#special showdown

[itslilacokay]

a what if

paralleling this

[reunitedinterlude]

wall hanging reveal

[hylianane]

I have a feeling that Sanji and Zoro’s death pact will be properly resolved in Elbaf, as it certainly doesn’t feel like we’re done with it. And while Elbaf is gearing up to be very Usopp-centric (and I can not overstate how hyped I am to see him take the spotlight again, finally), let’s not forget that this all ties back to Little Garden, the arc that properly introduced Zoro and Sanji’s rivalry by paralleling them with two rival giants who fought each other every day for over a century, but who also lost themselves in their grief when one thought the other death. The parallel isn’t even subtle, Little Garden’s biggest landmarks are the remnants of Dorry and Brogy’s dinosaur hunting competition. You know. The very same competition Zoro and Sanji posed to each other at the start of the arc?

But here’s the thing. I’m a little worried about how it’s going to be resolved. Because. Despite how readily Zoro agreed to kill Sanji if need be, he must have known that the crew would never forgive him. Zoro is Luffy’s specialest guy but Luffy would not accept any excuse as to why Sanji had to die. Nor anyone else in the crew. But. Does Sanji realize that?

Does he know that killing him would literally be the hardest thing Zoro would ever do, because it would mean literally betraying his Captain and crew? Luffy said he can’t become Pirate King without Sanji, and Zoro and Luffy swore they’d commit fucking ritualistic suicide if they got in the way of each other’s dreams, so does Sanji know where that would leave the swordsman in this case? With no Captain, no crew, and yet another dead rival and best friend (who, mind you, began to live in fear of his own biology betraying him right before dying. but the parallels between Kuina and Sanji and how they relate to Zoro could be a long ass post for another day).

I think he doesn’t know. But he can’t find out how Zoro would mourn him unless the pact actually follows through. But still, I don’t think Oda would kill Sanji, cause that’s no way to resolve this issue. So here’s my speculation about how I think it could potentially play out, following that initial line of thinking of the death pact’s resolution being set in Elbaf, specifically because of Sanji and Zoro’s parallels to Dorry and Brogy.

Like Brogy, Zoro would have to believe that he killed Sanji. That he won their final duel. He’d have to believe that Sanji has fallen and, also like Brogy, have to face that grief and hurt all alone. But in the end, like Dorry, Sanji would survive, having never actually been hurt. Because their edges have dulled after fighting for so long, no longer as capable of landing killing blows as they thought. “Not even the blades of Elbaf could endure two giants fighting for 100 years”? Something of the sort. And maybe this line of speculation is simplistic or optimistic, but the chances of it playing out like this aren’t zero, so just in case, I would want to be able to say that I called it.

[furikass]

I did a set of illustrations inspired in the DBZ ending theme Detekoi Tobikiri Zenkai Power, specially made for the Xiaolin Showdown 20th Anniversary!

It was a real challenge for sure! They took me some time but here you go, I hope you like them!

[dioptasesystem]

BPC Special #2: If you send these to anyone you deserve whatever happens

[besttropeveershowdown]

The Most Annoying Trope Showdown: Round 1, Poll 27

Joker Immunity

A recurring villain does not die even in situations where they should because they're too popular or too good.

Propaganda:

If the villain won’t die, they should redeem themselves otherwise they should be dead. You don’t have faith in the audience to like a new/other villain? Stop that line of thought. Explore the ramifications of what the vacuum of the death of big, bad villain does.

Humans Are Special

Speculative fiction treats humans as exceptional and different from other species.

Propaganda:

I'm not a fan of any humans-are-so-totally-different-from-aliens trope, whether it portrays humans positively or negatively. And I'm generally an optimistic person, so you might think I'd hate the negative version more. But "Humans are Special" is just so unrelentingly stupid in any of it's manifestations. How exactly does an alien intelligence create a galaxy spanning empire without creativity? Or adaptability? Or curiosity? Or a sense of community? Or whatever you pick. There is a lot of world building heavy lifting needed to explain how the aliens would either survive long enough to build their great works or be motivated to do so without what usually appear to be drives that are seen in all world cultures, modern or historical, not to mention seeming to be in evidence on this planet in other species. And the writers never do this.

[pikahlua]

MHA Chapter 401 spoilers translations

This week’s initial tentative super rough/literal translations under the cut.

