#tw: near death

[some-messed-up-writing-for-you]

Short Prompt #1293

CW: death threats, near-death experience, implied past character death.

"Do I have your attention now?" the villain questioned with a smile that threatened to sour on a dime, their gun held against Civilian's head. The civilian, already knocked out from the explosion, couldn't even stiffen in fear. "Or must I crack open such a precious skull before you start listening?"

The hero, for once in their life, had no witty comeback or quip. That was their lover in Villain's grasp, their everything. Hero stood tense, ready to rush forward, and yet too petrified to move.

Was this what the villain had felt like all those years ago when Hero had let their partner fall?

[troblsomtwins829]

"Well would you get a load of this! Looks like the rumors are true!" The blond-haired man's sneer sharpened in glee. "Little baby Damas got himself a Pet Monster!"

Collection of images in roughly the correct order for an upcoming "Raylor is a Dick Waffle" fic, Title Pending.

Wherein Raylor, now the leader of a band of ruthless marauders, end up kidnapping Jak and set him up for ransom, but because Raylor suffers from Chronic Boredom, instead makes Jak fight in their arena for entertainment.

There is some....encouragement in the form of a prototype Eco Extractor Gun they stole from Maia at the beginning of the fic, but I'm sure it'll be fine. Right? Right.

[sortofanobsession]

In the absence of light (Umbrella Academy Season 2) chapter 1

Author's note: Since people have encouraged me to post more for the WIll o' the Wisp series, here is what I have for Season 2. Unbeta'd Let me know if you want to be tagged in the future parts. I have most of it done but I have to check some canon points to make sure the story works. Enjoy part 1.

@crazycatmaddy

So as it goes, Y/N = your name. Y/N/N = your nickname. Reader pronouns She/Her.

Tag Requests are Open just message me.

Primary Pairing: Diego Hargreeves x Female!Reader

Series/TUA Masterlist

Content warning: blood, pain, hospitals, needles, injury, head trauma, concussion, fear, angst

Separated and scared

Pain courses through the Eighth Hargreeves sibling as she hits the cold dark pavement. She groans in pain. She blinks a few times to clear her vision enough to look around. She had no idea where she was or what had happened. Last thing she knew Five was using his powers to send them through time as she clung to Diego for support. She forces herself to sit up. It’s painful and it makes her head spin causing her to retch. She shivered.

“Diego,” she calls out for him, but he isn’t there. She calls louder hoping they were just separated. When no one answers she starts to panic. “Klaus?” Nothing. “Five?” They had been right beside them. “Luther? Allison?” No response. “Viktor...” She knew that one was a long shot. A sob leaves her as she realizes she is alone. “Anyone?” She can see a street. She manages to get to her feet but barely makes it a few steps before the pain and dizziness gets to be too much. It’s unbearable. She grunts as she hits the wall, and her shaking knees give out. But someone must have heard her because she hears shouting and sees blurry faces.

“Someone call an ambulance!” She hears someone shout.

“Miss,” she feels a hand on her shoulder. Her head lulls slightly to the side as she looks up. She reaches out to the person. “Try not to move, help will be here soon.” She lets her hand fall.

“What happened to her?” Another blurry figure asks.

“I haven’t the slightest idea,” the first person says.

“Can she talk?” the second asks.

“How should I know?”

“What is her name?”

Before she can answer the sound of sirens draw closer, and people start shouting again. They ask her questions she doesn’t have the strength to answer. She feels people touching her but her limbs feel heavy, like they aren’t fully hers. They ask her how she feels. She manages a single word answer.

“Cold,” she says in a weak tone.

Her vision goes dark around the edges as they shift her. She blacks out when they try to move her.

Y/N comes too with a bright light in her eyes and hushed voices surround her. She looks around and is confused by what she sees.

"Diego?" She calls out. Her voice sounds small and broken. She tries to sit up and falls back as her head throbs, her vision spins, and she gasps in pain.

"Easy, miss," a voice says as hands gently keep her from trying again. "You are in no shape to be moving around."

"Where am I? Where's Diego?" She looked around in confusion. Anxiety clawed at her as the pain in her head increased. "I don't understand." Panic grips her chest like a vice. She tries to call out to her other siblings, but nothing comes out but gasping sobs.

"Doctor!" The voice shouts followed more voices and hands.

She feels the sharp prick of a needle and the world seems to slow.

Consciousness returns slowly the next time. Her limbs are heavy, and she can't seem to move them.

"Welcome back," a male voice she doesn't recognize says. "We were wondering when you would join us."

"Where am I?"

"You are safe in the hospital," he tells her.

"You're a doctor?"

That earns her a chuckle. "That's what the paper in my office says." When she doesn't say anything, he adds. "That's a joke. How are you feeling?"

"Like I hit a brick wall at the speed of…wait…" she looks at her surroundings and it all looks retro. Very retro. The IV in her arm is ancient by medical standards. The lights, even the equipment, is old.

"Yes?" He asks.

"What year is it?"

"What year do you think it is?"

"2019," she says honestly. Earning an initial look of shock, followed by concern as the doctor pulls out a light to check her eyes.

"The trauma to your head must have really been something, that's quite the jump."

"What…what year is it then?"

"1963," he tells her. She begins to panic. They end up sedating her again.

"Luther!" She shouts when she sees a very recognizable silhouette in the hall. She nearly cries when he calls her name before making his way into her room.

"What happened?" She asks him.

"I couldn't tell you if I tried," he admits.

"How did you find me?"

"Newspaper story,” he tells her. “A couple of garbage men found you bleeding heavily and barely conscious. A woman in such a terrible condition, seemingly left for dead. Shocked a lot of people. Headlines were something else."

“Where’s Diego?” she asks.

"Sorry, no mention of him in the article,” Luther answers. "Don't worry about him, okay? You focus on you," Luther insists.

“What about the others?” she asks. “You had Viktor. Did he-”

“Got separated, like you and Diego. No idea. You’re the only one I’ve found so far.” She lets her head fall back against her pillow and takes a deep breath. She can’t let it get to her yet. She still has so many questions.

"Luther, is it really 1963 or did I really fry my brain back at the recital?"

He sighs. "Honestly, it seems like a bit of both. And you're lucky, I've been here for a year."

"Lucky?" she blinks at him. "They were debating drilling a hole in my head to release pressure from bleeding. They didn't expect me to regain consciousness because I was bleeding from my eyes and ears."

"Yeah," he says, and he frowns at how terrible that sounded. "I mean no, but okay, point taken."

"What do you remember?"

"Diego keeping me in the circle, holding Klaus’ hand, so Five could make the jump. Five miscalculated again, didn't he?"

"By a lot," Luther nods. "Then what?"

"Then I hit the pavement hard, everything hurt and I’m pretty sure I puked," she says. “Then some people found me. I’m guessing the guys from the article.”

"What about the Wisp?" he asks in a hushed whisper. "You don't have a glow."

"Remember when I said I had one shot, well I missed, and I think it was just too much damage. I can't summon it. I try and it's like someone is stabbing my brain with a needle, and I can't breathe and-"

"Okay," he reaches out to calm her. "It's okay, we'll figure it out."

"I really did fry my brain," she closes her eyes and rubs them. "Want to know the worst part?"

Luther hesitates but ultimately knows she’ll just tell him anyway. So he asks, "What?"

"I've never felt so cold and empty in my life," she tells him, with a sniffle. "It was shitty and lonely before, Luther, but now I don't even have the Wisp and-" she is cut off by a sob catching in her throat.

And that reminds Luther of how absolutely messed up everything really is. The one sibling he had that didn’t fight him on every little thing. He also realizes that he was more like their dad than he realized. He’d pushed her too hard more than once in the past, well, before they made the jump. They had been desperate but from the look she paid the price for most of it. He can’t help but feel at least a bit guilty about it. "It's okay, we'll figure it out," he repeats, awkwardly rubbing her shoulder to comfort her. It was the least he could do. That and help her get back on her feet. That was something he could do. She leans into him as he continues. "But you have to get better first so you can get out of here."

She nods.

[ketho484]

Chapter seven of the Actor AU!

Warning: This chapter contains mentions of near death and actual death as well as gun use. Discretion is advised

Au belongs to @frillsand

🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀

Chapter 7: The Rescue

The cast of Welcome home all had a day off today. They went to their chatroom and decided to meet at the community center to figure out their next move to help Willow. They all met at the center, Wally arriving last as he was still seething after last night. When prompted by Barnaby about his anger, Wally told them everything he learned, showing them the contents of the briefcase as proof. Needless to say, they were convinced his theory might be right.

