#to be fair if the only machines you're used to are full of blood and sentient you'd be confused too

[canon-gabriel-quotes]

Transcript:

Machine, what do you mean Hatsune Miku isn't real?

I saw her with my own two eyes when she performed at Miku Expo.

What do you mean it was a hologram?

Audio source

[anticomedygarden]

"Would you quit looking at everyone like that?" Will said exasperatedly. "You're scaring people."

Nico didn't even try to control his scowl as he studied each of Will's classmates. It could be any one of them, really, since Will had stuck a bi pride pin on his backpack for anyone to see. (Not that he had a problem with the flag, obviously, but when half the room was clearly leering at his boyfriend...maybe he had a problem with it.) "If you just told me which one-"

"No," Will interrupted, fiddling with something on the chair. The two were at a blood drive in the cafeteria of Will's school, and Will, being a med student, had to work it along with several kids in the same program, giving Nico a perfect chance keep Will company. "I'm not telling you who was hitting on me."

"Why?" Nico thought it was a fair question, him being the boyfriend and all.

"'Cause I prefer my classmates unmurdered, thanks."

"I wouldn't murder anyone," he grumbled.

"Tell that to your face."

Somehow, he resisted the urge to give Will the finger.

Around them, doctor's office chairs were occupied by generous people hooked up to machines taking their blood. Will's was the only empty chair.

So maybe it was Nico's fault.

He worked on unclenching his jaw, and within a few minutes, someone approached them.

Will smiled and pulled out a clipboard. "Hi! Are you here to give blood?"

The blonde woman smiled. "Yes."

"Awesome! Go ahead and sit down. I have a few questions to ask you."

She maneuvered herself into the chair awkwardly, glancing at Nico a couple times. "Is this confidential?"

Will nodded. "Of course."

She looked at Nico again. "What about him?"

Nico waved a hand. "I'm gonna go get a drink."

Without waiting, he walked through the cafeteria and out into the hallway to wander around for a bit. There were very few people in the hall, even for a Saturday, so he was able to explore unhindered. He passed a lot of classrooms (obviously), several with anatomical models, a couple with actual full skeletons, and one with the distinct smell of formaldehyde wafting from it, a smell he probably shouldn't be able to identify so easily. For how much everybody considered him and Will to be opposites, their domains really weren't all that different, honestly.

In one hallway, there was a big floor-to-ceiling window through which he saw some pigeons absolutely going at it, the city skyline a simple background to the showdown of the century as the birds flapped their wings menacingly and pecked and jabbed at each other. Just when the fight was getting good and Nico thought they could be monsters in disguise, they just flew off, disappearing into the cloudy expanse above.

Well. They couldn't all be epic Greek demigods.

At some point, he found a vending machine and bought himself some chips and a bag of Doritos to take back to Will, and, checking the time, started making his way back to the cafeteria.

When he got there, Will brightened considerably across the room, which made Nico pretty happy. Take that, mystery person.

There was nobody in the chair, so Nico walked right up to him. "Hey, Sunshine."

"Hey." Will grabbed his wrist in a latexed hand. "Are those Doritos?"

Nico laughed. "Yeah, but you can't have them until you wash your hands. Germs." He wiggled his fingers.

Will wrinkled his nose. "Fine. Hey, as long as you're here, why don't I take your blood?"

Nico looked at him oddly but got in the chair. "I thought you couldn't use our blood because of the ichor?"

"That's not what I need it for."

Incredibly confused, Nico narrowed his eyes, wondering if this was some kind of modern thing he didn't know about. "What?"

Will continued getting him ready for the blood draw. "Do you know how much blood your reckless ass loses weekly? It's good to have it on hand."

Nico blinked at him, then offered his arm. "Um. Alright."

Which was how, ten minutes later, Nico ended up shoving two bags of his own blood into his inner jacket pocket, hoping nobody was watching.

"I better not get arrested for this," Nico muttered, because even in this completely ridiculous, stupid-as-shit situation, he never even considered not covering for Will.

"You'll be fine," Will said as packed up his station. Apparently, it was time to go. "That's what the mist is for." Even so, he glanced around, checking for eyes among the other med students getting ready to leave for the day. Then, satisfied, he stood and offered Nico his hand. "Ready to go?"

Nico took it, lacing their fingers together. "Yep."

Together, they walked out the doors into the sweet free air.

[realperson022]

 I’m A Fine-Tuned Supersonic Speed Machine

Summary:

A fascination had grown within Sonic from seeing the Ultimate Lifeform's most prized possession ever since a joint mission was completed. But he never saw it in action — until he did...and experienced it first-hand, too. Or, 5 times Sonic looked at his rival with his motorcycle from afar, and 1 time Shadow caught him staring.

Rated Teen

1.

At the outskirts of White Jungle, a group of Mobians headed for the same clearing that had been their rendezvous spot before they had ventured into the thick and foggy wilderness, where an Eggman base now rested in ruins along with a myriad of destroyed bots.

"Whaaat a day, am I right?"

Sonic the Hedgehog was dropped safely to the ground by his brother, the fox coming to stand next to him after. Knuckles and the three members of Team Dark, who happened to have joined the heroes with today's mission, made their way over to where the two brothers stood.

"Tired so soon, Blue," Rouge teased, perching herself on top of one of Omega's bulky shoulders. The hero chuckled, shaking his head. "C'mon, I live for this! You do know adventure is my middle name, right? Besides, I've gotten through missions with a lot more badniks and fewer hours of sleep!"

"Even though, I agree and have suffered because of it--" Tails began, reaching out a hand to the cobalt speedster. Without having to say anything, Sonic already knew what his buddy wanted, sticking his hand inside his quills to pull out a small electronic device while scolding him. "I'm not torturing you, bud. I just don't want you staying up so late..."

The hedgehog gave the device to his brother, sharing a look with the genius that spoke of his caring side for him; with a sigh, the two-tailed fox smiled, grabbing his Miles Electric. "I know, I know, but if you're asking me to improve my sleeping habits, it's only fair you do it, too."

If it meant better health for his li'l bro, then why not? Sonic nodded and added his typical gesture of ruffling the youngster's bangs for fun. "You got yourself a deal!"

"Oh, how sweet~" the bat cooed from her place, watching the exchange between the two brothers before she grimaced. "So much that I can't help but feel like throwing up. Shadow, let's leave before they infect us with their gushy feelings and we start spewing the same nonsense!"

The black hedgehog grunted, already moving away from the group and toward a heap of heavy flora that had leaves meticulously overlapping each other. "You don't have to tell me twice," Shadow said, pushing the green foliage and revealing what was hidden under all that.

The sleek and shiny design, the recent paint job, and the familiar striking trademark that belonged to the last living descendant of the Black Arms - the Dark Rider was everything that defined spectacular and it represented the very thing that made Sonic's blood pump faster, his feet itch with anticipation, his face light up with excitement. Its name? Adventure. The dark vehicle was an open invitation to adventure, and the hero would be more than happy to take it one day.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye, boys," Sonic heard Rouge say somewhere in the background, probably thinking of giving Knux a personal farewell. And surely, his ears picked up on the usual bickering that came from the white bat's decision to do so, but he could care less about that. Right now, his full attention was on the bike that stood a few feet away from him, watching his striped rival climb onto the seat.

Somehow, the way how Shadow did it so gracefully - his feet fitting into the foot pegs, his hands wrapping around the handles, and his bottom meeting the arch of the seat perfectly - made it hard to believe that he was naturally aggressive when on foot. Then again, the speedster never did really know why one of the fastest hedgehogs on Mobius needed a motorcycle to go around when running got him to places faster. Still, he had never said anything on that matter because the hero had been hoping to see it in action one of these days.

Surprising considering how much time he'd been recently spending with his rival outside mission-related things.

"Sonic?"

Without taking his eyes off Shadow and his bike, the blue hedgehog hummed, tilting his ears in his brother's direction to show he was listening.

However, it didn't matter as the fox was too engrossed with his device to notice where his brother's attention was. Instead, the kid continued tapping at the screen of the Miles Electric and relayed the information he discovered about another Eggman base nearby. "According to these readings, there seems to be another base a couple of miles north from here."

"Active or empty?" Sonic asked, seeing the rest of Team Dark come into his field of vision as they approached Shadow. While they were busy chatting among themselves, the speedster kept himself entertained by how his rival managed to twist his upper body around so easily while being seated.

"Uhhh, looks like it's empty. Do you still want to check it out today or..?"

Casting a glance up at the foggy sky, he frowned. "Will it rain?"

"Let me check," Tails murmured and so, the hero went back to his staring, directing his focus to the motorcycle and widening his eyes at seeing the roaring engine come to life. The sound sent a thrill up his spine, yet it was the swift motion of the hybrid lifting off the kickstand with one foot, seeming to be so well-practiced by the looks of it, that had emerald eyes lighting up brighter than stars.

"Oh, it appears it won't! Not for another hour, at least."

Finally, the Blue Blur, doing as his title claimed, turned around instantly to face the young genius with an excited grin, letting him think it was one arising from the good news. "That's more than enough time to bust down that old place! Let's go!"

Before leaving, Sonic whipped his head around to catch one last glimpse of the Ultimate Lifeform on his famed Dark Rider...Well, maybe a bit longer than a glimpse, but no one noticed as the striped hedgehog disappeared in a green flash.

Catching his eye, Rouge saw the hero looking over in her direction, waving at him before heading off with Omega back to HQ. Sonic turned around, seeing his brother already leading the way up ahead; no big problem as he could easily catch up. Though, it had seemed that someone did catch onto his subtle staring.

Next to the cobalt speedster, the Guardian of the Master Emerald was narrowing his eyes at him, the corners of his lips turned downward. Blinking once, the hedgehog raised an eye ridge, shrugging. "What? Just wanted to make sure they were off safely..."

Knuckles didn't believe that for one second but said nothing, only shaking his head and going after the fox. "Whatever you say, hedgehog."

Guess Sonic needed to work on the subtlety part a bit more.

---

2.

But like everything else, the hero of Mobius tossed the whole 'being discreet about his staring' aside, thinking that being caught by his reclusive red friend - that lacked enough social cues to not know when Rouge's bickering was blatant flirting - was a coincidence.

Besides, when an opportunity lay before you, it was only fair and smart of you to take it, right? Sonic had that opportunity and took it.

"Congratulations, guys!" Amy skipped over to the trio, the winners of the car race that had just finished a couple of minutes ago. The blue hedgehog glanced at her, seeing a newly acquired hammer in her possession, but it only lasted a second before his eyes were drifting to a certain something that stood several feet behind the pink heroine. With only a short 'thanks, Ames' in response to her words, Sonic let one of his all-known smiles set across his lips as he immersed himself in another moment to stare at Dark Rider.

And, in extension, Shadow.

Best of all, no one would notice a single thing! Because while it appeared that the Blue Blur was engaged in a conversation with his four closest friends, his focus was somewhere else, guarded behind the safety of his new favorite pair of black sunglasses that he bought off that small kiosk that weirdly popped up out of nowhere during the race.

So, there he was, nodding along to whatever was being said between Amy, Tails, and Knuckles, but mentally, he was somewhere else; his emerald eyes trailed the length of Shadow's motorcycle, the ride's polished surfaces seeming to shine brighter under today's blinding sun. Such luster, however, was a stark contrast to the aura that surrounded its owner, who leaned back against the motorcycle with his arms crossed over his chest, a stormy glare directed at Sonic.

'Ha!' The hero's idle smile lifted into a toothy grin, his rival's sour mood always bringing pure joy to him. Sonic the Hedgehog also lived to prove to the so-called Ultimate Lifeform that no superior title and all that garbage of being made to be above them all (and to think he had a big ego) was relevant when it came down to see who was the best of the two. After all, there could only be one to take the first place - today's race ended with evidence of that.

Sonic won, Shadow lost (because falling in second place was just as bad as losing in the hedgehogs' minds). As for the prize, well...the hero was taking it as of currently.

The distant voices of his friends continued in the background, still adding his nod or 'yes' into the conversation; meanwhile, his mind was deciding on how if Shadow just happened to have worn one of those leather jackets he had seen Rouge gift him, he would look the part of a gangster.

A gangster that would ride his bike around the city like a maniac, surely - skipping all those red lights, making sharp turns, speeding up to make a jaw-dropping glide over an unfinished lane or highway bridge to the other side! Just about anything that would leave Sonic exhilarated, feeling the ever-familiar sense of danger tingling under his skin; adrenaline had always been something that got his system overflowing with this buzzing excitement. And perhaps riding the motorcycle could give him that euphoric high he’d never reached with fighting Eggman and saving the day. 

Solely imagining what it would feel like to ride behind the striped hedgehog made Sonic's blood rush from wonderment. Brushing his peach chest up against the back of Shadow's leathered-clad back, securing his arms around his rival's waist, inhaling his scent as he rested his chin over one of Shadow's shoulders, whooping loudly to let him know how much he loved the sensation of the wind on his fur and making his quills dance wildly in the air as the hedgehog duo traveled at unimaginable speeds--

"--date, Sonic?"

Hearing his name, the blue hedgehog's mouth opened and answered, acting on autopilot but his wishful fantasy transferred into his tone. Without knowing, Sonic let out a dreamy sigh, "Yeah, sounds amazin'..."

"Oh my god, really?!" Amy's high-pitched squeal brought the speedster's daydream to a screeching halt. Under his shades, the hedgehog's eyes quickly turned to look at his friend's extremely happy state, the hammer-wielding fighter reaching out to grab Sonic's hand.

"Huh?" Sonic didn't know what was going on.

"I knew you would eventually start enjoying our dates!"

Dates? Oh fuck. The cobalt speedster glanced at his two friends next to him, trying to gauge what the hell he signed up for this time without paying attention. Unfortunately, Tails and Knuckles were reveling at the sight of one beaming Amy Rose thinking that her beloved hero was beginning to see her as something more when in reality, Sonic had been distracted, unknowingly accepting her request.

Even so, the Blue Blur tried to calm the bouncing female, telling her that this was a mistake (and Shadow's goddamn fault). "Look, Ames...you got this all wrong--"

Instantly, the pink hedgehog's demeanor changed, her bright smile slowly dwindling and her feet losing that upbeat skip. "Wrong?"

The hero chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head in an attempt to pull away from her grip. "You see, I was," emerald eyes flicked over to look at the black hedgehog who was mounting onto his prized possession, and all the mesmeric images of Sonic on that ride, too, came flooding back to the front of his mind.

"You were what?" Amy pushed, narrowing her eyes at him.

And not only that, but she happened to visibly shift the hammer in her hold that was now empty of her hero's gloved hand closer into his field of vision; a reminder of the repetitive story that happened between the two hedgehogs whenever things didn't end up going right.

So, not left with much of a choice, Sonic swallowed what was supposed to be his original idea and instead, smiled at his friend, fearing for his life if he didn't make it look like it was genuine - there were only so many horrible headaches and pointless games of cat and mouse he could take.

"...wondering where you'd wanna go?"

Amy's enthusiasm revived, taking Sonic by the hand again and leading him to the fancy, blur race car parked next to an almost departing Shadow the Hedgehog. Along the way, the female fighter rambled on about where they should head, but Sonic was too busy trying to see if he could catch his rival leaving on his motorcycle in a black blur like in his dream and yanked his sunglasses off.

However, it was not possible as the Resistance fighter blocked the hero's sight by startling him with a kiss on his cheek, winking at him afterward, and skipping over to hop onto the passenger's seat of his racecar; by the time he looked at the place where Shadow had been, there was nothing left but a billowing cloud of dust.

Maybe Sonic had won the race, but he didn't get his well-deserved prize in the end.

---

3.

At this point, if people knew of his interest when it came to the intimidating vehicle, they would have come up to the hero asking what exactly made him become fascinated with such a thing, especially when he wasn't one to prefer something over his feet. Was it the need to experience a ride? If that was the case, then Sonic could have simply gotten over it by testing any motorcycle at a local shop in Station Square's downtown area. Easy and quick.

Except it wasn't just about any motorcycle, the hero wanted to specifically take the Dark Rider around Mobius until he exhausted every last drop of fuel in its tank. For that to happen, Sonic knew he would most likely have to end up pestering his rival to use it, or perhaps, stealing it without permission would be better - the sparring challenge that would come after Shadow tracked him down only encouraged him to do it rather than stand here and think about it.

Well, he had been ready to act on it, the ongoing celebration of Tails' birthday party the ideal environment to pursue his one-step plan, but as he had walked past the crowd of close friends and spotted familiar black quills near one of the snack tables by the workshop's garage closed doors, he paused. The mischievous grin he had been sporting while trying to close in on his target faded away, a confused frown taking its place because right next to the Ultimate Lifeform and his precious bike stood the lavender feline princess.

Blaze.

Now what?

Honestly, her being there wasn't enough to refrain the blue hedgehog from doing something reckless around Shadow, considering that there was always someone present to see the shenanigans the hero got himself into by messing around with the one person that found him utterly annoying. So what exactly was stopping him?

He pondered the question while standing there, at a safe distance from the two most introverted people he knew at this party having a casual conversation. Luckily, someone was willing to offer an answer.

"Jealousy is not a nice look on you, Blue."

At hearing Rouge's voice, the speedster quickly shifted his attention away from his rival and the princess, exchanging his frown for a smirk. The bat had walked up to stand next to the hero, nonchalantly sipping at her red solo cup.

"Rouge, likin' the party so far?"

She snorted, shuffling closer to rest her elbow over one of his shoulders. "I am, but are you?"

Sonic gave her a weird look. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Ohhh, so we're gonna play dumb," the agent drawled with a roll of her eyes, finishing her drink before clearing her throat. "Look, sugar, as Shadow's 'friend'," she added air quotes around the term, "I should be telling you to get your ass as far away as possible from him."

"Why?"

Rouge gestured over to where her partner-in-arms stood. "When was the last time you saw him interact with someone apart from Omega, you, and I?"

The silence that followed gave away the answer.

"Exactly, so let him have this. Besides," her tone became suggestive, "you never know, those two could hit it off..."

"The man has a soft spot for kitties - the princess has an advantage already over you--"

"Psssh! Nice one, Rouge." The hero couldn't help but laugh at what she was saying, bending over to exaggerate the ridiculousness of the situation she was describing. Yet, uprighting himself, he noticed how the bat was not mirroring his behavior, the first sign that showed she wasn't joking, and her crossed arms only made him stop in an instant.

"You're serious?"

The cobalt speedster scoffed, picking at his ear with his gloved pinkie. "Sorry, Rouge, but I ain't looking for the Faker to have a soft spot for me."

"Then explain the ugly scowl you were clearly directing at your fiery gal."

Sonic stared at the GUN agent, holding his gaze steady before her, but after knowing how she wouldn't let this be and bring it up again at an inopportune time, he surrendered...somewhat.

"Okay, you caught me!" Sonic threw his arms wide open as if to show that she was right. "I'm jealous--"

"Ha!" she cheered, smirking. But her victory didn't last long as the hero raised a finger to cut her off, mirroring her smirk. "Of the fact that Blaze's welcomed to get close to Dark Rider without so much of a complaint on Shadow's part."

The bat took a moment to process the words, varying expressions flashing across her face to the Blue Blur's amusement and mild fear. He hoped she didn't think more of the situation because the woman tended to read between the lines when there wasn't any in-between to be looking through in the first place!

"The bike, huh?" she asked, turning around to observe the black hedgehog and princess in the distance, studying the way her teammate pointed at certain parts of his GUN-assigned vehicle while explaining something to the Guardian of the Sol Emeralds. Shadow and Blaze were certainly not close, yet it would be possible for the two to get along the most outside their small group of acquaintances. So to see how the two Mobians were interacting, Rouge had only wished to poke fun at the hero about no longer receiving Shadow's full attention, regardless of it being rude and aggressive.

But after hearing Knuckles' comment the other day about what he saw at White Jungle, this curiosity Sonic had toward the motorcycle wasn't what it meant in a literal manner. The Dark Rider was a substitute for something--no, someone that the hero of Mobius had yet to accept to feel something for.

"Well, good thing you got me as your friend, too," Rouge remarked, a plan formulating in her head unbeknownst to the hero, who ended up even more confused by her comment. Instead of elaborating, the agent patted Sonic's shoulder and smiled. "Let's fix you up a date with that hot ride."

"Date?" Sonic repeated, becoming flustered. "I told you, Rouge, I'm not interested in Shadow--"

"I meant the motorcycle, Blue..."

"Oh."

Oh, indeed. Rouge chuckled, walking away from the embarrassed male, and wondered why all hedgehogs were so stubborn when it came to these things about feelings and attraction. Well, she guessed she could add one particular red echidna to the list, too.

---

4.

Sonic soon learned what Rouge had meant that evening at Tails' birthday party. The answer came in the form of the two elite agents standing at the doorstep of the fox's workshop one week later. 

“So what happened again?” Tails glanced up from where he was busy taking in the damage done to the motorcycle’s engine. 

