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5-seconds-of-bucky · 4 years

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Tasty Pastry (Baker!Shawn au)

A/N: Hello lovely people! I attempted to make an angsty baker!Shawn, and I must say, I’m quite pleased with how it turned out. Thanks for your support and happy reading! :)

Summery: Life at the bakery is great until the unpredictable happens and Shawn blames it all on you

Word Count: 4.2k+

Warnings: Swearing, angst

“Thank you, your muffin will be out in a minute,” you said to the customer with a smile. They smiled politely with a nod and stepped aside for the next person in line. There was no one behind them though, so you went ahead and started working on their order.

It was an unusually slow day for the bakery. You were usually hopping at eight in the morning. Perhaps you could attribute the lack of business to the gloomy day. People were probably headed to coffee shops where they could get a good dose of caffeine instead of a bakery to fix their sweet tooth.

Shawn walked up behind you as you turned around to grab a box for the muffin, causing you to smack right into him. His hands grabbed your shoulders, making sure you weren’t going to fall down.

“Fancy meeting you here, darling. We’re gonna need more flour soon,” he said with his signature grin.

“Didn’t we buy a ton not too long ago?” you asked as you maneuvered around him to grab the box.

“Yeah but I was experimenting on that new cake and we had a huge cupcake order last week.” He waved to the waiting customer and went to fix something on the chalkboard menu.

“I’ll add it to the list.” You walked over to the clear case on top of the counter that held a number of pastries, taking out a blueberry muffin and putting it in the box before handing it to the customer. “Have a great day.”

They nodded once again and left, leaving just you and Shawn in the bakery. It was the perfect day to experiment with some new creations.

“Think I’m gonna try to make that cheesecake recipe you sent me the other day,” he said once he finished writing. “But I’m going to make it just red berries instead of mixed.”

“Okay, well I have to go to the bank at some point to make a deposit so are you good to hold down the fort for thirty minutes or so?”

“Why don’t we go together after closing and grab dinner? We haven’t had a date night in a while.”

“Ooh, yes! We definitely need a date night”

The day continued on as expected; a few people here and there but nothing exceptionally busy. The smell of whatever Shawn was making was absolutely divine, and you found yourself peaking your head in every couple minutes to see how it was going. He had three different versions of that cheesecake going on while he was also making a few batches of cupcakes and cinnamon rolls.

“You’re back again?” he laughed when you walked back there for what must have been the 50th time in the past hour.

“The display case needs to be refilled, okay? Stop belittling me. Besides, cinnamon rolls are amazing and I know you love seeing my beautiful face every two seconds.” You winked at him as you pulled out a tray and placed a variety of pastries on it.

“You’re not wrong about that.” Two years of marriage and he would never get tired of your teasing. He continued staring at you as you loaded the tray. He remembered the day he proposed to you in that very spot like it was yesterday.

“This is going to take forever to clean up,” you laughed as you motioned to the mess of flour and batter on the counters around you. “Why did you think it was a good idea to make such an extravagant cake at two in the morning?”

“It was in the name of science! We had to do it!” He held up a whisk and bopped your apron with it, leaving a bit of egg on the green material.

“We have to be up early to drive to my parents house! Why did I let you talk me into this?” There was a smile behind that scold, and he knew you could never actually be mad about spending time with him.

“Because you love me! Admit it!” He wrapped his arms around you from behind, using a finger to swipe some flour off the counter and wipe it on your cheek.

“Gross!” you giggled. “I would never.”

“You sure about that?” His head rested on your shoulder and he gave you a smirk.

“I mean, what crazy person would a good looking man who can bake?” You leaned your head into his.

“I think you do.” You both giggled and he pressed a chaste kiss to your cheek. “We should probably clean up.”

It was quiet as you wiped everything down, the only noise being the hum of the refrigerator and your footsteps as you moved around the kitchen.

“Almost ready to go?” you asked as you shook out your apron and hung it in the wall.