1 体が動かない…‼︎ からだがうごかない…‼︎ karada ga ugokanai...!! My body won't move...!!

tagline 1 「凝血」でAFO拘束‼︎ 「ぎょうけつ」でオール・フォー・ワンこうそく‼︎ 「gyouketsu」 de OORU FOO WAN kousoku!! AFO restrained with Bloodcurdle!!

tagline 2 No.401　THE LUNATIC　　堀越耕平 ナンバー401　ザルナティック　　ほりこしこうへい NANBAA 401 ZA RUNATIKKU   Horikoshi Kouhei No. 401 THE LUNATIC  Kouhei Horikoshi

2 火傷の男とインゲニウムの会話から状況を推察 やけどのおとことインゲニウムのかいわからじょうきょうをすいさつ yakedo no otoko to INGENIUMU no kaiwa kara joukyou wo suisatsu I inferred the situation from the conversation of the burnt guy and Ingenium.

3 戦場跡を辿り せんじょうあとをたどり senjou ato wo tadori I followed the traces of the battlefield.

4 雨風を免れた血痕を採取 あめかぜをまぬがれたけっこんをさいしゅ ame kaze wo manugareta kekkon wo saishu I collected the blood stains that escape the rain and wind.

5 その血がAFOのものかオールマイトのものであるかは そのちがオール・フォー・ワンのものかオールマイトのものであるかは sono chi ga OORU FOO WAN no mono ga OORU MAITO no mono de aru ka wa Whether that blood belongs to All For One or All Might...

1 削いで尚 そいでなお soide nao Then slice it off.

2 血風嗅ぎ穿つこの鼻が けっぷうかぎうがつこのはなが keppuu kagi ugatsu kono hana ga This nose that sniffs the scent of blood

3 うーん違う うーんちがう uun chigau "Hmm, wrong one."

4 報せてくれる‼︎ しらせてくれる‼︎ shirasete kureru!! will let me know!!

5 オールマイトああ OORU MAITO aa All Might, ah.

6 オールマイトおまえなら判るだろう⁉︎ オールマイトおまえならわかるだろう⁉︎ OORU MAITO omae nara wakaru darou!? All Might, you [of all people] understand, right!?

7-8 俺が敢えてこの躯を曝け出した意味！ おれがあえてこのからだをさらけだしたいみ！ ore ga aete kono karada (kanji: mukuro) wo sarakedashita imi! The meaning behind why I dared to expose this body*! (*Note: This kanji for "body" can also mean "corpse.")

9 英雄の心は他が為にのみ存在を許される… えいゆうのこころはたがためにのみそんざいをゆるされる… eiyuu no kokoro wa ta ga tame ni nomi sonzai wo yurusareru... (Literal translation) A hero's heart is only allowed to exist for the sake of others... (Official translation) A hero can only claim that title as long as his soul burns fiercely in service of others...

10 …だが神が地に伏せ人のか弱き心をも得たのなら …だがかみがちにふせひとのかよわきこころをもえたのなら ...da ga kami ga chi ni fuse hito no ka yowaki kokoro wo mo eta no nara (Literal translation ) ...but if a god is a person fallen face down on the ground and has his even his heart turn weak... (Official translation) ...however, say a god has fallen prostrate upon the earth and his divine soul has turned feeble and mortal...

11 自らの生を踠くことすら許されよう！ みずからのせいをもがくことすらゆるされよう！ mizukara no sei wo mogaku koto sura yurusareyou! They should also be allowed to struggle for their own lives!

1 判ってるさ わかってるさ wakatteru sa "I understand,"

2 ステイン‼︎ SUTEIN!! "Stain!!"

3-4 この"ヒーロー40名殺傷犯"を終わらせに来い この"ステイン"をおわらせにこい kono "SUTEIN (kanji: HIIROO 40-mei sasshou-han)" wo owarase ni koi (Literal translation) Then come and end Stain, this criminal who murdered 40 heroes. (Official translation) Then come for the life of Stain--the man who murdered 40 heroes.

5 「俺が 「おまえは 「omae wa (kanji: ore ga) You (read as: I)

6 来た」‼︎ 生きねば」‼︎ ikineba (kanji: kita)」‼︎ have to live (read as: am here)!!

1 「強制発動」「瀉血」 「きょうせいはつどう」「しゃけつ」 「kyousei hatsudou」 「shaketsu」 Forcible Activation: Bloodletting

2 血を ちを chi wo His blood...

3 捨てた⁉︎ すてた⁉︎ suteta!? He threw it away!?

4 赤黒！ あかぐろ！ Akaguro! "Akaguro!"

5 君が何かして来る事は予想できてた！ きみがなにかしてくることはよそうできてた！ kimi ga nani ka shite kuru koto wa yosou dekiteta! "I was able to predict that you would come and do something!"

6 だから事前に仕込んでいたさ だからじぜんにしこんでいたさ dakara jizen ni shikonde ita sa "So I prepared in advance."

1 タルタロスから唯一人 タルタロスからただひとり TARUTAROSU kara tada hitori "Because you were the only one from Tartarus"

2 僕を拒絶し逃げ果せたあの日から！ ぼくをきょぜつしにげおおせたあのひから！ boku wo kyozetsu shi nige ooseta ano hi kara! "who rejected me and managed to escape that day!"

