#though i suppose for this one gotta make him eerie

[k4marina]

this was supposed to be a drabble, but fuck it, we ball.

bassed off of this.

warnings: gotham. moral of the story is don’t walk the streets of gotham alone at night

——

"i don't get it," you say into the phone that's pressed in between your ear and shoulder. your best friend on the other line hums in agreement. "it's like he's living like a double life y'know? rich corporate dude by day, and then some sort of street thug by night."

she laughs on the other end. "that would be an interesting movie plot. but for real, i'm glad that i'm not in your shoes, no offense-"

"none taken,"

"-i'd drive myself insane trying to figure out who my soulmate was."

you shake your head, smiling, "careful, keep talking like that and you'll end up in arkham."

her laugh fades for a second before coming back to the phone. "speaking of which, has your little thug boyfriend run across the batman yet?"

you shake your head, not that she can see anyways, "no, not yet. i wonder what that would be like though. maybe then he'd stop running around in the streets like an idiot."

"a little intervention by the bats?"

"totally," you laugh. you glance back at the little wall clock you had, groaning. "i'm gonna have to go, gotta head to work. talk to you tomorrow?"

"okay, stay safe, byeee," you could hear the sound of her kissing on the other end, you doing the same before ending the call and getting ready for work.

—

by the time 4 am had rolled around you had finished your shift and were steadily making your way back home. was it risky to walk alone in the dead of night in gotham? yes. but at least you have your pepper spray.

the streets are dimly lit, casting an orange hue onto the pavement. the second you turn the corner you could already tell something was off. your hand reaches into the bag, pulling out your pepper spray, uncapping it.

your eyes shift around, scanning the area in front of you when a hand reaches out, pulling you back by your shoulder. you hit the persons chest, instinctively pulling back to see who it was.

some street thug who looked like he hasn't taken a shower in days gives you an eerie smile, sending shivers down your body and paralyzes you.

"don't cha' know betta then to walk around at night?" his nasally voice makes you want to recoil into yourself. his rancid cigarette breath doesn't help when he speaks up again.

"hey, i'm talkin' ta yah. you not gon' answer me." he steps forward and you step back in fear. "what? you think you too fuckin' good?"

he reaches into his pocket, pulling out a switchblade. "no like's a fuckin' bitch, yeah?"

before he could do anything, he stops, looking past you. you find the courage to turn, craning your head at the shadowy figure, spotting the symbol on his chest.

batman.

his eyes lock onto yours and you take a sigh of relief. he grunts, softly grasping your shoulder and pushes you behind him. only, when his hand makes contact with you, a white flash comes over your eyes and when it all fades away your met with the thugs face.

except, it's like you're in another persons body.. sort of how when you and your soulmate see out of the others eyes...

you watch as the thug gets beaten into a pulp in an all familiar way, now finally taking notice of the gloves he always wore and how thee thug rasps his name.

by the time the beating is finished your sight has returned to you and you stare into batman's back, your heart racing. he turns, and by the look in his eyes he knows too. he steps back to leave, but you're quicker.

"wait," you reach out, your hand just briefly making contact with his gloved hand. but it's enough for your sight to switch, momentarily seeing your own shocked face from a higher angle.

it was the batman.

"no fucking way," is all you're able to say. your soulmate wasn't a rich street thug.

i tired to make the creepy dude have a new york /jersey accent, but i've never written one before so it's probably shit lol.

[vii-doodles]

HazbinAutumnWeek day 2: classical Halloween Costumes

Little interaction snippet under the cut

(my silly writing seemed to make some of you happy so I'm more confident to post more silly writing)

Velvette’s Halloween party was in full swing, the room decked out in eerie, flickering lights and cobwebs so convincing they could almost be real... And maybe they were. They were in hell after all. She’d poured her heart into every last detail, from the fake fog rolling across the floor to the bowls of candy everywhere and, of course, into the costumes her fellow Overlords had grudgingly agreed to wear.

Standing in front of her now, Valentino adjusted the lapels of his ripped blue shirt, a tattered attempt at a "Frankenstein's monster" look. But, naturally, he’d put his own spin on it and he’d insisted on hot pants that glistened in the dim light, paired with towering stilettos. “Sexy monster” was more his vibe, and Velvette had rolled her eyes, but secretly, she knew it was perfect for him.

Beside him, Vox stood stiffly in his “werewolf” costume. Taped-on wolf ears perched awkwardly on his screen casing, one already starting to peel away. His suit was purposefully torn and a faux tail drooped behind him but he refused to take it off, grumbling whenever it caught on something. His screen flickered with feigned annoyance, though his gaze softened every time he glanced at Velvette, a rare willingness to go along with her plans. She was lucky that he had been in a good mood lately.

Noticing his poorly taped-on wolf ears already slipping off, Velvette clicked her tongue in mock disapproval and stepped up to him. “Hold still, Vee,” she said, peeling the flimsy tape off and replacing it with tiny, hidden magnets she pulled from her pocket. She pressed the ears back on, securing them firmly. “Now you can go wild on the dance floor without losing these… not that you would, you old fuck.”

Vox gave a dry laugh, screen flickering with amused pixels as he adjusted his new, sturdier ears. “Fierce as always, Velvette. But I used to dance a lot before you were even born!"

"Yeah yeah, old fuck." Velvette waved a dismissive hand but Vox looked her up and down. "What are you supposed to be? Toilette paper?"

Velvette herself was wrapped in gauzy white strips, styled and layered. "Fuck you, I'm a hot mummy, you prick." Vox really was just teasing because she struck a balance between sexy and stylish, a classic costume with just enough Velvette flair to make her feel untouchably cool, and if there was one thing Vox respected then it was his partners unique talents and Velvette understood fashion more than he ever could.

The night was a success, and despite all their grumbling, Velvette knew they were having a good time too.

“Alright, everyone, photo time!” she declared, pulling out her phone with a smirk. “Gotta show my followers I’m out with the undead elite.”

Valentino scoffed, strucking a pose with a grin, one stiletto jutting forward. “You just can’t resist capturing all this, Muñeca?”

Vox sighed, muttering, “Let’s make this quick,” but he leaned in, glancing at Velvette with an almost amused look.

She frowned, realizing the height difference between her and the two of them. “Hey, Vox, help me out here?”

With a knowing smirk, Vox extended a cable from his back, letting it loop under her foot like a branch. Velvette grinned, bracing herself as she hopped up onto it, and Vox gave the cable a light boost, lifting her smoothly into place. She wobbled for a second, laughing as she steadied herself, finally level with both of them.

"Alright, smile!" Velvette called, holding out her phone. Valentino flashed his perfect grin, Vox's screen flickered to a glowing eyed snarl, and Velvette's expression was cute as ever. As the camera clicked, she took in the sight of them - her ridiculous friends, in all their chaotic glory. A little warmth splayed inside her chest. She loved them for getting into this for her, even if she’d never say it out loud.

[randomrory69]

LORE ABOUT MY DANDYS WORLD AU!!1 BE PREPARED IF U WANT TO READ A LOTTA TEXT CUZ IT'S ABOUT A LOST UNAIRED EPISODE!!1! I made a small fanfic thingy idk and forgive me if it's cringe english isn't even my first language BTW :3 I also wanted to practice on drawing lighting. Also, in this AU Rodger is Teagan's husband, and toodles is their adopted child. Glisten is their biological child though- aND THEY'RE ALLLL HUMANS!!1!1 Rodger is the main character in this AU!

Chapter - 1

BLACKOUT PANIC.

*Rodger was inside his apartment with his family, while Glisten had went out to party at a random club as usual. He was sitting in the living room, reading the newspaper while Teagan was in the bedroom with Toodles. Rodger flipped through the articles. Looking for anything interesting.*

*he continued reading various headlines, most of them were about the more popular toons and the next shows that would be airing soon.. and some drama about them too. One specific headline caught his eyes though..*

"The dissapearance of the popular main toon Astro Novalite...?"

However, out of nowhere, the lights suddenly went out-

"What the.."

*He muttered under his breath before folding the newspaper and putting it onto the table. He had filled the electricity bills and it had been years since the generators in their complex had went off-*

*This wasn't supposed to happen.. But as a detective, he had to cure his own curiousity and find out what was going on.*

*He slowly went to his own bedroom, and put on his usual outside blazer, brochure and pants. changing out of his pajamas. He then went ahead to Teagan's room, knocking on it gently.*

"Sweetie? Can you open the door?..."

*He asked, before Teagan opened it slowly. Toodles was right behind her.*

"Come in Rodger, I was just about to ask you about this...thing..-"

*She mumbled her voice holding a bit of... Panic?.. Either was, Rodger stepped in, looking around the room- good thing they had purchased candles earlier, toodles was quite afraid of the dark.*

"Rodger Rodger!! Do you think someone is messing with the generators of our building?? Maybe- maybe a ghost?!! We gotta go investigate it!!...-"

*she interrupted excitedly, holding her dog plushie in one hand as she tugged down onto rodgers sleeve and grinned.*

*Rodger sighed quietly and ruffled her hair.*

"No toodles, there's no such things as ghosts... calm down. Maybe it's just because of the weather or equipment failure.."

"Although it is a bit strange. It's been... Years. Since a blackout. And the weather isn't even that bad lately, I mean it's just snowing.."

*She stepped closer to Rodger, now whispering silently to make sure toodles doesn't hear it-*

"you might want to check this out, honey- I'll keep toodles here, and make sure glisten is alright too... I called him a few minutes ago but he didn't answer."

*Rodger's eyes immedietally widened into slight panic and concern- oh right. Glisten. He almost forgot he was outside partying with those dumb stoner teenage friends of his- crap...-*

"Right- I uhh.. I was just gonna say that, I'll be leaving th-"

"RODGER I SAW SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE WINDOW!!!-"

*Rodger immedietally snapped his head towards the window, his heart beating a bit faster, toodles saw.. What-?*

"what is it toodles?.."

"I dunno!! It was.. tall-.. I don't even know if ot was a person it was VOID black-.. It left a trail too! Look!!"

"Toodles, maybe you're just overthinking. let's continue playing tea party, don't worry. Daddy is gonna go see who it was."

*Rodger immedietally looked outside at the direction toodles was pointing at-*

*Tonight.. Even the moon wasn't visible. It was pitch black in the sky. it felt eery and dark, and it was awfully quiet. He looked over at the fences and saw... Something.. Black- it was a slimy ink like trail of... something. He had to investigate this, ASAP. And also message and call Glisten.*

*though first he decided to call glisten, he pulled out his phone from his pocket and dialed the number, pressing it against his ear..*

*he impatiently tapped his foot against the floor, waiting for a reply-..*

"He- he isn't answering. Teagan, do you know where he went?"

*Teagan shook her head, her expression a bit ashamed and dissapointed in herself- she was just as worried..*

"N-No... He only mentioned going out to a party with his friends... I'll try calling him, you go outside-"

*toodles looked back and forth between them in confusion and fear..*

"I saw that he went out with boxten.. We can try calling him as well!!"

*she paused before looking out the window again. She really wanted to go out with Rodger on his mission, but she was more afraid and worried about her older brother... She had to choose-*

"I'm gonna stay here with Toodles and try contacting Glisten. If we don't find him, then we will go outside to do something.."

*she paused, looking outside at the trail of the black substance outside their backyard..- speaking of looking outside, their home wasn't the only one with no electricity.. They could see that other toons rooms were dark too now, no light source whatever- except brightney and rudie's room...- then speaking of the devil, there was a knock on their door-*

"Helloooo??? Mr. Rodger??.. Are you there?? Open the door."

"you gotta help us Rodger you're a detective!! Also, merry Christmas!!!!!"

"Rudie how many times have I told you that it's n-"

":'(..."

"Okay, whatever. Just because you're obsessed with it doesn't mean others are as well rudie-"

*And by the time they had finished their bickering, Rodger quickly went outside and opened the door..*

"ah, brightney and .. Rudie. I thought i'd see you two here, perfect."

*he crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at the two. Toodles and teagan peeking over his shoulder-*

"And I was just going out to investigate what happened. I was leaving."

*Brightney looked at rudie with an annoyed glare then spoke again, her voice relieved.*

"Thank goodness!! We were here to ask you that. In the meantime, your family can come with us in the community hall next to the lobby- it seems there is still some electricity there, the elevators are working- and most toons are waiting there. Flutter, Poppy, Tisha, Gigi, Shrimpo and Cosmo are already waiting there while we- Ginger, Connie, Looey and Goob are looking for the others and the main toons..."

"AND ALSO, uhh- quick question. Have you seen Astro??.. I know that guy barely ever socializes or tells about himself to others- except sprout, dandy and cosmo- the point is-..."

*he took a deep breath, his voice sounding a bit shaky and guilty..*

"Hes-.. He's gone. Me and brightney tried to search for him in his apartment or dandys place- the kitchen, EVERYWHERE... it's been 2 days.. We need your help, Rodger.."

*Rodger looked a bit stunned and even more concerned by the sudden info dump, but he took a deep breath and nodded, taking a small glance at toodles and glisten-...*

"Alright alright-... I was going to investigate the blackout source anyways. I'll look for him on my way. Don't expect much because this isn't a paid mission alri-"

"ACTUALLYYY, it is a paid mission. Dandy said he'll be providing you with a handsome amount of 6K Ichor if you find Astro. And about the blackout... Dandy is going out to investigate that too. He's already at the generator's warehouse building."

*Teagan almost choked on her own spit, toodles eyes lightning up with excitement and Rodger being too stunned to even speak properly-*

"wait, wait. 6K ICHOR?!? That's.. Isn't that a bit-"

"Less?..."

*Rudie cut her off with a devilish smirk.*

"Dandy said he was willing to extend the pay up to 12 K ichor. Only if Rodger is able to find him within 3 days though."

"........"

"DAD YOU SHOULD DO THE MISSION!!! YOU CAN BUY ME MORE VBUCKS AND ROBUX IF YOU SAY YESSS!!!!"

"What the hell are vbu-"

"Deal."

*The room fell silent. Teagan had a uncanny feeling about this, since she never trusted dandy a lot but... 12 K ichor.. They could use that. Plus it was just a simple detective mission, nothing could go wrong-*

"Perfect. Teagan and toodles can head with us over to the community hall, oh- and also bring your pillows, blankets- food and candles there."

*Rudie smirked, crossing his hands behind his head and looking down at brightney with a "see? I told you hed agree" Looking grin.*

"Alright.. Well start getting our things... Rodger. Are you gonna leave already?..."

"Yes. Don't worry about me, just try to find glisten, honey. I'm gonna be gone and would be coming home late, perhaps."

*he added.*

"bye bye rodger... I wish I could come with you too.."

*toodles said in a sulky and sad tone.*

*Rodger leaned down and patted her head with a small smile.*

"It's okay Toodles, next time. You'll come with me next time. This mission is seemingly a pretty difficult one, but I'm sure you need to focus on your very own mission right now.."

*he smiled, but toodles looked a bit shocked-*

"M-my own mission??..."

"Yes sweetie, your own mission. For now your mission is to keep your mumma safe and find Glisten."

*Teagan smiled warmly at that and looked back at Rodger before he went out the door.*

"Don't come too late, darling."

*She said softly, before stepping closer to him- grabbing him by his collar gently and giving him a small smooch on the cheek.*

*Rodger's face immedietally burned a crimson red and he smiled back- before-*

"Ahem ahem."