Shadow relayed the details, himself occupied with looking over the rest of his bike. “We had a mission over at Mazuri—”

“You guys went to Mazuri and didn’t invite me!” Sonic butted in as he came walking through the workshop’s entrance with a takeout bag in one hand. Passing Rouge on his way to put the bag on an empty counter, the hero gave her a knowing look to which she winked in response. “Hey, Big Blue. Aaaand you know we would have—"

Shadow scoffed, glancing up at the bat when she said that. “Never in a million years.”

Rouge rolled her eyes, “Okay, I would have sent you a message if I could, but it was a classified kind of gig. No outsiders allowed."

"Ah, I see," Sonic wandered toward where his brother and his rival were huddled around the motorcycle. The two talked and pointed at several parts from where the engine had been removed to take a thorough scan of the bike's interior. Already, the hero was closer to the motorcycle than he'd ever been before; unfortunately, this time there were dents, serious scrapes, and once sleek black colors now showing signs of rust. 

But what was a little adventure if not getting a few scratches here and there?

All that mattered to Sonic was being close to the bike, caring any less for how it looked now because appearances were only one thing. He stepped over to stand on the side where Shadow was crouching, staring at where ungloved hands were delicately propped on the bike. Sonic couldn't help himself from his indulging staring again, admiring the long and bold red stripe that slithered down Shadow's arm to his hand, splitting into two thinner lines that led to his middle finger and pinkie only. Even then, the middle finger's crimson stripe followed straight down to neatly trimmed black claws while the Pinkie's stripe curled around the smaller digit twice to reach an identical claw. 

Sonic always knew his rival was different, being half hedgehog and half Black Arms, but whereas the reminder of his bloodline often disturbed other people, it simply made the agent more attractive to the hero. Everything he thought was pleasing to look at for Shadow seemed like a threat to others; the sharp, striped quills, his much pointier fangs, and strong, powerful muscles.

Though, Shadow's bright, red rubies were Sonic's favorite. 

They reminded him of sunsets, of cherries on top of sundaes, of the molten lava surrounding the volcanic area in Red Mountain. 

Red had always been a meaningful color to the speedster, and to see his rival have it as a trademark trait of his without acknowledging Sonic's original intent already - like, hello, red shoes! - made Sonic chuckle.

It caught Shadow's attention, who glanced up at the blue hero hovering over him with a frown.

"What's so funny, hedgehog?"

Sonic shrugged, wearing a goofy smile that only seemed to make the striped hedgehog's eyes narrow further. 

"Nothin', just...noticed something, that's all."

"Noticed what?" Shadow asked, his tone suggesting the hero be careful about how he went about this.

Sonic gestured at the barely eligible insignia the Dark Rider usually had beautifully painted over on the side. "You went for red as your brand."

The agent looked at his scratched bike's insignia, staring at it with knitted brows. The little pout Shadow unknowingly made when thinking hard about something brought out another chuckle from the hero. 

"So?" Shadow huffed, not knowing what had his rival laughing at him beginning to annoy him.

A cocky grin slipped across fawn lips and emerald eyes lit up.

"Well, not to brag or anything, buuuut red's been my kind of thing since the start. I mean have you seen how many pairs of red shoes I own?" 

"He actually has a whole line of shoes and accessories made by him for that brand - Swift Speed," the fox genius piped in from the other side, where he was writing down notes about what parts to order to fix the motorcycle.

"Oh yeah! Forgot 'bout that, I really don't tell others, though..."

"Swift Speed?" Rouge grinned, catching Sonic's attention. "Oh my god..." Her teal eyes were glued to the dark hedgehog who was standing back up.

"Rouge, don't," came the simple warning, but the bat was too excited to share her discovery. "Shadow only ever uses that brand for when he wants to give his air shoes a break!" 

"Oh really..." Sonic grinned, turning back to stare at his embarrassed rival.

"Rouge, stop."

"You have like what? Two or three pairs of running shoes for each color they have," she snickered, making her friend groan in annoyance. "Something about the maker having good taste in style and comfort."

Meanwhile, Sonic was reveling in this new information, pushing this whole thing a step further by shuffling closer to his striped rival and bumping his hip with Shadow's.

"I guess we all know what that means, right?" Sonic teased, slinging an arm freely over ebony shoulders. Regardless of what Rouge just put him through, Shadow was still brave enough to look the hero in the eye and mutter. "No...what?"

"That you should be the starring model for my shoe line! Think about it...you could pose even with this bad boy," Sonic released the agent to turn around and place both his hands on the Dark Rider. And once he couldn't believe he was actually touching the motorcycle, he took the biggest step so far he could with Shadow's property. He swiftly swung a leg over it and posed for his dark counterpart with a smirk. 

"And if you need help, I'm always down to show you some poses," Sonic let his eyelids droop, becoming half-lidded and suggestive. 

"Get off my bike."

"Oh, c'mon, Shads! I'll take good care of you both," the hero winked, his flirtations leaving the dark hedgehog with an angered look by the way his face was burning brighter than the pretty red on his stripes. To further prove it, the hero's eyes widened as Shadow came at him with a menacing snarl. Quickly, Sonic scrambled off the bike and fled the workshop, offering a quick word of gratitude toward Rouge for trying on his way out with a hot-tempered striped hedgehog on his tail.

Rouge just watched the boys leave, the sounds of the fox tinkering filling the background. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at Sonic's blatant stubbornness, having found the smile on his face as he left running with Shadow after him bigger than the one he wore when he finally touched the motorcycle he desperately wanted. 

---

5.

It was always one step forward, and two steps back with Shadow.

Whatever chances he'd gained from last week through Rouge's help were nothing when the striped hedgehog simply ripped them away from Sonic's hands in the next moment. And because he couldn't figure it out yet, the hero blamed it all on his rival, and his outright rude intentions of ignoring him today of all days.

It was the World Grand Prix, and it was down to the last section for riders to use their boards to race through Mazuri's savannah and through exotic smaller towns around the citadel.

Sonic and his pals never missed a chance to show up and enjoy the fun with thousands of others that followed the races across the world; it also didn't stop the blue hedgehog from "accidentally" bumping into an old green-feathered friend and shaking things up with their nostalgic rivalry. And though Jet came off as the same self-centered jerk and remained to bruise Sonic's ego any way he could, deep down the hedgehog knew the hawk was more than happy to have a worthy challenge to look forward to racing with.

But, of course, no one could beat Sonic's best rival - Shadow the Hedgehog.

He was the only one that could test the hero in all the ways others dreamed of or tried and failed. No one could rise to the challenge like the Ultimate Lifeform, and that was something Sonic would rather take to his grave than reveal to anybody lest he want to endure the rest of his life with Shadow constantly reminding him.

Actually, right about now, Sonic wouldn't mind, still standing in the contestants' lane waiting for the announcer to call out the time to head over for the last part of the race. All the wins he had accumulated over the race meant nothing to Sonic right now as he continued to glare at where Jet and Shadow stood, sharing conversation.

Team Dark had arrived halfway through the Grand Prix, and they seemed to have no intention of participating this time around. It'd been a shame since it would've turned the competition a lot fiercer, action-packed...a lot more of Shadow to butt heads with. While Jet gave Sonic adrenaline to beat him at his own game, having Shadow around would have done wonders for the hero's excitement.

Heck, the blue hedgehog would have been delighted to have his striped rival witness first-hand how he beat the green hawk on the track.

Instead, Shadow didn't even acknowledge him! Not even a simple glance in his direction. The agent gave Sonic nothing, and only made the hero's mood worsen as the race progressed by voluntarily going up with Rouge to talk to the Rogues, both GUN agents engaging in civilized talk with the birds— well, Rouge more or so flirted with the purple swallow. But that was the last thing the hero cared about, his attention narrowed down to the green Extreme Gear racer and the Ultimate Lifeform.

"Oh no, here we go again," a familiar voice spoke up from Sonic's side.

He glanced over to find Knuckles coming to stand next to him with Tails at his other side.

"What do you mean?" The young genius asked, cocking his head to the side in curiosity.

The echidna pointed at the group standing across the lane, chatting comfortably with each other. "Sonic's jealous that Jet is striking up a conversation with Shadow because you see our friend here," Knuckles smugly swung an arm over Sonic's stiff shoulders. "He's got this little crush on the Ultimate Lifeform—"

"No," Sonic growled, shrugging off his friend's arm. "I'm not jealous because I don't have a crush on Shadow!"

"Say it any louder and he just might think so."

The hero huffed, ignoring the odd looks he was receiving from the other racers, and though he wish for his striped rival to not have heard him, a little part of him did just to get his attention.

"Look, let's just go get ready to win this race, okay?"

Because he'd rather stand under Mazuri's hot sun by the tracks than see another second of this preposterous scene before him, his friends also seemed to notice as they shared a look of amusement and followed the hero out from the sheltered lane.

Everything went downhill when Sonic saw Shadow approach Jet because he nor his team ended up winning the final race, earning second place on the scoreboard to the hedgehog's dismay. Still, he congratulated his friends and high-fived them as they walked back to the contestants' lane to get some water. Sure, the defeat wasn't what Sonic had planned, but he took the blame for that with his mind having been distracted on the race track, especially with Jet at his side taunting him and all.

It kind of got to his head, but he was ready to move on from today, suggesting to his brother and friend about celebrating with a good dinner. So, the trio headed into the citadel, walking the crowded streets and pointing out new things since they last visited Mazuri until they arrived at a local restaurant with the best meals served fresh.

They took their seats outside, chilling under the welcoming shade of the table's thatch canopy and sharing their thoughts on the Grand Prix. The crowds along the main road thrived with lively conversations, local sellers pulled in tourists to buy exotic tokens, and a small band was playing at one of the corners of the main road's intersection. It was all going well, perfectly well, but leave it up to Shadow to keep ruining the hero's day.

Sonic had been in the middle of telling his friends about the cool move he pulled off in the first leg of today's race when a roaring engine cut through the buzzing streets and lively music. Heads turned in the direction of where the sound was coming from; a handful of excited gasps and chirps of acknowledgment went around the other tables by Sonic's.

He figured out why pretty soon.

An eye-catching ride pulled up to the same street where Sonic and the others were sitting out to enjoy their dinner. The two riders on the motorcycle found themselves at the center of attention, the Dark Rider itself having attracted plenty enough, but with the two well-known Mobians climbing off the bike it doubled the spectators' awe.

"Seriously," the blue hedgehog scoffed, ticked off that of all the places in Mazuri this had to be the one they would come to. And that wasn't even the half of Sonic's problem, eyeing his green feathery rival with open envy as he stepped away from the motorcycle and its owner.

Unfortunately, his staring didn't go unnoticed by the hawk, azure eyes making contact with an unyielding emerald gaze.

"Well, well, well, look who do we have here," the cocky hawk sauntered over to the hedgehog's table, receiving two scowls apart from the hero's. "Celebrating your second-place win?"

"Until your ugly face ruined it, yeah pretty much," Sonic snapped rudely, crossing his arms over his chest.

Jet snorted. "Awful comeback, must be a side effect from losing."

"We didn't lose! It was just a choice of heart to let you win this time around."

"Whatever," the green hawk shrugged, still wearing his smug grin to the speedster's bother. "I think it was high time someone humbled you, and you should be thanking me really."

Sonic gawked, "Thank you? For what?"

"That it was me you lost to and not Shadow—hey!" Suddenly, the hawk leaned over and his azure gaze grew mischievous. "Did you know he bet on you winning? The poor guy came up to me before the race to settle a little deal only to be disappointed by your loss."

Sonic paled, the hawk snickering at his reaction. "I can't wait to tell him it was a choice of heart that made him lose our bet."

Jet was about to go off and do whatever he came here to do, but before he could, Sonic blurted out something. "What was the bet?"

Glancing over his shoulder at the hero, Jet smirked, motioning at where Shadow was busy talking to someone on his phone. "See that nice bike? Well, let's just say you aren't the first rival to get a cool ride on it...see you around, Sonic."

Off the Extreme Gear rider went, heading into the restaurant and disappearing among the crowd standing in line waiting for their orders. Meanwhile, the hero slumped back into his chair, stunned and annoyed by what Jet had revealed; Knuckles had been ready to poke fun at Sonic again, but a harsh nudge and silent glare from the fox stopped him from doing it. The two left their blue friend to figure out his thoughts alone and in silence, both already knowing why Jet's confession disturbed Sonic so much.

And it had nothing to do with the bike, but that was for the hero to figure out on his own.

They half expected him to head over and talk to Shadow first-hand, but they were simply witnesses to their friend's obvious staring. Sonic kept his gaze on the dark hedgehog by the street, who remained oblivious to what just happened and the eyes that were on him.

While Tails and Knuckles continued with their meal, checking on Sonic every other moment, the hero himself was dissecting his thoughts one by one, glancing between his rival and the Dark Rider. There were questions about why would Shadow bring his bike back to Mazuri when it had gotten damaged here in the first place, and why would Team Dark not want to participate in the Grand Prix this year. Alas, these questions were smaller in importance when compared to why would Shadow bet on Sonic winning and getting his most prized possession involved in the mix. Did the agent really think Sonic would win?

Sonic's eyes widened, is that why he was here...to see him win?

The thought of the hybrid solely coming to the races to watch Sonic made his cheeks warm, shifting in his seat at thinking about bright rubies following his every move from the moment he stepped out of the contestants' lane to the tracks. Sonic wasn't going to lie to himself; the mere idea of having Shadow's attention was satisfying, but knowing he believed Sonic to win, it was a lot more than satisfying.

It meant Shadow respected him, acknowledged his abilities, and perhaps, admired him. On some level. An equal level for sure if Jet's words were anything to go by, but it made the hero wonder if that were the case, then why treat him as if he were less?

"Why won't you let me ride with you?" Sonic asked, whispering under his breath.

"What was that?"

Startled by Tails' voice, the blue hedgehog looked over at his brother and smiled, shaking his head. "Nothing! Just thinking about what to order for dessert."

The fox slowly nodded, amused by his behavior. "Okaaay..."

Avoiding his brother's curious gaze, the hero went back to staring at Shadow and his motorcycle, finally noticing that it looked way better than it had been over a week ago. It got its shine back, a new paint job, and tires, too. Now seeing the bike sporting its usual attractiveness, Sonic couldn't help but think about the deal Shadow and Jet made a little more, recalling that the hawk only explained what he won because of the bet.

Though what would have happened if Sonic won the race leaving Shadow to take his side of the bet?

A what-if the hero would not know unless he asked Jet - definitely not - or Shadow - also not a chance. He let out a dejected sigh figuring he would never know the answer, and all because he got distracted by Shadow and Jet talking to each other as if they were best buds—oh, that asshole.

Of course, what an idiot he was!

Sonic was right; it was always one step forward, and two steps back with the Ultimate Lifeform.

At least now he knew that Shadow knew he was the winner before the race even began, smirking at seeing his feathery rival walk back out of the restaurant and flashing the hero another cocky grin. Sonic saw Jet reunite with Shadow at his motorcycle, saying something to each other before the dark hedgehog offered the hawk a helping hand.

Sure, it made Sonic's jaw tick, but the giddiness he was suddenly feeling surpassed the hotness he felt in his chest at seeing Shadow leave with someone that wasn't him on his precious bike. Because at the end of the day, all that mattered was that Shadow knew Sonic was his best rival, the only worthwhile to come to see and play an easy deal for to just end up fooling everyone else.

Well, he didn't fool Sonic.

---

6.

It was a month after the incident at the World Grand Prix when Sonic saw his rival again.

The spontaneous visit could have gone perfectly great if it weren't for the awful timing to end up with an injury after Eggman's attack. Luckily, with the additional help of Team Dark, the Doctor was easily defeated, cursing at the hero and his friends for ruining his plans once again. The one that didn't walk away from the battle so lucky was Sonic, sporting a sprained ankle.

So, now here he sat on the ground, bearing the same old argument Tails and Amy had each time the speedster was injured. It upset him for the most part because he felt embarrassed to be treated like a child. In front of his rival nonetheless! But he kept quiet, blocking out whatever his brother and Amy were discussing, and glanced over to where Shadow and Rouge were checking up on Omega. It appeared the destruction-loving robot took a pretty nasty hit during the fight and had some damage done to his core battery.

But by the looks of it, nothing serious was done as Rouge patted her teammate on his bulky arm while Shadow rolled his eyes rather playfully. Not long after, the dark hedgehog headed for an overgrown bush, parting tree branches and thick leaves to reveal where he had hidden his bike this time around.

Sonic perked up at the sight of it, curiously watching how attentive Shadow was being as he made sure his motorcycle didn't get scratched. It was kind of cute, the hero thought. He'd never seen his rival take care of something so much to the point where it looked like the Dark Rider meant everything to him.

Maybe it did, Sonic smirked, guiding his gaze over the bike's comfy seat and the insignia's outline. The symbol's red color reminded him of his owner with ruby eyes and striking striped quills, and he couldn't help himself to a soft laugh at remembering how he proved to Shadow that he'd been wearing Sonic's signature color all these years.

Something about red looked perfect against black.

The thought made the hero's chest swell up with warmth, risking a chance to look at his dark rival. He saw him looking over his bike, passing his gloved hands over the handles and shiny surfaces—those same hands ran along Sonic's sides, pressing gently into blue hips—holy fuck, Sonic's eyes widened, feeling his breath taken away at realizing where his thoughts were going. Where the hell did that even come from?

Feeling even more embarrassed, the speedster shifted, readjusting his sitting position on the ground and making sure that neither Amy nor Tails were looking at him. Damn it, the last thing he needed was for his brother to point out his blushing face that sure enough he felt crawling down his neck too. Amy would surely give him hell about it, demanding to know what evoked this sort of reaction from him.

He knew the only way to calm down was to avert his eyes from Shadow and the motorcycle, but...the temptation was irresistible; just a small peek, he reasoned with himself.

Emerald eyes steadily retraced their way back to the hybrid standing by the Dark Rider, starting from familiar air shoes, going up the length of striped feet, stopping to momentarily admire the athletic muscles, and continuing up to a strongly built chest until...crimson eyes were staring back at him.

"Fuck," Sonic whispered, mortified at being caught and quickly, ripping his gaze away from Shadow.

He didn't dare to look back and see if Shadow's eyes were still on him, instead struggling to breathe properly; however, this caught his brother's attention to the blue hedgehog's dismay.

"Sonic, are you feeling okay?" The young fox knelt, scanning Sonic's face and pressing a hand to his forehead.

Tails frowned, "You're burning up and shaking..."

These observations devastatingly attracted everyone else's attention, too, making the hero squirm even more under curious eyes. Least of all, now Shadow standing within arm's distance and staring down at Sonic with a knowing smirk. Another flush of redness swarmed the hero's face as he made eye contact with his rival, and to his even greater displeasure, had Amy fret over his health, too.

"Oh! I think he has a fever! We need to take him back to the workshop before it gets worse!" The pink hedgehog crowded the hero's space and glanced over to Tails with an irked expression. "C'mon, Tails! We can't waste any more time!"

"If I take him, the height will just make it worse. He could end up feeling nauseous."

Amy glared at the fox, crossing her arms over her chest. "Then what are we going to do? He can't walk with his sprained ankle—"

"I'll take him."

All eyes landed on Shadow.

"Uh, n-no, that's okay—I'm sure we can figure something else out," Sonic stuttered, staring at anything but the agent.

"Yeah, we don't want to impose on you," Amy added, her jade eyes narrowing at seeing how the dark hedgehog was looking at Sonic. "Besides, carrying him back to the workshop is equally as dangerous as Tails taking him over."

Shadow's smirk remained, casting the pink hedgehog a mirthful look. "We can take my bike."

Rouge nodded, "He's a natural on that thing, so there are no chances of anything bad happening."

"But what about—" Amy started, finding another excuse but was cut off by the hybrid.

"We'll get there before any of you do unless..." Shadow was now blatantly challenging the pink hedgehog. "You want to wait here and come up with another solution while Sonic's condition gets worse."

Offended, Amy rose to her feet. "No! Of course not! I just—I just want to make sure Sonic's in good hands."

Having remained a silent spectator of the discussion, Sonic would have thanked Amy for her care, but all that his mind was feeding him was thoughts of Shadow's hands again - caressing his fawn chest and fingers running through his blue quills. Oh god, Sonic was doomed.

So, so doomed as Omega caught onto how his face continued to redden, almost matching the color of his shoes.

"THE BLUE HEDGEHOG'S SYSTEM IS SHOWING SIGNS OF THE QUICKENING OF HIS HEART RATE AND HIS UNFAVORABLE TEMPERATURE CONTINUING TO RISE."

"You heard the guy. Let's get Big Blue moving," Rouge snapped her fingers and nodded for Shadow to take the injured hero away.

That was all the striped hedgehog needed to crouch low on the ground, reaching out and wrapping his arms around Sonic. With their faces only being only a few inches apart, the hero was afraid to say anything to him, avoiding his rival's gaze. Although, it was difficult doing so when the very same thoughts he was having about Shadow's hands were nearing the possibility of happening in real life as he felt gloved hands slide delicately across his back and hook an arm under his knees.

