#we're watching it for like the seventh time now and been through our second run of the b5 movies and crusade

[pluralsword]

hey this is hilarious, made an addition in honor of the Minbari (one of the species from Babylon 5) holding the number 3 sacred in all things from relationships (you know like. number of partners in a relationship) to division of government to languages (and thus 9, 27, and so forth)

Hello Tumblr community I am here to bring you this meme which is totally not based on myself

[xxisxxisxxis]

Gateway Drug | Part Fifty-Eight

A/N: Just saying the story is picking up pace after this part so get ready.

Words: 3.4K

Warning(s): Explicit language, mentions of drug abuse

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I watch as Tommy and Nikki finish up their MTV interview to promote the new album, Nikki glancing at me every now and then.

"And, before we go, can you repeat those dates again for the release of the video of first single and the debut of the album?"

"Uh, the 'Girls, Girls, Girls' video--we're filming for that around the end of the month, the album's coming out between May fifth and May tenth, probably." Nikki states.

"Alright, you heard it here. May is gonna be the month of Mötley Crüe, obviously when those release details become more specific we will let you all at home know but for now just keep your eyes on May. Nikki, Tommy, it's always a great talk anytime you're in the studio with us, we appreciate you dropping by."

"No problem." Nikki says.

"Anytime, Dude." Tommy adds.

"Good luck with the album, it's gonna be at the top of the charts when it's out, I guarantee."

"Thanks, we really appreciate that." Tommy nods.

"And good luck also with shooting the video, I'm sure plenty of our audience will be looking forward to all the women, and of course we'll be looking forward to all the censoring we're gonna have to edit in." The interviewer's last line is sarcastic as he shakes their hands, and they laugh. "Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe, folks. Don't go anywhere." He finishes as they cut, and Nikki waves me over, sitting his coffee cup down to reach for my water bottle in my hand.

I give it to him and he nearly drinks the entire thing before handing it back to me.

"Thank you, babe." He says to me, letting out a breath as the interviewer bids them one last "goodbye" as they stand up and stretch.

We have to meet Mick, Vince and Doc at their rehearsal space so they can continue their auditions for background singers.

So far, the girls that have tried out are either gorgeous but can't sing, and the ones who can sing like Whitney Houston aren't "hot enough to be on the same stage as Mötley Crüe", even though I've seen them hook up with far worse.

I haven't said a word about 'You're All I Need' because the giant, heavy scratch my key left on the entire passenger side of Nikki's brand new car will say plenty when he finally notices it.

So far he hasn't even driven the thing since he's been back. It's just been in the garage.

"...Okay, thank you for your time." Nikki pipes to the pretty dark-haired girl with almost honey colored eyes.

I think she's on the "hot but talentless" list.

"Dude, we're never gonna find fucking singers." Tommy groans, rubbing his face.

"Viv, can you sing?" Vince whines.

"Like chalk against a chalk board." I reply blankly and he sighs.

"All this has been is just hours and hours of disappointment with a few good blowjobs in between." Vince states.

"Just shut up and be patient." Mick tells them.

Doc sends the next girl in, and I see everyone's faces light up because she's pretty.

Blonde hair, a nice figure, and she dresses the part.

"Hi." She greets us with a smile.

"Hi." Vince grins back.

"I-I'm Donna McDaniel." She says next.

"Okay, here's some lyrics." Nikki hands her a sheet of paper with the main lines of a few of their songs she'd have to sing backup for and she takes it. "Start when you're ready."

The relief on their faces when she starts, makes me want to laugh.

She's attractive and she can sing.

"When you leave, tell Doc that we're interested, and he'll lead you to where you can stay until we finish up." Nikki informs her and she nods, handing the music back to him.

"Thank you." She tells them as she steps out.

"No, thank you." Vince says out of earshot, looking a little more hopeful that they'll find their second singer.

And sure enough, they do.

Within forty more minutes, they're sending everyone else home after another blonde, named "Emi" but she pronounces it "Amy", comes in.

I can see Vince's mind churning up how to get her and Donna to fuck around with him, and Nikki can see it, too.

Once Emi is sent to wait with Donna, Nikki's going into military sergeant mode.

"If we hire them," he starts, pointing at Tommy and Vince, "nobody fucks them. Got it?"

"What? Why?" Vince looks heartbroken.

"You don't shit in your own backyard, man, that's why. They're employees, we're the bosses."

"Yeah, Vinnie, we can't have employees having us wrapped around their finger." Tommy adds with a nod.

"It's the easiest pussy there possibly will ever be, are you serious?" Vince complains.

"If it's so easy, why did they both turn you down already?" I point out and he glares at me.

"Just. Don't. Fuck. Them. Got it?" Nikki sternly asks.

I guess now is a good time to mention that Nikki fucked Donna on the "Girls" tour.

The closer we got to tour, the more adamant Nikki was about cutting his addiction.