*oh... Right.*

"Goodbye, dear. Take care, sweetie-"

*he said, his voice shaking a bit as he went outside into the cold, dark night in a rather quick and embarrassed pace-*

"Now that hes gone...-"

"I'll help you get your stuff, Teagan."

*she cut in between before stepping in. Teagan nodded in response and gratitude and lead them towards the insides. Toodles followed them both.*

Now it was time for Rodger to investigate that black sludge.. And also... Astro's dissapearance.

End of Chapter 1.

IF THIS POST REACHES 20+ NOTES I'M GONNA MAKE A PART 2.. MAN I'M TIRED-! THANK YOU FOR READING! THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME WRITING SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN THIS APP! :3

[winters8child]

It´s been a long, long time

Chapter 82

The Siberian snow crunched beneath our feet as we approached the facility where the other Winter Soldiers were held. The snow fell heavily, and the wind whipped through our hair, the cold biting at my skin. The doors were wide open—he had already been here.

"He can't have been here more than a few hours," Steve said, gripping his shield tightly at his side.

"Long enough to wake them up," Bucky replied, his assault rifle at the ready. I pulled out my handgun, and together we cautiously stepped inside.

We took the elevator that descended deep into the facility, the sound of its groaning echoing ominously through the walls. I stood between Bucky and Steve, staring straight ahead, the confined space making me feel hot despite the cold. I tried not to think about the fact that both of their hands were brushing against mine. They both gave me small smiles, but it felt awkward, their expressions not reaching their eyes.

When the door finally slid open, I exhaled in relief, though it was short-lived given what awaited us. We all carried the super-soldier serum, but so did the others—and who knew how many of them we'd be facing.

We cautiously stepped out, scanning the perimeter for any danger, our footsteps echoing off the cold, concrete walls. As I peeked around a corner, the door behind us suddenly slammed shut with a loud clang, making me jump. Instinctively, we all spun around, weapons raised, with Steve ducking behind his shield.

"You ready?" Steve asked quietly, and Bucky and I answered in unison, "Yes."

The double doors in front of us slid open slowly, revealing Tony's shiny red suit.

"You seem a little defensive," Tony remarked as he approached, his tone light but his gaze sharp. Steve lowered his shield slightly, though Bucky and I kept our weapons trained on Tony.

"It's been a long day," Steve replied, giving a small nod, his shield still partially raised.

Tony glanced at Bucky and me, his eyebrows lifting. "So now you've got two guard dogs? Calm down, you two, or no treats for you," he added with a playful finger lift.

"Why are you here?" Steve asked, still suspicious, his tone firm.

"Could be your story's not so crazy. Maybe. Ross has no idea I'm here. I'd like to keep it that way. Otherwise, I gotta arrest myself.", Tony replied calmly.

"Well, that sounds like a lot of paperwork," Steve said as he finally lowered his shield. "It's good to see you, Tony," he added with a solemn smile.

I wasn’t so easily convinced. Tony had been sure of himself at the airport, and now we were supposed to act like everything was fine. Bucky clearly felt the same—his glare never left Tony as he kept his gun trained on him.

"You too, Cap," Tony replied before glancing at Bucky and me. "Calm down, you two. I won’t bite if you don’t bite first," he said with his usual snark.

"Enough with the dog jokes, Stark," I shot back, still refusing to lower my weapon.

Steve gestured for us to stand down with a motion of his hand. Reluctantly, I lowered my gun, though the unease in my gut hadn’t faded.

We moved cautiously through the facility, all four of us on edge, anticipating one of the Winter Soldiers to lunge at us from every shadowed corner. The place was dark and eerie, with old desks and scattered files abandoned by their long-gone owners.

"I’ve got heat signatures," Tony warned, his hand raised, ready to strike.

"How many?" Steve asked, his shoulders tensing.

"Uh... one," Tony replied, his voice tinged with concern and confusion. Bucky had told us there were many more Winter Soldiers. Why only one?

We stepped into a large, dimly lit hall surrounded by chambers. In the center sat a chair—eerily familiar. It looked like the one Pierce had strapped Bucky into when they wiped his memories. A cold shiver ran through me at the memory of his screams.

I glanced at Bucky, wondering if he was reliving the same nightmare. He must be haunted, but his expression remained composed, his eyes hard as he took in the scene.

Suddenly, the lights flickered on, illuminating each chamber, and a voice echoed from the speakers.

"If it’s any comfort, they died in their sleep," the voice said, cold and detached.

I looked closer. The Winter Soldiers were still inside the chambers—but dead. We had expected them to be unleashed against us, but now it was clear something more sinister was at play.

"Did you really think I wanted more of you?" the voice taunted, clearly directed at Bucky.

"What the hell?" Bucky murmured, growing more tense with each second.

"I'm grateful to them, though," the voice continued. "They brought you here."

Suddenly, a light flickered on, revealing Zemo hiding behind a reinforced glass window. Without hesitation, Steve hurled his shield at the glass, but it bounced back harmlessly, the window unscathed.

"Please, Captain. The Soviets built this chamber to withstand the launch blast of UR-100 rockets," Zemo said, his sneer audible in his voice.

"I'm betting I could beat that," Tony replied confidently, his voice carrying a calm assurance that I couldn’t help but admire.

"Oh, I'm sure you could, Mr. Stark," Zemo said, unfazed. "Given time. But then you'd never know why you came."

His tone was condescending as if he were toying with us, completely secure in his fortress of glass. It made my blood boil.

Steve stepped closer to the chamber, his gaze locked on him. "You killed innocent people in Vienna just to bring us here?"

Zemo smirked, his eyes cold as they met Steve’s. "I thought about nothing else for over a year. I studied you. I followed you. But now that you're standing here, I just realized... there's a bit of green in the blue of your eyes. How nice to find a flaw."

Steve’s jaw clenched. "You're Sokovian. Is that what this is about?"

"Sokovia was a failed state long before you blew it to hell. No," Zemo said, his voice laced with bitterness. "I'm here because I made a promise."

"You lost someone?" Steve asked, a hint of empathy in his voice as he nodded slightly, almost as if he felt pity for him.

At that, Zemo’s expression shifted—his eyes darkened, filled with something raw and deeply personal. "I lost everyone. And so will you," he said, his gaze cutting between Steve, Bucky, and me.

Suddenly, a screen beside Steve flickered to life. Black-and-white footage appeared on the monitor, the date reading 1991. Confusion washed over me as I stepped closer, trying to make sense of what we were seeing.

"An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again. But one that crumbles from within? That's dead... forever," Zemo continued, his voice dripping with malice. But my focus was entirely on the footage playing on the screen.

I sensed Tony step closer, his voice low but demanding. "I know that road. What is this?"

What I saw made my blood run cold—grainy black-and-white footage showing Tony’s parents... their terrified screams... and then The Winter Soldier mercilessly killing them. My chest tightened, and I instinctively took a step back, my hand hovering over my gun as my mind raced.

I glanced between Steve and Bucky. The tension was palpable; they knew what was coming. And so did I.

I glanced over at Tony, watching as his eyes widened, his body trembling with the shock of witnessing the horrific truth—the murder of his parents. His gaze flicked to Bucky, filled with disbelief and raw pain, before turning back to the screen. This wasn’t going to end well.

As the footage came to an end, Tony stepped toward Bucky, fury building behind his eyes. Steve quickly grabbed his arm to hold him back, but I moved in front of Bucky, pulling my gun, keeping it at my side, ready for what was coming.

Tony turned sharply toward Steve, his voice barely a whisper. "Did you know?"

Steve’s grip tightened on Tony’s arm, his face unreadable. "I didn’t know it was him," Steve said, his tone steady but unsure.

"Don’t bullshit me, Rogers!" Tony roared, pulling back. "Did you know?" His voice cracked with anger and betrayal.

Steve hesitated, and at that moment, everything seemed to freeze. "Yes," he finally admitted, his voice heavy with the weight of his confession.

My jaw dropped, and the silence that followed was deafening. I understood why Steve hadn’t told Tony—because it would’ve led to chaos, to exactly what was happening now. Disaster was inevitable.

As Tony lunged toward Bucky, blasting him with his repulsor, the rush hit me like a freight train. My chest tightened, my heart pounded in my ears, and the world zeroed in on one thing: protecting Steve and Bucky. The second Tony’s blast struck Bucky’s shoulder, something primal took over. My body moved on its own, the adrenaline pumping through me like fire in my veins.

Without hesitation, I pulled out my pistol, firing off rounds aimed at Tony’s suit. The bullets ricocheted harmlessly off his armor, but I didn’t care. I just needed to slow him down and keep him away from them. Tony barely flinched, turning his fury back toward Steve.

I dropped the pistol and whipped out my knife, flipping it into a reverse grip as I darted toward Tony. The rush inside me had fully taken over, and every move I made was driven by the singular, all-consuming need to protect them, even if I had to sacrifice myself. I slashed at Tony’s exposed joints, aiming for the weak points in his suit. The knife found purchase between the metal plates of his armor, sparks flying as I struck.

Tony roared in frustration, swinging his arm to blast Steve, but I was faster. I threw myself in front of the blast, the force sending me skidding across the floor. The pain barely registered; it was irrelevant compared to the need to keep Steve and Bucky safe. My knife slipped from my grip, clattering to the ground, but I didn’t stop.

"Get out of the way!" Tony shouted, raising his arm to fire at Bucky again. My body reacted before my mind could catch up, diving in front of Bucky as I picked up my pistol again. I aimed at Tony's visor, firing multiple shots, hoping to disorient him. It worked, if only for a second. Tony staggered, but he recovered too quickly.

I felt Steve's hand on my arm, pulling me back. “Stop!” he yelled, but I couldn't. Not while Tony was still coming for them. The adrenaline in my system wouldn’t let me stop, not when they were in danger.

Tony swung again, this time aiming for Steve. I rushed forward, slamming into Tony with all the strength I had, the knife back in my hand as I jammed it into a gap near his shoulder joint. He grunted, sparks flying as I twisted the blade, but it still wasn’t enough. Tony threw me off with a powerful swing, sending me crashing into the wall.

Steve’s voice broke through the haze, calling my name, but the adrenaline coursing through me drowned out everything except the need to protect. I stumbled back to my feet, pistol at the ready, and fired again, aiming for Tony’s chest plate. The bullets bounced off, but I didn’t stop firing.

Tony’s repulsor was aimed directly at Steve now, and time seemed to slow. Without thinking, I threw myself between them, pistol still in hand, as Tony’s blast hit me full-force. I crumpled to the ground, pain searing through my body, but I forced myself to stand again, the rush still pushing me forward.

I had to save them, no matter the cost.

Next Chapter

[ciara-clycone]

'Paradoxial' Virus: Ch.2 -Weariness.

Ao3: link

Summary:

Strange things are going on in the Invicinble 2. Electronics are acting up. Eerie sightings are happening on the ship. No one knows why this is going on. They try to act like it's nothing serious.

But it's having a strange toll on the captain...

Pairings: Captaineer

Warnings for this chapter: None.

Length: 861 words.

As Mark was walking down the hall, he heard Tyler and the other crew member talking. He was planning on ignoring them and continuing on his way when he heard them mention the captain. Immediately, his interest was piqued.

He walked over to them. “What’s this about the captain acting weird?” He asked.

“The captain nearly took of my head with their Alexa,” said the guy, holding out the offending machine, “They just threw it right at me. I nearly got clocked.”

“Really? That doesn’t sound like the Captain.Are you ok? They're pretty strong."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Captain came and checked up on me afterwards. They were sorry about it too. But still, the fact they threw it at me shook me up.”

I gotta find out what what’s going on with them, thought Mark.

“Can I have that?” Mark asks, motioning to the Alexa. The guy hands it to Mark, and he leaves them for the Captain’s quarters. Coming upon the captain’s door, he knocked. “Captain?”

“Just a second….” Came the captain’s response. They sounded tired. A few seconds passed.

What are they doing? Mark wondered as he struggled to hear what is going on in the other room. He only heard shuffling and footsteps.

“Alright, come in.” Called the captain.

Mark walked in and saw the Captain at their desk. Papers were strewn across their table.

“Mark,” the captains said, nodding at him. “What brings you here?”

“A little birdie told me you were having trouble with Alexa?” Mark grinned as he held the Alexa out. “I think you might be missing this?”

“Bird’s the word…” the captain mumbled. They shake their head and blink as if they were trying to wake up.

Mark arched an eyebrow at them. “Captain? Are you feeling ok?”

Blinking again, the captain looked up at Mark and then the Alexa, and growled at the bot. “I thought I tossed that thing out.” They murmured.

“You did. One of the crew had it. Said you hit them with it?”

“An accident!” The captain exclaimed. They looked stricken that it had hit someone. “He said he was ok though? I went and apologized to him and checked on him.”

“Yeah, he’s ok. Just still surprised by it.”

“I didn’t know anyone was coming in when I tossed it,” the captain said. “I just wanted to get rid of the dang thing.”

“Why though? This thing is handy.”

The captain shook their head. “It’s cursed, is what it is.”

Mark chuckled. “Why do you say that?”

“Blasted thing keeps telling me where the nearest graveyard is. Like it wants me to go there or something.” The captain glared at it.

“What?” Mark asked,giving the Alexa a perplexed look, “That’s not normal. Not at all… I can check into it for you, if you want?”

“That’d be great, thanks…”

The tiredness in the captain’s voice caught Mark’s attention. “Hey, Captain? You seem more tired than usual.Is anything wrong? I mean beside this weird Alexa stuff.”

The captain let out a sigh and slowly shook their head. “Just feeling tired…. Didn’t sleep well last night.” They shrug it off.

“Why not?” Mark asked.

“Just didn’t.” The captain didn’t really want to tell Mark they were having nightmares.

And that the nightmares weren’t just last night. But every night. That’d make them sound whiny. And gah they were the captain! They were supposed to be the fount of strength and stability on the ship. That would all crumble to nothing if people found out how shaky they got from nightmares. And there was no reason for them to react that way too, or so they figured.. It’s not like nightmares and unpleasant dreams were unusual or anything.

“Hmm… ok…” Mark said, skeptically. He picked up the Alexa. “Well, I’ll take this little rascal out to the lab and see what’s going on with it.”

“Sounds good. Thanks….” The captain said, nodding. They returned to their work, or at least acted like they were working. In truth, they were still out of it but wanted to look like they were ok. At least while Mark was there.

Goodness! The last thing they wanted to do was fall apart in front of him. It was why when he knocked on the door, they scrambled off from the floor and made it look like they were hard at work on projects or something.

Marl hesitated a moment, watching the captain. He felt something was seriously off with them but he couldn’t place it. And it seemed like something more than just tiredness.

The captain paused in what they were doing and looked up. They raised an eyebrow. “Is there something else?” The question wasn’t sharp sounding, more just stated quietly.

Mark paused a moment. Should he come out and say that he suspected something was going on with them? He wasn’t sure what it was, but he felt it in his bones that there was something wrong.

“Well….”

“Engineering paging Mark. There’s something up with one of the engines. We need you to come down and check it out.”

“Oh uh nevermind…” Mark sighed. Guess asking the captain will have to wait.

