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thebiggerbear · 1 year ago

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Only Ever Holding Onto You - One - Here We Go Again

A/N: This chapter is HUGE. The following chapters should not be nearly as long. I began writing this back in July and at that time, I hadn't watched the rest of the 3rd season of Big Sky so I did a lot of guesswork based on gifs, clips, and posts I had seen on here. So that's why some things might not line up to the show, sorry about that. Also, I completely made up the name of the pharmaceutical company.

This story actually was the gateway to Ghosts so there might be some similar threads you might notice. ;)

And a huge thank you to my beta @rieleatiel! You rock, girl!

Warnings: mentions of animal cruelty, mentions of animal injuries seen by Reader, mentions of kidnapping of minor

Word Count: 13k+

Series Masterlist

Series Taglist: @deans-spinster-witch; @rieleatiel

“I didn’t do anything wrong!”

You rolled your eyes and made a left onto Washington. “Yeah, yeah. That’s what everyone who breaks into a chem lab says.”

“It’s true,” the man currently sitting handcuffed in your backseat insisted. “It’s the corporation that’s doing something wrong. They’re benefitting from those animals’ pain.”

“Doesn’t give you the right to enter the premises illegally,” you pointed out.

“What they’re doing is illegal,” he scoffed.

You couldn’t exactly argue with that one. When the call came in for a 10-62 and it was advised that the prowler was armed and dangerous, you had immediately rushed to the scene, beaten there by two officers from Helena PD and one deputy from your department. The perp had already been secured and in handcuffs, proclaiming loudly over and over that he was innocent as were the animals he had been trying to set free. Deputy Davis informed you that the only weapon that had been found on the man was a pair of bolt cutters, which had barely made a dent in the cages’ padlocks, never mind were they ever a real threat to anyone on the premises.

After contacting the higher-ups of her employer, an onsite supervisor insisted the company wanted to press any and all charges, maintaining that the animals in their possession had been obtained legally and the accusations against them were baseless. One glance past the woman’s shoulder at the cages of rabbits and cats being wheeled into another area showed that perhaps the man’s claims weren’t as baseless as she said they were. You had to keep yourself from hauling her down to the station on some trumped up charge once you noticed one cat in particular that had half of its fur missing and its side was littered with obvious injection sites. One rabbit even had sutures where an eye should be.

Unfortunately, you had a job to do and the law needed to be upheld. You insisted on taking the perp, one Martin Webb, into the station yourself. Since Davis had arrived on scene first, Helena PD couldn’t say a peep. That was one thing that hadn’t changed with your transfer here: the good ol’ jurisdiction issue between departments. Although, up in these parts, the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Department and Helena PD did play nicer together than most other places you’d been. As Webb continued to ramble on in the back of your car, you were thankful for that little fact.

When he mentioned for the fifth time that he was doing the right thing, your phone began to ring. One quick glance at the screen showed that it was Deputy Poppernak. Without saying a word, you picked up the call. “What’s shaking, Pepper Snaps?”

You smirked when you heard the slight huff he let out when you called him the cute little nickname you had come up for him. He knew you did it to tease him good-naturedly but it still exasperated him at times. Truth be told, you had a fondness for the guy even though he did prove to be a bit of a suck-up when you first stepped into the station about six months back. Still he had always been welcoming towards you, took your quirks in stride, and he was a decent cop. That put him under the good list in your book.

“Hey, Y/N. The boss asked for me to give you a call and see if you were on your way back to the station.”

Your eyes practically rolled out of your head. Apparently, the sheriff had forgotten how phones worked along with the knowledge that you were more than capable of doing your job. If Poppernak got exasperated with you at times, your patience could be worn thin by one Beau Arlen on a semi-often basis, and that hadn’t changed with both of you relocating to Big Sky Country.

“Pops, correct me if I’m wrong, but when I radioed in to Madge that I was transporting a suspect back to the station, did I say it in Portuguese? French maybe? Japanese? Or in Gaelic perhaps?” You quipped.

“Uh, no. No, of course not,” Poppernak let out in a nervous chuckle. “It’s just, uh…sorry, one second.” You could hear his muffled voice speaking to someone; it was obvious he had covered the mouthpiece with his hand. You nearly rolled your eyes again, knowing exactly who he was speaking to, and instead chose to glance in your rearview to check on the man in the back. He had still been talking when you picked up the call but he must have gotten the hint when the deputy’s voice filled the car. Now, he sat quietly, staring straight ahead.

“Okay, sorry about that. Madge was asking me—”

You’d had enough, especially when you heard him using a quieter tone than before. “Cut the crap, I know very well who was asking you something. What does he want and why is he not calling me to ask me himself?”

He laughed nervously again. “Uh, well, he was just—I mean I was just wondering, do you mind stopping by The 1889 and grabbing the usual order on your way in?”

Your jaw tensed. You had a sneaking suspicion of the reason why your boss wasn’t calling you directly and instead was asking his employee to do his dirty work, and it infuriated you.

“If it’s not too much trouble,” Poppernak added meekly.

You forced yourself to remember that he wasn’t the one who your ire should be aimed at. You’d get to that soon enough after you booked your suspect down at the station. You made another quick turn to head in the direction of the coffee shop. “Call the order in. I’ll be there in fifteen to pick it up and they better run it out to me or no dice. In case anyone at that station is too thick-headed to remember, I’m currently transporting a suspect.”

You heard a relieved breath come down the line. “Thanks, Y/N. You’re the—”

You ended the call before the deputy could finish speaking. Pops knew you weren’t mad at him and knowing him, he’d get right on placing the order at the coffee house you all frequented so the order would be ready in the timeframe you’d given him.

“Amazing. Animals are being cruelly treated in your own backyard and all you cops can worry about is your coffee order. ‘To protect and serve’...yeah right.”

You shot Webb a glare in your rearview mirror. “You have the right to remain silent, you know. Wouldn’t hurt to exercise it every now and then. Like right now.”

“How can I be silent? Do you have any idea what they’re doing to those animals? Do you have any idea how much pain they’re in? God, you people are heartless!”

“Uh huh.” You brought the car to a stop at a traffic light and took a deep breath. Losing your temper on Webb or Pops or anyone at the station would not help anything, but damn did Beau get on your nerves sometimes with his desire to placate and diffuse things. Most of the time, it was something you heavily respected about him; it was a great quality for a leader to have. At the same time, some people needed to be stood up to, put in their place, and knocked down a few pegs — and that is where you and Beau never saw eye-to-eye. It drove you crazy but you told yourself you would play the long game on this one. Beau knew how you felt. You two had argued about it enough times when it was just you two — but he refused to budge an inch. He believed time would resolve things. Six months was plenty of time in your mind but apparently, he didn’t share that sentiment. So, you did as you always had: you had his back and you followed his lead. It didn’t mean you had to like it sometimes, though. Especially not when—no, you would put it out of your mind for now.

“I’m serious, you saw the animals yourself. Do you really think they’re well cared for like they said? If you only knew the half of it!”

Webb’s rantings broke you out of your reverie. You thought over what he said, remembered the cat with the missing fur, the rabbit with the missing eye, and bit your lip in contemplation. When the light turned green, your mind was made up. “I’m just doing my job, Mr. Webb. And that job doesn’t include looking into the history of this company or what they do with their animals when it comes to testing.”

The man scoffed and you knew your words had been chosen well. “Of course not. Why would you care? I suppose you don’t care that the animals are kept in cages night and day. Not only do they pump chemicals into them consistently but they cause them pain purposely to see if their products work. I guess you also don’t care that this is a common practice for this company, or that they purposely pick up strays from surrounding neighborhoods and have even broken into people’s properties to steal their pets when the shelters and pet stores start to get suspicious! And you’re charging me with breaking and entering? What about them? And I bet you don’t care that they purposely starve these animals for certain experiments and that’s not even…”

You made your way to The 1889, keeping your gaze ahead of you as you maneuvered down the streets, all the while quietly listening and at certain points, trying to remember why you’d chosen to become a cop when it seemed like the odds always remained against you and innocents, humans and animals alike, continued to get hurt by every semblance of heartless assholes on a daily basis.

Deputy Davis, who had beaten you back to the station and waited for you to arrive, led Webb into the station as you followed behind with a tray of coffees and a paper bag full of food.

Pops immediately hurried over to meet you, a huge grin on his face. “Thanks, Y/N. You really are the best.”

You handed him both the tray and bag, giving him a nod.

Webb watched the exchange carefully before yelling out, “Yeah, so glad you can sit and enjoy your coffee and donuts while innocent animals are suffering!” The busy hum in the station dimmed slightly as everyone turned to look, but then it resumed when they saw the man responsible for the noisy interruption was in handcuffs.

“I’ll book him,” the deputy next to you insisted.

“Thanks, Davis.” You smiled slightly at the younger man. “I’ll get on the paperwork.”

“Let’s go.” Davis pushed Webb in front of him who kept yelling as he was being moved away.

You and Pops watched them disappear around the corner and then turned back to one another. “So, where is he?”

Pops’ amiable smile dropped completely and he quickly glanced in the direction of the sheriff’s office. Bingo. “Uh, I think he’s interrogating a suspect right now…”

“Right.” You then moved past him and proceeded right to the location that Pops unintentionally gave away before outright lying to you. The door was shut but that didn’t deter you. Without knocking, you opened the door and barged right in.

Sure enough, there was Beau, sitting in his chair with the infamous Jenny Hoyt perched on the desk to his left, barely a foot of space between them. Of course. Was there ever a moment in the day the undersheriff wasn’t trying to get into the sheriff’s pants?

The blonde glared at your intrusion and you folded your arms across your chest. You offered a meaningful look to Beau, who at least had the decency to look sheepish.

“Did you always storm into your boss’ office without knocking like this back in Houston or is it only something you do here?” Hoyt snapped.

“Hoyt,” Beau warned.

Ignoring her sniping and ignoring her presence altogether — you leveled your eyes on Beau alone. “We need to talk.”

Beau glanced between you and his undersheriff, looking uncertain, before he gave a simple nod. “Give us the room for a minute,” he directed to the woman next to him. The corner of your lips lifted in the beginning of a smirk; wise choice on his part.

Hoyt transferred her glare to him but got to her feet all the same. She nearly stomped her way out the door, scowling at you the entire time. You stared her down, all too happy to close the door once she vacated the threshold. You seriously could not wait for that woman to take some vacation time; it’d be like your own vacation kicking in at the same time.

You turned around to find Beau watching you, exhaustion showing in the lines of his face a little more prominently than they had a moment ago. “Y/N, I—”

Holding up a hand, you interrupted him before he could plead with you for peace or make excuses like he had so many times before. “Aside from me thinking that it’s downright pathetic that you can’t even make a simple phone call to ask me to pick you up one of your favorite sandwiches because she’s within hearing distance, I have a bigger issue to discuss.”

Beau sat back in his chair, considering you for a moment. “Alright. Let’s hear it.”

You moved closer and took a seat. “The man I just brought in, Martin Webb, the one who’s being booked on a B&E charge from Avuna Pharmaceuticals? Turns out he was not armed like had been initially reported to emergency dispatch. He had a pair of bolt cutters on him that didn’t even work and he was not posing a threat to anybody. But the Avuna reps are insisting he was.”

“Who was first on scene?”

“Davis.”

“Any footage or eyewitness accounts that prove this guy threatened anyone before Davis got there?”

“Eyewitness accounts from paid employees and when we asked for footage after noticing cameras placed all around the lab, we were told that their legal counsel advised that unless we had a warrant, we were wasting our time and suggested we should be focusing on the arrest of the assailant in our custody.”

Beau snorted. “Not suspicious at all and damn ballsy.”

You couldn’t help but shrug. “Big corporation, big money. They’ll do whatever it takes to protect it all.”

He nodded in agreement. “Good point. Alright, let’s let the DA take it from here. For now, just book him and we’ll let the courts battle it out on what charges actually stick.”

You tilted your head at him expectantly.

“And,” he sighed. “I take it you already knew I’d say that and that’s not why you wanted to discuss it.”

“You know me so well,” you teased, giving him a smirk and sitting on the desk next to him on his right, keeping a polite distance between you. “Something doesn’t smell right with this case. If their response to our request to view their footage wasn’t enough of a red flag, then the fact that they’re looking to throw the book at this guy is. I ran him through the system. His record is relatively clean; he’s an activist, not an ecological terrorist.” You bit your lip. “I saw the animals while they were transporting them,” you said in a quieter tone. “I saw some things that... I think this guy, while a little misguided, is actually on the right track. Something’s off with this whole thing.”

Beau leaned over to place a hand over yours. “Darlin’, I know where you’re going with this and while it pains me to say it, I have to. It’s not our job. You said it yourself: big corporation, big money. This is for the courts. We can’t get involved.” You dropped your gaze to the floor and let out a disappointed breath. You knew as much, had said as much to Webb on the ride over, but it felt wrong for that to be the actual reality.

You felt Beau brushing his thumb over the back of your hand in tender strokes. It was his way of reassuring you and apologizing at the same time. You couldn’t help but give him a thin-lipped smile. You knew he would do something if he could, but he was right. Unless there was evidence to Webb’s claims of the company illegally obtaining those animals, this was not for you or for the department to get involved in. On the off-chance there was proof, that evidence would need to be transferred to the right agency who handled such cases. Your hands were tied and there was nothing you could do from your position, that fact wouldn’t help you sleep better at night or help you forget what you had seen.

“That being said, I will talk to the DA and see what he can do about the charges. I can’t promise anything but I’ll try,” Beau finished, after seeing your reaction.

You turned your hand over, grabbing onto his, and whispered, “Thank you.”

He returned your smile and squeezed your hand before gently letting go. “And thank you for picking up the order earlier. And for not letting Hoyt bait you into an argument.”

Rolling your eyes and getting to your feet, you made your way to the bulletin board on the far wall to study its contents. “Sometimes I wonder why you even asked me to come here.”

You heard a heavy sigh behind you but you didn’t turn around to look. “You know why I asked you to join me here, Y/N. I need someone who has my back.”

“You have plenty of people here who have your back.” You pulled the paper you were looking for off the board and folded it up. “Especially her. She’d have your back, front, and center if she had anything to say about it.” Slipping the paper into the back pocket of your jeans, you glanced back at Beau to find him glaring in your direction. “Am I wrong?” You challenged.

“I really wish you two would try to get along.”

You scoffed out a laugh. “I’m not the one who throws a temper tantrum every time I walk into a room. That would be the woman whose insufferable ass has been glued to yours for the past six months.”

Beau shook his head. “Why do I even try?”

“Why do you?” You agreed. “And why do you defend her at every given turn when you know she’s the one that has a chip the size of Texas on her shoulder?”

“I told you, she’s been through a lot. With her mom and everything…” Beau waved a hand to indicate there might be more to it than you knew. You didn’t think there was; you had heard about it from practically everyone around here, but you also knew Beau was a good man with a big heart. So while you didn’t excuse away the blatant hostility Hoyt had shown you from the moment you arrived, you knew that your best friend tried to be understanding and his patience was longer than the length of the building you were currently in.

“Right,” you muttered. When you first showed up here, Beau told you everything that went down in the amount of time it took you to be able to secure your transfer. You knew all about Jenny Hoyt, her mom, Cassie Dewell, their interesting history, Denise, Sunny, Buck, and everything that happened with Emily and Carla. As a matter of fact, as soon as Beau called you in a panic over Emily’s being taken, you had told your boss down in Houston, Burke Ellis, that you were done waiting for him to stop dragging his feet and you were out on the first red-eye you could book a seat on. As a matter of fact, that was how you and Cassie first met, and how you first came across Hoyt.

Beau had rushed over to you the minute he had spied you hurrying into the station, asking for Sheriff Beau Arlen and flustering Madge who had no idea who you were but that the man you said you were here to see was having a personal crisis and wasn’t up for seeing any visitors. You darted past her desk, which had further exasperated her, and you practically jumped into Beau’s open arms. You both hugged each other tightly and he nearly lifted you off the ground.

“Thank you,” he rasped out into your ear. “Thank you for coming.”

“Of course.” You ran your fingers soothingly through the hair at the back of his neck. “Where do you need me?”

He had pulled back and it was then that you could see the toll this was taking on him; the fear, worry, and exhaustion were clearly pronounced on his handsome face. “Honestly?” He croaked out. He then grabbed your hand and quickly led you to an office in the back, both of you moving past many shocked onlookers, a 5’6” blonde woman among them who you would later come to know as the biggest pain in your ass in your career thus far.

You saw the gold lettering on the door stating this was Beau’s office and he slipped you inside before shutting the door and closing the blinds. He pulled you back into his arms, burying his face into your neck. He surprised you a moment later by picking you up and placing you on the corner of his desk, never once moving away from you. You could feel the wetness against your skin and you saw his shoulders shake as he let out a pitiful sob.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice breaking as he spoke. “I just… My baby girl has been taken by this murderous son of a bitch and I—” He couldn’t even get the rest out and you shushed him, holding him together as best you could while he fell apart, scared out of his mind at what could happen to his daughter. Emily was like a niece to you; you couldn’t even imagine how terrified she must be, let alone how her father must feel. You knew one thing, though: you and Beau would find her and bring her home. In order to do that, however, you needed to keep Beau from breaking completely and re-calibrate his focus.

You had started to press kisses to the side of his head, promising that you both would do everything to get Emily back safe and sound. “I’m here now,” you murmured into his ear. “We made one hell of a team once, this will be no different. We’ll get her back, Beau.” He sniffled and moved back to look at you, nodding. You gave him a tender smile and wiped underneath his eyes before running your hand through his wayward hair (it had grown slightly since the last time you saw him) and stroking his bearded cheek affectionately. “I’ve got you. Always.”

He stared into your eyes for so long as you comforted him that you didn’t notice that he was moving closer until his nose nearly bumped into yours. You didn’t realize that your breathing had picked up or that your heartbeat had accelerated until your lips parted to let out a small puff of air. His green gaze dropped down to your mouth at the action and then you noticed him wet his lips with his tongue. Your own tongue automatically mirrored his and you swore you felt your heart stop when you saw him take it as a green light and start to lean in, closing his eyes. Alarm bells went off in your mind: this was your best friend who was vulnerable due to the situation at hand, seeking comfort from someone familiar to him that he knew he could fully trust; there was an active investigation going on into his daughter’s abduction and you knew you were on a timeclock; every second counted and there was no time to waste. Yet you were frozen, unable to react and unwilling to stop him from taking the solace he needed in you.

You’d be lying if you said you never imagined your friendship with Beau possibly crossing the line into something more at one point. While he was married, you had never entertained it, but afterwards, there had been that one night… Nothing had ended up happening between you, of course, but it had definitely been a close call. You had attributed it to too much liquor and the need for consolation during a rough time in his life, being more than relieved when he didn’t appear to remember the next morning. So your friendship continued unmarred by any tension or awkwardness. Now…how could you not give him what he clearly needed from you at one of the worst times in his life?

You had just shut your eyes, making your decision and waiting for impact, when a knock sounded on his door and then it opened, a surprised gasp emitting from the doorway. You both turned to look, seeing a stunned woman standing there who you hadn’t passed by before. Beau let out a stuttered breath but pulled away from you all the same. It left a funny feeling inside your chest, but you told yourself he had made the right decision which prompted sweet relief to flood through your own veins. Nothing should occur between you and Beau right now, not when everything with Emily was going on and emotions were running high. And what if you had let him take comfort in you and it ultimately ruined your friendship? Not to mention he was now your boss. How complicated would that be? Your best friend meant more to you than one moment of throwing the rule book completely out the window.

