#was cast out and rejected for the mere ‘crime’ of suggesting that the people of singapore were citizines of japan

[depressedhatakekakashi]

Can i just say, cuz i saw the tag and it’s bothering me a little (as a lover of history)

Yes Japan allied with germany in world ward II, but they didn’t really do it because they agreed with germany. Like i’m not giving Japan a pass on anything they’ve done (they’re very much a coloniser as well)

But Japan joined germany out of anger a spit not out of shared ideology. Japan was angry they got short shafted after world war I where they fought alongside the allied forced and helped win some major battles, and then when it came to making a peace treaty they got nothing.

They didn’t get any labd like britian, france and the USA.

They didn’t even really get invited to be a part of the peace treaty like other countries on the winning side.

Japan joined Germany more out of frustration than being actual fascists. Like, yes. Their country has gone a really sort of terrible way in terms of government and they did commit a lot of war crimes and murder for the sake of getting rid of people they deemed ‘beneath them’

But had the other allied countries shown them even an ounce of respect after world war I maybe they would have stayed on their side.

[lilyundertaker]

April bullies day 9 - His Angel

Pairing: bully!Manjiro Sano x reader, bully!Mikey x reader;

Genre: TokRev AU, smut, one-shot;

Warnings: physical abuse, mental abuse, forced relationshhip, none-con/dub-con, fingering, oral (f.receiving), masturbation, vaginal penetration;

Synopsis: you seem like the perfect person to balance Mikey's inner darkness, so he takes your life away and makes you into his Angel.

Note: the fic revolves around Kanto Manji gang Mikey, but he's obviously aged up, as are other gang members.

He came with no previous warning. None. No notice, not request, no message. Just an absolute order. What was your crime for you to be made his toy, his little plaything? Was it the first glance you casted his way on the day that you transferred to his school or perhaps it was the smile you gave him right after? It’s hard to say and in the end, it wouldn’t have much importance anyway. People these days would rather eat a cactus without blinking rather than defy the Invincible Mikey. He was a totalitarian power amongst common people, and all were expected to obey him. That included YOU.

It was nearly an hour ago since your last period ended, and you were currently sitting at the park inside the school grounds. A head of soft blonde hair laid across your lap and your hands gently brushed and tangled through his locks.

Since your first day he had ordered you to come and meet him after lessons. At first you were curious of why someone would talk to a complete stranger so quickly. You never noticed the true malice that danced inside of Mikey’s soul. That day he enlightened you of your new position. “Since today you’ll obey me without question and with no objections.” He had said in a voice full of seriousness. You obviously didn’t buy his demands and merely a day later had failed to comply with his orders. That costed you dearly. You bear the mark of his aggression till this very day – a scar across your right hip, generously carved by Mikey himself.

Ever since Mikey first laid his eyes on you, he was taken aback by how good and angel-like you looked. You were kind and beautiful in both inside and out. Your gentleness was something Mikey craved. Those loving looks that you casted upon the clear blue sky, he wished to steal them all for himself. And he did.

Without you he found it hard to keep on with his dark ways. The dark impulse needed to be balance with the purest of light, so that the world would not be turned into chaos. That is precisely why he decided to abduct you from a regular life and plant you into his own twisted fantasy.

At first, he merely expected gentleness from you – hugs filled with love, light touches overflowing with deep affection and sometimes he’d require a kiss on the cheek from you, to fulfill his dosage of daily fantasy. Mikey loved to have you on his bike, your arms wrapped tightly around him in fear that you might fall off from the amazing speeds he liked to ride with. When it got cold in the evenings, he loved to wrap his white Kanto jacket around your shoulders, giving him the impression that you were his.

With time Mikey craved more and more for your affection, taking his every chance to put his hands on or around you. He kindly suggested that you stay the night with him, so that he could cuddle you during the night. But you rejected him, making yet another mistake. That evening he slapped you across the face and as you fell down onto the floor, he proceeded to kick you right in the stomach, making you fall back even further.

Your tears did nothing to ease Mikey’s anger as he dragged you by the hair to his room and forced you on his bed. You pleaded and begged like the slave he had made you to be, but it didn’t help. So, then you resorted to anger, hitting him back with your fists, clawing with your nails and even biting until he got your neck in a chokehold until your vision went black.

The next morning you woke up in the clutches of his embrace, all of your muscles aching from the power fight you had with him the previous evening. You tried to slide out of his grasp for him to only hug you tighter and pull your body closer to his own. An hour later he finally got up and the two of you would have your breakfast in silence.

For the weekend he decided to take you to a bar with his gang and despites some minors in it you all still got inside. Mikey insisted that you wear the short, red lace prom-type dress with a heart-shaped neckline and your neck would be decorated with a matching red choker necklace with a ruby heart in the middle.

To say that you were an eye-candy would be an understatement, but apparently that was the exact point of it. You were to be paraded as a glorified trophy at the arm of a junior gangster. But as you soon came to notice, this was also some sort of a power play as there were at least five other gangs present at the club, all sitting at different corners and wearing the uniform jackets of their respective gangs. You also noticed that there were quite a few girls among them, but instead of hanging around some gangster’s arm, they were actual gang members.

Everyone had way too much to drink that night, all except for Mikey who might’ve taken a shot, but even if he did it didn’t phase him at all. His vice-president Sanzu on the other hand, was taking in shot after shot like a champ and despite being heavily buzzed, you weren’t worried that his crazy senses were as sharp as ever. The Haitani brothers, Benkei, Mochi and Madarame were also comfortably drinking one drink after another. The more reserved ones were Kakucho, Wakasa and Kokonoi, but the two latter ones did break in as the evening neared the midnight.

You had nearly fallen asleep, when suddenly gunshots were fired left and right. It appeared that two gangs had some disagreement and so the respective members of each gang opened fire on the opposing one. That is also when all hell broke loose and Mikey’s gang joined in the fight firing guns, beating up people with their fists or whatever they could grab on their way to the battlefield. That was also the first time when you witnessed with your own eyes the power of Mikey’s kicks. He proved it to you six or eight times that one kick could kill a person.

Mikey arrived at his place with adrenaline still pumping in his veins, blood of his victims still covering his body, but you suddenly looked quite delicious in his eyes. Not that you weren’t before but this time he couldn’t resist it. Unbeknownst to you, he had jacked off on the sight of you alone on many occasions when you were forced to stay the night at his place. He would push your shirt up to expose your breasts, with one hand fondling your nipples and with the other one pumping his cock until he finally came on your skin. He always did a good job of cleaning you up right afterwards and the sleeping pills he had mixed with your juice during dinner would always keep you in a deep sleep. This time, however, masturbating it off wouldn’t be enough, this time it would be your cunt he’d be cumming on…or rather in.

He dragged you straight to the bedroom, discarding his jacket, short and boots in the process. You were thrown on your stomach whilst he got rid of the final bit of his own clothing, before tearing off your pretty lace dress and ripping it to ribbons. In mere seconds he was on you, turning your body around to face him, his fingers prodding at your entrance.

“Take a deep breath baby n let it out slowly.” You did as told and he slid to fingers right up your virgin pussy, making you whine out of the pain. “If this is how you take my fingers, I wonder how you’ll be able to take my cock pretty angel.” He cooed while thrusting his fingers in and out of you.

You felt like crying but no tears would come out as they had been spent a month ago. Instead, you grit your teeth and flexed your muscles, but it came out to be only worse as before. “Fuck y/n!” Mikey cursed. “I need you wet not fucking bleeding.” He said before leaning between your legs to lick all the way up your cunt. His tongue rolled around your clit so masterfully as if he had done this a million times. He sucked gently at your little pearl and that did it for you. With a shaky breath you moaned and bucked your hips against his face, craving more of the pleasure his mouth provided for you. Your hands grasped his locks to get him as deep as possible. Your thigs pressed his cheeks a bit too hard, so he was forced to keep you still with the strength of his muscular arms. Your eyes were rolling back as he brought you to an orgasm, your legs shaking in his arms.

“Well, let’s get to the main course, shall we angel.” He smiled before thrusting all of his manhood into you with one harsh thrust. It wasn’t a scream coming out of you this time, but a moan. You gripped his shoulders tightly for support as he rammed his way into you. Blood came spilling out of your uterus, but that wouldn’t stop him the slightest. His brutal pace was making the whole bed shake and the headboard was constantly hitting the wall.

“M-Mikey, slow down please, I can’t take it.” You cried out feeling another orgasm building inside of you. “You’ll manage angel.” His thrusts only seemed to increase in pace since hearing of your pending orgasm. You summoned whatever strength you had to hold it from coming, but you came to realize that you had none. All of it had been absorbed by Mikey and he was delighted when you came with a scream, creaming on his cock. Still, he kept on drilling into you, so you again resorted to begging. “Please Mikey stop!”. Your body began to shake from the overstimulation. You cried from it. Your voice was so horse that any noise coming from your mouth made your throat burn.

Finally, Mikey’s thrusts became slower and with a loud groan for a warning he spilled all of his essence inside of you. He retracted his cock and some of the semen kept spilling from his angry-looking tip, leaving white spots on your tummy and tits.

“I’m feelin’ sleepy Mikey”. You turned away from him on your side and he layed down behind you. “Then sleep my angel.” He whispered gently in your ear and leaned over to give you a kiss on the lips. You were nearly asleep, tired from the night activities, but you could still feel Mikey rubbing against your ass till he came again. The whole bed would be a nasty mess to clean the following day, but Mikey didn’t give two shits about it, since he had his angel now.

[sereisstuff]

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 4

Demon!Taehyung x chubby reader

Intro -  you accidentally summoned the prince of darkness and now he wants something in return, so he makes you his fiance to trick his father Hades into giving him the crown

summary - Taehyung embarks on a journey to get the potion that will mask your mortality, but he prefers to do other things during the day.

(A/N) - I finally updated yay!! this literally made me contemplate a bunch of shit so it took me hours on end to finish but for you guys, I managed.

!!ENJOY!!

Taehyung didn’t stop following you around wreaking havoc across the playground that plagued your thoughts, he cast aside your frustration and toyed with it in amusement using anything against your whim to force a reaction out of you.

he was here in search of a spell to cover up any sign of mortality that stuck to you like a leech, and of course to brighten his day the young demon decided to use you as his little puppet, constant desires spread like wildfire and Taehyung was the cause.

“I can feel your tension, darling” he advanced to you, you curled your hands into tight fist rolling your eyes in the process, frustration gripped your insides as you glared at the man “touch me and your dead” he paused looking at you with a suggestive stare.

taking the saying with a hint of lust “now that would be fun to see, my little mortal pet” he teased sitting bored on the chair that laid sprawl as a decoration in your home, you should have thanked him for returning you home last night.

but you could only avoid his eyes when he made his appearance, last night wasn’t something you would occasionally do, remembering the hot wave of heat his body gave off amid your dropping warmth you could only snuggle up against him for your own life to be saved.

or so that's what you wanted to think.

“I'm not your pet” you growled, throwing on a pair of shoes to leave the home, not warning Taehyung knowing he, himself would follow anyways. he made it his job to annoy you the entire day and he always completes his missions.

“oh, you're leaving great, now we can both go see that witch” Taehyung followed closely behind you making you want to pull your strands, sucking in a deep breath letting the air course through your lungs as you imagined positive energies flowing through you pushing out the negative.

“I'm going alone” you snapped, wanting to push him out of view but locked your aggressive thoughts into a cage of suppression, now was not the time and by the looks of it, demi gods definitely underestimated the strength of a mortal especially the mortal standing in front of him.

“you're cute when your angry” he flirted, you held the bridge of your nose to calm yourself harshly slapping your sides when you let them go “fine, where to” The ethereal man interlocked your hands with his own, placing a hand on your forehead.

“Remember to breathe,” he said, you had no time to reply before a bright red unnoticeable flame embraced you both consuming your forms to place you elsewhere in the world, dropping you in the middle of a forest.

you coughed loudly regaining your composure, running towards a tree to help you stand “I told you to breath didn’t i” he said with curiosity and an undertone of laughter, poor mortals.

“I'm this close to summoning hade’s to drag your ass back to where you came from” you choked on your words, whatever Taehyung did stop you from breathing for what felt like centuries being able to breathe again made you feel like a fish out of water.

He chuckled “Darling that old man can’t step on earth, and I came from my mother-” you stopped him before he could carry out that sentence “okay, I get it can we please just get this over and done with” you complained following him to the destination.

on the journey, you admired the birds feeling blissful being able to catch their melodies as you walked aimlessly through the forest staring up into the trees hearing the universe speak to you for a few seconds.

“need I warn you about the witch, she can be a bit how should I put this” Taehyung searched for answers, not wanting to degrade his former witch but at the same time wanted to inform you about her ways “-normal”.

you laughed sincerely from the rawness of your tone “none of this is normal if you didn't notice, I'm currently carrying out a deal with the son of Hades and you warn me that she’s not normal.”

“I guess we won’t have any hiccups then” he cheerfully said, waltzing into the shaggy home. upon entering you noticed the walls full of paintings the home having many succulent plants dangling from every wall, corner and inch of this home, the home felt light in a sense that you felt welcome in away.

“Taehyung dear” a youthful voice called through the home, taehyung hoped you wouldn’t act weird but unlike him, you weren’t familiar to his ways as you eyed every bit of the home in admiration, 

“I could see you coming this way and already had prepared your wish” the door squeak causing you to wait on edge for the woman to make her appearance, she steeped out slowly in vintage clothing, her curly locks bouncing with every step she took.

in her hand she held a small bottle of purple substance, she hadn’t looked up yet but there was no need to she already knew of you and your purpose so all she could do was pray to her deities for the best “make sure she swallows it all”.

“I could say that in two ways if she likes-” 

Taehyung glanced at you choking back a form of laughter “but sure, I'll make sure she does, thank you very much” the young woman looked at you with eyes black as night itself, you jolted back in fear not wanting to cause any informality you hesitated to introduce yourself but she held her hands up.

“its okay dear, I wish you all the best for what’s to come” you frowned at her saying, what's to come what does she mean??.

she left the room without another word uttered, shuffling back to her chambers where she finished off some business of her own leaving you once again alone with the young demon and now multiplied with a train of confused thoughts.

“can we go now” you stood from your place heading for the exit.

“I thought we should have a bit of fun, anyways you’ve done nothing but bore me the last few days a drink or two won't be a crime” he suggested running a hand through his hair, you both eyed your outfit grimacing at the attire you would be the center of attention if you went and for all the wrong reasons.

“no” you sternly replied leaving the home with new dominant energy. searching the forest for a way out but it only seemed to lengthen your walk amongst its people, the dazzling man groaned behind you. putting his hands to rest in his pockets so he could tail behind you.

“rejection isn’t much of my thing so could we maybe do something more appealing to one's excitement” you stiffened turning to face him when you realized the only way out of here was to jump with him out of it.

“fine if you can get us out of here” you instantly regret your words when you watched how brightly his eyes shone in anticipation, and instead of teleporting you both home. bright flashing lights blind your eyes as you've come to a realization that you're now at a party full of demigods and rich people.

“now we, my little mortal pet are here to convince the others of our-” he lifted his hands to make air quotes, “-marriage” you blushed at the thought, gagging as you realized what you did, today wasn’t very fond of your emotions and now you had no idea how to react to them.

you groaned “Please stop with the pet names”

“sure, for now, I will. but act like your my fiance” you nodded to his question, you both walked through the area full of people easily like fluid through the party. people came up to you and questioned your existence beside him many wishing you good luck which you mentally noted.

Taehyung offered you a drink, but in a state of anxiety, you denied his offerings as he shrugged his shoulders downing it himself. he moaned in pleasure closing his eyes to enjoy the taste. forgetting that a mere mortal was in his presence dark red hues stared at you with uncontrollable fury.

“I'm surprised my dear cousin, this is your fiance how lucky are you, I've been patiently awaiting your arrival” the sudden voice made you tilt to the call, there stood a man in his early twenties, his hair pure gray with pink luscious lips, he was covered in expensive attire and looked all most god-like, now measuring his features you were sure he was the son of one god leaning more to the goddesses in this situation.

“jimin,” Taehyung said with annoyance he clenched his jaw as jimin came to introduce himself “Jimin son of Aphrodite” he pressed his lips to the pals of your hand in a gentle manner, you didn’t stir in annoyance but clearly enjoyed his mere presence.

which of course was one of his many gifts being the son of the goddess of love

“Taehyung here forgot to mention-” he leaned in to whisper against your lobe, hiding his words from the other immortals that wandered the building “that your a human, I can smell it” he shifted back with a smug look, you hadn't been fazed by his words but continued to fall into his enchantments.

“You understand the meaning of this right, Taehyung” jimin sparked looking everywhere but the sinful red eyes of his cousins, he wasn’t blaming anything on you but his cousin's foolishness “The prophecy can kiss my ass” Taehyung growled.

“and can you please stop” he begged with displeasure.

“stop what” jimin replied acting clueless to his powers, “I know you're enchanting her so she doesn’t hear a thing we say” Jimin sighed, releasing you from the cage you didn’t even realize he locked you in.

“do i have to remind you to be careful with her or are you already too much of an idiot to accomplish anything but twisted in your life” the demigod grew angry with his cousin, he understood you, he could see right through your dictionary of love the memories that attached themselves to you were full of them.

and his cousin could take that all away in an instant everything you’ve ever dearly held close to you in life will be ripped to shreds without notice.

“Don’t worry, she’s not gonna get hurt” you frowned at the conversation the two were having, tapping your foot anxiously against the floor.

“I hope so cousin, I truly do” Taehyung perked up in his seat his ears catching on to a sound only he would be able to hear, a warning.

“We need to go” he got up from his seat, but too late the screams had already begun, your eyes widen in horror fear crippling your heart as it raced from the adrenaline now pulsing through your system, jimin ran off to protect himself and make sure others were fine.

Taehyung didn’t want to search for the source already knowing what it was “ grab my hand” he said in anticipation his face going pale at the source if there was one thing he would ever be afraid of it was those things destroying the party.

not daring to go back to his past.

..................................................................................................................

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tell me your thoughts I would love to hear and answer some questions, but feel free to do whatever.

.

[danwhobrowses]

Is Zuko the Best Redemption Arc Ever?

Now, I love ATLA and the character build of Zuko is great, I am not doubting that. But given my experience watching many other shows, I get to the point where I wonder why many fans cite Zuko as the template for a redemption Arc Because there are other great redemption stories out there. Spoilers Are Gonna Be Below For Some Shows, be Careful

The Art of Zuko’s Redemption

I have to repeat, Zuko’s redemption is brilliant. I believe this is mainly because the show slowly humanized him throughout the story as a parallel to Aang’s adventure. Zuko was never just ‘the villain’, he was the other side to Aang’s coin; where Aang seemed to avoid destiny Zuko coveted his desperately, his ‘honour’ had to be restored. Even through Book 1 we are provided with characters like Zhao who undermine Zuko in a way that made the audience root for the banished prince, we learned that his villainy was bred from tragedy and that in reality he was a victim. By Book 2 we saw Zuko try to avoid the life he strived for when Aang pushed further to complete his destiny, ‘Zuko Alone’ also fleshed him out more, showing how his heart is good but his image casts too large of a shadow to escape, he helped those Earth Nation villagers but they still rejected him. The perception that came with his appearance was key to Azula being able to lure him back to his old ways, but in Book 3 we learn the important part of Zuko’s redemption - Regret. Zuko suffered confusion in Book 2 that led to a fever, but in Book 3 his mind was clear, he got what he wanted but it wasn’t what he needed, because he had learned more when banished than he ever did at home and his morality was still intact. After deciding to follow through with his instincts and leave on his own volition Zuko found better fulfillment working with Aang than against him, being willing to die for a vision of a better world. As a whole this is a great redemption, endeared by the fact that we saw Zuko grow, falter and learn. But, has redemption been done better by others? Darth Vader

ATLA stands strong on its own, but it owes a lot to Star Wars. Many narrative beats match the original trilogy and the role of Zuko is partly inspired by Darth Vader. Through expanded storytelling over the last 42 years, we know that Vader too was a victim of tragedy; the slave who had to leave his mother behind, talented but always the outcast, his love was a notion his mentors rejected and so he was in constant conflict with himself. But, Vader committed atrocities that are beyond ATLA’s rating level; unprejudiced slaughter, genocide and a library of war crimes. And yet, Vader has a background redemption arc that is highly celebrated, Vader was considered ‘too far gone’ but the very thing that made him susceptible to the dark is what brought him to the light, his love. Redemption isn’t always clean either, Vader went through continual torment, even admitting to Luke that he could not go back to that way and he had accepted himself as merely a monstrous pawn of the Emperor (with deep impulses to overthrow him), instead Vader chooses to cut the head off the snake, at risk of his own life. What completed Vader’s redemption was the fact that he didn’t survive, he atones but isn’t forgiven. Van Hohenheim

A similar arc is found in Fullmetal Alchemist (in the anime it’s the Brotherhood one) with Ed’s estranged father. From the perspective we’re given of him by the main character he was a cold and neglectful man. It’s only later after we discover that Hohenheim and the villainous doppelganger Father are not the same do we discover that there is more to Hohenheim than what we are told. The flashback of Xerxes unveils all to realise that Hohenheim again was a victim of tragedy, a slave and lone survivor of genocide, ‘gifted’ with near immortality by a creature he considered a friend and a teacher. Hohenheim’s redemption turns out to be a slow burner, his love for his family being the reason he distanced himself, he accepted odium from his eldest son in order to save him and the entire country from Father’s ploy, never expecting forgiveness and regretting every moment he was away. Like Vader, Hohenheim dies but it’s much more peaceful, his redemption was a story of perception and sacrifice, in the end, Hohenheim clinged to his humanity and it’s key to his victory over the Homunculus that deemed itself superior. So now we have 2 characters, born out of tragedy like Zuko but were redeemed in different ways. Currently we can suggest that Zuko’s redemption still has a loose template; character is misidentified by the audience, toils over doing what’s right and was a victim of tragedy at his youth. But there is another redemption story that is a little different. Himura Kenshin

Probably the core argument I have with ‘Zuko has the best redemption’ arc is the main character of Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X. While there are some similar beats, Kenshin’s journey is a lot different to Zuko’s, his redemption arc is the main point of the story. When we meet Kenshin, he’s lighthearted, kind and a little goofy, you would not expect this young man to be Battousai the Manslayer, an assassin for the Ishin Shishi during the end point of the Edo Period, and that’s because it isn’t. The Battousai was the monster deep within him born from bloodshed and a war he willingly entered, unlike the other 3 who were forced or manipulated into downfall. Kenshin’s road to redemption begins with tragedy with the death of his wife Tomoe accidentally by his own hands, having previously murdered her initial fiance (something he learned after her death) during his time as an assassin, it is the pivotal moment when Kenshin turns his back on the life he lived, opting to become a peaceful protector rather than a bloody assassin. What makes Kenshin’s redemption so great is how he’s constantly having his redemption challenged, his notoriety had invited strong and vicious people to try and bring out the Battousai within him for hopes of glory, but each time Kenshin overcomes it and still manages to remain the Rurouni - a lot of the time with the help of his friends - he wished to be. Even when he willingly goes back into the warzone to fight Shishio he manages to return with his soul intact and rediscovering his own will to live, something he had rejected because he felt unworthy of it. Depending on whether you watched the anime or manga, Kenshin’s redemption ends two ways; in the anime’s OVA ‘Reflection’ he dies of disease returning to Kaoru after helping protect people from the Sino-Japanese War his X-shaped scar faded as his repentance comes to an end. The canon manga ending has Kenshin come to full terms with his past and live an actual life with Kaoru.  Personally, I prefer Kenshin’s journey to Zuko’s, although Zuko’s got a strong story of admitting fault after undoing progress Kenshin regained all his humanity and in the end earned a life he would’ve never even dreamed of. But that’s a subjective view. Conclusion Compared to Zuko, there are other great redemption stories out there, some even I haven’t seen yet and thus haven’t cited, or some I have seen but didn’t cite because I didn’t want this to be too long (Stitch and until the next book comes out, Book!Jamie Lannister). However through these stories it’s clear that there is no true ‘template’ to a redemption story, the art of the redemption depends on how far the redeemed has fallen and what they do to be redeemed. So, is Zuko the best redemption arc Ever? Not for me, but it’s a mighty good one, and it would be a disservice to other great redemption arcs to not spotlight them as well.

[sablelab]

Covert Operations - Chapter 44

DISCLAIMER: This is a modern AU crossover story with Outlander and La Femme Nikita. LFN and its characters do not belong to me nor do those from Outlander.

SYNOPSIS:  Jamie finally brings their conversation to an end with a little seduction. Will Claire succumb?

THANK YOU one and all for supporting my story over the past weeks. When you put your heart and soul into writing it is so wonderful to know that there are people who appreciate your effort in creating a story that not only you love but, that others find enjoyable as well.  I really am very thankful to you all and I truly appreciate you taking the time to leave a little message after reading the chapter. THANK YOU muchly.

Previous chapters can be found...  https://sablelab.tumblr.com/covertoperations

N.B. This chapter is a little suggestive in content

  CHAPTER 44 (S)

 “Why should I trust you now? Hmmm? Give me one good reason.” Jamie didn’t answer her question; he merely gave her the most penetrating look … a look without words that spoke to Claire’s heart.

Every single thing that Jamie Fraser had said and done in the past paled into insignificance with that one penetrating look he cast towards Claire.  The look without words that spoke to her heart was a glimmer of hope for her because she now understood him a little better. Jamie was not a man to show his emotions especially in Section One as to do so would be fraught with danger especially for their penultimate operative, their cold and calculating killing machine. For James Fraser to show any romantic attachment to his material would be a sign of weakness in his superiors’ eyes. Relationships between operatives were frowned upon and a relationship between their Level 5 operative and his partner could prove to be problematic if Jamie let his feelings dictate how he carried out his orders. Missions could fail if he let his emotions override his responsibility.  However, this is the very thing that he had done.  He’d manipulated the mission profile for Claire but was it because he wanted to only protect her since Claire was of a different ilk than most operatives, or was it because he too really did love her and wanted her to be safe at all costs?  It was a fine line that Jamie walked but up until now he had been totally successful and there were no repercussions from the Section One leaders. Although they may suspect there was something more between the two of them, they as yet had no concrete proof about James Fraser’s deeper bond with Claire Beauchamp.

He was a complicated and enigmatic man but Claire had managed to see a very different side of Jamie that he showed to no one else.   Although he was a passionate lover, she always had some doubt in the back of her mind if he was merely stringing her along and if his feelings for her were as real as hers for him. Was he holding back emotionally for fear of rejection or was he detached because life in Section was no place for emotion? You needed to have a cold demeanour to not be affected by the job you were required to do in Section One.  Emotions made you vulnerable and at risk of making the wrong decision.  Jamie could ill afford to be someone who showed his emotions for he had spent years perfecting his cold persona and now to have a woman break down his barriers was something he had avoided in the past.

James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser was a Section One man through and through but Claire now realised that being his partner had in fact changed him and made him not only question his role within the Section but had crashed through some of the defenses that lay dormant within his personality. That look he had just given her scorched her soul and she immediately knew the exact meaning Jamie was portraying in his look. To Claire it acknowledged that he might feel the same way.

“Ye love me Sassenach.”

Those words that spoke to her feelings were fundamentally about a question of trust.  Did she really trust Jamie and could she trust him? This revelation about her by this man struck a deep chord within her heart. In that exact split moment that eyes met eyes Claire’s insecurity about trust issues with Jamie dissipated.  To her trust was having the confidence and heart in someone that they wouldn't let you down when you needed them. Trust was faith, faith was reliance, reliance was belief, belief was having confidence in someone, and to be confident in someone brings you back to trust.  Trust was everything; it put your heart in a safe place for it was the unwavering belief that the other person will fulfil his promises. It relied on the integrity, strength, ability and surety, of a person.  It was confidence and hope and knowing that you could rely on that special someone and that they could rely on you in return.  Claire blinked as if she had reached enlightenment with that look from Jamie. There was only one answer she could truthfully give and unequivocally her answer was yes. At that moment in time she knew that if you truly loved someone you are not confused by this emotion and Claire finally realised that Jamie had given her the sign that she needed to indeed follow her heart.

She could be headstrong but her partner in crime was well aware that she was conflicted by the role forced upon her by Section One.  She was a compassionate and caring person and this was such a dichotomy to what was expected of their operatives.  Their mantra was that you got the job done, asked no questions and obeyed orders to the letter.  Failure to conform usually lead to cancellation for Section was a ruthless mistress and even their operatives were expendable if they bucked the system.   However, Claire Beauchamp was different and the fact that Jamie always found a way to protect her was his way of showing her how he felt about her.

They were always on an emotional rollercoaster ride and keeping her feelings in check for him was difficult, for Claire wore her heart on her sleeve for this man when out of the sight of Section‘s prying eyes. Their life was complex enough but emotionally it was more so and until they reached some common ground things would not progress.  Nevertheless, Claire knew she could wait for Jamie to let down his guard and become vulnerable too.  When he did so then she would truly know that he felt the same as she did about him. Every little baby step was a mammoth step forward for a man who had buried his feelings so deep that he felt he was incapable of love.  But Claire was chipping away little by little and if the look Jamie had given her was an indication to how much he knew about her feelings, then it only made sense that he would eventually show his own feelings to her.  

She could wait for however long it took.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

That unspoken look pierced Claire’s heart knowing that Jamie had admitted that he was so in tune with her feelings for him and she was gobsmacked with his knowledge of her love for him. It blew her mind as she knew it was the start of barriers being broken down between them like they had done on Lamma Island all those months ago.  She couldn’t look away from his mesmerizing blue eyes as they caressed her face so tenderly.  His eyes radiated warmth and desire which seared through Claire undressing her with their intensity. Gripped by the hunger each saw in the other, they let their eyes do the talking and the touching. Jamie's smouldering gaze swept Claire from head to toe then rested on her luminous blue orbs. She couldn’t look away and was like a rabbit caught in headlights. Slowly capturing her stare James Fraser caressed her face then lowered his eyes to her perfect lips. She watched spellbound, unable to sever his look.

Instinctively her tongue moistened her bottom lip in nervous response to what Jamie was making her feel. It only ever took one such look to tip her off kilter even after they had argued. His scorching gaze kissed her repeatedly but she wanted to feel the tangible touch of his lips rather than the superficial touch of eye sex.  Despite their words earlier Claire wanted Jamie with every fibre of her being. She wanted to be kissed into obliteration and made love to until she cried out his name in surrender but she also wanted Jamie to capitulate to her as well in a mutual joining of souls.  

Captivated by the woman who sat opposite him, Jamie’s gaze immediately returned to capture her beautiful eyes once more. A kaleidoscope of amazing images filled his mind

... of Claire’s mouth pressed against his

... of her in the throes of passion within his arms

... then of the ultimate giving of herself to him in complete abandon.

Jamie knew Claire felt the same connection too for a flame of desire was reciprocated in her eyes along with other telltale signs of her hunger and need.  Their conversation was but a memory now as was the interruption from their leader Dougal Mackenzie. All that mattered was the here and now. He had come to be with her and that was his sole purpose for changing the mission profile.  He cared about his Sassenach more than he could admit out loud but he knew that since she’d been recruited to Section One and assigned to him to train that Claire Beauchamp would have an impact on his life.  He never anticipated that she would be the one who would open the Pandora’s Box that was his heart that had been well and truly sealed from any fulfilling romantic attachment.

The woman in front of him would cause a saint to drink.  Claire Beauchamp took his breath away and everything about her exuded sexiness and he wanted to drink his fill. He wanted to adore her and bring her to the heights of ecstasy until she surrendered in the throes of passion in his arms. Little knowing of her partner’s thoughts Claire sighed closing her eyes and recollecting the erotic images of Jamie’s mouth fused to hers as well. A firestorm of longing ignited her body in a need to rekindle the passion that had emanated between them as soon as the door to his room had closed banishing everyone to irrelevance except the two of them.

Time stood still as Claire waited for what Jamie would do next. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Reluctantly instead of making a move toward her, he turned away from Claire for a moment and knelt before the stereo in the room. Even this move puzzled her but she still watched in awe as his trousers became taut exposing the strong muscular thighs beneath the material as he knelt selecting a CD to play. Soon rhythmic, seductive music echoed evocatively in the room. Twiddling with her hair in nervousness, Claire sat in the chair watching Jamie’s every move closely wondering what he had in mind next. He looked up just as her tongue nervously moistened her bottom lip. “W-what?” Claire stammered, her voice a little husky, “Are you doing Jamie?” Standing, he said nothing, but slowly prowled toward her never taking his eyes from his Sassenach. Her body gave a little shiver in anticipation at the look Jamie was giving her and Claire couldn’t look away even if she wanted to.  This man, this Jamie Fraser fascinated her and she couldn’t help but tease him with her next words. “Trying to seduce me Fraser?” She added somewhat tongue in cheek as she finally realised what his motives might be. But was it wise to poke the beast? She thought knowing that Jamie had the upper hand at the moment. In return, Jamie merely replied with his blank stare and predatory actions. He continued his slow approach and made his way across the room to where Claire was sitting extending a hand to her in invitation as he neared. His intense gaze looked deeply into her beautiful, blue eyes communicating his intentions. In slow motion she rose from her chair unable to resist his offer.  Standing, Claire nervously went to him narrowing the space between them while Jamie’s eyes followed her every step towards him. Biting her lip Claire looked into his eyes with a perplexed look on her face as she declared, “I’ve never been able to figure you out James Fraser.” “Today is different Beauchamp,” he replied as if these words would convince her of that notion. Powerless to fight the magnetic pull of his actions and words Claire answered back, “I thought so too... but ...” Jamie ignored her response as he clasped Claire’s left wrist; slowly sliding his hand to take her palm, he then gently brushed his lips to her fingertips halting any other words she may have wanted to say. Anointing her palm with open mouthed kisses and little biting nips, he scraped her skin with his teeth then soothed the sting with his tongue. Claire shivered with the erotic sensation as Jamie captured her gaze in his and locked eyes with her. She could not look away. Mesmerized by his actions, Claire’s glazed eyes stared back at him while the sensation of rippling feelings suddenly filled her body. When next he spoke, Jamie’s voice was soft and seductive. “It’s vera simple ye ken. I never thought I would ever care for another woman again … and if I did ...”

