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merakilyy · 4 years ago

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Lan Qiren is Not a Completely Terrible Parent + Bonus Headcanon

Some disorganized thoughts on Lan Qiren!

A lot of my thoughts on Lan Qiren come from a bilibili article breaking down what it means be be righteous (雅正) in accordance to the Lan Sect’s motto. The article is in Chinese so I’ll just sum up some of the major ideas first:

***

~It fundamentally refutes the idea of Lan Wangji as the “black sheep” in the Lan Sect

~It assumes Cloud Recesses has a highly collective intrasect environment. Children are raised not just by the parents, but by the entire Sect.

~The Elders raised Wangji and saw him grew up and didn’t have the heart to hurt Wangji, even after he escaped with Wei Wuxian into the cave. Western fandom especially tends to see the elders as strict, conservative disciplinarians who are rigid in their beliefs to the point of hypocrisy. This meta refutes that. It’s unreasonable that Wangji, no matter how strong his cultivation, would be able to stand on his own against 33 seasoned cultivators. So, contrary to popular belief, the elders allowed Wangji to injure them so they would not have to harm a child of the Sect.

~Lan Sect rules are not about what is literally written, but the spirit of the rules. This also makes sense given that when you have 4000+ rules, some rules are bound to contradict one another. And, many rules are quite vague. Eg. “sneering for no reason is prohibited.” Where is the line that justifies sneering? There is none because the idea is not “don’t sneer for no reason,” the idea is “don’t be unnecessarily rude.” In many of the rules, there is room for interpretation and it is this process of interpretation that is valued over the literal inscription of the rules.

~Basically, they are not good people because of the rules. They are good people because they are good people. The rules guide them to make good judgement, but good judgement does not comes from following the rules to a T.

~So the function of 雅正 (to be righteous) is internal, not performative.

~It is this internal clarity that makes Gusu Lan “innocent” (the word used is 纯真; 纯/chun = pure, clarity, genuine, practised and 真/zhen = true, real, genuine, clear)

~There is also a long history of Lans being deviant and rebellious. In CQL, there is Lan Yi who invents guqin battle techniques. They are also the only Clan to have been led by a female cultivator. Qingheng-jun clearly went against orthodoxy by marrying a murderer, but still remained in Cloud Recesses. We’re going to set aside consent here because is a total other separate conversation, but his punishment is self-imposed, not enforced by the Sect. So there are a lot of rules, but they aren’t pedantic. There is leeway, as seen in Lan Yi, but only within reason, as demonstrated by Qingheng-jun.

~Like his ancestors, Wangji also deviated from the straightforward path but his sect accepted his unrepentant love for Wei Wuxian in the end.

~In the end, Wangji gets what he wants: to live with Wei Wuxian in Cloud Recess. But he only gets this because the elders and Lan Qiren allow him to.

~To allow Wei Wuxian to exist in Cloud Recesses, the Lan Sect has to be more inclusive than we typically see them as.

~Despite everything, Lan Wangji still wants to return to Cloud Recesses because it is home to him.

~This is also my favourite explanation of Jingyi’s Jingyi-ness. Rather than Wangji (and possibly Xichen) singlehandedly creating a space for Jingyi, that space already existed. Jingyi isn’t as much of a black sheep as people portray him as because you don’t grow into a Jingyi if everyone is constantly yelling at you to follow rules. CQL Jingyi is plenty sassy, even in front of Lan Qiren, and Jingyi isn’t stupid! He was born and raised in Cloud Recesses, he knows when he is pushing several of the rules and he knows that he has the leeway to do so, and that Lan Qiren will not stop him (within reason).

~”Be righteous” is how the Lan motto is translated in English, but it’s….not exactly what it is in Chinese.

~In modern Chinese, it’s 雅正. 雅/ya = elegance, graceful and 正/zheng = positive, correct, straight, just.

~Notice how the two parts of the motto contrast one another. Ya is outward, something that dictates how you act. Zheng is internal, determined by your actions and attitudes. Zheng is the foundation of Ya.

~As a related aside, the literary meaning of 雅正 is slightly different; it means to be correct and honest, and to welcome corrections to one’s shortcomings. The literary 雅 is to be proper。

~The meta ends with this beautiful line: 所谓的“雅正”，家族交出来，体雅是表象，心正才是更本。Now to ruin it in translation: “Each configuration of “righteousness,” as taught by the Sect, is outward physical elegance built on the foundation of a moral heart.”

~TLDR: Rebelliousness is a function of Gusu Lan, not an anomaly.

***

Onto some fun headcanons!

~Lan Qiren has personal issues with Wei Wuxian because of his mother, but he is more horrified by Wei Wuxian because Wei Wuxian has all this potential and then uses it to go down the heretial path?? Blaphemous. All that ability, all that work, only to throw it all away? Wei Wuxian is incredibly competent and Lan Qiren begrudgingly respects that competence. What he can’t stand is Wei Wuxian’s lackadaisical attitude towards his cultivation.

~In novel canon, Lan Qiren accepts Wangji and Wei Wuxian’s marriage. He definitely still has issues with Wei Wuxian for being a mass murderer, a demonic cultivator, for desecrating the dead, etc. Also for his general Wei Wuxian-ness. But Wei Wuxian is nothing is not incredibly competent and Lan Qiren eventually softens towards Wei Wuxian because of that competence. Once Wei Wuxian starts using that competence to be useful to the Sect and not just to be as annoying as possible, he gets Lan Qiren’s approval.

~Secretly, of course. Lan Qiren would qi deviate before saying nice about Wei Wuxian to his face.

~I totally wrote a fic on Lan Qiren publicly defending Wei Wuxian heheh

~Cloud Recesses is only so big and Lan Qiren can’t avoid Wei Wuxian, even if he is never trying to seek him out. Plus, Wei Wuxian has this way of being in the most inconvenient place at the most inconvenient time.

~We all agree Wei Wuxian is a terrible cook. But, is he a bad cook because he adds too much spice, or he is a bad cook because he’s a bad cook? He did manage to cook congee for the ducklings in Yi Cheng without any fatalities. so I’m inclined to believe the former.

~Lan Qiren definitely thinks Wei Wuxian is a terrible cook, especially after hearing about how Wei Wuxian burned a hole in a pot.

~But Wei Wuxian is Wei Wuxian and even if he can’t be trusted with spices (or anything remotely resembling seasoning), he can make plain congee just fine....after some practice

~Lan Qiren eats this congee and it’s a perfectly good congee. Ideal thickness, light taste, no spices, slides down the throat smoothly and pairs perfectly with his dried zhacai (pickled mustard; a super common Chinese side dish). He asks who made the congee, expecting it to be Sizhui. He chokes when he is told Wei Wuxian is the cook.

~Lan Qiren knows how to be a good parent in theory. He’s just terrible at putting it to practice.

~Jingyi’s parents, when he was still a terrible toddler wreaking havoc everywhere, went to Lan Qiren for desperate advice like “why is our child such a terrible Lan???”

~But Jingyi isn’t actually Lan Qiren’s kid so he actually gives good advice. “Give him a toy, he’ll tire himself out for his nap,” “Let him crawl around, just cover sharp objects and table corners,” and “give him a crushed peach as a reward for walking across the room”

~But he doesn’t know how to talk to Xichen or Wangji as family. He loves them both dearly – obviously he raised them, but they’re also good nephews!! Questionable taste in men aside, they are excellent nephews! He just doesn’t know how to talk to them outside of official sect business.

~Especially with Wangji, He kind of did declare Wangji’s husband a heretic, a traitor, was extra hard on Wei Wuxian as a student, Wangji for visiting Wei Wuxian. And there’s that whole discipline whip thing.

~Which, to be fair, did end up saving Wangji’s life. Raising his sword against Sect Elders and one’s own family is an act of treason punishable by execution. But Lan Qiren can’t just execute his own nephew….he has a heart, even if no one believes it

~33 discipline lashes from the discipline whip is very harsh and Lan Qiren won’t pretend otherwise. But he could gamble that Wangji’s core is strong enough to pull him through. Because the odds of a living, resentful Wangji is better than a dead Wangji.

~They never talk about this. There are a lot of things they don’t talk about.

~Even before, Lan Qiren isn’t a bad parent. He just has no idea how to put his ideas of parenting into practice. He knows what a good parent looks like, he just doesn’t know how to be one.

~So he hides behind the rules because the rules can’t go that wrong, right? Right???

~Lan Qiren is lowkey jealous of Wei Wuxian for knowing how to be affectionate. He definitely thinks Wei Wuxian is too open with his emotions, but he is envious that Wei Wuxian and Wangji are open to each other in a way that Lan Qiren never established with either nephew. They are loyal in the filial manner of juniors to their elders, but Lan Qiren isn’t exactly close to his nephews.

~In his ongoing attempt to be a better uncle, he ends up getting advice from Wei Wuxian about emotions.

~It’s not like he can go to anyone else. And, well. That congee was really good.

~Turns out Wei Wuxian can brew the perfect pot of tea, too.

~Offensive. That Wei Wuxian is so competent and the least emotionally repressed person in all of Cloud Recesses.

~Eventually, Lan Qiren begins to understand why Wangji is so attached to Wei Wuxian, even if he still can’t stand to be in the same room as Wei Wuxian for longer than 15 minutes.

~No matter how much he might no longer hate Wei Wuxian, he prefers their interactions in small doses and spaced out.

~But he does learn to bond with Wei Wuxian over cultivation theory. Annoyingly, Wei Wuxian is just too useful to continue to despise.

#mdzs #the untamed #mo dao zu shi #cql #lan qiren #meta meta meta

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writtenfan · 5 years ago

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~ A Blooming Bouquet ~

Chairman Rose x FemReader

Your invited into Chairman Rose’s personal penthouse for a chat that may take a delightful turn..

Warning: some strong language, some lemon-ish action~

Chairman Rose slouched over the arm of the couch supported by his arm. His gorgeous green eyes focused on the magnificent view from his penthouse in Wyndon City.

You both sat on sleek comfortable Taurus-skinned couches. A perfect view of the Farris wheel, Rose Tower and the Stadium right outside his huge floor to ceiling windows. You watched him run his fingers from his forehead to the back of his head, pushing back the long strand that fell from the side of his head. A strand which you watched bounce right back hitting his eye making him wince in a charming way.

Shifting his gaze to you, he studied you without any hint of emotion except for a lazy smile which made you smile uneasily back and as if he sensed how uncomfortable you became he closed his eyes and opened one for a lingering wink before straightening himself then leaned on his legs towards you his hands clasped together tightly as he grinned. He wore his usual grey suit set. The golden pin on his tie and the badge on his tuxedo gleaming in the sunset light fading from the sky.

“That was a lovely dinner wasn’t it?” he spoke softly, his face completely calming to your thundering heartbeat.

“Absolutely, thank you, Mr. Rose, I…” He raised his hand closing his eyes and shaking his head.

“Just call me Rose, feel free to drop the formalities.” He said with a smile rubbing his thumb against his jaw, massaging his sculpted beard.

“Well…thank you Rose for this wonderful meal and the fantastic tour of Rose Tower”. You turn your focus towards the view out the windows yet continue speaking as steady as possible, “I’m still surprised that you even had the time to give me such a personal tour…”

You feel his stare and have a challenging time keeping yourself still.

“I’ve enjoyed my time with you today” you forced yourself to say, trying to give him a hint that you “enjoyed-enjoyed” his company and not just his “company company.”

The chairman’s face smiles wider and shifted to a more bashful grin showing some anxious body language as he placed a hand on his neck while stretching averting his gaze towards the dining table behind you.

“W-well, It's my pleasure (Y/N). It wasn’t a problem at all. I was looking forward to giving you a personal tour myself. I trust my employees’ capabilities to know the facilities but I’d rather- “

He continued stretching as he stammered away adorably. You couldn’t help but notice his arms...which were awfully toned, his suit stretching against his build. Not only on his arms but down his chest, down his midsection down and his waist. You flicked your eyes back to his face which was still eluding your eyes. You sighed in relief as you continue to listen to him talk about the meal you two had and how you supposedly deserved to taste the grade A freshness of its ingredients.

He leans back on the couch, looking off at the ceiling and laughing. You listen to him talk about the reasons for his usual busyness. He gives you a hint of a project he’s working on, a bit about Galar’s safety and Oh Arceus.

Look at that bulge. Your face flushed as hot as a Volcarona! His chuckles simmer down and as you raise your eyes from his crotch which found its way back down despite you correcting it earlier. You two lock eyes.

Oh, shoot. Oh, Arceus Damn it.

He leaned back with outstretched arms resting along the back of the couch his thumb rubbing rhythmically against its texture. His eyes trained on yours with sudden seriousness and a hint of a smile?

“Why are you so willing to humor me by giving me your time?” his voice was smooth but curiously formal as he said this. He cocked his head to the right as he continued to look deep into your eyes. You tried to keep your eyes on his as you opened your mouth to reply but found your curiosity flicking across his form more than once and as if on cue he began tapping his foot softly, his legs spread apart. The fabric taut…between...legs…

“It’s not humoring you Chairman- um- Rose.”

You scratch the side of your jaw as you smiled meekly unable to take his taunting gaze. “I actually enjoy your time and your thoughts…” You close your eyes and take a deep breath to open them to look straight on into his eyes with genuine emotion.

“...Especially when you share your thoughts outside of your work! I keep thinking about the time I saw you with your Klinklang over on the docks of Hulbury. Your Pokémon see something in you that I would love to get more than a glimpse of.”

You listened to the soft whistle of white noise coming from another room as you watched the Chairman calmly looking into your eyes occasionally rocking his legs open and closed. The silence broke as you heard the pattering of little footsteps against the marble tiled floor. You both turn you head towards the elevator door of his apartment and are surprised to not only, see nothing over there, but are left grinning as you both watch a Perrserker walk out from behind a wall and into the middle of the room, staring you both down absentmindedly, giving a little rowdy shout before turning and bounding towards the kitchen. You start laughing and turn your head back to Rose who blushes and rocks himself off the couch.

“Give me a moment, I have to stop this bugger from trying to eat the silverware”.

He then as regally but as quickly as possible walked after his Perrserker disappearing into the next room. You continued laughing as you heard the clatter of what you guessed was silverware. “Come on Perrke…we talked about this” his muffled voice traveled through the hall. The Perrserker’s shout followed the shuffling of feet and a loud scratching sound.

“Are you alright?!” you call to him as you rise to your feet and head towards the kitchen. “Y-Yes absolutely, this guy just loves to chew on the steel silverware and…tends to ruin them all… I really should change my cutlery!” he chuckles.

You make your way to the kitchen and peer into the doorway only to see his jacket draped across a barstool and his fingers around the furry body of a disappointed Perrserker staring at the floor with a wide-open toothed mouth. Rose gives you a bright smile and you watched some drops of sweat trail down his forehead.

He walks to you with the Pokémon now in his arm sitting like a toddler. He tilted his head down to his Pokémon. “Say hi…” Rose spoke to it and the horned-Meowth evolution puffed up his chest and gently clinked its claws together with a wide-toothed smile. Rose absentmindedly ruffled the chest fur of the Pokémon as he stood as close as he had ever been to you. Your side brushing up against his and the warmth made you pivot and step back into the side of the door. You flinch and rub the back of your head as it collided with the corner of the kitchen arching entryway.

Rose looked down at your feet up to your face briefly before clearing his throat and shuffling past you. “Let me put this guy back into his room and I’ll be right back with you (y/n)”.

“I’ll be back in the living room…” you say as you watch his portly body disappear down the nearby hallway and hear the door shut. You spin around and admire his beautiful open kitchen and find yourself resting your hands on his suit that laid across the barstool, you raise his jacket to your chest and feel the cloth against your fingers smelling the floral scent in the air as you turn and walk out the kitchen space and back to the set of couches you both sat on earlier.

You set his jacket across that armchair and sit across from it as you had before. Eventually, you heard his footsteps once more and turned your head to see him running a hand through his hair with one hand twirling his finger around carelessly and adjusting his tie, loosening it with each wiggle.

“Thank you for your patience…” He walked over to the couches but instead plopped down on the same couch as yours. But on the other side, turning to you with one leg resting on top of the cushion dangling his foot off the edge. His hands continued to pull against his tie. His neck glistening with small droplets of sweat and shifting with the tension of his pull. There was some silence as he managed to loosen his tie enough and felt comfortable enough to pop a button a few buttons from his vest.

His eyes look gently inro yours as he let out a sigh of relief and leaned back against the corner of the couch an arm resting gently on the back of the couch, his hand closer to you. “I swear, I need to work out more…” he smiled as he took a deep breath in and out. “Even if this suit is perfectly fitted, and my body isn’t terrible. I don’t have as much stamina as I used to!” You absorb his words and try not to crack a flustered smile at what your mind made you think of and he started to fluster.

“I-I mean…I’m not that tired! I still have that blossomed zest that I’ve always had!” He throws a clenched fist in front of him and then pats his chest with a smug grin and you can’t help but snicker “O- of course, I hadn’t doubted that at all!” and he laughs along with you. Unsuspectingly he takes that time to scoot closer to you. His legs about six inches away from yours, you realize after simmering down your laughter. His arm was finding its way behind your neck and shoulders as he slid forward. He seemed so nonchalant about it as well. Man, this man was smooth.

“Now, tell me…and excuse my sudden boldness” his voice grew softer as he leaned forward and crossed his leg over his other. His fingers tapping against the couch out of view, just next to your shoulder. “What can I do…” his eyes look intensely into yours completely trapping you in them as he moves his hand over to yours which rested on your thigh. He looks down at your hand and gently picks it up in his and turns it over and lets your hand gently rest on his wide palm as he smoothed your fingers flat and rolled his thumb gently across the lines on your hand. You could feel his confidence rising and yours absolutely bursting to shreds as he leaned his chest against the side of your arm. You could smell the flowery cologne from his chest…and it was gooooood~.

“To get you to stay the night with me…”

Your eyes widened but his green pupils filled with a serious calm with a honeyed grin that made you shudder with pleasure.