3 捨てたところで血は同 すてたところでちはおな suteta tokoro de chi wa ona-- "Even if you threw it away, your blood is the same--"

4 馬鹿か？ ばかか？ baka ka? "Are you an idiot?"

5 「抗原変態」 「こうげんへんたい」 「kougen hentai」 "Antigen Metamorphosis."

6 血を書き換えたんだよ！ ちをかきかえたんだよ！ chi wo kakikaetanda yo! "I rewrote my blood!"

7 痕跡を残さないのが長く君臨する秘訣だ こんせきをのこさないのがながくくんりんするひけつだ konseki wo nokosanai no ga nagaku kunrin suru hiketsu da "The secret to a long reign is to leave no trace."

1 血を抜いたおかげで目が覚めてきた ちをぬいたおかげでめがさめてきた chi wo nuita okage de me ga samete kita "Thanks to the blood I drew out, I've woken up."

2 ステイン‼︎ SUTEIN!! "Stain!!"

1 ゼェッ ZE "[wheeze]"

2 ゼェ ZE "[wheeze]"

3-4 ステイン‼︎ SUTEIN!! "Stain!!"

1 「凝血」をいただこう 「ぎょうけつ」をいただこう 「gyouketsu」 wo ita da kou "Let me have Bloodcurdle."

1 思えば君は連合…延いては弔の成長に大きく貢献してくれた おもえばきみはれんごう…ひいてはとむらのせいちょうにおおきくこうけんしてくれた omoeba kimi wa rengou...hiite wa Tomura no seichou ni ookiku kouken shite kureta "If I think about it, the League...you contributed greatly to it and, by extension, to Tomura's growth."

2 あれで役目は終わってるんだよ殺人犯 あれでやくめはおわってるんだよさつじんはん are de yakume wa owatterunda yo satsujin-han "With that, your role is finished, murderer."

3 AFO‼︎ オール・フォー・ワン‼︎ OORU FOO WAN!! "All For One!!"

4 終わらんさ おわらんさ owaran sa "It won't end."

5 ハァ HAA "Haah"

6 全ては…過程だ魔王… すべては…かていだまおう… subete wa...katei da maou... "All of this...is a process, Demon King..."

7 高等教育など受けずとも こうとうきょういくなどうけずとも koutou kyouiku nado ukezu tomo Even though I never received anything like a high school education,

8 英雄が何たるかは全部おまえが教えてくれた えいゆうがなんたるかはぜんぶおまえがおしえてくれた eiyuu ga nantaru ka wa zenbu omae ga oshiete kureta you taught me everything about what a hero is.

9 生きて勝て いきてかて ikite kate Live and win.

1 俺の全てーーーーー…… マイ・オールーーーーー…… MAI OORU (kanji: ore no subete)-----...... My all-----......

1 エルクレス⁉︎もう壊れた筈じゃ エルクレス⁉︎もうこわれたはずじゃ ERUKURESU!? mou kowareta hazu ja "Hercules!? You should have been broken already."

2 最後ノシールドデス さいごノシールドデス saigo NO SHIIRUDO DESU "This is my last shield."

1 生キテ イキテ IKITE "Live-"

2 俊典 としのり Toshinori Toshinori,

3 がんばれ ganbare keep at it.

1 俊典‼︎ としのり‼︎ Toshinori!! Toshinori!!

2 まだ紡がれてるぞ！ まだつむがれてるぞ！ mada tsumugareteru zo! [This tale] is still being spun!

3 がんばれ ganbare Do your best,

4 俊典 としの Toshinori Toshinori.

5 お師匠… おししょう… oshishou... Master...

6 …これは幻覚だ …これはげんかくだ ...kore wa genkaku da ...this is a hallucination.

7 私が私を励ましているんだ… わたしがわたしをはげましているんだ… watashi ga watashi wo hagemashite irunda... It's because I'm encouraging myself.

8 与えられてきた全ても脚も サポートアイテムもあしも SAPOOTO AITEMU (kanji: ataerarete kita subete) mo ashi mo My support items (read as: everything that was given to me) and my legs,

9 もう使えない もうつかえない mou tsukaenai I can no longer use them.

10 もう戦えないよ もうたたかえないよ mou tatakaenai yo I can't fight anymore.

1 でも demo But...

2 まだ死んでない まだしんでない mada shindenai I'm not dead yet.

3 来いや こいや koi ya So come!

1 AFO‼︎死柄木弔に接近‼︎ オール・フォー・ワン‼︎しがらきとむらにせっきん‼︎ OORU FOO WAN!! Shigaraki Tomura ni sekkin!! "All For One!! He's approaching Tomura Shigaraki!!"

