#their eyes got smaller. their smile even more evil. also the fire on this model was fucked up as is fire on all the models i use so

[front-facing-pokemon]

[local-space-case]

Bakugou Katsuki is Not A Loser

Word Count: IDK

Rated: T (mention of abuse, self-loathing, cursing)

AO3 Account: FerociousFerret (out here only posting first drafts on a whim why?)

When Bakugou sees the looming  silhouette of Endeavor at the hospital outside of Todoroki’s room, he thinks he feels a million emotions at once.

Some he’s familiar with like fury, annoyance, and the protective fire he venomously denies exist are the ones off the top his head. But there’s also fear. An emotion he’s embarrassedly familiar with. A deep anxiety clawing it’s way out of his chest while still somehow keeping a tight grip on his lungs. It commands he stay rooted in the middle of the bleach white hallways that even so quiet he thinks they must be louder than he is. He wants to say something. He wants to yell, scream, curse, kick the fucker out the goddamn window, but he can’t.

Until the number piece of human shit takes a step closer to the door.

“OI! You can’t fuckin’ go in there!”

It comes out like the nasty snarl he was hoping for. The pro hero glances at him with a look disdain before reluctantly taking a step away from the door. Bakugou assumes he must not want to cause a scene. Doesn’t stop the stubborn shit from arguing with him though.

“He’s my son, I have a right to visit”. His tone was clipped, formal, placating, like he was delusional enough to think Bakugou was going to lose this fight.

Bakugou Katsuki was not a loser.

“Last time I checked, trash belongs outside not stinking up disinfected air.” He lets his gaze linger on a door across the hall. “Besides, I don’t listen to losers.”

Endeavor seems to puff up like a pissed off cat. God, so that’s where Strawberry Shortcake gets it from.

He looks like he wants to beat Bakugou into the ground and Bakugou lives by the philosophy of ‘If it can crawl, it can brawl.’, so he’s up for anything this fucker has to offer. But he doesn’t, instead he closes his eyes and inhales like he’s having an fucking asthma attack.

“You shouldn’t insult your elders.” Endeavor says after a beat. Bakugou huffs a laugh.

“Or what? You’ll hit me?” It’s an attack and based on the way the hero recoils, he knows it. Everyone knows it. Everyone knows it because it was broadcasted on live television. It was like a car crash, so gruesome but you just can’t tear your eyes away until you see that everyone is okay.

However, like a car crash, it’s abundantly clear that no one in the Todoroki family is okay. But, Bakugou didn’t find out when the crash happened. No, he knew the truth deep down when he saw the unsteady swerves of one of the drivers who had the audacity to essentially give him first place at the Sports Festival.

Bakugou thinks about that moment a lot. Usually at night when he can’t sleep because he feels like someone’s watching him, he wonders what Todoroki saw that snuffed out the fighting spirit he’d paraded around before their round.

He’s young, but he’s not naive. Not anymore. He knows, undoubtably, that during their fight Half ‘n Half didn’t see Bakugou’s drive to win, he saw his father’s flaming fists.

He feels his usual scowl paint itself onto his face, “How does it feel knowing your entire family is afraid of you?” The older man doesn’t say anything, deciding that floor is much more interesting than the conversation Bakugou wants to have. The conversation he needs to have.

“Number One Hero, hah?,” he mocks, “You know, that’s really fuckin’ funny. That’s a hoot ‘n holler. You could be a stand up comic.” he gives a pause waiting for a reaction. He doesn’t get on.

“Too bad they don’t like sacks shit lyin’ around.” A pause. “You didn’t answer my question by the way, so tell me, how does it feel knowing your whole family is afraid of you? That you have no friends because you decided you didn’t need them, you only needed to be on top. Well,” a sharp bitter laugh echos through the hall, “congratulations.”

He stalks up to Endeavor and gets up in his personal bubble. He can see a blue eye trained on his own red ones. With a pointed grin, the blond knows he has the man’s attention now, so he keeps going.

“How does it feel knowing that you lost? And before you open that fuckin’ cavity ridden mouth of yours, you’re gonna listen and you’re gonna listen good.” Endeavor had tried to open his mouth to object because apparently the idea of losing something was getting to him. Bakugou could deal with this.

“How can you call yourself a hero after everything you’ve done? How do you do that? How do you sleep at night knowing that the so-called number one hero can save a civilian but fuckin’ torment his family?”

Endeavor is trying to ignore him. He can tell because his eyes are once again back to the floor. He won’t let him though.

“How does it feel knowing that, after all these years, even though you won, you lost.”

Bakugou is, and has always been competitive. He wants to be the best, he needs to be the best, because only the best people can be heros. He’d always adored All Might growing up, but not the same way Deku did.

When Deku saw All Might, he saw a beacon of hope, a peace bringer, an unstoppable force of nature. He saw a role model. A mountain of a man who was as strong as a tiger, yet gentle like a rabbit. Someone who uses their power for good instead of evil.

When Bakugou saw All Might, he saw a winner. A strong man who beat villains into the ground and obtained more money and praise than anyone else could ever hope for in a lifetime. He didn’t see a man, he saw a king who had kept a tight hold on his crown. He wanted to take it. So, yes he liked All Might for his position of power, but he respected Endeavor.

Endeavor may have been the number two hero, but Bakugou saw himself in him. He saw the fights on tv with the walls of fire, the punches, the yelling, he saw it all. Endeavor was not like All Might, he never backed away from a fight, never bothered to try and find a peaceful resolution, but he always won. He won with fiery fists and scowls and he didn’t smile for the press, he wasn’t fake.

Bakugou thought he felt hate for Deku, but now he knows better. This is hate. This feeling in his heart that’s screaming, hurting, burning.

This is hate.

This is hate because he can see his reflection in this monster draped in human skin.

He sees himself pushing Deku away because he thinks he’s superior, kicking, hitting, burning, screaming, he can see it all. He can see Deku become smaller and smaller and he remembers how happy it made him because Deku knew his place and that meant he won.

He sees Endeavor hitting his wife, screaming til he’s blue in the face at Todoroki, his siblings tear-streaked faces when they realize Touya is never coming home. He sees Todoroki’s determined expression flicker with fear before dropping to the ground like a rag doll. He sees Endeavor’s please smirk turn into a sour scowl because his son didn’t get first, he didn’t win. He sees Todoroki sitting in the main area while all their classmates pack up to go home for the holidays with raised hackles and paranoid glances at the slightest noise. He sees what once was Todoroki Touya on live tv telling the whole world his father’s sins and he wants to make him pay.

He sees the ambition, the anger, the low tolerance for anything that isn’t the best, the need to be the best at everything all the time but, Endeavor didn’t win, did he?

Endeavor became the number one hero because his rival fell, but he did not win. He was a martyr to the public, but a monster to his family. He was the monster under bed, the demons in their heads, the footsteps they should fear, and the man they should not love, but worship.

He took and took and took until his family had nothing left to give. He sleeps at night uncaring that his family don’t have a home they have a graveyard full of phantom memories of the lives they never got to live and the dreams they never got to chase. They get the ghosts in the mirror, a walking corpse for a body, and the perpetual state of mourning the love they’d never receive.

Then again, maybe Endeavor didn’t win or lose, because you can’t win a game you aren’t even playing. The moment he insulted, or raised a hand to his wife or children, he was disqualified.

Bakugou knows he’s no saint, but he’s not a loser. He’s worked hard to get his head outta his ass because he already loss. He lost his best friend and any dream filled nights that may have come to him. He learned.

Shaking his head out of his thoughts, he glances back at the man he’d looked up to and respected for many years. A man he hopes karma kills as slowly and subtly as he had with his family. He huffs.

“Yeah, I don’t like losers. Now, go the fuck home before I call security.”

He backs away but doesn’t leave the doorway as the sack of shit made the right choice and shuffled away. Bakugou makes a noise of satisfaction.

The explosive blond glances inside Todoroki’s room where the staff drugged him up on sedatives and silently wills him to get better. He’ll never say it out loud, but they were friends, and he did care.

(He also fears, that maybe, the news is right about how insanity runs in the family and that maybe he didn’t chase Endeavor off fast enough before Todoroki lost it completely like his mother and brother. Bakugou hopes that maybe he finally did something good.)

The vibrating of his phone jolts him from his thoughts and he reads the notification.

Shitty Hair: hey bakubro we wanted to know if ur still coming to movie night

Shitty Hair: no stress tho!!! a lots happened so we get it if u wanna skip

Another huff of laughter, this time less bitter, escapes from his lips.

He allows himself to smile and tells Kirishima he’s on his way and that they better not start without him. Yeah.

Bakugou Katsuki is a lot of things, but he’s not a loser.

[dndeed]

Critical Role Miniature Rollout C2E53

With Andrew Harshman

An archive and review of the minis used on Critical Role.

I’m digging the city of beasts. I’m digging the NPCs, the story developments, and of course the minis. Quite a bit of miniature content to cover in episode 53. There are a couple items I was unable to identify conclusively. The high back wooden chairs throughout the tavern and one goblin near the bar who is just barely visible in two camera angles. But that still leaves us with plenty of new minis to go over.

Jump into the pit and prepare to test your meddle, it’s time for Critical Role Miniature Rollout Campaign 2 Episode 53!

