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fairydxll · 3 years ago

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𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐲

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧

↳ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 | uh fighting? Lmk if anything.

↳ 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 | 2124

𝐚/𝐧 ~ sorry I haven't updated this story in a while. But I'm back now!

masterlist | series masterlist | taglist

<- previous chapter

After a couple of days, Rory kinda got used to her new "home." Since Tony didn't know how long it would be before they went back to California, and with Pepper gone, they decided it was best if Rory just took a break from school.

Rory did eventually grow to like her new room. She was not allowed to leave the current floor, so she basically just spent all of her time there. Tony was gone all day and didn't get home until very late at night, meaning Rory had to have food delivered. She didn't mind, though. She figured that if they end up staying, she'll be able to tell Tony what all the good restaurants are.

Tony never told her anything about why they were here with the exception of, "Daddy has business."

So in order to pass the time, Rory would read or watch movies. She even took up drawing which turned out to be something she isn't too bad at.

This morning, Tony was already gone by the time Rory got up, so she got dressed and migrated to the living area. She sat on one of the couches near the large window and began sketching the tall buildings surrounding her.

As she finished the shading on one of the skyscrapers, she peered back up to see a tall man with long, black hair dressed in what looked like a Halloween costume standing on the terrace. Rory put down her sketchbook and looked closer. He was very tall and had large, golden horns that decorated the top of his head. She had no clue as to why this man was standing outside of her window on her father's building.

Rory looked to her right and noticed her father, in the Iron Man suit, land on the landing pad. The man just stood there, watching as machines swiftly removed the armor from Tony's body.

The strange man made his way into the room from the balcony. The room she was in. Rory didn't know what to do. She was frozen, scared. Instead of running away as any sane person would, Rory remained in her chair.

The large man entered the room. He studied his surroundings, his eyes eventually landing on Rory. "Who might you be?" He asked with disdain.

Rory could do nothing but blink at him, too afraid to speak. He opened his mouth to say more, only to be interrupted by the presence of Tony. "Rory, come here," Tony said blankly.

Rory immediately dropped her things and ran to her father's side. Tony wrapped his arm around her protectively, hoping to shield her with his body.

The man watched this all happen before finally speaking, "Please tell me you're going to appeal to my humanity." He spoke as if she weren't there.

"Actually I'm planning to threaten you," Tony responded. Rory couldn't sense any different emotions other than his natural sarcastic tone.

"You should have left your armor on for that," the man bantered, walking closer to Tony and Rory.

"Yeah," Tony pushed Rory behind the bar. "It's seen a bit of mileage, and you've got the glow stick of destiny." Rory crouched down below the bar and pulled her knees into her chest. She couldn't help but let tears stain her cheeks, afraid of what was happening. "Would you like a drink?" Tony asked the man as he walked behind the bar, actively trying to ignore you in hopes you wouldn't become a target.

Rory heard the other man laugh. "Stalling me won't change anything," he said. If Rory knew what it meant, she would describe their conversation as passive-aggressive.

"No, no. threatening." Tony began making himself a drink. "No drink? You sure? I'm having one.

"The Chitauri are coming. Nothing will change that." His words sounded like gibberish to Rory. "What have I to fear?"

Rory watched her father casually make a drink as if nothing was wrong. "The Avengers. That's what we call ourselves. We're sort of like a team." Rory had no idea what he was going on about. ""Earth's mightiest heroes"-type thing."

"Yes, I've met them."

"Yea," Tony's smile helped calm Rory down. He had to have the situation under control, right? "It takes us a while to get any traction, I'll give you that one. But let's do a headcount, here. Your brother, the demi-god," demi-god? "A super-soldier, a living legend who kind of lives up to the legend." He secretly slipped a metal-looking band on each wrist.

"A man with breathtaking anger-management issues, a couple of master assassins, and you, big fella," none of his words were making any sense. "You've managed to piss off every single one of them."

"That was the plan."

"Not a great plan," Tony walked past you and out from the bar. "When they come, and they will, they'll come for you."

"I have an army."

"We have a hulk."

Rory finally gathered enough courage and stood up carefully. She peeked her head over the bar to watch the men while also trying to stay out of the way. Tony was approaching the man as they spoke; the man keeping his ground.

"I thought the beast had wandered off," the man said.

"You're missing the point. There's no throne," Tony's voice rose slightly. "There is no version of this where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes and maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you. Because if we can't protect the Earth, you can be damn well sure we'll avenge it."

Tony took a sip of his drink while the man took a few steps closer, a scowl spreading across his features. "How will your friends have time for me when they're so busy fighting you?"

For the first time since this scene began, Tony looked scared. The man brought his scepter-looking thing up and tapped it against Tony's chest with a clang noise. The man's face dropped for a second before he tried a second time, and then a third. "This usually works."

Tony didn't look scared anymore. "Well, performance issues, it's not uncommon. One out of five--" his sentence was cut short when the man forcefully grabbed Tony's throat and threw him onto the floor. Rory squealed and then immediately covered her mouth.

The man turned his head in Rory's direction with a puzzled look. He turned away from her as soon as Tony stood up and went for his neck again. "You will all fall before me," he said.

"Deploy!" Tony called before the man threw him out the window, shattering the glass. Rory screamed with all her might. Did she just watch her Dad be murdered? What was he going to do to her?

Rory hid behind the bar once more, watching and listening closely to her surroundings. A loud sound rippled through the room causing Rory to throw her hands over her ears to block out the noise. She peeked over the bar and saw nothing but more shards of glass and broken furniture.

The man stared Rory down. "Who are you?"

Rory gulped, "who are you?"

He chuckled. "I am Loki, of Asgard. I'm surprised you have not yet heard of me." His tone was a lot softer with her than it was with her father. "What is your name, little one?"

"Rory," she nervously answered his question. "My name is Rory."

"Let me guess; Stark's child?" She didn't say anything. Rory simply nodded. "Ah I see," he gave you an almost heartwarming smile. "Come here, Rory."

Fearing she had no other choice, Rory walked over to Loki and he crouched down to meet her gaze. He smiled at her. Rory watched her father fly up behind him. She was more than thrilled to see her father alive and more tears fell from her eyes.

"And one more thing," Loki's face dropped and he spun around to face Tony. "Get away from my daughter!" Tony shot at Loki, sending him flying backward. Rory jumped out of the way, too stunned to do anything else. With Loki knocked out, Tony looked towards his daughter, "Rory go hide, now!" He flew away into the sky, and Rory wasted no time in running to her bedroom.

She slammed the door shut and locked it. She looked around her room for anything that she could put in front of the door to make it harder to reach her. Rory tried to move the couch, but it was no use. It was too heavy for a ten-year-old to manage. She tugged on her roots as she spotted her desk chair. Once it was securely tucked under the knob, Rory ran over to her window to watch what was unfolding.

Rory couldn't help herself as she began to sob. She was afraid and she was alone. There was nothing she could do to help. Tons of thousands of aliens flooded the skies and streets of New York as Rory sat up in her bedroom, watching. She was sobbing uncontrollably as she pressed her face and hands into the large window.

More loud noises were flowing from the living area into Rory's bedroom and Rory could do nothing to stop them. She hoped that the man who called himself Loki was gone and that her Dad was alright.