While speaking, he lightly ran his fingertips over the back of Claire’s knuckles caressing her skin; she closed her eyes for his gentle touch made her hand tremble. Jamie’s low, lulling voice was music to her ears and she was affected by the sensuousness of it all washing over her like a cascading waterfall. A soft sound of pleasure bubbled in the back of her throat as she leaned into Jamie’s touch. Her nipples tightened and Claire trembled with desire. Even though he was only caressing her hands it was as if Jamie was touching her intimately ... as he had on Lamma Island. Her body was reacting to this sensuous foreplay as she seemed to lose all conscious thought about the conversation they had just had.  All she could do was surrender to the way James Fraser was seducing her and to the way her body was melting with delicious feelings that had once again risen to the surface.  Her skin felt alive wherever Jamie’s touch anointed her flesh and she was powerless to do anything but just feel.

Nevertheless, Claire ached to have him really touch her as only he knew how. The timbre of Jamie’s voice hypnotised her into a trance like state. His words spun around in her head. “… I thought it would have to be someone from outside of Section, but I was wrong mon nighean donn. No one from the outside can understand who we are.” Leaning into Claire’s space Jamie slowly began caressing and stroking her hands within his and the sensation caused butterflies to flutter uncontrollably in her stomach. His fingers were so erotic, so light of touch but overpowering in the intensity of the feelings they evoked. Claire closed her eyes and let her body succumb to the feelings radiating to every fibre of her being.  Pure unadulterated desire consumed her as Jamie circled her wrists then ran his fingertips down her palms exacerbating her intense feelings. He intentionally scraped his nails across the fleshy mound of her palm and across her heart line until he interlocked his fingers with hers. Opening her eyes Claire held her partner’s gaze but looked down to see their hands joined like two lovers intertwined in a passionate embrace. She was swept away with longing and shuddered unable to control the emotions surfacing for this enigma of a man. It had been several weeks since they had been on Lamma Island and the feelings that Jamie’s actions were having on her senses at this moment were overwhelming. Would tonight bring all those wonderful memories to the surface again? Unquestionably in her mind Claire knew that Jamie’s intensified actions would lead to so much more ... for both of them. Jamie gave her no respite from his sensual attack. He entwined her hand within his own in a sensuous dance of erotic foreplay that attacked her senses. Claire was lost; being such a tactile person, she basked in the attention he was lavishing on her. His loving exploration continued relentlessly as Jamie captured her delicate wrist and lazily traced the blood filled veins stroking his fingertips along the ridges. Completely caught up in the seduction, Claire allowed him to retain her hands as he caressed them while she was melting inside with a plethora of wonderful feelings. “We fight all the time just to stay alive. This mission is dangerous Sassenach ... Madame Cheung and the Rising Dragons’ triad are both ruthless. We don’t know what lies ahead with this mission, so let’s not fight what’s between us.” They stared deeply into one another’s eyes as he spoke. Claire then followed Jamie’s mouth as she watched his lips form the next words. “I missed ye sa much mo ghràidh.”

She quickly looked up. Her pupils had dilated even more and Claire held Jamie’s gaze for a heartbeat. Subsequently closing her eyes she savoured his words ... words that lodged deep in her heart and to the very core of her being as he continued. 

“Let’s take what we can ... like we did on Lamma Island.” Jamie pulled Claire closer to his hard, warm body and within a few seconds she was in his arms. He sensuously slipped his hand up underneath the top of her gown leisurely exploring her bare skin with fingers with a will of their own.  It was so velvety soft and warm to the touch beneath his hands that they trembled at the renewed contact against her body.  

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Ever so slowly they began to dance. As their bodies swayed as one, Jamie lightly traced his fingers down the line of Claire’s spine sending rapturous shivers up and down her nerve endings. His wonderful demonstrative touch sent a rush of heat through her body causing her to take a sharp intake of breath. The audible rasp echoed in the air in conjunction with the sound of the seductive music as they moved together. Wrapped in the circle of his arms like this, Claire was temptation personified and he was sorely tempted. Spellbound and burning for Jamie’s touch, she could only watch as he moved his lips near to hers. Close but not quite touching her lips, Jamie teased her while playing a game of cat and mouse. They began dancing in slow circles while their eyes locked with such an intense gaze that she felt that fireworks had just exploded before her eyes.  To Claire the world could have collapsed around her and she wouldn’t have noticed. Her world at that moment revolved around Jamie but his slow seduction was only exacerbating her anticipation. Closing her eyes, she felt the gentle pads of his fingertips teasingly stroke along her thigh where her leg was exposed by the slit in her dress. Swaying against him, she parted her lips and opened her dreamy filled eyes in invitation. Jamie’s fingers erotically traced down Claire’s thigh once again then returned his hands to her back drawing her closer. Watching her pupils dilate to a darker hue, his mouth nearly … but not quite … touched hers. He tormented her until she moaned in entreaty.  It was torturous. Gentle fingers caressed her eyebrow, trailing to her cheeks, then her lips until Claire wondered if she could stand one moment more of Jamie’s actions. She was ready to rip his clothes off then and there and sliding her hands around the back of his neck, she pulled his face down to hers.  However, Jamie only caressed the corners of her mouth with the tip of his tongue.

“No!” Claire cried out.  

Leaning in closer, she toyed with him in an effort to capture his lips for the connection she so desired.  But James Fraser evaded her forays causing Claire to moan much louder in anguish wanting more ... so much more than he was prepared to give. She was unravelling. Jamie flirted and teased her but he wouldn’t deepen the caress while Claire was burning up with a need for this man’s touch rapidly escalating. If James Fraser didn’t kiss her soon Claire thought she would expire. Groaning, she parted her lips in open invitation for his touch and taste, then when his fingertips rested against her throat Claire’s heart leapt in her chest as Jamie finally leaned in to kiss her.

She touched his lips.

Hot flesh met soft flesh. 

All coherent thoughts fled Claire’s mind. Overcome with hunger, she incoherently frustratingly murmured keening noises against his lips. The games Jamie Fraser had been playing had driven her wild with want and need.  Serve him right, she thought as she rubbed her body sinuously against him. Threading her fingers through his hair, Claire held Jamie’s mouth to hers, deepening their kiss with a need that was ravenous. His lips tasted salty, his mouth soft, yet hard at the same time. Warmth spread through her body and Claire wanted Jamie so desperately she felt as though she would explode.

He reciprocated.

Pulling his Sassenach a little closer, Jamie inhaled the sweet scent of her as his own lips sought dominance. Sucking in a breath, he felt Claire’s lithesome body flush against his own tempt him. He grew harder as his body again gave away evidence to his inner feelings.  He kissed her cheek ... her mouth ... then kissing the column of Claire’s neck, Jamie lathed the telltale throbbing pulse with his tongue. He then worked his way back to her mouth for more punishing kisses that had Claire breathless. Aligning her head to the side, Jamie captured his Sassenach’s mouth deepening their kiss … tightening his embrace and kissing her with a hunger that shocked him. He didn’t realise how much he needed her.

A satisfied groan rumbled deep in his chest when Claire replied in kind. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ to be continued

[masshirohebi-moved]

Affections Starter ✔ - to carry my muse bridal style // @peepingtoad “If alcohol poisoning doesn’t kill you dear, Tsunade-hime certainly will,” they say, golden eyes following their team mate with little amusement. This mission certainly was a slap in the face. A measly C rank, for shinobi of such high caliber they demanded nothing short of an S rank. Of course, that had been due to banter and tomfoolery. Where the trio got up to shenanigans that truly weren’t up to the standard of their reputation. Again - not their fault. That mission had also been a waste of their talent. And when sharp minds were not presented a challenge, they so often sought appropriate stimulation for themselves. As such, a lesser task is given as some kind of punishment. Either way, drinking on the job (even an easy job) likely wasn’t advised. Regardless of if the group could handle this assignment half asleep. It had been the serpents idea to have the first drink, and maybe the second and third... But they swear on a shinobi’s oath that the drinks to follow were all Jiraiya’s idea. And so, they decide to pull this game to a stop, so that if Tsunade did come across the drinking duo, they could swiftly place all blame on the man beside them. Getting out of jail by truthfully saying they had told him to stop too. Underhanded? Yes, but he knew who he was dealing with. The trio had been told to fit in, and as such, formal attire is donned over their figures. And what an experience it was to see how eye catching Jiraiya could be in flows of his dark hued haori and kimono. They catch themself staring a bit more than was acceptable for mere meaninglessness curiosity, but then, they swear he passes them the same look. And they can not help it, with the moon cast a glow over their figures, the lanterns casting a glow on the scattered cherry blossom path, the gowns, the music, the stolen glances and of course, the stolen breaths. It is truly romantic, even if the serpent isn’t one for such cliches to begin with. Something about him under the pale night sky makes each aspect more enchanting. Running off to share a few secret drinks behind thicker forest foliage proves a grave mistake when they feel something cold cling to their lower leg. Water splashes on to their furisode, the reflection of mud evident on the shades of lilac. They huff softly, a hand running through their hair to keep it out their face as they examine the damage. “How wonderful,” they mutter, tossing their partner in crime a rather unimpressed look, but his smile doesn’t waver, and they’d have called him out on his sadistic pleasure if only he hadn’t solved their problem with one long stride. Their slender form is scooped up, the mud below no longer able to reach the flowing bottom of their gown. He will evidently sacrifice his own attire, which had been more practical from the get go they now acknowledge. And perhaps it is the alcohol, or the fact that their lips are so close, but they feel a flutter in their stomach which forces brief silken laughter from their throat.

for it is then that they realize what a powerful thing love was. That love could make people stronger. That love could fill empty spaces. That love could bring people together.

Too caught off guard by the closeness, they can not help but dread him kissing them. Even if they have wanted it since first sighting him all dressed up. They fear it now. That if they lock eyes a moment too long, he may expose them more than they are willing to be exposed. That they may fumble and lose their mask of being perfect, that they may miss his lips and make a fool of themself. The pressure is too much, so they brush him off with a far too well done lie of carelessness. Looking away to leave him as the last one lingering with a ‘what if’ look in his eyes, returning to what they are, mere friends, “you owe me this much, it was your bad idea to come here,” they settle with saying, a friendly sounding accusation. But perhaps it merely being friendly is what will be hurtful all the same. If there is any pain in his eyes from rejection, they do not look to see it. For if they do sight any disappointment or misery, they will know that he had in fact been wanting the same. That they had blown off the chance due to a crippling dread that he didn’t see them that way. When he places them back down, they are among the festivities once more. They offer to fetch something from the buffet, in a means to settle any nausea that may follow from drinking. To ‘sober up quickly’ they had said, but both knew the viper never cared for eating much. So if ever there had been a poorer lie to spin for getting a momentary breather, they had certainly spoken it. All the same, the moment away from him gives them time to think. To reread his body language, to go over his words again and again. The signs... they were not imagining them, surely? Maybe once or twice, but this has not been the only occasion where their male companion offers a suggestive moment, where he leaves it in their hands to answer. Fear has made them behave this way too often, perhaps that is it. Perhaps their cautiousness is costing them. And since when did they ever let fear be their master? It is decided rather finally in their mind, that they would set the stage again. That a moment lost didn’t end the game. That they could make the first step and see his reaction, to finally get an answer to their question. They cross the enchanting path and search the crowd for him, but it is perhaps their biggest regret to find the man. Golden eyes land on his figure, then hers. And how he looks at her with the same eyes... if not something more. Tsunade and Jiraiya always did look far more comfortable together. The scene made more sense. He didn’t have to play guessing games with her, he didn’t have to catch her socially in situations, nor predict when a mood had declined and he needed to clear the crowd. And it catches them by quite the surprise how cold they feel when they spot the two speaking. How natural it is for the two to converse, how his smile is so brutally genuine. And they realize now that perhaps thinking him shy due to their hesitance was a juvenile belief. He wasn’t shy when she said no, why would he be shy when they had merely said maybe? Fools did not let evidence lead them to a conclusion, they found a conclusion and let it lead them to evidence. Was that what they were doing then? Playing the fool and tricking themself in to thinking he was just as enchanted by them as they were him? Suddenly they feel a great detest for the misleading moon and it’s promising glow, they feel repulsion at the scattered pink petals across the cobbled floor, the grotesque shades of light emitted from lanterns, the sickeningly cheery music, the charade of pretty gowns.

For it is then that they realize what a powerful thing love was. That love could make people vulnerable. That love could create empty spaces. That love could tear people a part.

[villainoverlord]

Earth 999 Complete Season 2

The year is 2021. Last year was a violent and messy one. In the chaos, the heroes managed to capture one villain. Its the first month of the year. An Aston Martin pulls up to a Mi6 containment facility. The driver and the 2 passengers exit the vehicle and enter the building. As they go deeper, the guards get more heavily armed. They finally enter the cell block. Bond says," She's all yours." Zoe and Ashlyn enter the elevator and travel down a floor. They enter a glass chamber. The chamber leads to a large dome. Inside the dome was a woman. The woman was skinny and tall. She wore a rabbit mask covering her entire face. Around her were pictures of the a rabbit like character. Ashlyn said," So you ready to talk yet?" The girl giggled before pressing her mask on the wall. The girl looked to be taunting Zoe and Ashlyn even while contained. Vanny finally spoke, she said," Why have you come here? I thought you were done with me." Ashlyn growled at the girl. Vanny stepped back before laughing. "Is that all you got?" She said. Zoe and Ashlyn left the cell as Vanny laughed.

The Escape: That night, the tech crew searched her laptop. In her cell, Vanny seemed almost calm. The tech plugged the computer in and the lights went out. The dome lifted. The guards aimed at Vanny who just sat there. When they came within a foot of her, she grabbed them and broke their arms. She grabbed a rifle and gunned down 7 agents on her way to the boiler room. She turned on the gas and exited the building. She threw a grenade into the buidling and it exploded from the gas, killing 6 agents. She then stole a car and drove off.

The End

It's early in the morning. A truck driver is preparing to leave. He grabs his keys and a bottle of beer. He spends 15 minutes driving. He is cruising down the highway when he feels like he's being watched. He takes another sip of beer. Then he feels breathing next to him. He turns to see a bird like creature sitting in the passenger seat. The creature touches the man's shoulder. The car crashes. When the police investigate they find a set off tracks leading off into the woods and bird feathers.

It's 2021. The war against the Collective has raged on for a year. Zoe and Ashlyn are looking for more leads on Tsunami and her goons. Zoe waits in the car while Ashlyn gets food. Then a Chevy Impala pulls next to them. Two men get out. One of them flirts with Ashlyn, but she rejects his advances. Ashlyn gets back in and says, " Did you see those two? Looks like we got a hunt. " Zoe asks, " What is it this time? " Ashlyn replies, " Well from our new friends Sam and Dean, we have some ancient beings to hunt. I give you Death, War, Famine and Pestilence. " Zoe replied, " Aren't those the four horsemen of the apocalypse? How could they be real? " Ashlyn responded, " You've seen the shit we've been doing right? "

The Hunt begins: The heroes follow Sam and Dean to an old mansion. Zoe finally meets the brothers. They enter the house to battle the darkness within. They walk through halls of famous paintings. They then enter a room with four chairs and a large fireplace. The chair on the far right was occupied. It had a bird like figure wearing a suit. It turned to face the heroes and said, " Welcome, I'm Death. " Dean aimed his pistol at Death. Death chuckled and said, " Your mortal weapons could never do enough damage. I suggest you put them away so we can act like civilized people. " Zoe and Sam put their guns away while Ashlyn just lowered it. Death said, " Coffee? Tea? " Zoe accepted tea while the rest stood their at full alert. Death said, " So Sam, Dean. Care to introduce your friends? " Dean said, " Cut to the chase feathers. Why are you killing more than your normal count?! " Ashlyn looked at them in confusion. Dean said, " This shitbag is one we've dealt with on occasion. Sam let's teach him a lesson!! " Sam said, " Wait Dean. We can't even harm him let alone kill him. Death, what do you want?" Death replied, " What do I want? I want to enjoy the chaos you have caused. I'm grateful Zoe and Ashlyn. Your hunt for the Collective has given me more more bodies than I could ever dream of. Unfortunately many spirits are offering a lot for your corpses. Your gonna have to make me a better offer. So what have you got? " Ashlyn asked, " Before we bid for our lives. Tell me who wants us dead. " Death replied, " Your partnership with Charlie makes you a target for many demons and other things. " Ashlyn said, " We can offer you the souls of the Collective heads when we get them. Will that do? " Death replied, " That should cover the debt for about 7 to 8 years. Pleasure doing business with you girls. Oh and Dean, my quota has been filled so I'll be sticking with the usual cast of deaths. See you around. " He then disappeared in a puff of smoke. Everyone coughed before leaving.

The End

t's 2021. The world is at war. It's a warm day in Iraq. A squad of marines is walking through a village. Then they feel something. An urge to kill all the villagers consumes them. They aim their rifles at the unsuspecting villagers and open fire. Once the smoke clears, 17 men and women lay dead. The squad leader looks around in confusion. The carnage was overwhelming. In the high tower of the village, a bird-like figure stood watching over the corpses. It chuckled at the carnage before disappearing.

Back in America, the soldiers were arrested for war crimes and sent to prison. Zoe, Ashlyn, and the Winchesters arrived at the prison and walked inside. The squad leader said," I don't know what happened. We thought they were hostile. Something was controlling us." Dean asked," Did you see a bird-headed man anywhere?" A nearby soldier said," Yeah, how did you know?" Sam stepped in saying," Gentlemen what you saw was one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse." The marines looked at them with bright eyes. Another soldier said," You mean the Horsemen from the Bible?" Sam replied," Yes, we believe you were being influenced by War." The group left the prison.

War Strikes again: It's a calm day in San Fransisco. A veteran is sitting on his porch when something consumes him. He grabs his rifle and walks into a bank. 3 hours later, he is in jail and 13 people are dead. The heroes arrive and talk to the man. Its the same story. An urge to kill.

The End

It's 2021. Many villains have gone into hiding. It's a cold January morning in Russia. A patrolling soldier walks through the town. He enters the forest and nervously treads through the snow. He hears branches snap, but thinks nothing of it. Then he hears metal moving. He turns around and aims his rifle. The light shows nothing. He feels breathing behind him and turns around. He stumbles back when he locks eyes with him. It's General Grievous, long thought to be dead. Grievous ignites a saber and stikes down the soldier. Behind the General is a legion of Collective soldiers. They take over a large portion of Russia in three days.

The Battle begins: The UN watched as the fiendish cyborg slaughtered hundreds. They prepared a task force. Unfortunately, Grievous took Moscow before they could respond and took Putin hostage. A clone squad is sent to support the marines. Leading them is the mysterious General Harpy, a clone who has fought many battles. They land outside Moscow. The marines take down a light patrol. Harpy scouts ahead for Grievous. Harpy shoots 8 enemy soldiers down on her way to the Kremlin. Harpy and the clones make to the Kremlin, but it appears to be abandoned. They hear firefights raging throughout the streets. Then all of Harpy's clones are gunned down. Harpy looks around to find the shooter. They pull out a lightsaber and prepare for battle. Then he appears. The one they came for, Grievous stood there holding a rifle. He threw a grenade at Harpy, blasting the clone back.

The End

Grievous walked over to the clone. He was shocked when he saw the face under the helmet. It looked like the other clones he had killed, but female. Harpy shot Grievous in the chest. The general ignited all four sabers and said," Time to die scum!!!" Harpy ignited her saber and the pair walked toward each other. Harpy slashed a Grievous, He blocked her and swung at her legs. She dodged and struck at his arms. He turned and slashed her in the arm. Harpy fell down. She blocked a swing from Grievous before kicking him in the leg. He tripped and she ran for her blaster. When she turned to fire, he was gone. He leaped down from a collum. She clashed blades with him. He kicked her in the leg. She fell again and had a saber to her throat. She dropped her weapons. As he prepared to finish her off, she used the force for the first time and pushed him back into a car. She grabbed her weapons and limped away. Grievous pulls out a blaster and fired at her. She deflected the shots back at him. The gun was shot out of his hand. She tried to run, but Grievous fired a harpoon and caught her. He pulled her back and prepared to finish her off barehanded. Then a marine rammed a car into the General, sending him flying into a window. Harpy got in the car and escaped. Grievous climbed out and saw choppers full of more troops. He ran to his starfighter and flew off. The Battle of Russia claimed 500 lives on the UN side. 800 civilians perished. The leader of the Collective forces was never caught. Putin was rescued and returned to his position. 500 Collective soldiers were captured and imprisoned in Russia following Grievous's departure.

The End

It's 2021. Russia has been freed from General Grievous. It's a cold morning at the Moscow airport. 5 men stand in the elevator. They all have large rifles. As the doors open, one of them says words that ignite a terrible spark," Remember, No Russian." The men step out into the lobby and proceed to aim their rifles. The unsuspecting patrons of the airport see them mere seconds before the men fire into the crowd. Screams can be heard. Security rushes in, but meets the same fate. The men casually walk up the stairs and gun down more people. Then they start using grenades. People lie everywhere. The screams drowned out by automatic gunfire. The men make it to the boarding area. Russian SWAT police await them. The police fire, taking out 2 of the gunmen. The other 3 spray the police, killing them. As they walk outside, more police await. The leader throws a grenade into a police van. They make it to the luggage area. A van busts through the wall. The back opens revealing Tsunami and Selina. Tsunami says," Makarov, kill the blonde one. He's a spy." The spy is met with a bullet to the chest. Makarov stands over him and says," This attack isn't enough of a message. Your death is the final piece." Makarov shoots the spy in the head. He gets in the van with the other gunman and they drive off. As the van departs, Russian military arrives. They check the body and ID him as an American. Russia falls into chaos and Makarov assumes control of the country. The Collective becomes the military force of Russia. War is declared on the UN. World War 3 has begun.

t's February 2021. The UN has been targeted by Russia. Old alliances reform from the Second World War. The Allies reform. Because of the increased size of Earth and as a result, expanded population, conscription is not needed. The armies of the free world are seen as large enough to defeat Russia. Vietnam veterans are pulled back into service. Clones and UNSC Marines are deployed to fight against the Communists. The first shots of World War 3 were fired on February 8th, 2021 in France. A battle between Marines and Brutes was the first of many. Soon the Russians took Norway. Even though the moves made by Russia resembled WW2, there was a difference. The Russians knew that they could win. They had millions of soldiers because of Makarov. Tsunami became the Minister of War in Russia. Grievous became the Supreme Commander of the army. Many of the Collective's high ranking members became the Russian council. The world watched as Makarov shot Putin live on TV. Europe had become a warzone. The Allies recruited more nations to their cause. South Korea, Italy, and France joined. The UK was the first to deploy its army. Germany seemed to ignore the Russians. Secretly in Germany, The Collective had released an ancient evil not seen since the 1940s. The evil that was released in Berlin was one that all Germans feared. The Nazis have returned from the dead and at it's front was the most hated man to ever live, Adolf Hitler lives once again.

The End

It's 2021 in the Atlantic ocean. Tsunami and her armies are pursuing the heroes who have stolen a 17th century ship. After watching the ship make a miraculous turn and evade fire, Cobrani said, " That's gotta be the best pirate I've ever seen. " Tsunami replies, " So it would seen. " At the helm of this ship is Lucifer, the ruler of Hell and father of Charlie. The crew is made up of Charlie, Vaggie, Lilith, Zoe and Ashlyn. Lilith tired a cannon, blasting a turret of the enemy battleship. The enemy crew opens fire with rifles. Tsunami tries to kill them herself. Zoe snipes her in the arm and the blast damages the ship. Selina screams, " This is why mom doesn't fucking love you!! " Tsunami groans and walks off. Lucifer sends a virus to the computers on the battleship. The captain looks and says, " Fre sh voca do? " The bridge bursts into flames. Cobrani says, " Its meme warfare. What do we do? " Tsunami replies, " Play their fucking game. I'm sure I can out meme them. " Charlie finds a pack of weed and says, " Dad, look it's the good kush! " Lucifer replies, " This is the dollar store, how good can it be? " Vaggie proceeds to toss the weed on to the battleship. The crew get distracted. Ashlyn finds a pair of mega cannons. Tsunami looks and says, " What are those!!!! " The cannons destroy the ship and the villains flee. As a last taunt, Lucifer summons a fireball and asks, "Charlie you want the ball!" She leaps over and fires it at the villains. In the boats, the villains regroup. Tsunami flinched as the fireball blew up a boat. She looked at her sister and said, " Fuck this shit I'm out! " Zoe looks out at the boats and saye, " Look at all those chickens. " Selina looks into the water and sees lemons. She says, " When life gives you lemons? " Tsunami groans in anger.

The End

It's a cold morning in Canada. A hunter walks through the brush. He spots a deer and aims his rifle. The deer stands up on its hind legs and charges at him. Another deer runs past him. They aren't deer though. The skeletal one class at the armoured one. They drag the brawl into the trees. The skeletal one is thrown out of the tree and is banged up in the branches. The winner crawls down and kills the hunter before running off. The loser limps to the highway.

2 days later: At Zoe and Ashlyn's apartment, they hunt for Tsunami and her goons. Then they hear a knock on their door. Zoe opens it and sees Lucifer standing there holding a folder. Lucifer walks in and says, " I've brought you two a lead. The bitch sent one of her lackeys into Canada. A local turned up dead. Only witness the police have is a monster and the locals aren't happy about it. " Zoe replies, " What kind of monster they got? " Lucifer replies, " Wendigo. It claims to have battled the terrorist. Also I have a request before you head out. Take Lilith with you. She wants some action. "

The North: Lilith meets up with Zoe and Ashlyn at the border. They enter Canada and head to the police station. After some mishaps with Lilith, they make it into the cells. Zoe says, " So you fought a terrorist? " The wendigo sighs and says, "That's not what they think. They think I killed that man." Lilith wanders around while Ashlyn watched her. Zoe asked, " What's your name? "The wendigo replied," I'm Kanti . Who are you and why do you care so much? " Zoe replied, "We think that you fought one of the many killers working for the Collective. We can get you free of you help us find the thing you fought."

The next day: Zoe, Ashlyn , Lilith and Kanti traveled to her cabin. Meanwhile in the town, a woman walks through the woods. She heard footsteps behind her. She turns and sees a black uniformed creature holding a handgun. The beast shoots her and cuts off the bodies arms. The police find the body and alert Zoe and Ashlyn. Ashlyn examines the body and comes to a conclusion. She says, " Its definitely Nyx. Who else removes arms? " Kanti grabs a hunting rifle and the heroes set up at the cabin. Nyx pulls up and walks up the path armed with an assault rifle. Kanti shoots a round, hitting Nyx in the leg. Lilith runs out to distract her. Nyx chased Lilith on to a frozen river. Zoe and Ashlyn follow along with Kanti. Lilith hides while Nyx changes targets. Kanti pushes a rotten tree over. It hits Nyx and drags her down into the ice. Lilith looks at the hole and sighs. The heroes mark Nyx as deceased and leave with their new friend.

The End

The year is 2021. Zoe and Ashlyn are drinking at a bar in San Francisco. Meanwhile at the beach, a young couple are kissing when a car pulls up. The boy grabs his wallet assuming its a cop. An elderly man walks up and knocks on the glass. The boy rolls down the window and the man stabs him in throat. The girl screams, but is shot by the man. When the police arrive, a officer checks the car and finds a note. He stumbles back, dropping the note. It read "Dear SFPD, I'm back after all these years. Yours truly, the Zodiac"

The Hunt Begins: The case is reopened. Zoe and Asylum are hot on the hunt for an old killer. Leads are being found everywhere. The police get another letter. It reads" Dear SFPD, your just us useless as ever. Your failure will cost more lives. My slave count is 50 and counting. More letters to come. Yours truly, the Zodiac " One night on a highway, a man is driving. He pulls up to a station and goes inside. When he gets back, another car is beside his. An elderly man says," Your tank is bad. Wanna ride with me?" The man gets it the elderly's car. They drive for two hours. The silence is broken when the elder says," You won't make it through the night. I'll kill you. Before I do however. I need to know something. " The man jumps from the car. The driver stops and draws a gun. The man is shot at three times, but escapes. A week later, a cop is sitting in his car when he is shot in the neck. A black car drives off and a crowd gathers. Zoe and Ashlyn check the bodies and find nothing linking them. Then another letter arrives two weeks after the cops murder. It read" I shot one of your officers. Quite a nasty lad he was. That young man I drove was quite pleasant although my urge said he had to go. I have more than 20 more planned for the coming years. Your little girls you have hunting me are quite attractive. They'd be quite nice to cut up. The Zodiac " Zoe and Asylum are annoyed that they've been targeted. That night as they walk to the motel, a black car pulls up and the driver fires 5 times at them before driving off. A week later, A couple is walking in the woods. They see a black car driven by an strong looking man. The man is wearing a mask and vest. The couple try to walk away, but are shot. A few days later, another cop is shot. Its March and 5 people have been killed. Another letter arrived and said" More victims. Its been 3 months and you haven't come any closer. When will you learn that I'm not capable of being stopped. I'm going to kill your little girls in 2 days. Have them settle their debts before they join my horde of slaves. Its almost over. The Zodiac" A finger print is lifted from the letter. It matches Arthur Allen Leigh, the only man to gain a warrant during the original spree. Zoe and Ashlyn head to a warehouse. Its time to settle the score. A black car pulls up and out steps an elderly man holding a pistol. He says," Ready to die?" Ashlyn chuckles and says," I'm not the one dying tonight Arthur. " Zoe draws her pistol and aims at Arthur. He turns to shoot, but Zoe is faster. She pulls the trigger and puts a round into Arthur's chest. He drops his gun and stumbles back into a trash can. Zoe shoots him again and Arthur falls to ground, dead. The police arrive along with paramedics. They pronounced Arthur as dead. The Zodiac Killer died on March 7, 2021 from two gunshots to the chest. 55 people died between 1966 and 2021. They have been avenged by two young women who stopped a monster.

Its 2021 in Las Angeles. A dark night is the setting. At an old film studio, A group of college students explore around the wooden halls. There are desks everywhere with unfinished art. A black liquid covered the floor. Then they find a large machine. Its hanging from the ceiling with a nozzle at the front. A voice filled the halls singing," I was not always a monster. Once I was somebody's muse. " The students are confused. The creaking of the wood gets closer. They decide to leave. As the near the exit, dripping and sloshing can be heard. With the exit in sight, they run for it. An axe lands down in front of them. The person holding it is a pale woman with a disfigured face. She wore a black dress with a bow. The woman said," Why leave? We were just getting started. When the police arrive, they find the students dead. Their car is missing with a trail of black liquid leading from the door to the parking spot.

Zoe and Ashlyn drive through LA when they hear about the attack on the radio. The radio says a name. Joey Drew Studios. Ashlyn says," Didn't they make cartoons in the 20s and 30s?" Zoe replies, " Yeah, we watched some last Christmas. They weren't that bad from what I remember. Wanna check it out?" Ashlyn says," A case with an axe wielding maniac is perfect for us." They drive to the studio and check out the scene. Zoe finds some files revealing why the studio closed down. She says," Looks like they did some messed up shit here. They supposedly brought their characters to life with magic ink." Ashlyn says," That's fuckin, weird. Looks like some jars of ink were stolen from here." They find a camera and watch the footage. As the killer strikes, Zoe recognizes her. She says, " No way! Is that Alice Angel?" Ashlyn looks at the footage and replies, " How the fuck is she alive? She's a god damn cartoon." The pair walk further into the studio. Zoe says," She's not here. The cops said that the kids car was missing. We should be out there looking for her."

That night in a dump, the owner hears rustling. He grabs a shotgun and checks it out. He sees a woman with a black dress digging in the trash. He says," Hey! We're closed, get out!" The woman turns and says," I need your parts for my project. Let me have them and you shall live." The man fires his rifle at her. She doesn't fall over of even seem damaged by the bullets. She walks up to him and stabs him with a pipe. She loads a bunch of parts into the truck before driving off.

Zoe and Ashlyn check out the dump and watch the footage. Zoe says," Its definitely her. How are we gonna stop her if a shotgun did nothing?" Ashlyn says," We always find a way to kill them. Don't worry." Zoe says," Isn't it weird that those kids were even there in the first place? Who would tell them about that place?" Ashlyn replies," You don't think its them do you?" Zoe says," It could be. This seems like something she would do." Ashlyn says," When we find Alice, lets beat it out of her."