But, despite him constantly saying "I'm done with it" and throwing away everything to get high on, I'd always find him crawling around in our yard, naked, with his shot gun...carrying on about midgets and Mexicans.

It wouldn't take the neighbors five minutes to call and let me know he was out there.

Trying to tell them a believable excuse was the hard part.

I let out a soft breath, pulling the covers tighter over me, drifting further and further into sleep as the sound of our ceiling fan and Nikki flickering his lighter from the closed closet every now and again moves through the room, and lulls me to sleep.

I don't know what time it is when I wake up to the sound of Nikki screaming, running out of our room, but I force myself to sit up as quickly as I can and go after him.

I turn on the light in the hallway just in time to see him pressing the "panic" button on our security system contact box, which alerts West Tech, our security company, and they send out one of their people to come check on the situation.

"Nikki, what the hell?!" I ask him and he turns to look at me, pissed off and paranoid.

"I'm tired of these bastards not giving us any peace."

"W-What? Who?"

"You know who!"

"Nikki, what are you talking about?!"

He had smoked his crack and convinced himself our security had bugged the house and were watching him, constantly.

Then, he had decided "no, it's the FBI that's watching me" and gained the courage to set off the alarm to our security that something wasn't right.

And then, by the time West Tech arrived, Nikki was turning on them, again.

"Nikki, let me get to the door." I tell him calmly as the knocking continues.

"Fuck off!" Nikki shouts.

"Mr. Sixx, it's Chris with West Tech--"

"--Get off of my fucking property or I'll fucking shoot you!" He screams as we stand on the other side of the door, his shotgun ready. "You motherfuckers have bugged my house and I'm not fucking taking it anymore!"

"Mr. Sixx--"

They stop trying the second Nikki cracks the door open, and points his gun at all of them.

I hear them scatter to their van, the tires screeching as they quickly make a break for it.

He slams the door shut and locks it, the both of us waiting in silence until we decide they're gone.

"You called our security...then shot at them because they answered the call..." I point out to him, exhausted, and he looks down at me. "I'm sleeping in the guest bedroom." I state.

I lock the door behind me and climb into the bed, hearing Nikki go back to our bedroom, and I envy Karen for staying over at a friend's house because Nikki is starting to really wear me down with his shit.

The next few nights consists of Nikki, Tommy, me and the director working on the music video, Wayne Isham, trying to decide what strip club would be best to film the video for "Girls, Girls, Girls" at.

And me and Nikki arguing over another matter that is too be determined:

"I said I'm not gonna be in the video." I repeat to Nikki, crossing my arms and he raises a brow.

"Babe, it's not that serious." Nikki states.

"I already told you I'm not comfortable with it."

"You wear bikinis all the time, you wear thongs and bras all the time...It's not like I'm gonna have you up there topless or anything." He motions to the stage of the Seventh Veil.

"Nikki, I'm not comfortable with it. Why can't you just let that go?"

"Why can't you be more fun?"

"Nikki, it's fine if she doesn't want to." Tommy lightly tells him with a chuckle.

Nikki doesn't even hear him, too busy focusing on me to see if he cracked me or not.

"Are you fellas good on drinks?" A scantily clad cocktail waitress asks us.

"We're fine, thanks." Wayne tells her with a decent amount of class...but that doesn't sit well with Tommy and Nikki.

"Okay, my name's Tabby if you guys need anything, let me know."

Before she can smile and walk away, Tommy's stopping her.

"Actually, there is something else, Tabby." He states, smiling, and she grins politely.

"What can I get for you?"

He motions for her to come closer and he gets in her ear, with Nikki smirking, knowing exactly what he was proposing to the pretty brunette.

Her face pales, and she glances at me before awkwardly giving Tommy nudge with her elbow as if he were joking.

His face shifts to one of seriousness.

"What, you think I'm joking?" He asks her and she tries to keep from looking too uncomfortable, giving all of us a small smile before saying:

"I've gotta get back to work. Let me know when you guys need a refill, you know it's on the house."

She walks away and Nikki and Tommy chuckle.

That was the first time I had seen a woman get uncomfortable around the guys.

Usually they were all for whatever it is Tommy or Vince suggest doing with them...I later found out Tommy had suggested to Tabby that he and Nikki meet her in the bathroom to tag team her.

That's why she had looked almost sick looking at me, when he was whispering in her ear.

She was probably thinking:

"Bless her naive heart."

Me nor Wayne bother to ask any questions about the incident before we're getting ready to go.

The guys and Wayne talk to the owner about possibly shooting the video and he's all for it, giving them the day after tomorrow to get it done.

I'm too busy thinking about what Nikki said earlier to really listen all that much.

"Why can't you be more fun?" who the hell does he think he is? Oh, right, he's "NiKkI fUcKiNg SiXx."

Once we're stepping outside and telling Wayne "bye", Nikki and Tommy are putting in to going to the Cathouse.

I just want to go home.