The List

Mats by Mars: Swamplands

Dungeons and Dragons Condition Markers by thelukec

Dwarven Forge Round Table with LED Candle

Dwarven Forge Stool

Dwarven Forge City Builder Tudor Set

Dwarven Forge Wicked City Smuggler’s Wagon

Dwarven Forge Wicked City Water Barrel

Dwarven Forge Tavern Accessories Add-On Pack

Dwarven Forge Medieval Furniture Furniture

Miniature Building Authority Corner House with Turret

Miniature Building Authority Corner Townhouse

Miniature Building Authority Witt House

Safari Ltd Civil War’s Officer’s Tent

TableTop Props Tent

Rusty Dragon Inn Dressing: Cart

Rusty Dragon Inn Dressing: Barrel

Mantic Games Terrain Crate Dungeon Debris Barrels

Mantic Games Terrain Crate Dungeon Debris Crates

Icons of the Realms Adventurer’s Camp Keg

Tiny Furniture Wooden Table

Legendary Realms Wooden Large Open Crate

Steamforged Games Critical Role Miniatures

Prototype Steamforged Games Critical Role Miniatures

Dangerous Delves #20 Gnoll Hunt Master

Monster Menagerie 2 #012 Bugbear

Modified Reaper Miniatures Red Mantis Assassin

Elemental Evil #022 Gnoll Fighter

Monster Menagerie 2 #020a Gnoll

Elemental Evil #025 Ogre 

Monster Menagerie 3 #020a Dragonborn Fighter

Tyranny of Dragons #010 Orc Fighter

Rage of Demons #012 Hobgoblin Soldier

Underdark #53 Lolth's Sting

Rise of the Runelords #033 Ogre

Lost Coast #002 Goblin Druid

We Be Goblins #002 Goblin Hero

We Be Goblins #012 Chuffy Lickwound

Unknown High Back Wooden Chair

The NPCs

Dairon Underdark #53 Lolth's Sting

The first rule of drow sword fencing is to lead with your face, as demonstrated by this figure. This is the kinda drow I’m talkin’ about! Good ol’ fashioned D&D Miniatures Game era drow. Unfortunately, this is about the worst example I could have hoped for to contrast the Icons of the Realms and DDM drow minis. At a distance this figure isn’t so hot. A majorly basic and unflattering paint job. But the sculpt is solid and nicely detailed. Sadly the black obscures much of said details. But the pose is very energetic and most appropriate for this action packed scene.

The Monsters Citizens

Loads of goblinoids in this episode, let’s lightning round em’.

Pryomaniac Goblin Lost Coast #002 Goblin Druid Mini image sourced from minisgallery.com

Fun crazed goblin miniature. The red eyes really pop, it’s almost as if the fire is reflecting in them. 

Goblin Fight Club Enthusiast We Be Goblins #002 Goblin Hero

This sculpt is like a refined version of the first Pathfinder Battles goblins. A very cute getup and a very handsome miniature.

Goblin with the Greatest Name Ever We Be Goblins #012 Chuffy Lickwound

Now that’s a name! And this mini lives up to it’s title. His menacing smile and imposing stance is most impressive.

Goblin of the Hob Variety Rage of Demons #012 Hobgoblin Soldier

A fine hobgoblin figure. Only issue is that his hair totally envelops his head, making it look kinda like some sorta hobgoblin hair helmet.

Ogre Rise of the Runelords #033 Ogre

Two ogres are present in The Four Corners, which I assume is part of some city ordinance, for every 2 corners in the city there must be 1 ogre. 2:1 corner ogre ratio shall be maintained at all times within city limits. One new ogre here and one returning, having previously appeared in C2E19.

Pathfinder has pretty distinct and identifiable monster designs. Their ogres have a certain devious cleverness to their facial features and expressions. This is portrayed quite well in this very well painted figure. Even though he’s smaller than the D&D ogre miniature in this scene, I find Rise of the Runelords #033 Ogre to be more threatening, a testament to the quality of the mini. 

Dragonborn Patron Monster Menagerie 3 #020a Dragonborn Fighter

Why’s this dude have a shield equipped? I suppose he’s gearing up to get into the gravel. And yet he doesn’t get in on the fight. Maybe he’s just working up the courage? Hopefully he’ll get over his shieldbashfulness. He can do it, I believe in him! I’m already very invested in this subplot that I just concocted by overanalyzing the miniature choices. Anyway, this mini is kinda mediocre. 

Both the sculpt clarity and paint are muddled. This is another one of those really poorly thought out Icons of the Realms alternate miniatures. There are two version of this mini, one with a sword and the other with an axe and subtly different color scheme. Why it seems to me that this is a perfect opportunity to offer players two different dragonborn scale colors. Nope, they are both orange. I suppose the axe version is more of a rust color, but it’s still in the orange vein. What a waste. 

Even worse, the other dragonborn mini available from Icons of the Realms is also orange. And also is part of a alternate pair. Two models both with alternates for a total of four existing dragonborn miniatures, all of which are the same general color. Such an awful decision to make all of them the same gross road safety shade of orange. Fortunately, there are three halfdragon Icons of the Realms minis that offer black, gold, and red options.

If you want a better dragonborn you either have to paint it yourself or delve into the DDM back catalog. Very inconvenient. 

Orc Patron Tyranny of Dragons #010 Orc Fighter

A pretty good orc. A little cartoony, a little oversized, but pretty good. You can tell what this mini is from afar and the sculpt resolution is solid. He’s got some fun little design details, neato looking axe, skull dangling from his weapon, cutesy orc suspenders -and what’s this?! His hair... yet again the recurring ponytail with shaved sides of the head look. That’s four figures now in Campaign 2 with this doo. Get this to the wiki! The “evidence” is mounting that this is an official campaign setting haircut.

The Terrain

A real cool map this week. The background buildings from Miniature Building Authority were a brilliant addition to the urban setup.

Asarius, the City of Beasts Mats by Mars: Swamplands

This map is impressively versatile. It flawlessly represents a swampy area, but at the same time, throw a couple of building on it and it’s suddenly a city center. Many uses, grand piece of battle mat cartography.

Closing Remarks and Predictions

Still thirsty for drow figures. Hoping to see some more in episode 54. If we can be patient, I am confident Lolth will provide.

#criticalroleminiaturerollout

[yoolee]

If lee wrote otome | #2 - Boss

The Heroine (MC)

CEO MC: Never gets enough sleep, which makes her sarcastic but is also semi her own fault given the amount of caffeine she consumes. Sort of obsessive about long-term planning, unwaveringly believes that a company’s value comes from its employees and will choose them over shareholder dividends every time. Determined to run an ethical company even if it means it’s not the most profitable company. Super duper Type A – aggressive and fearless because she has to be. Sometimes really just wants a cupcake in her hand and a cat in her lap, but then she’s bored and goes back to business planning. Creative risk-taker, decent negotiator. Smart enough to know where she needs help and hire people who can do the things she can’t (or, more to the point, doesn’t want to do). Gets back up every time. Will definitely fight you. Might feel bad about it later but only if someone reminds her it happened.

Love Interests

The BARISTA: Peppy, optimist (or so MC thinks) but it turns out they actually switch up their personality depending on who they’re serving (sometimes they are the chill, hipster philosopher, sometimes they are the rude New York get-it-done eye roller, etc.) actually somewhere in the middle of it all – but really IS an optimist despite themselves. Kind of slippery and hard to pin down. Big family, used to being what their other siblings/parents need from them. Fairly certain CEO MC is headed for an early heart attack with the amount of espresso she imbibes. Probably an author. Maybe an ex-broadway personjust because. IDK.

The PR LAWYER: Worked-three-jobs-put-self-through-college story. Patience, tact, good at calming people down. Detail oriented, a little fussy about appearances. Perennially exasperated by CEO (Please don’t promise to have a cure for cancer In the next three years with no data to back it up. No, you can’t punch the reporter for being a dick. Look, I know you WANT to donate 100% of proceeds to charity but please pick a friendlier one than ‘punch reporters in the face foundation’ that’s not gonna fly) never gets enough sleep. Has a key to MC’s house so they can come yell at her for making their life difficult at whatever hour of the night she insists on doing so. Is on MC’s speed-dial, which means they also get called to DD, though they’d rather not.

FLAKY MODEL(s?): Trust fund kid? Pretty face? Floats through life? The sort of person who will get on the wrong subway train and then just ride it all day people-watching never mind that they had an appointment six hours ago. Pose with a boa constrictor? Sure, as long as it’s being treated humanely. Tarantula on the face? Awwww, it’s fuzzyyyyy. No filter, no worries. Probably drags CEO MC along on a Caribbean shoot and PR Lawyer has to call and yell because that does not look good, okay? And poor MC is like, I thought we were getting a drink and model is like WE ARE we are getting tropical coconut water from the SOURCE here oh wait I don’t know how to drink out of a coconut…who knows why they are attracted to CEO MC, probably because she’s there and sticks around and no one else does. Human puppy dog.

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD: young hotshot venture capitalist, thinks CEO MC is a bleeding heart (your employees do not need that many sick days, lost productivity blah blah blah why do we need a daycare onsite that’s a waste of shareholder money), kind of a math whiz, naturally lucky, doesn’t get along with family (gambling problem in the fam – which manifests in him in investment risks and unresolved issues) butts heads constantly with MC, frequently tries to get her fired – in part because his attempts to do so get her fired up and she does great things, which ultimately is better for the company than when she’s just doing her normal ‘good’ job. She is going to be royally ticked when she figures that out. Manipulative, but relatively benign under it all. The sort of person who smirks instead of smiles. All the time.