This would haunt his dreams in the middle of the night if the feeling of being pressed up against the hybrid's sturdy chest wasn't already awakening even more confusing reactions from the blue hedgehog.

Sonic bit back the whimper that fought to free itself from his lips, roughly swallowing the thickness lodged in his throat.

"Okay, we'll meet you back at the workshop," Rouge walked after the dark hedgehog carrying his blue rival to the Dark Rider. She observed in delight as Shadow settled the hero carefully on the seat, deliberately touching his shoulders and waist while explaining to Sonic he wanted to make sure he was secured.

Shadow was then climbing onto the bike, too, and glancing at Sonic over his shoulder. "Hold onto me or you'll fall off."

"Wait, what?"

Huffing, the bat turned to Rose who was in earshot of hearing Shadow's advice as she walked up to them. "He was joking. Sonic's not gonna fall off, buuuut..." Rouge sauntered over to stand before Sonic, a mischievous smile making the hero nervous. "It won't hurt to make the ride a little safer."

Sonic blushed, hesitantly circling his hands around Shadow's waist. "Um, can we go now?"

"Get him outta here, Shadow before he grows any more impatient!" The bat winked at the cobalt speedster, backing off to let the hybrid start the engine. "You're in good hands with the Ultimate Lifeform, Big Blue—oh!"

She gestured for Shadow to wait for a second, her eyes still on the flustered hedgehog behind him. "Before I forget, you owe me."

Sonic frowned, confused. "Owe you? For what?"

Rouge rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't act stupid, Blue. You know what I mean, but in case you don't, Shadow will tell once you get home."

With that being said, Shadow took Rouge's wave as his cue to leave, grinning as he sped across the field with now a gasping Sonic the Hedgehog behind him. The hero hadn't expected the motorcycle to reach these kinds of speeds, seeming to almost match Shadow's and his natural pace when running. But as the shock gradually resided, exhilaration took over and made Sonic forget about his previous awkward state.

He had waited too long for this and it was everything he had hoped for.

Sonic let out a laugh, enjoying the whipping wind hitting his face as Shadow made a turn to head for the city's limits. "Whoa! Hey, aren't we going to the workshop?"

The dark hedgehog shot the hero a quick glance, grinning. "We are, but if we're going to beat them there, we might as well take a little detour."

Finding this playful side of his usually grumpy rival amusing, Sonic chuckled, relaxing into his place against Shadow's back. "Since when are you the fun type?"

The hero saw the agent shrug, guiding them into the first street at the road signs' speed which was a little slower than what Sonic liked but loved the rumbling vibration coming from the engine.

"Maybe you're rubbing off on me."

Sonic smirked, "So I guess my work is finally paying off."

"What?!" Shadow yelled out as he increased the speed, skillfully driving between the lanes and using any openings to push through the rest of the cars and building traffic.

They were approaching the heart of the city, but Sonic let out another cheerful laugh as Shadow dodged the incoming traffic, shocking the hero when he ran a red light.

"Did you just do what I think you did?!"

"Can't hear you! Speak up, hedgehog!"

Grunting, the speedster scooted closer, pressing his chest right against Shadow's back, and leaned over to let his mouth hover closely at the hybrid's left side of his face.

"I said you ran a red light—"

Sonic's words died on his tongue as Shadow quickly turned his face to press a soft kiss to unsuspecting lips, breaking away with a smile at seeing the hero's shocked face. Shadow chuckled, his ruby eyes twinkling now under the evening sun. It took the blue hedgehog a full sixty seconds to realize what just happened, staring at the agent with wide eyes, flushed cheeks, and mouth agape. It was only after Shadow saw the hero blink that he laughed, nudging Sonic's muzzle with his own to regain his focus.

"See, told you you're rubbing off on me," Shadow purred, shifting his attention back to the road sadly, but he felt Sonic finally react.

"You...you kissed me?" Sonic didn't know what to do. This was all so unexpected, but...he liked it. After all, surprises were his favorite thing. Still, he needed to make sure this was what he thought and not some funny joke Shadow decided to pull on him—"It's not April Fools' today is it?!"

Shadow snorted, shaking his head. "No, you idiot!"

"Then why did you kiss me?!" Sonic shouted over the bustling noise of other cars and honking.

"Because I can!"

"I'm serious!" Sonic rolled his eyes, squeezing Shadow's waist for emphasis.

"Fine! I'll tell you...after this!"

In a practiced maneuver, the agent was pushing the pace higher, switching lanes to the farthest left before making a graceful turn. He was leading them to the highway entrance ramp, not slowing down as his swift speed scared away other drivers and let him onto the highway. Without having to worry about any highway patrol at this hour, Shadow took advantage and really made Sonic's first ride worth all the time in the world.

Sonic felt the air being punched out of his lungs in the best way possible as he held on tighter to Shadow, not holding back his loud whooping as they broke every highway speed rule by worming their way between cars and angry drivers. Shadow joined him in his bout of joy, feeling the vibrations of the agent's laughter against his chest and grinning even wider when Shadow's shoulders shook with every laugh as well.

"Get ready!"

That was all the hero got before his rival was tilting the bike toward the right, gliding across the three lanes to get to the edge where a sign Sonic caught a fleeting glance of signaled that a bridge was coming up in a few miles. He was about to ask Shadow about it until he saw another three massive signs alerting drivers that the bridge was under reconstruction, leaving a shiver to run down Sonic's spine.

That was it; the tingling sensation he'd been dreaming about these past few months.

This was what Sonic craved ever since he felt the desire to ride this very motorcycle with his rival and run it for as long as it let them.

"Oh, this going to be so fucking cool!" Sonic's eyes widen as the bridge's ramp leading to the higher ground came into view.

"Ready?!"

The unfinished bridge was approaching quickly at the speed they were going, a wide space empty of any structure to lead to the other side; the hero's blood pumped faster under his skin, his emerald eyes lighting up with the dangerous glint a daredevil always wore in the face of something life-risking. Sure, they could easily miss the other ledge and fall to their potential deaths, but unlike all those times when Sonic was fighting Eggman or another huge badnik or a wrathful god, this time everything felt safe somehow. No matter how dangerous this was Sonic knew he was going to be safe.

As long as he had Shadow at his side, nothing bad would ever happen to the hero.

So, Sonic surprised the dark hedgehog with a share of his own kiss to a tan muzzle, leaning into Shadow's body as much as he could, and confidently gave his answer.

"More than I will ever be."

The two hedgehogs were then feeling the rush of air against their quills, taking in the view under them as the bike reached its highest speed and the first tire left the ground. Shadow grinned, feeling Sonic's grip around his waist tightening but hearing the hero let out an excited scream; it echoed in the air as they glided over the space between the bridge's ledges, immediately marking it as a memorable moment in Shadow's life.

As predicted, the striped hedgehog and his bike made their landing perfectly, bouncing once as the tires made contact with the ground again.

"Holy shit! That was so awesome!" Sonic giggled, bracing his forehead on an ebony shoulderblade as he fully embraced the euphoric high he just experienced.

His rival let him enjoy it in silence as he drove them to the workshop for real this time, slowing down as they exited the highway at the next ramp and turned onto a street that let out of the city. During the ride, Sonic's forehead gesture turned into full-on nuzzling, practically hugging the striped hedgehog and purring at feeling Shadow's warmth.

When they arrived at the workshop, they found themselves alone, the agent kicking out the stand to stabilize the motorcycle. He tapped Sonic's hands to let him know they were here, making the hero's eyes flutter open and the smile he'd been wearing falter. Reluctantly, the blue hedgehog dropped his arms from Shadow's waist, suddenly nervous again now that they were face-to-face again.

"Got you here first as promised," the hybrid teased, noticing his rival's avoidance of eye contact. "Is something wrong? Did I hurt you—"

"No! M'okay!" Sonic blurted out, meeting Shadow's worried gaze instantly.

It knocked the breath out of him, again. He was starting to like this feeling a little too much.

"Just..." the hero rubbed the back of his neck, nervous. "You said you were gonna tell me why you...kissed me."

Relieved to know it had nothing to do with his sprained ankle, the agent relaxed and smiled. "Is that all?"

"Is that all?" Sonic repeated, incredulously. "Uh. Hello, how are you so calm after—that?"

"The ride or the kiss? I can't tell when you seemed to have loved both," Shadow smirked, entertained by how easy it was to fluster his blue rival.

It seemed the roles were switched today.

The hero glared at the other hedgehog, growling. "If you aren't gonna take me seriously, I'm leavin'."

Swinging his leg over the seat, Sonic winced as he placed both his feet on the ground, prepared to walk away when in his first step, he was assaulted with a sharp pain shooting up his injured leg. He whimpered, forgetting the whole point of this ride was to have him take off weight from his sprained ankle. Unfortunately, Shadow was there to remind him as well, surprising the blue hedgehog again by grabbing out to him.

"Hey! What are you doing—?" Sonic gasped as he was swept off his feet, feeling up Shadow's comforting warmth again against his side that was pressed to the hybrid's chest. Annoyed and embarrassed, Sonic huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't need to be carried, Shadow."

"Are you always this stubborn?" The agent remarked, not letting go of the hero and taking him to the house attached to the workshop.

"So funny," Sonic grumbled, looking away from his rival and to the front porch instead.

The dark hedgehog climbed the steps and gently sat the speedster on the top one, being extra cautious of the injured ankle. He settled himself next to the hero after, leaving only an inch of space between them. Sonic would have scooted away, he would have but...the temptation was going at it again, stronger in its magnetic pull. So, he remained where he was and waited for the others to arrive with Shadow.

And for a long quiet minute, Sonic thought this was all there was to this day, unanswered questions and foolish emotions storming his mind.

But Shadow broke the silence, admitting to Sonic something quite shocking.

"I kissed you because I've been wanting to for a while now."

"Oh."

To say the least, the hero was stunned to hear this. It was kind of hard to tell this was what Shadow's been wanting to do when all their interactions ended with petty competitions over a round of racing or sparring.

"Since when?"

Shadow glanced at the blue hedgehog, answering confidently. "After the race car competition a few months back."

Sonic's jaw dropped, remembering that race as it was the beginning of his phase where all he paid attention to was the Dark Rider. Now that he recalled the memory, thoroughly going through each thing Sonic had studied with great curiosity and realizing his gaze somehow had gone from the bike to the rider.

"But you always pushed me away..." Sonic also didn't forget about everything that happened after that day. "You spent all your time with Blaze at Tails' birthday party, you wanted to beat me up when you brought in your bike, and you ignored me all day during the Grand Prix!"

With every new thing Sonic listed, the more confused he became, comparing Shadow's behavior in the past weeks to the present. "Hell, you even paraded Jet around Mazuri on your motorcycle afterward."

This caught the Ultimate Lifeform's attention, leaning forward with hooded eyes. "What? Did that make you jealous?"

"No!" The cobalt speedster scowled, feeling his cheeks burn hot under Shadow's pretty—stop it, you! "I just don't know why you waste your time with others when it's clear that I'm the best you got—I mean as a rival!"

The striped hedgehog chuckled, "You're so cute when you get mad."

"Shadow!"

"What? It's true!" The agent reached for Sonic's face, cradling his cheek sweetly. "And you're right, red's definitely your signature color."

Sonic groaned, glaring at the other. "I swear I'm gonna—"

The hero's vocal threat never came as Shadow pressed another kiss to his peach lips, savoring his time with this one. He brought his other hand to gently grasp the back of Sonic's upper neck, angling his neck to deepen the kiss. Shadow felt his rival shakingly plant his hands on his white chest fur, tangling his fingers in the soft strands. The hero rubbed at the hybrid's chest, pulling soothing purrs from there, too, and felt the vibrations along where they touched.

For the second time that day, Sonic the Hedgehog felt himself riding a delirious wave, up and up and up until he no longer could think straight; his head became empty of any thought except for the feel of Shadow's lips on his, moaning softly as the hybrid's tongue teased him with a dip and caress against Sonic's teeth and tongue, too.

The Dark Rider may have given a taste of adrenaline and excitement like no other adventure, but kissing Shadow...topped even the best moments in Sonic's life, new and amazing. It was fulfilling. It made his blood rush like rapid currents and burn hotter than molten lava. It made him feel like he was airborne, gliding over that same bridge's gap without the need of the Dark Rider. All he needed was a kiss to feel like he could fly far, far above till he reached the stars in the sky.

"Kissing you feels like making that jump over the bridge and still feeling that exciting rush under my skin," Shadow whispered, breaking away to look at Sonic's blissful face.

"You've read my mind."

The dark hedgehog chuckled, finding Sonic's dreamy sigh adorable.

"You were right, too."

Humming, the hero pressed another kiss to Shadow's lips, sighing in pleasure before asking what the hybrid meant.

"Right about what?"

"You're the best I got, and I want you to know that."

"You mean..." Sonic gazed at Shadow, his heartbeat stuttering as the dark hedgehog caressed his muzzle.

"Will you let me be the best you got, too?"

Sonic smiled, "You've always been, Shads."

With confessions made, the two hedgehogs embraced each other into another kiss, slower and tender. Even so, it didn't take away that beautiful and wonderful feeling they felt as they coasted the city's streets to glide over the bridge. Well, not quite. This - being together - felt a lot better; the best feeling actually.

They broke apart once they heard the familiar voices of their friends in the distance, and as they waved over to the two hedgehogs, Shadow glanced down at Sonic's sprained ankle, quickly cradling it in both hands. To the hero's surprise, the agent was able to heal it, seeing the hybrid smirking back at him.

"You healed it...with your emerald." Sonic discovered his rival's secret, "You had one all along. Why didn't you just do that from the beginning?"

Shadow gestured at the incoming group with his head. "How else was I supposed to get you all to myself?"

"I dunno, ask like a normal person," Sonic teased, tugging for the agent to sit back down with him on the porch steps.

Seeing the hero wiggle his now-healed foot, Shadow leaned over to whisper something into his ear just in time as the pink hedgehog reached them. Sonic laughed at whatever was said, making Amy frown as she stared at how close the two rivals were sitting next to each other.

"What's so funny?"

Sonic smiled at her, sneakily squeezing Shadow's hand closest to him. "Nothing, Ames, just finding out how good of a jokester Shadow is."

"I'm full of surprises, hedgehog."

Yes, he was, Sonic thought, the tingling sensation still lingering on his lips.

[brigitteblackwood]

hiii thanks for rbing my horror recs post! here's your recs! :)

based on ginger snaps i'd recommend let the right one in (2008), the lure (2015), the witch (2015), the living dead girl (1982), stoker (2013), bones and all (2022) and carrie (1976) about (blood thirsty) outcast girls who want to be loved :(. 

based on hausu i'd recommend suspiria (1977), beetlejuice (1988), eraserhead (1977), the love witch (2016), the cell (2000) and the rocky horror picture show (1975) because they have unique aesthetics that they really commit to, and tetsuo: the iron man (1989), brain damage (1988), possessor (2020), killer klowns from outer space (1988), the machine girl (2008) and videodrome (1983) because they're some of the more unhinged batshit insane movies i've seen.

based on we're all going to the world's fair i'd recommend i saw the tv glow (2024), pulse (2001), skinamarink (2022), may (2002), censor (2021), swallow (2019) and eraserhead (1977) which are all strange but beautiful movies with themes of loneliness. 

based on scream i'd recommend urban legend (1998), behind the mask: the rise of leslie vernon (2006), house of wax (2005), you're next (2011), haunt (2019), the final girls (2015), totally killer (2023) and the cabin in the woods (2011) because they're all about (masked) killers starring cool female characters.

based on the blair witch project i'd recommend the ritual (2017), horror in high desert (2021), the strangers (2008), the tunnel (2011) and them (2006) which are all quite simple but effective horrors about something lurking in the shadows.

hope there's some you haven't seen yet! :)

Thanks for the recommendations! Some of these I've seen already, but there are plenty I still haven't watched. In fact, a few have been on my watchlist for a while, so I'll take this as a sign to get to them soon (or, in the case of Let the Right One In, hurry up and read the book since I want to finish it before checking out any of the adaptations).

I thought it might be fun to share my thoughts about the ones I have seen:

The Witch (2015) - I read The Crucible when I was far too young (I stole it off my parents' bookshelf after I got bored with reading Junie B. Jones) and was obsessed with dark fairy tales about witches living in the forest as a child. So this was very much my shit.

Stoker (2013) - After watching this, I spent so many nights just wondering whether India Stoker and Merricat Blackwood would get along or try to kill each other if they ever met. I still don't have an answer.

Carrie (1976) - Love the use of split screen and Sissy Spacek really only moving her eyes during the attack on the gym. Hate the aggressive male-gazeyness of the locker room scene and the under usage of Amy Irving (I thought she was a interesting choice to play Sue, and I'm forever bitter she and Carrie didn't get to have their confrontation at the end like they do in the book).

Suspiria (1977) - The colours! The Goblin soundtrack! Sure, the actual plot barely makes any sense, but I adore it so much!

Beetlejuice (1988) - The last time I watched this was back in high school, so I should probably give it a rewatch soon. I remember loving the Maitlands and the Deetz family but absolutely hating Betelgeuse; I think he's the weakest character and would argue that you could still get a great story without him, but I understand I'm likely in the minority here.

Eraserhead (1977) - God, I always get so mad on the baby's behalf. He cries all the time! Well, he probably wouldn't cry so much if you didn't leave him lying on a hard table 24/7! 🙄

The Love Witch (2016) - I'm conflicted about this one. I thought it was beautifully shot, and I love anything that pays homage to older films. But since Anna Biller has gone full TERF since its release, I've found my viewing experience somewhat soured (which sucks because I was really interested in seeing her upcoming Bluebeard adaptation before I found out).

Videodrome (1983) - Another one I need to revisit. I'm a big Cronenberg fan, but I don't think I really gelled with this one the first time I watched it. James Wood (🤢) being the star probably didn't help.

I Saw the TV Glow (2024) - I got to see it at my local indie cinema as a double feature with The People's Joker last month! I bawled my eyes out, but thankfully, so did everyone else around me.

May (2002) - She's so me (minus the murder and mutilation, of course).

Swallow (2019) - Has one of my favourite ending shots in film history.

The Cabin in the Woods (2011) - The script was far too Whedon-y for me to enjoy, but I cheered so loud when they unleashed all the monsters on the staff.

Rocky Horror (1975) - I have fond memories of my mother sneaking 14-year-old me and my 10-year-old sister into our first live viewing (I think the only reason she succeeded was because my sister hit puberty early and looked a lot older). We'd known about the show for most of our childhood because both our parents worked in theatre and would often play showtunes around the house, so we'd already memorized most of the songs (minus Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me, which our parents would skip for obvious reasons).

I'd love to hear some of you're thoughts on these films. If you're comfortable sharing.

[wanderersrest]

Wanderer's Rest Presents: A Not-So-Comprehensive Mecha Anime Recommendation List

Mecha anime. You know them. Shows featuring young folks and their giant machines, fighting against enemies that range from mythological beings, dinosaurs, space fascists, aliens, kaiju, angels, war profiteers, and many more! Chances are likely you can think of at least one mecha anime series, whether it be something as mainstream as Gundam or Evangelion, or it's something as obscure as Flag or Dai-Guard (at least I think Dai-Guard is obscure). You want to get into mecha anime, but you don't know what to start with. That's what this list is here for! Specifically, I'm going to list shows based roughly on what your preferences are. I'll try to cover a fair bit, so strap in.

Unless I state otherwise with the recommendation, you can most likely find any series recommended on here on Crunchyroll.

Recommendation 1: Dai-Guard

Speaking of Dai-Guard, go watch Dai-Guard. It's basically "What if our alien-fighting giant robot was piloted and maintained by regular office workers?" the anime. Complete with all of the red tape and corporate backstabbing that ensues. It's also relatively short, clocking in at 26 episodes, so be sure to check it out when you get the chance.

Recommendation 2: Gun x Sword

Do you like Westerns? Do you like sci-fi? Do you like western sci-fi mash-ups that also have what is basically a Mexican Super Sentai/Power Rangers giant robot in it? If yes to that last one, you might want to check out Gun x Sword, a western sci-fi mashup complete with a Mexican-themed Super Sentai robot (I'm not kidding). It's a tale of revenge, and how far one is willing to go to exact it. So if that sounds interesting to you, then check it out.

Recommendation 3: Magic Knight Rayearth

So, uh, this is a magical girl series. A magical girl series that has giant robots in it. Rayearth is great. Definitely check it out, especially if you really like magical girl shows. Also full disclosure: Rayearth is pretty much the only magical girl series I've watched outside of the Madoka Magica movies. Also, I will say that Rayearth is based off of the manga, though the two diverge heavily after a certain point, both with drastically different storylines a la Fullmetal Alchemist and FMA: Brotherhood.