At this moment, Rory really felt like a child. She felt small and helpless. Lonely and afraid. There was nothing else she could do except watch. She had no clue as to what she was watching either, which was not making her feel any better.

At long last, the aliens seemed to dissipate and things seemed to calm down. It looked to Rory like the fight was over. But who won?

Rory was drawn away from her thoughts by the sound of her father's voice calling her name. She nearly sprinted out. She ran up to Tony and engulfed him in the tightest bear hug she could manage. He was still in his suit and covered in dirt, but neither seemed to mind.

"I was afraid," Rory murmured into his neck.

"I know, bubs." They pulled away from the hug and Rory got the chance to really see the other people in the room.

There was a giant-sized man with green skin, a man with a shield, a man with a bow and arrow, a man with a red cape and long hair, and what looked like Natalie, only with shorter hair. They looked odd. As if they were straight out of a movie. She noticed Loki in handcuffs. He looked angry and sad at the same time. Rory didn't really know what he did, but she knew he lost and her dad won.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Tony held a silver case in one hand and Rory's in the other as he walked alongside the other Avengers waiting to send Loki away. Tony had made it very clear that from now on, Rory would not be leaving his side.

Rory let go of her Dad's hand to let him deal with the case. Thor, as he had told Rory to call him, led Loki a few feet away from everyone else. He waited for Loki to grab hold of the glass container for the Tesseract. Before she knew it, the pair had disappeared in a storm of blue.

Once everything else was settled, Tony reached for Rory's hand again and walked her over to the rest of the Avengers. "Rory there's some people I'd like you to meet," he motioned to the team. "That's Capsicle, Legolas, Jolly Green, and the Triple Imposter. This is Rory." The others shook their heads at Tony's nicknames.

"Steve," the tall, blonde man smiled and Rory shook his hand.

"Bruce," the shorter man with grey hair politely smiled and waved.

"Yea," Nat showed you a friendly smile to which you returned. "Nice to finally meet you, officially."

"And I'm Clint," the last man with spiky hair and sunglasses introduced himself.

"Hi," you said, shyly and waved at them all.

"Bubs, you go wait in the car I'll be there in a sec," said Tony.

"Okay. It was nice meeting you all!" You said as you walked to the car.

"You ready to go, kiddo?" Tony asked as he got in the car and fastened his seatbelt.

"Are we going home? Like, back to Malibu?" you asked as he started the car and pulled out.

"Yea," he smiled. "I think we deserve a break."

"What about the tower?"

"We're working on it. It'll be fixed in no time."

"Good," you sighed

"Good?"

"I don't mind it anymore. I don't think it would be so bad if we moved here."

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Really."

Next chapter ->

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mysticonsheadcanons · 2 years ago

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Mysticons Fan Season 5 Episode 13: Scavenger Hunt

Note: Last one! I hope you enjoyed this project.

The Mysticons are debating what to do, as their power is weakened and their Lances don't work. Piper wishes that the Dragon Disk could give them their powers again, since the machines are destroyed and won't drain it. Arkayna points out that, even if the powers are restored, they needed the Lances of Power to defeat the Spectral Hand, but now it can't be affected by their Lancer Attacks. They go to the royal library to see if they can learn anything to help, and when Queen Goodfey hears what they're looking for, is quiet. She reveals that there are gems to make their powers unbeatable, but using the crystals is very dangerous. While she doesn't want to tell the Mysticons where the crystals are, Sharise finds a book describing them. There are five crystals, and as they want to stop the spectral hand quickly, they decide to split up to get their respective crystals. The Astromancers, Tazma, and royal family promise to hold off the Spectral Hand until they get their crystals. As they leave, Queen Goodfey watches worridly.

Arkayna goes to Victory Heights, and wonders where she will find the crystal. She tries to focus on her mission, but is worried about how the others are doing. She tells herself that the others will be fine, but keeps looking at the spectral hand, which is looming in the distance. She guesses that the crystal won't be in the ground, as Necrafa certainly would have grabbed it when she grabbed the gems for her necklace. She thinks where it could be, and finds a small pond nearby. She sees something shiny, and grabs it. It's a green, round crysta with the image of a dragon etched into it.

Em goes to Rudick's Hollow, and asks her parents if they'd seen a similar crystal. They say they haven't, but Malachite knows of a mine that was shut down a hundred years ago that might have it. She goes, and finds a purple crystal with the image of a unicorn etched in it. Just as she grabs it, the cave begins to cave in. Em uses her energy shield, but it breaks shortly after. She just about escapes, but her leg gets caught under the rubble. She manages to break the rocks on her leg, allowing her to go free.

Sharise goes to the Crystal Archipelego, where she sees her crystal stuck in the ice. She does manage to break through it using her glaive and having her dragon breathe fire on the ice to melt it enough for her. She grabs the crystal, which is red and has the image of an owl etched in it. Just as she is about to get back on her griffin, she slips, falling into the water. While she intially panics due to the cold and her past inability to swim in the past, she remembers what she learned about swimming and manages to tread water long enough to get a hold of her dragon, who helps her back up.

Piper goes to the forest of Brynn. She thinks about Ziggy, and wonders if she should check on him. While she is lost in thought, she is attacked by a bunch of mushroom creatures. She is taken somewhere, and guesses that she's in the creatures' home. She also sees an orange crystal, and guesses that's the one she's looking for. Despite her powers being weak, she does manage to break through the vines the mushroom creatures used and steals the crystal. She sees the phoenix symbol.

Zarya goes to dragon henge and sees King Valmauk about to leave. He reveals that Stormy learned of the Spectral Hand's return and went off to fight it. Zarya offers to get Stormy, but tells King Valmauk of the crystal, and asks if he could help look for it, as he's more familiar with dragon henge. She sees Stormy just as she's about to get close enough for the Spectral Hand to see her as a threat, and manages to get Stormy back to dragon henge. King Valmauk reveals that he found the crystal, which is blue and has the image of a wolf etched in it. He gives it to Zarya.

They all meet up at the palace, as planned, and Queen Goodfey tries to convince the girls not to use the crystals, as they'll find another way to defeat the Spectral Hand. The Mysticons go to the Spectral Hand, and see their friends trying to fend it off, but will lose. The Mysticons use the crystals, and they feel stronger with the crystals' powers, and manage to defeat the Spectral Hand with it. They soon feel extremely tired and dizzy, and Em guesses that it's the negative effects Queen Goodfey tried to warn them about. Despite their exhaustion, they do manage to defeat Tancarville before collapsing.

The Mysticons wake up, and find that the royal family is there, along with Cagim and Em's parents. Zarya asks what they're doing there, and King Darius reveals that, given the dangerous circumstances, they called all the parents and went to the battle to check on the Mysticons. Piper asks about Captain Kaos and Tancarville, and Cagim reveals that they were arrested. They see Tazma and Malvaron talking, and realize that the battle must have helped them make up. Everyone goes to Drake City, and on the way, Sharise wonders if there'll be an evil more powerful than the Spectral Hand. Arkayna says that, no matter what obstacles they face, they will find a way to overcome it.

#mysticons #fanwork #fan season 5 #Scavenger Hunt

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emerald-echeveria-plant · 3 years ago

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The lost ones

(warning: angst, blood, and torture mentioned)

//Back inside the bunker, Silver is hooked up to a vital machine. There were bandages wrapped his chest. He was still passed out from his injury. His heart, beated slowly. Luckily, Danae and Andrew managed to save his life. If the two weren't there, well, old Silver might've been a goner.//

Andrew: is he gonna be okay?

