#the supporters also had signs literally calling the arrested 'hostages' like

[thetimelordbatgirl]

Not the news earlier in the UK just straight up showing Trump's supporters as they celebrate the fuckers from January 6th getting pardoned, not being critical once of what's going on and literally ending the segment on how Trump kept his promise to pardon them before moving on to discuss something else related to Trump, aka mom changed the channel by that point.

[five-wow]

on to 10.16! the valentine’s episode!

fjdkfdjkfd a very worried-looking woman accepts a valentine’s bouquet and i was like, did she kill her husband and he’s lying on the floor somewhere and that’s why she looks so awkward about it? and then there’s a BLOODIED HAMMER and A BODY and i was probably right, omg, i love it.

oh! looks like she maybe called hpd herself? that’s an interesting twist.

oh my gosh, noelani is getting surfing lessons, and that alone is cute enough but then suddenly there’s a whoop and it’s tani on the beach giving vocal emotional support and I LOVE THAT. after a very, very long draught, this season is so good for us when it comes to female friendships.

lou is mad that adam put his niece’s life at risk, and that’s fair, but maybe... also be mad at adam for doing crimes? like, that’s bad? maybe?

fjdkfd we ended the last episode with danny and steve in the kitchen and that’s also their first appearance in this one. this is beautiful.

steve: “i do have a date, indeed.” danny: “with who?” steve: “a lady.” LISTEN, i am taking this as the “a lady” part being not just an evasive maneuver, but intended to be an actual answer, because it could also not have been a lady. bi steve. it’s canon now.

steve LOST COUNT of how many dates he’s been on with brooke (the lady he’s ironing his shirt for on valentine’s day) and he’s kind of smiling while he says it and that’s cute!! i like that for him!! but also. when the fuck did he go on all of these dates with brooke when he was also dating the vet in between, out of the running entirely for at least a month or two, and he’s been continually living with danny since he got back to hawaii and danny apparently knows nothing about these dates. what kind of stealth techniques has steve been employing? has he had brooke sneak in through his bedroom window at night so danny wouldn’t find out? how many times did he have to cancel a date because danny refused to sleep on the couch and there was no space left for brooke in steve’s bed? (i kid, but seriously, what is this timeline?)

danny: “i’m glad somebody has a life.” steve, pointing at danny: “oohhh, tani and quinn are going to the movies tonight...” fdjkfd, first bi steve, and now tani and quinn have a movie date. good stuff. i’m enjoying this.

fjdkfjdkf, steve, whAT. “tell you what, buddy, if i finish up early with brooke, i’ll give you a call, we can hang out.” i mean! that’s really sweet! but also very wtf, because he’s essentially going “hey, maybe this thing i have to do (date my girlfriend, ugh) won’t take very long and we’ll have time to hang! :D” and i just. god. i’m laughing, but i am so glad brooke is not a real woman because i feel very sorry for her.

danny a) recognizes signs of domestic abuse and b) has done his research and c) is appropriately gentle with this woman, even though they have her in custody and she’s already admitted to killing her husband and she potentially started an international conflict by doing so, and just. yes. good. this is a danny i love.

side note: adam is just randomly present at hq with the rest of the team when steve and danny are on the phone with them. and, oh my god. did he not just kidnap a suspect to make a secret deal with a yakuza boss? is that not the sign steve had been looking for, the reason why steve’s spidey sense had been tingling around adam? they still trust him currently and he’s just back on the job without so much as a warning? i mean, to be fair, steve is the type of guy to be all for crazy shit if it gets results, so maybe he’s glad adam did what he did, idk, but i am genuinely so confused at this point about what the writers are telling us about where adam stands, both with the team and in his own life, and with the yakuza, for that matter. is he now an active gang member while also trying to earnestly protect the law in five-0?

i love how this episode is escalating, omg. first we’re told the wife killed her husband, then he’s a thai diplomat, then the wife’s boyfriend killed the husband, then he didn’t, then thailand wants the wife while five-0 knows she didn’t do it and so they STEAL HER. taking a page out of adam’s book, i guess, though at least this time the entire team knows what’s going on.