“No wonder you go to close to her so quickly” Poppy stated as she and Howdy inspected the birth certificate

“No wonder she trusted you more than all of us combined” Howdy added

“And now that poor little kid is living with her kidnapper?” Sally asked, Wally nodding in affirmation

“And the murderer of your parents?” Frank added, earning another nod from Wally, who looked ready to kill someone

“Gee, Wally. That must’ve been really hard on you to learn this” Eddie said as he put a comforting hand on Wally’s shoulder

“…I’m going to that house tonight” Wally stated “We have the evidence we need right here. Id you guys can keep all this safe, I’ll get Willow somewhere safe and make sure the cops take him away”

“Wally, are you sure that’s a good idea?” Julie asked, worried for her friend “What if you get hurt?”

“Julie’s right” Barnaby spoke up “If you’re gonna do this, at least take someone as backup”

“Not to mention a potential witness if something goes wrong” Frank added

“Mmmm…You all make good points” Wally said as he took a breath “I-I just couldn’t sleep last night now that I know what I know”

“It’s okay, Wally” Poppy said as she wrapped a wing around his shoulders “Nobody’s judging you. We just want you to be careful”

Wally sighed and looked over at Eddie

“…Me?” Eddie pointed to himself

“You and Howdy both work jobs outside of our acting careers” Wally explained “You work at the post office in the early mornings, he works the night shift at a Whole Foods. Not only are you the most available, but thanks to your job, you’re cool under pressure and won’t freak out of something goes wrong”

“Wally has a point” Howdy said “You remember that fight that broke out in the store last time you were there. You immediately took charge and acted as a mediator to help break it up before security could do anything”

“If anything, behind that sweet attitude is a smart soldier” Frank added, making eddie blush

“Well…If you really think i’m capable, you don’t mind if I drive, do you?” Eddie asked shyly “My car is darker, so it’ll be less likely to be spotted”

“Deal” Wally smiled before turning to the others “The rest of you be on standby just in case something goes wrong in the worst possible way”

With an affirming nod, the group all went back to their homes, Eddie taking the briefcase just in case Eric tried looking through Wally’s house to get it back. Wally waited all day, practicing his painting while he did before Eddie pulled up in his simple, black Camaro. Wally got in, tablet in hand, and directed Eddie to the right house. The arguing was really bad tonight. Poor Willow was crying again as Wally pulled out his phone and called the cops.

“HCPD, how can I help you?” A lady on the other line spoke

“Hi, I’d like to report that I might’ve found the killer of the Darling couple” Wally said

“Wait, really!?” The lady spoke up “Where is he!?”

“Number 2059 West Maple Avenue”

“Damn, that’s in the suburbs. No wonder we couldn’t find this guy. Alright, a squad is-”

Before the lady could finish, a loud shot was heard inside the house, making both Eddie and Wally jump

“What was that?” The lady asked, having heard the gunshot

“…I think the guy shot a gun” Wally said worriedly

“Okay, don’t move. Help is coming” The woman said before hanging up

“We’ve gotta get Willow out of there!” Wally said as he dropped his phone and dashed for the house, Eddie following close behind

Willow screamed from inside, a scream that quickly got louder as she saw Wally and ran for him. Wally was going to pick her up, But Eric came from behind and headlocked her, picking her up and backing away as he held a gun to her temple. Behind them, Wally and Eddie could both see Jessica dead on the ground with a bullet hole in her skull. It made them sick, but also sad that the one person Willow saw as her mom, the only one in that house who tried to save her, had died to try and make that happen.

“Stay back!” Eric shouted, Willow crying out as she struggled in his hold, finding it somewhat hard to breathe, though not impossible “You bastards should’ve minded your own damn business!”

“It is our business!” Wally shouted, rage evident in his eyes “Especially since you took my sister away!”

“This brat is mine!” Eric screamed “This is how a puppet should treat it’s fucking master! And you made her disobey!”

“Please let her go” Eddie begged “She’s just a child”

“No! I’m making sure nobody will find this brat again!” Eric shouted as Willow got an idea “And you can’t stop me-AAAAAGH!!!”

At that moment, as the sirens were being heard coming closer, Willow bit down into Eric’s arm and ran towards Wally, not even thinking about catching her breath. Wally bent down and held her in his arms, but turned his body around when Eric pointed the gun and fired, Eddie, getting down to avoid the shot…

…Silence filled the air followed by a thump. Willow let out a scream as Eddie ran to place pressure on a fresh gunshot wound in Wally’s chest. The guy was struggling to breathe, his vision blurring and his hearing muffled as he heard sirens of the cops and an ambulance. The cops dragged a screaming Eric to their car while the paramedics took Wally straight to the hospital. Eddie had to stop Willow from running after him, holding her back so the medics could do their jobs. Once she stopped struggling, once the ambulance drove off, Eddie washed his hands in the house sink and took Willow to the car, driving her to his apartment. It was small, but quaint. Eddie set Willow on the couch and got her something small to eat, not wanting her tummy to be too upset after what she just went through. She didn’t eat anything. She just stared at her plate for forty-five minutes before the landline rang. Eddie picked it up.

“Hello? This is Eddie” He spoke to the other person on the line, though Willow couldn’t hear what the other person was saying “Uh-huh…Yeah, she’s safe. How’s Wally?…Yeah? Oh my gosh, thank you so much!…Yeah? Oh…Oh, I see…No, no, I’ll tell her…Yeah, I’ll deliver the news…He’s going to be okay, right?…Okay…Yeah, thank you” With that, Eddie hung up the phone and approached Willow slowly “Well…The good news is he’s stable”

“Will he be coming for me?” Willow asked, her voice quiet as she set the food tray aside

“…That’s the bad news. He’s in a coma right now, so he won’t be able to wake up for a little while” Eddie explained, pulling the little puppet into his arms “He’ll wake up, I’m sure of it, but he needs some time, okay?”

Willow hugged Eddie, fresh tears coming to her eyes as she nodded tiredly

"...Okay. I trust you..."

[pen-of-roses]

Written for the @flashfictionfridayofficial​​ weekly prompt!

TW: drowning, near death experience

“That’s my offer, and you won’t be getting another one.” She set her jaw and tilted her head up in defiance, back straight with confidence that was undermined by the rapid beat of her heart. Could he hear it?

“Mal, what are you doing?” Fear laced Ilmaryne’s words as she pressed closer. Her hand had lost feeling in her crushing grip. 

Laughter echoed through the shadows, not quite coming from any one direction and reverberating in her bones. The distinct impression of a smile, cruel and sharp pressed into her mind. “A deal, my dear.” One long shadowy hand appeared, holding a length of black ribbon just an arm’s length from her.

Time stands still. 

The world narrows to the strip of fabric.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared of a simple ribbon, my dear Malithra?” They should be offended by the teasing lit of those words just over the blood in their ears. Should scoff and straighten their back. Should do anything, but stand there frozen as the seconds drip away.

Movement pulls their attention.

In the darkness, they could just make out Ari, her body relaxed, but eyebrows raised, the only tell she’d give.

They’d never learned to swim.

“What do you mean?” Ari had laughed then, turning from her sunbathing to look at them.

“When would I have learned? The Glasfeld’s waters are barely tolerable to the creatures made for them, and I am not insane enough to join them.” They’d rolled their eyes at the time, even as their gaze returned to the gentle lapping waves threatening to close the gap between them.

“That’s unacceptable! We’re changing that this instant!”

“No.” The word had come out faster and harsher than they’d meant.

“Oh come on now, don’t tell me you’re afraid?”

“Of course not,” they’d scoffed. “I’m just comfortable.” Settling back against the blanket, they’d closed their eyes, pretending not to hear the water.

It hadn’t worked of course. Ari was nothing if not persistent when she wanted to be, and even if she didn’t know her own power, they’d been helpless to deny her. And as such, they’d ended up in the water.

Surprisingly, it had been warm, and pleasant then. Something freeing about the weightless feeling of moving through the shallows with her. Of course, the height difference meant it came up to her neck, but that hadn’t bothered her then. Not yet anyway. 

But as it seemed was the nature of her life, those peaceful moments in the sunlight couldn’t last.

How exactly it had happened was lost to the moment’s of panic following. All she could recall now was one moment she was laughing at something Ari had said as they moved apart, and the next she was struggling and failing to stay above the waves. She’d swallowed water in the panic and couldn’t breath. Couldn’t catch her breath again. The world was obscured by rippling water. Her limbs burned from the effort of trying to stay afloat. All she could hear was splashing. She was choking. Inhaling more water. Drowning.

