#the surprise at unpredictability is always so fucking baffling to me. this is someone who��s been under extreme stress/duress

[scarasimplysimping]

All or Nothing.

Nerf or nothing haha get it?

Pairing: Fyodor x Reader

Fandom: Bungou Stray Dogs

Genre: This was an extremely messy cluster of ideas I don't even know anymore

"I'm sick and tired of you treating me like some disposable chess piece in your goddamn game." You say, hurt and anger laced in your voice.

You wanted him to treat you as an equal, yet he was always so secretive of his plans, so hidden.

Time and time again, he'd say that only you had the key to his heart; but when you tried to use said key, The content always empty. Hollow.

The elusive young man, who was sitting with his back facing you, simply chuckles, as if there was anything humorous in what you had just said. "But my love, for you to be a chess piece, you'd have to be of use first."

Did he just call you useless?

You try not to show it, but your emotions get the better of you and your tears start falling.

"Fuck you, Fyodor." You say as you reach for the doorknob of your shared apartment.

"I'm not coming back" were your last words before slamming the door behind you.

Silence followed.

Fyodor was glad you couldn't see what he looked like as of now, more of a mess than he already was, disheveled hair and tired eyes.

What he really meant was he didn't want to find use of you in his game. He didn't wish to put you in harm's way.

Though he figured it was better to drive you away.

Fyodor couldn't afford any vulnerabilities, not when he was this close to achieving his goal of a 'so-called' world free of sin. He could not afford to fall in love.

But there's that little voice in the back of his head asking him day and night,

Taunting him even.

What if he already fell?

He couldn't just google 'How to unlove someone'. That's stupid.

The man knew it was either to fall completely or to not fall at all with you because clearly, you didn't want anything in the middle.

Part of him wants to accept the pros and cons of falling into the spiderweb that is love, even if he couldn't tell which was which.

Fyodor likes games, but he also likes to win.

You scared him. You are a weak spot. You are his strength. An unpredictable element that could be his doom or salvation.

Salvation?

For him?... Not from?

Would you hinder his motivation or would you inspire him?

There's only one way to find out.

-

He tries finding you in the places you visit often and there isn't any luck until Fyodor remembers a bar you'd visit when you were having bad days while he was gone.

Sure enough, he saw you through the clear window, drinking your heart out.

And he's glad he found you when he did. Some perverts had been eyeing you with hunger.

You were too drunk to notice.

"My little mouse, lets go home." Fyodor says, gently grabbing your shoulders and helping you up.

"Don't call me that. Don't touch me either." You say coldly, once you recognized his voice. Though you were slurring your words.

It made him sure that you'd pass out drunk on the streets. Vulnerable too.

Fyodor would be dead before he let that happen.

"What would you rather have me call you then?" He asks nonchalantly, trying to distract you as he practically pushes you out of the pub.

"Rat."

He scoffs.

The both of you don't talk much after that. Just a few "be careful"s when you stumble upon uneven ground here and there. That didn't really matter since he was clinging onto you, making it obvious that he wouldn't let you trip.

Then you speak up.

"Why did you look for me?"

He pauses for a moment, knowing the words in his mind were hard to say out loud and in front of you.

"I was worried." That wasn't a lie, but it definitely was not the whole truth.

"I hate it when you do that." And before you give him the opportunity to ask, you continue. "Fedya, I see you. I see the look in your eyes when you have so much to say and I hear the lack in your voice when you don't say it all."

Admittedly, Fyodor was taken aback by the sudden knowledge and truth in your voice. You always caught him off guard.

"Do you expect me to spill my heart out to you?" He asks, with a hint of sarcasm.

"That's what love is, stupid. But I understand if you're not ready, all I'm asking is for you to not act as if I'm some pawn."

Fyodor frowns at you, baffled that you could even call him that, and annoyed that it was as if you looked down on him when it comes to love (albeit, you should.) But that didn't stop his appreciation.

Still, you called him stupid. "Do you want to die?" He tries to sound threatening.

"For you, anything."

"I hate it when you do that." He imitates what you said mockingly, "You say you don't want to be a pawn and yet you're ready to die for me right now. You don't even think about how I'll feel if you ever were to die, regardless if it was by my selfishness or not."

Though, he was confident he'd protect you by all means, there was always that thought in the back of his head. And here he is, expressing it now.

You look up at him, surprised at the sudden honesty. You've just been choked with your own medicine.