Recommendation 4: The King of Braves, GaoGaiGar

Content warning: GaoGaiGar has a lot of strobing lights throughout the show, moreso than Rayearth and Patlabor.

GaoGaiGar is a classic giant robot series. More importantly, it came out in a time when everyone was trying to imitate the hot stuff that was Evangelion. It's the classic "anime series designed to sell toys" style specifically, but it really rocks. Most people say that it gets good around the half-way point, but I would argue that it's the first half that allows us to have that great second half. It's a great series if you're looking for something to watch on a Saturday morning, especially if you enjoy waking up to what is quite possibly the most hot-blooded mecha show after Gurren Lagann and G Gundam.

Recommendation 5: Patlabor

If you like political thrillers and giant robots with lots of worldbuilding, I'd highly recommend Patlabor. Now depending on which you prefer, the recommendation gets a bit more specific. I'd specifically recommend watching the Early Days OVA first as a primer for what the series is all about. Then, if you're hooked, I'd continue in production order, which is:

Early Days OVA -> Movie -> TV Anime -> New Files OVA -> Movie 2 -> Wasted XIII

A lot of people like to say the movie timeline is better, but I personally think that sells the TV series short. Especially since the TV series has a lot of character development that the Early Days OVA and movies can't include due to their length.

Patlabor is streaming on HiDive.

Recommendation 6: Back Arrow

There haven't been as many mecha shows in more than a decade, but Back Arrow is definitely a series that scratches that itch. Like Gun x Sword above, it's also one of those weird genre mash-ups, trading in western & sci-fi for medieval European fantasy with wuxia... and also sci-fi. Not helping things is that both Back Arrow and Gun x Sword are directed by Goro Taniguchi. Also the main character spends the majority of the first episode naked, and the second in nothing but a pair of underwear. It's weird. It's great. Definitely give it a shot.

Recommendation 7: Psalm of Planets Eureka seveN & After War Gundam X

If you're looking for something with more romance in it, I'd definitely give either Eureka Seven or Gundam X a chance. Both are fairly long and have a similar vibe with regards to their main couples, though I think Eureka Seven is more realistic with its relationships. It's because of their similarities that I'm recommending both series, especially since Gundam X predates Eureka Seven by almost ten years. They're both great, and definitely worth checking out.

If you're going to watch Gundam X, please keep in mind that the series was cut short in its run for a lot of factors outside of its control.

As of this writing, neither the original TV series for Eureka Seven nor Gundam X is available for streaming. If you're really lucky, the official Gundam YouTube channel might stream Gundam X one day. Don't count on it though.

Recommendation 8: Brave Bang Bravern

I know I've been post a lot of gifs with this list, but for this recommendation, I want you to go in blind. It's of vital importance that you go into Bravern blind. Just do it. Take my word for it. It's great. Very hotblooded. Much robot.

Recommendation 9: SSSS.Gridman & SSSS.Dynazenon

If you're big into tokusatsu, then you need to check out both SSSS.Gridman and SSSS.Dynazenon. Gridman might be stretching the definition of what a mecha show is (on the other hand, so does Evangelion), but Dynazenon absolutely is a mecha show. Both are great though, and definitely worth a watch.

Recommendation 10: Mobile Fighter G Gundam

G Gundam is probably the second most hot-blooded show in all of mecha (tied with GaoGaiGar, and somehow surpassed only by Gurren Lagann). It is not the best series to get into if you want to get a basic understanding of what Gundam is like in general like either the Witch From Mercury or 00. But neither of those series have the Erupting God Finger. Nor do they have a Mobile Suit piloted by a horse. Checkmate atheists.

Conclusion

There are so many mecha shows out there, which is not surprising since the genre's roots go back as far as the 50's with, depending on how you define the genre, either Astro Boy or Tetsujin 28-go. While they aren't as numerous as they were in the past, there are still a lot of shows in the genre. So many shows in fact, that I didn't even mention some other great shows like Turn A Gundam and Shin Mazinger Z. Heck, I haven't even gone through a good portion of the genre itself, as I haven't gotten around to watching seminal works such as Getter Robo, Giant Robo, Armored Trooper VOTOMs, Fang of the Sun Dougram, Aura Battler Dunbine, or the Vision of Escaflowne. Don't even get me started on either finishing all of Gundam or starting Macross. That doesn't even touch on the fact that I ignored a lot of the "Not Like the Other Mecha Show" series like Evangelion, Code Geass, or Gurren Lagann (I mentioned GL a few times though, so that's worth something I guess). I really can't blame anyone for seeing this and going "Meh. I'll just watch *insert show here* instead." But if you're willing to go in for the long haul with any of these series, I can vouch for these series (and a couple others like Turn A). So yeah, check these out if you have the time. Also check out Turn A Gundam if you haven't already (but only if you've watched a lot of Gundam).

[warriorsofsplatsville]

"So....what floor is she on?" Pearl asked, tilting her drone body to the side in curiosity.

"Hah. I don't think the lot of you are ready for this." Acht chuckled.

"Ready for what? It's an elevator."

"This elevator is quite special. You see, you can only go up one floor at a time. And there's...thirty floors total."

"H...HUH?! ONLY ONE AT A TIME?!" Minu exclaimed. "Did someone press all the buttons on it??"

"Nope. That's just how it functions. And on each floor, it seems there's small challenges on each of them. And the only way to make the elevator continue going up is to clear them."

"Wha...what kind of whacky place is this??" Pearl cried.

"It comes with some weapons at least. Here." The sanitized octoling threw a pair of monochrome dualies at Octa. "I've been using this pair for myself, but I think an active soldier would be better suited for them."

"Oh..." Octa held the dualies in her hands properly. "Are they functional?"

"Hah. Barely. The fire rate is left to be desired, and the damage is barely noticeable. Don't get me started on ground coverage." They sighed. "However. There is a way to improve them. Take your hand and wave it in the air. Just one little whoosh."

Octa did as she was told, and a screen popped up before her eyes, taking her by surprise. "Oh!"

"See those empty slots right there? Those are meant to be filled in with color chips. They're these little pieces, and they can improve just about every aspect of you. Your mobility, your fire rate, your ink recovery, how much an item drops, what kind of items, etc, etc...there's even some upgrades for Pearl over there. That drone is chalk full of handy features, it would seem."

"Eh? I am?"

"Here. Have this chip. It's for ink coverage. It'll let you cover the ground more. Just take this and...click it in there."

Octa nervously gripped the orange colored chip in her hand, and clicked it into one of the square spots. "There."

"Now you'll see the effects of it. We're coming up to the first floor now. Get ready."

"Shouldn't we help?" Mirage asked.

"Do I see a weapon in your hands?"

"Fair enough."

"Don't worry! I have been keeping up with my training, so I am very strong and very nimble!" Octa smirked confidently. "Just watch and learn!!"

"Don't overdo it now. These enemies are damage sponges. They won't go down easily." Acht mentioned, and the elevator doors parted for Octa.

Well, they weren't kidding about the dualies sucking.

Octa found herself struggling to keep up with the bigger enemies, having the dodge out of their way constantly to keep from getting hit. "What's my objective??"

"It seems you must destroy those portals that the enemies spawn from. There are three of them." Acht shouted.

"Easy enough." Octa confidentially readied the weapons in her hands.

Carefully, she destroyed all three portals without taking damage from the enemies too much.

A system alert started playing. "Level cleared. Return to the elevator. Level cleared. Return to the elevator."

Octa ran back inside. "That's one way to get the blood pumping!"

"Suppose it is. Keep in mind that the objectives will vary. Some make you escort a tower to the end. Some make you protect a splat zone. Some make you chase down fleeing enemies, and some make you push around eight balls. Not to worry, there's barriers, so you won't be unreasonably punished for dropping an eight ball."

"Oooh....eight balls....I do think they were pretty fun though..."

"Anyway. You get to choose another color chip before starting the next level. This occurs every time unless you're about to take on a boss level. And you just got some currency from beating the level called Membux. There are vending machines here- you skip a floor, but they can sell sub weapons and specials to swap out, color chips you might want, and extra lives. It's pretty handy, so get as much money as you can."

"I see...this is a lot to process, yes..." Octa sighed, waving her hand and reading the details on the screen in front of her.

"You seem like a natural at this already, though."

"Oh well, you know, haha..."

Mirage stared at Octa. It's almost like...she's been here before.

The group climb the tower, one floor at a time, until they hit floor ten.

"Alright. This is a boss room. Be careful. Something's...weird." Acht said, watching the doors open.

Octa walked up to the edge, and was carried away by the cage, Pearl accompanying close by. The boss...seemed to be a giant blob, smack dab in the middle.

"What...is that..." Mirage gulped. It looked...pretty gross.

"Wait- there's someone in there!" Pearl exclaimed, zooming forward. "It's...

"MARINA!!"

"Marina? Like Off the Hook Marina?!" Minu exclaimed. "What is she doing here?!"

As soon as Octa glided to the ground with the help of Pearl, Marina began to twitch around, making robotic like movements.

"Intruders detected. Classification: Immediate threat. Orders: Elimination." She boomed, the machine-goop she was trapped in firing up. "Message to intruders: You've gotten far enough. It's time for you to succumb to world order. You will obey the system."

"YO! Marina, what's wrong with you?! You're acting all....kooky!" Pearl exclaimed.

"I have a sneaking suspicion you might have to fight her." Mirage groaned.

"N-No problem..." Octa said, readying her dualies.

"You'll need to go after those big tentacle portal things to the sides! They're holding up the forcefield!" Minu added. "Look how they connect to her!!"

"So destroy the portals. Got it."

"Those portals might spam a ton of enemies too." Acht also added on.

"And I bet that Marina herself might attack-"

"ALRIGHT! WE GOT IT! THANK YOU!" Pearl shouted at the two of them before zooming to Octa's side, who had already taken off to stop Marina.

One portal down....two portals down...three....

When the fourth one was destroyed, Marina slumped over. "Aaargh-!!"

"Now! Attack the blob she's trapped in!!"

Octa inked the blob as much as the dualies would let her, until the blob too exploded. Marina fell to the ground dramatically, and Octa and Pearl ran up to check on her.

"Marina!!" Pearl exclaimed.

"Ouuughh...P-Pearlie....Eight....is that...you?" She whined, sitting up and holding her head in pain. She removed the clunky glasses from her face. "I had a terrible dream....that I was trying to hurt people...to achieve world order, or something like that..."

"Miss Marina! I think you might have been being controlled!!" Octa exclaimed. "Hopefully, we destroyed the machine so it can't control you anymore..."

"I saw this....woman too....what is happening....?"

"Take it easy Marina. We'll take it from here, okay?" The Pearl drone gently bumped its face on the top of her head to give her a little kiss.

"Well, we found Marina..." Mirage sighed, them and Minu jumping down to the area where they were in. "Just a bunch of more people to go."

"Ough...oh, Octa....are these your new friends?"

"S-Sort of. These two are agents of the Splatoon. They recently joined."

"I see-"

The speaker system made a little chime, and suddenly, a glitchy face appeared from the remnants of the machine. It was just two little eyes and a little mouth- that in of itself wasn't very terrifying.

"You....you destroyed my Marina Agitando!! Vile, chaotic cretins...!"

"Heyo! Who the heck are you?!" Pearl yelled at the face.

"I am Order. I shall bring everyone into the Memverse, and through this, achieve World Order! There will be no more pain, no more worries...it will just be me."

"Wha-- so you must be behind this! Are you...Tara?!" Mirage asked frantically. "What did you do to all of our friends?!"

"Tara?! No! I am the perfect computer program! I have everyone's best interests in mind, if only you would listen to me-"

"No way, Order Freak! We're breaking all the people you trapped in here out of this plain prison!" Minu shouted.

"Hmph. So be it. Then..."

The system speakers chimed again. "Initiating full Order protocol. Any personnel within the building shall be expelled from the premises."

"Huh?"

"Uh oh..." Acht mumbled, holding on tightly to their hat.

"LEAVE! AND DON'T EVER STEP FOOT IN THE SPIRE AGAIN!!"

The screen twisted and convulsed, and it turned into a massive blast that hit them all with full force.

"W..."

"WAAAAAAAAH!"

The whole group crashed against the wall of the building, bursting through, and were sent flying off the top floor to the ground below.

"O-Octa!!" Marina shouted, holding her hand out to the three agents plummeting to the ground. The Pearl drone grabbed ahold of Marina to carry her in the air.

Octa looked around her. The shock of the blast had knocked the kids out cold. Quickly grabbing the two of them, she held them tightly as her back met the white sand below, breaking their fall as best as she could.

...........

[designedparadigm]

He’s getting bored.

Maybe using that freakish speed of his is cheating, but the enemy doesn’t care if you fight fair. His feelings about playing combatives instructor to the company’s latest banged-up find don’t matter — he has his orders (though maybe he’ll dump her onto the mats and extra time or two to vent his displeasure).

“Again.”

She clearly has a foundation in fighting, which is good. It makes this easier (for him). She’s been trying to hit him the entire time, but he’s shockingly nimble for a man his size, and in full kit to boot — it’s as if he moves in the space of a blink, because to her, he does.

“You’re telling me exactly what you’re going to do.” He hooks her leg with his heel for the third time and pulls hard, yanking it out from under her. “With your feet. Surprise me.” Can a rescue case straight out of the infirmary surprise a viral-mutated killing machine? Guess we’ll see. / @vehxmence

   it's  impossible  to  catch  her  breath.  everything  in  jill's  body  aches.  there's  copper  in  her  mouth,  and  when  she  turns  her  head  to  the  side  to  spit,  read  comes  out,  hitting  the  floor.  she  raises  a  hand  to  wipe  at  her  mouth,  smearing  blood  over  it.  wounds  that  haven't  had  the  time  to  fully  heal  -  she's  only  fucking  human.  she  jumped  from  a  window.  she  expected  to  die.  expected  to  harm  wesker. 

   of  course  -  nothing  happens  as  it  should.  captivity,  barely  healed,  thrown  to  the  wolves.  beaten  down  again  and  again  as  she  stands  to  fight.  prompted  to  take  another  swing.  she  can't  feel  half  of  her  body,  the  rest  of  it  is  a  burning  pain.  it's  fire  that  scorches  her,  burns  harder  with  every  movement  she  makes. 

   she's  told  again  -  and  she  rises  to  her  feet. 

   then  the  floor  meets  her. 

   it's  like  her  legs  stopped  working.  everything  hurts.  the  world  is  spinning.  black  is  creeping  into  her  vision,  but  she  forces  a  dry  cough  out  of  her  lungs,  squeezing  her  eyes  shut  and  trying  her  hardest  to  breathe,  steady  herself. 

  get  up,  jill.  you're  not  done  yet.  get  up.

   yet  -  her  body  doesn't  answer  her.  staying  on  her  knees,  on  the  floor.  it's  humiliating.  her  upper  lip  curls.  no  -  she  doesn't  go  down  without  some defiance.  she  lifts  her  head,  blue  eyes  glittering  with  hatred. 

   "getting  a  kick  out  of  beating  someone  who  can  barely  stand?  you're  all  fucking  pathetic."  she  snaps  it  out  through  clenched  teeth.  her  voice  is  hoarse,  and  her  breathing  ragged,  but  the  fire  in  her  just  refuses  to  go  out.

[weirdasizzie]

Commissions! (Open)

Yo! I've decided to do start doing some commissions. If anyone is interested, please let me know.

Rules:

I prefer visual references.

I can refuse for any given reason.

If you want your commission to remain anonymous, please tell me beforehand.

I can only start your commission once I receive half of the payment for it. If you're happy with the sketches you can send the rest of the payment. If you want some changes with the sketches, I'll be happy to do them for free. But if it's numerous changes, I believe it is fair to charge for that (if it comes to that). All payments are in AUD through PayPal/Ko-Fi.

Please do not take off the signature that I put on the image.

I will give you a full refund if I am unable to finish the commission for any reason.

Commissions (depending on their complexity) can take up to a week to complete. I appreciate your patience while I complete commissions.

As a growing artist, I will have the right to share your finished commission on my social accounts and use in my portfolio to show for future employers/commission inquirers/etc.

What I WILL do:

OCs of any sort

Fanart/Fan OCs

Human/Humanoid

Mythological/Fantasy

Gore/Blood

Tasteful Nudity

What I'll do but is not my focus:

Animals

Anthro/Furry

Machines

Vehicles

What I WON'T do (don't ask):

Explicitly sexual content/porn

Fetish art

Prices/Types:

All prices are base prices for one character. Price for additional characters depending on the type of commission i.e. A clean, half-body with an additional character would be $20 + $10 = $30

Sketch:

Bust - $5, Half-body - $10, Full-body - $15

+$2.50, +$5, or +$7.50 for each additional character

Clean:

Bust - $15, Half-body - $20, Full-body - $25

+$7.50, +$10, or +$12.50 for each additional character

Simple Shading:

Bust - $20, Half-body - $25, Full-body - $30

+$10, +$12.50, or +$15 for each additional character

Send a message or comment below with:

Type of commission: Full-body, clean, etc. (Tell me the commission you want).

Add on(s): Extra characters, etc.

Reference of the character: If you don't have a reference, please give a short summary of what the character looks like.

Additional info: If you want a specific pose, describe it here; Additional references of what you want for your commission go here too.

Commissions in progress:

1. Nethermation

2. lizardboy123

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

[slashesotron]

Let’s play a little game… ROUND THREE!

VOTING ENDS AT 6PM EST NOVEMBER 6th!

Through October and November, I’ll post a total of FOUR of these ballots- and you get to vote on what happens to poor Patchouli- or Atlas- next! 🩸

Welcome to the third annual Hurt My MC! Read on to see how this works, and to vote!

HOW TO PLAY

You MUST be 18+, NO EXCEPTIONS

Pick a character from the grid (Note - don’t choose between Patchouli and Atlas - see #5)

Pick prompts by NUMBER ONLY from the lists under the cut - This year, you can either pick ONE gore prompt and TWO kink prompts, or TWO gore prompts and NO kink prompts instead!

Reply to this post with your choice - For example, E-2-22-25 (gore & kink) or E-2-14 (gore only)

I use a random number generator to determine the winning prompt, flip a coin to decide which MC will be subjected to it, and draw!

Please only play once per ballot to keep things fair! If you’re worried about your main showing up in the notes, you can send me an anon with your vote- but please be sure to include what round it’s for.

PROMPT LIST UNDER THE CUT + image credits 💖

My prompt list is an amalgamation of several different ones because I like to keep things flexible- if one is yours, and you’d like it removed, please contact me!

▶ CHARACTER LIST - CHOOSE ONE

▶ LIST PROMPTS BY LETTER ONLY

A. Avery

B. Shattered!Dondon

C. Juniper

D. Subject 701 / ‘Johnny’

E. Norman © @carnivorekitty

F. Eden © @beetle-drip

G. Harlowe © @beetle-drip

H. Salvador © @holdmehurtme

I. The Trickster / Ji Woon Hak - Dead By Daylight

J. Strade © Gatobob

K. Celia Lede © Gatobob

L. Wade Curtis © @xbonecandyx

▶  GORE PROMPTS

▶  LIST PROMPTS BY NUMBER ONLY

Cannibalism // Feast // Consensual gore

Bear trap // Teeth // The romantic full moon

Battle // Bones // Blood Bath

Bandages // Ow, my head // Reverse bear trap

Zombie // Skewered // Hunter becomes hunted

Sick // Ribcage // Surreal gore

Ritualistic Sacrifice // Excessive Gashes // Dark magic

Decapitation // The experiment // Impaled

Cuts / Lacerations // Under the skin // Segmentation

Stitches // Autopsy // Body modification

Execution / Mori // Mouth trauma // Keeping a trophy

CHAINSAW // The chase scene // Just like in the movies

Excessive blood // Barbed wire // Chest cavity

Is this a hallucination? // Father forgive me // Gunshot

Surgery // Amputation // Scars // It burns

It’s just a shadow // Body horror // The murder weapon

Rearranged // Extra Limbs / Eyes / Etc // Knife

Power tools // Torture // Dripping blood

Monster Form // Robotic Parts / Prosthetics // Arrows

A message on the glass // Monster-like features

Machines // Distorted Body / Broken Bone // Beaten

Bruises // Animal / beast wounds // Backstabbed

Medical treatment // Light from beneath // Nosebleed

Kill for me! // Possession / Corruption // Meat hook

▶ KINK PROMPTS

▶  LIST PROMPTS BY NUMBER ONLY

25. Degradation | Hair pulling

26. Exhibitionism/Voyeurism | Stockings

27. Creampie | Threesome

28. Role Reversal | Humiliation

29. Bondage | Wound fucking

30. Drool | Necrophilia

31. Power imbalance | Mirror Sex

32. Body Swap | Aphrodisiacs

33. Master/Slave | Masturbation

34. Uniforms | Glasses

35. Collaring | Stripping

36. Shotgunning | Seduction

37. Spit-roasting | Shibari

38. Cock Worship | Dacryphilia

39. Fucking Machine | Begging

40. Pet Play | Somnophilia

41. Licking | Costume

42. Against a wall | Toys

43. Sensory Deprivation | Face-Sitting

44. Knife Play | Object Insertion

45. Deep-Throating | Dirty talk

46. Shower/Bath | Fingers in mouth

47. Lingerie | Intercrural

48. Masks | Corset

49. Public | Cross-dressing

50. Gags | Omorashi

51. Teeth | Overstimulation

52. Formal Wear | Size Difference

53. Glory hole | Gun Play

54. Double+ Penetration | Handjobs

55. Biting | Spanking

56. Sadism/Masochism | Daddy

57. Fisting | Boot Worship

▶  Please make sure you have ONE LETTER and THREE NUMBERS if you're using gore & kink prompts! ▶  Please make sure you have ONE LETTER and TWO NUMBERS if you're ONLY using gore prompts! ▶  Gore & Kink prompts: Character - Gore prompt - Kink prompt 1 - Kink prompt 2 ▶  Gore prompts ONLY: Character - Gore prompt 1 - Gore prompt 2 ▶  Post them in this format: A-1-2-3 OR A-1-2 ▶  Thank you! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

[incomingalbatross]

"The Librarians and the Dark Secret" notes, pt 1:

Long notes. Mainly because there are Evil Catholics here and unrelated moral ambiguity. I got ranty. Anyway, real-time journey below:

Oh, weird symbol-covered parchment inside an organ. This feels kinda Fringe/Alias-y.