except for tani and noelani, who are being held hostage by two amateur criminals in a convenience store, which is also a subplot i really like! honestly, not a bad moment in this episode so far.

okay, one very minor note though: please, for the love of all that is holy, do not let this woman they’re saving become a love interest for danny. they have a lovely talk in the back of a truck during the grand escape and that’s wonderful and good and i like it, but i can’t help but be really scared that the show is aiming to somehow make that romantic at some point because oh, dear lord, danny has dated enough abused women under questionable circumstances. doooon’t add a third one to the list, i beg of you.

the amateur criminals are trying to get cash that they need for MEDICAL CARE. god, i hate a world in which your options are a) commit crime or b) die. it’s a good plot, though!

kamekona is providing a safehouse for danny and the woman and he’s being very kamekona about it - warm and welcoming, but warning danny off of texting too much with kamekona’s phone because it’s ten cents per message - and it’s glorious.

oh dear lord. the couple robbing the store can’t afford the surgery the husband needs, so tani presents mandatory medical attention for prisoners as a solution, and that’s a good way to talk the wife down and probably also the best the couple can hope for in their current predicament, but it’s also very fucked up. you shouldn’t have to wave a gun around to get help for your brain tumor.

danny and the woman are found and get arrested, and the VERY NEXT SHOT is danny turning to steve in the car and asking how he got him out so fast. that WAS very fast, danny, you’re right. zero seconds has to be a new record, dang.

steve: “i may have promised yang that if she didn’t release you immediately i was gonna make a whooole lot of noise.” i do understand what this means, but i also enjoy the thought of steve literally making noise. any noise. if you don’t release danny, steve will appear at your door and start quacking like a duck very loudly. you’ve been warned, state department!

ahhh! they solve the case, find the actual killer of the abusive diplomat husband, make sure the wife gets to stay where she is and reunite her with the concerned doctor boyfriend who didn’t kill anybody!! this makes me very happy, all the more so because they won’t have her date danny if she’s already dating someone else, which puts my fears to rest. this season continues to be better about things than this show has been in the past and i appreciate the heck out of it.

adam gets an ominous warning to watch his back from a criminal he’s delivering information about hpd to. are we supposed to be on adam’s side? i’m still very confused.

fjdkfd, danny walks into the house to find the entire team getting ready for a night of hanging out and wonders if he invited everyone and forgot about it, and steve walks in, already chewing on something, and says “it’s possible, because you’re old now”. what a brilliant burn, steve. very impressive.

i won’t recount everything that happens because i know i’d end up writing a stupidly long paragraph but i do adore everything that happens and want that noted. the whole team just chilling and arguing about whether love actually is a romcom or a christmas movie? yes, please! a hundred of those.

danny takes steve aside to tell him he doesn’t have to worry about danny and steve gives an unconvincing reason for why he totally didn’t arrange this because he was worried about danny, which essentially makes it canon that he did plan all of this for that exact reason, which is SO EXTRA. they live together, they’ve spent the entire day together, and then steve cancels a valentine’s dinner with his girlfriend (who he told earlier that he didn’t want to involve danny in their relationship, because he’s too nosy) and invites like six other people just so he can hang out with danny again.

annnd they end up snuggled together on the couch. on valentine’s day. you know, like homies do.

THIS. WAS A VERY GOOD EPISODE. thoroughly enjoyed practically every second of it, 10/10, would like more like this.

[timehealsfanfictionbka]

Time Heals.....Chapter Thirty-One

Tiana brushed off her suit before pushing open the entrance door to her lawyer’s office. She didn’t know what was gonna come out of this mediation but she had to try something. Chris really wouldn’t be that cruel to just drop her off and move on like that. He didn’t stay for ten years for no reason so they has to be some way to make this work either as a relationship or financially. She didn’t need his money but if she couldn’t have him, she was taking something valuable with her.