"Then... then is it selfish for me to ask you to be selfish?"

Fyodor stops in his tracks, and you along with him.

The two of you share a staring contest for a while.

"Are you sure?" He finally asks.

"Yes."

Fyodor knows it would be stingy to hold this against you later, since you had drank yet he can feel that your words are genuine.

Slowly, he plants a small kiss on your forehead. "We'll talk about this tomorrow, little mouse. For now let's go home."

You can't tell if the next thing you do is out of being drunk, or your pent up feelings.

But you wrap your arms around his neck and pull him into a deep and passionate kiss.

He was surprised, to say the least. And could taste the beer you had drank earlier. He'd complain... if he didn't enjoy every second of this.

You both pull away once you run out of air.

"I hope you know what you're getting yourself into." He says, regaining his composure as if he didn't just completely melt under your touch.

[applejuizz]

irrational goals x and x mindless illusions

after years of relentless searching, kaito has finally managed to find ging. as the two hunters pass the evening in the mountains, ging tells a story of his past. characters: ging freecss, kaito (kite) pairing(s): ging x gon’s momma (in the past!) no warnings word count: 1.880

pretty much my headcanons on what happened to gon’s mother.

“For all those years that I’ve known you, Ging-san, and I would’ve never guessed you have a kid.” Ging’s laughter, loud and brash bounced off the cave walls and scattered along with the howling winds. “And I thought you knew better than to make assumptions,” the hunter replied wittily, his large, amber stare glinting with amusement.

Kaito huffed out a short-lived smile and took a generous bite out of his freshly-roasted fish. He chose to let the crackling fire fill the silence as he masticated, carefully pondering over his next words.

“You’ve left one hell of a legacy behind, you know. He’s got your willpower and plenty of potential.” In response, Ging grunted through a mouthful of fish. “He’s good with animals as well. He’d make an excellent hunter.”

Kaito raised his gaze slightly to catch a reaction from across the vivid flames of the campfire. Maybe it had been just a product of the lights and shadows constantly dancing on Ging’s features, but he could’ve sworn that for a brief, insignificant moment, his master’s petrified expression had twitched. Now, whether it had been the ghost of a smile or a grimace, he couldn’t tell.

“Looks like my son did quite the impression on you,” remarked Ging, swallowing the last of his bite. “He is definitely something. I’m surprised how you were never curious enough to visit. Poor boy grew up thinking his parents were dead.” “Good.”

The sheer finality in the hunter’s tone made Kaito’s head instantly shoot up to stare incredulously. “Don’t look at me like I’m crazy, Kaito,” said Ging before his disciple could conceal his surprise, “hunters are greedy people. They seek adventure, despise routine and never settle. Bringing a kid into this world is a big and dangerous deal that we couldn’t bear.”

Then why did you do it in the first place? The question was entirely plausible, yet it died on Kaito’s tongue before he could voice it. It wasn’t his place to ask. Perhaps the boy was the result of an ordinary one night stand - that was quite often the case. Besides, he couldn’t imagine Ging lingering in one place long enough to fall in love and willingly father a child. Then again, he hadn’t thought it possible for the carefree adventurer to even be a parent at all, and he’d been proven wrong. In all truth, predicting Ging Freecss’s actions was a game of chance, similar to Kaito’s Crazy Slot, and the white-haired hunter wasn’t sure he liked that resemblance.

“Was his mother a hunter as well?” As he spoke, Kaito watched Ging’s posture stiffen, his usual relaxed attitude forgone. On second thought, it might’ve been more suitable to ask about his reasoning. “Who said anything about her? What did I tell you about assumptions?!” “You said ‘we’.” “What?!” “When you talked about bringing a kid into this world, you said ‘we couldn’t bear it’.” “As in you and me and every other fucking hunter in the world. Now stop nagging me.”

From the years he’d spent as his disciple, Kaito had learnt a lot about Ging as a hunter - extremely gifted, strategic, adventurous -, as well as a person - stubborn, unpredictable, carefree and at times, awkward. However, he had rarely, if ever got the chance to see a truly flustered, caught off-guard Ging. It took a lot to surprise him. Yet it seemed that the question Kaito had deemed innocuous had managed to utterly baffle the rogue hunter. He watched in awe as Ging’s features shifted through various phases of surprise, outrage and awkwardness, his foot nervously tapping the ground and his voice cracking with indignance. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.” The only response Ging gave was a graceful, yet expressive burp. He deliberately avoided meeting Kaito’s eyes, busying himself with wiping clean of meat every little fishbone.