Danae: There's a puh-probability. He got stabbed in the heart. A vu-very vital o-o-organ in the body. That snake puh-politician got him good..

Cetus: can't you use this here doohickey to fix em' up? *Holds the staff*

Danae: I wuh-wuh-would've liked to use it if I cu-could.

//The front door at the bunker slammed open. Their at standing at the doorway was Antonella. She rushed in, closing the door behind her as she did.//

Antonella: WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?? GOING OFF TO FIGHT HATRED ALL ON YOUR OWN???

Jim: We just thought that-

Antonella: JUST THOUGHT?? You thought going up against the strongest enemy in the universe was a GOOD IDEA??? And you! *Turns to Sophie* You're a young queen. You are much too fragile and valuable for this type of stuff. I can't allow you too fight her again.

Cetus: what?!? Sophie here almost got her! She knows how to handle her! Couldn't even hit her once! Well.. only once. *Rubs the back of his neck*

Antonella: I can't allow it... Danae, any word on what our allies said?

Danae: Well, tuh-two of them said they're willing to join but for a majority of puh-profits from our shipping ports. The thu-thu-third said that they'll only supply and fund our war.

Antonella, sighs heavily: Very well. Please contact them again and that we've agreed to their terms.

Danae: yes ma'am!

Cetus: wait-wait wait.. you're going to war?? You don't even have that many allies!

Antonella: If we don't attack now, she'll kill millions again. Hatred will do absolutely anything to get what she wants... It's even worse that she has her dragon no- *notices Cetus holding the claw* hu.. how.. HOW DID YOU GET THAT??

Cetus: what this? *Shows the claw* I was fighting.. someone and he disarmed me. So, I grabbed the nearest thing which was this.

Danae: Thu-thu-that's Carrion's cuh-claw!

Antonella: Give it to me!

Cetus: why..?

Antonella: You just halted Carrion being brought back. Without all the pieces of the body, he can't resurrect. We must take this to the ends of the etherium and hide it!

Cetus: then let me do it. You have to stay here and help your people.

Antonella: So, be it. You can take an Amoretian ship. Leave at night to avoid suspicion. I have a feeling Hatred's guards will be everywhere by this point.

Cetus: Okay-

Andrew: Wait, I'm going with you.

Cetus: I know.. you really think I'd leave my partner in crime behind?

Nomura: In that case, I shall go as well. In case any of Hatred's guards try to think about hurting you two.

//Cetus nodded at her. The three proceeded to leave the bunker. Assumingly, going to the docks. Antonella turned to the rest.//

Antonella: The rest of you must stay here. Hatred had already caused enough damage to the rest of you.. and your friend.

Jim: But we can help!

Antonella: No you can't. Please... Leave this to the professionals. Danae, Keep them safe. I have to go.. assist the queen. *Leaves the bunker*

Danae: So, wuh-wuh-while we wait.. who would luh-like to hear how Au-Au-Amoretia's infrastructure was created..? ... No one..

Tori, slowly raises her hand: me..

Danae: Ah! Good! Well, during the third generation of Amoretia a woman by the name of ...

//As Danae went on to tell how buildings of Amoretia were made, back at the castle, Hatred was sitting in front of something. She looked so transfixed by it.//

Hatred: Why do things have to be this way..? Why can't anyone understand what I'm trying to do is help them..? ... You were the only one that ever believed me.. Carrion.

//Carrion being dead, said nothing in response. His hollow eyes simply stared back at her. Hatred gently placed her hand on the top of his nose. She closed her eyes, remembering their time together. Soldiers were in the battlefield screaming in pain. Carrion had just blew his firey toxic breath at them. Hatred standing right next to him, watching as he did so. Carrion turned to look at Hatred.

Hatred: Kill all the non-believers... For the good of the etherium.

Carrion looked ahead to the castle before them. He stretched out his wings and let out a mighty roar. Hatred got on his back. She held up her sword in the air and pointed it towards the castle. Carrion flew towards it. Hatred put her sword back in it's strap. She looked down at the top of Carrion's head. She gently placed her hand on it. Suddenly, she was pulled back from her flashback. The sound of a door opening disturbed her moment. Hatred violently turned her head around.//

Hatred: Do you not know how to knock??!?

Lucian: I was just coming in to ask you something.

Hatred, getting up: Well, whatever it is, it better be important.

Lucian: Tell me.. What do you plan to do when you have total control over the etherium? Well. Fifty percent control of the etherium. I still get half.

Hatred: you really came in just to ask me that?!?

Lucian, puts his hands up: it's just a logical question.

Hatred:

Hatred: Well... When I rule the etherium and get rid of all love, I think I'll.. I.. *squints her eyes* I'll kill more people..?

Lucian: Really? You're just going to kill more?

Hatred: What did you expect?? I was built to hurt others to save them from their sins. Not to rule.

Lucian: Perhaps, I can help you run the etherium.

Hatred: Why?

Lucian: You said it yourself. You weren't meant to rule.. but I can.

Hatred:

Hatred: Go on.

Lucian: I'll rule the etherium and I promise to not have love in it. While you can work from behind the scenes and shut up any people you try to revolt against us. Your clearly are more of a hands on person.

Hatred: How will I know that you won't betray me?

Lucian: How does a blood pact sound? *Takes out a dagger*

Hatred: Interesting.

Lucian: You can use your magic to bind our contract. If one of us breaks it, then we die.. Do you agree with these terms?

//Hatred thought about his proposal for a bit. This deal could work and she didn't have to worry about Lucian possibly killing her in her sleep. She nodded her head.//

Hatred: Fine. *Takes out her staff* I'll agree to your terms.

Lucian, smiles: then work your magic.

//Hatred's staff glowed lightly.//

Hatred: Lucian Gordon. Do you vow to not betray me when we're BOTH in charge of the etherium?

Lucian: yes *cuts his palm with the dagger and winces in pain* I do.. and do you, Queen Hatred vow to not kill me in my sleep?

Hatred, shows her palm: I do. *Lucian cuts her palm*

//The two shake hands with the hands they had cut. A string of light wrapped itself around their arms. The light sunk into their skin, dealing the deal. Hatred pulled back her arm.//

Hatred: I hope you got what you wanted Gordie. *Leaves the room*

Lucian: .. Guh.. GORDIE??

Hatred, from far away: Isn't that your name?

Lucian: No!

Hatred: Well, it is now Gordie.

//Lucian rolled his eyes as he walked out of the room as well. He came across Lusca, who was waiting for him outside.//

Lusca: I couldn't help but to listen to your conversation.. Gordie.

Lucian, groaning: Shut your mouth..

//A few hours had passed and finally night fell. Back at the bunker, everyone inside had fallen asleep. Danae tried keeping herself awake but that proved to be a failure. She slept in a chair with her arms crossed. Realizing this, Sophie slowly got up from her bed. She shook Jim, waking him up. Already knowing their plan, he got up. They silently tipped toed to the exit. Strangely, Danae jolted from her chair.//

Danae: It wasn't me Ms. Fillion! I swear! Please don't hit me..!