2 泥ワープ圏内に入ってます‼︎ どろワープけんないにはいってます‼︎ doro WAAPU kennai ni haittemasu!! "He's within range for a mud warp!!"

tagline 絶望がもう [cut off] ぜつぼうがもう [cut off] zetsubou ga mou [cut off] Despair is already [cut off]

[couch-house]

dog is competing in @sonic-oc-showdown!! her friends have got the competitive spirit, but he seems pretty unbothered..

xcited to see all the new competing ocs!! last time looked like lots of fun so im happy to get to participate this time. good luck everyone!!!!

[whimsical-sonic]

@sonic-oc-showdown

well, i said that i'd make a post breaking down stings design if he made it to round 2 and so! this is it! this is that post

without further ado, let's talk about how i designed my boy!

warnings for (drawn) close-up images of scorpions:

let's start off with his head!

the vast majority of sting's head comes from scorpion anatomy! his eyebrows are based off of a pair of a scorpion's walking legs. scorpions have 4 pairs of walking legs which are attached to the head/thorax. i can't represent all 4 pairs but i could at least represent 1, hence why his eyebrows are Huge and stick off of his head

the pair of darker red tubes that go from behind his eyebrows to the back of his head, those are meant to be pedipalps! pedipalps are actually part of a scorpion's mouth, but for sonic character design purposes i used it to resemble hair. as for the actual pincers, thats what the two things on the back of his head are. if you were to translate it to hair, it'd be like a tight, messy bun

the other part of a scorpion's mouth are the chelicerae! his mouth originally took more inspiration from how a scorpion's mouth is supposed to look, but due to how difficult it was to consistently draw + emote in general, this was changed to be more beak-like (using mimic for reference). his "tusks" are still reminiscent of the tip of the chelicerae, only they turn up to help his mouth look more distinct!

as for the 2 pairs of dot markings on his head, those are meant to represent eyes! scorpions have at least 6 eyes, 12 at most. the 2 pairs of markings are meant to give the impression that sting has 6 eyes!

next up is his clothes! since sting specializes in close-combat fighting, he doesn't really wear loose clothes as he doesn't want to risk tripping over himself or getting caught on anything. that's why he wears a simple torn tank top and some pants

his belt is fashioned after the segments on a scorpion's abdomen! thats why there's all those lines on it

his shoes, the golden edge of his shoes with the two little protrusions, those are meant to resemble a scorpion's paws!

as for sting's tail, the reason why it's so thick is because he is a highly venomous scorpion! it's also why the pincers on his head are so small: scorpions with thick tails and small pincers are Very Venomous while scorpions with thin tails and big pincers are mostly harmless! i went for a more spherical shape with his tail because i thought it looked cool. he originally didn't have a set number of segments but ultimately i landed on 6, which is the same amount of an actual scorpion (5 metasomal segments + the 1 pincer)

lastly, his palette! sting's palette is actually inspired by the deathstalker scorpions from kipo and the age of wonderbeasts! actual deathstalkers are more orange/brown, but the mutated ones in kipo are various shades of red. you can really see the inspiration in this image here

his tail has an alternating color palette for readability! it'd be harder to make out more action-y poses if it was all the same color, or if it was half lighter half darker, so the alternating colors help make it more distinct

this art is from august! it helps show the color breakdown

(flat + shade)

AND THATS IT! that is all the thought and inspiration i put into my boy. if you took the time to actually read through all of this thank you so much!!! it genuinely means a lot to me 🌟

if you really like sting, please consider voting for him in the oc showdown! you can vote here

[fanfic-lover-girl]

When Shipping Does Not Matter

Shipping wars can be annoying. As a kid, I never cared about ships. But even some media that I have come to enjoy as an older teen or adult are perfectly fine without shipping. Here is my list:

Danny Phantom - Sam is cool but I hardly cared about DannyxSam (although I have found arguments for DannyxValerie to be very intriguing). Danny's friendships, ghost lore and his identity reveal and how it impacted his relationship with his family were WAY more interesting.

Law & Order: SVU - I was there for the crime drama. Olivia and Elliot should be friends. Romance between these two is not necessary.

Star Wars - I literally got into SW because of Vader/Anakin & Luke's family drama. I couldn't care less about Han/Leia. And even Anidala is only interesting to me because of Anakin. I like Padme but I don't care much for her as an independent character.

Justice League/Batman Media - I admit that I enjoy some fics where Bruce/Talia raise Damian together as a family. And I have read some Superbat and Wonderbat fics but I quickly lost interest. I like JL for their friendship and their family bonds (give me Jason & Bruce angst and I will read that for HOURS).

Xiaolin Showdown - I know Raimundo and Kimiko had obvious crushes on each other but that was always a background thing for me. I like focusing more on the lore and Raimundo's character. I love Rai so much. Easily the best character in the show.

