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louisfrecklesss · 6 years ago

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LCH [5] | Louisentine

Description: Clementine gets confused with her feelings while she’s spending so much time with Louis, especially after babysitting baby AJ together.

Words: 1,757

Ship: Clementine x Louis

Warnings: make out session

Genre: Fluff, High School AU

A/N: it’s so fucking cold here in London, yes I live in London for those who don’t know. everyone seems to like this fic better than the other one? at least you like one of them because I don’t like my writing at all aH. anyway, I love you all. thank you for reading!

CHAPTERS

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

It’s been a or two week since Clementine has agreed to this deal with Louis, and not for one second has she thought it was a stupid idea. She could see from hanging out with his friends that they do pick on him a lot, Mitch the most; they’re not bullying him but he is the joke of the group only because he is the lesser of them. Clementine knew that if she was in his shoes she wouldn’t know if she would be as strong as he is.

So, here they all are in the common room of the school. Mitch, Aasim and Marlon sat opposite the couple who were seated on one of the large body bean bags. Clementine sat crossed legged in between Louis legs as he rest his chin on top of her head, her hands held his fiddling with his fingers while she scrolls through her phone with the other.

“When are your friends getting her, babe?” Louis brushes his thumb over Clementine’s hand to get her attention, the girl switches tabs on her phone to their conversation reading the answer for Louis.

“I think they’ll be here in five, I’m not sure to be honest with you.” She looks up at him meeting eyes with him to which he winks at her causing her to look down smiling. Every time he winks, event though he has done it so many times, it still seems to make Clementine blush like crazy.

Clementine meets eyes with Marlon who is vaping the whole entire room up. “Brody?” His eye brows frown at the question before looking towards the door of the room; just in time, Brody walks into the room with Clementine’s friends. Louis knows them but they haven’t all chilled together as ‘friends’.

“Baby!” Brody practically screams as she sees Marlon in the far corner, he opens his legs up on his seat inviting her to sit on his lap. It wasn’t too long before they were all over each other.

Aasim turns away from the couple. “Looks like it came straight out of a porno.” Violet, who came in with the rest of Clementine’s friends, high fives Aasim before taking a seat next to him.

“Oh right, guys, these are my friends. Violet, Sophie an-”

“Ruby!” Clementine is a little shocked when the rest of the boys know who Ruby is. “Darling.”

Ruby giggles when Mitch and Marlon continue to shout her name. “Don’t y’all darlin’ me.”

“You know each other?” Louis questions.

“We always pretend to be sick so we can pay our little Ruby a visit, right Aasim?” Marlon hits Aasim with his elbow a couple times before he is rewarded with a punch on his arm. “Or is it to see that asian guy that is always sick but never fuckign speaks?”

“James?” Ruby questions sitting on the other side of Aasim who physically tenses in his seat, Louis tap Clementine lightly pointing at Aasim before smiling down at her. Clementine saw what he was talking about and mouthed the ways how cute before engaging back in the conversation.

“James is pretty fucking hot.” Clementine states nodding her head along with her fake boyfriend.

“Oh yeah, James has my heart.” Louis clenches his chest and Clementine lifts her hand to high five him behind her. The group just break into a fit of laughs including Aasim himself. It was only recently that Aasim came out about his sexuality so it was hard for him to joke about it still.

“Too bad his gay Clementine.” Mitch adds pointing at the girl who frowns slightly earning a hurt expression from the boy behind her. She tilts her head back looking at him who pecks her lips quickly earning a surprised expression from her, nevertheless, she grins.

Sophie is almost glued to Violet’s side not knowing these people enough to really fit in; Clementine notices this telling her to come sit opposite her which happened to be right next to Mitch. Mitch offers her a small smile to which she returns before saying something to him which Clementine can’t hear, she’s just glad that she has someone to talk too.

“So, party tonight? My house, everyone has to be there because I said so.” Marlon says standing shortly after, he goes round getting everyone number and adding it to a group chat, not too long after everyone receives his address.

Louis admires his girlfriend as he sees her shaking her head softly. “I don’t do parties.”

“Clementine does not do parties.” Violet says to clarify the point that Clementine just made. Louis did not seem too happy about this, he stood up making Clementine fall back onto the bean bag slightly.

“No, princess, you have to come.” Clementine smiles to herself before standing up to placing her hands on her hips.

“Nope, sorry.”

Louis flutters his eyelashes at her, bringing out his puppy dog eyes before moving closer to Clementine. He hopes this works on her because it works on most people, he can even see in the corner of his eye, Violet crumbling and slamming her hand on Aasim’s leg. “Come on Clementine, please.” Clementine looks back at her friend briefly before looking back at him.

“No.”

Everyone boo’ed and complained as Clementine grabs her stuff and Louis hand. “I have to babysit my baby brother, and you’re going to help me.” She addresses the last part of the sentence to Louis who rolls his eyes gently, following behind the girl.

“We all know that’s code for sex!” Marlon shouts as they both start to leave the room.

“Louis is going to have to wait longer than that!”

Lee runs around the house picking up all the mess as well as trying to find his car keys, AJ is screaming in his highchair not wanting his Dad to leave him.

“Daddy, it’s here.” Clementine hands Lee his car keys, he thanks her kissing the top of her head.

“I’ll be back in an hour, I just really have to finish that paperwork sweetpea.”

“I know Dad, go.” She tries to push him out of the house.

“And thank you too, Louis.”

“No problem, Paps.” Louis returns to feeding baby AJ who stops crying once the spoons meets his lips; Louis makes funny faces at the baby causing him to giggle almost choking on his own laugh. Clementine loves watching Louis play with AJ and call her Dad ‘Paps’. It makes it so real, a little too real. But she never bring up the fact that this isn’t real because she wants to feel like it is even when it isn’t.

“Everyone is going to be there, and I have to go because it’s my bro’s party. Open up AJ, woosh.” Louis guides the food into AJ’s mouth before turning to Clementine for a reply.