Noooooooooo, not Evil Catholic Religious. PLease. Librarians. I am tired.

JOHN NOBLE JOHN NOBLE JOHN NOBLE

^^ as you can see, I went through an emotional journey in the first minute and twenty seconds of this episode. But A) Fringe vibes redoubled, and B) I will put up with a LOT for John Noble. even if I still expect to be gritting my teeth through Evil Priests content.

Torn on whether or not I hope he has a son with whom he has a complicated and deeply flawed relationship. On the one hand, his character is (at least pretending to be) clergy, but on the other... what is a John Noble character who isn't a messed-up dad?

Anyway. Moving on.

Okay, I knew it was a wedding fakeout (If you want to blindside fans with a wedding, you blindside them with the CRUX of the matter, not with a lot of wedding-looking prep that everyone onscreen's being a little vague about). But I didn't call that it was a rehearsal for the not-technically-a-wedding. I respect that added layer of fakeout.

(and the additional chances it brings for the Important Ceremony to be thwarted for an episode or a season, if plot demands.)

Side note, though: Jenkins, I appreciate you're the only one taking the Important Magical Ceremony seriously, but I don't think you really need a full dress rehearsal with all the decorations if the principals don't even have their lines down yet.

Park ranger: *swears at a group of men who are very clearly in cassocks, only to get embarrassed when they turn around*

...Really? The clerical collar is more of a signal to you than the full-length black cassocks??

NICOLE!!!

Y'know, I was going with the headcanon that something happened to Nicole during the Time-Machine-Stealing Ninja Caper, and she got stuck permanently in the past (or possibly future). But I was picturing a... less angsty version of that.

Making Nicole evil makes me UPSET. >:( I'm not saying she's the most stable personality, but she went through a lot for the Cause of Good in her movie! She didn't crack then!!

Why WAS Jenkins the one to hunt her down and lock her up? Was he just in a more active phase a hundred years ago?

...For that matter, what does this imply about what they already knew of the future during the first movie? If the Library locked her up before they recruited her... that gets twisty.

Ezekiel's right, actually, I think we should all be a little more disturbed by the fact that they've had A PERSON LOCKED UP IN THE SECRET BASEMENT ALL THIS TIME. (Also, feels like consistent characterization with his "bodysnatching is indefensible" stance.)

I mean, what do you do with an immortal out for your blood? Tricky. But still.

Also, "What else is the Library not telling us?" is actually a really fair question, because we know Library secrets are on a very strict need-to-know basis where its Librarians are concerned (since they're kinda the foot-soldiers)... and we also know that our little team is Running The Place now, through no act of their own. With Judson and Charlene gone they should be unpacking a lot of secrets. What if something happened to Jenkins?? They'd be lost without a map!

Listen. There are a lot of points on Nicole's side right now. Prophecy or not.

Soooo... the priests are a heretic sect, but they're secret heretics hidden within the Church, but they have special iconography that they wear regularly to identify their heretical cult? Sure, Jan.

A know-nothing religious sect formed in the 18th century has no reason to stay hidden inside the Church. Do you know how popular making your own religion was then?? People didn't stay in the Church if they didn't want to!

Oh, here's another gem: their symbol is a callback to the flames that destroyed the Library of Alexandria—which, why would they care about that symbol of learning specifically unless they're actually anti-magic-Library. Annnnnd they want to... "return the world to the Dark Ages."

*deep, tired breath*

Jenkins, you were AROUND for the ""Dark Ages,"" don't you DARE spout that Enlightenment propaganda.

And AGAIN. Why would a reactionary anti-Enlightenment "Christian" cult that wanted to go back to the Middle Ages (entirely reasonable reaction to living through the Enlightenment, btw! I'd be on board with that part!) care about the destruction of the Library of Alexandria one way or the other.

Also, btw, some of us who dislike the so-called Enlightenment wouldn't call ourselves "Shadows," we just happen to think "Enlightenment" is a stupid, egoistic misnomer for a period that significantly dimmed the light of truth in the world.

"Tell me, do you date all of your Guardians, or just the blonde ones?" Nicole, dear, I am attached to you, but you are the one who dated both your Librarians—and in much quicker succession. Glass houses, here.

Ohhh, Flynn. Buddy. This is yet another thing he's been living with, huh.

"Mnemonic device an immortal made for themselves" is possibly the BEST explanation for a cryptic treasure map/clue. I like to see it.

Anyway. I'm halfway through the episode and I need to get up in five hours. It is, in the words of the meme, TIME TO STOP.

[kaiparker-avengerssmut]

Their Doll 8

Let me in

B.Barnes x Reader, S.Rogers x Stark!Reader

series synopsis:  y/n Stark, all records of her non existent, and yet Hydra still find her. When she is kidnapped by a certain super-soldier and no one believes her, she finds herself searching for unexpected familiarity in her not-so-distant past.

Series Warnings: smut, violence, torture, swearing

Chapter Summary: y/n gets emotional

Warnings: swearing, feelings

A/n: The timeline in this has been altered, as there I things I wanted to include but I also wanted this fic to follow the storyline/timeline of Winter Soldier and Civil war.So for purposes of this fanfic, Peter Parker was discovered by Tony at a much younger age - when he was bitten - and has been an intern with him since, almost like a protégée.(For the purposes of this story Peter was bitten much younger too - more like when he was 9 or ten rather than 14/15)

Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Life at the tower was...tiring, to say the least. During my free time I often found myself in the gym, lobbing knives at a target and trying my hardest not to biting one in Steve's chest every time he would correct my technique. When I wasn't trying to murder the avenger in cold blood, I was usually dragged into things by the other: briefings and debriefing for missions I'd never go on, my dad's parties, group training sessions and study periods with Bruce in his labs to name a few.

But for now, I was huddled in my rooms - fresh out of a hot shower after a brutal two hour training session and four mile run with Natasha - curled up on my bed and attempting to catch up on a few of the films I'd missed. But the exhaustion and drowsiness clouded my eyes, the noise from the TV merely in the background as I felt my eyes growing heavier by the second.

A sharp knock at the door snapped my out of my lowsey state, the people movie across the screen simple a blur of colour as my eyes darted past the tv and over to the door.

"Mr Stark is waiting at your door. Would you like me to let him in?" FRIDAY's evenly calm voice chimed, making me groan and mumble a 'no' into my pillows. The last person I wanted to see right now was my dad.

"Come on kid, let me in." My dad called from the other side of the door, and I could practically hear him roll his eyes and shake his head when I stayed silent. When he spoke again, it wasn't directed at me. "FRIDAY, override command and open the door."

"Wait! That's hardly fair!" I whined like a five year old, groaning again when the door swung open and my dad stood on the other side, quite clearly just as exhausted as I was.

"Get used to it, kiddo. Life isn't fair." Tony chided, walking over to my bed. I tried to shuffle away slightly when I felt the bed dip, my dad perching on the edge as his eyes scanned over the room. "I see you haven't decorated yet." He commented casually, as if nothing had ever happened between us.

"Yeah, well, I thought It'd be a shame to spend so much time on something when you're probably waiting to kick me out anyway." I mumbled, refusing to look at him.

"What the hell is wrong with you, y/n? Ever since you got back you've been-"

"Acting different?" I cut in, and when Tony simply swallowed thickly I nodded. "Funny that, seeing as I was kidnapped and tortured for three years. Not to mention made to kill people for another year after that."

"Y/n I'm sorry..."

"But you're not! You can't be, otherwise you'd actually have tried to save me, rather than leaving me to rot!" My voice cracked, tears pricked at my eyes and I now sat up straight in my bed, facing my dad but not looking him in the eye. "And you can't change that, you can't go back in the past and fix your mistake. And trying to fix it now sure as hell won't work, so I suggest you leave before I'm tempted to use you as my target for my training session tomorrow." I raised my voice, eyes now keeping his captive as the tears rolled freely down my cheeks.

"Oh, kid, they broke you." Tony murmured, cupping my cheek with his hand, eyes swimming with sorrow. Sorrow that I didn't want.

"You can't fix me either, because I'm not broken!" I said harsher now, voice only getting louder. "I don't need to be fixed..." I trailed off, voice barely above a whisper Joe as my eyes broke the contact, averting to my lap as the tears dropped onto the bed sheets.

That's how I found myself in my fathers arms, face pressed against his shoulder as the sobs made my body shake, hiccups escaping me as I tried to speak.

"A-all I needed W-was my D-dad, and yo- you took him f-from me!" I wailed, hands clutching my dad's shirt and his arms wrapped protectively around my shoulder, hands rubbing circles over my back soothingly.

"I know, kiddo. I'm sorry."

...

"Who is that?" Clint frowned, staring at the pictures scattered over the table in front of Natasha and Steve as they studied them deeply,  brows creased in thought.

"Our newest pain in the ass." Tony answered for them, slapping a thick folder down in front of Clint as he said so. The marksman was quick to pick it up, flicking through the documents, news stories and information sheets greedily.

"The...winter soldier?" He asked, looking at the three superheroes in front of him as if they'd gone mad. "But he's a ghost story!"

"I've seen him. Been shot by him, actually." Nat said, an sadistically proud smirk forming on her lips with her last words, almost as if it were an achievement.

"We're trying to find out more about him, maybe that way we can beat him." Steve explained, sitting back in his chair with crossed arms as he huffed in defeat, sick to death with staring at the same five pictures all morning.

Y/n walked in, a skip in her step as she crossed the room to Tony.

"Morning, dad." She greeted, placing a quick kiss to his cheek and heading over to the cupboard to grab a mug. Clint and Natasha frowned in confusion, looking between the two as if they'd witnessed pigs fly.

Tony shrugged, y/n too preoccupied with making herself a coffee to notice the avengers' reactions. When her coffee was done, y/n swiped her mug from under the machine and sipped happily, letting out a content sigh before wandering over to stand behind Natasha.

"What are you working on?" She asked, peering over the spy's shoulder to get a glimpse of the pictures.

A loud smash crashed through the room, Tony's eyes widening in shock and Natasha jumping from her seat in order to not get covered in spilt coffee. Y/n stood paralysed, eyes never leaving the photo in front of her as she started at the Soldier. Steve frowned deeply, studying the girl as her eyes glossed over with with what seemed to be...sadness.

Clint was already at her side, a comforting hand on her shoulder as they all asked y/n what had happened and if she was alright. It was like a constant ringing in her ear interrupted their words before they reached her ears, and y/n suddenly felt nauseous as she starred at the bright red star on the soldier's arm, his long and messy dark hair shrouding his face and his leather clad, muscular body. Only his cerulean blue eyes could be seen, the rest of his face covered in a black mask she didn't usually see him in.

"I-I need some air." She stuttered, stumbling blindly out of the room and down the stairs, tipping over a few steps from the bottom and tumbling down the last few. She quickly pulled herself to her feet, hearing still ringing and vision offset, hazy, as she scrambled for the double glass doors. Luckily they already stood open, so she flew through them and out into the busy streets of New York.

Y/n found herself colliding will someone almost instantly, angry shouts of 'hey, watch it!' And 'look where the fuck you're going, kid!' Being called after her like a chorus as she pushed through the bustling people.

She finally stopped, dropping to her knees and simply staring straight ahead, no intended subject in her line of vision as she tried to comprehend the-the grief, at seeing the a soldier's face again.

It had only been two weeks, and yet two weeks without him, his touch, his scent - it felt like an eternity to y/n now. She hasn't registered what her feeling meant for him before, liking him beyond a source of comfort had just felt...wrong, after all he'd done, and yet y/n couldn't deny it.

She was in love with the Winter Soldier, and she didn't even know his name.

...

I wasn't aware of when someone had found me, nor of how they got me back to the tower or even how I was now stood staring blankly out of the window that stood next to my bed. I gazed longingly, almost as if I stared long enough, hard enough, he'd appear.

But of course he wouldn't, he was probably half way across the world, knowing HYDRA. A soft knock on my door and my head was turning, facing my visitor with a look of pure grief and want. Desperate, unhinged want that could eat you up from inside out and you'd still feel it.

"Hey, y/n. Can I talk to you for a moment?" Nat asked tentatively, clearing trying to to disturb my shaken up state. I nodded, offering a small smile which she returned as I now faced her. She walked up to me, talking my hands him hers and playing with the as she spoke, eyes kind and full of understanding.

"There's a mission, and we want you to go." She said calmly, almost as if the mere thought of it would send me into some kind of heart attack.

"Okay," I begun, eyes flitting down to the floor before back up again. "What is it? Aren't you scared that I'm still HYDRA and all I'd do is stab someone in the back?"

"Not exactly." Nat informed me with a smile, amusement glinting in her eyes at my assumption. "For starters, we all trust you, well maybe not steve - but everyone else does." Nat and I both laughed slightly. "And I think you wouldn't have it any other way it to go on the mission yourself." Nat finished.

"How come?" I asked, brow raised.

"There's been a lead..." she started. "On the winter soldier. We thought you might want to help check it out, possibly capture him. Your powers may be the best chance we have a detaining someone as strong as him." Nat spoke. "And if we can detain him.."

"We can save him." I finished.

"Exactly."

[fanatichistory]

Mushrooms Pt4

Hoooo baby I cannot stop writing this story ^.^’ It’s getting away from me in a good way I think...I hope you guys like so far!

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3

Zaviar was seated at Devana's bedside in her room still as the sun began to rise over the tops of the surrounding forest. The plants were subtly shifting to wakefulness in anticipation of the sun's rays as Aaron continued snoring away in the bean bag chair.

Dragging a hand down his face he was pleased to hear a more regular and steady heart rhythm. It was still slow and she was on the cool side in way of body temperature but she was steadily improving and that had to count for something. 

He got up and stretched, feeling his joints pop, as he quietly exited the room and entered the kitchen to figure out how to work her coffee pot.  

Everything seemed pretty standard in set up as he spooned the coffee grounds into the bin and placed it back into the machine. It took him a few minutes to figure out how to get the water inside but thankfully turning it on was straightforward enough.

"Now this I have to see." Zaviar turned to see a yawning Aaron as he smiled and stretched his arms out before dropping into the bar stool at the kitchen island.

"I am perfectly capable of making coffee thank you very much." 

"No. You're perfectly capable at making coffee in that fancy machine of yours at home." He teased with a lopsided smile as Zaviar followed his lazy finger directions around the kitchen to pans and utensils. 

"Don't tease me, you love those little cups I put the espressos in. And my machine makes hot and cold varieties too. We have all the options." Zaviar teased back, heading for the fridge to grab the eggs. "Wait, you're cool with eggs right? I forgot to ask. I'm too tired..."

"Yeah man, if you're cooking." Zaviar noticed that Aaron was either too tired to respond to the joke about little cups or elected to ignore it for now as he blinked slowly off into space. 

It was a long night to be fair. Zaviar paused and noticed the eggs were all sorts of colors and sizes and had varying degrees of film and bits of feather stuck to it, which threw him off for a full minute as he stood staring at them as it had been awhile since he had seen fresh eggs. 

Zaviar had gotten accustomed to city living for the past 100 or so years, it had been a while since he had been on a farm so to speak, but he remembered to thoroughly wash the feather and grime off the shell before breaking them in the bowl.

As he cooked the eggs the coffee had finished brewing and Aaron got up to pour them both cups before giving pause and looking the pot over and smiling wide. 

"Zaviar."

"Just tell me I didn't break her coffee machine."

"You didn't, but you did forget to put the coffee filter in." He gave Aaron a raised brow as a white paper filter was produced from the cabinet and placed into the machine while the coffee was poured back in and the re-brewed the pot.

"The more you know..." Zaviar resisted a stressed sigh. It was so much simpler having someone else cook but too many assassinations and poisonings led him to fire his staff at home and only keep just the house keeping, butler, and his bodyguard as he taught himself how to work the convenience machines.

Speaking of...

"This is the longest I ditched Tristan. I should be getting back to work soon before he tracks me down here and finds us..." Aaron paused mid-bite as reality settled back in as the coffee officially finished brewing and Zaviar poured them steaming hot cups.

"He'd be oath bound to turn us in..." He trailed off in thought. 

Tristan would have been a trustworthy friend like Aaron, but as a warrior and a Guardian, he took a blood oath to the council to uphold it's laws. To disobey would be death. And not in an executed or thrown in jailed sense either.

A Guardian is the highest title a warrior can attain and they must not only be proficient in physical skills but magical as well.  Some Guardians go on to become one of the Kings of the Quarters, like Zaviar did when he overthrew the previous King of the South Quarter and ended the slavery of the witches there. 

Other Guardians become bodyguards if they have no desire to lead, like Tristan to Zaviar. Mostly Kings, council members, temple High Priests and Priestesses boast a Guardian bodyguard...even though Guardians are few and far in between they are no less a force to be reckoned with and the 'Oath' is bound in blood to the overruling council.

Should a Guardian break the law or go against the council, the oath is broken and the punishment is death. Since the oath is magically bound within the blood it then begins to break the body of the Guardian, depending on the severity of the crime, until dead, and could be either quick or dragged out.

"We can't put him that position. Call me if you need me, yes?" Zaviar wanted to trust Tristan. Fully and truly. But the oath got in the way of that and Zaviar was working to dismantle a lot of the council's laws behind the scenes. A lot of them still believed in the slavery system and ran witch workhouses in their quarters and districts.

The South Quarter may be okay for now but there were still a lot of angry traditionalists running underground witch workhouses and he hasn't even had a chance to address the human rights part of being on the menu or the way vampires have been treating their donors lately. Humans or otherwise because apparently they have been experimenting with other flavors now.

Basically the world is a mess and politics suck and as much as Tristan and Aaron were his friends, only one could be trusted not turn him in. The council really sucks and for once Zaviar really felt his age, wishing for a time back before the council existed. Back before the blood oathed Guardians.

"Hey, I'm close to figuring a way out for Tristan. I know it sucks but only for a little longer. Then we can tell him everything like we used too." Aaron gave him a half-hearted smile as he began to clean up after them in the kitchen.

"Yeah...This oath stuff is new magick and it makes me wonder what the council has in store for the Guardians they have sworn in so far. Including Tristan. I know you two aren't that old, babies in comparison to me really, no offense. But they are preparing for something and I smell war brewing Aaron. Preparations are being made, the chaos in the streets are dividing the people...everyone's distracted and choosing sides already." He hated how the anxiety was already evident in his voice. The last thing he wanted was to add more to Aaron’s already full plate.

"It's not so much the people being extra asshole-like lately. Just that when people smell trouble brewing they close naturally close ranks and keep their loved ones close. I’m surprised the council is still in charge when we have four rulers, one for each Quarter. How does each King just, go along with the council anyway?”

Zaviar shrugged nonchalantly. "We're supernatural. We don't age, mostly. We are patient...sometimes. Most of us get our positions through sheer and very bloody violence. It's not surprising it, puts on a show of benevolence and deference to the people while enslaving and abusing its subjects at the same time. It’s about ceremony, ritual...grandstanding..."

“...Politics.”

He and Aaron shared a look before sharing a laugh while Aaron rinsed off the plates in the sink.

"And why are you so dead set on changing the centuries of habits and lifestyles of all manner of species again?" Aaron asked him with a raised brow and a curious side eye as he dried off his hands from the sink while Zaviar sat back down at the island. 

He was quiet for so long that Aaron thought he wasn't going to answer.

"I promised someone...a very long time ago..." Zaviar was speaking so quietly that Aaron had to step up to the island to hear him better.  "I promised them that I would try to make the world safer...particularly for humans..." 

Aaron watched his friend intently as he spoke, so quiet, so hesitant. Looking from the counter and back up at him a few times as if wondering if he should be sharing these true feelings of his out loud.