The woman worriedly glanced behind her and seemed to relax when she didn’t see who or what she was looking for. She then gave Beau a small smile. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Beau cleared his throat and leaned against the desk, next to you, facing the door. You discreetly ran a hand across his back in reassurance. “It’s fine. What is it, Cass?”

Your eyes widened when you heard the nickname and quickly made the connection. This was Cassie Dewell, the local private investigator Beau had told you about. He had mentioned that they had become close friends since he took the job.

“I just came to tell you that I think I might be able to help with Sunny.”

Beau immediately got to his feet. “You think she’ll tell us where Buck’s taken Emily?”

Cassie shrugged. “It’s worth a shot. She’s been married to the man for years. She may not have known he was a serial killer but she knows everything else there is to know about him. She has to have an idea of some spots he might have gone to that we haven’t come up with yet. And we do have the update about Walter as leverage.”

Running a tired hand down his face, Beau sighed. “Okay. Yeah. Let’s give it a shot.” He glanced your way and you gave him a nod. Then he started, as if he just remembered something. “Sorry. Cassie, I’d like you to meet Y/N Y/L/N. Y/N, this is Cassie Dewell.”

Your head snapped in her direction. “Oh right, you’re the PI from the local agency in town that Em’s been working at.”

Cassie gave you a wave and you studied her, expecting judgment of some kind, yet there was no malice or hostility staring back at you. You had expected such a reaction from her walking in on you and Beau, yet all you could see was curiosity... As well as worry and guilt shadowing her eyes for a moment at the mention of Emily. “Yeah, that would be me. Hey.”

“Y/N’s from Houston.” Beau gestured towards you. “We worked quite a few cases together back in the day.”

Her eyes seemed to light up with recognition which surprised you. “Y/N Y/L/N…I was wondering why that name sounded familiar. You’re one of his former partners, right?”

You quickly exchanged a glance with Beau. “Sort of,” you confirmed.

“She’s transferring here but I asked her to come to help with…Emily…” Beau looked pained as he said the name.

You immediately laid a hand on his shoulder. “Whatever you need.”

He gave you a thin-lipped smile and you squeezed him in reassurance.

“Nice to meet you.” Cassie’s voice pulled you both from the moment.

Your gaze snapped to Cassie’s. “Likewise. So, this Sunny…she’s the owner of the campground, right? Close to where the body of the first victim was found some years ago? And she’s the wife of the suspect?” Beau had told you a little about the case before Avery’s death and Emily’s abduction.

Cassie nodded. “Yeah. I’m hoping she’ll feel up to talking. Beau, I wouldn't ask but…would you mind giving me a hand? It might help shake something loose if we both take a run at her. She’s more familiar with us, and Walter will give us more of a card to play.”

Beau thought it over for a moment. “Agreed. We’ve got to try anything and everything so let’s do it.” Cassie turned to leave when he called out to her, “I’ll be there in a second.”

She nodded and quietly closed the door behind her.

Beau let out a heavy breath and turned to you. “Y/N, I—”

You shot up, standing before him. “No need,” you spoke softly. You took his hand in yours and squeezed reassuringly when you saw his eyes tighten. “Let’s focus on saving your daughter.” You gave him a small smile and he nodded, pulling you into him to place his forehead up against yours.

“Thank you,” he murmured, closing his eyes. When you felt him relax slightly against you after taking a deep breath, out of instinct, you did something you had never done before, not when you were this close together and it was just the two of you. You pressed a tender kiss to his cheek, right above his beard line, forcing his eyes to snap open, staring right into yours, and he focused intently on you.

“Let’s go find her and bring her home,” you whispered, stepping back only when he nodded, and turned towards the door.

“Do you want me to watch the interrogation or do you need me elsewhere?” You asked.

He came to a halt, thinking about it for a moment. “Interrogation.”

You nodded and opened the door, stepping through to see several pairs of eyes land on you. It might have been intimidating to someone else, but to you, it was just par for the course. Beau had warned you about the small town atmosphere compared to the big city one you were accustomed to, so you weren’t surprised in the least when people started talking in hushed tones to one another as you both walked past without a word to anyone. It appeared you and Beau were on the same page: Emily was priority and introductions to your new coworkers would have to wait.

He led you to a closed door where Cassie stood, waiting. You glanced around to look for the room you would be led to in order to watch the interrogation but didn’t see it.

“And who’s this?”

You turned to see the blonde woman from earlier, a forced smile on her face and her blue eyes assessing you.

Beau seemed caught off guard for a moment, his focus on getting to Cassie and then taking on Sunny, but he quickly introduced you. “Y/N Y/L/N, Jenny Hoyt.” You gave her a nod and she returned it. “Cassie and I are going to take a run at Sunny, see if maybe she has an idea of a location where Buck may have taken Emily and Denise.”

The blonde’s gaze softened as it landed on Beau. “Of course. If you want, Cassie and I can do it.” You noticed Cassie’s eyes tighten but she stayed quiet as the woman then leaned into Beau a bit, saying softly, “You’ve been through a lot in the last few hours.” You watched as she squeezed Beau’s arm in support. Ah, so this was the infamous Jenny Hoyt you had heard about. The same Hoyt that had given Beau a run for his money when he first took this job and then continued to be a wildcard in the field. The same one who Beau felt the ridiculous need to babysit. Your eyes narrowed slightly as you watched her gazing up at your friend as if he had hung the moon in the night sky but you schooled your features into polite professional interest by the time Beau glanced over at you.

“I’m good. Actually, Y/N, I’d like you to join us.” Both Cassie and Hoyt turned gaping expressions on you. While this was certainly a twist, you knew Beau wouldn’t be asking if he didn’t have his reasons. Sure enough, he elaborated, “I think a new face might provide the perfect shakeup that we need.” He gave you a meaningful look and like always, you knew exactly what he was thinking.

You gave the group a curt nod. “Sure. Can I see the file real fast so I know what I’m working with?” You held out a hand to Hoyt, assuming that she had Sunny’s file in her hand in expectation of the interrogation, waiting for her to pass it to you.

The blonde glared at you, a hint of suspicion in her eyes, before glancing back at the man. “Beau, maybe we should slow down and think about this for a second. We might only get one shot at this so maybe—”

“Hoyt, my daughter has been kidnapped by a serial killer. She fits his MO to a tee and we need to find her before…” He pressed his lips together tightly before blowing out a breath. “Look, Denise has been taken too, my ex-wife is a mess of tears, Avery is dead, and I’m barely holding it together. Just let me do what I have to do to save my little girl. So give Y/N the damn file.” He spoke the last part through gritted teeth, signifying the end of his patience, and that appeared to shock Hoyt and Cassie. You assumed that this was a new side of Beau that they hadn’t seen before but his daughter’s life was on the line. What did they expect? If he hadn’t said anything, you would have snatched the damn folder out of Hoyt’s hands yourself. Precious time was being wasted with the useless pissing match she seemed intent on engaging in.

Cassie recovered first. “Jenny.” She gave the blonde an encouraging nod.

Hoyt’s features tightened and her eyes were pure ice as she finally placed the folder into your waiting hand.

“Thanks.” You immediately started scanning the contents. After a minute or so, you felt you had a general understanding of Sunny and her history from the file in addition to things Beau had mentioned to you already. You had more than enough to be able to pull off what he needed you to do. You shut the folder and gave Beau and Cassie a nod. “Let’s do it.”

Cassie opened the door and led the way inside, followed by Beau and then you. Hoyt stared you down as you passed her but you couldn’t be bothered to care. Right now, your priority was the young girl whom you had watched grow up, who you had sat through a blistering hot, cheesy middle school graduation for — all to watch her walk across the stage in a cap and gown. Her life was on the line and you’d make sure she returned to Beau safely no matter what.

You weren’t in there long. You did exactly as Beau had intended for you to do. You teed him and Cassie up very nicely to get what they needed to. Not much time had passed before Sunny admitted she most likely knew where Buck went, especially when Cassie swooped in with the information that her son, Walter, was still alive despite Buck’s attempt to kill him.

Once you left the room, Cassie was intent on finding Sunny’s other son, Cormac, since Beau and Hoyt were going to drive Sunny to the location she had revealed. You were about to offer to do whatever was needed from you when you heard a loud cry erupt to your left. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw a woman with dark hair rushing towards you. You barely turned in time for impact when Carla threw herself at you.

You held her as she cried, thanked you for coming, asked you to help find her daughter, mentioned her recently murdered husband, and just overall sobbed. This woman had been through one hell of an ordeal in the last few days. You couldn’t even imagine how torn apart you’d be if this were you, not to mention Carla was one of the most level-headed and toughest women you had ever met in your life. She was definitely tougher than you, and that was saying something considering you had seen some shit in your time. Now, seeing her reduced to tears like this, begging you to help save her little girl, to do whatever you had to in order to bring her baby back home to her…it turned your stomach and only added to the urgency of finding Emily and getting to her before that sick son of a bitch could hurt her. You hoped to hell he hadn’t already. Your stomach turned further at the thought and you could feel an all-too familiar fire that you kept a tight lid on when working cases that involved children…

You forced yourself to let go of the thought. This was about Emily and her parents, not about you. Ignoring your experience that nagged at you and insisted that, due to the circumstances and the time already passed, there was a likelihood of a bad ending here, you swallowed past the lump forming in your throat and refocused your energy into trying to calm Carla down so you could help find her daughter.

It took Beau peeling her off of you and promising that you both were going to look for Emily right then to calm her slightly. She held onto Beau and you grabbed her hand, ignoring your training yelling at you in your head, and swore you would do everything you could to help bring her daughter back to her.

“Y/N, Beau, please, you have to save her,” she begged. “Save our daughter!” She threw at Beau before Madge was able to lead her away. Watching her go, your jaw tensed as that fire from earlier threatened to return. You had the desire to find Buck and take the sick bastard down yourself.

Beau turned to you, his green eyes even more haunted than when you had first seen him, and that dulled the fire inside. No matter the anger you felt, it was nothing compared to what he must be feeling. You could only imagine the rage and hopelessness mixed with desperation that was swirling inside of him right now, and you knew exactly what he was thinking because you were thinking it, too. What if you couldn’t keep your promise to Carla? You shook your head to get rid of the thoughts. You wouldn’t think like that; those types of thoughts were useless. You needed to be at your best for him, for Carla, and more importantly, for Emily. Instead, you focused on the positives: you all had a lead right now, two in fact, and that was all that mattered.

You instinctively reached out and cupped his face with your hands, anchoring him as best you could. “Beau, listen to me,” you murmured. “You and Hoyt take Sunny to the spot she told you about. I’ll go with Cassie to find Cormac. Alright?”

He nodded, staring at you, and the movement forced a single tear to shake loose. You wiped it away discreetly before it could be seen and hugged him to you. “Go. Keep your phone on and if you need me, you call me. It’s going to be okay. We’re going to find her,” you whispered into his ear.

You heard a sniffle in your ear. “Right, we’ll find her.”

“And we’ll take down this sick son of a bitch,” you promised, pulling back to look him meaningfully in the eye. Come hell or high water, you had his back.

Nodding again, he gave you a smile that was more of a grimace and placed a hand against your cheek. “Yeah, we will.” You reached up to give his wrist a squeeze.

“Beau.”

Both of you turned to see Hoyt and Cassie watching you curiously along with Madge and a deputy who you would come to find out to be Poppernak.

“We should go,” Hoyt insisted.

Beau glanced back over at you, quietly clearing his throat and removing his hand. “Yeah.” His gaze snapped over to the other man, as if he had suddenly just had a thought. “Poppernak, get Y/N here a vest before she leaves. Get one for Cassie, too.”

“You got it, boss.”

Poppernak walked away and Beau swung his head back to you. “You call me the second you get anything from Cormac.” At your nod, he laid a hand on your shoulder and lowered his head slightly to look you right in the eye. “Be careful.”

You couldn’t help but smile and say to him the thing you’d said to him every time he told you this in the past: “Always am.” His features softened the slightest bit at the familiar exchange between you. “Now, let’s go find your daughter and bring her home.”

“Yeah,” he breathed out and gave a sharp nod, what you had always called his game face filling his expression. Squeezing your shoulder, he released you and walked away. You watched him go and sure enough, the blonde’s glare entered your vision when she looked back over her shoulder while walking with him out the door. It was the same suspicious glare you’d been getting from her in the last hour, the same one you couldn’t help but notice when Carla had first launched herself at you. You knew then that whatever her reasons, she was going to be a problem for you.

“Ready to go?” Cassie asked kindly.

You gave her a small smile. “Yeah. Let’s go get Em back.”

“And Denise,” she added.

“Right. Her, too.”

The both of you grabbed the vests Poppernak held out to you on your way out.

Cormac had actually proven useful and he had thankfully led you to the correct location Emily was being held in. Beau had been practically inconsolable when he called you before that, thinking Emily had been killed in an explosion. Even though you had seen him at the worst times in his life, and had just seen him breaking down in front of you back at the station, you had never heard the pain that saturated his voice right then. You struggled not to break down in tears yourself. Laughter, football games in the Arlen yard, ice cream runs after particularly tough days at school, you teaching her how to make paella and her mom’s smile when Em proudly insisted she made it all on her own later at dinner that night, rides on the ferris wheel at the fair because her dad was too scared to take her but wouldn’t admit it — the memories of time spent with your favorite teenager assaulted you in rapid succession. You forced yourself to focus on Beau, to keep him from falling to pieces right then and there. You knew that’s why he had immediately called you, before he had to tell Carla.

You were beyond grateful when a minute or two later someone interrupted your conversation to inform Beau that there was no evidence that Emily was in the explosion. The body they’d found appeared to be male. No Denise and no Emily. You had nearly fallen to your knees in relief right then, and you could only imagine how Beau must have felt.

And soon enough, you, Cassie, and Cormac located both girls, very much alive, and freed them. Emily had held onto you, her young face streaked with dirt and tears, clearly traumatized from all that had taken place over the last week. It broke your heart to hear her terrified whimpers. When she first saw you, she had cried out your name and once you had her in your arms, she refused to let go of you, which was just fine by you. You were grateful she was alive and appeared to be unharmed, but you secretly wished you could have two minutes alone with Buck, that sick bastard who had done this to her. Hell, you wouldn’t have needed your gun at all.

Beau and Hoyt showed up just as you were all stepping out into the sun and a huge lump formed in your throat when Emily finally let go of you to run to her dad. Seeing them embracing each other forced tears to run down your cheeks which you quickly wiped away.

You were grateful to Cassie for that day. Her hunch about Cormac and her personal connection to him had helped get Emily back home safely. Not only had the two of you worked well together in that short span of time, but ever since then, you could see that she was good to Beau, and to Emily. Both Arlens had massive respect for her and you could see why Beau had spoken so highly of her before you came to Helena, and why he insisted on having her back professionally despite her being a private investigator. It was common knowledge that law enforcement didn’t always like having PI’s poking around cases, but Cassie had been given full access and assistance. You now saw why and you were thankful that Beau had such a good friend up here, someone who truly had his interests at heart as well as his daughter’s. And now you were also lucky enough to be able to call her your friend. There were many movie nights at Beau’s that were filled with light-hearted teasing and plenty of laughter since you’d settled into life in Montana.

As for Hoyt…well, things hadn’t really changed on that front. She certainly wasn’t a fan of yours, no two ways about it.

You had gotten to know Poppernak a bit after you arrived but he was still in suck-up mode, so you decided to turn that to your advantage. It really didn’t take much to get it out of him; Hoyt had a thing for Beau, nothing you already hadn’t caught onto. Hell, she was practically all over him at his movie nights as well as anytime there was a meetup arranged at the local bar; if she wasn’t present for one reason or another, she was calling him constantly, either saying she needed a friend to talk to or it was under the guise of discussing ongoing cases. Beau never got a day off and there wasn’t one day he spent with Emily that didn’t get interrupted by a phone call from Hoyt. There had even been times he’d had to call you and ask you to take Em to a movie or keep her entertained because Carla was out and he had to go help the blonde on what should have been a case that a rookie fresh out of the academy could have handled. The kicker was that this was after what Em had been through, Hoyt knowing full well that Beau needed some time with his daughter after that ordeal. Not even you interrupted them, though both father and daughter had invited you to join them quite a few times.

At one point, you remembered the other thing Poppernak informed you about: rumors were circulating around the department that Beau and Hoyt were involved and had been secretly seeing one another. You knew Beau would have told you if he was seeing anyone, but it was no secret that Hoyt had appointed you as her archnemesis and you didn’t care for her at all. What if the rumors were right and Beau was too embarrassed to tell you? Or what if he thought it might make a bad situation worse? What if he wanted to find what he considered to be the right time to tell you? And if he was indeed seeing her, it would explain the incessant calls, the moon eyes, the distaste she had for you — all of it. The doubt continued to gnaw away at you and you didn’t sleep so well the first few nights after the talk with Poppernak.

Finally, one day you asked Beau point-blank if anything was going on between him and Hoyt. Once he closed his gaping mouth and put his eyes back into his head, he assured you they were just friends and he was her boss. She had been through some ordeals herself and he was just trying to be there for her, to give her support when she needed it. Nothing more. You knew it was complete and utter bullshit or Beau wouldn’t have been so suddenly interested in the case file on his desk. A case file you knew had been sitting there for the past two days.

There was no way that Beau was ignorant of Hoyt's attraction to him. The woman practically had a flashing neon sign on her forehead every time she looked at him, not to mention she had pulled out all the stops to let him know she was very much interested. Beau was an affectionate person by nature so little touches here and there between you were par for the course with him if you were his best friend, as long as they were welcomed and didn’t cross any lines or make you feel uncomfortable. There wasn’t a single opportunity Hoyt didn’t take to get her hands on Beau or to get those little touches out of him. Of course he knew; he had to. All of this was so blatant, everyone else around them knew, too, hence the rumors swirling around the department. Even Carla knew, as she’d mentioned to you one afternoon, and if you thought you didn’t care for Hoyt, then the former Mrs. Arlen downright despised the woman. People who Beau and Hoyt didn’t know knew, as evidenced by a witness at a crime scene asking to speak to the sheriff’s girlfriend again. Yet, if he was willfully ignoring her consistently throwing herself at him, then there was nothing more you could say. To his credit, you had never seen him return any flirtation or interest, no matter how hard Hoyt was putting herself out there, before or after your conversation with him.

There were a couple of times you discreetly noticed the hurt in Hoyt’s face when Beau chose to accompany you on a case, if he and Cassie were laughing together, or if he was extra tender with Carla when she would drop by the station to talk about Emily. It quickly became clear that this was more than a crush or some simple attraction; the blonde had serious feelings for your best friend. Knowing Beau the way you did and everything he’d been through the past few years, it shouldn’t surprise you if he was purposely putting blinders on when it came to this topic. Beau had dated some since his divorce, but he wasn’t ready to get serious with anyone. At least that’s what he’d told you time and time again, back in Houston and now here. It had taken him some time to get over his ex-wife and now Emily and his job were his top priorities. While deep down you might have a very tiny trace amount of sympathy for the blonde, Beau was the one who mattered to you in this equation. If Hoyt wanted to keep chasing after her emotionally unavailable boss, then that decision was on her. It wasn’t like Cassie hadn’t warned her, something the PI had mentioned to you one night after a few drinks while you both sat at a table, watching Hoyt pulling Beau onto the dance floor despite his clear reluctance. So if your best friend lived more comfortably in the land of Hoyt-is-just-being-extra-friendly-because-she-appreciates-my-friendship, then who were you to burst that bubble?

