you get straight to work in finding a glass. You swung open most of the cabinet doors, opening to mainly spice racks and pots/pans that looked pricier than your own vehicle. You finally found something that could fit the desired contents and you went straight for the fridge. Just as quickly, you dip your cup in the little boxed formation and listen to the ice cubes soothingly fall. You didn't even worry about the deafening bangs of the cubes as they fell from the dispenser, or the crackling or the cool water slipping down and around their entirety.

God, it looks like heaven.

You bring the cylindrical shape up to your lips and let the freezing water slip down your tongue and throughout your body. It cured any and everything that seemed to be wrong, at least for the moment. You dont stop your drinking until the water is fully ingested and the ice begins to burn the tip of your nose. You place the glass carefully on the counter and deeply inhale, shutting your eyes for a brief moment to think.

You’re tired of staying in that room all damn day, and you need a change of scenery. You know there’s got to be way more in this house than just the couple rooms you’ve ventured in, and what’s the worst that could happen?

Aww, he spanks your ass again?

Like that would solve anything anyway. He should know by now that it affects you differently. He seems to know everything else about you. It’s actually really frustrating. For him to know all the details and you’re left in the weird gray area that’s clueless and dumb. It makes you so aggravated and angered, and you wanted to oh so bad, put your foot down in some way.

So, that’s what you’ll do.

A devilish grin comes across your face as you leave the kitchen, waltzing into the dining area with scouring eyes. What could you possibly do to make the “almighty capturer” upset? The first thing to come across your head was unorganization.

He seems like a perfectionist, someone who likes everything put in their exact places and to not be tampered with. You share that similar quality, but you aren’t an extremist like him.

You first lay your eyes on the dining room table, the centerpiece along with the runner looking a little too nice. With a sense of urgency, you decide sabotage. Firstly, you grab the extravagant-looking art sculpture and set it on the floor. After, you crumple the cloth underneath it. With an odd smirk, you pull out all the chairs in not so orderly fashion.

Wow, Y/N, you really did some damage..

Taking a couple steps back to look at the petty mess you've made, a chuckle erupts from your mouth and you sigh yet again. You shrug the simplicity away from your head and continue your walking. You come about a spiraling staircase and instantly begin to climb it, eager to see the upper floor’s decor. Your hand slides against the railing as you become steps closer to your desired destination, another chic and modern looking domain before your eyes. Unlike the downstairs, this room held a lot more art work and a certain professionality you couldn't begin to explain, but you continued to move forward. You approach another hallway, except this one withheld a deadend, large double doors that open outward. It somehow gained your attention and you couldn't help but want a quick look inside. Nothing was really stopping you and there are no signs of him around, so why not?

You didn’t really need an answer, you just went ahead and did what was on your mind. Exerting the small amount of force needed to push down the handles, you pull the doors open wide and focus your eyes on the room’s interior.

Men, sat all along a table that led all the way up to him.

Your eyes widen in immediate shock and your jaw drops open. All of their heads turn in the direction of a barely dressed girl standing in the doorway, disrupting the importance of a meeting with their leaders.

You.

Papers were strung all over the long piece of oak and there was bustling before you rudely interrupted their transactions and communicating, but you were too frozen to react or runaway.

“What the fuck are you doing up here, Y/N?” He said your name with such a deep and dark mannerism, it made your pussy throb unexpectedly. “I- Uhm, I.. Bathroom?” Words wouldn’t come out straight, no matter how hard you tried. You felt the stares of a million, but you could only focus your gaze on him.

And he looks furious.

What could you do to escape all of this? Well, running actually. You take off just as you see him get up from his seat. You speed back down the hallway you first walked down and curved through the different paths you had taken prior. The faint “go fucking get her” that spilled from his lips had made it to your ears and a certain fear ignited within you.

You could hear the footsteps behind you, but you didn’t stop. You were almost down the steps, until that menacing touch of someone grabbing you right before freedom— immersed around you. You knew it wasn’t his arms wrapped around you, but you didn’t dare look back to see whose it actually was. You wanted to cry, struggling to stay in his grasp as he lifted you back up and into the meeting room from whence you came.

“Let her down, Marc.” His wondrous voice filled your ears and you’ve never felt so secure yet troubled in your entire lifetime. The large arms unraveled from around you and you were softly placed on the ground. You didn’t dare to look up, but instead focus on the ground beneath you.

“Get your ass over here, slut.” His dark voice filled the quiet room, and your heart plummeted at the sound of such a slur. Sadly, you could only listen to him, so you walk carefully around the table, making your way to his perch. You weren’t even fully near him until his arm reached out and clutched your wrist, forcefully pulling you towards him. He roughly laid you over his lap, in front of everyone, and pulled up the bottom of your shirt, allowing every eye to see you lower half nakedness.

And just like the early morning prospects, an echoing slap to your ass filled the room’s silence. “This is what fucking happens, Y/N. When you disobey me.” You could tell his jaw was clenched and his face was red with anger by the way he was talking. Tears began to form in your eyes, but not from the pain, but from the embarrassment.

How’re you supposed to face all the people in this room, after getting an ass whooping for the second time today?

“Guess you don’t know how to fuckin’ listen well, do you Y/N?” He kept saying your name like it was some kind of extravaganza, which humiliated you all the more. You didn’t want everyone to know who you are, laid across a grown man’s lap and getting seriously aroused amidst people.

Out of the blue, he wraps his hand around the back of your neck to pull you back up to face him, a dark red spread across your cheeks. “Lucky I don’t make you suck my fuckin’ cock in front of all of ‘em. Then they’d know you aren’t such a bad little girl, wouldn’t they?” He whispers against your ear as he sets you on his knee, facing the direction of the stone cold men veering their eyes on everything but you— away from the awful scene.

You shake your head to his words, feeling his large hands linger under your shirt. “Don’t think so? Would that embarrass you, sweetheart? Cause I couldn’t give a less fuck about that right now.” His hands continue to travel upwards, wrapping around the both of your unclothed breasts, the thin shirt material not doing much justice.

“Please, no. I-I’ll do whatever you want, just please— not here.” With those words of plea, you cross your arms over his hands and train your eyes to the floor in humiliation.

“Get back to you room, and don’t leave it. You’re on thin fucking ice, princess.”

to be continued...

a/n: don’t ask me why, i really don’t know why he has such an affinity for spanking her 🤷‍♀️ and it’s also 1:00 am that I finally finished this.. procrastination at its finest..

[pinktwingirl]

Loki Series Rewrite (AKA Loki Series But With Squirrel Girl) Ep 3

INT. TVA - DAY

Loki is attacking Sylvie. Suddenly, Doreen enters and rushes up to them.

DOREEN

Loki, catch!

She tosses him a prune stick. Loki takes it and he starts fighting Sylvie with her. During the battle, Doreen manages to overpower Sylvie and tackle her to the ground. Doreen holds her knuckle spikes to Sylvie's throat, but Sylvie twists her arm and kicks Loki's prune stick away. Sylvie then kicks Doreen's face and grabs Loki. Doreen freezes when she sees Sylvie is holding a dagger to Loki's throat. Just then, Ravonna and several other agents enter.

SYLVIE

Come any closer, and I'll kill him.

RAVONNA

Go for it.

Doreen glares at her. Before she can attack, Loki whips out his tem-pad, causing himself and Sylvie to disappear.

We cut to later, when Mobius, Ravonna, and Doreen are standing where Loki and Sylvie vanished.

DOREEN

(to Ravonna)

Thanks for nothing.

RAVONNA

I called her bluff. I knew she wasn't going to do it.

DOREEN

Yeah. Sure.

MOBIUS

Where the hell did they go?

DOREEN

You don't know?

MOBIUS

Loki took the tem-pad with him. We can't find his location if we don't have it.

(He groans in frustration.)

That bastard! He directly disobeyed me! I knew I shouldn't have trusted him!

DOREEN

He probably just wanted to know what was going on! Look, I can find him with-

(She takes out her Loki locket, only to see that it is broken.)

Shit...

MOBIUS

What?

DOREEN

This thing must've gotten damaged in the fight.

MOBIUS

Can't you just fix it?

DOREEN

It's not that simple. Thor let me borrow parts of rare Asgardian technology to build this. They were some of the last parts they had, so I would have to go back in time to Asgard to get more. And... I have no idea where I would even begin to start looking there.

Mobius sighs.

MOBIUS

Alright, look, I'll search through our files on Asgard to see what I can find. In the meantime, just try to salvage what you can, and don't dilly-dally. Every moment those variants are on the loose, we're all in danger.

INT. TVA OFFICE - DAY

Doreen is trying to work on the locket to no avail. She slams it down and sighs. Just then, her squirrel Monkey Joe hops up on the table, carrying spare parts. He sets them down and squeaks at her.

DOREEN

No... Those won't work, Monkey Joe. We need gear that can navigate through both space and time.

Looking dejected, Monkey Joe lets out a few sad squeaks. Doreen pets him and gives him an almond as consolation.

DOREEN

I know, buddy, you tried your best...

Doreen's other squirrels, Tippy-Toe and Mr. Lieberman join Monkey Joe to eat pieces of the almond. Just then, CASEY turns around and peers at the squirrels in horror.

CASEY

What are those?

(Beat)

DOREEN

Um, almonds? Want some?

CASEY

No, the... things eating them...

Doreen raises an eyebrow.

DOREEN

They're squirrels.

CASEY

"Squirrels?"

DOREEN

What, you've never seen a squirrel before?

CASEY

No... I've spent my whole life here, so I've never seen any animals at all.

Doreen looks mortified.

DOREEN

That's the saddest thing I've ever heard in my life...

INT. TVA LIBRARY - DAY

Mobius is looking through various old books on shelves. He pauses when he flips through a book that has Asgardian writing and a map of Asgard.

INT. TVA OFFICE - DAY

Doreen is showing Casey pictures of different types of squirrels on her phone as Casey looks on in wonder.

DOREEN

So, this here is a red squirrel. I just love their little pointy ears! Ooh, and these ones are extra rare: The Japanese flying squirrel! Look at their beady little eyes! And their fluffy tail! You can only find these in one island on all of Earth!

CASEY

Wow... That's amazing!

Just then, Mobius walks in.

MOBIUS

Doreen!

Doreen quickly slams her phone down.

DOREEN

Uhhh, yes, sir, we are hard at work!

She does an awkward salute. Mobius frowns at her.

MOBIUS

I found this book in our library.

(He flips to a page that has a drawing of Odin's treasure room with a description written in Asgardian.)

This look familiar?

Doreen frowns as she peers at the book.

DOREEN

This is all in Asgardian. I can't read it.

MOBIUS

Forget the text; look at the picture.

He points to a section of the drawing where several golden parts are stored in the treasure room. Doreen's eyes widen.

DOREEN

Oh my God... I think that's it!

Mobius grins.

MOBIUS

Yeah? You think you could go get it if I sent you to Asgard, say, a couple decades in the past?

DOREEN

Sure, I mean... All I would have to do is find Odin's treasure room... wherever that is, somehow break in, get the parts, and then, by some miracle, get out undetected, and then we're home free!

MOBIUS

Easy!

DOREEN

Easy!

(She pats him on the back.)

Good job, Moby! I might need a change of clothes, though.

MOBIUS

What's wrong with your clothes?

DOREEN

I mean, I can't just walk into Asgard like this; I'd stick out like a sore thumb!

Mobius sighs.

MOBIUS

Alright, I'll see if we have any old stuff from the Asgardian variants we've taken in. But study that book and maybe try to come up with a halfway coherent plan for sneaking in. I'll set the portal to send you back to the same moment in time once you're done, so you can take however long you need to look for the parts. But don't use that as an excuse to sight-see!

He chuckles under his breath as he walks away.

MOBIUS

"Moby"...

INT. LAMENTIS-1 TRAIN - NIGHT

Loki and Sylvie are chatting on the train.

SYLVIE

How about you? You're a prince! Must've been... would-be princesses. Or, perhaps, another prince?

LOKI

A bit of both. I suspect, the same as you. But nothing ever...

SYLVIE

Real.

LOKI

Hmm.

(Beat)

SYLVIE

What about your mortal girl? What was her name? Doreen?

Loki raises an eyebrow.

SYLVIE

She seems nice.

LOKI

Oh, I'm sure she'd appreciate that, coming from the person who practically kicked her face in.

SYLVIE

Hey, when she's on the run, a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do.

LOKI

And, no, she's... just an acquaintance. 

Sylvie raises an eyebrow and smirks.

INT. ASGARD PALACE, 1960 - NIGHT

Doreen enters the palace through a portal in a pretty, albeit slightly ill-fitting blue Asgardian dress, with her hair done up like all the other noble ladies. As she wanders around, she spots a crowd of noble ladies in ballgowns chatting and laughing while they walk. She tries to inconspicuously join the group, when a MAID calls out to her.

MAID

Um, pardon me, my lady?

Doreen freezes to see if the maid is talking to her.

MAID

Do you not have something to wear for tonight?

DOREEN

I... Um... Well, I was just going to wear this... very Asgardian dress...

MAID

Do you... have anything a little more formal? I trust you haven't forgotten that the ball is tonight?

DOREEN

Uh... Right... Yes... Of course... Um...

MAID

We have some spare dresses if you'd like to borrow one. I'm sure the queen wouldn't mind.

Doreen hesitates for a moment.

DOREEN

A-alright... Thank you.

She follows the maid into a corridor.

INT. CHANGING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Doreen sits in front of a mirror while the maid styles her hair. She has a layer of light, pretty makeup on her face.

MAID

Have you decided which dress you'd like, my lady?

DOREEN

Oh... I liked the green one.

The maid raises an eyebrow.

MAID

Are we... hoping for something?

DOREEN

Wh-what do you mean?

MAID

Well, if you're wearing the colors of Prince Loki, some might think you were... trying to get his attention.

(Beat)

DOREEN

W-will he be there?

MAID

He should. I must warn you that he detests these types of social events, though. At last winter's ball, he projected an illusion of himself in the ballroom to make it seem like he was present when he was really in his room reading books the whole night.

Doreen grins.

MAID

Shall I help you put on your dress?

DOREEN

(Lost in thought)

Yeah...

(Her head shoots up as she comes back to her senses.)

U-uh, I mean, no! No, no, no! I... I can do it myself...

INT. ASGARDIAN BALLROOM, 1960 - NIGHT

Loki is standing off to the side while Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three talk and drink. They are all dressed in their outfits from 2011 Thor. Thor downs a mug of ale.

THOR

Another!

He smashes his drink on the ground and Loki rolls his eyes. Thor approaches him and claps him on the back - a little too hard. Loki grunts and gives him an irritated look.

THOR

Come on, brother... You could at least try to have a little fun!

Loki scoffs.

LOKI

Watching every maiden in the palace fawn over you and Fandral is not my idea of fun.

Thor laughs.

THOR

Loki... Must you be so down? You can't spend all your time shut up in your room reading all those books and doing your little magic spells.

LOKI

Why not? I'd infinitely prefer it to this.

Before Thor can say another word, Loki walks off. A SERVANT approaches him, carrying a tray with a goblet of wine on it.

SERVANT

Some wine, your highness?

Loki eagerly takes the goblet and drinks it, nearly downing the entire thing in one swig. He freezes when he sees something in the distance.

We pan up the staircase as we see Doreen descending down it, wearing an elegant green and gold dress. Her hair is done up in an intricate braid, with golden ornaments adorning it. She looks around the ballroom nervously, peering at different corridors in an attempt to find the treasure room. Never taking his eyes off her, Loki sets the goblet down on a table nearby and walks off-screen.

As Doreen makes her way across the ballroom, Tippy-Toe suddenly scurries off to a table where grapes and nuts are laid out.

DOREEN

Tippy!

(She rushes after her.)

We're supposed to be keeping a low profile!

Tippy-Toe gives her a pleading look and a few squeaks. Doreen sighs.

DOREEN

Alright, fine. But just one.

She hands Tippy-Toe a macadamia nut. As the squirrel eats her treat, we suddenly hear Loki's voice behind them. Startled, Doreen whirls around.

LOKI

As much as I'm sure your friend is pleasant company, the kitchen staff might not take kindly to seeing a rodent on the refreshment table.

Tippy-Toe cocks her head and gives him an inquisitive squeak. Loki smiles at her.

LOKI

No offense.

DOREEN

Ah... Y-You're right, um... Tippy, why don't you go eat that outside? I'll catch up with you later.

Tippy-Toe squeaks and runs off with her nut. Nervously wringing her hands, Doreen glances back at Loki, who smiles at her.

DOREEN

So, um... Are you... actually here this time, or is this just another one of your creepy illusions?

Loki smiles and extends his hand to her.

LOKI

Perhaps you should find out for yourself.

After hesitating for a moment, Doreen gingerly places her hand in his. Loki kisses the back of her hand, causing her to blush.

LOKI

I'm terribly sorry; I don't believe I caught your name?

DOREEN

U-um... Doreen.

LOKI

Well, Lady Doreen... Would you care for a dance?

DOREEN

Huh? O-oh, I, um... I-I don't... really know how...

LOKI

It's easy! I'll teach you! Here...

(He leads her into the center of the ballroom, where other couples are dancing.)

Just step forward like this... Then back... Right... Left...

Doreen glances nervously around the room as he leads her into a waltz.

LOKI

You don't have to watch what everyone else is doing; just follow my lead...

(Beat)

You're, um... You're stepping on my foot.

DOREEN

Oh, sorry!

They continue to chat as they dance.

LOKI

You know, I'm surprised a noble lady like yourself never learned to dance.

DOREEN

Oh, well, um... I don't... really like going to parties very much.

LOKI

Ah. I don't either, to be honest.

DOREEN

Then how'd you get to be so good at dancing? Are all the girls lining up to dance with the youngest prince of Asgard?

Loki laughs, embarrassed.

LOKI

Ah.... N-no, not exactly... That's... more Thor's forte. I... mostly learned from dancing with my mother.

Doreen grins.

DOREEN

Aww...

Loki laughs.

(Beat)

LOKI

You're stepping on my foot again.

DOREEN

Ack!

She takes her foot off of his.

LOKI

You know, I'm starting to think you're doing this on purpose.

DOREEN

I'm not!

After a pause, she grins devilishly and stomps on his foot, causing him to yelp in surprise.

DOREEN

Okay, maybe that was on purpose.

They both laugh. Doreen glances at his helmet.

DOREEN

That helmet looks... comfortable.

LOKI

Oh, it is.

DOREEN

Yeah, I don't believe you.

LOKI

Well, it only weighs about 30 pounds, give or take. It's like wearing a feather.

They both snicker.

DOREEN

Doesn't it ever throw you off balance?

LOKI

Not once you get used to it. You should try wearing it sometime. I'm sure you'd love it.

Doreen grins, laughing to herself.

DOREEN

Yeah, I'm sure...

LOKI

I, um... I must ask... Did you... wear green tonight deliberately? It is my favorite color, after all.

DOREEN

Oh, really? I never would've been able to tell!

They both laugh.

DOREEN

No, it, um... It's actually my favorite color, too, so...

LOKI

Ah.

DOREEN

Is that, like, something people actually do? I mean... wearing certain colors to get people to notice them?

LOKI

Well, sometimes, yes. I... admit, I... actually tried it once myself.

DOREEN

Oh yeah?

LOKI

A few years ago, there was a prince visiting from Vanaheim that I was... rather taken with. It was known that he loved silver, so I thought if I wore silver armor, I might... endear myself to him.

DOREEN

Did it work?

LOKI

(laughing)

No.

DOREEN

Well... I think you look better in green, anyway.

We cut to Thor standing with ODIN and FRIGGA on the far side of the ballroom, watching Loki and Doreen.

THOR

Mother, who is that Loki is dancing with?

FRIGGA

I'm not sure... I don't believe I've ever seen her around the palace before...

ODIN

Neither have I. I would wager she's merely the daughter of a poor social climber trying to pass himself off as a noble. Nothing to concern yourself with.

Thor grins as Odin walks off-screen.

THOR

Well, Loki seems to be finally enjoying himself...

They watch Loki twirl Doreen around as she giggles, her face flushed red. Frigga laughs.

FRIGGA

That's the first time I've seen him smile all day...

As they continue to dance, Doreen grows more nervous, suddenly unable to meet Loki's gaze, which never leaves her face. At one point, Loki places his hands around her waist and pulls her closer to him, causing her to tremble slightly. After hesitating, she gently places her hands on his shoulders. He smiles as the orchestra finishes playing.

DOREEN

How did I do?

LOKI

You're a fast learner. I'm impressed.

They smile at each other.

EXT. ASGARDIAN COURTYARD - NIGHT

Loki and Doreen chat as they walk through the garden in the palace courtyard, with Doreen drinking a cocktail in an elegant glass.

LOKI

I apologize if I come off as um... well, stiff... I have to admit this sort of thing is... well, it's rather new for me. I was never really very social growing up... Everyone always admired Thor for his physical strength, and, well... My own talents of magic and intellect are far less revered. The only friends I ever had, I met through Thor.

DOREEN

If it makes you feel any better, I didn't have any friends as a kid.

Loki raises an eyebrow.

LOKI

Not any?

Doreen shakes her head.

LOKI

Well, I... certainly wish we'd met sooner, then.

(Beat)

DOREEN

Yeah, me too.

LOKI

It's certainly never easy being an outcast... I've spent my whole life living in Thor's shadow... I know my father wishes I were more like him and his friends, but... All the brawn and muscle... It's just not who I am. I'm not like them.

DOREEN

Yeah, and, I mean, I'm sure being a frost giant and all must make you feel different, too...

Loki frowns.

LOKI

I beg your pardon?

Doreen's eyes widen, and she almost chokes on her drink.

DOREEN

U-Uh... I-I mean, um... Hypothetically speaking, if someone were... secretly a frost giant living in Asgard, that would... make them feel different, but, you know, that... wouldn't happen... ever...

She lets out a nervous laugh and sets her drink down on a nearby table as Loki blinks in confusion.

DOREEN

Anyways... What are you plans for the future if you're not first in line for the throne?

LOKI

I'm... not sure, to be honest. My parents thought I could gain some title of power by marrying me off to some other royal family, but I... don't think that's going to happen.

DOREEN

I guess it's too bad things didn't work out with that Vanaheim prince, then.

LOKI

Well, actually, I'm... rather glad they didn't now.

DOREEN

Why?

(Beat)

LOKI

Because now I've met you.

Doreen freezes and glances at him in surprise. He gives her a gentle smile in return. For a moment, she looks inexplicably happy, but once her senses return to her, her face falls and she backs away from him. Loki frowns.

LOKI

Is... something wrong?

DOREEN

I... I have to go...

LOKI

If... If I've said something wrong, I-

DOREEN

N-no! No, it's not... I... I'm sorry...

Before he can say another word, she runs away.

EXT. ASGARDIAN FOUNTAIN - MOMENTS LATER

Doreen splashes her face with water from a fountain on the other side of the courtyard, trying to pull herself together. Suddenly, Tippy-Toe runs up to her and squeaks at her.

DOREEN

Right... Parts...

INT. ODIN'S TREASURE ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Sneaking around corridors, Doreen finally finds the entrance to Odin's treasure room, which is protected by two guards.

DOREEN

(Whispering)

Okay, Tippy, you distract them while I sneak up on them from behind.

Tippy-Toe salutes, runs up to the guards, and starts playing with their armor while squeaking at them.

GUARD #1

What the-?! What is that?!

GUARD #2

It appears to be some type of squirrel...

Guard #1 tries flicking Tippy-Toe off his armor.

GUARD #1

Shoo! Begone, creature!

(He turns to the other guard.)

Do you think it's Ratatoskr?

GUARD #2

No, you fool! Ratatoskr has a horn!

Before they can say another word, Doreen strikes them both from behind. They try to attack her, but she expertly knocks them both out in one punch.

DOREEN

(to Tippy-Toe)

Let's go.

She and Tippy-Toe enter the treasure room, scanning the area for the parts. Doreen frowns in confusion when she sees Odin's fake infinity gauntlet, but is quickly distracted by the golden parts in a chest in the far end of the room.

DOREEN

Got it!

She tries picking up the parts, but as soon as she does, a shield of magic blocks the exit.

DOREEN

Oh, that's not good...

She hears footsteps and guards' voices rushing towards the treasure room. Moving quickly, she jumps up to the ceiling and kicks down the mechanism creating the shield.

DOREEN

Tippy, we gotta run!

Hiding in corridors, they slip past the guards and escape to the outside of the palace. Doreen grabs her tem-pad and opens a portal. Before she returns to the TVA, she catches a glimpse of Loki's silhouette in the distance walking around. For a moment, he seems to be looking for something, but he soon sits down on a bench, defeated, and looks at the other party guests in the distance. Squeezing her eyes shut, Doreen turns away and places a reset charge on the ground. As she and Tippy go through the portal, the reset charge disintegrates the area.

INT. TVA - DAY

Doreen and Tippy-Toe rush through the portal, causing Doreen to nearly run into Mobius, who raises an eyebrow.

DOREEN

I got the parts.

MOBIUS

I... can see that. Are you okay? What's with the getup?

DOREEN

I'm fine - There was a ball going on, so I just had to change to blend in...

(Beat)

I should... get started on fixing the locket.

Before Mobius can stop her, she rushes to another room.

INT. TVA OFFICE - DAY

Still in her ballgown, Doreen is busying inserting the parts into the locket. Mobius enters.

MOBIUS

I, uh... saw the footage of Asgard...

Doreen grits her teeth and says nothing.

MOBIUS

So... you... like Loki, huh? Gotta say, I wasn't expecting that...

DOREEN

I really don't want to talk about this.

MOBIUS

Does he know?

DOREEN

Uh, no, he doesn't, and I'd like to keep it that way.

MOBIUS

Well, I mean... I'd be lying if I said I thought you weren't an odd pair, but I guess I can see it...

Doreen clenches her jaw and ignores him.

MOBIUS

I just don't see why you're all upset over it...

Doreen slams the locket down.

DOREEN

Because! I'm gonna live, what? 80, 90 years max? Maybe a hundred if I'm lucky? That's a fraction of Loki's life! Why would he ever pay any attention to me?! If that Loki from the past knew I was just a human, he wouldn't have taken a second glance at me!

Realizing she is losing her composure, she tries to focus back on fixing the locket. 

After a moment, Mobius sits down next to her.

MOBIUS

You know, I've studied Loki's entire life. I thought I understood everything there was to know about him. But you... you stumped me. If Loki knew he was going to die at the hands of Thanos, why did he trust you to be the one to bring him back to life? And then, it hit me... It's because he knows you're different. He knows that you know what it's like to be an outcast. He could sense it, just from meeting you, that you would be the first stranger he ever met that wouldn't see him as an enemy.

After a pause, Doreen shakes her head.

DOREEN

Even if I could believe that... it wouldn't matter. I'm never going to live long enough to be a part of his life.

(Beat)

MOBIUS

You know, when you've worked at the TVA for as long as I have, you tend to get a bit of a perspective on these types of things. Doreen... It's not about how much time we have... It's what we do with our time while we have it that matters. And you may not believe me, but I know you've made a difference in his life. You never doubted him, even when you had every right to. And that's always going to stick with him, even long after you're gone.