[miewnatozaki]

ᅠ꒰⁐⁐୨ 𝐄𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐳𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐛𝐲𝐬𝐬 ୧⁐⁐꒱

꒷ᴘʀᴏʟᴏᴜɢᴇ ೃ࿔ :

When dungeons appeared, humanity’s only defense was the Hunters—humans gifted with supernatural powers. Jinwoo, a seasoned Hunter, led his team into a B-rank dungeon, expecting a simple training run. But fate had darker plans. Once inside, the gate shifted to red, trapping them in a frozen nightmare. The only escape? Defeat the boss or die trying. Among them was Arabella, the Eternal Queen Flame, whose fire was as fierce as her will. In this icy hell, survival wasn’t just a fight—it was a battle against fate itself.

꒷ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs ೃ࿔ :

🔥✨ Dive into the world of OC Fantasy, where epic battles & wild adventures await! This one’s for the Open Agency Solo Leveling mission—get ready for some serious action! 💥 Who’s your fave hunter? 👀 .

ೃ࿔

That day, Jinwoo made up his mind—time to take his hunters on a real-deal dungeon run. It wasn’t just any random raid; this was straight-up training. He wanted them to sharpen their combat skills, get their hands dirty, and toughen up. Nothing too crazy, though—a B-rank dungeon would do just fine. Easy enough for them to handle, but still enough of a challenge to keep ‘em on their toes.

Among the hunters under Jinwoo’s wing was Arabella. She was sharp, quick on her feet, and had that fire in her eyes—always eager to prove herself. As they stood before the dungeon gate, Jinwoo glanced at his squad, arms crossed.

" Alright, listen up. Today ain't about clearing this place fast. It's about control, precision, and not dying like idiots. Got it? "

The hunters nodded, some with nervous grins, others with determination burning in their eyes.

Arabella smirked, rolling her shoulders. " So, we just beat up whatever's inside, yeah? Sounds fun. "

Jinwoo raised a brow. " If by ‘beat up,’ you mean strategize and not charge in like a headless chicken, then yeah, exactly. "

One of the guys chuckled, nudging Arabella. " Guess that means you gotta hold back, huh? "

She scoffed. " Please, I could solo this thing if I wanted. "

Jinwoo sighed, already predicting the headache she’d cause. " Just don’t get cocky. The dungeon ain’t a playground. "

With that, he turned toward the glowing gate. " Move out. Stay sharp, don’t get separated, and if you mess up… well, you better hope I feel like saving your ass. "

And with that, they stepped into the unknown.

The moment they stepped inside, Jinwoo felt it—an ominous, crushing mana pressing down on him like a damn boulder. His gut twisted. Something was way off.

Then it happened.

The air shifted, crackling with eerie energy, and the once-normal dungeon gate behind them slammed shut with a deafening clang. The glow shifted from a calm blue to an ominous, blood-red hue.

DUNGEON ALERT! DUNGEON ALERT!

A mechanical voice boomed through the space, making everyone freeze.

"RED GATE CLOSED. PLEASE CLEAR THE BOSS DUNGEON IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE."

Jinwoo’s jaw clenched. "Son of a—"

Arabella whipped around, eyes wide. "The hell?! The gate just—" Her voice trailed off as she saw it. No exit. No escape. Just them and whatever nightmare was lurking in the shadows of this cursed place.

Panic set in among the hunters. One guy immediately ran to the gate, slamming his fists against it. "No, no, NO! This wasn’t supposed to happen! B-rank my ass!"

Jinwoo exhaled sharply, scanning the faces of his hunters. Some were shaking, others frozen in fear. Damn it. This wasn’t just a tough training session anymore—this was survival.

"Everybody, calm the hell down!" His voice cut through the rising panic like a blade. "Losing your heads won’t do shit. We’re getting out of here, but we do it by the book. Got it?"

Arabella gritted her teeth but nodded. "Tch. Fine. But what the hell is this place?"

Jinwoo glanced around, his eyes narrowing. The air was thick with hostility, the walls seemed to pulse like a living thing. Yeah… this wasn’t just a mistake. This dungeon had trapped them on purpose.

"Doesn’t matter," he said, voice firm. "What matters is that we kill whatever’s in here before it kills us."

He turned to his squad, his expression deadly serious. "Weapons up. Formation tight. Stay close. And for the love of everything, don’t do anything dumb."

The hunters hesitated but followed his lead, weapons drawn, eyes darting around the eerie dungeon.

Arabella smirked, trying to mask the tension. "Well, at least now it’s interesting."

Jinwoo shot her a look. "Yeah? Let’s see if you still think that when the boss shows up."

And with that, they stepped forward—into the unknown, into the fight of their lives.

Trapped Inside—No Way Out

Like it or not, they were stuck.

The only way out of this hellhole was forward—straight to the boss’s lair. There was no running, no waiting it out. Either they won, or they died trying.

Jinwoo crossed his arms, scanning his hunters. Some were still shaking, the weight of the situation settling in. Others had their hands on their weapons, trying to psych themselves up. A normal leader might’ve reassured them, told them he’d handle it. But Jinwoo?

Nah.

He saw an opportunity.

"Alright, listen up," he said, his voice sharp and commanding. "This is the real deal. No training wheels, no me stepping in. You lot are gonna clear this dungeon yourselves."

That got their attention.

One hunter blanched. "Wait—what? You’re not helping?"

Jinwoo smirked. "Did I stutter?"

Arabella raised an eyebrow. "You serious, boss? This ain’t exactly a walk in the park."

Jinwoo’s gaze hardened. "If you wanna survive in this world, you gotta be able to handle shit like this. I’m not babysitting. You’re fighters—so fight."

The room went silent. The weight of his words settled deep.

Then, Arabella grinned, rolling her shoulders like she’d been waiting for this moment.

"Tch. Fine by me. Sounds like the perfect chance to see how much I’ve grown."

With that, she reached into her pocket, fingers curling around something smooth and familiar. Fan of the Fire Angel. Her ace. As she pulled it out, flames flickered along its sharp edges, reflecting the determination in her eyes.

The other hunters exchanged glances, hesitation fading. If Arabella was in, they had no choice but to follow.

"Alright then," one of them muttered, gripping his sword tighter. "Let’s do this."

Jinwoo watched as they took their first steps deeper into the dungeon, his smirk widening just a little. "Now let’s see if you’ve got what it takes."

The game was on.

The red gate was unpredictable—nobody knew what kind of hell awaited inside. Some dungeons could fry you with insane heat, others could freeze you solid, and don't even get started on the things that could starve you out. The environment itself was a killer, and Jinwoo knew that. The dungeon they’d entered? A snow-covered nightmare. It was as if the whole place had been turned into a frozen wasteland. Snowflakes danced lazily through the air, and the ground beneath their boots was packed tight, solid ice.

Arabella wasn’t bothered, though. She’d always been immune to the cold, her body adapting to extreme temperatures thanks to her unique attributes. She looked around with curiosity, not a hint of discomfort in her expression, while the others looked like they were about to turn into popsicles.

"Are we starting now, captain?!" Arabella asked, her tone full of energy. She was practically bouncing on her feet, ready for action. The cold air didn’t seem to faze her one bit. A small grin tugged at her lips as she scanned the snow-covered landscape.

Jinwoo didn’t immediately answer. His eyes narrowed, scanning their surroundings. The snow-covered dungeon stretched out in every direction, and nothing moved—no signs of life, no sounds, nothing. It was too quiet, and that made Jinwoo uneasy.

"Not yet." He exhaled sharply, his breath visible in the frosty air. "Stay alert, Arabella. We don’t know when the enemy’s gonna show up. This place is crawling with traps."

Arabella nodded, though the excitement was still there in her eyes. "C’mon, man. You know me. I’m always on my toes. Let’s just find some monsters to crush!"

But Jinwoo wasn’t in the mood to joke. "This is serious. One wrong move, and this entire place could be a graveyard. Keep your guard up." He paused, glancing at the rest of the group. They were all huddled close, trying to stay warm, each of them shivering in the frigid air. The cold didn’t seem to bother him much, but for the others, it was a different story.

The dungeon wasn’t just about surviving the monsters—it was about surviving the environment. The freezing temperatures could make it hard to move, slow their reactions, and cloud their minds with frostbite if they weren’t careful. And that wasn’t even counting the dangerous creatures lurking within the snow-covered abyss.

Arabella gave a small nod but couldn't hide the fire in her eyes. "Alright, alright. I’ll keep my cool. But I’m not gonna sit around all day waiting for something to pop up. Let’s move."

Jinwoo didn’t respond right away, instead continuing to scan the area. He could feel the presence of something watching them. It wasn’t strong, but there was definitely something.

"We move when I say so. You stay in formation—no straying off on your own." He added, his voice a little sharper than usual. He knew the stakes. The last thing they needed was someone acting impulsive.

Arabella chuckled softly, spinning her fan in her hand. "Fine, boss. I get it. But you know I can handle myself."

Jinwoo gave her a quick look, his expression unreadable. "I don’t doubt that. But don't get careless."

With that, the team began to move deeper into the snow-covered dungeon. Despite the silence, the tension in the air was thick. Each step was calculated, every sound heightened in their ears. There was no telling when the first wave of enemies would strike, but Jinwoo knew one thing for sure—they’d have to fight their way out.

The atmosphere inside the dungeon grew thick with tension as the sound of crunching snow echoed underfoot. Jinwoo and his hunters had ventured deeper, the snow-drenched landscape gradually becoming more treacherous. The monsters they would face here weren’t the typical mindless beasts they could easily overpower; they were smart, deadly, and they knew how to play the game. Ice Bears and Ice Elves—the dungeon’s two most feared residents—were no joke. These creatures didn’t rely on brute strength alone; they had strategy, agility, and most importantly, intelligence. It wasn’t just about swinging swords and casting spells; it was about knowing how to counter these monsters' moves.

Jinwoo stopped in his tracks, his sharp eyes scanning the snowy expanse ahead. Then, the unmistakable figures of the beasts appeared—tall, menacing, and ready to strike. The Ice Bears lumbered in from the left, their massive paws crushing the snow beneath them, while a group of Ice Elves emerged from the shadows, their cold, calculating gazes fixed on the hunters. They were ready for a fight.

"Well, well... finally," Arabella muttered, a gleam of excitement in her eyes as she looked at the approaching monsters. Her lips curled into a smirk, and she gripped the Fan of the Fire Angel tighter. The flame-tipped edges of the fan flickered with a hunger for battle, just like its wielder.

Jinwoo’s gaze snapped toward her, eyes narrowing. "Don’t get cocky," he said, his voice low but firm. "We don’t know exactly what we’re dealing with yet. Stick to the plan. No rash moves."

Arabella shot him a look but didn’t argue. "Relax, Jinwoo. I got this." She flicked the fan in her hand, the flames on its edges growing more intense. But even though her body practically buzzed with the urge to fight, she held herself in check, waiting for Jinwoo’s orders.

Jinwoo stepped forward, raising his hand to signal the group to halt. His eyes flicked over his hunters. "Alright, listen up," he said, his voice sharp and commanding. "We’re up against Ice Bears and Ice Elves. You need to fight smart—these things are no joke. I’ll be watching from a distance, but I won’t be jumping in unless it’s a real emergency. This is your test. Show me what you’ve got."

The group exchanged nervous glances, the gravity of the situation sinking in. The Ice Bears weren’t just tough—they had thick, fur-coated armor that could resist most standard attacks, while the Ice Elves were fast, their arrow shots as cold and deadly as the ice they were born from. This wouldn’t be an easy fight.

Jinwoo looked directly at Arabella. "You’re with Seo Jiwoo and Min Byeonggu," he said. "Stay focused and fight together. Don’t try to be a hero."

Arabella tilted her head, her expression playful, but her eyes showed nothing but determination. "Got it, boss." She turned to her teammates, a smirk still playing on her lips. "Well, let’s show these monsters what we’re made of."

Seo Jiwoo, who had been quiet until now, gave a small nod. She was a tanker, her skill in elemental magic well-known even among the more seasoned hunters. Min Byeonggu, a silent but deadly warrior with lightning-fast reflexes, also nodded, adjusting his grip on his sword. The three of them formed up, ready for the oncoming battle.

Arabella gave one last look to Jinwoo, who stood behind them, arms crossed and watching carefully. "Don’t worry, we’ll be fine," she said, as if trying to reassure both herself and her teammates. She spun around, the Fan of the Fire Angel flaring to life with a burst of flames. The flames danced along the fan’s edges, crackling with energy. She twirled the fan, sending a trail of fire into the air as she led her group deeper into the fray.

Jinwoo watched them go, his expression unreadable. "Stay sharp," he murmured under his breath. As much as he trusted Arabella and the others, he couldn’t ignore the potential danger they were walking into. But this was the moment. This was where they would either rise to the challenge or fall apart.

As Arabella led the charge, the Ice Bears and Ice Elves immediately sprang into action, charging with terrifying speed. One of the bears lunged at them, its jaws snapping, but Arabella was already a step ahead. With a sharp twist of her wrist, the Fan of the Fire Angel unleashed a wave of fiery energy, creating a shield of flames that forced the bear back.

"Not bad," she muttered, watching the creature recoil in pain. "But not enough."

Seo Jiwoo began chanting, her hands weaving the air as a ball of concentrated fire magic formed in front of her. Min Byeonggu, ever the silent warrior, rushed in with a series of quick slashes, his blade cutting through the air with precision.

Jinwoo stood back, arms crossed and watching carefully. He knew his hunters were capable, but this battle would push them to their limits. The dungeon was unforgiving, and they needed to be ready for anything.

"Let’s see how they handle this," he muttered to himself, as he observed their every move from a safe distance. This was their test, and he was eager to see what they could do when the pressure was on.

Arabella was in her element. Her Fan of the Fire Angel was a blur in her hands as she relentlessly hammered the Ice Bears with a flurry of flames. Her strikes were fast and precise, every sweep of her fan leaving a trail of fire that scorched the beasts' thick fur. But it wasn’t just her strength that made the difference—Jiwoo was right there beside her, taking the hits for her, tanking the damage with her high-value Break skill that disrupted the bears’ attacks. It was the perfect partnership: Arabella delivering massive damage, Jiwoo soaking up the punishment.

"Keep it up, Jiwoo!" Arabella grinned, dodging a bear’s swipe and retaliating with another fiery attack. "These guys are getting roasted!"

Jiwoo didn’t respond with words, but her stance said it all. She gritted her teeth, her shield raised high, ready to absorb every blow. Her Break skill activated, and the next hit from an Ice Bear went crashing into her shield, its power effectively nullified.

Behind them, Byeonggu was doing his part, staying in the shadows, only occasionally stepping into the fray to provide a well-timed blessing that gave Arabella a much-needed boost. His silence was comforting—he was always there when needed but never took the spotlight. The perfect support.

Arabella, however, didn’t need much more than her firepower to wipe out her enemies. She was a beast in her own right, delivering hits that could shatter bones. "Come on, you oversized furballs!" she taunted, spinning around to deliver another fiery strike. The bears roared, staggering back, but Arabella was relentless.

That was until the Ice Elves made their move.

She’d been so caught up in the fight with the Ice Bears that she didn’t notice the elf hiding in the snow, waiting for the right moment. The first sign was the faint whizz of something cutting through the air, and before she could react, the pain shot through her right arm.