//Danae opened her eyes. Awake from what seemed a nightmare. She turned her where Sophie and Jim were. Sophie only stared back at her. The two made a dash for the door. Danae tried following her but tripped over a chair and fell.//

Danae: Wuh-wuh-wait! *Gets up and follows her outside*

//Sophie only briefly stopped to see that if Danae was okay. She took quite the fall there.//

Sophie: I can't let her get away with this! She has to pay for what she did!

Danae: Ruh-revenge isn't the way! It only cuh-cuh-causes more misery and harm!

Sophie: Oh, I'm CERTAINLY going to cause misery and harm towards that bitch! *Proceeds to walk away*

Danae: wait! If yu-yu-you're going.. take this with you. *Hands Sophie the staff*

Sophie, grabs the staff: Thank you..

Danae: That staff belonged to someone a very long time ago. A man named Connor Iris. He yu-used it to help us at wuh-one point. He didn't really know how to use it buh-bu-but.. it he told Antonella that it was as if the staff guided him how to use its puh-puh-power.. i-i-it didn't work for me but perhaps maybe it could help you...

Sophie:

Sophie: Did you just say Connor..?

Danae: I did. Did you know him as well..?

Sophie: For a fragment of my childhood... If I'm not back in the morning. Tell the others I died trying.

Danae: Okay..

//Sophie and Jim walked away, heading towards the castle. Meanwhile at the dock, Cetus, Andrew, and Nomura were preparing to leave.//

Andrew, holding the claw: where do you think we should take this?

Nomura: Somewhere that no living soul can retrieve it.

Cetus: The bottom of a volcano?

Andrew: Sounds good to me.

//Andrew turned around to grab some cargo but noticed something wrong. Nomura wasn't there anymore. It seemed like she disappeared at the drop of a hat.//

Andrew: Ugh, Cetus.. did you know where Nomura went..?

//When Andrew turned to face his friend, he wasn't there anymore either. Andrew looked around him to make sure if they were there or not. They weren't. He slowly backed up off the ship. He must be imagining things, they were just with him right now. As he backed up, he felt something press up against him. Andrew turned around. In front of him was a tied up Cetus and Nomura with thorn vines wrapped around them. They struggled in the vines but they more they did, the more the thorns would sink into their skin. Cetus let out some erratic muffles but nothing could be made out. Andrew took out his dagger and tried to set them from. Cetus and Nomura were trying to point at something.//

Andrew: What? What is it??

//Suddenly, a pair of vines wrapped around Andrew. A mischievous high pitched laugh echoed in the room. It didn't take him long to realize who it was.//

Andrew: Shit.

//He was pulled into the darkness, supposedly being wrapped up himself by Veronica...

Back at the castle, Sophie and Jim were hiding behind a wall. Jim looked around the corner. There were many guards standing at the entrance. It seemed like there was no way getting in. Sophie was holding the staff, inspecting it.//

Jim: what are we gonna do?

Sophie: Let me try something.

//Sophie held the staff with both hands. She took in a deep breath and exhaled. Sophie stood still for a few seconds, attempting to use its power. Yet, nothing happened.//

Sophie, whispering: come on, come on.. why isn't it working???

//Then from the other side, a guard walked out from a secret pathway. He was drunk, holding a wine glass.//

Guard: Woman? That ain't no woman.. that's the devil himself! *Hicc* hiding amongst the weeds..

//The drunk guard hiccuped loudly once more before falling flat on his face. Jim and Sophie noticed this. The two looked at each other and shrugged. Jim and Sophie walked into the secret pathway. Inside was a red velvet carpet with lanterns lighting the way. There was a certain feeling of eeriness as there were eyes plastered on the walls. Almost as if they were watching they're every move. Sophie held Jim's hands. Jim held her hand tightly. As they continued to walk, the heard the sound of Lucian talking to someone. There was Cetus, Nomura, and Andrew chained up against the wall.//

Lucian: So, you really thought you could escape? With me around?

Cetus: We didn't think your plant pet would coincidentally show up.

Veronica: Ha! I knew where you were going! My plant buds told me! So no, it wasn't a "coincident". *Sticks out her tongue*

Nomura: I'm going to slap that stupid look off your face when I'm out of here!

Veronica, giggles: Too bad you won't live to do so! *Pulls out a torture device*

Lucian: Not yet Veronica.

Veronica, groans: ugh.. why??

Lucian: You have to wait for-

//Hatred slams open the door and walks into the room. She immediately marched towards the three chained victims. Hatred seemed to be disappointed seeing the three as if she didn't want them to be the ones to be kidnapped.//

Hatred: The claw. Give it to me.

Cetus: I'd like to but uh.. I'm hanging from a wall at the moment.

//Hatred snapped her fingers. At the sound of this, Veronica released him from his chains. As Cetus fell to the ground, he swiftly got up. He looked up at Hatred. He never expected her to be so tall. From far away she looked short.. but up close she looked to almost be around Silver's height. Perhaps even taller than him.//

Hatred: Now. Give it to me.

Cetus: okay, okay.. I'll give to you.

//Cetus put his hand in his pocket.//

Cetus: But over my dead body-

//Instead he pulled out a small dagger and slashed at Hatred's face. Hatred winced at being slashed at her eye. She held her eye but managed to keep her composure.//

Hatred: why you little BASTARD!

//Hatred grabbed him by his collar with her other hand. She threw him up against the weapon rack. Cetus tried getting back up but Veronica stepped on his neck.//

Veronica: Not so fast calamari.

Hatred, still holding her eye: Now.. you better give me that claw or I'll boil you alive!

Cetus: do your worst you bitch!

//As hatred walked towards Cetus, she was stopped by Lucian.//

Lucian: Hatred. Please... Let me handle this.

//He walked up to Cetus along with Lusca. Without even saying anything, Lucian pulled out a dagger and held it up to Lusca's neck. Lusca panicked at the feeling of the sharp object pressing his neck.//

Lusca: what are you doing??

Lucian: Hush... Now, are you going to hand us that claw or do I have to.. hurt your brother?

//There was light bit of surprise in the room. Not everyone had known that they were related. Cetus glanced at the two.//

Cetus: I..

//Lucian slowly cut into Lusca's neck. Lusca screamed in pain at the feeling of the metal blade. Cetus's eyes widened at the sight of his brother getting hurt. He immediately pulled out the claw.//

Cetus: PLEASE DON'T HURT HIM! JUST TAKE IT!

Lucian: Good lad. *Pulls the dagger away from Lusca*

//Veronica snatched the claw away from Cetus. She walked towards Hatred and handed it to her. Hatred took it and put it inside her inner dress.//

Hatred: Now then. Veronica, torture the victims to let us know where the others are.

Veronica: Of course!

Cetus: What?!? Why?? Don't you have what you already want??

Hatred: I have what I desire.. but that girl.. that girl is still out there.

Cetus: So.. Sophie..?

Hatred: I've never met such a fighter like her. She'll halt my legacy.. I can't let her live.

Cetus: NO!

Sophie: Oh no you won't!

//Hatred turned her head towards the secret pathway. There stood Sophie along with Jim by her side.//

Hatred: YOU..

Andrew: Get out of here Sophie!

Sophie: Not until she's dead before me..