"If you don't want to say anymore, then don't. But just know I'm here for you man." Aaron gave him a pat on the shoulder as they shared a sad smile.

The beat of wings and a resounding thump on the roof however made both their hearts sink as it was followed by footsteps and a secondary thump as the person landed on the ground. 

The door to the cabin opened and a tall, muscular man with large midnight black wings speckled with white ducked through, wings dragging on the ground behind but otherwise tucked in. He swept his long equally black hair out his face and pierced Zaviar with a glare. 

"Care to explain why the hell you ditched to go play farmer without me? And since when did Aaron get a farm?" 

"I didn-"

"It's his early Christmas present. He's always out foraging and shit in these woods, thought he'd appreciate being the only one with access to his little flowers and sticks." Zaviar cut in quickly and with a lightly teasing tone as he strode across the cozy living space to where Tristan stood in the doorway, and effectively cutting off route to the hallway that led to Devana’s room.

Both Tristan and Aaron understood the hint, and the drill, and went along with it. 

"Well, I really am out here a lot foraging. And I will be here a lot more from now on harvesting and taking notes. " Aaron was quick to soothe Tristan, hating to leave him out but still being careful with his words so as to not accidentally implicate anyone.

"And the whole...yeehaw bit?" Tristan asked with a bit of skeptism, tilting his head at the sound of a human heartbeat in the back bedroom of the cabin Zaviar had cut off route too.

Aaron looked to Zaviar for help on that one, unsure how to respond. 

"Extra credit?"

Tristan sighed heavily and ruffled his feathers in annoyance. "Whatever you two. Just figure you're story out. Zaviar, get a move on and change. You wore that suit yesterday and people will notice. It's almost 8 o' clock already so you'll be late but if you hurry you should make you're make your 10:30 meeting."

"I thought I already had a secretary..." Zaviar grumbled as he went to gather his jacket.

"You ditched her with me." Tristan complained as he dragged a hand down his face, his feathers drooping which told Aaron there was some tea to spill there later.

"That's my fault dude. Try not to be to hard on him. I was out foraging when I got attacked by a vampire that was sent to kill me." Tristan jerked to attention and crossed the room, immediately checking him over for injuries, wondering if the mysterious human in question had anything to do with it as well but didn’t dare ask just in case it had to do with whatever obvious council breaking shenanigans they were up to.

"You do not appear to injured." His emerald eyes never blinked as they slid over Aaron, lifting his sleeves and shirt to check his torso before moving to his legs.

"I kicked his ass." Aaron let out a brief chuckle as he shooed him away. Tristan liked to think he was Aaron's bodyguard at times too and not just Zaviar's.

"Then why the emergency?" Tristan hated that the oath made him left out of his friendship with the two but he still had to ask. He still cared about them.

"Um, well...shit, um..." Aaron began to stutter as he floundered for an excuse while Tristan patiently waited. 

This must be the human’s cabin then and they could not tell him, or so Tristan told himself.

While Zaviar dragged his feet in Devana's room gathering his jacket and pleased to find that her heartbeat had returned to normal, Tristan meanwhile took a breath and tried to remember his two friends weren't outcasting him on purpose.

 In fact they were up front up about the whole graduation ceremony the Guardians were given nowadays was in fact a blood oath to the council.

And part of that oath was reporting any law-breaking behavior. Which means these two were truly up to no good out here. Well, by council standards. Which worked well enough for Tristan as long as he didn't see or hear anything then he wasn't oath bound to report.

"Alright let's get going shall we? You going to keep those wings out or come along with me?" Zaviar asked as was shrugging himself back into his suit jacket and fastening the buttons as he walked down the hall and across the living room.

Before Tristan could answer however there was a brilliant flash of bright blue light that lit up the cabin like a stadium floodlight making all three men gasp and recoil as they shaded their eyes.

Just as quickly the light faded, leaving them to rub their eyes as they slowly readjusted to normal light once more. 

"Aaron...you seriously need to get a better handle on your potion storage. That's the third time this month. " Tristan got up slowly, sharing a reassuring and knowing smile with both of them before ducking back out the door and taking off into the sky without another word. Cover story intact and no report necessary.

And one they used quite a bit when rescuing and moving slaves and humans.

Zaviar and Aaron stood up and turned to make their way to Devana's room to check on her and find out what had changed now only to find her stumbling out of the hallway rubbing her eyes and glowing.

Well, more accurately, the glow, which looked phosphorescent underneath her sun kissed skin, was pulsating in tune with her steady heartbeat. Zaviar tasted the air again and frowned when he still found no scent from her.

"Aaron?" She was still groggy but was able to find and pin him with a bewildered look as panic set in. "I don't know how to make the glowing stop..."

Tears began to fall as the glow dulled with her fear and she began looking at her arms in confusion and then back up to Aaron for answers.

“Go, Tristan’s right about that meeting. You have to keep up appearances and don’t forget to change your suit. I’ll stay here with Dev, figure stuff out in the meantime.” Aaron held his hands up to her as he approached while he talked.

Already he was studiously taking in the glow’s fear response. Zaviar nodded to him and gave a wave to the girl.

“Woman.”

“Pardon?” Zaviar tilted his head curiously while Aaron gave her arm a poke before she gave him a light smack.

“Woman.” She corrected again. “I run this homestead, 24, I am woman. Roar.” She gave him a bright smile and waved back. “If you’re coming back later I’ll introduce you to my plants.”

“How do you know what it is I said to you?” He asked, drawn in by her rich brown eyes.

“What did you say to her?” Aaron asked almost accusatorily as he stepped closer to her. He had kept her out of this world so far, safe from Supernaturals. And It’s not like he didn’t trust Zaviar or anything. He knew his friend didn’t kill the humans he fed from but old habits and all.

“To get better soon and tell me about all those plants in her room. She has a lot of them..” Zaviar responded almost unsure but his eyes never left hers as she continued to smile at him. “I will be back later tonight once work is finished.” 

He flashed her a toothy grin and gave an almost sheepish wave to Aaron as he took his leave out the door and climbed into his car before speeding off.

Devana began glowing a brilliant phosphorescent blue once again at that when Aaron began to shake his head and chuckle as he figured out the trigger to her glowing on and off again being tied to her emotions.

“Devana Ashwood I think you have a crush.” She gasped in panic, the glow simultaneously shut off with her emotion, and she whirled to face him as burst out laughing.

“You shut up right now mister! And grab that pan, you two forgot to make me some breakfast.” She gave him a light smack on the head as he continued laughing at her while he busied himself at the stovetop.

[we-dragons]

I'm from a different dimension actually Chapter 6 Damian x reader

Professor X sat in his wheelchair glancing around the room he hums his eyes pouring over all that there was finally landing on Robin. He gives me a look gesturing over at him.

"He informed me about The Crows sir, apparently they have gone under the radar, they've killed three people and the system didn't go off. At first, I thought we still had time, I treated a wound he had it he had come in contact with one and fought it. You know like how Wolverine did, I treated the cut and it's gone, but I was sure they were still in the dream state. But he got injured saving those left how survived probably not far from here, but the fact we didn't even receive the ring can only mean...they've returned under complete control again."

Concern fills the face of professor X, he turns to Robin, who shifts uncomfortably by the entrance of my kitchen. "Who are you then?"

"Robin."

The professor nods not even turning from his spot, he looks over Robin as if completing an inspection.

"How much does this Robin Know Dreki, about you, and The Crows?"

"I told him about the Jal-sein, the old race before the collective mind sharing, and he knows about my box of scales." Professor sighs.

"How did you meet him."

"When he broke through my window last week, infected."

"You gave him some scales to purge poison."

"Yes sir."

"Very good," He moves back to his original spot in the middle of the room. "You have been permitted to stop them at all costs if you must. Your uncle will be here soon to help you kill whatever has brought them back, in the meantime try not to use the stones. We don't want to attract more trouble than what has already been done."

"You're allowing me to put my powers to use?"

"As long as you don't wear it out, vibranium is not easy to turn into clothing."

"What a minute!" Robin's voice carried out through the room. "Just what's going on?"

"Robin," Professor X starts. "your world is being invaded by the Crow so that you become one of the many planets they have drained of life. And to do it they need a vessel that can contain the leader of the Jal-sein, Hok'mor." Professor X looks at him, his use

"And?" Robin says his face remaining unreadable

"I was the vessel, I escaped, destroyed the flagship and the army they had." I shiver moving out from my room to the box still lying on the kitchen table. "They were after the life of my home, so then I became a weapon for my planet." I pull out a bag of coins from the box.

"And what do you intend to do now (Y/N), destroy them yourself." Robin stands in the entryway, professor X stands behind him.

"Yes," I turn to him a chakram and the bag of coins in hand. "so unless you know how to obliterate a bird in 15 seconds or less you need to forget this ever happened and never come back."

"So, why tell me any of this, why tell me about anything why expose yourself?"

"So you can tell your family and friends and hopefully, just maybe you can survive. Because knowing them keeps them out of your head, but too much knowing allows them to enter." I pick up Nightmare, he crawls up to my shoulder and I head out of the kitchen, Robin makes room for me but just barely. I open my closet and pull out the last thing I have, two letters one written in my mother's signature ink and the other in my own handwriting, I hold them out to the professor.

"You know there is nowhere left for me to run professor if I end out getting caught...I just want him to have this. In my letter, papers are containing the custody terms for my brother to Uncle. I just need you to grab them to complete the transfer." Professor X slowly takes the letters where they rematerialize on his side.

"Good-bye Dreki, I will see that these get to your Brother."

Professor fades out of the com, and it clicks turning off, I pick it off the floor and slip it into the pocket of my sweatpants. I pulled out the chakram ready to leave a mark on my hand, I only needed a little bit of blood to completely transform when Robin coughs gaining my attention. He leans against the wall to the left of me now glaring at my form, Nightmare growls at the boy from the corner of my eye I see his fangs getting slightly bigger.

"Are you making it a habit to ignore me while I'm here?"

"No, But I do need you to leave, you can't stay here anymore." I begin to push him out the door in the kitchen, he slaps my hands away confusion leaving his face replacing it's with anger. He open's his mouth and I put a magic orange circle on his head.

"You Robin son of batman, found this information interrogating one of the monsters. It spoke in a language that was foreign but somehow understood all of it. You have made no such connection to the girl Y/N M/N, you did not see a man from another dimension, you came back to thank her for her help you had some tea and you were just leaving." I flick my hand and the circle vanishes, his head lowers for a moment as the information in his head readjusts. He moves to the balcony edge turning to face me the scowl returned to his face.

"Thank you for the tea." he pulls out a grappling hook and leaves without another word. I sigh moving to the same device I used to contact the professor. Picking it up I hold it to my mouth.

"Find me the closest thing to a sorcerer supreme, name and whereabouts contact them when you get there."

I toss it back onto the floor and it roars to life to give me a purple image of the earth and orange magic circles to tracking and moving. I move to my couch and fall asleep waiting for this day to take me.

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I wake the next day with the globe still searching for my request I sigh and get ready for work. I thank god that it's just the coffee shop below me, I work on the weekends mostly unless they need an extra member of staff then it's just me and the older lady and her husband. They both owned the building and the shop they helped me get the apartment set up and showed me how to work the coffee machines. I don't really drink coffee though after seeing what a raving maniac my dad became without it, also it was just so bitter no matter how much sugar I put into it. I partially blame my heightened scenes that came with my abilities, so I got free white hot chocolates and any extra flavors I wanted as long as I did my job and chatted with them for a while.

I asked them personally to stay away while I was sick, so they wouldn't be affected. When I get down the stairs Martha, the elderly lady beams thankful that I'm feeling better.

"I so glad you are doing well dear, I know the acidity in our rain makes you sick so Glenn and I got you this umbrella." She hands me a purple umbrella that still has a tag on it, it reads for sun and rain.

"You didn't have to do this Martha, I told you I'm not good with gifts, you already let me stay here on the government's program and gave me a job here, you and Glenn have already done so much." She pushes the umbrella farther into my chest.

"No you do so much for us, you work without complaint, you've also taken care of us and our granddaughter when she came over. When you were sick we were so worried about you so you going to take it or I can give you more gifts."

"Thank you very much."I smile brightly. She pats my shoulder and gestures to the counter to start the machines.

Once all the machines are started, the desserts are placed and the base coffees are made I open shop. Customers come in and some lounge around in the chairs or couches drinking coffees and either studying or chatting with their friends. Molly usually comes on Sunday as one of our regulars, so I would see her then. A few of our regulars are happy to see I'm back at work one of the other tenants gave me a green bean casserole and a hug. It's 5 O'clock and I make a cappuccino as I finish I hear the door open and the bell ring on the counter.

The black-haired blue-eyed male I had gotten to know as detective Richard Grayson, came in every other day at 5, he normally talks often while I tried to take his order. So I memorized what he usually gets so he doesn't block the register so I can still make the register.

"Hey Y/N I'll take the usual."

"I thought so," I hand him his drink " one cappuccino."

He takes his coffee and moves to the bar we have set up if you wanted to watch the process and it's only then I see the other people behind him, one pissed-off looking male with a cigarette in his mouth, Tim Drake, and Damian Wayne. I look back to Richard he smiles at me leaning onto the bar.

"They came with me this time, It's family bonding time."

"You mean you dragged us out of the house to grab a coffee from this place cause you have a schedule."

"It's bonding Jason! Bonding!"

The two began arguing in the shop, I return my attention to the other two boys. Tim as at the counter puts a ten-dollar bill on the counter, while Damian does the same.

"Give me a regular coffee, black, large cup."

"Tea, no sugar, regular size."

Their voices crowed each other but since this happens frequently it was easy enough to at least get their orders down.

"Sure here's your change." I look back to the two arguing and I see Jason didn't put out his cigarette. He taps it and the ash of his drug falls to the floor.

Sighing I move out of the workspace gabbing a tong and a wastebasket, I take out the cigarette and throw it in the bin now gaining the full attention of Jason. I give him a stern look he seemed to freeze, bitting back any words he might have prepared to say before.

"Sir, I am not sure if I made we've previously made It but there is a strict no smoking policy. As you see we have many elderly, and young children in our establishment." I smile but I know my face is full of malice. "But please enjoy your stay at our cozy corner of our fine and fair city." I move back behind the counter start on some of my orders, I look at Jason again the smile still on my face.

"Would you like anything?" He gives me an odd look.

"White hot chocolate, Large," he nods his head over at Richard. "Put it on his tab."

"We don't have a tabs sir, he works for the police."

"So?"

"He gets Free coffee." He gawks at me as if I told him the sky was black, and I see Richard trying to contain his laughter.

"You give that guy free coffee?"

"It's a store policy." I pass out the coffee and the tea and I see from the corner of my eye he pulls out a flask. I grab the tongs again and clap them together, Jason looks at me then grumbles putting the flask back in his jacket, and instead pulls out a five and hands it to me. I take it from him gingerly and head straight to work on his order. I hand him both his spare change and his drink, and the complimentary cookie bag that came with it. He gives me another look.

"They come with a drink." I leave and continued my chores around the shop.

"You are doing much better (m/n)." I whip my head around and look at Damian who's behind me on the other side of the counter. His companions seemed to be in deep conversation amongst themselves.

"Yes, I'm doing just fine, it happens occasionally but nothing like a good cup of tea and a few nights rest couldn't fix." I go back to cleaning the counter.

"You were sick for much longer than that."

"Yeah...it happens." I change the topic to "Did you think of anything for the project?"

"Why not make a model, there is not really much to do with it anyway." I gasp dramatically.

"Not much to do with an astrolabe! You clearly didn't read the whole paper!" By now I have caught the attention of his group. Damian frowns.

"No, your paper was written very well, I just don't think we need to dwell too much on this project seeing as how we really are not presenting." I had heard that bit from Molly.

"I suppose your right." I put away the cleaning supplies and turn back to him. "I'll get started on a model right away!"

"You will do no such thing." His voice is stern. "I will come back later and work on it with you," He moves his chair back and heads out the door.

His companions follow quickly after him and they say their goodbyes.

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As promised, he came a few hours later right as my shift ended and another person came for the second half of the day. I moved the glowing tracker to my room so it wouldn't gather any extra attention.

"I have supplies, what is all of that?" my brows furrow staring at the bulging plastic bag in his hand while I turn the keys in my locks. opening the door.

"I wasn't sure if you were prepared." He moves to the door, my arm shoots in his way stopping him.

"I wouldn't go in quite yet."

"What?"

I put a finger to my lips and crouch slowly to the floor, I shake the key in my hand then slid them across the floor. A ball of black attacks the object just as it crosses the doorway. Nightmare attacks the keys rolling around and bitting.

"Ah yes, observe the feral kitten in his natural habitat." I walk inside the door beckoning Damian to follow. "I would beware he is an ankle bitter. You can set up in the living room I'll just drop this guy off in my room."

"Does he attack all the time?"

"He's been like that since I picked him up, I don't blame him he was born in a rough neighborhood." I set Nightmare on the bed next to the floating version of earth. "Watch it make sure it finishes." then head to the living room. Damian has all his stuff set out on the table. There was veneer, paper, paint, some nails, an Exacto knife, a hammer, and a bag of pipe cleaners.

"This looks like stuff to make a birdhouse," I try and pick up some of the wood that was on the table." you realize cardboard, scissors, and a sharpie would have been enough."

"And here I thought you like polished and neat projects."

"yeah, but even with cheap materials you can still create a masterpiece."

"You don't do anything nice for yourself self do you?"

"Dude the most expensive thing I own is a cat who attacks me." I sigh, I sketch out a design for the astrolabe. "Well, why don't you start on the Mater, I'll get to work on the plate for our side of America."

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"3 hours of hard work and I got to say it's not bad." I hold the fished product, It's attached to a string of green yarn. "The calculations are down to point." I put it down, I clean up the mess that's on the floor of the living room.

"About the last time we saw each other, I'm sorry."

"It's fine, you probably knew about me from the news already, the big myste#wayne#scifi#damian#bruce#bats#fanfiction#xreader#characterxreader#jason todd#tim drake#character x reader#mxf#fxm#batboys#batboys x reader#Damianxreader#X reader#DC#Marvel#MarvelxReader#DCxreader#batfam#mutants#Damian Wayne x reader ry of the missing journals. So many interviews." I dump the trash in the kitchen, saying that last part mostly to my self.

"You forgive too easily."

"I'm not as forgiving as you think, honestly you view me too highly it that's what you believe. Would you like something before you leave?"

"No, but I have something for you before I go." I open the door to my room and let Nightmare out.

"Oh?" He's already at the door and pulls a shiny gold card from his pocket, he hands it to me.

"Father thought it would be good to meet you."

"Because I'm the daughter of a famous dead professor, is he going to ask about the journals too?"

"No, this is to apologize for my previous behavior."

"Oh," I take the card looking at it uneasily. "I don't think I can go to this, I don't do well at parties."

"Not a very good excuse." He smirks.

"I'll think about it." I push him out the door and give him the Astrolabe, closing the door slowly. " I'll see you at school."

I look at the card again, It's like the parties mom went to I knew them well. While some were nice, others were nice only in their face. I laugh slightly to myself, Molly already called me earlier telling me I was her plus one to the same thing. This was already suspicious enough as it is. I look at Nightmare who cocks his head at me.

"You think I should go, don't you?" the furball nods

"Fine. I was going to be forced into this anyway."

[boop-le-snoot]

PARTY FAVOURS I CHAPTER 28

First time reader click here

TWs/SUMMARY: Hulk interaction Hulk interaction Hulk interaction. Plot is thickening. Feelings. Operation Baby Thief! A wild Coulson appears. Lokireader besties <3 There's just a lot going on.

Bruce hulked out within minutes of my confession.

As I stood in the middle of the common room, partially hidden behind Loki and scrunching the fabric of my hoodie, I had no choice but to observe the reactions of various Avengers to the fact someone might have... Predictably, Sam, Tony and Stephen looked like kicked puppies. I trusted Loki to handle that part. Steve, Bucky and Natasha had murder on their mind and Thor, Pietro just stared at me, aghast.

I noticed the tinge of green before anybody else, perhaps, because I'd been used to automatically seek comfort from Bruce. My interactions with Hulk, however brief and few and in-between, were positive. As much as they could be with a someone's alter-ego that possessed the emotional intelligence of a twelve year old. So I could safely say that what startled me was the noise of Bruce transforming and not the Hulk himself.

The Hulk growled, zeroing in on me - I remembered of Loki, who stood frozen, and their mutual disregard. The decision was prompt - I stepped out from behind the Asgardian, waving shyly at the large green creature. He was LARGE. Like, I could comfortably sit on one of his shoulders.

"Hey, Hulk. I'm alright, don't worry big guy," I took unhurried steps towards the agitated creature. He seemed to be satisfied with my statement, giving me another once over and growling quietly in the back of his throat. An idea struck me: "Wanna get out of here? The gym has more space, we can sit and talk there."