It did bother you tremendously though to see Beau not putting up any kind of boundaries whatsoever with Hoyt even though they were sorely needed. So, in your own subtle way, from time to time, you tried to suggest he put one up… Maybe two. He would humor you and hear you out, but then he’d either pick up the phone the next time she called him on a day off or he’d refuse, saying she was in a fragile state right now and he couldn’t afford to put distance there when she needed his support. After a few instances of this craziness and Hoyt’s attitude with you grew, you stopped being subtle which resulted in arguments that turned into yelling matches, tense silences on the rare ride-along, slammed doors (usually at your place since a slammed door at Beau’s would most likely have knocked that thing over; Pedro’s door was a good replacement though—that thing may be old but it was strong like a tank), refusals to look at one another, crossed arms, and sometimes radio silence for a few days if the disagreement had reached a bad enough point. You were always professional when on the clock and you always resolved things eventually, but this was one sticking point neither of you budged from. You knew Beau was a good man and had a heart of gold, something you loved and respected about him, but he could sure be infuriatingly stubborn at times.

And while you could admit Hoyt was a decent, hardworking cop, she was also a decent-sized, hardworking pain in your ass. You knew she’d be a problem for you and boy had she been. Her whole thing with the sheriff aside, it was no surprise that the source of her hostility towards you was the man himself, namely your friendship with him. You both were close and even though nothing had ever happened between you, it became clear that the blonde detested any familiarity or affection shown by either of you to each other. You thought it was ridiculous and you refused to change your relationship or how you did things just because she was eager for your friend to look at her the way she had been looking at him. In fact, whenever you were around, she turned her obvious coyness and see-through flirting attempts up a notch. Presently, as of a few weeks ago, Hoyt had taken to physically marking her territory, or what she considered to be hers, like her sitting on Beau’s desk—right next to him. She’d slide in beside him in your usual booth at The Boot Heel or she’d take the chair next to him during movie nights which would force you and Cassie to sprawl on the deck with a blanket, struggling to get comfortable on the hard wooden planks underneath. You fully expected one of these days to walk in on her jumping Beau right there in his office chair, something you hoped to hell you never did because you would never get that sickening image out of your head.

Sure, you had talked with Beau plenty of times about her open hostility. He had begged you to try to make peace which always made you laugh because you were not the intentional catalyst of all of the contention in this situation.

“I have to make peace. Right,” you muttered, taking a sip of your beer that Beau had offered to you when you arrived at his place a couple of months back.

Beau threw his head back against his chair in disbelief. “I’m just asking you to maybe extend an olive branch. This thing between you two is killing me... And everyone else in the department.”

“Maybe you should tell your undersheriff to, I don’t know, act like an undersheriff?” You ignored Beau’s loud groan and continued. “Isn’t that what she’s supposed to do? Run the department while you’re out? My God, Beau, she can’t even go to the bathroom without your permission. You know that, right?”

“Y/N…”

“You and Em were supposed to go fishing last weekend with Cassie and Kai. I was going to take Carla out for the day to catch up and keep her mind off things while Em was gone. Remember that?”

You ignored Beau rolling his eyes. “Yes,” he begrudgingly admitted.

“And what happened?”

“Y/N, a case dropped. Alright? It happens. When a dead body pops up, I need to know about it.”

“Know about it, yes, not work it.” He turned to meet your unflinching gaze. “No more bullshit, Beau. You didn’t make it to Sheriff by being stupid. You’ve worked in a bigger department before, dealt with way more crime, and overseen a bigger force. All on your own. If this were anyone else, you’d have told them to do their goddamn job by now, or you’d get someone else to fill the spot. You’re making excuses for her and you’re holding her hand like she’s a damn 5 year old.”

Beau dug his teeth into his bottom lip, staring at you in thought. “I told you, she’s been through a lot these past two years.”

“And you haven’t? Cassie hasn’t? Your daughter and her mom? Really?”

He let out a deep breath and sipped from his bottle. “We all have. That’s why when one of us needs a hand, we give it without question. When one of us falls, no matter how often or how long it takes, we help them get back up, every single time.”

You swallowed the argument on the tip of your tongue and sat back in your chair, staring down at your bottle and playing with the edge of the label. “Okay, Dr. Phil.”

A laugh erupted from the man and out of the corner of your eye, you saw him shaking his head. “I’m just saying we all help each other as best we can. If that means she needs help on a few cases, I’ve got her back.”

“I think you and Hoyt have very different ideas of what the word few means.”

“Y/N, if it was you, if it was Cass, I’d do the same thing. You know that. Look, she was there for me when Em was taken.” You did your best to hide your flinch but it must not have been well enough because his hand suddenly covered both of yours. “You all were,” he clarified. “I’m just trying to return the favor.”

“Sounds like you two are a lot closer than either of you let on,” you mentioned quietly.

When he didn’t respond to that, you snuck a glance up at him. His eyes were glued to you but after a minute, he retracted his hand and dropped his gaze to the deck. “We’re friends.”

You felt a weird sensation in your chest, like something fell into the pit of your stomach with those two words. Beau was a very direct person. He looked you in the eye, he shook your hand, and he didn’t bullshit. That meant if he wasn’t looking at you, if he was feeding you this same line of bullshit, you knew that wasn’t the entire truth. You weren’t sure if it hurt because your best friend was lying to you yet again, possibly still not trusting you with the truth, or if it was due to what he’d said. Either way, you refused to look at it too closely, not wanting this feeling to consume you as it seemed intent on doing. It was easier to put distance there in your mind, to tell yourself that Beau Arlen was a grown man and he could make his own decisions. You just wished he’d get involved with someone better suited for him, like Cassie. Granted, Cassie was with Cormac and they seemed happy, but why couldn’t Beau find his own version of Cassie? Someone who wouldn’t interrupt his time with his daughter, who wouldn’t selfishly absorb all of his time off, who didn’t physically embody the definition of clingy, and who wouldn’t treat his best friend like shit day in and day out?

Honestly, you could care less about what Hoyt thought of you or how she acted towards you. For you, this was all a one-sided issue that Hoyt herself was making. You saw through her bullshit and you didn’t take her crap, and that infuriated the blonde. But what did she expect? After working a short stint in homicide in Manhattan and then with cartels, drug rings, and all sorts of other mess in Houston, very little had the power to intimidate you these days. Certainly not some little Miss Perfect whose work uniform appeared to consist of band t-shirts, leather jackets, and thick long heels as an undersheriff (how did that make for a successful running down of a suspect? seriously), who also batted her eyelashes at her boss and scowled at you from the moment Beau addressed your existence. You’d seen some things in your time and Helena’s runner-up for this Regina George wannabe was a mere speck on the windshield of shit on top of shit. You had no time for it. You just wished sometimes that Beau would stop trying to put it on your shoulders to do something about it, especially when he knew who the real culprit was.

And almost as if he had just heard your thoughts, he hit you with: “I’m asking you if you can be the one to reach out, Y/N, because I know I can rely on you. If I ask her… With Jenny, it’s complicated.”

“Not my problem,” you snapped out, taking another sip and refusing to look at him.

A very tense silence followed for the next few minutes as you both nursed your beers. You half-wondered if this night was going to end in yet another argument about a woman that wasn’t worth wasting a second over. This much disagreement was uncommon for both of you and you hated it. Oh, sure, you’d had your spats over the years but they were pretty minor and easily dissolved. And the silences… Usually, if a silence fell over the both of you, it was comfortable and felt overall peaceful. Not lately, which always seemed to follow a mention of Hoyt in some fashion.

You felt the all-too familiar burning in the corner of your eyes when you had the thought that had been getting louder and louder as more time passed: perhaps your transfer here had been a mistake. You didn’t regret being here to help when Emily was taken, but maybe once she was safely back home, you should have returned to yours. While Beau had made room for you in the department, there wasn’t really a place for you here; as much as you enjoyed spending time with your favorite family and new friends like Cassie, the person you had dropped everything and moved across state lines for was on the other side of a huge chasm that hadn’t been there before his move up north. It was growing every single day and you had no idea how to stop its progress or bridge the gap. You did your job well and deep down, you knew you would be more efficient elsewhere. You settled into the Montanan lifestyle as best you could but you had to admit to yourself that you knew it wasn’t a perfect fit. The more time passed, the more and more you believed your decision to be a mistake. The man you cared most about in this world had called you, told you he needed you, and you jumped without hesitation, not sparing a single thought or even looking to see where you’d land. Were you really that surprised that things were turning out this way? And every single time Hoyt threw hostility your way, it reinforced what you already knew to be true, the very message she had been sending you these past six months: you didn’t belong here. You turned your head to the side to discreetly wipe away a tear that had managed to escape and you took a breath to prevent any more, telling yourself to get it together.

You waited for your eyes to clear, to push back down the swell of emotions inside you, and took one last sip of your beer. Just as you were about to announce it was time for you to head home and thank him for the drinks, Beau spoke up. “See that?”

You glanced up to where he was pointing and caught the tail end of a shooting star. A small smile formed on your face as you took in the night sky. You had never seen anything like that before. That was one thing you’d give Montana. It was hard to believe but the sky was so different compared to Texas and definitely not the same as New York. Everything up here was so clear and beautiful. Big Sky Country indeed.

One night you, Beau, and Cassie had taken to trying to pick out as many constellations as you could find on Cassie’s smartphone. You were not completely successful but there were a lot of laughs as you all tried your best and then there had even been a very interesting conversation about UFOs and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. That had been a night for the books, especially when you and Cassie broke out into fits of drunken giggles when you grabbed Beau’s nose and made a weird mix of a boop and honking sound when you all discussed how you would greet aliens should they ever show up but were not hostile towards humanity. Beau had merely rolled his eyes in good humor and promptly cut you and Cassie off for the rest of the night, taking car keys from the both of you.

“A shooting star,” you whispered in amazement. “I think you’re supposed to make a wish on them, right? Did you make one?” You kept searching the sky, hoping to see another one so you could do just that. The other one was too fast and you desperately wanted to wish that things would get better and you could make your new home work like you had in Houston. The thought immediately saddened you when you remembered how a certain Texan and his family had helped in that department. You swallowed the lump back down and kept watching the sky, hoping like hell the universe would help you out just this once. Just one more. You weren’t wanting a meteor shower to suddenly happen of course, though that would be amazing to witness. You made a mental note to yourself to google it later to see when and where you could see one.

“Already did.”

Your brows furrowed at his response and you turned to find him watching you closely, almost as if he was waiting for you to realize what that wish had been. When you did, you scoffed and got to your feet, second shooting star and your wish be damned. “I’m not doing the olive branch thing so you can forget it. Not even some small rock from outer space is going to force me to do that one.” You stretched, feeling slightly more energetic than you had a moment ago, most likely due to the irritation you were currently experiencing. “Well, this has been fun but I should head home. Thanks for the beer.”

A hand pulled the nearly empty bottle out of yours and another dug into your jeans pocket, pulling your keys out before you could react. “Beau, what the— I’m fine.”

“Uh huh. Listen, you know the deal. You need to sober up before you leave.”

“I’m not drunk! I’m not even tipsy!”

Beau shot you a look. “It’s late. There’s a possible ice warning for later tonight. You’re staying.”

“I have work tomorrow!”

“Good thing you have such an understanding boss then, huh?” He gave you a wink which made you roll your eyes and fold your arms across your chest.

“If you’re so worried about my blood alcohol level, maybe don’t serve alcohol when I come over?”

“What, and miss great moments like…” He reached up and grabbed your nose, making the same boop-honking sound you had made weeks ago.

You pushed his hands away. “First of all, that is not what I sounded like. Secondly, I’m no lightweight. You know that. How many times have I drunk you under the table?”

He lifted a finger and opened his mouth to argue but then thought it over. “Good point.” You gave an approving nod. “But that was one time, in San Antonio.” He was referring to the day trip you had taken so you could visit the Alamo. You had never been and when you mentioned it, he insisted on being your guide. Carla and Emily were supposed to go as well but the latter had gotten sick so her mom stayed home with her. Beau didn’t want to leave Emily and you were willing to reschedule but Carla insisted you both still go. When you visited a bar later on, Beau issued a little friendly drinking competition between the two of you, as long as one of you was still sober enough to drive home. He had been convinced he would emerge victorious; he was wrong. That had been a long ride on the I-10. By the end of the night, Carla had her hands full with two sick people, each having their own trash baskets by their bedsides. It took some time but she eventually forgave you.

You held up two fingers. “Twice actually. You didn’t really think I’d let you forget Austin’s birthday party at that place in downtown Houston, did you?”

The man winced. “Alright, alright. Twice.” You nodded in approval. “Now, all the talk about drinking aside, you did just remind me how my time with people I care about has been interrupted quite a bit lately. Even if you’re set to drive, just stay. We can watch a movie and you can have the bed.”

A part of you wanted to accept but the other part wanted to retreat to your sanctuary, where you could break down in tears or mope around in peace. “I don’t really want to spend another night in the tin can,” you whined. “My bed is so much more comfortable and I feel it calling to me right now…” You glanced longingly in the direction of the road.

Beau’s jaw dropped. “Tin can? Between you and Em, I swear… Why can’t my girl get any respect around here?”

“Because you refer to it as a girl. You know how I feel about that.” Another eye-roll. “Beau Arlen, you keep rolling those eyes of yours at me, they’re going to fall out of your head. You just wait.”

“Sure they will.” He laid an arm around your shoulders, pulling you in closer and giving you a smirk. You couldn’t help but lean into him, hoping to feel that closeness between you again even if it was only physically. “What if I whip out some marshmallows? Whaddya say?”

“Are you really trying to bribe me to spend the night? With a gooey, sugary, yet very deliciously fluffy confectionery treat, no less?”

“Is it working?”

You shrugged though deep down you knew it was. Marshmallows over a fire were your kryptonite and the son of a bitch knew it. “Tell me you have graham crackers and some chocolate that’s not expired, and you’ve got a deal.”

He beamed at you like a kid seeing wrapped presents under the tree on Christmas morning, making your heart feel a little lighter. How could you say no to that?

A few s’mores and quite a few more beers later, you were snuggled into his side, rapidly falling asleep. He had insisted you sit with him in his chair so you could both huddle under his one blanket for warmth on the cold night. Your drunken giggles may have made a reappearance as he worked to adjust the both of you for maximum blanket coverage but you would never admit to it if ever questioned in open court. You swore you’d buy him a few more blankets, especially when the thought popped into your head that there was a possibility that he and Hoyt had cuddled and done God knew what else under that thing. You’d even tried to wiggle it off of you since the thought took root in your stomach and soured (or maybe that was the beer), but Beau kept tucking it around you and pulling you closer until you finally gave up and settled against him with a sigh. The sound of his heartbeat and his deep voice as he spoke to you lulled you into slumber almost immediately. You thought you felt his lips brush against your forehead and you could have sworn he said something akin to “Definitely came true” but you had practically drunk your weight in beer and you were exhausted from the late hour as well as all of the roiling emotions inside of you so you couldn’t be sure it wasn’t something you dreamt instead. When you woke up with a massive headache the next day, alone in Beau’s bed with the blanket completely wrapped around you while the man snored from the couch, a dream was definitely what you chalked it up to.

And now here you were, yet again, at another impasse over the insufferable pain in your ass named Jenny Hoyt. The woman barely interacted with you, preferring to act like you didn’t exist or to silently glare at you from across the room, and she wasn’t even here, but somehow there she was, always in between the two of you. It really made you miss the old days, back before things went to shit for Beau in Houston. Back when things were a lot less complicated.

“Davis is booking Webb so I’ll go finish up the paperwork.” You turned to head towards the door.

“Y/N,” Beau sighed, giving you a pleading look.

“Thanks for the talk. I’ll catch you later.” You sent a forced smile his way and slowly spun out the door, closing it behind you. Passing by Poppernak on your way to your desk, you snatched a muffin right out of his hand.

“Hey! That’s the only blueberry from the bag. Madge got the other.”

“That sucks,” you teased before breaking off a piece of the top and tossing it into your mouth. “I thought you liked chocolate chip, anyway.”

“Nah, not anymore. It gives me bad heartburn,” he confirmed sadly.

You couldn’t help but arch a brow at him. “And blueberry doesn’t?”

He shrugged. “Not as much.”

With a roll of your eyes, you tossed the muffin back at him and he caught it with a bright smile. You slipped the paper out of your back pocket and punched a familiar number into your phone.

“Who are you calling?”

“Your mother, Pepper Snaps.” Poppernak frowned over at you. You couldn’t blame him; you were being a total crankpot. It wasn’t just your recent conversation with Beau or Hoyt’s attitude or even your most recent case. You hated that you had to sit at a desk in the middle of a busy station while Beau and Hoyt got to have their own offices. Normally, you wouldn’t care, but when it came to phone calls or conversations best kept away from prying eyes and overeager ears, it was frustrating. You weren’t a deputy — you had as much authority as Hoyt, and Beau had made that perfectly clear to the department when you started (though you had a different title due to politics and budgetary reasons). Due to lack of room, however, you were forced to share a space with them, your deskmate being Poppernak. Not that you minded but damn the rest of the department could be so nosy sometimes. When you noticed a couple of other deputies watching you, you asked loudly, “Can’t a girl get some privacy around here?” All of them looked away, not willing to enter into yet another glaredown with you. They never emerged victorious in those encounters, even Miller who could be a real jerk when he wanted to be. They had all learned very quickly in your first week that you could hold your own and you could go endless rounds with the best of them. You could stand the heat and before long, it would be your kitchen and they’d be burnt to a goddamn crisp or running for the door.

“Mind your muffin,” you grumbled to Pops.

When the line connected and the operator asked you who you were trying to contact, you cupped your hand over the mouthpiece and asked for the department you needed. While you were being transferred, Pops arched his eyebrows at you in question since he had overheard you because no damn privacy.

You let out a sigh in resignation and shook your head. “I’m following up on a case. It’s nothing.”

“Sure sounds like something,” Pops said through a mouthful of muffin.

Giving him a look, you sat back in your chair and listened patiently to the public information that substituted what normally would be hold music. You thought back to your ride over to the station and what Webb had said while in the back of your car. You may have pushed the right buttons to get him to open up and say enough to help you make the decision you just made, but you didn’t have any evidence that anything he’d mentioned was the truth. Still, you knew what you saw and you knew what your instincts were telling you. Like Beau said, you couldn’t get involved but that didn’t mean you couldn’t do something.

A few minutes later, after consistently turning Webb’s words over and over in your mind and listening to the same public safety message for the twelfth time, someone finally answered.

“Agent Sanchez? It’s Y/N Y/L/N. Not sure if you remember me from the Carter case last year. How’ve you been?” Carter had been an escaped convict that a manhunt had been on for last year, and it had been an all hands on deck situation. You and your partner had been stuck with Sanchez and this other dickish agent whose name wasn’t even worth remembering, but you and Sanchez had gotten along well enough to help get the job done. In the end, Carter had been apprehended and dumped back in prison thanks to the cooperation and joint efforts of all of the agencies involved.

You made a little small talk and then you got right to the point. “Listen, do you happen to have any contacts in the branch office in Montana? You do? Do you think you could put me in touch? I have a case up here that I think one of their departments might want to take a look at.”

Sanchez gave you the name and number of his contact, told you to keep him updated, and let him know if you needed anything else. He also mentioned you should call him to go for a drink next time you were in town. Remembering the wedding ring he had been sporting, you gave him a vague but polite noncommittal, thanked him, and promptly hung up. You glanced up to find Pops staring at you wide-eyed.

“What?”

He glanced around, seeming unsure, and then leaned in closer. “Does the boss know you’re doing this? Because if Hoyt finds out you’re pulling the Feds into this, she’s going to—”

You held up a hand after you dialed the next number and unfolded the paper from your pocket, looking at the information you needed. “Pops, let me stop you right there. I spoke to the sheriff already about this case. What Hoyt does or doesn’t do, doesn’t concern me, and the same goes for her where I’m concerned. Understood?”