Two days go by with Alice hiding. Zoe and Ashlyn assume that the Collective tricked the students into releasing Alice. Meanwhile, Alice walks into a gun store and steals a shotgun. She kills the owner and shoots the camera. Zoe and Ashlyn drive over and see her. Alice fires a blast at them. Zoe fires three shots at Alice, all of them going through her. Ashlyn says," If this bitch can handle bullets, lets try a more effective approach. " She rams her car into Alice. Alice is hurled into her car and breaks the windshield. Alice gets up and dissolves into a puddle which leaks into the sewer. Ashlyn walks up and says," You think we got her?" Zoe says," With our luck,she's still going. We'll just have to see

Its 2021 in London. Tsunami is drinking with her sisters, Selena and Eclipse. Tsunamis phone beeps. She groans, picks it up and gasps. It was a picture of one of her squads, dismembered with a note in blood. Come back it said. Tsunami says," God fucking dammit. Now they call?" The next day, Tsunami storms a warehouse, strangely so did Zoe and Ashlyn. They aimed at each other. Tsunami said," We aren't here for you! This is a personal issue." A creature swoops down and lands in between the two groups. It resembles Eclipse, but somehow older and more attractive. It says in a seductive voice, " Hello Darling. Did you miss us?" Zoe says," Who the fuck is this?" Tsunami sighs and says," That would be my mother, Linota." Linota said," Dear, who are these animals with firearms?" Tsunami said," I thought you'd watch us like the freak you are. As for them. They are my rivals. Why the fuck did you kill one of my squads? " Linota waved her hand and pushed Zoe and Ashlyn against the wall. She said," I always new you'd make enemies with weaklings. I'm shocked you haven't killed them. Your father would be disappointed. " Tsunami yelled," I don't have to please your magic ass! I do what I want!" Linota lifted Tsunami up by the throat. Selina and Eclipse aimed at their mother. Linota pushed their goons into boxes. She said," Tell your sisters and their monkeys to back off." Tsunami said," Stand Down." The goons lowered their weapons. Linota dropped Tsunami and said," You were always messy with your armies and plans. Why couldn't you be like us?" Tsunami said," You made Eclipse like that against her will! Why would I become a freak!" Linota replied," I'd think you want power. Not this pathetic technology that your obsessed with." Zoe said," What the Hell is that thing?" Linota flew over to Zoe and said," I'm a god. You should respect me." Zoe stabbed Linota in the chest. She pulled it out and broke it. She said, " Since I've never met you, I'll make you a deal. Stay out of my families business or I'll skin you in front of your children. " A ring of fire formed around the villains. Linota flew into it and it disappeared. Zoe and Ashlyn were confused.

The End

Linota had teleported her children to mansion in Wales. She walked over and said," We need to chat. First I need to deal with my guest. Excuse me." She walked out of the room holding a knife. Screaming could be heard before a squish sound emitted. Linota dragged another werewolf into the room and laid him on a pentagram. She lit him on fire and absorbed his life force. Tsunami signed and said," I assume you did the same to our father?" Linota wiped the blood off her snout and said," Oh you never had a father. I used magic to conceive you three." Selena started vomiting. Tsunami said," Coming from a terrorist, your really messed up Mom." Linota said," You wouldn't believe how much I gave to create you three. I sacrificed dozens to please Lucifer. He wouldn't have it." Tsunami said," I have to fight Lucifer now. He had that brat of a daughter. " Linota said," I didn't think Lucifer would become good. When did that happen?" Tsunami said," A few years ago. He's a real pain." Linota said," That would explain why my sacrifices had no prize. Shame. They were quite the catch." She walked around her mansion. Shelves of rifles and other weapons filled the halls. Tsunami said to her sisters," Why the hell can she teleport, but not Lucifer of Lilith?" Linota said," I'll show you." She pointed to a large book. She said," I stole that when I escaped Hell. Lucifer never suspected a thing. I cast a spell every five years to limit his power. Best thing is that all spells in here have no outside fix. They're all in the book." Tsunami asked," Why were you in Hell?" Linota said," When you left after your senior year, I fell into a depression. I killed myself to escape the pain. After some time in Hell, I realized it was not for me. So I stole the book and escaped. " Tsunami said," You left us!!" She grabbed a knife and held it to Linota's throat. Linota snapped the knife in half. Tsunami said," Why don't you just stay dead!!! You made us this way!!! It's your fault!!!!" Linota sighed and said," I just wanted a perfect set of children. You were all I had." Tsunami said," Why did you call now?" Linota replied, " I missed you, but wanted to give you space. Can you forgive me?" Tsunami said," Why should we? Because you show up and help us? We didn't need your help. We have friends in high places. I basically run Russia. " Linota chuckled and said," Because that ape, Makarov is president? I can give you real power. Here's a little secret. I helped found your little cult. Ever wonder how all those groups showed up? I sent them there. I knew you'd need help with your plans." Tsunami said," I don't need help!! I could destroy a city!!!" Linota said," You could only destroy a helicarrier. A city is to much for any of your friends. You need my help." Tsunami said," I knew you wouldn't trust me!! Typical for you!!!" Linota said," Your friends trusted me and I them. What I did wasn't because I didn't trust you. It was because I did trust you. I trusted you to run a group strong enough to make a difference. To prove it, I have letters from each of you bodyguards and top assassins. Read them." Tsunami snatched the letters and split them among the three. Linota was right. Nyx, Sywn, Demo, Cobrani. They all wrote about their faith in Tsunami. Tsunami looks at her grinning mother and said," Wanna win a fucking war?!" Linota said," I'd be happy to assist you in your exploits. Just let me deal with Lucifer and his whores." They all hugged and left to commit murder and terror.

The End

The year is 1992 in California. A group of college kids head out to camp for a week in the woods. They set up their tent and go to sleep one by one. The last student draws in his notebook while sitting next to his girlfriend. He feels as if something is watching him. He grabs a knife and heads out into the bushes. He hears dripping and tearing sounds. HE assumed it was a coyote or bear. It turned out that his curiosity would cost him more than he bargained for. He saw a dead deer with its throat torn apart. Next to him, he felt breathing. He couldn't see his attacker. The creature crawled over to the camp. The next morning, a ranger came up. He saw a torn up tent. He got out and found all 5 of the kids. All of then had been eaten.....

2021: Zoe and Ashlyn drive through California, the radio is tuned for the news. Another group of kids has been killed and eaten. They drove over to the camp grounds. At the entrance was a pair of police cars. They saw 12 people. One, a female, looked to be in the Army. They got out and asked," What happened? " An Officer replied, " Some kids got killed by a bear. Happens to often around hear." Ashlyn walks over to the soldier and says," What brings the Army here Miss?" The soldier replied, " Private First Class Allison Rae. We got a call about some strange wildlife. They sent me out to deal with it. I wished I would be in the Middle East fighting Covenant, but I'm stuck here hunting for wildlife." Ashlyn said," We could help and speed up the process. " Allison replied, " If you want. I don't mind. I'll take any help after what happened to those kids." Just then the coroner pulled a tray, holding a badly mutilated student. Allison said," I realized why I was here after seeing that. Some thing is out there. Something not natural." The trio head over to the site. The tents were scrapped and claws marks covered the ground and tables. Zoe said," What in the fuck?" Ashlyn noticed a claw embedded in a tree. She yanked it out and examined it. She said," I legit have no fucking clue what this belongs too." Allison examined it and gasped. SHe said," God dammit. " Zoe asked, "What is it?" Allison sighed and replies, " I know what that is. Its a Carnotaurus tooth." The pair looked at her in confusion. She continued, " So its true." Zoe asked, " What's true?" Allison explained, " In the late 80s, some company was paid off to make real dinosaurs. No one thought they succeeded. But I would recognize the tooth of my favorite dino anywhere. Folklore says that in 92, the first group of kids fell prey to the dino. I never believed the reports, until now that is."

The search is on: That night, a ranger sits in his office doing paper work. He hears branches snapping and crunching. He looks out his window and screams. The next morning, Zoe, Ashlyn and Allison returned. They gasped when they saw the severed head of the Cargo. Written in blood was," Ill be waiting!" Allison examined the writing and groaned. She said," Would you believe a dino wrote this?" Ashlyn replied, " Your joking right?" Allison's face said otherwise. The trio examined the head. Allison said," This thing was almost cut off in one move. Damn strong bitch that did this." In the bushes stood a black dinosaur. It watched them. Then it ran off when a man yelled that he found the body of the Carnotaurus. The trio walked over and gazed at the corpse. Another note had been left. It read," Send your best men. I'll challenge then." The police were extremely confused as to what was going on. The trio knew very little. Then as the SWAT team rolled up, Suzanne rammed it against a tree. She threw the officers into rocks, snapping their spines. Allison ran over to her truck. She pulled out a sniper rifle and aimed it. Suzanne tore through 4 officers, shredding them. She ran off into the woods. Allison yelled," Zoe, Ashlyn, grab those rifles and get in!!" They drove off after Suzanne. It was getting dark. They were alone. They sat together in the truck, falling asleep. Then a tree snapped. Suzanne stood in the road. They tried to fire, but nothing happened. Suzanne said," I fixed your little toys." Allison said," Save yourselves, I'll deal with the cunt." The pair got out. Allison speed up and drove into Suzanne. They sped off for 2 minutes before crashing into a ranger station. Suzanne was crushed. When the police arrived, both Allison and Suzanne were knocked out. Suzanne was captured and sent to prison. Zoe and Ashlyn watched as their new friend was loaded into an ambulance. The doctor said," Don't worry, your friend will make it." They felt relieved and waited at the hospital.

The End

The year is 1992 in California. A group of college kids head out to camp for a week in the woods. They set up their tent and go to sleep one by one. The last student draws in his notebook while sitting next to his girlfriend. He feels as if something is watching him. He grabs a knife and heads out into the bushes. He hears dripping and tearing sounds. HE assumed it was a coyote or bear. It turned out that his curiosity would cost him more than he bargained for. He saw a dead deer with its throat torn apart. Next to him, he felt breathing. He couldn't see his attacker. The creature crawled over to the camp. The next morning, a ranger came up. He saw a torn up tent. He got out and found all 5 of the kids. All of then had been eaten.....

2021: Zoe and Ashlyn drive through California, the radio is tuned for the news. Another group of kids has been killed and eaten. They drove over to the camp grounds. At the entrance was a pair of police cars. They saw 12 people. One, a female, looked to be in the Army. They got out and asked," What happened? " An Officer replied, " Some kids got killed by a bear. Happens to often around hear." Ashlyn walks over to the soldier and says," What brings the Army here Miss?" The soldier replied, " Private First Class Allison Rae. We got a call about some strange wildlife. They sent me out to deal with it. I wished I would be in the Middle East fighting Covenant, but I'm stuck here hunting for wildlife." Ashlyn said," We could help and speed up the process. " Allison replied, " If you want. I don't mind. I'll take any help after what happened to those kids." Just then the coroner pulled a tray, holding a badly mutilated student. Allison said," I realized why I was here after seeing that. Some thing is out there. Something not natural." The trio head over to the site. The tents were scrapped and claws marks covered the ground and tables. Zoe said," What in the fuck?" Ashlyn noticed a claw embedded in a tree. She yanked it out and examined it. She said," I legit have no fucking clue what this belongs too." Allison examined it and gasped. SHe said," God dammit. " Zoe asked, "What is it?" Allison sighed and replies, " I know what that is. Its a Carnotaurus tooth." The pair looked at her in confusion. She continued, " So its true." Zoe asked, " What's true?" Allison explained, " In the late 80s, some company was paid off to make real dinosaurs. No one thought they succeeded. But I would recognize the tooth of my favorite dino anywhere. Folklore says that in 92, the first group of kids fell prey to the dino. I never believed the reports, until now that is."

The search is on: That night, a ranger sits in his office doing paper work. He hears branches snapping and crunching. He looks out his window and screams. The next morning, Zoe, Ashlyn and Allison returned. They gasped when they saw the severed head of the Cargo. Written in blood was," Ill be waiting!" Allison examined the writing and groaned. She said," Would you believe a dino wrote this?" Ashlyn replied, " Your joking right?" Allison's face said otherwise. The trio examined the head. Allison said," This thing was almost cut off in one move. Damn strong bitch that did this." In the bushes stood a black dinosaur. It watched them. Then it ran off when a man yelled that he found the body of the Carnotaurus. The trio walked over and gazed at the corpse. Another note had been left. It read," Send your best men. I'll challenge then." The police were extremely confused as to what was going on. The trio knew very little. Then as the SWAT team rolled up, Suzanne rammed it against a tree. She threw the officers into rocks, snapping their spines. Allison ran over to her truck. She pulled out a sniper rifle and aimed it. Suzanne tore through 4 officers, shredding them. She ran off into the woods. Allison yelled," Zoe, Ashlyn, grab those rifles and get in!!" They drove off after Suzanne. It was getting dark. They were alone. They sat together in the truck, falling asleep. Then a tree snapped. Suzanne stood in the road. They tried to fire, but nothing happened. Suzanne said," I fixed your little toys." Allison said," Save yourselves, I'll deal with the cunt." The pair got out. Allison speed up and drove into Suzanne. They sped off for 2 minutes before crashing into a ranger station. Suzanne was crushed. When the police arrived, both Allison and Suzanne were knocked out. Suzanne was captured and sent to prison. Zoe and Ashlyn watched as their new friend was loaded into an ambulance. The doctor said," Don't worry, your friend will make it." They felt relieved and waited at the hospital.

The End

The year is 1918 in Imperial Russian at the infamous Winter Palace. Tsar Nicholas the second us enjoying an evening with his family when the doors are burst open. Armed workers and soldiers burst in and open fire. Within a few weeks, the entire royal family was shot and a new political party ruled over the nation. The leader if this nation, the father of communism was Vladimir Lenin. He led with an iron fist, oppressing all who oppose him. Then in 1924, Lenin fell into a coma and later died. For more than 65 years, the Soviet Union ruled and dominated until 1991. Many leaders were head of this infamous nation.

2021: Its the middle of March in New Russia. The Collective had been annoyed with Makarov's handling of the country. They couldn't control the Germans. Eclipse, leader of the Navy, decided New Russia needed a different leader. As the historical documents filled the office, Eclipse and her sisters were exhausted. Then a new plan formed. A plan to reform the most infamous country to exist. Eclipse found the files for former Soviet leaders. One stuck out. She went to Tsunami and said," Makarov is failing, I'm not saying we should kill him, but he agrees that we need a new toy and I found the man for the job." Tsunami asked," Who did you choose?" Eclipse handed her a file from 1924. Tsunami opened it and said," Huh, this might work. Who is it?" Eclipse said," Its the founder of the USSR, Vladimir Lenin. " Tsunami asked," I assume you've located the remains? " Eclipse said," Luckily, Lenin's body was preserved so we don't have to rebuild it." Tsunami said," Selina and I say we do it."

The Rebirth of Communism: Eclipse and a few mystics opened Lenin's tomb. The brought him to the Winter Palace and placed him on the alter. Eclipse chanted in Latin. A green glow engulfed Lenin's body. A red beam shown down on him. A white mist was absorbed by the body. Once the light were gone, Eclipse said in Russian," Comrade Lenin? Are you awake?" Lenin's eyes opened and he sat up. He looked around the former palace and said," This place has changed since my day. What year is it?" Eclipse replied," It's 2021. We brought you back from Hell. The people need you." Lenin looked at the werewolf and said," People have changed as well. " Eclipse said," I'm not human and neither is most of the government, there and hundreds of species on Earth totaling 30 billion people. We wish for you to reclaim your title as leader of Russia." Lenin grabbed a pistol and aimed it at Eclipse. Eclipse said," I mean you no harm, we merely wish for you reclaim your old status." Lenin lowered the gun and said," Where is Stalin? Why didn't you bring him back?" Eclipse replied, "I couldn't find the body Please don't talk about the Nazi thing either, that's a separate event." Lenin set the gun down and walked around the palace. Eclipse followed him. A week later, Makarov stepped down from his role. In his place, an old face of terror. On March 25, 2021, the Collective held a ceremony for the new president of Russia. Lenin's first act was to rebuild the Soviet Union. He rebuilt the old Soviet government with the Collective as his ministers. Lenin and Tsunami got along quite well and hung out together. The Collective were shocked that Tsunami had a friend. Lenin made her the second in command of Soviet Russia. As a present for Lenin, Tsunami had Eclipse resurrect the entire Soviet Army. It seemed Lenin and Tsunami were getting close. A relationship that the Collective could manage, but meant death and destruction for the former Russian puppet states. The duo decided to take back the puppet states by force. 900,000 people died as a result of the invasion. On March 31, Tsunami and Lenin announced that they were dating. The Government poured out support for the new pair. The people were opposed to the President dating. This feeling was widespread and a NATO supported plot to kill Tsunami went bad. Lenin was outraged and started up the Soviet work camps to punish the people. The free world now had 2 superpower nations against them. A large conflict would ensue involving the Central Axis Powers versus the Allies. Russia became a spectator to the carnage while supporting the Central Axis Powers. Eclipse had brought back the Nazis, Imperial Japan and Fascist Italy along with Bulgaria, The Ottoman Empire, and Austria Hungary. This large force of evil started planning for war. A council was formed by members of the Central Axis Powers. Hitler, Mussolini, Hirohito, Franz Joseph, Osman the First, Ferdinand the First, and Kaiser Wilhelm the Second formed the council with Lenin as its head. The first charge of World War 3 began and Russia watched in glee.

The year is 2021 in the Soviet Union. Lenin has sleeping while Tsunami was spending her time buying land for bases. 2 days later, the mail arrived. Tsunami and Eclipse went through a care package shipped in from Romania. Most of it was jewels and armor. The strangest box though was shaped like a coffin. Tsunami grabbed a crowbar and tore into the box. It was a coffin, one with fancy fabric and ornate markings. Eclipse asked," You ordered a coffin from Romania? How fucked up are you?" Tsunami said," I bought a castle and all its contents. I didn't realize they would send me a body." They looked at the label on the box. It read Vlad Tepes III of Wallachia, 1431-1476. Tsunami chuckled and said," Do you know who's body we have?" Eclipse replied," No, I don't." Tsunami said," This man is the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. The vain of the Ottoman Empire during the 1400s and the infamous ruler of Wallachia. Vlad the Impaler." Eclipse replied," You have a 600-year-old corpse in our house and you see nothing wrong with this?" Tsunami tore off the coffin lid and gazed in. A skeleton with a severed head lay there holding a beautiful sword. Eclipse was disgusted by the body. Tsunami said," Do you know what we could gain by resurrecting this guy? We could destroy the Allies with him. He's the perfect weapon." The pair gazed at the corpse before returning to each other.

The End

The year is 2021 in Northern Michigan. Zoe and Ashlyn read about a new leader in Russia. They are exhausted from battling the Collective. Meanwhile, Alli is reading outside, minding her own business. The bushes rustle as something slowly crawls out of them. Alli looks over and sees glowing eyes. She sets her book down and backs up. The eyes do the same. Ashlyn calls Alli inside. When she looks back, the eyes are gone. The next day, Alli brings out a camera to grab a picture of the creature. Just as she expected, the eyes return. They were 3 feet off the ground. The thing emitted a high-pitched coo as it crawled out of the bush. Alli set the camera down and looked at the creature. It was a baby wendigo with yellow eyes. Ashlyn noticed it and came outside. The wendigo crawled away from her. Ashlyn said," What the heck is that thing doing in our backyard?" Alli replied," I don't know mom. It just seems to like me." Ashlyn sighed and said," These things eat people. We can't let it stay. It'll kill someone." The wendigo looked confused. Ashlyn then said," What has it been doing?" Alli replied," I think it lives in the bushes. I haven't seen it eat. It's too small to be a bad one right?" Ashlyn looked at the wendigo which was hiding behind the trash can. She said," It looks like its just a baby. It probably doesn't know what it's supposed to eat." She called for Zoe and Miller. They both came outside. Miller groaned when she saw the wendigo. Zoe said," Please don't say you wanna keep it. I'm not having a monster live in the backyard." Ashlyn said," It's a baby hon, it doesn't know what to do. I say we try it out, but I'm calling Kanti to check this thing." Alli let the wendigo inside and named it Twig. The next day, Kanti showed up. Twig was sleeping on the floor. Twig woke up when Kanti walked in and crawled over. Kanti said," Well aren't you a playful one. Let's check you out." 2 hours later, Kanti walked into the living room and said," Well for one thing it's a girl. The second thing is you can't keep it as a pet. Legally, a baby monster is classified the same as a human baby. Even though Twig is wild, you'd have to adopt her. I doubt that will be an issue. Just gotta call some friends." The next week, Twig was officially Zoe and Ashlyn's child. That night, Alli noticed Twig looking out the window. She asked," What are you doing? It's 3 in the morning." Twig crawled back to her blanket. Outside, Nyx, who had survived the incident in Canada, drove off as she was hunting Twig. The next day while they were out, Nyx and Xeno pulled up and grabbed Twig. Ashlyn drew her pistol and fired at the car. Nyx fired back and grazed Ashlyn. Inside the car, Twig growled at Nyx and clawed her. Nyx yelped as Twig slashed Xeno and broke out through the windshield. She limped all the way back while Xeno and Nyx crashed. The police came and arrested both criminals while taking Twig and Ashlyn to the hospital. Twig woke up to see her family around her. Alli hugged her.

The year is 2021 in April. Zoe and Ashlyn are sitting at home with their 3 kids Alli, Miller, and Twig. Twig runs around the room excitedly. Zoe says," We need a vacation. Lucifer can probably get us on a cruise." Ashlyn replies," He might. I'll call Charlie, she's there right now." Ashlyn dials her phone. Charlie picks up and says," Hey Ashlyn, what's up?" Ashlyn replies," Zoe wants to go on a cruise and she thinks your dad can get us onboard." Charlie replies," Lucky for you, Alastor, Angel, and Cherri declined. Me, Mom, Dad, and Vaggie were going. How many tickets would you guys need?" Ashlyn replies," We'd need 5. Can you manage it?" Charlie says," Yeah, the ship leaves from Florida so come down." Ashlyn replies," Thanks, We'll be there."

Chapter 2: The Party Gathering

Ashlyn drives down to Florida and boards the ship. Many high profile people are onboard. They walked up to Lucifer and chatted. Meanwhile, in the bridge, the captain prepares to set sail when the door opens. A tall figure emerges from the shadows. The captain groans when he realizes who it is. Alastor had teleported onboard. The two chatted as they were old friends. Back on the deck, Charlie heard something and turned. She saw Angel and Cherri. Lucifer said," Looks like Alastor joined us along with Angel and Cherri." The group looked over to see Angel and Cherri throwing water balloons at each other. Vaggie groaned while Twig rushed over. Angel said," Hey Cherri, look who came to say hi." Twig nuzzled Angel who smiled at the baby wendigo.

Chapter 3: The Horror Begins

The first night was enjoyable for the group. Alastor and Lucifer talked, Lilith played with Twig, Charlie and Vaggie gazed out at the ocean. Angel and Cherri chased each other around the deck. As the sun set, Angel ran to the bar. When he returned, Cherri was shaking. Angel comforted her while looking around. He saw a bright light hovering in the sky. Angel said," What the fuck?" Cherri said," Make it go away. It hurts." Charlie and Vaggie came over to help. The light disappeared in a fog bank. They helped Cherri back to the bar. Twig stared out a porthole, cooing. Alli noticed and asked," What are you doing Twig?" Twig pointed at the porthole. Alli looked out and saw a fog bank with red lightning. She said," Hey Miller, c' mere.' Miller walked over and saw the lightning-filled fog. Alli said," C'mon Twig, it's time for food." Twig followed. Zoe brought Twig on the deck. She fed Twig meat. Twig crawled to the railing. Zoe looked out. Twig pointed at the water. Zoe looked where Twig pointed. A creature with red eyes glared at them. Zoe gasped. The creature dove down. She brought Twig back inside. Zoe said," There's something out there. Where are we?" Alastor walked over and said," My dear, we are stranded." Zoe said," How the fuck do you know? For all we know, you did this." Alastor said," That is false, I felt something about an hour ago. Lucifer said the same and we can't use our powers. Something is keeping us here."

Chapter 4: The First Signs

As Zoe and Alastor argued, a clawing sound filled the room. Twig rushed under a table. Lucifer looked around. Outside, a man uses his phone when a clawed hand grabs the railing. He stumbles back. A creature with a somewhat human face climbed onboard. It had green hair, fangs, and a fish tail. It rushed over and clawed the man. The group heard the screams. Then the power cut out. Ashlyn said," What the hell is going on?" A growl filled the room. Twig started crying. Charlie comforted her. Alli held on to Ashlyn. They all stared at the door. A clawed hand smashed the window and felt around. It opened the door. the door crept open as the creature could be seen by the group. Alli said," What is that?!" Ashlyn said," I have no clue." Even Alastor looked concerned. The creature shrieked as it rushed over. Vaggie speared it in the head. The group barricaded the door before crowding around the body. Lucifer knelt down and checked it. He looked and said," I know what this is. It's one of God's mistakes. He banished them to one part of the ocean." Alli said," Where are we then?" Lucifer looked and said," My friends, we are in the Bermuda Triangle."

Chapter 5: Trapped

Lucifer continued," This is a mermaid. I'm sure we've all seen them in fiction. What the media doesn't show is that mermaids are ferocious monsters with no care to who they kill." Zoe said," Why the hell would someone sail here? Don't they know what happens here?" Lilith said," Tell them what else is out here." Lucifer sighed and said," As my wife said, there are other things out here. Sea serpents and Water spirits. Also, I think aliens visit here." Ashlyn facepalmed as the group looked at each other. A loud crash at the door alerted them. Suddenly the mermaids stopped. Charlie looked at the door. A glow appeared from the kitchen. A voice said," Greetings Noobs!" They all looked in that direction. A trio of shadows stood there in the shattered doors. The group stared at the shadows. They walked into the light. Ashlyn said," God fucking dammit. Look who it is. The bitch." It was Tsunami and her sisters. Tsunami said," How do you like my mermaids? It was difficult to find them." Ashlyn said," How the hell did you get on board?" Tsunami chuckled and said," Eclipse can do many things. But now we get to the matter at hand. You have 2 choices. First, however, you should get moving. The mermaids are quite hungry. Oh and who is the little one?" Ashlyn growled," Don't talk about my daughter. She doesn't need your bullshit." Tsunami said," Well then. One more thing. You remember that island in Louisiana with the zombies and werecats? Well, I've taken the liberty of inviting them to join us." Eclipse snapped her fingers. A red circle appeared on the floor. Rotten hands and claws reached out. A red haired werecat crawled out and said," Look who it is. The fuck's who killed me. C'mon girls, it's feeding time." Rebecca, Katie, and Vicky also crawled out of the hole. They snarled at the group. The party was surrounded by werecats, zombies, mermaids, and Tsunami. They only had one choice. Run.

The End

Chapter 6: The Client

The heroes were surrounded by monsters. Tsunami said," You can come out now." A man appeared with light facial hair and a black suit. The man snapped his fingers and two men flew out from the wall. Ashlyn said," Sam? Dean? What are you doing here?" The man said," Well boys, it looks like your friend's are waiting." Zoe asked," Guys who is that?" Dean groaned and said," This is Crowley. A real pain in the ass and the King of Hell." Zoe said," Wait isn't Lucifer the King?" Crowley said," Lucy gave up the crown when he went topside. I run things now. I do hate you lot of sinners. Oh and Charlie. I have the rest of your friends. Nifty and Husk say hi. Now you can choose to let them die. But I'm going to assume that's not your prefered option." Vaggie threw her spear at Crowley. He broke it mid-air. Crowley said," Clock is ticking girls so how about we wrap this up? If we all can't act like grownups then I should just have Tsunami kill you all." Tsunami grew wings and chuckled. Crowley snapped his fingers and destroyed the mermaids. Alastor said," I believe we don't need to resort to violence." Then a bright light filled the room. An angel appeared. Dean said," Cass?" Castiel stared at the villains and said,"Let them go. You aren't in control." Crowley said," Well shit. Looks like the big guns have arrived. Ladies it's about time we head out." Crowley snapped his fingers and disappeared along with the villains. Cass looked at the heroes and said," Normally I'd have to smite demons. But God has willed that you live. I see why." Alastor said," I don't supose you have a way off this ship?" Cass raised his hand and teleported the group of the ship. They arrived back in Michigan. Cass said," I think you should keep fighting these monsters. Crowley's involvement has escalated the situation. Tsunami is also a pressing matter. Unfortunately, I can't smite them." Charlie asked," Why not?" Cass replied," The Collective has spies in both Heaven and Hell which have cast spells on all members. It would require treason and a suicide mission to break it. For now, you will have to kill them your own way."

The End

It's April 2021 in Canada. Zoe and Ashlyn are standing in a bloodsoaked club. Two men are impaled to the wall. Three more are lying on the floor with bullets inside them and the last has a knife in his throat. Ashlyn inhales and says," You think it's her?" Zoe checks out the impaled bodies and replies," She does have the strength, but we still don't know how she chooses her targets." An officer walks over and says," We checked the cameras. They caught the whole thing. Shame we can't identify the killer though." Ashlyn noticed a note in the pocket of a corpse. She picks it up. It's a number. She calls Zoe and over and dials the number. A female voice picks up and says," I know you are hunting me. This isn't your business. If you want to talk, go to the club on 67th, I'll be there tonight at 11. Oh, and if you bring the cops, I'll burn the place down after locking everyone inside." The phone goes dead and the pair look at each other. Ashlyn says," It might be her. This is out best chance at stopping her." Zoe says," We can't take her alone. Last time we fought someone like her, you ended up with 3 broken ribs." Ashlyn replies," This bitch isn't a pro, she'll mess up. She already did by messaging us. If we do this we can save a lot of people."

The Meet:

Zoe and Ashlyn enter the club. It's 10:50. A bunch of armed guards stand around the place. Ashlyn says," Who the hell are these guys?" Zoe shrugs her shoulders. They take a seat and eye the place for the killer. The door opens and a Wendigo with a bandaged arm walks in. She takes a seat in the corner and seems suspicious. Ashlyn says," It could be her, we have to move in." Before they can act, the Wendigo draws two handguns and shoots 3 of the guards. The club owner pulls out a machete and swings at the Wendigo. He knocks the guns away. The Wendigo pulls out a katana and slices his leg. Two guards rush at the Wendigo. She grabs a gun and shoots them both. It turns back to the wounded club owner. She circles around him with her sword in hand. She grabs his throat and raises him up. She crushed his throat and threw him against the wall. The only people who remained were Zoe and Ashlyn, the Wendigo, and the pissed-off security. The Wendigo prepares to leave. Ashlyn draws her gun and aims at the creature. It turns and says," Stay out of it!" Ashlyn rushes at her and knocks her to the floor. The wendigo reaches for a broken bottle. Ashlyn grabs a chair and smashes it on the Wendigo's head, knocking it out. Zoe blocks the security out. They leave with the Wendigo.

Explanations:

The next morning in Ashlyn's apartment, the Wendigo wakes up tied to a chair. Ashlyn sits there and says," Well that was quite a show at the club?" The Wendigo says," Let me out of this." Ashlyn replies," We sent a photo to the police who then ID'd your car. Wanna explain the files?" The wendigo says," Fuck off. You have no part in this." Ashlyn says," Wasn't it you who called us to that place and you who opened fire on the guards. By the way who the fuck are you?" The wendigo replies," I don't have a name, the locals call me Hollow Eyes." Ashlyn replies," Ok, now explain the files." Hollow Eyes says," They aren't just randos. I tracked them to a large network." Ashlyn's heart beat faster with those words. She asked," Did you find the name of this network by chance?" Hollow Eyes said," Yeah, They call themselves the Collective. They have agents all over." Zoe said," How are you involved with this?" Hollow Eyes looks at them." Zoe said," You kept telling us to stay out of it. What is it?" Hollow Eyes sighed and said," They put a bounty on my head for killing on of their lead goons 10 years ago." Ashlyn said," Why'd you kill him?" Hollow Eyes said," Ten years ago, I came home with my boyfriend. He had just proposed. Then 3 men broke inside. They killed him. Their leader pinned me against a wall and had his way with me. When they were busy discussing who's turn it was next. I grabbed a knife and stabbed their leader in the eye. Then I grabbed his gun and shot the others." Hollow Eye's voice cracked up while telling the story. She was forming tears. Ashlyn realized that they made a mistake and untied her. Hollow Eyes crawled into a corner and started crying. Zoe looked at Ashlyn and said," This girl was destroyed by them. She hasn't let go. We have to make it up to her." Ashlyn said," How the hell are we gonna help her forget sexual abuse and years of murder?" Zoe then remebered a missing person's poster from last year. She made the connection that someone was looking for Hollow Eyes. She asked," How did they kill your boyfriend?" Hollow Eyes whimpered out," They beat him up. They beat him because he had ruined one of their plans." Ashlyn asked," What did he do?" Hollow Eyes replied," He worked as a cop and arrested on of their main goons. Later the guy he busted escaped. They came back for revenge," Zoe asked," What happened after you killed the goons?" Hollow Eyes replied," I ran. I ran into the woods. I never checked on him." Then the police raido said something about another hit. Ashlyn said," How trained was your boyfriend?" Hollow Eyes asked," Why would that matter?" Zoe replied," Because as we were sitting here, someone else shot up a club full of gangsters. Are there any others like you?" Hollow Eyes said," Yeah, but we don't do co-ops. We all met on a message board. It must be Alpha." Zoe said," If there are more. We need to find them. We should trace Alpha's IP address." 5 minutes later they were in the car driving. They pulled up to a house. Hollow Eyes said," What the? This is where Jack died." She got out of the car and walked up. Then a red car pulled up. Out stepped a skeletal man with the same weapons as Hollow Eyes. He said," Hollow?" She recognized the voice and replied," Jack? Your Alive?" They walked up to each other. Jack said," How did you find me?" Hollow Eyes said," I had some help." Zoe and Ashlyn got out and watched. Hollow said," I thought you died baby." Jack said," Me too, but then I wake up looking like this. Someone pulled me out." Hollow Eyes kissed him. He embraced her and they kissed. Zoe said," That is adorable." Ashlyn replied," Wanna make like them?" Zoe replied," Not in public you furball." The held hands while Hollow Eyes and Jack walked over. Jack said," Hollow says you guys know about the Collective. Since we kinda blew our covers, we thought about coming with you. Can we?" Ashlyn said," Sure, I just hope you can handle dad jokes, the people we hand out with are fricking weird." Zoe said," Al's not that weird." Ashlyn looked at her with a face that read, Wanna bet?. They got into the car and drove off.

Post Credit scene. After Hollow Eyes and Alpha annouced their choice to leave the chat room. Another member, Cobrani called Tsunami and said," We got work to do."