By the time he spoke again, the fire had considerably dimmed. “She is a hunter. Part of the association that helped me create Greed Island.” Kaito was leaning against a smoother portion of the wall, hands behind his head, eyes closed in contemplation. When his master spoke, he immediately turned to look at him. The black-haired man was staring pointedly at the dying fire, scattering the ashes with a stick in a halfhearted attempt of keeping it aflame. “Ging-san, you don’t have to talk about this if-“ “Just shut up and listen, ‘cause I’m not telling this story twice.”

Kaito settled back against the stone wall and listened.

“As I said, she was one of the creators of Greed Island, so we were both pretty young when we met- 18, I think. She was the friend of a friend, she heard of our project and she wanted in. We were fine with it, since she was a strong Nen user and her contribution has made the game what it is today.”

The cave entrance was growing darker by the minute as nightfall crept in. They would have to get some more firewood.

“While we were busting our asses off scouting the island and thinking up cards, we got to talkin’ and you could say we grew... close. She was pretty and as charming as they come, simple-minded, and always up for an adventure. And I was a bit of an impressionable kid.”

“We wanted to travel together. She was passionate about myths and languages, I liked ruins. A match made in heaven,” Ging chuckled bitterly. “Now, don’t get me wrong, ‘twas nothing official. We couldn’t be bothered to label anything. But one thing led to another, and all of a sudden we were a couple of dumb nineteen year-olds with a baby on the way.”

So, Gon was a mistake. Kaito had figured that much.

“Obviously, we had to push back our plans - we wanted to try and explore the Dark Continent eventually - and we had no idea how we were going to raise a kid together when we didn’t even know how to define our relationship, but we never thought about giving up Gon. Not once. Soon after we finished up the game, Daina gave birth. May 5th, 1987. Five months later, I was urging her to come with me on an unofficial, undocumented expedition near lake Mosubi.”

The sheer name of that place gave Kaito the shivers as he listened attentively to the other hunter’s story.

“She didn’t really want to go. Childbirth had changed her. She began to realize the risks we’d have to take, the high stakes, the danger that was awaiting and how inexperienced we really were. But I was having none of it. I thought I was invincible, and I thought I’d always get what I wanted.” There was a pause, and Ging cleared his throat almost awkwardly.

“So, I threatened to leave by myself. Woke up that morning and started packing. She got scared, like I knew she would; there was no way to stop me, so she eventually gave in.”

“You pretty much manipulated her into following you,” Kaito concluded. Ging continued to stare into the fire for a while before answering, and his disciple was almost sure he’d managed to piss him off again.

“Yeah. I guess you could say that,” he answered calmly. “Anyway, we left the baby in-game, summoned a Panda Maid to care for him and left. Long story short, something... beyond my understanding happened on that godforsaken shore and...”

“Did Daina...?”

“No! I mean... she disappeared. I have no idea what happened to her. I couldn’t look for her. It’s a miracle I even got away.”

Kaito let out a breath he hadn’t even known he were holding.

“And before you start to think I’m some delusional dumbass, the moment I got back, I went to Greed Island and summoned Double Postcard to the Dead. I’ve been doing it annually since then. No response so far.”

Ging needn’t explain more. Kaito knew Greed Island fairly well from the time he had attempted to clear the game, and therefore he had plenty of knowledge on the card system. Double Postcard to the Dead is a card which, if summoned, allows you to send a message to a deceased person of your choosing. If the person is truly dead, you’ll get a response within the next day.

“Anyway, after all that, I’d realized a couple of things.” Ging raised his pointer in the air. “First. I was going to need at least a decade of training, experience and qualifications to even pass lake Mosubi’s shoreline, and second,” he raised another finger, “I couldn’t raise Gon on my own. It was too dangerous to pursue my goals with him around, and he would’ve been better off living a normal life.”

“So you sent him off home.”

“And lost custody in court when Mito decided to sue me. The rest is history.”

There was silence as Kaito pondered over what he’d just heard. He supposed he could understand the reasoning behind Ging’s decision to leave Gon in someone else’s care, but he could’ve at least visited. Kaito was no king of morality, yet he couldn’t have lived with himself knowing he had a kid out there that knew nothing of him.

“I’m sorry.”

Ging’s eyes switched back to Kaito. He no longer looked lost in space as he made a dismissive hand gesture, very much characteristic of him.