Chris fought the urge to roll his eyes as Tiana walked into the conference room. He leaned back in his seat and twisted a bit to try and calm his nerves. He really wasn’t in the mood to be here, at least not with just Tiana. Robyn was on call if they needed her to clarify anything so she had taken off work to essentially sit and wait to be called in. Knowing she wasn’t busy and he couldn’t hang out with her was really frustrating. They talked about the whole kissing incident, well, Robyn talked and he listened; he shouldn’t be hoping for her to slip up again but he really was. She was completely freaked out about the kisses especially since she made such a big deal about him rubbing her thigh after their concert date. He thought it was hilarious but she wasn’t seeing his reasoning behind his amusement. It was honestly just a kiss, ok two kisses, but it was really nothing to get worked up about. It’s not like he followed his instincts and tried to go further than that even though he does regret that he didn’t. This whole divorce was simply a bump in the road and they’d get over it just like they got over everything else.

“Hello Christopher,” Tiana greeted as she sat down. Chris gave her a smile as he continued twirling his seat. As her lawyer made her way into the room, she sat next to Tiana and Chris sat up straight.

“Now, I’ve spoken to my client and under my advisement, she has decided to commit to mediation to resolve the issue regarding alimony,” Ms. Nevins stated

“I’m not sure what the issue is if the prenup is in black and white, it clearly states alimony in the event of infidelity and/or if children are involved. There are no children between them and infidelity has not happened,” Ms. Weathers rebutted as she opened her leather portfolio, “My client and I would like to know what exactly Mrs. Brown wants because this was a simple matter at first. Documents were filed, served, and signed. That hearing was simple to get a judge’s signature.”

“Mrs. Brown is looking for extended assistance.”

“Under what grounds? She is no disabled or unable to work in any capacity. Again, there are no children involved. What is preventing her from supporting herself?”

“She did not work for 10 years.”

“By choice. Mrs. Brown signed documentation attesting to that in the divorce packet as you should know. It’s not as if Mr. Brown made her to be solely dependent, she chose to be.”

“Are you saying he shouldn't assist in transition?”

“She is looking for support as if they are still married. That is worlds apart from transition assistance. Also, Mr. Brown offered assistance and Mrs. Brown declined.”

Ms. Nevins turned to Tiana, “Is that true, Mrs. Brown?”

“Not technically,” Tiana replied.

“I told you to put what you need in the documents, you did that. I signed and agreed to the terms. You took upon yourself to turn into some revenge plot and try to take me for everything because you were upset. I told you that I have no problem helping you but I am not doing for you what I did when we were married and definitely not because your feelings are hurt. I thought we were past all of this,” Chris interjected.

“This is your fault.”

“I don’t want to be with you, Tiana. And everything you are doing now is just making me really not like you. I thought we agreed to be adults and keep this simple. I’ve held up my end of the deal.”

“Death do us part was the deal and you didn’t hold that up.”

“You can’t forgive me for something that happened eight years ago, sorry for not wanting us to be miserable for the rest of our lives since I ruined the trust.”

“You just wanna be with Robyn.”

“I’d be with her if I wanted to as you can see I am sitting here with you talking in circles about an issue that isn’t really an issue. You signed the prenup and trying to manipulate innocent situations to nullify it because you are upset isn’t helping your case with me. I don’t mind helping but not if this is how it is going to be. We’re getting a divorce precisely to avoid all of this but here you go.”

“We’re getting divorced between you cheated on me.”

“Eight years ago. Before we were married. I don’t know how many times you want me to apologize or what else you want me to do. I cannot reverse time. I cannot take it back. What do you want from me?”

Ms. Weathers leaned over to Chris, “Are you opposed to doing a lump sum to solve this?”

“I’m not opposed.”

Ms. Weathers wrote down a figure and showed it to Chris. He shrugged in agreement as she folded the paper in half, “I’m good with that.”

“Mr. Brown is willing to do a lump sum agreement to settle this,” Ms. Weathers said.

“And the conditions?” Ms. Nevins asked.

“Divorce gets finalized and the parties cease all contact.”

Ms. Weathers slid the folded paper across the table to Ms. Nevins who turned to Tiana to speak with her. Chris sighed as he watched Tiana’s face start to turn red and turned to his lawyer, “she’s not gonna go for it.”

“My client would like to know what is the rush for the finalization,” Ms. Nevins asked.

“Because I want this to be over with. We’ve been going through the motions for months and I am tired,“ Chris replied, “ I have no interest in dragging this out because I have no interest in going in circles. If we’re over then let’s be over.”