Doreen looks down and says nothing. After a moment, Mobius stands up.

MOBIUS

Well... make of it what you will. I'm gonna go ask the other agents if they've found any leads-

Suddenly, the locket clicks open.

DOREEN

It's fixed!

(She hands it to Mobius.)

Here, let that charge at a good power source for a little bit. Once it's at 100%, you should be able to see where Loki is.

MOBIUS

Okay, great. We'll get a task force ready to go get him.

DOREEN

Can I come?

MOBIUS

Ravonna would rather you stay here. She doesn't want a non-variant being put at an unnecessary risk.

Doreen's face falls, but she nods. Mobius exits. Doreen sits back at a computer and starts to look through files. She comes across a tab that reads "AGENT PROFILES", but when she tries to access it, she gets a message that reads "ERROR: RESTRICTED". Glancing over her shoulder, she checks to make sure no one else is in the room and begins typing.

INT. RAVONNA'S OFFICE - DAY

As Ravonna sits at her desk, she receives a holographic message that reads "WARNING: DATA BREACH DETECTED". She clenches her jaw.

INT. TVA OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER

Doreen is reading files on her computer. As she continues to read, her eyes widen, with her expression growing more and more horrified. Suddenly, she turns back to the door.

DOREEN

Mobius?!

When there is no response, she tries to exit the room and follow after Mobius, but a gate of lasers suddenly blocks her path. As she glances at it, confused, Ravonna opens a portal into the room and strikes her from behind, knocking her out.

SYLVIE SMIRKS ‘CAUSE SHE KNOWS HE LYIN

So yeah, I took a lot of inspiration for the ballroom scene from the Laendler scene from The Sound of Music. I imagined Loki and Doreen’s relationship being a lot like The Captain and Maria, ‘cause I’m a huge sucker for the hardened grouch going soft for the innocent, lighthearted dreamer trope lol :P

I also listened to the song “When the Night is Over” by Lord Huron a lot when writing that scene. It’s very sad and haunting if you think of it as Loki’s POV after Doreen runs away.

Finally, I am officially dubbing the Doreen x Loki pairing “Dorki”, and I shall henceforth be tagging these posts as such!

@drawntothedarkside

[project-rosewood-476]

Love? What's That?

*slaps this blog* THIS BADBOY CAN FIT SO MANY SIDE FICS IN IT

Here's another side fic. This one also focuses on an interaction between Tabby and her stepdad but this is on the more gentler side.

Yes this is still angst but its more of a hurt/comfort thing I promise you. It ends on a semi happy note

“You know most of my problems stem from you. Honestly, I would be better and have more freedom if you’d just disappeared off of the face of the planet. It’s only you that has a problem with me! If you’d just upped and left, we would all be much happier,” spat out a 12-year-old Tabby as she slammed the bottom kitchen cabinet that she was cleaning.

Today and night, she was ordered around to do busy work around the house when her stepdad could have quickly done it himself. But no, he was too busy being a lazy piece of shit even to entertain the thought of doing his responsibilities around the house. He was breathing down her neck all day and telling her what to do when he saw that she would do it anyways on top of lacing into her about her problem with authority and other mental issues. He just wouldn’t back the fuck off, and she was dead ass tired. She had enough, and that’s what caused her outburst because he wasn’t going to listen otherwise.

Tabby looked over at the kitchen clock on the stove longingly. It was well into 2’o clock in the morning, and her mom was supposed to be home two hours ago. She knew that her store was chaotic and busy, so it took time to clean, but this was outrageous even for her. She had a sneaking suspicion that something was up, and apparently, she wasn’t the only one.

“Yeah, well, careful what you wish for. Keep it up, and you may get it,” The older male grumbled and looked away.

Tabby snapped her head up from what she was doing and looked over at him with a suspicious and confused look. Surely this was one of his ploys to guilt-trip her into apologizing for what she said, or It was a trick to get her hopes up only to smash them down. But something about what he said just sounded different. Like he almost meant it. She just couldn’t place her finger on it. Yet something about what he said was off, and it disturbed her.

“What do you mean by that?” Tabby asked slowly.

“Don’t worry about it! That’s none of your business!” he snapped at her.

“You can’t just drop an ominous phrase like that and tell me not to worry about it! Whatever it is, I have a right to know! Come on; we’ve been through thick and thin with each other! You can tell me. I promise you won’t be alone!” she pleaded.

“I SAID DROP IT, TABITHIA!” he raised his hand about to hit her, which caused Tabby to flinch and attempt to block his oncoming attack before hearing her mom pull up in the driveway finally.

He slowly put his hand down and straightened up before turning away from her.

“Get some rest. Your mother and I need to have an adult conversation,”

“Uh oh, this can’t be good,” said Tabby in thought.

She slowly stood up and put her cleaning supplies away. Her eyes widened in horror as they darkened with troubled thoughts. Oh god, she sincerely hopes that their suspicions weren’t correct. They both hated being wrong, but they both prayed to whoever was listening up there for this one except for the first time.

The look her mother gave her when Tabby made eye contact with her as soon as she walked through the door was enough of a confirmation. Tabby hung her head in defeat and began to cry silently. She moved past her dad as fast as she could so he couldn’t see the weakness in her and into her room.

That night was the longest ever in Tabby’s life so far. That night was the night she saw her parents fall out of love with each other. She tried to go to sleep. It wasn’t often her dad let her go to bed willingly, and she planned to take full advantage of that.

“Who cares if he leaves? Good riddance for me! I can finally get my freedom! We don’t need him! And honestly, it’s high time that she kicked him to the curb for good!” she grumbled to herself as she tossed and turned. She was still wide awake, listening in to her parent’s conversation. He was angry, but it was more of the cold and calculating anger. Yet, he still didn’t hit her or yell at her, for that matter. How come he was gentle with everyone else except for her? It wasn’t fair.

“Come now; I know you don’t believe a word you just said.,” she said in thought, trying to reason with herself.

“And what if I do?” she challenged out loud to herself.

“You don’t. Wanna know how I know? Because if you believe that you would be celebrating with joy instead of hurting for him and crying and secretly praying that he won’t leave. You are scared,” she said to herself in thought matter of factly.

“I mean, I guess I am hurting for myself and him...I mean, yeah, he’s hurt me more times and ways that I can count. But does he deserve to be hurt in return? Cheating on someone? Especially that person who you’re supposed to love and care for and be loyal to? That’s just low! He’s done everything for us! He took me in and raised me when he didn’t have to! And he stuck around for Adam, too, when he could of just have his fun and left again! But no! He stays here, makes sure that we’re fed and not dead and takes care of us, and teaches us how to take care of ourselves! And my mom dares to do this to him?!”, she was seething in rage as she clenched her bedsheets, making her knuckles turn white and banging her head against the pillow as hard as he could.

“I sense a feeling of betrayal here,”

“That’s an understatement. I mean, I’ve always viewed my mom as this very moral person. She preaches that like fire and brimstone. But I guess once a coward, always a coward. I’m just upset that I was let down, that’s all,” she admitted in defeat.

“Ah, there it is—the truth. Now, let’s go over this rationally. It wouldn’t be a good idea for him to leave. Because if he did, how would that affect Adam? Are you willing to have that conversation with a 3-year-old? Are you ready to tell him the truth of why daddy is no longer with him? Because we all know mom won’t do it. Speaking of mother dearest, as much as we would like to believe that she doesn’t need another man in her life, you and I both know that with a short amount of time, she would fall back on her old habits of bringing strangers into the house namely other adult males. Do you want to go back to that? Especially with Adam on the line? You know that no other males out there other than dad would be willing to take care of other kids other than his own. What if he left and mom brought home another strange male who’s just as bad as dad, if not worse?! Are you willing to put Adam through that?! Is that the price you’re ready to pay for your freedom?!” she interrogated herself in the hellscape she called her head.

Tabby was crying hysterically at this point. She didn’t want to lose her best friend/dad, who’s she’s known for eight years. He’s all she knows. She didn’t want to be left alone again like she was all those years ago for a brief time. Only this time, he won’t come back. Oh god, this wasn’t what she wanted. This wasn’t how she wanted it to happen. She scolded herself on how she could be so selfish as to disregard Adam like that. Adam, her pride and joy. The sweet innocent little boy who was a ray of sunshine to all. She could never throw away what she worked so hard to raise. She needed to provide stability for him. Even if the abuse wasn’t good for him to be around, it was still stability nevertheless. She would much rather have him around someone he trusts and is used to growing up with than some stranger who would do god knows what to them that mom brought in off the streets. Tabby can’t be everywhere at once, and she won’t always be there to protect him. She’ll put up with the abuse for a while longer until Adam is eighteen and out of there. She’ll suffer if that means Adam can have safety and stability.

She loved him that much to do so.

“What is love?” She asked aloud.

“I’m not sure you would have to do more thinking about that,” her conscience admitted.

Tabby slowly came out of her dissociative state. She blinked and looked around her surroundings in confusion before looking at her alarm clock.

6:00 am it read.

“Ah fuck I’m going to be late for school if I don’t hurry my ass up!” she said in a panic.

She hurriedly got ready, looking messy, but she’ll fix that on her way to school and in the bathroom before school started.

She hesitantly reached for her doorknob before stopping.

“What if he’s not there? What if he did leave?”

She hesitated but turned the doorknob.

“Only one way to find out”

She pushed her bedroom door open and was greeted with the warm air mixed with the sickly sweet scent of Malibu 100, vodka, and cheap beer. The living room and kitchen were a mess covered in dishes, disorganized clutter on the floors on top of empty beer cans everywhere, and the two liquor bottles. Tabby coughed at the smells, and already she was feeling a migraine coming on from the Malibu. She told herself she’ll clean up after school since it would probably still be there when she got back. She simply did not have the time. She’ll deal with the lecture and beating later. She knew that he spent the rest of the night drinking his sorrows away. The only thing that brought her relief was seeing her dad passed out on his chair.

“He didn’t leave us after all,” she thought warmly.

Tabby couldn’t help but run over and hug him and didn’t want to let him go. Even if he reeks of sweet liquor and cheap beer coming from him, it was oddly comforting to her. She didn’t care if her migraine was getting worse. She was afraid that if she let go and went to school, she would never see him again.

“Huh, hey, what’s the meaning of this?” he slurred awake, blinking to try to clear his surroundings. He looked down to see Tabby nuzzling his chest, crying, half hanging on him and half on his lap.

“Tabby, honey, what are you doing? You’re going to be late for school, and you still have to clean this mess up,” he meant to have a harsh undertone, but he was too wasted, his voice slurred with softness and concern instead.

“I didn’t sleep at all last night! I was too riddled with anxiety! I overheard everything you and mom talked about! I was so scared that you would have left us! And then I would have to worry about raising and protecting Adam and making sure that mom doesn’t bring home any strange man that isn’t you ” she talked fast, and word vomited all over him like she was spilling her sins at the altar.

“Tabby, honey, why would I do that to you and your brother and your mother?” he sounded so concerned. It’s so hard to believe that in any other circumstances or the fact that if he were sober, he would have pushed her off of him and chewed her out, and beaten her for being a baby.

“Because mom cheated on you! And you deserve to be happy! And you deserve so much better! You do so much for us and go above and beyond! And I just love you so much, and I hate seeing you hurt! And it’s just not fair!” she was sniffling, hiccupping, and blubbering mess.

“Tabby, honey, listen to me. Hey, no, look at me,” he said gently as she lifted her face.

“I will never abandon my children or your mother. That’s not what you do to people who have been there for you through thick and thin. I can’t just leave my two favorite children on their own. You both need me,” he patted her hair to calm her down.

Tabby didn’t say anything. She just sat there and held onto him, whimpering, trying to catch her breath.

“You know I’m proud of you. You are becoming everything I’ve dreamed of you becoming,” he said so soothingly as he continued to pet her hair.

“Really, you mean it?” she looked up at him, hopefully.

Like with alcohol, she was falling for the sweet poison of his words.

“Oh yes. Surviving rosewood is no small feat. It takes so much mental strength to do so and be a top-notch leader at that. I am so proud of you for how far you’ve come and how far you will go. I have raised a strong, independent daughter. Yes, I do consider you my child,” he continued to slur his words, but he was so sweet and comforting.

Like her dad with the Malibu, she continued to down the sweet poison of his words like there was no tomorrow. She was becoming drunk on false praise and promises. Even though she knew that it was only temporary, she didn’t care. She would deal with the damage later.

“D-dad?”

“Yes, honey?”

“W-What is love?”

He hesitated and thought for a moment.

“Love...love is being there for those you care about. Even if they hurt you, it’s about the unconditional love you have for them. They might not appreciate it now, but they will in the long run. I guess I’m just loyal to a fault,” he looked away, embarrassed.

"So love is loyalty then?” Tabby lifted her head and cocked it to the left in confusion.

He thought about it for a moment.

"Yeah, love is loyalty."

She thought about it. It made sense to her. She was loyal to her group, and she loves her group. And her group is devoted to her, and she knew that they loved her. So that checked out. She's loyal to heath and would never do anything to hurt him and vice versa. So that checked out. And she’s devoted to her dad because he was the only one to raise and take care of her and teach her when no one else would. She holds him to the highest esteem. And she loves him despite everything. Hell, she believes that hiding the body brought them closer because they share a traumatic experience. And if he didn't love her he didn't have to stick around and go above and beyond for any male with a kid that's not theirs. He didn't have to, and he still chose to anyways. So in a sense, he was loyal to her.

So that means he loves her.

“Hey, dad?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you. I don’t hate you; I just miss you,” she said as she buried her face into his chest.

“I love you too, honey,” he said as he continued to hold her and kiss the top of her head.

He continued to hold her close as she just spilled everything and everything. She knew that he would use all that information against her later and be in trouble for it, but she didn’t care. She was desperate to have her best friend back, even if it was fake and temporary. He was patient with her, and he listened. Pretty soon, he fell back asleep, and she fell asleep on him like a little kid again. Safe and sound.

She didn’t go to school that day.

[since0202]

Chapter 33: Wedding

The day of the wedding was a blur for Grace. She had dutifully arrived by 7 a.m. to help Alice start coordinating the set up of the clearing just off of their house. Bella was to get there no later than 10 to start getting ready. Grace was in sweats and a cropped sweatshirt with her hair pulled up in a messy bun as she artfully wove fresh flowers together. 

“Emmett! Come on, I said finish clearing the boulders not smash them to pieces and scattering broken rock across the dance floor.” Grace clucked making her way over. 

“I’m trying to see if I can hit it just right so that it crumbles into a likeness of their faces! Like when you see the virgin Mary in toast,” Emmett said to Grace’s confusion. 

“Well you’re about to be put on duck duty if you don’t knock it off and clean this up!” Grace scolded. Jasper was hovering around a nearby pond eyeing the swimming ducks with a pained look on his face. Whenever a duck got too close, he’d move ever so slightly and they’d bounce away from him squawking. 

“I’m not dealing with ducks,” Emmett said under his breath. Grace turned to go back inside looking for more ribbon as a bustle of energy moved in and around the house. Alice had tasked each member of her family with some important task. 

Grace went upstairs and into Alice’s studio as she pricked at the flowers and gave out a shriek when she looked up to find Edward there stock still and staring at Bella’s wedding dress. 

“Jesus Edward!” Grace said placing a hand over her chest and taking a minute to recover. He looked over at her slightly amused and a little embarrassed before Grace continued, “What are you doing in here, isn’t that bad luck?” she pointed toward Bella’s dress. 

“Only if she’s in it, I think,” He said quietly. His eyes returned the dress and Grace moved past him to open the craft drawers spilling over with ribbons. Once she found one she liked, she moved to sit at the makeup station Alice had set up for Bella to get ready at and set to work on the flowers. 

“What are you making?” he asked after a second. 

“Boutaneers,” Grace said with a needle in between her teeth still. “You gonna tell me why you’re really in here?” 

Edward gave a knowing smirk, “So perceptive,” he said looking back to the dress before he spoke. “She’s going to want me to turn her after we get back from the honeymoon.” He heard Grace hold her breath, her fingers stalling over the flowers momentarily. “I don’t know how I’m going to be able to refuse her.”

Grace let out a long exhale and looked up at him, “It’s easy. Just say no.” 

“But then Alice or Carlisle will do it,” Edward shook his head annoyed again. 

“Then stop them,” Grace said simply, grumbling now. 

“Were it so easy,” he said, his eyes trained on Grace now. “Would you help?” 

“I have tried.She won’t listen to me. She’ll throw supernatural destiny in my face and call it square.”

“So what happens then? I change her and your pack comes after us for the rest of our lives?” Edward said disappointedly. “I told her forever and I meant it.”

“I don’t know what will happen, but you definitely won’t be welcome back to Forks and neither will Bella. Not anyone. But what other way is there?” Grace looked tired suddenly. “I’m not starting the war but I will put a stop to it if it starts.” 

“You think we want a war?” Edward probed. 

“No, but the pack will see it as nothing other than a gauntlet thrown. And without the treaty in place, they won’t have any reason not to come after you. It depends on how far Sam lets them go.” 

“But you’ll help us, right?” Edward’s eyes were controlled. Grace looked up at him. 

“She’s my family, which makes you my family, which probably makes me a traitor, so yes?” Grace narrowly avoided pricking her finger to the point of blood as she hissed. “But I highly doubt they’ll kill me. Who knows though.” Grace sighed dejectedly. “Happy returns.” she toasted one of the boutaneers and frowned. “I’m sorry, I’m trying.”

Edward nodded and looked back to the wedding dress before making his way past her. He paused and put a cold hand on her shoulder causing her to look up, “It’s okay. We’ll meet it as it comes….together,” he gave her a reassuring smile and left her in the room alone. 

The ceremony was everything Grace had imagined. As she sat in the front row next to Renee and Charlie in her silvery blue satin dress, her hair spilling gorgeously down her back and pulled half up with soft wispy strands floating around her face, she couldn’t help but think that this is what forever must look like with someone you loved beyond words. 

Bella stared so intently at Edward, at every vow he uttered and he returned the look. There was everything between and yet they were close, conquered immeasurable hurtles, fought death and destruction, and promised forever. Grace’s eyes glittered with tears as they were pronounced man and wife and with a soft, endearing, and terribly intimate kiss, they turned to smile adoringly at their loved ones. 

Grace broke into loud cheers and claps, hearing Embry, Quil, and Seth crooning at the very back close to the treeline. 

The night wore on easy from there, Grace and Bella happily discarding their high heels to go barefoot to the shock and laughter of Alice. They danced until their lungs hurt on the dance floor with Angela and Jessica and Mike and Eric. A farewell to their childhood in the most spectacularly noisy way possible. 

After a few slow songs that she coerced Seth and then Embry to dance with her on, she collapsed into a chair fanning herself. The night had come upon them long ago and Grace shone like moonlight in her dress. She turned to Embry and Quil at her table and said “I’m going to get a drink do you guys want—” but she was cut off by their nervous looks. 

“What? Don’t tell me you’re chickening out now! You made it through a whole ceremony and dance party with a bunch of vampires.” she said a smile moving across her face teasing them. 

“Must be the punch,” Quil played off and took another swig. Grace shrugged and looked back to the dance floor. But her eyes saw the receding figures of Edward and Bella sneak around the back of the house. “Where are they going?”

Her question was short lived though because Seth was pulling her up onto the dance floor again, trying to spin and gleefully dip her to his heart’s content. Seth was a good head and half taller than her now, even though he was barely 15. They drew the stares and laughter of couples closest to them but Grace didn’t care. Just a week after her meeting with Ti’Hal, she was starting to feel better. 

She didn’t lose her breath every other second, she was recasting with ease around the reservation, Sam had reinstated her back onto patrols, and she had even spent the afternoon baking with Emily just for fun. She was by no means whole, and the grief would often return at night when she was alone in bed, but she was standing on her own two feet again and it didn’t hurt so much to smile. She had her pack to thank for that. They wholeheartedly threw themselves into Grace’s path to help her along in her healing. No flickering thoughts or judgements were thrown her way and even Paul was helpful on rounds. 

He had somewhat patched up with Rachel according to Quil, visiting her every weekend at UW after she went back in August. They were taking it slow, but something told Grace that it wouldn’t take long. Paul was happier by the day, a warm glow bouncing off of him as he ran through the forest and Grace breathed a sigh of relief at that. He needed to be happy so that she could be happy too. She just wasn’t sure how yet. 

Once the song ended, Angela was by her side, “Hey have you seen Bella? We should take our shots in the photobooth now!” her cheeks were rosy and she’d definitely had some of the famous punch. 

“Oh! I’ll grab her, I think I saw her and Edward heading around back to go smoooooch,” Grace said happily pulling out of Seth’s arms to his shock and protest. 

Grace bounded off the dance floor and around the back of the house, humming to the song back in the crowd without realizing a little too late that she was indeed a party crasher. 

“Hey, Bella! Ange wants to take pictures in the photobooth if you’re ready—” her mouth closed quick as she came to an abrupt halt. 

In the dark, moonlit clearing, Bella was standing in front of none other than Jacob Black. His hair was longer but he had pulled it up into a loosely fitted bun to keep it out of his face. His features were hard, like sunwarmed stone and his frame was somehow broader, more sure, but shaking. Her eyes connected with his instantly and that familiar rush, the pang in her stomach that had been dormant roared to life. Her whole body tingled with anticipation and then fizzled quietly as Jake automatically took a step back from Bella, trying to quell the violent shaking in his body. 

Grace was having a hard time reading his face, the emotions were changing so quickly: fear, desire, sadness, overwhelming joy, crushing pain, and finally, hard as stone anger. 

“I...I’m sorry I didn’t know you were..” Grace breathed unable to take her eyes off of the man that she had loved for the past year, maybe longer, maybe in lifetimes before if she would let herself remember, “Busy.” she finally breathed taking a step up the hill. “Jacob.” She had to say his name, just once. A call for a hopeful return. Jake gave an imperceptible shake of the head and held his body tight. 

“‘I came to see Bella.” His voice even laced with so much anger was music to her ears. She had to hold in a sigh of relief at finally hearing it again outside of her dreams. 

“Right,” she said, finally pulling her gaze from Jake to Bella who was looking at her tearfully. “I’ll just…” She turned and hastily made her exit, but could clearly hear a strangled groan coming from Jacob as she left. Her heart was about to burst with how quickly it was hammering in her chest. Just as she came to the crest of the hill, she bumped into Edward who grasped onto her forearms to steady her. 

“Are you alright?” he said worriedly. 

“Yeah, I just….Jacob,” she shook her head and Edward looked over her down the hill. Something was clearly escalating now in the clearing from which she had come but she needed steady ground. Edward let go of her as she pushed past him and made her way toward Embry and Quil. They looked up at her with clear worry and she put a hand on each of their shoulders. Embry raised his hand to place over hers and she took deep, gulping breaths like she had been drowning. After a couple of minutes, she calmed her breathing and opened her eyes to look at them. 

“You okay?” Quil said, clear worry in his eyes. He knew Jacob was near.

“Jacob’s back,” she breathed, a small smile pulling at the side of her mouth without her meaning to. Quil and Embry shot each other a look like she had truly lost it this time.

But it felt like coming up for air. Jacob returning didn’t hurt, it felt good, and the warmth that Ti’Hal had shot through her a week ago ratcheted up her body and nestled in her belly again. 

Jacob came back.

Her eyes went wide and Quil stood up to brace her back. She took one startled look at Quil and drifted over to the photobooth where Jessica and Angela were giggling while holding a tray between them. Grace leaned in and took one of the shots from the tray throwing it back down her throat to squeals of delight from Angela. She took another one and downed that too making a ‘Blegh’ sound after and Jessica protested:

“Hey! That one was mine!” Grace sloppily wiped the back of her hand against her mouth. 

“I’ll get you more. Don’t let Esme see,” Grace sneakily darted her eyes around the dance floor. Esme already knew but the pretense was important. It added to their glee hiding in the booth and taking shots. 

“Where’s Bella?” Angela said through giggles. 

“Couldn’t find her,” Grace said shortly squeezing in and pressing start on the photobooth to take 6 quick pictures. Just as the flashes started to pop, Bella peeked her head in with a quick ‘Hey,” her eyes still red rimmed. 

The shots were hitting Grace’s stomach now and she looked at Bella delighted. They all returned with a joyful “Hey!” and pulled her into the tight booth, sitting Bella on their collective laps and clinking yet another round of shots together. Bella hesitantly took hers but one look at Grace and she downed it quickly. 

“Boys,” Bella murmured, pulling a face as the flash went off again. Grace tightened her grip around Bella’s hand. 

The cheers were deafening around her as she stood off to the side of the crowd for Bella and Edward’s send off to their honeymoon. Quil and Embry flanked her while Seth was standing out in front throwing rice and soaking in the wonder of the moment. As they came to the end, Bella reached for Grace and pulled her into her arms tightly. 

“Have fun okay?” Grace said, the words getting choked as emotion swept through her. 

“I will..” Bella whispered. 

“And come back okay, Bells?” Grace pulled back from her and looked her in the eyes. “Come back.” 

“I will, I promise,” she nodded and they swept each other into one more hug, before Grace released her and she went to say goodbye to her parents. 

She turned to Quil and Embry just a tad wobbly still from the shots, “Ready?” They nodded and she called for Seth. As they moved into the treeline, Grace looked over her shoulder and sent a silent pleading thought out one more time to Bella, Please, please come back. 

In the distance, she heard a wolf howl. 

[dangerouscommiesubversive]

Commie, can you do a fic of the BN thieves + any other thieves from Super Sentai/Kamen Rider?

Absolutely I can! And since you haven’t given me a specific prompt, let’s say that

U is for unknown

Balance isn’t, like, a suspicious guy. In fact, he’d generally describe himself as friendly. He likes people! They like him, too! Good feelings all around. But when he spots a flicker of a red tailcoat that definitely shouldn’t be in one of the back corridors of this weird little vault satellite, he maybe gets a little worried.

So he says, “Hey, love cobra.”

“Please don’t call me that in public, Balance.”

“Who’s in public? Just you, me, and twenty dead security cameras, baby. Anyway, you love it.”

Naaga stares fixedly into space for a moment, which is pretty nice, since that blue blush of his is so cute. “Notwithstanding my enjoyment of your pet names, they are not appropriate in public.”

Balance sighs theatrically. “Whatever you say, baby. Did you also see a LupinRanger just now or do I need to re-calibrate?”

“I have not seen the LupinRangers recently.”

“Well, that’s worrying, not gonna lie.”

“But my eyesight is not as acute as yours.” Naaga’s tongue flickers out for a moment. “I can smell them, though.”

“Oh. Good, no re-calibrating on the menu for the evening. Still worried, though! You think this thing Lucky needs is one of their whatsits?”

“I strongly doubt it, given that they are not from this universe.” Naaga scents the air again. “They are this way.”

They catch up with the Lupins after two corridors, and the first thing that happens is that Umika sees them, makes a happy noise, and bounds over to kiss Naaga on the cheek. Then she does the same to Balance, interrupting him in the middle of, “Hey, hey, don’t go kissing on a guy’s--oh. Hey, fancy meeting you guys here! Wait, isn’t he a cop?”