“Don’t be. It was for the best. I would’ve been a crappy father either way.” There was humor in his tone and the white-haired hunter laughed cordially, but he could tell his companion’s words were more than just a joke.

The more he thought about it, the more obvious it became. Ging had decided to utterly avoid his son not only for his safety, but also out of a selfish, yet understandable reason. He couldn’t have possibly bore the embarrassment of looking Gon in the eye and telling him his mother had gone missing simply because he had dragged her into his irrational goals and mindless illusions.

But you won’t be able to avoid him forever, Kaito thought to himself. If that boy is anything like you, he won’t drop dead until he finds you. I’ve seen the look in his eyes. You’re in for one hell of a ride, Ging.

“Yo.” He was awoken from his reverie by the hunter’s deep voice. “I’m gonna go get some more firewood. You coming or what?”

Kaito had barely noticed that the sky had gone completely dark and the cave was only lit by what little was left of the campfire. He could barely distinguish Ging’s features anymore as he stood at the entrance.

“Sure. I wasn’t expecting you to spend the night here though, Ging-san.”

As they walked along the abrupt forest path, wind howling at their ears, Ging scoffed. “You and your damn assumptions.” He grumbled and pointed at the sky. “No stars. Can’t you smell the thunder? It’s gonna rain tonight.” Kaito doubted a little storm would stop Ging from leaving if he really wished to do so, but he said nothing. “Oh, and drop the honorific.”

Kaito must’ve looked extremely surprised because Ging spoke again, a smirk creeping on his face.

“Don’t look at me like that. You found me, so you passed your test. We’re equals.”

[writing-hound]

Written in the Sand:

Summary: Mazikeen Sage ventured too far into an abandoned house, the hide locker being in one of the rooms up stairs, abandoned and alone. Her friends had dared her to go in there to see if it was haunted, alone. Her hide, named Spitfire, known for being unpredictable, maternal, and bold, chose her under the very unusual circumstances.

Reading/Pairing: Hamish Duke X Werewolf! Reader

Word Count: 2371 words

Warnings: Really none at this point.

A/N: Hello! This story is gonna be a long one with multiple parts. How many? I don’t know yet. Mazikeen is my character, I own her, and so, you know, don’t steal her. Here are the other part(s):

Part 1

When I came to, I was cold. I coughed as I sat up, looking around. This wasn't where I was last time. I was outside, on the earth, bare fucking naked. I visibly freaked out as I sat there, trying to conceal myself and wildly looking around to see if I can find my clothes. A sudden noise drew my attention as I froze, in horror.

Fuck! I can't let anyone see me like this! I thought as I got up and backed away behind some bushes. I watched as someone walked on a trail, looking around. He was tall, well dressed, and had dirty blond hair. He seemed confused as he looked around. When I saw his face, I literally couldn't breath. He was beautiful. I say beautiful because he is; his face is kind of round, his jaw is soft yet sharp enough to cut paper, and his eyes are a blue-grey.

His eyes fixated where I had been before, seeing red liquid, and followed the trail to where I was. I mentally freaked out as he gradually grew closer to me.

Please don't find me, please don't find me, I chanted in my head as I cowered down in the bushes as he walked by. He hesitated near my hiding place, walking a slow circle.

"Hello? Anyone here?" He asked. "I promise I won't hurt you," He said, a little quieter. I didn't move. I couldn't out of fear. When his back was to me, I slowly scooted away, and, to my dismay, made a sound. Cliché as it is, a twig snapped under my palm. The man cocked his head subtly and turned around facing my direction.

Oh shit. I thought.

My heart was banging against my ribcage by now. Maybe if I don't move, he won't see me, I thought innocently. The man approached the bushes in front of me, peering over them with ease because of his height. My body shook. He'll think I'm crazy or on drugs. I thought. Or both.

I tried to cover my naked body with what little I could, but it was inevitable. HE saw me, and without hesitation, he walked up and crouched. I gave a visible flinch, not knowing what he was gonna do or say.

"Are you all right?" He asked, concerned. "It's freezing out here! What happened?" The man began to shrug off his jacket, handing it to me. I was baffled. He didn't even mind that I was naked. In front of him nonetheless.

He might be gay then, I instantly thought. "T-thanks?" I said, more of a question than a statement. The man nodded, getting up and giving out his hand. I took it without a word, being helped up. We said nothing as we stood there, a foot or so apart, staring at each other.