Poppernak shook his head and leaned back. “Okay but it’s your head if she finds out. Just warning you.”

You gave him a wide grin right before the line connected once again. “She can try.”

dividers by @firefly-graphics

#beau arlen x reader #beau arlen x y/n #beau arlen x female reader #only ever holding onto you #only ever holding onto you chapter 1 #beau arlen fanfiction #thebiggerbear writes

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drabblesandimagines · 2 years ago

Text

Honey

Rei x (afab) reader Buddy Daddies

Your line of work was non-conventional, of course, but it paid the bills nicely and there were worse things to be doing. You’d got into it completely by chance through a connection made at your old job. You worked at one of the seediest bars that side of town – which was saying something – but an ex-boyfriend had helped you get it and other work was hard to come by. It was a slow night, so slow you’d already cleaned the bar three times by the time there was a patron. He looked out of place to the usual clientele that would fill the bar over the weekend - tall, brunette, wearing glasses and dressed entirely in black. He asked for a whisky on the rocks and sat at the bar stool, it squeaking slightly under his weight. You nodded, poured the drink and then went to start your usual patter in the hopes of picking up a tip when he held up a hand, silencing you.

“No need.” He slid a few notes across the bar, far more than what that pour of liquor was worth. “For my drink, and for listening to what I’m about to say.”

Well, that certainly piqued your interest, though you knew you would’ve felt uneasy about it if Riku wasn’t in your eyeline – the tall, steroid-powered bouncer by the door would’ve been over like a shot if you gave him a wave.

“Go on, then.”

His name was Kyu. He was looking for some information about a certain regular you had on Saturday nights. He said it was a business issue, but you could read between the lines. He wanted to know if he had a regular drink, seat, who his company was… And, if you were able to supply that information, there’d be more money in it for you.

You didn’t have to think too hard – the pay here was awful, your boss saying your wage was subsidised enough by the generous tips the weekend crowd threw in. You were at least 95% sure it wasn’t a real functioning bar, just a money laundering scheme. The job market had been difficult and you couldn’t bear the thought of moving back to the countryside with your parents. You were scraping by, making ends meet and the idea of extra money to cover the bills that month would be nice.

He'd asked you to load all the information on a USB stick he provided – your crappy laptop barely hanging on to life, but it made it through creating the document at least – and he gave you the address off where to drop it off. Yadorigi Café. He greeted you like any other customer and you slid the stick over to him, before he retrieved an envelope of money and bid you good day. Easiest money you ever made.

Which is why the next month, when the bar had been busted by the cops and your place of employment made a crime scene, you found yourself back at that counter, pleading.

“Is there anything else I can do?”

“Nope,” he shrugs, cleaning a glass methodically. “Sorry.”

You groan, dumping the last copies of your CV on the counter - fed up of handing them out in every bar, café and shop you’d come across on the way here.

“I can’t get work anywhere. Surprisingly, people don’t trust you if your employment history is blank, or if you put down your last place of employment as one that made national news.”

“It was a one-time thing…” He begins but, thankfully, as if by divine intervention, the café phone rings. You sulked into the coffee that Kyu had given you – another one-time thing he’d stressed –and tried not to eavesdrop on the conversation. “Now?” A pause. “It’s a pretty inconvenient time for me.” A sigh. “Fine. I’ll be with you in half an hour.” He hangs up and rubs the bridge of his nose.

“You gotta go – I need to close for a while.” The bell rings over a door as a group of women come in, sheltering from the rain.

“My apologies, ladies…” Kyu starts but you interrupt.

“Come on in out of the rain, please.” You smile, gesturing to one of the empty booths. Kyu gives you an incredulous look.

“I can watch the place while you’re gone. I’m barista trained,” you whispered, stabbing your finger at the part on your CV.

“I’m not going to hire you,” he scoffed.

“I’m not asking you to. Please. Just give me a cut of the profits in the time you’re gone, huh? Like, tiny, just of whatever they buy.” He stares at you in disbelief. “Please, I’m desperate.”

Kyu looks at the ladies now getting settled in the booth – it would be hard to get them out now and, as much as this is a cover gig for him, he does have a reputation to uphold.

“Fine. Gimme your ID.”

“My ID?” You raise an eyebrow.

“You think I’m going to leave my establishment to a total stranger? I need collateral.”

You dug your purse out of your backpack and retrieved the card, handing it over. He didn’t even scrutinise it for long, slipping it in his apron pocket and turning to the occupied booth.

“Ladies, I’m afraid I have to go out to deal with a personal errand. But don’t worry”, he yanked you forward by your arm, “Honey’s here to take care of you.”

Honey?

That had been a couple of months ago. Kyu had sent you away after he’d returned, delighted to see the place was not ransacked or razed to the ground, before sending you away with some cash that should get you through another week if you were careful. Those ladies you’d served and apparently charmed with your service, however, turned out to be part of a lunch club and recommended the establishment to all of their friends. It became hard for Kyu to keep up with dealing with the informants and assassins that popped in through the day, and serve the groups of people now filling up his booths on the regular. It was then that he’d called you – you’d stuck a CV in one the drawers, just as a reminder, as you were heating up the last cup of flavourless noodles from the back of the cupboard, asking if you were interested in working there… Under a false name, of course.

You were good at identifying those who had genuine café interests and those who were there for other purposes. Kyu didn’t let you deal with the initial conversation, but, as time went on, he did begin to trust you enough to allow you to take the information off informants and hand over payment when he wasn’t around.

For the past month or so, there’s been a dark-haired man taking up space at the counter. He’d come in one late morning near the start of your employment, alongside a blonde man when you were cleaning the booth tables. They’d seemed a little suspicious of your presence, but Kyu had offered them reassurance. Kazuki and Rei - you’d learned a little later on. Kazuki was there on his own sometimes, but Rei had started coming in on his own – sometimes with a book, sometimes with a game on his phone as he slipped on some orange concoction Kyu had shown you how to make, before he’d entertain you in any sort of conversation. It turned out you shared a love of video games. You’d used your most recent batch of tips (old ladies are generous to a sweet young lady, it seems) to invest in a second-hand console and were excited for recommendations. He’d even brought in some games for you to borrow…

It's on another rainy afternoon when Rei enters to find the stool at the counter already occupied by Hiro, one of Kyu’s newest recruits and he scowls. This isn’t the first time he’s been unable to sit at the counter when he’s visited. Kyu didn’t seem impressed by Hiro’s work and didn’t seem to have offered him anything since, but he’d started coming in for drinks and you could hardly kick him out in front of legitimate customers.

Rei gives you a small smile as he heads, slowly, to a booth near the front. You smile back and start preparing his usual drink without a word.

“Honey,” Hiro drawls, using the name Kyu had bestowed on you months ago, “You didn’t answer my question.”

“Oh,” you reply, a little annoyed at his persistence. “No, I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Well, that’s a shame.” He smirks, spreading his arms across the counter. “A pretty thing like you? Who keeps your bed warm at night?”

“I have an excellent electric blanket, actually.”

“Oh, you’ll break my heart with all this talk.”

“Ah, well, you’ll get over it.” You reply, dryly, stepping out from behind the counter to deliver Rei’s drink to the booth. You can’t help but notice his phone is lying face down on the table, and his fists are clenched as you approach.

“You okay?” You raise an eyebrow as you place the drink down – he looks unusually tense.

“Is he bothering you?” He asks, in a low voice.

“Hiro? Er…” He is, a little, if you were being honest, but he’s harmless enough. “No, he’s fine.” From the scowl that remains on Rei’s face you know he doesn’t believe you.

“Hey, did you see they’re releasing a second edition of Morio Kart over the winter? Looks fun!”

“Mm.” He nods, “it does.” But his eyes are still trained on Hiro at the counter. Despite there being three stools up there, Hiro has placed himself right in the middle, spreading his legs wide enough so no-one would dare sit besides him. Rei’s not an idiot, he knows he’s done it deliberately.

“Well, let me know if you need anything else, okay?” You smile warmly, squeezing his arm briefly before turning back to the counter – wary of leaving it unattended too long.

“Good, you’re back! I was getting lonely.” Hiro quips.

“You, lonely? Impossible.”

“See, that’s what I like so much about you, Honey. You’re so witty.” You can see why Kyu hasn’t given him any work since – he’s incredibly dense.

“Can I get you something else to drink?” You hint. His glass has been empty for a little while now and he’s shown no sign of moving on. You know he’s not waiting for Kyu, either. He’d been here when he first arrived behind he headed out on a “stock run”.

“Hm”, he pulls out his wallet. “One more, then.”

You watch, a little reluctantly, as the last group of ladies of the lunch rush bid you farewell – leaving a generous tip – and head out the door. They’d at least given you an excuse to get a break from Hiro’s terrible pick-up lines every so often. He’d made sure to sip his drink incredibly slowly – there’s still half a glass left in front of him.

Suddenly, Hiro gets to his feet and you let out a breath you’d been holding - he’s finally leaving. He strides to the door and instead of opening it as you’d expected, he flips over the open side to closed, and twists the lock on the door.

“Er, what are you doing?” You asked, perplexed.

“Giving us some much-needed private time, Honey,” he smirks, returning to his place the counter. “Come sit beside me, hm?” His hand pats the stool besides him.

“Look, I’ve told you already – I’m not interested in you like that...” Your stomach sinks. You’d have to volley yourself over the counter to get to the front door and your athletic prowess is non-existent. “And you can’t just lock the door either and shut the place down – you’ll get me in trouble with Kyu if he comes back and finds it like that.” You know Hiro wants to be on Kyu’s good side, so maybe that’ll be incentive enough? Kick some sense into his dumb head?

“Oh, you’re not interested?” He lets out a dry laugh. “Well, I can be pretty convincing when I need to be…”

It all happens so fast. Rei is suddenly behind Hiro and wraps his hand around the back of his neck, before smashing his face against the counter. There’s a loud crunch as his nose breaks against the hard surface. He’d been so quiet this entire time you’d forgotten that Rei had still been in the first booth, sitting slightly behind the divider. Silent, unassuming Rei, who apparently had more strength in that slender body than one would expect.

“What the…?” Hiro mumbles, obviously dazed, blood trickling down his nose. “Who the hell are you?”

“Her boyfriend.” Rei grunts, picking him up by the scruff of the neck and hauling him over to the door with minimal effort. He twists the lock with one hand before opening up and shoving Hiro out into the street. The man groans but doesn’t attempt to get up. Rei shuts the door, not locking it – Hiro would be an idiot to come back in and take a swing - and walks over to the counter opposite you, a concerned look on his face.

“Are you okay?” Your heart is thudding in your chest at what transpired over the last few moments. You know you should definitely be more concerned of what Hiro thought was going to happen, but there’s only one thing on your mind in that second.

“My boyfriend?”

Rei’s face flushes red. “It… It came out before I knew what I was saying. I couldn’t stand the way he was all over you.”

“Boyfriend?” Your brain is stuck in a loop.

“I mean, I know I’m not, that we’re not…” His face is growing redder by the second. “I should go.”

He turns to leave but you lunge forward, grabbing hold of his sleeve and pulling him with a strength you didn’t know you possessed back to the counter.

“Please don’t.” He looks confused at that for a moment, before settling his arms down on the surface. “What I mean is… I like you too.”

An adorable smile creeps across his face. It’s most likely the adrenaline, you decide, but to hell with it. You lean forward, grab hold of his shirt and yank him into a kiss. It’s messy, heated, and tinged with a citrus taste when the bell over the door rings and you pull apart like deers caught in the headlights. Kyu’s in the doorway, a knowing look on his face.

“Well, I was gonna ask why Hiro’s sat in the bins with a bleeding nose and crying, but this might explain it.”

-- Check out my masterlist.

#ghostdogwrites #buddy daddies x you #buddy daddies fanfic #suwa rei x reader #rei x reader #rei suwa x you #rei suwa x reader #requests open #buddy daddies

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n1kkisixx · 3 months ago

Text

Cold Shoulder

Kenny Lacos x Maxine Stewart

Kenny's getting pretty pissed. Max hasn't been talking to him, she refuses to take any cases or patrol with him. This, is simply unacceptable, so Kenny uses his detective skills to figure out why.

Six and a half days. That's how long Maxine had been refusing to interact with Kenny. Why? He had No. Fucking. Idea. And quite frankly, it was annoying him.

The last time they interacted was the same as usual. They worked a case, ended up in O'Connell's, chatted for a few hours over some drinks and slightly stale bar peanuts, then Kenny waved goodbye to her as they parted ways for the night. He went to his basketball game on Saturday, lazed around on Sunday and returned to work again on the Monday morning. That morning, nothing seemed off, Kenny went about the early hours looking over case files, making phone calls and, as he likes to call it, "bantering" with his fellow co-workers (though if you asked them, it was just blatant, one sided insulting... on Kenny's side.)

It was Monday afternoon that Kenny's annoyance first started. He and Max were scheduled to do some patrolling, boring work, but at least usually being on with her meant an easy target to bully and a few free drinks from winning dumb bets. However, Jimmy informed him a mere 30 minutes before he was due to leave for patrol that instead of Max, he would be joined by some random rookie cop. Steve? Stan? Simon? The name was forgettable, and forget he did. He instantly began to question Jimmy as to why Max wouldn't be joining him. Kenny's questions, however, got him nowhere, and he was left to deal with Sean's annoying yapping about some new rock band. What further rubbed salt into the wound was the fact that Kenny saw Max before he left. And she couldn't even look him in the eyes, she just ducked away into a different room when she saw him walking down the corridor, using the file she was holding to cover her face.

So, six and a half days later, this cycle of ignoring, being stuck with Sam, getting absolutely zero answers from Jimmy was infuriating. What annoyed him even more was the fact that he wasn't actually sure why her ignoring him made him so mad. They were just co-workers, why should he care if she talks to him or not? Yeah maybe he enjoyed her company more then anyone else he worked with, and yeah maybe he liked the way that she was able to throw insults back (even if they were weak), and yeah maybe he liked how she laughed and-- shit, maybe he liked Max. As in liked her.

With this new found realization, Kenny needed answers as to why he was being ignored and he was going to get them.

He knew that afternoon was when Max should be patrolling with someone, so he stalked out in the car park and waited till he saw her and some other random cop that, quite frankly, he didn't care about. As they both got into the patrol car and began getting ready to leave, Kenny approached the passenger side of the car, opened the door and grabbed the random guy out before shoving behind himself and getting in the car. The guy looked, to sugar coat it, pissed, but Kenny just flipped him off before reaching over Max and turning on the child lock.

"Listen, I'm getting pretty sick of this whole ignoring and avoiding me thing. I mean come on, I've been stuck with... Scott? For the last week! Do you realise how annoying that guy is!?" Kenny yelled out before sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose with furrowed brows. "I just want to know what's going on. Jimmy is being one useless bastard and refuses to give me any answers when I ask why all our cases and patrolling has been swapped around. Come on Max, talk to me." He says, a slight plea in his tone.

Max looks at him with a saddened look on her face before looking down, fiddling with her hands in her lap. "Listen, Kenny--" She cuts herself off, looking nervously back up at him. Kenny, at this point was a bit concerned at her tone. Max wasn't usually so subdued and nervous. "I.. I may have realized something on Friday night. At the bar. But I can't really do anything about it and it's starting to really fucking eat away at me."

Kenny, of course, though understanding his own feelings, was one oblivious bastard. "What's wrong? You can talk to me you know, I mean come on we've seen guys with their insides on the outside, I don't think anything you said to me could shock me now." He let out a slight chuckle, before rolling his eyes at Max's continued silence. "What, cat got your tongue, Max? Come on spit it out already."

Apparently, he struck a nerve with that one, as Max instantly looked enraged. "Oh my GOD you are such a dick, you know that Kenny? You want to know why I've been avoiding you so much? Because I like you, okay? For some unknown, god forsaken reason, I like you and your insults and your complaining and everything else about you! I was avoiding you because I was hoping that I could just fuck some other guy and get over it, but of course you just had to be SOOO persistent, didn't you, you prick--!"

Max was cut off by Kenny suddenly making a swift movement and kissing her.

The pair slowly separated and sat in a still silence for what felt like an eternity, but, was likely just a few seconds. "You uh," Kenny coughs, "you wouldn't stop talking." He blinks at her dumbly for a few more seconds. "I really hope you didn't end up, what was it? 'Fucking some other guy'? That would be a real shame, 'cause, don't know if you could tell there but I seem to like your complaining too." He gives her a smug smirk before starting again. "You know, you could've just talked to me instead of being a pussy and running away every time you saw me coming towards you."

Max, now snapping out of her flustered state that she was previously in, retorts back, "It's not as if you make it easy to talk to you about this shit! You just kissed me and now you're insulting me!"

Kenny just laughs, giving her the same smug smile as before. "It's all just apart of my Kenny charm," He says with a wink, which Max just rolls her eyes at.

"So, you wanna go grab a drink? Like as a date? You know, just thought I'd clarify for you in case you got scared and avoided me again."

"Asshole. I'd like that."

my bsf wrote this for me cus i miss my babies and told me to post it on tumblr 😊😊😊

#ennies thoughts #costas mandylor #mark hoffman #kenny lacos #picket fences #maxine stewart #kenny lacos x maxine stewart #i miss them #they’re so fucking cute #saw

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hellcifrogs · 1 year ago

Note

Can I get some more Mikoto bring takas mom Pls? It's for my soul 🥰

Some ideas I've been stopping by to write down over the past few days:

-> Mikoto and Fugaku first meeting them when Sasuke comes back to konoha after Orochinaru dies (by his hands or not). Mikoto takes one look at the kids and hugs the 3 of them giving Sasuke and Fugaku a much needed moment!

(Why would Sasuke still follow Orochimaru with the clan alive? Look, I'm focusing on the *after* here)

-> Mikoto treating their bruises from the trip (and later from training), like she used to do for Sasuke.

-> And then helping them find a place to stay in the Uchiha compound!

-> Mikoto taking them all to Tsunade to get them officially sent to missions with the rest of konoha 12.

-> Mikoto teaching Karin and Suigetsu to cook. While Fugaku and Sakura teach Naruro some politics, for hokage reasons.

-> Also Sasuke and Juugo folding the laundry together in the living room, when Mikoto calls Juugo asking for a "little help" with a smile, and leads him to the back where they find Itachi running after a chicken (while Sai oberves).

-> Suigetsu would totally cling to her, following her around, offering to help with every little task, sitting next to her every meal, to the point of making Sasuke jealous.

-> Mikoto could ask Sakura to help with healing and skincare for Karin's bite scars. After she noticed it seemed to bother Karin.

-> Juugo still taking some time to leave Sasuke's side, afraid he could hurt the others. But Mikoto approaches him and informs Fugaku is actually great at restraining enemies, from being a cop. And Fugaku just mumbles that she is the one who did most of the immobilization when they teamed up.

-> Juugo starts to relax and trust the Uchihas can keep him in check. To which Naruto complains that Karin should totally be able to hold him down with her "crazy strong chains!".

-> Karin shrugs, they agree and move on, forgeting about Suigetsu being the only one who can't deal with Juugo alone.

-> So Suigetsu spends the most time around hee during days off, before taka is actually accepted into Konoha's forces. Helping or just keeping her company.

-> Karin talks to her the most, it's a free new mom for this girl. And hey, maybe Mikoto sees some of Kushina in Karin too.

-> Juugo bonds with Itachi over quiet afternoon teas. Fugaku and Sai are on the quiet team too.