He clasps his fingers around your hand.

“And the night after that...and the night after that…” you listen to his sultry words and managed to stammer a few I’s before he interrupts you by raising your hand towards your chin so that he can lightly press his thumb against the bottom of your chin and still have your hand in his.

“I know you feel this…sprouting… the attraction between us. It's built up enough to even singe my petals…” He stops rubbing your chin and scoots even closer to you, his uncrossed leg against yours his other hand gently wrapped around your shoulder, your hand now against his chest and he holds it there, his eyes as reassuring and tender as ever.

“And unless an Absol breaks into this room, right here and now…I would be more than pleased if we could make our relationship more than just a friendly partnership…” His breath is warm and you're finding it hard to fight your urge to jolt your lips to his, as it is so…so close to yours. He moves your hand to his face and rubs the tips of your fingers against the middle of his chin, just barely avoiding his bottom lip. “I-I’m not usually like this…” he says apologetically as he closes his eyes and continues to gently rub his chin against your fingers, marginally opening one eye as you find your hand now resting to top of his knee, not even registering when you had placed it there.

Arceus his eyes were beautiful, his face was gorgeous. His body, oh Arceus…so attractive! Had someone used Soak in here?! You watched his long strand of black hair move along with the back and forth movement of his head.

“You must be my soul-mate…It took this long…but this is what It must feel like…” your heart thuds against your chest at his sudden words. He opens both his eyes slowly and stops nuzzling your hand and you gently release yourself from his snug hold and slide your hand against his cheek. This causes him to make a sound between a purr and a low moan and his other hand fully presses you towards him so that your chest pressed against his, but only for a moment before you pulled back as your nose bumped against his.

“Oleana tells me…” You feel a bit put off by the mention of her name…but realize now that you had no reason to think of her as a warning. “...I tend to rush and focus on only what I see and feel, I hope I’m not…” you trail your thumb down his cheek which causes him to go quiet and lay his head in your hand as you take your other hand and rub the other side of his face, and the earing on his ear. “…rrrrushing you…”. He continues, his face is so warm! His body heat is making you squirm. You wish someone had used Soak in more than just one place!

“I mean, it’s a little too soon to declare me your soulmate Rose!” you laugh and begin to remove your hands from his face but he manages to keep one of your hands pressed against his face with a free hand. Arceus…he was acting so touch starved, not like you weren’t.

“It’s been only half a month since we met!” you chuckle and responds with a geeky smile “Yes- but we’ve clicked so well” He cooed as he shifted his legs.

Well somebody used Harden.

Your face grew even hotter. He sensed this but didn’t even react to you pressing your back against the hand that pressed against it so tight. You were trying to control and simmer down the situation. You never just been so close to someone this early before! So close to bedding someone so soon! You had to be a reasonable adult…because heh, his eyes had a bursting craving in them and as he played with your fingers his gaze continuously locked with yours, his smile in an excited lip-bite. Oh fuck, he was as horny as a Salandit and so were you.

“In the time I’ve gotten to know you (y/n), I’ve been completely smitten by your presence. Those around you love you just as much as I and your Pokémon respect you completely…your words never made me feel as if I wasn’t deserving of you or that my money was the only thing on your mind.”

He took his free hand and ran his fingers against the back of your hair feverishly, his fingers shaking as he did. His breathing grew more rushed. “Ever since we started seeing and being together on those small “dates” we had I learned that I needed to have you” he exhaled through his nose and you watched his chest rise afterward. “I wasn’t going to wait to ask if you would like to date until after the Champion Match, but being so close to you today weakened me.” He rotated his shoulder and glanced down at his chest before giving you a smile.

He then removes his hands from your body and begins to unbutton the last tiny black buttons on his vest and you focus on his chest and stomach with heightened interest. “Just think what the public would say if they find out I’m in a relationship with one of the Challengers…” he wipes the sweat from his forehead as the last button pops free and he takes the vest off his body, wearing just a white shirt underneath.

“R-Rose...I would love to spend more time with you and I don’t deny this throbbing chemistry between us but sh-shouldn’t we slow down a bit?” You hated saying those words, all you wanted was to go as fast as a Carkol but perhaps you both would get some sense and-

“Oh Arceus…”

The words escape your lips as he starts to lean forward and his chest and everything just, your thoughts cease as his lips gently press against yours and then grew firmer and more hungry. They were so warm and his mustache tickled against your skin as he continued to press you back until you found the top of your head against the arm of the couch. Your hands slid against this shoulders as you began to feel the weight of the man on top of you.

One of his hands supported his weight against the cushion, as the other supported him as he gripped the back of the couch continuing to kiss you, although eventually, it slid down till it reached your side. You felt his lips part yours with such skill and hardly noticed the warm twist of his tongue against yours. Oh, you’d never thought he could be this way he was always calm and gentle but now you felt him completely losing those traits. The flowery smell completely surrounded you as he shifted his body closer to yours, his hands firmly sliding down your thighs and placing them close to his sides. He was so big compared to you, and this made you feel so aroused. You could only glimpse his expression as the sweetness from his tongue mixed in with your own and continued to indulge your mouth. It was a face of complete submission to the urges, his face was so calm yet you could tell by his body that you were absolutely… going to stay the night with no complaint.

You press your lips against his and break away from his mouth before kissing his bottom lip and trailing your lips down to his bearded chin then you let your lips rise from his face and lay back down against the couch cushion. You look up and him and watch his agape mouth still feeling the phantom sensations of your lips against his. “Arceus, your as beautiful as a bouquet…” he whispers tucking his long strand of hair behind his ear”

He then glances towards the window out at now the dark skies and bright lights from the Ferris wheel. “Let's go to my bedroom…reporters tend to… heh...” he looks back at you and pinches your cheek lightly trailing his thumb to the corner of your mouth before moving off you as gently as he could. “…send Rotom to snap pictures from time to time…and I think we should be careful.” He holds a hand out to you and you take it and your standing faster than you thought you would. his strength was surprising! He then smiled and pulled you in towards him as you both played around and pushed and laughed with each other as he leads you back into his room.

#chairman rose pokemon #Chairman Rose x Reader #pokemon imagine #Pokemon Rose x Reader #pokemon lemon

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maluminspace · 5 years ago

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Genre: Parent!sos/Fluff

Pairings: Ashton Irwin/Reader

Word Count: 2.2k

Dedicated to: @irwinkitten

Trigger Warnings: n/a

A/N: Merry christmas, beaut! I loved writing this soft dad!ash for you, I hope you enjoy it <3

***

Rosie has been glum for days. Which was most unusual, especially given the time of year.

You, Ashton and her little sister Ava, have tried various things to cheer her up. Nothing seems to have worked, though. No amount of games, movies or hot chocolates have helped to bring a smile to her face.

Yesterday the six-year-old had confessed that she was sad for two reasons:

She misses her friends now that she has no school for two weeks.

2. The constant rain keeping her indoors doesn’t feel very ‘Christmassy’.

Ashton seemed particularly moved by your daughter’s admission and had lain awake in bed last night trying to think of ways to cheer her up. When you’d woken up this morning, your husband had already left the house. He’d text you to let you know he’d gone shopping and taken Ava with him. Rosie seemed a little disappointed that she hadn’t been invited on the impromptu trip but you had a sneaking suspicion that wherever they’d gone, it was for Rosie's benefit.

Your elder daughter had sat in the big armchair near the window, staring forlornly out into the damp garden until Ashton and Ava had returned. Rosie had perked up a little, noticing that they had a whole load of various sized shopping bags with them.

When asked where they’d been, your three-year-old and your husband simply tapped their noses and asked you to keep Rosie in the living room whilst they set up a surprise.

That had been over two hours ago. During that time, you’ve heard a lot of giggling and what sounds suspiciously like furniture being moved around.

“It sounds like they're having lots of fun.” Rosie sighs, glancing towards the door that leads through to the dining room.

You couldn’t really argue with her. Whatever Ashton and Ava were doing, certainly didn’t sound like work. “Well I’m sure we’ll find out what they’ve been up to soon enough,sweetheart.” You smile, trying to reassure her. “Why don’t we watch another Disney movie while we wait?”

Rosie shrugs, turning her attention back to the window. It’s still stormy outside and large rain droplets trail across the gleaming glass as you watch. “I wish I could play outside.”

“Perhaps we can give uncle Calum a call later, we could all get our wellies on and take Duke for a walk?”

Your daughter seems to cheer up a tiny bit at the prospect of getting see one of her favourite uncles and his little pooch. “Duke likes splashing in the puddles with me.” She giggles, her hazel eyes glimmering brighter than they had for days. “He got very muddy last time, though.”

You’re happy to see Rosie display some semblance of a positive emotion and you smile proudly at her. “I’m sure your Uncle Cal won’t mind that much.”

Rosie giggles as she finally slips off of the armchair in favour of joining you on the sofa. “Will Daddy and Ava come, too?”

“I’m sure they will if they finish whatever they’re up to in the dining room.” You reply, cuddling your little girl close. “I have a bad feeling that it’ll involve me cleaning up a lot of mess afterwards!”

Before rosie can voice any more of her thoughts on her father’s antics, the man in question emerges from the dining room, a proud smile on his handsome face and a giddy looking Ava at his side. “We’re almost ready for you two to see what we’ve been doing!” Ashton announces. “We just have two little things left to do.” He explains, “The first is making lunch, which shouldn’t take me long.”

“What’s the other thing?” You ask suspiciously, slightly concerned about what your husband is planning.

“Well that’s the fun part, isn’t it, Ava?” He asks, glancing down at your youngest daughter.

“Onesies!” Ava yells, bouncing up and down on the balls of her tiny feet, her loose brunette curls tumbling haphazardly around her face.

You exchange a confused glance with Rosie as Ava grabs you both by the hand.

“That’s right.” Ashton chuckles. “You all need to put your onesies on, I’ll join you as soon as I’ve made lunch.” He aims a wink at you before disappearing into the kitchen.

“C’mon!” Ava urges impatiently. “Onesies!”

“But it’s the middle of the day.” Rosie objects, “We can’t put onesies on, we might be going to walk Duke with uncle Cal.”

Ava shakes her head. “No walks! Onesies and fun!” She shrieks before pulling you and Rosie towards the hallway.

“What have you and Daddy been up to, cheeky?” You ask, lifting your toddler into your arms.

“It’s a secret!” Ava giggles, wriggling out of your hold before you even reach the stairs. “I want my roo!”

Your heart melts at the way your youngest daughter pronounces kangaroo. She’s one of the most adorable little people on the planet, you’re sure of that.

“Me too.” Rosie smiles, taking her little sister's hand to help her up the stairs.

Sometimes it’s hard to believe that these two perfect little angels are yours. It’s easy to see that a lot of their physical and personality traits are inherited from their father and you couldn’t be more happy about that.

When the three of you reach the top of the stairs, you watch the girls disappear into their respective rooms before heading to your own. The sound of Ava scurrying into Rosie’s room a moment later, followed by her rather loud request for help getting into her onesie, makes you impossibly more fond of your babies.

It isn’t long until the two little kangaroos come bounding into your room, both giggling excitedly as you finish buttoning up your tiger onesie. “Look at you two, Daddy loves when you wear those!” You smile lovingly. “Shall we go and see if your dad’s finished making lunch?”

Both children nod as they pile back out onto the landing before leading the way downstairs. Ashton’s already waiting for you in the hallway, grinning proudly. “I’m just gonna put by polar bear onesie on, then we’ll be all set for the surprise!” He explains, ruffling Ava’s hair and placing a kiss to the top of rosie’s head. “Wait in the living room, yeah?” He adds to you before pecking a kiss to the end of your nose.

Your curiosity is begging to become unbearable but you do as you’re told regardless, not wanting to ruin Ashton’s surprise.

The girls scurry into the sitting room, bouncing onto the sofa to wait for you. “Is the surprise something fun, Ava?” Rosie asks, her hazel eyes gleaming with excitement.

Your younger daughter nods so enthusiastically that you’re sure she must feel dizzy afterwards. “So fun!” She squeals, glancing over at you and motioning for you to sit next to her.

“I’m just gonna tidy up for a minute, you two sit and watch TV until Daddy comes back downstairs, okay?”

Neither of your daughters seem too bothered about your decision not sit with them. They turn back to each other to start a whispered conversation as you begin gathering up the last pair of hot chocolate mugs you’d left on the coffee table a little while ago. Heading into the kitchen, you’re more than a little tempted to take a detour into the dining room to see what the big surprise is. Luckily, the sight of the picnic that Ashton had prepared in the kitchen catches your eye and you examine the delicious looking snacks before cleaning the mugs in the sink.

Before you’ve finished the washing up, you feel a pair of strong arms wrap around your waist. “You’re meant to be making sure the girls stay in the living room.” Ashton whispers, placing a kiss to your cheek.

“I was tidying up!” You reply, giggling a little at the way his stubble tickles your face. “We can’t both be the fun parents! One of us has to do the boring stuff.”

“Well there’s nothing boring about what I have planned for us later.” Your husband growls suggestively into your ear. “This surprise is half designed to tire the girls out so that they’ll go to bed quickly tonight.”

“Ohh you want us to have an early night of our own, huh?” You ask, turning in Ashton’s arms to face him. “I like that plan, Mr Irwin.” You stretch up to kiss him, wrapping your arms around his neck and allowing the thoughts of what the two of you might get up to later, fill your mind for a little while.

A loud “Eww!” disrupts your blissful moment with Ashton and the two of you break apart to see both of your daughters standing at the kitchen door, disgruntled expressions set on their cute little faces.

“Don’t ‘eww’ at us, you little kangaroos!” Ashton laughs. “One day you might fall in love and then I’ll creep up behind you and make pukey noises when you kiss them!”

The girls share a sceptical glance as though very the thought of falling in love is the most ridiculous thing they’ve ever heard. You kind of hope they keep that view for a while so that they can stay as your little babies for a long as possible.

“Can we have the surprise now?” Rosie asks, choosing to mostly ignore her father’s words.

“I just have to go and set the picnic up in the dining room.” Ashton replies, the excitement in his beautiful hazel eyes almost matching that of his daughters’. “You wanna carry in that little tray of cakes for me, Ava?” He adds nodding to said tray on the countertop.

Your youngest daughter makes grabby hands for the cakes before you pass them down to her. Rosie comes over to cuddle into your side as Ashton and Ava make a couple more trips in and out of the kitchen to carry the picnic into the dining room bit-by-bit.

Once the last couple of plates and the jug of juice have been carried out of the kitchen, Rosie begins to bounce excitedly on the balls of her feet. “When can we go in?” She asks impatiently.

Before you can even reply, your husband yells that the two of you can come to the dining room. It’s entirely possible that you’re just as excited and curious as your six-year-old as you take Rosie’s hand and lead the way out of the kitchen.

The two of you hear a Christmas tune playing as you make your way to the dining room. Some strange lights seem to drift past the open doorway and your confusion builds until Rosie loses her patience and breaks into a little run, pulling you closer to the room in question.

As soon as the two of you enter the dining room, Ava and Ashton yell “surprise!” in unison, gesturing around the room to encourage you take in all of the details.

It’s immediately obvious how much effort your husband and youngest daughter have put into the mini winter wonderland they’ve created. It’s hard to hold back a happy tear or two as you watch Rosie’s face light up with the biggest smile you’d seen her make in days.

Ava steps forward to take Rosie’s hand, instantly dragging her around the room to look at all of the different little details.

“You’ve really outdone yourself, Mr Irwin.” You gasp, glancing around the room, struggling to take it all in.

You assume that your dining table and chairs have been stacked behind the black sheet that Ashton has hung from the ceiling. It doubles as a backdrop for the pretty snowflake shaped lights that you realise are being generated by a little projector that he’d set on the floor in the opposite corner of the room. Other types of fake snow including a fluffy ‘snow blanket’ and some of the powdered type cover various patches of your beloved hardwood floors. It’s hard to care too much about the inevitable tidying and vacuuming you’ll have to do later, when your tired old dining room looks so beautiful.

“We used the old tree!” Ava beams, pointing at the dishevelled little old Christmas tree in the corner. You’d meant to throw it out after you took it down after last Christmas, but you’d forgotten. Suddenly, you’ve never been more gland that Ashton had piled clutter in front of it throughout the year so you’d never remembered to get rid of it. Even though it’s quite a small tree, it looks incredibly pretty, decorated with this year’s surplus ornaments and baubles that hadn’t made it onto your main tree in the sitting room, along with some mismatched tinsel and cheap fairy lights that Ashton must have purchased this morning.

“It looks so pretty!” Rosie squeals! “I love all the snow too!”

Ashton smiles proudly, scooping his eldest daughter up into his arms and kissing her cheek. “Has it cheered you up, princess?” He asks fondly?”

Rosie nods as she throws her arms around her dad’s neck. “Thank you Daddy!”

“And thank you Ava!” You add, ruffling your youngest daughter’s hair. “But can we eat now, I’m a very hungry tiger!”

Both of your children giggle as Ashton puts Rosie down so that she can lead the way to the little picnic he’d set out on a blanket and surrounded with comfy cushions for you all to sit on.

“The best thing about having an indoor picnic, is that we can wear our onesies and enjoy all of this snow whilst still being toasty and warm!” Ashton explains, plonking himself onto the biggest cushion.

The girls agree enthusiastically as they settle down on either side of him. You don’t think that your heart has ever felt this full before. As you watch your husband, dressed in his comical polar bear onesie place some sandwiches on little plastic plates for your two little kangaroos, you feel like you’ve never been happier.