"What happened?" The man repeated. I just shook my head. "You're guess is as good as mine," I gave a weak laugh. The man stared at me. I realized how I must have looked to him. Crazy and naked out in the forest.

"Do you happen to know where I am?" I asked, trying to get this meeting over as soon as possible.

The man looked at me a moment longer before turning away his gray-blue gaze. "You're at Belgrave University," He said. I stared at him, my mouth partially open. "What?" I exclaimed. I was far from home.

"You seemed surprised," The man observed. "You're not a student here?" He asked. I merely shook my head. "No," I was internally freaking out. How did I end up here? I tried to remember anything before this moment. 

Walking up to the door, I opened it. Inside were odd things, furniture covered, windows boarded up, and some boxes. One was in the middle, and on top was a journal-

My memory was interrupted by the man. "Are you okay?" He asked. I looked back at him. "Yeah," I said quietly, then more confidently, "Yeah, I was just trying to remember how I got here," I gave a small and guarded smile. 

The man gave me a look; a believing look. "I understand," He said. "Do you have somewhere to go?"

At first I didn't understand the question. It seemed foreign. 

"What?" I asked, confused for a minute. The man looked at me and spoke slowly. "Do you have a place to stay at?" I shook my head in response. "No," I said. What am I gonna do?! I can't go wandering around naked! I mentally freaked out.

"Follow me," The man said, and began to walk away. I almost laughed.

 "Uh, excuse me," I said, getting his attention. "But I don't know about you, and I mean no offense," I pointed out. "But for all I know you might be a serial killer," The man gave a chuckle, one I assume he doesn't do often. 

"Well, I can assure you that I am not a serial killer," He said. I somehow believed him. "And as for knowing me, my name is Hamish," The man--now known as Hamish--said, looking back at me. "And you are?" 

I hesitated. The logical side of me was screaming at me to run. To not say or reveal anything. But the illogical part is whispering to do the opposite. 

"My name is Mazikeen," I finally said, deciding to share my name. Hamish gave a nod.

"Well, Mazikeen, it's nice to meet you," He said, inclining his head a little bit. I couldn't help but give a small smile as I put one foot in front of the other. We walked in silence, not saying anything until we came in view of an abandoned looking house.

"I dare you to go into that abandoned house on Magnolia Drive," Taunted Abigail. Abigail was one of my friends. She always was a motor mouth and never knew what she was saying before she said it.

"Yeah, don't you want to see what's inside?" another one of my friends said.

"Maybe she's scared," Said another. "Look at her, her face is white!" They all laughed. I ground my teeth together, and determinedly decided that I would go into that spooky house one way or another. 

Hamish was by the porch, looking at me. "Mazikeen? Are you all right?" He asked, noticing that I faltered. I gave him a quick smile. "Yeah," I said, walking up the porch. Inside the house wasn't as abandoned as the exterior seemed to be. It was homey, in that, clubhouse sort of way.

I slowly looked around, going into what seems to be the living room. There was a bar of sorts to the right of me, a couch in front of me along with some chairs, and a fireplace along the right wall.

Hamish cleared his throat as he stood in the doorway. "You can, uh, get cleaned up in there," He said, pointing to a bathroom. I gave a smile as I walked past, and entered the bathroom. A knock on the door sounded, and Hamish's voice said, "I'm gonna go and get you some clothes that might fit you," He hesitated before saying, "I'm gonna go and, uh, grab them now,"

I heard his footsteps retreat up the stairs in the main entry. I gave a sigh and looked in the mirror. I gave out a gasp at how I looked. "Holy shit," I muttered under my breath. I looked horrible. I had blood on my chest and chin, as well as the rest of my body.

"What have I done?" I asked myself as I turned on the water and used a black towel. Hope he doesn't mind that I use this...I thought as I cleaned myself up. I was down to my legs when a knock sounded. 

"I got some clothes here for you, Mazikeen." Hamish said at the door. I cracked it open to see him standing there, clothes folded in his hands. I took them with a "Thanks" and closed the door.

The jeans were a little tight, but they would work, and the shirt was a button down and was extremely baggy and smelled like... mint and rain? I looked into the mirror and saw how baggy it really was, so I tied the shirt around my waist so it was like a crop top. I took a deep breath, putting on the jacket that Hamish gave me, and walked out the bathroom. I didn't see him in the foyer, so I walked into the living room. I saw him behind the bar area making himself a drink. My heart thundered at the sight of him.