“You said it was over, I never did,“ Tiana replied.

“We both did. The moment you signed that document, you agreed. Why are you reneging? You don’t want to be back with me. You don’t want to deal with Robyn who comes with dealing with my daughters. Why this game, Tiana?”

“I never said I didn’t want to be back with you.”

“Is that what this is? You’re dragging this out because you don’t really want to be divorced? Why file the papers?”

“Because it’s what you wanted. You gave them to me. Clearly, whether I wanted to be with you or not didn’t matter.”

“It matters. I want you to be happy and we are not happy.”

“We were happy. You brought this shit into our lives, we were perfectly happy in Paris.”

“We were lying to ourselves in Paris. We barely had sex. We barely talked. It was literally me handing you money and you leaving me alone. It only worked because there was no alternative.”

“If we had never came back, would you have thought about getting divorced?”

“I don’t know.”

“You’ve thought about it before,” Tiana said softly.

“No. I just knew our connection was fading but I was going to stick it out because that’s what married people are supposed to do. I was hoping things would change and go back to how it was and when it didn’t happen, I accepted that it was what it was.”

“You were with me because you had no other options, is that what you’re saying to me?”

“I wasn’t looking for anything else. I married you and that was it.”

“That was it. Like it was some kind of job. You stayed because I was comfortable and you didn't want to start over, is that it?”

“Tiana.”

“No, you wasted ten years of my life.”

“Was it really a waste? You got exactly what you wanted, to be carefree and well taken care of. My feelings were real in the beginning but the last two or three years things started to change but I was willing to stick it out. I didn’t waste anybody’s anything.”

“And what is making you not want to stick it out now?”

“You. I told you this before I’m not gonna spend the rest of my life being accused and miserable. I will make amends but I’m not gonna be walking on eggshells for the rest of my life, I’m not gonna be on house arrest for the rest of my life and I will not be under your thumb for the rest of my life either. I will not allow my guilt to make me do things I should not be doing.”

“You owe me-”

“I owe you nothing. I gave you an apology and I was willing to give you everything within my grasp for you to be happy and for us to move forward but that doesn’t include you having free reign over my life and my decisions. I fucked up, I admitted that but you never gave me a chance to make it better because you wanted to act worse.”

“And now?”

“And now I’m finished and I’m moving on. I have children to raise and a life to rebuild. I wanted you to be apart of it but now I don’t. I just want my divorce, Tiana. I don’t want to hold you hostage and I would hope you wouldn’t want to be held hostage.”

“No counseling?”

“I suggested that from the beginning and you didn’t want to. I went to therapy on my own. I worked through my guilt on my own. I worked through my issues on my own when I wanted to work them out with you. But now I don’t.”

“You love her?”

“What does she have to do with anything? She’s the mother of my children, I’ll always have love for her but that has nothing to do with you.”

“It has everything to do with me.”

“Tiana, I’ve kept you in a bubble so it’s partially my fault that you are reacting like this but there are people in my life who mean something to me and yes some of them are women; what I feel for them has no bearing on what I feel for you, only your actions do. I wanted to handle this as adults and maybe be friends on the other side once hurt feelings were neutralized but the following me, taking pictures of me, it just gave me a glimpse of what years down the road would be like and I want no part of it. I spent ten amazing years with you, I’m not trading that in to spend ten years of hell.”

“Have you spent time with her?”

“I’m not explaining myself to you, Tiana.”

“So that’s a yes. Are you together?”

“No.”

“So that’s another yes.”

‘This is exactly why we're getting divorced, you aren’t listening or believing anything besides whatever those little voices in your head are telling you. Robyn agreed to be here to help you figure this out but I’m not wasting my time pacifying you anymore. That lump sum is my last offer and this will be my last contact of any kind with you. I’m trying to help but you’re just starting to piss me off.”

“Well if that’s how you feel.”

Chris ripped off another piece of paper, wrote another figure on it and slid it to Tiana’s attorney, “This is my last and final offer. Once I walk out that door, I’m not negotiating about any more money. It's either that or I will do everything to make sure she gets nothing.”