CHEF FROM HER FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Also a CEO though on smaller scale, because, running a restaurant IS running a business. Probably under the impression CEO MC is actually like, a graduate student with no money because she tends to get takeout at weird hours. Gruff, grumpy, abrupt, but heart of gold. Basically—will grumble about you coming in late but will add extra veggies to your pasta because you’re looking a little pale and need the nutrients and if you call them on it will snarl that they had to be used up they were going bad and he wasn’t going to waste extra, expensive, PROTEIN on you. (MC asks them out and then realizes the only nice restaurant she knows is the one the chef owns)

PRESCHOOL TEACHER: JUST A DECENTLY NICE PERSON. Checks in to make sure MC has eaten regularly, staying hydrated, needs anything fixed around the house (she can do her own plumbing but doesn’t like the electrical and hey it’s nice to have company). Good with kids. Maybe divorced and wanted them but ex-spouse didn’t? idk. Calm, not easily ruffled, sweet as pie, except when he’s playing video games and suddenly MC understands how he can get through the day without any aggression – he unleashes it on fictional zombies. Blissfully normal, all things considered.

PERSONAL TRAINER: “fine, whatever, EAT THE DANG CHEESE if you’re just going to ignore my nutritional advice we’re doing ten more reps” athletic, happiest when DOING versus saying or reading or sitting. Not as impulsive as you’d guess at first glance, because they tend to use working out as a meditative time to make decisions. Didn’t finish college because they realized they just didn’t enjoy it, but they did enjoy working with student athletes, which is how they got into training. Enviably fit. Wants to expand the gym so wheedles business advice out of MC in exchange for not harassing her about her tendency to drink coffee instead of water (she insists it has water IN it, it should count) not particularly intimidated by her, which is a pleasant change of pace.

Supporting Cast (non LIs)

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: Keeps MC sane, has her back, schedules everything. Good at details, even better at smiling at angry people and making them not-angry through sheer force of sunny personality (actually a ruse, MC is convinced she’s actually the most delightfully evil person ever, but like some kind of fairy tale where when you acknowledge the thing it goes away, refuses to ever dive into figuring out). Older than the MC because we need to stop making middle aged women invisible in stories?? Sometimes has to remind MC of how much she does by holding silent protests (in part why MC thinks she is secretly a supervillain in the making) which are always, always successful.

PARENT COMPANY ADMIN ASSISTANT: Bane of MC’s existence. Smarmy, smily pain in the tush.

CFO: We have put in an official request with the company credit card management to start declining purchases at that coffee shop you go to, no this is not negotiable, it’s not in the budget anymore drink so darn water woman. Completely willing to go toe-to-toe with MC, meetings often involve a lot of yelling, but they’re always productive and no hard feelings.

CIO: Serpent-y, but not in a bad way. Just a very cool-tempered person, very contained, very guarded, very introverted. Never happy when she has to do presentations, so super willing to share knowledge with MC so she does it instead (she is not a great teacher, kind of judgey and shows her frustration when MC doesn’t ‘get’ it right away, but very brilliant, and there’s no malice in the judgement, just no filter). Extremely logic-oriented and process-oriented over people-oriented. Picks up and assess tech very quickly, and good at finding affordable, fast solutions.

RANDOM MARKETING EMPLOYEE:  Set up to be a villain but is actually like gung-ho on MC’s side. Literally an ex pageant queen, went to college on scholarship from it. Out of the workforce for awhile as a stay at home mom when her kids were young, but picks up the new trends fast. Now a single mother, so will literally fight the chairman if he tries to take away the company daycare. Some days uses the ‘people see a pretty face and assume no brain’ to her advantage, some days it wears her out. Unofficially drinking buddy with MC, even though they both feel weird about it given the fact MC is technically boss’s boss’s boss.

BARTENDER: also an ex-girlfriend maybe? Current best friend? Who she turns to when the barista cuts her off from coffee and the chef’s restaurant is already closed. Sharp-tongued, bristly, generally disgusted with MC’s six inch heels and slacks in her leather-jacket, cigar smoke bar. Like lady, you’re lost. Probably on the mob payroll at some point in her life.

ROUTE PLOTS:

(Chairman route?) MERGER – company has just bought another company, which is a major risk move for CEO (can only be one, so do you keep the old one on as a VP? Do you let them go? Will they be bitter/try to sabotage you?) you have to fend off internal sabotage, get everything running smoothly without either company falling apart in the process.  

(PR Lawyer route?) Parent company did something massively shady and it’s tainting your company’s name too, so you have to scrounge to avoid having to fire half your employees and keep the company alive.

(Model route?) New product launch ��� hence why models are entering the picture. It’s a new business venture in the sense it’s targeted at a completely new audience your company hasn’t catered to before.

(Personal Trainer route?) Company is in its infancy, hugely risky time, and you’re doing everything you can to ensure it’s a success  (maybe including putting your own salary back into it, which means you can’t afford PT so they agree to work with you as long as you give them business advice)

FROM @han-pan- they keep trying to buy new retail space for the gym and MC keeps buying it instead because it’s SUCH GOOD PROPERTY and they sort of exasperatedly are like ugh fine whatever you owe me since you keep swiping prime spots out from under my nose

See the rest here

[starlightsoulwriting]

Chaos Theory - Chapter Three

A/N: a.skdjfg;.ewukojhdP:SLK iM SCREAMING YOU GUYS 

I'm just really excited about this story and pacing myself is really difficult when I have more than one chapter ready but like I know I need to do that in order to keep consistent updates. I'm also trying to get a job so like wish me luck with that! Let me know what you think! Am I being too cryptic? too obvious? too slow? I need some help lol.

Masterlist

Crossposted on AO3

Chapter Three: Sphinx

11:23 PM

Liana didn’t have to wait long before she was able to see the advancing swarm of androids from over a mile straight down the street, white ants getting ever closer. By the time they would reach the entrance of Recall Center 5, every human would have long since cleared out of the area, prompted to leave by the news and emergency alerts. The block was already nearly deserted, but now even the national guard and SWAT had to clear out. She would be free to move without Perkins fucking things up (again). She stood from her crouch behind the concrete rails and grabbed her things before launching down the fire escape, the cold metal burning even through her fleece-lined gloves.

The National Gaurd had already cleared away all the bodies, leaving the street blue and her soul hollow, knowing her friends had been thrown away like common trash. Stupid Perkins, stupid president. Ruined everything. Her fist curled, nails sharp enough to feel through the leather and heat bloomed in her chest, her brows furrowing. She grit her teeth, before closing her eyes and collecting herself.

Breathe in… Hold…  Breathe out…

Focus.

There’s no use dwelling on what’s already done.

Opening her eyes, she then moved to lean against one of the buildings, rummaging around in her bag, wading through the brick-a-brack in search of what she needed. It’s showtime. She just hoped her words of advice to Connor had confused him enough so he would believe her - or at least build some trust. There was no way this would work if he refused to listen. At least he was a deviant now.

A shudder ran up her spine as memories flashed at the thought of Connor’s less than pleasant machine personality. Liana could still feel the echo of mechanical hands tighten around her throat. Fuck. She smashed her balled fist against the brick behind her.

Deep Breath. Refocus.

You’re safe.

She resumed her search, heartbeat more erratic than it was just a minute ago. She finally found what she was looking for in her bag, though, and she was thankful for the distraction. She pulled out two items from her canvas duffel, a smile tugging at her lips despite the swell of nerves and anger in her stomach. Months of work and it all came down to this next few minutes. She was in the home stretch. - if this worked.

If one looked at the two items in her possession, they wouldn’t seem like anything special. Of course, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Underneath, there was previously unheard of technology hiding. They were designed in every way to blend in, just like her duffel bag was. The silver “watch” in her hand had taken considerably more time to perfect than the canvas sack, however - cramming all the same components into a much smaller package was an obstacle befitting a Genius Grant Laureate such as herself. And she had done it, eventually, after months of chugging unhealthy amounts of coffee.

Her colleagues would be so impressed when she finally got the chance to show it off.

The other object was more discreet - a thin, clear, silicone disc about the size of a dime. If looked at closely, thousands and thousands of tiny circuits could be seen, capable of holding several petabytes of code. The code had been the hard part, actually - the memory disc was a standard piece of equipment for Android Techs looking to temporarily add new code to their charge. All they had to do was press it on the androids temple, opposite their LED, and it would be integrated into their systems.

The hard part of Liana’s job had not only been finding the RK800 model’s base codes, but also working with her software team to actually make a dependable subroutine. The AI techs at Cyberlife did not make her life easy, and while that was their job, Liana couldn’t help but hold a grudge against the coding team for making her take longer than she should’ve.

Although, time-wise, the only thing at stake was Liana’s ever-thinning sanity.

All she needed to do now was to get Connor to wear them and then the rest would follow.

The truth is self-evident, if one is able to remember it.

Connor saw her waiting long before they were in speaking distance. The warehouse androids got there first, swarming the street around Liana, pulling down the barriers of the Recall Center and setting their brethren free. The sound of crunching metal was music to her ears. She leaned back on the brick, trying to appear as casual and non-threatening as possible.