Umika frowns. “Isn’t who a--wait, you mean Noël? No. I mean. Kind of? He’s with us, it’s fine.”

“You’d better not be here after a Lupin Collection piece, though.” Kairi’s hanging back, although he doesn’t look unhappy to see them. “We’ve got dibs.”

Naaga’s nictitating membranes flicker shut for a moment over his eyes. “I am certain that we’re looking for different things, the Lupin Collection is not native to this universe.” He flashes them a brief, awkward smile. “Also, hello.”

Tooma nods. Noël Not-A-Cop waves, smiling, and says, “Bonjour, mes amis, I was sort of hoping we’d get to see you again. How have you been? How’s your handsome friend?” He’s also the one who starts walking again, and since it’s also in the direction that Balance and Naaga are going in, it seems reasonable to walk along with him.

Naaga nods in his direction. “We’ve been well. You will have to be more specific.”

“Yeah, all of our friends are pretty cute.” Balance skips out in front of the group and walks backwards facing them, relying on his sensors to keep him from tripping. “You gotta say which one you mean.”

Noël looks amused. “Fair enough. The very tall one, with the red coat and the dramatic attitude.”

“Tsurugi! He’s doing ok, I’ll tell him you asked about him.”

“Please do.” Noël looks past Balance’s shoulder. “Ah, good, I think this is the storeroom we were looking for, we’ll bid you adieu here.”

Balance glances at the door, but Naaga beats him to saying, “This is also the storeroom we’re looking for.”

“Ah,” Tooma mutters. “That’s reassuring.”

“Isn’t it?” Balance flashes him a thumbs-up, which will either make him feel extra reassured or weirded out, and either option works under the circumstances. “Let’s go in together! Like a team! Good times.”

They open the door and crowd through it all together.

The storeroom is entirely bare of anything interesting to steal, let alone Lucky’s whatsit or the Lupin things. Not that it’s a boring room, though, because there are already people in it, and it only takes a second for Balance to take in two of them and say, “Hey, baby, isn’t that Stinger’s pirate buddy and his girlfriend? The scary girlfriend, not the princess one.”

Naaga nods, as on Balance’s other said Kairi visibly brightens up and says, “Hey, Marvelous, what are you doing he--you again.”

Because Stinger’s pirate buddy and his scary girlfriend are having sort of a staring contest with a third human, who’s got bleached hair and a white jacket and a big blue gun. He glances at Kairi and says, “Oh good, it’s the brat. I hope you brought--there you are, Nicky, nice to see you.”

And Noël says, pleasantly, “Bonjour, Dion, fancy meeting you here.”

“This has gotten overly complicated,” Naaga and Tooma say simultaneously, to Balance’s delighted cry of, “Jinx! So who’s this guy?”

“Daiki! Hi!” Umika bumps Naaga with her shoulder. “Naaga, Balance, this is Kaitou Daiki, he’s also a thief, he’s sort of Noël’s ex? And he’s a, a something, a Kamen Rider! That’s it!”

“No shit?” Balance flickers his eyes, just for dramatic effect. “We met a couple of those once. Nice guys. One of them had a suit with hair on it, fun look.”

Daiki nods to them, still watching Captain Marvelous out of the corner of his eye. “There are a few of us around. Anyway, evening, Nicky, Nicky’s friends, I’m assuming these two are also Sentai?”

Naaga nods shortly. “We are Kyuurangers.”

“Yeah, I thought so, you guys have that look.” Daiki glances around. “So, anyone happen to know why we’re all here? I’m supposed to be able to find an interesting treasure here, a Dark Mirror, I was going to give it to Tsukasa as a present, but I’m really not seeing anything. Starting to think I might have been misled.”

Tooma huffs. “We may have all been misled, I don’t see a Lupin Collection piece here.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Balance scans the room. “Definitely nothing in here like the whatsit Lucky wanted us to get, the, uh, baby, help me out here.”

Naaga pats him on the shoulder. “The Heracles Cape.”

“That’s the one, yeah.”

“So we’ve all been tricked.” Daiki eyes Marvelous and Luka. “Marvelous, I hope you know that if you’re the reason I’m here, I’m going to punch you.”

Captain Marvelous shrugs. “I’m not exactly happy to see you either, Kaitou. No, I’m not why you’re here, I’m just along for the ride with Luka so she doesn’t get kidnapped by evil armor again.”

Luka huffs. “Shut up, Marvelous, that was one time. I was promised a ruby the size of my fist.”

Balance bounces on the ends of his feet, just to make his earrings swing a little and get everyone’s attention. “So who got us all here, then? That’s the big fun question of the moment.”

And a quiet voice says, “I’d be happy to answer that for you.”

Everyone jumps and turns towards the back corner of the room, where there’s yet another person waiting. She’s wearing a black dress and boots with lots of pink details and pink gloves, and her hair is bright pink too. Balance is pretty sure it’s a wig, but he’s not positive, he’s not great on hominid hair.

Luka squints at her and then turns to Marvelous. “The Go-Busters didn’t have a Pink.”

“I didn’t think they did--” Marvelous pulls out his cell phone changer thing, taps a button, and says, “Gai, did the Go-Busters have a Pink?”

There’s a faint crackle from the phone, and then a voice Balance vaguely recognizes says, “Not really? There was someone who called herself Pink Buster, but she was a civilian criminal. Basically a cosplayer." A pause. "Why? Who's dressing as Pink Buster?”

“We’ll get back to you on that. Thanks, Gai.” Marvelous hangs up the call, but doesn’t put the phone away. “Who the hell are you, and why are you dressing up as a fake Sentai?”

Naaga says, slowly, “We don’t appreciate being tricked.”

Kairi and Daiki say, much more succinctly, “What the fuck?” and then glare at each other.

Not-Actually-Pink-Buster nods. “That’s understandable. I’m sure you’re wondering why I called you all here. I require your assistance in a matter of some...” a dramatic pause, which Balance appreciates, before, “delicacy.”

And--it clicks. Balance nearly shoots off the ground in delight, and then throws up his hands in a wide enough gesture that it gets everyone looking at him. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. You called a bunch of thieves together--”

“I’m not a thief,” Marvelous says, sounding irritated. “Luka’s a thief. I’m a pirate.”

Tooma looks unimpressed. “The difference being?”

“Thieves sneak and snatch. Pirates smash and grab. Totally different approach.”

Daiki rolls his eyes.

Balance senses that he’s rapidly losing control of the moment, so as soon as he can he barrels on ahead. “You called a bunch of thieves and pirates together under mysterious circumstances in a weird place and you’re showing up wearing a disguise. And saying things like, ‘I’m sure you’re wondering why I called you all here.’“

“She said exactly that.”

“I know, baby, I’m being dramatic.”

“Ah. Carry on, please, I enjoy your dramatics.”

“Thanks, love you too, anyway! Did you pull us all here for a job? Is it a heist? Are you trying to get us to team up to do a heist?”

Pink Lady opens her mouth--

--but Balance is now fizzing with so much energy that his earrings are jangling. “Because I am here for it, pink lady, I’ve always wanted to do a heist! Are we robbing a bank? Wait, no, not sexy enough, please tell me it’s a casino.”

Everyone’s staring at him. It feels fantastic. Pink Lady gapes at him and then says, slowly, “It’s. Ah. A museum, actually.”

He punches the air. “Hot damn! Lady, I could kiss you. I mean, I’m not gonna, I don’t have lips and I’m pretty big on monogamy, but if it wasn’t for that then I could. A heist!"

Naaga nods and says, "I am also enthusiastic to participate."

He even sounds enthusiastic. Balance isn't sure he's ever felt so loved. "The BN Thieves are gonna do a heist!”

He and Naaga do the pose. Umika, Noël, and Daiki all clap politely. It’s amazing. It’s the best day of his life.

Kairi also looks pretty thrilled, but then he gestures to Daiki and says, “A heist sounds great, but I’m not working with that guy.”

Daiki sighs. “I’m not thrilled about the idea of working with you either, brat. Flattered to be asked, though,” to Pink Lady.`

“Oh, come on, guys, a heist! A museum heist! It doesn’t get any cooler than this!”

Tooma’s raising his eyebrows high enough that they’re actually visible over his mask. “You’re very excited about this.”

“Balance has wanted to participate in a heist since he was fifty years old.” Naaga looks pleased.

He’s so cute. Balance is going to die of joy. “I’m gonna marry that reptile,” he says to Umika, who pats him on the shoulder as Naaga turns bright blue. “Anyway, come on, you guys can put aside your weird human differences for the crime of the millennium, can’t you?”

[phantom-le6]

Episode Reviews - Batman: The Animated Series Season 1 (4 of 10)

Carrying on our look at the first season of Batman: The Animated Series, we present a fourth round of episode reviews, this time starting with a two-parter that introduced one of Batman’s stranger foes to the series.

Episode 20: Feat of Clay (Part 1)

Plot (as given by me):

Lucius Fox of Wayne Enterprises is lured to a secret meeting with a man who claims to be Bruce Wayne, who wants evidence the company has gathered about businessman Roland Daggett trying to take over Wayne Enterprises through insider trading.  The meeting turns out to be a set-up, but Batman’s interference ensures Fox manages to live.  However, the men escape and the injured Fox identifies Wayne as being complicit in the set-up.

 In reality, the man who set Fox up is Matt Hagan, an actor who is forced to carry out errands for Daggett in order to ensure a supply of an experimental chemical compound called “Renuyu”.  The compound makes skin highly malleable, enabling Hagan or any other user to rearrange their features as they choose.  However, the compound is also highly addictive, and Hagan needs it to cover facial disfigurements following an accident he had years ago.  Daggett insists that his men, Raymond Bell and ‘Germs’, eliminate Hagan for his incompetence, relying on Hagan’s addition to draw him to them rather than try to find Hagan, who was a noted master of disguise even before using the compound.

 As predicted, Hagan breaks into Daggett Pharmaceuticals and is caught by Bell and Germs.  They expose him to an overdose of the compound and then leave him in his car, where the compound begins to alter Hagan.  Meanwhile, Batman has learned his alter ego of Bruce Wayne was impersonated for the attack on Fox, and has remembered Bell, who is distinguished by the radio headset he wears to monitor police radio frequencies.  Batman uses this to flush Bell out by pretending to be a police radio operator.  Cornering Bell with the Batwing, Batman interrogates him about the impersonation of Wayne.  Bell confirms Wayne was impersonated, but passes out before confirming the identity of the imposter.  The arrival of the police forces Batman to abandon his efforts with Bell.

 Later, Bruce sneaks into Fox’s room at the hospital, but Fox panics and alerts the police officers outside his room, resulting in Bruce’s arrest.  Meanwhile, Hagan’s friend and stand-in Teddy Lupus tracks Hagan to Daggett’s factory, where he finds the overdose has transformed Hagan into a clay-like monster. Seeing himself in the rear-view mirror of his car, Hagan roars in horror.

Review:

Apparently, there have been several villains who have taken the name of Clayface over the course of Batman’s history in the comics, of which four had already made appearances in comics by the time this series came round.  What the series does is combine the occupation of the original Clayface Basil Karlo, namely being an actor, with the name of the second Clayface Matt Hagan, and then throws in an original origin story for the character.  Well, for the character it’s original, but for the show as a whole it’s not very original.  As the DC Animated Universe wiki rightly points out, this two-part episode shares a lot of common plot points with the ‘Two-Face’ two-part episode. Even the structure is roughly similar in that part 1 is set-up for a transformation that the principal villain then seeks retribution for in part 2.

 However, Hagan isn’t as easy to empathise with and root for compared to Harvey Dent.  While Dent was a crusading crime-fighter who was normally a good guy, and who was also friends with Bruce Wayne, Hagan comes off as someone who was probably a bit of a jerk to begin with, and who would probably be working for a creep like Daggett even if the chemicals that ultimately transform him weren’t addictive.  In essence, Hagan’s arc is like one big warning about the dangers of getting too caught up in one’s looks too much.  That said, he is well-voiced by actor Ron Perlman (yes, I mean the first cinematic Hellboy and Blade II villain Ron Perlman).  Other notable actors who have guest roles across this two-parter are Ed Begley Jr. (too many credits to name, but guest appearances in the West Wing, CSI Miami and Star Trek: Voyager number among them), and the now-late Ed Asner voicing Roland Daggett (Asner being most notable in voice acting outside of this series for Carl in Disney & Pixar’s Up!).

 Overall, it’s a decent part 1 with some very good guest talent alongside the show’s regulars.  It just lacks a bit in originality, and for that it’s only able to score 8 out of 10.

Episode 21: Feat of Clay (Part 2)

Plot (as given by me):

In his trailer at the film studio, Hagan wallows in self-pity and despair as he recalls how after his accident, Daggett conned him into being a test subject for his experimental compound.  Walking past posters on his wall, Hagan’s face changes to mimic the posters without him being aware of it.  Teddy points this out, and Hagan realises he can now make himself look like anyone, even simulating clothing out of his body. However, doing this requires intense concentration, and when Teddy disturbs Hagan, the disfigured actor lashes out, realising his career cannot be salvaged.

 Meanwhile, Wayne is released on bail, enabling him to continue his investigation as Batman, and Daggett insists that Germs kill Fox, despite the fact that Fox is in hospital and Germs earned his nickname by being a germophobe.  Hagan also deduces Daggett will try to have Fox killed, and plans to kill the assassin so he can take their place, the better to then kill Daggett.  As a result, all three men end up at the hospital. Batman intercepts Germs and manages to corner him in a room where viral and bacterial cultures are being stored for analysis, and uses this to coax Germs into revealing it was Matt Hagan who impersonated Bruce Wayne during the original ambush on Fox.

 Before Germs can reveal how Hagan pulled off the deception, a police officer appears to apparently arrest Germs.  However, it swiftly turns out the office is Hagan in disguise; he abducts Germs and takes him to the roof, intent on throwing him to his death.  Batman pursues and saves Germs, and the dark knight is startled when he sees Hagan’s face change on reflex to try and mirror his own.  Hagan uses his shape-shifting powers to try and kill Batman, but the effort soon exhausts him and he is forced to flee.  Elsewhere, Hagan finalises his plans to kill Daggett, and knocks out Teddy when he tries to talk him out of it.

 Later, Roland Daggett appears on a talk show hosted by TV journalist Summer Gleeson to promote “Renuyu” to the public.  When Summer takes questions from the audience, an overweight woman in the audience storms the stage, grilling Daggett about the chemical’s side-effects and addictive properties.  The woman then transforms, revealing it is actually Hagan in disguise, and the audience flees in terror.  Hagan, now calling himself “Clayface”, attacks Daggett, but Batman intervenes.  A fight ensues between the two that moves from the stage to the control room, Batman subduing Daggett along the way.

 In the control room, Batman activates videos of Hagan’s films, causing him to shape-shift out of control as his body tries to emulate all the varying and conflicting characters at once.  The police arrive as Hagan’s out-of-control changing continues, and they see his face briefly become that of Bruce Wayne. Hagan then smashes the control consoles, electrocuting himself.  He laments that he never got a death scene this good when he was still an actor, and won’t be around to read the notices.  While Wayne is cleared of all wrong-doing, Batman experiments on a piece of Clayface left behind and realises electricity has no effect on it. Combined with the actor’s choice of words, Batman realises Hagan gave them all a fake death; his body at the police morgue turns out to be an empty shell, and elsewhere a disguised Clayface laughs at his seeming triumph.

Review:

As I noted with part 1, the whole Clayface intro two-part story is quite derivative in its plot structure, having so many parallels to the Two-Face intro episodes that to a casual glance, they could appear identical.  However, part 2 does compensate for this with more than just a great cast of guest voices like part 1 did.  In part 2, we see Clayface show off his powers, and that’s where this episode comes to really stand out.  Unlike some DC heroes, Batman faces a rogues’ gallery composed almost entirely of otherwise normal people who are either just insane human beings or some form of professional criminal.  As a result, he’s often challenged more by their insanity or something technical they’ve done.

 Clayface, on the other hand, opens our animated Batman up to facing a foe who presents a challenge because he has a physical super-power that the caper crusader has to contend with.  Metahumans aren’t the norm for Batman solo adventures, but it’s fun to see them because they serve as evidence for why someone like Batman ultimately ends up as a member of the Justice League.  It’s his ability to get through the initial clash, learn from it and be prepared the next time around that ensures Batman can win even against a super-powered adversary.  However, even with this we’re not quite up to top marks, but we’re close.  I’d give this episode 9 out of 10.

Episode 22: Joker’s Favour

Plot (as given by me):

Average Gothamite Charlie Collins is coming home from a bad day at work when he is cut off on the freeway by multiple drivers, including Batman and officers of the GCPD.  However, the one that compels Charlie to return the favour complete with a string of abuse turns out to be the Joker.  Horrified at his mistake, Charlie then tries to flee, but the clown prince of crime pursues him.  Charlie, in the heat of the moment, states he’ll do anything to make amends, and the Joker agrees, stating that at some future time, he’ll ask a favour of Charlie.

 Two years later, Commissioner Gordon is to be honoured with a testimonial, something that sits ill with the Joker, and he plans to crash the festivities.  Despite having two henchmen and a right-hand woman in the form of one Harley Quinn, Joker decides to call in the favour owed to him by Charlie Collins. Charlie has moved cities and changed names, but the Joker has managed to keep track of the man, and insists Charlie return to Gotham if he doesn’t want his wife and son hurt.  At Gordon’s testimonial, which is being held at the Gotham Peregrinators Club, Charlie’s favour for the Joker is open the door for Harley while she pushes a giant cake in.  However, Charlie decides to try and warn Batman, and uses a club exhibit to make an improvised bat-signal.

 Charlie performs his task as Harley brings the cake in, disguised as a uniform cop.  However, Charlie finds his hand is now glued to the handle, and the cake emits a gas that paralyses everyone not involved in the Joker’s scheme (the Joker’s men, Harley and Charlie all wear gas-masks while Joker springs up from inside the cake).  The Joker pins a bomb to Commissioner Gordon’s suit and leaves with Harley and his men, planning to kill Charlie along with the assembled officers. However, Batman arrives, having spotted the improvised bat-signal as he’d been leaving the club as Bruce Wayne. At Charlie’s warning, he uses his grapnel gun to shoot the bomb outside, which results in the destruction of the Joker’s getaway van, after which he frees Charlie from the door, telling him to stay with the recovering police officers while he tackles the Joker.

 Batman is quick to take down Joker’s henchmen and Harley while Joker gets outside.  There, he is confronted by Charlie, who in mad desperation threatens the Joker with one of his own bombs that was thrown clear of the van.  Joker pleads for Batman to save him, and the dark knight appears in time to apparently talk Charlie down.  However, Charlie soon tosses the device to the ground, where it turns out to be a gag bomb instead of a real one.  While an amused Batman takes the Joker into custody, Charlie looks forward to returning to his normal life.

Review:

This episode has quite a lot going for it. For starters, it’s another Joker episode, which are generally sure bets to be interesting once any Batman show knows what they’re doing with the character.  Second, it’s a Joker episode with a very interesting premise of putting an everyman kind of character in the middle of everything.  That alone helps the episode to stand out as something different, and that’s before we consider that the everyman character is being voiced by Ed Begley Jr.  In and of itself, that last point might not seem like much, but if you compare Charlie Collins to the character Begley was voicing in the ‘Feat of Clay’ two-part episode, it shows this chap has an impressive range for voice-acting.

 However, all of this is relative pre-amble to the fact that this is the episode that first featured the show’s major break-out original character of Harley Quinn.  From the simple act of episode writer Paul Dini creating Harley as a guest character for this episode, her character has taken Batman’s original medium of comics and all other Batman mediums by storm.  It’s hard to believe given the episode isn’t giving her a proper intro with origin story and all the rest, but luckily the show would later address that. However, I think that just goes to show how strong the character was, or possibly just how much Batman lore must have needed that character without maybe realising it.  Factoring all this in, I’d say this episode is another top scorer; 10 out of 10.

Episode 23: Vendetta

Plot (as given by me):

Convict “Spider” Conway is being transported from Stonegate to give evidence against crime lord Rupert Thorne, but the transport boat is blown up by a bomb mid-transport.  The officers on board spotted the bomb and got off in time, but Conway is missing and everyone begins to assume the worst.  When Batman finds a toothpick like those used by Detective Harvey Bullock at the Stonegate Penitentiary docks, and later learns Bullock was once suspected of taking bribes from Thorne, he assumes something even worse; that Bullock planted the bomb himself.

 Bullock is taken off the Thorne/Conway case because of this unsavoury history, while Batman goes to interrogate Thorne.  The crime lord claims he wasn’t involved and that Conway’s testimony won’t damage him at all.  This seems to confirm Batman’s theory that Bullock blew up the boat to prevent anything come to light about his own past with Thorne, but Commissioner Gordon is adamant Bullock is clean.  However, when someone dressed like Bullock abducts another criminal, Joey “The Snail” Martin, from his police cell, Bullock is arrested.

 Batman examines another piece of evidence found at the docks, a scale which looks reptilian but has human cellular structure. A chance phrase of Alfred’s combined with the scale gives Batman an idea.  He eventually discovers Joey and Spider have been hidden in a cave with an underwater access and confronts their abductor, who identifies himself as a former professional wrestler named Killer Croc.  Croc was apparently born part-crocodile, which gives him a massive strength advantage.  Despite this, Batman is able to tie Croc up long enough to capture Joey and Spider and leave.

 Back at the Batcave, Batman is able to trace Croc’s past; he became a pro-wrestler after a stint as a side-show attraction, then turned to crime when he came to Gotham.  Initially penny-ante, Croc was later arrested by Bullock and convicted based on the testimony of Spidey and Joey.  Realising this, Batman intercepts Croc when he tries to corner Bullock in the detective’s car, after Bullock has been released on bail.  Batman and Croc take their battle into the sewers, where Batman ultimately wins, bringing Croc back to the surface for Bullock to take in. Bullock soon returns to duty with all charges against him formally dropped.

Review:

Here we get a fairly simple, but nonetheless decent, intro episode for another of the metahuman monsters that occasionally get a spot in the Batman rogues’ gallery.  This time it’s Killer Croc, who has a fairly simple backstory and doesn’t require the kind of introductions we’ve seen for many of Batman’s other foes. The backstory for Croc is so simple, in fact, that it doesn’t lose anything from being worked into a Bullock frame-up plot that allows us to also see a major supporting character in Batman lore developed further.  My only criticism would be that Croc’s proper name of Waylon Jones from the comics isn’t used, and that right at the end he gets identified as ‘Killer Croc Morgan’ by the news reporter.  It might seem like a minor niggle to some, but between that and the frame-up seeming a bit advanced for the simplistic Croc, I give this episode just 8 out of 10.

Episode 24: Fear of Victory

Plot (as given by me):

Amidst reports of star athletes having panic attacks that cause them to lose, Dick Grayson’s college room-mate and American football player Brian Rogers is on the verge of being signed into the professional American football leagues.  As they discuss this, Brian receives a strange telegram wishing him luck, but also reminding him that only a fool knows no fear.  Later at a crucial game, Brian suffers a panic attack of his own, and later when Dick is out as Robin assisting Batman, he has a panic attack while scaling the side of a skyscraper to tackle two thieves.

 Investigating Dick’s college dorm, Batman discovers the telegram is coated in a substance that is blocked by their gloves. Performing an experiment back at the Batcave, Batman deduces that the chemical is activated by adrenalin, causing major panic during moments of major excitement such as high-pressure sporting contests.  The nature of the chemical clearly indicates the Scarecrow, but Robin contends that Scarecrow is supposed to be locked up at Arkham Asylum.  A visit there swiftly reveals, however, that Scarecrow has escaped and somehow terrorised an orderly into keeping the escape a secret.

 Elsewhere, a man identifying himself only as ‘Lucky’ collects another big win from Leon the Bookie, who sends his enforcer after the man to find out how he is managing to win so many bets.  Lucky turns out to be the Scarecrow, and uses another drugged telegram to cow the enforcer into submission.  Batman explains to Commissioner Gordon that in order to finance his fear experiments, Scarecrow is drugging top athletes and then betting against them or their teams, depending on the sport in question.  That knight, Gotham’s professional American football team the Gotham Knights have a game that Scarecrow is likely to target, so Batman goes to intervene, Robin going along despite not yet having recovered from the fear chemical himself.

 At the game, Robin spots the disguised Scarecrow entering and follows, quickly deducing that this time, Scarecrow has tampered with a player’s helmet rather than going for the telegram trick again. Watching the game from the lighting scaffold in the stadium roof, Scarecrow is puzzled as the targeted player doesn’t have a panic attack, and is then surprised when Batman confronts him. Scarecrow threatens to drop a vial of fear toxin on the crowd if Batman doesn’t back off, but then opts to drop it to keep Batman too busy to follow him.  However, the vial lands on a lower platform instead.

 A scuffle ensues that causes the vial to fall towards the crowd, but Robin arrives in time to swing out and catch the vial, overcoming his panic attacks and saving the day.  He also reveals he was the one who swapped out the dosed helmet for a safe one.  Scarecrow is swiftly returned to Arkham and Brian Rodgers is signed up to play professional American football.

Review:

Quick bit of house-keeping; as a Brit, I cannot stand how Americans call actual football ‘soccer’ and their version of football, well, football.  After all, football is supposed to be played, as the name implies, with one’s feet.  Why the Americans apply this name to their version when they almost never use their feet to move the ball is just silly to me. Also, given the shape of the ball, I’d say what they’re really playing is rugby, albeit with a better set-up in terms of ensuring player protection and, hopefully, no stupid rules prohibiting passes in the direction players are meant to run.  So, for anyone wondering why I’ve insisted on using the term ‘American football’ all through the plot outline above, that’s why.

 So, that having now been explained, let’s consider the episode proper.  While this was the first episode to be aired featuring Robin, it’s the second from a production stand-point, and in all honesty it’s one episode that might have been better going ahead of the earlier Robin episode ‘Christmas with the Joker’.  The fact that Dick is at college, and thus less available to act as Robin, is more directly shown here, so really this should have been made as well as aired first, then the Christmas episode done later on both counts.  Robin’s arc in the story about overcoming fears is a decent, albeit highly cliché one that at times slightly undercuts the episode’s quality.

 To some degree, the return of Scarecrow with a more terrifying appearance helps compensate for this, but then also undercutting the episode is the obviousness that the Scarecrow is the culprit.  Between the episode title (and title card), not to mention the series of fear-related incidents with top athletes, it’s somewhat painful having to wait for Batman to make the connection the audience made five minutes earlier at least.  It’s like watching any episode of Columbo, where the audience gets to see what actually happened first and then has to wait ages for the detective to work it out.

 That way of presenting mysteries is almost as daft as calling a sport football if it’s not going to involve primarily foot-on-ball contact.  The audience should always be in sync with or behind the detective, and if you get there ahead of them, it should be from your own deduction, not because the book, TV episode or film spoils the solution for you while making the detective work for it.  Overall, this isn’t the best episode of the series by any means, and I give it just 5 out of 10.