The End

Lucifer invited the entire crew to a party. As they sat around telling stories, Lucifer said," Have I got a story for you all. About 7 or 8 years ago, Lilith and I were boating in Scotland. We were drinking when out from beneath the waves comes this 8 stories tall reptile from the Mesozoic era. It even had a handgun. I swear there was a Tommy gun strapped to its back. It lowered its head. It was then I realized it was the Loch Ness Monster. Nessie lowered her head and poked Lilith with the gun." Charlie asked," What did it want?" Lucifer said," Well the darn thing pushed me into the water and said I need about tree fiddy. I said What the heck you need money for? The darn thing didn't answer me and just swam off. It was about a month later in Vegas. I hear a knock at the door and I see this cute little girl scout standing there with a wagon full of cookies. I asked her what she had. She listed off the good ones so I asked her how much it was gonna cost. She grabbed my shoulder and pulled me in. Then she said I need about tree fiddy. It was around that time when I noticed that this girl scout was about 8 stories tall and had a Tommy gun strapped to its back. I said Goddamn you Nessie! I ain't never giving you that damn money. Lilith even gave her a damn 10 dollar bill." Charlie asked," Did you ever see Nessie again?" Lucifer said," Oh yeah. It was around your 6th birthday. You came up to me and grabbed my coat. I leaned down and asked what you wanted. You said you wanted tree fiddy. I was getting suspicious so I asked what you needed it for. You said your dino friend Sheila needed it. Now at the time I never knew who that was so I got up and looked around. Sure enough, my goddamn Chevy was covered in slime. I looked up and saw that goddamn Loch Ness Monster climbing on the roof. I told it to leave, but all it did was throw a rock at me with writing on it. Do you know what the rock said? It said Amount Owed: Tree Fiddy. It still wanted my money. I threw a fireball at it, but since its a water monster, it just bounced off the thing. Nessie then lowered her head to my eyes and said Give me the tree fiddy. I slapped that hoe. Unfortunately, Nessie had been lifting weights. She grabbed me and threw me into the pool. Then she went through my car and stole my money. I called the cops, but when the showed up they said that they can't arrest something that doesn't exist. It was about that time when I realized one of the officers was about 8 stories tall. The bitch came back. I said IF YOU DONT GET OUTTA HERE, I'LL TEAR YOUR ORGANS OUT. The darn thing crawled off. And that my friends is the story of me and the Loch Ness Monster."

The End

It's May 2021 in New Jersey. A former marine sits on his porch as the sun goes down. A crashing sound alerts him. He draws his handgun and walks around his house. A shadow looms over him from the roof. He turns around and sees a slender figure with a goat head and bat wings. It jumps down and kicks him in the leg. The creature growls at him. A twig snap alerts the creature and sends it flying off into the trees. A high pitched male voice says, "Shit, we lost her!"

Into the Pine Barrens:

Zoe and Ashlyn hear about the attack from Lucifer and drive down to investigate. They arrive at the hospital and prepare to talk to the veteran. They walk in and Ashlyn asks," We'd like to discuss the creature that attacked you." He said," It was about 6 feet tall. Olive green leggings and a town orange vest. The damn thing had tits and horns." Zoe held out a photo and asked," Is this similar to what you saw?" It was a picture of the Jersey Devil. The man said," Add tits and an ass, and its a clear image." They walked out. Ashlyn said," The Jersey Devil is a chick? What kind of bullshit do we live in?" They drive to the house and check out the scene. Ashlyn says," I have no clue what the devil looks like so this is gonna be hard." At that moment, a gun cocking alerted the pair. A female voice said," Who the fuck are you?" Ashlyn turned around. Standing there was a 6-foot tall creature with wings, a tail, and horns. It was the devil. It held an assault rifle and aimed it at the pair. The devil said, "If your more of that whore's goon squad. I'll carve you up into bite-sized pieces." Zoe said," What the hell do we do? We can't beat this thing." The devil circled them while aiming. As it got close, Ashlyn grabbed the rifle barrel and pulled it. The devil kicked Ashlyn in the thigh, sending her to the ground. The devil then drew a machete and prepared to stab Ashlyn. Zoe drew her gun and shot the devil in the shoulder. The devil crawled back from the pair. it said in a choked voice," You fucking shot me!" Zoe replied," Your the one who had a fucking rifle aimed at us! Who are you?" The devil said," Isn't it fucking obvious. I'm Jersey Devil. My friends call me Jersey." Ashlyn said," You said if we were more of that whore's goons you'd kill us. Who were you talking about?" Jersey replied," Some thot placed a hit on me after I assaulted one of her goons. She hasn't shown up, but I'm not gonna get away with a wounded shoulder." Ashlyn said," Who is this thot?" Jersey said," They call her the Purple Scale. Some high profile mafia chick. It looks like she hired mercs for the job, but I checked one of their phones. One of the contacts was a guy called Crowley. I've never heard of him." Zoe said," Crowley is a high ranking demon and a member of the Collective. He probably hired someone because you're kinda special." Ashlyn said," We have to get this bitch out of here before more goons show up." Jersey got up and said," I can't fly thanks to you so you're stuck with me." They got into the car and drove off.

The Purple Scale:

They arrived at the motel and went into their room. Jersey grabbed a beer from the fridge. Ashlyn's phone rang. She picked up and said," Who is this?" A female voice replied," You are in great danger. The devil is wanted by many. I can help you, but you have to trust me." Ashlyn said," How do I know you're not working for Crowley?" The voice replied," Because I'm sitting in the parking lot and I didn't have you killed when you pulled up. If you want my help, come out with your shit." The trio walked out. A black limo sat there. They got in. Inside was a female humanoid croc with torn pink clothing. She said," Sup." Ashlyn said," Why the fuck do I trust criminals? Who the hell are you and why do you want the devil so bad?" The croc sipped a glass of liquor and said," I've been a fan of your work for 3 years now. Seeing as I knew Jersey back in high school, I thought I owed her." Jersey said," Crooler?" The croc said," Yes, it's me Jersey." Ashlyn said," Ok this is cute and all, but you said you could help." Crooler said," Ah, yes. I want to help you." Ashlyn noticed Crooler was sweating and said," You've never killed a single person have you?" Crooler replied," Uh, well I shot a guy once." Ashlyn said," Your just a fan girl aren't you?" She nervously chuckled and said," Kinda. It's not my fault you two are hecking badass. I've always wanted to do something epic and fight evil. You do it every day." Ashlyn said," We don't kill people for fun. We do it because the people we kill are jerks and wanted to kill tons of people. We save lives." Crooler said,"At least I can actually negotiate with bad guys!" Ashlyn said," My god I wanna die." Zoe said," There is no reason to get involved when you don't have to. Besides. The people your talking about aren't the same ones we gun down." Jersey sat there uncomfortable. A helicopter flew overhead. It opened fire and shot out the tires. The limo crashed. Zoe and Ashlyn broke out and grabbed Jersey and Crooler. Ashlyn asked," You better have guns." Crooler said," We have an LMG in the trunk." Ashlyn ran to the trunk and pulled it out. Jersey grabbed it and fired at the chopper. It crashed. A trio of goons came out of the wreck. One shot at them with a pistol. The goons quickly held down the trio. The goons prepared to kill them. A burst of automatic gunfire echoed, followed by thudding. Ashlyn looked and saw Crooler holding a smoking rifle. She said," I may be a fangirl, but I can still kill motherfuckers!" Ashlyn rolled her eyes. A drone then hovered. A voice said,"Sup Bitches. Guess who's back?" Ashlyn said," Tsunami, you motherfucker!" Tsunami said," That little stunt was barely a scratch on my forces. I just needed the devil dead. Also it appears my puppet has left me. Shame really. I would've enjoyed some closer time together Crooler." Crooler said," I'm not some girl for you to fuck!" Jersey grabbed a metal piece and smashed the drone. The broken drone spat out," I'll find every one of your little friends. When I do, I'll shred them into the smallest pieces." Jersey said," Bring it on cunt!" She then smashed the drone again, now breaking the speaker. Ashlyn said," Looks like you two are part of the team now." They walked back to the motel and left.

The End

It's May 2021 in America. Zoe, Ashlyn, and Jersey have been tracking down Collective agents. Their efforts have revealed that an old foe still walks. General Grievous is still alive. They've tracked the cyborg down to an airport in Maine. They strike. As Grievous boards the plane, Zoe rams a truck into the landing gear. Grievous smashes his way out and leaps down. A squad of Elites follows. Jersey sprays the Elites with bullets, killing 3 of them. They notice and fire back. Ashlyn grabs a pipe and swings at Grievous. He grabs the pipe midair and rips it from her. He then kicks her into the plane. Zoe draws her pistol and shoots an Elite in the chest before aiming at Grievous. Jersey snaps another Elite's neck before shooting down 2 others. Grievous leaps on top of the truck and runs off. Zoe backs it up, hitting the cyborg. Grievous crawls out from under the truck and runs back towards the plane. Ashlyn said," Is he crazy or just fucking stupid?" Jersey flies over and rams Grievous off the plane. They fall to the ground. Grievous wraps his claws around her neck and starts strangling her. She tries to reach for a weapon. Ashlyn fires a shot into Grievous's leg, disabling it. Jersey kicked him off and reached for her rifle. Grievous grabbed her leg. A pair of Jackals come running out from the plane. Ashlyn guns them down. Grievous slashes Jersey's chest before trying to strangle her again. Ashlyn grabs a shovel and thrusts into Grievous's chest. The cyborg screams in pain. Jersey kicks him off. Grievous rips the shovel out and throws it at Zoe. Ashlyn swings her fist at him. Grievous is punched in the face. They run off towards a crane. An Elite with a rocket launcher comes out. Zoe swiftly puts two bullets into its neck. Grievous pins Ashlyn to the ground. Zoe grabs the launcher and fires it. It misses Grievous, but hits the crane, causing it to fall down and hit Grievous. The Army then arrives with choppers and trucks. The soldiers aim at Grievous. He gives up and surrenders. Ashlyn helps Jersey up while the soldiers handcuff Grievous. Zoe says," Looks like the asthmatic fucker is no longer our problem." Jersey replies," He was your problem until you brought me into this." Grievous said," I'll find you and when I do, I'll gut you and hang you organs on my wall." Ashlyn said," Dream on you robotic prick. Your going away for a long time." The soldiers load him into a cage. The sergeant says," I was told to inform you girls that we've caught Vanny finally. She tried blowing up an armory in New York. The boss wants you to come deal with her." Ashlyn said," We'll get to it eventually." Jersey said," You wanna tell me who he's talking about?" Zoe said," We'll tell you on the way. This is pretty damn important. If they caught her, we might be able to find Afton." Ashlyn said," You think? We've been after him since 2017. There's no telling how many he and his goons killed."

The End

The trio head to the Prison in New York. Grievous is placed in a cage and lowered down. Jersey asks," Why is this chick so important if she's not a member of the Collective?" Ashlyn replies," We don't know that for sure. What we do know is that she kills kids for a twisted fucker." They walk into the cage, Vanny sits there wearing a new suit. Zoe asks," What's with the new suit? You've been busy?" Vanny pressed her face against the glass and said," I made it myself. I'll wear it when I kill you." Jersey stays silent. Ashlyn says," How is William these days? He still wears that fucked up rabbit suit?" Vanny replies," I think its beautiful." Ashlyn says," You could've given up and spent the rest of your life in freedom. Why come back now?" Vanny replies," We have sponsors. Special people. They paid us to kill you." Zoe says," And who would those be?' Vanny grabbed a picture and showed it to them while giggling. Ashlyn said," So the whore paid you off? Shocker." Vanny said," I get to become animatronic if I kill you." Zoe said," You want to die?" Vanny replies," It's not death. It's rebirth. I'll be like him. It's what I've wanted." Vanny finally noticed Jersey and said," Who's the new chick?" Zoe said," That's not important. Just tell us who gave you the money." Vanny grabbed another picture and showed it them. It was a werewolf with wings. Ashlyn asked," Which one is it? We know 4." Vanny wrote a name on the bottom. It was Tsunami. She said, "The sponsor will fund my transformation." Ashlyn said," You are truly messed up." Vanny said," You won't live to see the future. You'll be dead while your friends try to cover up your failure. Soon we'll kill the demon princess and her entire friend group. Then the rest of you pathetic friends. Once we're done with them, next are you retarded children" Ashlyn growled," Shut up! Don't talk about my kids! They should execute you." Vanny giggled and said," So fiesty. That's what we need for the game." Jersey calmed Ashlyn while Zoe asked," What game?" Grievous cackled from the other cell. Vanny said," We've kidnapped your friends and family while you dealt with Grievous. Your have 1 month to find all of them. Whoever you don't find before the 4th of July will be executed." Ashlyn grabbed Vanny through the bars and slammed her into them. Zoe and Jersey grabbed her. Vanny said," This was all a setup. We've won." Ashlyn said," If I had my guns right now, I'd blow your fucking brains out you mental slut!" Vanny said," You might want to hurry. You do have 20 people to find in 40 days." Ashlyn said," When I'm done saving them. I'll come back and kill you!" Vanny laughed while Zoe and Jersey helped a now raging Ashlyn outside. A guard came over and said," They found this when they caught her. It says to give it to you." They took it while the guard walked off. Ashlyn read it. She read," Dear whores, This is Tsunami. This letter is to inform you we have indeed kidnapped your friends and family and what Vanny says is indeed true. Whoever you don't save before the 4th will be shot. Do not attempt to involve the government as that will result in a very severe punishment. One of the explosive kind. You can only use your little crew's assets and whatever you have. No government supplies or law enforcement. We've hidden them all over the country so you'll need some cash to get around. As a fair deal, we've stashed $150 in cash with each hostage. That will allow you to keep going. Taking our cars are allowed as we don't expect 23 people to walk all over the country. Your first rescue is the demon princess. You can find her in the place your nation was born. From your favorite rival, Tsunami." Ashlyn crushed the letter and said," Let's go. We have 43 days."

The End

It's May 2021 in Maine. A facility has been attacked. The entire staff was all slaughtered. 5 creatures escaped, each with paranormal abilities. Zoe, Ashlyn, and Jersey have already saved Charlie. They race to the second location, Crooler. A black limo pulls next to them. Ashlyn looks at them. The driver is an all-black figure with flames. Next to it is a plague doctor. The back seat has a white-masked figure, a skinny pale man, and a zombie-like man. Jersey says," God fucking dammit, it's the SCP's! Grab the fucking guns!" SCP-457 rams them while 035 pulls out a machine gun and fires at them. Charlie says," What the hell are they?!" Jersey replies," Their fucking monsters with crazy powers!" 049 pulls out a revolver and shoots the tires. 096 has had enough of this and kicks 106 out of the car. 035 swings his gun over and fires. 096 disarms him. 049 tries to shoot Shy Guy but is grabbed by the head and slammed into the door. 457 is still trying to keep the car steady but ends up shot in the head by Shy Guy. 035 pulls out a knife and slices at Shy Guy. He then stomps down and tears out the steering. 457 can't keep the car steady and it crashes into a tree. 106 runs up holding a Tommy gun. Ashlyn gets out and puts 3 rounds in the freaks chest sending him back into one of his own portals. Shy Guy gets out and opens the trunk. He throws Crooler out and looks at the heroes. He turns back to the flaming wreck with his 3 former cellmates. 049 gets out and fires a shot into Shy Guy. Shy Guy leaps over, grabs a branch and rams it into 049's throat. 049 stumbles back and says," You traitor. We freed you. i guess I'll have to hunt you down 096. See you round." He then collapses to the ground and chokes on his own blood. 457 and 035 both grab rifles and aim at the heroes. Shy Guy drags Crooler away before pushing a button on his phone. The car explodes and engulfs the two monsters. 457 comes out and tries to kill them. Jersey fires a rifle round into his head. Shy Guy pulls out a piece of paper that explains that he never wanted this and will fight against the Collective. He then grabs a rifle and runs off into the woods. The heroes prepare for their next target as the sun sets.

The End

Prologue: It's January 1, 2020, in Canada. A young boy wakes up after hearing footsteps in his home. He opens the door and sees a tall nude figure holding his father by the throat. The creature drops the body and runs off into another room. The boy grabs his bat and follows the creature. He finds it standing over his dead family. They have been stabbed and sliced open. The creature grabs the boy and places him in a sack before climbing out and running off into the cold winter night.

Chapter 1: What Day Is It?

Zoe and Ashlyn wake up after a night of fun. They see Twig staring at them with a smile. She runs out and runs back in holding a Christmas Present. Zoe looks confused at Twig. Ashlyn looks at her phone, it's December 25. She says," Why is it Christmas already? Shouldn't it be May?" Miller walks in holding a crying Alli. Zoe comforts her while Miller says," There's a skinny naked guy outside!" Ashlyn grabs her pistol and runs out. She goes outside, it is covered in snow with human-like footprints. Miller brings in a box covered in blood. Zoe opens it and drops it after seeing what is inside. A small brush with human teeth. Ashlyn rushes back in and says," There's something outside and this doesn't make sense. Yesterday it was May, now Alli finds a brush made with human remains. I think we're dealing with an SCP." Ashlyn hands her a note she found outside. Zoe reads," Dear scumbags. This is 4666, but you can call me Yule Man. I noticed your little attack on my fellow anomalies and have been asked to take action. Sadly your attack was outside my active period. To fix this, I have employed another friend to help mess with the date. You are now trapped in a time loop that lasts 12 days. My motives are for you to find out as are my employers. What I will tell you is that when you wake up after the 12th day, the loop resets. If you die, the loop resets. I will kill you over and over until my boss is satisfied. You won't see me coming. I will take your baby wendigo and enslave her. Any tries to call the Foundation will be punished. They never caught me and they never will. I travel all over the north during Christmas and visit the children. I even leave them little toys. The event you are now part of is known as Weissnacht. Have fun and Merry Christmas. From the Yule Man." Ashlyn growls and says," I'll kill this fucker!!" Zoe says," Calm down! We don't know what he does and what he looks like. We need to do research." Ashlyn takes a deep breath and says," The prick also left us a hard drive." Zoe plugs it in and opens the files. They are all news reports of attacks dating back to the 1400s. Ashlyn says," This bitch never said we couldn't use it. Just that we can't call the Foundation, whoever they are." Miller says," The SCP Foundation? I know all about them."

Chapter 2: Explanations:

Miller pulls out a notebook and begins reading," The SCP Foundation is a secret group dedicated to containing anomalies that defy the laws of our world. They have sites all over the world that contain these creatures. Based on the number and how he called himself the Yule Man, I know somewhat how to stop him." Ashlyn said," Who the hell let you read this stuff?" Miller replies," You never block anything so of course, I'd find some dark things." Zoe asks," Well what does this Yule Man do exactly and why is he targeting Twig?" Miller opens her computer and reads," Based on the terms he used, I can help anticipate his moves. So far we're only in the first phase. This is where Yule Man will watch his prey from outside or a window while they sleep." Ashlyn asks," What's phase two?" Miller replies," Days 7 to 11 are when the entire family will hear footsteps in the attic or on the roof and commonly report a foul smell with no source." Zoe asks," What happens on day 12?" Miller replies," Well, Yule Man has two confirmed outcomes. One is where he enters the house and kills the entire family except for one child under the age of 8. For some reason, he did his other option early." Ashlyn says," So your saying Yule Man leaves toys made of body parts?" Miller replies," Human children to be exact." Ashlyn says," The calm manner you said all that in disturbs me." Zoe asks," So what can we do to stop him?" Miller replies," This isn't a normal Weissnacht. He already said he'll kill us over and over. The wiki doesn't mention any way to stop him. Also most likely our death would go unnoticed by the world as the Foundation can't contain him and suppresses any news of him. Based on what the letter said, He's making new rules. This means we have a chance at ending this." Zoe asks," Does it say that parents seeing the footprints is normal?" Miller replies," No, based on the fact Mom saw the prints, it's a good bet you both can see him if he comes back. Although I don't know why he picked us when we live in a suburban area. He normally takes out isolated targets." Ashlyn says," I'm getting the tracker ready. I'll shoot him with the dart and we can see him coming."

Chapter 3: Siege:

It's nightfall. The family sits in the TV room looking outside. Twig hears something and rushes to the window. She points at a figure in the trees. Ashlyn opens the window and aims. She says," Jesus this guy is ugly, look at his nuts!" Zoe groans and says," Just shoot him." Ashlyn pulls the trigger and fires the dart. A faint groan can be heard as the figure goes back into the trees.

Chapter 4: Recovery:

The next morning, Alli walks in again crying while Miller brings in another box. Zoe opens it. It's a knife made from bone. She hands her mother a note. Zoe reads," Scumbags, you have been marked by the Foundation as a target of Weissnacht. They will send a task force to secure you. This will not stop me, however. My time loop is gone, but I'll still make your corpses into furniture for my cave. Your little tracker won't be hidden for long. Also, 049 sends his best wishes and a present. 049 is great at making friends with people. I hope you have fun with his new friends. From Yule Man." Zoe asks," Miller which one is 049, and what friends are Yule Man talking about?" Miller replies," 049 is a plague doctor like creature who kills people just by touching them. He performs surgery on his victims to cure the Pestilence as he calls it. This results in zombies." A knock on the door is heard. Ashlyn opens it and sees Allison. Allison says," We got word that 4666 is after you guys. I called in some friends to help." She pointed to a truck full of armed soldiers. Ashlyn asks," How did they agree to this?" Allison replies," My brother is in the top part of the Foundation and we still care about each other. He greenlit this mission under the condition that we bring in 4666 if possible instead of you sending him to some prison." Ashlyn says," Well seeing as this jerk wants my kid, I wouldn't care if you shot him. Where are they gonna hand out anyway?" Allison replies," They brought more than one truck. Besides, they're trained to survive in this kind of stuff. We also got a piece of mail addressed to you guys. It's got 4666's prints on it." Ashlyn opens it. It's a hard drive labeled Fun Times. Ashlyn plugs it in and opens the file. It's security footage taken directly by 4666. It shows mutilated children with missing limbs. A voice can be heard saying," Keep going or we'll make you one of them!" A high-pitched laugh can be heard as the camera pans over to a skinny male eating a child. The voice says," Hey 4666, save for the rest of them!" 4666 flips off the camera before saying," I'm coming for you. No one can save you." Ashlyn groans and says," WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?! Torture Porn?!" Allison replies," That's first-hand footage of 4666's lair. We can't match it to anything." Gunshots echo outside. Ashlyn grabs her pistol and goes to look. 4666 is outside killing the task force with logs and tools. A soldier is stabbed in the throat with an ax. Ashlyn aims and fires at 4666. He growls and leaps on her. Allison grabs her gun but is thrown aside by Yule Man. Zoe comes out and fires a shot into Yule Man. Yule Man tries to teleport away, but can't. Zoe says," Looks like that demon juice we got from Alastor really does work." Ashlyn kicks off 4666. The remaining soldiers grab 4666 and cuff him. They load him into the trucks. Then a black limo off in the distance drives off. Ashlyn says," Take that you Yule Tide Terror." Yule Man growls at them as he is placed in chains. Allison says," Hopefully they can save the rest of the kids he kidnapped." Ashlyn tells them goodbye and walks inside. She says," Well ladies, Yule Man is off to a monster jail that he won't get out of." They go to sleep. The next morning when Ashlyn wakes up, her phone says May 17. The kids walk in and say," I swear yesterday was Christmas." Zoe said," We still gotta find out who made the time loop." Ashlyn said," Not today." The two then kissed.

The End

The crowds open fire at Zoe and Ashlyn. The pair duck behind a patrol car. Ashlyn aims at one of the crowd members. Zoe looks and says," Don't shoot them. They're not Collective Members."

24 Hours Earlier:

In Madison, a crowd assembles in front of a monument. Eclipse steps out and says," Today you take back your country. Today, we give you the tools to fight your oppressors." The crowd cheers. A black semi pulls up. The back end opens up and 6 soldiers bring out dozens of crates. The crowd opens them up. There full of rifles and shotguns. Eclipse says," Rain Hellfire my followers." The crowd arm themselves and start destroying the surrounding area. A soldier asks," Boss, shouldn't we leave before the cops come?" Eclipse replies," No, we're staying. I want to see the conflict in the duo of death when they realize their fighting civilians." Soon the police send out the SWAT team. A firefight ensues. Zoe and Ashlyn head out when the news show Eclipse on the news. As they pull up, a crowd member fires a shotgun blast at the car. Ashlyn says," Fucking Shit!!" They get out and crouch down. Ashlyn fires a shot into the leg of a rioter. The police recognize the pair and tell them the situation. A rioter sprays rifle fire at the cops. Ashlyn aims her gun. Zoe looks at the crowd and realizes who they are. She says," Don't shoot them, they're not Collective Members." Ashlyn looks at her in confusion. Zoe continues," They're pissed, but not the enemy." Ashlyn screams," Their shooting at us for fucks sake!!" Zoe says," We can't kill people for no reason." An officer is struck in the chest and killed. Zoe flinches. Ashlyn grabs the fallen cop's rifle and cocks it. Zoe says," You got any non-lethal weapons?" A cop hands her a riot shotgun. A pair of rioters fire a clip of ammo at the heroes. Ashlyn fires a round into their legs. A crowd of rioters stands in the back, waiting for the moment to attack. The first wave of rioters is losing numbers. 4 officers have been killed. As the last rioter is struck in the leg, the police move in towards the second wave. Ashlyn says," Wait, don't piss them off. Let us try and stop them." The cops stay back. Zoe and Ashlyn slowly walk towards the crowd. A woman aims her shotgun at them. Zoe says," Wait! Why are you doing this?" The woman says," We've been given weapons to liberate the masses. You're in our way," Zoe slowly lowers her rifle. The woman does the same. Ashlyn groans and does the same. Zoe says," You haven't hurt anyone yet. You don't have to go to prison. Just stop the attack." The woman asks," Why aren't you just killing us?" Zoe says," Who gave you these damn guns?" The woman says," The winged wolf girl." Zoe said," Tell us where she went." The woman points to a truck. Ashlyn draws her pistol and rushes at the truck. The crowd disperses. A soldier aims his rifle and receives a bullet to the neck. Two more run out. Zoe fires into them and kills them both. Eclipse tries to grab a gun and looks up to see Ashlyn holding a gun to her head. Ashlyn says," Sup Bitch. How are you doing?" Eclipse lowers her gun while groaning. Three soldiers in a jeep get out and fire at them. Eclipse tries to shoot Ashlyn. Ashlyn grabs Eclipse and makes her fire into 2 of the soldiers. Ashlyn then slams Eclipse's arm into the door before shooting the last soldier. The cops move in and arrest Eclipse. As she's being led away, she says," I'll kill you both." Ashlyn replies," See you in about 10 to 20 years you stuck up crack whore." The crowd surrenders the weapons to the police and return home. Eclipse was transferred to a military prison in Florida. Zoe and Ashlyn kiss as the police leave the scene.

The End

October 31, 2021: Zoe and Ashlyn prepare for Halloween. A portal opens on the floor. Ashlyn grabs a shotgun and aims it at the portal. A voice says," God Damnit Moxxie! Why is the portal in some wolf's house!" Another voice replies," Sir, You're the one who opened it up." A female replies," Mox, don't freak out." Gunshots can be heard in the distance. The voices argue until a bullet flies past them. Three small, horned creatures leap up, holding rifles. Another voice says," Get those fucking imps now!!" One of them throws dust at the portal, closing it. The leader looks around and says," Well it looks like those armored bastards can't get up here." Ashlyn lowers the shotgun and asks," What the fuck are you?" The hairless one says," I'm Blitz, these two morons are Millie and Moxxie." A shotgun blast blows a hole in the wall. Blitz screams," Scatter, There back!" Ashlyn fires a blast out the hole and asks," Who the hell is after you?" Blitz replies," Some non-human fucks want us dead because of a minor case of shooting one of them in the head." Zoe facepalms while Ashlyn says," Well, why did you shoot them in the head?!" Blitz replies," That's our job, we kill fuckups on Earth!" A pair of Elites break inside. Millie grabs a knife and cuts their legs. Moxxie grabs a fallen gun and shoots one in the head. Blitz's phone then rings. He answers it and a voice replies," Oh Blitzy, I need that book soon." Blitz replies," Fuck off Stolas, We're in the middle of a job here!" Stolas replies," I can't wait to shove your **** in my feathered ***** as I **** you with all sorts of ******** and shove a ***** down your ****** as I ***** in your ******." Blitz replies," Fine! You'll get your damn book tomorrow!" The other Elite is decapitated by Millie. Zoe peeks out and sees a room full of blood and guts. Blitz says," That's not even our target Moxxie! Now we have to miss the festival because you wouldn't take the fucking shot!" Moxxie screams," IT'S NOT MY FAULT THE GUY WAS BEHIND A WALL!!" As the two argue, Blitz's phone beeps. He checks it and says," We still have 2 hours before the Festival. If you don't fuck up, I might give you half your paycheck." The group load into a car and follow the tracker to a clearing in a forest. As they pull up, a gas grenade fills up the car. They all pass out. They wake up unable to move. Blitz and Moxxie are tied to a stake. Millie is tied to a chair while Zoe and Ashlyn are tied to a pole. A woman in a gas mask steps out holding a shotgun. Blitz says," God Fucking Dammit, Another crazy person with a gun." The woman replies," You all are quite the catch. The boss will pay big money for the imp's heads and the two whores." Moxxie said," I thought we were killing an accountant?!" Blitz said," I never said that! Clearly, Loona lied to you!" Millie struggled while 4 Elites stood guard. The woman threw a match at Blitz and Moxxie. Blitz said," Hey lady, I don't think you know, but fire doesn't work on us. I had to tell someone else that." The woman groaned and grabbed a knife. She said," I'll give you one chance. Hand over your magic book or I cut the neck of this little demon!" Blitz sighed and said," You asked for it, lady." He then used his tail to cut the ropes. The Elites rushed at him. He grabbed a sharp stick that was on fire and threw it at the Elites. It impaled one of them. 2 of them rushed over. As Blitz passed them, he pulled their grenade pins. They realized too late and exploded. The last one tripped over a body, fell, and snapped his neck on a table. The woman tried to shoot Moxxie in the head. Moxxie closed his eyes, accepting his fate. A gunshot went off. Moxxie opened his eyes and saw a bloody hole in the woman's head. Blitz had shot her. He helps Moxxie and untied the other. Blitz said," You two aren't half bad. Give us a call if you need someone removed." The imps went back to Hell as Zoe and Ashlyn drove off.

The End and Happy Halloween!

It's 2021 in the English Channel, Zoe, Ashlyn, Jersey, and Karina raid a Collective warship after learning it was carrying a valuable target. The climb onboard and slit two guards in the neck. A third spotted them, but Ashlyn shoots him in the head. They clear the cargo hold. No one appears to be left. They open a crate. Inside is a humanoid female, tied up and muzzled. She is asleep. Ashlyn untied her and carried her off. After leaving the room, an alarm went off. A voice said," Welcome to my little trap, whores. Today you will be joining all those who perished at sea." Jersey took the girl and the heroes leaped off the ship as it exploded.

What Have We Found?:

They return to their apartment in England. They placed the girl on the couch. They looked at her, seeing wings, tail, and reptilian eyes. Meanwhile, in Moscow, Tsunami slapped her bodyguard. She walked into the bar and grabbed a rolling pin. Cobrani slithered in and immediately left. A guard walked in, attempting to reason with her. Tsunami hit him in the head with the pin. She screamed," WHY ARE YOU ALL FRICKING IDIOTS!? OUR ONE ROYAL HOSTAGE AND YOU FUCKING LET HER ESCAPE!?" Selina walked in and said," Calm down sis. We'll get her back." An elite walked in. Tsunami grabbed a knife and threw it at the elite, hiting him in the skull. Tsunami groans and grabs a bottle of whiskey before drinking it. Selina facepalmed and told the guards to leave. Back in England, the girl woke up and leaped on to Ashlyn. The girl tries to stab her with her tail. The girl then grabs one of Ashlyn's pistols and points it at her. Ashlyn says," Saftey is on. That won't fire." The girl tries to slap Ashlyn. Ashlyn dodges and asks," What is your deal?" The girl grows claws and scratches Ashlyn in the leg. Zoe and Jersey draw their pistols and aim at the girl. The girl tail whips the guns. Ashlyn aims her gun at the girl who crawls away. Ashlyn asks," What are you?" The girl replies," Dragon." Ashlyn then asks," What is your name, dragon girl?" The dragon replies," Starblaze."

The Collective Wants Their Toy Back:

The group leaves England and returns to America. Tsunami sent a task force led by a new assassin. As the group drives by the coast, a black SUV appears. A pair of bikes followed. The van pulled up. Ashlyn looked at the car. Driving the car is a werewolf with grey fur, a scarred eye, and wearing a black suit. The werewolf pulls out a gun and fires at the tires, crashing the car. The wolf stopped the car and stepped out. Ashlyn climbed out and stood in front of this new enemy. The wolf was female and holding a baton. She rushed at Ashlyn and swung the baton. Ashlyn was knocked down, but kicked her in the leg. Ashlyn grabbed a shard of glass and threw it. The wolf girl knocked it out of the air. The two bikes pulled up. Jersey grabbed her rifle and gunned them down. The wolf drew a pistol and shot Jersey in the arm. Ashlyn leaped on the wolf and tackled her to the ground. Ashlyn asked," So, who in the hell are you?" The wolf replied," Sophie. I bring a message from my girlfriend." Ashlyn pushed her and said," Let me guess. Tsunami?" Sophie chuckled and said," You know your rivals well." She then shot Ashlyn in the leg. Sophie walked up to Ashlyn and aimed at her head. Starblaze stepped out and drew a flintlock pistol. She fired it at Sophie. Sophie spat out blood as she turned to look. Sophie aimed at Starblaze. Starblaze then cocked the pistol and fired again. The impact knocked her to her feet. Starblaze walked up to the wounded assassin and said," No." Sophie tried to knife her but got disarmed. Starblaze picked up Sophie and threw her into her van. The van exploded and Sophie groaned in pain. After going to their hotel, Karina had to leave. Now only 4, the heroes prepared to rest. Suddenly a knock is heard. Then the lights go out. The heroes fall asleep and faint.