[ageeksnerdyworld]

Culture Hero

As they flew above the rooftops of the city they scanned the streets below. Their eyes searched for any sign of criminal activity with slight desperation but much to thier disappointment the night was quiet. Zhadena had its fair share of common crime like most larger cities. On the other hand most cities did not have a villainous Powered set on destroying everyone in it. Despite that the last few weeks were dead quiet. But they had taken an oath to protect the city and if that meant spending a few nights doing nothing but patrol then so be it.

Their eyes soon found what they were looking for and they glided to a graceful landing atop one of the taller buildings.

The building belonged to one of Zhadena's richest businessmen. William James Tate, CEO and founder of Tate Technologies, was as crooked as they come. The slimiest of slime balls. And he was known to hate, and discriminate against, anyone who was Powered. He was also running for mayor in the upcoming election.

It was easy to see why Toxicity went after him.

"Coming to stop me, Guardian?" a voice called out sarcastically from the dark.

A man stepped out from behind the rooftop entrance. He was tall, tanned, and had a smile on his face. His brown hair was on the shorter side but had a slight side wave to it. The outfit he wore was clearly thrown together from items he had in his closet. Old, distressed, dark jeans fed into a pair of worn combat boots. A faded gray t-shirt with a skull on it peeked out from under his dusty black trenchcoat and black gloves covered the man's hands. Everything was obviously pre-owned except for the black domino mask which hid his eyes from view.

He had William Tate held tightly in his grip.

Guardian stepped forward and started to speak but Toxicity cut them off.

"You know the Regulars don't trust us! They hate us! You know they'd rather see us all dead than have you fighting on thier behalf!"

Powered individuals were always mistreated and looked down upon that was true. Those with powers had a right to be angry about it. But none of that meant what Toxicity was doing was right. And he would not be getting away this time. Nothing he could say would change that.

"Let him go," Guardian said sternly.

"This is between you and me."

"This is between you and me," Toxicity repeated; blatantly mocking the hero. He tightened the arm around Tate's neck and the billionaire began choking. The message behind the action was clear enough to keep Guardian where they stood for a minute.

"Don't you get it?! They hate us! They do everything in thier power to oppress us! Regulars treat us all like garbage and you’re no different. You think you’re Zhadena’s hero? You’re nothing but a glorified poster boy for keeping Powereds under the Regulars’ thumb.”

”They're just using you as a pawn to justify killing us!"

As Toxicity yelled, seething with anger, Guardian moved to close the gap between them and the villain. They walked slowly and quietly; eyes trained on Tate. Thier large wings brushed across the concrete roof silently. The white feathers were illuminated by the moonlight and the light which reflected off the wings almost created a halo around their head.

"I mean, you get why they call you Guardian right?"

"Guardian Angel," they both said at the same time.

Toxicity chuckled and gave Tate a hard, yet seemingly playful, shake. His laugh abruptly stopped and his gaze fell on the concrete. Guardian took the opportunity to unfurl his wings, flap them slightly, and give themselves a boost to rush over to where the villain stood. Just as Guardian came within three feet of Toxicity and his hostage the villain looked up.

Smiling devilishly he looked at Guardian; "You know why they call me Toxicity don't you?"

He pulled the glove off his free hand with his teeth. And before Guardian could stop him Toxicity wrapped his open palm over Tate's face. Blackness ran through the villain's veins and seeped into the business man's skin. It quickly overtook Tate's own veins and blackened his eyes. Tate's body fell on the concrete roof; painfully convulsing. At the same time Guardian hit Toxicity with a blast of light; knocking him away from Tate.

But they were too late.

Tate had stopped convulsing. He pulled himself off the ground without a sound. His expression was stone cold and the fear in his eyes was gone. He was filled with the same toxic energy that the villain manipulated. He wasn't himself anymore. He wasn't even human. The body which previously belonged to William James Tate was now a husk. An empty shell unable to do anything Toxicity didn't want him to.

"What have you done?!" Guardian yelled; turning to Toxicity who lay on the ground.

The villain let out a laugh as he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. But he offered no response to the hero. Guardian flapped their wings and flew a few feet; landing at the villain's side. They grabbed Toxicity by the front of his trenchcoat and repeated the question.