Episode 25: The Clock King

Plot (as given by me):

Hamilton Hill, the future Mayor of Gotham, catches a subway to work at his law firm, and finds himself sitting opposite businessman and efficiency expert Temple Fugate, who is preparing for a hearing regarding a judgement of $20 million dollars against his company.  Hill warns Fugate that he needs to unwind a bit before the court hearing or the judge may rule against him by misreading his tension as guilt. Taking Hill’s advice, Fugate takes his coffee break 15 minutes later than normal and goes to the park instead of staying in the office.  This leads to mishaps that result in him appearing late and dishevelled, prompting the judge to rule summarily against Fugate, causing the demise of his business.

 Seven years later, Hill is now mayor of Gotham and in the process of starting a re-election campaign.  On his way to a fund-raiser for the campaign, Hill is detained when traffic lights at an intersection are tampered with, and at the same time a poster mocking Hill is unveiled on the side of a building.  Bruce Wayne is also caught in the traffic mishap, and spies the culprit on a nearby rooftop. He attempts to interfere as Batman, but the culprit (Fugate now lightly disguised as the timing-obsessed Clock King) manages to escape through his expert use of timing.

 Batman’s investigations of the traffic incident soon give him Fugate’s name, and when a bank is the subject of a targeted black-out to disable its time locks, the dark knight deduces this to also be Fugate’s work. At the bank’s vault, Batman is trapped inside by Fugate, who reveals via audio recording that he has left a high-speed vacuum pump to drain the vault’s air.  The pump will take less time than Batman’s cutting torch, and it’s rigged with a vibration-sensitive explosive to prevent Batman tampering with it.  However, Batman is able to break open the audio cassette and use the magnetic ribbon to rig up a pulley system; using this, he moves the pump to the vault door and then sets it off by hitting it with a batarang.

 The bank vault, however, was ultimately successful in that while Batman is getting free, Fugate sabotages the opening of a Gotham subway station by making two subway trains crash at the station.  Only minor injuries are reported, but in the confusion the mayor has gone missing.  Batman, hearing of this and recalling Fugate having a lot of plans of a clock tower, swiftly realises Fugate has kidnapped Hill and taken him to the tower.

 At the clock tower, Fugate has tied Hill to the clock hands, which will crush Hill at 3:15; the time Hill suggested Fugate take his coffee break at seven years earlier.  As Hill’s law firm represented the plaintiffs in the case against Fugate, the timing-obsessed criminal has become convinced Hill’s advice was deliberate sabotage, and thus he various crimes throughout the day have been about exacting revenge on Hill. Batman arrives and engages Fugate in combat inside the workings of the giant clock, until Fugate’s clock-hand sword jams the gears, causing a catastrophic collapse.  Batman and Hill escape, and while there is no sign of Fugate in the aftermath, Batman believes that a man with Fugate’s use of timing could easily have escaped as well.

Review:

While the main antagonist of this episode shares his codename and use of timing with a DC Comics villain that was mainly a foe of Green Arrow, this show puts a different person behind the name and modus operandi, complete with a different origin story.  It’s a decent story, and one that certainly breaks a major convention of the series by having Batman operate in the daytime instead of being a strictly night-time crime fighter.  However, that sort of change is good because it adds somewhat to the variety of the show while also taking the main character out of his comfort zone a bit. On a personal note, I also enjoy this episode because what happens to Fugate illustrates why if you’re someone who is worried about being somewhere on time, you should never listen to any advice that might put you behind schedule.

 Hill might think what he’s suggesting will help Fugate, but it’s clear he’s not really engaged with Fugate and doesn’t understand the man.  Anyone who is this good with timing clearly needs everything to run like, well, clockwork in order to be relaxed.  I know because I’m often the same way and can’t stand the idea of being late to anything even where it might be the social norm.  If being late is going to cause someone anxiety, don’t try to suggest that they do anything that’s going to risk making them late.  Don’t tell them to have their break at another time or to get out of their routine; let them stay in their routine because odds are they need that routine just to keep calm.

 As much as Fugate goes overboard on the revenge, Hill deserves the opening salvo of the traffic incident and poster graffiti, and so does anyone who tries to advise others on how to calm down without knowing them.  Also, changes in routine and getting outside won’t help if the source of anxiety still exists.  Anxiety, like every problem in existence, has only solution; deal with the problem at its source.  Got an illness?  Go for whatever treatment wipes it out or lets your immune system do so.  Don’t like the current government?  Vote to change who runs it and get everyone you can to vote the same way?  Want to stop discrimination of any kind?  Fight every kind actively, aggressively and never, ever just say ‘I’m not that kind of bigot’ and then do nothing else.  Problems are only ever solved by action, not evasion.

 So overall, this is a good episode with an interesting premise and a story that highlights the folly of giving well-meant advice if you don’t really know the person you’re advising.  It’s not one of the highlights of the series, but I’d be hard-pressed to consider it a flop of any kind.  I’d say about 8 out of 10 for this one.

Episode 26: Appointment in Crime Alley

Plot (as given by me):

Roland Daggett wants to buy up and redevelop Gotham’s Park Row, a formerly nice area of the city that has now become a slum so infested with crime that it is better known as Crime Alley.  However, most of the residents of the area cannot afford to live anywhere else, so they are resisting Daggett’s plans.  To that end, Daggett hires an arsonist known as Nitro to destroy the slum and make it look like a faulty gas main ruptured.  Daggett asks that the explosion occur that evening at 9pm, which is when Daggett will be otherwise occupied giving his speech to the Gotham Better Business Council.

 Bruce Wayne deduces Daggett is up to something as he watches news commentary on the Park Row situation, but he has his own appointment to keep in the area an hour prior to Daggett’s deadline, one he has apparently never failed to make.  Bruce heads to the area as Batman, but is delayed when a girl comes running out of an apartment building screaming for help.  Batman enters the apartment to find three crooks trying to terrorise the girl’s mother out of the place.  The dark knight swiftly defeats the crooks and learns they’ve been strong-arming everyone in Crime Alley to leave, suggesting they may be working for Daggett.

 Meanwhile, Crime Alley resident and physician Dr Leslie Thompkins realises Batman is running late and sets out to look for him, insisting to her friend Maggie that she’ll be alright, having lived in the area for 30 years.  However, Leslie is abducted and tied up by Nitro and Daggett’s henchman Crocker when she discovers them rigging explosives in a condemned building.  When Batman learns Leslie has gone out in search of him after he was delayed, he begins to search for her.  He is then delayed when a desperate Crime Alley resident holds a clerk from Daggett Industries hostage for serving him eviction papers.  Batman manages to diffuse the situation and resumes his search for Leslie.

 A check of Leslie’s apartment reveals nothing, apart from a scrapbook that explains the nature of her relationship to Batman; Crime Alley was where Bruce’s parents were shot and killed, and Leslie was there to comfort the grieving Bruce, being a colleague of Bruce’s father as well as a local resident.  Seeing a homeless man staring through the window, Batman confronts him and learns of Leslie’s abduction.  He is delayed getting to her by having to stop an out-of-control tram trolley, which forces him to abandon the Batmobile and finish his journey on foot.

 Finding Crocker and Nitro in the midst of completing their work, Batman locks them inside their own van and diffuses the bombs Leslie is tied up next to.  Leslie urges Batman to forget her and get everyone out of a nearby hotel that has become a sanctuary for many people with nowhere else to live.  As Daggett gives his speech, sections of Crime Alley explode, but when Daggett later appears on the scene, it turns out all the residents and most of the buildings are still ok.  Only a few condemned buildings are taken out by the blasts, and Daggett’s men are under arrest.  However, Daggett denies any involvement and pins the blame on the neighbourhood’s high crime rate.

 As Daggett leaves, Leslie urges Batman to let it go, and the pair walk away to keep their appointment, each laying a rose at the place where Bruce’s parents were murdered years before.

Review:

When it comes to adapting Batman’s supporting cast from the comics, there are a few characters who get over-looked in most versions, and Dr Leslie Thompkins is a major oversight in most incarnations. While Alfred’s place as Batman’s butler and Bruce Wayne’s surrogate father figure is generally ensured in every iteration of the character, the surrogate mother role played by Leslie is less featured.  The fact that this series actually bothered to include her at all, and does so with such accuracy to the source material, is another example of why this show remains so iconic and definitive in terms of Batman adaptations.

 Of course, the key to making this work is two-fold.  First, the episode is apparently based on a specific comic-book story, which wasn’t something this series or later DC animated universe productions did very often. Second, they had Diana Muldaur, better known to Trek audiences as Dr Kate Polaski from season two of Star Trek: TNG, voicing Leslie, and while I didn’t generally care for her TNG character, she brings the right warmth and kindliness to her role in this episode. We also get Ed Asner back as Roland Daggett, which helps to ensure Rupert Thorne isn’t the only animated series original criminal that’s getting repeat appearances.  It also gives the episode a suitably notable antagonist to keep it interesting.  Overall, I’m inclined to put this one in the top-scorers club for this series; 10 out of 10.

[yikeswtfmate]

Trouvaille

Trouvaille (n.) a valuable discovery, or a lucky find; something lovely discovered by chance

Summary: Bucky stumbles upon a dingy bar in Brooklyn, turning his world upside down.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: swearing

A/N: Super fluffy piece! I’m so excited about this, every second of it has been an absolute pleasure. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it!

masterlist

It’s another Wednesday night that Bucky spends in a seemingly random bar in Brooklyn. But nothing is random about this bar – although, granted, it was at first. Now, James Buchanan Barnes can be found in this bar once a week without fail (which in all honesty should be a miracle considering what his job is), whether it’s a Monday (when only a few sad men swallow their misery in tall glasses of beer), or a Thursday (his favourite, because at 10 o’clock on the dot the bartender plays that song that he used to love so much in another life), or a Saturday (which he hates the most because it’s crowded and he can’t really have a proper conversation). The bar is nothing much – the same floor that however many times it’s cleaned it’s still a little bit sticky, there’s the smell of stale booze that oozes out from the upholstery and the customers only give him a cursory glance when he walks in and takes his usual stool right at the farthest corner of the bar.

He discovered this bar one night when he was tired of wandering the streets of Brooklyn after a long day of restlessness. He couldn’t sit still in the Avengers Tower, and although he tried sparring with Nat, or playing poker with Sam and Tony, or even tried his hand at chess again with Steve, he just couldn’t stop feeling fidgety. So he just up and went for a stroll through the emptying streets until he ended up in Brooklyn. He noticed the neon sign above the door, one of the clover’s leaves flickering on and off in the darkness. He decided to take a seat when he heard the music – low notes of a song long forgotten dancing between whispers and shouts, the singer’s voice too sweet for the rough hands that were clutching their bottles.

He stayed for the most radiant laughter that filled his ears, folding over and around the song. He stayed for the bright eyes that met his when he asked for a beer of his own; for the smile that tugged at delicate lips; for the raised eyebrow that ascertained recognition. He normally would have pulled his baseball cap lower over his eyes, but he didn’t want to obstruct his view. He wanted to see her fully, to bask in the marvel that this woman in front of him was.

The first words she said to him were of mockery, laughing at his weak attempt at a disguise, and after six months of knowing her, he’s still surprised at how easy it is to be around her. How easy it is to banter, to make fun of the other, to always be able to cheer him up, regardless of how deep his rage might be, to not expect anything more than to just be.

Now it’s another night that Bucky spends at the dingy bar, watching Y/N pour shots for the hen party that’s taking place for whatever reason on a Wednesday. He’s been in a foul mood all evening, and she’s been trying to give him some space, but as she wipes her hands on a damp towel, she huffs and saunters over to him.

“Ok, big guy. Tell me what’s up with you today.” Y/N demands, but Bucky doesn’t answer at first. She leans down, trying to catch his eyes as he lowers his gaze towards the bottle he’s been nursing for an hour already. “You know I hate it when I can’t see your pretty smile, baby.” She tries again. “Come on, Sarge, I won’t be seeing you for another week after tonight, give me something to swoon over until next time.”

He finally smiles, even if for a fraction. He looks back up at her and she notices the dark circles under his eyes. She knows he doesn’t usually sleep well, but he seems even more exhausted than last week. There’s something bugging him that’s enough to keep him from flirting and laughing at her stupid jokes, as he would do.

“Penny for your thoughts?” She offers.

“How about a kiss, doll?” Which is definitely more than she could get out of him all night, but still not the full force of the charm that he normally displays.

“My, mister Barnes, you sure know how to bewitch a girl, don’t you?” There’s a pause in their conversation as she goes about serving a man in a suit that must’ve probably just gotten out of a huge fight with his partner, considering the distraught look.

“Come on, Buck. Tell me what’s up. I ain’t leaving until you tell me what’s wrong.”

“You still have two more hours to work.” He points out.

“Which means I’m super dedicated to the cause if I’m willing to not lose my job by just walking out to prove a point.”

He sighs but at least offers her a small smile in return. Shaking his head, he takes a sip of his beer, knowing from experience that although she can give him space whenever he needs it, he always finds that he feels better after sharing his thoughts with her.

“Just been having a shitty week, that’s all, doll. The last mission was rather…challenging.” He says, memories of too many bodies scattered on a cold slaughterhouse floor in front of his eyes. There are not many things he’d shy away from telling her, but sometimes he feels the need to avoid giving her the grimy details.

Y/N nods in silence, and after a few seconds of watching him closely, she places her hand on top of his right one that was resting on the bar top. He moves his palm upwards in order to hold hers, lifting it towards his lips and placing a soft kiss on a knuckle. She squeezes his fingers for a second but doesn’t let go. He needs the contact, of that she is more than certain, and however much she’d like to deny her affection for him, this sullen man sneaked his way around her veins, slipped between the cracks of her ribs, and nestled himself in a corner of her heart, filling her lungs with sunshine and camellias without her even noticing.

“Well, I’d say beer is a good start to drown your sorrows in.” She notes, trying to make light, drawing him out of the dark place he likes to curl into.

She pulls back her hand, all the while Bucky wishing she’d just stay there in front of him, keeping her hand in his and just looking at each other.

“I can also offer you some salted peanuts as well.” She says, disappearing under the bar, throwing food and alcohol on the top as she keeps on talking. “Might find some pretzels as well, if only I can find where Cody keeps putting them under this goddamn – aha!” Another colourful bag surfaces and Bucky tries to catch it without smashing anything in his way. “Oh! I might even find his secret stash of chocolate if I look hard enough!” Her eyes appear over the countertop, a mischievous glint that Bucky enjoys but always treats with caution. “Would that make you feel better?”

“I’ve already told you that a kiss would be enough, baby.” He winks, already feeling some of the tension easing out of his muscles.

“Now, now, James. This is no way of treating a lady. What would the village say if I were to fall into your arms without you properly courting me?”

Bucky tilts his head to the side, narrowing his eyes. She shifts under his gaze, but can admit that it melts her from inside out.

“Is that what you want, doll? A proper courtship?” His voice is low but even with music playing and patrons shouting around them, she feels as if he whispered those words into her ear. She shudders, making his lips slowly tug up at one end.

“Bucky, you’re supposed to tell me what you want so you can feel better.”

“I said I wanted a kiss, but you keep refusing me, baby.” A frown. “So I’ll just settle for walking you home tonight, what do you say?”

“Silly goose.” She laughs, although she’s only half listening to him as she is pouring a draught beer to a customer next to him. “You’ve been walking me home for the past three months, I don’t see how tonight would be any different.”

Bucky smiles softly when she sends him a wink distractedly. There are pauses in their conversation, sentences and questions scattered across two hours as the patrons of the bar order their last drinks and prepare to head home. Midnight comes and goes, and Bucky loses himself in memories of nights spent in the bar, just so he could be in her company, even if for only a few hours. Tonight’s the night, he decides, there have been too many silent queries in her eyes, too many touches that bordered on delicate caresses, too many smiles hiding secrets that could bloom into something else, something more that he so desperately has been longing for.

It was easier to not want more from life before he met her. He was content with just surviving from day to day, never asking for more, never believing he deserved more. The way he saw it, it should have been his atonement for the years of pain and suffering he had inflicted. Never knowing more than completing the missions he was sent on, eradicating as much as possible of the evil that existed in the world, trying to tip the scales at least a fraction before he’d have to finally rest, regardless of how soon that would come. Until Bucky met Y/N, which turned his world upside down. He found himself more careful, less inclined to charge head first into any situation that might bring him certain death. Now he had someone to come back to, someone who would bring him back from the dead just so she could give him a good scolding.

He's been more than careful not to let any of his friends near her, except for Natalia, of course. Y/N mentioned one time her thoughts on the Black Widow being the most amazing woman to ever grace the Earth, so he decided to surprise her one night. It wasn’t a tough choice to make, her ecstatic expression and her giddiness were enough to make him smile all night, although he had to give up her attention completely in favour of the redhead. After that, Nat would sometimes accompany him, having taken a liking to “Barnes’ cute bartender,” but neither of them would give any more to the others, much to their collective chagrin. But Bucky was relentless in refusing to subject her to their teasing and intensity, and he was grateful Nat respected his wish.

One night he asked her to dance with him in the middle of the dingy bar. It was the first time she played that song he loved so much, a soft melody that waved around their bodies as he shifted her closer and closer to him until she finally rested her head on his shoulder. He felt the sigh that escaped her lips and kissed the top of her head with his eyes closed.

Another night he came in bruised and battered after a particularly difficult mission, having escaped from the Med bay as soon as he was allowed, his first thought upon waking up being of her. The moment she saw him, she rounded the bar, inspecting him from head to toe and pinched his ear, which was probably the only part of him that wasn’t hurting at that moment. She shouted at him and cursed him, accusing him of being a “reckless wet sock,” all the while he was laughing at her reaction, even though the worry in her eyes made his heart expand like batter in the oven. That was the first time she made him promise he’ll stop putting himself in danger or she’ll never forgive him, a hand over his purple cheek, her thumb stroking over the tender skin. With a kiss to the inside of her wrist, he promised, having realised he would forever do anything she would ask of him.

While she is closing the bar, Bucky wonders yet again how would his life look like if he would just give up his duties as an Avenger, and follow his heart for once. He wonders whether that would be selfish, throwing away the possibilities unleashed by the serum flowing through his body, turning his back to the injustices of the world without a second thought, just so he could wake up with Y/N in his arms every morning.

“You’re thinking too much again and that only leads to trouble.” Her voice startles him from his musings, a poke to his ribs for good measure.

They start walking in silence for a few blocks, the city asleep around them. Y/N waits for him to speak, knowing from experience that it’s better to give him time until he’s ready to say whatever’s on his mind.

“Do you ever wish to…give everything up and start again?” He asks.

“I guess being a bartender isn’t anyone’s dream job.” She concedes. “I’d love to write more, but that won’t pay my bills. Giving everything up and starting again would just work in theory, wouldn’t it, though? There will always be a part of you that stays with you forever, no matter how much you try to hide it, so in my opinion it’s better to just accept it and move on.” A few more steps in silence. “You should stop blaming yourself, Buck. It wasn’t your fault. Accept it and move on. I’m not judging you for anything you’ve done while you were…you know. You’re here now and I love the person that you are now, so that’s all that matters to me.”

Bucky stops in his tracks, watching her in utter stupor. They’ve discussed what happened, but never at great lengths, because Bucky was too afraid he’ll repulse her into avoiding him. She’s never shared her thoughts on the matter, at least not this openly.

Y/N turns back when she notices he’s not in step with her anymore. She extends her arm, offering her hand and he takes it, interlacing their fingers together.

“You’re kind, and sweet, and funny, and although you’re a fucking idiot who has no sense of self-preservation, I care about you deeply, Buck. And it’s not just the fact that you’re the most gorgeous man I’ve ever met, even though it sure is a big plus to be this easy on the eye.” She laughs. “It’s breaking my heart to see you beating yourself up time and time again for something that is not your fault. I want you to see yourself through my eyes and realise that you deserve all the happiness in the world, and that you’re loved so much – ”

Y/N’s words die in her throat. Hands in her hair, pulling at heart strings, soft caresses of his tongue, the taste of beer, camellias bursting her chest open, arms around his neck, long strands of hair tickling her fingers, a sense of coming home, a sigh escaping lips, the tug of a smile, and foreheads pressed to each other, love weaving in and around their pulsing veins.

“I’ve wanted to do this for a while.” He admits.

“It took you too much for my liking.”

A whisper on his lips as Bucky kisses her again – more, forever, I promise.

[mrneighbourlove]

Wake Up Leere

A Sequel to Evil’s Bane. Happy Halloween!

“Wake up Leere. Please wake up. We need you.”

~

“NOOOOO!!!”

Leere Dragmire rose from her bed awake in startled manner, gasping for air after screaming furiously. There was so much rage in her heart, and she had no idea why. Taking a few moments to breath and lower her heart rate down, Leere finished off with a little chant to herself. “No worse shadows than the ones that come from closing your eyes. You’ve had enough sleep for the day.”

Throwing her feet off the bed, she leapt off to get changed. Sunny must have already awoken for work around the ranch. Getting dressed, Leere walked to her office door, only to find it locked. “Oh, come on.”

Fiddling with the lock, Leere started to get frustrated. She told her daughter in the past to never lock her out of her office. “Alright now Joy, open up. If I have to come in after you, I’m going to be very upset.”

She knocked on the door a few times. When no answer came, Leere decided to peer through the lock hole. Maybe her daughter wasn’t in there after all and the door just happened to be malfunctioning. Bending down to look through the lock, Leere was met with the ghostly image of herself looking right back at her. This startled the woman to jump back. “What the hell?!”

To make matters worse, the ghostly version of herself walked through the door to smile down at her. “Finally awake? Good morning Leere.”

Leere’s first instinct was to try and bind the ghost with her magic, but it wasn’t working. “Stay back spirit!”

“Leere. You can stop that. Your magic isn’t going to work here.”

The Sage was reluctant to listen, but the results were speaking for themselves. “What do you want with me? Who are you and why do you look like me?”

The ghost Leere rubbed her chin, nodding along. “All good questions. As for why and who, that’s simpler to answer. I am the angel of purgatory, Katha. The form I take is one that mortals can easily process. Themselves.”

“Purgatory?” Leere started to feel sick. “Wait. That’d mean I’m…”

Katha looked at the door and opened it open. What as on the other side was not Leere’s office, but instead a block of town covered in a deep, deep foreboding fog. “Come with me Leere Dragmire.”

Once again, the Sage was reluctant, but didn’t see other alternatives. Stepping out of her room, Leere breathed in the fog. It tasted oddly like her sister in law’s cotton cherry candy. “Why-?”

“Does it taste like something slightly tasty when you breath in the fog? The fog wants you to grow comfortable here. I rather you not.”

The town blocks Leere and Katha walked through had small businesses on the sides, or three-story rooming. Everything was tight together, but even so Leere could only make out a building when it was 15ft in front of her. Clearing her throat, she asked the question anyone with mortality feared. She’d seen it enough from spirits she communicated with in the past. “Am I dead?”

Katha turned to her with a straight face. Were they mad? It was frightening to see her own blood-soaked face look at her like that. “No. Not yet.”

Arriving at a bench, Katha took a seat, urging Leere to join them. When both of them sat down, Katha let out a sigh. “You are a very special case Leere Dragmire. It seems every spirit wants you. Ba’puu wants you back alive and going back to protecting Hyrule. Zarazu and some of the other gods think you’ve put in enough time in protecting the world, should stop cheating death, and let your soul be reincarnated so that the next shadow sage can be selected amongst the mortals.”

“My sister in law wants me dead?”

“No, no, no. The actual goddess of death Zarazu.” Katha waved their hand to dismiss the silly thought. “Heaven and Hell both want you dead and in their possession. Yet you’ve hung on thanks to your own stubbornness and those of your friends.”

“If I’m not dead, then why am I here?”

“Sorry, I have to tip toe around this, because if you remember too quickly, we’ll kickstart events far too quickly.” As Leere raised an eyebrow at them, Katha continued without breaking pace. “In this realm, most of the time, I look after souls who are so damaged, so broken by the circumstances of their deaths they are too weak to linger on the living world as spirits, but not ready to go to a Heaven or Hell yet. Sometimes, there are souls who are split down the middle with all the good and bad deeds they’ve done. Those souls take special trials to decide where they’ll end up.”

Leere felt a hot tingle run up her spine when Katha grinned at her with the image of her own skin growing leathery by every passing second. “Then there’s those like you. People with a strong connection to magic or the spiritual who suffered a horrific near-death experience to both the body and soul. Your soul becomes separated from your body until both are healed.”

The Sage felt angry at herself, but why? She couldn’t recall, but she felt like the facts were just under the surface ready to be uncovered. “Why? What happened to me?”

“If you want to return to your body, all you have to do is have the will to find the door. Your soul was recovering its need to use magic and hold its strong connection to the spiritual. Afterall, you nearly sacrificed yourself for the greater good. Isn’t that Leere Dragmire?”

��Why are you so foolish?! So unbelievably stupid?! You never listened to him… why couldn’t you just listen?’

A familiar voice echoed in Leere’s head, and a spike of pain hit her backside, traveling up her spine up to her head. A horrifying memory of fighting a demon filled her mind. It was going to devastate the world if she hadn’t put a stop to it. Her quest to stop evil meant sacrifice itself. “Oh, sweet goddess.”

Around them, a wailing siren of souls echoed out in the town, hidden by the thick layer of fog. “Well, you’ve remembered how you got here. Now they’ll want to keep you here.”

Leere got off the bench, looking around. “Who does?”

“You’re an interesting soul Leere. Despite the good you’ve done; you’ve done vile acts as well. Such as the souls you turned into energy for your blood magic. Except you didn’t even use all of their soul matter. Now those men cling to your soul as vile ghosts. Not to mention the little demonic residue that lingers on you. They will want you to leave too. Only the exit they want to take you too is far more gruesome than the living world.”

Leere looked around for a weapon to use, or a way to escape to. “How do I know what to look for?”

Katha got up, picking off the flesh on their check. “Trust your instincts Leere Dragmire. You’ll know when you see it.”

As Katha walked away into the deep fog, Leere decided just standing around wasn’t going to cut it out for her. With a fast start, the Sage took off sprinting down the streets. “Instincts. Trust my instincts. Do I really sound so fucking droll when I’m preachy?”

Coming from an alley way, something ran at her. It was a man’s body twisted into the shape of a dog. Only their head was screwed 180 degrees backwards. It was an odd sensation, but as Leere kept running past the shambling creature, she knew exactly who it was. Larry the Dog Butcher. A sickening piece of shit who killed puppies in Danjur as a way to make money. She knew he did it primarily for fun. The human mutt groaned aloud, running at her with an awkward sprint. Even when it caught up at her, all it could do was manage to punch her in the back.

With a furious determination, Leere spun around on the monster, reeling a kick to its head when it lunged at her. The hound squealed and whined, turning tail. Leere hated that it mocked the cries of innocents to make her pity it. Turning her around, she realized the fog had a funny way of sneaking things up on her. There was just enough visibility to reveal a courtyard leading to a large factory. What looked like a smoke stake revealed a large tower up ahead.