When they woke up, they were chained to a wall. Sophie walked in, now with burn scars on her left cheek and ear. She picked up a taser and shocked Ashlyn. Sophie said," Tsunami is already pissed that you stole her prize. When she finds out that you burnt my face, well I'd be praying then because you wouldn't like her when her passions are damaged." Sophie held a cloth to her scars and said," I've already called her. She wants you to be tortured." Zoe said," Well, quit stalling and get on with it!" Sophie then grabbed a knife and cut Ashlyn's arm. When she tried to cut again, Ashlyn kicked her hand, pushed her back, and used the knife to free herself. Sophie pushed the alarm. Two guards walked in. Ashlyn snapped one's neck and shot the other. Ashlyn placed Sophie in the chains before freeing Zoe and running out. They gunned down 6 guards on the way to Jersey. She was hung over a grinder. They freed her and went to find Starblaze. Sophie escaped and grabbed a rifle. They checked 4 different rooms. When they found the room labeled Priority, they broke the door down. Starblaze was tied up inside a glass box. Sophie fired a burst at them. Ashlyn went behind a box and aimed. Zoe threw a grenade at the wolf. She tripped and fell down. Ashlyn took the chance and wrapped a chain around her leg which was hooked to a bike. Zoe kicked the bike which started up. It sped off, dragging Sophie by the leg into a pile of crates. They broke Starblaze out and escaped the base. The base started to collapse and they reached a chopper just in time to see the cliffside base sink into the harbor. Jersey took over flying as Zoe and Ashlyn kissed.

The End

It's 1729 in the Caribbean. The Endeavour has escaped the carnage the befell its ally. Beckett sighs in relief to his serpent bodyguard, Seamus. Suddenly a ship with black sails pulls up. Beckett says," Oh, it survived. Hopefully, Jones will deal with this." Then a ship surfaces from beneath the waves. Seamus says," Did the Dutchman survive?" Before Beckett could respond, both ships open fire on the Endeavour. The sailors on board are blow up. Seamus escorts Beckett down the steps before being shot by a cannonball. Beckett takes in the horror of his men being killed before he himself is blown off the ship. As he falls into the water, He sees Seamus's dead body floating. Then he dies from his wounds.

Present Day:

Beckett wakes up, surprised as he thought he died. Seamus is curled up in a chair. He looks over to see a winged werewolf kneeling over his bed. Beckett grabs a pistol and aims it. The wolf says," Before we start the bloodshed, let us explain this situation." Beckett asks," Us?" Another wolf with a metal arm comes out along with a snake creature. Seamus wakes up and reaches for his flintlocks. The wolf throws a bag on the ground and says," I'm Tsunami, the others are my Sister, Selina, and Cobrani." Beckett asks," Who are you and how are we alive?" Tsunami replies," My good sir, you are alive because we found you and your friend in Hell. Being the good people we are, we decided to use our abilities to bring both of you back. Also, it's not the 1700s anymore. You have been dead for almost 300 years. 291 years to be exact." Beckett asks," Why would some beast want me alive?" Tsunami replies," Because, Lord Beckett, we require the services of the East India Trading Company, which I know you are in charge of." Seamus says," Our services won't work if what you say is true." Tsunami chuckles and replies," Don't be so sure. We employ any and all who are willing, regardless of what era they come from. You two happen to be high on our list and lead a campaign against a certain pirate." Seamus looked at Beckett who then replied," If you saying that Jack Sparrow survived, I would be tempted to join your forces. What will you offer in return besides Sparrow's head?" Tsunami replies," How about the entire Caribbean itself along with East India. We need lords to control our land and most of my men would hate the thought of being away from war. That's why we look to the past to bring back those worthy of their former empires. If you'd like to continue this conversation, please get dressed and meet us in the main chamber in 10 minutes." The trio left as Beckett looked around. Seamus still had the Union Jack tattooed on his skull along with his single eye. Beckett got dressed and walked out. The pair were confused by the strange-looking guards and vehicles outside. They walked into a large room with couches and tables strewn about. Tsunami drank a bottle of wine and said," This may come as a shock to you, but England is not what it was in your day. They stopped colonizing and shipping and now focus on internal affairs." Beckett sat down and asked," What is it you want me and my friend here to do?" Tsunami said," We ask that you take control of our new British force and defend our interests against thieves. You may also want to explore our tech. Our bases have been known to be raided by a pair of females." Beckett said," I wouldn't have guessed your main threat were women. In my time, they didn't serve as soldiers." Tsunami said," They aren't soldiers exactly. We really don't know what to call them. They also have powerful friends such as the King of Hell and his daughter along with many other demons and monsters." Seamus asked," Why would the Devil be fighting on Earth?" Tsunami chuckled and said," We might have been responsible for overthrowing the monarchy in Hell with our demon agent, Crowley." He replied," So demons are working for the good side?" Tsunami replies," Well, there are many viewpoints to this conflict. To them, we are terrorists, trying to kill all in our way. To us, they are rebels who fight against the government that needs to exist. You don't have to see yourselves as villains. We aren't pirates." Beckett replies," Tell me, what have you done about my former partner? I'd assume he was here." Tsunami says," If you're talking about Davy Jones, we can't find his soul. For now, I can provide you with some of my best sea-based troops." She snapped her fingers. The door flew open and in walked a skeleton wearing black robes and cape. Tsunami said," This is Captain Odessy of England. He is undead as are his monster crew. They have been dealing with our naval battles ever since the war started." Beckett asked," What war would that be?" Tsunami replies," Well, this would be world war 3, the first 2 took place in the 1900s. We kinda brought back an entire alliance full of soldiers." They walked outside to see an enormous army. Beckett said," Where did you get all these men and women? No one has this many people." Tsunami replies," We do dabble in alternate realms and such. Right now we stand at 1.2 billion strong. Would you like to join our group, Lord Beckett?" Beckett said," In fact, I would. After all, It's just good business."

The End

It's 2021 in France. A black car pulls up to an old church. Out steps a werewolf with grey fur and a burnt face. She walks inside and down a flight of stairs. A man in military gear stands outside a locked door. The wolf says," Don't make this difficult Keiran. The last time didn't end well." He groans and unlocks the door. Inside is a large table. Sat around it are various criminal leaders and warlords. The wolf sits down close to the head. Tsunami says," Ladies and Gentlemen, we have started our expansion into more unique endeavors of crime. First I want to hear the progress all of you made in the last year." Aspheera says," Plot to sink American ships carrying arms, $50,000." Cobrani said," Plot to distribute Japanese drugs in Central Asia, $1 million." A woman said," Smuggling diamonds from South Africa, $1.5 million." Tsunami said," Number 7, why is that amount not the original goal?" She replied," The price has gone done since last time. That's all we could make. Number 8 and I tried our hardest to raise prices." Tsunami said," I am aware one of you is guilty of embezzlement and have decided on the right course of action." She pressed a button and in stepped a Green armored Elite. Tsunami nodded at the Elite who then nodded back. Within seconds, Number 8 was impaled in the chest with an energy sword. Tsunami then said," Number 3, Sophie, has arranged our next plot. Please present the plan." Sophie stood up and said," Our goal is to steal 3 atomic weapons from the British, American, and Russian armies, one from each. With these, we will demand a ransom of 700 million dollars or they risk nuclear destruction. Also, many of our operatives have been captured by UN agents. This plan also will allow us to get them back. Nyx, Eclipse, Vanny, and more will be freed if they want to avoid war. In fact, we already have the weapons in hand, stationed on my yacht in the Caribbean." Tsunami said," My dear, I've set up Cobrani and Keiran to go with you as security. I'm aware you have your own, but this is a way for me to make sure you are safe." Sophie nodded and walked out along with Cobrani.

London:

James Bond walks into M's office. He says," I heard the call, ma'am. What's going on?" M replies," It appears the Collective have stolen three nuclear weapons and intend to use them against the world. We are supposed to pay them 700 million dollars and give them back their members in prison." Bond replies," Isn't this like that time SPECTRE did the same thing? No doubt they've gone to Nassau." M replies," It appears they've set up in Jamaica. All other 00's are out and your the best we have. Your mission is to find the weapons before whoever they've sent uses them. As normal, Q branch will supply you with the right tools. Oh, and try to stay focused this time Bond." Bond replies," When have I ever got distracted?" Bond leaves and departs for Jamaica. When he lands, he finds Q with a new car. Q said," Today, 007, we have the Aston Martin Virage. This model contains bulletproof glass, Headlight machine guns, radar, and your favorite, ejector seat." Bond said," That seems very nice, could do well in stopping for a rest." Q said," 007, this car is government property and very expensive. Because of your antics, our budget can't get the latest Aston models. We've had to use older models for our equipment. If you don't bring it back, I'll have some harsh words for you." Bond said," I doubt they would be that harsh." He got in the car and drove off. That night, he entered the casino. He noticed a werewolf sitting next to a serpent creature and skinwalker. He walked up and joined the game. Sophie looked at the skinwalker and whispered," Adrielle, make sure he doesn't know anything." Adrielle nodded. Bond said," What's the limit?" Sophie said," 5,000, Mister?" He replied," James Bond." Sophie chuckled and said," Well Mr. Bond, how much are you willing to bet?" He replied," I've got some incredible luck from time to time." A one-eyed demon walked up and looked at the game. She sat down and said," I want in." Sophie said," By all means, join in." Ten minutes in and Bond was winning. He said," Madame, I suggest taking your earnings and leaving before you lose more money." Sophie groaned and said," Fine if you insist. C'mon you 2, we have business to attend to." Adrielle and Cobrani got up and left with Sophie. The demon then won the game. Bond smiled and then left to follow Sophie. They disappeared around the bar. Then the demon walked up and said," You played well. I haven't seen such good playing since the 80s. Who would you be?" He replied," Bond, James Bond. You are?" She replied," Cherri Bomb." Bond said," I've heard about you from a close friend. Do you know a Charlie Magne?" Cherri replied," I do, we are friends and occasional partners. Shame that Angel couldn't make it." Bond replies," Angel Dust?" Cherri says," Yeah, he loves card games, but for some reason, he's in Miami doing some porn shit." Bond says," Can I buy you a drink." Cherri replies," No, I'd rather not right now. I've got places to be and things to do." She then got up and walked away. Bond walked outside and saw Sophie drinking a glass of wine. She said," Well, Mr. Bond, it seems neither of us can compete with demons. To prove I'm not a bad loser, how about you come to have a bite with me on my yacht." Bond replies," As tempting as that is, I have work to do." As he walked away, She said to Adrielle," Send a message to Keiran, tell him that Bond is to be killed." Adrielle said," My love, won't that reveal us?" Sophie said," If he's as good as Tsunami says he is, then we can remove him with little trouble." Cobrani said," I don't wanna be a dick, but does Tsunami know you and Adrielle are a thing?" Sophie said," She set me up with Adrielle you slithering idiot. Besides, Me and Tsunami aren't into sex. Now send word to the others. Our plan needs to be set up." The villains boarded the yacht. Sophie and Adrielle went to Sophie's cabin to make love. Cobrani groaned and went below deck. Keiran and Jill were preparing the bombs. Jill said," I assume the boss is busy?" Cobrani said," She might be more into sex than Bond. Send word to Sywn, tell her to prepare her squad. We might need soldiers." Keiran said," I'm sure that's not the only thing Sophie said." Cobrani said," She wants you to kill Bond. She thinks your the best." Keiran replies," While I'm the best, I'm not suited for this task. Bond won't be fooled by me. We need a more feminine approach."

Operation Hellfire:

Bond arrives at his hotel. He calls M and says," We definitely have some shady people down here." M replies," Any word on the bombs?" Bond says," No, as far as can tell, She's bluffing." M replies," Get back into the mix and find out more. We've got word from Tsunami that she intends to use them by the end of the week. You have 4 days to stop her agents." Bond hangs up and sighs. Back at the yacht, a helicopter lands. Sophie leans up and gets dressed. She and Adrielle walk out. Two figures step out of the chopper. It's Vanny and Nyx. Sophie said," Did they agree already?" Nyx replies," They said that their still working on it. Tsunami offered them a cutback of 50 million. Also, she's aware you and Adrielle are a thing." Sophie looks at Adrielle before turning back and saying," What else did she say?" Vanny says," She wants us to deal with Bond. Sadly we can't. But, Tsunami is looking into the assassin league for options." Adrielle says," What about Angela? She's human and attractive." Sophie says," If you want to request that, go ahead. I'm going to bed before I get a hangover." Adrielle calls Tsunami and says," The idiots you sent to deal Bond won't work. We need Angela." The next morning, Bond heads out and sees a woman with green hair and a tail. Bond walks up and says," Aren't you a beauty. What's your name miss?" She replies," Angela. I heard from my boss that you are quite the card player, Mr. Bond." They make love back in Bond's room. As Bond gets dressed and knock can be heard. He opens it and sees Sywn, Nyx, and two other goons. He slams the door and goes for his gun. Angela aims it at him and says," Sorry James. I have a job to do. Be a good sport and let them in. Bond replies," As you wish my lady." Bond opens the door and the villains walk in. They escort him down to the car and drive off. A goon holds him at gunpoint while Bond drives his Virage. Bond ejects the goon and speeds off. Nyx leans out and shoots out Bond's tires. Bond crashes and sets the car to explode. As they drive up, the Virage explodes, killing the other goon and crashing the car. As they get out, Angela and Nyx run after Bond. Sywn stays behind. Bond enters a club. Angela and Nyx walk in. Nyx goes behind a curtain while Angela goes up to Bond. She says," That wasn't very kind of you Mr. Bond. How about we have a dance." As they dance, Nyx aims her pistol at Bond. Bond sees the gun. Nyx fires a shot. Bond spins Angela around and she is shot in the back and dies. Nyx runs off. Bond sets Angela down and says," Don't mind her, she's just dead." He then walks off. Nyx calls Sophie and says," Uh, Angela is dead." Sophie shouts," HOW THE FUCK DID THAT HAPPEN?" Nyx replies," Bond is Bond, He can kill anyone." Sophie says," You and Swyn need to get back here. I'm sending Keiran to kill him." The next day, Bond meets Cherri at the beach. They lounge in the sun, Keiran pulls up and hides behind a bush. Cherri says," There's someone behind that bush." Bond turns and grabs a harpoon. He fires it at Keiran. It impales him to a palm tree. Bond gets up and says," I think he got the point. I'll meet you at 7 tonight." They split up. Bond goes to meet with Cherri. When he gets there, a note is all that remains. It reads If you want the girl, give up your search and surrender to Sywn. Bond turns around and sees Sywn standing there with a pistol. She says," Time to go." They get on a boat and head to Sophie's yacht. On the way, Bond rams the controls and leaps off the boat. The boat crashes into the yacht, killing the driver and injuring Sywn. Bond climbs on board the yacht. Sophie and Adrielle step out holding guns and search the yacht along with Jill and Cobrani. Bond strangles a guard before taking his weapon. Another guard is shot by Bond. Jill leaps on Bond. He throws her on a small boat. Adrielle grabs a knife and swings at Bond. He shoots her in the leg and throws her into the boat. He then shoots the engine, causing it to explode. Cobrani shoots at Bond, but is hit in the head with an air tank. Bond goes below deck to find Cherri. He finds her tied to a pipe. Sophie aims at him and says," Times up Bond. You and the demon will die. Even if the plan doesn't work, I'll still blow up Miami or someplace." Bond says," Yes, if only your mind was more open." Sophie cocked the pistol and chuckles. Cherri kicks a panel, sending sparks at Sophie. Bond lunges at her and falls into the water. Bond climbs back up and frees Cherri. Sophie also climbs up and says," Why won't you just die?" Bond says," Force of habit my dear." Bond throws Sophie at a group of canisters. She trips on a chain and accidentally shoots one. The room starts on fire. Bond and Cherri race to the upper deck. They leap off after sending the ship to crash. Sophie climbs up in time to see the rocks hit the yacht. The flames and debris engulf her as the boat sinks. Bond says," Well, she went out a blaze of Hellfire." Cherri said," We're stranded." Bond replies," Not yet." A boat survived the flames. They climb on board and set their course. Bond then kisses Cherri as the flames roar on. She says," Aren't you a fun one." Bond replies," You have no idea." They make love.

The End

It's 2021 in Maine. A black van pulls up to an old factory. 3 men get out and drag a half beaten young man inside. They strap the young man to a chair. He says," The Lord won't tolerate this. The others will find you." The door opens. A metal clanking creeps closer to the boy. A voice with a British accent says," Well, What do we have here? An angel from above. Looks like daddy doesn't care about all his toys." Another voice says," Oh, Ravelious. Always looking for another kill. How about we try my method and then if he doesn't behave, you can play with him later." The demon was tall and slender with a bird head. A metal plate covered his left eye. His right leg has a metal peg leg. Ravelious said,"Oh piss off Crowley, I don't have time for your bullshit." Crowley said," While your right, Tsunami wants information from the angels, not their bloody and beaten corpses." Ravelious walks over to Crowley and says," I've been down there for 500 years. It's my time to play with the angels!" The angel laughs and says," It's funny how two high ranking demons can be reduced to squabbling children." Ravelious walks over and slices the angel's leg. He says," Don't compare me to a fucking child! I slaughtered dozens of your pathetic race!" The angel says," It's funny how you think with your knife instead of your brain." Ravelious grabs a probe and jams it into the Angel. The angel screams and Ravelious laughs. Ravelious then rips the probe out of the angel's skull. He says," This should be a complete scan of the fuckers brain. Can we kill him now?" Crowley nodded yes. Ravelious turned to the angel while chuckling like a madman. The angel stuggled to free himself. Ravelious picked up an ax and swung at the angel, slicing the angel's throat. Ravelious grabbed the angel and said," All good this must come to an end." He grabbed a demon knife and killed the angel by stabbing him in the eye. Ravelious licked the blood off of his fingers and grinned. Crowley said," You do end making quite the mess." They then heard gunshots and splats outside. They tried to leave, but something kept them. The door flew open, Elites and Jackals storming the building. Tsunami and Sophie walked in. Ravelious said," Well that was dramatic." Tsunami said," What the fuck are you two doing? I told you, morons, to stay low." Crowley said," Angels have taken an interest in our little adventures. This one was a scout looking for Ravelious, we had to silence him." Tsunami said," I can't allow you fuckers to continue murdering every angel that you find. Now, agree to go to Latin America and I'll break the demon seal." The demons looked up and saw a demon seal. Ravelious growled and said," Why should I bow down to a fucking hybrid whore!" He broke the seal and held Tsunami by the throat. Crowley sent her goons into the wall. Ravelious said," Listen here you little cunt! I don't work for demon, angel hybrids. Your little cult is my private business, funded by me and my associates. If you don't wanna use my ideas, then I'd be more than happy to show you Hell!" Sophie fires a shot into Ravelious's head. He turns and twists her arm. Crowley said," Ok bird boy, let the nice wolf lady go. She's learned her lesson." Ravelious lets Tsunami go and steps back. Tsunami says," Send a message to the high council. Ravelious and Crowley are new inquisitors for the Collective." Ravelious says," I want my own island and free reign to do any action I please." Tsunami says," What are you gonna do for us then?" Ravelious replies," I would slaughter an entire country just for my own pleasure." Tsunami said," Fine, I'll set up an island with Clive and you have to agree that when I call you. You get off your feather-covered ass and teleport your metal cock to the spot I need you." Ravelious agrees and the groups part ways before Ravelious uses demon magic to burn the factory down.

The End

Its 2021 in Kansas. A woman has been torn apart by an animal. Sam and Dean have come to find out what happened.

The Meeting of Enemies: Sam and Dean drive to an old farm in rural Kansas. They get out and enter the barn. A group of four figures stand in the darkness. One of them aims a rifle at Dean. Dean aims back and says," Drop it you midget! " Sam looks at one of them and says," Dean, they have a hellhound. " The hellhound growls and lunges at Sam. The figure says," Loona, let the crazy man go!" The hellhound steps back and Sam aims at it. The other figures aim rifles at the brothers. Dean says," What the frick are you?!" The figure replies," Well shit, we got caught. Stolas is gonna pound my ass. I'm Blitz. Your brother met Loona, my daughter and the other two are Millie and Moxxie." Dean asks," Why do you all look like cartoon demons?" Blitz replies," We are from Hell. We kill people in the living world for our clients who happen to be demons." Sam asks," If she's a hellhound, how can we see her?" Loona scoffs while Blitz says," I don't know. We just needed some action after Hell got new management." Dean asks," And who would be in charge?" Loona says," Ever since Crowley showed up, demons have been round up and slaughtered. He teamed up with Lucifer's old scribe and took over." Then the door blew open. Crowley walked in and said," Hello boys. It seems you've found some rogue subjects of mine. If you leave them to me, I'll leave you alone." Then an angel appeared. Castiel said," Enough, Crowley. You have better things to do." He then blasts Crowley and then leaves. The group looks at each other in confusion before leaving.

It's November 2021 in Michigan. In a small forest, a white limo pulls up. Two tall figures get out and carry a book into a clearing. The female says," Are you sure they can be trusted, dear?" I'd think that they'd want to join Crowley." Lucifer replies," Don't worry, I know them well. If they like anything more than screwing each other, it's a good brawl." Lucifer's phone rings and he picks up. It's Ashlyn and she says," Have you got your demon friends here yet? I thought Crowley already started recruiting the old hierarchy." Lucifer replies," If you want results, give me a chance to do my work. Also, you get to watch." He sets his phone on a rock and then paints a marking on the ground. Lucifer chanted in Latin while Lilith stands back. A circle of fire appears. The smoke forms the shape of two slender figures. Lucifer looks in disgust as two of his old duke's engage in sex. He screams," Valefar! Vapula! Get your shit together for once!" The pair fall over and quickly stands up. Lilith laughs while Ashlyn asks," Is this your idea of help?" Lucifer replies," Well, they are loyal despite being a bit horny." Ashlyn asks," Which one is which?" Lucifer says," Valefar is the four-armed freak here. Vapula has the bird wings and is one of the few females I remember." Valefar asks," What gives boss? Me and Vapula were setting a new record, 5 straight hours." Lucifer replies," If you bothered to check your email instead of having sex, you'd see that Crowley wants to rule over Hell. I need you two to find out who is on our side. I already heard that Furcas is with Crowley." Valefar replies," We got Alloces and Caim on the list and somehow, Death and War signed up." Lucifer replies," Then that means you lost some. Who did we lose?" Vapula replies," We lost Barbatos and Valac. No word on anyone else." Lucifer sighs and says," Tell Caim to keep looking for more members. Crowley no doubt is hunting the other princes and dukes." Vapula says," Furfur joined Crowley as his top spy in exchange for our sides legions. We can't lose more Imps and Demons to Crowley, He already has the support of a few angels including Michael." Lucifer hugs the pair and says," Don't worry. We can still fight against Crowley and his armies. In the meantime, I have friends who can get you two a place to live." Ashlyn says," As long as they don't live here, I'd be happy too." Lucifer ended the call with Ashlyn and the four demons left the forest.

The End

"I was a good kid until I met him," said Jack," He ruined my life while making it better. Who is he? Venerio Gianni, the Bloodbourne. Born in 1907 to a pair of Italians. His dad met his mom and traveled to America in late 1905. By the time Venerio was 30, he had already killed 7 people, most of them were coppers or other gangsters working the Irish. I met him in 1931 at the theater. It was playing Dracula and we both enjoyed it. Then he got in my cab and paid me to take him home. That's when my life went to shit. 2 minutes into the ride, I hear gunfire. Then the guy pulls out a pistol and shoots the driver of a black car. I swear it was like he didn't care."

1939: Venerio waited for Jack to arrive in his office. He smoked a cigar. Jack thought to himself," I barely realized how much Gianni didn't look like a gangster. 5 foot 8 with black stubble. A fur collar and gator-skin gloves. He wore a mid-priced suit even though he made it work. That fedora made him look like a cowboy. His green eyes made you fear for your life every second they looked at you." Jack walked inside and wiped his forehead. Venerio said," How was the deal, Jack? Did you get the money I asked for?" Jack replied," No sir, the Irish held their ground." Venerio drew his pistol and shot Jack in the chest while saying," My boy, you can't fail the Bloodbourne. It doesn't work for my reputation." Jack looked in fear at Venerio. He then died.

Family Ties: Venerio spent 5 months smuggling alcohol with his top men. As he drank at a club in late 1938, he noticed a winged werewolf. She walked up to him after the show. She said," You haven't been here before have you?" Venerio replies," Nope, who would you be?" She replied," Linota." Venerio and Linota hooked up after that and made love several times. In early 1939, after a date seeing the film Gone With The Wind, they entered Venerio's apartment while kissing. A trio of gunmen burst the door open. Venerio was knocked out. The men held Linota against the wall and stapled her wings to the wall. Their final act of violence was cutting Linota's right ear clean off. She whimpered in pain as Venerio woke up. He snapped one of the goon's neck before grabbing the man's gun and shooting the other 2, killing one. He helped her off the wall. She cried and looked at the last gunman, the one who had cut her ear off. She grabbed Venerio's pistol and fired 5 rounds into the man's head. Venerio bandaged up her wings while she said," I haven't killed someone in 17 years." Venerio asked," How old are you?!" She replied," I'm 139, but I feel like I'm 20." The last time they saw each other was January 1942. Venerio kissed her goodbye as he went off to fight in Europe.

Old Lovers in Present Day: It's 2021 in New York. Linota walks down the street flanked by 2 of her guards. She saw an old bar and stopped when she saw a man in a fedora laying down a pack of roses. She walked up and found out who it was. She went back to the hotel. Tsunami and her sisters were bored out of their minds. Tsunami heard laughter as the door opened. Tsunami looked up and saw her mother standing next to a tall man with a fur collar and fedora. She said," You can't be serious. He's still alive!!" Venerio said," So these are your children. I see they've gained your look's my dear." Linota says," After I and their father broke up, I went on a world trip." Selina said," Why is Dad never around?" Linota replies," Your father is an old-fashioned moron who could fire a rifle if he tried, I keep him around and we're still friends, but I swear if he screws up again. I'm going to put him down like the last 7 dogs I've owned!" Venerio said," You haven't changed. I'm shocked they don't remember me. I watched them quite a bit when they were still pups." Tsunami said," Don't think so fast, old man. I may have started a fricking network of crime, but I wouldn't forget the one who gave me my pistols. I still use them." Venerio and Tsunami hugged while Selina and Eclipse looked at them. Venerio said," I've got some presents for my favorite nieces. I may have lived through the 20th century, but I didn't enter this hell hole without some backup plans. Dalia, bring in the files." A bird-headed female punk walked in holding a folder. She gave Tsunami the folder before lighting a cigarette. Venerio said," I got you each $50,000 for whatever your heart desires, but don't spend it on your criminal organization, I've been helping with that for a while and you have more than you need right now. Spend it on fun things. Also, I've been working on a new project for 3 years. I got the rest of the Mafia to join up with you. They were quite shocked when I told them they'd be working for a young woman. They're what you'd call old-fashioned. Don't worry about those two females who trouble you. Me and my crew will pay them a visit soon. They won't forget the message."

The End

 It's Winter 2021 in Upstate New York. A black limo drives into a valley of trees. A fog covers the road as a colonial soldier appears in the middle of the road holding a lantern. The man says," Turn back, she doesn't want visitors today." A female voice yells," FRANCIS!! BEHAVE OR I'LL SEND YOUR PALE ASS BACK TO PURGATORY!!" Francis groans and says," I guess she wants you. Proceed." The ghost steps aside as the limo pulls up. Venerio says," Oh, we're expecting another car so don't be shocked when it shows up." Francis goes back into the fog as the limo pulls up. Venerio and Dalia get out followed by two other guards. Venerio says," Eusi, take Angie and go secure the place. The boss wants no surprises." Eusi, a tall humanoid scorpion, takes the human female and walks away. A red sports car pulls up with two werewolves inside. They get out and walk up to a cabin that is partially built into a hill. Tsunami says," I've already got a witch from Salem, what's this one gonna do?" Dalia messes around on her phone, ignoring everyone. Venerio says," I know her well. She was part of my gang back in the 1930s." Venerio knocks on the door. A bird-headed humanoid opens the door. She says," How many years has it been, boss?" Venerio replies," Almost 90, Luciana. I want you to meet my nieces." Luciana steps out and looks at Tsunami and Selina. She inspects them closely. Tsunami says," I assume she is always like this?" Venerio replies," She's a witch, it's her nature." The group walks inside. The insides are covered in Satanic symbols and animal bodies. Luciana says," How is Lucifer these days?" Venerio replies," This is gonna shock you, but Lucifer is kinda not ruling Hell." Luciana asks," WHO IS THEN?!" A black smoke appears in the room. Out steps two figures, Crowley and Ravelious. Crowley says," Hello love," Luciana replies," Oh, hey Crowley. You in with the big titties over there?" Crowley replies," That's not how I'd describe our relationship." Luciana says," I got your call last week, the same day two fucking FBI agents show up. I zapped with some magic and buried the bodies, but I can't stay out here anymore. I gotta find a new lair." Tsunami says," I can offer you and your ghost a job." Francis appears in the room. Tsunami says," I run a group that employs thousands of different roles. You are one of the roles we are lacking. Also is your ghost friend really from the 1700s?" Luciana says," No, he's actually my human dad who was also a witch. I kept the body for reasons." Francis asks," Why did you make me a Redcoat then?" Luciana replies," BECAUSE IT LOOKS MORE THREATENING!" Crowley snaps his fingers and teleports the entire group to a warehouse in Brooklyn. Venerio says," I left two of my men there. You gonna get them?" Ravelious snaps his fingers and sends Eusi and Angie flying into a pile of crates. Tsunami says," Now that everyone is here. We have a job to do. We need low-level workers in everyday jobs working for one of my men. Xeno asked personally for this. So what I want is a monopoly in this town. I want anyone who's willing to turn a blind eye to our shit on our payroll. This includes butchers, laundry, construction, and anything thing else you can use to hide a murder." Luciana says," You wanna sell dead bodies to people?" Selina snickers while Tsunami says," No, I want someone who owns a meat grinder so when I shoot a nosy cop, I can drop by and grind the fucker up without getting noticed. I guess you can call them, Special Favors. Now we need to get deeper into this world. Our plans for major attacks are on hold. I want people on the inside. You all get it?" Everyone nods. Tsunami then says," Alright, I'll set up a meeting for the others. From this day forward, we are a business."

It's Early December 1944 in Austria. The Germans make their usual rounds, but tonight, the commander seems nervous. Rudi and Erik wait outside in the snow covered street. Erik said, We shouldn't be here. You know what could be out there." Rudi shivers and replies, " I know. As soon as the men come out, we'll leave." A pair of Nazi soldiers come out. As Rudi looks over, the men scream and aim their weapons. As this goes on, Lemmings and his men sneak up. Rudi looks up and stumbles out of the jeep while drawing his pistol. On the roof of a house stood a figure. Erik looks up and shrieks in fear. Lemmings whispers," Not yet boys." The Germans fired 7 shots at the figure. Rudi shrieks in German," Kill that fucking thing!" Andrew and Gavin look out at the panicked Germans. A biker rides up and fires at the figure. The figure leaps down and reveals its form. Its 8 feet tall, draped in a torn cloak with bells attached to chains on its back. The head resembles a goat. The creature pulls out a spear and stabs the German biker in the neck. Rudi and Erik fire at the thing. The remainder of Rudi's squad poured out, totaling 20 men. Rudi said," What now? You think you can take all of us? You may have killed everyone in my village, but you won't stop my men." The thing replied in an American accent, " I grow tired of you goose stepping shits ruining everything." Three of the Germans fired at the beast. It rushed in and killed 7 Germans. Robert said," I don't know what that thing is, but I'm not letting it take my kill." The Allied soldiers rushed in as the beast made it through every German but Rudi and Erik. The two whimpered in fear. Robert asked," What the fuck are you?!" The beast replied," Krampus." Krampus turned back to the Germans and grabbed Erik by the throat and broke it. Krampus then grabbed Rudi by the ankle and tossed him in front of the Allies. Krampus said," I don't know what you've heard, but this is a one time deal. I got some bitch stealing my mojo already. They call him Yule Man. If you see him, take the fucker out. I'm going to get some beer." Rudi looked at Robert. Robert said," I've been waiting to kill you since August. " Robert drew his pistol and shot Rudi in the head, killing the Nazi werewolf. Krampus said," Well, it looks like I should go and find Yule Man. Merry Christmas." As Krampus walked off, Andrew said," I'd thought he be more mean and evil to be honest. " Robert said," We aren't putting that in the report." They looked down and Rudis corpse before Gavin said," For being wartime, this Christmas wasn't half bad." They nodded and returned home with the body of Rudi.

Chapter 1: The Book: It's 1941 in Egypt. Adolf Hitler has sent one of his top killers to find weapons. As 2 German soldiers watch the locals dig around, they see a chest in the sand. The older soldier calls over to the commander, a black werewolf flanked by a human and a winged female. Rudi said," Well done. Here is your reward." The two guards opened fire on the men and diggers. Rudi lit a cigar and walked over the bloody corpses. Erik grabbed a shovel and dug out the chest. Rudi said," If we've found it, we can gain any monster we want. Estelle, signal the tank." The girl nodded and walked off. Rudi and Erik dragged the chest up the hill and set it down by the jeep. Erik said," You've earned the right, sir." Rudi nodded and shot the lock. He opened the box and grinned. A black book with ancient writing all over the cover sat in the chest. Rudi picked it up and said," After 2 years, We've found the fucking thing! We will aid Hitler and rule the world as his army." A tank pulled up and the pair got in their jeep.