And then she’d realized she was going to die.

She hadn’t of course, Ari had gotten to her and pulled them both out of the water.

But in that moment of time, they had been convinced of the fact, and a part of their brain had accepted it. Peaceful wasn’t the word, but it wasn’t entirely wrong. It was just acceptance.

Afterwards, as they lay their coughing and choking out the last of the water, that feeling haunted them, and their heart had been so loud they’d nearly missed Ari’s choked laugh.

“Well. It seems we’ve found something the great Malithra isn’t good at,” she’d said. Her body appeared relaxed, though they could see the smallest tremor this close, she’d had a slight smile, and her eyebrows had been raised. The one tell she couldn’t shake.

They hadn’t returned to the water again after that.

Until now that was. And they’d still never learned to swim.

But now there was a shaking body next to them, another life on the line, whose death was unacceptable.

And that horrible feeling returned.

Her eyes left Ari and returned to the ribbon.

“Of course not.”

Her arm didn’t even shake as she held it out.

[anunkindncss]

C, where did you go? Where ya been? Good question, love to tell ya.

TW: Medical issues, near death experiences, etc.

OKAY so basically I had a massive infection in my jaw (I have dental issues that we're going to be clearing up in less than a week HELLO MEXICO DENTAL CARE). Which I figured was just a straight up abscess as if you have tooth problems they can be commonly occurring. Long story short, I wasn't sleeping or eating because OW PAIN. And I managed to somehow not notice that the infection was getting worse despite the antibiotics (LOL and I work in healthcare, ten points to me).

I woke up in the ICU after passing out at work (which is also the ICU) as a patient. My fever was 104+ and the infection was in my blood (no bueno big time). But alas folks, I looked death in the eye and said "not today I need to see the cheeto convicted of being a douchebag." And he was so death can take me now if they'd like. But I'm here!

[madmanwonder]

Prompt

Crossover Mercenary AU

Dark Samus unfortunately gets the better of Loid and it seems like she was going to kill him. Thankfully an ally of his in Red Hood has come to save his ass. Whether he can deal with her or not is a different story... but he will definitely take the fight to her.

"Damn...."

Agent Twilight, known by his alias "Loid Forger" spit out a glob of blood to the side, slumping against the wall with a battered and injured state as he stare with blurry eyes at the tall, intimidating mercenary walking toward him with the menacing gait of a cruel and sadistic predator.

"You have put up a good fight Agent Twilight...." The deep, echoing voice of the armored warrior said in a polite and playful which hide little of the sadism in her inhumanly deep, monstrous voice. "But this is where the fun ends and where i get to boast that I kill the esteemed Agent Twilight to all those who listen." The Esteemed One aimed her handcanon toward the head of Agent Twilight charing the canon to fire.

Sensing his end and far too injured to move, the super spy closed his eyes and waited for the end to come. 'Anya...Yor...I am sorry but this is it for me.'

But the end never came for him when he hurt the familiar sound of RPG being fired and the explosion impact filled his ears causing Twilight to open his eyes and saw his soon-to-be-killer a feet away from him, her helmet fell off revealing her beautiful but inhuman face glaring at...

...Jason Todd, Red Hood, half-vigilante half-mercenary hero for hire who held up a large rocket launcher in one hand while his other hand was holding a sem-futuristic gun.

"Too bad for you are not going to do any boasting today." Jason toss the rocket launcher and took a combat knife. "Because your ass is going six feet other.

The second Red Hood dashed toward to the angry mercenary who let out a guttural battle cry as she charged toward Jason with murder in her eyes, forgetting about Agent Twlight in the process.

[danascullysjournal]

If You Will Let Me

A Post-Milagro X Files Fic

TW: Medical trauma, near death experience, sedation, visit from the dead, mentions of demons

___________________

Chapter 20: Tethered

There is a plane between death and life, a haze of struggling where the soul is suspended.  Battered by tempests unseen, haunted by visions of what was and what could be, the spirit is tethered to a silkworm’s thread, swung on a pendulum.  

Toward the darkness.

Toward the light.

In the darkness, velvet waves pummel and formless voids gape in hunger. The stench of death wafts from their depths.  They wait.  Ravenous.  They beckon in earnest. 

They promise peace.  But they have no peace. 

 They promise safety.  They are not safe. 

But what can the spirit do, adrift in this ocean, without a compass, without a rudder, at the mercy of currents and the strength of the thread?  The soul cries out for an unseen savior, a way to be pulled from mouths that would devour.  To be gathered and bound up, a castaway returned, restored to what was.  Pulled safely, securely into the folds of light. 

The hours passed.  The pendulum swang.

It was disorienting.  The space in which Scully found herself was not truly anywhere.  She knew that much. 

But the voices enveloping her, or inside of her, were insistent.  Insistent and real.  

Their desperation, their hunger spurred her on.  Giving in to the darkness would only guarantee her damnation.  And his victory.  As much as the cavernous spaces yearned to pull her in, she wouldn’t go.  God, she couldn’t. 

The thread wavered, drawing her along aimlessly, a faceless soul through battering gales.   

She felt him near, somehow, even though he wouldn’t, or couldn’t, manifest as he had in her apartment.  How much of himself had he woven into her?  She was infected.  Stained.  

She tried to cry out, but found her throat was sand.  

The cord twisted.  It spun.  

She saw a hint of light.  

Pale, thin glimmers on an otherwise formless, shrouded horizon. 

Another voice began alongside the sounds of hunger.  Calling to her.  Intent, but with a different tone than the mouths that wanted to consume.  

This sound was kind. This voice had hope. 

Dad?  Dad!  

How many years had it been?  She tried to reach out, but had no control of her arms. Tried to call to him, but could not find her words.  Tried to find him- somehow- but her body felt nothing save the emptiness of this barren plane of existence.

She choked, the absence of breath, the absence of self striking panic. 

Dad!

“I’m here, Starbuck.  I’m here.”

She wanted to yell for him.  Cry out to him.  Hug him, one last time. 

But he was nowhere and everywhere, and her mouth was mute.  

Are you real?  She wanted him to be.  More than anything. 

“This part of me is.”

You… pulled us out of the house.  You came for me.

“How could I not?  How could I not come for my little girl?”

The flood of loss, of undying love was overwhelming.  It suspended them both in a cocoon of bittersweet silence.  

Dad.  How did you know?

“You will be amazed, someday, at what we get to know. What we get to see, and do, when we are needed. That’s why I’m here now.”

I do, I do need you, Dad.  I’ve missed you so much, I thought I could never talk to you again… and you’re here and I just…  

She felt like a desperate little girl.  She wished she could cry, just to ease the torment inside herself.  But she was bound up, inside and out.  Powerless.  It made her ache all the more. 

“You won’t stay here.  You’re my fighter.  Remember?”

How can I fight what I can’t see?

His voice seemed nearer, somehow.  She could almost smell his aftershave, she thought.  

“You don’t.  Not alone.   You have to decide, Dana.  Decide what you’re willing to fight for.  And I hope you make the right choice.”

What is the right choice?    

“I always chose myself, Dana.  And my orders, and my job. All the accolades, all the rewards, remember?  And I was given permission to come to you, to tell you that is not enough. Not to really live.”

That doesn’t make sense. 

“It does.  You’re just still afraid to admit it.  I left with things undone, sweetheart.  I was certain that what I did was enough.  I was strong, your mother was strong, I made you kids strong.  You were strong because you had to be.  Because I wasn’t really there for you to rely on.”

If she could breathe here, if she could speak, she would have screamed at him.  As much as she knew his words were true, his confession tore open a flood wall inside her.  The sudden deluge of denial and bitterness was too great.

Don’t say that!  You were there, Dad, you were.

“I tried to be, sometimes.  But I was torn.  Blinded by what I thought was important.  But ask your mother, when you get home.   Ask her about the forgotten anniversaries.  And the birthdays I missed, for trainings or ceremonies.  Remember who helped you with your homework, and your big projects.”  His voice was sad.  “I had a lot to do… a lot I thought was more important… She was always so, so good.  Forgiving.” He paused, his silence pained.  “Service has a cost.  Service to our country.  Or to the FBI.   We choose where to place our time, our trust.  That’s what shows love.   I didn’t give your mother… or you kids… I didn’t give the time you deserved.  When you go back, please tell her I’m sorry.  You have to tell her that.  I’m so, so sorry.”