The stares I was getting were downright incredulous. Here I was, an average human being, fearlessly making my way over to the destruction machine that was the Hulk. I knew he wouldn't hurt me - on purpose.

"No," He growled. "We find bad man. Then Hulk smash." The green creature raised, I had to admit, valid points.

"It's going to be pretty boring though. We have to sort through the security footage, then probably traffic cams, then hold Steve back from going in there in Terminator mode..." I listed off all the logical steps of the investigation until I reached the Hulk. My neck was going to get a crick in it from tilting it so I could see his face. "I'd rather..." I didn't get to finish my sentence as I was suddenly picked up. One large hand gently cradled me to Hulk's chest, akin to a kitten, the other hand landing right under my butt.

I heard a collective exhale from the team, acutely aware of the way they were eyeing me and Hulk.

"Boring," The green creature agreed. His face briefly contorted in what I perceived to be an intense thought process. "Necessary." The word had to come from Bruce; it slipped out with difficulty off the Hulk's tongue, stiff.

"Not you too, big guy," I giggled-slash-groaned, giving a playful slap to the hand wrapped around me. "Fine. Let's get this over with." I looked around in search of a spot for Hulk to park his butt somewhere. The ceiling was barely tall enough for him to comfortably stand.

I needn't have worried as he simply sat down cross-legged right where he stood, still holding me to his chest. "Now," He announced, looking expectantly at Tony.

The engineer chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Yeah, you're right, big guy. Let's find this sonuvabitch." Tense snorts and sounds of agreement filled the room, drowning out the noise of Tony tapping on his keyboard and communicating with Friday.

I poked Hulk in one green, large finger. "Maybe I could sit on your shoulder?"

He nodded, letting me crawl all over his green, hard chest and arms to sit on the large expanse of his left shoulder. It was comfortable as far as shoulders go; inwardly, I squeed like a mad woman. I was friends with the Hulk and I was sitting on his shoulder! Lost in my fangirling, I absentmindedly began messing with his dark hair, only noticing it when satisfied rumbling started coming from his chest. The Hulk was... Purring?

"Puny Banner upset," Hulk declared shortly after the team found the man who drugged me and started tracking his movements. It wasn't someone who'd been invited to the party, which meant there was a serious security breach - it was all hands on deck kind of situation.

"Yeah, I can understand that. I'm pretty upset too, the hangover I got was terrible, I threw up in Loki's apartment," I said, frowning. "And my boys are going to mope now," I rolled my eyes.

"Banner says he will talk with them," Hulk replied, placing hand over my legs. "Hulk will help Banner."

I couldn't help it, I snorted. "Gonna smash some common sense into them?" He grinned at me, too mischievous for someone who was described to be a mindless destruction machine. "I think they're beyond that."

"I can hear you two talking shit about me and I do not appreciate it," Tony piped up suddenly, shooting us a hurt look. To be fair, his shoulders looked considerably less tense and the cloud over his face had dissipated by a little bit. Me and Hulk managed to erase at least some of the guilt away. I think. Stephen, however, still remained frowning and closed-off.

"You're stupid, Tony." Hulk answered, sounding a little bit smug. I gaped at the exchange together with Natasha and Steve. It seemed like Hulk's sense of... Humor was a novelty.

"Hey, don't pick on my dumbass white boys," I chastised the green... Man, side-eyeing him. "Only I can pick on them. If someone else does it, I'mma throw hands if I have to."

"Puny," Hulk replied petulantly, poking me with a finger, making me sway in my spot. I rolled my eyes fondly, settling in to mess with his hair again for the sake of having something to do with my hands. The brief exchange helped to get my overactive brain off the case but the tranquility didn't last very long.

Natasha and Bucky left to interrogate the guards responsible for the security breach, Loki shooting me an apologetic look and following the two. I smiled back, knowing the Asgardian wasn't fully comfortable being around the Hulk due to his previous experiences with the big guy.

"Wait, hold on. That guy. I know that guy." As an array of faces appeared on the large screen, a familiar pair of mismatched eyes stared at me from it. Hulk tensed under me and the team turned towards me expectantly as I shrunk slightly under their combined gaze. "The one with anisocoria - with the weird eyes. He works at a coffee shop near my school, actually he only started working recently, few months ago. He tried to flirt with me but Peter said he felt weird about the guy so I stopped going to that café." I explained the situation as eloquently as I could, seeing Clint's eyes widen at my story.

"Are you sure?" Stephen Strange raised an eyebrow. "Because that man is a mercenary that we have been looking for months."

I felt my heart skip a beat. "A what now?" My ears were ringing. Hulk growled quietly under me, evidently sensing my distress.

"A hired man," Clint typed on his phone rapidly. "Mostly sells not-so-harmless trinkets on the black market. Hydra, AIM, you name it. Anything for the highest bidder." Clint muttered. "I'm calling Peter, maybe he can tell us something more. This is an Avengers level threat." The Hawk's jaw was firm and his face was hard.

"Already on it," Tony looked shaken. I understood him - someone like that had invaded his tower, his home. Hell, I myself felt like someone had spit right in my soul. It was my home, too, to some extent.

"Let me down please, Tony needs a hug," I whispered to the Hulk, who begrudgingly did as I requested. I padded over to Tony, wrapping myself around him, burying my face in the crook of his neck. He always was my comfort; expensive cologne and motor oil filled my senses as my arms clutched at his chest from behind. I didn't expect reprocitation - Tony wasn't the one for emotional vulnerability.

"He could have gotten you," He whispered, almost inaudibly, fingers shaking where they typed rapid-fire commands.

"Bold of you to assume I would have gone down without a fight," I answered as calmly as I could. "He is either dumb, or reckless or has nothing to lose. Planning a coup in the middle of your tower..."

"Or he's showing us that he can just do that," Clint supplied unhelpfully. "The guard who let him in just has been found dead and his family is missing. Natasha texted, she's calling in SHIELD. This is now Operation Baby Thief."

I couldn't help the snort that escaped my lips. "Baby Thief, really?"

"Nobody's stealing Princess," Tony barked, finally turning his head and pressing a sloppy kiss to my cheek. "Not if I have to do anything with it."

"I will make sure the pathetic mortal scum never walks," Thor finally piped up, voice low. In the distance, the harsh noise of thunder and pouring rain echoed through the city.

I frowned but withdrew from Tony, finally feeling well enough to do something. My hands itched to help and as appealing as snuggling with Hulk appeared, my brain had gone straight into overdrive. "Should we take a blood sample to find out what he dosed me with? It's not Roofies, and the hangover is too shitty for it to be anything like Ecstasy." I mused out loud, pacing in the small space between the Hulk and the nearest wall.

"That is a sensible idea," Doctor Strange piped up, giving me an appreciative look. "We'll wait for Romanoff," One angry look at his own scarred, shaking hands, Stephen went back to the book he was reading. He needed a hug, too, I decided.

"Puny Banner will do it," Hulk suddenly announced, reaching out for me.

I obliged, giving the green giant a hug. "Maybe we can go play in Central Park once it's warmer, whatcha think?" I looked up at him, brain just so full of different things. Ideas bounced off one another like ping pong balls.

The Hulk grinned and... Well, I didn't see the transformation, my eyes shut themselves as soon as I felt the flesh under my palms begin to shrink and expand. It wasn't that I was afraid, rather, the feeling was so bizarre that my racing brain had to automatically shut down in fears of being overstimulated.

"Hi," Bruce supplied meekly, an adorable blush staining his cheeks. I didn't resist the urge to kiss and hold him close, and we stood there with him holding up his pants with one hand and clutching my hoodie with the other until Tony cleared his throat.

"You good, Brucie-bear?" The engineer gave a distracted smile towards us, not taking his eyes off the keyboard.

"Yes, Tones," The scientist replied easily, adding with a frown: "I'm glad me and Hulk finally agree on something." With that, he departed in the search of normal pants and the tools needed to acquire my blood sample.

I gave it without much fuss, waving to Bucky, Natasha and Loki that had returned with a middle-aged, balding man in tow. The shared look of amusement between Steve and Bucky and the man's starry-eyed look towards the Captain let me deduce it was one Agent Coulson, the very same man Tony couldn't stop telling stories about, the one with the Captain America trading cards.

So, mayhaps, me taking place in Stephen's lap while Bruce filled up three whole vials full of my blood wasn't exactly the smartest way to go about it. Tony found it amusing, Steve was shaking his head in fond annoyance and Stephen himself struggled to maintain his indifference, yet, the blush betrayed him.

"Agent, what brings you to our humble abode?" Tony snorted, seeing the man raise an eyebrow at the display of affection.

"Operation Baby Thief," Coulson replied with a sigh. "I see the Baby is secure. Keep it that way." Oh, the man was cheeky. I liked him already.

"The Baby has a Tony, a Sorcerer Supreme and a Hulk," I retorted haughtily. "And a functional brain. Fuck that guy."

"Indeed," Coulson snorted. "Tell me, what do you know about the Hamptons incident?"

I blanched, immediately tensing. Bruce withdrew the needle and pressed a bandage over the wound, running gentle fingers over my arm. Everybody must've noticed my surprise, turning to me with their faces full of expectation. Stephen's touch was calming, slightly trembling at the nape of my neck.

"Not much, to be honest. I was about thirteen when it happened and my mother tried to hide it from me," I chewed on my lip, looking away. "What I managed to find out is that there was a robbery that resulted in two deaths, my father being one of the suspects because he was high as hell on coke and he was found sleeping in the same room as the open gun safe," I recalled the memories of mother angrily screaming at dad, calling her law firm colleagues late at night. "I don't need a law degree to know the evidence was flimsy. Dad got a drug charge, his buddies got the same and both the killer and the gun were never found." I exhaled loudly, tapping my foot on the floor, supressing the need to pace.

Coulson nodded, opening a thin manila folder and producing an image of a small, wooden box with carvings that looked like runes on it. "Have you seen this object?"

I felt my blood run cold, my vision swam. "Yes," I swallowed dryly. "That's my end-of-the-world box. I buried it in my grandparents' backyard two years ago."

"End of the world?" Coulson asked, alarmed. "Did you open it?"

"No," I shook my head negative. "I found it in my room at one point and every time I looked at it, it felt... Wrong. Like it was a glitch in a computer game. I couldn't sleep, so I stuck it in my closet and that gave me terrible nightmares and sleep paralysis. I took it with me when I went to visit Gramps and buried it three feet deep under the cherry tree." My hands were shaking once again; I had forgotten about the box but my body remembered the primal, untameable terror that I experienced in it's proximity. At fourteen years old, I just thought I had an overactive imagination or something, too many horror movies, hormonal storms.

"That is a magical artifact," Stephen's voice was quiet and concerned. "A very dangerous, destructive at that. How long were you in it's presence?"

"About nine months, give or take."

"And you didn't open it once, not even a little bit?" Tony had caught on the trend, almost a hysterical edge to his voice.

"No, and I think I know why," I looked to the side. "I saw Wanda on the TV, and, like, magic was confirmed to be real, so I guess I was sure whatever is in there, it wasn't good. During that time, my parents told me I was sleepwalking but I can't remember any of it. I might have wanted to get that box to someone of your... Specialty," I briefly messed with the sleeve of Stephen's shirt, exhaling loudly when his hand grasped mine and held it with care. "I think that box messed with my head... Because I swear that I had no recollection of it until you brought it up," I realized suddenly, my eyes shooting up in blind panic. What else have I forgotten?!

"That is astonishing," Loki's baritone exclaimed. "Nine months is a long time to resist the pull of such a strong artifact." My best friend stated with a great deal of respect.

People in the room started talking all at once. Stephen and Tony declared I needed to get checked out by a professional - Tony meaning s doctor and Stephen meaning a healer of the magical kind; Bruce scooted over and pulled my frozen body in a solid hug; Steve and Bucky planned out to get the box from my grandparents' house, debating whether to take Loki or Thor with them; the SHIELD part of the team discussing the intel and further plans to catch the rogue mercenary.

The door opened quietly.

"Hi everybody, hello Mr. Stark," Peter was disheveled, his ratty backpack in one hand and an enormous sandwich in another. "Got here as fast as I could. What's up?"

THE TAG LIST IS NOW OPEN! @another-stark-sub ​ @mostly-marvel-musings  @vozit ​ @littlegasps ​ @pilloclock ​ @shereadsinquiet @downeyreads ​ @hermione-grangers-wife ​ @individualistfem ​ @sleep-i-ness @capbrie @lillsxd @agustdowney @dee-vn @justanotherblonde23 @fanngirl19 @persephonehemingway @softie-socks @schemefrenzy @letsby @cutenessloading @romeo-the-cactus @jelly-fishy-babie @mikariell95

[justanotherfanfic]

One Last Time

summary: reader tries her hardest to change the events of endgame with her super speed abilities

warnings: anxiety, death, mentions of death

pairings: tony stark x speedster/adoptive daughter!reader

word count: 4.1k+

a/n: happy belated birthday tony! i love you 3000! i’m so sorry if this is trash!! this is the second longest one-shot i’ve made

BEING A SPEEDSTER was what got The Avengers attention. You didn't always have those powers. When The Attack in New York happened, you were at a family science fair downtown. An explosion went off when Loki dropped the scepter inside that building. You and everyone else in there was hit with the explosion. The chemicals that covered your body along with the Space Stone's explosion is what triggered your powers. Your body was able to absorb the massive amounts of energy.

It was Tony who flew into the building to retrieve the scepter after analyzing the scene. His heart sank as tears formed in his eyes. Seeing all the dead bodies of children and parents traumatized him. It was Jarvis who detected a faint heartbeat coming from the chemical lab. Tony was speechless to see you were alive, it was a heartbreaking miracle to find out you were the only one who survived that incident. Tony attempted to fly you over to the Tower for an emergency surgery but was only to be electrocuted. Your body was covered in lightning and he had no idea why.

Tony was the one who took you in, you had no one else. He saw himself in you and decided to take immediate action. Tony was there for you when you woke up from your coma after a few months. You were star struck when you saw your role model treating you at his medical wing in the Avengers Tower. Tony was there to comfort you when he broke the news to you. You lost your mom and dad, you were the only survivor of the explosion. He was there for you when you didn't understand your powers. He was there through thick and thin.

You were able to freeze time, had speed healing, could vibrate through objects, create mirages, reverse time, throw lightning that radiated from your body, and so much more. Tony and the team knew how you got your powers and knew that having a terrible past helped motivate you to become a better hero. It's hard to see you with so much pain at your age but Tony knew exactly what you're going through.

You remember when you first officially met the team. It was intimidating to be in the same room as all the legendary superheroes who have been saving lives for years. It was Tony who reassured you that you'll be fine and how you belonged with them. He was there through your anxious days. He was there for you through all your training sessions with Steve and Natasha. Whenever you were frustrated with your powers or would accidentally hurt someone with your lightning, he was there for you. He was there for you through all the first awkward conversations with the team members. He was there for you when he introduced you to their new recruit, Peter Parker. He was always there for you.

Whenever you were fighting a difficult enemy and felt like all hope was lost, Tony was right by your side. He was always there to tell you to stand your ground, to always stand up. He was there when you were injured during a mission with The Avengers and went into full protective father mode. He was there when you were having trouble with school. He was there whenever you had nightmares about the explosion from that day. Years have gone by and your father-daughter relationship only grew.

It was when Thanos came when everything changed. The mad Titan who threatened to erase half of the universe. Unfortunately, he did. This left a dysfunctional team (as if Civil War didn't already do enough damage, you all had to deal with this too). You and the team tried to bring everyone back with different ideas. Nothing worked. Tony couldn't handle the pain, losing Peter is what broke him. You were grieving as well, your best friend was gone and you felt as if it was your fault. You weren't there to help them.

Five years passed. Even though the snap left everyone traumatized, you accepted it. It had to be done. That was until Steve and Natasha brought up the idea of time travel with Scott.

You scoffed, you had already tried reversing time with your powers years ago. They shook their heads and explained how far back they needed to go in order to save the universe. Your powers only allowed you to reverse time within a week or two from the present time. You furrowed your eyebrows in curiosity, it's a brilliant plan. Going back to get the stones from years ago is what needed to be done.

You remember Tony declining immediately. Steve, Natasha, and Scott were desperate for his help. They looked over at you knowing that you'd be the one to open his eyes. You did. With a lot of talking, crying, and confessions, it happened. Tony figured it out.

This led to the Time Heist. You remember joking around with everyone saying how much of an expert you were with time travel. Laughs and smiles plastered on everyone's face.

"See you all in a minute," Nat spoke to everyone then winked over at you. You laughed before the machine went off.

You were back in New York. The day it all started. Tony saw you were upset. He reassured to you that you didn't need to help. You shook your head, you knew that you had to do it. It could possibly help you heal from the hurt.

You were crying when you saw them. Your parents smiling down at you as you were staring at a video of Tony Stark building one of his many suits on a monitor next to the chemical lab. You felt your heart sink seeing your parents widen their eyes, the explosion ejecting you and them into the chemical lab where the explosion caused the worst damage. Tony was there for you as you cried into his chest. He hushed you and spoke reassuring words in order to help you gain confidence and grab the scepter before Tony's past self came.

It was a quick in and out mission. You were happy to have been part of the Time Heist. You were grateful for the gift you have been given and was determined to use it to save the universe.

The stones were together. Everyone was on edge, especially with Natasha sacrificing herself for the stone. Everything went according to plan until Thanos from the past blew up the base leaving everyone scattered and injured in some way. The remaining ones who were able to escape the rubble regrouped. That was when everyone came. Everyone who had been snapped was brought back on time for the final battle. It was tough. Every single one of those heroes gave it their all.

You had used all your tricks and abilities to bring havoc on Thanos's army. You enjoyed it completely, being in control and finally getting revenge. You noticed Peter was flying around with the gauntlet at one point and next thing you know, it was on the floor next to Thanos. You used your speed to get to it, which of course you did. Before you could leave, Thanos had a hold of your throat. You choked as he glared into your eyes.

"You are a young one," He spoke. "It's unfortunate you have to die at such a young age." He smirked as he put his hand into the gauntlet. He threw you to the ground as he moaned in pleasure from the power of the stones. His veins were all glowing with each color of the stone.

Tony was quick to his feet along with Carol. When she was punched into a different area, Tony attempted to yank the gauntlet off of him. You began to get up and fight Thanos once he flung Tony across the area. You yelled in determination until he punched you away. Your head and nose were pouring blood when he smirked down at you and Tony.

"I am inevitable," Thanos smirked as he snapped his fingers.

You closed your eyes and waited for death. A moment passed when you didn't feel anything happen. You opened your eyes to see a shocked Thanos and an empty gauntlet.

Looking over at Tony, your eyes widened seeing all the stones connected to his iron gauntlet. He arched his back as he painfully absorbed the power. His veins were covered with all the colors of the infinity stones. He was physically not capable of surviving after using the stones.

Blood was pouring down his eyebrow as he glared at Thanos, "And I..." He breathed out. "Am Iron Man..." He then snapped his finger and a blinding light overcame the area.

Your eyes adjusted to see a burnt Tony staring into the horizon. Your heart dropped as you began to sob.

"No.." You cried. "No no no!"

Pepper and Peter ran over to your crying state. Eventually, the rest of the team came after Thanos and his whole army disappeared.

"Tony!" You cried as Peter was sobbing.

You felt your heart aching at the sight, you couldn't bare the pain. Your heart was racing as you stared at his dying body.

You felt your body electrifying. Lightning coated your entire body as everything slowed down. You looked at everyone's devastation. The thick liquid slowly falling down their face. You needed to go back. You needed to change it. You need to save him. You used your super speed and moved your feet. With every kick off the ground, the angrier you became. You ran as fast as you could as everything around you finally froze because of the speed you were going. You past Scott Lang, Dr. Strange, Clint Barton, Valkyrie, Wanda, Bucky, Peter, the list goes on. Everyone was frozen in place as you sped through everyone.

Your running led you away from the demolished area and into New York City. You didn't stop. You zipped down the busy streets of New York as you thought about your loss. Your anger burned inside of you as you screamed in agony. You continued running and running and running. It can't be him. You can fix this. You shouted into the air as a sonic boom went off. You stopped running and looked around. Your breath hitched when you were back on the battle ground. Thanos and his army was alive, Tony was alive. You successfully reversed time.

You stood there in the middle of the battle looking for the one person who will soon sacrifice himself for the universe. Tony noticed your lack of movement and called out to you, "Why are you standing there kid? Get moving or else you'll be killed!"

You felt like breaking down, there he was. You calmed yourself down as you sped through out the battlefield. You knocked down as many aliens as you could while helping out your teammates. You needed to find the gauntlet and take it back to the time you took them before Tony can die.

You noticed the gauntlet was in Peter's care. He was frozen in the air as his spiderwebs were sticking to the hammer after Steve threw it. The hammer was floating in the air, it's direction slowly inching away from the danger Peter was caught in. You used the aliens that were reaching towards Peter as steps to reach the scared kid. You grabbed onto his leg and stopped using your speed, this allowed time to go back to normal.