"I don't feel like going all the way back home, then coming all the way back." Nikki complains and I furrow my brows a little.

"Nikki, it's..." I grab his wrist to pull his jacket sleeve up and look at his watch. It's nearly 3:00am. "...2:53."

"Then just call a cab." He suggests.

"Are you on smack right now?" I don't sugarcoat the question. "You're being a bigger asshole than you are when you're sober." I add.

"Fuck off!" He snaps at me.

I can tell Tommy wants to say something, but keeps quiet.

"Fine." I say, turning on my heel to the payphone down the way.

I realize I don't have any money to pay for it, but before I can go back and ask Nikki for some change, he and Tommy are off.

So I find my next option.

I walk nearly an hour to the Franklin and get to where Duff's staying, only to find him, and none of the guys are home.

I feel like crying, but decide this isn't the end of the world before I calm down and sit by his door like a lost puppy.

I wake up to the feeling of someone nudging me awake with their shoe, and I'm met with Izzy looking down at me.

"Izzy." I greet him.

"Viv." He replies blankly. "Did you leave or were you thrown out?" He asks me and I roll my eyes before he gives me the slightest hint of a smile before it fades and he's nodding across the hall. "C'mon."

I stand up as he unlocks his apartment and motions me inside.

"You can stay here until Duff gets in." He says.

"Thank you." I reply, sitting on the couch as he hands me a shitty blanket.

"I'm gonna go scrub the lipstick and regret from my balls." He informs me, heading to the bathroom.

"At least you regret it." I say back.

"Nah, I don't regret getting a blowjob from a random girl, I regret not nailing her." He corrects me and I don't even hide my laughter.

Once he's done, he's stepping across the hall to see if Duff's back. Apparently he is because Izzy's coming to get me.

"Fuck off, Sixxette." He takes the blanket from me and I gladly head towards Duff's place.

When I get inside, Duff's passed out on the couch, snoring, and smelling like a bar.

I walk over to him, gently shaking him awake, and he let's out another groan.

"Go away." He waves his hand, his eyes closed, and I raise a brow.

"Duff, it's Viv. C'mon, at least go get in your bed so you won't feel worse tomorrow."

He perks up at the sound of my voice, lifting his head, rubbing his eyes.

"I've...is this a dream? 'Cause usually you're naked and 'Purple Rain' is playing." He slurs and I feel my face heat up in embarrassment.

"No, it isn't a dream...and I didn't need to know that but thank you, I guess." I reply, pulling his boots off.

I help him stand, his tall, lanky figure towering over me.

"You look pretty, were you on a date?" He asks when I get him to sit on his bed, helping him not fall over as he tries to take off his shirt and gets caught in it.

"Er...kinda?" I shrug and he nods. "Were you on a date?" I ask when a condom wrapper falls from his jacket and he scrunches his face up.

"Er...kinda." He replies in the same tone, rubbing his face and I laugh. "Hey, I'm a bachelor now, Viv. I'm gullible. I mean elgib--no, estrang...or amb...what the fuck is that word?"

"Eligible?"

"Yeah, that one." He coughs, taking his belt off as I pick up his scattered dirty clothes and put them against his wall in a pile.

When I turn back around, I get a split-second's worth of an eyeful of him completely naked and snap back around, covering my eyes.

"Ohh...I should've told you I'm freeballing." He says.

"Just..." I turn around, keeping my eyes closed, holding my hand out for his pants so I can put them in the pile with his other clothes.

"Are you reaching for it or something?" He laughs and, again, my face is bright red.

"No, Duff, I'm not reaching for it. I need your pants." I inform him.

He laughs some more, throwing the pants my way and I take them and put them in the pile as he crawls into bed and under the covers.

"By the way, it's bigger than that." He informs me and I furrow my brows and look at him.

"What?"

"It's cold in here so..."

I realize he's referring to his dick and I scream internally.

"...Okay, Duff, too much informa--"

"--I'm packing. That's all I'm saying. I'm like a can of Spam. Lotta meat in--"

"--Shh!" I blush even more, squeezing my eyes shut.

"Oh, oops."

"Jeez. Goodnight, Duff." I'm about to go sleep on the couch.

"Where ya going?" He asks me when I turn the light off.

"Sleeping on the couch."

"You can sleep in here, I can take the couch." He sits up.

"No, no. You're not gonna feel good tomorrow just sleep in here, really, it's fine."

"Well, are you gonna be okay? You don't sleeping by yourself."

I sigh, wishing it were that simple.

"Duff, we can't do that. Nikki wrote an entire song about wanting to kill me, and it was because he thinks something's happening between you and I." I explain.

"Nikki accusing you of cheating?" There's an uncomfortable wait before he says, "that's fucking rich."

"Yeah, well, he doesn't like it so out of respect for him--"

"--I don't fucking respect him." He mumbles.

"Duff, you're drunk. Just sleep it off."

"You're right. I should shut the fuck up let the universe deal him his fucking cards."