Tag list: @clffrd @byxthexway @afuckingunicornn @painkillerash @thrillchaser @moonchildsblack @calumbbyyy @h0tsos @valentinelrh @sexgodashton @megz1985 @myfalsedevotion @aulxna @honeyedlashton @tea4sykes @ghostofmashton @fairyintheglass @cashworthy @cashtonasfuck @opheliaaurora23 @5sosnsfw @theagenderwhocriedwolf @myloverboyash @easiercake @irwinkitten

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pulpwriterx · 4 years ago

Text

A SHEEP AS BLACK AS MIDNIGHT IN SPACE

It is a dark time for the Galaxy. General Enric Pryde and Supreme Leader Snoke have unleashed a reign of terror, dealing the New Republic a terrible blow with the Hosnian Cataclysm. But all is not lost. General Organa has discovered a New Hope from the desert of Jakku, who will become the Last Jedi. After Rey, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Poe Dameron and Finn, the former FN2187 undertook a daring raid that led to the destruction of Starkiller Base, Rey has gone to Ahch-To, to study under the reclusive Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. And he will tell her a secret. There is another.

I: THERE IS ANOTHER.

Luke Skywalker sighed, heavily.

“Master Luke, what is it? What’s wrong?”

“I destroyed my own family, Rey. And the Galaxy is paying the price. Did you ever wonder why Han and Leia don’t live together? Why I’m in exile, here? There is another. Or at least, there was. My nephew. My paduan. The best and worst student at the Jedi Temple. Ben Solo.”

“Ben Solo! Didn’t he die at the Jedi Temple?”

“In a way, he did. He doesn’t use that name, anymore.”

“Then he’s alive? Do you know what happened to him?”

“A great many things. First? There were his mother's expectations. She had his whole life planned out. His Royal Highness, Prince Benjamin Skywalker Organa-Solo. He was going to be the perfect Jedi, the perfect young leader, the perfect fair-haired son of the New Republic. He wasn’t supposed to be a giant behemoth of a man, who was too much like his father and his grandfather to fit in any mold. Han and I pretty much figured that Big Ben was going his own way by the time he was six. His hair was down to his waist, and he’d scream and break the scissors with the Force if you came near him to cut his hair. He wouldn’t wear clothes. Just a pair of underwear, if you took him out. He wanted to be a Wookiee. He wouldn’t speak Basic. Just Shriiyywook. We worked it out. But Ben never really changed.”

Luke sighed.

“As he grew to manhood, I started seeing my nephew as a monster. His obsession with his own duality, and that of his grandfather. His heretical leanings toward the Grey Path. And his vows? Forget vows. Not my nephew, the king of taboo. Jedi are supposed to take vows of chastity, and honesty. To have control over their emotions. Ben sold cigarillos, wine, and rubbers from his father’s smuggling operation out of my father’s TIE Fighter, his personal vehicle. He lost his virginity when he was 14 to his best friend, Talia who was 13. As usual? Han was the best worst father, ever. He took her to get an implant, and kept Ben supplied with rubbers. Which he needed, because any of my female students who were curious about their resident Rebel Angel? Let’s just say, Ben never failed to satisfy their curiosity. He didn’t listen to me when I tried to stop him. He really thought he meant something to these girls. After all, they meant something to him. It took Talia telling him she was going to rent him by the hour out of her Wookiee foster father’s garage in Mos Eisley, because he laid more pipe to more satisfied customers than any spaceport gigolo. I mean, how do you teach a six and a half foot tall Force of nature who has been using the Force since he was a toddler in a crib to open the cupboard and get the cookies?”

“He likes cookies?”

“Ben? He eats like a Wookiee. Literally. Chewie taught him to cook.”

“But he likes cookies?”

“Eats them by the box."

Master Luke laughed.

“Now I see that all of it was so very minor. I used to get so angry with him about the TIE Fighter, and the smuggling, and Talia, and the other girls. He didn’t trust me to tell me how the Dark Side, how Snoke was stalking him. It had been a terrible day, for Ben. I disciplined his little group of girls, and all four of them blamed everything on him. Not Talia, though. She spoke up for Ben. But the other three girls? They didn’t take his side. They gave him up. He sat in his hut and cried, all day. He really cared. He did. The poor kid cried himself to sleep. I went to check on him, that night and I felt the Dark Side all around him. While he was sleeping. I thought he had given himself over to it. I attacked. I almost cut off his head, but Ben defended himself. He blocked my lightsaber with his and punched me in the face as hard as he could. If I wasn’t a Jedi Master who can anticipate my opponent's movements. It would have broken my neck. But he didn't mean to kill me. Ben was just scared. As it was, I was unconscious until the morning. By then? It was all over."

Rey couldn’t believe the enormity of the act that he had just admitted to.

Trying to murder his own paduan, his own nephew!

“What happened to your nephew after he brought the building down on you? Did he join the Dark Side.”

“No. He packed up his gear and walked ten miles to the spaceport, and made it there by morning. He left Yavin 4 on a Mandalorian freighter with a business associate of his father’s, Din Saxon, under an assumed name that he had identity papers for. Now he’s partners with Rotta the Hutt, Jabba’s son, Din Saxon, the Mandalorian, and Han Solo. They revived the old Galactic Black Market, and now there’s a war on, not only are they making a fortune? They’re the only game in town for a lot of little things that people find it hard to live without. They do sell arms and coaxium to both sides, but they only sell the low-grade junk to the First Order and at three times the price they sell to the Resistance. I hear that Ben’s doing well. He hasn’t realized his ambition to meet the girl the Force has bound him to, but he still has his friend, Talia. I trained her as a Jedi Healer, and she's since gone to the Republic Medical School. She's Ben's personal doctor. As reckless as he is? He needs to travel with a farkling doctor. Pardon my language. The point is, my nephew renounced the Jedi and the Sith, the Dark and the Light, that day. He wants no part of it. He follows the Grey Path. As it was laid out by Master Qui-Gon Jinn. He also wants no part of this war. His name is Ben Solo, but the name he does business under, the name you’ll have heard of is his alias. Kylo Skywalker. The Arkanian.”

“Ben Solo is Kylo Skywalker, the Arkanian?”

“Yes. And he and Han are looking to add a good scavenger to their operation, because Kylo just bought the salvage rights to the site of the Battle of Yavin-4. And he’s the new owner of the ruins of the Second Death Star. You were the best scavenger at Niima Outpost. I’m sure you're the woman for the job.”

***

Kylo Skywalker was truly a man larger than life.

He wore a black oilskin duster, caped and hooded, festooned with grommets, pockets, and epaulets over a black pair of pilot’s coveralls, tucked into tall black jackboots.

He also wore a huge pair of brown leather and Beskar chrome goggles, with shatterproof mirrored lenses.

And he was the tallest, burliest man that Rey had ever seen.

He sat down across from her at the table she had picked out at the Niima Cantina.

The man had a quiet air of undeniable menace about him.

It put Rey on edge.

“You should try to hide that you have that much strength in the Force. The Sith are real, and the First Order take who they want.”

“Not if I work for you, Jedi Temple dropout, right?"

“I picked a good time to leave. I hear you're the best scavenger at Niima Outpost.”

“I am. Can you take those goggles off? I feel like I’m talking to a man with no eyes.”

He lowered his hood, and took off the goggles.

Time stopped.

And it wasn’t just because Kylo Skywalker the man had grown up to be a black swan with dark, saturnine good looks out of the ugly duckling of a boy that Master Luke had described to her.

It was because Rey was fairly sure it was him.

The man with whom she had shared a bond in the Force, for as long as she could remember.

She never knew his face, or his name, but now that she saw him, she somehow recognized him.

“It’s OK. I feel it, too. The Force brings people together for all kinds of reasons. Look at it this way? Now you’re sure to get the job. You’re hired, Rey…”

Rey shrugged.

“Just Rey. My parents left me when I was a little girl. I never got a last name. I don’t have identity papers, either.”

“That’s OK. I can get you some, if you need them.”

The doors opened.

Rey was excited to see Han and Chewie, again.

Kylo laughed.

He had a beautiful smile.

“My father. And my godfather. But you knew that, because my Uncle sent you here to recruit me. But I get the feeling you might decide to stick with me and the Old Man, instead. Keep that quiet, though.”

Han and Chewbacca sat down.

“She really is a scavenger. A friend of Poe’s. He got her into this mess. I got her out of it. So, you hired her, right, junior?”

“I hired her.”

“How you been, princess? You don’t look so good.” Han asked.

“You can tell us. I used to be you, after all. The Galaxy’s only hope.” Kylo joked.

“It was awful, mostly. Really awful. Master Luke was nothing like I thought he would be. Sometimes, he was very kind. But sad. As if he forgot that he was supposed to be terrible. But some of the things he taught me just confused me. Or scared me. I’m afraid of myself, now. What I might do.” Rey admitted.

“Forget it. Forget everything he taught you. It’s meaningless. The Force has no Dark Side, and no light. That dualistic nerfshit thinking? People made that up. As an excuse to control each other. And make war. You shouldn’t be afraid of what you’ll do, like it’s not up to you. You make your own destiny, Rey. Look at me. I made mine. I’m no Jedi. And I’m no Sith. There is another way. The Grey Path. I can teach it to you, if you want. Think it over. But as for all that poison Uncle Luke poured into your ears? Look what it did to him. Forget it.” Kylo advised her.

“Sounds like Luke is in bad shape, junior.” Han mentioned.

Casually.

“When Rey reports back to him? We’ll send him some supplies.” Kylo said.

“Rey, do you really want to be a Jedi?” Han asked her.

Nobody had asked her that, yet.

“I don’t know.”

“Well, try working with us for awhile. If you don’t want to go back? I won’t send you. I learned my lesson on that. With junior, here. Even after that Snoke bastard burned the Temple, Luke tried to get me to send my kid back to him, one more time. I said no. Since then, I get to visit my wife, but we don’t live together. And the kid and her aren’t on good terms. But Ben’s alive, and doing good, and the Sith and the First Order didn’t get him. It’s worth it. Don’t go back if you don’t want to. Let ‘em have their farkling war, without you. Fuck ‘m.” Han told her.

Kylo raised his pitcher.

“Dark side? Light side? Fuck it. My side.” He said.

He motioned to the Rodian barman.

“Rey works for me and Solo, now. If there’s trouble with her? You’ve got trouble with all of us.”

“I never had trouble with Rey. You made a good choice, Rey. These guys are the real deal. Order what you want, kiddo. The Arkanian has deep pockets. The deepest in the Galaxy.”

Rey was very hungry.

She ordered a lot of food, and a cheap half bottle of red wine.

“Don’t bring her the cheap stuff.” Kylo told the Rodian.

“Why are you so rich, Kylo?” Rey asked.

“He gets dressed up like another Darth Vader. Red lightsaber and all. And we raid First Order ships with full cargo holds. Or Crimson Dawn freighters. Sometimes First Order warehouses and depots. All he has to do is show up and…say it, Vader junior. Say your thing.” Han suggested.

“I am Kylo Skywalker, Lord Vader. All of this belongs to me. Surrender to me all that I ask for. Or you will die. Quickly! I find your lack of haste disturbing.”

Rey shivered.

But, much to her shame, not entirely in fear.

“That’s why I call him junior. Because I ain’t calling him Kylo. I didn’t name him Kylo. You should see these assholes give up. They usually just kneel and grovel. Sometimes, we have to get tough? But most of the time? It’s all money, it’s all for the taking, and it’s all ours.” Han explained.

“I also liberate Stormtroopers. Snoke takes them from their families, when they are children. And he brainwashed, humiliates, tortures, and enslaves them. The First Order takes their faces and their names, and makes them kill. For Snoke. It’s what he did to me. It’s what he meant for me. I didn’t deserve to live that way. No one does.” Kylo added.

“What happens to them?”

“If they have a home to go to? I help them return to it. Or find a job. Some of them work for me. They are my people, I am their Chieftain. No one else cares about them. Not my mother. Not the Resistance. Not the New Republic. I care.” Kylo told her.

Rey nodded.

The idea that Darth Vader’s grandson, the Galaxy’s only Grey Jedi Master, a ruthless pirate with unlimited money, was the self-styled Arkanian-style Clan Chieftain of a small army of loyalists with military training was a little unsettling.

And that’s why the General wants him. She wants not just her son, but his people, and the influence he has over not just them, but potentially the First Order.

When Rey thought that, Kylo turned to her.

“The Old Man and I are dangerous, ruthless men. But compared to my mother? We’re baby Ewoks.”

“I’ll drink to that.” Han agreed.

And just like that, Rey was working for the Outer Rim Cartel.

Her food and wine showed up.

“So, junior, I talked to the guy? The guy about identity papers for Rey. You object to her being a Solo?”

Kylo smiled at Rey in a way that let her know she wasn’t the only one thinking what she was thinking.

“As long as she isn’t supposed to be my sister? It’s fine by me.” Kylo replied.

"Nah. It says I'm her legal guardian until she's 21. So, that way, nobody can steal you, from me, Rey. I also put you down as Junior's common law wife. Then, after you're 21? Nobody can steal you from him. Considering the way you two keep looking at each other? I figure you don't mind."

"So, this is my wedding night?" Kylo asked

"Watch it, kid. They're just papers. It's not like I bought her from Unkar Plutt and I'm giving her to you."

"Yes, Kylo. This is our wedding night." Rey told him.

Chewbacca made a comment.

"It was not fast, Chewie. Rey is her. The girl of Ben's dreams. It's the Thunderbolt. Didn't you know, when you first met Mala, that she was the one for you?"

Chewie said something about how he wasn't talking about that kind of knowing.

"Yeah, well, it's none of our business. They're probably just kidding around. Come on, old pal. Let's not be the extra dicks at the wedding."

Han got up.

Chewie said something, sternly, to Ben that Rey didn't understand, and Ben replied earnestly.

Rey decided she was going to have to learn better Shriyyywook.

After Han and Chewie left, Ben opened the bottle of wine.

"Since we've suddenly found ourselves married? I should make you some kind of vow. Think about the loneliness you felt on this desert, Rey. The longing for someone, something to come for you. Think about it, and let it go. Because you'll never be that alone, again." He told her.

"You have nothing to worry about, Ben. You're every bit as strong as Darth Vader. And just as much a man as Han Solo. You may think you're the ugly duckling. But you've transformed into a beautiful black swan. What happens, now?"

"We'll eat our dinner, and drink this bottle of vintage Corellian red. And then? We'll start doing whatever the fuck we want. And we'll keep doing whatever the fuck we want, until death comes for us. And the son of a bitch is going to have to sneak up on me."

Kylo poured two glasses of wine.

Rey began to think this might really be where she was meant to be, after all.

Happy fanfiction day!

#reylo #ben solo lives #ben solo smuggler #reylo au #reylo romance #tros fix it #han solo lives #rey x kylo ren #reylo fanfic

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omgjasminesimone · 5 years ago

Text

Kept Part 4

Bryce x MC x Ethan

Previous Part: Part 3

Word Count: 1900

Author’s Note: The conclusion! Thanks to all who read, commented, and reblogged this story!

“Wow.”

Casey’s attention had been firmly on perfecting her winged eyeliner in the hotel mirror, but now she diverts her stare just to the left, where she can see the mirrored reflection of her handsome husband leaning in the open doorway, already dressed in his tuxedo.

Bryce walks into the bathroom, maintaining eye contact with her through the mirror. He grips her hips, pulling her back into his broad chest as he places lingering kisses down her neck. “You look incredible honey.”

Casey almost allows herself to get lost in Bryce’s touch when he slowly trails one hand down to the hem of her black silk dress, dragging it up her leg. But then she remembers that they should have left ten minutes ago and lightly slaps his hand away.

“Bryce, we have to go.” Casey reminds him.

Bryce lets out an exaggerated sigh, but steps away from her so she can focus on her makeup. “Fine. But after the award ceremony, you’re all mine, Richard Neubauer Advocate for Internal Medicine Award winner Dr. Casey Lahela.” He promises.

Casey quirks a brow, putting on her earrings. “Oh? And what are you going to do with me?” She teases.

“All the things I can’t do at home without having your loud screaming waking up the kids.” Bryce growls in her ear. Casey can’t help but gulp at that, and Bryce laughs, placing one more light kiss to her neck.

“Speaking of the kids, we should call before bedtime.” Casey calls as Bryce leaves the bathroom.

“Good thinking!” Bryce calls back, and then she hears ringing when Bryce places the facetime call.

“Hello Bryce.” Marta, their live-in nanny, answers.

“Hey Marta. Just calling to check in. Are the kids behaving?”

“For the most part. You know Kalani likes to test me, but nothing I can’t handle. And Jordan is a little angel. The best-behaved toddler on the planet. I just hope Kalani doesn’t rub off on him.”

Bryce laughs. “Come on Marta. She’s not that bad.”

Marta huffs. “You have no idea. She’s much better behaved when you guys are around. Let me go get her for you.”

Casey can hear Marta’s footsteps through the phone as the older woman climbs the stairs of their Chapel Hill, North Carolina home to their 5-year-old daughter’s room.

The Lahelas have been settled in North Carolina for the last 9 years. After moving out of Ethan’s apartment all those years ago, Casey moved in with Bryce and his roommates. When the lease was up, they moved into their own one bedroom, seamlessly falling into a domestic routine. With things going so well, they agreed to couple match for residency, both ending up at Columbia. By the time Bryce was done with his surgical residency, they were 31 and talking about marriage, and children. They decided to leave New York City for the more family friendly Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Casey ended up well on her way to Head of Diagnostics at UNC Chapel Hill, while Bryce was a celebrated surgeon at Duke, an easy commute from their home.

They got married and spent two years getting established at their new hospitals before getting pregnant with Kalani. Their son Jordan followed 2 and a half years later. They hadn’t been back to Boston since moving almost 14 years ago, until now since Dr. Casey Lahela is being honored with a very prestigious award at a fancy downtown Boston hotel convention room.

“Kalani, it’s your Daddy.” Marta calls, and there’s a shuffle as the phone is handed over.

“Daddy!” Kalani calls out excitedly, and Casey can practically hear her daughter’s exuberant grin.

“Hey baby, you’re holding the phone upside down, there you go.” Bryce praises when she turns it right side up. “I heard you’re giving Marta trouble.”

“I’m not Daddy! She’s lying!” Kalani insists indignantly.