She sighs before laying down on her couch. “Fine, but I swear to go you can’t leave me alone Louis.”

He turns to her almost jumping up and down. “Of course I won’t babe, thank you so much. You’re amazing. Isn’t she amazing AJ? She’s so great right?”

Clementine smiles at them closing her eyes to rest slightly, without Louis she would have had to babysit AJ all by herself and she’s been so stressed and tired from school she just can’t function. She’s unsure of how long she’s been laying there with her eyes closed but Louis joins her on the couch laying beside her with half of his body on top of her due to the lack of space.

“AJ is sleeping, I put him to bed.”

“I don’t know what I would do without you Lou.” Clementine opens her eyes to meet Louis staring at her; she can see all his freckles up close, even the opens that overlap each other creating and even bigger freckle. Louis could see that Clementine was avoiding his eyes, he wants her to look at him even though she was but not at him. His hand grabs her cheek brushing thumb against it slightly, her eyes flutter shut slowly enjoying the feeling.

“No, look at me.” Louis whispers against her skin, she doesn’t listen at first until he says it again this time in a more demanding tone. As soon as he eyes meet his, she slams her lips against his;. this is the second time that they have shared a kiss during this entire relationship. But it’s the first time that they’ve kissed because they wanted too and not because someone was coming and they had too, like the first time.

Louis’ hand grips her face firmly as he pulls her into the kiss more, the uncomfortable position makes Louis move on top of her instead. Clementine’s arms wrap around his neck pushing him onto her to the point that if it was any further than it would stop her breathing. They pull away from a second only to get air before Louis mouth is on her neck, leaving soft kisses everywhere. A soft breathe of air leaves Clementine’s lips as she bits her lips, one leg moves around Louis waist as she moves him back to her lips.

Clementine’s hands grab onto his shirt pulling him in closer, Louis lets out a small groan feeding more into her lips. She parts her lips asking for more to which he gives her, it wasn’t just a dry kiss anymore as their tongues met each other. Clementine could barely control her breathing before the front door slams open and Louis rolls off Clementine almost as quickly as he rushes towards the kitchen.

Lee walks in with his back turned towards the door trying to get all the shopping bags into the house. “Hey kids, I did some shopping.”

Clementine is breathing heavy trying to compose herself and reply to her father; Louis can see that she is no state to reply muttering the best response he can.

“That’s great Paps.” He shouts from the kitchen taking down a large amount of water from the glass in his hand.

“W-we’re, um, going to a party Dad. Don’t wait up!” Clementine grabs her coat and rushes out of the house. Lee looks to Louis for an explanation, who has a red face, shrugs his shoulders and rushes after Clementine.

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dont-give-money-to-jkrowling · 7 years ago

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Remus Lupin in HBP : notes

hey guys ! i am currently trying to reread the hp series, hoping to gain a better understanding of remus’ character. i started with this book bc it was physically closer to me than the other ones and i hate moving.

i will transcribe all these messy notes in a fully detailed and well explained analysis, but first i thought i would post the notes i took from the book bc they are fun and very extensive, so maybe other people can then use them for their analysis of the character ( if you do, please credit me )

warning : they are, however, not very academic. i tried not to get subjective, or at least to state the facts before to add my own reactions. also, i read the book in french so i wasn’t able to quote the book directly and also sometimes i nickname dumbledore “dumbie the meanie”

oh and also a lot of these were written late when i was half asleep so my english is probably terrible and they might not always make sense.

and finally : i swear a lot. and capitalize a lot. get ready.

- Molly mentions that he comes to visit the Weasley household

- Hermione mentions that he tried to make Tonks feel better about Sirius’ death ( including the fact that she didn’t manage to defeat Bellatrix therefore stopping her from killing him ) what a sweet and gentle bean

- first actual apparition in chapter 6 : Harry says his clothes look even more miserable than ever, that he seems too thin and depressed and that he had a lot of white hair SOMEBODY HUGS THAT CHILD

- also he talks about an ex death eater that had been killed and says « i’m surprised he survived an entire year after leaving the death eaters ; if i remember correctly regulus only lasted a few days » which shows that he knows a lot more about regulus’ death than everybody else – makes quite a lot of sense

- literally can’t stop speaking about the war and people who died and how things aren’t looking up for their side

- we see that a lot of protection spells and such are against werewolves : while most of them are scams, i wouldn’t be surprised there was a lot of silver going around at the time, which isn’t a good sign for remus’ safety and health ( mental and physical )

- draco says fenrir greyback is a friend of his family – was he possibly a friend of the blacks ? I need answers

- at hogwarts, harry says that he hoped lupin would write to him, but that he didn’t. He seems disappointed

- he spends christmas with the weasleys ! Why is no one talking about this friendship

- when harry sees him, he thinks he looks skinnier and more miserable than ever. I guess dumbledore is too busy getting harry ready to die to buy him some FREAKING FOOD

- also even on christmas eve in the middle of some bloody party he stays by himself near the fire and looks depressed, he only starts partaking in the conversation when the war is mentionned

- says dumbie the meanie sent him with the werewolves where he was unable to communicate with anyone. He also says ( will have to check in the english version ) that the werewolves are « his pears and equals » in a probably self pitying way

- harry says he seems bitter about having been asked to do this job. ( again, need original text ) but he also appears to be upset to be seen as the token werewolf here

- as soon as he realizes he sounds bitter he tries to smile and says he isn’t complaining and that it’s true that he should do this job and that it is necessary blablabla much BS

- he says other werewolves have a hard time trusting him bc he lived with wizards and they had to steal and kill to eat ( bc… you obviously look… so well fed… and privileged… )

- when harry asks him who Greyback is, he visibly tenses , but when he is the one to mention him ( talking about his mission ) he seems pretty normal

- ALSO he apparently has to see Greyback for his mission what the fork dumbie

- says greyback wants to create an army to overpower the wizarding world sounds festive and also that werewolves have a right to blood and should seek revenge on « normal people »