I ignore him saying so, turning to leave, but I stop myself.

I'm only here to begin with because Nikki couldn't just take me back home.

I step back to the bed, taking my heels and jacket off.

I take the extra pillow under mine and put it between us as I get into bed.

"Goodnight, Duff." I say quietly, turning my back to him.

"G'night, Viv."

Nikki would have had an absolute fit had he known, then again, I wasn't fucking Duff, I had no intention of doing so, and I told Nikki exactly where I ended up staying the next day.

The sun glitters through the window of Duff's room, hitting my face, and I blink my eyes open, feeling Duff breathing in and out.

Sometime during the night I must've broken past the pillow partition because, although I'm facing away from him, my back is pulled to his side, the side of my face is resting against his bicep, my shoulder tucked under the pit of his arm, and the arm that my face is against, is wrapped around me, his hand resting against my stomach.

I turn to look at him, seeing his peaceful expression as he sleeps contently.

My mind drifts back to that dream I once had about him.

I hate that Nikki thinks anything is going on between Duff and I, but it's my fault.

I lied about seeing him, I lied by omittion at the beginning by not even telling Nikki about him...a part of me wants to think if I were to tell Nikki about me dreaming I had sex with Duff, it'd be a wake up call that our issues are more serious than he believed.

I mean, when you're in a committed relationship and you can picture yourself having sex with someone you're close to, to the point your subconscious creates this entire fantasized scenario, there's something wrong that needs to be talked about.

But another part of me knows he'll flip his shit, call me a "whore" and probably file for divorce.

So, keeping it to myself it is.

My eyes go to my crucifix lying on the bedside table, and I reach out for it.

I taken it off last night when I felt too guilty for sweeping in the same bed as Duff, knowing Nikki wouldn't like it.

I thought if I took it off, I wouldn't feel bad anymore.

And I didn't.

When I was a teenager I would take that necklace off anytime I did something I thought my mother would disapprove of. Whether it was cheating on homework assignments, or, eventually, fucking Nikki Sixx.

I ended up picking that habit back up once Duff and I started getting closer, except instead of avoiding the disapproval of my mother, I was fleeing the disapproval of Nikki.

One thing I didn't take in to consideration, however, taking it off left me at risk for leaving a track.

Just like Mick had put together I had slept with Nikki because my crucifix was on his bedroom floor back in '81, halfway through the "Girls" tour with Guns N' Roses, I accidentally left my track on the bathroom counter in Duff's room, where Nikki went to throw up while he was hanging out with him, Slash, and Steven.

What they should teach in children's church: if you're going to sin, keep any religious jewelry or articles of clothing on.

Whomever the hell you worship already knows you're up to no good.

[bongaboi]

Iona: 2021 Metro Atlantic Men's Basketball Champions

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- — Rick Pitino ended an Iona team photo, a championship trophy as the centerpiece, by pointing toward a ladder and telling the Gaels to clip the nets.

He knows the way.

From coaching perennial powers to exile to the New York suburbs, Pitino has navigated a vagabond career bathed in scandal and success the only way he can: by winning.

Asante Gist scored 18 points and Pitino took his record-tying fifth school to the NCAA Tournament with Iona's 60-51 victory over Fairfield on Saturday in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament championship.

Next stop, the all-Indiana NCAA Tournament.

"I told them I was packing eight suits," Pitino said. "We have a lot of dirty laundry, and we're heading to Indianapolis."

The 68-year-old Pitino was already the first coach to win national titles at two schools (Kentucky, Louisville) and the first to take three schools (Providence) to the Final Four. He led Boston University to the tournament in 1983.

Pitino was hired at Iona (12-5) last March to — yes, to keep the Gaels among the perennial favorites to come out of the MAAC in March — but in large part to rehabilitate his image after an ignominious end at Louisville.

Pitino had a trying first season trying to orchestrate a tourney bid through a pandemic. He contracted coronavirus and the Gaels were forced to stop four times this season because of virus issues — including a 51-day hiatus that sidelined them longer than any team in the country.

Led by the backcourt of Gist and Isaiah Ross, the ninth-seeded Gaels used a 10-0 run to close the first half at Boardwalk Hall. Ross made the postgame walk through the empty seats and kissed his 10-month-old daughter, Averie.

Pitino, his mask on his chin all game, shuffled side-to-side as if in a perpetual defensive drill, yelled instruction, harangued the officials and somehow in the roll of papers he gripped all game had the formula that showed why in stops ranging from Kentucky to New Rochelle, New York, he landed in the Hall of Fame. Well-traveled — with baggage.

"We've been the No. 1 of No. 1 overall seeds, but with the treatment by the NCAA of me, we might get an 18 seed," Pitino said.

Caleb Green buried a 3 for the Stags (10-17) that brought them to 20-18 in the first half before they faded over the final four minutes. Gist hit consecutive jumpers to kickstart the run and send the Gaels into the half with a 30-18 lead.