“Kalani, why would Marta lie?” Casey asks when she joins her husband, sitting on the edge of the hotel bed and leaning on his shoulder so she can see the phone.

“Wow Mommy, you’re sooo pretty!” Kalani chimes sweetly. Her daughter isn’t used to seeing Casey all dolled up, since most of the Lahelas evenings are spent at home with the kids. Casey almost forgets she’s supposed to be reprimanding her daughter on account of the sweet compliment. But then she pauses to wonder if Kalani is purposefully buttering her up. Their little girl is smart, and somewhat devious.

Casey narrows her eyes, but she has a feeling it has no effect on her daughter. “Flattery will get you nowhere. But thank you. We’ll be home Sunday night, and I don’t want any more bad reports, understood?”

“Yes Mommy.” Kalani mutters, before changing the subject. “Daddy, are you bringing a present home for me?”

“Only if Marta says you’re good. Otherwise I’ll be bringing presents for just Marta and Jordan.” Bryce threatens, but he ruins it with a good-natured wink that he can’t help but add when Kalani frowns. The little girl immediately brightens but has the good sense not to wink back and alert her mother. Bryce is definitely the softy of her parents.

“Where’s your brother?” Casey asks, and Kalani points the phone down towards the carpet of her room, where Jordan is playing with a toy truck.

“Hey buddy.” Bryce greets jovially, and Jordan turns to face the phone.

“Dada! Mama!” He calls out, rushing over to lean against Kalani’s bed.

“We miss you baby! We’ll be home soon, okay? Be good for Marta.” Casey says, blowing a kiss to her son. “Kalani?” She calls, and Kalani pulls her brother onto her lap, putting both on them in the phone camera.

“Yeah?” The little girl asks.

“We love you. Be good.” Casey reiterates.

“Ok, we’re running late and need to go, and it’s bedtime. We’ll call tomorrow during breakfast. Good night! Love you!” Bryce calls, letting the kids return ‘good nights’ and ‘love you too’ before hanging up.

Bryce stands and then offers Casey a hand to pull her to her feet as well. “Let’s go Dr. They can’t start the ceremony without you.”

…

“Congratulations Dr. Lahela!” Sienna chimes, bounding up to give Casey a big hug.

Casey laughs, just barely managing not to spill her drink as she returns Sienna’s exuberant hug. It’s been almost two years since she last saw Sienna in person, when she and Danny came down to North Carolina to meet baby Jordan. Many doctors have approached and congratulated her during the after awards reception, but this congratulations means much more to her.

Sienna moves on to hug Bryce just as exuberantly, and Danny smiles and congratulates Casey as well.

“So, how are we celebrating? We’re kids free, so we’re going clubbing, right?” Sienna suggests.

“We’re pushing 40 honey. I think our clubbing days are behind us.” Danny insists, dropping a kiss to his wife’s forehead.

Sienna frowns. “Speak for yourself. 40 is the new 25. Come on Casey, it will be just like our med school days. Some of our favorite downtown spots are still open. We can even call Jackie. She’d come up from Providence for this.”

“Sorry Sienna, but I think Bryce has a private after party planned in our hotel suite.” Casey returns, leaning into Bryce’s embrace.

“Don’t be boring Casey! You can have sex with him any time.” Sienna insists.

“Not this kind of sex.” Bryce insists suggestively.

The foursome laughs, and then chat for a few more minutes before Danny and Sienna head out, having to work in the morning.

Bryce drops a kiss to the top of Casey’s head. “How about one more drink and then we head out of here?” Bryce suggests, and Casey nods. Bryce places a lingering kiss to her lips before heading off to the bar to get their drinks.

“Casey.” A familiar voice greets, although he never used to call her ‘Casey’.

Casey’s back stiffens momentarily before she turns to face the blast from her past. “Ethan.”

His hair has greyed in the fifteen years since they last saw each other. He’s 55 now and has a silver fox thing going on. He regards her fondly, offering a small smile. He gestures to the award clasped loosely in her hand. “Congratulations Dr.”

“Thank you.” Casey returns.

“There’s no one more deserving. You’ve been making a big name for yourself. And I heard the other Dr. Lahela invented some new groundbreaking surgery technique. Supposed to be the biggest thing since the Whipple, according to the journals. They’re calling you guys ‘the power couple of modern medicine.’” Ethan adds conversationally.

Casey shrugs modestly. “We have a long way to go to overthrow you and Harper. Congratulations on your marriage, by the way.”

Ethan looks down at his wedding ring with a small smile. “5 years already. I don’t know why I wasted so much time, but at least I finally pulled my head from my ass eventually.” He raises his gaze back to her. “And I’d like to apologize to you Casey.”

Casey waves his apology off. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Yes, it does. I should have never treated you that way. Honestly, I think I was jealous. I saw all that potential in you, and I think even then I knew you would one day surpass me. And since all I had at the time was medicine, that thought made me do things I deeply regret. But now, that I see there’s so much more to life than work, I can see the error of my ways. And I sincerely want to apologize.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I was definitely in the wrong too. I see that now. I was young, but not naïve enough to not realize what you were doing. But I let you, for a long time, because I wanted to be comfortable. I wanted an excuse if I did fail. But I think ultimately, what I went through with you made me a stronger person, and a better doctor. I had to know how to advocate for myself before I could advocate for others. So, no hard feelings.” Casey replies, offering Ethan a small forgiving smile.

Ethan seems to let out a sigh of relief, as if this has been heavily weighing on him. “Well, I’m glad I could help then. And if you’re looking for any mentorship now, I could- “

Casey interrupts. “Let’s not go that far.” She says quickly, and they both laugh.

Harper approaches, slipping her hand into her husband’s. “Congratulations Dr. Lahela. Truly groundbreaking work.” She praises.

“Thank you, Dr. Emery.”

Harper turns to her husband. “Are you ready to get out of here? I just got paged back to work.” She reveals.

Ethan nods, “Goodnight Dr. Lahela.” He says before leaving with his wife.

Bryce approaches as soon as the older couple leaves. He was obviously being considerate by letting them talk that out alone. He hands Casey a glass of wine, sipping on a vodka tonic himself. “What’d he say?” Bryce asks curiously.

“He offered me a penthouse in Manhattan if I agree to be his mistress and leave you with the kids.”

“You’re not funny Casey.” Bryce insists, but he laughs anyway.

...

@octobereighth @akrenich @lovehugsandcandy @regina-and-happiness @brightpinkpeppercorn @choicesarehard @lizeboredom @desiree-0816 @hellooliviaolivia @dreaming-of-movies @friedherringclodthing @weaving-in-words @fairydustandsarcasm @goldenjellyfish12 @pessimystic-fangirl @mimikoasahina @srta-give-me-my-jax-rl @god-save-the-keen @caroldxnvxrs @cora-nova @emceesynonymroll @ohsnapitzlovehacker @choicesgremlin @anxious-arliah @cordoniasmost @lahelable @annekebbphotography @liamzigmichael4ever @crispycrunchyleaves @mskaneko @ritachacha @zaffrenotes

#bryce x mc #ethan x mc #bryce lahela #ethan ramsey #choices fanfiction

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p-artsypants · 5 years ago

Text

Bad Day (2) Evening

Marinette was Ladybug! This was Adrien's luckiest day ever! Except it wasn't, because all his good luck was used up in one go. Turns out this might be the worst day of his life.

Ao3 | FF.net

Part 1 Part 3

After school, Lila was quick to find Adrien and latch onto his arm. Then she practically dragged him out of the building while the collective student body chanted after him.

“Dump King! Dump King! Dump King!”

Adrien got in the car, followed by Lila.

Nathalie turned in her seat to look at him. “What happened to your face?”

As he opened his mouth to answer, Lila blurted out. “He got in a fight.”

“A fight?!” Nathalie shouted, aghast.

“No I didn’t!” Adrien protested, in horror. “I got hit with a soccer ball! I swear!”

Lila rested a hand on his arm. “It’s okay Adrien. You shouldn’t lie about this. I know you and Nino are friends, but he still should be punished for hitting you.”

“But—!”

“Nino? As in Nino Lahiffe?”

“That’s right.”

“Mister Agreste will not be happy to hear about this.”

“What are you doing?!” Adrien grit, hissing at Lila.

Lila smiled at him darkly, and whispered. “You picked your team, Adrien. I swore to tear Marinette down. You’re going down with her. Maybe next time you’ll think twice before you sneeze blood all over me.”

“That was an accident!” He hissed.

“Then why did you turn to face me?”

“You’re ridiculous!”

“Oh, you want to see ridiculous? I’ll show you ridiculous.” Then she turned away from him, getting out her phone.

It was a threat, nothing more. Lila couldn’t possibly ruin him anymore than she just did. Right?

Although, with the way today was going, who knew?

As they travelled to the photo shoot, Adrien trained his eyes outside, noticing a lot more pigeons than usual.

“Great...” he muttered to himself. If this was the return of Mister Pigeon, again, he might get the chance to see Ladybug. But given Mister Pigeon’s track record, the fight probably wouldn’t even last long enough to talk to her.

And given the way things were at this moment, it wouldn’t be wise to ditch a photoshoot. Even for something like Mister Pigeon, which would only take a second.

Ladybug could handle this one on her own. This, he was sure of.

So, dejected, he just sat back in his seat and tried not to think about the pain in his foot, or in his nose, or the anxiety of potentially getting pulled out of school.

Marinette was Ladybug.

With a growing horror, he realized this news didn’t give him the same joy it had this morning. It had sunk in now. Of course Marinette was Ladybug. It was like a truth he had always known.

She was there when he was proclaimed the best pooper in the school. She saw him take a soccer ball to the face. She saw him standing in front of everyone with a tampon up his nose. And he had totally disappointed her when he told her he couldn’t come over tonight.

She was probably disgusted with him. And he couldn’t blame her either. He was pretty disgusted with himself.

—

The makeup artist was angry. She all but yelled at him when he sat in her chair. Something about carelessness and stupidity. Ruining a work of art, and wasting everyone’s time and effort. Each word made him slump farther and farther into his chair.

He felt utterly worthless.

It was an outdoor shoot. But fortunately, it was a very fast photoshoot. Whether it was because of the overwhelming amount of pigeons absolutely everywhere, or because of his uncontrollable allergies, he didn’t know, and he didn’t care.

But by the time he was ushered back into the car, his eyes were almost swollen shut, and his nose bleed had come back from all of his sneezing. He had wiped most of his makeup off too.

“Don’t worry Adrien, I’ll make sure to finish the shoot. Your father needs a model he can count on after all.” Lila beamed at him, her silent threat coming through her tone.

She was trying to usurp him as Gabriel’s top model.

Well, she could take his job, for all he cared. Being a full time student, model, and superhero was never easy. He didn’t really care for modeling that much anyway.

But it was the only thing he and his father shared anymore.

And he never ever wanted to disappoint his father. Modeling felt like he was needed, like he served a purpose in his family. Like he earned the luxury he lived in. Without that, what did he have?

He returned home, pinching his nose shut with one hand, and holding his school bag with the other. At least he was home now. This was a ‘safe place’.

Except Gabriel stood on the stairs, glaring down at him. “Adrien.”

The boy slumped, completely defeated. “Father.”

“I’m disappointed with you.”

“What’s new?” Adrien shrugged.

Gabriel scowled, and Adrien shut his mouth.

“As you know, I monitor your social media activity. You were recently tagged in some photos on Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s Instagram, wearing clothes I don’t remember designing. Care to explain?”

“What? Oh! Yeah, Marinette designed them! She asked me to come along for the shoot to give the model some pointers, and then our friend Alya suggested I wear the clothes too, to show how unisex they were. Aren’t they awesome?”

Gabriel sighed. “While Marinette’s designs were very well executed and the photos well done, you breached your contract.”

“My contract?”

“Yes, your modeling contract.”

“I have a contract with Gabriel?”

“Of course you do! You get paid, don’t you?”

“I thought...it was just an allowance?”

“No. Your wage is split between a monthly spending and savings.”

“Oh…I had no idea.”

“Hmm, interesting. Then why is your signature on the bottom of the contract?”

Adrien hunched his shoulders. “…I guess I didn’t read it.”

Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose. “Unbelievable. You know, I’d fire you if you weren’t my son.”

Adrien winced. “And…since I am your son?”

“You’re suspended, indefinitely. Until I figure out a way to get you to behave the way you’re supposed to.”

That hurt. He had been trying to please his father in every way possible, bending to his whims, being so obedient that it hurt. But he continued to fall short.

“Father, please...I just wanted to help a friend. I didn’t think you’d mind...I’ll do better, I promise.”

For the first time in the conversation, Gabriel came closer and examined him, tilting his head up with a finger.

“What happened to you? You look like death.”

“Lila Rossi says he got in a fight with Nino Lahiffe.” Nathalie provided.

“That’s not what happened!” Adrien corrected, loudly. “I got hit in the face with a soccer ball!”

“By who?”

“Doesn’t matter, we were playing soccer, and it was an accident. The nurse looked at it and said it wasn’t broken, just bruised.”

“Then why did Lila say you got in a fight?”

“Because she’s mad at me! She’s causing drama because after I got the soccer ball to the face, my nose started bleeding and then I sneezed blood all over her.”

Gabriel sneered. “That’s the poorest excuse I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s not an excuse! It’s the truth! Call anyone else in my class and ask! They’ll tell you!”

“Quiet Adrien!” Gabriel demanded. “I don’t know what wrong with you today, but this streak of disobedience ends now! You embarrassed me at that photoshoot. And I got a very disturbing phone call from one of your teachers today, something about you proclaiming yourself as ‘dump king’ and sticking feminine products up your nose!”

Adrien wanted to die in a hole.

“You realize such behavior not only reflects badly on you professionally, but also our family, my company.”

“I know…”

“Then I expect there to be no more problems.”

“There won’t be. I don’t know what’s wrong with me today…just…unlucky.”

Gabriel sighed. “I can’t stand to look at you anymore. Go take some benadryl and lie down. I know it makes you drowsy, so I won’t wait for you at dinner.”

Adrien huffed, shouldering his bag, and started up the stairs. “Fine. I want this day to be over with already anyways.”

—

In his room, Adrien dropped his bag on the floor. Homework could wait. It was only Friday after all.

“Aw, don’t beat yourself up, Adrien. Your father’s expectations are so ridiculously high, I don’t think Jesus could reach them.”

Normally, that would have made Adrien bark a laugh, but now he only hummed. Looking outside, he could see the pigeons still ruling over the streets.

There was no way Marinette was having problems with Mr. Pigeon. Right?

“We have to go out there, don’t we?” Groaned Plagg.

Adrien sighed as well. “Yeah, come on. Claws out.”

Chat Noir popped open his window, and launched himself out into the evening city.

Using his baton, he found that Ladybug was out and about, and he bounded out to her.

She was in a park, sitting on a bench, ice cream in hand, absolutely surrounded with birds, while Mr. Ramier sat next to her.

Wait.

Mr. Ramier?

Chat landed by the bench, a cloud of feathers fluttering up into the air as the birds scattered. They didn’t go far though.

This, of course, let Chat explode into sneezes.

“Hey kitty cat.” Ladybug smiled.

Wiping his nose, he looked to Ladybug and Mr. Ramier, with a look that was nothing but done. “What’s with all the birds if you aren’t akumatized?”

Mr. Ramier laughed. “Isn’t it miraculous? Columba palumbus are on a momentous migratory flight. Once in a hundred years, they assemble like this! Isn’t it wonderful?”

Chat sneezed again. “Great.”

Ladybug giggled, a sound that was still wonderful, even in his funk. “Once I found out what it was, I decided to wait until you showed up, so you wouldn’t go akuma hunting in this.”

He sighed, sitting on the bench next to her. “Thanks for the consideration.” He said flatly.

Ladybug reached up with her free hand and began to pet his scalp. “Oh what’s wrong kitty cat?”

“Today sucks!” He announced, and then quite dramatically flopped onto her lap, whining lowly in his throat.

“Aw...poor kitty.” Ladybug coddled him like a toddler throwing a tantrum. “Would a bite of ice cream help?”

“Always.”

“Say ‘ah!’” She got a bite on her spoon.

“Ah!” He opened his mouth wide, towards her.

Which ended up being the perfect target for the pigeon flying up ahead.

Bullseye!

Chat scrambled off of Ladybug’s lap, spitting and scraping his tongue with his fingers.

“What was that?” Asked Ladybug.

“That goddamn bird shit in my mouth!” He said between sputters. “Can’t I just enjoy some stupid ice cream!?” He shouted at the sky.

Silence, except for the birds fluttering away.

“Chat…”

He held up a hand to stop her. “Don’t worry about it, Ladybug. I’ve just had a very frustrating day, and I…I need some rest.”

She pouted, and held up her ice cream. “You can still have some.”

He shook his head. “I’m afraid I’ve lost my appetite. But thank you. Sorry…for ruining your bird fest, Mr. Ramier.” With a little salute, he pole-vaulted away.

But in his room, once de-transformed, Plagg started cackling like the pest he was.

Adrien had it with the little creature and snatched him out the air, stormed over to the window, and chucked him outside.

Of course, being a flying kwami and able to phase through solid objects, it wasn’t but a few seconds before he was back in Adrien’s face. “Hey, what’s the big deal!?”

“I’ve had enough, Plagg! I don’t need you laughing at me! I know my life is some sort of joke to you, but I really don’t need it right now!” Tears gathered in his eyes in frustration. “You were right, okay? All my good luck is gone! And I can’t even enjoy the fact that one of my best friends is the love of my life!”

Plagg sighed. “Geez kid, don’t get all weepy on me. I can’t stand it.” He floated up and nuzzled against his cheek with a purr. “I just thought the pigeon thing was funny. Like, holy cow, that’s unfortunate.”

Adrien rolled his eyes and went into his bathroom, opening the medicine cabinet.

“But really, today was not as bad as it could have been.” He shrugged.