"They've been using you to get what they want so I just thought I'd return the favor."

"What?" Guardian asked through gritted teeth.

When Toxicity didn't answer Guardian punched the man in the face. And as the villain began laughing hysterically they punched him again. After a few minutes of this Guardian was fed up and slammed Toxicity into the concrete.

"You're lying," they said as they walked back over to the husk of William Tate.

"You really are that dumb, huh?" Toxicity said with a pained laugh. He gritted his teeth in pain as he slowly pulled himself up and off the concrete. Limping slightly as he walked over to Guardian he explained.

"Think about it. I mean really think about it. Who have you been chasing after all these years? Who have you been rounding up and throwing in jail? Who have you been warned not to trust?"

"You mean besides you?" they said as they stared into Tate's black, lifeless, eyes.

"Besides me."

"Other Powereds."

"And why do you think that is?"

Guardian looked at the ground; unable to say the truth that had just dawned on them.

"Because of Tate and other Regulars like him. They want every excuse to prove that Powereds are dangerous. That we shouldn't be able to walk the streets. That we should kill newborns who show signs of being Powered."

"That can't be right," Guardian said; turning to face Toxicity.

"That's what his plan is when he becomes mayor, Guardian. He already has more than half the city behind him so there's no stopping it. Hell, he even paid off some of us to back him!"

That part was true at least and Guardian knew it. They had seen the campaign ads on TV. No Powered in thier right mind would support anything that Tate said. The man refused to even interview anyone who was Powered. Those who claimed to support his campaign were obviously paid off.

"You think things are bad now? They'd be a hell of a lot worse if I didn't do this. Listen."

Toxicity turned his attention to the empty man before him and, altering his voice, said; "Mr. Tate. What is your opinion on the presence of Powereds in Zhadena?"

"They are not second class citizens and most are not a threat. We cannot treat Powereds as subhuman just because they are more than human. They deserve the same rights as the rest of us."

"Interesting. Prior to today you were preaching the exact opposite. Saying, and I quote, 'Powereds should be locked up whether they're dangerous or not. They cannot be trusted.' What changed your mind Mr. Tate?"

"I have had the opportunity to speak with many Powered citizens of Zhadena and they're just like the rest of us. Trying thier best to make an honest living and raise a family."

Toxicity turned to Guardian with a wide smile. The man couldn't contain his excitement. But the hero voiced his doubts. The story might sell but people would definitely notice Tate's eyes. Eyes which were a trademark of Toxicity. Much to Guardian's surprise the villain had a solution to that. He ran a hand over Tate's eyes and they returned to their normal bright blue color.

"See? Fixed."

Guardian sighed. What could they do about it now anyway? Toxicity had been their archenemy for so many years because of his power. He could never stay in jail for long. And many times he even avoided arrest by doing exactly what he did to Tate.

"Let me show you something," Toxicity said giving Guardian a light pat on the shoulder with a gloved hand.

Guardian wanted to object and say that they had changed thier mind. They knew it would work. That they had seen the affect of Toxicity's power many times before. But instead they walked over to a pile of empty crates, flipped one over, and sat down. After a minute or two Toxicity walked over to where the hero sat. Pulling up a crate for himself he sat down then called over to the husk of Tate.

"Okay! Go!"

Tate gave a small plie and then began an intricate ballet routine around the rooftop. The man almost flew with grace as he performed multiple grand jetés in a row. Landing a full point pose he then performed a grand pas de chat over an air vent.

"You know," Guardian said with a laugh as they watched Tate. "You could've made a decent hero."

"When this plays out we'll both be heroes."

After Tate finished and stood waiting the hero and the villain remained where they sat. Watching the stars in the sky the pair began reminiscing about thier previous encounters. The week long standoff at Paisley's School for Powereds. The dreaded team up between Toxicity, Firestarter, and Landslide that wiped out an entire city block. What happened at the firestation on Wembley Street. They talked and laughed but eventually Guardian turned to Toxicity.

"I need to ask you something. Something that's been on my mind since the first time we fought."

"Something's been bugging you since Hightower?" Toxicity asked; clearly shocked.

Guardian nodded solemnly; "Yeah. Since the very beginning."