Connor, however, had other ideas, and stalked towards her, head down, eyes dark and fists loosely clenched at his side. Boy was he pissed.

He was always unhappy to see her after Markus died.

“Where are the others? What happened?” He was using his interrogation voice, deliberately standing too close, looming over her smaller frame to intimidate an answer out of her. So much for that whole trusting her thing Liana was hoping for. She took a deep breath, trying to remind herself that this was Connor, and she gently pushed him away with one hand. While he was displeased, he took the hint and withdrew slightly, thank fuck. He made her nervous when he was like that. Her lungs burned again with bad memories.

She rung her hands together and steeled her nerves. “Perkins shot them. I was keeping watch on the roof,” She couldn’t meet his eyes, the intensity in his stare too much for her right then. “Even with warning, there were too many soldiers for them. Josh told me to stay put even if something went wrong. Figured if they were dying I shouldn’t go with them.” Josh was unnerved by the thought of someone dying for a cause not their own, even if they were willing. Plus, she really disliked being shot, so she didn’t exactly insist. Besides, the mission was more important than Jericho at this point, unfortunately.

Connor wasn’t any happier with her, but he understood the logic all too well, and knowing Markus and Josh, it was as likely an explanation as any.

“And how did you know what would happen at Cyberlife tower? How do I know you’re not working for them?”

Liana barked out a very inappropriate laugh despite herself. “‘Cus they fucking shot me!” She shook her head, sighing. “More than once, actually.” She looked back at Connor, guessing correctly that he would be wearing a bewildered expression. “They kinda suck.” Liana shrugged at her understatement. “Although, I have found out a thing or two in my campaign against the evil corporate overlords.” She held up the Silicon coding chip. “For one thing, I know that the Amanda program still has a direct link to your head, and since they know you’re working against them, they are going to try to hack you.” She looked him dead in the (very nice looking) eyes just so he would understand how serious she was - how much hinged on him believing her. He was wary enough of the company that she hoped he would believe her. “Now, you could take the chance to find Kamski’s emergency exit from the Zen Garden Program, or you can take this.”

She took his hand in hers and placed the chip in his palm. “It deactivates the Amanda AI, so even if Cyberlife tries to make a connection it won't go through. You don’t have to trust me on this but…” she looked at her watch. 11:29 PM. “You have three minutes until they try to take over your program and assume control of the android rebellion. You can comb through that program in less than a few seconds to see if I’m telling the truth.”

Connor’s LED went solid yellow for a few seconds, his expression blank and eyes glazing over as he processed the information. When he finished, it flashed red for a moment, before returning to a calming, stable blue. He pressed the code to his temple, letting it deactivate the proper AI subroutines. Liana smiled. Step One: complete. His gaze was focused as he searched her face, confused. “How… do you know all this, Lieutenant?”

Aw, the poor thing was used to knowing everything. She crossed her arms and leaned back on the wall, head resting on the brick so she could look at him properly. “You should just call me Liana. Hank and I won't know which one of us you're talking to if you call us both ‘Lieutenant’ all the time,” she gave a soft laugh. Connor was so formal all the time. “but as for me knowing things I shouldn’t? You should be able to figure that out on your own in a few hours, actually. If I told you right now there’s no way in hell you’d believe me, babe.” His LED blipped red again, but Liana wasn’t sure if it was because of confusion or being called ‘babe’ - from her experience, though, it was probably the pet name.

“You said the same thing at the church - that I wouldn’t believe the truth. I assure you, I’m running very low on explanations for how you know all this. I would be glad for any reasoning, however absurd.”

His expression had been steadily softening throughout the conversation until it reached the familiar puppy-dog look that Liana had sorely missed. It had been a while since she’s seen it in earnest. A bloom of warmth spread through her chest and she held back a smile, wary of confusing the poor android further. “Nah, Con, you’ll see for yourself what’s up. Meet me at the café down the block from the station. 9 o’clock on the morning of November 6th, alright? I’ll explain everything to you then.”

Connor’s LED flickered between red and yellow, and he shook his head. “That’s an entire year away, Lieu- Liana.” She just smiled at the use of her name, ignoring his protest, and presented Connor with the silver watch from her bag. Initiate step two.

“Congratulations on saving the day, Connor. I know you don’t need this to tell time, but I want you to have it. As thanks for putting the Cyberlife suits in their place.”

Connor stared at the gift, yellow blinking LED punctuating the ever-increasing silence between them. But slowly, he reached his hand out and took the watch, clipping it carefully around his left wrist. “Thank you. I’ve never received a gift before.” His voice was soft and Liana had to hold herself back again from hugging him. It was almost too much for her heart to handle.

Breathe in.

Breath out.

Focus.

She smiled gently, finishing the conversation. “I’m glad to give it, Con,” She turned her attention to the androids milling about around them and let out a chuckle. “You should probably talk to them, though, too.” He held her gaze for a moment longer, and turned away.

Suddenly, the spell over the two was broken, and Connor was back among the sea of robots around them. Step Two: complete.

As she watched him take the stage and begin his speech to the mass of machines, the clock turned over.

11:36 PM

and then they were both gone

Tags: @rk800downloading

[ifleewroteotome]

#4 - Boss!

Context: Sarcastic, ambitious, slightly aggressive, creative and caffeine-addicted CEO manages her business and falls in love, featuring:

Heroine: Risk-taker, smart enough to hire people to do the things she can’t (or doesn’t want to do), gets sh-- done and done well. Drinks too much coffee and does not know what work-life-balance is.

Barista: Peppy, optimistic, concerned for CEO’s general health and well-being. Chameleon.

PR Lawyer: Not paid nearly enough. Perennially exasperated. All to often CEO’s DD. Responsible.

Chairman of the board: hotshot venture capitalist with an attitude. Super alike to CEO which is why they bang heads a lot. Never smiles--just smirks. A lot.

Flaky model: Hired to promote new product, floating breezily through life like the blessed flower child they are. 

Chef: Grump with a heart of gold, has CEO’s takeout order ready (with extra veggies because girl, vitamins)

Preschool teacher neighbor: Actual hufflepuff, single parent, has the work-life balance stuff figured out.

Personal trainer: Doer of things. Does not judge. 

Supporting cast!: Possibly-evil-but-also-awesome administrative assistant, smarmy parent company vultures, cool-tempered CIO, quick-tempered CFO, ex-beauty pageant marketing employee/ally, ex-girlfriend bartender

The Heroine (MC)

CEO MC: Never gets enough sleep, which makes her sarcastic but is also semi her own fault given the amount of caffeine she consumes. Sort of obsessive about long-term planning, unwaveringly believes that a company’s value comes from its employees and will choose them over shareholder dividends every time. Determined to run an ethical company even if it means it’s not the most profitable company. Super duper Type A – aggressive and fearless because she has to be. Sometimes really just wants a cupcake in her hand and a cat in her lap, but then she’s bored and goes back to business planning. Creative risk-taker, decent negotiator. Smart enough to know where she needs help and hire people who can do the things she can’t (or, more to the point, doesn’t want to do). Gets back up every time. Will definitely fight you. Might feel bad about it later but only if someone reminds her it happened.

Love Interests

The BARISTA: Peppy, optimist (or so MC thinks) but it turns out they actually switch up their personality depending on who they’re serving (sometimes they are the chill, hipster philosopher, sometimes they are the rude New York get-it-done eye roller, etc.) actually somewhere in the middle of it all – but really IS an optimist despite themselves. Kind of slippery and hard to pin down. Big family, used to being what their other siblings/parents need from them. Fairly certain CEO MC is headed for an early heart attack with the amount of espresso she imbibes. Probably an author. Maybe an ex-broadway personjust because. IDK.

The PR LAWYER: Worked-three-jobs-put-self-through-college story. Patience, tact, good at calming people down. Detail oriented, a little fussy about appearances. Perennially exasperated by CEO (Please don’t promise to have a cure for cancer In the next three years with no data to back it up. No, you can’t punch the reporter for being a dick. Look, I know you WANT to donate 100% of proceeds to charity but please pick a friendlier one than ‘punch reporters in the face foundation’ that’s not gonna fly) never gets enough sleep. Has a key to MC’s house so they can come yell at her for making their life difficult at whatever hour of the night she insists on doing so. Is on MC’s speed-dial, which means they also get called to DD, though they’d rather not.

FLAKY MODEL(s?): Trust fund kid? Pretty face? Floats through life? The sort of person who will get on the wrong subway train and then just ride it all day people-watching never mind that they had an appointment six hours ago. Pose with a boa constrictor? Sure, as long as it’s being treated humanely. Tarantula on the face? Awwww, it’s fuzzyyyyy. No filter, no worries. Probably drags CEO MC along on a Caribbean shoot and PR Lawyer has to call and yell because that does not look good, okay? And poor MC is like, I thought we were getting a drink and model is like WE ARE we are getting tropical coconut water from the SOURCE here oh wait I don’t know how to drink out of a coconut…who knows why they are attracted to CEO MC, probably because she’s there and sticks around and no one else does. Human puppy dog.

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD: young hotshot venture capitalist, thinks CEO MC is a bleeding heart (your employees do not need that many sick days, lost productivity blah blah blah why do we need a daycare onsite that’s a waste of shareholder money), kind of a math whiz, naturally lucky, doesn’t get along with family (gambling problem in the fam – which manifests in him in investment risks and unresolved issues) butts heads constantly with MC, frequently tries to get her fired – in part because his attempts to do so get her fired up and she does great things, which ultimately is better for the company than when she’s just doing her normal ‘good’ job. She is going to be royally ticked when she figures that out. Manipulative, but relatively benign under it all. The sort of person who smirks instead of smiles. All the time.