Adrien slammed the cabinet closed and glowered at the kwami. “I’ve been humiliated in front of my classmates, twice, I broke my toe, I got my face smashed with a soccer ball, I hurt my crush’s feelings, I dissed my best friend, I failed my test, I got targeted by the biggest liar in school, I basically got fired, and I might be pulled out of school! The pigeon thing was just the icing on the cake! Am I missing anything?!”

Plagg thought for a moment, and then said, “no, I think that’s about everything.”

Adrien popped two benadryl, and then flopped onto his bed with a moan. “I’m going to sleep. You can try to wake me up if there’s an akuma, but I won’t hear you.”

“Tch, whatever drama queen.”

A few minutes later, the medicine took effect and Adrien slipped off to dreamland.

#miraculous ladybug #fanfiction #ladynoir #chat noir #ladybug #adrien agreste #lila rossi #plagg #marinette dupain cheng #adrienette #bad day

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thecomicsnexus · 5 years ago

Photo

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #797-800 MAY-JULY 2018 BY DAN SLOTT, STUART IMMONEN, WADE VON GRAWBADGER, MARTE GRACIA, NICK BRADSHAW, EDGAR DELGADO, HUMBERTO RAMOS, VICTOR OLAZABA, GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI, CAM SMITH, JAVA TARTAGLIA, MARCOS MARTIN, MUNTSA VICENTE, MIKE HAWTHORNE, JP MAYER AND JORDIE BELLAIRE

SYNOPSIS (FROM MARVEL DATABASE)

Addressing a blindfolded, bound, and gagged person, Norman Osborn welcomes them to his gentleman's club - now derelict and encrusted in dust and cobwebs from years of disuse. Removing the person's blindfold and gag, Osborn tells his prisoner to stop shouting for help - telling them that if they call out again he'll make a game out of torturing them to death. When his prisoner acquiesces, Osborn states that he does want to have a conversation, which is why he brought them to the abandoned club and decorated it with jack o'lanterns, adding that he has the perfect topic: Spider-Man.

Four hours earlier, Peter Parker and Mary Jane sit on her couch in her apartment, passionately making out. She flirtatiously remarks that he's one hell of a scientist, and when he asks what she means MJ replies that he proved time travel's possible. As she amorously unbuttons his shirt - stating that everything is back to how it's supposed to be - she sees his Spider-Man costume underneath and stops abruptly as she remembers why she broke up with him in the first place. Pulling away, she apologizes and says she can't be in a relationship with him again because of his double-life. Hurt, Peter asks how she could say that; and MJ retorts that being together with him was an excruciating experience - having him disappear as soon as a police siren went off and not knowing if he'd be home safe, waking up alone in the middle of the night terrified that he might've been killed. When Peter protests that he can't just let innocent people get hurt and killed, MJ replies that she knows this and can't ask him to stop being Spider-Man for her sake and that the guilt of knowing innocent blood was on their hands would kill both of them. She states the world needs Spider-Man but that she doesn't, resulting in an awkward silence between the two before she apologizes and says she'll always love and need him, but that there's no going back to how things were. Peter morosely acknowledges he understands and acquiesces when she asks he leave through the window, since it would be easier to explain Spider-Man visiting Stark Industries than her ex. As Spider-Man web-swings across the twilight cityscape, internally complaining about his perennial bad luck, MJ watches him leave and apologizes to him by herself. Standing on a nearby rooftop, Norman Osborn watches and wonders why Spider-Man has a spare key to the Watson residence.

In the present, Osborn interrogates his prisoner, demanding to know what the connection between Spider-Man and Mary Jane is. His prisoner refuses to give up any information on Spider-Man and tells Osborn to do whatever he wants, but Osborn stops as a sound catches his attention. Eyes glowing red, Osborn pounces at a rat scurrying across the floor, overturning several objects in the process. Clutching his prize, Osborn starts to use the rat as an analogy for his prisoner's predicament before partially transforming into Carnage and devouring it. Joking that he ruined the metaphor and that his prisoner should just imagine he sent it to a farm upstate, Osborn demands to know where Spider-Man is and how he can find him.

Four hours prior, Spider-Man comes across a purse snatcher in Chelsea while on his way to the Daily Bugle and snares one of his arms, suspending him from a street light. The snatcher complains that this is the fifth time Spider-Man has done this, resulting in a rotor cuff injury requiring weeks of therapy. Spider-Man apologizes to the thug - Jimmy - by name and promises to hit him in the back or use a web-net next time, then backtracks and says there had better not be a "next time" in the first place. Spider-Man tells Jimmy to apologize to the woman he tried to rob and return her purse, but she tells the would-be thief to shut up and that Spider-Man should have beaten him up. Spider-Man tells her to just go call the cops, while Jimmy adds that the last time Spider-Man apprehended him some kids stole his shoes and asks to have his feet webbed up. Spider-Man does so, snarking when Jimmy calls him a prince.

At the Bugle, Ben Urich complains that Robbie puts him in the spotlight every time his wayward nephew commits a crime by publishing a notice that the Goblin King is a relative of one of the Bugle's staff members. Robbie notes it's for the sake of transparency, but Urich snaps that by now the whole city should know. Noticing the argument, Peter laments having let Urich escape with the tritium and wonders if he should step in. As Ben states he hopes the authorities catch Phil so that he can speak to him and try to set him straight, Peter decides to offer a word of encouragement but is waylaid by Rubylyn, who tries to drag him away from the city beat over to the science section. As Peter's phone goes off, he tells her he has to take the call, causing Rubylyn to scowl and call him the worst. Answering the call, Peter listens to J. Jonah Jameson, who demands details for his blog and asks if Peter has hunted down the Goblin King yet. Peter remarks that this isn't a good time, but Jameson launches into a tirade until Peter hangs up.

In the present, Osborn speculates on a connection between Spider-Man and the Daily Bugle, looking over a web-chart of all the people and places connected to Spider-Man. Chuckling, he says that with his prisoner's help he'll unravel the mystery and then there will be Spider-Man no more.

At Alchemax, Flash Thompson arrives wondering why Liz Allan called him in, and is taken aback at the presence of Mark Raxton. Liz explains that her brother is the chief of security and that they wanted to thank him for his help, then scolds him for letting the Goblin King escape with some of the tritium. Liz remarks that if the Goblin King does anything with it the incident will be a PR nightmare, then tells Flash to suit up as Agent Anti-Venom and find it. Angered, Flash retorts that just because she knows his secret identity doesn't mean she can treat him as her errand boy, and as he storms off she calls out that he's her white knight. Raxton jokes that Flash wasn't just steamed at her, he was molten; causing Liz to tell him to let her enjoy bossing her high-school boyfriend around, having her ex-husband work for her and look after the kids, and running a multibillion-dollar company.

At Central Park, Harry Osborn talks to his son Normie, who complains about how much time his father is spending with Stanley before asking if he and Liz are getting back together. Harry replies that they need to talk about it before asking if Emma - his nanny - can take Stanley off him for a moment. Emma takes the toddler and nervously glances to where Norman Osborn is watching from the shade of a tree, replying that's what she's there for.

In the present, Osborn teases his prisoner with the implication that Emma is secretly working for him before gleefully refusing to outright confirm it. He stops abruptly and growls that he can hear more vermin skulking downstairs and breaking into his toy box. In the club's basement, the Goblin King rummages through a cache of razor bats, pumpkin bombs, and outdated Goblin Glider, wondering where Norman is keeping all the big toys. Norman cuts in and chides Urich, stating that beggars can't be choosers before deriding him as a loser. Startled, Urich stammers that he's not afraid of him before regaining composure and stating that he knows Osborn is powerless, calling him a nobody. Seemingly dismayed, Osborn chides Urich for his lack of gratitude, stating that he took him in when he was destitute and made him his Goblin Knight. Igniting his flame sword, Urich declares that he's no-one's knight anymore and that after Norman's downfall he took the best title for himself. Lunging at Osborn, Urich shouts that he's the Goblin King and sentences him to death, but Osborn casually grips his flaming sword with one hand. Smirking, Osborn states that Phil may have been the Goblin King, Hobgoblin, and Green Goblin, but never made a name for himself. Osborn asks if he wants to know why, then transforms his arm and pierces the incredulous Goblin King through the chest, quipping that Urich's heart was never in it. As he rips out Urich's heart, Osborn asks why he isn't laughing at his joke before cackling maniacally.

Osborn returns upstairs, his prisoner asking why he's covered in blood, but Osborn brushes aside the question and dons a Green Goblin costume. Osborn's prisoner incredulously asks if he thinks he can just put the stupid costume on and beat Spider-Man, and when Osborn affirms this his prisoner states that Osborn will never beat Spider-Man, especially not as the Green Goblin. Declaring that Spider-Man has beaten everything Osborn has thrown at him, Osborn's prisoner launches into a passionate tirade about all the things Osborn did to Spider-Man that failed to break him. Osborn is silent for a moment, bemusedly latching onto one event in particular - throwing Spider-Man's girlfriend off a bridge. Osborn remarks that for years he's felt like something important he'd forgotten and just couldn't remember, grinning maniacally as he comes to the epiphany that Spider-Man is Peter Parker. Jubilant, Osborn triumphantly declares that the greatest weapon he'd ever had against Spider-Man is his again, then tells his prisoner - J. Jonah Jameson - that he couldn't have remembered without him; leaving Jameson horrified at what he's done.

At the Daily Bugle office, Peter Parker explains to Ben Urich how he can reconfigure the office's doppler radar system to track the changes in barometric pressure caused by the tritium stolen by Phil Urich. Assuring Ben that they'll find his nephew, Peter thinks to himself how everything is finally starting to click now that he's back at the Bugle and using his knowledge of science to help people. Colin and Rubylyn pick up readings indicating the tritium is headed straight for them, but Peter assures his panicking colleagues that it's nothing - thinking he can say that with absolute certainty since his Spider-Sense isn't going off. Immediately afterwards, the Green Goblin crashes through the window, Robbie telling everyone to calm down until they find out what he wants. As the Goblin quips that he wants what he's always wanted - Spider-Man - Peter recognizes Norman Osborn's voice and tries to figure out how managed to regain his powers. The Green Goblin notes Peter is friends with Spider-Man and tells him to go get him if he doesn't want anyone to die, and Peter dashes out of the room to change into his costume.

At the Century Club, J. Jonah Jameson laments accidentally revealing Spider-Man's identity, fully aware that he's just put everyone Peter Parker cares about in grave danger. Recalling his despair at losing his own loved ones, Jameson resolves to not let Peter suffer through that as well and tries to break free from the ropes binding him.

At the Daily Bugle, the Green Goblin wonders what's taking Spider-Man so long, Robbie telling him that Spider-Man will show up soon. The Goblin wonders if Robbie knows who Spider-Man is under his mask, threatening him; but Betty Brant interrupts, offering to post news of the Goblin's attack on the Bugle's front page. The Green Goblin vetoes her suggestion, saying it will bring half the NYPD down on him, and asks if she wants to get thrown off a bridge. Ben Urich intervenes, saying that Osborn was never one to rest on his laurels and doubtless has some new tricks up his sleeve. The Green Goblin tosses a burlap sack at Ben, over-saturating his speech with puns and innuendos to drive home that he killed Phil. Betty expresses concern that the bag contains Phil's severed head, but Ben notes that while the shape is right the weight is wrong. He opens the sack to find the tritium sample stolen by Phil, wired to a bomb. The Green Goblin laughs maniacally as everyone panics, but Spider-Man arrives and immediately attacks him. Ben warns Spider-Man about the tritium bomb, the Goblin complaining that he stole his punchline and now he has nothing to banter about.

Outside the Goblin's lair, Flash Thompson notes that the tracer Alchemax gave him tracked the tritium signal to this location. Transforming into Agent Anti-Venom, he smashes through the door, wondering if doing this will get Liz to leave him alone and what he can do if it doesn't. He spots Phil Urich's corpse, but as he examines the body a thump from upstairs sets him on alert. Agent Anti-Venom finds J. Jonah Jameson still tied to the chair, which had toppled over. As Agent Anti-Venom introduces himself and frees Jameson, he warns Flash that the Green Goblin is back and that everyone connected to Spider-Man and the Osborns are in danger.

At Liz Allen's apartment, she, Harry Lyman, Mark Raxton, Normie Osborn, and Stanley Osborn sit in the living room as Emma prepares to serve them lemonade. Liz's smartphone rings and she answers it, noting Flash is the one calling. Harry notes Liz looks horrified, and she says his father has returned. As Normie gleefully celebrates the return of his "Pop Pop", Harry suggests they call the police, but Liz says Alchemax's security forces are better equipped. Saying that it's finally time, Emma says she's going to take Normie and Stanley. When Liz angrily confronts her, Emma pulls out a tranquilizer gun and shoots her, Harry, and Mark before grabbing Stanley and a horrified Normie, telling him to shut up and that now she's in charge.

At the Bugle, Robbie helps evacuate and makes sure everyone is accounted for. Rubylyn wonders at how prepared everyone is for this, and is horrified when Collin remarks that events like this are a regular occurrence. As Robbie double-checks that everyone made it out, Betty yells at him that if they don't leave now they'll die. The Green Goblin praises Spider-Man for keeping the bad guy occupied so his friends can get to safety at the cost of his own safety, but Spider-Man tells Osborn that he's not an omniscient narrator and that he's in the blast radius too. Punching the Green Goblin aside, Spider-Man wraps the tritium bomb in a thick cocoon of webbing, wrapping himself in a cocoon as the Green Goblin curses him.

The tritium bomb explodes, destroying the top several floors of the Daily Bugle building. Picking himself out of the rubble, Spider-Man notes that he kept the blast mostly contained but that he has to check that civilians weren't hurt by debris. Just as he notes he thinks he saved everyone, the Green Goblin calls out to him by his civilian name and Spider-Man turns to see his nemesis impaled by a girder and several shards of glass and metal. Spider-Man asks Osborn how long he's known his identity, but the Green Goblin notes it doesn't matter anymore. The Green Goblin tells Spider-Man he doesn't have much time left and thanks Peter for being his enemy; Spider-Man apologizing for being unable to save Osborn and wishing things could have been different. The Goblin abruptly bursts into maniacal laughter as his blood comes alive, sneering that Peter really does wish that he could've saved him. Quipping that Peter's wish has been granted, the Goblin rises as a red-and-black monster with an elongated head, fanged jaws, and a long tail; Peter recognizing the Carnage symbiote. On the verge of blindly panicking out of sheer terror, Spider-Man barely dodges the monster's attack, tagging Osborn with a spider-tracer and fleeing. Trying to calm down, Spider-Man assures himself he knows the symbiote's weak to fire and sonics and tries to come up with a plan based on that. Mockingly wondering why Spider-Man isn't cracking jokes, the Carnage/Goblin hybrid throws a trio of symbiote bombs that follow Spider-Man through the air. As Peter is horrified that these new weapons don't set off his Spider-Sense, Osborn speaks to him through one of them before it bites into his leg and explodes.

Spider-Man crashes through the window of a condemned building, the Carnage/Goblin hybrid arriving and saying he wants to end this here and now - no rain checks or round twos. Revealing he's aware of the spider-tracer through the symbiote, Osborn offers Peter a one-time deal: give up being Spider-Man and he'll let Peter live, no strings attached... but if he sees Peter use his powers even once, he'll take his time killing all of Spider-Man's loved ones, friends, and acquaintances as slowly and painfully as possible. Rebranding himself the Red Goblin, Osborn tells Peter to take it or leave it and give him a sign he understands; and Peter webs the shredded and burning remains of his Spider-Man costume's top to a flag-pole in surrender. As the Red Goblin laughs triumphantly, Peter sits in the darkness and takes stock of his injuries, noting that even if he couldn't handle the Red Goblin as Spider-Man he's determined to take Osborn down as Peter Parker.

Communicating with the Human Torch, Mary Jane Watson, Miles Morales, and Silk, Peter Parker has them keep an eye on his friends and loved ones - Johnny watching over MJ, Miles over Aunt May (himself surveyed by a trench coat-clad figure), and Silk over the Bugle employees. Silk asks Peter why he doesn't just gather everyone up or evacuate everyone out of the city, and Peter - hiding out at an old Oscorp facility - replies that would make them an even greater target. He tells Silk and the others that he's grateful to have friends like them, and the moment Osborn strikes they'll converge and work together to take him down. He warns them not to call him "Peter" since he's going to recruit some outside help who aren't in the know, calling Agent Anti-Venom. Agent Anti-Venom reveals he knows that Osborn is bonded to the Carnage symbiote and had Jameson tied up in one of his old hideouts, and Peter complements his work and asks him to keep an eye on Jameson... who quietly slips away while Flash is distracted. Peter then calls Clash, revealing he's been keeping tabs on him and knows he's not really a supervillain, asking him to step up and be a hero by looking after Harry Osborn and his family.

At Liz Allan's apartment, she, her brother, and Harry Osborn regain consciousness to discover that Emma has abducted Normie and Stanley. Liz tells a frantic Harry to calm down and calls Alchemax security, revealing she had their son chipped in case of a situation like this. Not noticing Norman Osborn is following them through the streets, the three of them follow Emma's trail, Harry and Liz bickering over her having the kids microchipped.

Jameson returns to his trashed apartment, remarking that at least he put up a fight against Osborn. Delighted to see his laptop is still working, he video-chat calls Peter. Peter tells Jameson that Osborn is back and knows who he is again, and Jameson shamefully admits that he slipped up when Osborn was interrogating him. Glaring at Jameson, Peter furiously hangs up and Jameson sorrowfully promises he'll make things right.