- seems surprinsingly open to discussing how he got bitten ? Like harry asks if it was when he was a kid and remus just roll on about what happened and his feelings good for him

- for a long time he thought the werewolf who bite him had done it by accident and felt sorry for them and apparently learnt the truth much later HOW DID YOU LEARN IT SOUNDS SO ANGSTY

- when harry says remus is normal and just has a « problem » it reminds him of james and he immediatly starts laughing his heart out this is both nice and really sad

- then starts sharing precious childhood memories and cheers up once again this is both nice and sad

- after that he jokes a bit and wow only a mention of james and his childhood made that sad lonely man so happy i want to cry

- AND MORE AND MORE CHILDHOOD MEMORIES ABOUT THE MARAUDERS

- talks a lot about james but avoids mentioning sirius even when harry tries to bring him up and doesnt even come close to talking about peter

- apparently he got a weasley sweater for christmas this is the cutest thing ever

- remus confirms once again that he isn’t speaking to anyone and probably avoids human contact as much as humanly possible this boi needs a good old therapist

- harry considers remus a patronus expert ??? chill just bc he thaught you that doesn’t mean he wrote his thesis on it

- but apparently he did bc guess who knows exactly why your patronus would change ???

- gets a bit awkward when tonks’ patronus is mentioned and is less at ease with words than usually. Also talks very slowly ( to remember when writing pining remus !! )

- hermione asks about him at hogwarts after the holidays PEOPLE CARE REMUS STOPS AVOIDING EVERYONE

- HOW COULD I FORGET TO MENTION THAT WHEN SNAPE IS MENTIONED HE IS LIKE « YA SURE HE RUINED MY LIFE AND THE ONE OF EVERY OTHER WEREWOLF IN THE COUNTRY BUT I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL THAT HE MADE ME THIS POTION »

- also he says harry’s feelings of hate towards snape come from the old predjudice inherited from james are fucking with me 1) hate justified 2) he literally used the m slur against lily and took part in racist bullying becoming later a facist and 3) i dont really think james had the time to teach harry that snape was a bad guy do you ? #calledout

- tonks hints that remus isn’t giving her any news about, for example, whether he’s alive or not. Remus really ? Bad manners.

- when Harry looks at all the detention’s files, he says Remus’ and Peter’s names were only occasionnally associated with the ones of James and Sirius, who were much more punished. Prank example : inflating another student’s head

- so this is more about greyback than remus but he talks really freely about biting children ( which must have been joyful to hear about poor lil remus ) and other death eaters hex him ? They never hex each other ? So they probably feel pretty entitled to hexing any werewolf that come their way

- also something about this attack bothers me. Dumbledore said he asked for the order members in hogsmeade to come to defend hogwarts but why was remus here then ? And later, when he tells about the battle, he says he saw greyback but there is no mention of them fighting or something yet greyback was supposed not to know remus was a spy for the order ? What is going on here i need answers

- i think remus’ bite mark was probably somewhere on his neck bc that’s where greyback wanted to bite harry. Does remus have to wear constant turtlenecks to hide it ? Omg

- REALLY SNAPE ? When they are both fighting after he killed dumbie he wants to run off and harry calls him a coward and he answers “oh yeah well when your dad bullied me it was always four against one so ha who’s the coward now” like WOW i do not appreciate you and oh also i guess possible information about the fact that the marauders acted together against snape but it’s kind of a contradiction with snape’s own memory where it’s only sirius and remus ? Guess snape is just making things up

- at the school hospital, remus has to stay with bill, who just got attacked by greyback, and that cannot be fun

- people don’t dare to say the word werewolf around remus for some reason

- HOW DOES REMUS KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO BILL AFTER HIS HALF BITE WHAT DID HE WITNESS WHILE SPYING

- when he learns that dumbledore died, he has a complete breakdown ( well he falls to a chair and hides his face in his hands and looks really distressed ) and harry says it’s the first time he sees remus losing control of himself. People underestimate how loyal to dumbie the meanie remus was

- he justified snape for a very long time but as soon as he learns he kills dumbledore ? He goes full ‘i hate him’ mode and says he has been a death eater spy the whole time

- he also used to say snape versus marauders was just old school rivalries but now he says « um, snape hated james » so really a lot of his attitude was really influenced by dumbledore

- as he is himself completely devastated, he takes time to comfort everyone and says « nah it’s not your fault » to everyone who blames themselves

- says a death curse nearly hit him during the battle. That is not a part of his character analysis but damn

- he « recovers » pretty quickly from his breakdown. Like they say his tone is harsh but that’s all lol wish i could get over something that fast

- nah kidding he’s probably just used to all the ‘don’t let them see, don’t let them knoooow’

- MOVING ON TO THAT REMUS/TONKS SCENE I DISLIKE

- as soon as tonks opens her mouth to talk about them dating, he ‘suddenly tenses’

- OKAY WHAT THE FUCK when remus tries to say that he doesn’t want to date tonks she grabs him, yells+ at him and shakes him down ? WHAT THE HELL BACK OFF

- apparently, when having a conversation about his love life, remus loves to stare at all this beautiful floor

- apparently remus predicted that the board members would try and close off hogwarts

- at the funeral he is holding tonks’ hand

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paranoid-fighter · 7 years ago

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Overwatch: Reyes - Chapter 8: Reyes commands | Jesse executes | Nocte observes

AT LONG LAST, IT’S HERE

Author's Notes: 1) My absolute sincerest apologies for the delay. Life and health have not been the greatest... 2) Nocte is one of my own characters who has a story all his own. 3) I sincerely hope you enjoy this chapter. I put a great deal of work into planning the mission - the sincerest thanks to @slunkymcgee for spending countless hours with me, working through the details. 4) @one-doesnt-simply-walk-in-bagend, as always, thank you for your support!