Teen Titans - Robin/Starfire are great but like Raikim, it is just background for me. Was never super into Beast Boy's relationships either.

Yugioh - I admit that most of my romantic fics in Yugioh were slash :). But I think for the most part the pairings in Yugioh are fine. You won't find me looking up posts about Yugioh ships. Romance is not a big deal in Yugioh anyway. I will say that Joey/Mai is one of the best Yugioh ships. Mai deserved better. Most Yugioh girls deserved better.

Dragonball series - The canon ships are fine. I enjoy wholesome family-centered fics but I hardly care about shipping in dbz. The only canon ship that's truly interesting in DBZ is VegetaxBulma because of how it shapes Vegeta's arc.

Avatar the Last Airbender *** - I am putting asterisks here because I feel strongly about Zutara. But that love was mostly inspired by fanfiction and reflection after watching the show. Watching the show as a kid, the story was perfect without shipping. In fact, the romance was the worst part and could have been removed entirely. The only ship that is arguably necessary is Sukka and even that relationship could have been platonic and Sokka's arc would be the same. Shipping for me only becomes important post-series. Literally all my post-series ATLA fics were Zutara lol. I can't recall ever reading a post-series Kataang fic. And this was before I really became sour on Kataang. I don't think I ever read a Kataang fanfic period. Maybe the Zutara fanfics are just better??

There are probably others but these are my main ones. What other shows do people think are great without shipping involved?

[shadowxamyweek]

Please follow @sonic-fankid-showdown for more info and propaganda!

[goldensunset]

hashtag girl between the two of us I think you've got the arguably more understandable gen 4-adjacent pokemon crush. When I was younger I thought Roark was really cute. Roark as in the first gym leader in sinnoh who is there for about 5 minutes. I thought his little "vs" sprite was cute and it's embarrassing bc I do still kinda think that. At least Volo is story relevant y'know

no you know what? screw that. roark IS cute

also- a crush on volo? no no no. i want to accidentally back into him with my car at a gentle 10mph in a walgreens parking lot after we fought for the last bottle of hand lotion inside. i need to launch him into orbit. because i love him so much. you understand?

[spooky-enthusiast]

Rotomblr users, what are your opinions on battle simulator games?

I generally don't care for any battle simulators that try for realism and fidelity to actual battling (it is as futile of an effort as realism in graphics), but I cannot deny the allure of a complicated yet clearly-defined system.

[hetalia-rng-showdown]

Jousting RNG Tournament Rules

As discussed and voted upon, the showrunner is implementing a special format for the Autumn 2024 Tournament. These rules will supersede the standard FAQ pinned post's rules for this tournament only, we will return to the standard rules for the Winter 2024-25 tournament.

The full layout and explanation is below the cut, but here's the summary:

First round will go as normal, 16 polls to choose 16 jousters to compete

The 16 jousters will go head-to-head in one-on-one 24-hour polls

16 jousters goes to 8, which then goes to 4, then to the 2 finalists!

What is jousting and why is this tournament all about it?

When you think of medieval times or renaissance fairs, one of the sports often talked about is jousting. This is the one where the two riders on horses charge at each other, hoisting a large stick of wood, and try to push each other off the horse.

In case it wasn’t obvious, the showrunner is a millennial, and a beloved movie from her childhood was the Heath Ledger classic “A Knights Tale”. After drafting this post and procuring Youtube for links, the showrunner realized a more modern reference might be the above Episode 1 tournament in House of the Dragon.

After watching A Knights Tale again in June, the showrunner was inspired to change up the rules for a future RNG tournament. Since the Summer 2024 Tournament was already underway, everything was set up here to make it happen for the Autumn 2024 tournament instead.

How will this work?

Our traditional opening round will be renamed as the ‘qualifiers’ for this tournament. This will be the regular structure of 16 polls, each with 5-6 characters, and having the full week to vote.

The 16 qualifier winners - or jousters - will then go through 4 rounds of ‘jousting’, which will take the form of 24-hour one-on-one polls where two nations will go head to head.

First round will have the 16 jousters divided into 8 one-on-one polls.

Second round will have the 8 previous winners divided into 4 one-on-one polls

Semifinal round will have the 4 previous winners split into 2 one-on-one matchups

The final round is the last 2 characters standing, where the winner will be champion!

What other special rule changes are required?

As mentioned above, only the qualifying round is going to have the week-long polls, the one-vs-one jousting polls are strictly 24 hours only.

To condense on timing, so that the full tournament fits into the 3 month period, polls will be posted every other day instead of every third day.

Ties are not allowed at all, only one character from each poll can move on. If there are ties, then 24-hour tiebreaker polls will occur at the end of the round.

As this is not a standard RNG tournament, any and all ban rules applying to previous tournament champions will NOT apply here.