-> Fugaku should already be treating team 7 like his own kids by now, and Mikoto surprises everyone by slowly becoming protective over team Taka. Team 7 are Sasuke's precious little childhood friends, yes. But Taka are Sasuke's traumatized teen friends who need help and stood by her boy's side when he needed!

#ask ffrogs

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pardy-dardy · 1 month ago

Text

BtWoD: From the Cockroach's Mouth

just like the last post, this is me looking to expand upon the Samsa, since they kinda got shafted when it comes to the development department before V5 came around. :) they are funny bugs OC below the cut!!

“From the Cockroach’s Mouth,” a report by Electrum Wire, Beat Auspice, House Frugilex.

A couple moons back I found a lead on the Gaian Samsa, courtesy of a wiretapped company phone in Prague. From there, me and my Pack were able to suss out which Samsa was being targeted, where they’d be, and how to interfere. Suffice to say, we took out more than a couple Fomori that day, and earned ourselves some one-on-one time with the Samsa. For the sake of maintaining her privacy, she asked that we didn’t write or record her name, but she DID give us a list of half a dozen contacts we could seek out.

This report aims to fill in some of the holes in our knowledge about the Samsa through the use of primary sources (albeit with the information summarized).

“Where were the Samsa all this time?” Little tip for anyone else being assigned to the Samsa— don’t ask them this fucking question, it makes them think you’re a cop (or worse, an Ananasi). Everyone had the same story here. The Samsa had effectively been spiritually severed from the remainder of their forms, thanks to some shit the Ananasi did back when they were slaughtering the rest of the bugs. They claim that they were around this whole time, and that nobody bothered to notice. There was one who claimed that she’d been able to contact the Anurana in smaller ways before they all “woke up,” and that everyone just wasn’t trying hard enough. We looked into this, and found that there was evidence that Samsa kinfolk have a similar, but incredibly faint spiritual resonance. It’d be damn near impossible to detect unless you were looking for it, ‘cause it gets lost in the spiritual static of the rest of the world easily.

“How did the Samsa all ‘wake up’?” Out of all the roaches we interviewed, only one of them was of a mystic lean. He said that he “doesn’t quite know for sure, but it might’ve had something to do with the moon landing, the turn of the millennium, and the interference from Pentex all at once.” Take it with a grain of salt, folks. They’re still looking into it for themselves, and we might need a couple Packs out there to help’em out.

“Are the Ananasi still hunting you?” We got a solid “no” out of everyone we interviewed here. Seems like the spiders want it to be water under the bridge, actually. Some reported that they’d had visits from them to talk “business,” but none of them wanted to elaborate on what that shit meant. This could also use some more investigation.

“Are you able to connect with other Samsa?” Again, this one got us looks from everyone we interviewed. Establish some closer relations before digging in with this question. Regardless, they all admitted to being highly organized in urban environments. They move the way the spiders do through technology, and one Samsa can keep close with another so long as they’ve got a flip phone or radio. Some of them gave us the impression that it’d always been this way, but others kept asking whether we were cops or not, so we didn’t get much else out of’em.

“What is the ‘Glass Dance’?” Again, this was a question only the mystic of the bunch could give us anything on. All he said was “you play the game your way, we’ll play it ours,” so we have to assume that it’s a term they use for their operations. Reports of the term being used come primarily from younger Samsa anyways, so maybe it’s an example of them being tight-lipped? Needs more insight for sure.

“What is your relationship with Pentex?” Everyone spit on the floor when we mentioned the name, so that’s a good sign. There weren’t any who claimed heritage from the company’s experiments, but that doesn’t rule out the possibility. None of them had anything nice to say, and none of them said anything in particular about their plans to us. I plan on continuing correspondence with a few individuals from this assignment to dig further.

#oc #wod #btwod #cod #werewolf the apocalypse #samsa #corax

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orbmanson7 · 1 month ago

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Sometimes wish I could have normal-ass workplace drama...

But no, I get two coworkers coming up to me to ask for help because they witnessed another coworker pocket weed that was confiscated from a client and not disposed of it when she said she did

And these coworkers say they tried to address it with our program director, who was literally there when it happened, she just wasn't paying attention, and they said the director asked our supervisor to check and the supervisor, who is bestest buddies with the coworker who supposedly did this, said nah she dumped it in the dumpster, it's fine - not realizing the policy dictates that you have to destroy the drug, not just put it in the dumpster, fucking christ

And we literally have cameras in front that show the dumpster now and that footage didn't show her EVER doing this, and I even called over the local PD to ask if they'd gotten any service calls from our address that day and they said they didn't

So I ask the program director about this because our standard protocol is to have police confiscate the drugs, not to have staff handle it ourselves (just bc one person may be comfortable destroying a meth pipe doesn't mean all of them are, you know?), and suddenly an investigation happens

(finally)

The program director investigates everyone who was there (you mean, like you yourself?) and then the next day, tells everyone at the staff meeting being held that the police keep getting pissed at us calling to have them pick up drugs all the time so we're allowed to destroy them ourselves (and this is kinda true, actually they were pissed bc a few new cops would ask us for names of who had the drugs and we'd tell them to fuck off bc it'd be a hipaa violation to tell them and if they wanted to know so bad, they could come back with a warrant)

But I ask her to clarify that certain drugs should absolutely be handled by police and not our staff (like heroin for instance, don't even touch that stuff, jfc) and she goes oh yeah of course... Great, very informative, guess who then went and made a proposal for how to handle this shit properly instead? Yeah, and then when I sent it to the director, she goes oh that's great, let's send this to the whole agency actually but put MY name on it instead. Bro I'm the one who fucking wrote it because You didn't seem to think our staff could be in danger from this shit, tf?

Anyway, next day after that, they drug test everyone who was there when that incident happened, and the one person who refuses - is the person my coworkers said they witnessed pocket the weed

Suddenly, two days later, after her days off, she quits, and program director only sends an email saying she had "chosen to leave"

(ominous)

A week later, another coworker says she knew what really happened, but wanted me to answer a weird question first. I said go ahead and they ask if our staff are allowed to assist clients with things like car rides, helping them move into their new place, etc, if we're not on the clock or using a company vehicle. I said no, it's a liability concern. If something were to happen, it'd be on you, the individual, not on our agency, which is why it's discouraged to even use your own vehicle or do it off the clock at all.

Coworker says the one that just quit had been giving rides to a particular client a lot, and even when they had asked her if they wanted to use the company van to move the client's stuff to his new place, she'd refused

Okay, that is very concerning. So tell me what really happened then...?

So now I wait to hear about the weed - but it's Not about the weed at all. She was DATING A CLIENT (while still MARRIED, at that) and the client she took the weed from? That was the guy

Fucking christ

And that's just ONE incident from last month, there are others, ones I personally had to escalate to HR and even to the VP because my program director won't do her damn job

Like jfc, can we just have normal shit around here, please?!

#we only have like 8 staff if you dont include on-call people so someone quitting out of the blue was insane #but then to find all this out? jesus christ man #i need to spend my time at work focusing on helping my clients not this nonsense #ughhhh #orbs thought bubbles

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cato616 · 2 years ago

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THE TRANSFER (pt. 1)

succession x fem! reader

im so excited to do this one!! like i said before it's more general targeted (kendall, roman, shiv,,)

summary: You have been recruited at waystar mysteriously, no records of you, but no questions were asked tho; but how? who are you? You're part of the FBI that has been sent to get done an under cover assignment at the much troubled entertainment company, and to do that means getting close to the Roy family, starting with Logan's kids; kendall, shiv and roman. Good luck with that.

content: nothing more than business and cop-ish crossover talk

"Are you nervous?" Asked your superior as you were both sitting facing each other inside their office, having a last briefing before letting you go into where the beast was hiding. "honestly? no, Logan roy is pretty rough I hear, but come on, there's an obvious take here, I'm an agent ma'am, I don't think I should be nervous, should I?" You asked her with a curious tone but feeling a little cocky at the same time, and they chuckle. "no, I don't think you should be nervous, however, the whole thing about this, is that you should seem like you are." She stood up as she straightened her arm to shake your hand to then dismiss you, you shake their hand. "I think so too." as you smirk showing off your confidence. "good luck, agent... the other agent will have you escorted with all the equipment you'll get to need from now on, so, farewell."

You gave a last greeting to your superior to then get out of the office to have the other agent waiting for you outside, with some instructions.

"good morning agent n/y." You would think everyone in here would wear the basic fbi jumper and clothing but at the criminal investigation division, the majority wears the suit and tie, with a badge of course, including yourself. "follow me." The agent ordered, you complied and followed him to a car, to drop you off where you will be living in the next few weeks, maybe months, depending how well you'll do your job. "this is how it will go." You were both sitting at the back of the car, with another agent driving the car; he's about to get your instructions given. "back at the trunk you have a luggage, inside, new clothes, plain corporate clothing, then, badge... you'll want to keep that on the low, probably have to keep it somewhere safe, and as for the safety, your gun, it is also a command that you'd keep it safe with your badge, if things go sideways... and one last thing, this phone." He gives it to you. "oh really nice this is" you replied with a sarcastic voice. "it is an old phone, but, untraceable, objectively to make the calls... it has a direct line to the commission and the office, that's all you need, good luck."

He dropped you off at a hotel, basically on the other side of the block, where Waystar was. You got to your room, started organizing what was inside your luggage. Clothes were fine, badge and gun inside a safe. You were having everything in order when suddenly you get a call from the phone you were given, you answered it, and you hear the voice of your superior on the other side. "hope your accommodating well at your new place agent." You hear them smiling. "this is better than expected I'd say." your voice was very, disciplinary you could say. "well I wanted to make the first call myself to double check before you start your work." You accidentally nodded first, but then answered. "absolutely." you replied. "Waystar has a lot of delicate information as we discussed, you'll have to look for old records, since they won't have anything on a hard drive, and for that you'd need access to most of it at the building, so we had to do some arrangements about that, making you transfer as a low profile corporate assistant, low enough to keep you off the grid, high enough to let the investigation proceed... somewhere with the clothing you'll find your own key card to enter the facility and start your day, tomorrow." Everything you heard, you heard it already, since it was a double check, except for the key card, but found it as where it was supposed to be. "I do have a question." You wanted to ask something practically off mission. "you may ask." Your superior politely responded. "why not raid Waystar? and not infiltrate like I'm doing, make it quick as possible." There was only silence on the other side. "... not yet, at least, agent... sleep well tonight, you start tomorrow." You understood their input without having to make another question about it. They hung up the call, and you were standing there, all quiet, thinking about your mission, your loneliness you will have to experience for the next few weeks you hope, nothing more than you, and an old phone to contact the only people you know.

aw man, why do I do this to myself.

After a long well slept night, you wake up with a sunny day, and that's at least the first good thing to start up your day pretending you're just an innocent transfer. You dressed up with what you had, and before leaving, checked the safe one last time, you locked it, and left the hotel.

You weren't feeling nervous, you were doing your job as an fbi agent, you could feel scared from time to time, but nervous like that? never. You were arriving to the floor you were requested to first enter. The elevator's door opened, and slowly got into the world of madness. this is oddly nice tho. You caught what it appeared to be an assistant going out of an office, having a tablet on her hand, that's the only thing that made you think, she's the one I gotta talk to. You walked towards her, you targeted her like as the main object of the mission, like a fucking robocop; however your face changed right away as soon as you started to get her attention.

"Hey!" Warmly greeted her with a fake smile as you tapped her shoulder from behind. She turned around, disoriented with your presence and impression. "who are you-" You cut her off, answering her almost instantly. "yes I suppose I'm new here... where...?" You looked around trying to seem clueless, but wearing that fake smile still. "oh! yeah... I got sent over some of your information today." As she looked on her tablet. "follow me." You followed the lady, to an empty office, with the big windows providing the best view you have ever seen of the city. "Mr roy should be here shortly." Mr. roy? which one...? The assistant closed the door of the office while you were standing there, without a clue of what was about to happen. Meanwhile, this empty office has a lot of paper lying around, for you to start digging. You walked over some shelves, lot of binders with different dates. You were almost about to grab one... suddenly that Mr. Roy finally came in, you didn't jump since you're an specialist at not jump? however this is your first undercover mission, at least you didn't ruin it on day one.

"oh... roman roy." It was roman who came in, looking very professional, suits and a big office in solitude, checks out I guess?. "What... were you doing over there, you're looking very suspicious..." shit. what? what do I say?. "So sorry I was... uh checking out, the pictures! over there." you had to improvise that and luckily, those pictures were right next to the binders, if not, you wouldn't have come up with that. Roman stayed put, staring at you, and out of the blue, a slight giggle came out, and then burst into a quiet laugh. "you should've seen your face, you look so tense, please don't shit yourself, we have a bathroom for that." As he continued to walk over his desk. oh now i remembered what they told me about him. "oh no need to sit actually, you can just stand up." He was making this impossible for you not to kill the man you just met, but it was important to seem welcoming for this people. You were waiting for him to say something, give you some information, instructions, anything; he was just sitting on his chair, with both legs on top of the desk, feeling like a king, a bit cocky. All he did was to check you out, eyes going from head to ass. You could say something, but deep down you knew how significantly more powerful you were over him, and something about how little and incompetent he is next to you, made you not care about his sneaky eyes.

"Roman! dude, what are you doing." You hear another voice from behind, it was the other Mr Roy who just entered the office and yelled at roman. "get out of my office." it's his office?? You looked over roman, how he played you into thinking he was the Mr Roy you were expecting. "yeah sorry about that, I didn't know you were supposed to be here, but I think it was funny... do you think it was funny, Ken?" Kendall seemed overly annoyed by him. "just get out rome." He would open the door for him. "honestly I was getting into something over here... but I can, come back? yeah?" He shrugged when asking while looking at you, but it was more of an rhetorical question, and then left the room.

"Very sorry about that, my brother-" You stopped kendall from talking any longer, wasn't his fault. "no worries, it's all good." He would smile at you, relived you wouldn't tell him off; showed his hand pointing to your chair, to make you sit, and so did he. "So, this is simple, I heard you were positioned as general assistant here... for basic stuff, that you will get to know them soon enough." Lets you know what kind of job, however, he was taken back a little bit, as if something was out of please, looking over your file, reading every line. "but... I don't know how have called yo-" You interrupted him once again, but this time, you were almost getting busted. "may I ask, how general are we talking about?" As you lean over to make the impression you were interested on his answer. "...yes! you'll hear about, me, roman, probably Tom Wambsgans from ATN downstairs, our sister Shiv Roy, and last but not least, the man, the one and only, my father... I'd say that's pretty general." You looked like you've found gold, it was fantastic. "great!" You zoned back in, stopped the creepy smile you were having when thinking how easily he was letting you access to everything... perfect, very clever from my superior. "You wanna know the others? before starting freshen up tomorrow." Dude couldn't make it more easier for you. "absolutely." You both stood up, ready to give you a tour of the place.

You first went down to the ATN division, where you found Tom and roman talking to each other. "hey guys, im making this quick, this is our new assistant, she'll be working for some of us." Kendall introduces you as you were impatiently looking over Roman and Tom, waiting for a response, but roman took the shotgun on that. "we meet again, nice to meet you." He stretched his hand out, for you to shake it, while having his eyes pierced, fixed on you. "y-yes, it's nice to meet you too." Tom cut him off to shake your hand as well, and wow he's tall. Roman was a tiny bit annoyed by Tom's doing. "you don't want to shake that hand, he just jerked off himself." Your eyes widened open while having an uncomfortable smile. Tom laughs nervously. "Oh roman, he's just being an asshole..." He looked over him, a bit raged up, but nicely looked back at you. "so what is that you assist?... coffee?.." Kendall was about to answer that but you replied first. "everything you need." Smiled mischievously. "well that's nice, it's nice to have you." Kindly said Tom. "well that was it, I'll leave you be, let's go y/n." As soon as roman heard your name, instantly stared back at you, honestly it was driving you insane.

"We're now heading to the big office... you know, my dad looks scary but he's all tender on the inside... so don't feel on edge, it's all good." You start observing Kendall, and if you learned something over the years interrogating people, you know when someone is lying...

You were getting closer to the office, you were behind kendall, haven't got the whole view in front of you, until he moved to the left when both of you came in, to then present you. "hey dad, do you got a minute? this is-" "not now!" Logan roy was in front of you, and he just yelled at his son on your presence; you knew he was a difficult man, yet it did make you staggered. "hey kendall, come..." Shiv roy appeared from behind, oh my god does everyone in this family pops up like that? Kendall seemed interested to know what was going on in there, with Logan shaken up, and the rest of his team looking very uptight, running around, corner to corner. Shiv took you out of the office to have a word. "now it may be not a good time." Kendall was perplexed. "what- why? what do you mean?" Shiv looked over Kendall's shoulder to see you from behind. "who is that?" Kendall took a step back, to stand next to you. "she'll be working for us, I was just showing her around for today, I had a break, so... she will assist you too." You smile at her very warmly. "oh, that's great, I guess... uhh, so anyway I was telling you-" Shiv's voice got lower, notifying Kendall the situation. "Dad and the gang are trying to solve an issue, about... some accusations." Your ears suddenly started to work ten times better than before, you had their full attention. "and are they... fixable?" Kendall asked in a coded way. "I think so, it's all very new, so we haven't played out a strategy yet-... where's our assistant?" Kendall and Shiv looked around as if a wizard just vanished out of thin air. "must've gone to bathroom?... I mean, they don't usually tell us what they do..." Shiv doubtedly agreed with Kendall.

After all, Kendall was right, you did go to the bathroom, but not to use it. You took out of your purse your work phone, and made a call. "agent y/n, number 472... I have recent information to notify the inspector..."

#succession #roman roy #kendall roy #shiv roy #roman roy succession #kendall roy succession #succession fic #female reader #fem reader #fem y/n #succession x reader #part one #roman roy x reader #kendall roy x reader

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yuki-boshi · 4 months ago

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Kai no Kiseki - English Summary - Act 3 Van Route 4

Table of Contents

The Bunny Outfits are essential to the plot.

Act 3: Van 4

Van picks up everyone, including Renne and Agnes, at the Aramis Dorms. The students gather to see them off, and Feri comments on the strength of school friendships, to which Agnes agrees.

Renne, having been giving Van sidelong looks all morning, finally gets on his nerves. He asks her to speak up. Renne replies that it’s nothing and that she totally doesn’t know what happened last night with Agnes. Regardless of the outcome, she hopes Van had fun.

She then whispers, asking if Van’s kink involves making Agnes go out in her school outfit late at night. Van denies it, insisting that all they did was a nightly patrol.

He explains that Agnes came up with a flimsy excuse about her clothes being in the washer. Renne laughs and asks if he got pulled over by the cops. Van says no, but remarks it must have been sheer luck that he didn’t.

While still in the car, Van gives an exposition dump about Anchorville, explaining that it’s a city situated between Messeldam and Oracion with a population of about 120,000. The city hosts major companies but still retains a medieval charm despite its modern upgrades, making it almost a tourist attraction. He adds that it’s an ideal place for people looking for a medium-sized town to settle in. Judith, annoyed, tells him not to summarize her hometown like that, but admits he’s pretty much right. She also mentions that Anchorville has a lot of manufacturing and logistical warehouses for exports, and it’s well-known for its hospital. Risette tells Quatre that it ranks in the top 10 most desirable cities to live in Calvard. Aaron adds that it’s only a two-hour train ride from Edith.

Quatre says he needs to check on something, and Van asks if it’s related to Basel. Quatre confirms this, mentioning that the CID has closed off the underground after some incident involving the Thors group. He also shares that something significant was discovered deep in the Observatory’s undergrounds. Quatre can’t reach his grandma, and neither can Esremay. He asks Van to get information from Grim Garten for updates, but Aaron notes that everyone there is keeping their cards close to their chest.