//Veronica was going to walk towards Sophie but was stopped by Hatred.//

Hatred: NO! She's all mine! *Pulls out her staff* I must be the one.

Veronica: Okie dokie your majesty! *Proceeds to sit on top of Cetus* ooooohh this is gonna be good!

//Lucian stepped aside, letting Hatred have her fun. Lusca was holding a cloth to his neck. He glared at Lucian.//

Lusca: You didn't have to do that.

Lucian: Yes, I did. Its only a cut after all. You've handled worse.

//Lusca looked away from him. His eyes net with Cetus's. His brother gave him a sympathetic look. Lusca felt his heart burn at the sight of it. He quickly faced away from him, instead looking at the two ladies who were about to fight. Hatred noticed Sophie's newly acquired staff.//

Hatred: Trying to copy me? Are you really that desperate to be as powerful as me?

Sophie: I don't need to be as powerful as you.. besides.. you're nothing without that staff.

//Hatred, angrily used a blast spell against her. Sophie managed to get out of the way. She glanced at the staff, yet she wasn't able to unlock it's power yet. Hatred used another spell, this time sending a bunch of daggers at her. Sophie gasped at the sight. She closed her eyes... The staff glowed softly. A forcefield was created around Sophie and Jim. The daggers simply fell to the ground as they made contact with the forcefield. Sophie opened her eyes at the revelation. Hatred simply glared at her.//

Hatred: Seems that you know a spell or two.. BUT I KNOW HUNDREDS!

//Suddenly, Hatred's staff became a mace. She swung her staff at the forcefield, causing it to break. The two managed to get out of the before they could get hit. Sophie tried to use more spells against her. Some came out successful while others were rather strange and pointless. Jim attempted to distract the queen. Hatred simply kicked him across the room. Sophie glared at Hatred for hurting Jim. She used an even powerful spell on her. A sharp blast hurted the queen, even destroying her gown a bit. Hatred didn't let this weigh her down, even if it damaged her a lot. Hatred tripped Sophie by causing a piece of barbwire to spring out of the blue. Sophie landed backwards. Hatred towered over her, her staff glowing a red hue.//

Hatred: it's time to meet your end..

//As Hatred was about to use another spell... A loud bang went off. Hatred dropped her staff and suddenly fell the ground. Blood poured out from her chest as she laid there lifelessly. Jim had pulled out his flintlock pistol. He had just shot the queen in the chest. Everyone except Veronica stared in shock. There was a moment of silence. Did Jim just kill Hatred..? Jim carefully walked up to Sophie and helped her up. The two looked at Hatred. Her face looked petrified with a bloodshot eyes.//

Jim: she..

Lusca: You killed her??

Lucian: Impossible..

Sophie, "gently" kicks Hatred: she looks pretty dead to me..

Jim: So, it's over.. we won!

Veronica: huh, how anticlimactic... Welp at least I can still kill you all. *Pulls out a knife and holds it up to Cetus's neck*

Sophie: Oh no you don't! Jim come on help me-

//The sound of a sword being unsheathed and stabbing deep into someone interrupted Sophie. Sophie slowly turned to Jim. Her eyes widened in fear at the sight. Jim stood there frozen with a sword through his chest. He looked at Sophie, his eyes filled with fear. Hatred was standing behind the two. Her hair and dress a mess. In the middle of her chest was where the blood poured out. Yet, she survived it..? Jim fell to the ground. The world around Sophie suddenly became static noise. She fell to her knees, dropping her staff. Sophie put her hands on Jim. Despite not even hearing her own voice, she screamed so loud that it could be heard off the planet. Cetus and Andrew looked on with tears welling up in their eyes and screaming as well. Nomura desperately tried not to cry but seeing the sight of the young lad lie there lifelessly and Sophie in such anguish, she let out a few tears. Hatred grabbed Sophie by her hair. She proceeded to pull Sophie away from Jim's body. Sophie struggled in Hatred's grip.//

Sophie: NO! NOOOO!

Hatred: AAh ha! I knew you were weak! I thought I finally had an equal to my power! But it seems I've been mistakened.. what a waste of potential you are.

Sophie, weeping: Noo.. nooo.. Jim..

//Hatred opened up a portal with her staff.//

Hatred: I'll let you live.. and I'll be satisfied knowing you're suffering. *Throws Sophie in*

Andrew, Cetus, Nomura: NOOOO!

//As Hatred threw Sophie in, the staff that was given to her by Danae was also sucked in. The portal then closed... Hatred looked at the others. Lucian had an impressed look on his face. Lusca looked terrified at what she had just done.//

Hatred: Thank you for distracting them Veronica.

Veronica: No problem! *Puts away her knife* I knew you were only pretending.

//Cetus with all his strength, pushed Veronica off of him. He grabbed his dagger and immediately dashed towards. Cetus stabbed her in the stomach.//

Cetus: YOU BITCH! YOU BASTARD! YOU FUCKING-

Lucian, cut him off by stabbing Cetus in the neck: that's enough out of you.

//Cetus fell to his knees, then to the ground. He grabbed at his neck tightly, trying to stop the bleeding.//

Andrew, cries out: NOOOO!

//Hatred paid no mind to Andrew's cries. Instead, she looked at Cetus and Jim, almost like she was observing them. Then, she snapped her fingers.//

Hatred: Veronica, take these two to my study.. I have to.. wrap up my injuries.

Andrew: YOU'RE NOT TAKING THEM ANYWHERE.

Veronica: And what are you gonna do about it?? Magic yourself out of your chains?

//Veronica walks over to Cetus and Jim. She uses her vines to pick them up. Veronica joyfully skipped out of the room with the two.//

Veronica, sings: I LOVE my job~!

//As Veronica left, Andrew struggled at his chains.//

Andrew: I'll kill you.. I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU WHEN I'M FREE!

Hatred, slowly turns to look at Andrew: I.. am.. forever.. No one can kill me.

//And with that Hatred tried limping herself out of the room. Lucian helped her by taking her hand.//

Lucian: Here let me help you.. you did quite well out there.

Hatred: Thank you Gordie.

Lucian: Don't call me Gordie.

//As the two walked to the medical room, Lusca stood there, completely shocked at what transpired in the last few minutes. He slowly turned his head towards Andrew. He gave him a petrified looked. Andrew only gave him a look of disgust... Well, guess this is what he gets for dealing with villains. Lusca quickly walked out of the room. Presumably following Hatred and Lucian...

For what seemed like hours, Sophie slowly opened her eyes. A bright light flashed at her eyes. She put her hand up to shield her eyes from the light.//

Sophie: Ugh what.. what happened..?

??: You showed up out of nowhere. Like you just dropped here. Me and my clan took you back here.

Sophie: huh..?

//A woman wearing tribal like clothing was pouring some tea into a cup. She put the teapot to the side. Then picked up a small tray and walked over to Sophie. The unknown stranger put the in a table next to Sophie. On the tray was a cup of warm honey tea, a few fruits, and a small biscuit like treat in the shape of a crab.//

???: Eat. This will make you feel better.

Sophie: where am I?

??: You're in Horoscopria. Home to the Zodiacans. I'm Sapphira.

Sophie: Oh.. I'm Sophie.

Sapphira: Well, Sophie what brings you here..?