Prussia - Winning the Jousting tournament will not incur another ban to be served, he'd still be allowed to participate in the standard-format Winter 2024-25 tournament.

Lithuania - As winner of the Summer 2024 tournament, he will serve his ban in the Winter 2024-25 tournament instead of Autumn 2024. Also, as above with Prussia, winning the Jousting tournament will not incur an additional ban to be served.

Other Nations - As this is a special tournament, winning here will not trigger the first-ever-win exemption rule. Their next standard tournament win will be considered their official first win.

Will this be the only tournament formatted like this?

For the time being, this format will only apply to the Autumn 2024 tournament, and the standard format will return for the Winter 2024-25 tournament. If this special tournament format works out well, the showrunner might consider using it again in future special tournaments, which would only be once a year at the most.

[just-some-guy-joust]

LOVERBOY FICTIVES EVERYWHERE REJOICE FOR OUR BIG WIN!!!!! THIS IS REALLLL~! We won BABY and nothing can stop us now ☆~(>_^ ) 9 -Oleander

The Loverboy fictives are throwing a party in my inbox and its incredible. Keep up the great work <3

[shadowsshowdown]

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Shadow’s Showdown 62

The prototype special unit - RK800.

Detroit.

The world had stopped, shrinking to the size of the moment, frozen with terror on Connor's face and calmness in Laura's green eyes. The woman was resigned to the fact that in a moment she would cease to exist. She will leave on her own terms. If there is something on the other side, maybe she will meet Joe and Adam there, and maybe she will see her parents. There will be no pain, no sadness, and no Kratos. Nothingness opened its arms to close her in its embrace after a while. It was inviting, offering everything she wanted. The woman leaned slightly toward the precipice and just then heard a familiar voice.

"Laura, please don't do anything stupid. We'll get through this together," the man tried to stop her.

She managed to regain her balance and take a step in the direction from which the voice was coming. She couldn't explain why she gave up instead of jumping.

"Anything stupid?! Two people close to me and dozens or hundreds I didn't know died because of me," she replied.

The wind ruffled her hair, strands of which lined her cheeks. Tears solidified, burning her skin, and the woman trembled with cold and grief. Down below, sirens could be heard howling like a pack of wolves, lights flashing amidst the falling snow. Connor was increasingly afraid that if the police showed up here right away, Laura would surely jump. He had to do something, and fast.

"Don't you want to avenge Adam and Joe? Are you going to run away again? Are you just going to give up like that?" he tried appealing to her ambition and resolve.

"They don’t care now and so, am I. I'm tired. go home Connor I won't change my mind anyway," she replied. "You think you're the only one who suffers?!" Connor changed his tone of voice to a rougher and firmer one. "The world doesn't spin around you, you know." "Because of me, Kratos attacked the company!"

Connor laughed. "And you believe that?! Do you think he would throw himself to all that hell only for you to fall into his hands? You're ridiculous."

"Then why did all the show happen?" "He wanted to scare you, that's all. Since you can't be his at least he will stalk you..." "As long as I don't jump..." she finished the sentence for him. "Come to me, only slowly. We'll go home, you're very weak and freezing."

The woman took another step forward but immediately took a step back.

"No, Connor. For me, there is no more hope. There is no forgiveness. Let me go. Please." "No!" yelled the man.

She had never heard him be so resolute, never seen him so desperate with his fists clenching nervously again and again and his muscles ready to react.

"I killed a man! I put the barrel of the gun to his forehead and fired! I saw his head explode, and blood coat my body. Now, what do you say?!"

Connor looked at his shoes dirty from the mud and the puddle he was standing in. He closed his eyes. He so badly didn't want her to play this exact card because now he has to show his. Her life is more important than secrets. He has to protect her at all costs.

"You didn't kill him," he replied shortly.

Laura furrowed her eyebrows and looked at him more closely, not understanding what he meant.

"I was in Berlin at the time. I was standing across the street. Lemon-Lime was on fire, the flames were raging and even all the firefighting units in the area couldn't stop it. Sparks were shooting into the air, and you were standing with Damien. A man was kneeling in front of you, begging for mercy. You then said, "Damien, come on, we've already scared him off." Immediately after that..." "I pulled the trigger," she finished for him.