Chapter 2: Revival: Bang! Lemmings shot Rudi in the head. His body fell over and spilled blood into the snow. Erik sat dead mere feet away. The Allies dragged the two bodies away before lighting the rest on fire. Estelle arrived in a jeep the following day and sighed. She said," Get the maps, we gotta find him before this shit gets out of hand. Only he can stop those fucking freaks." An officer grabbed the book and handed it to her. She replied," Danke, Hans." Estelle opened the book and read a chant out in Latin. In a cloud of red smoke, Rudi and Erik appeared. They coughed and wheezed. Estelle said," That was easy." Rudi said," My God was that painful." Estelle said," It's good to see you sir, but we have problems with the troops." Erik groaned after seeing the book. Rudi said," What the fuck do you mean? We have the goddamn Necronomicon and your telling me we have issues?" Estelle said," Without your leadership, the spirits have gotten pissed. The banshee killed one of our men and 31 ghosts left the base." Rudi said," I'd thought a literal demon could deal with such shit! I guess that's not in your job description. Damn Succubus whore!" Estelle groaned and said," Can we go find your damn ghosts before Hitler sends the fucking SS after us?" Rudi and Erik got in before the jeep drove off.

It's 1917, the third year of the Great War. During the Summer on the Western front, a squadron of English planes patrols the skies around France. As the commander is losing interest, a squadron of German's appear behind them. The leader of the Germans breaks off from the others to pursue a lone English plane. The pilot realized who it was and said," Bloody Hell!!" The German flew a red triplane, it was the infamous Red Baron. The Baron shot down 2 of the planes while his wingmen tailed the commander. The Red Baron flew back towards the commander and shot him down. The next year, he was killed by French artillery.

2021: Tsunami and Selina read through the records of all German soldiers who died between 1914 and 1945. Selina said," I found one we need. Manfred von Richthofen, please let me bring him back. He's low key kinda hot." A day later, Selina began fangirling over the newest airman for the Collective. Manfred spent a week getting used to modern life while Tsunami ordered checks on Hitler. Eclipse facepalmed after watching her normally silent sister flirting with a man who had been dead for more than 100 years. Richthofen looked at Tsunami while mouthing," Help me!" That night, Manfred and Tsunami met up in the dining hall. Richthofen asked," Why is your sister following me around? Is she a fan?" Tsunami chuckled and replied," A little known fact is that she keeps a picture of you in a safe in her room. She's wanted to meet you since she was 5. Mom always tried to explain that you were dead, but little Selina always wanted to meet the Red Baron." Richthofen replies," That's kinda creepy, to be honest. I hope she realized that I didn't enjoy shooting down those men. I did it as a job, not because I enjoyed it." Tsunami replies," We tried to tell her that, but she insisted that the Red Baron was a superhero from Germany and her boyfriend. I swear she wanted to find your body when she was a teenager." Richthofen replies," Why didn't you leave me dead? What do you want me to do?" Tsunami replies," I want you to lead my men against the free world."

The following night, Richthofen snuck out and stole his plane from a lot. He said as he flew away," I won't serve another corrupt power. I need to fight evil, not serve evil." The day after he arrived in America, hundreds of people wanted to meet him. As the Baron walked through the streets of New York, a black car pulled up. Inside, Ashlyn said," Oh fuck. Honey, get the ropes, we got a rough one coming."

Ashlyn stared down the robotic jester. Robo Fizz twisted its neck and said," Time to die little girl!"

10 hours earlier: Ashlyn and Zoe had already dealt with the Red Baron when Stolas called. He said," I need a place for me and Via to stay awhile. The wife wants me dead." Ashlyn replies," Fine......" Stolas and Octavia arrived at Ashlyn's house in upstate New York. Stolas said," Blitzy is away at the moment. Then again it's not like he has a place to live." Octavia said," No one cares about your one-night stand with the Imp." They walked inside. Octavia unpacked her bags while Zoe asked," Where have you two been?" Octavia said," Dad took me to Loo Loo Land and now has to pay for the rebuilding because of his ignorance." Ashlyn said," Did she say Loo Loo Land?" Ashlyn remembered that month she spent in Hell, the horror of Him, the jester. Meanwhile in Hell, Crowley and Tsunami walk among the ruins of Loo Loo Land. Tsunami says," Your sure he's here?" Crowley replied," He hates Stolas more than you do. I know he will work for you. Come out Robo." After a pile of rubble shifted, a robotic demon jester emerged. Crowley said," Tsunami, meet Robo Fizz, the Jester." Tsunami looked at the thing confused. Robo Fizz twisted it's neck and said," Where's that bitch Blitz? I want to pound him." Tsunami replies," You're not going after him. You are going after Stolas and his edgelord daughter." Robo Fizz laughed in a distorted voice. Back on Earth, Octavia went through Ashlyn's fridge, grabbing a can of beer. Before she could drink it, Stolas grabbed it. She said," What the fuck, Dad?! I was going to drink that!" Stolas said," Your only 17, dear. Far too young to drink this beverage." Zoe replies," He's right, Via. I don't know demon biology, but I doubt you could handle the side effects." Ashlyn yelled from the other room," I DON'T CARE THAT YOU TWO ARE BIRDS! USE THE TOILET FOR SHITTING!!!" Via and Zoe looked at Stolas in disgust. He chuckled nervously. Via said," Why are you pooping on the floor?! We legit have a toilet back home!" Stolas replies," I sleepwalk, Via." That night, Octavia is awoken by a rustling outside. She goes out and is grabbed by an unseen figure. She yelps and alerts Zoe and Ashlyn. Ashlyn runs outside holding a shotgun and shoots two mercenaries. Zoe is knocked away by someone. Ashlyn sees two glowing eyes in the dark. As the sun rises, the figure is revealed. Ashlyn said," God Fucking Dammit. It's the horny jester." Robo Fizz says," If it isn't the wolf girl with anger issues. I thought you died. Then again, you were in Hell" Ashlyn grabs an ax and swings at Robo Fizz. He dodges and slaps her in the back. Ashlyn swings at his head, missing." Robo Fizz laughs while spinning his arms. Ashlyn is knocked into a trash can. She throws the ax into Robo's skull. He chuckles and rips it out. Ashlyn stared down the robotic jester. Robo Fizz twisted its neck and said," Time to die little girl!" Stolas finally woke up and ran out holding a piece of metal. Via was tied up in the back of a van. She kicked the guard in the chest. Ashlyn and Stolas tag teamed on Robo Fizz, swinging their weapons at the demon. Robo Fizz tried to run into Stolas, but couldn't. Stolas held Robo Fizz with one hand while saying," My dear, you deal with this nuisance. I need to find my daughter." Ashlyn dragged Robo Fizz towards the cliff. She said," This is for creeping me the fuck out!" She kicked him off the cliff and watched his body hit the water. Stolas found the van and looked at the driver, turning him to stone. The guard in the back got out when he heard a noise. Stolas used his power to crush him into a cube before throwing him aside. Via said," Get me out of these bloody things!" Stolas untied her and embraced. Zoe shot at a biker. As Stolas and Via walked up laughing, he threw a pipe at the biker, impaling his throat. Zoe looked at them while Ashlyn walked back over. Stolas said," Let's get some breakfast, Via has never had Earthly food." Octavia replies," Don't get me some shitty breakfast taco." Stolas laughed and said," Why would I get my daughter something so undignified?" Octavia replied," Because you left your wallet at the mansion?" Stolas's eyes widened as he checked his pockets. Ashlyn said," I know a good diner around here." They laughed and drove off.

The End

It's December 2021 in New Orleans. Inside a hotel room, a creature awakens. Alastor gets up and checks his answering machine. He presses the button and hears 2 calls from Rosie. He says," I forgot we meet up today." He puts on his suit and walks out the door. As he enters the lobby, the hotel security turns away in fear. Alastor says," Good morning my fellows." They don't reply. He exits the hotel and walks down the street. As he makes his way downtown, the other people look away in fear. Alastor then makes his way to a graveyard. He looks down at a grave bearing his name. Then a dog walks by and begins growling at him. Alastor looks around for any witnesses, seeing none. He then proceeds to snap the dog's neck before walking away. He walks up to a diner and nods at a nearby policeman who looks nervous. He enters and meets up with a slender female demon at the counter. He says," Long time no see, my dear Rosie." Rosie replies," It has been decades." The worker walks up, not worried by the demons, and asks," Will it be your usual sir?" Alastor replies," Yes indeed, but I forgot to bring some cash with me." The worker wipes his forehead and says," No worries sir. We'll accept a later payment in your case." Alastor replies," Splendid! Now, what is your special today?" The worker replies," We wouldn't recommend today's special, but we always keep some meat available in case you stop by." Alastor replies," Then that is what I shall order. What do you want, Rosie?" She replies," I've always wanted to try a pizza." The worker takes their order and sends it back to the kitchen. A man walks up and pulls a gun on Alastor, saying," Why should we have to pay for a meal and you get to come in here and do whatever." The worker says nervously," If you have something to work out, can you take it out back?" Alastor replies," Of course, I wouldn't want to upset the other customers." The two walked outback. Rosie sipped her coffee. In the back, the man said," You think because your some fucking special shit, you get to do whatever?" Alastor replies," There is a reason most people avoid me. You don't want to find out." The man aims his gun and says," Hand over your fucking wallet or I blow your brains out!" Alastor sighs and begins contorting himself. Within seconds, he has huge antlers and claws. The man stumbles back before firing. Alastor lunges at him, tearing him apart. Rosie chuckles as the screams fill the air. The worker comes in with her food and asks," Should I lay out his too?" She replies," Probably. You should also get me some wet towels. It's bound to be a mess back there." The man hands her a pile of wet towels. Rosie goes outside to see Alastor standing over what used to be a human. She says," You might want to clean up. Your suit has blood on it." Alastor takes a towel and cleans himself. They walk back in while everyone is in fear. The worker says," How bad is it this time?" Alastor replies," It's quite bad, but I'll compensate you. Expect an extra $50 in my check." The worker says," Enjoy your day, sir." The two walk out and head off.

The End

[day0one]

A Clown Coup That Deserves Serious Punishment

Though pathetic and doomed to failure, Trump’s attempt to overturn the election still merits impeachment, censure—and criminal investigation.

Donald Trump spent more than an hour on Saturday deploying a mixture of wheedling and threats in a phone call to get officials in Georgia to change the results of the election in that state, where he had lost to Joe Biden. The Washington Post released an audio of the conversation, which included fellow Republican Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s secretary of state.

“All I want to do is this,” Trump told Raffensperger. “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state.” Trump went on to tell the Georgian officials who were on the call with Raffensperger, “So what are we going to do here, folks? I only need 11,000 votes. Fellas, I need 11,000 votes. Give me a break.”

The entire phone call provides further evidence of the degradation and lawlessness of Trump’s final days in office. Trump is acting as the strongman that his political opponents have long feared (and some of his political supporters have hoped for). But he’s doing so in a way that offers no real chance of success, so his performance is pathetic as well as criminal.

Listening to the whole phone call, what is most striking is that Trump has totally immersed himself in arcane conspiracy theories about election fraud, complete with tall tales about votes cast by dead people, rigged machines, and elaborate ballot stuffing. Early on in the call, Trump refers to “suitcases” or “trunks” stuffed with votes. Raffensperger calmly but authoritatively shoots down these fantasies.

Trump’s clear refusal to accept defeat is alarming even some Republicans. On Sunday, The Washington Post published an opinion piece from all 10 living former secretaries of defense—including two who served under Trump—urging that the election result be accepted and rejecting any role for the military in the transfer of power. “Efforts to involve the U.S. armed forces in resolving election disputes would take us into dangerous, unlawful and unconstitutional territory,” they argue. “Civilian and military officials who direct or carry out such measures would be accountable, including potentially facing criminal penalties, for the grave consequences of their actions on our republic.”

As the Post notes, “The article was published as some Republicans plan to take the controversial step of contesting the electoral college vote certification on Wednesday, even after the president’s repeated attempts to challenge election results in court have failed. It also comes as concerns persist that Trump might seek to use the military to keep himself in office, despite his electoral loss.” The letter was organized by two Republicans, Eric Edelman, a former defense official, and Dick Cheney, the former vice president.

It’s notable that to date, Republicans, even some as far on the right as Cheney, have taken the lead in voicing opposition to the coup attempt. The debate about Trump’s coup has been largely an inter-Republican affair, dividing the GOP as 140 members of Congress and at least 12 senators have said they will contest the election results. Conversely, a smattering of Republican leaders, notably Mitt Romney and Pat Toomey in the Senate, have been the most vocal figures decrying Trump’s refusal to accept defeat.

The incoming Biden administration has generally remained muted in response to Trump’s provocations, seemingly working on the theory that Trump’s coup is doomed to be thwarted by institutional checks, so voicing opposition would only turn these restraints into a partisan matter.

But Trump’s Georgia phone call was so brazen that it elicited an unusually blunt statement from Vice President–elect Kamala Harris, who called it a “baldfaced, bold abuse of power by the president of the United States.”

Harris’s comments reflect the gravity of Trump’s offense. Speaking on CNN, Carl Bernstein suggested that the call was evidence of a crime worse than the story that made his name, Watergate. “I don’t think it’s déjà vu because this is far worse than what occurred in the Nixon presidency,” Bernstein suggested. “What we are listening to here is the president proposing a conspiracy to steal the election.”

In a similar vein, Democratic Representative Seth Moulton wrote, “This is a crime, plain and simple. If a small-town mayor did this, the FBI would make an arrest for corruption. The president should not be treated any differently.” Speaking to Bloomberg News, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, “I absolutely think it’s an impeachable offense and if it was up to me, there would be articles on the floor, quite quickly.”

Trump’s farcical coup attempt should be treated with neither alarm nor complacency. Rather, it calls for a resolute rejection, based on the principle that it’s wrong for public officials to attempt a crime even if they don’t stand a chance of pulling it off. As Cato Institute Senior Fellow Julian Sanchez observes, “If the worst consequence for trying to corruptly seize power after losing an election is that it doesn’t work, we’re essentially saying you should always try.” Radley Balko of The Washington Post suggested a range of punishments: “Impeach. Prosecute. At the very least, censure him. The president threatened a state election official with criminal charges unless he manufactured votes to throw an election. The only consequence for that cannot merely be that the state election official said ‘no.’”

The possibility of criminal investigation will have to wait till after Joe Biden is inaugurated. Eric Holder, attorney general under Barack Obama, suggested on Twitter that Trump might be in violation of laws on election fraud.

Sanchez and Ralko are right in noting that there has to be some punishment. Congressional Democrats might be gun-shy about another impeachment. But Trump’s actions certainly merit impeachment or at least censure. The political advantage of either impeachment or censure is that it would serve to divide the Republican Party and unite the Democrats.

There is a widening gap between Republicans who have hitched their future to Trump (such as Ted Cruz) and those who want to leave the Trump era behind (like Toomey). Increasing the tension between these two GOP factions is smart politics.

Trump is diminishing in political power with every passing day and there is no need to make unrealistic claims about his ability to overturn the election. Still, attempted crimes by a president require retribution. Even if he’s only an irritant, Trump deserves to be swatted down.

[inappropriatefangirlneeds]

Gotham s4ep11 “Queen Takes Knight” Personal Review

“Killing you would have been a kindness” Warning spoilers below

* Okay this episode was so good, it had me running a couple full circles especially on the matter of the FALCONE FAMILY FEUD. I lowkey spoilered myself about who it will / might be that dies and I was getting nostalgic, I did not want Carmine to die, he´s after all a good character. As soon as Carmine had summoned SOFIA FALCONE I went from naaah don´t kill off Carmine (don´t make this another he´s dying anyway thing) to Fucking Hell Sofia Fucking end this Asshole. * Carmine scolding Sofia for sleeping with Jim because of Mario was so insufferable to watch. Can we just retire that trope of fathers having any say in their daughter’s romances?! Also if the fandom can come up with the thought of her just and merely using Jim Mr. former mob boss should be able to construct that theory as well which would have saved us from an insufferable judgmental moment. * Sofia´s line nailed what crap appeared to be happening: “Another day, another man sending me out of Gotham.” “We're both just trying to keep you alive. Tell yourselves that. But what I know is that neither of you believed in me. It could've been so different.” Then she even kissed Jim Gordon before leaving which on the one hand was a very satisfying “FuckYouYouFuckingFuck” to her father but also felt so wrong and awful because it appeared that was the only thing left to do for her to show some agency both against her father controlling her and against Jim getting the upper hand. Ugly moment. But then, I don´t know how they did it, I did not straight up believe it was Sofia responsible for the shooting but I was suspicious. Could it have been her? It´s possible, just alone the way how she delayed the departure .. on the other hand the blooddrop from the rose thorn was not necessary maybe that was just a scene for dramatics not plot relevant .. but then again if she indeed is responsible for Pyg this would make a wonderful parallel: Her getting shot there and her hand getting stabbed at the table..  Great scene. Also now that we know: Take this old man! You raised someone as ruthless and nasty as yourself! Maybe even a tad bit more. 

* SOFIA & OSWALD I feel a bit confirmed about this: The moment when Oswald was talking about their parents and taunting her seemed to be pretty important to me. I really had a feeling of uhoh you fucked up when she reacted to it, I don´t know if I´m interpreting too much into this but I could imagine that Oswald wasn´t so much boasting as gauging her, and he learned something about her from her reaction, something that bothers her, something that might be used against her .. The way SOFIA FALCONE reacted that night told OSWALD COBBLEPOT that she wanted and was struggling for Carmine´s approval, the way she reacted told him that she did not have his approval, which made it a quite good call to contact Carmine behind her back. What a shame that it did not work out.  Also what an irony that Oswald “people that underestimate me die” Cobblepot is right here underestimating the ferocity and resolve of Sofia.   *“And if he would have shown one iota of appreciation for everything I have done for this family, for him, he would be alive.” APPRECIATION: Sofia Falcone never got it from her family while half the city bows before her just because of her name. Oswald Cobblepot got it from his parents while half the city laughs at him and calls him names. * SOFIA FALCONE & JIM GORDON “My father had his moment of truth. This is yours. How many cops died under the Pax Penguina? Not one. It was you who couldn't stomach it. It was you who came to the Falcones for help. There is a direct line from your decision to a dozen police officers who have been brutally murdered.” “You're insane. Why not just kill me?��� “Because, Jim, I need you at the head of the GCPD. I need Someone you can control.” “You've been planning this since the day we first met. This isn't about Gotham. This is revenge for me killing Mario.” ”You want to arrest me, arrest me. But I will talk.  And the cops that died, the friend that you betrayed, will all have been for nothing. The GCPD will crumble. Penguin, or someone worse, will take over, and you will lose Gotham forever. Or take on the sin as your own. Keep the GCPD, let them think you're a hero, but live knowing who you are, what you've done. That is my revenge.” Oh *sigh that crap logic again. I´m all for calling Jim out on his issues but this would have so much more impact if that blame did not come from someone actually being at fault. It´s not like Jim forced Sofia to do any of this. I mean if I buy a kitchen knife and someone takes it and murders someone then that’s as much a direct line but I really would not take the blame for that murder. Sofia makes her own decisions.   * HARVEY BULLOCK & JIM GORDON   Harvey would be much more suited than Sofia to call out Jim, although he´s again stepped into shady territory with suggesting Jim to utilize a war.    He is still enabling Jim´s recklessness. Despite having lost faith in their personal connection he is still there to back up Jim thinking he´s on top of things and can just do what he deems best. “Get him to do something you can really bust him for. And then yank his ass off the street once and for all.” “You're saying start a war.” “I'm saying get him to start one. You know he's gonna come for her. I don't give a tinker's damn about Sofia. The way I see it, everything that's happened, down to Don Falcone lying in that box, comes from you deciding months ago to go after Penguin. This is all on you. So finish what you started.” Both Jim and Sofia are saying the same thing in some way. Jim should face what he did and draw the consequences, just not exactly the responsible ones. Harvey says he already got his hands dirty now he should put them to good use to and get rid of everything. Sofia illustrates how Jim´s shortcomings have led to more blood on his hands then he bargained for and threatens that this can become even more, it´s there but he better not let it become more. The last scene with Harvey hurts even more in the context of the Pyg case:  “So everything turned out well. You didn't even need me.. They, uh they believe in you. Don't let 'em down.” HARVEY BULLOCK hands in badge and weapon thinking he is not needed anymore, probably still being eaten up by guilt that Pyg got him tricked to shoot at another officer. That´s a stark contrast to the episode trying to tell us that Jim Gordon is the one to blame for all the deaths cause by the Pyg. * JIM GORDON or how I stopped worrying and learned to love the LAW It´s a comedy, a travesty , it´s glorious. Harvey Bullock is the person to enable Jim to go on with some questionable things. Risk a war. Play gangster against gangster. Actively pit them against each other.  Jim verbally rejects being “used” by the mob  first “I can't allow her to turn the GCPD into her own private army. We've come too far.  This has to be by the book.”  but then goes on to act against the book again. Him preaching “The law is the law” at the GCDP is quite the moment. On a side note: Sofia Falcone seemingly coming up with a more lawful solution to Jim´s issue  (“So you're baiting him into committing a public atrocity.”) while actively withholding information of her own criminal involvement in the situation .. is this even irony anymore?  Despite the rousing speeches in the precinct, in the Jim Gordon department crime and crime fighting are more entangled than ever. * “Nobody has to die. We only want Cobblepot.” Jim Gordon coming for Oswald like Zsasz was coming for Jim Gordon that long ago day was beautiful though * Also on the risk of sounding like a broken record, what about that wealthy Gothamite that Oswald killed in front of witnesses. * “I like to call it Operation Save Bruce Wayne.” Everything is pain and all hurts. BRUCE WAYNE is running away from everything. Parties help him to not think about things. When running is not enough because ALFRED PENNYWORTH comes after him to dump those issues on him (again) he pushes him away, instead of going travelling into misery land with him. Alfred is fired. And while Alfred is absolutely right with this not being a solution at all Bruce has a few points when he states that he is not what Alfred thought he was, what his parents wanted him to be. This was a really whole lot that was expected from him and I can´t really blame Bruce that he wants to cast away that weight. “All you're offering me is pain.” “Well, there is no life without pain. There's no love, there's no joy.” “I don't know about that. I'm having a fair amount of joy.”  “You're bloody miserable is what you are, mate. I can see it.” “Alfred, I know you care about me. But I'm asking you to stop what you're doing. I'm not who you thought I was. I'm not who my parents might've wanted me to be, and I'm okay with that! But I'm not okay with it.” Oh shut up Alfred, I don´t wanna hear that either. Bruce.. pass the booze, will ya. * Edward is not in control. His mirror is talking back again.  * The Grundy moment was awesome:  “Ed angry at Ed?” “That is surprisingly perceptive.” * Are they going to mirror TABITHA GALAVAN and LESLIE THOMPKINS. Leslie told EDWARD NYGMA she is not  looking for a remedy because he is actually fine but she did not tell him so because she is afraid he will change back and she likes the current Edward. Edward regaining memory / mental capacity is nothing she wants and she is treating him with kindness. While Tabitha wants Butch Gilzean to get his memory back, she believes violence is the answer for this. This is remarkably uncreative but well. It seems it worked. (Ugh, I don´t even want Butch back) 

>>> So everything is about Parents, control, trust and identity?   Bruce Wayne breaks loose from Alfred Pennyworth. Sofia Falcone kills her father Carmine. While Sofia knows her identity, which is tied to her family name and embraces it Bruce Wayne rejects the identity that he inherited from his family.  Edward voices the theme of loss of control. Penguin as well as Carmine get taken away all their influence. Jim as well. Jim moreover gets a few moments to decide who he wants to be.  The Sirens bargain has paid off for now, Sofia kept her word..... >>> This episode is a medieval nightmare!  EDIT: Omg it even is in the title .. that´s not just about chess .. The church scene has everything the church scene with Kriemhild wearing Brunhilds belt has. Noble peoples interaction was so much about gazes and gestures and there is so much of this wordless communication in that scene.  They could have even toned the dialogue down and it would have had the same effect. Victor getting up once he is in the line of sight of Sofia Falcone tells everything everyone needs to know. We don´t need Oswald screaming after him when he walks past him instead of returning back to his side. This is a slap in his face in public. This is as a severe gesture as one can make. * Moreover medieval is how Victor kneeled for royalty. “End of the day, he's a Cobblepot. You're a Falcone.”  * Then all those highly symbolic details. Victor putting a bullet to rest with Carmine is such a strong visual and so was the rose scene. While Percival gets an epiphany from the blooddrop in the snow Sofia seems to be mystified. Her delaying the departure was her sticking to her plan the blood on her finger seems to be a diversion from this,  maybe it should have illustrated how she´s hurting herself with hurting her family. Could it say anything that it is her mothers roses that drew the blood?  * Some things felt a bit dream like as well, not as much as Jim´s first visit in the south or Leslie first leaving town but Zsasz turning on Oswald “What's to tell? You blew that kid sky high.” Was an almost nightmareish turn of events * Also just all this grave dialog: “Blood will run, Jim. Mark my words! Blood will run!”  “Killing you would have been a kindness. You've no idea what you've brought to your city. I imagine when you find out the truth, it will destroy you. That's a comfort”  ”The sun never shines here” * Jim take that trench coat and put it back to where you found it and keep it there. Or better burn it. Burn that thing. * Alfred .. that blue vest & those golden sleeve garters .. never take them off again honey. * Harper is awesome! * ”Yay Teamwork” Okay that was good. If only that weren´t just a gimmick slogan and they would have built a good story around the Sirens working together. * Yay for having Barbara at least somehow acknowledging that Carmine hasn’t been nice to her.  * “He will with me” Carmine telling Jim that Oswald loves respects him more was such a burn. I guess Penguin´s daddy kink is a tad bit more severe than his uniform kink ..    * “Well, every cop in Gotham is behind him. I'm guessing he has great leadership skills.” Zsasz showing his soft spot for Gordon again. Also his damn face while doing so!  * I liked VICTOR ZSASZ  better when he just mostly did what he has been told. So when´s he and Sofia gonna break up? The way he kneeled for her I can´t imagine him snatching food from a plate in front of her, but I want him to do stuff like that again.  Also I´m just gonna lean out of the window super far. I know it´s quite impossible the way they shot it but can Zsasz just be still with Oswald & Martin. That would be sweet. * Is Mr. Penn okay ? What did Tabitha do? “Jim, not now”   uh why does it work for him I keep saying that but issues don’t just walk away like that, Victor teach me how to do that!

[wildefiction]

L’Appel du Vide

WORD COUNT: 3,681

CHAPTER SUMMARY: When even the King of Hell decides to bring specialists in on a new case, it’s obvious things aren’t going well. Madeline, in her exploration of the crime scene comes face to face with someone from her past.

CHAPTER WARNINGS: Swearing, Destruction of Property, Crime Scene Photos, Creepy Crawlies and Gore

ONE

“Better late than never, Fergus.”

The name drew a snort from the girl that stood next to Gregory, her unease briefly lifted by the unexpectedly funny name. The humour wasn’t shared though and the man that had been addressed stood from the high backed executive chair to stride over, his frame much shorter than Gregory’s though it demanded the same amount of respect. The chill returned to snake down Madeline’s spine and she fought the urge to flinch when Crowley stopped just inches from her face.

“Crowley. King of Hell. You must be…” He sniffed as if he were a hound following the trail of its prey. “A witch. Not just any witch though.” A calloused finger pinched with his thumb plucked a raven’s feather from the mass of curls that grew from her scalp, a quiet chuckle leaving his throat and his shoulder brushing by the girl to circle around the pair.

“My name is Madeline. Not ‘witch’ and you’d do well to remember that. Fergus.” She chose to use the name Gregory had used as if to point out her derision at being cast aside as some suburban housewives wiccan. When Crowley plucked the feather from her hair though, she paused and narrowed a peridot gaze. She had no words for his subtle threat and as such, decided to remain quiet.

“Regardless, Gregory, as rude as you are, the boys will be here soon so if you’d like your friend’s secret to remain a secret I’d act with a… modicum of respect if such a thing is even possible for the likes of you.” The disdain that littered Crowley’s eloquent accent was palpable and all Madeline could do was clear her throat and square her posture. The Winchesters knew she was a witch but they weren’t aware that it was a natural magick and not something drawn from a deal with the devil himself. Hers was an ancient power and it was something she would sooner keep hidden and her sidelong glance at lithe male next to her was a begging plea that he respects that decision.

“Don’t worry, Maddy, your secret is safe with me. After all, who am I to help tweedle dee and his carrot munching giraffe anymore help than I need to? Those two bumbling idiots have died more times than I can keep track of, it’s clear they don’t need more help in finding things that go bump in the night.”

Silence drew itself over the room for several moments then before a loud and jarring thud rattled the large oak doors in their frame. Another thud followed by the splintering of expensive wood had one of the doors creaking and then falling forward to land on the ornate carpet almost dramatically. This, of course, drew Crowley’s attention from where it had returned to his glass of scotch, the expensive liquor set down on the edge of his desk with a sharp snap of irritation and his stout frame striding forward as the now destroyed door frame was greeted by a tall, sandy-haired male whose green eyes put both Crowley’s and Madeline’s to shame.

“What in the ever loving FUCK?! Really?! There’s a doorknob for a reason you… DOOR KNOB!” Crowley seemed to be lamenting over the expensive, ruined wood that lay on the floor, his eyes full of a seething hatred that was only met by the taller male’s own like a volatile chemical reaction ready to explode until a taller frame followed through the ruined door. “Really Dean?” This voice was gentle, tired sounding but intelligent. The calm that followed the storm and Madeline squinted at the pair before folding her arms over her chest, watching the hot-headed older of the pair stare down the self-proclaimed King of Hell as if it were just another Sunday evening.

Seeking to break the tension, she spoke out, leaving Gregory’s side to step over the splintered mess of wood and approach the two men that looked seconds away from either fucking or tearing each other’s faces off. Which of those two were not her concern but she didn’t want to be here for either of them. ���Dean and Sam Winchester. Fancy meeting you here.” Her voice carried through the room with a strength that a normal human would never command and when it worked to draw the brother’s attention, she offered them both an impish smirk.

“Madeline?” This from Sam, the tallest of the pair.

“The one and only. I followed Gregory here after I found him prancing in the woods complaining about ruining his fancy Gucci suit. I am however surprised that you two bother yourselves with the likes of demons and… angry Scotsman named Fergus.”

Crowley growled when he heard the name for the third time that evening. “Enough! My name is Crowley, YOU broke my door and YOU! Whoever YOU are, if you are not working with these buffoons then get the fuck out before I feed you to Macy!” Crowley’s voice cracked in his rage and Madeline was forced to take a step back as the energy in the room shifted to something more sinister than before. Crowley’s rage had awoken something that she couldn’t quite put a finger on but the growl from the invisible beast at the edge of the desk distracted her long enough that she didn’t bother to investigate.

“I have been chasing your lily white ass all over the country Crowley. I’ve tried summoning you, I’ve tried CALLING you and now I’ve found you so if you so much as bitch about your fucking door before you tell me why you’ve lead me on this wild goose chase, I will shove my fist so far up your ass you’ll feel my fingers against your molars.”

Dean’s voice was gruff as he spoke, stepping over the splintered mess of wood to shove a finger against Crowley’s chest, the hand attached to a muscular, scarred forearm that had seen it’s fair share of fights and trauma; one scar, however, stood out in a particularly wicked fashion and when Madeline saw it she found it almost impossible to look away.

As if sensing Crowley’s impending doom, Gregory finally moved from his pillar-like stance, slinking across the room like a liquid shadow to stand beside Sam, a pale hand extended in offering. “We meet again, Samantha.” Sam glowered at Gregory but the look of disdain was met with a canary-eating grin, complete with sharpened teeth. Having had his offer of friendship ignored, Gregory shrugged and shoved his hands back into the pockets of his well-tailored suit. “Look, this is amusing and all but Fergus here called me in to…. Consult on something you two dimwits are hunting. Unless you’re hunting him, I’d suggest we get started. My patience is wearing thin and I’m a hell of a lot harder to find than this scotch belching reject.” His words were smooth but cold, the statement quick and to the point and loud enough that it finally broke Dean’s hunter-focus on Crowley’s furrowed brow.

“Well if it isn’t the literal fucking bogey man. This is who you call in for a consultation Crowley? Really?” Dean sounded annoyed, though that was typical of the man these days.

“Look Dean-o, I want to be here about as much as you do, probably less, there’s far more appealing prospects literally anywhere else and look at it this way, the sooner you ask your questions, the faster I’m out of your hair and off doing my own thing. Fucking bitches and making money or… whatever it is you humans say.” He waved a hand dismissively before again, shoving it into his pocket. Perhaps the stance was a nervous tick or a well-learned habit.

“Can someone tell me what the fuck is going on? How we all seem to know the same people except for...Fergus or whatever his name is? I’ve never seen this man in my life but you all seem real fond of him and considering I’ve worked with you for how many years I’m a bit confused as to how he’s just becoming an issue.” Madeline interrupted the banter that had once again begun to grow heated with her own annoyed question, her voice drawing everyone’s attention as it licked through the room like arcing electricity. There was power even in her words and it commanded respect in even the smallest form.

“Crowley, Madeline. Madeline, Crowley. There, introductions made, I’ll ask you why you’re here later but for now, we’ve got bigger issues. Sammy.” Dean dismissed Madeline as if she were a day old donut that he’d forgotten about and it made her proverbial hackles raise. She had been about to retort when Sam spoke up, clearing his throat and pulling a thick, weathered folder from beneath his arm and moving to drop it on Crowley’s nearby desk.