CHEF FROM HER FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Also a CEO though on smaller scale, because, running a restaurant IS running a business. Probably under the impression CEO MC is actually like, a graduate student with no money because she tends to get takeout at weird hours. Gruff, grumpy, abrupt, but heart of gold. Basically—will grumble about you coming in late but will add extra veggies to your pasta because you’re looking a little pale and need the nutrients and if you call them on it will snarl that they had to be used up they were going bad and he wasn’t going to waste extra, expensive, PROTEIN on you. (MC asks them out and then realizes the only nice restaurant she knows is the one the chef owns)

PRESCHOOL TEACHER: JUST A DECENTLY NICE PERSON. Checks in to make sure MC has eaten regularly, staying hydrated, needs anything fixed around the house (she can do her own plumbing but doesn’t like the electrical and hey it’s nice to have company). Good with kids. Maybe divorced and wanted them but ex-spouse didn’t? idk. Calm, not easily ruffled, sweet as pie, except when he’s playing video games and suddenly MC understands how he can get through the day without any aggression – he unleashes it on fictional zombies. Blissfully normal, all things considered.

PERSONAL TRAINER: “fine, whatever, EAT THE DANG CHEESE if you’re just going to ignore my nutritional advice we’re doing ten more reps” athletic, happiest when DOING versus saying or reading or sitting. Not as impulsive as you’d guess at first glance, because they tend to use working out as a meditative time to make decisions. Didn’t finish college because they realized they just didn’t enjoy it, but they did enjoy working with student athletes, which is how they got into training. Enviably fit. Wants to expand the gym so wheedles business advice out of MC in exchange for not harassing her about her tendency to drink coffee instead of water (she insists it has water IN it, it should count) not particularly intimidated by her, which is a pleasant change of pace.

Supporting Cast (non LIs)

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: Keeps MC sane, has her back, schedules everything. Good at details, even better at smiling at angry people and making them not-angry through sheer force of sunny personality (actually a ruse, MC is convinced she’s actually the most delightfully evil person ever, but like some kind of fairy tale where when you acknowledge the thing it goes away, refuses to ever dive into figuring out). Older than the MC because we need to stop making middle aged women invisible in stories?? Sometimes has to remind MC of how much she does by holding silent protests (in part why MC thinks she is secretly a supervillain in the making) which are always, always successful.

PARENT COMPANY ADMIN ASSISTANT: Bane of MC’s existence. Smarmy, smily pain in the tush.

CFO: We have put in an official request with the company credit card management to start declining purchases at that coffee shop you go to, no this is not negotiable, it’s not in the budget anymore drink so darn water woman. Completely willing to go toe-to-toe with MC, meetings often involve a lot of yelling, but they’re always productive and no hard feelings.

CIO: Serpent-y, but not in a bad way. Just a very cool-tempered person, very contained, very guarded, very introverted. Never happy when she has to do presentations, so super willing to share knowledge with MC so she does it instead (she is not a great teacher, kind of judgey and shows her frustration when MC doesn’t ‘get’ it right away, but very brilliant, and there’s no malice in the judgement, just no filter). Extremely logic-oriented and process-oriented over people-oriented. Picks up and assess tech very quickly, and good at finding affordable, fast solutions.

RANDOM MARKETING EMPLOYEE: Set up to be a villain but is actually like gung-ho on MC’s side. Literally an ex pageant queen, went to college on scholarship from it. Out of the workforce for awhile as a stay at home mom when her kids were young, but picks up the new trends fast. Now a single mother, so will literally fight the chairman if he tries to take away the company daycare. Some days uses the ‘people see a pretty face and assume no brain’ to her advantage, some days it wears her out. Unofficially drinking buddy with MC, even though they both feel weird about it given the fact MC is technically boss’s boss’s boss.

BARTENDER: also an ex-girlfriend maybe? Current best friend? Who she turns to when the barista cuts her off from coffee and the chef’s restaurant is already closed. Sharp-tongued, bristly, generally disgusted with MC’s six inch heels and slacks in her leather-jacket, cigar smoke bar. Like lady, you’re lost. Probably on the mob payroll at some point in her life.

ROUTE PLOTS:

(Chairman route?) MERGER – company has just bought another company, which is a major risk move for CEO (can only be one, so do you keep the old one on as a VP? Do you let them go? Will they be bitter/try to sabotage you?) you have to fend off internal sabotage, get everything running smoothly without either company falling apart in the process.  

(PR Lawyer route?) Parent company did something massively shady and it’s tainting your company’s name too, so you have to scrounge to avoid having to fire half your employees and keep the company alive.

(Model route?) New product launch – hence why models are entering the picture. It’s a new business venture in the sense it’s targeted at a completely new audience your company hasn’t catered to before.

(Personal Trainer route?) Company is in its infancy, hugely risky time, and you’re doing everything you can to ensure it’s a success  (maybe including putting your own salary back into it, which means you can’t afford PT so they agree to work with you as long as you give them business advice)

FROM @han-pan- they keep trying to buy new retail space for the gym and MC keeps buying it instead because it’s SUCH GOOD PROPERTY and they sort of exasperatedly are like ugh fine whatever you owe me since you keep swiping prime spots out from under my nose

See the rest here

[kronecker-delta]

A Short Nier: Automata Crossover Snippet

Some superhero crossover ideas I’ve seen recently reminded me of something I'd been tossing around. Mostly as the attempt to write something generally humorous and just fun for a change but also involving Superheroes. And I mean quite a bit more lighthearted than most anything else I've taken a swing at. (That and the recent Scooby Doo crossovers last year reminded me of this show.)

Nier: Automata/Batman: Brave and the Bold

Things were about as bad as they could get. Or so she had thought.

"At last," Brainiac, that evil testament to the technological prowess of Colu and the Computer Tyrants thereof, shouted loudly. "With this last component my trans-spatial booster is now complete. No longer will I need to painstakingly hack individual systems one at a time. Through this device I could take control of every piece of technology on an entire planet. From the simplest kitchen appliance to even crude automata such as yourselves."

White would have been more insulted, but after the last four months of captivity on her own station she'd grown rather used to the constant rain of abuse the green skinned alien robot levied against any and all he saw as inferior. Though she at least didn't have to suffer alone.

A pair of apparently younger girls, identical in appearance like those long discontinued twin models, were held in a glass prison much like her own.

"Serves them right for siding with this mad man in return for whatever paltry knowledge he had offered them."

Her hands clenched tight, thinking about how this had only been so easy for mechanical monster before her because of other more personal betrayals. The Terminals had only been able to offer Brainiac information on the Bunker's backdoor and the opening it gave to the rest of the Android networks because those security weak points had been pre-installed. Though it did give her some small satisfaction to see them as they now were, their once impossibly vast and amorphous meta-data entities forced into material shells by some strange whim of Earth's new master.

All she could figure is that he must have liked collecting things. That alone didn't shock her as much. Her old partner in the Resistance had had her odd interests after all, much like some YoRHa members had with mechanical fish.

"I can only hope she's still alive. Along with all the rest."

After Brainiac had shut down the Army of Humanity's defenses he'd sequestered the higher consciousness of the machine networks and taken over all the machines that hadn't yet disconnected once they realized what was happening. She knew many had survived his take over, but with the advanced alien technology he had to equip them with it hardly mattered. Within weeks newly operational Brainiac Battlebots built to his specifications were enforcing his will across both light and dark sides of the Earth.

The now enslaved Androids and Machines forced to work side by side with their millennia long enemies under the watchful gaze of Brainiac's forces and their over-sized plasma cannons. Though it looked like whatever he had had them gathering materials for was now complete.

Which probably wasn't a good thing.

"You have completed your work here Brainiac," the Terminals said, voices synced together. "Given your previous statements of intent on acquiring advanced technology I fail to see what you gain by remaining here."

"Unfortunately for you the value of the knowledge I possess is inversely related to how many others know it as well. This will sadly require your... elimination." Brainiac's smile clearly should how false any sympathy his words might have implied really was. "But do not despair. Your world will have the honor of serving as the first test of my new weapon."

"But why?" White asked. "You've already acquired everything from our data servers."

"I may have read them yes. But this device can also be used to write."

"No... he can't mean-"

Brainiac had already turned back towards the enormous console that dominated the control room. Pulling levers as a low whine began to build, the draw from the stations fusion reactors growing greater as it prepared to activate. "Yes, as I'm sure you've realized by now your world presents a perfect opportunity for this device to be used for this purpose. In mere minutes every computer system will be overwritten with my own programming. Granting me an army of drones ready to conquer new worlds for the glory of Brainiac!"

She looked to her side and saw a similar expression of horror on the faces of the Terminal twins. The dawning dread that came upon them as the realized that they and all on the world below them would become pale copies of this insane alien tyrant in his demented quest to consume all knowledge in the cosmos.

The seconds ticked away as the time before their annihilation and 'replacement' narrowed to a razor's edge. All hope seemed lost as he flipped the final switch.

Only for a reprieve from oblivion to impact in the form of an explosive bolt detonating the computer console in a shower of sparks and metal shrapnel.