At the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Normie Osborn screams at Emma to return him to his mother. As Emma lectures him, Liz Allan furiously storms over to her and calls for security. Harry demands to know if she's working for his father, and Emma incredulously calls him stupid for thinking that and states she's trying to get the children as far away from Norman as possible, berating them for possibly leading him straight to them. As a man calls them out for bringing their family drama into the bus depot, Norman Osborn transforms into the Red Goblin and tosses him into the Alchemax security detail - terrifying his family. Emma reveals herself to be Emily Lyman-Osborn, stating that her ex-husband won't get her grandchildren; the Red Goblin calling Harry out on being more shocked that his mother is back from the dead than his father transforming into a nightmarish monster. Clash calls Peter and tells him that the Red Goblin has attacked Harry's family at the Port Authority, but protests he's way out of his league. Peter calls the other team members in, the Human Torch arriving seconds later and reassuring Clayton that symbiote's hate fire and sonics more than anything. The Human Torch and Clash attack, blasting the Red Goblin with a torrent of flames and sonic waves... which do absolutely nothing except make the Red Goblin angry. As an incredulous and horrified Peter tries to figure out what went wrong, Clayton turns to flee. Osborn reveals that the Goblin serum has rendered the Carnage symbiote immune to its traditional weaknesses, firing a barrage of spikes that incapacitate the Human Torch and Clash. Silk and Miles arrive on the scene, disregarding Peter's pleas to not engage. The Red Goblin effortlessly withstands Miles' Venom Blast and cuts both him and Silk down, telling Peter that he's going to kill them but as long as Peter himself doesn't suit up Mary Jane and Aunt May will be safe.

Before Osborn can finish Silk, Miles, the Human Torch, and Clash off, Agent Anti-Venom arrives, forcing the Red Goblin back with his anti-symbiote touch. When Flash reveals the Anti-Venom symbiote has healing properties superior to those of other symbiotes, the Red Goblin points out he could be using that to save the lives of Peter's other friends. Realizing the Red Goblin is right, Agent Anti-Venom disengages to heal Miles- and is promptly attacked from behind by the Red Goblin. Peter tells Flash to keep his head in the game and that he called 911, but Flash disregard's Peter's warning that he's playing right into Osborn's hands - saying he has the power and responsibility to save them. Suited up as Spider-Man and web-swinging across the city, Spider-Man hears Flash scream in pain as Osborn mauls him. Mocking Agent Anti-Venom for spreading himself too thin healing the others, the Red Goblin recognizes him as Flash Thompson and considers finishing him off in front of Harry... only to realize his family has used the distraction to escape. Berating himself for getting caught up in the battle, the Red Goblin departs to find them just before Spider-Man arrives. Cursing himself for arriving too late to save them and being unable to pull his weight with a mangled leg, Spider-Man notes that at least his friends are alive. Flash expends the last of his energy healing Spider-Man's leg.

Outside, Harry tells Liz and Mark to take Normie while he and Emma take Stanley, rebuking Normie for complaining that he favors his younger son. The Red Goblin interrupts and grabs Normie, knocking the others back with his tail. As Harry pleads with his father to take him instead, Norman sneers that Harry had his chance to join up with him and infects Normie with the Carnage symbiote, turning him into a miniature Red Goblin.

Kneeling amidst his allies at the Port Authority Terminal, Spider-Man asks them to sound off to see if they're alive. Agent Anti-Venom assures him that they'll live due to his healing powers, and Spider-Man tells the exhausted Flash to stand down when he volunteers to accompany him. Silk tells Spider-Man that J. Jonah Jameson is a good man and that he wants to help them, but Spider-Man bitterly retorts that Jonah has done enough and is the reason they're in this mess in the first place. Spider-Man asks Agent Anti-Venom to keep healing them and takes off, remarking that Flash showed him how he can beat the Red Goblin.

Outside, Spider-Man rendezvous with Harry and Liz, who inform him that Osborn infected Normie with the Carnage symbiote. Harry tells him that Osborn issued the ultimatum of signing over control of Alchemax in exchange for their son, and Spider-Man promises that he'll find a way to defeat Norman, rescue Normie, and help return him to normal. Spider-Man asks Mark Raxton if Alchemax still has the artificial Anti-Venom serum, and Mark replies that they stored some off-the-books at the old Horizon Laboratories facility. Spider-Man takes off, lamenting that the Red Goblin possesses all the powers of the Green Goblin and Carnage and none of their weaknesses, except for the Anti-Venom. Harry comes up with a plan, asking his mother to look after Stanley for them and get him as far away as she can until they can rescue Normie.

At Jameson's apartment, Jonah has the sudden epiphany of soliciting Venom's help to stop the Carnage-augmented Goblin. He puzzles over how he could get in contact with the monstrous anti-hero before spotting a copy of the Fact Sheet with articles and photos of Venom courtesy of a "Mr. Sym". Recalling that Peter had sold photos of himself as Spider-Man to the Daily Bugle, Jameson wonders if Eddie would try to pull off the same scam. Calling the Fact Sheet office, he asks to speak to "Mr. Sym", and immediately recognizes Eddie Brock's voice. Jubilant, Jameson mocks Eddie over how obvious his pseudonym is and then threatens to blow his cover unless he helps - assuring Eddie that it's for a good cause. Irritated, Eddie retorts that he and his symbiote are listening.

At the old Horizon Labs facility, Spider-Man reminisces about his time as an employee there, using Morbius' hidden tunnels to enter the building undetected. Spotting the corpses of several security personnel and the word "HA" repeatedly written in blood, he realizes that the Red Goblin is already there and rushes to the vault where the artificial Anti-Venom was being kept. The vault is torn open and he realizes that the serum has been destroyed, but spots movement inside. A Carnage-Bomb flies out and circles around him, the Red Goblin speaking through it to inform Peter that since he broke his part of their deal he'll be going after Mary Jane and Aunt May. Spider-Man protests that Osborn said he wouldn't hurt his friends and then went after Harry, Liz, and Normie. The Carnage-Bomb retorts that that was a family matter and then states that he'll be going after Mary Jane first. The bomb promptly explodes, smashing Spider-Man into a wall and knocking him unconscious.

At Stark Tower, Mary Jane Watson walks down a hall when a flurry of black tendrils smash a nearby window. Assuming it to be the Red Goblin, she activates anti-symbiote defence systems - flame and sonic projectors. Venom irately exclaims that he's here to protect her, and Mary Jane remarks that she'll take his help. The Red Goblin arrives seconds later and quips that MJ must not have gotten the memo about him being immune to fire and sonics. Venom snarls that he's not here to kill Mary Jane but protect her, backhanding the Red Goblin. Breathing a torrent of flames at Venom, the Red Goblin laughs that Spider-Man must really be terrified to solicit his help, and Venom asks MJ to turn off the anti-symbiote weaponry so that he can fight unhindered, which she reluctantly does.

At her apartment, May Reilly is washing dishes when she hears a knock at the door. Wondering why the doorman admitted a visitor without buzzing, she opens the door to see Normie Osborn, who tells her he got lost. She invites him inside, not noticing his teeth turn into fangs and tendrils emerging from his clothing. As May prepares to call Liz to let her know he's all right, Normie lunges at her only to be struck by a flurry of cybernetic tentacles and slammed into a wall. The Superior Doctor Octopus enters May's apartment; smashing Normie repeatedly into the wall and shouting at the symbiote-infected boy to not lay a hand on her, snapping that May Reilly is forever under his care. As Normie attempts a wounded gazelle gambit, May yells at Otto for attacking a child, and he responds that Normie is no longer a mere child. Transforming into a symbiote-Goblin hybrid, Normie dubs himself the Goblin Childe and begins ripping Otto's tentacles apart.

Across town, Spider-Man arrives at Stark Tower, hoping his ex-wife has found a way to stall Norman and is still alive. He finds the Red Goblin locked in combat with Venom, irately berating Eddie for disrupting his schedule and getting on his nerves. Spider-Man is incredulous to see his old nemesis, prompting MJ to ask Peter if he didn't send him. Spider-Man says that he didn't but that he's not going to question Venom's aid; but when he moves to evacuate MJ she refuses and dons an armored glove equipped with a repulsor ray. She remarks that Spider-Man can't hope to defeat the symbiote-augmented Goblin alone, but with her and Venom's help he might stand a chance. Venom, exhausted from the Red Goblin's beatdown, tells Spider-Man that they need to do this quickly. Spider-Man realizes that Osborn still needs to breathe and punches the Red Goblin's throat before attempting to strangle him, but the Red Goblin bites his arm. MJ blasts Osborn before he can bite Spider-Man's hand off, but the Red Goblin quips that she did more damage to Spider-Man and Venom than to him. He fires a barrage of spikes at her and then leaves to find Normie, mockingly informing Spider-Man that he sent his grandson to kill Aunt May. Spider-Man tries to fire a web at Osborn only to realize that he bit through his web-shooter's firing pin. Venom tells Spider-Man to stop and offers to lend him the Venom symbiote, and when Peter refuses out of hand Eddie remarks that he's exhausted from the battle and tapping out; but that he - a normal human - got some good blows him, noting that a mutate like Spider-Man should be able to do some real damage. When Peter is still reluctant, Venom states that Spider-Man needs a symbiote if he wants to fight evenly with the Red Goblin. MJ reluctantly agrees with Eddie, telling Spider-Man to do it for Aunt May's and Normie's sakes. As the Venom symbiote leaves Eddie and bonds to him, Spider-Man complains that he hates this plan but doesn't see a better alternative; Eddie telling Spider-Man to be good with and to take care of it. The symbiote taking on an altered Black Suit appearance with projecting eyes, underarm webbing and a different spider-emblem; Spider-Man takes off into the night, begrudgingly admitting that he and the symbiote make a good team and might be able to pull this off.

At the Columbia University Medical Center, Agent Anti-Venom tries to resuscitate Ultimate Spider-Man and calls for all available medical professionals to help him as he can only stabilize one at a time. As he demands the doctors respect the heroes' privacy and leave their masks on, Dr. Sha Shan Nguyen approaches, incredulous to see that her ex-husband is a superhero. Flash states he'll explain later, but is interrupted by Clash screaming in pain.

Elsewhere, Symbiote Spider-Man swings through the streets, trying to get in touch with Aunt May. Jameson - wearing the Spider-Slayer's helmet - calls him from Empire State University and says he already sent help to Mary Jane and that he's dug up something that will help him personally see to Aunt May's safety. Spider-Man berates him for getting Venom involved and then angrily hangs up on him. Jameson bitterly remarks that Peter thinks he doesn't know he screwed everything up, vowing to fix the fiasco he helped cause as he activates the helmet.

At May's apartment, the Superior Octopus struggles against the Goblin Childe, berating Normie for daring to even think about harming a woman as nice as May Reilly. The Goblin Childe sneers that killing May is the fastest way to hurt Spider-Man, and May angrily picks up a chair and smashes Normie with it, snapping that she used to babysit Normie and baked cookies for him. Unharmed, the Goblin Childe snarls that she deserves to die for putting raisins in them; and May prepares to join her late husbands in the afterlife. Before the Goblin Childe can attack, Jameson - controlling a Mark V Spider-Slayer - attacks both the Goblin Childe and Doctor Octopus, who berates him for assuming he is an enemy. The Red Goblin arrives and easily subdues the Superior Octopus, ripping the Spider-Slayer apart and declaring his intent to hunt them down and eat them. May confronts him, and the Red Goblin regains his composure, sarcastically apologizing for his symbiote-influenced outburst. Normie asks if he's going to kill May, and Norman mockingly asks May what message she wants him to write Spider-Man in her blood. May remarks that she doesn't care and won't give him the satisfaction, that she's lived a long life, and is neither afraid of him or what's to come.

Symbiote Spider-Man arrives just as the Red Goblin and Goblin Childe leave, Norman mocking him for taking so long and Normie asking if they can kill him now. When Spider-Man berates him for turning his grandson into a monster, Osborn tells him to look to his own family and that he has business to take care of first. Spider-Man is shocked to see a Spider-Slayer, Jameson apologizing through it and saying the tried his best to protect her but it wasn't enough. Livid, Spider-Man stomps on the machine's head; and Jameson removes the control helmet and picks up a loaded pistol. Spider-Man desperately searches for May, hearing a voice call out to him. He sees his aunt cradling a badly-wounded Superior Octopus, who had taken the brunt of the attack that had been meant for her. May asks Otto why he risked his life to save her, and he responds that despite all the evil he's done, he never stopped loving her since the day they first met. Spider-Man is incredulous, and May calls him out on that; stating that he taught her that anyone could be a hero, saving her time and again despite her irrational fear towards him. Spider-Man notes the last time he and Doctor Octopus had crossed paths had been as enemies and that he'd cost Otto everything; and Otto remarks that he still has Peter's memories and desire to do good from his time as the Superior Spider-Man, and could never let any harm befall their beloved aunt. Spider-Man remarks that saving his aunt's life has wiped the slate clean between them, and tells them both to get medical attention as quickly as possible. May asks Spider-Man to promise her to save Normie, who she states is an innocent being manipulated by his grandfather, and he swears he'll do so.

Spider-Man departs, angry and more determined than ever to take Norman down, and knowing exactly where the Red Goblin will strike next: Alchemax.

Arriving at Alchemax, the Red Goblin tells the Goblin Childe that Oscorp will be reborn and become their kingdom and empire. Osborn lectures that the company and Normie's father cast aside the Osborn name, but Normie is unenthusiastic until he offers to take him out for ice-cream and to kill people when they're done. Transforming their symbiotes into business suits, Norman and Normie enter the board room to find Liz Allan and Mark Raxton waiting with a stack of forms. Liz asks her son if he's alright, but Norman remarks that his grandson is better than fine and that it skips a generation. He notes that there's no security personnel, and Liz replies that's because he'd just kill them; Norman remarking that indiscriminate slaughter is fun and helps sell how serious he is. He notes that Harry isn't present, dismissing him as a weak little milksop; and Normie bitterly remarks that he's probably with Stanley. Liz gets right down to business, bluntly stating the terms of their transaction; to which Norman agrees, amused by her seriousness. She indicates the stack of paperwork in front of her and states that there is no legal way to hand the company over to him in any length of time, sarcastically taking a dig at Parker Industries. Norman shares a laugh over the joke before using the Carnage symbiote to briefly assume the form of Mason Banks, reminding her that he helped set Alchemax up and is aware of a beneficiary clause in Normie's name. Normie is surprised that his mother would do that for him, but Norman calls an end to the negotiations by picking up the boardroom table and smashing Raxton upside the head with it; telling Normie this is how an Osborn tables discussions.

Liz tells Normie that his grandpa has been planning to kill her and Harry all along, activating a signal as she declares that she's not going to let that happen. Perched on an old Goblin Glider, Harry Lyman enters the room accompanied by a swarm of Humanitron robots. Norman transforms into the Red Goblin, complaining that killing machines isn't any fun since they lack blood and guts. Harry grabs Normie and tries to pull him to safety, but his son transforms into the Goblin Childe and accuses Harry of abandoning him and never loving him. Harry states that he does love his firstborn son, and will never let go of him again - no matter what. Norman accuses Harry of coddling Normie and trying to make him weak and pathetic, firing a barrage of spikes that knocks Harry off his glider. As the Goblin Childe worriedly checks on his father; the Red Goblin grabs Liz by the throat and throws her out the window, fondly reminiscing about when he killed Gwen Stacy. Harry and the Goblin Childe are horrified, but Norman tells his grandson to get over it and grow up. Symbiote Spider-Man arrives, having caught Liz without accidentally breaking her neck, and furiously states that he'll never let Osborn win that way ever again. Realizing that Spider-Man is a hero, the Goblin Childe furiously attacks the Red Goblin to protect his parents. Enraged, the Red Goblin transforms his arm into a scythe, but Symbiote Spider-Man grabs his arm and states there's no way he's letting Osborn kill his godson. Harry rams the Red Goblin with his Goblin Glider, Norman griping about being impaled through the chest a third time as Spider-Man fondly recalls the Goblin's classic first death. Harry apologizes to Normie and hugs his son, who warns him to stay away as the symbiote lashes out and slashes at him. Transforming into his human form, Normie asks his parents what will happen to him, and Liz joins the hug and remarks they'll figure it out together.

Enraged at Spider-Man's continued interference, the Red Goblin rips the glider out of his chest and coats it with symbiote biomass to turn it into a Carnage Glider. Symbiote Spider-Man mocks Norman for constantly losing to the world's biggest screwup, causing the Red Goblin to smash him through the window and snarl that he's going to devour him.

As Spider-Man web-swings away, the Red Goblin mockingly states they've done this dozens of times before and he's well aware that Peter is trying to lead him away from his friends and loved ones. Symbiote Spider-Man retorts that despite having the power of the Carnage symbiote, Norman is at his least effective - having set out to kill everyone Peter Parker ever loved and failed miserably at doing so. Affecting a singsong tone, the Red Goblin tells Symbiote Spider-Man that the spikes he'd been firing at everyone are under his control, and all along he's been planning to use them to shred the brains of those he impaled with them - killing them in an agonizing manner. Horrified that Norman would do something like that to his own son, Symbiote Spider-Man lunges at his nemesis as the Red Goblin gloats that he'll kill everyone Spider-Man ever cared about and that this will teach Spider-Man to stop messing with his stuff. The Red Goblin snaps his fingers... and is surprised when nothing happens.