“Yeah, one second. I need to grab something.” He walked towards you, stopping a few feet away and opening a drawer. He reached to the back, fumbling around before pulling out a small black box. Your eyebrows furrowed as you tried to figure out what it was and why you hadn’t seen it earlier.

He came towards you again. “I thought about putting it in a cupcake or something but I didn’t want the ring to get all sticky so I used my better judgement there,” he laughed nervously, bending down on one knee. “I’ll skip all the sappy stuff cause that’s not your thing. So, to keep it short: I really, really love you, Y/N. Will you marry me?”

You stared at him in shock. You had been dating for three years but you never saw a proposal coming.

“Yeah,” you laughed nervously. “Yeah, I’ll marry you.”

He let out a quiet yes as he stood up and grabbed you into a hug. You were both laughing through tears of joy and you swayed side to side.

“I can’t believe you proposed at two forty-five in the morning.”

He couldn’t do anything but smile.

“You alright?” you asked with a raised eyebrow, snapping him back to the present.

“Yeah, just thinking.”

“Less thinking, more baking.” You picked up the tray and walked over to him, kissing the top of his head and walking out of the kitchen.

Two hours later, you were cleaning everything up and getting ready to close shop. Your backpack was already on your back and you worked quickly, wanting to get to the bank before it closed.

“I’ll take that,” Shawn said, taking your backpack off your shoulder and hoisting it onto his own.

“Why thank you, my dear.”

“My pleasure, m’lady.” He threw an arm over your shoulder as you exited the bakery for a well deserved date night.

Shawn hummed at something you said as you walked back home, seeming distracted from the conversation.

“What’s up? You seem in your head.”

“It’s nothing,” he mumbled. “You locked up before we left, right?”

“Uhh . . .” You racked your brain, trying to remember if you did. “Maybe?”

“I just wanna check before we go home.”

You nodded, and neither of you said anything as you walked there. Shawn furrowed his eyebrows and you felt him tense up next to you as the bakery came into view. He walked faster, causing you to have to pick up the pace as well.

You understood why he was so tense once you reached the front of the store.

“What the-”

Shawn shot out an arm in front of you, his body partially covering you as he looked through the window. “Stay behind me.”

The bakery was a mess. The door was slightly ajar and Shawn could see overturned chairs and the broken display case through the windows.

“What’s going on?” you asked, trying to peek around him.

“I said stay back,” he growled. You stopped trying to see past him, knowing that fighting him when he was protective usually didn’t get you far.

“I’m going in. Stay here.”

“No, I’m going in.” Despite the previous fact, it was your bakery too, and you deserved to see what happened to some degree.

He glared at you and you glared right back. He eventually gave up, knowing you were too stubborn to let him go in alone. “Fine, just please, stay behind me in case someone’s still in there.”

He eased the door open and flicked on the lights. The bakery was a disaster. Chairs were strewn everywhere, posters on the wall torn to shreds, the glass display case you used to hold pastries was shattered, and the cash register was smashed on the ground.

“Oh my God,” you whispered, placing a hand on Shawn’s shoulder. You could feel the anger rolling off of him and you gave it a small squeeze in hopes it would help calm him to the slightest.

He made his way to the back kitchen with you following close behind. The cafe area was bad, but the kitchen looked like three tornadoes went through it. Pastries were smeared over the walls and floor, utensils were thrown everywhere, and the fridge had been left open, making sure everything that wasn’t smashed was spoiled.

“Stay here and call the police. I’m going to check to make sure there’s nobody lurking.”

You didn’t fight him this time. Shawn left slowly, taking calculated movements in case someone was still in the bakery.

He came back as you were finishing up and shook his head.

“Nobody in the shop. Doesn’t look like anything is missing. I just don’t get why,” he said, leaning against a counter and running a hand through his hair. “It looks like they just came to mess with stuff, not take anything.”

“I don’t know. The dispatcher said to check security tapes but since we don’t have any, there’s not much we can do.”