The cloud of smoke and debris had only only just begun to disperse when Brianiac screamed out in rage. "Who dares interfere with my experiment? Which of you misguided scrap heaps from the ruined world below would court death by challenging I, the most advanced synthetic life form in the universe?!"

His response was another explosive projectile, this one impacting against a shield of green energy he summoned before his body. Up above, the source could be discerned in the glare of the red emergency lights that had come on. A solitary figure perched on the walkway above.

"Is this all? I shouldn't be surprised that so few of you would embrace such futility. But I would have thought even beings of your limited intellect would recognize how futile such a limited force would be."

"Damn, you do like to hear yourself talk don't you?" The interloper had a woman's voice and a rough tone to it. White could almost swear it sounded vaguely familiar.

Such thoughts were pushed aside as Brainiac extended a battery of tentacles from his back, issuing forth a barrage of green energy blasts to rain down on the target of his fury. They began running to the left, their form obscured by the fire retardant gases now being pumped out. With a great leap the jumped from the upper walkway down to the floor before, rolling into a ready stance with their weapon aimed towards the alien robot. Some sort of improvised crossbow by the looks of it, an odd if not utterly unknown weapon to use.

Though the outfit was the more shocking element. Their head and hair covered by a red cloak, and from the shadows that obscured their face she could see that a matching mask lay under it over their eyes. Aside from that it looked like they'd cobbled together a little of any and every weapon they could find. A bandoleer of more explosives on their chest, a damaged pod system carried on one side and satchel on the other.

The lack of melee weapons made it likely they weren't one of YoRHa coming to rescue her. Not that that didn't surprise her. Brainiac had saw no reason not to reveal the fate of Humanity to his new slaves during one of his many gloating monologues about the poor inferior creations he had come to grant new purpose to.

While she didn't know the identity of their rescuer, Brainiac did not seem to share that problem. "Now I recognize you. You're that irritant that's been bombing my construction sites recently? The self-styled Android Avenger going by the messages you choose to etch into my drones after you destroyed them? Ha, I shouldn't be surprised that automatons built to be so...human would express such contemptible patterns of behavior when placed under the right amount of stress."

"You got that right. I've been under a lot of stress since you came here and started screwing things up." They stepped slowly to the side, though for what purpose White could not tell. They were caught out in the open and it was clear that Brainiac's weapons and defense were far superior to what they had. Which made the cocky smile they now had all the more surprising. "But then that's why I didn't come here alone."

A sextet of projectiles impacted then. Smaller explosions that did even less damage as Brainiac lifted his arms to block them. But clearly further enraging him as he turned to face the newest intruder.

Only to take a step back at whatever he saw.

"I-Impossible!"

"You're technological tyranny is at an end Brainiac! There's cell waiting for you on Oa after we shut you down for good."

"Batman! How could you possibly follow me here?!"

"You must have had even more screws loose when you reassembled your new body if you think I would let you pilfer and plague another dimension." This one glided down from even further above, having entered through a maintenance duct, landing opposite the android from before. A more professional costume, though the lack of clear armament disturbed her. Whoever this Batmannwas, they didn't seem to be prepared at all. "Surrender now and maybe you'll get off in two or three millennia for good behavior."

The tendrils moved, taking aim at both of them. "I think I will have to decline your offer. But once I've had my revenge on the Kryptonian and put your Gotham into my collection I'll be sure to stop by there. The destruction of the Green Lanterns will be quite easily done with my new weapon."

Another barrage of batarangs, these stopped by Brainiac's shield. Suspended in the air. "I assumed as much. Criminals like you never come quietly."

Before White could quite wrap her mind around the idea that a world conquering AI was being referred to as something as pedestrian as a criminal, Brainiac spoke. "I'm well aware of your tricks Batman. These batarangs would administer a concentrated shock, likely to allow your ally to damage me when my shields go down. A easily seen ploy."

The batarangs did indeed activate into a shower of sparks. Quickly arching not just onto the shield but through it. Brainiac crying out in alarm as he reeled back. Then in even greater pain as the explosive bolts struck his back, shredding the energy firing tentacles off.

"I expected as much Brainiac, which was why I first detonated particulate silver into the air around you."

"Hey, could you stop showing off how clever you are and stick to the plan?" Android Avenger shouted above the chaos, already reloading their weapon.

"Of course. No time for lengthy banter when the fate of the world is at stake," Batman said, rushing forward and landing upper cut that sent the still stumbling tyrant into the air and was accompanied by the sound of thunder. "My Nth metal shock bracers should wear you down in time."

The rising hope that had begun to fill White was quickly dashed as Brainiac caught Batman's hands in his own. "Or it would if I had not further upgraded my body since our last conflict. You should have stayed on your Earth Batman. At the very least you could have spent your last moments with your fellow humans instead of dying here to protect the freedom of so many aimless machines."

"He's human?!"

"That's where you're wrong Brainiac. Human, alien, or even android; freedom is the right of all sapient beings and my responsibility as a hero to protect it. Besides," Batman said as he jumped up and planted his feet on Brainiac's chest, "I already knew the Nth metal wouldn't work."

Whatever else Brainiac might have said was lost in the roar of light and sound that followed. White having to look away less her optic sensors burn out as the intensity grew ever greater.

When it at last dimmed, Brainiac lay there motionless. A half meter hole burned through his chest while the Android Avenger let a smoking (and now slightly melting) energy rifle fall from her grip.

Batman reached down, depressing a button on Brainiac's head and pulling a small triangular chip out before sliding it into a specialized compartment on his utility belt. "And that will hold you until I can get in contact with Hal Jordan. Or Guy Gardner..."

"Did you really believe it would be that easy Batman?"

This time the voice came from all around them, the systems of the station itself speaking in the mad Ai's voice.

"Of course. Even if they've secured the hardcopy of his consciousness data he'd likely have backup on the local server synced up with it."

They've done next to nothing, as the machine began to charge up again, preparing for it's lethal blast to all Machine and Android life.

"Of course not Brainiac. I knew a mind as twisted and evil as yours would always have some last plan for Pyrrhic victory."

"There will be nothing Pyrrhic after I rewrite the minds of your ally and all the others to be copies of my own."

Batman moved quickly, burning through access panel on the colossal contraption of evil and revealing intricate circuitry therein.

"Android Avenger, do you have neodymium coupler?"

"Yes just give me a-shit, I think I burned my hands," she said, running over to Batman and handing him the part he'd asked for. "Wouldn't it be easier to just blow this thing to hell?"

"Unfortunately not. It's already built up enough charge to effect everyone here and would likely go off during the explosion. So," he reached in welding some small device from his utility belt inside along with the part he'd asked for, "I've created an alternative solution."

"Your compassion for this creations has only doomed this entire world and yourself Batman. The signal booster is already charged! I will savor watching your demise at my new army."

It did indeed trigger, a pulse of static and EMP that dropped White to her knees, prepared for the inevitable.

And then nothing.

Actually nothing at all.

"What?! The device worked perfectly? Why do I not have control over anything?"

"I rewired your booster to send most of the signal into a parallel universe with modified transpatial oscillator. The remainder would have still reformated any memory system to a blank slate... except I took a detour and wired your signal through the laser communications hub you were using to send orders down to the surface."

"Did you hear that you jerk? You just wiped the systems for all the drones you'd built!"

"I will not tolerate this! I will not accept this!"

*Reactor malfunction, please evacuate.*

With the clear signs of Brainiac's self-destruct coming, their rescuers wasted no time. Rushing over to the prisons and swiftly blasting an opening in both. White wasn't sure how to feel about the supposed human rescuing the once leaders of the Machine Network, but she didn't have much time to think about it. Her own departure was swift, panicked, and ended with her being held tightly against a modified flight unit that someone had painted red and black as they plummeted through the Earth's atmosphere. The Bunker detonating behind them.

Their arrival on the surface came with a celebration, numerous Androids from both the resistance and YoRHa among their number. And even Machines as well, all welcoming the return of the heroes that they'd known to be attacking Brainiac before he could complete his scheme.

"Are you alright White?"

That brought her attention back to the one closest to her, the so-called Android Avenger. Who...

"Jackass?"

"Yeah, well after that alien jerk showed up I sort of went underground trying to come up with a plan to rescue you. And I-"

"You got the idea for this from those human comic books you used to read, didn't you?"

"Hey! It worked, didn't it?"

After months of captivity, fear, and no small amount of personal pain as Brainiac quite literally picked her brain until he decided she no longer had anything useful to give him, White didn't feel like arguing. If Jackass's unconventional plan had saved her life, all their lives, she would accept that.

Of course acceptance mere acceptance wasn't the reason she decided to show her gratitude in that moment with an embrace that definitely violated some of YoRHa's policies regarding fraternization.

Kissing wasn't specified of course, but certainly violated the spirit of the rules. Not that she'd ever really bothered to enforce those in general.

"Ah-hem."

She turned to see Batman standing there, the Terminals at his side.

"We have decided in light of the possibility of another alien or extra-dimensional aggressor like Brainiac that the current suspension of hostilities should be extended. Perhaps indefinitely."

White nodded, not sure that she trusted herself to say anything coherent in response to that.

"Once you have established global communications with the other Android forces we would like to negotiate this deal in greater detail. Until then we must leave. The damage Brainiac has done to our systems was substantial and will take some time to repair."