If a voice could carry weight, if it could bear upon another with a touch, she would swear she felt him holding her with only his soft timbre. 

She desperately wished she could hug him back. 

I love you, Dad. 

“I love you, too.  So much.  Listen to me, Starbuck, I want you to know, it is possible to love and be strong.  What you’ve been doing, carrying all this.  Fighting alone… you don’t have to.  Sometimes being strong alone… it isn’t possible.  It isn’t what’s best.  I wish I had known… wish I had acted on it more.  I wish I had shown you all how important you really are.” 

You sound like Mulder.

“And I can tell you don’t think that’s a bad thing.  Make the right choice, Dana.   Don’t wait till it’s too late.  You can't get the time back.  And don’t forget, I’m here.  Always.  In your corner.”

But Dad, wait—

The pendulum swung. 

The silk thread snapped. 

____________________

Opening his eyelids fully was too much effort.  Instead, Mulder settled on cracking them just enough to make out the golden glow that surrounded him.  

His neural networks processed haphazardly, firing thoughts at random as he regained full consciousness. 

Good color.  Scully would like it.  

His fingers felt next to him, where her body had been resting with him the past nights.  He wanted to wake her, to show her the strange tangerine light that enveloped them.  

His fingers found cold sheets. 

Scully should be here.  She’s not.

He fought to force his eyes open, his heart rate climbing as the confusion and panic took root.   His pupils registered the plain, sunset stained hospital walls.  The heart monitor pads on his chest.  The IV lines anchored in his veins.   The nurses running into the room. 

His mouth became cotton.  His forehead grew hot with a strange, chilled sweat and his stomach turned without warning.  He bolted upright and managed to twist his body in the hospital bed before he vomited onto the floor, and the shoes of a nurse. 

“Oh…gaw..m’s’ry…”  The apology slurred out.  His tongue felt thick and unfamiliar.  

The dark haired nurse smiled slightly at him.  “It’s okay, really.  Not the worst thing I’ve had happen.”  While the other nurse helped clean him up and lay him back on the pillows, the dark haired nurse wiped her shoes off with a towel.  

“Fox, is it?  My name is Beth,” she continued.  “And this is Abby.  We’re here most nights.  When they brought you in, they told us we have to keep an extra eye on you.  They had to sedate you to get you to rest.  Sounds like you’re trouble.”

Mulder couldn’t tell if she was joking or not.  Even if she were serious, he couldn’t form a coherent rebuttal.  He managed a shrug instead.   Yes, he did seem to be trouble, he supposed.  His bosses and exes would all vouch for that.  

Abby was changing fluids in the IV drip.  Mulder eyed her.  Her hair curled, like Samantha’s.  He found himself suddenly leery of these two strangers.  They could be another demonic ruse, for all he knew. 

“So we will be just outside your room at the nurse’s station, and will come in and bother you, probably more than you want.  They said you can’t be alone.” There was a strange tone in Beth’s voice.  Irritation, Mulder decided.  Or distain.  “Anyway, ER bandaged you up nice, so we’ll just be here to change gauze, check your fluids.  You’ll be out of here in no time.”  Beth patted his hand and turned to leave. 

“Where’s’ssshhh,” he managed.  

Beth blinked.

“Wurrrss’shee,” he tried again.  

“Oh, oh.  Where is she…”  She glanced at Abby, a pensive look on her face.  

He felt his panic building again.  

Abby scrambled to tamp down his worry.  “Sir, we have to keep all patient information confidential.  But I promise you she’s alright.”  She offered a kind, reassuring grin. 

Beth pursed her lips and gave Abby a disapproving look, then glanced back at him.  “And that’s all we can tell you, sir.  We shouldn’t even tell you that much.”  Her glare settled back on her colleague. 

Mulder’s heart rate slowed on the monitor.   He nodded, a small smile on his lips. 

Scully is alive. 

“Get some rest.”  Abby finished making notations and both nurses turned to leave.  “You’ll feel much better tomorrow.  Promise.”   She offered another polite smile over her shoulder.  

He was so, so tired.  Sedated?  Given how his body felt, it was entirely plausible.  As his eyes drifted closed, he heard Beth from the hallway.  

“They told us it’s a DV case!  Everyone’s been talking about it!  What were you thinking?”  Her words hissed through her teeth. 

“He was worried, Beth.”

“Maybe.  Or maybe he’s acting.  Don’t give any more information or you’re gonna get yourself fired.” 

“Yeah…” 

“I’m serious!  You do it again and I’m reporting it.  I’m not going down with you just because you think a guy is nice.” 

Though his head was still foggy and stomach still swimming, Mulder’s mind was clear enough to register the weight of their words.  So much for getting help from anyone here.  Maybe once his brain fog lifted he could…. 

The fresh dose of sedatives in the IV took over as dusk began to settle into the corners of the room.

Fox Mulder fell into a dreamless, leaden sleep. 

____________________

“Dad!”  Scully’s hoarse voice cut through the monotonous beeping of the monitors.  Her eyes flew open as she gasped in air.   It was sick-sweet and plastic.  

Her fingers found an oxygen mask.  Beeping monitors behind her hammered out her elevated heart rate.

Fumbling, she pulled at the mask.  It caught, hindered by her hair tangled in the elastic.  A nurse ran into her room before she managed to remove it.

“Dana?  You okay?”  The panic of inexperience stained the young man’s voice.  He hurried to her side in an attempt to calm her.  Once he secured the mask once more, he eased her back down to the pillow.  “It’s good to see you awake, at least.”

“I heard- I swear he was here.”  Scully’s eyes searched the dimly lit hospital room.  

“Who?”

She blinked back the emotion she felt bubbling to the surface.  

“Who was in here?” 

She shook her head.  “It must have been a dream.”

There was certainly no way she could explain what she had just experienced to anyone else. 

“That would make sense,” the nurse said.  “You’ve been through a lot, bad dreams can come from that.  It’s good to see you so alert.”

Scully felt ill at ease.  Her medical mind struggled to process, to make sense of where she was and what had happened.  She didn’t remember going to the hospital, but she could deduce why she was there easily enough.   What she couldn’t reconcile to herself was the fact that she was alive.  After feeling them entering her body… after deciding she was too tired to fight anymore… she should be… dead?  Part of them?  Definitely not sitting here, she was sure of that much.

She knew that she had her father to thank for that. 

 “Could I… Can I talk to a doctor, or at least see my chart?”  She tried in vain to sit up.  “Please, I’m a doctor.”

The young man studied her face seriously.  “You have been through a lot,” he repeated.  “And you’ve been unconscious.  You are really lucky.”  He nodded toward the mask on her face.  “Oxygen, obviously.  Keep it on. Keep resting.  Your body needs it.  The doctor will be in to make rounds in the morning, and you can talk to him then.  The last thing you need is more stress on your mind or body right now.”

“You said I’m lucky.”  She sounded strange to herself, muffled through the mask.  “What about my partner?”

“Partner?”

Her stomach dropped.   She took a breath to steady herself.  “Yes, Fox Mulder.  He would have been with me.”  

The nurse shook his head apologetically.  “I don’t know that name.  I’m sorry.”

Panic seized her.  “I have to find him, you have to let me go!” 

She began pulling at the mask again, but the nurse grabbed both of her hands.  His face bent down to hers, his eyes serious.

“Listen.  This is a big hospital, and you’re in the intensive care unit.  Your partner is probably in another area.  You need to stay here until we can be sure you’re alright, okay?  You’ve been unconscious for a couple days.  You lost so much blood they had to do a transfusion.  But they don’t know how on earth you lost it.”  His brow was furrowed with worry, or pity.  “I don’t know what all you went through, but I can tell it wasn’t fun.”

Scully shook her head slowly, reeling at this new information.  “No.  It wasn’t.”  As he let go, she let her hands fall to her sides.  Bewildered.  Defeated.

“My name is Jordan, I’m here all night.  I can stay here for a bit, till you go to sleep?  Would you like that?”

He was no Mulder, but she didn’t want to be alone.  She nodded softly. 

“Yes, please.” 

Jordan pulled a chair close to her bedside.  She sighed, irritated that her body was so weak and worn.  Still, she was thankful for the company.

“How long have you been working here, Jordan?”

The nurse ducked his head in a boyish fashion.  “This is actually my first year working.  But I completed my clinicals here, too.” 