The championship game sprinkled mostly family and friends inside the boardwalk venue to liven the atmosphere and there was a nice round of applause when Gist needed help to the bench with an apparent knee injury. With Gist out, Fairfield's Jake Wojcik made a 3 in the second half that made it a four-point game. Gist's absence was short-lived and he hit a 3 in his return to send the Gaels on their way to their fifth straight NCAA Tournament.

"I don't think everybody knows what it's like when we take that pause," Gist said of the start-and-stop challenges.

Pitino took over a program used to playing in March. Iona had completed a good run under Tim Cluess, who made six NCAA Tournament appearances and won five MAAC Tournament titles in nine seasons before stepping down for health reasons, when it hired Pitino. Pitino gave a postgame shoutout to Cluess.

Iona, an eight-point favorite, didn't necessarily need Pitino. Pitino had coached at Louisville from 2001-17 before being fired in a pay-for-play scandal and had been coaching in Greece.

"Louisville is a great program. Unfortunately, some people in life did some things wrong and a lot of innocent people have suffered," Pitino said. "Not only me, but a lot of innocent people that are behind the program and that's disappointing. But I'm the leader of this ship. I said it over and over. I deserved to be fired because if somebody under me did the wrong things, I deserve it."

Iona President Seamus Carey, who met with Pitino in Spain, and athletic director Matt Glovaski ignored the sex scandals and FBI investigations at Louisville and got their man.

"They've benefited from having him in the league and we've benefited from the PR," MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor said. "Now, there was some controversy, but that was a hiring decision. Once they're hired, I work with whoever's there."

Pitino said he intended to finish his career at Iona, calling it "a great way to end a very long career." But there's little doubt the majors will call him again, and that vow of a final stop could instead be simply a stepping-stone toward the next job.

Iona is a school where coaches usually start their careers, not end them.

The Gaels only cared about the final snapshot — Pitino waving the net and draping it around his neck, one more for the championship collection.

BIG PICTURE

Iona: Pitino joined Lon Kruger and Tubby Smith as the only coaches to take five programs to the NCAA Tournament. Ensor credited Pitino for the inspiration behind the MAAC's "Time Out for Black Lives" reading program that focused on Black culture. Pitino selected "A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis."

"For the young coaches that we typically have in our league, he provides a learning experience they would rarely get," Ensor said. "Rick come to us at the pinnacle of his career. He's had all the accolades. Now you have all these coaches with the opportunity to watch him. Sometimes I wish they wouldn't watch him in action. He can be kind of animated on the sidelines and can work the officials like a Hall of Famer."

Fairfield: The seventh-seeded Stags defeated Manhattan, Monmouth and Saint Peter's to reach the final.

"If we keep doing what we're doing, showing up every day putting the work in, we'll be back in this game with a different result," coach Jay Young said.

BACK AT BOARDWALK

The MAAC has one more year left on its contract to play in Atlantic City and Ensor hoped the conference will remain in New Jersey. Ensor said even in a pandemic the conference met its commitment in hotel rooms.

--------

[vi-sability]

Rebel of Dimensions Chapter 1

Perched on the rooftop, I watched the throng of people almost breathe as they pushed around each other. The top level of Khido was an open space, and it bothered me. It’s so easy to get caught up here. It's not like the air is clean; far from it, actually, but the lower levels let you hide easier. With my hair, hiding well is essential. I've been told to never travel further up. My family say that the city above ours, Drin, is the worst place to be, but never why. Khido is full of dark walls and streets, which kinda sucks for me. My hair's bubblegum pink, thanks to my mom. I can duck and dive into the shadows, but I stick out like a sore thumb. Maybe Drin is worse? Maybe there's light in every place there isn't here? 

"What are you doing up there, boy?!" I sneered at a policeman and stood up, turning and jumping across the rooftops. Nobody can catch me. Gripping a loose pipe, I swung around and slid to the floor, the metal soles of my boots creating sparks on the brick wall. Somebody yelled after me, and I ducked into an elevator pod, yanking the lever and keeping an eye on the dark streets below as I descended. Khido has like, five different levels of homes and markets, the people getting nastier the further you go down. Me and my family live on the fourth level, so we're kinda in the middle. All I'm doing is trying to get by. 

I still haven't spotted my mark. My uncle said that he needed something specific from them, and they didn't give it up easily. Shaking my mother's goggles over my face gave me enhanced vision, letting me track the data sample in my glove. There. As the elevator pod rocked to a halt, I broke off into a run, using the jagged cliff edges to jump from and keep my speed. Nobody sees me coming unless they know what to look for. As I got above the mark, I held onto a spike with one hand, pushing my goggles back onto my forehead before jumping down and stopping my mark in his tracks.  

"What's up?" I grinned, folding my arms like I've seen my uncle do. It makes me look so cool. "I'm gonna need that Deusum crystal from you."  