Copyright: Overwatch, characters and settings are all property of Blizzard. Original characters belong to me. Wordcount: 6120-ish

Jesse shifted uneasily in the small seat as he tried to make himself comfortable; his flight had gotten off to a miserable start. He was saddled with his body armor, all the gear that Reyes said he needed and he swore that the restraints were trying to strangle him. His eyes roved over the interior of the plane in an effort to look anywhere except at the man sitting across from him; Jesse still wasn't sure if his traveling companion was even alive. To make matters worse, he didn't even have his hat! He only had a hood and tactical visor that Morrison had insisted upon.

For five hours now, he had sat in sullen silence before the man that Reyes had given him as a partner. He had tried to make conversation with the man called Nocte but Nocte had yet to respond... or move. As if the stillness wasn't unnerving enough, Jesse couldn't even see Nocte's face. The man wore a plain white mask that hid his entire face - including his eyes. It was mirror-smooth, without any indentations for nose or mouth, and only showed a hazy reflection of his surroundings.

Jesse couldn't see Nocte's eyes through the mask, but he had the feeling that Nocte had been staring at him for five hours straight.

"So..." Jesse slumped against the seatbelts, "how long have you known Reyes?" No response. "Were you part of Blackwatch?" Silence. "Are you part of Overwatch?" Jesse thought he saw Nocte twitch, but realized it was just from the turbulence. "Are you dead?" "Maybe." Nocte finally spoke. "Maybe?" Jesse frowned. "What the hell does that mean?" "Do not worry about it." "Are you like a cyborg or something?" "Do not worry about it." Nocte's voice held a faint edge. "Fine, fine, I'll drop it. Jeez..." He huffed and looked to the side. "Just tryin' to make conversation, is all."

"I see." Nocte's tone softened. "Shall we go over the plan again, then?" "No," Jesse shook his head, "if I have to go over the fuckin' plan one more time, I'm gonna scream." "Planning keeps you alive." "Yeah, yeah, so does not getting shot." "Which is part of the plan."

Jesse blinked as he swung his gaze back to the white mask. "Did you just make a joke?" "It happens." Nocte still had yet to move. "When we touch down, we will...?" "Meet our transportation at the airstrip and Echo'll drive us to the district." Jesse sighed. "Yes and then what?" "Were you not listenin' during the debriefing or any of the fuckin' plannin' sessions?" Jesse frowned. "Do I seriously have to rehash all of this?" "No." Nocte's voice held his smile. "I simply thought it would be conversation." "That ain't conversation!" Jesse crossed his arms and glowered at the wall. "Reyes couldn't even get us a plane with windows?" "This avoids suspicion." "This sucks."

Nocte rolled his eyes. "Eight more hours until we touch down. I would recommend that you sleep." Jesse sighed. "Relax, Jesse. This will all be over before you know it." He glanced back to the motionless man; Nocte's voice was strangely tranquil. "Are y'ever gonna tell me how you even got involved in this?" "No. Go to sleep."

The Major stared for a few more moments before closing his eyes and slumping back in the jump seat...

He was sitting at the table between Morrison and the masked Nocte. Mrs. Ramanaja had brought them tea and a sheaf of papers before leaving. Jack had taken a tea cup, as had Reyes, but Nocte had not moved since he had sat down. Reyes was nonplussed; Jack kept glancing at Nocte between sips of the piping hot tea.

"In two months, we will be sending out the Mockingbirds to exterminate the Shimada clan." Reyes said as he stared into his cup. "This is an order from the Overwatch puppet masters. They want the clan completely gone. Apparently they are continuously hampering both legal and financial matters and are causing quite the headache." Reyes took a sip of his tea. "We will work to prevent this. However, we cannot inform the Mockingbirds of our actions. They must believe they are out for a hunt and kill mission. We have to show that we are still obedient soldiers.” He raised his head. “Jesse, Nocte, this is where I need the two of you." Jesse put his cup back on the saucer. "What do y'need, boss?" "I need you two to make sure that, at the very least, Hanzo Shimada survives this raid. The entire Shimada family should be kept safe, but Hanzo is the one that the puppet masters want dead. He is in position to assume leadership of the clan and is the biggest threat in their eyes. Even though another Shimada could potentially be sired, Sojiro's health is in decline. It is unlikely to happen and, even if it did, it would take too long to train the child. All of this makes the father a lesser priority for us." Reyes took another sip of his tea. "There is another Shimada, but he is wild and unruly - unfit for leadership. If you see him, protect him as well, but I doubt that he'll be within the compound on the night of the raid." "Understood." Jesse took a folder off of the table and began leafing through it. "So, find our targets, hide 'em from everyone and then what?" "We will trip the alarms within the compound. That will trigger a private force to come out and will make the Mockingbirds fly the coop. The Mockingbirds know they are not to be seen for this mission." "You're setting them up for failure?" Jesse frowned. "That's--" "It's unfortunate but necessary." Jack said as he met Jesse's gaze. "But what's that gonna do, aside from make us all look bad?" Jesse put the folder back on the table. "It will make people start asking questions, starting with the Shimadas." Reyes smiled darkly. "You will be doing much more than just protecting them, Jesse. You'll be giving them a message. This message." He handed a folder to his Major. "We are going to be creating hell for Overwatch and we're starting with one of the most infamous gangs in the world. If we can make them seek revenge on Overwatch, then that is another indirect ally." His smile grew darker. "And the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Jesse pushed back the brim of his hat as he slumped into his chair. "So, Morrison..." He looked to the Commander. "How do you feel about all this? We're about to make your life even more annoying." "It's a necessary annoyance," Jack sighed, "and it's one step closer to forcing Overwatch to disband." "Y'think they’ll actually disband us?" "We're not going to give them a choice, Jesse." Reyes frowned. "We will create so much havoc, public distrust and unrest that they'll have no choice but to disband the armies if these politicians want to stay in office. All they care about is maintaining their wealth and power. If the public starts shouting for their head, they'll kowtow to the demands." "You seem awfully sure of that," Jesse's voice was low. "I have it on good authority that what I just said will happen." Reyes sipped his tea.