“Mm, good for you.”  She smiled at him.  “You chose a good line of work; you'll help lots of people.  So you're pretty familiar with the hospital then?”

The nurse nodded. 

“Would you do something for me, please?”  In spite of herself, Scully felt her eyelids getting heavy again.  Her body felt utterly spent.  

“I’ll try.”  His voice was wary. 

“Can you find out if my partner is okay?  Fox Mulder.”  Her eyes were desperate.  “I need to know.  We were attacked, and I want- just, please find out if he’s here, if he’s alright.”  Her jaw clenched tight against tears that threatened.  I need him to be alright.

Jordan nodded, holding her gaze.   “You know I can’t give you personal information… but I can see if he’s here.” He gave a smile. “I promise.” 

The relieved grin she returned was faded from fatigue.  “That’s all I want, thank you.  Just to know he’s safe.  He’s… he’s a good friend.” 

Her father’s words wavered in her subconscious as she began to drift off. 

You’re right, Dad.  I know you’re right. 

____________________

Footsteps on the tile floor roused Mulder.

He took great care to turn his head like the hour hand, wary of startling the staff or making himself throw up again.  

“How are ya feeling?”  Abby’s kind face studied him through the dim light.

He rolled his dry tongue in his mouth as he stared at her.  His eyes darted toward the doorway, then back.  She was alone… which either meant the nurse was really here alone, or… He felt a low panic begin to creep in.  If it was indeed the demons again, he was hardly in a position to resist.   He swallowed thickly, moving his mouth in an attempt at words.  

“Behht?”  He groaned to himself.  Stupid sedative.

Abby grinned.  “Beth?”

“Mh- hmm.”  He kept his eyes fixed on her, watching for a shift, a telltale murmur in the planes of her face. 

She let out a small laugh.  “She’s not your favorite, is she?”

Mulder grunted.

“She’s on break,” she shrugged.  Her long brown curls moved with her shoulders. “I figured now was a good time to check in on you… I dunno.  She’s a good nurse.  She just makes her mind up about people pretty quick.  But I like to decide for myself.  Just because you hear something about someone doesn’t mean it’s true, ya know.”  She offered another smile.

Mulder licked his cracked lips.  “No more.  No, no more sedttiff.”  He glared at the IV bag to make his point. 

She shook her head.  “No, we don’t do that unless it’s absolutely necessary.  That was supposed to be the last round.   As long as you promise not to go crazy and try to hurt anyone again.”

He scrunched his nose and brow in confusion. 

“You don’t remember?”

He slowly shook his head.

“Huh.  Well, I wasn’t here when they brought you in, but the report was that you were pretty upset.  Fighting the paramedics.  Saying crazy things.”  Her eyes were filled with sympathy.  “You must have been in shock, I guess.  You look like you’ve been through a lot.”  She studied the cuts on his face, his bandaged hand. 

“Mhm.”  He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering Padgett’s hollow, hateful stare, Scully’s terrified face…  the darkness filling him.  “T’ tried’t’take us.”

Abby’s eyebrows furrowed.  “Take you?  So you- you didn’t hurt the other patient.”  The relief was evident on her face. 

“Never.”  He wished he could explain himself more, so this nurse could understand.  Scully was his only reason to keep going.  The thought of hurting her was unconscionable. 

“I knew you weren’t that kind of guy.  Who did this to you?” 

Mulder blinked, considering his next move carefully.  She seemed trustworthy, but if she felt he was crazy or dangerous…  He examined her kind face, framed by long curls that were tucked back in a loose, messy ponytail.  A glint of metal flashed from one earlobe that peeked through her hair.  

He squinted.  A cross earring.

She squinted back at him with a small grin.  “What?”

“Umm…”  Mulder struggled to sit up, fighting the residual dizziness.  “D’you b’lieve in God?”  He could barely believe the words as they came out of his mouth.  Less than a week ago, he would have vehemently denied any plausibility of such things.  Yet here he was, tethered to a hospital bed with IV lines and BP sensors, all because of a hoard of demons.  The world was a strange place.

Abby tilted her head, then nodded.  “Yeah.  Yeah I believe in God.  Why?”

He took a deep breath.  Here goes nothing.  “Okay, an’dem’ns?”

She stared at him, her brow twisted in confusion.  

“An’demons.”  He spat out.  He couldn’t wait till he regained full control of his thick, uncooperative tongue. 

“Demons,” she repeated.

He nodded.  His eyes locked on hers, begging her to take him seriously.  She took a step backward, toward the door.  Her lips were a thin line.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Mulder, I don’t want to get involved in any of that.”

“Please.” 

“This is why you were sedated…”  She reached the doorway and stopped.  Her arms were crossed, her expression pensive.  How many times had he seen that look on Scully’s perfect, freckled face?  He would give anything to see her, to hold her again.  

“Please,” he tried again.  “I need help.  Please.”

Abby shook her head fiercely and her curls flung back and forth, magnifying her reticence.  “I can’t.  Even if what you’re saying is real- and I’m not agreeing it is- even if it is, how could I possibly help?”

Mulder spoke slowly.  “Y’don’t understand.  Th’want me.  An’ her.  Not you.”  He kept his eyes locked on hers, pleading.  “I gotta get help, an’ if I don’t.  We die.  She dies.  I die.”  He felt his stomach churning, from the sedative.  From the helplessness.  “You don’t hafta believe me, but’f you go, you’re killing two people.  Two.  Is your doubt worth that?”

The hospital room was silent for a long moment, save the beeping of the heart monitor.  

Abby licked her lips nervously, then took a deep breath.  

“Okay.”  It was a whisper.  “I don’t want anybody dead…  But this doesn’t mean I believe all you said, either.  What do you need me to do?”

____________________

[strykingback]

Event: Rescue Mission FINALE- The Reapers Bullet

OST: The Disgraced Clone

The strike team moved up quickly approaching the fallen Mecha-Perseus as the stopped hearing the chest piece open up with a hiss, with Nero walking out of the machine with smoke and coughing a bit while he waved it away. "Fucking little pieces of shit! I have no more patience with you all!" He would say with a growl. "It's over Nero! Surrender now and you will be taken back to Brumel where you'll receive a fair trial!" Eros demanded pointing his twin blasters at the clone. While Nero would just scoff at it... getting into a fighting position as he lifted up one leg and slammed into the ground breaking the concrete starting to groan.. while the fusion energy began to surge around him.

"Democritus particles?! They're being absorbed?!" MAYA would say with Leonidas already having a bad feeling about this. Eros, would just roll his eyes underneath his helmet thinking that this clone was just going to the same thing as the real figure did somewhat have a temper tantrum. Zek and Guangxian would just remain quiet and watch to see what would happen.

Finally, the disgraced clone would release a loud roar of rage with more of the Democritus particles becoming streams of energy entering Neros back as even the wires from Mecha Perseus would surge outward feeding more of the energy into him. Before a wave of power was unleashed pushing back the strike team..

"The Bloody hell?!" Eros said checking his HUD for any fusion poisoning in his body.. which there wasnt.. yet for the Disgraced Councilman he stood up looking more buff than ever. While he would push his glasses up with a slight smirk. "LETS RUMBLE!" Nero spoke with a growl.

"The fuck are you on about you absolute-"

"GRAHHHHGH!!!!" Nero would charge at Eros with everyone jumping away as Eros was left unprepared to shoot at being surprised at the speed of the now charged up councilman with no time to dodge as he was immediately tackled to the ground with Eros getting up, only to get a punch towards his face, and then a headbutt cracking his visor. "I'm not like those cushy politicians! Played a lot of Zeroball in college!" Nero said.

Leonidas would immediately launch himself into battle swinging a punch towards the clone while he gritted in pain with stinging feeling moving through his left hand. "At some shitty fancy college, you mark!!!" The bull faunus growled using Aurelius' Wrath in attempt for the wrist blade to gouge out the eye of Nero only for his arm to be caught by Nero. Which the elite atelier guardsman attempted to swing a punch with his free arm only for it to be caught, with Nero letting go of Eros. "Try the University of Atticus in Vale! I'm not like those beltway pansies who wont do things right nowadays!!!" He said headbutting the bull faunus again with a groan coming from Leonidas.

"I can easily crush your shit king....with my bare hands!!!" He said, letting go of Leonidas right hand and immediately punching him in the face causing his visor to crack as well! Being sent to the floor in pain from the strikes. Immediately Zek would come in using the bayonet function of his rifle only to be caught by the throat and thrown into air with Zek screaming loudly in fear as he fell right back down.