The thing was, Tasty Pastry was located in an older part of town. All of the buildings around it had been around for generations and most businesses never bothered putting up extra security measures. The likelihood of having someone else’s cameras catch whoever did this were slim to none, considering most didn’t have any.

“If you just locked the fucking door,” he muttered under his breath. You heard it anyways and it stung, but you let it slide. He was frustrated.

You stared at your feet until the police showed up. They took statements and went to investigate the scene, leaving you and Shawn standing outside until they finished.

“How could you forget to lock the door? You do it every day,” he said, arms crossed and head leaned against the brick wall of the bakery. A breeze blew by and you shivered, finding yourself wishing you hadn’t left your jacket at home that morning.

“I’m sorry, it must’ve just slipped my mind,” you said, twisting your wedding ring back and forth.

“Slipped your mind?” he laughed sadly.

“I’m sorry, Shawn. I was just-”

“It just slipped your mind, Y/N? Do you see what happened? This one thing that ‘slipped your mind’ is going to cost us a fortune.”

“I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration.”

“Oh, really? We’re going to have to close for at least three days; three of our busiest days of the week to clean everything up. Not only that, but we have to buy all new ingredients too. We’re going to lose time trying to get back on schedule for orders and keeping up with everyone else coming in. Time is money, Y/N. You’re downplaying this situation way too much,” he scoffed, kicking a pebble with his worn out sneakers.

“Look, Shawn. I know it’s my fault and I deserve all the blame, but we can bounce back from this. It’s a minor setback.” You turned to face him.

“Minor setback, huh? We have to replace the display case, all of the pastries and upcoming orders, keep up with the demand. That’s not a minor setback.”

“We’re going to be fine. Accidents happen; we’ll get through it.”

“Accidents happen?” he raised his voice and you flinched slightly. “Look at what happened because of this accident, Y/N. Look at this mess you made.” He gestured to the inside of the bakery and you knew he was right, but his tone was a little harsh. He was right to be mad at you, but that didn’t mean that he had the right to talk to you like that.

“I think I need to go home,” you said quietly, pushing yourself off the wall and dusting off your pants.

“You’re going home at a time like this? Nice, Y/N. That’s real nice.”

“Well where the hell am I supposed to go? You obviously don’t want me here.” You threw your hands out in exasperation. “We’re both upset right now and I don’t think you want me around, so I’m going home.” With that, you turned in the other direction to walk home. Shawn didn’t even call after you, just watched as your figure grew smaller and smaller in the distance.

Considering all the events that had just happened, you’d think your mind would be swirling with thoughts and anxiety. How are we going to fix the shop? Does Shawn hate me now? This is all my fault. Surprisingly though, your mind was blank as you trudged on the sidewalk. All you could do was count your steps until you got home.

You sighed when you reached the front door, patting your pockets to find your key. You frowned and patted again, only finding your phone. That was when you realized that your keys were in your backpack, which was at the bakery. Great.

You leaned your head against the door, whispering a soft “shit” to yourself as a tear feel. A breaking and entering, fight with your husband, and getting locked out of your house. Could this day get any worse?

You pulled out your phone to call Shawn, finding yourself half hoping he wouldn’t pick up. Which was worse: waiting outside in the cold for him to come home who knows when or call him to admit you locked yourself out?

The phone was ringing before you could decide and you leaned your back against the door, trying to shield yourself from the cold and hoping your husband would pick up.

“You’ve reached Shawn. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you soon!”

“Dammit, Shawn!” You dropped your head to your chest. All you wanted was to go inside and go to sleep.

You stood there for a few minutes, debating if it was worth it to break a window to get in, when you remembered that you had a spare key hidden on the deck behind the house.

You walked around to the backyard to grab the key, sighing in content once you were inside the warm house. You were ready for bed in ten minutes and knocked out well before Shawn made it back.