"I-I've been told to not let this go!" I shrugged and rolled my shoulder.  

"Well, I've been told to not come back without it." I'm lying, but it makes everything much more dramatic. I did feel kinda bad, because he was wearing rags and tattered shoes, but it's every person for themselves. He hugged the briefcase to his chest, and ran past me, bumping my shoulder. It's not surprising that people run from me, though. I am wearing roughed-up jeans, metal boots, and a set of chest belts instead of a shirt. I look like a thug. Grinning, I ran after him, vaulting up onto a low wall, and then up onto a rooftop.  

The runner wasn't used to this. He kept bumping into people and stumbling over his own feet. I picked up a couple of cuts on my un-gloved hand as I vaulted over low walls and jumped to different rooftops, rolling on impact so I didn't break a leg. He ducked into an elevator pod and slammed the door shut, looking up at me and grinning smugly as I skidded to a halt. Oh, he thinks I'm beaten. How cute. Turning, I looked up to the thick cables that the pod was suspended on. Well, there's a first time for everything.  

Running again, I dug the toes of my boots into the wall, gripping the lower cable with my gloved hand. As I started to slide down to the pod, the runner's expression turned horrified. A few people yelled up to me, but this is a normal day for what I do. As my feet hit the metal pod, I winced at the pain in my ankles. I'm still a teenager, though. It's nothing.  

"Are you gonna give up the crystal?" I asked, gripping the window edge of the pod to lean in. I think the last time I did this, I held onto the cable for about fourty seconds.  

"Get away from me!" He tried to hit my fingers with the case, but I'm a lot faster than him. Gripping the edge again, I swung down, both hands on the window ledge. The runner tried to hit my hands away a couple of times, but I'm still way too fast for him. I pulled myself up, the strain in my muscles starting to burn. As I got at the right height to pull myself in, the pod stopped, and I was thrown forward, onto my face.  

He laughed as he ran again, still thinking that he had me beaten. I got up, brushed my messy hair back into place, and ran after him, using an abandoned cart as a springboard up to a rooftop. We're on the sixth level now. I'd be surprised if somebody didn't grab him. I dropped myself down to slide through a hole in the wall, throwing myself to my feet. The runner started to jog down what was the only staircase in the huge city, which made me stop. I'm not really used to stairs.  

"Kid! Use that pipe!" I looked down to the huge, fat guy, and where the pointed to a huge metal pole.  

"Thanks!" I called back, running towards it. I jumped, gripped it with my gloved hand, and started to slide down the rough surface, my boots creating sparks. There he is! I hit the base of the pipe, pushing myself away from it and catching up with the runner. When he saw me, he shouted in surprise and tripped over himself, falling down the small hill and into the poisonous sewer river that ran the length of the Khido's bottom level.  

"Help me!" He yelled, barely staying afloat. I can't just leave him in there. Digging my fingertips into the gravel and dirt, I edged my feet down the hill, reaching my gloved hand out for him. He gripped my wrist, and I started to pull him up, slowly losing my grip. He did have a damn good grip on the case. When his torso was on land, I pulled myself back up, sitting on the edge of the road and rubbing my sore shoulder. "Th-thank you..." He huffed, trying to catch his breath.  

"Don't mention it." I grinned, reaching over and grabbing the briefcase. "No hard feelings, but I have a job to do."  

"You're not the only one." He sighed. "Looks like I can't go back to the Blood Pack Mob on the second floor."  

"They're the ones who gave you this job?" He nodded. "Damn, you're gonna have to stay away from the top floors now."  

"Who sent you to take that crystal, anyway?" He asked, coping how I was sat. "You seem like a professional, kid." Now that I could look at him more clearly, he was obviously struggling. Underweight, cracked skin full of dirt, clothes that are full of holes, stuff like that. He was balding, and his eyes are dull, like there was no life in him at all.  

"I've been doing this for four years, since I was 12." His face dropped even more, and he rubbed his face in his hands. "Look, if you need help, you could join the Generations team."  

"The rebels?" He asked. I nodded. "That's not exactly a safe place to go, kid. Freedom fighting is deadly."  

"Don't I know it." I grinned. "I'm close with 'em, though. My Aunt founded it." When I looked back, he had an expression of shock. Setting the case down, I brushed my hair back to the right side of my head, showing the thick pink stubble and the 'V' shaved into the side of my head. "But do you have any other choice?"  

"No..." He mumbled, looking at his feet.  

"Exactly." I got up, gripping the case in my bare hand. "Good luck." I said, patting his shoulder before running off. As luck had it, somebody was getting into an elevator pod for the exact level I needed. A lady gasped in surprise as I ducked inside just before the doors closed.  

"The name's Vincent, nice to meetcha." I grinned, holding a hand out for her and the guy she was with.  

"Oh, uhm, I'm Olivia." She shook my hand.  

"Aaron." He shook my hand, too. They're both brunette, with the same chiselled faces and narrow eyes. I'm guessing that they're brother and sister. "We're not going to get in trouble from being around you, are we?"  