Just as she was about to start walking towards it, a loud snapping sound was heard behind her. In the fog, the wail of the hound was heard, being replaced by a trumpeting vibration. Leere decided to book it to factory doors before whatever that thing was saw her. Let her demons tear each other apart for once.

Arriving at the doors, Leere had to smash her shoulder into them a couple times to get them open. She never looked back, but she heard the vibrations getting closer as she was breaking in. Pressing the door closed, she found an iron bar to bring down to lock the entrance. Catching her breath, she expected whatever was outside to try and force itself in. Instead, she was only greeted with silence.

Turning around, she saw that she was in a narrow hallway with barbed wire walls. It was so thin that she had to walk sideways to avoid being cut up by the walls. At the end there was a door way. It would be a slow hop over, but she could make it unscathed if she was careful. Halfway through, she was spooked out of her mind seeing Katha again. “Well done Leere Dragmire. You picked the right door.”

Leere nearly threw up when she saw Katha use her body to crawl through the barb wire, keeping up with her pace. “Why can’t I use my magic here? This is my soul. Magic is supposed to be connected to the soul.”

“Because you’re still too weak. Even if you return to the land of living and reunite with your body, it could take years for you to have mastery of your abilities again. Maybe it could be less than a month. Or maybe you’ll never have it again.”

Leere winced as the barb wire snagged Katha’s arm, only for them to keep pressing forward and having it ripped apart. “Besides the needless reason to show me having my own image tortured, you don’t seem like a cruel angel. Why not just lead me directly to the exit out of your realm?”

“Oh, I can’t do that. Otherwise you’ll never be able to leave. Only your will can do that.”

Deep within the sea of barbed wire, wails grew loud as a red and black aura filled the room. Staring into the Abyss, Leere saw bodies upon bodies of Mortuus tore apart by the wires. As she keeping moving down, her face of horror told Katha exactly what was on her mind. “Yes. Them. Terrible. An entire country of souls all damned. They started coming here, but very quickly, they leave, their souls forcibly taken.” As they spoke, a few of the wailing souls appeared to be torn down to the molecule, stripped down layer by layer from the skin to muscles to bone. “You stopped the Evil from destroying the world, but it cost Malus.”

‘No… no gods why. Why did it have to be like this?’

Was that Sunny? Leere gripped her head, those words echoing her very own thoughts. When some of the Mortuus in the wire reached out to her, she didn’t know if they wanted help or to drag her in. Guilt in her heart drove her to believing it was more the latter. “I’m sorry. I tried. I tried so hard to save you.”

It seemed like they were getting closer to Leere, one even grabbing her by the hair. She had to punch a poor woman in the face just to escape. “I’m truly sorry.”

Katha’s word could be heard behind Leere as she pried the next door open. “Be careful. There are those who you couldn’t save, who you murdered, and who you damned. Context on how you killed them matters.”

Entering the next room, the black and red hues were replaced by a dark blue. There was an instant shift of temperature as Leere felt her body plummet to a cold shiver. The area was so cold that a thick mist floated around her as she walked through it. Pushing through a plastic tarp, she was greeted to a disgusting smell. Rows and rows of meat were lifted up on hooks.

‘Mommy. I baked you a meat pie. Can’t you wake up and eat it with me?’

The voice of her daughter poking inside her mind gave Leere a boost of confidence to venture past the wretched setting. Some of the stacks of meat the Sage had to physically push to the side. Just as she was getting used to the touch, she pressed her palm against something that made her skin crawl. That was no cow. Looking up, her eyes became transfixed on a human body strung up on a hook.

Backing away from the body, her back hit another body. Scanning her surroundings, she realized that all of these meat hooks were holding up human bodies. Why were there so many dead bodies here? She couldn’t puzzle it together until she saw the body of a Hasai Warrior on one of the hooks. Looking at another body, she recognized the face of a bandit she had to kill on one of her journeys around the world. All the bodies lightly swung back and forth, almost appearing to look directly in her direction. Why wouldn’t they? Every body on a hook was someone she killed in her life.

Feeling a stomach knot twist inside her, Leere backed away from the bodies, hoping to find another door out, when a hand reached out and grabbed her on the arm. This body was built like a scarecrow with straw, yet was filled to the brim with knife wounds that still bleed blood. On their shoulders, two pinks crows were picking out his ear drums. It looked like an existence of pain and misery. That didn’t stop them from smiling with flies in their teeth. “Icky caught you. You stop his angel. Now Icky stops you.”

Leere couldn’t stop the man from screaming out an ear-piercing screech. “Now Revenge is ours!”

The Sage pulled away from him, getting her shoulder cut apart by the grip of his nails. Moving through the meat, she saw the figure of her childhood demons push its way past the bodies to reach her. Being over eight feet tall, they had the same height difference now as they did decades ago. Only this time it was exaggerated to horrific proportions. Any part of their body that wasn’t clothed by the yellow jumpsuit was a deep pitch black to silhouette their hands and head. Only two piercing white eyes broke up the void of darkness. And both of those eyes were wide and looking squarely at Leere.

The colour of the environment changed dramatically to a grey scale. The only colour came from the man in the yellow jumpsuit with his clothing, black shape, and white eyes. If Leere had to face past traumas and lingering victims of hers, this would be the most powerful left over.

Leere’s first instinct was the freeze, but she quickly fought against that thought as the giant’s hand reached out to her. Running away proved to be difficult, however. Her with her sense of colour gone, everything looked the same to her. All the swinging sacks of meat down to walls gave her zero idea of direction. Feeling the air shift behind her, she ducked low to avoid the giant’s hand from grabbing her.

Oddly enough, she wasn’t afraid of him anymore. She was angry. This speck of nothing held no more influence on her. And like hell it was going to be the death of her.

‘We miss you Leere. We know you can pull through.’

That voice in her head. Was that Rinku? Sunny? Both equally urged her on to keep holding on. Glancing about, she saw a gleam of colour through the sea of bodies. The colour purple. She knew that others could easily misinterpret that as an ominous hue, but, to Leere, it was her colour. Running towards it, she heard a static rumble behind her. The yellow bastard must have not liked what she saw. It let out a rattling croak that sounded like it was just behind her ear.

Long ago, this might have rattled or faltered her. Now, in all her experience, she’s seen worse. And the dead were the least of her problems. Breaking past all the bodies, she saw that the source of the purple light was a mirror. It held the reflection of herself, and just behind her, the yellow pursuer. Their eyes looked down on Leere with intense hatred.

Breaking out more into a sprint now, Leere followed her instincts and dived at the mirror with her arms covering her face. It was time to escape this tacky haunted ride of her mind.

Her body smashed through the glass, and she gained all of her colour back. Her body fell into free fall, now falling down a long tube of images. As she fell downwards, Leere saw a silver string. Grasping it, she stopped her fall. It seemed this string had the force and girth of a rope. Gasping to catch her breath, she glanced all around at the images. They were patchworks of her entire life playing back to her. Every good memory, terrible memory, and anything in between.

Looking down, she saw foggy town in the distance. As she peered down, the structure of the town shattered apart. Every building shifted around with the fog. With this bird’s eye view, Leere could see the town turn into the shape of a face. With a grin, the voice of Katha spoke out to her. “Looks like you are ready child. What a strong will you have.”

“Katha! The town. Is this another one of your tricks?”

“I can turn my realm of purgatory into whatever I desire. It is my maze. And you passed. Now, its up to you if you want to return to the land of the living, or cross to the land of the dead. Follow the string. Goodbye Leere Dragmire.”

The image of the face broke apart like dirt falling through a crack. All that was left was the foreboding fog. Leere gripped the string tightly. Looking up, she saw even more fog. Each end of the cylinder of memories was the same. At the top of the string, she felt a sense of light. Comforting even.

As Leere started to climb up the string, she looked downwards. Down below, against the walls of the cylinder, the literal demons of her soul started to climb upwards. They attempted to jump and grab the string, only to fail. Leere gasped, determined to climb higher now.

As the demons raced upwards to attempt their luck at grabbing her, Leere continued to climb the string upwards. Finally, she felt a sense of calm as she felt like she was getting close to the top. Almost their, she was about to push herself for the final stretch, when she saw a woman look down at her.

Her face was neutral, but her eyes were devoid of joy. It was a subtle gesture, but she shook her head at Leere. The woman gripped the string tightly, looking up and down. Below, on the sides, there were demons coming out of the walls, birthed from the bad memories in Leere that played on loop. Hell wanted to drag her down. Looking up, there was a peaceful sense of light and warmth, but the woman told her not to go up. Why?

In a moment of clarity, Leere understood. Rising to the top was simply a different afterlife. One of tranquility, but still the death of her. On all sides of her was hell. If only she could plant her feet in some earth instead of dangling in the air.

Leere’s red eyes suddenly shot up with adrenaline and understanding. Kicking a demon in the face away from her, she looked down. Exactly below her. The string went down into the fog, but no demons were coming up to climb the string itself. She needed to fall back to earth. With a couple deep breaths, Leere thought about the faces of Joy and Sunny one more time. “Hope I’m right. I’m coming home baby.”

With only one hand on the string, Leere let her feet and other hand go. Sliding down the string, all the demons dove after her. She didn’t give them the satisfaction of even a glance. Just as she hit the fog, Leere closed her eyes.

“I wonder what we’ll have for dinner.”

[unik0rnu]

Page 10, Roughed up 

Gage barely slept deeply and as oppose to Lucy who struggled with hangover from too much moonshine and spinning around last night he knew when to stop to first, avoid a bigass headache and two, not end up doing something he would regret although temptation was so strong he was still smiling a bit under his nose while setting up a terrarium for his new future puppet. Even if still just an egg he was very dedicated to create a safe space for it, carefully taking each pebble and piece of moss he gathered around, with small steel tongs, sticking his tongue out, concentrating like he was about to disharm a nuclear bomb. The early morning silence was disturbed by a sound of something or someone hitting the floor. 

It was Lucy, reaching the edge of bed while rolling on the other side.  

-Morning, Boss…hope ya ready for another bloody walk into the park. She crawled out and pulled herself up slowly, her hair all messed up, realizing she is wearing just underwear only after she walked down to the bar. 

-So early? Huh..wait shit, did we…last night…? She mumbled, looking in a hurry across the room for her clothes and armor, grabbing a bottle of water on a way and drinking it all in one go, almost choking. 

-Fuck? No no…Boss..it was pretty close..but you didn’t stop at that one shot and u were the one actually embarassing yourself after, on the bar, trying to do some crazy strip show knocking everything over and then you slipped and knocked yourself out. He was grinning, almost laughing thinking back and seeing her eyes widen up as he was catching her up with the last night.  

-Oooookay….lets just…get to work, ugh. She coughed and dressed herself up in a rush. -What is our next target? Buffalos, gunners, ants, cmon, surprise me. She approached him curiously, sitting at the desk setting up the tiniest of tiny sticks in the terrarium, cheweing up on fancy snack she snatched from the counter. 

-Well…nothing fancy Boss, ghouls but the place is pretty dangerous even without them…fucking radiation. He put down the tools and started preparing himself. 

-I see…well our latest find might help us there. It’s finally repaired and powered up too. Her eyes turned to a red suit of power armor. 

-About damn time, Boss. Raider grabbed himself a gas mask and stuffed his pockets with Rad-x. 

-Ready up your sweet ass Boss, it’s your turn with the armor.

-----

They entered the park , Kiddie Kingdom, only the heavy echo of her steps could be heard throughout the green radiated air. 

-Can’t say i dislike it…not at all. She looked down at him and gave him a strong pat on the back that pushed him a whole step forward. 

-Ough, keep it on Boss and before we reach the castle i’m gonna pull that fusion core out of you myself, jezz. He looked at her shaking his head and reloaded his rifle. Oswald was keeping them on their toes as they reached the deeper parts of the park. Ghouls were swarming from under every pile of garbage and they were no ordinary ghouls, stronger, faster and more ridiciolously looking with all that paint splattered over them. So far there were proving only a small annoyance along with all the gas clouds obscuring their view. 

-Hey, Gage! Wanna have some fun? I’m sure you could use some since last night. And i bet we can find this green fucker there too. Lucy pointed at the building “Fun House” not so far and punched a ghoul that was sneaking behind raider’s back. 

-Ye sure…i really didn’t have enough of it as it is, crap… let’s go. The place proved to be more of a creation jester’s death trap with all crazy labirynth’s and spinning illusions. Gage wasn’t fond of it, his face almost stoned and Lucy couldn’t handle the spinning too wheel, almost puking in the power armor. They arrived to the last room, spinning this time, filled with ghouls. They both agreed on the best course of action in this case. Bunch of grenades flew through the small opening of the door and with all the room movement they bounced and spreaded out in all directions causing a total mayhem of flying guts and body parts. When the smoke went down they entered with confidence that was all of it but they forgot one last thing. The room was still spinning and so they did with it. Lucy struggled to keep the weight of her armor in balance and slowly moved towards the door that hopefully were leading to the ghoulish leader. 

-Not bad but i have more tricks for you ha ha, we shall see if you survive them you morons. As the voice went off the speakers the room abruptly stopped it movement, causing a chain reaction and impact that sent Lucy forward pushing Gage to the wall, almost flattening him into a pastry. 

-Fuck! Gage you okay? He remained stunned for a few seconds but pulled himself together right away swearing under his nose about all the fun he had so far and how he’s gonna stuck Lucy’s fusion core into Oswald’s ass. They headed up to scour the terminal room and walked outside. Next destination was the castle itself but they figured out that the best route would lead through the worker’s tunnels to avoid more hastle with gas and other obstacles.

------

The trail route towards the tunnels wasn’t proving to be as easy as they expected, with cars approaching them at high speed it could damage her man or worse…throw him into the air like a puppet so she focused on keeping an eye on those while Gage was taking down any remaining ghouls with his rifle. After smashing him to the wall not so long ago she felt a bit guilty and took a more serious approach and concentrated on the task. As they arrived to the entrance a charred bulky ghoul sneaked up from behind the pillar and brutally pushed itself on Gage, landing with him back on trails path. Two cars were approaching immediatly at the lighting speed. 

-Shit, Gage watch out!. Lucy put herself in front of him, smashing the ghoul’s head with the heavy metalic foot and threw the raider to the side. She turned back to the cars, her face expression under the helmet saddened knowing what’s coming in a brief moment. 

-Well..shit. There was no time for anything else. She put her both hands on car’s bonnet and pushed her legs into the ground as strong as she could to not get thrown off by the impact. She slided backwards roughly, her metal foot parts leaving the sparks behind from brushing off the trails. As she reached out the end of tunnel she pushed herself to the side, landing hardly on the ground and rolling over. Gage looked from behind the wall eyeballing the tunnels end and shouted her name. -I’m….okay!, I’m coming, oh man….. She raised her hand to check if all the functions remained, some parts got damaged but it was still at almost half power running up. She gathered herself togther and joined up with Gage. 

-And just when i thought you couldn’t get more badass eh? She shrugged but he finally softened his face expression by an inch. They headed down the stairs and sneaked up on the Oswald, discussing another steps of his plan and dissapering shortly after. The source of all the gas was finally found and stopped. Gage still decided to keep his mask on since any remains of radiation still remained in air and were evaporeting from the corpses. 

-I will go first Gage, we don’t know what else he can still throw at us. Upon approaching the castle main gate two rockets exploded right in front of her, sending another scraps of her armor flying. One of them flew right past his head but he didn’t move a milimetr remaining calm as always.  

-Would be great if you wouldn’t arrive naked up there. Last push Boss, let’s get this shit over with.

------

After the short hassle with Oswald and his friends at the theatre they entered the elevator. Last checks on rifle, grenades, power armor holding up to the last twenty procent but enough to beat the guy to a plum in return. Upon arriving to the tower and short conversation with the irridated ghoul Lucy knew she couldn’t let him live. Rachel, the Oswald beloved was dead, cure didn’t exist and she wouldn’t dare to see all the ghouls in Nuka World to be revived again and swarm the Town. It was their last stand, right there on the highest tower in the castle.

  -It is our home and we gonna defend it! Oswald released a green shiny wave spreading from him outwards and his companions began to swarm the place one by one. Lucy turned and approached him, pushing the blade into ghoul’s chest but he dissapered into a cloud smoke right when she thought it would be that easy. Gage was covering her with bullet rain from any other rotten ghouls trying to reach her from the cover. Oswald reappeared shortly behind her, the rough egde of his sword piercing through the chest of her armor. It was no ordinary sword, she could feel the teeth of it ripping her skin under the ribs. She hissed, biting her lips to the blood but managed to block the next incoming thrusts, the metalic structrure cracking at impact. As the Oswald was getting weaker with ongoing fight the amount of his companions was becoming bigger. She kicked their leader back, snatching the sword from his hand at last. Before he could use his trick one more time the fountian of blood flew from his throat. The wide swing of the sword almost took his whole head off but it was enough to take him down at last. 

-Sorry, but you could be too dangerous for our plans. I hope you find some peace on the other side. Oswald managed to catch her words before letting the last breath out and smiled at the thought that maybe he can finally rest, with someone precious to him, on the other side. The ghouls raged on their leader death, they all turned on Lucy and jumped on her, swarming her like angry ants and ripping the armor slowly down. Gage did what he could but the anger was making them harder to be put down, almost rabid. The armor signaled a warning about last ten procent of energy remaining. 

-Fuck! It’s too many of them…even for him, shit. Her eyes turned to the broken wall on the outside and she started dragging herself with all the ghouls towards it, taunting them to keep their focus on her only. 

-Boss, what the hell are you trying to do?! Stop, this is too fucking risky. Gage was protesting and reloding as fast as he could, barely holding himself to break his cover. 

-Sure i ain’t lettin them to get your unprotected ass so shut up and let me finish this shit!. She hell knew the impact from the fall will kill them all, she wasn’t sure if her armor could handle this but she couldn’t see any better choice as the ghouls were working fast on getting into her flesh and taking them one by one would take too long for the power source to hold up putting them both at risk. She reached the edge and without hesitation threw herself down along with all the ghouls on her. Gage ran immediately to the edge scanning the area if anything remained of her and rushed down. He couldn’t belive she would put herself at such a risk, it was foolish and crazy. The hole after impact was bloody and stinky, green smoke was raising from the splattered corpses. 

-We….did it, holy fuck. She lost her consciousness shortly due to impact. The power armor bipped and opened upon reaching the last procent. Lucy was alive but pretty broken, could barely move at the moment and blood was running from the sword wound under her ribs. Gage picked her up carefully and rushed to the closest room near tower. It was Rachel’s quarters, safe and warm enough to let the boss recover and patch her up. 

----- Lucy finally woke up, opening her eyes slowly the vision was a bit blurry. She groaned as she lifted her up to a sitting position on the mattress.

-You are fucking insane, ya know it right?. Gage was sitting next, with his arms crossed and forehead wrinkled by anger. 

-Maybe…yeh but i saved our asses, so what’s the deal? The park is ours. She standed up slowly trying to keep her balance and watched him, approaching, with his fists to the sides, feeling almost like he wanted to punch something. 

-You could have killed yourself if you wouldn’t be that lucky and it was stupid. And don’t ya tell me there wasn’t any other option. Gage raised his voice and grabbed her shoulder stopping her from backing up any more. She dropped her head, avoiding looking in his eye. 

-Why does it matter so much if i’m okay at the end? We went through similar dangerous crap before,  what changed Gage?! Lucy snapped back at him, no longer being able to stand the tension stretching in the air. 

-I fucking care about you, that’s what changed Lucy! It was first time he used her name like that, the real name. She raised her head, speachless, letting out just the silence of her slightly opened mouth. He was dead serious looking staight and sharp at her.

-I’m…sorry. There was nothing else she could say and slowly looked away, sad, but his fingers touching gently her chin stopped her. 

-You don’t have to prove anymore to me or anyone that you can be badass or some shiet, okay? You already proved something two parks ago so how bout you take it easy from now on eh?. He softened the grip on her and steamed off his nerves. As he was about to turn away she placed her hands on his shoulders and strechted up towards him, pulling him down for a soft kiss. It surprised him but he didn’t protest and leaned lower to let the touch of their lips last just a bit longer. She looked back at him as he pulled off, relieved, didn’t say anything more, walking slowly away, letting the tough raider process his thoughts on what just happened. Was it foolish, impulsive? Maybe but sure she didn’t regret that move nor anything she did so far.

[sea-side-scribbles]

Fanfiction: Sympathy For A Downer

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22737214/chapters/55428778

Chapter 8:

Nick still felt a bit uneasy passing by his fans, fearing that they could recognize him any moment by his movements, his height, his eye color or even his scent. He was tensed up and avoided to look anyone in the eye until he was finally safe and still in one piece. The rest of the way to the hotel he was much more relaxed, walked around just as jolly and lively as everyone else and found that this undercover-stroll could be really amusing, at least if he wasn’t surrounded by fans. 

He lost his smile again when he saw another mass of Wellies gathering before the Avalon. Even there!, he thought desperately. The entire town was crazy today! Still, he noticed with relief that no one of them was dressed like him, so it had to be something else they gathered around. An accident maybe.

He joined the mass and asked the first person he met what was going on.

„What’s going on? It was in the News Hour!“, the citizen was shocked. 

„Uh…I forgot the news…too much Joy, haha…“, Nick said nervously and scratched the back of his head.

„Birdie Callagher sings in the Avalon today!“, the man explained and widened his arms in a solemn gesture as if he expected Nick to applaud.

Nick was dumbfounded. „Uh…who?“

„You’re living under a rock? Birdie Callagher is the best singer in town! She has all it takes to become the new voice of Wellington Wells! If only I made it inside, I could see her!“, the man shouted and continued to stare daggers at the hotel, probably thinking hard about how to get in.

Nick needed a bit to process the mind blowing news he just heard. But then he knew he needed to see this girl.

He took a closer look at the pass that was attached to the other man’s suit and stated: „You’re from the O’Courant.“ 

The other man crossed his arms. „So what? Does it bother you?“

Nick looked around as if he was making sure that no one listened to them and confidentially whispered to the reporter: „I can bring you in. I know a secret passage into the bar.“

„You’d do that for me?“, the man was surprised.

„Sure, I’m just doing a favor to a fellow colleague,“ he lied, winking at him.

So they both sneaked away from the crowd and went into the park that surrounded the hotel, reaching the place were Nick had created himself a second entrance. He removed the grating from the vent and pointed at it, bowing his head. „After you…“

„I should remember this trick…“ the reporter said and started to climb into the shaft when Nick made use of the second syringe for today. Two in one day!, he thought, catching the other man before he could hit the ground. That was a new record. He should refill his storage. 

He took the press pass and dumped the reporter in the next trash bin. The fellow citizen shouldn’t remember any of this later. Prepared like this, Nick climbed into the shaft and soon he entered the bar that was well filled with people who were cheering and clapping and it seemed to be that the fun was already over. Nick struggled through the mass, trying to at least catch a glimpse at this curious new songbird. 

And then he saw her, gracefully striding on past the lightning cameras with fluid movements. Even her dress seemed to run down along her, emphasizing her curvy body shape. Her golden hair swirled around her upper body in heavy waves that fell down to her hips and bounced at each movement. He saw how the cameras loved her, the way she gave her adorable smile with bright white teeth and how she blew kisses into the air. She couldn’t be much younger than Nick, but she looked as excited as a child at christmas that just randomly happened to be grown into the body of a goddess. 

This hair can’t be real, Nick thought to himself. 

Then she lifted the microphone to her glossy lips and her silky voice echoed in the room.

„Thank you everyone for coming here and thank you for all your support! It was so much fun to sing for you and I hope we’ll see each other again some day…“

Nick had stopped moving a long time ago while the others started cheering and clapping again. He watched this supernatural being float into a corner of the room and sitting down at a table where another reporter or whatever already waited for her. The hotel staff began to push the masses out of the bar and they sluggishly set themselves in motion. Nick would’ve followed them all in defeat and searched another bar to drown all his sorrows in scotch if he wouldn’t have seen a familiar face sitting at the table, that made him first startle in horror and then falling into uncontrollable rage.

Again, he struggled through the mass, ignored the boys who shouted after him („Sir, you’re not allowed to trespass, sir!“) and went directly to the said table from where the two were staring at him. He walked so calmly that he didn’t seem to be too dangerous. 

„Do I know you?“, Virgil was able to ask before Nick grabbed him and hurled him over the table. He didn’t really fly over it, he rather crashed on the top and slid along the rest of the way until he slumped down on the other side. Birdie screamed and jumped up and someone else in the distance shouted: „Downer!“

Nick walked around the table, passing by Birdie.

„You better stand off, dearie, this is gonna be nasty,“ he hissed at her while she stared at him in horror. The next moment he saw stars because Virgil had struggled up and returned the favor. 

Later they both laid on the ground, thrashing each other without mercy. Nick just raised his fist for another blow on Virgil’s bruised face when he noticed out of the corner of his eye that he was approached by men with an alarming body size. Bobbies! He frantically jumped up and bolted out of the bar, followed by just like every staff member, the outraged guests and the constables. 

With panic he noticed that he couldn’t go back to the vent because a crowd had gathered there, so he ran out of the wide double doors of the main entrance and down the numerous stone stairs, past the golden statue of himself that seemed to sneer at him. He heard nothing but the pattering of feet and screams, all so loud as if the whole world was collapsing around him and he forced himself forward, praying he wouldn’t stumble because this would be his end. 

On the street the panic went on because everyone who was running raised suspicion, and Nick couldn’t stop. The fact that even hysterical Wellies didn’t like to seek into back alleys saved his live. This and the amount of trash bins in such alleys. He could hide there, but the whole town was still alarmed and the way he looked all shredded made it impossible for him to walk around.

He curled up into a ball, all rage had vanished and only his sorrows were left.

What a day! He had started this so hopefully and now he had experienced the certain end of his career. Birdie Callagher was ravishing! There was no way he could compete with her. No wonder Virgil was after her. And now, he had nowhere to go. His suite was lost for him, he couldn’t go back there and every other place fell flat too because he couldn’t show up anywhere looking like this. Not even in the tunnels, because Arthur was there. 

In fact, there was only one person Nick could show himself like this and that exact person hated him too. Nick was scared to show up there. But what chance did he have?

He waited until dawn before he left his hiding spot and made his way to the house he thought he’ll never visit again. It felt unreal to simply walk through the front yard and ring the bell. 

„Please be there…“ Nick whispered to himself.

The intercom cracked.

„Who’s there?“

Nick gulped.

„Morrie?“, he sighted into the intercom, because he didn’t want to make any noise and also because his voice failed him.

„It’s me…“

„Sorry, I can barely hear you…“ the intercom answered.

„It’s me, Nick,“ he said, raising his voice a little. For a split second he had considered to say ‚Norbert‘.

„Nick…“ the voice turned into a hiss. „get off my property right now, or I’ll smash your brains in! This is my one and only warning!“

Nick flinched. It was even worse than he had expected.

„Please, this is an emergency! The bobbies are chasing me, together with half the town! You have to let me in!“

The intercom silenced and Nick feared that Morrie wouldn’t answer. When the other man spoke again, his voice was more like an upset whisper.