"Gah!" Arabella hissed, her fan falling slightly in her hand. The moment the arrow pierced her arm, the cold took over—her arm felt like it was freezing solid. The sensation spread quickly, making her struggle to lift her arm. She could feel the frost creeping up from the wound, the temperature plummeting faster than she could react.

Without thinking, she spun around, eyes wild, searching for the culprit. "WHO DID THAT?!" she shouted, her voice raw with pain. "STAY RIGHT THERE, YOU—"

But her words cut off when she saw it.

The Ice Elf Boss stepped from the shadows, its sharp, piercing gaze locked onto hers. The elf wasn’t just some minion; it was massive, tall and imposing with an aura of cold malice around it. Its long, frosty bow gleamed, the string taut, ready to fire again. It wasn’t like the other Ice Elves they’d seen earlier—it was the leader, the one calling the shots.

Arabella's eyes narrowed. The weight of the situation hit her like a freight train. She'd just taunted a boss. The boss of the Ice Elves. And now, she had a frozen arm to deal with.

"DAMN IT!" she cursed under her breath, her voice sharp with frustration. But despite the pain, she didn’t back down. If anything, the sight of the Ice Elf only lit a fire under her. "You think a little freeze can stop me?" She pulled her frozen arm close to her chest, trying to ignore the numbness creeping up her limbs. Her eyes still burned with the same fury as before.

"Jiwoo!" she shouted, trying to shake off the icy grip from her arm. "Min Byeonggu! We’ve got a boss here! Focus up!"

Jiwoo and Byeonggu instantly reacted, their eyes darting to the looming figure of the Ice Elf Boss. Jiwoo moved into position, positioning herself between Arabella and the elf with her shield raised high. "You take the front. I’ll cover you," Jiwoo said, her voice steady despite the obvious tension in the air.

"Yeah, yeah," Arabella muttered, still struggling with the cold. But even with the weight of the freeze dragging her down, she knew she couldn’t let this thing get away. She needed to get back into the fight, and fast. "I’m not done yet!"

The Ice Elf Boss raised its bow, aiming directly at Arabella. Its cold smile sent a chill through the air, but Arabella wasn’t about to let it get the upper hand. With a fierce shout, she slammed the Fan of the Fire Angel into the snow, creating a blast of fiery energy that illuminated the dungeon around them.

"You’re gonna regret messing with me!" Arabella shouted, fury in her voice.

The battle was on, and she wasn’t going down without a fight.

The battle had reached its climax. The air was thick with tension, and the icy battlefield was illuminated by flickering flames from Arabella’s Fan of the Fire Angel. The Ice Elf Boss stood tall, its frozen aura pulsating, but its once-unshakable defense was beginning to crack under their relentless assault.

Arabella took a deep breath, then without moving her lips, her voice rang inside the minds of her teammates.

"Listen up..." she spoke through telepathy, her tone sharp and focused. "I’m going in with my full combo. Jiwoo, keep breaking the boss’s value so my ultimate lands right on time. Byeonggu, keep the blessings coming—I’m pulling off a suicidal move, and I need you to make sure my HP doesn’t drop too low."

Jiwoo and Byeonggu didn’t hesitate. They knew Arabella wasn’t the type to hold back. If she said she was going all in, then she was about to unleash hell.

Without another word, Arabella activated her Berserker Mode.

Her body ignited with raw energy, her strength surging, but at the cost of her defense. A dangerous gamble—but one she was willing to take. The Enhanced Reflexes passive skill kicked in, making her movements sharper, faster, deadlier.

With a wicked grin, she charged forward, her flaming fan cutting through the frozen air like a comet. Each swing of her fan sent waves of searing fire, slamming into the Ice Elf Boss with merciless precision. The once-mighty boss staggered, its defenses buckling under the relentless assault.

Jiwoo was on it. She smashed her shield into the boss, her Break Value skill chipping away at its resistance. With each hit, the boss’s ability to defend itself weakened.

Meanwhile, Byeonggu was chanting quietly, his hands glowing as he continuously healed and buffed Arabella. His blessings kept her from crumbling under her own attacks, ensuring that even with her fragile defense, she could keep pushing forward.

Arabella’s breathing was heavy, but her attacks only got wilder. Her Chain Combo skill activated, unleashing a rapid barrage of attacks, each strike faster and stronger than the last. The boss roared in pain, its once-elegant posture crumbling under the brutality of her assault.

Flames danced around Arabella, her body moving on instinct, her mind solely focused on one thing—winning.

But she could feel it now.

Her defense was nearly gone, and her body was starting to feel the effects of Berserker Mode. She was pushing herself past her limits, but she wasn’t about to stop now.

Then, Jiwoo’s voice cut through the chaos.

"BREAK VALUE REACHED!"

Arabella froze for a split second, then a wide, almost feral grin spread across her lips.

"LET’S END THIS!" she roared.

Byeonggu’s final blessing rained down upon her, boosting her attack even further. Jiwoo raised her shield, casting a protective barrier over Arabella’s strike zone.

Arabella launched forward, activating her Power Strike.

Her fan ignited with a blaze so fierce, it almost looked like the sun itself had descended onto the battlefield. The Ice Elf Boss barely had time to react before Arabella’s final attack struck.

The impact exploded.

A wave of fire engulfed the boss, sending a shockwave through the dungeon. The ground cracked, ice melted instantly, and the once-mighty Ice Elf Boss crumbled, its body half-burned, its form collapsing in defeat.

Arabella staggered, her breathing ragged. Her vision blurred, her legs feeling like they were made of lead. The effects of her Berserker Mode and Adrenaline Rush were wearing off, leaving her body completely drained.

Her knees buckled.

Before she could hit the ground, strong arms caught her.

Jinwoo.

He had moved instantly, his reflexes sharp as ever, his arms wrapping around her before she could collapse.

Arabella, half-conscious, cracked open a grin despite her exhaustion. "Did you see that...?" she slurred, her head lolling slightly against his chest. "BOOM... DUARRR!"

Jinwoo let out a sigh, shaking his head. "You’re ridiculous," he muttered, but there was an edge of amusement in his tone.

He adjusted his grip, lifting her effortlessly as if she weighed nothing. With a quick glance at Byeonggu, he nodded. "Heal her."

Byeonggu didn’t hesitate, casting a powerful healing spell over Arabella’s battered body. The warm energy seeped into her, knitting her wounds and replenishing her energy. But even as the magic worked, her body refused to move, completely drained from the fight.

The battle was over. The Red Gate had been conquered.

As Jinwoo held her, he looked at the battlefield—a scorched wasteland of melted ice and burning embers. The mission had been a success, but there was still a lot to reflect on. Especially about this reckless, fire-wielding, Japanese fighter who seemed to have no self-preservation instincts whatsoever.

Jinwoo sighed, shaking his head again.

"Eternal Queen Flame, huh?" he muttered under his breath, glancing at the girl in his arms. "Yeah… that name fits you perfectly."

The end.

[slashmagpie]

Blood & Snow

Pt. V

Directory: {Pt. I} {Pt. II} {Pt. III} {Pt. IV} {Pt. VI} {Pt. VII} {AO3}

For day five of @hermithorrorweek! TWs for this chapter: unreality, temporary character death

V. ECHOES

<cubfan135> sorry guys

<cubfan135> gotta do it

<cubfan135> you know how it is

<Hypnotizd> ???

<Etho> cub what are you doing

<Hypnotizd> what

<cubfan135> good luck making it to lvl3

“What the heck?” Etho mutters to himself, key in hand and the cool touch of iron beneath his knee, safe in the confines of Rusty’s room just for a minute. Clank is high—of course it’s high. As much as they’d tried to load the deck with clank block, three people on opposite sides of the dungeon is gonna generate clank. So—clank’s high. Cub’s… acting weird. They’re still two levels away from Tango.

Etho has a key, though. That’s gotta count for something.

<Hypnotizd> cub??

<Hypnotizd> hey cub

<Hypnotizd> CUB

<Etho> think he’s gone hypno

<Hypnotizd> gone where??

<Etho> how should i know?

<Etho> got a key btw

<Hypnotizd> meet you at the door

<Hypnotizd> don’t let willie get you

<Etho> i’ll try

Key clutched in shaking fingers, Etho makes his way up the ladder, waving at Rusty on his way out.

Willie does catch him on the way to the door—he yelps, sucking in a mouthful of water, and then chokes, spluttering as he drags himself to shore and legs it to the barrel. He leans against the wall, and is still coughing the last droplets from his throat as Hypno arrives, raising an eyebrow at him. 

“Willie?” he asks.

Etho nods, grimacing. “Got a key,” he says, holding it up. “Figured I’d wait before putting it in, don’t want the door to close. Don’t know where Cub is, though.”

“I can’t believe he ditched us,” Hypno gripes, taking the key from Etho and opening the barrel. “Seriously! What is he playing at?”

“I don’t know if he’s playing anything,” Etho admits, glancing nervously around as Hypno inserts the key. “I don’t like this game anymore, Hypno.”

The door opens, and a shudder runs down Etho’s spine like lightning.

That isn’t the Zelda tune.

Dun-dun-dun, dun-dun-duh, duh-duh, duh-duh-duh, dun-dun, duh-duh… Noteblocks chime a familiar tune. A tune Etho hasn’t heard in a very, very long time.

“Uhh, Hypno…?”

He turns. Hypno isn’t there. 

He turns back. Where the staircase to level three should be, there’s cracked stone brick and crawling vines. 

“Well.” Etho hesitates. “That’s not supposed to happen.”

He glances around. There’s no one there. The dungeon feels kind of fuzzy at the edges. The heartbeat and the drones are quiet, far-away. Decked Out’s noteblock jingle fades. He swallows.

“What are you doing, Tango?” he whispers.

The dungeon does not reply.

Etho walks through the door, and hears it slam closed behind him.

It’s eerie, how quiet Decked Out is compared to its sequel, just the occasional clank generated or blocked, and the quiet, soft, dull, noteblock thud of the heartbeat, a pale echo of Decked Out 2’s. It’s eerie, the way Etho still knows his way around the dungeon like the back of his hand. 

You are the master of this dungeon, Tango had told him once. You know everything there is to know.

Etho hadn’t quite believed him then, but now as he crosses the bridge into the blackstone area and heads towards the soulsand cavern, Decked Out feels like home.

“Feels unfair that I didn’t get to choose my deck,” Etho says to the dungeon as he feels himself slow atop the soul sand. “I want Soul Seeker, Tango! Do I have Soul Seeker?”

The dungeon says nothing. Of course it doesn’t: this version of the dungeon doesn’t speak. Not yet. Tango hasn’t given it a voice yet. Etho didn’t talk to it as much back then, either—he’d talk to himself, strategise, but he wouldn’t ask Tango questions expecting the walls to answer.

He turns a corner, glances for the soul flames, and sighs when he sees a chiselled block instead. “No Soul Seeker? Tango, you’re killing me!”

The dungeon is quiet. 

Thu-thump, thu-thump.

…Had Decked Out always been so unnerving?

He remembers it being nerve-wracking, sure, remembers runs survived by the skin of his teeth, sick from adrenaline, his heart pounding so fast he could hear it in his ears, rattling his skull. But here, now, the dungeon feels—too quiet. Too still. And yet—

And yet he can feel it still. The gaze on the back of his neck, the one that always follows him through Decked Out 2’s halls.

He takes a deep breath and calls, “Tango? Tango, I don’t have a compass. You’re gonna have to show me which way to go.”

Nothing.

He lets out a huff of frustration. “Tango! I don’t know why you brought me here—if you want me to do whatever it is you have to show me! Or—or tell me, or…”

An invisible hand grabs a hold of his wrist and squeezes.

Etho yelps, jerking back, but the hand does not let go. After a moment, it tugs, attempting to pull him forward. He swallows. 

“There are less freaky ways to do this, you know,” he mutters to the dungeon, and lets it pull him along.

The hand leads him in directions that don’t really make sense, doubling back on itself. Several times he has to swerve or stop as the dungeon tries to walk him straight into a wall. “There’s nothing there!” he says, laughing, panic in his voice. “I’m not—I’m not walking into a wall, Tango, c’mon. You’re just trying to make me look stupid now.”

The hand tugs, frustratedly, and pulls him back the way they came.

There’s a ravager there waiting for them.

Etho’s heart is in his throat as he pulls back, feels the hand stumble, fall back with him. It tries to tug him forward, but Etho doesn’t follow, turning away and racing back through the halls. They were heading towards the castle area, Etho knows an alternate route, he doesn’t need to go that way—

The hand tugs so hard that the force knocks them both to the floor. The drop feels longer than it should be. Etho’s head cracks into hard stone, hard enough to make his vision white out, and he lies there gasping, a heavy weight on top of him.

“God, Etho, what are you doing, man, come on—”

Etho swallows, licking his lips. His mouth tastes like blood. “Hypno?” he croaks.

“Oh, thank god.” 

He blinks, and there’s Hypno, and that’s the bridge above of them as they lie in a heap on the lower level of level three. “What…?”

“You just lost it, dude, you couldn’t hear me, or see me, and you wouldn’t crouch and we are so goddamn lucky that the wardens are useless, or…”

We’d be dead, Etho puts together.

“You dragged me here?” he asks.

“Yeah. Otherwise I think you would’ve walked straight to your death.”

Etho frowns. “Could’ve used me as a distraction,” he whispers, all too aware of the warden somewhere above them. “Sneak past the wardens while they killed me.”

Hypno is quiet for a moment. “I could’ve,” he agrees. “Felt wrong, though.”

Above them, the warden sniffs. Etho’s vision goes dark. The two of them go quiet, go still. The heartbeat is fast—it has aggro. Hopefully on a bat.

Hopefully…

“Do you have a key?” he whispers.

He feels Hypno nod, pressing cold metal against Etho’s skin. “No idea if it’ll work,” he admits. “I don’t think Tango’s got the redstone hooked up. But I got a key. You lead me right towards it, actually, when you were babbling about soul flames.” 

Etho’s mouth is dry. “Hypno, I don’t like this.”

“Me neither. But we’re here now.” Slowly, quietly, ever so carefully, he pushes himself to his feet. Holds out a hand to Etho. Etho takes it, lets himself be pulled up, head swimming as his legs threaten to give out under him. He grips onto Hypno just a little too tightly as he steadies himself.

“Barrel’s over there,” Hypno hisses, pointing behind him with a thumb. “C’mon.”

They go as quietly as they can, light on their feet, the dungeon’s heartbeat echoing loudly around the mines, the warden’s footsteps shuffling after them. Max clank, now. Of course it’s max clank—they’ve been running around with no regard for shriekers. Hypno’s got the map, but Etho can’t imagine they have any cards left, what with how much time they’ve wasted down here.

If they’re lucky, Tango hasn’t hooked up level four to the redstone yet.

…All the luck in the world isn’t gonna get them back out of here, though.

Hypno opens the barrel, places the key into the slot. The warden’s heartbeat increases. They freeze, and there’s a click, and—

Nothing.

The entrance to level four remains closed.

“Shit,” Hypno hisses.

“What do we do?” Etho asks, glancing back at the warden’s slowly-approaching form, the faint glow of blue shining through the dark.

“The only option is to break the blocks,” Hypno mutters. “But…”

“The warden.” Etho’s stomach sinks. “Okay. Okay, I’ve got a plan.”

“What plan?”

“You break the block. I’ll distract him.”