Peter yelled in surprise but relaxed slightly after noticing it was you who was clinging onto him, "What the hell [Y/N] you scared me!"

"I need the gauntlet," You ignored his comment.

"It's fine! I have it, I'm taking it away from here." Peter called down to you as he allowed the hammer to pull him further.

"Peter please," You begged. He realized your desperation. He didn't understand why but handed the gauntlet to you. You sighed in relief as you let go of his leg, allowing him to continue flying away with the hammer.

You used your speed again to run away from the battle field. You ran as fast as your legs allowed you too. Everyone and everything was frozen again. You could only hear the lightning that was bouncing off of you. You were hyper-aware of all your surroundings and was about to completely run away until you noticed Thanos was towering over Steve.

A blade was already piercing through his body. You sobbed as you stared in fear. "No no no!" You cried. You stopped running away and ran straight towards Thanos and Steve. With your super speed, you put the iron gauntlet on the floor near by, took Steve away from Thanos then ran back towards the purple Titan.

With your super speed, you punched Thanos in different areas of his body. Your anger boiled in your blood as you ran away at a far distance. Once you were far enough, you ran back towards Thanos at the speed of light. You used your right fist to punch his face causing him to fly backward.

You stopped using your speed and let out a breath of air. You glared at Thanos as he was struggling to stand up. He gave a laugh.

"You took everything from me!" You screamed in anger. Lightning was flickering in your eyes as your hands vibrated.

"I don't even know who you are," Thanos spoke.

Tony was staring in shock at your anger, he didn't know what Thanos took from you. Nothing had happened to you that Thanos caused except for the Snap. Even then, everyone was back. Why were you so distraught? Tony went over to help Steve as he saw you fighting with Thanos.

"N-No, go help [Y/N]." Steve mumbled as Tony began treating him. Blood was sleeping through his suit as be struggled to breathe.

Tony nodded and ran over to you. You screamed in rage as you tried to fight Thanos, completely forgetting about the iron gauntlet. Tony was by your side fighting Thanos with you when Thanos suddenly turned his attention behind you both.

You looked back to see Steve had the gauntlet in his hands. Blood was pouring out of his mouth as he panted, "This is Endgame."

A bright light blinded you for the second time. You felt your heart drop when your eyes readjusted to a half burnt Steve. You cried as you fell on your knees. Your lightning was traveling around your body once again. You sobbed into Steve as he struggled to breathe.

You shook your head, "I need to fix this." You got up and started running. You heard Tony and everyone else shouting your name but you ignored it.

You used all your agony and fear to drive you. With your speed, you managed to go back in time again. You looked around seeing Steve and Tony alive.

Once again, you failed the next time. Clint snapped his fingers to save the universe after you took Steve and Tony away from the battle. You sobbed as you shook your head, "I can fix this." You ran again, leaving a confused Steve and Tony.

You reversed time.

Once again, you failed. You screamed in anger and misery. You then ran away and tried to fix it again. You did it again and again and again and again. You couldn't understand why nothing was working. You felt like your life was on a loop. You go back, get the gauntlet. Sometimes you get it taken from you or you put it somewhere safe. You then go to the battlefield, you bring everyone to safety with your super speed but then someone tries to use the gauntlet to save the universe. You then take the gauntlet away and someone gets injured. You think of hundreds of plans but someone dies every time. You failed them.

You were mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted but you had to keep fighting. You need to, you need to save the team. You need to save the universe. There was a way.

"No matter what [Y/N], always stand up." Tony's voice came into your head. It helped you stay motivated as your feet kicked off the ground.

This was it. You were sure to save everyone. You had the gauntlet in your hand as you ran as far away from the battle. You avoided every single person on the battlefield. You dodged every bullet, spear, energy blast that came your way. You had taken all weapons from Thanos and remembered everyone's route in the battlefield. You were determined to save everyone.

Just as you thought you were safe, you smashed into a figure. Peter Parker. The gauntlet flew from your embrace and fell on the floor where Thanos was. You felt your heart speeding up as you tried reaching for it. Suddenly, Thanos was towering over you. You looked up in anger rather than fear. You did your best to prevent Thanos from laying a finger on the gauntlet.

Just as you thought you were fine, Thanos looked behind you with a bewildered state. You felt your heart speeding up, fearful of what was behind you. You took a moment before finally turned around.

Peter Parker had the gauntlet hooked into his hand. His mask torn off as his nose was bleeding. Tony choked out a sob as Peter mustered up the courage to stare into Thanos's eyes.

"Get the hell away from my family!" He yelled before snapping his finger. A blinding white light consumed your vision. Your eyes readjusted to the light. Your breath hitched when you saw Peter laying on the ground, most of his body burnt from the power. Tony threw himself onto him as he started sobbing.

"No no no not again!" You whimpered to yourself staring at a dying Peter Parker. You choked on your tears as you pulled your hair. You were distraught, you truly thought this was the last time. You felt your mind spinning trying to comprehend what had occurred. You felt like throwing up. You smacked your head in frustration as you tried to think of another plan.

Tony looked up at you, "Again?" Tony stared at your distraught behavior and the way your body was drained. He noticed your running shoes and how worn out they were becoming. They weren't supposed to be worn out for another few weeks. Something was different about you. Tony then realized you were reversing time.

Tony stood up from the deceased Peter Parker and grabbed your arms. He stared into your eyes to see your droopy and puffy eyes. You have been crying for a while now. It's not surprising since you were witnessing the deaths of your family and team.

"[Y/N] how many times have you reversed time?" Tony was determined. The team gathered around as your hands were shaking from the anxiety.

"72 times," You sobbed as your vision was blurry from the tears, "I need to fix this." You then tried running away.

As the lighting was starting to cover your body, Tony's hand gripped yours. You turned around and stared at him, "What are you doing? I need to fix this!"

Dr. Strange came up to you and Tony, "You're reversing time." He knew this was going to happen. He saw it when he was on Titan all those years ago, well in his case, a few moments ago.

You cried, "I need to fix this. No one needs to die. We can figure this out."

Your hands vibrated from your adrenaline. You have been running for hours. You saw Tony die, Pepper die, Steve die, Clint die, Bruce die, Thor die, Strange die, Carol die, Scott die, and now Peter. Each of those times were different. Everyone had different deaths each time. Seeing all those deaths caused you to become hysterical.

"Who was the first to die that made you reverse time in the first place?" Dr. Strange questioned as Tony stared in concern.

You cried as you remembered how painful the experience was for you. How determined you were to bring everyone back. Now, you were drained. You couldn't think of any other ways. You felt like you were suffocating in your own failures.

You hugged Tony as he stumbled back. Tony felt his heart drop when you tightened your grip on him. "I-I can't lose you. Please, I can't. Not again."

Tony pulled slightly away from the hug. He cupped your cheeks as he wiped the tears away from your face using his thumbs. He sighed as tears were coated on his eyes, "I love you so much."

You sobbed again as the team was heartbroken.

"You couldn't find a way, huh?" Tony whispered.

You shook your head, "Pepper, Steve, Thor, Clint, Bruce, Strange, Carol, Scott, and now Peter for the first time."

The team was shocked at how many deaths you had to witness, they accepted the fact that this was destiny. Someone had to sacrifice themselves in order to save the universe.

"[Y/N] don't do anything," Tony finally whispered to you. You felt like falling apart.

"No!" You begged. "I'd rather die than live a life without you."

"Let it happen. It's what it has to be." Tony finished.

"Dad," You cried. That was the first time you said it. Tony's heart flipped when he heard the word. He's been waiting so damn long for it.

"[Y/N]," Tony spoke with a pained smile. "I need you to understand that there will not always be a happy ending. You are more than your speed. You are more than a few chemicals and an explosion. You are my daughter. [Y/N] Stark, I love you so much." He pulled you into a tight embrace, the last you'll ever receive from him. He then kissed your forehead as he stared into your eyes. "Now... run [Y/N], run!" He shouted as he gave you a push forward. You looked at your team, your family. They all gave you a reassuring smile as they hugged Tony.

This is the last time you'll see them together, forever. With your last amounts of energy, you glared into your memories. After all the deaths and agony you had to endure, this is it.

You sobbed as you ran as fast as your energy let you. You shouted as your arms were burning from the movement. Your legs were starting to give out but you needed to continue.

"[Y/N] Stark, I love you." His voice echoed into your mind.

You screeched as you finally heard the sonic boom. There you were, exhausted in the middle of the battlefield, one last time. You had tears falling down as you looked over at Tony flying around and blasting the enemies.

"[Y/N] don't do anything. Let it happen. It's what it has to be." Tony's voice popped up in your head. You wanted to die. You didn't want any of this to happen but you obeyed Tony. You let everything that originally happened occur. Your heart twisted and split in two when you finally saw him with the gauntlet in his hand. The blinding white light covering the area for one last time.

You cried as you crawled over to Tony. His eyes were glossy as he stared ahead. Half of his body was burnt. The team was petrified, you on the other hand, already lived this nightmare dozens of times.

"D-Dad..." You cried as you cupped his cheek.

Tony's eyes opened up to you, "[Y/- [Y/N] Stark."

You cried and hugged him, "We won."

"Tony," Pepper whispered with tears falling. "You can rest now."

Tony's eyes looked around lazily. He made eye contact with every single person until he stopped at you. You smiled as you nodded your head, "I love you so much dad."

His lips twitched up before the light on his chest slowly faded away. You covered your face as you cried. You knew there was nothing you could do. You felt like you failed him. You couldn't think that way though because it's what he wanted.

You wished you were back at the explosion in New York when you met Tony for the first time. You wanted to go back to the time where everything was fine. The times where he was always by your side. Your dad truly cared for you and the team. You missed him so much and there was nothing you can do.

[cosmiciaria]

In defense of Detroit Become Human (spoilers marked - long post!)

I know I arrived late at the party and everything that could've been said about this game has already been said – but I do want to add some things I haven't found in some reviews I’ve come across, while addressing all the flaws and giving credit where credit is due. And believe it or don't, this game is due a lot of credit. Yes, a game by David Cage is due credit, what has the world come to?

I must admit I'm not the greatest of fans of Cage's works. I can see all the flaws and plot holes in his games/interactive movies, but unlike others, I'm not that bothered by them. Hell, there are plot holes in many good stories and even the greatest games have some flaws, sometimes it feels people like picking one director and hating on them (cof cof, Tabata from Square cof). This doesn't mean Cage is free of sins, since that's far from reality: I still remember the Ellen Page's controversy with her naked model inside the game, and the creepy things they did to Madison in Heavy Rain for no reason whatsoever. Man, I think you should revalue some of your fetishes.

But aside from that, his games are heavily narrated focus, straying too far from the ordinary hero path and 'saving the world with the power of friendship'. He's stated there are so many things we can do in the videogame industry, and that most developers stick to the usual formula, just because they know it works and it profits. And I can understand his point of view, and even support it, that's why I always try to find something good in his games, even when the dialogues are bad and some acting leaves much to be desired – that happens in every game, in every movie, in every series.

Detroit Become Human is, by far, the best work by Cage. I can say so with full confidence: it's the first of his stories whose plot seem cohesive, coherent, whose characters undergo a visible and palpable development throughout the whole game, whose decisions and paths actually cross-impact later chapters and your choices do shape the way the story unfolds. I stress this because, for example in Beyond, your choices didn't matter much – even the QTE's were pretty useless. You just decided how the game would end in the last ten minutes of plot and that was it. Detroit, on the other hand, is so well planned that things you've done in the very first chapter have repercussions later down the line, and it's not like there's just two endings, but a lot of them, and lot of combinations that I'm still discovering. Your choices affect the during of the story, not just the ending. You can have good relationship with someone, or a bad one, and that will affect each scene those characters are in. You can have a good reputation with a group, or they can hate you, and so you will be ejected from the team. You can act irrational, or stay forever a machine, and the last big choice regarding that will depend of your actions across the whole game.

Just the decision making is a huge step up from previous works. And I can only compare this game to Until Dawn, but even in there, there are less decisions and less impact. Detroit is overwhelmingly huge when it comes to different paths and different versions of the same story. So much so that I told a friend who was also playing it about a scene, and she said 'wait, when does that happen? I didn't see it!'. It was as if we were talking about different games.

Detroit is about androids. It's the year 2038 and androids have flooded the market. They're like your usual vacuum but, hey, they can cook, take care of your children and even satisfy you sexually. They are such a common thing to see in the city that people ignore them. Most families have at least one android in their household, becoming completely reliant on their features. This is a future not so far away from our present.

But, lo and behold, because this game will explore the idea of 'freedom'. And, as you could've expected, some androids suddenly realize they don't want to work for humans anymore. Some androids are mistreated by their owners and suddenly they know they're in an unfair situation. Some androids have ambitions, dreams, ideas – some androids have the desire to be free.

And so, they become deviants. An artificial intelligence, capable of billions of simultaneous operations, young forever, and with conscience. Afraid, yet?

We will follow three main characters who happen to be androids: Connor, Markus and Kara. Connor is a prototype designed to assist investigators and police officers with cases, and he comes with many features that will facilitate all the analysis of clues. Markus is an android designed to care for an old man who has lost his mobility, and lives with him and cares for him as if he were his son. Kara is a housemaid android, who specializes in cleaning and taking care of children, but her owner is a drug-addict who forgot what it means to be a father.

Markus and Kara realize their unfair situation pretty early in the game, so they become deviants well at the beginning. Connor, on the other hand… well, it's in your hands to decide his fate.

Their stories will be intertwined: Connor will investigate cases involving deviants, alongside his sidekick – I mean, his partner, Lieutenant Hank Anderson, an old, anti-android human whose past is yet to be revealed; Markus will be falsely accused of aggression towards his owner or his son (depending what you choose), and he will come back from the dead, ready to lead a revolution against humans, demanding androids' rights; Kara will realize she wants to be a mother, and she will save the daughter of her owner from that hellhole they live in, only to travel from one corner of the city to another in search for an escape route. While Connor's and Markus's stories are well entangled, Kara's always felt a bit separated from them, which can be a huge let down. Personally, Kara's story was the one I enjoyed the least, but it has to do with something that happens at the end – that stupid plot twist – besides, it's more than clear in Kara's plotline that all the BS Cage loved from his previous games makes a return in here. Sometimes it felt like he left blender open and all the disastrous ideas he had for her story were spilled all over his kitchen. I can't think of anything else for that, because her plotline is a Frankestein of a story – uneven, irregular, although it has some touching moments, and Valerie Curry, the actress who plays Kara, delivers some guuud acting and lines.

I know the main message this game is trying to send is that androids are equals to humans. This is the most controversial aspect of the game: Cage, whether he says he did purposely or not, has compared the androids' struggle for freedom to that of African-American people, mixing together slavery and segregation. It's funny because Cage stated it wasn't his plan to allude to actual historical events that did happen not so long ago, and still we can see the segregation of androids in public transport, in public places, and the fact that Markus, with a bunch of other androids as well, demand freedom and the end of slavery from the humans. I like it more when he asks for fair compensation for their work.

And I say it's controversial because it's sending a wrong message. Slavery and segregation weren't contemporary, one came after the other; and the fact that they make a clear comparison to that social movement is criticizable. I'm not the most expert on US history – hell I'm from Argentina, guys – but even I know that the bloody history behind the fight for equal rights is far from over and has put the country on the brink of breaking down many times. That someone deliberately compares the android's fight that took only a few months to develop to that monstrous side of US history is, uhm, questionable in the least.

BUT let's just say that it's an awful coincidence (I'm looking at you, Cage) and leave it aside for a moment. That's the main message the game tries to send. But I believe the game actually sends another message, that is better executed, better fleshed out.

Androids and humans can love each other.        

[SPOILER scroll down until you see the end of the spoiler section]

This is obvious at the beginning with Markus, if you decide to endure Leo's bullying. Carl, Markus' owner, dies from a heart attack, and Markus, crying, desperate, falls to his knees and embraces the man who's been acting like his father for years. He yells Dad, no! in front of the real son, provoking a reaction in him and in the player. Just in this tiny moment, which I think most people slip by without paying too much attention, is enough message. It explains everything.

If you decide to push Leo, the scene plays out differently, and we learn this message towards the end, still in Markus' branch. Later in the story you go back and visit Carl, who doesn't die, but is instead stuck in his bed, connected to cables and such. He regards Markus with love and tenderness, and holds his hand, saying You're my son, Markus. Your blood is a different color, but I know that a part of me lives in you. Thank you, you made me cry.

This message is also well developed in the friendship you can form with Connor and Hank. And notice the 'you can' because you can also make them hate each other. But why on earth would you make Hank mad, if not only for the trophy? Because I can't bear the idea of disappointing that good old man. I need him to be proud of me – I mean, of Connor! Their relationship is wholesome, with some instances in which Hank calls him his son, which melted my heart obviously. Knowing that Hank had lost his real son prior to the events of the game makes all this even more touching and moving.

This message is not well conveyed with Kara and Alice, and you might guess why – yes, the fact that towards the end we learn that Alice isn't a human but an android too, utterly destroys the whole concept the game has been trying to build up for this moment. I don't know why Cage thought this was a good idea – maybe trying to explain that androids can love each other as family just like humans do, but that kinda breaks the rules here, because the idea was an android discovering they can love thanks to a human, who has all the real feelings whereas the androids have this emulations and… alright you get me. How can we truly know if they love each other for real if they are two androids? How can we make sure it isn't just some emulation and chemicals inside their metal bodies? Alright I'm going too deep here? Maybe?

[END OF SPOILER SECTION]

All in all, this is the message that stays with me after playing the game. I don't know if Cage did it purposely (suddenly all his messages are casual), but this is what I can save and treasure from this story. Oh, and also, save your fucking planet, polar bears are going extinct.

Characters are really well created. Their interactions are believable and natural, the acting (specially Bryan Dechart as Connor and Clancy Brown as Hank) is flawless, and you can appreciate when they become deviant and when they start thinking for themselves. Some lines delivered by Markus felt a bit forced, but I've heard the actor talk and he talks like that so maybe is the way he speaks. There are some secondary characters that became my favorite really quick, like Luther, Kara's companion in this journey; Simon, one of the first members of the revolution Markus meet; Hank, of course, although I deem him as a main character at this point. Others, well… Gavin is your well-known bully, whose lines are so stupid I can't believe his character made it into the game. Like really, he's taken straight out of a 90's high school movie. I could hear Henry Bowers from It laughing at his attempt of being a bad boy.

On the technical department, this game is stunning. Visuals are a delight: sometimes you couldn't differentiate if it was filmed or if it was CGI. Hint: it was all CGI! Faces, expressions, animations, I can't complain of any of those. The character's eyes, which are the only thing the motion capture can't record, were all added digitally, and I'm bound to say that they're perfect: they make each character feel real, alive. You know when you're staring at something, that your eyes regard everything and your pupils have these tiny, micro, slight movements? That was in the game, and I loved it. Clothes get wet when it's raining, they get frozen when it's snowy, and lights reflect every surface so realistically that you can tell the texture of each object and piece of cloth.

Music is also a great asset in this game. Each character had a different composer, which brought a distinct and unique aspect to each of their stories. I know I've been hating on Kara until now, but I must admit her theme song is the best out of everything in this game. Even when I watched the cutscenes back when the game was released, I had her theme buried under my skin, for it's melancholic, it reminds me of rain, and it makes me wanna cry.

Another aspect I want to address is the gameplay. You know Cage loves his daily doses of QTE's. But this time, though, they're well executed. I recommend playing the game in Experienced difficulty (which is the normal difficulty), because it truly offers a more immersive experience. The use of the controller in all this was clever, and they used everything they had at their disposal to make you feel you're there in the story. For instance, the use of the vibration system of your joystick: when you pet the dog at Hank's house, you can feel a very slight vibration in your hands, as if the dog was breathing, what you would feel when you pet a dog, of course; but when you're driving a truck that leaves the sidewalk and falls into the street, you feel the sudden rough movement and the way the engine is speeding up; or you can feel heartbeats when Markus is trying to repair himself. All these instances of breaking the fourth wall to make you feel part of the story are implemented in such an intelligent way that it works wonders.

And speaking about breaking the fourth wall… In your main menu you'll have an android that will be your hostess. She will comment on the discoveries you'll be finding in your storyline, but she will also play some tricks to you or talk to you all of a sudden. And if you reach the good ending… well, there's a surprise with her. Let's just say that she's a great addition to the game and a fan favorite.

In conclusion, this is by far Cage's most polished and well thought game to date. And I've been hiding my obsession with Connor up until now so you wouldn't think I'm crazy but, I can't believe Cage created a character like this. I love him. Protect this sweet summer child. Don't make him a machine, please :'( Connor Army here I go.

If you have doubts about this game, buy it on sale. You will at least have a good time playing it and discovering the different paths. But if you like heavily narrated games, and you have at least enjoyed some of his previous works, don't miss on this one. It's really better. And it's really more worth it.