„Please, tell me you didn’t kill someone…“

„What? No…what gives you that idea?“, Nick stuttered, having an unsettling flashback to the moment Bates had accused him too. Who was telling people he was a murderer?

„Rumors“, he simply said. „Well, if all is fine and dandy, why don’t you ask your fans for help? I bet they’d love to save their hero.“

„I’d do that, but…but…“, Nick stammered desperately, looking at himself.

„Please, Morrie, I have nowhere to go!“ He curled his fingers into his dirty hair and a sob escaped him.

„You should audition for the theater, they’d love that.“

„Please, they think I’m a downer. They’ll chase me off the town. Or lock me in Hayworth’s Lab. Please, help me,“ Nick begged and sobbed more while the intercom fell quiet again.

Finally, Morrie gave a loud sight.

„Fine. I’m coming.“ 

Suddenly Nick felt very nervous and was busy cleaning his face until the door opened.

and the slender figure of Morrie Memento stepped out. At the sight of Nick he quickly covered his eyes with one hand.

„Whoa, you really buckle down to convince me, do you?“

„With these rags?“, Nick asked, playing dumb and holding up his arms. „I didn’t know you like that.“ He tried a smile but Morrie only gave him a gloomy look and pointed at the open door.

„Come in,“ he said and Nick obeyed. 

He watched the other man lock the door and felt quite lost in his corridor, not knowing what to say. Morrie turned around again and led him up the stairs into the first floor where he had a guestroom. 

„You stay here for the night,“ he ordered when Nick entered the room. „I swear, if you leave this room I’ll kick you out!“

„Alright,“ was everything Nick could say before Morrie shut the door in his face. 

Sorrowful, he walked over to the bed and slumped down on it, asking himself what he had expected. A happy reunion? Now he was at least safe and didn’t have to show his face around. But he wished he could tell Morrie that he was finished and all alone, he wished he had someone to listen. If only he hadn’t sold him out back then. He didn’t even remember what he exactly did and why, but according to Morrie’s reaction it must’ve been horrible. Morrie had always carried himself gracefully. He had never threatened to smash anyone’s brains in. And now all his sympathy for Nick was gone, there was nothing left but bitterness and hate. He wanted to run away, but he was trapped in here now, because of his own fault.

When he wiped his face with his sleeve he heard that Morrie started to play the piano downstairs. The sound was damped and quiet but it reminded him of a long forgotten time, when he still had his old band and he used to sit next to Morrie, listening to his ideas and figuring out songs together.   It had been fun. Morrie used to tease Nick because he couldn’t read music and Nick took revenge by saying he couldn’t write a single song that wasn’t a twenty-minutes long monster that no one could listen to without knotting all his synapses together. The memory made him chuckle, but it felt wrong because tears still ran down his cheeks.

He wished he wouldn’t be locked away in here and he could sit next to Morrie again. What remained for him now was closing his eyes and listening to his music as long as he played. 

For a very long moment there was only him and the music until Nick opened his eyes again in surprise, believing he recognized the melody. He could be hearing things of course, could be one of their old songs or an illusion, because he barely heard it. He had to get closer. Morrie had forbidden him to leave the room, but he wouldn’t notice while he was playing, right? 

So Nick sneaked out and sat down at the edge of the stairs to listen carefully. He was sure it wasn’t an old song, but a melody he thought he heard before. He was utterly surprised to find it here. Where did Morrie pick it up? Curiously, he descended the stairs, sat down on the floor and closed his eyes, trying to recall the memory that was hiding from him so stubbornly. For some reason he had to think about a foggy night, wet cobblestone and quick footsteps as if someone was running away. Was it himself? He normally didn’t go for walks outside in the night, except that one time when he got immediately caught by that Parade guy. 

Confused, he wiped his forehead and opened his eyes again, only to realize that the music had stopped. He jumped up but it was too late. Morrie came out of the room, came to a halt and stared at Nick in disbelief. 

Nick held up his hands in defense. „Morrie…don’t be mad. I can explain…“

„You spied on me…“, his former friend whispered angrily.

„No, I…I just wanted to hear you play…“ Nick took one step backwards. 

„I let you in my house and you have nothing better to do!“, Morrie yelled. „…but this time you won’t steal from me! Not again! This time I’m prepared!“ He pulled out a syringe that was slightly bigger than the ones Nick used.

„No!“, Nick screamed and dashed up the stairs. Being still tired from the last chase and climbing the stairs with the last bit of his strength, he was completely out of breath when he reached the first floor. Knowing that he couldn’t keep this up he ran into the guest room and crouched under the bed in fear. Shortly after, Morrie stormed in and Nick didn’t dare to breathe. However he couldn’t stop the tears that ran down his face. This whole day was horrible and it was all so unfair! It wasn’t even Morrie’s song, he only took it from somewhere and merged it into his own. Nick pressed his face down on the floor and silently cried into the carpet. It didn’t take long until Morrie found him.

„Hello Nickie, time to take your medicine!“

Nick yelled and squeezed himself against the wall but Morrie succeeded to catch his arm.

„Come out, Nickie, I promise it only stings a little, and then you’ll be blessed with oblivion!“

He pulled Nick’s arm closer, turned it around and pushed back the sleeve.

„No, please don’t do this!“, Nick cried and pulled at his arm in panic. „I don’t want forget! I don’t want to forget what we had, I don’t want to forget that I saw you again, I don’t want to forget that I miss you!“

The grip on his arm loosened and the hand that held the syringe stopped moving.

„I miss you, Morrie…“, Nick sobbed. „Please, you can kick me out, but leave me the memory.“

Finally, the other man let go of him and Nick quickly pulled his arm back and curled up. He noticed that Morrie slumped down on the ground next to the bed.

„Shit…“, he whispered with a shaking voice.

Nick still didn’t move, waiting for Morrie to decide on his fate.

„I won’t kick you out…But for your own sake,…don’t eavesdrop again…,“ Nick heard him say. The anger vanished from his voice and made way for something that sounded more like hesitancy.

„Thank you, Morrie. You’re saving my life,“ Nick said, carefully minding every word.

„The melody…will you use it?“ There was something bitter in Morrie’s voice now.

„I think I’ve heard it before…“, Nick replied, trying to get the answer his head won’t give him.

„Someone hummed it from a rooftop, what is rather strange,“ Morrie gave a bitter laugh.

„I won’t use it. I promise.“

Morrie sighted deeply and slowly stood up.

„If you want to take a shower…well, you know where it is.“

With that weird dismissal, he left Nick alone again. But to be fair, after hiding in a bin two times Nick really needed a shower. His legs were still shaking when he walked along the corridor to the bathroom. He avoided to look into the mirror while he took off the dirty suit and stepped into the shower. The hot water was very comforting, even if it hurt a little in the wounds. Into the soft rushing of the water he hummed the melody the way he remembered it, wondering what kind of a person would walk on a rooftop. Could only be someone crazy. 

After showering the force of habit took over him and he looked into the mirror, causing himself to startle backwards. He barely recognized himself. His shorter, darker hair was completely messed up so he combed it with his fingers as good as he could. He didn’t dare to touch anything of Morrie’s stuff after all.

Back in the guestroom he laid down on the bed and stared sadly at the ceiling, the feeling of loneliness taking over him again. Thinking about everything that had happened today, he could certainly say that he had lost the last few friends he had left in the world. Virgil had given up on him, and even if he hadn’t recognized him in the Avalon, Nick would have to deliver him something convincing to get a second chance. And from where should he get that? His mind was still empty, he lost Sally as his muse and whatever he had dreamed about Arthur had vanished into thin air. His heart ached when he thought about it and he couldn’t even numb himself with party favors and spend the rest of his life in dense felicity because he now had an overseer who would bring him to Hayworth if he broke the rules again. 

Perhaps he should break his promise and use the mysterious song. He needed it much more than Morrie did…

No, no, no!

He slapped his forehead.

Bad Nick! Very, very, bad Nick! This is the reason why you have no friends!

 - read the rest on AO3 : https://archiveofourown.org/works/22737214/chapters/55428778

[wannabe-bella]

Pairing: Beca/Chloe Genre: Horror, Romance Words: 11,116

Read on AO3 Read on FFN

DEAD-END

Heavy breathing and limbs shaking. Hands fall to rest on the cold counter in front. Grimacing in pain, one hand reaches up and pulls. Left eye twitching, their vision focuses on the tooth laying on the counter.

A small droplet of blood drips beside it from their open mouth.

Staring at their reflection in the cracked mirror, they take in the bloodshot eyes surrounded by dark rims and the nasty gash bleeding out of a left eyebrow. From the mirror, they see a figure standing leaned against the doorway and twisting around in their place, stand opposite them.

"Beca," Comes a small sigh from the girl in the doorway.

"We need to go," Beca states, picking up the tooth before flicking it out the side window. "There's people out there," She says, beckoning the girl over. Standing beside Beca, she looks out through the small gap and finds a small group of men stood around a large vehicle.

"They found me while I was searching for supplies," Beca explains, "They got one hell of a right hook." She says, causing the other girl to glance to her injuries. "I tried negotiating with them, but..." She sighs. "They're not a group for extra additions." Beca adds. Her eyes widen as one of the men suddenly glance their way.

Her feet move to the side and she pulls the other girl with her. Her eyes find a small piece of the broken mirror beside her foot and crouching down, she takes possession of it. Holding it up, she uses it to see out through the gap of the window.

She curses when she sees that the men have gone.

Turning back, her eyes find another pair, "We really need to leave."

Seeing the girl nod, they quickly sneak their way back to the main room of the house before picking up their supply bags. They're in the middle of throwing them across their shoulders when they hear it.

Looking to the closed door in front, they watch in silence for movement until a sudden smash occurs followed by a sledgehammer bursting through the wood.

The pair are out of the room before the man even can make his way in.

Frantically speeding their way through the house, they come to a stop at the back door. Pushing down on the handle, Beca comes to find that it's locked. "Shit," She curses, jimmying with it. Sighing, she takes a step back. From behind, she hears footsteps and shaking her head, she lifts the hammer from her belt before forcing it down onto the handle. The hit echoes making the footsteps halt.

But only for a split second.

Hitting the handle a second time, she shoulders the door forcing it open. Grabbing the other girls hand, she pulls her out and makes a run for their car. But before they can make it, Beca feels herself be dragged to the side and into the bushes.

"What the-" She's silenced by a hand reaching up and pointing toward the door. Bringing her eyes there, Beca's attention is focused on two men who look around the yard.

"Can you see em'?" Comes a disgruntled voice from inside. They watch as one shakes their head before shouting back, "No. The bastard got away!" He says angrily.

After a few seconds, the men return back indoors causing Beca to breathe out a sigh of relief. "Thank God," She mumbles. Turning her attention to the girl beside her, she tightens the grip of their joined hands, "Thanks, Chlo." She says, leaning back on her other hand.

"That was intense," Chloe says with an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah," Beca agrees with a dry chuckle. Detangling their hands, she brings one up to wipe the sweat of her brow and in doing so, causes her to wince. Hearing it, Chloe worriedly looks to the gash above her friend's eye.

"Why were they following you?"

"Told you. We had a disagreement-"

"Bullshit," Chloe interrupts making Beca glance to her.

After a moment, the brunette lets out sigh, "Fine." Sitting up, she hooks the backpack off her shoulder and unzips it.

Chloe narrows her eye as she watches her.

Reaching a hand in, Beca pulls out a handgun before taking out another. Setting them both on the grass, she brings her gaze back to Chloe only find her staring back with a disapproving look.

"Beca," Chloe says slowly, "Why do you have these?" She asks, "Better yet, how did you get these?"

"I think you can figure that one out on your own."

"Beca, you can't keep doing stuff like this," Chloe says with a sigh.

"Well, why not?" The brunette argues back, shoving the weapons back into her bag, "We need these, Chloe. It's been well over a month, maybe two!" She says, frustrated. "We've been lucky so far, really lucky, to be even alive." Throwing the backpack over her shoulder, she stands looking down at the redhead, "We couldn't keep going with melee weapons." She says, holding a hand out.

Chloe gazes to the hand before grabbing it and being hoisted up.

"We needed more protection, Chloe." Beca says, pointing to the small house, "We can't stay here anymore."

XxX

"Jesse!" Benji cheers, slightly tipsy. His brows furrow in confusion as his friend looks up at him, his face sickly white. "Jesse?" He rests a hand on his shoulder, "Are you okay?"

Shaking, Jesse reaches up with a shaky hand, grasping at his arm, "I don't feel too good."

"Hey, maybe you should sit down?" Benji suggests, leading him over to a lounge chair beside the pool. Sitting down, Jesse looks up through a pained smile. "Hey, man. We're graduates..."

"Yeah," Benji says, taking a seat at the edge of the chair.

"Benji!"

Looking over his shoulder, Benji sees Emily waving over to him, waving back he turns to Jesse, "Do you mind?"

Tapping him on the arm, Jesse shakes his head, "Go have fun," he says, before adding, "Just don't be too awkward."

"Right, right," Benji laughs. Standing he tips his head at Jesse before walking over to Emily.

Jesse's eye twitches but he shakes it off deciding to watch the party. His eyes find his small DJ friend, and grins as he watches her laugh with Chloe.

Suddenly he feels an itch on his neck and begins scratching at it. So much that when he pulls his hand back, blood is smeared across his fingertips.

"What the hell?" Shaking, he brings his hand back to his neck only to find it wet. Keeping his hand there, he feels his eye twitch again.

What is going on? He thinks before finding himself looking at Beca. They catch each other's eyes and he throws her a grin through gritted teeth.

He sees Beca lean closer to Chloe before making her way over. Twitching again, he brings his hand down to rest on his stomach. Taking a deep breath, he looks up to find Beca standing at the end of the chair. Her eyes widen as they find the scratch marks along his neck.

"Jess?"

"Hi, Bec," He weakly greets, trying to catch his breath.

"Dude... W-what's going on?" She cautiously asks making her way over to him. Crouching down, she pulls her sleeve shirt down to cover her hand before moving it to his neck. Holding pressure on his cuts, she worriedly looks back at him, "Jesse. What happened?"

"I-" He stutters, "I don't know."

"Seriously, Jess. You're worrying me," Beca says. Suddenly she notices that his eyes begin to droop. "Jesse?" She calls out to him.

He doesn't respond.

"Jesse, stop playing with me, man!" She repeats, lightly shoving him. When he doesn't respond, she frantically looks around for help when her eyes catch crystal blues from afar.

She glances at Chloe, a pleading look on her face when she suddenly feels a strong grip on her hand. Turning back she sees that Jesse's eyes remain shut.

"Jesse-" She's interrupted by his other hand bouncing up and grasping at her neck. With widened eyes she watches as his snap open.

His once dark orbs were now lighter than ever, nearing a light grey.

"J-Jes..." She chokes out, quickly losing breath and oxygen. The noise of the party begins to become a blur as her vision darkens, her eyelids begin to close but before they can, she feels someone wrap their arms around her and pull her away.

The last thing she sees is Jesse being held down by Benji and a few Bellas.

XxX

Sweat trickles down her spine as she recalls that night.

Her gaze is on the road ahead as she keeps watch. Behind her, Chloe lays snoozing along the passenger seats. Slouching back into her own, Beca rests her head along the back.

Her thoughts often wander to the Bellas.

Where they are?

Are they still alive?

Have they been turned?

She's been thinking about her fellow teammates for the past week. She can tell Chloe has been too.

She wonders what Fat Amy is doing. If CR made it out. Did Stacie escape?

She likes to think that they all made it out safe and okay.

But she knows that this is real life.

She shuts her eyes for a few seconds before reopening them and when she does...

She kinda wishes she hadn't.

About a quarter of a mile away stands them. She can barely see them through the flickering street lights.

But she sees them.

Lowering the car window down an inch, she peels her ears back and listens out. Her eyes narrow when she feels her ear twitch and glancing to the side window, she catches sight of more stumbling figures making their way closer.

"Great," She mutters quietly to herself. Tapping a beat along the wheel, she debates on what she should do. Starting the engine would only alert them of their location, but when her eyes catch the turn off just in front, she begins rethinking.

Shutting her eyes tight, she places her hand on the keys before twisting. She grimaces when the engine roars to life and opening her eyes, she quickly pushes down on the accelerator high tailing it around the turn off.

From behind, the redhead groggily flickers her eyes open and groans when the car drives over a bump.

"Uh..." She hears Beca mumble, "Don't look behind."

Furrowing her brow, Chloe does exactly that. Sitting up, she twists around so she's facing out the back window.

A horde of figures stumble their way after them.

"Beca..." She turns back around with feared eyes.

"I'll lose them," Beca assures, "I'll lose them," She repeats with a nod and sure enough, they lose the horde after a few moments.

Continuing the drive through the cut off, she keeps her eyes open for any more. Hearing shuffling, she looks behind to see Chloe climb over to the front seat. "Be careful," Beca calls out.

Sitting in place, Chloe reaches for the map on the dashboard. Unfolding it, she reaches into her bag pulling out a flashlight. Lighting the map up, she points to it, "I think we're about here." She says. Beca glances over.

"So..." The brunette gazes back to the path, "Are we far?"

"A little." Chloe states, "We still have another town to pass before we reach Barden."

Beca and Chloe had decided going back to Barden was their best shot. For one, they needed to find out if any of their friends were still alive and if they were, they wanted to see if they were still there.

Beca never voices it, but she needs confirmation on what happened to her best friend. Since passing out at their graduation party was the last time Beca saw Jesse.

The two were never anything more than friends, they deemed each other more as siblings. Jesse had befriended the brunette long before they attended Barden and had been best friends since childhood. They grew up together, made it through high school together and many mistook them for brother and sister.

And in their eyes, they were.

"You know..." Beca says, a small grin in place, "For someone who failed maps, you sure are good with directions."

"Are you being serious?" Chloe asks, folding the map. "Or are you being a sarcastic asshole?"

"I'm being serious," The girl answers, "For real. If it wasn't for you, we would've been lost by now." She says sincerely, her eyes finding the redheads.

"Thank you." Chloe says. Watching as Beca lets out a yawn, she places a hand on her arm, "Hey, you should rest."

Shaking her head, Beca tightens her grip on the wheel, "I'm okay."

"Beca, come on," Chloe pleads, "Let me drive for a little while. I'm more rested than you."

A few moments pass before Beca nods, "Okay," Pulling the car to a stop, she and Chloe switch places only with her in the back. Laying down as Chloe drives off, she glances up to the girl, "Hey, Chlo?"

"Yeah?"

"If anything happens, make sure you wake me."

XxX

The redhead catches Beca's gaze from afar and sees the worried look on her face. Setting her drink to the side, she saunters her way over but halts when she notices how ridged Beca's frame had become.

Speeding up the pace, she's just about to see what's happening when Amy comes bundling over grabbing Beca from behind and pulling her away.

Furrowing her brow, Chloe moves to the side just in time to see Jesse's hand slip from Beca's neck. Gasping, Chloe dashes over to Amy. "Oh, my god!" She yelps, suddenly sobering up, seeing red hand marks along her friend's neck.

Hearing an inhuman screech, Chloe snaps her head over to where Jesse lays. She catches sight of his eyes causing her breath to hitch. She doesn't have time to comprehend it as Jesse suddenly pushes Benji away with so much force that the magician falls to the ground.

"Chloe!" Twisting around, Chloe sees Amy frantically waving to her while carrying Beca on her shoulder. Jogging her way to them, she follows the blonde out to the front of the Trebles house.

"She's still breathing," Fat Amy says, setting Beca in the passenger side of the brunette's truck. "But, she's in bad condition, ginger." She adds. Fat Amy reaches into the brunette's pocket pulling out a set of keys.

"Here," the blonde shoves them into her hands, "Get her away from here-"

"AGH!"

Spinning around at the interruption from behind the house, their eyes follow the sound.

"Get Beca away," Amy says strictly. Chloe doesn't have time to register this new side of the blonde as the girl makes her way around the house.

"Be careful, Ames!" She calls out before hopping into the car. She straps Beca in before pulling off.

Turning out of the driveway, the redhead's eyes widen in horror when they glance into the side mirror.

XxX

Nearing daylight, Chloe pulls the truck up beside a convenient store before poking at Beca.

"Bec," She whispers, "Wake up."

"Ugh..." The girl groans, turning over on her side. "Is something wrong?" She asks, cracking an eye open. Her vision's blurry but she at least takes in that it's morning.

"No," Chloe answers, "I just wanted to wake you up."

"Gee, thanks," Beca mumbles, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes.

"Gas is low," Chloe announces, looking at the meter, "I thought we should refill."

"Good thinking," Beca says. With her vision now clear, she looks around at their surroundings. The area is deserted, which was expected. Well...

Deserted from humans from what she can see.

"Did you see anything?" She questions, pulling herself up and over the console and into the passenger seat.

Shaking her head, Chloe answers, "Nope. Not really," She says, before adding, "There was a few of them back there. But nothing to really worry about."

"Okay." Reaching down, she hands Chloe her bag before grabbing her own, "So, what's the plan?"

Pausing, Chloe bites her lip before turning to Beca, "Okay, so maybe I woke you up for another reason." She says, a timid smile in place.

Shaking her head, Beca lets out a chuckle, "You never were one for plans." She says, pulling the backpack on. Gazing out the windows, she scouts for any form of life just to make sure. Seeing nothing, she brings her attention back to the redhead.

"I'm going to run into the store and grab some supplies, you on the other hand are going to pump this thing up while keeping watch." She explains, "Okay?"

"Okay."

Slowly driving up the path, Chloe stops the truck beside a fuel pump. Beca jumps out of the car before making her way to the main door.

Seeing that it's slightly open, she braces her hand out, cautiously pushing it open. She cringes when it rings out chiming bells.

Stalling in place, she waits for any noise but it never comes.

Tip-toeing her way in, she eyes the store. Since she never grabbed the essentials on her last supply run, she makes her way toward them this time.

Going through each aisle, she picks up whatever they would need before reaching the medical section. Roaming her eyes around the shelves, she reaches for a first aid kit before grabbing a few other supplies.

Just when she's about to leave, she hears a door slam followed by light footsteps. Turning on the spot, she follows the sound before crouching low. Creeping her way along the aisle, she peeps her head around the corner.

A lonely figure staggers its way along the store ground. Trailing one leg behind. It groans loudly and before she knows it, another one makes an appearance.

Blocking her way out.

Internally screaming, Beca slides her backpack off and as silently as she can, unzips it to place their supplies in. During the process, she lifts out one of the two handguns she stole from the men.

She suddenly wishes she gave Chloe one.

Not having time to dwell, she clicks the safety off before hooking her bag back on. Peeking her head around once again, she quickly pulls back when one of them notices her.

"Shit," She mumbles hearing it growl. Knowing that the gun would only cause trouble right now, she instead holds her breath as she waits for it to make an appearance.

During this, her hand automatically reaches for the knife in her belt.

Hearing the footsteps near her, she stands from her crouched position and patiently waits.

Diving forward, Beca digs the knife into its neck which erupts a screech. Pushing harder, she drives the blade further until it comes out the other end. Ripping the blade out, she scrunches up her face as darkish goo squirts onto her arm.

Just to make sure, she raises her hand up before driving the knife down into its head.

Always remember to double-tap.

Making her away around the aisle, she goes to make a run for it, only getting so far when suddenly she feels her backpack be tugged on.

Being pulled to the ground, the creature screams down at her, thrashing its arms around as she struggles to free from its grip.

In her periphery, she sees the handgun to her right. Waiting for the correct moment, she goes to grab it only to feel the weight on top disappear.

And gazing up, she finds Chloe stood above her with a hammer in hand.

They both look to the side to see the creature crawl its way toward them. Scrambling to her feet, Beca reaches for her knife but is beaten to it by Chloe stepping forward and hitting the creature across the head with her hammer.

It falls to the ground with a thump.

"Come on," Chloe reaches for Beca, dragging her by the arm and back to the safety of the truck.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Beca looks on at Chloe in shock and amazement. The redhead, who browses through Beca's backpack feels the other girls gaze on her.

"What are you staring at?" She finally asks, setting the bag down.

Blinking a few times, Beca shuts her mouth having not realized it was open before bringing her attention back to the girl.

"I'm not gonna lie," She says, making Chloe raise an eyebrow, "I'm a little turned on by that."

Raising both brows, Chloe throws her an opposing look, "From almost dying?" She smirks leaning closer to Beca.

Rolling her eyes, Beca falls back into the seat, "Jesus Christ," She mumbles, shaking her head. Hearing laughter from her friend, she snaps her head over, "Just fucking drive." She crosses her arms.

Roaring the engine to life, Chloe continues to giggle before driving off.

XxX

Keeping her tears at bay, Chloe looks over to Beca. The girl had been unconscious for what seems a lifetime to Chloe.

The redhead had reached the hospital only to find it up in flames. Which confused her at first but when scouting the surrounding for a doctor, she had come face to face with a human.

But it didn't seem human.

It showcased the same symptoms which Jesse did back at the party. The "human" screeched and wildly thrashed its arms around while trying to grasp at a nurse's neck.

Chloe had drove them away from the scene as soon as she witnessed it which is why they're currently parked in an alleyway. Hidden away.

Sniffling, Chloe wipes at her eyes before leaning over the console. Watching as Beca lets out slow breaths, she brings a hand up to her face, framing her features before settling it against her jaw.

"Please wake, Bec," She whispers laying a soft kiss to her cheek. "I'm scared."

XxX

"There it is," Beca says, seeing the familiar gates afar. "One Barden University." Driving the truck near the entrance, she pulls the breaks, turning to face Chloe. "You ready?"

Nodding, Chloe clears her throat, "Yeah." She answers.

"Time to face the music," Beca says, slowly pushing down on the accelerator. They carefully drive their way through the campus, grimacing when they see the amount of bodies that decorate the quad.

The worst is that they can tell who some of them are.

They pass one girl who Beca recognises from her Philosophy class back in Freshman year. They pass another who Chloe recognises from Russian Lit.

They look to each other when they near the Bella household, gulping when they see its current state. The once white building was now a stonewashed grey, with one side pitch black from being burned.

"Jesus."

Pulling up outside the building, Beca shuts the engine off leaving an eerie silence in the air. "I have no clue what we'll find in here." She says, breaking the silence.

"Hopefully, our friends," Chloe answers getting out of the truck, Beca following.

"Hey," Beca says making her glance back with a furrowed brow. She watches as Beca reaches into her bag pulling out the other handgun, "Here," She says holding it out for Chloe. "For protection," She adds.

"Thanks," Chloe says, grasping the gun in her palm.

They make their way up the steps, the wood creaking with every movement. They stand opposite the door to find it slightly ajar, which worries them. Pushing it open, Beca sticks her head in to look around. Seeing that it's clear, she beckons over the redhead before they both enter their old home.

Sneaking their way around, they scope out the entirety of the downstairs floorplan before thinking about heading to the next story. On their way up, they both curse the staircase for being so creaky. Stopping at the top, Beca looks over to Chloe, "We should split up," She whispers.