Sophie: huh? Oh nothing I was just.. I had this crazy dream that I was fighting this lady named Hatred, she was planning on taking over the etherium, she had kidnapped some do my friends, and she killed...

//It felt like a truck had hit Sophie. Suddenly, realizing that it wasn't a dream at all. The previous day began to replay in her mind. She began to hyperventilate, shaking erratically.//

Sophie: JIM!

To be continued...

((Veronica, Hatred, Antonella, Danae, and Sapphira belong to me

Cetus, Lusca, Andrew, and Lucian belong to @aalbli

Sophie belongs to @sleeplessdreamer14

Tori and Nomura belong to @authorchan-love))

#oc insert #tw: angst

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eryiss · 4 years ago

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Fraxus Week 2020: Day 1 - First Meeting

Summary: After a crappy post-college first year, Laxus jumped at the opportunity to leave town for a week for a road trip with his friends. He intended it just to be a week away with his friends, but when he meets an unfamiliar stranger, the vacation turns into something much more. [Fraxus Multichapter]

This was written as part of the annual Fraxus Week event hosted by @fuckyeahfraxus. This year I’ve decided to make an eight-part multi-chapter fic out of the prompts. They might not be in the correct order, but I think the end product will be worth it. Hope you all enjoy it.

You can read this on Fanfiction, Archive of our Own, and under the cut. Read the other chapters from this masterlist.

Chapter One – Getting Aboard

It had been Bickslow's idea.

Nobody would think it, but the blue haired idiot was perhaps the most caring of the group, the mother figure, in a way. He wasn't the most conventional 'mom friend', and it certainly didn't diminish his enthusiasm to get drunk off his ass when the opportunity presented itself, but he was always the one keeping an eye out on his friends and knew when something was wrong. Apparently he had seen something was wrong with all three of them, and had come up with this plan on how to fix it.

A road trip to the Grand Canyon. None of his friends knew where the idea had come from, nor did they know why he insisted on renting an RV and driving there instead of getting the train. But the man had this enthusiasm about him that was cast upon them like a spell, and they couldn't find a way to fight it. Perhaps they all knew they needed the break.

Laxus was damn sure he did.

It had been just shy of a year since his graduation from college, and his plan had been to get a job in a gym being a personal trainer. That hadn't happened. He'd gone to many job interviews and nothing had come from any of them, and each rejection had been like a punch to the gut. He knew he couldn't just use his grandfather's money for ever, so had gotten what was meant to be a temporary job in an office while he looked for more appropriate employment. That had been nine months ago, and he hadn't been near to an interview for his chosen career in over half a year.

So far, his post college life had been a failure. Perhaps he had been naïve to think good things would happen instantly, perhaps he just needed to be patient. But the idea of getting away from everything for a week was what he needed.

Even if it was in what he could only assume was a crappy van.

Even if he had to wake up at five thirty to get on the highway before the majority of traffic, for some reason.

Even if one of the people he was traveling with was a stranger.

He had known Bickslow for the longest. They had been friends since they were kids and, although Bickslow moving away for college had meant they weren't as close as they once were, Laxus still considered the man his closest friend. He was chaotic, loyal, and overall just a fun guy. He could be obnoxious, but who couldn't?

Evergreen had come later, when she transferred into their high-school and Bickslow had dragged her into their small group. She was a little haughty at first, but that was clearly a defensive state she took on as the new girl. As they got closer, she showed a snarkier and quick-witted side. She fit in with the two men like the missing piece of a puzzle, even if she had a stupid insistence of hitting them with a fan when annoyed.

But now there was Freed.

Laxus didn't know all that much about Freed. He knew that he went to the same college that Bickslow and Ever did. He knew that he lived a few towns over, about half an hour's drive. He knew that he was a literary and science major. That was it. But both Bix and Ever thought well of him, so he was probably a good person.

"What time is he coming?" Makarov asked, cupping a mug of coffee while sitting at the kitchen table.

"Should be a few minutes," Laxus shrugged, biting into the toast he'd made for himself.

"I don't get why you have to leave this early," Makarov commented, glancing at the clock handing on the wall as sipped his drink. "You're going to be driving for days on end, you'll get caught in traffic anyway. You might as well sleep in to an appropriate time."

"Nobody asked you to see me off," Laxus quirked an eyebrow. He agreed with the sentiment though, he'd much rather leave later and deal with the traffic.

"No, but you seemed determined to bump into everything as you were getting ready and to make as much noise as you could. It's hard to sleep through that," Makarov grinned, clearly trying to get a reaction out of his grandson. "Besides, it's been years since I saw your friends, it'll be nice to see them again. And that new boy you'll be travelling with, I want to mee him too."

"We're picking him up later," Laxus said, crunching another bite of toast; he had burned it.

"Ah," Makarov nodded.

The two men fall into a comfortable quiet, the silence being accompanied by the radio Makarov had insisted turning on despite complaining about all the music they played. Laxus ate his breakfast while his grandfather read the newspaper. Once Laxus was finished, he checked the small suitcase that he had packed for himself to make sure it had everything he needed, then sat back at the kitchen table and waited for his friends to arrive.

A few minutes later he got the text saying that Bickslow was outside. He cracked his back and walked to the front door of the house he shared with his grandfather, and looked upon the large RV that had been parked at the foot of the driveway.

It was an impressive looking vehicle, and probably a good model. The idea to go on this road trip had been made in March, giving the four of them four months to save up enough to hire something relatively luxurious. Bickslow was hanging out of driver's seat window with a wide grin on his face, clearly happy that his plan was starting. Laxus found his enthusiasm infectious, and a small smile graced his lips as he approached.

This was exactly what he needed to put aside the disappointment of the year.

"Hey man," Bickslow greeted with a voice too loud for the time of the morning. He looked past Laxus and grinned wider. "Hey Mr D."

"Morning Bickslow," Makarov greeted from the doorframe, smiling. "Is Evergreen not with you?"

"She's in the back, sleepin'. Told her that it'll take a hell of a lot of beauty sleep not to make her look like that, but she didn't listen to me," He cackled at his own joke, and Laxus chuckled as he saw a hairbrush hit him in the back of his head. "The big guy wake you up, Mr D?"

"What do you think?" Makarov laughed, and Laxus glared at him. Since when was it a known trait that he couldn't keep quiet in the morning?

"See you in a week-old man," Laxus waved his hand, hoping to stop the taunting conversation between his friend and relative. "Try not to die while I'm gone."

"Cheeky brat," Makarov retorted with a grin. "Have fun kids."

Bickslow gave a response in the affirmative while Laxus pulled open the door of the RV, climbing up the steps. It was as nice inside as it was outside, with a small table and seating nook, a cooking area, a bed at the back and a small room that Laxus assumed would be the washroom. Laxus absently wondered if either he or Bickslow would manage to fit in the shower, given their size. But still, it was a nice vehicle and would be more than enough for their week inside of it.

Laxus walked to the front of the vehicle and took the passenger's seat, grinning at the sight of Evergreen with an eye mask on while buckled into the seats surrounding the table. The seat was comfortable enough, and Laxus found himself smiling at the vehicle.

"She's nice, right," Bickslow grinned in reference to the RV. "Best one they had. Turns out four of us not having any fun for months means we save a lot of money."

"Glad to hear it," Laxus chuckled. "I half expected you to pull up in some crappy van with a piss stained mattress in the back."