And with that they turned and left. Along with the human, Batman, who had already started making his way towards Android woman wearing glasses nearby.

"Wait! Batman," White said, a hundred if not a thousand questions coming to mind. About him, his world, the monster that had attacked them, about humans; before settling on something that she realized would bother her the most if she didn't get an answer. "The signal Brainiac created, you said you sent most of it to a parallel Earth. Doesn't that just mean he'll take over their technology, whatever it might be?"

"You don't have to worry about that. I sent it to Earth-20-2. Caveman Earth. Their most advanced technology are flint tools."

Before she could ask him anything else he, and the Android with glasses that had come to stand beside him, vanished in brief flash of light and the oddest absence of sound.

***

Bat-Files: Earth 4-65, Far Future Android/Machine Civilization Active Heroes; Alias: Android Avenger, Real Name: Jackass (Note, this is not another alias. Names chosen by individual, likely personal meaning.) Powers: No meta-human abilities, but all Androids are stronger than a normal human. She also possess considerable skills in guerrilla warfare, use of and construction of explosives, as well as the advanced sciences native to her reality. Allegiance/Relationships: Army of Humanity, Android Resistance, centered around Japan (though originally from Australia according to personal history). Close relationship with Commander of Android Special Forces YoRHa. Reliability: Acceptable (more so than Booster Gold certainly), consider proposing for probationary membership within JL Temporal/Extra-Dimensional division.

***

( I modeled the general idea after the intro shorts on Brave and the Bold. Where Batman would team up with characters that make rather little sense on the whole. Why is Batman storming the beaches of Normandy with GI Robot, flying around in space with Space Ghost, or saving President Lincoln from assassination at the mechanical hands of a robotic John Wilkes Booth?

He just is.

As for this scenario, I thought the funniest idea would be to have Jackass take the role of native 'hero' for him to team up with. Partially from some earlier yet unfinished humorous stuff I had about her liking old world comic books.)

[woodyandarchless-blog]

The biography of Lucy Woodwood

I was born November 19th. I was raised, if you could call it that, in a single parent family. You may be wondering what i mean by if you could call it that. My dad left a month before my 5th birthday. I’m guessing he had enough of my mothers behavior and attitude but at the time like most children that age I thought i had done something wrong. My mother, in name only as she never acted much like one, had not one but two substance abuse problems. Before my dad left she just used to drink though she was a mean drunk. I hated it when she was drunk she would shout and scream and throw things at my dad telling him how useless he was as a man how all men were the same. I would just lie there in my bed head under the cover crying wishing she would just stop. My dad wasn't useless he took me to the park, to the zoo, to doctors appointments. He was the one that cooked the meals, paid the bills, kept the house clean, yet still she would have a go at him for no reason. Like I said as a child I thought it was my fault that my dad had left I though I was to much for him to cope with, as I grew older though I  realized it wasn't me it was her, after years of abuse he’d had enough and left. That's when my mother started to go out every night leaving me locked in the flat, that's when all the different men started to come around, and that's when she turned not only to drink but to drugs. 

I was kind of lucky in away for all she wasn't there for me my grandparents only lived a couple of blocks away and so they did things with me now and again. My favorite memory from my childhood was when they took me to the coast. I was six years old and it was the first time I’d seen a beach and the ocean, I think my eyes must have nearly popped out of my head. I loved pops and ma and they were my only link to my dad though when I would ask them about him they would change the subject. It wasn't until they died I found out they hadn't heard from him after he left me mother and me. I guess he wanted a clean break. 

After pops and ma died I was basically left to raise myself. My mother was always either to stoned or two drunk to even notice what was going on around her. The only time she seemed sober enough and clean enough to know anything was when she would go to get her money. Every week it was the same routine, get money, get whiskey, go home, get drunk, fall asleep. That's when I would go in her purse and take out enough money to pay the bills and buy food for us both and an extra $1 in a jar I kept hidden in my room. That was my freedom money as I called it, I knew one day I to would be like my dad and leave and knew I would need funds to make sure I could get as far away from her as possible. That's what my freedom money was, that was my hope of one day having a normal life whatever normal was. 

As the years went by the roles were reversed. I basically became the parent, making sure the bills were paid, there was food on the table, the house was clean, she got to all her appointments on time and clean. I even got a part time job after school so there was extra money coming in so we could afford to pay the bills and still put a little away for myself. The different men were still coming in the house but I would always lock my door I didn't want to know who they were. When I was 15 however that changed. I was sat listening to some music when I heard my mother screaming. I ran out of my room and saw some guy hitting her because she wouldn't give him her purse. As much as I hated the woman I called mother I still wasn't about to stand there and let her get hit. Without thinking I jumped on his back and started hitting him only to get picked up like some old rag doll and thrown across the room. Fighting the pain as I heard my mother scream I ran to the kitchen and grabbed the largest sharpest knife I could and stuck it in his leg. He screamed so loud I thought my ear drubs were about to pop, the next thing I knew he was off my mum and backhanding me across the face before running out the flat. I instinctively jumped up and locked the door behind him before going to see if my mother was ok, only to get another backhander off her as she started to yell and scream at me for hurting a man she loved. After screaming back did she feel that way about all the dicks she had every night I ran and locked myself in my room and packed a bag determent to leave till I heard her crying in her room. I couldn't leave her like this she needed someone to look after her and if I didn't who would. 

Four months had past and things seemed to get better my mother seemed to try and get clean. she had her relapses where she would get so drunk I’d have to put her to bed but less men were coming round and she even tried to make breakfast for me a couple of times. A couple of days after my 16th birthday I came home to find a cake on the table and a note from my mother “Gone to get candles happy birthday” I laughed at the fact she was a few days late but at the same time was so happy that she had remembered for the first time in god knows how many years. I decided while I was waiting to go have a bath to relax as work had stressed me out that day. As I was getting out and wrapping a towel around myself I heard the door open and went out with a smile thinking I would find my mother there with the candles for the cake. What I saw instead was my drunken mother in the arms of some guy who would make Freddy Kruger look like a model. I still to this day hear his words as I walked out the bathroom “Wow sweetness your hotter than your mother”. Skin crawling with disgust I went into my room slamming the door behind me and got ready for bed I never really thought anything about it. As I lay on my bed I could hear my mum and this guy laughing in her bedroom at which point I put my headphones on turned up the music and tried to go to sleep. I cant remember what time it was when I was woken by a sudden weight on top of me I felt like I couldn't breath and opening my eyes I saw the same disgusting guy naked leaning over me. I told him to get out and screamed for my mother as he tried to climb into my bed telling me he wanted to know if I was as good as her. I continued fighting and at one point felt a little relived when I saw my mother in the door way that soon faded when she smiled and walked off. Somehow I'm not sure how I managed to not only get out from under him but to get him out my room and quickly locked my door. As he was banging on my door I quickly got changed grabbed the bag I had packed months earlier and the money I had been saving and climbed out the window and down the fire escape. The fact my mother had seen one of male friends trying to rape her daughter and all she did was smile about it was the last straw i couldn't stay there anymore she could look after herself from that moment on. I not only left the flat but i also left New York and got as far away as i could making sure i had enough money to survive till i could find a job. 

I ended up living in some quiet all be it sleazy little back water place, the only reason I was there the rent on the apartment I found was so cheep I could afford the two months in advance. The good thing about this place was it was only a couple of hours by bus to the ocean which is where I spent a lot of my time for the first couple of weeks, remembering the good times I had at the beach with pops and ma and trying to work out what I was going to do for money. Luckily for me on the outskirts of the town there was a bar that was hiring, and again luckily for me they didn't care about your age. As long as you knew your drinks, which thanks to living with an alcoholic for so many years I did, had a pretty face and were willing to dress sexy you were hired. I didn't really like the idea of dressing in low cut tops, mini skirts and heals while in a sleazy dive like that but it was necessary evil if I wanted the job, and unfortunately I needed a job to be able to survive. The guys who came into this bar reminded me of the guys that my mother had brought home every night, ugly, drunk and only after one thing. The boss was worse than the customers at times he was an ugly smelly fat slob who delighted in rubbing against you as he walked past even if there was plenty of spare to get past he would still rub up against you and all I could really do about it was force a smile and continue with what I was doing. I couldn't afford to loss the job. 

As the months went past and I proved to the boss that not only to know my drinks but how to handle the customers, not only the sober ones who had little regard for manners but also the drunk ones, he seemed to relax the dress code a little my skirts got longer and my heals smaller and he never said a thing. even though I was showing less every night the first thing I would do when I got home was climb in the shower and scrub that place off me followed by food and then if I had a really bad day I would curl up on the bed and cry myself to sleep. I soon got to know most of the regulars in the bar including a woman called Stacey. she would normally come in with her husband but there was the odd time she came in alone and when she did we would sometimes stand and talk when things were slow. We got to become good friends and would go shopping together and all sorts, it was nice to have someone I could have a laugh with and talk to. She would come round mine sometimes when her husband was away and I had a night off and we would talk about her marriage. I guess you could say it was through her I found out I seem to have a gift of being able to help people with there problems. Because I helped her out with a few she told others how good I was and soon while I was serving the customers at the bar they would start to ask my advice on different things. As much as I hated the bar, my job at that point I started to like a little more and even enjoy. I wasn't having to rush home every night to wash the smell of the place off me and some times would even stay back for a drink and a chat with the owner and a couple of the other girls who worked there. I was beginning to feel like this place was home. 