“So, get this.” He flipped open the folder and out spilled crime scene photos of gruesome, ritualistic murders that even Gregory winced at. Bodies had been flayed, split open like ripe gourds and sewn back together into unreal visions of monsters. Sigils of an unknown language carved into their brows and their eyes rolled back to expose the milky white of their scleras as if they had died mid-orgasm. There were dozens of photos, all of them belonging to different bodies. There was no preference of gender or age it seemed and Gregory wrinkled his nose when after the photos, a talisman was dropped on top of them.

Made of dried muscle tissue and human leather, the bones on it belonged to a child, too small to belong to anything else while the hair and teeth were predatory. A wolf, perhaps, or a bear.

“What am I supposed to be getting Sam, nauseous?” Madeline spoke up, a hand moving to briefly cover her mouth as pine-green eyes flicked over the gruesome pictures. Sam merely shook his head and spread the photos out in a row as if assembling some grotesque puzzle, Gregory moving to lean over and study them more closely.

“These sigils aren’t demonic or angelic, so at least we’re not dealing with heaven or hell again.” He tried to lighten the mood as he spoke but it didn’t work, if anything, it increased the level of tension. “Okay, I guess that was a bad time for a joke. I need details, where these were found, how long ago, any EMF readings the usual. I need to know why I’m here and why Fergus over there can’t employ some bloodhound demon to hunt down your creepy crawly.”

“We’ve tried that, we’ve tried hunting them down, luring them out, tricking and trapping. They are untouchable, whatever they are. They know every trick that we know and then some.” Dean spoke before Sam could give Gregory the information he needed and Gregory sighed, his spindly fingers flexing over the desk. “Alright, so how many are dead so far?”

“Fourteen and counting.” Sam sounded morose, which was fitting given the circumstances.

“Fourteen, alright, details?” Gregory stood up and rifled through the newspaper clippings that had been included in the folder, ember-like eyes flicking left and right as he looked for anything that stood out. Nothing.

“There’s no age pattern, no gender pattern, no motive or reason. None of these people knew each other or were in any other way connected. The only thing that remains the same at each crime scene is how brutally they’ve been murdered. There was a video left at one of the houses but even I couldn’t get the data back.” Sam shrugged and hunched his broad shoulders. He was frustrated and tired. They needed a win, if for any reason to keep Dean from losing his mind more than he already had.

“Cause of death? Any idea? Was it torture? Looks like a few of them have missing hearts. A werewolf with a sick kink?” Gregory shrugged, he was lost without more to look at.

“Not a werewolf, not a ghoul or a wendigo. Whoever did this tortured these people for days, they killed them slowly and the hearts weren’t torn out, they were cut out, as if they were being harvested for some reason.” Dean spoke now, his voice less on edge though the hardness in his eyes never left. He was on the verge of something dangerous if he didn’t get an answer that suited him.

Madeline had been silent during the entire discourse, her eyes passing over the photos again and again as if reciting the grotesque poses the bodies were into memory. The physical pike wasn’t there but some of the bodies had been posed as if they had been impaled, others twisted and broken as if trampled by a herd of elk. The sigils carved into their skin wasn’t in a language any man or demon would know, they were archaic, written in the time of archdukes of hell and the first birth of the mortal age. She’d seen them only briefly as a child in tomes thicker than she was, the pages yellow and brittle and the ink a deep rust brown. The memories flashed through her mind and she furrowed her brow; turning to look at Dean.

“Your monster isn’t a monster. At least not how you or I imagine monsters. I’ve seen this language before when I was a child. I don’t remember where though, it’s fleeting and distant. The talisman though, perhaps I could take it with me to try and remember?” The only place she’d ever seen such gruesome magick was in ancient binding rituals where the humans were bound and tortured until they offered their souls to be freed. After which, they were murdered and their souls ripped from their bodies to serve as wraiths bound by an ancient power. Those souls were often put into different bodies, used to tear through enemies without feeling pain or fear in battle. They were unmatched in strength by all save for the few elite warriors of natural magick. Berserkers and their sorceress kin. It was all stories she’d grown up on, myths and bedtime tales of suspense and magick but everything laid before here was too real to be a story and before she mentioned anything, she had to make sure she wasn’t losing her mind.

“Wow, way to steal my thunder, Maddykins.” Gregory drawled, his voice snapping her from her thoughts and drawing a glare from the witch.

“Well, it’s not like you were going to do anything but shuffle around and crack jokes. I might not have answers but I have an idea and it’s better than anything you have shit out.” Gathering the photos back into the thick folder, she snapped it closed and tucked it away under her arm, the talisman gripped tight in her other hand. She hadn’t spoken to him in nearly a century and wondered if he’d even still answer her calling. She shook the thought from her mind and met her eyes first to Dean and then to Sam. “I will call you if I find anything out. Until then, sit tight and go back to the bunker. Leave this alone until I tell you otherwise.”

Sam and Dean both lifted their brows but when Dean looked to Sam as if to expect an answer, Sam merely shrugged. “It’s the best lead we’ve got Dean, we might as well see if it goes anywhere. We need all the help we can get.” He seemed to be the reasonable one, his arms folding over his broad chest after clapping his brother on the back.

“Fine, fuck it, whatever. Guess we’ll go sit on our hands while more innocent people get slaughtered like cattle.” Dean didn’t seem happy about the option, but even he had to admit that it was better than running in circles, chasing an impossible foe. “You find anything, you call us, Witch.” Dean snapped out the word as if it were poisonous, though Madeline was used to such derision from the older of the pair. Shaking her head when Sam offered her an apologetic glance, Madeline lifted a hand and waved them away. “We’ll be in touch boys. We always are. Now, Gregory, if you could be so kind as to get me out of here, I would appreciate it.”

~

Nearly two weeks later, Madeline had finally managed to muster the power it took to track down the owner of the amulet. They had been well cloaked and nearly impossible to find though when she managed to seek out the small, moss-covered cabin in the dead center of the Massachusetts woods, she had been disappointed to find the door ajar and the stench of sweet rot crawling from the yawning darkness. Flies buzzed around a pile of meat that had once been a body and maggots squirmed over their long uninterrupted feast. Claw marks larger than any bear native to the area had ripped the door off of its hinges but there was no sign of what had killed the owner of the amulet -- their body having been too far dissected to be of much use.

“Fucking perfect. Back at square one. Gaia that reeks.” She covered her nose and mouth with a hand and glanced around the dimly lit, single room cabin. Herbs of varying sorts hung from the rafters to dry and the walls were lined with shelves that were littered with bones, stones, and tomes of varying sizes and sorts. A typical witch hut if she’d ever seen one. Whoever had lived here wasn’t the murderer she was looking for but they would have been a big help in finding whoever was.

Running her fingers over the furrowed claw marks, Madeline closed her eyes and pushed what little energy she had left into the ruined wood, seeking out the memories of the small building. Closing her eyes, she swayed on her feet as she was taken through a dreamscape, her fingers twitching and days and nights blurred behind her eyes until they came to an abrupt stop. The memory was so visceral that she could smell the rain that fell beyond the open windows and hear the humming of insects nestled in the trees beyond.

Glancing around the memory, she took inventory of the hut in its prior state. The shelves were clean and cared for, the floor is swept and the hearth roaring warmly. Off to the side, just out of her field of view she could hear the humming of a female voice, followed by a quiet chant in a language she knew only due to her birthright. Another natural born witch, one just as old, if not older than herself. Unable to turn to look within this memory, she sighed in relief when the view of the female changed as she swayed into the center of the room. She had hair the colour of ivory and eyes to match. Both stood out against burnt cinnamon skin and Madeline was lost for words. She couldn’t be seen of course as this was just the home’s memory but the witch before her held no negative energy and she could only wonder if the amulet had been stolen after her death to mislead any who sought answers.

The memory was quick to warp and fade soon after, the energy growing dark as Madeline watched the afternoon turn to evening and felt the woman’s coming demise. The memory blurred then and she was forced out of it, stumbling away from the ruined door and tripping over the pile of rotting meat next to it. Landing on her ass with a quiet grunt of pain, Madeline glanced up to see what had jarred her badly enough to rip her from such a deep trance. Nothing was there that she could see and quickly she scrambled forward, undeterred by the gore that squelched between her fingers and soaked through the knees of her jeans. She was woozy from her interrupted magick and unable to find her feet. “Who’s there?!” She called out hopelessly as if whatever had come and gone would step out and introduce itself.

When nothing showed, she swore and slowly brought herself to her feet, her weight leaning on the broken door frame. In the mud at the entrance of the home was another talisman, her eyes squinting to adjust as she strained to bend down and pick it up. Bear claws and the fur of an elk, woven through with thistle and the branches of an elderberry bush strung together on sinew and deer hide.

This talisman was far more familiar, and it sent a pang of dread reverberating through her stomach. Pulling out her phone, Madeline sighed in relief when she found she had service if only enough to send a text to the brothers.

[Mads] Found the owner of the talisman. Was a setup. Nothing left but a rotting corpse and a ruined door. Think it might be old magic. Older than me. Something big and beyond hell or heaven. Find Gregory -- you’ll need his help.

Sam stared at his phone and re-read the message for the seventh time before he finally shook his head and handed the phone to Dean, who had been impatiently asking what was going on for the past several seconds. Suddenly, the idea of Lucifer breaking out of his cage and freeing Dean of Cain’s ‘gift’ was lower on their list of worries than it had been moments before. Demons and angels they could handle, but archaic magick and ancient creatures of unknown lore? That had even Dean feeling fear, and for once, it was a welcome replacement to the constant anger he felt due to the mark that had infested his arm like an incurable disease.

“Fucking perfect. Just another day in Paradise, eh Sammy?”

Dean’s voice cut through the thick silence as he tossed his brother the phone. “Where the hell are we supposed to find Gregory anyway?” It was going to be a long night, and he was going to need a lot of beer to make it through.

CHAPTER THREE

TAGS: @jamielea81 @wings-of-a-raven

[crossedbeams]

Transitory - Trinity Ch.10

Genre: Casefile | Fandom: The X-Files x The Fall x Sreetcar | Rating: Mature | Setting: Circa 2012. Canon compliant | Chapters: 3/6 of Part 2

Trinity Part I

Chapter 1 - Perfume || Chapter 2 - Impression || Chapter 3 - Connection Chapter 4 - Delusion || Chapter 5-  Confrontation || Chapter 6 - Post Mortem

Trinity Part I

Prologue - Purgatory || Chapter 1 - Animosity || Chapter 2 - History

This chapter is rated teen+ for a little sexual content. Also it’ angsty AF. sorry!

TRINITY: PART II CHAPTER III - TRANSITORY

Scully wakes up on hotel-crisp sheets after not nearly long enough. Her mind is racing but her body tells her it’s not morning yet. The clock is showing 11:15pm and she’s only been asleep for around four hours, the remains of a room-service salad drying out on the desk. Stella Gibson, with her brusquely dismissive, “You’ve been up at least 36 hours. Check yourself in, the Bureau will cover the bill, and we’ll discuss what happens next in the morning,” is staying two floors up.

The end of the afternoon had passed in a hurry of meetings and memorandums, an updated file  arriving from the morgue complete with forms declaring that Scully’s late night examination had been totally by-the-book defusing Stanning’s fury from apoplectic to merely seething. He was biding his time, Scully could tell; smarting because Blanche Dubois had refused to speak to him when she’d finished with the sketch artist, affronted when Stella had gone straight to AD Gilmore to request approval to involve the Miami field office in their hunt for Jane Doe, his macho bravado growing louder with every small step the women of the taskforce took forward without his input. And it wasn’t that they sought to exclude him, Scully had realised as the day wore on, it was quite simply that he wasn’t willing to listen or participate until it suited his purpose.

When the police artist had come into the situation room with an e-fit sketch from Blanche’s description, Stanning had stood right next to them as Stella listed the databases she wanted it run against, he was well within earshot of Scully’s suggestion that they also check it against hospital staff records in the cities of interest. Short of profound deafness, there was no way he could have missed Scully’s subsequent explanation that most intravenous drugs capable of killing with the required speed and subtlety are controlled substances. and that access to such drugs makes it possible their perp is a medical professional of some sort. Scully could even have sworn that Agent Stanning had nodded his approval to extend their search parameters, but by the time they reached the last meeting of the day, Scully’s reiteration of those same suggestions to the gathered taskforce had been met with a unsubtle, definitely not under-the-breath, “Would be great if your little consultant would run this stuff past me before sharing with the room,” to Gibson, standing stonily at his side.

Scully suspects that Stanning’s hostility towards her has a lot more to do with Stella Gibson than Scully herself, but she hasn’t had a chance to ask what might be at the root of it. Things between her and the British detective have thawed as the day has worn on, the previous night’s unpleasantness put aside for now in the interest of furthering the case; Blanche’s clear preference for Scully has changed the landscape and they are both still adapting, Stella has made space for Scully’s ideas and investigative victories despite her instinct to hold all the cards. It’s imperfect but it is working.

Tomorrow will be another rebalancing, and in the honesty of midnight darkness Scully prays that she will be asked to stay, that Stella’s initial promise of partnership will be renewed and the day will carry her to the morgue to assist with processing, or to a crime scene, anywhere where she can work, help and be useful in the search for the truth. This case has burrowed its way into her mind and she feels that familiar itch of unfinished business, of injustice, her mind rejecting sleep in favour of going over the evidence. After all, the structure and strictures of investigation, of neatly typed reports and linked evidence is a much kinder and more familiar cause for insomnia than the choking misery of Mulder’s absence which has become her frequent bedfellow these last few months.

Trying not to count back the nights where she’s reached for him and found only a cold pillow, Scully flicks on the TV, hoping for some numbing background noise. Instead, she finds her own face.

The photograph is old, maybe as much as a decade. She vaguely remembers having it taken for a hospital ID on a day when her hair was at an awkward in-between stage after being on the run, and next to Stella’s pristine police portrait she looks like the scruffy younger sister. Clicking on the sound, she catches the end of a report identifying her as a possible consultant and speculating as to what could have brought two women from such wildly different backgrounds on to the suspected serial case. When they cut back to the anchor, Scully recognises one of the men from from outside the station, and she realises that, in absence of any official statement to the press, she and Stella are likely the closest thing anyone has to a story. She only hopes that- and then in a flash Mulder’s face is on screen, and it’s too late, the potted official history of their partnership laid out for the late-night news audience with the standard side order of ridicule and sensationalism. She feels a pang then, for the old days where they’d have laughed off the bad press over bad coffee, the marks on each of their bodies reassuring them that the truth they sought was valid and important, their scars an armour of proof that only the other could see or understand. It’s a fond memory, and it gives Scully the excise she has been pretending not to be waiting for. If her involvement has made the news, there is a chance it will make it to Mulder. She has to call. She pretends her heart isn’t racing at the thought of hearing his voice.

Scully calls their landline on autopilot. It’s the closest phone to Mulder’s desk and she knows that is likely where he will be. Late night calls are a staple of their relationship, or at least they had been back when they still talked, miles of telephone wire condensing to nothing under the magnetism of their connection, his voice in her ear more intimate than the touch of any man who had come before him. Even at the beginning, his sincerity, his fervour had stripped away her cynicism, if not her scepticism, and left her open and vulnerable to everything he was, everything that they became… everything they have lost.

He picks up on an inhale but says nothing, forcing her to break the silence. Again.

‘Mulder, it’s me.’

And she wishes she could see his face, because his ‘Scully?’ is a question she doesn’t know how to answer. It’s not a ‘Where the hell are you and why have you got my phone?’ It’s not a ‘Why haven’t you come home?’ It’s ‘Why are you calling me Scully?’ and she doesn’t know how to answer him.

She’d planned to tell him that she was assisting the FBI, not to worry and sorry she’d snuck out but he seemed busy. She’d thought perhaps she’d tempt him into the case, saying, ‘Please if you have any “Mulder hunches” call me because this guy is a sick fuck and I want to catch him’ and meaning, ‘I miss you. I miss us.’ But now frustration and loss and rage are fighting in her throat and, ‘Mulder I love you; why don’t you see me slipping away?’ is tangled up in, ‘Did you even notice I was gone?’ and ‘Why the hell haven’t you checked your phone in two days? I could have been dead in a ditch and you wouldn’t know, wouldn’t even care, you self-involved bastard!’

In the end, nothing comes out. And that’s what she tells him.

‘It’s nothing Mulder. I’m fine, I was just... Don’t worry.’

And he tells her goodbye and puts the phone down and Scully feels, just for a second, like she is nothing. That it has all been for nothing.

Mulder’s phone is heavy in her hand, one more thing of his he seems content to live without, and Scully lets it drop to the bed and get lost in the dark. He’d sworn they wouldn’t get lost in the dark, but it’s not the first promise he’s broken.

Determinedly swinging her legs out of bed, Scully drags workout clothes out of her luggage and pulls them on, transplanting the energy of her anger, the tension of her hurt into her muscles and as soon as her sneakers are laced she’s out of the door and headed for the health club. She skips the elevator, jogs down the ten flights of stairs and thanks God and whoever signs off Stella Gibson’s expenses for the Hilton and their 24/7 fitness centre.

The gym is empty and the music is off, but that suits Scully fine. She picks a treadmill by the window overlooking the pool for the distracting chlorine-fuelled fractals the water casts on the walls and ups the incline until she can feel her thighs start to burn. Mulder likes to run outside, to escape, but for Scully running has always been a form of punishment, penitence for that extra dinner roll, her legs pounding Hail Marys into the conveyor until her lungs burn and her mind empties. It’s not about getting anywhere or away from anything, it’s about staying the course. Tonight she will run until she forgets to feel hurt by what she’s left behind, until she forgets to be afraid of what comes next.

Ten minutes in and movement below catches the edge of her consciousness, figures intruding on the edge of her pool-rippled blank space. She keeps running, keeps gazing but they do not retreat, and Scully finds herself leaning in, observing the people below from her vantage point as if through a microscope.

There’s a familiarity to the arch of the woman’s back as she slips into the spa tub in a seal-black line. There’s a recognisable arrogance to the way she rises up on her knees and leans into her companion, to her dedication to her own pleasure as she slips the straps of her bathing suit down her shoulders in a public area, not caring who might be watching the sensuous skid of fingers down her now naked back. It’s not until the woman throws her head back, her lips tight with pleasure, that Scully realises why the stranger seems so familiar.

It’s Stella, her hair slicked back and dark from the pool. She seems as confident here, half naked and straddling someone in an empty jacuzzi, as she had in the boardroom. Scully hits the emergency stop on the treadmill, meaning to rush away, ashamed of her accidental voyeurism but as she is about to step back the scene below her changes. Stella rolls away from her partner to recline against the edge of the pool, and as she settles in a languid pose, somehow both soft and hard in one liquid pose, she looks up and notices her audience.

Scully freezes, still poised to run but now there’s a dare in Stella’s eyes, a wicked invitation to stay a little longer, to see how far things go, and Scully finds herself starting the treadmill again, a low setting, no incline, a feeble excuse to spectate Stella’s conquest.

Without relinquishing eye contact, Stella slides over to reclaim her partner, pulling them into her lap and arching her neck to give them access to the ivory swoop of her skin. A slight smile curves her lips when Scully eventually realises the body draped over her colleague is that of another woman. Scully is not surprised, there have been moments where Stella’s glance has skirted the edges of seductive, and remembering them now, wondering if she encouraged them, pins Scully more firmly in the sweet place between fight and flight. She runs harder, looking for another explanation for the heat rising in her cheeks and settling in places she will not acknowledge when Stella’s fingers dip playfully under the edges of the other woman’s bikini. She should leave. She doesn’t want this. Does she? Scully has never been a voyeur but the adrenaline coursing through her body from the exercise and the taboo of what she is watching is intoxicating. And so she keeps jogging, keeps making excuses and chalking up her shortness of breath to exertion.

A quarter mile later and the dark haired woman’s hands have vanished from view, the unfocused blue of Stella’s gaze giving Scully a pretty good idea of what they might be doing, though from her vantage point all she can see is bubbles. For a mad moment she considers going downstairs, some insidious voice in the back of her mind telling Scully that Stella wouldn’t mind, but even this much, even dragging her own lower lip into her mouth as Stella’s eyes finally snap shut and biting down to feel the corresponding tightness in her nipples and between her legs feels sinful. It’s a mix of sexy and sordid that without Stella’s gaze to hold her in place feels overwhelming, and as reason crashes in on this early hours insanity, Scully leaves. She doesn’t glance back to where deft fingers have now vanished inside bikini bottoms and definitely doesn’t acknowledge the ache between her own legs until she has reached the safety of her room.

Locking the door and dimming all the lights, as if that can hide the shameful desperation of her desire, Scully strips off and lets the shower head and her fingers finish what started ten floors down. It’s a technique she’s perfected in the months spent waiting for Mulder, a quick release so she can go to bed satisfied if not sated.

She remembers the first time, she’d put it off for weeks, unwilling to accept that yet another of their connections had failed, until her body was screaming to be touched, and then finally, desperately, Scully had crawled onto Mulder’s side of the bed, head deep in his pillow, and she’d touched herself pretending it was him. Afterwards she cried herself to sleep with loneliness of it, waking up alone with the evidence, before relocating to the shower where at least it felt more like an emotional ablution than a last resort. She tells herself the same thing now, that it’s a natural urge, a hormonal release, and has absolutely nothing to do with whatever devilish desire had kept her watching downstairs, and that the uncharacteristic act of watching has nothing to do with what is missing at home. Scully’s almost convinced herself of both lies by the time she crawls back into bed, and she drifts off to dreams of running, of following Mulder down a dark and endless tunnel, calling out for him to wait and then looking back to see Stella Gibson chasing behind, face bright with freedom and laughing as the gap begins to close.

<< Previous Chapter

[hindu-unmuted-blog]

Hindu American Advocacy: Why it Matters

Sabari Surendran

We’re often the most blissfully oblivious group of people when it comes to identifying with our faith and our history. Growing up and living in an insulated Malayalee household meant that we could always find ways to detach ourselves conveniently from advocating for social issues and injustices happening around us at our convenience. Perhaps one of the hardest fought battles for acceptance, social reformation and equality in human history took place right in our home country and in our home state— the struggle for the lower caste believers of the Sanathana Dharma to be accepted and integrated into the general society, educational institutions and even places of worship. And yet, the far-reaching implications and consequences of this struggle, and the immense contributions our spiritual trailblazers like Sree Narayana Guru and Chattambi Swami made towards helping us overcome these barriers and come together as a unified faith as our scriptures intended, remain relatively obscure to a large majority of Malayalee Hindu youth.

Our easiest excuse for this is often blaming the lack of exposure to these socio-cultural realities that our community is still trying to overcome back home. 

When we are faced with the question of reacting to the various societal issues happening around us like the systemic oppression of colored minorities or the post-9/11 increase of targeted hate crimes against Muslim and Sikh Americans, we choose the luxury of not having to react since we fall into the Hindu Malayali demographic, one of the most successful and affluent groups among the Indian diaspora known for their drive to integrate no matter where in the world they end up. In other words, we often choose to ‘turn on and off’ our affiliation to faith and culture in accordance to our convenience, moving in and out of comfort bubbles in order to avoid having to react.

But over the past few weeks, things have changed. Our prospects of getting to stay silent don’t look as rosy anymore. In ways more than one, we’re not able to stay in our bubbles of ignorant bliss in peace as of late. Just over the past three weeks, there have been 4 violent attacks against Indian Americans in American soil. And nearly all of them have involved Hindu Americans being directly targeted. And two of these incidents involved lives being lost. The first incident involved two young Hindu American IT professionals named Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani, who were shot at a bar outside Kansas City by a man named Adam W Purington, someone with a history of serving in the armed forces. After approaching the two men who were out enjoying their Wednesday evening, Purington asked them if they were “in the country legally” and if they had their “papers on them”. He then left the bar and came back with a fully loaded gun and shot at the two young men nine times, asking them to “go back to [their] country”. Ian Grillot, a man who tried to stop the shooter, took a gunshot to his arm, the bullet barely missing his carotid artery and fracturing one of the vertebrae in his neck. 

Srinivas Kuchibhotla passed away at the site, while Alok Madasani, his friend, was rushed to the hospital with severe gunshot wounds.

Barely a week later, a Sikh American man named Deep Rai was shot in Kent, Washington outside his home on his driveway. He was also called racial slurs and told to “go back to [his] country”. A few days later, Harnish Patel, an Indian American who has lived in the US with his family for over a decade, was shot and killed outside of his home late Thursday night in Lancaster, South Carolina. And most recently, last night, a 64-year-old Florida man named Richard Lloyd tried to set fire to an entire convenience store with its employees inside them. 

He told deputies when he was caught that he was trying to “do his part” to “run the Arabs out of our country”.

Before anyone tries to make the argument that these crimes had nothing to do with faith, reflect on this— nearly every single one of the senseless acts of violence described above were based exclusively on the perceived religious identities of these men. Kuchibhotla and Madasani were shot because they looked like “Iranian Muslims” to the attacker. Deep Rai was shot because the shooter somehow deduced his turban to be a sign of terror. And last night, an entire store was almost burned to the ground because one man wanted to “do his part” to cleanse this country. Now we do have the choice of sitting back and waiting for higher authorities of our government to do the responding. The White House, however, is yet to release any official statements regarding the Washington, South Carolina and Florida shootings. Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s initial and only response regarding any of these acts of violence came when he vehemently rejected any link between America’s recent foreign policy changes and the attacks:

“Obviously, any loss of life is tragic, but I’m not going to get into, like,

to suggest that there’s any correlation I think that is a bit absurd.”                    

                                     After nearly a week of being criticized for his silence regarding Kuchibhotla’s death, President Trump condemned it when addressing the nation. While it is questionable that a man who found the time to tweet outrage merely hours after a fashion retail outlet dropped his daughter’s products had to wait a week to condemn a religious hate crime, we’ll leave politics to the sidelines. What is increasingly clear here, whether you’re a liberal or a conservative, is one simple fact: No one will speak or express outrage on our behalf if we don’t take the initiative to speak and advocate for ourselves. There won’t be any hashtags or considerable noise condemning these hate crimes if we don’t start the conversation by speaking up against it.

We have to work proactively as a community to condemn senseless hatred and mischaracterization of our faith. If we don’t take the time and effort to make others aware of what our faith and identity truly represents and stands for, it only builds a platform for large-scale fear mongering and misinformation among the general public. 

What if, like all other times, we sit back and let other people clear the air regarding what our Dharma stands for?

What results are shows like Reza Aslan’s Believer series depicting Hindus as savage cannibals drinking their own urine. Five days after a Hindu American and Sikh American lost their lives to religious hatred, CNN aired a promo piece for the Believer episode on Hindus with a blaring banner headline “CANNIBALS” rolling across the screen, with the visual of a Sadhu flinging urine. The episode featured the stereotyped image of a naked Aghori sadhu, sitting up drinking alcohol from a human skull, and literally eating human flesh. He then takes Reza on as his disciple, threatening to behead him if he talks anymore, and proceeds to throw freshly excreted urine at him, all of it unedited and broadcasted on national television. At one point during the episode, Aslan turns to the camera and proclaims, “You want to know what putting your faith into practice looks like? This is what it looks like”. While much of the airtime on the show is devoted to show Aghoris, who are an extremely small group of erratic sanyasis who engage in practices variant from the overwhelming majority of everyday Hindus, not a single minute is dedicated to show our acharyas like Shankaracharya, Sree Narayana Guru, Melpathur, or any of the hundreds of spiritual visionaries who decoded and made the immense knowledge of our scriptures accessible to people of any caste, creed or conduct.

The PEW Survey on Religious Knowledge conducted in 2013 found that less than 36% of the American population had any baseline knowledge regarding Hinduism and what it entails. What will an average American who watches Reza Aslan’s show featuring urine flinging sadhus who threaten to behead their disciples take away about Hinduism’s message or content? This wasn’t content aired in some alt-right YouTube channel, it was a full feature show validated by the FCC aired in one of the most watched news networks in the nation. This is the kind of misinformation that breeds hate and ignorance. This, aired less than a week after two Americans belonging to religious minorities were killed, will only further insinuate and exacerbate religious hate and extremism.

Although expecting our community of Hindu youth to initiate advocacy overnight is unrealistic, we can at least start the conversation on an individual basis. When we see our faith being misrepresented among our larger communities and/or in the media, we can speak up and dispel the exoticization surrounding Hindu beliefs and rituals. From a political advocacy standpoint, it is true that the Hindu voice still needs strength. But one of the organizations currently working to ensure this is the Hindu American Foundation (www.hafsite.org), who has a fully dedicated office operating out of Washington D.C, helping keep our legislative body aware of the issues affecting our community. The simplest and most intuitive resource we can use to help a fellow friend, colleague or neighbor understand more about our faith is the Hinduism 101 module created by HAF, which will help them understand the basic tenets and principles that guide our faith (Link: https://www.hafsite.org/resources/hinduism101).

It’s time for us to start educating ourselves and others regarding our faith and the issues affecting us. It’s about time that we un-muted our collective voices and spoke out against injustices taking place around us and back home. This upcoming convention, while spending time catching up with our friends and family, lets also find the time to start the conversation regarding advocacy. 

Let’s take steps to ensure that the lives that were lost weren’t lost in vain. Let’s all come together and ensure that the rampant ignorance and mischaracterization of our tradition and our culture sees its end.

[leftpress]

Trump and the Muslim Question

In the wake of Donald Trump’s election, Muslims don’t need allies. We need comrades.

Gage Skidmore / Flickr

by Asad Haider | 11.16.16

For the past decade and a half, my family has reacted to every terrorist attack with a special kind of anxiety.

Setting aside any concern about falling victim to an explosion, we cross our fingers and speculate creatively on the identity of the perpetrator. Perhaps, this time, it was simply a white paranoid schizophrenic. Or maybe a laid-off gun nut with no release valve for his rage. Or, better yet, a run-of-the-mill neo-Nazi who would direct public indignation in an appropriate direction.

Regrettably, the perpetrators of these attacks often turn out to be Muslims. The ensuing phone conversations with my parents — secular Pakistani immigrants whose piety does not extend beyond a distaste for pork — revolve around admonitions to be careful what streets I walk on and to avoid arguments with white people.

They’re not just being overprotective. Since the San Bernardino shooting in 2015, hate crimes against Muslims, or those perceived as Muslims, rose 78 percent.

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After the shooting in Florida, Aziz Ansari described in the New York Times how such anxieties were amplified by the hate speech of now president-elect Donald Trump. “It makes me afraid for my family,” Ansari wrote, and remembered the months after September 11 when it had become routine to walk down the street and be called a terrorist by a stranger.

Already the 2000 election of George W. Bush — one that liberals today, gnashing their teeth over the Electoral College and the white voter, are fond of recalling — had put us on alert. But the collapse of the Twin Towers, which we watched over and over again that day in school with disbelief, seemed to reverberate in the everyday experience of immigrants who had, until then, learned to live with a culture of condescending and occasionally exclusionary toleration.

Now, for some of those tolerant individuals, the mere presence of my family became an issue of homeland security. I found myself being called “Osama” by my classmates while the teacher watched with either apathy or agreement. I was seized with unexpected fear at the ice cream shop when an avuncular old white man suddenly scowled at the sight of my family and began ranting in our direction about “terrorists from Iraq” as we made our way to a table, threateningly wielding cones of cookies and cream.

I do not often recall these experiences. Although racial identity, for a time, framed most of my social interactions, white people grew more civilized in the years that followed, going as far as to elect a black man named “Hussein” as their president.

Recounting my experiences of discrimination seemed to draw reactions of pity — the pity of the condescending white liberal who is now called an “ally.” In the post-9/11 political reality I was coming to understand, this was clearly not a salutary reaction.

Just after the attacks, white Americans acted as though 9/11 represented a historically unprecedented scale of suffering. But I had spent my childhood summers in Pakistan, where I saw the streets filled with children like me — homeless, starving, too weak to bat the flies off of their bodies. Something in the political geometry was out of alignment.

I proceeded to arm myself with an obsessive reading of Noam Chomsky. I dove headfirst into the movement against the Iraq War which mushroomed at the nearby Penn State campus, and I became convinced that the only solution to the violence and suffering that assaulted us in our daily news was an end to American imperialism and therefore global capitalism.

I remain convinced. And I hope that after the experiences of Bush and Obama, the movement against Donald Trump will not be satisfied with partial solutions. But I worry that in the name of Muslim-Americans like me, white liberals will lose sight of the fundamental political responsibility they have today.

An Old Paradox

To be sure, the hatred of Muslim immigrants is a deeply political problem, but it is not a new phenomenon engineered by Trump and his associates. We are dealing with a problem as old the nation-state itself — the fundamental contradiction of the nation state, which, as Étienne Balibar has pointed out, implies the confrontation and reciprocal interaction “between the two notions of the people”: First, “ethnos, the ‘people’ as an imagined community of membership and filiation.” And second, “demos, the ‘people’ as the collective subject of representation, decision making, and rights.”

The first sense of the “people” internalizes the national border — it is the wall Trump hopes to build inside the American’s head. It is a feeling of belonging to a “fictive ethnicity,” an imaginary community that is constituted by national borders, but in reality consists of heterogeneous populations brought together by migration and movement — a plurality that is suppressed by the fantasy of a unitary racial and spiritual essence.

The second sense of the “people” is the political one, the one which appears to be manifested in our Bill of Rights. It is meant to apply regardless of identity; it is the song of the Statue of Liberty, which offers its freedoms to all the huddled masses yearning to breathe free, indifferent to their particularities.

The contradiction between these two notions is the original sin of the American nation. It is stated in the first sentence of its first official document: “We, the People,” says the preamble of the Constitution, written by slaveowners. As Balibar puts it:

this construction also closely associates the democratic universality of human rights … with particular national belonging. This is why the democratic composition of people in the form of the nation led inevitably to systems of exclusion: the divide between “majorities” and “minorities” and, more profoundly still, between populations considered native and those considered foreign, heterogeneous, who are racially or culturally stigmatized.