"Oddly specific there Dreyar. Speaking from experience?" Bickslow grinned, and it was clear that his excitement was going to make him completely obnoxious throughout the week. As annoying as it was, Laxus wouldn't have it any other way. "So, just gonna put this out here. Sleeping situation. The bed at the back fits two, and the table folds away and makes another single bed. Obviously, they'll be two of us in the back. So we can either have Ever and Freed sharing the single bed 'casue we won't fit-"

"Like hell I'm sharing," Ever snapped from her seat. "It'll be cramped enough as it is."

"Or we take turns each night with one of us in that chair," He nodded to the seat Laxus was sitting in. "It reclines and turns slightly, so they'll be enough leg space. It's basically like a plane seat without anyone behind you."

"I'm sure we can manage with that," Laxus nodded. "Wouldn't wanna piss of medusa," A hairbrush hit the back of Laxus' head this time. "How many brushes do you have?"

"Five, they each do different things," Evergreen grunted from her seat, and Laxus chuckled when he saw her put the mask over her eyes again.

"How can they do different things?" Laxus asked.

"They just do, it's why they're all different shapes and have thinner and thicker prongs," Evergreen sighed. "Ask Freed when he gets here, I'm sure he'll know. And that way you won't be talking to me and I can get some sleep."

Laxus decided not to push his luck, knowing that his friend had enough strength to throw a hair dryer at his head, as well as the morality to do so. Instead he leant over to Bickslow, who had pushed the key into the ignition, and spoke softly.

"Why would he know much about hair brushes exactly?" He asked, and Bickslow looked at him with confusion before realisation hit him.

"Sorry, I keep forgetting that you know basically nothing about him," He laughed, turning the key, and starting the engine. It was a powerful machine, and Laxus appreciated it. "Freed's got really long hair, keeps it pretty well looked after too. Goes down to his ass, don't know when he last had it cut. It looks good on him though. Oh, and it's green. Like, bright green."

"Really," Laxus furrowed his brows. "Everything you've said about him makes him seem pretty… strait laced I guess."

"He is, kinda. He's just got green hair," Bickslow shrugged, smiling wide. "He's kinda contradictory when you get to know him. You'll love him, I know it baby."

Bickslow revved the engine unnecessarily, waved out the window with an overly loud 'Bye Mr D!' as he did so, and started to pull out from Laxus' neighbourhood. Laxus gave his grandfather a small wave in goodbye, and saw the old man return the gesture. He leant back in his comfortable chair and allowed the gentle vibrations of the vehicle moving to calm him, closing his eyes softly as the warm sun hit his face through the front window.