"DO NOT FUCK WITH THIS GODDAMN COUNCILMAN BITCH!" Nero shouted immediately kicking Zek at a perfect time sending him right to the floor, as the rifleman held his gut in pain which he wondered what was damaged....perhaps it was his ribs, or even worse internal bleeding. "Fuuuuck...." He groaned out.

"Bastard! Just what the hell are you!?! " Guangxian said shooting at the Senator while he did not flinch almost as if the bullets were literally and figuratively bouncing off of his body, which the Councilman looked at the Hacker and attempted a few punches while Guangxian would dodge them swiftly only for a punch catching him off guard as stumbled back a bit dazed. While the clone of Nero pushed up his eyeglasses. "Why dont you boys live long to find out?" He said while everyone got back onto their feet... yet Zek noticed something was missing on Guangxians back.. and that was Hathor... which he looked up to the sky to see the drone in air showing the fight live.

And on the Atelius everyone watched the fight with eyes of shock in their eyes... and worry.

"Come on Leonidas get back up!" An Atelier Soldier said.

"Lets go Eros!! Show'em what you mean by planning!!!"

"Guangxian... Hang in there!!!" One of the Atelier Technicians spoke.

"Zek... please.. get up!!!" Atya said with worry.

"Guys we need to work fast on this anti-serum now!!!" Merlinda spoke with urgency with Hermes, Twilight, and Krieg having to work as quickly as they could. "Father... please protect them....." Krieg shuddered underneath his breath... while he had worked to solve the problem with the Anti-Serum for Project Immortalis...

"Lets go ... lads!!!" Eros shouted throwing Pequod to the side and pulling out his plasma knife while, Leonidas staggered a little bit reaching his full height along with everyone else.

"Come on boys! Lets have a fun talk!" Nero spoke as the fight reignited with Eros charging in firing Ishmael at the clone, while narrowly dodging an attempted punch and using his knife to attempt to slice open or cut his abdomen albeit it felt like bounched off. With Guangxian coming in with his pistol to try and claim a head shot with Zek aiming and firing a dust round with an explosion.

Finally Eros and Leonidas looked at each other and nodded rushing in with both with both a plasma knife and wristblade with both swinging down after Zeks incredible headshot... only to feel something holding them back, with the two looking up to see Nero's head still intact and his arms and hands black as night.....

"Nice cooking knives, mind if I take those to go." He said breaking both the Plasma knife and the Wristblade.

"WHAT!?!" Both Atelier soldiers said in unison, before they backed up a bit. "Bloody fucker!!!" Eros shouted throwing what remained of his knife while Nero simply walked up towards them quickly before running as Eros utilized his semblance. Haste to jump over it while Leonidas rushed in and slid underneath an attempted punch dodging it completely. Just for a moment Leonidas chuckled and then

WHAM!!!

With a loud smack the bull faunus was punched making him stagger once again but with his kinetic punches all but charged up its just enough for him to handle it. As he saw a punch being swung at him as he blocked it with both sides grunting and groaning. "Always going to be a mark, you piece of shit politician! Big Promises you cant even deliver....!" Leonidas said throwing the fist to the side, swinging an attempted punch which made contact. "Experimenting on innocent people?! All for what! Your broken pride!!!" He continued swinging two more kinetic punches.

"And you're just like every other PMC mark I killed! Just another shitbag crawling in the pile!!!" He said giving a kneestrike to the chin with enough force to make the clone stumble backwards a bit.

"Heh... you are right about one thing... Marauder of Marcenas River...." Nero spoke which made Leonidas grit his teeth hearing that title. "I do have big promises that I could not deliver.... but its because I have a dream!" Nero said.

"What?" Leonidas said with confusion, before watching the councilman walk up to him.

"That one day every PMC watching will use this as a means to be inspired to do more! To go forward and do more even if it is unethical!!!" Nero said with Leonidas taking zero time to think and charging forward with both hands grasping each other in another hand while the two would clash heads with blood seeping out of Leonidas helmet.... "I want PMC's to understand that they can destroy the governments that once held them back and use it for their own fuel for their fire!" Nero spoke with a kick to the bull faunus' stomach making him stumble backwards.....

"Fuck all these limpshit politicians who decide to not go above and beyond what they can or can't do! And these chickenshit hunters who only want to be famous as hell and instead seek only glory instead of fighting for the PMC's to sate their inner demons!!!" Nero would rant while punching Leonidas with the next punch landing shattering his helmet entirely... while in a dazed state... Leonidas immediately tore off the holopad containing MAYA as he threw her somewhere safe..... so she wouldnt have to be harmed....

But Nero saw this distraction as an opportunity while he grabbed the marauder by the hair. "Fuck all this! I wanna be the very best and prissy soft society bullshit!!!!" Nero shouted slamming Leonidas' face into the ground.... as he lifted him back up which the bull faunus was too dazed and was trying to formulate something. "Fuck the Fake Media! Fuck the Naysayers!!!" Nero punched him again making the Marauder stumble again with blood staining the grounds...

"FUCK ALL OF IT!!!!!"

Nero roared swinging a haymaker punch sending, Leonidas flying into a damaged wall which had a spike piercing out of it which it would pierce his arm making the Marauder of Marcenas scream in agony for the first time every...

With everyone watching aboard the Atelius... they never seen such brutality before , with the Atelier soldiers now showing worry because without Leonidas it only leaves Eros, Zek, and Guangxian to fight against this untamed beast!

"Krieg! Whats the status on the anti-Immortalis serum!?" Merlinda demanded in a hurried manner.

"Not good!!! They made this thing incredibly complicated!!!" Krieg replied looking back at the battle seeing Eros stand up and try to shoot but he was too late.

"Shite! They made it too complicated!!! Even with my magic it wont be enough to reduce it down to its base materials!" Hermes said before hearing another scream of horror from the audience outside.

"LEONIDAS!!!" An Atelier soldier shouted.

"COME ON EROS!! CLUTCH UP!!!" Another shouted.

"You can do it guys come on!!!"

"Leo!!!" Eros shouted, charging in only to be slammed to the floor onto his back. "You see you useless knights in shining armor! Remnant is rotten to the core.... which means we need to do one thing!" Nero continued with his rant... "WE NEED TO BURN IT DOWN!!!!" He shouted kicking Eros making the seasoned soldier cough up blood.

"Fuuuck.. you.. you serial murderer!" Eros spat back.

"Oh.. still alive. And from the ashes of this new Remnant everyone will be underneath a banner where they can fight and die for what they BELIEVE!!!" He shouted stepping on top of Eros HARD making him cough up more blood!!!

"The weak will be purged and I WILL BE ITS NEW LEADER AND THOSE WHO DO NOT AGREE WITH ME WILL BE PURGED AS WELL!!!!" Nero shouted kicking Eros away as the soldier slid across the floor with a groan....

"I WILL MAKE NOT JUST ATLAS GREAT AGAIN BUT ALSO REMNANT GREAT AGAIN!!!!" He said with Guangxian leaping on top of him and pulling out his karambit knife in an attempt to stab him in they eye only to be stopped and grabbed which he would be raised up over his head.....

And then...he would be slammed onto Nero's knee by his back which a blood-curdling scream was emitted from the Hacker as he was thrown away like trash..... into a wall.... as he struggled to get back up.... "Just like him! Trash.. aimed for me!"

"You know what mate... Fuck off!!!" Eros said getting up to which on the dreadnought everyone roared with a cheer watching the commander stand up with Eros rushing in and beginning to swing multiple punches against Nero... but to no effect before he swung a final punch that made him grunt in pain a bit...

"Why wont you just fucking die you sack of shite!!!!" Eros shouted with rage, while Nero finally revealed what had happened to him tearing off his shirt... revealing a scar around his chest where his heart is located... "Fusion Nanites, son. Ever since I got that surgery along with Project Immortalis whenever physical trauma is dealt to me.. they harden in response.. in other words.. Im fucking invincible!" The clone said.. with Zek charging in and using the butt of his rifle to smack him only for the Fusion Nanites to respond with a swift hardening to lessen the blow.

"What did I just say son?" He said dealing a punch to Zek which the force made him spit out blood from his mask sliding across the floor....and for a moment.. he could see his master... and his mother who was shot... during the invasion of the village waving at him to come with them..

"Mamulechka... Master..." He said weakly.. before he shook it off because of Eros shouting something only to get punched with his helmet shattering into pieces....

"Fucking Atelier Garbage!!!" Nero shouted after he punched Eros.