"Okay. Shoot."

"How come you never used your powers on me? I've used my light beams against you many times. Not to mention the countless times I've flown to catch you. But you've never turned me into that," they said nudging thier head in Tate's direction.

"Why?"

Toxicity sighed and held his head in his hands. After a few seconds he looked back up and turned to Guardian. He sighed again before removing the domino mask that hid his eyes. Tears rimmed the edges of his light brown eyes and he bit his bottom lip to stop them. Reaching out a hand and cupping Guardian's face he let out a shaky breath.

"Because that would've ruined all the fun. And besides every villain needs a good old fashioned hero."

Just as the word "hero" left his lips Guardian felt a surge of toxic darkness flow into them.

The sadness in the villain's eyes was gone and the tears had dried up. Guardian looked at him with confusion and fear in thier eyes. They looked down at Toxicity's hand to see the inky black of his veins. They tried to raise their arm and shoot a blast of light at the villain but they were too late. Falling off the crate and onto the concrete roof their body began convulsing violently. They grit thier teeth in pain as they tried to fight against the evil surging through thier veins. But it was pointless. Toxicity crouched down and watched his power work its magic; smiling at Guardian.

"You should be happy about this, Guardian. Grateful even."

The hero's body stopped and they lay on the concrete; curled in a fetal position. Guardian rose quietly and stood at attention. Toxicity smiled looking into the newly blackened eyes of the hero. He moved his hand over Guardian's eyes; bringing them back to their bright white.

"You're no longer the Regular's attack dog. You're mine."

[alyseinpalace]

Chapter 28 - A senior lady guard’s day

When Irgen told Alyse that while she was away, the five of them senior lady guards were expected to stand in for her, Alyse thought she would just need to train some junior lady guards and perhaps write some reports. She did not expect that to be true only for the first seven days.

One morning, Bohoto arrived at the guard house as early as seven, which was a bad sign itself when usually he would not be in his office till after noon. He called for the five senior lady guards and solemnly handed them a scroll with direct instruction from the Imperial Household Department. The instruction to apprehend Xian Fei for the crime of adultery and hand her over to the Office of Palace Justice to await for trial.

Alyse was not as taken aback as the other four guards since she had already heard about the scandal from Grace. But she also did not expect actions to be taken so soon, and definitely did not expect to be involved in her arrest. She had read enough Qing dynasty history to know that the punishment for consorts caught for adultery could be as serious as the nine kinship exterminations. The best punishment that Xian Fei could hope for would be an one-way trip to the Cold Palace, where she would probably spend the rest of her life in solitary. Alyse’s heart sank with melancholy with the thought that she would be taking a woman in her twenties to her death, whether literally or figuratively.

A team of five senior lady guards and five junior lady guards made their way to the consorts’ house, and marched straight to Xian Fei’s room. After one of the senior lady guards read the scroll to the consort, Alyse put the heavy steel cuffs on her wrists while another senior lady guard removed her headdress and all jewelry she was wearing; hairpin, earrings, and bangles. The rest of the guards ransacked her room and confiscated anything that could be used as evidence. Letters and jewelry were all thrown haphazardly into the wooden boxes they brought along.

Alyse gazed at Xian Fei and her heart sank even deeper when the consort looked like she had already given up the most important thing in life. Hope. The blanched consort did not say a single word since the announcement of her arrest, did not struggle when the cuffs were put on her. She just stared blankly into the empty space, resigned to her fate. When the team was ready to move off, Alyse stopped the guard who was holding Xian Fei’s other arm.

“Let me get something.” Alyse grabbed a piece of clothing from the mess in the wardrobe and wrapped it around Xian Fei’s wrists so that the cuffs were covered.

“Thank you.” Xian Fei muttered softly as she glanced at Alyse for a moment, and then her eyes were back at staring into the empty space in front.

Alyse and her fellow senior lady guard then held Xian Fei’s arm at each side and stepped out of the room. The other three consorts had already gathered in the living room; Yi Fei was holding on to Qi Fei’s arm, both looked stricken, while Ji Fei looked impassive. Knowing that Ji Fei was the one who reported Xian Fei, Alyse was expecting her to overtly gloat.