She was completely calm, not at all thinking about who Connor really is or how he knows the events of that evening. She should flood him with questions and doubts. Torpedo him so hard to leave him no way to avoid answers. Meanwhile, she blindly trusted him and took a step toward the man again. She wanted to take another but at the same moment, the police appeared on the roof. It seemed strange to Connor that for such an action they arrived in a group as if they were about to catch some dangerous criminal. They always send a negotiator and a psychologist. They were so loud that they scared Laura, who again increased the distance between her and Connor. She felt the solid ground disappear under her feet. She began falling into a bottomless, dark abyss disturbed by the flashes of police car lights and the pale light of neon signs. Connor turned his head away from the edge of the roof only for a moment, and when he looked again Laura was gone. All he heard was her scream. His reaction was immediate. He sprinted ahead. It was a perfectly coordinated movement, trained by years of practice, almost robotic. There was nothing random about it. Behind his back, he could hear the shouts of police officers dressed in winter polyamide jackets. Confused, they didn't know whether to shoot or wait to see what would happen. RK800 bounced off the concrete edge stretching out in a leap like a cat. He knew he would reveal his next cards too soon, but that wasn't the most important thing now. He arranged his arms along his torso to reduce air resistance and plunged further and further into the abyss. He fell like a meteorite, cutting like a katana blade through the air wheezing in his ears with an unbearable cacophony.

The hitherto narrow line of the street became wider and wider, and more and more details appeared on it. He could see Laura's petite silhouette, inertly falling into the darkness. Connor clenched his teeth, his heart galloping unnaturally fast in his chest. His mind was filled with fear that he would not make it, that he was too slow. The rush of air grew stronger when he decided to use his energy reserves. With this, he managed to catch up with Laura. He stretched out his arms catching her and wrapping her in the strong embrace of his arms. He was very lucky, but most of it was due to his skill. In flight, he turned his back toward the ground to soften his eventual fall if he ran out of energy. "Shield," he issued a command in his mind. "Glide," immediately followed by another. They visibly slowed down, flying now over the heads of onlookers. Some of them were horrified, others were in disbelief. Some drunk looked at the bottle held in his hand. A mother held in her arms an overjoyed child who had just seen a superhero. Connor wanted at all costs to be far enough away from the gathering. He hoped the police wouldn't be looking for them. They landed in one of the side alleys on an old mattress lying among a pile of garbage bags. The man tried to revive the unconscious woman with a few pats on the cheeks but in vain.

"Fuck," he growled, realizing that her blood was everywhere.

RK800 reached into his pants pocket. Fortunately, the phone was working so he sent a message from it.

"Code 7481. Status RED."

Location - Unknown. Time - Unknown.

"Fuck!" thundered the voice. "How could you screw up this task?! You were supposed to protect her, and she’s dying again!" "I couldn't predict..." replied Connor. "You're supposed to be one step ahead! I should gut you for that!" "It won't happen again," said Connor. "In addition, I have to clean up the whole mess after you. The local police are turning Detroit upside down. They ask many questions." "I will bear all the consequences."

The interlocutor wanted to respond but was interrupted before he could open his mouth.

"Everything is ready, we can begin," announced another voice through the loudspeaker.

The two walked down a narrow corridor, bathed in semi-darkness, to a small room towering over the operating room.

"It's good the signal arrived in time. There's a big chance she'll survive," informed the stranger, already somewhat more calmly. "Really, I'm not screwing up anymore." "I know. I'm sorry."

Connor had probably already anticipated every scenario, but not this one. In moments when someone's life was at stake, especially Laura's, the boss was unpredictable. He had also heard many opinions that he could be cruel, but it was hard to believe that when looking at the person standing next to him.

"They had to warm her up first, gradually, so she wouldn't go into shock. Now they're stitching her up again, but it's unclear what will happen next." "Maybe we should let her go?" asked Connor. "Out of the question!" the tone of voice changed again to stern and ruthless. "She has to live."

She was blinded by the white light seeping in under her eyelids. The image swam in her eyes, blurred and returned regaining its shape. Square panels on the ceiling, beige in places as if scratched with white. A wall with a panel hanging on it illuminating X-rays. Several cabinets, and a movable table at the foot of the bed. Soft sheets smelling of disinfectant, a piece of plastic on a finger, tubes going into the nose to allow breathing, a peripheral IV catheter in the right hand with a drip bag on a nearby hanger. This was not Connor's home but a hospital room. How did she get here? The woman turned her head to the right. On the nightstand stood a pitcher of water and a glass, and right next to it a vase with a white and pink magnolia flower. Someone came in and shone a flashlight into her eyes as if the harsh light coming from the ceiling was not enough. He checked the drip bag, then the card hanging on the bed rail, and left. Shortly after another person came in with a quite familiar scent of bergamot, ginger and sage. Laura blinked her eyes wanting the image to come into focus. The grey jacket, it had to be Connor's.

"You're finally awake. I was starting to panic," he said, carefully sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Where am I?" she asked, trying to raise herself to a sitting position. "Lie still. You're in the hospital." "But they will ask questions, after all, the police..." "Everything is fine. When you were unconscious, I took care of all the matters and gave an explanation. As soon as you're released, we'll get back to my place." "How did you accomplish this? After all, I fell off the roof." "You will get answers but after returning. Agreed?" "Agreed," she replied reluctantly.