Shawn stood in the doorway of your bedroom, watching you breath and feeling only the slightest bit guilty. It was one in the morning and he was exhausted beyond belief, yet he couldn’t bring himself to lay down next to you.

He was still mad out of his mind, but he knew it was wrong to yell at you like he did. It was a strange feeling to have; simultaneous anger and guilt. He finally laid down, keeping as much distance as possible between you.

Needless to say, he didn’t sleep well that night.

You woke up around 6 that morning, Shawn on the complete opposite side of the bed. Seeing him so far away broke your heart. You weren’t people to sleep overly close to each other, but he was never facing the other way, far away as possible.

You got out of bed and dressed quickly, trying to stay quiet so he wouldn’t wake up. He didn’t look as peaceful as he usually did when he was asleep, and you couldn't help but blame yourself for it.

You left him a short note before leaving for the bakery:

Went to the bakery to start cleaning up. See you later. Love you!

You assumed he would sleep late and show up later in the day. By 6:45, you were out of the house and ready for a long day of putting things back together.

You checked the clock for the 100th time that day. 12:37 in the afternoon and Shawn still hadn’t shown up. You had done nothing but clean for the past five and a half hours, yet you couldn’t find it in yourself to take a break. The mess was your fault, after all.

You found yourself sitting down, calling Shawn about an hour later. It went straight to voicemail, which didn’t surprise you all that much. That didn’t mean it didn’t sting though.

“Hey, babe. I’m at the shop. About halfway done with the cleaning and I’m gonna order supplies before I leave. Hope everything’s okay at home. I’ll see you later, I guess. Okay, love you. Bye.”

He’s probably just busy, you thought. Nothing to worry about.

Shawn was staring at his phone when you called him, actually. He felt conflicted as he clicked the decline button. He wasn’t that angry with you anymore; it wasn’t really all your fault. He could’ve locked the door. If anything, he felt guilty for yelling at you, but he was worried you were just going to yell at him for not coming in to help.

He shouldn’t have let you walk alone last night or even that morning. There were so many alleyways along the walk to the bakery, and he always made sure you were with him or on the phone with him when you walked home; well, almost always.

What if you were walking back and you needed him? What if something happened at the shop? The more and more he thought about it, the more he regretted not answering your call.

His worries were calmed when he listened to the voicemail, though. You didn’t even sound upset with him, just tired. What time did she leave?

Within five minutes of listening to the voicemail, he knew he needed to go to you.

You were ordering ingredients when you heard someone walk in. It was 5:15 and you were beyond exhausted.

“Sorry we’re-” you looked up to see Shawn, hands in his pockets, a guilt-ridden look on his face. “closed.”

You both stared at each other for a minute, neither having the courage to break the tension. You eventually looked back to your computer, deciding to finish the order before Shawn decided to yell at you for messing everything up again.

Shawn silently took a stool up to the counter, sitting across from you and patiently waiting for you to finish. He looked up from his hands every once and awhile, seeing how the stress of the day was manifesting in your demeanor: slouched posture, head resting on your hand, eyes blinking so slow you sometimes looked like you were falling asleep. Knowing he was half the reason for it only made him feel even worse.

How do you nicely tell your wife she looks like shit?

His eyes shot up when he heard the soft click of your laptop closing. You placed your hands on top of it and fiddled with your ring, trying to find the right words to say.

“Last night . . .” you paused. What was the right way to address this? “I know it’s my fault, and I deserve every bit of the blame. I get why you’re mad.” You couldn't find it in yourself to look up at him.

Your voice was devoid of emotion and he almost hated that you weren’t yelling at him for going off on you the night before.

“Y/N, I shouldn’t-”

“Please, just let me say what I need to say. Then you can yell at me all you want.”

“I’m not-”

“Shawn.” It was stern, almost pleading with him to just let you finish. He lazily crossed his arms over his waist, leaning forward, waiting for you to continue.

“I get why you’re mad, and I’m really, really sorry. But even if it was my fault, I don’t think you should’ve talked to me like that last night.”