This democratic contradiction came clearly to the surface in the French Revolution, with its Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. In 1843 a young Karl Marx subjected this declaration to critical scrutiny.

In “On the Jewish Question,” Marx was responding first and foremost to Bruno Bauer’s rejection of the demand for Jewish emancipation. According to Bauer, since this demand was based on the particular identity of the Jew, it was necessarily exclusionary. Political emancipation requires the universality of rights, and is thus incompatible with a particularistic identity.

Like Richard Dawkins, Bauer believed that it was only by casting off every religious superstition that oppression could be overcome. And also like Dawkins, whose fanatical hatred of Islam blinds him to any understanding of social and political inequalities, Bauer thought that the particularism of the Jewish minority was even worse than the more “evolved” religious consciousness of Christianity.

But Marx pointed out that secular political emancipation, the separation of church and state in the name of universal rights, had not actually overcome religious superstition in practice. Famously and prophetically, he cited the United States as an example. This was because rights were granted to individuals, Marx argued, and were therefore “the rights of egoistic man, of man separated from other men and from the community.”

Protecting the individual’s rights in the political sphere did not mean the end of oppression by religious authorities and the owners of property. Therefore neither Bauer’s supersessionist universalism, nor the particularism of a minority, could lead to real, human emancipation. This would involve going beyond political emancipation and overcoming the exploitation of the market.

In States of Injury, Wendy Brown summarized Marx’s argument:

Historically, rights emerged in modernity both as a vehicle of emancipation from political disenfranchisement or institutionalized servitude and as a means of privileging an emerging bourgeois class within a discourse of formal egalitarianism and universal citizenship. Thus, they emerged both as a means of protection against arbitrary use and abuse by sovereign and social power and as a mode of securing and naturalizing dominant social powers.

This implies a “paradox” for liberalism that persists to this day. When rights are granted to “empty,” abstract individuals, they ignore the real, social forms of inequality and oppression that appear to be outside the political sphere. Yet when the particularities of injured identities are brought into the content of rights, they are “more likely to become sites of the production and regulation of identity as injury than vehicles of emancipation.”

In other words, when the liberal language of rights is used to defend a concrete identity group from injury, physical or verbal, that group ends up defined by its victimhood, and individuals end up reduced to their victimized belonging.

Brown shows how this logic undermines the logic behind an influential (albeit controversial) strand of feminism: Catherine MacKinnon’s attempt to redress the masculine bias of the law. MacKinnon’s anti-pornography feminism was based on the premise that the right to free speech conflicted with the right of women to be free from sexual subordination.

But as Brown asks, “does a definition of women as sexual subordination, and the encoding of this definition in law, work to liberate women from sexual subordination, or does it, paradoxically, reinscribe femaleness as sex­ual violability?”

Brown’s critique suggests that when rights are demanded by a particular identity, and the whole horizon of politics is the defense of this category, its members end up fixed as victims. Rights themselves end up reduced to a reaction to an injury inflicted on this victim. Their emancipatory content disappears.

So by presenting a legal argument which tries to give rights a substantial content, the content of particular identities, MacKinnon ends up producing a fixed category of “woman” — as helpless victims.

This is precisely the problem which comes to the forefront in the contemporary “Muslim question.”

Beyond the Liberty of Circumstance

In France, this question was debated in 2004 when the hijab was outlawed in public schools. The question then became: should the hijab be defended because Muslims are defined by the fact of wearing it? Does the freedom of the French migrant population consist in a defensive response to the injury inflicted by the banning of the headscarf?

Surely, the racism implied by the banning of a Muslim accessory should be condemned and attacked. But to the extent that this is framed as a defense of the rights of Muslims, the perspective of liberal tolerance traps the Muslims it claims to defend within a victimized identity rather than joining them in a project of collective emancipation.

We can take this discussion further by understanding the “paradox” of rights as a concrete political antagonism, as Massimiliano Tomba does in his comparison of the two versions of the French Declaration of the Rights of Man. The first, 1789 Declaration, Tomba argues, grounds rights in a juridical universalism: “the universalism that comes from above and that implies a subject of right who is either passive or a victim who requires protection.”

Whether it is a woman to be protected from pornographic speech or a Muslim to be protected from religious prejudice, juridical universalism grants no agency to these subjects — their only political existence is mediated by their protection by the state.

The 1793 Declaration, in contrast, manifests an insurgent universality, one which is brought onto the historical stage by the slave uprisings of the Haitian Revolution, the intervention of women into the political process which had excluded them, and the demands of the sans-culottes for a right to food and life.

It “does not presuppose any abstract bearer of rights,” but instead “refers to particular and concrete individuals — women, the poor, and slaves — and their political and social agency.” Here we encounter a new paradox: “the universality of these particular and concrete individuals acting in their specific situation is more universal than the juridical universalism of the abstract bearers of rights.”

In 1799 Toussaint Louverture was asked by France to write on the banners of his army, “Brave blacks, remember that the French people alone recognize your liberty and the equality of your rights.” He refused, pointing to the slavery which persisted in France’s other colonies, and replied in a letter to Bonaparte: “It is not a liberty of circumstance, conceded to us alone, that we wish; it is the adoption absolute of the principle that no man, born red, black or white, can be the property of his fellow man.”

To fight the xenophobia rising with Trump’s election, we must still claim the legacy of this insurgent universality, which says that we are not passive victims but active agents of a politics that demands freedom for everyone. The view of a Muslim as the passive victim of an injury, who must be protected by the benevolence of a white liberal, is to be rejected as ruthlessly as the hate speech of Trump.

In Trump’s America, I am afraid. Because of my name, because of my skin color, I am in danger. But more profound than my fear is my anger. I am outraged not at the risk I experience as an individual, but at the sharpening and deepening of the obscene inequality of the capitalist system, at the daily violence of deprivation that will be visited most harshly on the poor of this country — including the white poor — and at the divisions cultivated among us by fear, anger, and manipulation, that prevent us from forming the collective power that can overcome our subordination.

I am not interested in allies, in sympathy or protection. I am interested in comrades, of every complexion, who will fight alongside me for a better world.

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[mideastsoccer]

Potential Post-Coronavirus Geo-economic Shifts

By James M. Dorsey

A podcast version of this story is available on Soundcloud, Itunes, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, Spreaker, Pocket Casts, Tumblr, Podbean, Audecibel, Patreon and Castbox.

 New York governor Andrew Cuomo has become the articulate, compassionate political face of government competence in fighting a pandemic.

That’s quite an achievement for a man who as late as early March 2020 trumpeted: “Excuse our arrogance as New Yorkers… We think we have the best healthcare system on the planet right here in New York. So, when you’re saying what happened in other countries versus what happened here, we don’t even think it’s going to be as bad as it was in other countries. We are fully coordinated; we are fully mobilized.”

New York was neither fully coordinated, nor was it fully mobilized.

In fact, it became the pandemic’s prime hotspot in the United States, accounting for the highest number of infection cases and the highest mortality rate. Its hospitals were overwhelmed, its stockpiles depleted, its frontline workers perilously exposed to risk of contagion. Many of the deaths could have been prevented had Mr. Cuomo opted to lock down the Big Apple earlier.

For now, that recent history has largely been forgotten. Mr. Cuomo thrives in his element, a rising star on America’s political ferment. His sober but empathetic, fact-based daily briefings project him as a man in command with a mission to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of his state.

If Mr. Cuomo, a veteran of dealing with the aftermaths of disasters like Hurricane Sandy, learnt anything from his delayed response to the coronavirus pandemic, it was that “an outbreak anywhere is an outbreak everywhere.”

Unlike other epidemics in recent years such as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS in the early 2000s, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012 or the eruption of Ebola in West Africa in 2014, the coronavirus, dubbed COVID-19, left no corner of the globe untouched.

It is a lesson that goes to the heart of all that is wrong with global, regional, and national healthcare governance. It is a lesson that calls into question social and economic policies that have shaped the world for decades irrespective of political system.

It is also a lesson that goes to the core of the relationship between government and the people. It positions social trust as a pillar of an effective healthcare policy in a time of crisis.

In an era of defiance and dissent as a result of a breakdown in confidence in political systems and political leadership that kicked off with Occupy Wall Street and the 2011 Arab popular revolts and led to the rise of populists, mass anti-government demonstrations and in 2019 the toppling of leaders in Algeria, Sudan, Lebanon and Iraq, lack of trust complicated government efforts to counter the virus.

Distrust persuaded many Iranians to initially refuse to heed public health warnings to maintain social distancing, stay at home and install an Android app designed to help people self-diagnose and avoid rushing to hospital.

Pakistanis put their faith in religious leaders who rejected government demands for a halt to congregational prayers. So did many Russians as bans on mass gatherings split the clergy and threatened to undermine the Russian Orthodox Church’s key support for President Vladimir Putin.

Post-mortems of governments’ handling of the crisis once the coronavirus has been contained could increase the trust deficit.

Moreover, in an indication of pent-up anger and frustration that could explode, the imposition of curfews and stay-at-home orders failed to prevent incidental outbursts, including protests in mid-American states, quarantined Egyptian villages and poorer Tunisian and Moroccan hamlets.

In an echo of the Tunisian vendor who sparked the 2011 Arab revolts, 32-year-old unemployed and physically disabled Hammadi Chalbi set himself alight in a town 160 kilometres southwest of Tunis after authorities’ refused to license him as a fruit seller. In Lebanon, a taxi driver set his vehicle on fire while fruit vendors dumped their goods in the streets in expressions of mounting discontent. The protests suggest a universal corollary with the pandemic: an outbreak anywhere is an outbreak everywhere.

Protesters in 2019 went beyond demanding the fall of a leader. They sought the fall of political elites and radical overhaul of failed political systems. The pandemic called an abrupt halt to the protests. Protesters like the rest of the population went into temporary hibernation.

When they re-emerge, they are likely to put government leaders who prioritized political advantage above their health and economical well-being at a cost that surpasses that of the 1929 Great Depression on par with crimes committed against humanity during times of war.

Social, economic, ethnic, and sectarian fault lines are likely to be hardened in countries like Pakistan and Iraq where militants stepped in with healthcare and other social services to fill voids created by lack of government capacity.

The pandemic further painfully illustrated the economic cost of not only failing to confront a health crisis in a timely fashion but also the risk inherent in policies that do not ensure proper healthcare infrastructure in every corner of the globe, guarantee equal access to healthcare, make sure that people irrespective of income have proper housing and nutrition, turn a blind eye to the destruction of healthcare facilities in conflict situations like Syria, Yemen, Libya, Ukraine, Nagorno-Karabakh, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, tolerate millions of refugees existing in sub-standard living and hygiene conditions, and disregard environmental degradation and climate change.

The pandemic casts a spotlight on the deprivation of populations of proper healthcare as a result of politically motivated discriminatory social and economic policies.

The non-discriminatory nature of the coronavirus forced the Israeli government to ramp up testing in communities of Israeli Palestinians which had been described by public health experts as a ticking time bomb.

The experts warned that Israeli Palestinians, who figured prominently among frontline doctors and nurses treating Jews and Palestinians alike, were an at-risk group, many of whom suffer from chronic diseases, live in crowded conditions, and are socially and economically disadvantaged.

Ramping up testing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 constitutes an immediate effort to stem the tide but does little to structurally prepare Israeli and Palestinian society for the next pandemic.

Pre-dominantly Palestinian “East Jerusalem is gravely neglected in every possible way in terms of the infrastructure. Most neighbourhoods of East Jerusalem don’t have sewage systems. Just about every possible public service you can think of is underbudgeted and lacking in East Jerusalem. The only thing they get a lot of is parking fines and (punitive) housing demolition orders, said”  left-wing member of the Jerusalem municipal council Laura Wharton.

A Monopoly board centred on Jerusalem given to her by Moshe Lion, the city’s mayor and a former economic advisor and director general of prime minister Benyamin Netanyahu’s office, illustrates the political calculus that potentially puts not only Jews and Palestinians but populations elsewhere at risk in a future pandemic.

“You have here the City of David, the Mount of Olives, the Knesset (the Israeli parliament), the Montefiore windmill, the markets, (the ultra-orthodox Jewish neighbourhood of) Mea She’arim. Al Aqsa (the third holiest Muslim site) is not here, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is not here. Basically what you have is a bunch of Jewish sites and various illusions to other things. It’s not a very balanced picture of Jerusalem,” Ms. Wharton noted pointing at various landmarks on the board.

African Americans, Hispanics and native Americans tell the story, They have fallen disproportionately victim in the United States to the coronavirus.

US surgeon general Dr. Jerome Adams, a 45-year old African American vice admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, one of America’s eight uniformed services, pulled out his inhaler at a White House press briefing in April 2020, saying he's carried it around for 40 years, "out of fear of having a fatal asthma attack."

Looking fit and trim in his dark uniform, Mr. Adams said he also had a heart condition and high blood pressure. "I represent that legacy of growing up poor and black in America. And I, and many black Americans, are at higher risk for COVID."

The surgeon general said that “its alarming but not surprising that people of colour have a greater burden of chronic health conditions. African Americans and native Americans develop high blood pressure at much younger ages… and (the virus) does greater harm to their organs. Puerto Ricans have higher rates of asthma and black boys are three times (more) likely to die of asthma than their white counterparts…. People of colour are more likely to live in densely packed areas and multi-generational housing, situations which create higher risk for the spread of a highly contagious disease like COVID-19. We tell people to wash their hands, but a study shows that 30 percent of homes of the Navajo nation don’t have running water, so how are they going to do that?”

What goes for one of the wealthiest nations on earth goes for the rest of the world too, particularly with the last two decades suggesting that pandemics occur more frequently and are likely to do so going forward.

What started in Wuhan in China in December 2019 had by April 2020 brought the world to a virtual standstill. Millions across the globe were infected, tens of thousands did not survive, economies shut down and the prospects for recovery and return to what was normal seemed a mere hope in a distant future.

Andrew Cuomo may be the exception that confirms the rule. There is little in the response of leaders from China’s Xi Jingping to Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald J. Trump that suggests that the lesson that an outbreak anywhere is an outbreak everywhere has persuaded them to think in terms of structural change.

If the first six months of the coronavirus are anything to go by, the name of the game has been jockeying for political positions, ideology trumps science, and everyone for him or herself in a race to the bottom rather than apolitical banding together globally, regionally and nationally to fight a dangerous and debilitating common enemy.

The response to the pandemic reflected the crumbling of the post-World War Two international order that is in the grips of a struggle by big and medium-sized powers to shape global governance in the 21st century.

The struggle has already crippled the United Nations and politicization of the coronavirus and healthcare threatens to undermine the World Health Organization, the one, albeit flawed, structure capable of coordinating a global response.

Complicating the response, was the rise of civilizationalists like Mr. Xi, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, Hungarian prime minister Victor Orban and Mr. Trump who think in civilizational rather than national terms.

They conceive of their nations as civilizations in which Hans, Hindus or Christians rule supreme and there is no equal place for minorities rather than nation states defined by legally recognized borders, population, and language.

Theirs is a world of neglect for international law, increased conflict, political violence, and mass migration that promises to be even less prepared for the next pandemic. It is also a world in which early warning systems are weakened by muzzling of a free press.

Former US president Barak Obama, in his opening blast against Trump in the run-up to the November presidential election, put his finger on the pulse.

“What we are fighting against is these long-term trends in which being selfish, being tribal, being divided and seeing others an enemy, that that has become a stronger impulse in American life. And by the way, you know, we are seeing that internationally as well. And it’s part of the reason why the response to this global crisis has been so anaemic and spotty… It has been an absolute chaotic disaster when that mindset of what’s in it for me and to heck with everybody else – when that mindset is operationalized in our government,” Mr. Obama told a virtual gathering of his former staffers.

The pandemic demonstrates the need for coordinated policies ranging from global, regional, and national stock piling, international cooperation in medical research and development, conflict mediation, protection of minority rights, environment, absorption of refugees and robust but diversified supply chains.

It also highlights the importance to healthcare of eradication of poverty and proper social security nets, housing, hygiene, and access to water in a world in which an outbreak anywhere is an outbreak everywhere.

The pandemic positions an approach towards healthcare that is integrated into sustainable social and economic policies as a matter of global and national security on par with regional and national defense and security policies and investments.

It also raises the question of what role major non-governmental institutions like the Clinton Initiative, George Soros and the Gates Foundation can play.

Dr. James M. Dorsey is an award-winning journalist and a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. He is also an adjunct senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and co-director of the University of Wuerzburg’s Institute of Fan Culture in Germany

[lotornomiko]

Drabbles Seven (Not safe for work)

I feel like I should put up a triggering warning for this one. It’s not explicitly detailed, but there is a non con warning here to heed. If that sort of thing is upsetting to you, I’d suggest quitting before the middle of page three…

----Michelle

The half empty bottle clattered to the floor, just one in a multitude of brightly colored glass whose shattered remains littered the space around him. None of it had helped, not the brandy, not the rum, not the cognac and vodka, the answer to the indecision that tormented him still, unable to be found in any of the bitter intoxicants’ power. Instead of the soothing relief brought on by their high, the drinks had only served to deepen further the sting of all his troubles. That of the rejection he had endured day in and day out, every waking hour and then some tormented in turn by it, by HER, the Goddess, Lenneth so thoroughly intent on disdaining him.

It was no less than what he deserved, Lezard under no delusions about the nature of his sins. The crimes against the Goddess, and that of Creation, all of his blasphemies and unrelenting desires, the selfishness that had laid wreck and ruin to the world. He wasn’t even capable of truly repenting, the resulting devastation just more means to an end, Lenneth in hand and thoroughly caught by him. It might not be the love that he has wanted, but that hate and that fear were something. A feeling that was no less potent, the mad mage at last in Lenneth’s heart.

He should have been happy about that victory. Should have celebrated the fact that his immovable Goddess had at last fallen, not only reacting to him, but experiencing that strong surge of emotion. That hate and that anger, and especially that fear, all forming together a unique blend of feeling that his beloved Goddess has held for no other person. That riotous mix something that belonged to Lezard alone, validating and marking him as special, his obsession rewarded, his the sole existence in all of Creation to have earned the privilege of Lenneth’s unending ire.

Such a broken feeling shouldn’t have inspired even a sliver of hope, and yet Lezard clung to it all the same. Desperate for it, and desperate for HER, it wasn’t a true happiness that he was seeking but an end to the madness inside him, that lonely craving that would be satisfied with what ever small bit of her that he could get, Lenneth even at her angriest and most fearful, still the balm that soothed a soul like his. In that he was no different from those puppets, devout and blasphemer alike, in reaching out for the Goddess’ hand.

To have been so thoroughly shunned by the Goddess who had accepted and forgiven so much, who had and did love every being of her Creation, had left him a festering ball of resentments and unrequited desires. He was rendered his most desperate and angry, his heightened fury over the perceived unfairness of it all, only made worse by the mix of alcohol inside him. It left him stewing, and it left him wallowing, his upset a rambunctious energy that was actively seeking an outlet. Magic crackled along his nerve endings, the power a physical manifestation of his most frustrated of feelings, and a mocking reminder that for all of his strength and accomplishments, Lezard still fell short of her. Of Lenneth, the man, the mage, nothing more than an imperfect existence that would never be deemed worthy enough. Not fit for the smallest of her regard, he had been neither thanked nor remembered, Lezard had been left floundering in a sea of disappointments. So thoroughly forgotten as to be deemed harmless, he had all but crawled on hands and on knees, to make himself matter.

Like a child crying out to be noticed, his many misdeeds had been his desperation begging. He had used people, and tossed aside souls, in crafting a love letter to her. Each killing blow the manifestation of his words, the adoration and the obsession, and that blood thirsty need, Lezard had been driven by a shade of insanity that could only be colored by one emotion.

Love.

Lezard LOVED Lenneth. Had from the moment of that first glimpse of her, the man captivated not just by the Goddess’ sublime beauty, but by the proud nobility of her eyes. Caught by that ephemeral blue, by a Goddess who had been like no other, not divine, mortal, or damned, her kindness and her heart, the depth of feelings that she had proven capable of, had all painted one lovely picture. The justice that drove her, that steel determination and that warrior’s spirit, offset by the softness of a woman who had believed in forgiveness and redemption.

That heart so filled to overflowing with the depths of an emotion that Odin and the other Divine had feared, Lenneth had shed a great many tears to pave the path for a future free of the Gods’ tyranny. With that benevolent hand, she had extended an iron clad promise, a paradise the likes of which had never before been seen, the world and its people remade, an unending peace granted. It was the utmost in ironic, that the salvation she had granted them, that tranquil serenity, had come at a great cost. To her and to them, Lenneth surrounded by puppets, by memories given form, those idealized creatures lacking the free will to rebuff and rebel against such idyllic perfection.

She had trapped them all in a dream built on lies, this world a twisted mockery of how Creation was truly meant to be. It went against the very laws that governed nature, no one thing meant to claim to be all good, or all bad. Imperfect creatures that all the races were, Lenneth’s miracle was not one that could keep maintained without her. Without the Goddess to fuel it, this perfect paradise would snowball in effect, order and peace giving way to chaos and war, the people set on their own destruction. They’d no longer be her perfect little constructs, neither able to maintain the lofty ideals she had set forth for them, nor wanting to. Would even that be enough to get Lenneth to truly see, to understand the deception she herself had self purported? Or would she continue to cling to a dream fast falling apart into a nightmare, blinding herself in a last ditch effort to protect herself from a crippling truth. That Lucian and the others as she had known them, were gone, even their souls extinguished, replaced instead with mere memories of how Lenneth had wanted them to ultimately be.

The world as she had known it had perished, the prophesied Ragnarok far worse than anyone could have ever anticipated, Lezard and Lenneth the only known survivors of the trickster’s massacre. That awful truth should have been something to build upon, a fragile bond forged in the wake of the Goddess’ glorious rise to her newfound power. There should have been a grudging gratitude given, a reluctant respect held gleaming in that ephemeral gaze, the burgeoning seeds of of a tentative truce that would have given rise to Lezard being more than just merely tolerated by his beloved Goddess.

In some ways he could admit to being just as deluded as she, Lezard having expected a miracle of his own. That of the Goddess opening her heart and her home to him, Lenneth able to appreciate him not just for his power, but as a man, a creator in his own right, the mage responsible for the crafting of the body that had allowed her to break the shackles of her stagnant divinity, and become something more. He might not have been a God himself, but as far as any other being was concerned, he was a step above them all.

It still wasn’t enough. No matter his power, the magic and the knowledge gained, that mad aspiration would never see him as her equal. It wasn’t his humanity that held him back, it was his crimes, his many wicked ways, and the lawless nature of his misdeeds. His hands tainted with sin, his body bogged down with the weight of his blasphemies, Lezard would never be clean enough for her. His was a damaged nature, an affront to both God and human alike, and if he couldn’t have her, the man would damn well make sure that the rest of Creation couldn’t either!

It was just one more sin, a crime not just against humanity, but that of the entirety of Lenneth’s Creation. He didn’t care how much more blacker his soul became, Lezard desperate and angry, and above all selfish. That greedy, grasping lust that had run rough shod over everything, that had left him mad and despairing, drove him to his feet now. The room seemed to spin with the force of his emotions, all of his pent up energy and agitations, the man taking one unsteady step after another. Broken glass splintered further under foot, all his hope and ambition lost, Lezard caring nothing for no one save that of the Goddess he had stolen from the world.

Lenneth his one and only purpose, the only thing to have ever mattered to Lezard, was it that mix of different liquors that gave him the courage to darken her doorstep now? To make him this bold and this brazen, a stark figure illuminated by the torch lit hallway casting hers in shadows? Or was it simply his brand of insanity at play, the unrequited love and the lust at last making him snap? The mage didn’t truly know, but what’s more, he didn’t much care, tired at last of the games, of the rejection and their endlessly slow dance.

He was in Hell. Had been for a long time now, driven mad by his love, his obsession, tortured by it and by her every refusal. It seemed only right that she join him there, and if not by her willing consent, then he’d drag her down with him to the depths. Let them be both lost, and maybe through the shattered remains, somehow they’d find each other again with new eyes and appreciation.

The idea taken root inside him, it wasn’t just courage that the bitter drinks had lent him, it was a self given permission, Lezard advancing into the room. Lenneth wide eyed and wary, had already scrambled up out of the bed, her own wild energy cautious and on alert. As was so often her want, the Goddess didn’t so much as deign to speak to him, maintaining that particular distance between them. She wasn’t as unaffected as the woman might have once claimed, that haunted expression sliced with a genuine fear, one that had her darting a glance past him, to the door. His lips curled in cruel response, a careless snap of his fingers causing the door to not only slam shut, but to audibly lock. That got him Lenneth’s undivided attention, the one means of escape lost, the pair circling around one another in that limited space.

“I had wanted things to be different.” Those words out of him were laced with a bitter weariness, and full of his exhausting disappointments. “I had wanted US to be different.” For every step taken, Lenneth was driven back, the Goddess avoiding the bed, but not that of the wall fast drawing near. “But I’ve never stood a chance, have I, of even a small kernel of the love you’ve shown to THEM.” He sneered with the thought of those creatures, the people who had never even had to work for the Goddess’ adoration and care.

She didn’t inundate him with words of just how unworthy he was, Lenneth just cautiously staring him down. It was maddening, the silent accusation in that cobalt blue gaze of hers, it and the disapproving set of her lips, unable to detract from her lush appeal. Details seeped in past the haze of drunken stupor, the wavy wisps of platinum colored hair that had escaped from an otherwise neatly braided mane, the tight strain of the white silk of her night gown stretched across the bounty of her breasts. That material flowed loose and wild past her knees, the shapely calves of her bared legs birthing to life one sinful fantasy after another. His fingers curled with the urge to touch, his body wound tight with long repressed desires, Lezard desperate for a taste. That raw, unabashed hunger precipitated his beloved’s back hitting against the wall, and animal that he had been reduced to, Lezard couldn’t even smile. Not to gloat, and not to mock, his expression instead so very dark and so serious.

Intent on her, his cornered prey, Lezard extended his hand so as to cup the smooth perfection of her cheek. It was that that let him feel the slight quiver trembling through her, the beginning hint of a panic not yet fully embraced.

“I’ve wanted nothing more than the right to worship you with my love, to make a pledge of my unending devotion. To kneel before you...not as a man with his God, but as the lover who was your equal.” He stretched his thumb to trace over her bottom lip, that soft texture a madness inducing taunt of something he would always have to take. Both the kisses and the smile she’d never give to him, Lezard  this odd mix of wistful and angry, and full of a regret that wasn’t anywhere strong enough to stop him.

Teeth snapped in warning, but the mage didn’t care. If he couldn’t have the sweetness of her kiss, Lezard would gladly settle for the violence, this wild and panicking side to the Goddess something that was all HIS. That exclusivity a heady, potent mix, he took the kiss from her, all its blood and brutality and more. The man was no less gentle than she, his battered lips this heavy unyielding pressure upon hers, the copper tang of Lezard’s blood helping cement that violent merging of flesh.

He nearly choked on her scream, the mad fury that was ultimately a helpless bluff, it and Lenneth both without the power to dissuade him. Maybe nothing could, the hands that had once been so reverent, shaping over her flesh in a different kind of worship. The ripe fullness of her breasts, the slender lines of her waist, and the shapely width of her hips making that body a temptation that would take a saint to resist. She was a crafted perfection, a Goddess no less, all that trembling and squirming a maddening response, his beloved revealing a side to her that no other man, woman, or child would ever be so privileged to see.

His lips still so slick with blood, it was a crimson path that he had walked, those red imprints a telling damnation, her pale flesh and gown painted with that stark accusation. Those sinful kisses were all over, Lezard’s mouth having caressed skin and fabric alike, until at last his knees had thumped hard against the room’s floor. Weighted down as he was by his lust, by that oppressive need that he had let blind him to the right and to the wrong of it all, it was HIS tears that wet upon her night gown’s hem, Lezard crying out for absolution, seeking a forgiveness and an understanding that the trembling Goddess was incapable of granting, his beloved unable to excuse him. Not for this, not for ANY of it, his many sins and misdeeds piling on guilt after guilt to ever widen the existing chasm between them.

To Be Continued….

I was liking this right up until after his knees thumped on the floor. I feel like..no I know things derailed from what I was intending to have happen after that point. But maybe it’s a good kind of derail…

At some point over the last few months, I started thinking of the drabbles being a bridge between both games. But I wonder if I have the nerve to do the kind of ending I am imagining for this….

In other news, the past two months I’ve been busy with a move..it was a month long process just for interviews, house inspections and paperwork...and now I am finally in the end stretch, with trying to get everything moved over. Once I do get completely in my new place, I won’t have internet hooked up until November... I am dreaming of how awesome it would be if on my time off from the net, I managed to write a whole bunch of chapters...but I am probably just deluding myself...X_X

I am surprised but grateful amid the chaos of the moving, I got inspired and had the time to write something. Even if it completely derailed at the end.

The previous drabble chapter, I tweaked the ending line. I just worded it better. (Hopefully) I think it was the right choice to tweak it.

----Michelle

[go-redgirl]

Is it time to punish false accusers? (Yes) The Hill ^ | 10/17/18 | WENDY MCELROY

Should deliberately false reports of sexual assault be subject to the same legal penalties as false reports of other felonies? Right now, accusers who lie about sexual abuse are criminally liable for filing a false report and perjury, as well as civil sanctions for defamation, but legal consequences rarely occur.

The question was spotlighted by the accusations surrounding Supreme Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh. It was clear during Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing: An accusation of sexual assault can devastate a man’s life, family and future. Those who reject the account of his main accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, don’t suggest bringing legal proceedings against her. A sincere report of sexual abuse should not be penalized for being confused or mistaken.

Jeffrey Catalan and Julie Swetnick are different stories; in the wake of Ford’s accusations, Catalan and Swetnick claimed to have witnessed sexual abuse by Kavanaugh; Catalan quickly recanted. But the chairman of the Senate Committee that presided over Kavanaugh’s hearing has asked for an official review of the claim as a possible crime. In a NBC interview Swetnick contradicted a sworn statement to the Committee, which had implicated Kavanaugh in gang rapes. Harvard law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz has called for Swetnick to be investigated and then prosecuted for perjury, if appropriate.

The debate on how to handle blatantly false accusations of sexual abuse has re-opened. Feminists argue that punishing any accuser chills the willingness of victims to come forward. Rule-of-law advocates counter that false accusations are not victimless crimes. In most cases a real person is named as an attacker and he or she confronts severe consequences. Genuine victims are also damaged by false allegations. Every lie casts a shadow of doubt over every future report of sexual assault. So legal disincentives should attach to the act of lying not merely to protect those falsely accused but also to encourage real victims to make reports.

False accusations on crime are everyday events

The danger of using the Kavanaugh hearing as a springboard for discussing false accusations is threefold: the session was highly politicized, with unrelated agendas attached; it was played out in the Senate, with the Supreme Court as a backdrop; and the true context of false accusations in everyday life may be lost. False accusations are not partisan, elite, or recent occurrences.

The recent re-evaluation grows out of a backlash that has raged on college campuses for over seven years. At some universities the battle has been much longer. In 2011, President Obama’s Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights sent a letter to every college that received federal funding. To continue the flow of funds colleges needed to dilute the due process that on-campus hearings offered to students accused of sexual misconduct.

The purpose: To combat sexual misconduct and to protect victims who were overwhelmingly female. Accused students were denied legal representation and the presumption of innocence, as well as standard protections of justice such as facing an accuser and questioning witnesses. As a matter of policy, accusers were to be believed.

As a result, false accusations increased — at least, that was a widespread assessment. Legal experts signed petitions in protest; lawsuits proliferated from students who had been found “guilty;” high-profile cases of false accusations rocked the media.

Finally, new Title IX guidelines were recently drawn up by the DOE’s new administration and they will be unrolled shortly. The guidelines direct colleges to restore due process rights to students accused of sexual misconduct.

The human cost of false accusations

Petitions and guidelines do not capture the human suffering that caused a rebellion against the imperative to #BelieveWomen. For that real stories are required. Consider the Flood family of Pennsylvania and their teenage son, whom the media identifies as T.F.

According to a local newspaper five girls at T.F.’s high school “terrorized” him with accusations of sexual molestation. T.F. was fired from his part-time job, “tortured in school by the other students and investigators,” expelled and “forced to endure multiple court appearances, detention in a juvenile facility, detention at home, the loss of his liberty and other damages.”

Finally, the girls confessed to lying. Why did they? One explained, "I just don’t like him...I just don’t like to hear him talk…I don’t like to look at him." The girls have not been punished. Meanwhile, the boy is under the care of a psychologist and being schooled at home. Devastated by the experience, his parents are suing.

The Kavanaugh hearing brought the question of false accusations into people’s living rooms. That’s where the issue belongs because average and disadvantaged people need due process far more than the elite of society.

Average people have fought through centuries to gain and maintain these protections against imperious government and bad actors. The protections benefit both men and women because they stand in defense of common people. No sincere accuser, mistaken or not, should have anything to fear from impartial justice. But no intentionally false accuser should be able to bypass the protections of justice in their own self-interest.

Conclusion

#BelievetheWomen is the culmination of a push that began decades ago to achieve much-needed reform within the justice system. In the 1960s feminists crusaded against rape laws that brutalized women by treating them as though they were responsible for their own assaults. They weren’t and they aren’t, but the reform has gone too far. It is not an insult to ask for evidence when a crime is alleged. It is a sign of taking the accusation seriously and that’s what feminists crusaded for in the first place.

Wendy McElroy is a research fellow at the Independent Institute and the author or editor of nine books on women’s issues, government and liberty.