"And what?" Chloe replies, "Get eaten?" She shakes her head, "I'm staying with you."

Rolling her eyes, Beca looks between each bedroom door. Making her way to the furthest one, she twists the handle before holding her breath. Gently easing it open, she peeps her head in and finds it empty. Throwing a thumb up behind her, she waits for Chloe to reply in some way.

But she never does.

Confused, she turns to find Chloe gone.

Fear begins to well up inside her but it vanishes when she glances to the side. Chloe's stood looking inside Flo's old room.

"Hey, Chloe?" She whispers, making her way over, "So much for not splitt-"

She's silenced by the sob that erupts from the girl.

"Chloe?"

Standing beside her friend, she peeks her head in to see what's wrong.

Oh, how she wishes she hadn't.

Her eyes automatically close on instinct. She feels Chloe grip her arm which makes her open them again.

Lying in front of them is one Florencia Fuentes. Flo who lays paralysed and very much not breathing. Feeling sick from the sight, Beca swallows it down.

For Chloe's sake.

The redhead is already a teary mess beside her and feeling water brim her own eyes, Beca slowly makes her way nearer to the dead girl. She inhales sharply when she catches a clearer sight.

The girls neck is bathed in red and a chunk of her flesh has clearly been teared into.

Chloe lets out a cracked sob leaning into Beca. Wrapping her arms around her, the brunette pulls her in close, shielding her view from the sight. While hugging the girl, Beca stares down at her former teammate.

She takes in how the wound is still fresh causing a narrow to her eyes. The girls face still has a faint glow to it, and there's no reek from the bod-

Beca's face pales from a realization.

"Chloe, we need to go-" Before she can finish, she feels the girl go stiff in her arms making her pause mid-sentence. Pulling back, she sees Chloe's eye widen in fear as she looks on frantically.

Beca's pretty sure she knows why.

Looking over her shoulder, Beca sees one of the undead facing them in the doorway.

It's not just any undead either.

They'd recognise a Bella any day. Undead or not.

Blonde hair frames it's face giving them an idea as to who it is.

Or was.

Suddenly another one appears behind it, this one with darker hair which only confirms their assumption.

On instinct, Beca reaches her arm across shielding Chloe from them. Hearing a sniffle come from the girl, Beca lands her hand on Chloe's hip pulling her closer so that she's stood behind her. With her free hand, Beca grips the knife in her belt releasing it from its holder.

The two undead stumble their way into the room, making it even more difficult for the pair to escape. Feeling Chloe release her hand, she watches her move to stand alongside her.

Suddenly the blonde one dives at them, letting out a squeal. Mid-dive, Beca raises the knifed hand.

Their former friend falls directly into the blade, screeching at her as it thrashes its limbs about, it claws at Beca's arm making her hiss in pain and while trying to pull the blade out, Beca sees the other undead focus in on Chloe. Not being able to dwell on it, she rips the knife back out before kicking the undead in its mid-section giving her a second to recuperate.

Taking a needed breath, she lifts the knife back into the air aiming it for the undead's head. Driving it down, she watches it drill through the creature's skull with the deafening sound of cracking bones quickly following. Gagging at the sound, she rips the blade out before watching it fall limp to the ground.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she whips around ready to attack only to halt when Chloe stands opposite her. Breathing heavily, she stares into her blue eyes before being pulled into a hug. Over the redhead's frame, is the dark-haired one laying on the floor, liquid oozing from its left eye.

Gripping the shaking girl tighter, Beca lets her head fall to rest on Chloe's shoulder.

XxX

Stumbling their way out from the Bella's house, Beca's gaze falls to the Trebles adjacent to the building. Inhaling deeply, she brings a hand up rubbing harshly at her eyes before letting them fall to her sides. The fabric of her shirt runs along her arm, irritating the fresh wounds causing her to wince.

Chloe eyes her worriedly before catching sight of her arm from where the shirt rolled up. "Beca!" She exclaims, eyes widening.

Following the girls gaze, Beca lets her eyes fall, letting out a sigh. "I'll be okay." She says, pulling the shirt down making her eye twitch in pain. "We should-" She tips her head toward the truck.

"I'm driving," Chloe acclaims, her tone firm. Beca decides not to argue.

"Are you okay?" She asks once they're settled in the vehicle.

"What do you mean?" Chloe replies with a furrowed brow.

"I mean. Did you get hurt?" Beca further explains.

Shaking a head, Chloe replies, "No. I'm fine. That... thing back there had a pretty bad gash in its head, so it was an easy fight." She explains. Beca nods.

"Three gone," The brunette says, eyes cast down, sounding defeated. Chloe bites her lip taking it in, when suddenly something catches her attention. Squinting her eyes, she looks over to the Trebles house. She stares for a few seconds, before seeing it again.

Movement.

Gasping, she reaches over for Beca's arm. And it's only when Beca hisses does she retract it, "Sorry!" She rushes out before Beca can stop her. "But look!" She says pointing to the boys' house.

"What?" Beca says, shaking her head. "I can't see anything."

"I saw someone," Chloe exclaims, "I saw movement in the window."

"It was probably one of those things," Beca brushes off but is taken aback when Chloe roars the engine to life, driving them to the house.

Stopping outside the Treble's crib, she turns to her friend, "I'm going in."

"Please don't," Beca pleads. "Please don't go in. It's dangerous."

"Fine. Stay here."

"Chlo, don't-" A door opening interupts her, causing her to sigh. "Fuck sake." Following the girl, they cross over the driveway and up to the entrance.

Without thinking, Chloe carelessly bounces through the door, startling Beca. Stamping after the girl, Beca throws her hand into the air.

"Chloe, what the fuc-"

"Beca?"

Looking to Chloe, Beca narrows her eye, "Did your voice get deeper?"

"Not that I know off," Chloe replies. The redhead then catches sight of the figure over Beca's shoulder.

"Oh, my god!"

"W-what?" Beca eyes widen before turning in place.

"Benji?" She says sounding confused before her brain clicks into gear, "Benji!"

"Beca." He says, sounding relieved. Making his way over he pulls her into a hug before doing the same with Chloe.

"I missed you guys," He says with a smile.

"We did too, bud." Beca replies, grinning back.

"Are you alone?" Chloe asks suddenly changing the atmosphere of the room. Benji's eyes go downcast, which answers the question. Nodding, he glances back up, eyes flickering between them. "Just me," he says through a pained smile.

"Jesse?" Beca says his name, just for the sake of it.

"He uh..." Benji scratches his neck, "H-he never made it." He stutters.

Suddenly feeling lightheaded, Beca falls against the wall from losing her balance. Holding herself up, she mumbles out a quiet, "Oh, my god."

She knew it.

Beca knew he hadn't made it. Him choking her was a dead giveaway that something wasn't right from the very beginning. Pardon the pun.

"He uh," Benji voices, taking a cautious step towards her, "He's one of..." He shrugs, swallowing. "You know."

Taking a deep breath, Beca lets her head rest against the wall, eyes brimming with tears as she comprehends everything.

She lost her brother.

Worst is, he's one of them. He fell victim to their trap.

She sees Benji staring at her with a worried expression, so standing up, she sends him a reassuring smile to say that she's okay.

"Let's get out of here."

"And go where, Beca?" Chloe asks, beginning to sound deflated. Shrugging, Beca shakes her head, "I don't know."

"Actually," Benji says, bringing their attention to him. "You could stay here." He tells them, "I mean, how do you think I've survived this long?" He shrugs with a goofy grin.

XxX

"Please wake, Bec," Chloe whispers laying a soft kiss to her cheek. "I'm scared."

That had been an hour ago. Beca still hadn't wakened and it was beginning to worry the redhead. Since then, she had drove them far away from their former location, after deeming it unsafe.

Chloe was feeling more alone than ever, with her best-friend and long-time crush being knocked out and lying unconscious beside her and with a real-life Armageddon taking place, she felt so very alone.

She hadn't been able to contact anyone since she left her phone back at the party and Beca's phone was dead.

It was beginning to look like a lost cause.

Seeing the sun begin to rise, she pulls the truck into a quiet area.

Or what seems quiet.

She can't really tell.

Sitting in the driver's seat, she lets her hands fall into her lap. She feels her eyes begin to well up, so she frustratingly rubs at them in hopes of stopping it. And while doing this, a hand reaches up grasping hers and halting her movements.

Her eyes wander to the hand, following the outstretched arm before finally settling on the person's face.

"Beca!" She glees in shock before bursting forward pulling the brunette into a crashing hug.

XxX

"Nice place," Beca says stepping into the basement.

Benji had been smart, he barricaded the entrance to his "hideout" making it into a hidden doorway that only he could see and use.

"Thanks," He replies, "The Trebles had this place set up ages ago, I just figured it could be helpful in this situation." Gesturing to the couch, he takes a seat, Beca and Chloe following. "Ever since the incident, I've been hiding in here. A few of the Trebles had been with me."

"What happened to them?" Beca asks, ignoring light pounding in her head. Internally shaking it off, she focuses as he speaks.

"I don't know," Benji shrugs, picking at the lint in his sleeve, "They went out for a supply run a few weeks ago and never returned." He explains. "Flo actually was with us for a while," He adds making Chloe snap her head up.

"Flo?"

"Yeah," he nods. "She came to us for help so we took her in. And just last night, she left. Not sure where she went. Said she needed to check something." He explains.

Beca and Chloe glance to each other, gulping before turning back to him.

"Well," Beca says, running a hand through her hair, hoping it would ease the pain, "I think we should stick together from now on." She looks between the two.

"Definitely," Benji nods. "It's safer this way." He says. Suddenly he bounces up in his seat, startling the girls, "Emily..." He looks between them, hopeful. "Have you seen Emily since the party?"

Beca goes to open to speak, but instead shakes her head, "No. Sorry, Benj."

Benji's face falls, his eyes wandering to the redhead. Chloe looks at him apologetically before shrugging, "I haven't seen her, no."

Nodding, Benji stands from his seated position. Pointing to the other side, he turns to them, "I'll be over there," He says before telling them to ask if they need anything.

The brunette watches as he walks away, before sighing and turning back towards Chloe.

"I hate that he feels like that," She comments slouching back into the seat, "I wish we... could do something." She adds, her voice slightly slurring.

"Me too." Chloe says distractedly, her gaze landing on the younger girl and brows furrowing from the sudden change of voice.

Laying her head on the back of the couch, Beca lets her eyes fall shut. She feels Chloe's stare on her but refuses to open crack one open.

After a few moments, she bounces up in place, her hand reaching to grasp at the back of her head. Her eyes squeeze shut as she waits for the pain to pass.

It was worse.

Way worse.

Suddenly, a hand falls to her face and opening her eyes, she finds Chloe's worried looking ones staring back.

"Becs."

"Chlo."

"What's wrong?" The redhead asks, running her thumb along Beca's jaw.

"My head hurts," Beca explains, her eyes falling downcast. They then catch sight of her injured arm, the scratch marks peeking through under the shirt sleeve.

Chloe follows her gaze and eyes zoning in, they suddenly bulge.

It's only been 40 minutes since they found Flo.

"Oh, no." She mumbles low. "How's that possible?" She adds, bringing her hand down to Beca's arm. Grasping the edge of the sleeve, she glances to Beca before pulling it back.

Chloe can't help but gasp.

"B-Beca." She says the girls name, her eyes flickering between her face and her arm.

Beca's arm has four large scratches from wrist up, covering the entirety of the side. The scratches looking more like slashes considering how deep they are. So deep, that stiches would need to applied.

Chloe wishes the cuts were the only thing she was worried about.

But when her eyes find the sickly grey color forming on the girl's skin around the wounds, she falls into Beca's shoulder, sobbing loudly.

Hearing the commotion, Benji's head flicks up. He dashes from his seat when he sees the crying redhead.

He makes it over to them just in time before their brunette friend passes out.

XxX

"BECA!"

"WAKE UP!"

"PLEASE..."

"I'M SCARED."

XxX

Stormy blues snap wide open. She gasps for breath as they frantically flick across her surroundings. Everything's a haze. It seems like a blur that is until they land on a familiar face.

"C-Chlo?" She breathes out, trying to catch her breath.

"Oh, thank god!" Chloe praises, her hand holding Beca's in a tight grip. With her free one, she brings it up to land on the brunette's face. "I thought you were gone."

"I think..." Beca moves to sit up, only to wince, "I think I've heard you say that before." She says, laying back down.

Looking over to Chloe, she sees the girl staring intently at her.

"What?" She asks, with a furrowed brow.

"I thought I lost you." Chloe says, her eyes glazed. Leaning closer she frees her hand from Beca's bringing it up to frame the other on her face. "I thought I lost you." She repeats, a tear rolling down her cheek.

With a shaky hand, Beca wipes the stray tear away, "I'm still here. I'm never leaving." She reassures, before lifting one of the redhead's hands and bringing her lips to it, "I won't ever leave you. Understand?"

Nodding, Chloe brings her gaze away. It lands on the girls bandaged up arm. Following her eyes, Beca looks to her left arm.

"What happened?" Beca asks, not tearing her eyes off the arm.

"You uh, passed out." Comes a deeper voice, making Beca glance up from her position on the table, which she's only realizing she's laying on. Benji gives a sheepish grin as he makes his way over. "Your arm was pretty beaten up," He further explains, "Thankfully, we caught it in the early stages," He adds, sliding a chair over and sitting down, "And thankfully, I am a doctor in training." He grins.

Laying her head back against the hard surface, Beca lets out a sigh, "Thank god for you Benjamin," She chuckles. "How'd you manage to fix me up?"

"Well," He gazes to her arm, "It was a toughie. This was the first "Zombie Procedure," I've ever encountered. And being that, I had to be extra careful. Luckily, some of my supplies were with me down here, so I got to work immediately. I treated the wound just like any other, I cleaned it out as well as I could before stitching it up."

"How am I not a zombie right now?" Beca asks, sitting up with the help of Chloe.

"That's the crazy part..." Benji grimaces, pulling at his sleeve. "The only way we could assure the poison was out of you was with chemicals." He explains. "And the fact that you weren't bitten probably helps. You were only merely scratched."

"Makes sense," Beca nods, "So, did you pour acid down my throat or something?" She questions with an eyebrow raised.

Chuckling, Benji shakes his head, "Not exactly..." He trails off, bouncing his leg, "I mixed a few chemicals together which I knew would bond together to make a substance of some sorts, a substance that would hopefully drive out the poison. And seeing you awake, I think it's safe to say that it worked."

"So, what you're saying," Beca starts, "Is that you created a cure for this?"

Shrugging, he glances up, "For zombie bites? I don't think so, but for scratches? Maybe." He replies before quickly adding, "We don't know for sure, though. I mean, you could relapse into your previous state of unconsciousness."

"But for now, I'm okay?"

"Yeah. You're okay."

"One more question," Beca pipes up, looking between her friends, "How long was I out for?"

"Three days," Chloe alerts her, causing her eyes to widen.

"Three days?!" She exclaims with raised eyebrows before glancing between the two, "You had to wait three days to see if I'd wake?"

Nodding, Chloe's eyes find hers, "Yeah."

"Well," Benji speaks, tapping his leg, "You guys should get some rest, even though you've been sleeping for days, Beca." He smirks before standing. "You guys can take the couch," He says pointing to the comforter.

"Oh, no, we don't have to Benji," Chloe protests only to see him shake his head.

"Nonsense, you guys need to rest. Besides, I'll be on night watch up there," He explains pointing to the stairway leading up to the house.

"If you say so." Chloe voices.

XxX

Later that night, Beca and Chloe lie opposite each other on the couch. Both attempting the sleep. Both failing at said attempt.

The brunette's left arm feels a little numb as she sits studying it. Curiously, she picks at the edge of the bandage, pulling it back to sneak a peek under it.

The stitches had left dark red lines from where the scratches were, but what has her scrunching her face up, is that the surrounding of the arm is still a greyish color.

"Ugh."

Wrapping the bandage back in place, she lets the arm fall to rest, hanging off the chair.

Bringing the other up, she lays it across her face before shutting her eyes. She takes a few steady breaths, trying to even her breathing in hopes of falling asleep.

That changes when she feels a dip in the couch.

Moving her arm away, she finds Chloe laying alongside her. Furrowing her brows, Beca stares at her in confusion.

"Everything okay?" She asks cautiously, as Chloe continues her way closer. Nodding in return, the redhead scoots so she's hovering over Beca, careful not to hurt her injured arm.

"I just..." She begins, licking her lips, "Was thinking."

"Oh, no..." Beca grins, eyes following the movement. "That's never good," She smirks before tipping her head, "For real, though. What's wrong?"

"You almost... died," Chloe says, reminding her. "You almost died and I..." She shakes her head, trailing her eyes away from the girl below.

"You what?"

"I-" Feeling a hand on her jaw, Chloe's face is guided back towards Beca's and looking into the safety of those stormy blues, she blurts, "I never got to tell you how-" Stopping mid-sentence, she sighs.

Beca only blinks, her hand still resting on the girl's face.

"What?" She asks after a few seconds tick by, shaking her head lightly.

Glancing down, Chloe gulps before repeating,"I-"

After a few moments passing by with Chloe continuing to remain silent, Beca feels her face morph into one of confusion. "Chloe, just tell me."

She watches Chloe shake her head before moving to go back to her own side... but then she's halting in place, her eyes finding Beca.

It takes Beca a few seconds to realize that lips have suddenly landed on hers.

And that it's Chloe's lips on hers.

Falling into the girls embrace, Beca lets herself be endorsed with girl's mouth, lets herself become lost in it.

Mouths quietly lapping over one another, Chloe doesn't know how or when her legs were suddenly planted at each side of Beca but she doesn't question it, instead Chloe brings her hands to the other girl's face, framing it before pulling her even closer.

Pulling back for a breather, Chloe leans heavily into Beca, who wraps her free arm around her waist.

Neither say a word, they rather gaze lovingly at one another, lazy smiles on their faces as time ticks by slowly.

"Wow..." Beca grins, nudging Chloe's nose with her own. "Is that what you we're trying to tell me?"

Giggling, Chloe tips her head forward so that her mouth hovers above Beca's, "I've been wanting to do that for 3 years..." She admits, and then Beca's leaning up to captures her lips once again.

XxX

Sitting at the window, Benji grips his rifle close while keeping watch. So far, it's been silent. So silent that he's actually beginning to feel worried.

It's never this quiet.

He wonders what Beca and Chloe are doing and if he should go check on them but before he can, he hears something in the distance.

Sitting up straighter, he squints his eyes while gazing through the blinds. Suddenly they widen in fear.

He knew something was up.

Jumping out of his seat, he rushes down to the hidden basement and stumbling his way in, he hooks a thumb over his shoulder.

"We have to get out of here."

Beca and Chloe bounce up from their embrace, startled.

"Say what now?" Beca says, with raised brows.

"There's a-" Taking a deep breath, Benji points behind him, "There's a horde."

"Can't we just wait it out?" Chloe pipes up, fixing her top from where it rolled up.

Shaking his head furiously, he responds, "No. I wish we could, but not this one." Walking over, he grabs their two backpacks throwing them over, before packing up his own supplies.

Once he gathers everything he might need, he turns back to them gesturing for them to follow.

"You guys brought a truck, right?"

"Yeah, mine." Beca replies, following him up the steps.

"Well, we're gonna have to run for it," He says, quickly shutting his makeshift door. While he's doing this, Chloe and Beca glance out the window.

"Holy shit," They say in unison as they watch the massive horde stumble their way near the house. Hearing a click, they snap their attention to Benji who stands holding the main door open.

Rushing over, they each run into the front yard of the Treble's house. Pointing to her truck, Beca gestures it to them before they sprint toward it.

Making it, she rips open the door to the driver's seat. Feeling around for the keys she plucks them in before halting.

"Shit." Looking to Benji, who's sat beside her, she shakes her head, "I can't drive." She says, lifting her injured arm.

Cursing under his breath, Benji looks out the window to find that the horde had reached the Bellas house and in a quick decision he brings his attention back to Beca.

"We need to swap places."

Nodding in an agreement, they both hold each other's gaze before opening their door. As fast as she can, Beca stumbles her way around to the passenger side, passing Benji in the process who nearly crashes into her.

Hooking a hand around the handle, Beca pulls herself into the seat, watching for Benji to do the same.

The horde had made it to them quicker than she had anticipated and leaning forward, she sees one staring Benji down, blocking him from the driver's side.

Frantically searching for something, Beca grabs the nearest object from the dashboard in front, which conveniently happens to be Chloe's hammer from before.

Before she can leap out of the vehicle, a gunshot rings in her ear, causing her to stop.

Twisting in place, she sees Chloe leaning outside her window pointing a gun at the now limp zombie.

"Chloe, why would you do th-" Before Beca can finish, Benji hops into the driver's seat, igniting the engine before any of them can speak.

Suddenly a mass of growls is aimed at them as the horde stumble their way closer surrounding the vehicle, they grab and claw at the car, desperate to reach the three inside.

"Drive already, Benji!"

"I'm trying!"

Stomping down on the accelerator, the truck speeds off taking a few of the horde with it.

Hearing a screech come from behind, Beca twists around to see a hand claw at Chloe through the open window. "Don't shoot!" She calls back. "Here!" Holding out the hammer for the redhead to take, she watches her grab it before whacking the undead across the head. The creature growls still hanging on, so raising her arm, Chloe brings the weapon back down.

The zombie falls limp of the side causing Chloe to release a breath but before she can fully relax, she looks over to see Beca open her side door.

"Becs, what are-" Chloe stops mid-way when her eyes focus in on a zombie hanging on to the window frame, she hears Beca instruct Benji to drive close to the sidewalk and nearing a lamp post, Beca pushes the door fully open smashing the creature into it.

Leaning around the door, Beca hangs out glancing back to see the zombie attempt to crawl after them. Making sure she's hanging on, she lifts a hand to flip it off, "Bye bye, bitch!"

XxX

"Any idea as to where we're going?" Benji voices later that day while strolling the vehicle through the highway.

It's deserted and Armageddon like and it makes their stomachs churn.

Sitting up at the sound of his voice, Chloe blinks before shaking her head, "No." Her eyes flicker to the passenger seat to where her best friend lies, Beca's head against the window as she dozes off. The redhead's gaze lowers to the bandaged arm. She sighs.

Beca's been through so much, she thinks.

She lost a friend, she's been injured physically and mentally, not to mention a near death from a sudden zombie attack.

The more Chloe thinks about it, the more she realizes Beca had been injured because of her. Every time there would be a supply run, Beca voluntarily went, stating she would be "faster," but the more Chloe thinks about it, the more she realizes that Beca was doing it to protect her.

Scooting her way over behind the passenger's seat, Chloe leans forward to wrap her arms around it, holding onto the girl.

From the side of his periphery, Benji catches the moment and deciding not to interrupt, he lets them be wrapped in their own little world.

Feeling arms around her, Beca's eyes crack open to find that it's Chloe's arms around her. Smiling, she leans her head over to lay a gentle kiss on the girls arm before leaning against the window again.

XxX

"Beca?" Chloe nudges the girl.

"Mm?" Beca mumbles from her slouched position.

"Do you..." Pausing, Chloe clears her throat, "Do you think Aubrey is still alive?"

Furrowing her brows, Beca sits up facing the girl, "I don't know, Chlo." She replies honestly. "Maybe?" She adds.

"It's just, she wasn't able to make it to graduation so I really have no idea what happened to her." Chloe says, her eyes downcast. Sighing, she picks at the sleeve of her top, which she's only now noticing is torn.

Watching the defeated girl, Beca reaches over to pick up her hand. Running a soothing motion along it, she catches Chloe's eyes, "How about we try find her?" She suggests.

"I doubt we could find her," Chloe says, "I mean, she could be dead." She chokes out.

"Don't say that."

"I'm just speaking truthfully."

"Look," Beca sighs, "What else have we got to lose?" She shrugs, "We have no clue where we're going so why don't we try find Aubrey?"

XxX

"So, we're going to the... Lodge at Fallen Leaves?"

"Yep."

"Why?"

"To find Aubrey, Benji."

"Think Emily could be there?"

"I doubt it."

XxX

Slouching down against the dashboard, Beca lazily taps at the buttons as she flicks through radio stations that give out nothing but white noise.

It's a lost cause.

They're tired, hungry and mentally exhausted from all this shit. Two months in and the earth had turned into a hell-hole.

And why?

They have no idea.

They have no clue if Jesse was the one to start this or if he had gotten it from another.

They try not to think about it.

They try not to think that this is their reality now.

Chloe had since taken over the role of the designated driver to let Benji get some rest. During this the redhead's gaze had wandered to the other girl.

"What's wrong?" Chloe asks, bringing her eyes back to the road. Swerving to the side, she makes sure not to run over the crawler on the pavement.

Huffing out a laugh, Beca brings herself back into a seated position.

"Everything," She says, "Everything's wrong."

And Chloe doesn't know how to respond to that because yes.

Everything is wrong.

"How far are we from the Lodge?" Beca asks after a moment.

"Um..." Chewing on her lip, Chloe looks for a road sign. "Maybe 10 miles away?"

Nodding, Beca goes back to staring outside her window. After a few minutes, she hears rustling come from Chloe's side and glancing over she casts a confused look.

"Sorry," Chloe apologizes, "It's just, I can't seem to sit still."

"Right." Beca says slowly, turning back. And awkward silence takes place causing alarm bells to ring out in the brunette's head and shifting around she raises both eyebrows. "For real, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Chloe brushes off trying to sound normal.

"Sure."

"I'm telling you!"

"Sure."

"Okay, if you must know," Chloe turns to her, "We're running out of gas."

Snapping her eyes to Chloe, Beca gives her a dumfounded look, "Say what now?"

Pointing to the gas meter, the redhead repeats her words, "We're running out of gas."

"How?" Beca asks, looking at the meter to see that it is indeed running low, "Didn't we fill it up like... I don't know. Recently?" She chimes.

"Yeah." Chloe replies.

"Then I don't understand."

The meter was really low and if they didn't get to a gas station soon then they'd be stranded. And fuck no, could they let that happen.

"What are we gonna do?" The redhead asks.

Shrugging, Beca looks out to the road, "Go as far as we can. Hope that we find a gas station. I don't know, Chlo."

"And if we don't find one?"

"Guess we're going on foot."

XxX

"Benji."

"We have to go!"

"Wake up!"

"They're here!"

XxX

Frantically shaking at the brunette boy in the back seat, Beca attempts to waken him from his deep sleep. "Come on, Benj." She mutters, her eyes flickering between him and the window.

"Jesus, wake up!" She screams, slapping him in the face. Suddenly his eyes bounce open, they flicker around before they set on the girl.

"What's going on?" He asks, drowsily. Rubbing at his eyes, he sees movement from the side of his periphery and glancing there, he catches sight of the small horde stumbling their way near the car.

"What the hell?"

"We need to move. Car's ran out of gas," Beca explains shoving his bag into his chest. Opening the door, she looks back to him. "We need to run. The hordes too big for us to fight them off."

Absently nodding, Benji follows her out of the vehicle, his eyes squinting from the brightness. Seeing Beca make her way to Chloe, his picks up the pace and before they know it, they're making a run for it up the highway.