"Alright then. I get it..." He leaned forward, his elbows coming to rest on the table, "but I got a question." "About?" Jack asked. "What's up with Tuxedo Mask?" Jesse jerked his thumb at the silent figure clad in black. "What's he gonna be doin' for us?" "Nocte is on loan to me from a concerned party who also doesn't like the puppet masters." Reyes' voice was firm. "You will show him the same level of respect that you show me. Understood?" "Yessir." "As for what he will be doing..." Another sip of tea. "For now, he'll be going with you to Japan. He'll be your spotter and contingency plan." "Contingency plan?" "I trust Nocte to make the appropriate call on how to handle the situation if your cover is blown." Reyes met Jesse's gaze.

Jesse did not like Gabe's expression; the icy light in his eyes made Jesse think that if he was caught, he'd be coming home in a box...

Jesse was pulled from his dreams when Nocte called his name. He surged against the seat restraints, ready to jump into action, only to be held firmly in place. "What's going on? Is it go time?" “No." Nocte's voice was amused. "We are, however, landing in one hour. Start waking up. We will have only a few minutes on the airstrip before Echo meets us." "Is Echo one of your guys?" "Yes." "Oh, goody. More masked mooks." Nocte said nothing - he had the feeling that Jesse was simply trying to ellicit a reaction and he wouldn't give him that satisfaction. "So what's Echo's mask look like?" "He does not wear one." "Why do you?" "Reasons." "Such as...?" "Reasons." Jesse groaned as his head fell back against the seat. "Goddammit, what is it with you?! I've never even seen you move, you're creepy as fuck and you've got Reyes all but garglin' your cock outta hero worship!" He leaned forward in his seat, frowning at the other man. "Listen, Nocte. I don't know who the hell you are, but y'ain't one of us and y'ain't part of this! Yer gonna be here for this one mission and then you're out of it!" "I suggest you hold your tongue," Nocte's voice was low, "and that you quell your anger. Reyes needs you to be cool, calm and collected. He wants you to come home from this. Do not make me hand him an empty shell casing and an apology." "You wouldn't--" "If I have to, then I will. It is why I am here - Reyes could not do what would need to be done. Not for you, at least."

Jesse sat back; he felt very small under the mask's blind stare.

"I'm sorry." The Major said quietly. "I just--" "Do not apologize. I understand your frustrations." His voice was gentle. "Relax and rest easy. This is the calm before the storm. Save your anger for the flight back." "...Yessir." Jesse mumbled. "Good man." Nocte smiled a hidden smile - ah, youth...

The plane touched down in the dead of night.

Jesse and Nocte undid their harnesses and grabbed their gear before stepping out onto the dark airstrip. Nocte spoke quickly with the pilots in a language Jesse didn't know. Judging by Nocte's tone, he assumed that the man was praising the pilots for the smooth landing without any guiding lights on the abandoned airstrip. He watched as Nocte approached and then quickly walked past him. "Come," Nocte called over his shoulder, "Echo is waiting for us." "Already?" "Echo is always early. He does not live up to his moniker." Jesse nodded and jogged to keep up with him; something about how Nocte moved unnerved him. It just wasn't... natural.

Echo stood beside a small car and gave a discrete salute to Nocte when he saw the pair approaching. The man was greying and slightly bent from his years, but there was a youthful energy in his eyes and step. He hurried to take the case from Nocte's hands and placed it in the trunk of the car as Nocte and Jesse climbed into the back seat. Jesse was casting uneasy glances at the men, wondering yet again about what he had gotten himself into.

Nocte remained silent during the ride, as did Jesse.

Echo, however, was talking enough for all of them.

By the time they arrived two miles from the Shimada mansion, Jesse felt like he knew everything there was to know about Echo. Without knowing their names, Jesse knew that Echo had four grown children with families of their own. He was a grandfather to seven grandkids and his wife had a small army of dogs. Most of them were Shi Tzus, but there was an old St. Bernard named Boof that liked to make his presence known by bumping his head into the small of peoples’ backs - usually when he saw a plate in someone's hands. Boof, Jesse learned, was Echo's favorite of the dog platoon and was a rejected runt that Echo had hand-reared since near birth.

Jesse kept glancing at Nocte during the car ride and fought to keep his amused smile hidden. Even though he couldn't see the man's face, he knew Nocte was annoyed. The man was breathing far, far too mechanically for someone who was relaxed. Jesse struggled to hide his smile; it pleased him to know that there was something that bothered the walking corpse.

Nocte's annoyance faded as they walked away from the talkative driver.

"I will be leaving your side soon," Nocte said as he made his way through the thick trees. "I will get into position and then I will tell you when to make your entrance. Do you have any questions?" "Y'sure you'll be able to see me once I go in?" "Yes. I will be able to track you. I have tested this mask extensively. So long as you do not go more than thirty feet underground or behind lead, I will be able to keep my eye on you." Nocte did not want Jesse to know of the tracking device within his bullet-proof vest. "Oh." Jesse felt the urge to shudder. "Alright." He continued to follow Nocte. "Y'gonna keep me clear if their backup get here before I get out?" "Yes. I will keep you safe." His voice held his smile...

Jesse stood near the fence to the complex and exhaled slowly as he stared up at the wall. He held a collapsible ladder in his hands with two modified jacks attached to his hip. It wouldn't be hard to get set up the ladder, nor would it be hard to prop up the jacks underneath the electrified razor wire. Once the wire was raised, it wouldn't be too difficult to shimmy under it and then drop down on the other side of the wall. The only part that would be difficult would be speed at which he had to do it. Nocte had pointed out the cameras to him, had helped him find the best spot to set up the ladder, but there was nothing Nocte could do about the small time window. "In one minute," Nocte's voice filled his left ear, "begin your ascent. You will have less than two minutes to clear the wall before the cameras sweep over you. Once you do, hug the shadows and run to your right." Jesse heard the sound of Nocte's rifle being cocked as he extended the ladder "Ready?" "Yeah." Jesse took a steadying breath as he propped the ladder against the wall. "Go."