“Distract him? You know you’ll—”

“Die, yeah.” Etho winces. His head hurts. He doesn’t really want to die, honestly, not when they’ve come this far, not when they’re so close—

But he’s already half-dead. If it’s gonna be one of them…

Strategically, it’s the best option.

It doesn’t mean he has to like it.

“You’re gonna get Tango out, right, Hypno?” he asks, raising his voice just ever so slightly, giving the warden a better sense of his location.

“Etho—”

“The answer is supposed to be yes.”

“Well, I’ll try, but—”

“Eh, good enough. See you later.”

“Etho!”

He gives a faux-casual two-fingered salute he knows Hypno won’t see through the darkness, hands shaking and heart pounding, and then takes off running. 

The warden roars and thunders after him.

The walls melt around him, the blackstone and deepslate turning to vine-covered stone, water splashing beneath his feet. A familiar noteblock jingle echoes through the halls. The warden is hot on his heels, and he hears it open its mouth to roar—

He spins on his heel, gripping a nametag in his hand, and throws himself at the warden.

Etho was slain by Etho’s Beast.

[seffien]

okay. i know this is a lot of things highlighted and I had more but these ones I was the most clueless about and very curious ???!!!!???? color pulse in Octo expansion bad ending I am most curious bout

again. sorry i highlighted a lot I just… gotta absorb the sploon information I gotta

no problem

'when i die i want my team to lower me into my grave so they can let me down one last time' - a popular meme/miiverse post in the community complaining about teammates. it resonates with me.

'octo-kraken' - if one were to hack themselves to be an octoling and use the kraken special, the lower tentacles of the kraken would be curly!

'4 and 8 in rotm' - concept art in the artbook shows that 4 and 8 were supposed to make a return in 3's story mode but, for whatever reason, didn't. i guess the idea was scrapped, which is super unfortunate

splatoon tumblr disappearance and octo oven origins

'do not go in' - in the music that plays after the blender is completed, speaking can be heard. in reality, it's a new years countdown played backwards, but it sounds like 'do not go in', which is really, really eerie

'toni kensa identity' - there's an interview out there with the guy himself, but we still don't know much about him. we just know that he's an inkling and, well, a he.

'great zapfish flying' - sometimes, when you'd boot up the game or leave the lobby, the great zapfish would fly around the lobby and make its funny little noise. in splatoon 3, though, the zapfish is seemingly completely stationary.

'pearl's electrocution' - apparently, pearl was electrocuted when she blew out the speakers at that singing contest, was electrocuted in the process, and had her growth stunted. ...or at least, she would've, if that info wasn't just a mistranslation. at least i think it is. im very profressional.

'glenna' - an alternate name for paruko/harmony before her actual name was revealed. i have 0 idea where it came from, but it was used in the siivagunner community since she was called that in the KFAD (king for a day) tournament.

'rocket announcements' <- click for more info, although it does kinda contain splatoon 3 spoilers. i find this super creepy because...uh...

'bisk's girlfriend' - the 6th sunken scroll in splatoon 2 features bisk embracing another spider crab in a dress, confirmed in a developer interview to be his ex-girlfriend. i guess i can remove that question mark now.

'koloktos' - from the trivia section of museum d'alfonsio's inkipedia page: These laughter sounds have been present in other Nintendo games, such as upon defeating the boss Koloktos in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

'sentient idols' - not only do the idols sometimes break the fourth wall for comedic effect, but from another interview: ...it just might be that during those moments of Splatfest, they may have an occasional inkling that they are characters in some sort of a virtual space in the world of a video game.

'no.9'

'color pulse in octo expansion bad ending' - in the bad ending of octo expansion, a faint melody can be heard during the cutscene that plays. turns out, its a broken reprise of color pulse. there is a video, but i'm not going to link it because i want to sleep tonight and i imagine you do too.

judd mask - unused piece of gear that, strangely enough, appears in splatoon 2's salmon run employee handbook

'inklings on the moon' - in splatoon 2 (idk if its visible in 3), the moon is sometimes visible, and apparently, people saw that there was a little squid mark on it, leading to theories that inklings went to the moon before. here's a fun little video from rizirone covering the theory.

[castielmode]

ROMANCE. UNDER THE CUT

Dean wakes up to Cas joining him on his mattress on the floor.

"Sorry," Cas says. "I'm getting tired again, and every other place to lie down is occupied. Jody and Garth are outside keeping watch."

He knows that. Linda's on one couch, and Kevin is asleep on one of the camp chairs he put close to the fireplace. He's got two books in his lap, one open on top of the other, and a pencil still loosely held in his left hand. At least he won’t be cold, even if he is gonna fuck up his back sleeping like that. Then again, he’s eighteen. Maybe he’ll wake up fresh as a goddamn daisy. Dean knows Sam is in the bedroom because he sent him there when it looked like he was about to keel over. Charlie jokingly bitched about not getting the bed, but Dean told her it was Sam's because he’s sick and he needs to lay his gigantic body out. Charlie's on the other couch with a beanie and three blankets. She gets cold easily.

It's so quiet in the room, with everyone asleep but Dean. It's not eerie, but it is weird. He's never been very comfortable in the woods, where you can't hear anything but the animals that you don't have to worry about. Cas settling onto the air mattress makes that creaking noise that air mattresses make at the slightest move. He breathes out slow and heavy as he lets his muscles relax. The mattress complains some more.

“You’re getting tired a lot.” Dean says.

“Yeah.” Cas is much better at whispering these days, Dean thinks absently. Used to be he didn’t care who or what heard him when he spoke. “I don’t think a seraph is supposed to have this tablet. It might be -- not intended, but more suited to other angelic orders.”

“What does that mean for you?”

Cas shrugs, flat on his back, fully dressed on the left side of Dean’s bed. Poor bastard doesn’t even have a pillow. There’s an extra one Dean threw over to the side that’s left from Charlie’s earlier nap, because she likes holding onto something when she sleeps. She seems to have decided to go without it this time round, so Dean tugs it closer, motions for Cas to lift up, places it under his head. Cas says, “I don’t know. It could be detrimental, it could have no effect once I’m no longer in contact with it, it could have a long-term effect on my grace for better or worse -- there’s no precedent. I don’t think anyone’s put a tablet inside of their vessel before.”

“Yeah, you little original thinker, you.” Cas glares, but it’s kind of a low-effort version. Dean laughs at him, quiet as the woods outside. He’s gotta ask, though. “You gonna take care of yourself, Cas?”

Cas looks at him. “Like you?”

“No, man,” Dean looks back. Cas smirks, just a bit, smug. Dean thinks of the second time he ever saw him, in Bobby’s kitchen, blue and silver in the night and confident with all of heaven’s might and his own convictions behind him. He was fucking scary back then. Now he changes clothes and needs to sleep and shower, and somehow, he still gets this light in his eyes sometimes and he's terrifying. Even now. He's not even doing anything. Dean lets himself take a deep breath and act like he’s not scared of his best friend. “Okay, all right. Splinters and beams, okay, I get it. I’m just saying, you should. ‘Cause you’re not gonna let us do it.”

“Dean --”

“You could, you know.” Cas looks away, which doesn’t matter, exactly, but - “Me and Sam, we’re not that bad at it.”

Frowning at the ceiling, Cas says, “Is this a... a family thing?”

“Family, friends, allies -- yeah, man, any way you slice it, it’s our job, and you’ve earned it.” Dean doesn’t know what he’s trying to get across here, but it’s crucial that he does. He keeps his voice quiet. “You just gotta let us do it.”

For a while, Dean is sure Cas has fallen asleep, but then he says, “So, if we’re family, that means that I get to take care of you, too.”

Dean’s throat clicks on the swallow. “Yeah. Sure, man. Whatever you want.”

The quiet stretches and looms, until Cas says, decisive and still in that low voice -- "All right."

And then Cas does go to sleep, and Dean stays awake for at least another hour and a half trying to figure out what the fuck they actually said to each other before the crackling fire and the relief of having everyone under the same roof finally puts him back to sleep.

[vaguekiwi]

Jack of clovers? Imma sucker for horror

♣️ Jack of Clovers/Clubs: “Horror" (more "supernatural" than horror, I think)

Send me a prompt!

Greenever was a peculiar little town.

Ben had chuckled at it when Peter first told them about his assignment.

“Green-ever? Backwards name sounds like a backwards town.”

“It’ll just be a few months,” Peter replied, “I’ll be back by Christmas. I can put up with a little town upstate for that long.”

May teased, “You know their Burger King won’t be open at 2 AM for a midnight snack.”

Peter had rolled his eyes and tried to insist he wasn’t a child anymore, that he had broken those college habits.

But now here he was at 1:58 in the morning staring at a Closed Taco Bell sign — Greenever had a Taco Bell, a McDonald’s, and a Subway, no Burger King — and he missed New York City with a pang.

It was eerily quiet in Greenever. No traffic at all hours, no lights on this late, no place open and no late night crimes to make your skin crawl. Peter was clueless as to why he’d even been assigned out here. There was nothing to report on and nothing to enforce except breaking up a bar fight or busting teenagers for shoplifting candy bars from the gas station.

The gas station. The one, single gas station in the whole town.

Greenever had a population of 982; one gas station; one overpriced general store — most folks made the 20 minute drive to Wal-Mart two towns over — three fast food places; one locally owned restaurant; two churches; and a K-8 school.

High schoolers bussed to another town.

There was a building and overgrown football field where there used to be a Greenever High School. “In the town’s heyday,” the other cops on the force said, “Go Bulldogs”. But the high school was abandoned now, an eerie sprawling one-story building just past the train tracks.

Peter trudged back to his patrol car and climbed into the driver’s seat. He sighed and closed his eyes.

“Please tell me where we need to go to get a goddamn burger.” 

In the passenger seat, Reilly raised his eyebrows and didn’t remove his feet from the dash.

“You wanna drive all the way to Montreal?” He drawled. “Though that might be shirking our post.”

Peter groaned and mumbled, “You gotta be pissing with me.” He buckled his seatbelt and started the engine, “Where do we go now?”

Reilly grunted, “Let’s loop around the cemetery, sometimes the teenagers get frisky up there. ‘Specially this time of year.”

Peter pulled the car onto the street and started to drive. It would take them all of four minutes — carry them to 2:05 AM and still hours from the end of their shift. But it was better than just sitting there on Main Street.

Maybe.

In Peter’s periphery, Reilly settled lower in his seat and looked out the window. His shirt was starched and stiffed, too clean and pale blue like in cartoons. The patches and badge were all bright and unscuffed. Peter had reluctantly changed into the Greenever uniform, but since he was technically just on loan he coerced his way into sewing on his own City of New York Police Department patch.

It had been a point of great contention with his Captain in Queens and the Sheriff upstate, but Peter was one of very few officers willing to drop everything and move out to the middle of nowhere to fill in some staffing shortages. So they’d bent before he did.

The autumn Adirondacks were supposed to be beautiful, and maybe it was just Peter’s mood, but to him Greenever’s fall leaves were off. Garish oranges, shit-coloured browns, and reds that reminded him unnervingly of blood-stained alleys back home.

The leaves trembled on the edge of their branches, flinching away from the headlights. Peter’s tongue clicked in distaste as he took a turn, but the car’s weight was off. Most of the city’s patrol cars were Chevy or Dodge and he hadn’t minded them so much. But Greenever was mostly Fords, a company Peter was already partial against due to a terrible series of breakdowns and repairs when he was in high school that prompted Ben to get a third job and May to suffer insomnia.

He was convinced the Ford didn’t drive as well as the squad cars in the city. Maybe it wasn’t true, but until his paperwork got un-mixed-up and he received the bonus he was supposed to have gotten for this gig, Peter was resigned to be as bitter about things as he could be.

“So did you like… grow up in the city?”

“In Queens,” Peter grunted, not looking at Reilly. He didn’t return the question: he already knew that Reilly had been born and raised here — literally born at home because the hospital had been too far twenty-three years ago — and almost had enough money to buy his parent’s house at a discount, and was planning to propose to his girlfriend on Christmas Eve on the high school bleachers where they’d had their first kiss at 13.

He never shut up about it.

Peter didn’t dislike Benjamin Reilly. Reilly just unnerved him. They were the same height. They had the same brown eyes flecked with gold, the same tall cheekbones and flat eyebrows and thick curls cut too short and swept off to the right. They were even born on the same day which meant they started and graduated from their respective police academies the same day (fortunately, their high school graduation weekends had been two Saturdays off from one another.)

Reilly was just a bleak look at what Peter’s life might have been like in another town. And Peter didn’t like it because it sounded boring.

It had nothing to do with Reilly’s parents being alive or Reilly being in a committed relationship with someone who loved him or Reilly having worked ‘for spending money’ all through high school instead of making ends meet.

The cemetery was as ruthlessly boring and unexciting as every other part of Greenever. Their headlights illuminated several neat rows of tombstones. Peter yawned, put the car in park, and slouched in the driver’s seat.

“See those?” Reilly pointed at the woods across the cemetery. 

“The trees?” Peter asked.

“Nuh-uh,” Reilly sat up, as if getting six inches closer would make it clear what he was pointing at outside. “Well, I mean, yes, but not all the trees. See those dead ones?”

Peter squinted. The headlights shone on one spindly dead tree on the horizon. Now that he was focused on it, Peter realised there was a row of them. Each devoid of leaves, bark ghostly white, empty branches jabbing into the sky and cutting unnaturally across what would otherwise be a normal looking treeline.

“Are they sick?” Peter asked, dredging up memories of an undergrad class with pictures of blighted trees.

“Not anymore. They’ve been dead for — I dunno… twenty years, at least.”

Peter sniffed, “What about ‘em, then?”

“They were pine trees,” Reilly said.

Peter grunted to show he understood: pine trees that were not-so-evergreen. So was this copse tied to the little town’s peculiar name?

Peter stifled a yawn by biting down on his knuckles and, when Reilly hadn’t said anything else, he ventured,

“There’s a story to them, yeah? Ten white pine trees, some ten-little-soldier-boys kinda tale to it?”

“You mean that little drummer boy song?”

So Reilly wasn’t familiar with the works of Agatha Christie. Unsurprising, but still disappointing.

Then again, the only reason Peter had ever picked up one of the woman’s books was because Michelle had brought it along on a field trip.

Without correction or clarification, Reilly pivoted the conversation, “Story goes that the trees’ll get their needles back once the spirit’s been appeased.”

“The spirit of the trees?”

Sounded like an edgy take on The Lorax, which Peter could confidently say was something the world didn’t need.

“Spirit of the town.” Reilly shrugged, “Or…” then he waved a hand vaguely toward the window, “Or the cemetery or the road or something.”

Peter reflected that — if he were one to believe in spirits — then he’d probably be a stickler about getting the titles and designations right.

But he didn’t believe in ghosts. The only creatures hiding in the dark were the very-human predators of New York City. Evil spirits existed, but they weren’t floating around spooking folks in abandoned homes. No. Peter had seen enough in the city. The real evil was in the house next door and the unassuming smiles of passerby on the street.

“They say on quiet nights, if you get up next to the trees, you can hear the spirit rattling their branches. Wailing in the wind.”

“Who’s they?”

Reilly furrowed his brow, most likely not wanting to admit that the suburban legend stemmed from high school keggers and voyeuristic stoners.

Oh, there was probably wailing in the cemetery at night. That much Peter was sure of. But there was a difference between a tortured ghost and a frisky adolescent.