Agnes agrees, wondering what Nadia, Swin, and Lapis are up to. Overhearing the conversation from his orbal bike, Bergard reflects that Kevin will likely face difficulties, but if Rion and Celis are involved, they might have a chance.

Judith then gets a call from her mom, Chloe, who asks if anyone’s been able to contact Dominique, Judith’s grandmother. Chloe says no one has. She also informs Van that all the lodging and food arrangements have been made, then hangs up. Aaron, ever the flirt, slyly comments on how young Chloe looks for her age, asking Judith if Chloe’s open to remarrying or if she’s seeing anyone.

Judith initially answers that she’s been trying to set her mom up on dates but quickly becomes furious when she realizes Aaron might be interested in her mom.

As they arrive in Anchorville, everyone admires the blend of medieval and modern architecture. Judith feels at home, while Risette stands lost in thought, staring at City Hall. Judith, wearing sunglasses, offers to take the group to her family’s Café Brasserie, whose logo was designed by her grandma, Dominique.

Inside, they meet a waitress named Shannon (cue the "another reused NPC name" comment). Judith is outed as a local, and the regulars ask if Van is her boyfriend. One of the patrons even mentions that Dominique has talked about Van, hinting that the future of the café might be in his hands. Judith, flustered, denies that Van is her boyfriend.

Chloe arrives and escorts the group upstairs, while Shannon (also sporting blue hair) gives Risette a curious glance. Chloe explains that the second floor is set up with internet access for Van’s group since they’ll be staying for a while. Judith, oversharing, accidentally reveals that the third floor and basement serve as Grimcats’ base of operations, complete with cool gadgets, before getting a sharp look from her mom. Van sweatdrops but thanks Chloe for going above and beyond, even promoting their 4SPG services on bulletin boards throughout the city. Chloe assures them it’s no problem, and she hopes they’ll gain traction soon.

Bergard wonders if Chloe might know something off about Anchorville. Chloe responds, saying that while there’s been an influx of shady individuals due to the Space Project hype and constant partying, she hasn’t noticed anything specific about the Masked People. Despite being a "retired kitty," she offers her assistance to the group, saying she can still lend a hand. Aaron asks about lunch, and Chloe assures him it’s simple but delicious before leaving the room.

Agnes praises Chloe, noting her elegance and flawless demeanor, leaving no room for criticism. Bergard compares her aura to Dominique’s, though Dominique was more hotheaded. Aaron adds that Chloe’s composed competence made Judith’s constant missteps more noticeable, much to Judith’s annoyance. Judith quickly changes the subject, asking what Van will do now that he has the 4 SPGs. Van says he’ll contact Elaine at the Guild branch in the capital, while Aaron mentions he could get some intel on Heiyue from the Kowloon bank.

Just then, a voice calls the group downstairs for food. As Van turns, he notices that the "scent" he typically gets when something is off has completely vanished, making him wonder if something’s going on.

Downstairs, the group enjoys a buffet with mussels as the star dish. Quatre is surprised, but Risette and Bergard explain that, though mussels are typically found in the sea, they’re also harvested from the river running between Oracion and Anchorville. Renne dips her bread in the sauce, and Feri follows suit. After the meal, tiramisu is served, much to Van’s excitement.

Everyone is equally thrilled, and Renne muses that while she’d normally have tea with such a dessert, coffee seems to pair well too. Bergard mentions he’s been to the café countless times but never ordered the tiramisu. Van says he’s had it before, but this version blows anything he’s tasted out of the water, calling it rich and fragrant, a true testament to the dessert’s three generations of perfection from Judith’s family. His enthusiastic rambling alarms Shannon, and Van gives Chloe a thumbs-up from across the restaurant, prompting Judith to tell him to stop scaring the staff.

Risette suddenly pauses, and when everyone asks her what’s wrong, she says the tiramisu is just too good. Judith offers to share the recipe, mentioning it’s already published, and Van immediately raises his hand to get it. Risette, thinking to herself, reflects that her body’s mimicry taste sensor is supposed to replicate only 30% of actual taste buds, yet she’s still able to fully enjoy the dessert.

In free roam, speaking with a customer named Perdue, a long-time regular, he comments that what the group just ate is only the third-best dish the café offers. When Van asks what’s second, Perdue replies it’s the alcohol served later in the day. And the first? Perdue coyly responds that it’s "a little erotic" and suggests Van could be the answer to Judith’s need for a proper man. Flustered, Judith insists she has no trouble attracting men, while Aaron laughs, teasing her about being bullied by an old geezer.

Agnes comments on how lively the café is. If you talk to Perdue again, he mentions he’s always trying to "educate the girls." Judith becomes irritated, asking if he’s been harassing Shannon, but Perdue denies it, explaining that Shannon already has a boyfriend. He does, however, admit that he might extend his "education" to the other female staff, prompting Chloe to overhear and ask for clarification, causing Perdue to fall silent.

In an optional cutscene with Shannon, Judith points out that Risette looks familiar to her. Shannon jokes that Risette could even be her long-lost sister. Feri takes it seriously, but Shannon clarifies that she’s an only child—though she does feel a connection.

Afterward, outside, Judith begins explaining Anchorville and its districts, but locals interrupt by waving to her. An old lady even scolds Judith, telling her to put on sunglasses. The group finds it amusing how strongly the locals feel about Judith, attributing it to a deep sense of local love and admiration. Aaron, however, scoffs, saying it feels more like everyone is intensely judging Judith’s every move, rather than admiring her.

At the hotel, the receptionist informs you of a bar downstairs. Upon talking to the bartender, the group learns that an elderly man in Far Eastern clothing recently visited and left a big impression on him. (Yun Ka-Fai?!!!)

You can visit Eton and head to the back, where Reporter Edwin, a familiar face, recognizes Van. Though they've crossed paths before, this is their first proper meeting. Van notices Agnes acting strangely and asks her why. She explains that Edwin is the same name in Sunshine Agnes.

At the church, the Bishop tells Van to sit down and pray to Aidios or leave, as they’re in the middle of prayers. Bergard mentions that this Bishop is actually well-known within the Septian Church. As they’re about to leave, Priest Leon engages in a conversation, causing Judith to ‘tch’ at him. Leon questions why she did that, leading to a discussion where the group asks about their connection. Leon playfully asks Judith if she has any sins to confess, especially concerning her Grimcats outings. Quatre is surprised Leon knows about it. Judith explains that she’s known Leon for a long time but is offended by his old-fashioned mindset, particularly his disdain for acting and movies. Leon clarifies that he doesn’t hate acting itself but rather the current state of the industry, which he believes focuses too much on sexualizing people and catering to fanservice (probably referring to Gotti's movies). He mentions that even discussing Judith’s profession gives him a headache.

Judith fires back, demanding that he at least watch her movies before judging. She challenges him, asking if he’s ever actually watched any of her films. Agnes laughs, commenting on how they don’t seem to get along, while Aaron quips, “Hehe, well, it’s only natural considering she’s both a kinkster and a phantom thief.”

Talking to Leon again, he’ll vent to Van about all his old grievances with Judith—being late, forgetting homework, breaking promises, borrowing his things without returning them. Judith interjects, calling him clumsy too and questioning how he can hold onto grudges from a decade ago, especially when the Church teaches forgiveness. She also points out that he failed to mention the time she jumped into a river to save him from drowning.

At the Guild Branch, Alvis arrives, expecting Van. Agnes notes that Alvis seems more accepting of Van now. Aaron also recognizes Luka, Hazel’s granddaughter from Oracion. Regena is there as well, worried about Anju, who was stationed in Anchorville. The receptionist, Regard, Anju’s brother, explains that the branches in the Capital, Anchorville, and Oracion are cooperating to track down the Masked People. Aaron compliments him, and Judith remarks that Anchorville’s peace is largely thanks to him. Van comments that he’s heard of Regard, a former A-Rank Bracer who retired due to injuries. (You can learn this earlier if you spoke to Anju and Regena back in Act 2.)

Renne asks for any updates on A-D and the Remnants, but the Guild reports no abnormalities in Messeldam, Oracion, or Anchorville, leading Alvis to wonder if they’re even in Anchorville. Still, his instincts tell him not to overlook the town just because there’s no visible threat. Regard notes that the police haven’t been mobilized from the Capital in a while, leaving Anchorville largely defenseless, with only the Bracers protecting the area. He suggests that Van’s unique skills as a Spriggan could help, and asks Arkride to prove himself.

Arkride appreciates being recognized without initial suspicion and agrees to investigate. Alvis asks for Van’s help with their matters, and Regard proposes that Van’s group handle monsters in the southern outskirts while Alvis covers the north.

Talking to Regard again reveals that he holds high expectations for Van, hoping his renowned “smell finder” ability proves useful. Regard also mentions his intention to repay Alvis and Regena for watching over Anju. Speaking to Alvis again reveals that Anju is upstairs, preparing for Bracer work. When you talk to her, she expresses anxiety, fearing that the Remnants and A-D are secretly hiding in town, and she’s determined to protect everyone.

----

4SPG: Finding Snapshots Nathan, a man searching for rare photographs he took, realizes he misplaced them after getting drunk. The last thing he remembers is putting the photos in a magazine he was reading, but now the magazine is missing. The group starts by investigating at the bar, where they discover the bartender took the magazine—but it had no photos. They suspect other customers might be involved, and it turns out, four customers had taken the photos.

The first customer has a photo of Dominique and reminisces about growing up with his grandmother, a fan of hers. He tearfully returns the picture to Van.

The second customer is a Judith fan and hands over the photo after seeing Judith in person.

The third customer, a woman, claims to have a picture of Grimcat, which causes Judith to panic and Aaron to laugh. It turns out to be a photo of Rosalie’s Grimcat instead.

The fourth customer is a hotel guest who returns a photo of Chloe.

The group returns to Nathan and asks where he took the picture of Rosalie’s Grimcats. He explains that he snapped it in the outskirts of Edith, where he saw a strange figure. Renne laughs, suggesting Rosalie was essentially streaking, and suspects this might have been before her mission to steal the Alter Core at The Chardin.

4SPG: Nelken Transportation The CEO of Nelken Transportation asks the group to help find a missing driver named Yasel, who has a troubled past. Nelken’s company hires misfits like Yasel to help reintegrate them into society. As they investigate his delivery route, the group deduces that Yasel might be attempting to take his own life. They find him on the outskirts, with a gun in his mouth, but Van knocks it away and talks him down.

Their investigation shifts focus as they uncover Nelken Transportation's darker side. They learn that it is a "black company" (slang in Japan for exploitative companies), and Yasel had been forced to work over 300 hours in a month while covering all truck-related expenses himself. The group tricks Nelken into believing Yasel took his own life, prompting Nelken to reveal his true colors, expressing relief at not having to deal with Yasel anymore. They confront Nelken, revealing that Yasel is alive and they have a USB containing evidence of the company's illegal activities. When negotiations fail, Nelken summons bodyguards to attack.

After the battle, Yasel tries to kill Nelken with the same gun he almost used on himself. The group faces a critical choice: stop Yasel or let him carry out his revenge.

4SPG: A Tourist’s Troubles Gracio, a city hall employee, asks Van for help with lodging issues. Chief Bannings (not Lloyd Bannings) explains the situation further. The group interviews various hotels and inns, including Chloe’s Café, and pieces together the truth.

Back with Gracio, Van bluntly reveals that Gracio is the culprit. By altering reservation information, Gracio forced customers into precarious situations where they had to cancel and attempt to get refunds. However, due to an ongoing charity campaign, part of the refunded money was nonrefundable, allowing Gracio to embezzle the difference. Bannings concurs, pointing out the mismatch between the budget and the amount received. Frustrated, Gracio lashes out, saying he asked for a cover-up, not an expose on him.

----

At the Kowloon Bank The group meets Fan Lu. Fan explains that while Heiyue has mostly stabilized, the case of the missing people still concerns them. He read about Heiyue’s defeat at Dirke Memorial Park (Act 2 Van 2) and wanted to confirm if the remnants were in Anchorville. Judith has named the Masked Remnants as Apostle, Female Soldier, and Chivalrous Warrior. Aaron expresses concern, noting how strong the Masked Warriors are, even beating Rixia, also known as Yin.

Fan is surprised by Aaron's newfound composure and growth, attributing it to the influence of the Spriggans. He praises Aaron, recalling how the old Aaron would have charged in recklessly. Aaron suggests relying on Van and the solvers through the 4SPG system. Fan agrees, promising to share any new information with them.

-----

Connect Event: Agnes

Agnes and Van meet the children from Earl's Orphanage in Oracion under the guise of showing them around Anchorville. Furona, the chaperone and their foster caretaker, plans to surprise Jan, one of the orphans, with the news of his new foster parents.

They take the children around town, walking the streets, crossing the river bridge, and even stopping by the Eton News Agency where Sunshine Agnes was. Van treats them to food and tiramisu at a café. However, Jan, sensing something is off, sneaks away from the group after the dessert. The others notice his absence and rush to find him sitting alone by the canals.

Van, having been in Jan’s shoes, immediately understands. He talks to Jan, explaining how hard it is to be chosen by a new family while leaving behind the siblings and caretaker he’s known. Van reveals that he too grew up as an orphan and was the “big brother” of his group. He shares how he was a troublemaker, always getting into mischief, but that Mr. Arkride would always encourage him, reminding him that no matter how far away you are, you’re still connected to those you care about.

Thanks to those words, Van says, he was able to form new friendships. He reassures Jan that leaving the orphanage doesn’t mean those bonds are broken. While speaking, Van glances at Agnes, hinting that his life has turned out pretty well. He encourages Jan to be happy, as his family wants the same for him. With newfound courage, Jan rejoins his siblings and agrees to meet his new foster parents.

Afterward, Agnes asks Van about his past. He shares that shortly after his birth, he was abandoned and left at an orphanage with a letter claiming he was a demon and urging the orphanage to raise him regardless. After being adopted, he was subjected to torture by the DG cult. Following his rescue, the orphanage was contacted to explain what had happened, but Van never returned. When he eventually started Arkride Solutions, he tried to track down his ‘Father’ only to learn that after Van's rescue, his father had fallen ill around the same time. His father’s final wish was for Van to find a place where he belonged.

Van remembers moments with his father, who assured him that he wasn’t a devil. He told Van that many people face misfortune, but because Van had known pain from the start, he could stand by others to help prevent them from suffering the same fate. His father believed that through this, Van would find his place in the world. Agnes is intrigued, wondering if this could be the origin of a 4SPG.

She holds Van's hand, urging him not to have regrets about the person he cares about most. She expresses her desire for Van to find a place where he can smile, be happy, and truly belong, which she believes is also what Van's father would have wanted. Apologizing, Agnes admits she might be overstepping, but she felt compelled to tell him because she believes she and his father share the same wishes for him. She wants him to find happiness no matter what.

Van takes a deep breath, telling Agnes she’s truly something else, and that once again, she’s the one helping him realize these things. He jokingly calls himself pathetic. Agnes laughs, reminding him that he’s been his own person from the start—he just hadn’t realized it. She tells him he’s helped so many people, including her, to take that "step forward." From the bottom of her heart, Agnes confesses that she’s glad she met him.

Van tells her the feeling is mutual, though he feels unworthy of having her by his side. Agnes laughs, teasing him by saying she feels the same about herself. Then, with a wink, she warns him to be ready because she plans to grow so much as a person that one day Van will realize too late what an amazing woman she’s become, and he’ll regret missing his chance. (Agnes says this while sounding like she’s about to cry, foreshadowing...)

Van chuckles, saying he looks forward to that day.

Connect Event: Renne

Renne and Van visit the Eton News Agency to meet with Reporter Edwin, who had invited her to appear on his radio show/podcast. Edwin asks about Van, and Van explains that he's her guardian and is curious about what Edwin wants with Renne. Edwin quickly apologizes, saying he didn’t mean to come off as creepy—he just wanted to feature interesting individuals on his show. He then remarks on Renne’s reputation as a child prodigy with multiple degrees.

Renne plays along, teasing that Edwin’s compliment about her beauty is making her blush. Van, puzzled, asks why she's even going through with this, to which Renne replies that she can't avoid attention now that she's being noticed even behind the scenes. Edwin reassures them that any sensitive parts of the interview can be edited out. He also invites Van to participate, noting who he is. Surprised that he’s been identified, Van suspects this is Edwin’s skill as a reporter but still declines the offer.

Renne and Edwin enter the recording booth, where she introduces herself as “Kitty.” Edwin gives a brief overview of Renne’s background, mentioning her contributions in the Republic and hinting at her rumored identity as the infamous hacker “Kitty.” Renne laughs, admitting this is her first public interview. She then shares her experiences as an exchange student from Liberl and the Student Council President at Aramis. Edwin brings up the runner-up to her presidency, who became a terrorist in Kuro 2. Renne also displays her Kitty website, which is managed by a Hollow Core AI, and mentions that clicking the Kitty logo ten times plays kitten sound clips throughout the Capital.

During the interview, Edwin notes that Renne has traveled to many countries and asks if she's wealthy. Renne coyly responds that she used to have a job. When asked about her childhood, she jokingly says she "slaughtered" obstacles in her hacking operations (a combination of angel of slaughter and being the hacker kitty), before backtracking and requesting that be off the record. Van facepalms at the slip.

As the interview wraps up, Renne reflects on her past, recalling the people who helped lift her from darkness—Loewe and Joshua—and how her family, particularly Estelle and Joshua, showed her a brighter path. She also acknowledges a certain someone (Van) who helped her when she was lost, expressing gratitude to everyone who has supported her growth, and hopes it’s her turn to guide those struggling in the shadows.

After the interview, Van admits how worried he was, as Renne was close to revealing too much. Embarrassed, Renne blushes, which surprises Van, given her usual smug and teasing demeanor.

He notes that while she’s 18 and wealthy, she's still a kid. Van muses that those who lifted her up should hear this interview, and he believes those “inside” Renne would be proud as well. Renne reveals that after Nemeth Island, she no longer feels that "they" are with her, believing they’ve moved on peacefully after she confronted her past. Van acknowledges her growth, and Renne thanks him for supporting her when she was younger and staying close to her now. Van jokes that she's putting too much credit on him, forgetting the others who helped her. Renne wonders if Van is finally becoming self-aware. She also mentions, in jest, that perhaps she should even thank Harwood for the events of Kuro 2, despite the chaos. Renne then asks Van to continue supporting her, as she’s once again in his care.

Connect Event: Emilia

Van rides Bergard’s ETWS bike to meet Emilia, who has taken the Excalibur without permission to meet him. Van asks if that’s allowed, but Emilia brushes it off.

Emilia invites Van to join her on her final “Hermes request” before heading into space, determined to complete it without regrets. At a logistics warehouse, she speaks with a worker about a package she’s come to collect. The worker vaguely recognizes her but can’t place where.

Meanwhile, at a train station, a girl and a man are saying goodbye to another male, wondering if a gift will arrive in time. Emilia rushes to deliver the package just in time, handing it to the departing man.

Later, at a café, Van and Emilia discuss why she took on this delivery. Emilia explains that due to a shipping mix-up, the gift would have arrived too late for the childhood friend leaving on the train. Van is surprised that her final Hermes request is something so ordinary. Emilia laughs, teasing him—what, did he expect it to be some top-secret espionage document? She clarifies that she doesn’t discriminate when it comes to requests.

Just then, Emilia’s long-awaited tiramisu arrives—something she’s been eager to try again but hadn’t had the chance until now. Van jokes if this too is on her bucket list. He notes that it sounds like she's preparing for a life-or-death mission, and Emilia confides that she's placing everything on the line, including her life, to ensure success and live without regrets.