Nocte watched as the soldier scaled the ladder in a matter of seconds and watched as Jesse wedged the insulated jacks under the bladed Constantia wire. Nocte knew it would only take a few pumps of the levers to raise the wire into the air. He saw Jesse sliding through the hole he made before pausing. The soldier had planted his boots on the wall and held onto the ledge with one hand as he pushed the jacks back over the wall. The wire fell back into position as he dropped to the ground fifteen feet below. He saw Jesse's heat signature roll with his fall before jumping to his feet and running into the shadows of the deceptively strong barrier.

Jesse clung to the wood-clad iron as he made his way towards the main house. "Bedroom first," Jesse breathed, "then I'll search elsewhere." "Mockingbirds will land in fifteen minutes." "Roger." Jesse hugged the wall as he sprinted towards the main house.

Were this any other time, Jesse would have loved nothing more than to stop and bask in the sight of the manicured lawns and intricate sculptures. Instead, he was having to dodge the cameras that Nocte pointed out to him. There was no time for enjoying the moonlit gardens, nor was there time to breathe in the scent of the blooming trees...

Jesse ran on.

A simple glance at the door confirmed that it was too heavily locked for him to break through. The windows, Reyes had told him, were rigged to trip an alarm if they were broken. Jesse exhaled as he stared at the door from behind the shrubbery. "My informant has told me that RFID readers control the doors," Nocte said. "The guards have the chips in their cuff links." "I wasn't given any cuff links." Jesse frowned. "How am I supposed to get past the doors?" "Find a guard. They should be easy to spot; my informant says they all wear suits and are tattooed." "How can I find one? I can't get inside!" "Be patient; there should be a shift change soon, if my informant is correct." "But--" "Hush; I see movement." Nocte fell silent as he watched Jesse gathering his feet underneath him...

Jesse crouched in the bushes as the back door to the mansion swung open almost two minutes later. He watched as a suit-clad man stepped outside and caught a glimpse of an intricate tattoo on his neck - moreover, he saw the golden cuff links. Jesse watched the man pull a cigarette case from within his jacket pocket, select a single cigarette and then return the case to his pocket. He lit a cigarette and stepped away from the door, exhaling a cloud of smoke as he walked through the gardens. "Let him keep walking - it looks like he is going to the hedge wall. He will be out of the cameras. Get ready to move." Nocte whispered. Jesse nodded and crept through the dark night as he watched his target vanish behind the sculpted shrubs...

The man never knew what hit him.

Jesse's fist connected solidly with the man's bearded jaw. The guard’s head snapped to the side as the world grew darker. Jesse shoved him to the ground and wasted no time in binding the man's hands behind his back. Working quickly, he tied the man's ankles together before tearing the cuff links from the man's shirt.

"A shame that you did not kill him," Nocte whispered. "Now you will have to worry about him waking up." "Boss said to avoid bloodshed," Jesse grumbled as he ran back to the mansion, "and I ain't gonna kill a guard for his keys." "A pity; I would have," Nocte sighed. "Ah well. If I see him moving, I will let you know." "Thanks." Jesse wasn't overly grateful. "I'm back at the door - going in now. Cuff link's worked." Jesse took his first cautious steps into the mansion. "Y'sure you can see me?" "Clear as day." Nocte whispered. "Just keep moving, sticking to the walls whenever you can. Corners probably have cameras - move fast and do not linger." "Roger." He nodded and made his way deeper into the house.

Much like the gardens, he wanted nothing more than to stop and admire the sights. The Shimada mansion was a living museum; centuries of ancestral armor and weaponry lined the halls, interspersed with artwork that even Jesse knew was priceless. Instead, he kept his head on a swivel as he traced the path to Hanzo's bedroom. He had spent countless hours memorizing the stolen blueprints. By now, he knew the complex as well as the Blackwatch base.

Jesse was proud; he had found the bedroom within mere minutes of infiltrating the mansion. However...

"Shit; he's not here." Jesse hissed. "Is the bedding disturbed?" "Yeah. I can see into the bathroom, too. It's empty." "Perhaps he went to get a midnight snack?" "Possibly." Jesse left the bedroom as quickly as he came in. "Worth a shot. Y'still see me?" "Yes; I have never lost sight of you. Keep moving. Mockingbirds land in seven minutes. And remember, if you cannot find him in time, stash the documents, trip the alarm and run. Hanzo is smart - if the alarm goes off, he will hide. That is the best way to keep him safe, save from opening fire on your own soldiers." "Got it." Jesse began to make his way to the kitchen.

Jesse was thankful for the mask that hid his face - he did not overly fear the cameras, but, more importantly, he did not fear anyone seeing his apprehension. It was one thing to break into a home, but it was another thing entirely to break into the home of a notorious drug lord. The margin for error was slim and any mistake was likely result in punishments that would make him wish he were dead - if Nocte didn't kill him first...

Manicured hands slowly pulled apart the plastic wrapper. The cellophane barely rustled, even when it was discarded. He held the sweet bread much like a child would cradle a treat. His eyes closed as he raised the loaf to his mouth, all but basking in the memories of the treasured childhood dessert. His teeth punctured the thin cookie crust and found himself smiling ever-so-slightly as the bread crunched in the way he had always known.

It was not often that he fed his sweet tooth, but tonight was not a normal night.