"Shite murderer of my brothers, sisters, and others!!!" The commander said trying to lay a good punch on him.

Finally in a desperate move... Guangxian charged in and grabbed Nero by the abdomen making the councilman look at him.."DO IT NOW!!!!!" Guangxian shouted with Eros and Zek charging in....but however... Nero grunted and groaned until... "WHY DONT YOU FUCKING DIE YOU PIECES OF SHIT!!!!!" He shouted with a bright light coming from his back with Eros', Zek's and Guangxian's faces widening with shock as finally..

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!

They were caught in a pulse explosion that destroyed the area around them... as back on the Atelius... Hathor was still connected showing the live feed meaning Guangxian was alive... but by a thread..

The sight alone made everyone aboard lose hope... as finally back in the lab.. Krieg fell to his knees tears dripping from his eyes. "Not again... not again!!!!! DAMN YOU!!!! NERO!!! HOW MUCH MORE MUST MY SINS FOLLOW ME!!!!" He shouted with fury... with hermes understanding his anger.

".....We cant give up yet!" Atya said walking into the lab.

"Use my blood.... I have an idea." She said..

Back in the battlefield... Guangxian was barely conscious using his drone sight to keep himself in the fight for everyone to see. Eros on the other hand was embedded into a wall... were it not for his armor he would have been dead.. but his aura had also broken leaving some scars across his face along with very serious burns and injuries... but Zek took the worst of it as his left eye was bloodshot from the insane damage, blinding him... and his right arm was all but missing..... as his breathing was labored.. once again he could see his master Odin and his other mother standing before him.

Yet, from the smoke came Nero .. undamaged and still having a bastard of a grin on his face. "See this is what you boys get for playing heroes...." He said.. while Zek struggled to get up but was too close to deaths door. "Time to finish this..." He said approaching Zek before the sounds of an Atelier gunship came through flying above the remaining fighters as it would come around hovering just well enough above ground with the side doors opening.

Revealing Atya with a rifle aiming at Nero.

"For everyone you killed!" Atya said shooting at him which was revealed to be a dart as it made contact around his shoulder which injected the serum right away. "Huh? Thats it... some bullshit tranquilizer dart?!" He shouted. "Not quite!" Krieg said over the gunships speakers.

"It's in fact an anti-serum that combats the Immortalis serum inside of you!! While we could not figure out a serum to combat it from its base materials.. however what would happen if your hundred and fifty thousandth experiment.. used her own blood against you which contains immortalis thus using our failed vaccine attempts to fuse it with hers.....created the anti-serum necessary!!!" Krieg said.. which Neros eyes widened in response seeing feeling his eyes starting to bleed and himself coughing up blood.

"Urgh! Fuck!!!" He said...

However, Zek would slowly rise to his feet with one arm left.....and his rifle in hand. Injured as he was. There was no way he was going to die... not without taking this man down once and for all! "NERO!!!!!" Zek shouted...with the clone turning around..

"Let's Rumble...." He said with a weak smile while Nero would only have rage in his heart, charging at the Sniper as he rolled across the floor after an attempted punch was swung with Nero swinging his fists down at the floor causing little breaks in the ground to catch Zek off guard only for the Sniper to keep his balance and shoot at him this time piercing his abdomen.. making him stumble back.

The Fusion Nanites... were no longer responding! "YOU FUCKING WHORE!!!!!!" Nero shouted grabbing a PVC pipe and throwing it but thankfully it would move out of the way just narrowly grazing the attempted javelin throw. However, Zek would not take this lightly as he would drive his Bayonet through Nero roaring with rage while unloading bullet after bullet into him making the Councilman spit more blood out.

Yet, out of defiance, he would swing a punch at Zek making him pull out his rifle, sliding across the floor. Which the cloned councilman in a dazed manner released a roar of rage forcing the nanites to work while he would swing a punch at the Sniper with Zek side-stepping out of the way and shooting a fist covered in the Fusion Nanites, making him stumble back and swung his other undamaged fist covered in a bunch of fusion nanites... while that fist would be shot and damaged... making him stumble back... until charging forward. "YOU FUCKER!!!!!!!" He roared.

While Zek quickly counted how many bullets he had left... and had only one left... which he lifted the rifle aiming it at Nero ....which his Aura surged.... and finally he said one thing in his language...

"Пуля Жнеца!!!!! (THE REAPER'S BULLET!!!!!)"

Pulling the trigger as the bullet was launched with what Zek imagined Death to look like screeching forward with its cape and such and skeleton hands outstretched with the bullet striking and piercing through the councilmans heart as he stumbled a bit realizing what just happened.

"Urgh... fuck....." Nero spoke looking At Zek who was about to put his rifle down..

"Vengeance... for everyone.." He said, before hearing Nero chuckle weakly. "You didnt claim shit... I'm just.... a clone." The clone would speak. "Clone or not..... you are him. Plus.... it was a long time coming and it offered closure for all parties involved...." He said... watching the man fall back.

"Heh... then let me tell you something. Don't let those pieces of shit make you sensitive......" Nero would say weakly...

"Twenty Three years too late...." Zek responded putting Hayha on his shoulder.... turning around and walking away weakly while the gunship containing Krieg and Atya would arrive...

"Heh... you and me have the same killer instinct....... we ...are kindred spirits... you and I..." Nero would speak his last. While Zek looked down at him with his only remaining eye.

OST: The Reapers Shadow...

"ийэ (Mom) ,I..... I want to ...... go home..." Zek would say before falling forward... and going unconscious....

"ZEK!!!!!" the scream of his mother would say.

"We have to do something!" Kriegs voice rang out

"Immor-" Eros' voice rang

"We need to inject him-"

"We're.....los-"

"Dont give up yet... Zek..." His mothers voice rang out one last time....

[damagedward]

𝕬 𝕱𝖆𝖒𝖎𝖑𝖎𝖆𝖗 𝕿𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊 𝕺𝖋 𝕻𝖔𝖎𝖘𝖔𝖓

***⚠️ Trigger Warning ⚠️ ***

tw:poison , tw:attempted murder , tw:near death , tw:near death experience , tw: betrayal

Her hand goes to her throat , she can’t seem to get any air down , she’s gasping for oxygen , her lungs beg for it expanding and collapsing but seeming to not collect anything . Her vision is going blurry , she can’t see through the tears that well up , they come of their own accord , from the choking , the coughing fit that had preceded it and then of course there had been emotion as well . But most important , she knows , because there’s only one other person in the room besides her .

Merlin .

He had done this , he had poisoned her , and apparently with something deadly , as this was death , of that she was certain , there was no way she could survive this , that was how it felt , and to top it all off he sat here trying to hold her , to offer some comfort to her as death overtook .

As her eyelids could remain open no longer , as she couldn’t gasp for anything else , as she felt consumed by darkness , she didn’t see any light , there was no flash of her life , her last thought was how it had all been a lie .

What she had never expected was a sudden jolt that felt like electricity in the flesh coursing through her and causing everything within her to come alive once more .

Emerald orbs rapidly shoot open and around , blinking trying to adjust to the sudden light , seeing again , figuring out how , where .

The figure she lands on is so familiar yet different . How long had she been gone for ? No — she had died . She ..

“Merlin ?”

And then it floods back and she tries to get up and out of the bed she’s on and nearly falls in the process and he’s there to catch her and help her back down .

“I’m not Merlin . He’s my brother .” He leaves out the twin part for now as one it was obvious or so he thought and two he was rather angry at him and at that bit right now .

“His brother ? Oh is this how you get out of what you just did ?! You poisoned me ! You KILLED ME !” She launches at him now , she draws a hand back and aims to slap him , he catches it and she pounds his chest with a closed fist before he catches that as well .

“Morgana . I am just as upset about all of this as you are believe me . I am here caring for you because otherwise I may be doing something I’d later regret to my brother .”

He’s getting her back into bed as she begins to fight less and less as she actually takes him in , notices the longer hair , his eyes aren’t that blue but more green like her own . He looks rougher , more experienced in life .

“He’s dead ! I’ll kill him myself !” She shouts out , tears welling up in her eyes as she finds energy anew but Blaine’s arms encircle her and she breaks into sobs . A silent unspoken agreement that no one speak of the vulnerability in the moment .