As Van prepares to send her off, he asks if she’s scared. Emilia admits that despite the high success rate of the mission, she is scared—after all, the cost of failure is her life. Van reassures her, reminding her that “Hermes” always comes back.

Emilia kisses Van, asking him to travel with her once it's all over. (Bro, what happened to her doing this with Crow in Rean 2?!!! EMILIAAAAAAA!!!)

-----

Main Story:

After completing all four SPGs, the group returns to the Café to discuss their findings. Van tells Chloe that based on the four SPGs, there are no Remnants. However, Van suspects that the SPG requests themselves were warped with malicious intent to mislead the group. Chloe shares that two individuals linked to the hospital have slight cases of amnesia. Aaron points out that this might be similar to Jeffrey’s case. With this in mind, the group decides to investigate the hospital.

The group heads to the hospital, where Feri and Quatre join the party. Once there, they begin gathering information, though some members, particularly Renne, question how useful Feri will be due to her innocence and naivety. Feri counters this by telling Renne that, in Kruga culture, she's considered an adult. Renne apologizes and says she trusts Feri will come through. An older woman, Ohara, shares that management at the hospital has been changing since last December.

Van talks to Finly, a friend of Paulette’s who had been discussing Maxim with her back in Act 2. Finly reveals that the suspension of certain wards was due to collusion. Both Agnes and Van suspect the previous head’s firing is linked to Almata, especially considering the timing in December.

Yun Ka-Fai arrives at the hospital and chats with the receptionist, Karen. Van recognizes him. Despite the busy atmosphere, Yun Ka-Fai is given a waiting number, 92, and asks Karen out to the Black Cat Café after work. The group wonders about him, and Van explains he had previously met him in Edith.

When talking to Yun Ka-Fai, he mentions that their reunion feels like fate and inquires about Jorda, the girl who used to accompany Van. Van explains he works with Agnes and the others more often than with Jorda. Yun Ka-Fai remarks that it’s a shame but compliments Van on having a beautiful assistant, implying that Van must be quite formidable.

Renne asks where Ka-Fai is from, and he replies "Longlai," though he was actually in Tharbad yesterday on holiday (Kevin 1 Shenanigans). He shares that his subordinates are a handful, so this vacation is his chance to unwind. Quatre observes that Ka-Fai might be as old as Bergard, but their approaches to life are vastly different.

Getting back to business, Van asks Yun Ka-Fai if he noticed anything suspicious. Ka-Fai mentions that during his checkup the previous night, he saw patients skipping the pharmacy, which is unusual since checkups usually come with prescriptions. He also mentions hearing ringing in the hospital, which stopped as soon as he left. Ka-Fai suggests it might be related to air flow, and Quatre explains the science behind it. Renne is impressed by Ka-Fai’s keen perception.

Using this information, they suspect a doctor named Grant is behind the strange occurrences. Van has Quatre use FIO to hack the database and move their names up as patients, causing Karen to wonder how they got ahead of Yun Ka-Fai.

At Grant’s office, Van pulls out the Alter Core and asks if he recognizes it. Risette checks his heartbeat and catches him lying when he denies it. Van pressures him about distributing drugs similar to those from the Almata Incident, noting how Grant bypasses the pharmacy by directly providing medication. Under pressure, Grant chants A-D and becomes empowered. He escapes and casts a white "breath," as Feri describes it, brainwashing everyone in the lobby.

Yun Ka-Fai briefly appears, and both he and Bergard recognize each other. Ka-Fai assists in handling the brainwashed citizens, stating he’ll help for Bergard’s sake, as well as for Van and his team. But most importantly, he’s helping because there are cute girls. Judith, somewhat confused, thanks him for his assistance.

The group heads to the back rooms where Van detects a "smell," prompting Risette to use Shard Search to reveal a hidden door, which Feri opens. Quatre questions why the hospital has a secret lair, as if they’ve stumbled into a spy movie. Renne immediately grasps the situation, explaining that it ties back to the former management’s collusion. Van instructs Agnes to call the police and the guild, while Judith angrily declares that such a thing happening in the garden of the phantom thief won’t go unpunished.

In the hallway, Agnes expresses concern about Ka-Fai, but Bergard reassures her. Van realizes he’s been holding a tachi, and Aaron remarks that now everything makes sense. Upon entering the secret area, they uncover a drug lab using the Agave plant, though it appears in a different color.

The group suspects this ties back to the hospital's mismanagement before December. They mention that if new management had taken over, the lab should have been shut down, but clearly, someone has restarted it. They soon find Grant unconscious.

Delving deeper, they receive a call from Alvis, who informs them that the Guild has arrived at the hospital and warns them not to do anything reckless. Renne finds it reassuring, but they can’t afford to wait. At the lowest level, they discover the Alter Core is enhancing the Agave drug, and they also find the people who had vanished from the Capital. After defeating the thugs, Van senses someone above, and Feri fires at the scaffolding, hitting a cloaked, masked individual.

The man introduces himself as one of the Masked People (Blue), the Provoker, who masterminded the distortion of the 4SPG requests and manipulated Grant.

Another masked figure, the Soldier (Green), appears, catching Feri’s attention. She questions the Soldier’s origins, but the Soldier remains silent and summons the Executor to fight them. The way the Soldier holds her gun reminds Feri of Aida, while the Provoker’s speech patterns reminds Van and Agnes of someone they’ve met (Giacomo)

During the battle, Feri clashes with the Soldier, who acknowledges Feri's skill, remarking that it’s expected of a Kruga neophyte.

After the fight, Agnes checks on Feri, who is puzzled by the Soldier's familiarity. Feri presses the Soldier on her identity, sensing a nostalgic connection in her fighting style. The Provoker then calls upon the Executor to attack again, but Renne attempts to activate Shard barriers, only to be too slow.

Just in time, Yun Ka-Fai arrives in the basement and effortlessly cleaves the Executor in two.

The Provoker hints at triggering the Executor’s other “mode,” but drones summoned by Mirabel intervene, and she appears via projection, stating that both the police and the guild are now at the entrance.

The Soldier retreats, destroying the Executor that Ka-Fai had defeated, and takes the Alter Core, announcing that they’ve finished analyzing everyone’s strength, including Ka-Fai’s. Shortly after, Alvis, Regena, and the police arrive to assist the victims and investigate the basement.

Later, Risette asks Mirabel if she came because the Crisis Management AI flagged Anchorville as a threat. Mirabel confirms but says the situation is currently undetermined. Judith finds this hard to believe, considering the hell of Nemeth Island had been classified as SSS-ranked.

Van and the group thank Ka-Fai for his assistance. Ka-Fai, sensing that Van has connected with one of his wandering disciples (Shizuna) and another apprentice (Rean), reveals to them that he is the founder of the Eight Leaves One Blade style and the former leader of Ikaruga, ending the chapter.

#kiseki series #trails series #summary #translation #kai no kiseki

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bisluthq · 6 months ago

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Someone: hands me an NDA after the thing asking I don't talk about the thing

Me: lol. No

Someone: surprised Pikachu face. Adds a payout to it

Me: warmer warmer

😂😂 I joke, but I've had to sign a lot of NDAs for work and it's basically like the equivalent of "don't tell people our business model or how much we spend", I've never had one say "and don't tell people you signed an NDA". Very few times have I been asked to sign one after the thing and it was only because the person who was meant to give it to me forgot to earlier, or some extra info came to light that they didn't want out (how much the other company was spending on another campaign and paying their celeb endorsement). If I didn't sign the ones I was asked to after the thing, worst case scenario they might've fired someone on their team, but me personally - no consequences (I always signed anyway). And none of them had legal consequences for me except getting fired and sued if I shared our business model with a competitor (which I didn't, but when I left that company I took my skills and knowledge with me sooooo....... Lmao).

Idk I used to be a kaylor and the constant NDA talk was one of the things that broke me when someone said 'its not worth prison' to break an NDA and shit. They're more corporate docs than scandal management shit (I knew some people who wished they could use them to guarantee silence for their own mental health though lol 😂 but also once you're in that scene where you get actual gossip, you don't risk your career for $1,000 to share a pic of a C list model doing ❄️ at a party a b lister you're trying to work with is at)

yea look, NDAs are civil contracts (ie it’s never a “right to jail” situation), primarily used for business purposes (as you describe and actually it’s really not just in entertainment industries like all corporates use them and anything to do with R&D uses them a ton). From a scandal management perspective, an NDA can be used to finalize a settlement right, so you CAN sign an NDA on settling a case whereby one or both parties agree not to reveal the details of the settlement agreement.

The thing is, NDAs are also grounded in law. So you can’t, for example, NDA illegal activity (however much some people might want to 😂) because let’s say even as a silly example, I can’t make my employee sign a contract that says they vow never to reveal my use of ❄️ because (even though a lot of people do it) ❄️ is illegal so if a cop catches me they can arrest me and if my employee saw me do it they’d have to testify tbh and whether I got them to sign something to say they wouldn’t or nah is irrelevant. I can ask them to perjure themselves like privately but I can’t say “dude you signed a document that says you can never talk about illegal shit I do.”

NDAs also have to be clearly defined in terms of what the fuck they’re protecting (you can’t NDA any publicly accessible info for example) and generally are limited in time (let’s say I’m in R&D at Apple right and I move to a better job at Samsung like yes I can take my knowledge and skills but I can’t take the stuff we were working on at Apple with me BUT at a certain point that needs to expire because either that’ll become publicly accessible when Apple files its patents and/or they’re not planning to use what I worked on so I can use it etc) and also have to be demonstrably confidential issues that are very clearly defined as being such (actual example of an NDA I signed in the capacity of being a household PA in UHNW settings stated things like I can’t release addresses of RENTED properties (their official residences are publicly accessible info tho), any financial information I’m privvy to that I learn at work, security details, I can’t post any pictures on my socials where I can be clearly identified as being at one of their known properties without their permission etc like what was confidential was explicitly stated; an on set NDA I signed said I can’t refer to the project other than by its code name until it airs, I can’t reveal where precisely filming took place, and I can’t reveal any technical information I am privvy to on set; etc).

but like also those - and other NDAs I’ve signed - were contracts not Unbreakable Vows. They’re the same as employment contracts (mine came with jobs/projects) and prenups and leases of all kinds in that you… can break them. I haven’t broken an NDA or a rental lease but I’ve broken an employment contract and nothing really happened lol because the hassle and expense and embarrassment for them to sue me wasn’t worth it and they just hired a new person. Like technically they could’ve sued me for damages and shit but I wasn’t asking for their side of the contract either (ie my payment for fulfilling it lol) so suing me would’ve been a colossal waste of time and money even tho I’m pretty sure they’d have won lol because I basically just said “I don’t feel like doing this job anymore” and peaced out lol.

If someone breaks an NDA (or any contract), you can sue them, obviously for breach of contract and damages. That’s not a situation anyone really wants to be in over like celeb secrets (also because the celeb would have to file this so it’s kinda not non disclosing since they’re gonna have to sue you lol). I think the most common thing that keeps people’s mouths shut aren’t NDAs but the… need to keep working and also not wanting to be in mess/a snitch? Gaylor world NDAs wouldn’t work at all but even like a Joebless NDA where he signed one to get a payout would be like… idk man how that’d work lol tbqh from a legal perspective because I’m not sure how she’d enforce it so 💀🤷🏻‍♀️

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hoshizorax · 2 months ago

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𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗒 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗆𝖾 ⸻ yakuza verse tag based on this song

it all started with a woman named vivienne. having moved from the united states to japan in the late 70s to early 80s. looking for a better start in life and so she immigrated away from everything she knew to have a better life (or so she thought). working small jobs before getting into hostess work under the table. during that time, she got involved with a certain man--aoki inoue. he was a regular customer that came into the shady hostess club she worked at and had taken a liking to her.

however, she didn't exactly know he was yakuza until after she had gotten deep into their "relationship". that was when she became scared. unsure of what she could possibly do to get away from this man before she had met an american man who had moved to japan for work--marshall. being transferred to a pretty high end company. she had spent a lot of time with him outside of her work and fell in love with him. sure, it wouldn't get her out of japan but she would be protected.

come 1985, vivienne gave birth to amaria. it was obvious that she was not biologically marshall's daughter. yet, he took on the responsibility to care for the girl.

amaria grew up pretty well off due to her father's job and she wanted for naught. though, her parents realized that she didn't ask for anything growing up. of course, she got many things like toys and such, but she would always end up giving those toys away to less than fortunate children. it really didn't change as she got older. in her late teens, she began volunteering. for someone who had lived in kamurocho her whole life, she was not fluent in japanese. her mother kept her pretty sheltered to protect her. she did end up making a friend with another girl in the neighborhood. someone else who was in another well-off family. however, her parents had ended up being wrongfully framed for something. she ended up on the streets with her parents. that same girl had gotten into a rough way as she got older. drugs, crimes, etc. amaria had gotten the news that she passed from such activities. it gave her more reason to help the homeless and less fortunate to keep the memory of her best friend alive.

despite the language barrier, she helped as much as she could until she met a man when she was 19. their relationship developed fast due to his conning and manipulation. saying the right things before entrapping her then selling her off to several shady individuals to gain powerful information. cops, government officials, yakuza.. she had seen it all. four years, she was in that hell. in some underground place in kamurocho. doing these "favors" and giving any information she got from those "clients" (whom of which were "kind" enough to speak english to her).

meeting a man named keres, a man who had made some connections to the yakuza due to his own reputation. they had recommended if he needed to "let off some steam" to go and speak to this man who had this perfect woman. really loved her "work". however, once he met her and realized that she was mute and didn't want to be touched, he actually spoke to her during the time he had with her. he found out the truth and really pulled some strings and lied about taking her out to a more comfortable place. somewhere he trusted for a few hours so he can enjoy his time with her. once he got her out, and safe, he went back and really gave it to the guy. since then, no one has seen him since. people speculate that he left japan (or at least kamurocho).

not long after getting away from the guy and getting home, she admitted herself after a post traumatic episode that nearly made her attack her father. not wanting to hurt her family or herself, she spent that time in there for almost a year. once she got out, she began going weekly to therapy. she still has her dark days and she takes medicine to keep her stress and anxiety down, but she has done much better for herself.

working as a florist, but also intaking information. no matter how much she tried to run from that side of her life, her ability to take in information was considerably a good thing (depending on who she speaks to). still working as a florist, she also spends her time around clubs to get information for people. sometimes she already has information but she also gets information that is requested of her. usually, that comes with extra pay. with that money, she helps the less fortunate.

#𝗁𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖼𝖺𝗇𝗈𝗇𝗌. // amaria fritz #𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗒 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗆𝖾 ⸻ yakuza verse #// it's pretty generalized right now #// she also is familiar with some of the major events in the game

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james-carslut · 2 years ago

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Barbie Review ⚠️Spoilers Ahead⚠️

Greta did such an amazing job depicting what growing up and self-actualisation into womanhood feels to a girl as soon as Barbie enters the Real World. I just Felt So Much and I wanted to say my piece cause yes growing up- the tragedy to be congratulated for, how do we see it, what is it, how to represent it, the multi-facets of it, etc etc. But I mostly just wanted to talk about the part where Barbie just enters the Real World because-

1. The Male Gaze

sorry not sorry but the gaze is the first thing that Barbie feels is seriously off. Her literal reaction is 'i am conscious of myself because I am subjected to something that is violent' and as soon as i heard those words I knew I'm in for a cathartic montage of empathy towards my kid self cause now what i felt is in actual words and it's so nice to have a description from a child's vocabulary. I know what the gaze is and it's definition and all the terms but to have someone going through that same uncomfortable actualisation and trying to put it into words while my adult self just looks on at the screen, riveted and sad, yes.

2. The Conditioning

The normalisation of catcalling and general invasive genital questioning, public assault, punishment of self defense, realisation that systems of public protection are sources of further private attack (the cops further harassing Barbie), being broke whoops and being punished again (cough cough homelessness as a crime cough I see what you did there with the feminist agenda Greta cough), further sexualisation, all of it. A girls eyes opening to the Real World. For many of us, this was a moment when we tried to help an adult by saying "let's call the police" or "i can just ask the man to give it to me- money? I don't have money?" and then got Informed.

3. The Cynic Shakedown

Barbie talking to the schoolgirl was the moment when I took my painting to the teacher and she dismissed it saying the sky isn't pink. It was the moment when you turn to friends and they say "do you even care". It was the moment when you want to say 'I like that' and you don't (literally what happens in the movie). It's getting your heart broken by the cynic and it's the loss of innocence, it's a rite of passage and it's the beginning of how people curl into themselves in that moment and become the cynic so they don't feel it like that again. It's when you start being cruel to your mother and you start wanting to be right over being kind. It's inevitable. And it's also :(

4. The Negotiation

Finally some form of authority that can take accountability for this wrongness- wait this is off too- where are the women, what's your agenda- I'm sorry Mr. Man Dude what did you say you specialise in??- I'm so sorry that you feel I wronged you I swear that what not what I intended- no I genuinely didn't try to wrong you I'm sorry- okay I can fit in the box, i remember the box, it was okay- wow this box is very nostalgic haha except hold on, something's off and I really can't shake it off this time Mr. Man Dude- no wait please this box is claustrophobic- hold on a second you're all surrounding me and I just took a step back, i didn't step into the box willingly- wait wait why aren't you listening- can you please stop talking over me- wait please no I don't want to be in the box-

......... -hey hi haha let me just fix my hair please at least allow me to do that oh no I can't think of escaping because I can't think yes you're right I can't think at all except about my hair sometimes and I can't escape anyway because you see I know that I'm meant to be the damsel in distress and yes of course it's perfectly alright if you distress me just please allow me to step out for a second to fix my hair and: Mad Dash To Survival.

5. What is it for What am I for Why What does it all mean Why Why Just why

Despair as a level of puberty. And then being offered kindness, company, solace, empathy, comradry, being seen, being comforted. The oh, this is what it's all for, the in-betweens. These things don't just make it possible to rest before getting up to fight again, they are the reason why we fight. Why we get up everyday and outperform and then wonder if we're capable and do the same old same old Every. Single. Day. On repeat. And still feeling so alone but at least having carved out something resembling a purpose. A wish. A desire. Something to take a step for.

(and here, when Barbie meets Ruth for the first time do I understand the opening credits. The kitchen table to a woman that is the monolith the the ape. A space to rest, love, create, live, make, care and care and care.)

6. Communism

Comradry. "Get in Barbie!" And the Opening Up and The Bond and the i-know-what-you-meant looks and the hand-in-hand and the 'i'll do it for you even if I can't do it for me' and the 'you feel this too!!' and the reason why the death of friendships hurt in a place where lovers can never reach. Women. Solidarity. The helping hand. The divine Other but she is not the other, she is you, she is her, she is irrevocably human and faulted and yet she's here and she's lonely too, she's Barbie. She's me.

(ugh I'm tearing up and yeah I cried in the movie, the trees, the old lady, the mom's monologue, the final talk with Ruth, it all just got to me okay. The movie was exactly what I expected it to be and what I wanted it to be and it was perfect like Barbie)

I'm not complaining because everything I'm describing is just what growing up felt like. It felt like a hit after hit after hit of alienation from the world and from oneself and from security. And then there's the other side of tunnel, the perks of adulthood and having fun being a woman in a post-Barbie era. The falling in love with pink again, adult sleepovers, feeling like a Barbie when you rearrange the first house you rent, pretty stuff, strong stuff, kind stuff. And making boundaries with all the Ken's in a way that's fair to both you and the Ken and doing the work to be happy. Yeah. Thank you Greta.