"Nah, I'm just heading home now." I lifted the case into my open palm and peeked inside. Deusum crystals are kinda pretty. They look like steel, but the magic inside flows like ink in water. All that my uncle told me was that he needed these, but not what for. "Here's my stop." I clipped the case shut again and jumped onto the edge of the open window. "See ya." They both shouted in panic as I jumped, catching a well-placed wire with my gloved hand, and sliding down until my feet hit the wall of my home.  

Where I live isn't much to look at, but that's how it's supposed to be. There are people out there that would sell my family out in a second. It's made of the same dark stone as any other home, set into the cliffs that loomed over either side of the city. Dusting the gravel and metal shavings off of my pants, I pushed the door open, hearing something fall over as soon as I stepped inside.  

"Yasi, you idiot!" My little brother, Jayson yelled. I poked my head into the room where it came from. Jayson looks nothing like me. Scruffy black curls, wide eyes, and a bright smile. We both have blue eyes, but that’s where the similarities end. "Vinny!" He ran over when he saw me, and I knelt down to give him a hug.  

"What's up, little bro?" I grinned, putting the case down and hugging him back. He and Yasi were only 6. Yasi ran over for a hug, too. They were both dressed mostly the same, in button-up shirts and jeans. Yasi had a darker tone to his skin and deep red hair, thanks to his mother. It was longer than hers, braided so it didn't get messy. But just like his dad, my uncle, his eyes were glow-in-the-dark green.  

"Did you bring us back something?" Yasi asked, leaning away.  

"Not this time, sorry." I grinned. "Didn't have chance."  

"What fell over in here?" My uncle's wife, Alva Bronze, walked down the hall. I'd be blind if I said she wasn't pretty. Dark skin, soft features, covered in tattoos.  

"The small table!" Jayson said, running over to it. Alva shrugged to me as I stood up. I'm not that tall, but she's tiny. She only comes up to my shoulder.  

"Vincent, what have you been doing?" Alva then asked, stepping back and covering her nose. "You smell like sewage!"  

"Well, I did pull a guy out of the poison river down on the seventh level." Her brow creased, and she turned away. "It's probably only my glove that stinks. Oh, and the case."  

"Vinny is stinky!" Yasi laughed, grabbing my bare hand.  

"Take it somewhere else before my sense of smell decides to mutiny." Alva walked into the room, Yasi following her. Smiling and shaking my head, I picked the case back up and jogged to the last room in the hallway. I opened the door slowly, just in case there was any experiments going on. I have a scar on the back of my head from when I was seven as a reminder.  

"Uncle Cable?" I sighed in relief when I saw him.  

"I see you got your job done, Vincent." My uncle is a weird kinda guy. His blonde hair was shaved on both sides, leaving two mechanical inputs open on each side of his head. He and Alva barely had any bare skin left, due to how many tattoos they got together. I always thought it was funny how Alva barely came up to my shoulder, and I was eye-level with Cable's shoulder. I know that they loved each other, though.  

Cable, my mom, and my aunt all escaped from one of the experimental camps that the higher-ups let happen. It's how my mom got her pink hair, and passed it on to me. Cable has sockets on his head, inner elbows, and on the backs of his hands. He uses them to plug himself into the computer systems across the city. He's sat in a chair with an extending monitor wrapped around the front, inputs plugged into his head and hands.  

"I did." I kicked the door shut and put the case down on a clear part of the workbench. "The guy fell into the poison river, though. Had to pull him out." Cable laughed and waved the screen away. The holograms flickered off, and the frame detached, sinking back into the headrest of the chair. I winched as he unplugged himself, but it's just routine. "Found anything in the systems?"  

"The leader of the Two Mark Mob has had a daughter." I laughed as he stuck his tongue out. "Good thing you got this Deusum, though. Otherwise, we'd have had a terrible week." Cable opened the case and smiled at the amount of crystals in it.  

"What do you need them for, anyway?" His green eyes met mine, and he stepped back, motioning to a cybernetic arm that was drenched in blood. "Again?"  

"It's getting worse." He sighed. That's my mom's fake arm. She told me that her real one was blown off in an accident before I lost my memory. To make the arm work, she had to push a lot of tech into her skin. Makes me shudder to even think about.  

"Is she okay?" Cable nodded.  

"Spring made her lie down an hour ago. You better go check on her." Of course. My Aunt is caring like that. Nodding, I pulled my glove off, put it on the bench, and walked out of the workshop, smiling to Alva when she saw me. Now she had her older boy, Nate hiding behind her. He looked more like Cable with his blonde hair and sassy resting expression. Just like Yasi, his skin was a mix of Cable's pale and Alva's dark, but he took after my uncle more in that respect. Even though he's ten years old now, he's still wary of me.  