Reilly had closed his eyes. Peter dialed his radio volume up by two and then down by two and then up again. Static heightened and subsided with the movement. He shifted to roll another yawn out of his body and tried not to dwell on cheese quesadillas and chalupa supremes.

Greenever.

Peter’s head lolled to look out the driver’s side window. He blinked past a gray haze creeping across the ground. It would suck if it was foggy and damp out tomorrow: after an overnight, Peter usually liked to spend time in the sun. Shrug off the haze of the wee hours and soak up some vitamin D.

He squinted at the tombstones lined up too-neatly in the cemetery. He pictured small-town graveyards as sprawling, unwieldy things; overgrown with weeds and mismatched headstones and siphoning off in too many directions as a village realised it was a town and the flow of time brought bureaucracy and zoning laws and a stoic refusal to desecrate the resting place of the deceased.

Not Greenever.

Neat rows of tombstones in a carefully manicured cemetery overlooked by ghostly white pines shivering in the fog.

The wind picked up outside. The pines shuddered and then leaned.

One seemed to drift, tangled in the web of fog. Peter squinted as the trunk twisted in and out of sight, one moment solid and the next blurring with silver haze.

He lifted his flashlight and clicked twice, trying to orient himself and the car relative to the trees.

The beam of light made Reilly lift his head. He slurred something, voice and limbs weighed down by the late hour. Some sort of baseline inquiry about what Peter had noticed.

“Nothin,” Peter drawled, letting the city tumble through his accent. Every once in a while it made him feel closer to home, reminded him of Uncle Ben. Gave the impression he was more grown-up, finally as old as he wanted to be.

The trees lulled in the wind. The car door opened with a crackling sound that made Reilly jump in his seat.

“Be right back,” Peter grunted, turning his flashlight on as he climbed out of the car. He shut the door behind him and made eye contact with Reilly through the window.

“Gonna take a quick round,” Peter said and swung toward the cemetery. Reilly lifted his eyebrows and waved a lazy, half-salute as Peter started to trudge along the grass.

He kept his flashlight on, beam pouring from his hip. It sliced through the grass and glanced off the white pines. Silver lines worn in the tree trunks reflected against clinging pearls of dew.

All Peter could hear was the soft pad of his feet in the drenched grass. He stopped walking as the trees came into view. He let his ears open to the whistle of the wind and, distantly, the vibration of the car engine he’d kept running.

“Ben! Ben!”

“Ben!”

Voices. Distant. Shouting. Squeals that fell in the eerie space between laughter and torture — like an infant who might be gasping with mirth or sobbing from frustration. The hairs on Peter’s neck stood on end, and he took two more lurching steps forward.

He held the flashlight up, slick against his palm. From the fog? Or… was he sweating?

Another bleat of joy or agony. Peter finally mustered his voice.

“Who’s out there?” 

He kept a deep rumble in his throat, unsure whether the children would surrender themselves or try to run when caught in the act.

Peter rolled his flashlight first one way, then another. He caught a glimpse of one of them, a silhouette ducking behind one of the trees.

“Kids, that’s enough!” Peter called, trudging forward.

Damn this would be a lot more satisfying with some Taco Bell in his stomach.

“Hey, come on out. I’ll take you home.” He swallowed. His throat was drier than he wanted it to be, he flashed his light across the trees again.

“You’re not in trouble, just let my partner an’ me take you home!”

Thick silence wended in the air.

Gooseflesh prickled along Peter’s arms and wisps of fog curled across both eyes, obscuring his vision. Peter blinked and took another step, lifting his flashlight again only to bump into one of the pine trees.

He stumbled back as quickly as he hit it, certain the tree hadn’t been so close to begin with. He craned his neck up, wondering if it had been that tall, too. 

His knee was cold where he’d struck the tree, like a piece of ice had threaded its way inside to replace his veins. Peter’s hand trembled as he lifted the flashlight again, but he startled when he struck another tree behind him.

Laughter pealed next to his ear and Peter cried out, lurching to the right and away from the copse. 

He was away from the cemetery proper now, yet he tripped and spilled over two graves immediately beside him. Peter gasped and scrambled to his feet, blood running cold when he looked at the headstones below him.

Richard and Mary Reilly

Peter flexed his neck and eased the cold rush out of his veins. They were probably Reilly’s grandparents, but it was unsettling to see the same names as his own parents printed in stone.

Remembering the children he’d heard, Peter lifted his flashlight in the direction of the trees again. It was odd they’d seemed to surround him, because they were arranged in a row.

Peter took a step forward, one foot sinking into the dewy marsh of the ground.

“Boo!”

Peter screamed and toppled backward, flashlight flying out of his grip as he reached for the gun at his side.

He didn’t get a chance to draw it before he made sense of Reilly’s breathless laughter above him.

“Oh you should’ve seen the look on your face, Parker!”

Peter shook his head as he dusted himself off, slowly climbing to his feet.

“Not that funny, man.” He straightened up slowly, taking care to pluck pieces of grass and mud from his uniform. “Come on, let’s just get back to the car.”

Peter turned away. He took a few steps back toward the cemetery, where their headlights washed everything in ivory.

When he didn’t hear anything behind him, Peter turned again, clicking his flashlight twice.

“Reilly?”

Nothing answered. Fed up with pranks, Peter growled, “Seriously, I’m done with this man. Not. Fucking. Funny. Now come back to the car.”

Peter strode away from the cemetery again, wrinkling his nose when Reilly didn’t follow. He slammed the car door when he dumped himself into the driver’s seat and glowered at the trees on the horizon.

Reilly still didn’t return to the car.

Peter couldn't see Reilly anywhere.

“God I am so done with this town and his bullshit.” Peter snatched up his radio and clicked through to Reilly. “Come back to the car, you idiot. Let’s get out of here. I’m done playing.”

Static crackled on the other end and then the headlights winked out. Peter sat up straighter, cursing under his breath as he clicked through again, “I’m serious man, the car battery just died. Stop messing around.”

Finally a voice came back through, “Officer Parker? You trying to reach someone here?”

Peter cursed before lifting the radio again, “Sorry, Captain. I meant to radio through to Reilly. Setting must be messed up.”

“Reilly?”

“Ben.” Peter said, “Benjamin Reilly. He’s fucking around with me playing pranks, now our battery’s dead, I’m just trying to get him to come back.”

After a measured silence, the Captain’s voice filtered back through, hazy and distant:

“Officer Parker, I think you better return to the station.”

“Sir?”

“Benjamin Reilly died years ago, son. By those white pine trees near the cemetery.”

[vivifrage]

pk + any dirtmouth resident(s) for 29~?

29. Hello, nice to meet you... I guess.

(I’m gonna do Archivist!PK AU for this one)

Dirtmouth wasn’t a big town. Even in its prime, it had been rather small and dusty, but close-knit and warm. Just the way Elderbug liked it, even before he’d been called that. And now, to his old heart’s joy, there were people again. Not many, but there were never many. Just a few folks, and they were close, neighbors reaching out again for anything from getting some help on a project to social calls.

Dirtmouth was small, and friendly, and quite pleasant.

Which, of course, made a new visitor stand out terribly much.

It wasn’t as if there were never visitors. The siblings came around often, to the point they were practically residents, just ones that lived elsewhere. Which sort of defeated the whole point of residency, but the matter stood that they were familiar and beloved.

This fellow stepping out of the stag station was neither.

Going purely off of eye level, he was around Elderbug’s height, with awfully long horns. Which, those eyes, so very dark and deep, in a way he’d only ever seen on one other. (Unless you counted Ghost and Hollow, but those weren’t true eyes, were they?) He squinted, trying to get a better look at those eyes. Was there something in them? Some glint, or other mysterious quality?

And the fellow glowed a bit, he swore. Just a bit, he’d have to get closer to tell.

Oh. He’d taken a step towards him. He ought to go back, not crowd, but... That light. So strange. He would like to take a look.

Being a small town, the others soon noticed. The fellow glanced at figures moving behind windows, Sly and Bretta and the mapmaker couple all sneaking peeks.

He stepped towards Elderbug. The mapmakers’ door creaked open, and the fellow started to flare lacy wings. Shy? Or threatened?

All three reached Elderbug at the same time, Cornifer and Iselda converging with this stranger in their midst, all eyes on each other.

Well, not quite a stranger, was he?

After all, Elderbug had seen the king’s symbols, and those proportions certainly weren’t unfamiliar. Besides, he had his daughter’s eyes.

The stranger - the king? said nothing. Didn’t order their fealty or anything, though if he asked, Elderbug had the strangest feeling he’d not say no. Even with what the siblings had told him.

“You’d be the Pale King, then?” Iselda said. She sounded so strong, or at least like she was trying to be. If only Elderbug could sneak a hand to pat hers, give her some sort of reassurance.

The stranger blinked. “I was, once.”

Listening to the whispery rasp of his voice, with some unnameable but entrancing undercurrent, Elderbug had a feeling entertaining royalty wasn’t the biggest problem here.

“Nice to meet you...” Cornifer readjusted his glasses, peered a little closer. “I guess.”

Another slow blink. “You know my children.”

Right. His children. The siblings. The stranger didn’t much strike him as the fatherly type.

“Mmhm.” Iselda’s voice carried more than a bit of an edge, though a wavering one.

The stranger’s wings rustled and folded back. From the light, Elderbug was fairly certain he glanced between all of them.

“Do you know,” he asked, “Where Hornet is? She was working on something, and left it back in the Archives.”

Yet another slow blink. “It cannot wait for her siblings to bring it to her.”

All three Dirtmouth residents looked to each other, squinting and frowning and stammering.

Cornifer shrugged. “I haven’t seen her recently. I’ve been in Greenpath.”

Iselda shook her head. “She came through town, I think she went up to the cliffs.”

Elderbug pointed back at the cliffs and the winding road. “I believe she said she was visiting Nailmaster Mato, who lives there.”

The stranger nodded. “Thank you.”

And with that, he continued on, leaving the townsfolk bobbing hopelessly in this smallest ripple of a god’s wake.

[marauderundercover]

A Robin in the Making: The Aftermath

Dick laughs as Wally stuffs another cookie into his mouth. Finally, after almost a month off planet, they were home. There was nothing he wanted to do more than go back to his apartment in Bludhaven and take a long nap. But the incessant vibrating of his phone as he turns it back on lets him know that a nap is unlikely to be in his future. Going back to the first message, he presses play as he switches out of his uniform and into sweats. 

“Hey, uh, Dick. I know you’re um, off planet? But you said that I could call you if I ever needed you and- sorry, this is stupid. I’m just gonna-“ Jason’s first message cuts off and Dick frowns. Weird. Hitting play on the next one, Dick’s frown deepens. 

“Look, I’m not sure if B is gonna check my room or not but I left a note. I uh, I found out that Catherine wasn’t my real mom. I’m headed out to find her, but I promise I’ll be home. I can’t-” “Jay?” “Go back upstairs, M.” 

“Dickie! Jay and I are going on a super secret mission. I tried to text you the secret code, but you didn’t answer. Jay says you’re in space so it was dumb of me to even text, but I knew you wouldn’t want to miss my first mission. I have a mask and everything! But I’m not supposed to put it on unless there’s danger. Jay’s mom just showed up with the car, gotta go!” Skipping over the texts, he selects play on Bruce’s voicemail. 

“Please, come to the Manor.” Short and to the point, but it immediately fills Dick with anxiety. Why was it so short? Why did Bruce need him to come to the Manor? What happened with Jason and Mari? 

“You’ll never believe what Kori- Dick? What’s wrong?” Wally walks into the room, immediately freezing when he sees Dick’s face. 

“I’m not sure, but I uh, I’ve gotta go home.” He says. Wally frowns. 

“To Bludhaven?” Dick shakes his head. 

“To Gotham.” 

---

Stepping in through the front door, Dick is taken aback by how quiet it is. He had never known the Manor to be quiet. Even when he first moved in and Marinette didn’t really do a lot of talking, there was noise. Whether it was toys, or the radio, or the babbles of a little baby- there was noise. And as Marinette got older and Jason joined the family, the noise just increased. It was something that Dick missed, especially living by himself in Bludhaven. But now, walking into the Manor with nothing but an eerie silence surrounding him, Dick had to try not to panic. 

“Hello?” He calls out. His voice practically echoed throughout the hallway. 

“Master Dick? Is that you?” Alfred asks, stepping into the hall. Dick smiles awkwardly at him, though inside, a wave of relief washes over him. Alfred was okay. 

“Hey, Alfred. B said I needed to come home?” He says, hands stuffed into his pants pockets. Alfred presses his lips into a thin line. 

“Master Bruce is downstairs. If you’d follow me.” He says. Dick’s stomach rolls.

“Alfred, is everyone-”

“I do believe your father should be the one to talk to you about this situation, young sir.” Alfred says gently, but firmly. Dick’s mouth clicks closed as he silently follows Alfred to the cave, his heart pounding in his chest. Surely if someone was hurt or- had died- surely Bruce would have come to space to get home. Surely he wouldn’t have let Dick stay in space for two whole weeks after that voicemail if something horrible happened. Right? Stepping into the cave, Dick hesitantly calls out. 

“B?” There’s some shuffling noises, before Bruce comes into view. Dick inhales sharply. The man looked awful. His face was covered in scruff and the dark circles under his eyes were worse than Dick had ever seen before. 

“Dick.” Bruce nods at him. Dick’s eyes narrow. 

“What the hell happened, Bruce? You can’t just be ominous as hell in your message and then not say anything when you walk out of the med bay looking like-” Dick freezes, eyes slowly trailing over to the med bay. “Who’s in there?” He asks. Bruce winces. 

“Dick, I’m telling you, if there was anything that you could have done to help, I would have sent Clark to get you. As it was, it was touch and go for awhile-” tired of being unable to focus on the words, Dick pushes past Bruce and shoves his way into the med bay, immediately freezing at the sight in front of him. Jason, bruised all to hell, had gauze wrapped around his chest and one leg elevated with a huge cast on it. Marinette, on the other hand, was asleep, with an oxygen mask over her face and cuts and bruises littering every visible part of her. Dick stumbles back, barely catching himself on the door frame. 

“What happened?” He breathes out, barely able to get words out. Bruce frowns. 

“Jason wanted to go look for his birth mother. Marinette-”

“I know that. Their messages were the first I listened to. I mean who the fuck hurt my little brother and sister?” Dick asks, his voice dripping with venom. Bruce grinds his teeth together. 

“The Joker.” Dick stalks out of the med bay, heading straight for his spare uniform. “Dick, stop. Dick- Richard!” Dick whirls around on him, eyes blazing. 

“What, Bruce? You want me to just sit around and let the man that tried to kill my siblings walk free? You want me to let him continue breathing in the same goddamn city as them, cause I sure as hell don’t.” 

“He isn’t in the country, right now. And he has diplomatic immunity.” Bruce spits out, his left eye twitching. Dick’s eyes narrow. 

“That won’t protect him for forever.” He points out. Bruce nods. 

“Oh, I know.” He says, before walking away back into the main room of the med bay. It was true, what everyone always said. Batman doesn’t kill. But Dick was no Batman. 

@maribat-get-in

[angelcactus]

First Meetings

The first story of my Dad!Sam au! This is when Sam meets Fred and Bright under unfortunate circumstances! (5 pages later and its done!)