Every now and then, he gazes over his shoulder to see how far they've gotten. He curses under his breath as two seem to be fast runners.

"B-Beca!" He shouts, slightly out of breath. Catching her attention, he hooks a thumb behind him and following it, Beca curses.

Two of the undead had easily caught up with them, the others a far bit behind. Huffing out a breath of air, Beca raises her voice, "We... We need to kill them!"

So, stopping in place, Beca doesn't have to wait long for one to reach her.

Gripping her knife, she raises it up and just as the zombie goes in for the kill, she slices through its stomach. Gripping the weapon, she tries to pull it back but quickly finds that it's stuck within the guts of the undead. "Shit." She mutters.

The zombie screeches in pain and raises its bloody hands to grip at her but in a quick instinct, Beca kicks its kneecap, crippling it to the ground.

Her eyes zone in on the knife sticking out of its body and without thinking, she powers forward with as much force as she can muster and pushes the dagger right through its stomach with her dominant foot.

Watching as it drops limp to the ground, she doesn't take any chances and punt kicks the creature's face three times before taking back possession of the knife.

"Beca!" Snapping her head around, the brunette's attention is brought to her friends struggling to fight off one of the zombies.

The zombie itself was big, bigger than they were expecting.

Running over, Beca quickly fires the knife into the back of the undead's neck. Without removing it, she twists it a few times to keep the creature paralysed. "Hit it!"

Nodding, Chloe raises her hammer and slams it down onto the zombie's head. The zombie continues to frail about and shoves Beca away making her fly onto the ground, directly onto her left side. "Motherfucker..." She groans holding her injured arm.

Not letting it get away, Chloe quickly smashes its skull again with the hammer and this time it does the trick.

"Fuck." She hears Beca mumble, "We need to get out of here, ASAP." The DJ adds. Making his way over, Benji holds out his hand to help her up from the ground.

Just as he does, he feels the dampness from her palm and looking down, he sees that it's coated with a thick dark substance. His face scrunches up.

Standing, Beca shrugs. "In my defence." She starts, "My knife was shoved in zombie guts."

"Gross."

XxX

Later that night, the trio had come across an old shed.

Stumbling her way up the creaky steps, Beca stands outside one of the windows. Bringing her face to the glass, she squints in hopes of seeing through. After a few moments, she steps back. "I think... we're good." She says slowly, but it sounds unconvincing.

"You think?" Benji voices walking up beside her. "Words like that are dangerous in times like this."

"You don't think I know that?" Beca replies sounding a little agitated.

Shaking his head, Benji raises his hands before mumbling out a quiet, "Sorry."

Sighing, Beca brings a hand to her eyes and rubs harshly at them. When she lowers the hand, her gaze falls onto the redhead stood at the bottom of the steps.

"Let's go check this place out," Beca says catching Chloe's attention. Seeing her nod, she glances to Benji, "Take the lead?" She questions with a raised brow.

"Oh, okay..." He nods. When Beca holds out one of her knives, he carefully takes hold of it and just when he does, he hears her mumble a quiet, "I didn't mean to snap at you."

"It's okay," He assures with a small smile. Giving him a thumbs up, she taps him on the shoulder. "Let's do this..."

Reaching forward, she twists the handle. The door easily opens, and with her hand, Beca gestures for Benji to enter.

Taking quiet steps forward, he inhales just as he enters. Gripping the knife, he keeps it held in the air, ready to attack. Flicking his eyes around the room, he takes in from the small amount of light coming from the outside, that they're in some kind of main room judging by the ragged couch and broken TV screen.

Feeling a grip on his arm, he looks over his shoulder to find Beca holding a finger to her lips. When she sees him notice, she bobs her head to the side and glancing there, he notices that there's a zombie in the room beside them.

From then, he decides to follow Beca since she took the lead. The brunette, stands with her back against the wall. Peeking around the side, her eyes watch the zombie as it stumbles about and once it has its back turned from them, she sneaks her way behind it.

Smashing the blade through its skull, Beca grabs the undead before it can fall. It screeches so Beca stabs the knife into it once again and carefully, she lowers it to the ground to make sure little noise erupts.

Making her way back to her friends, she notices that they're no longer behind the door.

"Guys?" She whispers to the empty hallway as she creeps her way through. After a few moments of silence, she sighs. Suddenly a creek can be heard from behind her and twisting on the spot, she raises her knife.

"Hey, hey! It's me!" Voices the offender, which Beca comes to realize is Chloe. Letting out a breath, she drops the knife to the side. "Fuck sake, Chlo."

Shutting her eyes for a second, Beca feels Chloe grip her arm.

"Where's Benji?"

"In the kitchen," Chloe says, running a hand up the brunette's arm. Trailing to down, she reaches the knife and carefully takes possession of it. "We quickly checked the other rooms."

"And?" Beca asks, her eyes following the movements of the redhead as she places the knife back into her belt.

"All clear."

"Thank God..."

Snapping her head up, Beca suddenly thinks of an idea. Noticing the change, Chloe furrows her brow.

"What is it?"

"The zombie." Beca says. Moving away from Chloe, she jogs her way down the hall and back into the main room. Scrunching her face up as she stares down at the undead, she hears Chloe catch up and pointing to it, she glances to the redhead.

"I have no clue if it will work, but..." Bringing her gaze back to the zombie, she continues, "What if we set this thing out front? Do you think its scent would block out any zombies from getting in here?"

"I... don't know, Bec." Chloe says, folding her arms. "I guess it could work?"

XxX

"Are we sure this place is even safe?" Benji asks from the armchair as his foot taps along the carpet flooring.

Sighing, Beca lets her head rest on the couch, "Yeah, I think." Shrugging, she glances to him, "We scouted the house out and we've checked the surroundings outside. And since we've placed that zombie out front, nothing has seemed to pass by..." She explains. Shutting her eyes, she takes out a slow breath. Hearing rustling, she cracks one open to catch a glimpse of Benji leaving the room.

"I think he's a little on edge ever since we left the Trebles house," Chloe voices catching Beca's attention. "I mean, isn't this the first time he's left the place?" She says, mindlessly searching through her bag.

"Yeah, I think it is..." Biting her lip, Beca watches Chloe curiously for a few moments. "What are you looking for?"

"Uh..." Reaching a hand in, Chloe makes a small noise of victory, "Ah ha!" Pulling out the objects, she holds them up to Beca.

"Chocolate Bars?" Beca raises an eyebrow.

Shrugging, Chloe nods, "I picked up a few." She says chucking one at the brunette. "I wouldn't be surprised if our sugar levels are low." She adds, tearing the wrapper off and taking a bite. "I got Benji one as well."

Nodding, Beca tears into her own candy bar. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed the sweet taste until now.

Finishing the treat, she balls the wrapper up and chucks it somewhere in the room. Turning to face the redhead, she comes to find that the girl is already watching her. Furrowing her brows with an amused smirk, she shifts closer.

"Why are you staring at me?"

Shrugging, Chloe grins, "Because."

"Now that's not a real answer." Beca teasingly says.

Bringing her legs up and crossing them, Chloe turns to face the brunette. "You got a little-" Giggling, she brings a hand up and brushes her thumb along Beca's bottom lip. "-something." Her voice lowers as she licks away the chocolatey substance from her thumb while keeping her gaze on Beca.

Gulping from the sight, Beca lets out a breath. "Thanks..."

Not being able to tear her gaze from the girl, Beca finds herself slowly leaning her face closer to Chloe. Her eyes flicker between Chloe's crystal blue's before wandering lower to her lips. She thinks she sees them twitch into a smirk, but she isn't sure because suddenly her own have connected with them.

Chloe's lips are soft and gentle and just like before, she finds herself quickly getting lost in it.

Her body twists to face the redhead and her hands come up to frame her face pulling her closer. She feels Chloe's hands grip onto the bottom of her shirt before sliding their way up to the collar.

Sighing into the kiss, Beca pulls back with a small smile in place.

"You're amazing. Did you know that?" She says, barely above a whisper as her forehead leans on Chloe's.

"I'm that good, huh?" Chloe smirks. Her lips grazing the brunettes with every word.

Chuckling, Beca leans in again.

XxX

So, I wrote this ages ago and as you can tell, never really got round to completing it. I thought it would be a waste to let it just sit there in my documents, so I decided to upload it for you guys to read. Maybe if you guys liked it, I may consider completing it. Or at least create a better ending.

[frankly-art]

Frankly-Art’s Top 10 Video Games of 2018

Also available to read on my deviantArt!

With every New Year comes another year’s worth of video games to look forward to, and 2019 promise to be a good one in that regard: the release of Kingdom Hearts III is only days away, Piranha Plant and Joker are certain to be innovative and entertaining additions to the Smash Ultimate roster, Animal Crossing is coming to the Switch… and those mark only a small fraction of the many things 2019 has in store for us in terms of gaming. Amid all of this hype, I got to thinking about the varied gameplay experiences I had over the past year; so, I figured this would be as good an opportunity as any for me to reflect on them with a bit of a critical eye and definitively rank each of the video games I managed to get to during 2018!

Keep in mind while reading that, even though this is a list featuring games I played in 2018, many of these games were ones released in years past that I never got around to until last year—so, if you were expecting a list of the top 10 games that were released in 2018, I’m afraid you’ll have to look elsewhere (but not until after you read my oh-so-important list first! I crave validation!); expect a healthy mix of new and old titles in the list below. Additionally, this list will rank downloadable content (DLC) separately from standalone titles, as I don’t find it fair to compare a DLC add-on to a fully-fledged game. I’ll be weighing the score of each DLC depending on how well it improves and expands upon the narrative and gameplay of its original game.

Without further ado (and with no better means of transitioning from this introduction to the list itself than to use a somewhat tired expression in the realm of video games), let’s-a go! (Please forgive me.)

-SPOILER WARNING IN EFFECT-

Favorite Characters: Revali, Urbosa, Kass Favorite Tracks: Monk Maz Koshia (all phases)

It might come as somewhat of a shock that a game with “Breath of the Wild” in its title would rank lowest on my list, but hear me out: no matter how much fun it was to be able to return to Hyrule in this DLC expansion, in my opinion, Champions’ Ballad just felt like more of the same of what we got in the main game.

Despite the nigh perfection that was Breath of the Wild, I have to agree with critics who said that the lack of aesthetic variation between segments of dungeon crawling and puzzle solving was a monotonous bore when compared to the varied themes and aesthetics of the dungeons in Zelda games past, and Champions’ Ballad did nothing to vary the atmosphere in its new shrines and dungeon from those of the main game. This disappointment was compounded with the fact that Champions’ Ballad added no new weapons to your arsenal (aside from a risky-to-use fork that functioned virtually like every other sword in the game) to allow for new types of puzzle solving or exploration. The unicorn motorcycle was certainly a cool reward for completing the DLC (the fact that I got to write the words “unicorn” and “motorcycle” next to each other is reward enough), but I had very little use for it since I’d already combed through the entirety of Hyrule during my first playthrough of the game. I simply believe it would have been nice for Champions’ Ballad to have given players something a little fresher to explore, even if it were just an aesthetic change of scenery.

I had also hoped that Champions’ Ballad might have expanded on the lore sprinkled throughout Hyrule and, even though we learned more about the four champions, I was a little let down that they didn’t really expand on anything else (Why can’t I climb to the top of Mount Agaat? Why does the entirety of the Akkala region fill me with a confusing sense of serene dread?? What the hell happened at the Typhlo Ruins???) I appreciate that, by not explaining everything, Nintendo give players the chance to interpret these things for themselves, but, when compared to the lore provided in previous Zelda games, I feel as though Champions’ Ballad fell short in fleshing out the history of this ruined Hyrule.

Favorite Characters: Prompto, Ignis Favorite Tracks: A Retainer’s Resolve, Apocalypsis Magnatus

Given how much of a beautiful mess Final Fantasy XV was upon its initial release, it’s certainly a consolation to the main game to see how well Square Enix supplemented its (rather disjointed) story and expanded upon its (frankly, lacking) gameplay through its various DLC expansion chapters featuring Noctis’ loyal Chocobros. And while I may not love Ignis quite as much as other chocobros like Prompto or Noctis, Episode Ignis was definitely an engaging and welcome addition to the enigma that is the Final Fantasy XV.

Particular highlights of Episode Ignis include its soundtrack, which features a heroic leitmotif for Ignis that really underscores the dire circumstances he and his teammates find themselves in during this segment of the story, and its addition of gameplay modes (Motorboat Simulator 2018 being one of them) are a welcome change of pace to the somewhat rudimentary battle and exploration systems found in the main game. However, a point of contention I have with Episode Ignis is with its narrative: while I appreciate that this DLC chapter finally explains how Ignis becomes blind, its multiple endings completely undermine the storyline of the main game itself. Does Ignis’ sacrifice save Noctis from having to make a sacrifice of his own in order to save the world? Does Ignis regain his sight after Noctis defeats Ardyn? Do Noctis and Luna finally realize that they’d be better off with other people (as it’s obvious that Noctis is already too preoccupied with his three boyfriends to make room for anyone else)? I need answers, Square!

Favorite Characters: Elizabeth, Atlas/Frank Fontaine Favorite Tracks: Patsy Cline – She’s Got You, Johnny Mathis – Wonderful! Wonderful!

I claimed to be a fan of the BioShock series for so long, even though I’d only ever played the first game in the series until the summer of 2017 when I finally bought a PS4 and, with it, the BioShock Collection. Now, I can call myself a fan of the series without reservation, having explored and discovered all that Rapture and Columbia have to offer. To me, BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea Episodes 1 & 2 are a love letter to the entire series itself, featuring elements from the three main-series games and tying together each of their narratives (save for maybe BioShock 2, which is absolutely criminal, considering 2 is my favorite game in the series) in a way that, while forced in some aspects, felt like Ken Levine actually cared about clearing up some of the more confusing questions that remained at the end of BioShock: Infinite.

Burial at Sea really came into itself during Episode 2, where gameplay was switched up to feature more fleshed-out stealth mechanics that made sneaking around Rapture and Columbia both exhilarating and terrifying. It was also refreshing to be able to finally take control of Elizabeth, one of the most iconic characters of the series after the Big Daddies of BioShocks 1 and 2, and learn more of her own personal motivations and desires as she maneuvers through hostile environments. As I already mentioned briefly, I know some took issue with the way Burial at Sea wove the first two BioShock games together with the third, but, considering the mess that was made when BioShock Infinite introduced multiverse science into its mythos (and the narrative mess that Infinite was in general—I took great issue with the way they framed the oppressed populations of Columbia as “just as bad” as the ruling populations simply because they used violence to, you know, try and liberate themselves from their oppression), I feel that Burial at Sea did the best job it could considering that the setting of Infinite differed so greatly from that of the first two games.

Also, fun fact: I studied this game as a part of my Master’s Project and played it through a total of three times: once in English and twice in French! Isn’t academia weird?

Favorite Characters: Rando, Buddy, Vega Van Dam Favorite Tracks: 666 Kill Chop Deluxe, He’s My Dad, Brokentooth March

Anyone who reads TV Tropes is likely familiar with the trope “Gameplay and Story Segregation” and its less-frequent counterpart, “Gameplay and Story Integration”. In the case of LISA: The Joyful, this DLC game (which could practically be its own standalone title if it weren’t for the fact Steam labels it as “DLC” and won’t let you play it without first purchasing LISA: The Painful) absolutely excels in the latter and completely subverts the gameplay mechanics and narrative structure of the base game, and this can all be attributed to the way both games focus on your use of the cure-all drug that makes you feel nothing: Joy.

Indeed, where LISA: The Painful makes you question your use of the drug Joy, LISA: The Joyful (Joyful) is nigh impossible to complete without taking it in nearly every battle after you’re left to your own devices when the muscle of your party abandons you. As anyone who’s played the LISA trilogy will know, Joy is a dangerous substance, mutating its addicts and twisting the minds of anyone who uses it, and that Joy is an integral piece of the trilogy’s social and philosophical commentary on the freedom and restriction of choice, the commitment and devotion one carries for a person or cause, and the inherent, inevitable grey area of any and all actions one may take. Despite these themes, LISA: The Joyful is far from a demoralizing experience: if anything, the way the game simulates the feeling of being backed into a corner and the refusal to give up despite the odds only affirms whatever moral code by which you may already live, or is at least an opportunity to feel relief that you yourself aren’t forced to make such drastic decisions for your own survivability and freedom.

That’s it for the DLC games I played in 2018; now, the real fun begins! Brace yourself for my list of the top standalone titles I played last year!

Favorite Characters: Katie

This game was recommended to me by a friend, and, as much as I wanted to enjoy it, this game wound up being my lowlight of 2018, with its simplistic, seemingly rudimentary gameplay and conspicuous lack of any compelling narrative. Put bluntly, this game was like a forgettable rendition of Animal Crossing, only without any cute animal neighbors to run errands for. The game’s environment threatened absolutely no danger to your player character, yet still didn’t offer any engaging or challenging puzzles to solve to make up for this lack of danger (most “puzzles” involved figuring out how to get to a particular point on the map… and that was it). Despite this being an open-world game that offered endless opportunities for customization, I found myself hurrying to complete the game’s main (5-hour) campaign so I could feel justified to move on to other gaming experiences. The most unfortunate part of this to me is that I know there’s still more to the game’s world for me to explore, but I’m in no way compelled to do so.

In all fairness, though, I think that I’m a little older than the target demographic this game was aiming for. This game was never meant to be challenging or stressful, it was made to be a relaxing escape for anyone looking to pass the time exploring and discovering a beautifully modeled and brightly colored world. This game also wins serious points for inclusivity, especially considering the age group this game was most likely made for; my fondest memory of this game is of a quest where a woman requests that you find her the ingredients to make a potion that stimulates beard growth because she wants to grow a beard of her own, and not once during this campaign is she ridiculed or belittled for wanting one. Since Yonder seems to be a game for kids, I believe quests such as this are an excellent step to socializing them into a world that’s less judgmental and more receptive to other people. So, despite  my earlier critiques of this game, Yonder would be a great game to consider if you’re looking for a low-key and off-beat (and all-human) alternative to Animal Crossing.

Favorite Veteran Fighters: Peach, Zelda, Zero Suit Samus Favorite Newcomers: Daisy, Ridley, Richter Favorite Stages: Fountain of Dreams, Fourside, Hyrule Temple Favorite Tracks: All-Star Rest Area (Melee), Destroyed Skyworld, Athletic (Yoshi’s Island)

We all knew another installment in the Smash series was coming ever since the Switch was first announced back in March of 2017. In fact, you might even say that the quality of each console’s iteration of Smash reflects the quality of the console itself, with Melee demonstrating the power and potential of the GameCube, Brawl being a gimmicky romp on an equally gimmicky console, and Wii U/3DS (what a title, right?) completely failing to capture player interest for longer than a few rounds of Smash (the Wii U era feels like a fever dream to me at this point). It’s a letdown, then, that with the Switch being such a commercial and technical success, Smash Ultimate seems somewhat of a disappointment when weighed against the hype that surrounded it up until its release back in early December.

It’s true that Smash Ultimate really delivers in regard to the character roster (everyone is here!) and stage selection (almost everything is here!), but the cuts that were made to series staples like trophies, event matches, and the like, detract from Smash Ultimate becoming the be-all end-all title in the series that it could have been. Trophy mode was where I learned much about video game history and was introduced to obscure series I would have never discovered otherwise, and their replacement with spirits feels a bit cheap, especially since spirits don’t come with any kind of information to contextualize them. Event Matches were hybridized with Melee’s Adventure mode and Brawl’s Subspace Emissary, creating the “World of Light”; while the World of Light has grown on me the more that I play it, it’s somewhat discouraging to me that, by combining so many modes of Smash games past into one, there will be nothing left for me to do with the game once I reach its end.

Still, Smash Ultimate offers plenty to look forward to. I’m more-than-hyped about the additions of Piranha Plant and Joker from Persona 5 to the character roster, and I can’t wait to see who might be announced next (unless it’s another Fire Emblem character… please God [Sakurai] don’t let it be another Fire Emblem character).

Favorite Tracks: The Bridge, Touching the Stars, Up to the Nest

I could never have prepared myself for the beautiful-yet-heart-wrenching experience this game would put me through, but I’m oh-so-glad that it did. On the surface, RiME is a relaxing exploration and puzzle game that takes place in a beautifully rendered in-game world, with a brilliantly orchestrated soundtrack and a plethora of diverse landscapes to get lost in. And yet, every moment of your adventure is permeated by an inescapable sense of isolation and dread, making you ask questions like “Where is everyone?”, “Just who is that man in the red cloak?,” and, “Is he stalking me, or are I stalking him?”.

Indeed, RiME’s narrative unfolds wordlessly as you explore and leaves you to discover and interpret on your own exactly what tragedies transpired before the events of the game, tragedies of which are far more poignant and moving if you were to discover them yourself. I know I’ve put a spoiler warning in effect, but I highly recommend you play this game on your own (or at least watch a decent Let’s Play of it) if you’re curious to know what unfolds during the game’s narrative. RiME is a relatively short game, too, lasting only between 5-10 hours, so it would be an easy one to fit into your queue if you’re looking for a fun gameplay experience with a story that will haunt you for weeks and months on end after completing it.

Favorite Characters: Terry Hintz, Buzzo, Wally Favorite Tracks: Men’s Hair Club, The End is Nigh, Summer Love

Having already talked about this game’s DLC expansion of LISA: The Joyful, you’re already aware that I hold the LISA trilogy in high regard—it also means I can make this entry somewhat brief, since a lot of what I said about Joyful can also be applied to its parent title, LISA: The Painful. You see, it’s in LISA: The Painful where the conflict in Joyful begins, and where we learn more of how the world came to be so depraved after the White Flash, an extinction event that inexplicably killed all women on the planet (at least, as far as the characters in the game know). The game considers what the repercussions of such an event would be on our society (aside from dooming humanity to die off within a generation) and really explores the darkest depths of toxic masculinity to call into question the detrimental effects it has on our self-esteem, our relationships, and our will to survive. Gameplay-wise, it’s a fairly traditional JRPG, though as I mentioned with Joyful, LISA: The Painful integrates its story with its gameplay by permanently increasing (but mainly decreasing) your stats depending on whatever injuries you escape or sustain throughout your journey. All in all, LISA: The Painful is a truly harrowing experience from beginning to end, but a must-play for anyone with an interest in the more macabre aspects of human nature.

Favorite Characters: Aloy, Erend, Vanasha Favorite Tracks: Louder

You know a game’s going to be good when its title screen holds you in awe before even pressing start. Imagine a sunlit vignette over purple mountains and a glistening river, a haunting and triumphant melody underscoring it all, as the title slowly fades into view in white in the center of the screen: Horizon Zero Dawn. O.K., I’m in. This game just did so many things right as an open-world game during an era where the genre was oversaturated by mediocre games that rehashed the same tired tropes and mechanics in its gameplay and world building. Horizon Zero Dawn truly set itself apart from the crowd for a variety of reasons: its beautifully detailed setting (being a microcosmic interpretation of Western North America), its intricate combat system with a graciously forgiving learning curve, and its compelling and socially-conscious narrative all worked together to distinguish this game within the open-world genre.

What really sets this game apart most of all, though, is the game’s protagonist, Aloy: a rare female protagonist who is a breath of fresh air in a sea of male heroes, whose capabilities and intellect don’t come at the cost of her physical appearance and femininity. Aloy set an example for other game developers that female protagonists are more than viable (and are in fact, overdue) in the video games of today, and her status as a female character never felt gratuitous or shoehorned (e.g. Battlefield V’s inclusion of a female protagonist as an enlisted soldier in the British Army and serving in the line of duty during World War II). It’s difficult (read: impossible) to play Horizon Zero Dawn and not fall in love with Aloy for her wit, her strength, and her general stick-to-itiveness in the face of adversity (not to mention, she’s just really cute and knows how to work a belly shirt). With Aloy as the protagonist, you’ll never tire of adventuring through Horizon Zero Dawn’s 70-hours+ worth of gameplay as you explore the in-game world to learn just what happened to “The Old Ones” and their society all those millennia ago.

Favorite Party Members: Ryuji Sakamoto, Ann Takamaki, Makoto Niijima Favorite Confidants: Hifumi Togo, Sadayo Kawakami, Sae Niijima, Toranosuke Yoshida, Chihaya Mifune Favorite Targets/Boss Battles: Ichiryusai Madarame, Kunikazu Okumura, Leviathan, Yaldabaoth Favorite Tracks: Blooming Villain, Rivers in the Desert, A Woman, Aria of the Soul

I’ll bet no one saw this one coming! Just kidding—anyone who’s exchanged more than a few words with me since the fall of 2018 knows how much this game absolutely consumed my life over the span of, I don’t know, I think it was four months? Indeed, I wound up sinking a total of 123 hours into this game, and there’s still a loud part of me that wants to return to it to begin a New Game+ (you’ll even notice that it was too difficult for me to contain my favorite characters into one category, instead having to split them up in order to represent all of my favorites because of how much I love them all). I’m already a fan of JRPGs, so it didn’t take much for Persona 5 to win me over with its turn-based combat, but the addition of certain gameplay mechanics—like earning an extra turn for exploiting enemy weaknesses or improving your relationship with your friends outside of battle to unlock gameplay bonuses—prevent battles and exploration in Persona 5 from ever becoming stale. Indeed, Persona 5 was truly a masterpiece from start to finish and an experience that I never wanted to end.

Frankly, any drawbacks I could mention about this game feel almost nitpicky, like the way the status ailment “Envy” is represented during the final boss fight by the color indigo instead of green, or how Kawakami can only manage to make me one cup of very useful, SP-restoring coffee over the course of an entire evening. Still, Persona 5 isn’t without its faults: for one, Persona 5 loses significant points for its questionable representation of LGBT groups (the camp gay men who openly harass Ryuji on multiple occasions being the most glaring example), and this isn’t helped by the queerbaiting that’s prevalent in a lot of character dialogue and relationships. Additionally, the fact that you can’t romance any of your male confidants comes across as erasive at best and homophobic at worst, especially considering that 1) all but one of your female confidants are eligible girlfriends, 2) you can two-time all of them at once if you so desire (which isn’t just disrespectful, it’s also flippantly misogynistic), and, most importantly, 3) one of this game’s main themes includes rebelling against oppressive societal norms (a theme that will resonate deeply with any LGBT+ player). Female representation in Persona 5 is also somewhat of a mixed bag: while the game features a large cast of diverse female characters, its constant and blatant objectification of Ann is not only creepy, it’s incredibly obtuse considering the sexual harassment and abuse she suffers by one of her teachers during the game’s first story arc. Fortunately, each of these drawbacks is easy enough to ignore when discussing the game as a whole, but I hope Atlus improves upon them in future installments: considering how incredible an experience Persona 5 was, imagine how much more incredible Persona 6 could be if these issues were fixed!

So that’s it for my top 10 games of 2018. What are your thoughts? Do you agree or disagree with any of my commentary? What were some favorite games you played during 2018? I’d love to hear your responses and start a discussion, so please, leave your comments in the notes!