The night before my eighteenth Stacy and a couple of the other girls from town decided to throw me a surprise party at the bar. I was so shocked when I walked in that night for work and saw streamers and balloons and banners all I could do was cry with joy I felt at last I belonged somewhere and that people did care what happened to me. I guess you could say I felt loved for the first time in a long time. Later that night the good mood and atmosphere that was surrounding me altered when Stacey's husband come in and started calling her all sorts just because we were dancing and having a laugh. Grabbing her by her hair he started to drag her out of the bar and I followed trying to tell him she hadn't done anything wrong and that he should just back off go home and calm down. After pushing Stacey in the passenger side of the car he went to go round to the drivers side and I stepped in front of him pleading with him to just let my friend go because she hadn't done anything. All I got in reply was a punch to the face at which point I don't remember much. I was laid on the floor and some guy came running across and started fighting with Stacey's husband, she while that was going on had got out the car and came to see if I was ok. It didn't take long for this other guy to knock Stacey's husband almost out cold then he helped her to get me up and they took me home where I fell straight to asleep. 

When I woke up, Stacey was asleep on the bed beside me and the guy who had come to our rescue was asleep on the sofa. I slowly got up wincing in pain and made my way to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror I could see I had a lovely big black eye which was swollen shut. As I came out the bathroom the guy woke up and introduced himself. He said his name was Wesley and that he had been watching me for awhile and had been waiting for the right moment to ask me out as he thought I looked pretty and that I was a sweet girl. I half smiled thanked him and answered that with the nice black eye I didn't look so pretty. He at that point kissed me and said yes I was and that he wanted to take me to dinner that night black eye and all as a birthday treat. I was in shock that anyone felt like that and agreed to go for all I didn't know him, after all he had just saved me as far as I was concerned that made him an alright person. 

That night Stacey helped me to get ready and to hide the black eye as much as possible. I’d just finished getting ready when Wesley knocked on the door. When i opened it there he was stood in a suit with a bunch of flowers, i handed the flowers to Stacey and we left. As we were driving i asked where he was taking me and he said somewhere special then pulled over on some back road. I asked why we had stopped and he said because he’d been wanting to do something ever since i got in the car he then lent over and kissed me. As the kisses got more passionate his hands started to wonder and i asked him to stop, telling him that i hadn't been with anyone before and didn't really want my first time to be in a car. All he did was smile and say “virgin huh”. The next thing i knew the seat belt was undone, the door locked and my seat went back and he was on top of me. At that point everything seemed to be in slow motion and silent, i was screaming but i couldn't hear it, i was hitting, biting, scratching but nothing seemed to stop him and he was to dam strong for me to push off. When he finally finished he sat back in his seat smiling and suggested we now went to dinner. I just laid there numb, unable to move. When he eased me up so he could put the seat upright so he could drive us to dinner I unlocked the door and ran. Finding a hole in the fence a little ways down the road and around a corner from the car I dived through it and hid behind the trees not sure if he was following me or not. It wasn't long before I saw his car go slowly past as he looked out both ways. I stayed where I was for what seemed like hours before daring to move and make my way home. When I did get near to my apartment I looked in the parking lot first to make sure his car wasn't there when I saw it wasn't I ran up to my room and locked the door behind me relived that Stacey had seemingly gone home. I quickly ran a hot bath and climbed in. I didn't care the water felt like it was burning me and I started scrubbing I didn't care about the red marks I was leaving all over my body because I was scrubbing so hard I had to get clean I needed to get clean I needed him off me. 

I stayed locked in my apartment for about five days not answering the phone or the door to anyone. constantly climbing in the bath trying to get clean. after about the fifth day I had nothing in my apartment to eat or drink so I knew I had to go outside even though I didn't want to. Dressing in old baggy clothing I grabbed my purse and slowly made my way out, not bothering to do my makeup or hair. the worse I looked the better no guy would want to be near me and I liked that idea. As I approached the shops I froze. There coming out of the shop was Wesley only he wasn't alone he had his arm around a girl and was kissing her. My skin began to crawl and my blood boil not only from seeing him but from the fact I knew the girl was only fourteen. I decided I had to follow them and as I did I rang the local sheriffs office knowing that they would come straight out as the girl in question was the niece of there Sargent. With no answer I left a voice mail message for them saying that they had turned into a wood and that I was following. After I hung up I had lost sight of them but went in anyway I wasn't going to let him hurt someone else. As I was wandering in I heard her scream, seeing him on top of her trying to do to her what he had done to me I saw red and picked up a large stone with both hands and hit his head as hard as I could before grabbing the girl by the hands and running out of the wood with her constantly repeating that everything was going to be ok everything was going to be alright. Looking back I’m not sure if I was trying to convince her or me of that fact. Just as we left the wood two police cars showed up I told then what I’d done and where he was. One of them went running to where he was while another called for an ambulance. me and the girl sat in the back of one of the police cars and waited. We watched as the the guys from the ambulance went rushing in and stretchered him out. 

Once he was out the officers drove us to the station for our statements. I told them everything except the fact that he had done it to me, instead when they asked why I had followed him I said because I heard he had a reputation for hurting young girls and didn't want to see her get hurt. That's when they told me that he was wanted in connection to other similar incidences and not to worry what I did would be seen as self defense. I was sat numb, emotionless I could see the officer talking but I couldn't hear him. My mind was racing I started to wonder if I would have been better off staying at home with my mother. I snapped out of the trance when another officer came in and said that it was touch and go as to if he would make it. The officers finished taking my statement and let me go. The uncle of the girl was the officer who gave me a ride home. thanking me for saving his niece and said I did what I had to do as he had a knife at the girls throat if anyone asked I had to remember to say I did what I had to do he had a knife at her throat he made me repeat it twice to him before I got out the car. A couple of days later I found out he had died the police told me that there wasn't enough evidence to charge me so I was free to go, and go I did. I packed up all I could and moved once more this time to Las Vegas. 

It was the complete opposite of where I had been no one wanted to know my name, no one even seemed to want to say hello and I liked that fact. I wasn't about to make the same mistakes again. This time no one would get near my heart however at that point I lost myself to. I hit the bottle hard everyday. I lost both my jobs but I didn't care, all I cared about was the alcohol, it wasn't going to hurt me, or leave me it was my best friend it was the only friend I needed. 

About three moths had past and I woke up one morning beside some guy I had never seen before and went to the bathroom. When I looked in the mirror what I saw shocked me. No longer was I looking at my own reflection instead what I saw was my mother looking back at me. The realization that I was becoming her frightened me into cleaning up my act. 

 It was at this point in my life things changed dramatically. I remember the very little of the night. I was sat silently sobbing on a park bench in the rain I felt like there was no hope for me when a couple of males approached me. When I had seen them walking towards me I felt that the worst was going to happen, but I was fine with that as I felt my life was already over. But as they got near one of them sat beside me and asked me what was wrong. I couldn't answer I had no idea where to begin or even if I should begin with not knowing them. The next thing I remember I was sat in a living room with my brothers my mind a little confused as to how I had got to where I was and what I had been doing before hand but my brothers told me not to worry about it as it wasn't important. 

I spent several weeks with all three of my brothers and loved every moment of it but then Graham had to return to England leaving me with alone with just Elijah and Klaus. I spend several happy months under their roof but eventually once more I felt it was time to move on. The difference between  this time and all the other times I had kept moving, was all the baggage I had carried with me through out my life felt.. lighter and I felt happier, however I still would never stay in one place for longer than four or five months. I found jobs working as an advice columnist for different papers normally just filling in while there proper advice columnist were on holiday or ill. Luckily it gave me enough money to be able to pay rent and buy food I didn't need anything else. I never let anyone in I kept them all out. I built large walls around me that would stop them all from getting in. The constant moving from place to place helped me to make sure no one got in as I was never in one place long enough to make friends. 

Then March 2007 I moved back to New York and got a job working at one of the papers when I saw one of my old school friends worked there also. When I saw her I was shocked to see she was covered in bruises so I dragged her into the ladies room and forced her to tell me what was going on. She told me that the man she moved in with did this to her at which point I told her she had to get out of the relationship. She told me she had nowhere to go no one to turn to. Looking in her eyes I saw the frightened little girl I used to be and told her she did now, she was moving in with me and I was going to help her. Later that day we went to hers and packed up her things and moved them all back to mine. It felt kind of strange letting someone in but she was an old friend and needed my help. It was the least I could do for her as she and her family had been so kind to me as I was growing up. I helped her find her own place get a great job and we even found her a great guy who has been warned that if I ever hear that he has hurt her I will track him down and make him pay for it. 

Once she was fully settled and happy I started to look once more for a new job and ended up finding one in Arizona, met a man, got engaged but unfortunately due to his work we had to part. I lived quite happily for awhile even after my job finished, and the man I had loved had left. I had managed to find a place I thought of as home, not that I spent a lot of time there as I spend most of my time at the home of my brothers, but eventually the lack of having things to do, despite the fact running after Klausy at times kept me busy, and the heartaches I had felt from letting people in only to lose them began to make me yearn for another new beginning and luckily for me I got one with my other brother. 

 Now here I am in England working for the vampire king of Britain, my brother Graham. It has given me a fresh new start in a brand new place which was exactly what I needed and i am loving every moment of not only my work but being able to spend more time with my brother.