The next day Connor performed another miracle because Laura was allowed to go home. She was still very weak so other than getting up from bed and getting dressed she doesn't remember anything else. On the one hand, she was not at all worried about this, but on the other hand, it was very strange. The feeling that Connor was hiding more from her than the average person was strong and vivid. Maybe she really shouldn't trust him? When they returned home, he did not bring up the subject of her suicide attempt at all, which awakened even more questions in her mind. Instead, he brought a bowl of hot broth and made sure she ate it.

"Will you finally explain to me what happened on the roof?" her words sounded more like a command than a question or a request.

The man sighed, intertwining the fingers of both hands together, and looked down at his feet. He noticed one of the grey socks was a tad less grey than the other.

"Let's start with the fact that I'm neither a programmer nor a hacker."

Laura furrowed her brow but decided not to interrupt him. Nervous knuckles cracking was apparently a sign that what he wanted to tell her was something difficult for him.

"I am an aug who was taken to work for the police as a prototype special unit. I don't know the details of this project except that I joined voluntarily. Before I left, I had investigated the Damien case."

Berlin 2017.

"Evie hurry up! We have a lot of work to do," Toby shouted from behind the bar. "I'm coming! The customers were terribly inquisitive," the girl excused herself. "Take it to eight. Just come right back with no delay."

Evie looked toward the indicated table. Seated at it was a man with short-cropped dark chocolate-coloured hair with a strand falling unruly on his forehead, which he kept correcting, and it still returned to its original place. He was wearing a black turtleneck sweater and was busy reading the newspaper. The girl approached the table setting a cup of black coffee and a plate with a piece of cherry pie on it.

"I'm sorry you had to wait. The terrible crowd today," she said smiling kindly. "That's okay," the man replied, closing the newspaper and folding it perfectly evenly in half. "For your delicious coffee and pie, it's worth the wait."

His brown gaze fixed on Evie's face. The man reciprocated the smile then raised his cup and inhaled the aroma of the coffee before taking a sip.

"Excellent," he murmured contentedly, setting the cup down on the saucer. He rolled up the sleeves of his sweater to elbow height and wanted to reach for the newspaper, but stopped in mid-motion. "If you would like anything else, I am at your disposal," he said. "Thank you for now, but it's possible I'll have two pieces of pie today," he announced, smiling broadly.

Evie returned to the bar and immediately got another order, so she had no time to think about the strange customer. He, in turn, reminded about himself a quarter of an hour later when he approached the bar. The girl was replacing Toby, who had gone to restock.

"I'll have another piece of cherry pie and green tea, please," he said in a consistently pleasant tone. "Of course, I'm already serving. You could have waited at the table and called me." "A walk hasn't hurt anyone yet," he replied. "Besides, I'm Dale, Dale Cooper," he added extending his hand toward her. “I’m Evie. Just Evie.”

The girl shook it, although his friendly behaviour seemed rather strange to her. Especially after Joe had warned her at least a few times to be careful when dealing with strangers. The man took his order and returned to his table, but left a distinct mark in the girl's mind.

Half an hour later, a monstrous bang of an explosion shook the entire club. The fire spread in the blink of an eye consuming room after room. Smaller explosions shot off fireworks of sparks from time to time. A crowd of terrified guests fell out into the street, and their screams could be heard in the distance. Lamps and square plates fell from the ceiling, raising clouds of dust into the air. Cables sizzling with electricity hung like snakes, and water gushed from broken pipes. Shattered glass and discarded purses, jackets or hats lay on the floor. Soon a thickening cloud of smoke made it hard to see anything. Evie, paralysed with fear, stood in the middle of the main hall, bumped by those fleeing. She didn't know where Joe, Toby or Alex was; she searched for them with her eyes but in vain. Smoke entered her lungs more and more intensely, irritating her eyes and leading to tears. Her gaze moved from point to point more and more nervously. She moved abruptly as if pushed by a premonition, toward the emergency stairs when she suddenly felt a sudden jerk and a robotic hand clenching tightly on her forearm. The first person she thought of was Joe, but her joy was quickly extinguished when she turned her head.

"Get out of here or you'll burn alive," Damien said in a firm tone.

The smoke didn't impress him in the least. His implants filtered the air he breathed, and the model of synthetic eyes he had could not produce tears.

"I have to find Joe!" shrieked the girl, pulling out. "We're leaving."

The grip was so firm that it caused her pain. The man pulled Evie along and soon they were outside. Only now did she hear the unbearable howling of the sirens of the fire department units, ambulances and police. Suddenly the strangest of thoughts nestled in her mind; Did Dale manage to escape?

All  chapters can be found: [AO3], [dA], [Wattpad] and [Tumblr]