It was two weeks later that she would finally see Merlin again for the first time , and she would in fact try to attack him . Her dagger she always wore in her belt came to be her choice of weapon and she had managed to draw it and hold it to his throat . Arthur and Blaine would be there to pull the two apart . And finally Morgana would see the two brothers side by side and it settled in even further the fact they were in fact two different people . And so began her like for one and her dislike for the other even more so .

special mentions of @fatheredlegend

[galactia]

A favorite trope of mine with hurt/comfort plots is the injured character that either looks dead or was 'supposed' to be dead (the person or person who hurt them fully intended to kill them) but isn't, not because of some miracle or magic.

Because they didn't want to die and they held on by willpower and because they just kept breathing, one little bit of air into their lungs at a time.

Bonus: they didn't even know they could hold on. It was something they would have thought they could do. But they just staid alive and staid alive and now they are still alive and have a chance.

[some-messed-up-writing-for-you]

Short Prompt #1291

CW: wounds, near-death experience.

The halfling collapsed against the old brick wall, heaving for breath. The gash in their shoulder burned with every inhale, flecks of silver still stubbornly clinging to their flesh. With a stifled sob, they pressed a hand to the wound, trying to slow its bleeding.

Their mind raged with a storm of emotions. They had been lied to - betrayed. The half-vampire had truly thought they had found a safe space; they had been so certain that these people wouldn't judge them for their blood-craving side.

But, no.

They were still just a monster, just a dangerous thing that needed to be slain. Why? Why couldn't anyone give them a chance? Why couldn't they find a home--?

"Need some help, pup?"

The halfling jumped at the sudden voice and pressed themself against the wall. Their eyes frantically scanned their surroundings but failed to find the stranger. In response, a chirp sounded above them, finally landing their gaze on the other.

Bright crimson eyes stared at the halfling from the roof of a neighboring building, making them let out a frightened squeak. The vampire above them chuckled and stretched their massive wings. "So? Want some help or not?"

"I-I..." the halfling stammered, unsure of how to proceed. However, when the shouting of angry humans slowly grew closer, they caved. "Y-Yes, please!"

[moralpuppet]

[ ✟ ] Tears turn sour , eyes wide with concern , as he shuffles back , narrow to scowl into his father's eyes . Orel was too busy scared for his father's life before . Now that that's over he's reminded of the lack of responsibility his parent has even over himself . He wanted to shout but anger is overwhelming . His heart still racing .

Even after drinking had destroyed his own son's leg , even after drinking had destroyed his family and now nearly killed him - TWICE ( not that Clay even remembered the first time . ) Still his father drowns himself in bottled lies time and time again .

Orel's lips part as though he is going to deal another ' I hate you ' just like back on their hunting trip... yet he can't find his words this time , he can't find anything , ashamed of anger yet angry all the same . Angry and scared and yet conflicted between the two he turns his head away, coils the unshattered knee to his chest and holds it as silent tears stain his cheeks. He stays like that for minutes , maybe even a longer he doesn't know .

He wanted to leave , his father would be fine now , he couldn't stand to look at him anymore . Snivelling uncontrollably he gets himself up , finally , after what felt like forever .

Turning to leave as he opens the door he simply looks back , if he wanted to say something ; it was futile . Words are wasted on the boy's father . He grimaces again , eyes so full of pain and hatred before he slams the door shut , limping down the hall as he thinks to himself .. .

' You could have died , you jerk ! ' Words he wouldn't say because despite everything Orel believed in honor. / @runeians . / @slaughterlocked ( cont.

[comment-exchange]

286. Who Cares if One More Light Goes out (Roswell, New Mexico)

Title: Who Cares if One More Light Goes out Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43789527/chapters/110114763 Platform: AO3 Creator: GreyGullHaven Work Type: fanfic Fandom:  Roswell New Mexico (2019) Rating: Mature Pairing: Alex/Michael Word count: 4881 Warnings: near death kidnap, torture, medical, trauma, whump Number of comments: 1 Completion Status: done Short summary/description: Michael has gone missing, and as the search intensifies, Alex is getting more and more desperate to find the man he loves. When they finally do find Michael, are they too late to save him?  Cannon divergent setting.

[hermesserpent-stuff]

revisiting this post and wrote some stuff. is a lot more spicey. ^_^

tw: drowning and near death

Spider-man takes a shuttering breath and then he dodges quickly. The Sinister Six are at it again, this time fighting him at the docks. He flips and launches himself upwards. He twists in the air, avoiding the blast from Shocker. The man is pretty good at either just barely missing him or only catching Spider-man with the edge of his blasts. Enough to look convincing. Enough to hurt, but not as much as before. Electro shoots sparks at him and Spider-man leaps and he sees Shocker go down. But Spider-man has to focus on scurrying away from Rhino’s charge.

A few more dodges and a few attempts to web his enemies up and Spider-man notes that Shocker is still down. That cannot be good. But then he is rammed in the side by Vulture and he growls. He twists and uses a line of webbing to smash Vulture’s wings against a steal beam. He leaps and does a backflip, kicking the man down and into Rhino. Both stumble backward into a crane that falls down onto the dock, cracking it.

Spider-man gasps as Doc Ock manages to catch him and pin him to the side of a warehouse. The man is saying something, but Peter cannot hear him. The dock under Montana has splintered and his uncle slides into the dark water, making no moves to save himself. Montana must be unconscious. Blind panic overwhelms him and Peter thrashes. Montana would drown without someone to help. He is losing another uncle. The damnable arm keeps him pinned and Peter lets out a screech of frustrated rage. He digs down deep, and bucks his entire body, and cracks the metal pinchers of the arm. He kicks out, further breaking one of the arms, and leaps from the wall, scrambling to the hole. The water sloshes as more wood falls into its inky depths. He takes a deep breath and leaps down into the water.

The cold shocks him, almost making him lose air by gasping. But he holds it and kicks downwards. He cannot lose anyone else. His heart cannot take the idea that Montana would never ruffle his hair again, never smile at him, never wrap up an aching wound while pouring out loving concern. His eyes burn as he searches the dark water. He has to find Montana. He refuses to lose anyone else. His arms ache and the water is so so cold. His muscles are tightening and his lungs burn. But he will not surface without Montana. His hands hit something and he pulls it closer. It is his uncle. Peter pulls him closer and starts pulling the man with him up to the surface. The cold makes him want to fall asleep. But he cannot stop now. He could do this. Had to do this. He keeps kicking, and gasps as he breaks the surface. He starts swimming towards the shore. He shoots out a web and uses it to move toward the shore. Peter hauls his uncle onto the shore and immediately checks his uncle over. But he is not breathing. Not breathing. Oh. No. No! He refuses to accept this.

He yanks off his uncle’s mask and then he yanks off his own. CPR. He knows how to do it. Press down on the middle of the chest hard and fast in a steady rhythm. His uncle’s lungs seem determined to remain stagnant, not willing to restart. Peter feels tears burning down his face as he goes through the steps of CPR. He is going to save Montana. He has no choice! He had never gotten the chance to tell his uncle that he loved him back. He can do something this time. This time has to be different.

Montana takes a shuddering breath and starts coughing, water coming out. Peter rocks back on his heels, sobbing brokenheartedly at the sounds of life. He had succeeded. But the fear still burns horribly in the pit of his stomach. Montana reaches out while coughing and pulls him close. Peter curls up on his uncle’s chest, listening to the glorious sound of the man’s steady breaths and rhythmic heartbeat. Peter shivers as he clings to his uncle’s suit. The man rests a firm hand on his back.

“It’s alright, kid. I'm alright. You did good Peter.”

Another choked sob escapes Peter's lungs. He had done it. He had not failed this time.

“Iloveyou. Iloveyouiloveyouiloveyou.”

The words mush together as he cries and feels the cold starting to drag him under. He needs to stay awake. He has to make sure his uncle does not succumb to secondary drowning. He has to…

And then he hears Montana speak.

“Love you too kid. Luckily this suit has a waterproof pocket. I'm callin' Dan. I'm not sure either of us is in good enough condition to walk home.”

Peter relaxes and rests his head on his uncle’s shoulder. He lets out a shuddering breath, tears still burning his eyes and cheeks. Exhaustion coils around him and the cold drags him down. He collapses into his uncle whose hold is only growing stronger. Everything is going to be okay. He had not failed a second time.

((thinking about doing song writing challenges but idk how id set that up))

[untitledducklett]

loss of family

Try to guess my character's fears. They'll have to answer honestly with yes or no and rate out of 10 how scared of it they are. Currently: accepting

10/10

I almost saw my mother die protecting me, and I couldn't do anything. I froze and just watched. I'm never going to let that happen again.