Flash Thompson - the Anti-Venom symbiote barely covering him - lands on the roof of a nearby apartment and explains that he used almost all of the Anti-Venom to extract the spikes the Red Goblin left in everyone and heal them. Symbiote Spider-Man celebrates, then realizes Flash addressed him by his real name and asks how he found out. Flash remarks that he pieced it together after overhearing Spider-Man talking to Silk, asking if they're even for the times he bullied him. Symbiote Spider-Man responds that he forgave Flash a long time ago; but the Red Goblin interrupts, his Carnage Glider chomping down on Spider-Man's arm and flying away with him. The Red Goblin furiously attacks Flash for ruining his revenge, tackling him off the roof of the apartment. As they fall, Flash mocks him and tries to use the last of the Anti-Venom symbiote to burn away the Carnage symbiote; but the Red Goblin sneers that Flash might have been able to beat him if he hadn't used up the Anti-Venom symbiote healing his allies. Revealing that he's wearing his Green Goblin outfit under the symbiote, the Red Goblin pins Flash to the ground and electrocutes him with his finger blasters. Symbiote Spider-Man lets out a scream of rage and sprouts a fanged maw and prehensile tongue, Venomizing as he rips the Carnage Glider apart. As the berserk Spider-Venom dives towards him, the Red Goblin quips that he likes Peter's bulky new look and that he must be working out. Cratering the pavement as he lands, Spider-Venom snarls that he's going to kill Osborn and punches him - sending the Red Goblin flying across the city and smashing through several high rises. As Spider-Venom roars that he's going to eat Osborn's brains, Flash calls out to Peter and urges him to calm down and not let his rage infect the symbiote; stating that he helped the symbiote become good and Peter risks undoing that. As Flash begs Peter to not be the reason the symbiote becomes a bloodthirsty monster again, Spider-Venom reverts to his slender form; Symbiote Spider-Man apologizing for losing control and remarking that they need to get Flash to a hospital. Flash replies that there's no time, telling Peter that he doesn't have enough Anti-Venom left to heal himself. When Peter offers to return the Venom symbiote to him, Flash refuses out of fear that it would die as well and deprive Peter of the edge he needs. Informing Peter that his berserk punch sent the Red Goblin into the heart of the city, Flash tells Spider-Man that people need him; calling Peter his hero and his friend before dying from his injuries.

Crashing down into the middle of Times Square, the Red Goblin finds himself surrounded by confused and curious civilians, some of whom crowd around him for selfies under the assumption that he's an actor. A man in a Spider-Man costume approaches, mistaking Osborn for a rival performer and berating him, and the Red Goblin promptly impales him. As the Red Goblin cackles gleefully, Symbiote Spider-Man arrives, the Red Goblin noting that Spider-Man has gone quiet and stopped cracking jokes. He has the sudden epiphany that Spider-Man values the people of New York as much as his loved ones; unleashing an omnidirectional barrage of Carnage Bombs. Spider-Man tries to save as many people as he can, but several are still injured and killed by the explosions. As Times Square goes up in flames, Symbiote Spider-Man tells the police to stay back. The Red Goblin tackles him into the midst of the inferno and begins throttling him, sneering that Spider-Man is weak because of his unwillingness to unleash the Venom Symbiote’s bloodlust. As the Red Goblin gloats that Norman Osborn is finally victorious and that this will be his greatest moment of triumph, Spider-Man suddenly realizes what Norman's greatest weakness is: his ego. Capitalizing on this, he tells Osborn that everyone will know the Green Goblin wasn't the one who killed Spider-Man, but the Carnage symbiote, and by extension, Cletus Kasady. Horrified, Osborn imagines Cletus Kasady jubilant at getting the credit for having killed Spider-Man, and staggers backwards - clawing at his head and screaming at the voices to shut up and that he's in control.

Spider-Man seperates from the Venom symbiote and tells it to return to Eddie, assuring it that he'll be alright and telling it to be careful of the flames. Back in his red-and-blues, Spider-Man continues to mock the Red Goblin's reliance on the Carnage symbiote, stating that it's Osborn's move if he wants to win for himself. Osborn snaps and tears the Carnage symbiote off himself, shouting that he never needed it and that the Green Goblin is his real self and all he ever needed to kill Spider-Man. A nearby car explodes, knocking Spider-Man to the ground; and the Green Goblin triumphantly delivers a brutal beatdown, remarking that Peter was right and that it feels much more satisfying; gloating that he's always been superior to Spider-Man due to not relying on anyone but himself. Picking himself up, Spider-Man returns the beatdown; recalling all the loved ones he lost throughout the years, the friends and allies counting on him to win, and the soldier who sacrificed himself. As the Green Goblin collapses, Spider-Man says that he's not going to kill Osborn to avenge Flash, but web him up with a note pinned to him like he would a common crook. Osborn calls out to the Carnage symbiote to save him, but as it moves to rebond to him Spider-Man realizes that it's lost its invulnerability to fire. Grabbing a gas tank, he smashes it open and pours the gas on the symbiote, immolating it just as it touches Osborn's hand. Spider-Man picks himself up and calls out for Osborn to show himself, but Osborn's only response is to mumble gibberish with a broken smile. Spider-Man guesses he felt the Carnage symbiote's agony as it burnt to death, destroying his mind. Surveying the ruins of Times Square, Spider-Man remarks that he can't mark the battle down as a win given how many people lost their lives, but that at least it's over.

J. Jonah Jameson arrives and pulls out his pistol, taking aim at the Green Goblin's head and saying that Osborn's not fooling anyone with the act. Spider-Man tells him to stand down, but Jonah replies that Osborn will keep coming back and killing their loved ones unless someone puts him down for good, and that since the debacle is his fault he's going to be the one who ends it. Jonah pulls the trigger, but Spider-Man dives in front of the Green Goblin and takes the bullet in his shoulder. Johah asks why Spider-Man would go out of his way to save his worst enemy, and Spider-Man replies that he had the power and responsibility to save everyone, even his enemies. Dropping the gun, Jonah runs off in shame as the Green Goblin mutters gibberish to himself.

At Ravencroft, Colonel John Jameson tells Spider-Man that he's breaking a lot of rules letting him in the Institute; asking what happened to his arm. Spider-Man remarks that Jameson's father shot him, then asks for a moment alone with Norman Osborn. Alone, Spider-Man demands to know if Osborn is planning on telling anyone who he is under his mask. Initially confused, Osborn states in a sing-song tone that he knows who Spider-Man is under his mask: the world's biggest screwup... Norman Osborn. Bemused, Spider-Man asks who he is speaking to, and Osborn retorts that he's Cletus Kasady before breaking out in a fit of maniacal laughter. Walking away, Spider-Man notes that if this is an act then Osborn deserves an Oscar; but it looks like he paid the ultimate price for his ego.

At Alchemax's R&D lab, Liz Allan and Harry Lyman watch as Dr. Steve uses a sonic cascade to separate Normie Osborn from his portion of the Carnage symbiote. When Harry asks if she's going to destroy it, Liz says that she wants it securely contained and studied in case of any complications. Once the procedure is finished, Normie hugs his mother, who tells Mark to take their latest acquisition and make sure it's stored securely in someplace private.

Harry reunites with his mother and Stanley, forgiving her for abandoning him when he was a baby. Reclaiming the Osborn name, Harry states that he's going to make it mean something good and be the kind of father Norman never was for him, for both his sons. As he embraces Normie and says he loves him no matter what, Normie ominously replies that's good to know, tendrils of the Carnage symbiote spreading across his eye.

At Flash Thompson's funeral, his friends and comrades stand in attendance as Betty Brant reads a eulogy before calling Peter Parker up. Peter pays his respects, reminiscing about their early enmity before Flash had found a hero to look up to in Spider-Man and joined the military to make something better of himself. Peter remarks that he himself can be a bully - referencing his behavior as Spider-Man - and says that he'll try to follow Flash's example to better himself, saying he's Flash's number-one fan.

Aunt May approaches Peter after the service and gently scolds him for being so hard on himself, saying that she's proud of the person he's become. She tells him to patch his relationship with Jonah, and Peter tells Jonah that the weight of making a mistake and seeing innocents and loved ones die because of it is one that he's felt since he was fifteen. Peter tells Jonah that if Flash were there he'd forgive him, and that he forgives Jonah too. Before Jonah can respond, a siren goes off and Jonah tells Peter to stop standing around wasting time talking when he's needed elsewhere. Peter teases Jonah for admitting Spider-Man's necessary before running off. Grumbling to himself, Jonah gathers and folds Peter's discarded clothes before they get wrinkled, remarking that Peter is helpless without him.

As he swings over the city, Spider-Man thinks to himself that everyone is special in one way or another, and that no matter how many times you fall, you pick yourself back up and keep fighting the good fight.

At the Horizon University in San Francisco, Otto Octavius introduces himself to Max Modell using the pseudonym Elliot Tolliver. Max gives Otto a tour of the facility, showing him Anna Maria Marconi's new "Living Brain-Bots" - small robots modelled after the Living Brain and Octobots. Anna Maria becomes suspicious of Otto, but he and Max walk away before she can confront him.

Max shows Otto to his new lab and remarks that Otto's recent breakthroughs have been extraordinary and that he's expecting great things from him. Otto replies that he will endeavor to exceed Max's expectations, quipping that he always strives to be superior.

REVIEW

And Dan Slott scores another amazing story for Spider-man.

During the Sinister Twelve saga, I complained that some writers were relying too much on nostalgia. Well, this one also does, but in a different way. It feels more like a continuation than a re-do. And to me, it works as a reboot of the Green Goblin (as he ends up where he was before he died the first time). What complicated things at the beginning of this story was the fact that Norman didn’t remember why he killed Gwen Stacy (thanks to Mephisto, I suppose). But even if you don’t know why, it doesn’t take away from the story.

Flash Thompson dies in this story, but to be honest, I know enough about comics to not care about characters dying at Marvel. It’s been a year since this story came out and he is still dead, but he’ll come back, surely.

To make things worse on Flash Thompson, the moment Peter told him he forgave him a long time ago, it was like the writer saying, “and now you die”.

Immonen is one of my favourite artists in comics, and he did an amazing job here. Issue #800 has a lot of other artists, and that tone mix doesn’t work that well. Mostly because each of them has a unique style.

In the end, this is one of those Spider-man stories you have to read.

I give the story a score of 9

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lifeofmarvvel · 6 years ago

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Sunshine On A Cloudy Day- Peter Parker x Stark!Reader

Word Count: 3133

Requested by @dank-memes: “Hey! I was wondering if you could do one where it’s a Parker x Stark! Reader and the reader is the leader of the new avengers (this takes place after infinity war and avengers 4). Something goes really wrong on a mission and it’s making the team fall apart and the reader starts to blame herself and Peter is there to support her and eventually confesses his love to her? And then later the team sees this and makes up as well.”

A/N: Sorry for the approx. year wait! Thanks for being so patient! I also did things a little differently than worded- hope that's okay and you like it! Anyway, I played around with the style a bit with this one. Hopefully, it reads well and makes sense. Obvious Endgame spoilers ahead (it has been almost a month). Thanks to all who gave me suggestions for the team members, even though they aren't really featured. The title comes from "My Girl" by The Temptations. Enjoy!

Warnings: Self-doubt, minor violence, ENDGAME SPOILERS

[Y/N] Stark. Daughter of Tony Stark. Step-daughter of Pepper Potts. Older half-sister of Morgan Stark. Child prodigy. Heir to Stark Industries. Newest leader of the Avengers. Fantasia.

You.

That certainly was a lot to live up to. Your dad surely lived up to what was expected of him and exceeded it. Naturally, you had the same expectations, if not more, because of it. It wasn’t hard at times, but at others, it crushed you. Sometimes it was in your nature to solve a problem the team had had for days in hours. Those moments your inherited genius really shone through. But in others, all you wanted was for someone to see you for you and not your genes.

Pepper, Rhodey, Morgan, and Happy did see you for you. But they were family. You’d known Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy ever since your mom had left you with Tony as a toddler. You had quite literally known Morgan all her life. You wanted, maybe even needed at this point, for someone outside of them to see who you really were.

The team tried. With most of the original Avengers retired or off to a better place, you had stepped up and filled your dad’s spot. Originally he hadn’t wanted you to be a superhero. But just like him, you were drawn in and couldn’t stop. He gave in and started training you with the newer recruits. Due to you being a teenager, he didn’t let you on any missions- at first.

Since you were technically not an “active” member of the team, you were left out of the whole Sokovia Accords issue. And not only did this issue divide the team, but it also brought in Spider-Man and your active involvement on the team. Since then, Fantasia was a public favorite and beloved superhero. Unfortunately, it added to the list of things people saw when they saw you instead of you.

The final battle with Thanos- the 2014 version of Thanos, actually- happened years ago. The heroes that survived and hadn’t retired after the battle continued their hero-ing for many years. But they aged, trained proteges, and retired themselves in due time.

And here you were. The new leader of the Avengers, alongside a grown-up Peter Parker. It was kind of funny how at times he seemed to have the same role Steve did all those years ago, considering he was also your father’s protege. You worked together, aided the team, and tried your best to fill the shoes left by the original team but still be your own person.

The team now consisted of you, Peter, Kate, Cassie, Monica, Harley, America, Shuri when she was available, and Morgan in training but not mission-active. The job was draining, physically and emotionally, but it was worth it. Humanity was worth it. And despite all the petty arguments the team could have, you loved them and leading them and almost everything that came with it.

And one person in particular...not that he’d ever know. No, you decided professionalism was the best way to go in regards to romantic feelings towards a teammate. No need to compromise yourself, him, and possibly even the team over something like a crush.

A crush.

Okay, maybe it was more than a crush, considering it started when you first met him and hasn’t let up yet. And you had another reason other than being compromised for not telling him. After all, he’d been one of your best friends ever since you met him after that fateful day in Germany. No need to ruin a perfect friendship. Absolutely no need. No need at all. Nope.

Yeah, you were screwed.

All things considered, the team was working together pretty well. Even though many of you were working together for the first time, everyone seemed to get along. Everyone knew their parts. Everyone knew what to do. Everyone respected you. You didn’t even get too many comparisons or references to your dad anymore. It wasn’t quite Original Avengers Fighting Together smooth, but the pieces were falling into place. It worked.

That’s what mattered most- it worked. You lived up to expectations, the team won fights, they got along, and it all worked out in the end. You were doing the right thing, you were the right choice. It’ll only get better from here.

Right?

It did not get better from here.

That’s what raced through your mind when what was supposed to be a simple, easy mission took a nosedive for the worst. It was supposed to be a quick in-and-out. Get in, knock some bad guys out, collect some info, get out.

Instead, someone triggered an alarm, Kate was out of arrows, Cassie had a broken leg and many gashes, Peter was stuck to the ceiling, Monica hit a wall, the goons were closing in, one of your thrusters was malfunctioning, someone screamed, no, make that two- wait no, maybe it was you, the walls tumbled down, dust was everywhere, where was everyone, are they okay, you can’t lose someone you can’t lose someone you can’t lose someone again, you can’t see anything, something hit your arm, you were going to have to call an Original Team Member for backup, how embarrassing is all of this, something hit your leg, it’s all your fault, you never should have started this mission you weren’t prepared, the team wasn’t prepared, something hit you in the back, where were you, it’s all your fault, this is not better this is worse much much worse.

“Fantasia, look at me.” A soft voice pulled you from your swirling thoughts. Peter wasn’t stuck on the ceiling. He was in front of you, pulling you aside from the team, gentle hands on your shoulders. Somehow, you were out of the building. Somehow, you were on the quinjet. You had no memory of leaving. The thoughts were too much- you hadn’t been paying enough attention. A shaky breath escaped you.

“Hey, deep breath,” Peter said, preventing you from spiraling again. “You didn’t seem like you were mentally here with us so I got the team out and we’re heading back to base. I got your back. Take all the time you need to calm down. I totally get it.”

You closed your eyes and gave him a half-smile. “Thanks, Spidey. Imma just lay down now.” Before he could answer, you slumped against the wall and greeted the darkness with open arms.

A booming noise woke you. You shot up, reaching for a weapon and finding none. Your head screamed at you in protest, and a second later the boom cleared. Two of your teammates faced each other, clearly in the midst of an argument. Oh no. The team wasn’t getting along anymore. And from the sounds of it, they were arguing about the mission.

“Yeah, well maybe if you hadn’t set off the alarm, we wouldn’t be in this mess!”

“Oh, so it’s my fault now?! I’m not the one who made the building crumble on us! If anything, you’re the reason why everyone is injured now!”

“I made the building crumble? Please. I was aiming at one of the bad guys and he dodged it last second! That’s not my fault! How was I supposed to know the blast would take out a beam and crumble around us?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS!”

Oh no.

Things looked like they were going to get physical soon. Cassie and Kate faced each other, moving into defensive stances as they shouted. They were best friends. Why was this happening? The team was falling apart. If they couldn’t get along, nobody was going to get along. The team was going to fail. It was going flop, dissolve, want nothing to do with each other, ruin friendships, save nobody, hurt everybody, it was going to die. If only you’d been more aware during the fight. This wouldn’t have happened. None of this would have.

“Hey hey hey!” Peter said, stepping between them. “We can’t place the blame on one person here, okay? We all messed up- it was bound to happen eventually. The team wasn’t as prepared as we wanted to be and that’s okay. We weren’t expecting there to be the number of agents that were there. That’s nobody’s fault or everyone’s fault; take your pick. We’re landing now, so please sit down and calm down. You can talk it out inside.” He then went back to his piloting seat and sat down next to Harley.

Bless Peter Parker. He was an angel with how often he cooled down the team from fights. Without him, the team really would fall apart.

Ten minutes later, the quinjet had landed. You made sure everyone was physically okay before retreating to your room again. A screaming match looked to be on the horizon involving everyone and you booked it before you could hear it.

You changed into something more comfortable, set some background music up, and laid on your bed. Exhaustion washed over you. Why had everything gone so wrong today? You were the leader, you should be able to prevent this. Peter shouldn’t have to step in- it shouldn’t happen.

It was all your fault the team wasn’t sticking. You picked new recruits. You lead them in training exercises. You talked with Rhodey over what missions the team was ready for. You had agreed that today should have been easy. You were underprepared. You let the extra agents distract you. You lost control of your team. You couldn’t get them to get along. It was all on you.

You couldn’t live up to the Stark name. It was too much. The team was going to start seeing you like your own person for sure. They’ll start to see you as the failure Stark. They’ll kick you out and give your position to Morgan as soon as she’s old enough. She was living up to all the expectations and exceeding them. She rarely doubted herself. She was the younger, better sister. Fantasia was just a knock-off version of Iron Man and Rescue anyway.

Your eyes squeezed shut, blocking out the sunlight flooding through the windows. It was still daylight. That’s how quickly the mission became a disaster. You hadn’t been gone even 12 hours. Distantly, shouting echoed through the compound. They had to be yelling their lungs out or the fight had moved rooms. The bedrooms were a long way from the landing pad. You squeezed your eyes tighter. Maybe if you ignore it, it’ll all go away or turn out to be a bad dream.