@just-tami-here @gavinsdeviant @nonbinarycringe404 

Tw- Child harm, Quinn is an overall creep, blood.

Halloween was supposed to be a fun day.

Candy, costumes, occasional scaring. That wasn’t on the list for two kids, however. The old abandoned park Wonderworld was a gold mine for those who were obsessed with the supernatural. There were rumors, like most haunted places, rumors about disappearances, people going in and acting different when they left, the usual. 

Wonderworld was at the edge of town, pretty far away from the neighborhoods that were bustling with laughs and screams. The lamp posts’ light bulbs had buzzed out a long time ago so the path was much darker than it should've been, giving it an eerie and lost feeling.

“Why are we doing this again?” Fred looked around, making sure he didn’t step on any loose rocks or sticks. He was nervous, hands shivering in his pockets (He promised it was the cold but it was from his nerves). 

“I heard that this place is haunted and I wanna see if it's true.” Bright grinned, they tugged the boy along, shining him with the flashlight briefly then returning to the front of them. “Are you afraaaaaaid Freddy?” They tease, scrunching their nose as they stuck their tongue out through their teeth. 

“Bright I don't know if we can even be out here, what if we get in trouble by May?” Fred said, looking back. The lit neighborhood was too far to see clearly. All he could see though was the dark silhouettes of trees and unlit lamp posts. 

May was their caretaker. She was fostering them until there were good homes for them. It was difficult to get homes for them because they were a “Joint Package” (that's what Bright called it). They were inseparable, they weren't siblings but how they interacted you would assume they were. 

“May won't know if you don’t tell.” Bright stopped walking and looked at Fred, arms crossed. Fred frowned and rolled his eyes. “You gotta pinkie promise me you wont tell.” Bright held out their pinkie to him.

“Fine, I pinkie promise”. Fred grumbled and locked their pinkies and shook on it. Bright smiled and took his hand, pulling him back along the path. Their flashlight shone on twigs, stones, and some occasional rusted metal. 

The duo stopped as the flashlight lit up the broken down ‘Wonderworld’ sign. Some letters were missing and others were either holding on or barely holding on by a loose screw. Fred swallowed quietly, squeezing Bright’s hand. 

Wonderworld itself was surprisingly lit up. Tiny lamps and fairy lights illuminated the park giving it a wondrous and happy mood. Bright turned off the flashlight and tugged Fred into the park. 

“Do you think ghosts live here?” Bright looked at the lights in awe. “Maybe they're the ones that turned them on oooooo” They giggled, wiggling their fingers at him pretending to be a ghost.

“Bright stop.” Fred giggled quietly, pushing them jokingly. Bright rolled their eyes and smiled.

“See, this place isn't so scary.” They looked away for a moment, eyes fixating on something big and broken. “Look, that's Surge! It's the roller coaster that killed a bunch of people.” Bright walked towards the coaster. 

Surge was the biggest and ‘scariest’ roller coaster in all of Wonderworld. It wasn’t as scary, broken and immoble; however, it was intimidating on how tall it was. Bright was like an ant compared to the behemoth that was Surge. 

Fred stood next to Bright, looking at their face as their eyes scan over the railings. It was too big to look over thoroughly but they couldn't help being entranced by the loops and hills. 

Fred tugged on their hand, “C’mon, I see a merry-go-round and it's not as scary as this thing.” Bright blinked, their seemingly strange trace was broken.

“I call any pegasus!” They grinned and turned towards the direction of the merry-go-round, giving themselves a head start. Fred stood for a moment, still processing what they said.

“Wh- Hey no fair!” He giggled and ran after them. Fred touched the merry-go-round railing first, signaling him the victor. Bright knelt over, hands on their knees and panting hard.

“You,” A breath. “Won.” They coughed for a moment and stood up straight.

Fred was too busy climbing the railing to hear the sound of something falling in the distance. Bright turned around, hands on the railings. 

“Did you hear that?” Their eyes scanned over the previous scenery. 

Fred landed on the ground, “Oh ha ha. You're just trying to scare me, well it isn't gonna work.” he said, stepping onto the carousel platform. Bright shook their head and hopped over the fence.

“I thought I heard something but it was probably the wind or something settling.” 

“Mhm, nice try this place is empty and you cant scare me.” Fred crossed his arms, Bright just rolled their eyes and hopped onto one of the fake animals, a giant rabbit. 

“I'm completely serious! It was like a woosh and a crash.” They said, kicking their legs. “This wasn't as fun as I thought, you wanna go home?” Fred walked around one of the fake horses, his fingers trailing the chipped paint. He nodded and jumped off the platform followed by bright.

They started to walk towards the entrance, Bright's eyes still fixed on the old coaster. 

“Two little field mice, with no burrow to hide in.” A voice appeared behind them, presumably out of thin air. The voice was smooth and calm. Bright turned their head and grabbed Fred's hand tightly. There was a man behind them, following them, how long had he been watching them? Bright turned their head forward. The man said something but neither Bright nor Fred caught it.

“I said. What are you two doing here?” The man appeared in front of the two, there was a slight hiss in his tone and his eyes were almost black. “Don't you know, Field mice, that this place is dangerous?” The man walked closer. Bright swallowed, keeping Fred behind them in case something were to happen. 

“You-you were just behind us- how did you do that?” Bright pushed down their fear, well as much as they could. The man chuckled, deep.

“If I say magic will you believe me? What am I saying? Of course you believe in magic, you're children.” The man laughed, Bright swallowed thickly. Their hand reached back, looking for Fred’s. 

One squeeze. Two Squeeze. 

Fred knew what that meant. It meant run. 

Bright set that code up years ago. When they would do something they knew would get them in trouble with May, Bright would grab Fred’s hand and squeeze twice and they would run away. It was a silent code but they both knew what it meant. 

And right now it was needed more than anything.

The man in front of them was circling them like a vulture, slow and calculated. His words were dark and bitter like licorice. Bright’s eyes darted towards the entrance of the park. If this stranger took a couple steps behind them then they could make a run for it.

The stranger was almost behind him, Bright could barely see him in their peripheral vision and in that moment time slowed down. Bright’s grip tightened on Fred’s hand and they ran. They ran to the entrance of the park, the fairy lights and lamps lighting a small path for the two. 

Bright looked behind them, the stranger was gone. With another whoosh the man grabbed Bright’s other arm, disconnecting it from Fred’s. Their flashlight rolled onto the ground, breaking the glass and bulb. 

“You insignificant brat!” The man said, throwing Bright onto the ground, their shoulder hitting a rock making them cry out. The man stood straight and stepped on their other arm.

“You two are nothing but pests, just a couple of field mice that were too far from home.” He pressed his foot down hard, Bright pushed at his leg. No budge. “Curiosity killed the cat and now the cat is going to kill you both.” He stomped down and Bright’s arm snapped with a crunch. They screamed out, curling toward their broken arm. 

Fred watched in horror, Bright’s arm broke so easily under him. He looked over at the broken flashlight and dashed towards it. Anyone could tell you that Fred had the worst arm for throwing but in this second he did not care. 

Fred was a bad thrower, but it was the only thing he could think about in this singular moment. He swallowed and threw the broken flashlight as hard as he could. It hit the stranger– right on the temple. The stranger staggered back, his foot releasing Bright’s arm. The man touched his temple and looked at his fingers, a small trickle of blood fell from his skin.

“You little shit.” The man looked at Fred, his eyes completely black. Fred turned to run but he was caught in the grasp of the stranger. The man sank two sharp fangs into his forearm. Fred screamed and kicked until his body felt heavy. He couldn't move and everything in his body hurt.

The stranger dropped Fred to the ground, he laid limp. His eyelids were so heavy but he knew they had to stay open. 

“Not enough to satiate me, but good thing there are two of you.” The man wiped his mouth and turned to Bright who was cradling their broken arm. He walked to Bright, turning them onto their back. Bright screamed and kicked, hitting at him with their slightly injured arm. The man rolled his eyes and sank his fangs into their forearm– the same place as Fred. 

Bright cried and begged and hit until they felt dizzy and weak. Their eyes fluttered shut. 

–

Sam was doing his normal patrol, looking at the lights, looking at the park, looking at Surge. It was all the same. There wasn't really anything new with the park. Until there were screams to close for comfort. He perked up, looking in the direction of the scream, it was too high pitched to be an adult. 

And that worried him.

Sam sped towards the sounds and stopped in front of the worst sight he had seen yet. Two children laid on the ground, one completely drained and the other was underneath the culprit.

“Quinn.” Sam growled, like his name was venom. Quinn pulled his fangs out of the second child, letting them fall onto a rock that was already covered in blood.

“Samuel.” The man laughed, wiping his mouth with his hand. “Care to join me? I found two appetizers just running around your park.” He grinned, his fangs were extended and ready to cause damage. 

“Get out, you know you arent aloud ‘round here.” He glared, stepping towards him. Quinn put his hands up in defense.

“Fine fine, I'll go. These two are already drained so have fun with cleaning up.” Quinn smiled, bowed and disappeared from the park. Sam ran a hand through his hair as he looked at the two children, they laid unmoving and weak. There was no way they would survive the night, hell they wouldn't survive 10 minutes.

–

Sam carefully shut the door behind himself. Vincent was leaning against the door, William was by his side. 

“They’ll be ok, they’re sleeping right now and that's all they can really do.” Sam felt fuzzy. He had turned both of the kids and the Meridian was kicking his teeth in. He felt awful, the way their bodies were so limp and lifeless when they should have been excited and energetic. He was surprised he was able to turn them both, then again no one really knew about turning children. 

After he turned them he called Vincent. His head throbbed and his heart hurt, Quinn was a monster for this. A downright despicable monster. 

“And that's all they should do,” William said, taking Sam’s hand gingerly. “You gave them a second chance at life.” He said gently “I am removing your ability to invoke them, they don't need that power difference.” 

Sam nodded. “Thank you, sir. What are we gonna do when the bloodlust wears off?” he questioned, looking at the door. 

“That will come later– for now they need care, and guidance. I'm hoping those two things you can provide?” 

“Yes sir, I can provide that.”

[mioified]

Hello! I was wondering if I could request a movie night with Cater, maybe sappy 2000s movies or even horror movies (your pick!)

It's not much, but I like the idea of it ^^'

🌀 FRIGHT-NIGHT!

SHORT HC's of watching horror movies with: Cater, Floyd and Jade!

CW: none! enjoy!

thanks for requesting!!! Hope you don't mind i threw in the tweels in there ^_^' Chose the horror movies since halloween wasnt TOO... long ago....(it was very long ago;;) on another note sorry for being sosososos inactive for like suchhh a long time ermmm.. also threw in the tweels for fun!!! enjoy!!

ꨄ CATER D.

Would be scrolling through magicam and sees a video of horror movie recommendations.. he immediately sends the video to you, texting you something like:

" We gotta watch ALL of these... NOW!!! im on my way to ramshackle xoxo! <3 "

he'd bring some of the sweets trey baked + some blankets for the both of you... build a blanket fort or two!

once you guys get all set up for the movie, Cater would act all scared as an excuse to snuggle up next to you.. ^_^;;

" O-M-G.! Prefect...! I'm seriously trembling in fear.. Hold me! I'm sooo scared!!"

"Cater? It hasn't even started?"

He's actually not scared at all, quite unfazed, actually!! He just wants an excuse to get all snuggly with his favourite prefect!..

If you're not a fan of jumpscares or anything, Cater would cover your eyes for you when he feels one coming.. (°_°)

Would accidentally choke on a tart or something because a jumpscare popped up while he was eating it ʅ（◞‿◟）ʃ poor Cater. Make sure to hand him some water....

ꨄ FLOYD L.

bought a stack of horror movies from sam's shop for the both of you.. Why? He doesn't know why he just felt like it..

well, better put his thaumarks to good use and watch all of them? (_ _).｡o○

honestly the last person you'd wanna watch horror movies with if you're easily scared... He is NOT gonna spare you're fragile heart.. run while you still can!!

Just kidding he'd never let you run. You already agreed!!

At the most dramatic or eerie parts he'd just yell "BOO!!" to scare you, laughs if you genuinely gets scared.. If you don't like it give him a good death glare and tell him to knock it off ^^;;; might work, might not.. it's a test of luck really!

"BOO!!!"

"Floyd, cut that out or I will seriously kill you!

"🙁"

You guys bicker like siblings.. Started off with you going "Look it's you Floyd!" When an ugly character appeared on the screen.. Now it's an ongoing battle on who can say "It's you!" first when an ugly character pops up.

If he actually gets startled by a scare, He WILL let out the loudest yell ever.. Make sure to cover his mouth when he does this or else you'll face the wrath of Azul!!

ꨄ JADE L.

The.. somewhat normal option to watch horror movies with!

Would rent out a horror movie to get into the spooky spirit!!! Invites you over and has popcorn and some other snacks prepared!!

Like Cater, Jade Would also feign fear..

"Ah, I'm so afraid! Even my voice is trembling."

"??? You sound normal though?"

"hehee.."

Just don't mind him and hold him .. its the best for the both of you.. ʅ（◞‿◟）ʃ

Would comfort you if you get easily scared! Would pat you on the back if he see's you trembling.. a little reminder that Jade's here to protect you!! ^^

So unfazed by the movie.. It's like he's immune to getting scared. It's really impressive.

He giggles softly at the scariest parts.. You ask him about it and he gives you a smile as an answer... just don't worry about it I suppose?

A/N: Sooososososos short... sorry about that!!! Will try to write longer next time^^ hope u guys still enjoyed!!

[ciara-clycone]

'Paradoxial' Virus: Ch.2 - Weariness

Ao3: link

Summary:

Strange things are going on in the Invicinble 2. Electronics are acting up. Eerie sightings are happening on the ship. No one knows why this is going on. They try to act like it's nothing serious.

But it's having a strange toll on the captain...

Pairings: Captaineer

Warnings for this chapter: None.

-----

As Mark was walking down the hall, he heard Tyler and the other crew member talking. He was planning on ignoring them and continuing on his way when he heard them mention the captain. Immediately, his interest was piqued.

He walked over to them. “What’s this about the captain acting weird?” He asked.

“The captain nearly took of my head with their Alexa,” said the guy, holding out the offending machine, “They just threw it right at me. I nearly got clocked.”

“Really? That doesn’t sound like the Captain. "Are you ok? They're pretty strong."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Captain came and checked up on me afterwards. They were sorry about it too. But still, the fact they threw it at me shook me up.”

I gotta find out what what’s going on with them, thought Mark.

“Can I have that?” Mark asks, motioning to the Alexa. The guy hands it to Mark, and he leaves them for the Captain’s quarters. Coming upon the captain’s door, he knocked. “Captain?”

“Just a second….” Came the captain’s response. They sounded tired. A few seconds passed.

What are they doing? Mark wondered as he struggled to hear what is going on in the other room. He only heard shuffling and footsteps.

“Alright, come in.” Called the captain.

Mark walked in and saw the Captain at their desk. Papers were strewn across their table.

“Mark,” the captains said, nodding at him. “What brings you here?”

“A little birdie told me you were having trouble with Alexa?” Mark grinned as he held the Alexa out. “I think you might be missing this?”

“Bird’s the word…” the captain mumbled. They shake their head and blink as if they were trying to wake up.

Mark arched an eyebrow at them. “Captain? Are you feeling ok?”