The moment they walked out of the consorts’ house, Alyse was glad she thought of covering Xian Fei’s wrists. A big crowd of imperial concubines, noble ladies, attendants and eunuchs were waiting for them right outside the gate, albeit they were standing aside orderly. The crowd murmured as they walked past, the consort lowered her head as she was hurriedly escorted away by the lady guards. Alyse was relieved that they did not have to deal with prying reporters in the Qing dynasty.

By the time the lady guards returned from the Office of Palace Justice to the guard house, it was already mid afternoon. The team went to the kitchen for their late lunch, but Alyse had no appetite and decided to skip her meal. Though she remembered reading about Xian Fei’s misfortune in the history material she gathered, being part of it was more heartbreaking than she expected.

When Alyse reported to the guard house the next day, she was not as melancholy. The day started off with the dreary work of maintaining the weapons in the armoury followed by supervising the junior lady guards’ training. Alyse was almost dozing off watching a small group of junior lady guards practising a spear set when a lady guard came running into the hall anxiously.

“Ailishida! Imperial Concubine Ling needs your help!” The lady guard grabbed Alyse’s arm and dragged her away immediately.

“What? Who? Why?” Alyse was perplexed, but ran along with her fellow guard anyway. If whatever that was happening to the imperial concubine was causing such panic, it must be something really pressing.

“You’ll understand when you see it!” That was all the lady guard said.

When Alyse reached the garden, the emergency was totally not what she expected. In the garden, the short and slightly chubby Imperial Concubine Ling was found perturbed in tears while she coaxed the lianli tree gently. “Rong’er, please listen to Ma, you need to come down!”

Bewildered, Alyse looked at the tree, then up when she heard it meowed. A white persian cat was lying on one of the higher level branches. “That’s the emergency…?”

“Yes! Please help me to get Rong’er down! You can’t let her fall to her death!” The distressed imperial concubine pulled Alyse’s sleeve anxiously the moment she saw the guard.

“Sure… my Lady…” Alyse muttered as she gave the lady guard who brought her there a cold death glare.

Alyse took a good look at the tall lianli tree and found a larger branch at her head level. Bracing one foot against the trunk for leverage, she grabbed the large branch, pushed her foot into the trunk and pulled herself up in a breath. After supporting herself safely on the branch, she looked up and estimated the cat to be two more branches away. She found the nearest sturdy living branches and leapt and pulled herself further up a couple more branches till she finally reached the branch where the cat was. Keeping her body low to the branch, she reached her right hand out to it. “Hey kitty kitty...”

“Her name is Rong’er!” Imperial Concubine Ling shouted from the ground.

“Rong’er... “ She groaned. The cat simply looked at her, not moving an inch.

“Rong’er, if you don’t come over, I’m going to push you down the tree.” She whispered to the cat in a very miffed voice. To her surprise, Rong’er seemed to understand her fierce whisper and sauntered over to her. Alyse quickly grabbed the cat by its scruff and climbed down the trunk painstakingly. After Alyse returned the cat to Imperial Concubine Ling, she gave Alyse a quick thank and immediately returned her full attention to the cat in her arms now, chiding it for being naughty and telling it how scared she was.

“Of all the guards, why did you ask me to rescue the cat?” Alyse squinted at the lady guard walking next to her.

“Because I don’t know anyone else who knows how to climb a tree.” The lady guard replied matter-of-factly.

“And how do you know I know how to climb a tree?!”

“Because you climbed up a tall tree to shoot an arrow to rescue the hostage at the pavilion!” The lady guard grinned.

“Right…” Alyse muttered dryly. She took a mental note to recommend to Irgen to add a tree climbing lesson to the junior guards training curriculum.

When Irgen was finally back in the palace a few days later, after Alyse ensnared her in a tight hug and a searing kiss, she told her everything that had happened; Xian Fei’s arrest, Imperial Concubine Ling’s kitten emergency, a fight she had to break up between two noble ladies, another fight she had to break up between the attendants of another two noble ladies, and a lady guard lost her saber. Irgen empathised with what her lover had gone through while she was away but when Alyse told her she had left a huge stack of reports on the table for her, Irgen wanted break every single bone in her lover.