#barbie #barbie movie #barbieheimer #greta gerwig #greta gerwig barbie #girlhood #cinema #feminism #margot robbie

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lit-works · 1 year ago

Text

Spider-Man : A City in Darkness

Finale

I sit there, perched atop a 20-story skyscraper, looking north at the city. No one would know that just a few hours ago this island metropolis was plunged into blackness by some madman, a madman who would likely do it again. A madman with a colossal grudge against me, Spider-Man.

The question is, which madman? I've made more than my fair share of enemies in my career, some of them incredibly powerful. Doc Ock. Hobgoblin. Doomsie, the Frightful Four, Vulture–the list goes on and on, a fact that is not the least bit reassuring. Electro is on the loose as well, but Electro has rarely ever used underlings. He usually teams up with another super-powered felon when he isn't going solo.

Somehow, though, everything ties together; the springing of Electro, the blackout, the electrical equipment theft, the writing in the sky…it all adds up to one thing : someone really doesn't like me.

Well, I can sit on my brains and worry, or I can go out and get to thr bottom of this. I think getting to the bottom of this is the better choice of the teoz but where do I start?

Captain Patricia Amber Nash, commander of the PEGASUS security team assigned to delivering Electro to his parole hearing, sits alone in an office in the justice building. In front of her are reams of paper. She is carefully ignoring the papers and staring at the ceiling, leaning her wooden chair back on its hind legs. She might be deep in thought or just daydreaming.

Hanging upside down, I tap on the window. The sudden noise catches her by surprise, and it is only by grabbing the table that she avoids pitching over onto the floor. As it is, she scattered papers across the office.

Rising from the table, she stomped to the window I was hanging outside of with as much decorum as she could muster. Through the insulated glass she mouthed the words, "what the hell do you want?" She doesn't look pleased.

"Dinner and a movie?" I shout back, loud enough to be heard through the glass. "But I'll settle for some info? How about letting me in before someone sees me out here and calls the cops?"

She looks at me for a long moment, as if weighing the options. Then she unlatches the pane and opens it. "Come in then," she says. "And make it quick. It's getting cold out there."

"Do you know how much paperwork there is for an escaped criminal?" She asks, stopping to pick up the scattered papers.

"No, but if you hum a few bars I'll pick it up." I say.

She shoots me a glare that says, 'dont mess with me; it's been a bad day'.

"What do you want now?" She asks, trying to reorganize the papers and then giving it up as a lost cause.

"How about if I get your runaway electric company back?" I ask.

"Given a choice, id rather take a week off in Jamaica, but it woukd nake things easier," she says, picking up one official-looking form and quoting: 'If said incident involved metahuman individuals, please designate on a separate form the nature, identity, and abilities displayed by said individual(s) and their bearing on the incident.' "can you imagine what it would be like if the Avengers came by to help? At least they have this stuff on reprinted forms." She looks up at me. "Right. Information. What do you want?"

"Well," I say, "the last time we met you were loudly handling the cleanup from that little kidnapping, so we didn't have too much time to chat. And I walked right into the middle of that half-painted picture, so I have no real idea why you were there in thr middle of Manhattan in the first place, unless it's standard procedure to ship dangerous criminals through the heart of the city in the early evening. So, why don't you take it from the top and don't leave out any whys and what-fors."

Captain Nash begins to explain. She and her team were to escort Electro from his cell to a specially prepared holding area for his parole hearing tomorrow morning. While in transit, the team was ambushed by four individuals carrying electrical discharge guns. They opened fire as one, overturning the armored car transporting Electro and blowing open the rear doors. They pinned down the PEGASUS troops while two of the team went in and pulled Electro from the wreck. Electro was heavily sedated, additionally restrained with an insulated straightjacket.

Two of the men headed down the alleyway with the bundled Electro while their comrades kept Nash's troops pinned down with their shock-zookas. By the time I arrived on the scene and free their fire, the others had apparently already escaped out the other side of the alley, but not before leaving an explosive package in the sewers, which according to record, public works is citing as the cause of the blackout.

"Anyone see the goons leave with Electro?" I ask.

"We performed a building-to-building search on the side of the alley with the NYPD, but it turned up nothing. They've vanished completely." She replies.

"How about the goons I fought?"

"Resting comfortably," she says, stretching to relieve a neck cramp. "They were checked out for prior arrests, but they're small fry. They've been keeping pretty mum, but what we did get before their lawyers told them to shut up is that Electro was the prize of their operation, not the boss."

I nod and she continues, "The outfits look like those of HYDRA but are only imitation, According to a source at SHIELD. Talking to the people at SHIELD, by the way, was like pulling teeth; they know HYDRA is up to something, but they don't think they're connected to this kidnapping."

"So that leaves us with the question of where they went?"

"Maybe the earth swallowed them?" Says Nash.

I smile beneath my mask. "Maybe it did, at that. I'm going to go check out the crime scene. Maybe I'll find something else. Thanks, and I owe you a dinner and a movie." I head for the window.

As I dive out into the night air, Nash shouts after me, "how about you just bring me back a pizza? JI'll be here all night! And close the window next time, there's a draft!"

Electro!

I swing out into the night.

Electro's the key to the entire operation. Whoever stole the equipment was probably in cahoots with the master of electricity and busted him out only when everything was already in place.

If Electro is working with another super-powered baddie, there may be an Intel leak in the PEGASUS security. That thought may have occurred to Captain Nash already.

I retrace my path to where the Project PEGASUS troopers were blasting it out with Electro's mysterious allies earlier in the evening. The ruined armored car has already been pulled from the street, and traffic is flowing normally (for NY, anyways) past the alleyway.

The alleyway itself is no longer empty as I remembered it. The bureau of public works has set up a generator and equipment to clear away the debris kicked up by the explosion and make repairs. Signs warning : 'Men Working' are at both ends of the alley. I land atop one of the buildings overlooking the alley. The alleyway is singed darkly from the blast, more so toward the end where the PEGASUS troopers were fighting.

What if the purpose of the blast was to wipe out any traces of pursuit…if the men ledt behind were abandoned? Then that explosion might be more than just a poor going-away gift.

I swing down the alleyway itself.

"Hey!" Says one of the workers, looking up. "It's that spider-guy!"

"Spider-Man!" I correct him, spinning through the air and landing in front of the workers–three guys apparently on a coffee and pastry break. The speaker nods, a second workman looks surprised, while the third simply bits into an oozing jelly-filled donut. "How's work going?" I ask.

"Real mess down there," says the first worker, apparently the spokesperson for the group. "Looks like they had enough explosives down there to whole the block to the moon and back!" He chuckles at some private joke.

"Then I need your professional opinion," I say, leaning back against the generator. "If someone was down there a minute or two before the explosion, could that person have survived?"

"Hmmm," the union rep rubbed his jaw. "I dunno, man, it's not likely. He'd have to move very fast or it'd be zoom…bang!"--the spokesman claps his hands together and thrn motions to the heavens. His two fellow workmen grunt in agreement. "The passage is blocked and clogged in both directions, and it's gonna take a while to dig a clear path through."

The sewers are closed off by fallen debris, and anyone down there might have been caught in the blast.

The valuable human labor resource flashes his light around the wreckage left underground by the blast. There is a thick smell of something smoldering, and the workman shouts to be heard over the steady din of water running over shattered concrete.

"The main part of the blast is this way," says the worker, making his point by panning the lught over the mess of obliterated concrete that almost fills the passageway. "The other way"--he flashes the light to the area behind me–"is almost as bad, and it leads to a dead end, according to the city plans."

"Such an option." As I glance forward and back at the equally dismal-looking stretches of alleyway.

"Mind if I lend you a hand?" I ask, reaching toward the debris blocking the sewer.

"Don't mind if you do," says the workman. "I'll hold the light."

The debris is not as tightly packed as I first thought, and I quickly dig my way through to the other side of the rockfall. The ceiling holds, as well, and my companion follows me, flashing the light around as soon as I reach the other side.

The other side of the rockfall looks just like a New York sewer. The slime on the concrete appears to remain undisturbed after at least a few generations, and nothing is out of place.

"Blast," I say, my voice echoing down into the depths of the pipes.

"You were expecting something else maybe?" Asks my new friend.

"Some kind of clue. I had a hunch Electro escapes down here. There's another blocked passage behind us?"

"Yeah, but it leads to a dead end."

The map the workmen have of the sewers shows a dead end on the other side of the passage. Which means that Public Works may just decide to forget about digging it out. A perfect way for someone to cover their tracks.

I start digging through the slime-covered rock filling the passageway. The laborer shine his light as I use my spider-enhanced strength to lift and burrow.

I am about halfway through the second blockage, and feel (relatively) fresh air on my face, when my Spider-Sense gives off a sharp warning buzz. Bits of plaster and stone rain down around me. The passage's ceilings are dangerously unstable, and the whole street is about to drop on our heads!

Thinking quickly, I brace the sagging rock above me with both hands, and call down to the worker who accompanied me.

"Quick," I shout, my voice carrying down the sewers. "Get me something to brace this wall with!"

The light that has been shining on my digging flickers and turns away, and I am left in the darkness for a moment. I hear the drip of fetid water and the shout of the worker to his fellow workmen. My arms are beginning to tire, but if I let go, the entire street could cavr in.

After a short eternity, the light returns, with the workmen behind it. "Here ya go, Spider-buddy." The spokesperson says, placing a large device next to me. "One handy-dandy sewer jack, at your service." He turns a crank at one end of the tool and it expands against the floor and ceiling, taking the weight off of my aching shoulders.

"That was close," I say, and in that same inatant, I notice the workman's light flashing down the passage that has been fully opened by the shift.

"That's funny," he says. "The sewer is supposed to end fifteen feet from here."

Instead, the sewer continues down into the darkness. Along the concrete floor of this unknown sewer, the algae and moss have been pushed aside, leaving a clear path into the depths of the city.

'Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly'. Or is it, 'said the Electro, to the Spider-Man'?

I dig out my spider-beacon from my belt, but the workman who has been helping hands me his flashlight.

"That itty-bitty candle ain't gonna cut it if you're going in that direction," he says. "Take this one. It's halogen beam will illuminate a hundred yards down here. It's also shockproof, so you can beat the crocagators with it."

I take the flashlight, saying "thanks…er…"

"Ed. Name's Ed." Says the worker, giving a toothed grin.

A sewer work named Ed. Only in New York. I tell Ed and his buddies that if they don't hear from me or see.me in two hours, they should go to the police with what they know. With that, I head down the path.

Off to see the wizard. Or the doctor. Or whoever.

I reach a corner that carries me out of sight of the repairmen, so I turn and wave, and am gone.

The path through the slime is uncomfortably smooth, clean, and recent in origin. I've gone about a mile underground before I realized what would cause it to be that way: a ground effects vehicle, or hovercraft, traveling on a cushion of air. That cushion would push up the slime and debris as it passed.

I hear a chittering to my right, and swing my light to reveal a large rat, sitting on a pipe. The rat holds motionless for a moment, then squeals and bounds away.

Yuck. The last thing I want to do is meet up with the everyday run-of-the-mill vermin while I'm hunting down a real rat.

The sewer passage widens and crosses a wider sewer, this one carrying a stream of darker water. The path of the blasted algae disappears at the edge and reappears on the other side, about 20 feet away, and then disappears down the tunnel.

Ceiling's too low to leap. The walls are slicker than Jameson on payday. But I think it's climb or swim. I don't think they have a limo service down here.

The walls are covered with a thick gooey slime, as is the ceiling. As I reach the apex of the vault, I hit a patch of moss that must have been what prinitive man used for Teflon.

Choosing my way carefully, I make my path through the slippery muck to the other side. At that moment, I think I see movement in the water: probably another rat or something. Ahead there is a flash of light other than my own, dimming my flashlight. I check out the light at the end of the tunnel. With my luck, it will be an oncoming train.

The glow intensifies until I'm standing in front of a pair of massive doors illuminated by a single powerful light. The trail through the slime ends here. To the right of the doors is a parked hovercraft with a wide bed, suitable for carrying spools of wire.

No welcome mat, though, and I bet this place isn't listed with Triple A, either, looks like I'll have to break in.

I approach the huge metal doors. Something is rotten in the state of New York. Huge metal doors. Hmm….

I dig out a spare metal cartridge of web-fluid and toss it at the doors. The intensity of the flash upon connection momentarily blinds me.

Makes sense. Electro, electrical supplies, huge conductive metal doors. Put it all together and now it spells T-R-A-P. Now, how to get through it without becoming a bag of spider flavored bacon-bits.

I see the hovercraft and smile beneath my mask.

Using a good deal of my noninsulative webbing, I create a battering ram at the front of the hovercraft parked outside. Another two minutes and ai have hot-wired the vehicle and am backing it away from the entrance.

I back up to where the trail crosses the stream, then throw the hovercraft into high speed. The air whistles past me as the vehicle bears down on the doors.

"Cowabunga!" I shout in a loud surfer accent, jumping off the hovercraft at the last possible moment.

The craft slams into the electrified double doors at full tilt. Sparks dance off the webbing protecting the front of the craft. The door gives way with a bone-shuddering crash, and the way is clear.

Score one for Yankee ingenuity. I walk through the now-open passageway.

My feet pad across the concrete, and I notice the area is lit, though not well lit. A single light every twenty feet shines dimly, giving the impression of a coal mine.

Suddenly, the passageway widens into a larger, dark room. I see nothing and hear only an electronic hum of whirring and clicking, and I am reaching for my spider-beacon when lights come on and I see that I'm surrounded!

The lights come on suddenly, blinding me for an instant before revealing a cavernous chamber with a single entrance at the far side of the room. And before me stand five of my greatest foes!

Electro is there, blocking the far exit. Above him hovers the Vulture, beating his long mechanical wings to stay in place. Sandman, who has the ability to convert his body into sand, is to my right. To my left is Kraven the Hunter, holding a net, and behind the criminal sportsman is Mysterio, master of illusion.

Five of the Sinister Six. "What's up, fellas?" I ask a loud.

The five move toward me without a sound.

"Lemme guess," I jab. "It's International Pick-On Spidey Day. Ya know, when I was trying to figure out who was behind this mess, I never figured it would be a committee of chumps."

My foes are strangely silent as they move in. Best to hit them before they all converge. I can reach any of them. Who should I take down first?

There's no way these five could have gotten back together, even to kill me. That indicates a hoax, and Mysterio is the criminal master of such illusion.

I bound effortlessly over Kraven, and land feet-first on Mysterio's glowing fishbowl helmet. The helmet cracks and shatters under the force of my blow, revealing a maze of wires and circuits beneath. The form of Mysterio crumples to the ground, but not before violently shocking me.

I stand for a moment, looking at the shattered remains of Mysterio as the vicious voltage courses through my body. Robot, and wired to shock on destruction. How many of the others as well?

The others are still moving toward me. Picking myself up, I run to the far exit, where there is a switch and a metal door.

I pull the switch down, and the low-register clicking and buzzing of machinery in the room fades. I look back at my remaining foes, and they are frozen in position.

Dumb robots, I knew the Sinister Six couldn't have staged a reunion bash, even to bash Spidey. These little playthings were obviously guards for the main gates, and the switch allows someone from this end to shut them down so personnel can go in and out. Simple, once you know it. Pull the plug and the toys wind down.

The metal door hums and rises to the ceiling. Five down and it's obvious now who the sixth is.

I pass into the next corridor.

"Ta-Ta, Troopies," I wave back at the inanimate robots. "Time to reveal the puppeteer."

This passage is similar to the last one, dimly lit. At the end I can see through an open door and into a brightly lit room. From my far station, I can see some machinery. The smell of ozone is strong in the air. The walls of this passage are lined with wooden doors, and these are shut and have bars in the windows.

I am halfway down the hallway when a low voice says, "wait!" In a hushed tone. I see a hand wave at me from the bars.

"Doctor Jefferson, I presume?" I say, looking at the psychiatrist captive in the cell. It all fits together now–with five of the Sinister Six being used as lackeys, the sixth must be the head honcho. He must have put another robot in his cell to avoid suspicion.

The bespectacled man nods and puts a finger to his lips. He hands me a note.

The note reads : 'He can hear but cannot see us. He has captured Electro and is using him to power a weapon to destroy you. There is a trap at the end of the corridor. Look up. Don't hurt him.'

I look up and see a ventilator grill above me. I nod to him and, trying to make as little noise as possible, rip his lock out of the door. The complete, I give him an A-OK hand sign.

Trusting that Jefferson is honest and the events aren't monitored, I rip out the grillwork and crawl into the ducts. After about five minutes of crawling I reach another grill. Looking out, I see an incredible sight.

It could best be described as an electrical elephant! It is a huge, almost obscene machine, occupying most of the room. At it's core is Electro, glowing like a supernova star and apparently in pain. At it's crown, riding the elephant, is Doctor Octopus awaiting my appearance at the doorway. The "trunk" of the elephant, the barrel of the weapon, which is probably what did the skywriting is pointed at the doorway.

Definitely the work of a disturbed mind. I look at my foe as I work the grillwork off the vent. At least I'm out of the line of fire.

"Where is he…?" Hisses the Doctor, his mechanical arms adjusting power levels and turning dials on the huge machine. "Why hasn't he appeared?"

"Sorry, Ock!" I shout, leaping from my hiding place. "I had to use the service entrance."

I leapt out onto the machine where the beam could not reach me.

As I land on the machinery, sparks spread out from my fingertips. I feel a tingle akin to my Spider-Sense, but otherwise the massive machine does no damage. Atop it, the madman who has been trying for most of the evening to kill me is watching me, stock still.

Ok, hero, now what? I spy Ock's arms beginning to writhe along the machine toward me. Attack? Talk to him? Free Electro (who really looks like he's suffering)? Sabotage the machinery? He's had me on my heels and on the run all evening, now it's my turn! Think!

First things first. I scrabble across the machine's sides to where Electro is held prisoner. The master of electricity howls soundlessly on the inside of a glass prison. Above me, Octopus is starting to react. I see Doc's metallic arms reach toward me.

The bowl is designed for Electro's powers, not my spider-enhanced abilities. It shatters with a crash and a bolt of lightning erupts from the prison. I am dlung violently backwards and topple off the side of the machine.

"OCTAVIUS!!" Comes an inhuman shout from the sphere. "YOU HAVE USED ME, OCTAVIUS! YOU HAVE HURT ME!! NOW I SHALL HAVE VENGEANCE!! I NEED MY REVENGE!"

Electro emerges from his cage shining like a bright white beacon, throwing everything around me into shadow. Ignoring me completely, Electro moves up the sides of the machine towards Doc Ock.

Ock is read as well, two of his mechanical arms grabbing nets and weapons, while the other pair extend, carrying his body high above his opponent. Electro grasps one metallic arm, and a yellow glow pulsates and courses up the arm to the mad doctor. Octopus howls and stutters in pain.

Uh-oh. The genie is out the bottle. The pair are locked in a deadly embrace. The machinery they are fighting on is breaking, falling apart.

I bound out of the chamber just as the machine starts to smoke and the ceiling caved in. The walls and floors are buckling as I run at top speed out of the complex, only stopping to grab Dr.Jefferson, the imprisoned psychiatrist and bound out. Behind me is the cacophonous roar of explosions.

From the sewer I make my way to the surface. There is one last explosion, this one reaching the surface (an abandoned garbage dump) and spreading light (and garbage) into the sky.

"You think they…" the doctor starts to ask, faltering.

"Survived?" I finish for him. "Don't know. Their kind always has a way of turning up. For now, one more bad guy plan has gone smash, leaving us and the City of New York to pick up the pieces."

The pair of us watch the fire and listen for the approaching sirens as the police come to investigate. I have saved the city, once again.

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