Blinking again, the captain looked up at Mark and then the Alexa, and growled at the bot. “I thought I tossed that thing out.” They murmured.

“You did. One of the crew had it. Said you hit them with it?”

“An accident!” The captain exclaimed. They looked stricken that it had hit someone. “He said he was ok though? I went and apologized to him and checked on him.”

“Yeah, he’s ok. Just still surprised by it.”

“I didn’t know anyone was coming in when I tossed it,” the captain said. “I just wanted to get rid of the dang thing.”

“Why though? This thing is handy.”

The captain shook their head. “It’s cursed, is what it is.”

Mark chuckled. “Why do you say that?”

“Blasted thing keeps telling me where the nearest graveyard is. Like it wants me to go there or something.” The captain glared at it.

“What?” Mark asked,giving the Alexa a perplexed look, “That’s not normal. Not at all… I can check into it for you, if you want?”

“That’d be great, thanks…”

The tiredness in the captain’s voice caught Mark’s attention. “Hey, Captain? You seem more tired than usual.Is anything wrong? I mean beside this weird Alexa stuff.”

The captain let out a sigh and slowly shook their head. “Just feeling tired…. Didn’t sleep well last night.” They shrug it off.

“Why not?” Mark asked.

“Just didn’t.” The captain didn’t really want to tell Mark they were having nightmares.

And that the nightmares weren’t just last night. But every night. That’d make them sound whiny. And gah they were the captain! They were supposed to be the fount of strength and stability on the ship. That would all crumble to nothing if people found out how shaky they got from nightmares. And there was no reason for them to react that way too, or so they figured.. It’s not like nightmares and unpleasant dreams were unusual or anything.

“Hmm… ok…” Mark said, skeptically. He picked up the Alexa. “Well, I’ll take this little rascal out to the lab and see what’s going on with it.”

“Sounds good. Thanks….” The captain said, nodding. They returned to their work, or at least acted like they were working. In truth, they were still out of it but wanted to look like they were ok. At least while Mark was there.

Goodness! The last thing they wanted to do was fall apart in front of him. It was why when he knocked on the door, they scrambled off from the floor and made it look like they were hard at work on projects or something.

Marl hesitated a moment, watching the captain. He felt something was seriously off with them but he couldn’t place it. And it seemed like something more than just tiredness.

The captain paused in what they were doing and looked up. They raised an eyebrow. “Is there something else?” The question wasn’t sharp sounding, more just stated quietly.

Mark paused a moment. Should he come out and say that he suspected something was going on with them? He wasn’t sure what it was, but he felt it in his bones that there was something wrong.

“Well….”

“Engineering paging Mark. There’s something up with one of the engines. We need you to come down and check it out.”

“Oh uh nevermind…” Mark sighed. Guess asking the captain will have to wait.

[redrobin-detective]

Half of

Danny Fenton was half ghost. Or something.

No one was quite sure what that meant exactly or if it was even true. A ghost in a pure white suit had announced it during an attack on the town until he was beaten and silenced by Phantom. It’s been three days since then and the nerd hasn’t been at school. Not that Dash was looking for him or anything.

Dash worried, for just a second, that something bad happened to him. The Guys in White creeps had been asking questions around school the last few days. There’d been a noticeable lack in ghost attacks around town, maybe another ghost got to him? What about his ghost obsessed parents? Surely they wouldn’t have done anything to their own kid...

“Think Danny will be in school today?” Kwan whispered nervously, leaning in close to Dash’s side. Talking too loudly about the elephant, or ghost he guesses, in the room got people very forcefully interviewed by the government. 

“Why the hell would I know?” Dash grumbled, shaking his friend off to shove his hands deep into the pockets of his letterman jacket. “No one knows what’s going on, Manson and Foley haven’t shown up either.”

“I hope they’re ok,” Kwan said quietly, looking down at the floor. 

“Why do you care?” Dash grumbled, harsher than he meant to.

“You and everyone ditched me for Danny when Paulina was dating him, remember? Sam and Tucker were real pals and Danny, well he’s weird but not really that bad.” Kwan said bitterly before his eyebrows twisted in confusion. “That was actually pretty out of character for Paulina to date him now that I think about it, maybe he was, like, using ghost magic to control her?”

“That’s stu-” Dash was interrupted by the usually noise of Casper High going dead silent. He and Kwan shrugged at each other. He saw Star down the hallway, staring at something. He caught her eye and mouthed What is it at her. Her eyes slid back over to the hall before mouthing Fenton back. 

“Shit,” Dash couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, “Fenton’s here.” He glanced over at Kwan, trying to hide his nervousness. “Guess we’ll find out if he’s some sort of ghost freak after all.”

Kwan eyed him for a second, “you know if Danny really is half of a ghost then maybe you’ll want to quit it with the names.” The warning bell rang for first period. “You guys have homeroom together with Lancer, right? Just, I don’t know, don’t make him mad or anything.”

“Man, don’t even joke,” Dash said with a strained smile. “It’s Fenton, what’s the nerd gonna do?”

XxX

Fenton always sat in the back right of the class so seeing him there wasn’t that strange. What was strange was that he was there before the bell rang, not looking sweaty or exhausted or beaten up. Seeing him sitting there with an almost bored expression, casually leaning one arm over the back of his chair. It was eerie, seeing Fenton try to act normal. Dash felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on his head as he stiffly walked by the nerd he usually smacked when he walked by. He thought he felt Fenton’s icy eyes following him as he passed. Dash made sure he didn’t scurry like a wimp to his seat but it was a close thing.

“Class, please stop staring at Mr. Fenton and let us begin,” Lancer sighed, unsuccessfully trying to start the class.

“Do you know the ghost boy?” Paulina asked, slamming her palms on her desk and ignoring their teacher. “Because if you’ve been holding out on me-”

“I mean everyone in Amity Park knows him,” Fenton shrugged. He’d been so chill this morning, like the whole thing wasn’t bothering him. It only made Dash more antsy. He bounced his leg under the desk.

“Can you do anything cool? Like fly or shoot lasers from your eyes?” Mikey asked, leaning forward with curiosity.

“I can do lots of cool things,” Fenton sniffed. “I know a lot about the space program and local astronomy. I draw sometimes and I’m think I’m pretty good. I also have super flexible joints so I can do this.” He grinned a little as everyone squealed when he bent his thumb back so far it nearly touched his wrist. “Of course,” his grin turned into an eye roll, “no one really cares about that only my supposed superpowers.”

“What is a half of, exactly? What that ghost called you?” Dash found himself asking. He almost didn’t want to be heard but Fenton turned to look at him anyways. 

“What do you think it means?” Fenton questioned back. Though he had a teasing smirk, his eyes looked dull and dead. Dash couldn’t look at them and ducked his head. 

“Alright, alright, enough with the questions. The Fenton’s gave Danny a clean bill of health and allowed him to rejoin class so that’s all you kids need to know. Now, back to what we were actually talking about.” Class continued as expected but everyone still snuck glances at Fenton. He’s not sure what they were all waiting for, him to suddenly turn green or sprout horn or whatever. But Fenton just sat there, still as anything, trying to act normal and it just didn’t fit him right and it was all just. Wrong.

XxX

Dash was relieved Fenton wasn’t in his second or third period classes but they did have the same lunchtime. For the first time since he was skinny, bucktoothed 6th grader, Dash wanted to hide away and eat his lunch in private. But Fenton wasn’t the only one trying to keep up appearances.

“Alright, what has everyone got,” Paulina was whispering to the table by the time Dash was sitting down. “The day is halfway over, someone had to have seen him doing something ghostly.”

“I mean we don’t know how long he’s been like this,” Star commented, flipping her hair as pretense to sneak a glance at the loser trio near the back entrance of the cafeteria. “He could’ve been hiding his for a while.”

“Fenton’s always been weird,” Dale commented with a sneer, stabbing at his beefaroni. “Since day one, he’s been jumpy and clumsy and goes through weird mood swings.”

“Maybe he’s never been normal,” Kwan said with a little frown. Now Dash knows this wasn’t true. He was the only one at the table who’d gone to the same middle school as Fenton. The nerd had talked too much about space and was always tripping over something but he’d been like all the other annoying brats in middle school. Dale was onto something, Fenton had changed once high school hit which means whatever is up with him as been going on for a while. Years. 

He suddenly felt eyes on him, a cold, crawling feeling that made his breath catch in his throat. Dash squeezed his eyes shut and breathed a silent sigh of relief as the eyes turned from him. They didn’t return but Dash found he couldn’t eat after that.

XxX

“Dude, did you hear about Fenton?” Victor said in an excited but still hushed whisper as Dash was leaving fifth period. 

“No, what did he do?” Dash asked with dread.

“He had gym last period and apparently he’s been faking his loser weakness. He crawled up the rope climb like a goddamned spider monkey and then slid himself back down. Don’t know how he didn’t have intense rope burn from that. He also beat Charlie, Katie and Veronica on the sprinting portion. Must be those ghosty genes.”

“Fenton did all that?” Dash asked, he bit the inside of his cheek. Hard.

“Yeah it was crazy, I thought Tetslaf was gonna pass out,” Victor laughed. “Maybe we should get him to try out for the football team, he’d be a great running back or-”

“Come on, Vic,” Dash laughed but the sound came out wrong. “Why would we want Fenton on our team? He’s, he’s Fenton! Just a skinny, weird little wimp.” Vic side-eyed him a bit before clapping Dash on the back.

“World’s changing, Dash. First ghosts, now half ghosts, it’s all wrong but you just gotta roll with it. All I know is I have 2 years left in this hell hole before I leave this miserable place for Chicago and never look back. I recommend you do the same, after all,” Vic grinned again but it was sharper. “Fenton’s always been your personal punching bag, not every day you learn your victim has superpowers.”

“We don’t know what the hell is up with Fenton,” Dash defended. Vic just shrugged.

“Yeah but he’s always been a freak now we know he ain’t human. Who knows what else he’s hiding?” Vic said with a smug smile before wandering off, giving a halfhearted wave over his shoulder as he left.

Dash stood in the hallway, trying to get himself under control until the warning and late bell rang. Only then, when he was certain he wouldn’t run into Fenton, did he head to class. 

XxX

“Should we follow him, see where he goes?” Paulina said, biting onto one of her nails in nervous excitement. Paulie was gorgeous and overall pretty cool but her thing with ghosts sometimes tired Dash out. Now more than ever. 

“Come on, that’s like stalking,” Kwan scolded. “Even if that wasn’t illegal or whatever it’s just not cool. They had a rough day today, leave ‘em alone.” That icy chill returned and Dash looked out of the corner of his eye to see Fenton and his cronies walking out of the school. 

Truthfully, Dash didn’t think Fenton had that bad of a day. Yeah people were asking questions but he’d side stepped them all, gave non-answers. Other people talked about Fenton’s supposed strength in gym but there’d been conflicting reports, some said he flew up the rope climb, others said he levitated doing his push ups. Dash really didn’t know what to believe. Fenton was just acting, well, like Fenton. He paused for a second, stopped walking before catching up with the group.

Maybe... maybe Dash was getting caught up over nothing. There really was no proof Fenton was this ‘half of’ other than what one dumb ghost said. He thought back to Fenton’s grin during first period; stupid nerd was probably milking his 15 minutes of fame and bully free time. His earlier fear and uncertainty burst into flames until a familiar anger was burning in his gut. Now this he knew what to do with.

“Yeah, well his day is about to get rougher,” Dash heard himself say as he stomped off to where Fenton was smiling tiredly at something Manson was saying. “Hey Fentonio! Think you’re pretty cool with every paying attention to you but I-”

Fenton gasped suddenly, like a hiccup only his breath misted out in front of him cold as a winter’s day. Dash stopped midsentence watching as Fenton’s whole face twisted. His earlier weary but tolerant annoyance that he’d been projecting all day was stripped away. He glared at Dash with an expression that was hard as ice and full of an exhaustion and bitterness he couldn’t begin to understand.

“As payment for being forcibly outed,” Fenton spoke up loudly enough that most of the school yard could hear him. “I was promised a week.” His eyes slowly but methodically scanned the crowd who had frozen in place at his authoritative tone. “Where I didn’t have to deal with ghosts, so I want to know... Who is trespassing on my haunt.”

Fenton’s mouth opened impossibly wide revealing what seemed like rows of sharped teeth. He curled his fingers into claws and, looking closer, his fingernails had indeed become real claws, as sharp and deadly as his teeth. His eyes blazed an impossible, ectoplasmic green and his dark hair developed streaks of white. He was terrifying, monstrous, but he was still Fenton. That feeling that had been eating at dash all day came back full force. Not the realization that Fenton had powers or whatever but that he had been hiding it in plain sight through ghost attacks and bullies and failing grades. This had always been Fenton, they just hadn’t seen. Until now that is.

And now the script had flipped and Dash didn’t know how this Ghost Fenton, who still was the same Fenton Dash had wedgied last Wednesday, fit. A green blob ghost materialized over by stairs, quivering and wailing in some ghost language. It turned and fled, presumably in the direction of the Fenton Portal to escape Fenton’s wrath. Fenton’s glowing eyes tracked it for a moment before he straightened up from his hunched posture and... was human again.

He brushed his hands through his black hair, lazily blinked blue eyes and, when he smiled, his teeth were normal. But Dash had seen, they all had. He’d let them see but to what end, he had no idea. Fenton turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow and another small smirk, just as tired as earlier.

“Sorry about that Dash, I take my vacation time very seriously. You were saying?” Fenton said with a smug lilt but his eyes were still dead and there was a bit of fear in them now. Despite his powers, he still gripped his backpack tightly.

“When your dumb little vacation’s up, Fentionail,” Dash said with a shaky voice. “It’s-it’s back to business, okay? Punches and wedgies and locker shoving. You,” he voice cracked a bit and he fought it down. “It’ll ramp up now that I know you can take it.” Fenton blinked, once then twice before he smiled. This time it wasn’t annoyed or scary or fearful but like the dumb grins he usually gave his dumb friends. 

“Yeah okay, we’ll start back up next week. The usual time?” Dash nodded, not knowing what else to say. “Alright, see you around.” He turned to walk away before pausing and turning back. “Actually you should be careful on who you shove into lockers, it can get hard to breathe in there and not everyone can phase out of them. You never know who’ll turn up dead,” he grinned and his eyes flashed green again, “if only half.”

That said, he and his friends walked away, ignoring the stares of the entire school on them. “Oh and it’s halfa, not half of,” Fenton called out over his shoulder. “I’m not half of anything, I’m just a whole me even if the details get a bit complicated.”

“Bye Danny, see you tomorrow,” Kwan called after with a grimace. No one else said anything for a minute until Dash found the strength to move his legs from where they’d been planted. He clenched his fists to hide his shaking and continued his walk home. Everyone else slowly did the same, talking quietly among themselves.

“What the hell was that?” Dale asked in a nervous high pitched voice. “What the hell did I just see?”

“Fenton being a weirdo but that’s nothing new,” Dash shrugged with a confidence he didn’t have yet. But if Fenton could show up to school after being outed and then willingly show them his inhumanity, then Dash needed to up his game. Couldn’t let the nerd be cool or anything. “So what if he glows or whatever, he’s still Fenton. Look I gotta get home, it’s Pookie’s feeding time and he is NOT going to believe the day I had.