I walked up and gave a smile, down casting my eyes. "Thanks for the clothes," I said quietly, standing there awkwardly. Hamish gave a nod, gesturing to the glass. "Want one?" He asked.

I gave a shake of my head. "No, but thanks," I said, still not looking at him. I could feel my face heating up as I stood there. "Well, uh, I gotta get going," I said, risking a look up to look at Hamish. He was standing there looking at me, with the glass to his lips. His eyes bored holes into me as he stayed silent.

"Where will you go?" He asked, seemingly curious.

I gave a shrug. "I don't really know how I got here, but I sure as hell can find my way back," I said determinedly. Just as Hamish was opening his mouth to speak, the door flung open and came walking in a skinny, lanky, goofy kid. Well, to me he was a kid; he had curly hair and had this immature aura around him, yet he seemed mature at the same time.

"Hey, Hamish, you here?" He asked, walking into the living room. He hadn't seen me yet, as he was focused on trying to find Hamish. "Okay, good, you're here. Lil-" He broke off as he caught sight of me. "Hey, Hamish, who's this?" He asked, confused. "And why is she here," He said, giving Hamish a tense smile, eyes wide.

"I found her," Hamish stated simply. "She was out in the woods here, lost and, uh-" He cut himself off as he looked at this new person, obviously not wanting to say how he had found me. The guy gave a nod, looking at me. "Oh, if Hamish found you and didn't chase you off, then I guess you're good. Names Randall by the way," He said, sticking his hand out for me to shake it. I hesitated before I took his hand in mine in a firm shake.

"Nice to meet you, Randall," I said quietly. "My name is Mazikeen,"

"Wow, great name!" He exclaimed enthusiastically, making me smile. Randall seemed like a good guy, and already I felt at ease with this goofball. He reminded me of my best friend back in Oregon before I moved.

"Thanks," I said, not knowing what else to say. I took my hand back as well as a step, and looked between the two. "I've got to be going now," I said, looking at my feet and chewing on my bottom lip.

As I started to walk away, another person walked in through the open doorway. This time it was a girl with black hair and fiery eyes. She was shorter than I was, but not by much.

"Who the fuck is this?" She demanded, looking at Randall and Hamish. "What's she doing here-" She cut herself off as she looked at my appearance, then her eyes seemed to glow with rage. "In my pants?" She practically growled out. She gave me a kidney melting glare as I stood there frozen for a minute. Then, out of reaction, I took on a defensive stance, angling my body in front of the two men, who are clearly capable of taking off themselves, to shield them from this girl's anger.

Randall, peeking out from behind me, gave the girl a shit-eating grin. "Hey, Lilith! This is Mazikeen, Hamish found her out in the woods.”

Lilith didn't back off or apologize, though the fire in her eyes died down a little. "That still doesn't explain why she's in my jeans or in Hamish's shirt," She pointed out ruthlessly, giving both boys a pointed, and still angry, ready-to-rip-your-throats-out, look.

I gave a silent growl, anger gripping my limbs. Lilith all of a sudden went slack-jawed. "Did you guys see that?" She exclaimed, all of a sudden kinda shaken up.

I glanced back at Hamish and Randall in confusion. They both looked at me with similar expressions. "Okay, what is it guys?" I said, calming down. "Is there something wrong?"

"Um, Hamish, did you know this?" Randall asked, his voice wavering and a look of confusion. Hamish shook his head, baffled. "No, I didn't," He said. "Though it would explain why she was naked in the woods," He said, looking at his friends. I gave him an angry glare, rage boiling inside my chest.

"You have no shame, what's so ever," I said angrily to Hamish, my voice growing dangerous. "You can't just tell people about that without asking me!"

Lilith grew tense and Randall looked uneasy. "Hey, maybe you should calm down, okay?" Randall said, trying to smooth things out. "We don't want anyone getting killed or anything," He tried to joke. I turned my glare at him. He shrank away behind Lilith. 

I felt rage build in me. How dare Hamish humiliate me?! He shouldn't have done that! It wasn't his place to say that, I wanted to rip someone's throat out. I felt my body ache and burn. I stumbled back, my back hurting and my teeth seeming like it was being yanked out by a dentist. I gave out a whimper as my body began to burn and hurt.

"Mazikeen, you have to calm down," Someone said, their voice distorted and far away. All I could feel was pain. All I could hear is the blood rushing in my ears. I don't know if I screamed, or if I imagined it, but as soon as the pain and burn came, it went and so did my common sense.