He had spent hours kneeling by his father's bedside, surrounded by the men and women who assisted the Shimada family. Hanzo had barely spoken as he listened to his father discussing the plan for his spoiled younger brother. Sojiro knew that his time was coming to an end and was becoming insistent on bringing the unruly Genji into line. "You must teach him, Hanzo," his thin voice commanded, "and he must learn. You must make him learn." A quiet susurrus of agreement echoed around the kneeling Hanzo. "Yes, sir," Hanzo bowed his head before sitting upright. "I will speak with him in the morning." "His dalliances must cease. He is a liability to us all." Sojiro's eyes closed as he returned his head to his silken pillows. "I understand." "We will talk in the morning. You are dismissed." "Thank you, Father." Hanzo stood in one fluid motion. Without another word, he turned and left the room.

His troubled thoughts followed him through the halls and into his bedroom.

Clad in only a yukata, he climbed into bed and drew the silken sheets to his chest. His eyes closed. His mind, instead of falling still, insisted on replaying the entire conversation with his father, as well as a host of memories he would have preferred to forget entirely. Sojiro had fatigued himself yet again as he demanded for Genji to be brought into the fold. For too long, the rebellious youth had ignored most of the orders of his father and older brother; Genji was a master at doing just enough to avoid his father's wrath and to stay in his good graces. Hanzo was less than impressed with his brother's antics, but he knew he could not say much to his father. Sojiro simply wouldn't listen.

It had been a source of frustration between the men for far longer than Hanzo cared to admit.

After several sleepless hours, Hanzo left his bedroom and made his way to the kitchen in hopes that a cup of tea would soothe his mind.

Instead, he settled on melon pan.

He had demanded that the kitchen be vacated while he enjoyed the treat; he wanted nothing more than a few moments of precious solitude. The bodyguard frowned but slowly bowed and left room. Hanzo knew the man was standing just on the other side of the door, but he didn't care. The kitchen was empty and that was all that he wanted.

Chewing slowly, Hanzo closed his eyes as he found solace in the bread...

...well, he did, until his guard's unconscious body fell through the doorway.

Hanzo stared at the masked intruder as if he were a cockroach; his eyes narrowed and his mouth set itself into a thin, angry frown. He held the bread in one hand as his other came to rest on the counter near the knife block. He scowled at the stranger but did not move; the intruder did not have a weapon drawn and was holding his hands up. He stared down his nose at the unarmed man as his whole body radiated his displeasure and annoyance...

Jesse held his hands up as he met Hanzo Shimada's gaze. He was running out of time and he knew it; Nocte had informed him only seconds ago that the Mockingbirds were making their way through the gardens and towards the back door. He had only minutes to deliver the message and escape... "Hanzo Shimada, I've come to deliver a message. Two messages, actually." He frowned behind his mask as Hanzo remained silent but continued with his practiced spiel. "First message is some documents for you. I got them right here; I ain't pullin' a weapon, just some papers." Jesse's hand moved slowly to a pouch on his right leg. He opened the pocket and carefully pulled out a thick envelope. He held his left hand up in the air, away from his body, as he knelt down and placed the sealed packet on the unconscious guard's body. "There. Y'need to read those later." He stood up and held his right hand up, mirroring the left. "The second message is that you've got five Blackwatch soldiers makin' their way through your gardens right now. Y'better get into a safe room or somethin', 'cause they're here to kill you." He frowned again as Hanzo snapped something in Japanese. "I don't know what you said, but I ain't lyin' to you. And I know you can understand me." He stood a little straighter. "You better get to safety, 'cause they're gonna be here and they want you dead. Take the papers and go. I'm goin' too. Call the guards if y'want. I was gonna set off an alarm on my way out, if you don't. They're on orders to run when they realize they've been detected." He took a step backwards. "I'd really appreciate it if y'didn't put a bullet in my back. Me and my friends wanna keep you alive - we all share a common enemy." He gave a quick, curt bow of his head before he turned and ran...

Hanzo frowned at the open doorway. He took another bite as he reached for his phone. With a few quick taps on the screen, he activated the silent alarms and summoned several more guards to his location. He finished his snack as three guards spilled into the room, each holding their weapons at the ready. One guard knelt down by the unconscious man as the other two rushed to Hanzo's side. "Soma, pick up that folder and send it off to be tested. Destroy it if there are any abnormalities. Riku, Hintaro--" "Apologies," Riku bowed, "we need you to come with us now. There are--" "--five soldiers entering the Manor." Hanzo frowned. "Yes, I know. Come with me." He took another round of sweet bread from the cabinet and began walking out of the kitchen. "I trust someone has already gone to escort Father?" "Yes, sir." Hintaro bowed his head as he jogged ahead of his employer. "Your brother is not here. We are attempting to locate him." "Try a bath house," Hanzo fumed as he unwrapped the bread and took a bite.

The body guards rushed Hanzo to the safe room in silence. Hanzo took a seat next to his father within the reinforced room. The Shimada heir had taken a handgun off of the weapons rack and was holding it as comfortably as a lover's hand. His eyes, like those of his guards, were fixed on the door. Riku and Hintaro were joined by several of their fellows as they kept their weapons ready...

"Good man, Jesse." Nocte whispered. "Make your way towards the front of the house. The Mockingbirds are in the back. Run to your right once you get past the main gate; hug the wall. I will keep you safe." "Roger." Jesse breathed as he sprinted through the halls. "If I tell you to duck, do so immediately." "Understood." He whipped himself around the corner and ran full-tilt down the halls. He knew he was close to the front door and closer to the safety of Nocte's rifle. "The front door will be locked, but the cuff links should override it." "If not?" "Get creative." "Fuck." Jesse saw the front door ahead of him and grabbed the cuff link out of his pocket. He stopped short of the door and waved the cuff link in front of the reader. "They worked," he pushed the door open and began running towards the front gate. "How am I looking?" "Good. Mockingbirds are starting to retreat. Your way is clear for now, but expect company soon. Echo has informed me of three vans heading your way." "Shit." He still had a mile and a half to go before he arrived at the front gate. "Just keep running, Jesse. You are almost home."