This was exactly what he had needed after the year he'd had, and even the idea of being in the RV with a stranger didn't put a damper on his mood.

~~~

It had taken about forty minutes to get into the town Freed had lived in, and only a little while longer to get to his apartment. The building wasn't the nicest looking place in the world, and Bickslow explained that Freed lived by himself and financed his own life through his student loan and a job. Laxus didn't judge him; that was an admirable thing to do and he couldn't look down on his because he lived in a slightly crappy apartment building.

Honestly, for some reason he had expected a spoiled kid.

"Could you go up and get him?" Bickslow asked, looking towards Laxus.

"Can't you text him?"

"Nah, he takes hours to answer any texts, so I never know if he actually reads them quickly or not. Don't wanna be waiting down here for ages," Bickslow shrugged, and then grinned. "Besides, it'll give the two of ya a chance to get to know each other before you get trapped in here with us. Makes it less awkward."

Laxus sighed, but nodded. He was almost certain that getting to know Freed was the only reason he had been chosen to find the man, but he couldn't prove it as he didn't know if Bickslow's claim about his texting etiquette was true or not. He shifted his way out of the RV, Bickslow shouting the man's apartment number and the code for the door as he did so. Once he closed the door, he could swear that he heard the two speaking in the van, but ignored it.

The apartment building wasn't run down, but it was lacking luxury. Paint was peeling off some of the walls and the elevator opened with a horrid creak. Laxus walked into it and pushed the button for the ninth floor.

A ridiculous bubble of nervousness entered his stomach as the elevator started to ascend. He had never been talented socially, and his communication skills were both blunt and often uncared for. This had meant he never truly got used to being around new people, and it took him a while to warm up with most people. And now he was going to be stuck in a pretty small RV for around a week with a man he didn't know. He knew that his friends were good judges of characters and they assured him that they'd get along, but Laxus still could be nervous about meeting him.

Once the lift had found the right floor, Laxus looked around and settled on the sixth apartment's door. He knocked it curtly, the sound echoing awkwardly in the hallway. Laxus fidgeted for a moment before it was opened, revealing Freed.

"Oh," The man said in a velvet smooth voice. "Hello."

"Hey," Laxus greeted. "I'm Laxus, Bickslow might have told you about me. He said to come get you."

"Of course," The man said, and offered him a smile.

It was a nice smile. In fact the entirety of the man was nice to look at. He had long green hair, as Bickslow had said, and it was tied up in a high pony tail. A few green strands had fallen down to frame his face, accenting his sharp features, and pronounced bone structure. His outfit portrayed a fit body, and the unassigned top button showed a small slather of a firm chest. He had piercing blue eyes, a small black mark high on his left cheek, and thin lips.

When his eyes flickered down, he saw that the man had two large sports bags at his feet, clearly his own luggage. Laxus was suddenly reminded of why he was there, and snapped out of his split-second trance.

"You need help with them?" He offered.

"I'm fine," Freed assured him. "Although you could hold this if you don't mind."

He reached for a shelf in his apartment and picked up a small plastic thermos, handing it to Laxus. The blonde took it and looked at it with confusion. "Doesn't it make more sense for you to hold your own drink. I really don't mind taking a bag."

"It's not for me," Freed explained, lifting his bags out of his apartment, and placing them down to lock the door. "I shared a morning class with Evergreen, and she was snappy enough at eight in the morning, let alone half six. I assumed she might need some caffeine."

"Yeah, both me a Bix got a hairbrush thrown at us already," Laxus laughed. "Probably a good call."

"I would have made the two of you one as well," Freed stated as they walked down the hall. "But I don't know what you drink, and I don't believe that Bickslow needs any help in being overly energetic."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure my grandpa's neighbour is gonna complain because of the shouting," Laxus grinned a little as he called the elevator. His friends were a topic he could handle.

"I'm surprised he didn't try and get my attention by yelling from the sidewalk."

"Well, I'm pretty sure that the only reason he sent me up here is so we can talk without them being there," Laxus admitted, before wondering if it was appropriate to say so. Was it meant to be a secret?

"It makes sense," Freed nodded. "They haven't really told me too much about you. I know your name, that you're a year older than us, and that you went to college to become trained in sports science and physiotherapy. That's essentially it."

"Well, that's all true," Laxus said as he walked into the open elevator. "I haven't gotten a job in my field yet, so I took a temp job. But I'm still looking. Bix said you've got a job as well as going to college?"

"I'm a waiter at Blue Pegasus, a restaurant a few blocks away," Freed explained. "It's not the most interesting work, but the pay is enough to keep me stable. And sometimes I'll get a meal at the end of the shift for free, so I can't complain."

Laxus nodded, understanding the conflict of working at a job that doesn't thrill you without having the option of quitting. The elevator started to slide down, and a repetitive tone began to play in the small box. Neither man spoke, and Laxus would have expected the urge to fill the silence, but it didn't come. For whatever reason, he felt comfortable with not speaking when Freed was around, something that didn't happen to him often.

Thinking back, the last time he had been okay in silence with a stranger had been Evergreen.

They reached the bottom floor hallway of the building a moment later, and Laxus held open the front door for Freed so the man could walk out without dropping his bags. When they walked into the morning sun, Laxus found himself momentarily transfixed by the sight of the man under natural light.

He looked radiant.

His slightly paler skin seemed to glow in the sunlight, and his perfectly brushed hair shimmered in the light. His eyes even seemed to sparkle as he approached the comparatively dull vehicle that was their home for the next week. Laxus' grip on the thermos tightened slightly as he walked forward.

"Just opened the storage," Bickslow commented from the window. "Put your bags in there, so we have space."

Freed nodded, walking to the small storage cubby that was opened from the side of the truck. He placed his bags down and opened it, and Laxus walked beside him. Freed placed one of the bags into the RV's trunk equivalent, and Laxus lifted the other to do the same. It held a fair amount of weight to it, and Laxus found himself impressed that the man had managed to lift this and another bag without any difficulty. Maybe the bulging in his sleeves wasn't just vanity muscles, as Laxus had assumed.

"Thank you," Freed nodded towards Laxus, closing the storage space.

"It's fine," Laxus assured him.

The two men climbed inside the RV, being greeted by a still too cheery 'welcome to the party bus' form Bickslow. Laxus saw that, in his time in the building, Evergreen had taken the front seat and was reclining in it with the eye mask on and a blanket covering her body. He rolled his eyes, placed the drink in a cup holder on the dash, and looked back over the RV's interior. The only place you could sit while it moved were in the table booth that Freed was sitting at. Laxus took the seat opposite him.

As he got into the leather booth, he saw that Freed had taken out a novel and was scanning the paged with quick moving eyes. The sun was hitting his face just right and illuminated it in a damn impressive way. Annoyingly, Laxus blushed

"All aboard," Bickslow yelled. "Next stop, the Grand Canyon."

And, with a pleasant nervousness in his stomach as he looked at Freed, Laxus found himself excited for the journey.

#Fraxus Week #Fraxus Week 2020 #fraxus #freed justine #Laxus Dreyar #fairy tail #fanfic #writing #Event #multichapter #Modern AU

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workrockin · 5 years ago

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What is borderlands all about?

Borderlands is a game about guns. I guess that would be an accurate and succinct description. Guns are everywhere in this game. Kill enemies and they drop guns. Open up loot boxes and you find more guns. There are vending machines that sell guns. Character quests give you guns as reward. You can find guns hidden in locker rooms, frozen in ice crystals, stashed in fridges and washing machines and I promise that I'm not joking about this when I say that you can find guns in toilet seats. Yes borderlands is a game where you can find guns hidden in toilets.

I've never played a game with as many guns as in borderlands. Of all varieties. Thunder pistols, acidic machine guns, poisonous rocket launchers , shotguns that explode when reloaded sniper rifles that can do 200 times damage on every critical hit and high speed smg bullets that explode when they hit the target like tens of grenades going off at once.

As crazy as these things sound they are among the more normal, I'm tempted to say bread butter ,weapons in borderlands. Wait until you encounter crazier designs like "bane". A gun that screams (no it literally shouts) when you press the trigger doing rapid damage but at the cost of reducing your movement to almost nothing making it useless for normal combat situations but handy when you have to fight while standing still (like while trying to get a second wind,more on that later)

Talking of grenades, borderlands has them as well. And they are just as fun as the guns. If not more. There are bouncing grenades, there are grenades that suck the enemy in a vortex, there are grenades that transform into a fire hose constantly doing fire damage to all enemies in the radius (yes it's as cool as it sounds). Then there are grenades that break into a number of tiny bombs on detonating destroying enemy shields.

Some enemies have shields but so do you. And you can either choose to buff up your defence or sacrifice some of your shield points to do additional damage on your first shot. There are shields that set the enemy on fire if they come to close, or electrocute them, or self explode taking all other enemies out. In borderlands even shields are offensive.

All these weapons won't be of much use if there were not many targets you could use them on. Luckily for us borderlands delivers in this respect.

You'll find all kinds of bad guys to pump your bullets in. Psychos, skags, badasses, convicts with huge spiked shields midgets tied to them! Gunmen that are quick on their feet , rat like thugs that steal all the loot lying around, psychos that move into your cover and explode. In borderlands you'll have to learn quickly to crowd control.

Changing covers, using your secondary skills effectively and perhaps most importantly using second wind to your advantage. You see when you run out of health in borderlands, the game gives you a chance to "fight for your life" in this mode if you kill any enemy you're restored with full shield and a portion of your health. By knowing when to go in all guns blazing , confident that even if you're taken out there are enough enemies on screen that you can get a second wind, is a key tactic of winning in borderlands.

Every opponent requires a different strategy to beat so that when the game throws them together they become quite a challenge. Different enemies have different elemental weaknesses, different attack range and different health points.

Robot types are weak to acid, flesh types to fire. Goliath's are tanks that go into an enraged mode when they lose their helmets getting more aggressive and even killing other enemies for you! At higher difficulties enemies even respawn health that makes them even harder to take down. Suffice to say here that you'll be on your toes all the time.

The world in borderlands is presented in a beautiful cartoonish style that suits the overall zany narrative of the game. Nobody takes itself too seriously here. Even the main villains are quite cool. Yes they want to realize their nefarious plans and yes they'll do anything to stop you. They're still nasty and mean and bossy. The kind of crooks that you expect, but they are always joking about it. And frankly it's a bit of a relief from the usual highly moody baddies that you have to deal with in video games. In borderlands when you beat the main boss you miss them in a way. The fact that you'll no longer be able to hear their utterly ridiculous but totally entertaining monologues is a bit of a let down to be honest.

Thankfully the post game content in borderlands is huge. In that respect the game is like the western version of Monster Hunter. You want to find awesome new guns. You want to fight new enemies and you want to try out new characters or level up your existing build post game. The replayability in borderlands is huge. And that's not even counting the multiplayer aspect. Yes you can go online and play borderlands with your friends.

It's little wonder that borderlands 2 sold 22 million copies since its release in 2012.Of course with the release of Borderlands 3 we can say that the game is now officially a franchise. The latest entry promises exploration of new planets.

It's deeper than Ratchet and clanks planetary platforming, but not quite on the level of no man's sky intergalactic exploration. Still the world we have is richly detailed and there are new things to find on every corner.

Borderlands is a game that proves that an RPG does not have to mean a shoddy action game. With it's pumping first person shooter gameplay, western Sci Fi themed story and loot that makes other RPGs blush borderlands is a dream game for fans of shooter as well as RPGs. It shows how RPG like customization and collectibles can add depth to a genre that is as populated as FPS. Borderlands manages to stand out from the crowd of shooters. And if you follow the game industry closely you can appreciate how big of a deal that is.

And frankly speaking borderlands is no longer merely a game. It is a benchmark on which other shooters and rpg games will be judged.

If you haven't played a borderlands game yet, now would be a good time to do so.

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