[zi-tales]

Umbra: III

KTL-03, District E-17, Eternity Fall Lounge 1 Minute After Event

Umbra found herself startled by the sudden rumbling of the ground. “The Angel has been stolen.” An announcement stated as it began to show information on three mercenaries. Before she could try to interpret the alert, an urgent call from Vespa arrived that she answered on impulse.

“It’s here, it’s here!” Vespa chattered with excitement from Heaven’s Overlook. “What did I tell you?” “Shut up. Did you do this?” Umbra replied with frustration. “What’s happening outside? I can’t see past all these buildings, I’m in Seventeen.” “Orbital guns! And Direwolf, him and his crew! They stole Seraphim!” Umbra continued to run outside, searching for a vantage point to get a better idea of the situation. “Stole? Seraphim? You can do that?” “Apparently! 30 million on all three of them, and probably more if you bring the Angel home.” Vespa was staring at a vidscreen with news footage on her end, eagerly observing the exciting chase of the thieves. “They’re riding in blitzracing craft and they’re totally getting away right now, this is nuts!” “You are a child, Vespa. What do you intend to do? Collect?” Vespa shrugged, despite the call having no visual. “I dunno, I kinda want to see where this goes first! Do you think they’ll do some more insane shit or will they be history by tomorrow?” Umbra paused a moment, staring at the array of massive cannons that now coated the surface of KTL-03. “I… The Corp should handle this easily, right?” “They sure aren’t right now! They’re shooting at all the blitzracing craft but they’re evading the shots. Whew.” Vespa cheered amidst the other spectators in her area. “Then… I suppose I’ll wait too.” Umbra sighed. “Those targets aren’t going to be easy to kill, as tempting as 30 million is.” “Looking for a better reason to run into the deathtrap?” “Something like that. The vidstar cowboy in me wants me to do something stupid.” Vespa laughed over the line. “You, acting stupid? Goodness. Your head get shaken up too much?” “You know how it is. Too much TV rots your brain.” The two were staring at the same news feed across the planet from each other, watching the daring escape until they shook the hailstorm of skyborne bullets and flew into the horizon.

“Whew. Wonder what the Corp’s gonna do?” Vespa thought aloud. “Hopefully make some sport out of it if they put a bounty out. Probably expected Seraphim to give them trouble.” Umbra walked toward her hoverbike parked outside Eternity Fall. “Hopefully I’ll be there before the mess is over. Where do you want to meet, Vespa?” “Oh shit, we’re doing this together? I mean, you want to?” Vespa could hardly mask her excitement. “Funny, the B-class asking me!” “Right. I don’t mean to imply we’re… Equals. I’m aware of the skill gap.” Umbra clarified as her bike hummed to life before roaring down the street out of the district. “You’d be surprised how close skill gaps can be! I think you’re a solid candidate to climb the ladder into the S ranks if you don’t overwork yourself to death. Seriously, you need to work on relaxing every now and again.” “I’m flattered, and maybe later. Anyway. Meeting point?” “Head to S-1, I’ll be here at Heaven’s Overlook until there’s more to act on. Keep you posted! Drive safely!” Umbra ended the call as she accelerated even further, taking an empty stretch of road to herself, wearing a rare smirk as the inner child of hers that dreamt of chasing legendary bandits twirled her pistol.

——- KTL-03, District 0-10, Blind Eye Valley 1 Minute After Event

The area rumbled as the ground of the valley split open, with large hangar doors making way for gargantuan cannons that filled the canyon floor. “Wh- What the hell is that!?” Derrick shouted, backing up from one of the orbital batteries that emerged near their position. “Gates of Heaven. Means planetary quarantine.” Strix replied calmly, familiar with the event. “Don’t lose focus.” Their opponents still prepared themselves to continue their assault, ready to take advantage of the chaos amidst them. As they began to advance once again, a bolt of lightning struck nearby, leaving a Toroid in its place. Its appearance was unique in its own right, having a binary orbit of energy surrounding the main form and two strange emitters that floated on its sides. The Toroid species never failed to baffle.