Jesse saw the front gate ahead of him and swore. Unsurprisingly, it was closed. He ran up to it and began waving the cuff links around, trying to find the chip reader. He swore in frustration when the gates refused to open. "Suggestions?" Jesse began looking around for a control panel. "Cuff links ain't workin'." "Hide. Now. I see vehicles approaching. Slip out after the gates open." Jesse stared at the open area and scowled; there were no bushes or trees. Without any other options, he crouched down in the shadow of the wall and waited...

It took only minutes for the vans to arrive and the gates to open. They sped through with reckless abandon as they made their way to the mansion, all but ignoring the man crouching in the shadows. Jesse waited for the third van to pass through before he ran through the closing gates. Taking Nocte's advice, he hugged the outer wall and-- "Duck."

Jesse threw himself to the ground.

A split second later, he heard the muffled thump of a body falling to the ground behind him. "Keep running." "Yessir," Jesse breathed as he scrambled back to his feet...

He ran along the outskirts of the wall, listening to Nocte's quiet guidance. Jesse knew that Echo was waiting for them and that Sonar and Radar were readying the plane. He crouched down by his ladder and attached the jacks to his hips before collapsing the ladder. He tucked it under his arm and kept running.

He heaved a sigh of relief as he ran into the forest. "Y'still see me, Nocte?" "Yes." "Where are you?" "Four hundred meters and closing, due south by southwest." "Roger." Jesse ducked under a low branch and adjusted his course.

He skidded to a halt as he saw Nocte materializing out of the shadows. Nocte gave a quick salute before running past Jesse. His rifle case was bouncing against his back as he loped through the trees ahead of the soldier...

Echo met them where he had dropped them off. The pair all but threw themselves into the back of the small car as Echo sped off into the night. The man was even more animated now, Jesse realized; he couldn't stop babbling as he all but flew down the road. Nocte was holding onto the handle over his seat, as was Jesse, as they made their way back to the airstrip. Neither man was listening to Echo talking about when he took his grandchildren go-kart racing, or about how Boof loved to ride in the sidecar of his motorcycle with his custom-made goggles...

The talkative man bid them farewell as they boarded the plane. Nocte and Jesse strapped themselves into the uncomfortable jump seats while the plane made its way down the airstrip. Sonar and Radar were bantering between themselves, but the soldiers could barely hear it over the sound of the engines.

Once airborne, Jesse tore the mask off of his face and inhaled deeply. "We did it!" "Do not celebrate yet," Nocte cautioned. "We still have to make it home." "But--" "Sit back and rest if you can. We have about thirteen hours to go before you are home." Jesse sighed. "Fine." He crossed his arms over his chest. "So... what're you gonna do after this?" "I will stay on base for a short time and work with Reyes and my own commander. After they talk, I will know more." "Y'mean you might be sticking around?" "Doubtful, but it is possible. I am a busy man." "Doing...?"

Jesse didn't need to see Nocte's face to know that the man was giving him a dry stare.

"What do you think, Jesse?" Nocte asked tersely. "Gardening?" He grinned. Nocte swore under his breath before exhaling slowly. "I do whatever is commanded of me.” "Oh..." Jesse looked down at the case between the man's legs. "Can I see your rifle?" "No." "Why not?" "Because it is my rifle." "But--" "I realize you are coming off of an adrenaline high, but I would greatly appreciate it if you ceased your questions." "Fine..." The young soldier huffed as he sank back in his seat. He lowered his chin to his chest and listened to the thrum of the engines...

Jesse and Nocte were greeted by Mrs. Ramanaja that night. She met them outside the edge of the base and escorted them inside, ushering them past the security guards who knew better than to stop the stone-faced woman. Jesse and Nocte were silent as they fell into step behind her. They did not speak until they were safely standing in the almost-empty firing range - it was the only room in the entire base that Reyes knew wasn't bugged.

Jesse and Nocte approached Reyes and saluted before standing at ease. Jesse smiled ear-to-ear as he met his commander's gaze. "We did it, boss. Message delivered and he's safe." "Good." Reyes looked over at Nocte. "You killed someone." "It was only one person." "You were told--" "You are welcome." Nocte interrupted; his voice held his frown. "That bullet kept your Major alive." "Jesse?" "It's true, boss."

Reyes stood silent for a moment before nodding. "Alright. One body is nothing out of the ordinary and will make our case stronger. What ammunition did you use? Ours?" "Yes." "Alright." He nodded and looked to the masked man. "You know where to go; your employer is waiting for you. I'll join you soon." Nocte bowed and left the room with nary a sound.

Reyes turned his gaze back to Jesse. "Change, shower and get something to eat. The Mockingbirds will be here in two hours and I want you to stand with me when I address them." "This isn't going to be good, is it?" He shook his head. "They will already be in a bad mood and this is going to make it worse, I'm afraid." He sighed. "I'll page you when they arrive." "Yessir." Jesse saluted and began walking away. "Jesse," "Yes?" He paused and turned. "You did well tonight. Better than I could've hoped." "Thank you, sir." "Dismissed, Major. I will see you soon."

Reyes stared down at the five soldiers in front of him. The men and women stood at military rest as they looked to their commander and his Major. The air within the room was positively frigid and the frustrations were palpable. "You failed." Reyes said simply, coldly. "You failed your mission. Hanzo Shimada lives. Sojiro Shimada lives. Genji Shimada lives. The clan now knows that someone is after them - someone with enough firepower and technology to make it past their current defenses. Their security will increase. We cannot attempt this again for months, at the minimum, if ever again." His eyes narrowed. "You have failed not only myself, but Overwatch and Blackwatch alike. I considered you to be the best of the best and you have failed me." He turned his back to the soldiers. "We will have a proper debrief in the morning. For now, you are dismissed."

He turned and left the room, followed immediately by Major McCree...

Jesse stood with Nocte and Reyes within the empty firing range as Reyes held a small phone to his ear. "Jack? It's done." He smiled and returned the phone to his pocket as he looked to the pair. “Good job. Mission successful.”

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