A knock on your door made you jump slightly. There was only one person who’d be here now. “Go away, Pete,” you said.

“Not until you come out or let me in,” came the response. You were right. A pillow made its way to cover your face as you shifted. It stayed.

When you didn’t say anything else, he came in. With the pillow in the way, you didn’t see his reaction to you curled up on your bed. You did feel him sit on your bed, your back to him.

“Leave me alone,” you mumbled half-heartedly.

“Not happening.” He reached out and started playing with what he could of your splayed hair. “I’m staying until you’re done with your pity party.”

You looked over your shoulder to give him a glare. “I’m not having a pity party.”

He smiled softly at you. “I know that. But it got you to look at me, which was the whole point of it.”

You huffed and turned back to your pillow. Silence stretched over the two of you. The repeated motion of Peter playing with your hair started to lull you to sleep. You could count on him to calm you down any day.

Right before you fell asleep, his hand stopped. “C’mon, please tell me what’s bugging you.” He was met with more silence. “Please? For your best friend?”

It was hard to resist. You didn’t dare turn over- no doubt he’d have his puppy dog eyes on display. Curse him and his perfection of that skill. Curse him and his perfection overall. “The team’s falling apart and it’s all my fault,” you said.

“Hey now, that’s not true,” Peter protested. “We might be going through a rough patch, but it’s not your fault.”

“But I could’ve prevented everything that happened.”

“Maybe,” he agreed. “But that’s okay. You’re human, Stark heir or not. You put too much pressure on yourself- you always have. That’s why I’m here, right? To knock some sense into you every once in a while.”

You sniffed and ran your hand across your eyes even though you weren’t crying- really, you weren’t! “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Pete. You’re really the reason this team hasn’t killed each other yet.”

He chuckled a bit. “It’s not easy. You make it easier to do. You’re such a great leader, [Y/N]. You try to save everyone you can, you try to make the team get along the best you can. Everyone respects you- I don’t think you quite see that all the time, but they do. You’re one of the most selfless people I know, and you can solve problems faster than they come up. Today was just a fluke. They happen, they’ll continue to happen. But that doesn’t mean it’s your fault that everything flopped.”

A loud shout interrupted him and he paused, then took your hand. Shifting so you faced him, a small smile found its way onto your face. “The team won’t always get along. We even fight and we’ve been friends forever. They’re just starting to work together. They’ll get in soon enough.”

“Dad did complain about the original team fighting a lot,” you added, smiling continuing to grow.

“Yeah.” Peter had a smile matching yours. “We’ve got this. You got this. You’re smart, funny, patient, and you care about and love your friends and family with all your heart. You’re the best person I know, and I love you. You said you don’t know what you would do without me, Well, I don’t know what I would do without you..”

You froze, eyes widening. “What’d you just say?”

“I don’t know what I’d do without you..”

“No, before that.”

“You’re the best person I know?” It was obvious he knew what you meant and was avoiding saying it.

You swatted his arm with your free hand. “Not that, doofus. Between those two things.”

Peter blushed and looked down. “I love you?”

If you had been grinning earlier, it was nothing compared to how you smiled now. “Good. I love you, too, Peter Parker. I’ve loved you for years.” A light, peaceful feeling settled over you, like sunshine in your chest. All doubts vanished from your mind at that instant- storm clouds clearing for the sun.

“Good. Yeah, that’s good. Me too. Well, not me too. I have also been in love with you for y-” You wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss, effectively cutting him off.

“How many years did we waste on pining, do you think?” You asked him after pulling away just enough to talk.

“Too many,” he responded, then pulled you in for another kiss. You laughed into it, causing the kiss to barely happen. The two of you were smiling too much for it to go well, but you didn’t mind. In fact, you loved it.

If Peter Parker of all people loved you, then you’d be fine. You’d dreamed about it for years and it came true. Why couldn’t that apply to the team? It would. You could feel it. All the goals will be accomplished, the team will get close, everyone will improve. You could accomplish your dreams- even if you couldn’t control everything that came your way.

The next morning, Kate snickered when you staggered into the kitchen, pajamas rumpled, hair a mess and very much your father’s daughter in the morning. You shot her a glare and made your way over to the precious caffeine. She opened her mouth but you raised a single finger and took a sip.

She waited until you finished, then pounced. “So, what’s going on with you and Peter?” She wiggled her eyebrows at you, leading to you scrunch your face up.

“I don’t know what those eyebrows are for. Nothing’s going on. Peter just came to give me a pep talk after a rough mission. It’s happened before.”

Kate gave a disbelieving scoff. “I came in to tell you guys things had calmed down more and we were gonna get takeout to find you two cuddled up and fast asleep. That’s something, all right.”

You scowled at her and didn’t answer. After fixing yourself something to eat, you sat down and watched the rest of the team trickle in. When Peter passed by behind you, he paused long enough to give you a kiss on the head before continuing on.

“There! That’s what I’m talking about!” Kate exclaimed, jumping out of her seat.

The team, despite being trained superheroes, all jumped at her raised voice. “What on Earth are you talking about?” Cassie asked her.

“Peter and [Y/N]! What’s going on between you two?” She directed the question towards Peter, who was gathering his own breakfast.

He glanced at you with a smile before looking back down at his food. “Nothing.”

The room erupted with noise. “THAT’S SOMETHING ALL RIGHT!” Kate shouted above it all. Harley couldn’t stop laughing. America shook her head at her teammates.

“Team Mom and Dad, I called it!” Cassie said when everyone calmed down, sending you coughing from laughing while eating.

“No! Don’t kill Mom!” Monica added jokingly. She patted you on the back. “You good?”

You nodded as the last few coughs ended. “I’m not gonna let some cereal be the end of me, guys. I’m fine,” you said, prompting some scattered laughter. “Anyways, Peter and I end enough of your fights to be your parents, huh?”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Kate said. “We’ll try to make that happen less. We’ll get it down soon enough.”

“She has a point, though,” Cassie butted in. “Something’s going on between you two.”

“It’s nothing,” you replied at the same time.

“Something’s going on!” Cassie repeated, laughing.

“We’re best friends, Cassie, that’s what’s going on,” you said. End of discussion. Back to breakfast. Your tone was clear.

Of course, they didn’t believe you. And you totally blew your cover an hour later when Morgan showed up and walked in on Peter kissing you and screamed: “IT’S ABOUT TIME!” But that didn’t matter. A beautiful thing came out of a terrible day. Things could only get better. And you weren’t wrong this time.

Tagging some Mutuals: @flicker-parker @skymoonandstardust @aw-hawkeye @loverholland @sunshineandparker

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marril96 · 5 years ago

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The Distance Between Us

Chapter 1: Fs and Enemies and Principals, All My!

Pairing: Rowena x reader

Summary: Just when you thought high school couldn't possibly get any worse, classmate and archenemy, Rowena MacLeod, is selected to be your math tutor. As the two of you spend more time together, boundaries break and secrets get revealed. Maybe there's more to the school's mean girl than meets the eye. High School AU.

A/N: Credits to @werewolfbarbie for all the information about the American school system.

Editor: @rowenaisfabulous

You hated Rowena MacLeod.

Maybe hated was too strong a word.

Disliked.

Disfavored.

Disesteemed.

Whatever the most appropriate terminology was, the fact remained that she was your least favorite person in this school.

Okay, maybe second least favorite. Or third. There certainly were a lot of assholes at your high school.

But, god, Rowena was a special kind.

She'd never done anything to you personally. There was animosity in your interactions, but it didn't go beyond that.

She was, however, nasty to your friend. Who was her brother and was equally nasty to her in return, but still. The friend code and all.

She used your other friend. Strung him along and took advantage of him. Took his kindness for granted.

She was popular, and had gotten so in a rather… interesting way. Her way to the top consisted of sucking up to other popular kids until some felt sorry enough for her that they'd let her become one of them (or they'd given in to get her to shut up) and dating the school's biggest douchebag.

And she got an A today, one hundred percent, perfect score, and looked so damn smug you barely held back an eye-roll.

You'd gotten an F. One percent. You supposed it could have been worse — Dean Winchester, sitting a few rows down, got a zero. Yay, you!

First math test of your senior year, and you'd failed it.

Great fucking start!

Fuck it, you thought. It wasn't like this was going to matter. Those numbers, formulas no one in their right mind would remember in a few weeks' time, this stupid test — they didn't matter. Ten years from now, and no one would think of them. Life would go on as normal. All of today would be nothing but yet another blur in the foggy sea of memories. Maybe not even that.

Thinking like that didn't make you feel any better. Your stomach was still tight with pressure. Hands still balled into fists on your thighs. Teeth clenched. Heart racing.

This was only the first test, you tried telling yourself.

That, exactly, was the problem, your other, more rational (or rather pessimistic) side argued. You'd started the school year with a big, fat F. In Math, of all things. Your least favorite subject. Your worst one. The subject you'd almost failed last year, and the one before that.

If this was your big start, you were screwed.

Ms. Hanscum was a great teacher. She was kind to the students and acted more like a friend than a teacher. She helped everyone who struggled out, explained everything multiple times if necessary.

Yet you still sucked.

Math just happened to be your public enemy number one.

Ms. Hanscum could go over her lessons a thousand times. She could sit you on her lap like a toddler and hold your hand as you wrote down her instructions. She could have superpowers that made everyone she spoke to understand math. You still wouldn't get it.

You weren't generally stupid.

You were just stupid for math.

Rowena's eyes met yours for a short moment. Her mouth was wide with a smile; it would have been cute if it wasn't condescending. There was a softness to her expression, a casualness almost innocent. It didn't fool you. You knew the only reason she was looking around was to watch those less fortunate, to rub her success in.

That was what people like her did. They reveled in the others' misfortune, basked in it, breathed it in in large gulps like air. Lived off it.

You flashed her a smile of your own. Sugary sweet, the kind so obviously fake it was purposeful.

She looked away.

Good.

Let her find another target to look down at.

You were not in the mood. At all.

*****

Lunch made you feel a bit better. It wasn't so much the food (the measly pastry you were nibbling on) as it was your friends' support. As always, your tiny gang listened to every word you said and were quick to offer jokes and kind words to make it better.

It worked like magic.

Mostly.

"It's not so bad," Dean said. "I got a zero!" At that he grinned with pride only a jock like him could have in such a grade. "I never got a zero before!"

"Freshman year, English," you reminded him.

"Oh, yeah! That was wild!"

Sure was.

So was the summer school he had to go to to be allowed to pass on to his Sophomore year. Fun times!

He bragged to everyone about his brother helping him out. His younger brother, who was an eighth-grader at the time. If he wasn't a jock, that would've earned him mockery.

"Ms. Hanscum will let you make it up, right?" Sam, the aforementioned brother, asked.

He was a huge nerd. Best kid in his class like Rowena was in yours, but unlike her, he was a good person. Sweet. Kind. He always had his head buried in a book and spent an unhealthy amount of time in the library.

Thanks to his brother's popularity, other popular kids left him alone. Nobody wanted the wrath of Dean Winchester, and, by extension, the entire football team, at their back.

"I guess," you said.

Most likely. Ms. Hanscum was big on helping kids out as best as she could.

"I can help you out, if you want," Sam offered.

Your heart swelled up with gratitude. "Thanks, Sam. I'll let you know."

He was a year younger, but he was smart. Crazy smart. Too bad you and math were on horrible terms.

"Make up exams are for losers," Crowley announced, taking a drag of his cigarette.

You sighed. Expect him to offer useless commentary.

"Dude, you almost failed Sophomore year," you told him. Had it not been for Sam, he would've been held back this summer.

Crowley shrugged. "Happens to the best of us."

You quirked up an eyebrow. "So you're a loser, too?"

"I hang out with you lot, do I not?"

You flipped him the bird, while Sam and Dean rolled their eyes.

Crowley was special. He was your friend and you loved him dearly, maybe even more than the Winchester brothers. He was snarky and sarcastic, liked to push people's buttons, and considered being an annoyance a hobby. Generally, though, he was harmless. All bark and no bite. An acquired taste you'd, for reasons unknown, taken a liking to.

He was a good friend. A great friend.

He was also Rowena's brother.

The MacLeod siblings had a strange relationship. They always snarked at each other. Called each other names and acted hostile. Sometimes even got into screaming matches right in the middle of the hallway and had to be separated by teachers.

But they were also protective of each other. One time, Arthur Ketch had called Rowena a whore. Crowley, who often called her that himself, punched him in the face and got himself a week's detention. Another time, Rowena overheard Naomi Godsend telling her friends about her plan to ask Crowley out on a date as a joke and slapped the living daylights out of her once they'd stepped off school grounds.

It was weird. You didn't ask questions. Even if you did, you doubted Crowley would have any answers.

"Ass," you said.

"Bitch," Crowley retorted.

You laughed. He laughed along.

"Your sister got a hundred percent. Again," you said.

He rolled his eyes. "Figures. Bloody miss perfect."

"She kept looking at people, like, 'I'm so much better than you peasants.'" You imitated her accent in an overly exaggerated way, earning you a laugh from Dean and Crowley.

"Are you sure that's what she was doing?" Sam asked.

Way to ruin the moment.

"Why else would she be doing it?" you asked.

"Maybe she just wanted to see how others did."

"Yeah, and then point and laugh at them."

"Did she do that?" he said.

"Internally, most likely," you said.

"So she didn't."

You sighed. There was no winning this. "She's a bitch, Sam. The entire school knows that."

"The entire school doesn't know her," Sam defended.

"I live with her, Moose," Crowley cut in. "And I can say with utmost certainty she's a massive bitch."

"You think that about everyone," Sam pointed out. "Even us."

"No, I don't," Crowley said defensively. "I think she's a bigger bitch than all of you."

"Thanks so much, Crowley," you deadpanned.

"You're welcome, Y/N," he said smugly.

Sam rolled his eyes, then turned back to you. "She's not so bad."

Sure, she wasn't. "She's badder than bad," you argued. "Why are you friends with her?"

He shrugged. "She's nice."

You snorted. Crowley laughed. Dean scowled as if Sam had just admitted to stealing his porn.

"She is," Sam said defensively. "Once you get to know her."

The only reason she was hanging out with him was his connection to Dean. That was the reason she hung out with all her other "friends." Why she chased after Lucifer Shurley until he agreed to date her. Popularity. Power. It was her drug.

Rowena didn't have friends — she had accessories to use to her advantage.

But no matter how many times you and Crowley told Sam about it, your words fell on deaf ears. The younger Winchester believed in the good in her to the point where he was blind to the bad.

It was his funeral.

You'd already prepared an "I told you so" speech for when she kicked him out of her life like a useless old doll. It was bound to happen eventually.

"Whatever you say, Sam," you said, then changed the subject back to math.

It was much more interesting than Rowena MacLeod.

Much less complicated.

*****

The final ring of the bell for the day was music to your ears. You packed your bag in a hurry and ran out, trying to navigate your way out through the sea of students crowding the hallway, your thoughts already on the diner where your friends, having finished their classes an hour earlier, were waiting for you. You could already smell the food, the delicious aroma of coffee and fruity smoothies, your empty stomach grumbling with yearning.

Then the principal's voice sounded through the speakers, and all your hopes were shattered.

"Rowena MacLeod and Y/N Y/L/N, please come to the principal's office. Rowena MacLeod and Y/N Y/L/N, to the principal's office."

Shit!

What did you do know? What did he think you did? Had Rowena told him something? Had she gotten you in trouble?

The last time you were in the principal's office was a year ago, when Lucifer Shurley thought the ideal way to flirt with you was to get in your face and grab your ass.

You introduced your fist to his face.

Lucky for you, the principal, despite being the asshole's father, was understanding. Lucifer bragging about what he'd done and insisting it wasn't that big a deal probably had something to do with it. Either way, he was suspended for two weeks. You'd gotten off with a warning to just report him next time.

As if.

When had telling the teachers helped anyone other than the offender?

Sighing, you made your way to the principal's office. Snickers and whispers followed your every step. People who knew you teased. Others just watched. Most, however, were on their way out, rushing to leave the hell that was school, happy to be done with their day.

Oh, how you wished you were them.

You gave the door a soft, timid knock. Upon being called in, you opened it and stepped inside the small but tidy office. Paintings adorned the walls, along with diplomas from prestigious schools. The spacious, polished desk was riddled with pictures of the Shurley family, both joint and separate.

The principal sure liked to show off.

Principal Shurley was seated at the desk, clad in jeans and a white T-shirt. Looking more like a student than a principal. His sons must have been proud to be seen with him.

There were two chairs in front of his desk. Rowena occupied one, her bag in her lap, fingers playing with a loose piece of thread that hung from it. Her eyes threatened to raise hell, while her mouth promised heaven, scowl and smile both prominent, seemingly at war with each other. Trying to keep up appearances, but failing to.

You couldn't fault her. The last thing you wanted was to waste precious time in the principal's office while your friends waited for you.

"Take a seat," principal Shurley told you in an overly friendly manner, as if he were your friend rather than an authority figure.

You did as asked, sliding your school bag to the floor by your feet.

"Am I in trouble?" you inquired.

Rowena's eyes narrowed in suspicion as she watched you. You responded with a roll of your eyes.

"Oh, no, no," the principal said "Not at all. Neither of you are in trouble."

Something good, at least.

"Why are we here, then?" Rowena asked, trying her hardest (and failing, in your opinion) to keep her displeasure behind a wall of fake courtesy.

If principal Shurley noticed it, he didn't comment on it. Instead, he said, "I just need to talk to you guys a bit. Nothing bad, I promise."

As soon as he said that, you knew it was a lie.

Principals didn't call students to their office to chat about the weather, or the new episode of their favorite show.

They especially didn't call in students who happened to dislike each other.

You were in trouble. You weren't sure what kind, and what Rowena had to do with it, but you were sure it was nothing good.

As if this day wasn't bad enough as it was.

*****

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