“Strix.” The light energy being spoke in an artificial voice. “Tempo.” Strix replied with a small bow. “Seems things have gone slightly awry.” “Rank 98 showed up. Technically, I’m not K anymore.” The sniper tilted her head in the direction of her opponent Tetrahead’s shattered body. “I see. Congratulations on your promotion. Gather your team and head to Z-10. Be there in two hours. See if there’s anyone you can recruit, as well. You may need more hands.” “Phase 1, then.” Tempo’s emitters turned toward Strix’s opponents, generating a distortion field around them. “Who asked you to intercept this group?” No reply. “Acknowledged. You have two hours, Strix.” Tempo fired both emitters at the opponent, who attempted to move before the emitters’ projectiles went into effect. A bubble of tinted space filled the area between the two points of impact, appearing almost ethereal. The targets inside were slowed, the time around them distorted to prevent proper movement. “Good hunting.” With that, Tempo vanished in another bolt of lightning.

“What the hell…” Beranz recoiled in slight fear. “Never seen that. Strix, what is going on? You know that Toroid?” Strix motioned with her head to get moving as she walked forward, unconcerned with their hobbled opponents. “Derrick, your case, if you would.” Derrick approached, looking at Beranz as he passed by. Both shared a look of confusion. “Yeah, Strix, I’m with Beranz on this one. What is actually happening? Is this because of the Angel thing?” “Can you open the case?” Derrick frowned, but complied. Inside was another one of Strix’s arms, apparently a spare. “Wh- You anticipated losing an arm?” “Please just attach it.” Strix continued to move forward, focused on her objective. “Can you explain what’s happening first? Who was that?” Strix remained silent on the subject. “The arm, Derrick.” “What are you gonna do, make me? Not like you can.” The sniper paused, turning to face Derrick. “I am. Attach the arm, Derrick, or you’re off the contract and no longer necessary not just to me, but to anyone.” Her tone was particularly intense as she stared directly at Derrick’s visor, able to see his facial expression change from upset to scared. Derrick promptly attached Strix’s arm, and travel continued as she took her energy bow and shaved off layers of the Silicine formation that immobilized her other arm. The crystalline structure converted to hardlight energy on contact, shimmering with every pass. “Why is everything so hush-hush about this?” Beranz spoke up once more. “I don’t like it, even if the pay’s good.” “If it will remove the subject from discussion, an actual briefing will happen once we reach Z-10. So, please.” Strix clarified somewhat tiredly. Derrick grunted in frustration. “Honestly, this whole thing has been suspicious. Who hires a team to lug something across KTL-03 to someone else here? Why us? What the fuck is in the actual case that they sent that caliber of a team?” “Because like most clients, there is an opposing party.” “Why here? I don’t get it.” “Let it alone and keep moving. Our pilot is waiting. If you’ll pardon me a moment, I have calls to make.” Strix put their secure line on hold as she sifted through contacts, calling one to start. Her associate responded almost instantly.

------- District S-1, Heaven’s Overlook 2 Solar Minutes after event

Vespa, too, smiled, eager to see the legendary theft of the Angel from her home play out and potentially involve herself. What would the Corp do? Would it become a competition? A civil war of sorts? The possibilities were unpredictable, and therefore exciting. Around her, similarly energized plans between mercenaries of how to kill the group and cash in on the bounty were the subject of heated discussion. There was a slight minority, however, who wondered more what was in the Library, and what the group intended to do. Vespa realized that perhaps they were in it for the information, rather than keeping Seraphim and using her as a weapon. Perhaps they would make a statement clarifying their intent. As Vespa considered the situation, another call arrived that she answered absentmindedly.

“Hey, Umbra. Miss me already?” “Vespa.” A familiar voice spoke. Older, with a sense of wisdom behind her. “I require assistance.” “Wh- Whoa. Strix?” Vespa frowned, surprised. “You’re still around? Thought you were doing your weird black-ops stuff for the Corp.” “I am. I need more hands for this.” “Uh, I got a friend I could probably rope into it. She’s Class-B, is that alright? I can vouch for her.” A pause in the communication worried Vespa a moment. “Strix?” “I suppose. You have an eye for talent.” “Aw, you’re too kind. I’m in though, what’s the deal?” “Will explain later. Rendezvous at Z-10 in 2 hours.” The call ended abruptly, as the venerable Strix often acted. Always business with her, Vespa thought. She called Umbra immediately afterward, curious and enticed. “Hey, change of plans. Go to Z-10, got two hours.” “Z-10? Why?” “Even I don’t know, but it’ll be exciting!” “If you say so. See you there.” The second call ended, where Vespa jogged off to find her own form of transportation.