I was careful pushing the door to my left open. This place was small, but we made it work. My mom and Aunt shared a room, of course Cable and Alva did, I was bunked with Nate, Yasi, and Jayson, the room nearest the door was the kitchen, and the last room went to my younger sister Caylee and Spring's daughter, Tabs. I think that my family is the perfect size. We're all a bit weird because of what happened to my mom, aunt, and uncle, but it's perfect.  

"No, I'm sure that I heard Vincent come back." I walked into the room, grinning to Tabs when she looked up at me. "I was right!" The side effect that my aunt Spring got from the experimentation was discoloured patches on her skin. It used to freak me out because they move. I don't care anymore, but it did pass down to Tabs, even if hers didn't move anywhere. They were both blonde with blue eyes, with Tabs being Spring's spitting image. The only difference is that Spring's hair was longer, going down to her stomach when she flicked it over her shoulder.  

"I saw him before you did." Caylee smiled. Just like any family, we were close. Spring was sat on the end seat of the couch, my mom's head in her lap. I winced when I saw the blood-soaked gauze wrapped around the stump of her shoulder. Caylee and Tabs were sat on the floor against the couch, Tabs turning to smile at me when I walked in. My sister's completely blind, but still sees everything through what she calls her 'mind's eye'. It's kinda freaky. I still don't understand why Caylee or Jayson don’t look anything like me or mom. Caylee's hair was brown, the same length as mine –cut just above the ears- but not shaved on one side.  

"Frost? You still awake?" Spring asked, taking the wet cloth off of her face.  

"Yeah, I'm alive." Caylee and Tabs shifted over so I could sit next to them, and right next to my mom's chest.  

"How's my big boy?" Mom tilted her head to look at me, the cloth falling off her face. She put her arm around my shoulders and pulled me in to kiss my cheek. "Why do you smell so terrible?"  

"Poison river." I grinned. Spring groaned, and mom rolled her eyes. My mom was the most scarred out of all of us. Spring still had the same connections as Cable in her head, but my mom told me that she'd pulled hers out not long before I was born. The left side of her body was scarred by fire, from her ankle to just underneath her eye. She doesn't like talking about it. Her hair was cut to her shoulders in an incredibly messy way, sticking out and a few angles. "I got the Deusum, though."  

"That's good news." Caylee reached over Tabs to pat my arm.  

"You're not gonna talk to 'em, are you, Cay?" Spring asked. Caylee is definitely the weirdest out of all of us. She's obviously a mage, seeing everything with her mind, and she says that she can talk to the magic inside the crystals I bring home.  

"No. It's depressing knowing that they're going to be crushed." Cay and Tabs were best friends, which didn't bother me. They are the only two girls aside from the adults.  

"We should go and get your shoulder fixed before you lose any more blood, Frost." Spring said, patting my mom's cheek.  

"Yeah, you are looking really pale." Tabs said, a wince in her voice.  

"I've survived worse." Mom laughed, letting go of me to push herself up.  

"I've got ya." I grunted as I got up, my ankles still sore from the risky jumps I did earlier.  

"Your bones are grinding together too much, Vin." Caylee said, scaring me.  

"What have you been doing?" Spring asked. I grabbed my mom's hand and helped her to her feet.  

"I need to do my free running to catch people." I said, grinning to mom when she raised an eyebrow at me. "I'm fine, though."  

"A teenager shouldn't have the bones of somebody who's eighty." Caylee said again, turning to look at me with her white eyes. Creepy.  

"We can argue about this later." Spring said. "We have to stop Frost from bleeding out, first." The metal in her shoulder never agrees with her, so we use Deusum crystals to fuse flesh and metal. They never last long enough, though. I hate seeing my mom in pain.  

"If I pass out, don't be surprised." She grinned, walking out of the room with Spring following close behind.  

"Yeah, yeah, just move." Spring shoved her, which made her laugh. Sighting, I sat back down against the couch. My mom and Spring share a bed, which confuses me. Wouldn't they prefer separate beds?  

"How come you're allowed to do whatever you want?" Tabs asked. I looked at her, eyebrow raised. "I want to take the fight to corruption, but mom, Frost, and Cable won't let me."  

"Because I'm the oldest." I grinned, brushing my hair back into place and making sure that the 'V' was still in the side of my head. "You're still twelve, Tabs."  

"Yeah, but you're not even doing anything!" Here we go again. "You could be fighting those idiots that are killing people, but you're just stealing crystals from people!"  

"It's not that simple." Caylee said. "Spring has a small army of people that hang on her every word. Vincent is just one teenager. If he tried to take the fight to them by himself, it would not end well."  

"Did you see that in your future vision?" I huffed, resting my face on my hand.  

"No, it's common sense." Tabs snorted and coughed into her hands. "What you're doing is the best you can do."  

"No, it's not." Tabs huffed.  

"Hey, I got the Deusum, didn't I?" I tried not to imagine the pain that my mom was in as Cable fixed the problem. "I'm doing stuff to help us all."  

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