Amidst your talking, Shawn found himself wondering what exactly you had done that day. The bakery looked pretty good considering the circumstance. With an exception of the broken ones, most of the chairs and tables were back in the right places. Pastry remnants were no longer visible on the floor and the kitchen appeared to be fairly put back together. Did she even stop to take a break? Did she eat today? How long had she been here?

“Okay, you can yell at me now.”

“Wha- Why do you think I want to yell at you?”

“You were pretty pissed last night and you’ve been ignoring me all day.”

“No I . . .” He reached across the counter to grab your hands in his own, squeezing them slightly and hoping you would squeeze back. “I came to apologize.”

You left your hands limp in his and his heart sunk. It was such a little gesture, yet it meant so much to him.

“I shouldn’t’ve yelled at you. I was frustrated and upset but you didn’t deserve that. Truth is, I could’ve locked the door. It’s just as much your fault as it is mine. I’m not even mad at you, to be honest.”

“So you’re not mad at me?” You looked at him with slight disbelief. “Then where were you all day?”

“I was at home . . . debating if I should come in or not.”

You pulled your hands out of his, wiping them on your jeans before letting out a sarcastic laugh. “So, you stayed home all day, let me clean up a mess we’re both responsible for, and thought you could say three sentences and everything would be okay?”

He kept his eyes down, feeling even more shame in the moment.

“Wow. Wow, Shawn. You really let me do all the work while you sat at home?”

“Y/N-”

“You know what? I’m going home. I’ve been working non-stop for eleven hours. I’m tired, hungry, and I don’t have time to deal with your bullshit.” You shoved your laptop into your backpack and tossed it over your shoulder.

“Y/N, please.”

You were out the door before he could say anything else, turning right on the sidewalk and making your way home. It pained him to watch you go, but he didn’t know if going after you was the right thing to do in this situation.

He had no idea what to do, so he did the one thing he knew to do: bake.

He somehow managed to find enough ingredients for cinnamon rolls within various cabinets. Between random bags of flour that were never finished off before a new bag was started and the other random things he found, he was bound to be able to piece the recipe together. Cinnamon rolls were your weakness, and while they wouldn’t fix the issue, they sure couldn’t hurt.

At home, meanwhile, you contemplated if you were overreacting to the situation. Shawn had his own troubles he had to deal with. You were both in rough spots and different ways of dealing with them. Still, that didn’t justify him ignoring you all day.

You decided to just wait until he came home.

Shawn came back at 8:45 that night. You were scrolling through your phone, almost falling asleep on the couch from the long day when you heard the sound of the door opening and Shawn’s footsteps entering the house. Your head shot up at the noise and he noticed you on the couch right away.

“I come with peace,” he said, holding out the box of cinnamon rolls in front of himself. You let out a small laugh and watched as he made his way over to the couch, putting the box in between you before taking a seat.

“I know you’re mad at me,” he started, staring at the ground with such intensity you thought he would burn a hole through it. “And you have every right to be. I shouldn’t have yelled at you or ignored you. I really need to apologize, and I’m so, so sorry, Y/N. I know it isn’t going to fix much, but I really am.” He looked up to see you looking right back at him. There was a conflicting look of emotion on your face, but he couldn’t figure out quite what it was.

“I’m not that mad at you for yelling at me anymore. To be fair, I shouldn’t have yelled at you either. I just don’t get why you ignored me. I mean . . . I don’t get it.” You rested an elbow on your thigh, leaning your head onto your hand and looking at Shawn’s knees.

“There was no reason.” You frowned “I was worried you were going to yell at me, which I guess happened anyways.” He let out a light chuckle. “I’m just an idiot.”

You nodded your head and sat up straight. “Can’t disagree with that.”

He smiled and shook his head. “What can I do to make it up to you?”

“Accept my apology for yelling at you and eat these cinnamon rolls with me?”

“That’s way too easy but I’ll take it.” You both took out a cinnamon roll and clinked them before taking a bite.

Oh, the wonders of Tasty Pastry.

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bilgisticallykosher · 3 years

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5: Making Our Own Sensory Deprivation Tank

TA Masterpost | Masterpost | AO3

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My Thomas Annus discord server!

Sensory Deprivation Tanks allow you to slip away from the noise of reality. The physical world melts away to reveal a deeper understanding of one's self and the world as a whole. But they're expensive. So we made our own.

Word count: 4254

Warnings: cursing, non-sexual nudity, sexual innuendo, sexual jokes and humor, "attempted" murder, drowning sort of?, "attempted" drowning, mild body horror in the end card.

Thanks to @callboxkat for helping me to decide between songs for Janus to sing, like, over a year ago.

-----

THOMAS ANNUS, THOMAS ANNUS

Janus and Remus were in a bathroom with a filled bathtub. Janus was sitting on the edge of the foot of the tub, feet on the floor, Remus was squatting near the faucet, elbows resting on his knees.

"Sensory deprivation tanks have become very popular," Janus steepled his fingers together. "They provide the user with a sensation of death."

"Or life!"

"Exactly. An in-between, suspended between the two, not knowing what comes before or after."

"A perfectly perfunctory purgatory of precise pinpointed pandemonium!" Remus threw his arms up, hands flopping over.

"But another thing that sensory deprivation tanks are," he gestured smoothly, palm flat up across the room, "is expensive."

"So we decided to make our own! With half the cost and double the danger!" Remus made jazz hands, and Janus rolled his eyes.

"I don't think there's anything that dangerous here." He leaned down to peer at the label on a big bag.

"It is if you're doing it right!" Janus sighed, then turned back to the camera.

"We're doing this to bring the experience of death to you."

"And us!" He tilted his head sharply. "Mostly us." He turned to Janus. "So, what's the main ingredient in these sepfuary desperation tankers?" Joan, still behind the camera, laughed loudly.

"PFFFT!" Janus laughed, "What the hell was that?" He grinned smarmily. "Did you forget how to speak?"

"Sometimes my brain works too quickly for my mouth!" Remus pouted, crossing his arms. "It's not my fault the human body can't fully handle my genius."

"Oh is that what we're calling it now?"

"Anyway, the main ingredient?" He looked at the tub. "Aside from water, at any rate."

"Salt."

"Salt!" Remus shout-agreed, pulling out a box of kosher salt. "Fuels summoning circles, our salty nature, and," he gestured to Janus.

"Sensory deprivation tanks," he finished smoothly. "But not that kind of salt."

"I still have some of those saline packets," he gestured behind himself, jerking his thumb. "Should I grab-"

"Epsom salt," he cut off. "That's what's in these giant bags." He tapped a little on the top of one of them. "In fact, let's get this started now." He pulled on the plastic handle. It didn't lift. Janus side-eyed the camera, and casually gripped it with two hands. He tugged. Nothing continued to happen. "I'm better than this," he hissed. He drummed his fingers again in thought.

He decided. "Remus!"

"Sir, yes, sir!" He saluted.

"Lift this and open it above the bathwater."

"Absolutely!" He grinned, looking excited as he scrambled over. He grabbed the bag with two hands, and gently removed it from Janus's grip.

"We should be careful with-" but Remus had already hefted it up into the air over the tub. It hovered there for a moment, which was just enough time for Remus to summon his morningstar, reel it back, and slam into the bag. The bag tore, spilling salt all over the water. A few handfuls rained down on Janus's hat, and he glared at Remus.

"Now you're as salty as your personality!" Remus reached up, and ruffled his hand through his hair, dislodging the salt.

"Joy," he deadpanned. He turned around, his head out of shot, grabbed his hat off, and gently tapped the salt off of the brim into the water. He put his hat back on, turning back around. Remus stuck his morningstar into the bath, stirring it around.

"Do we need more?"

"Well, each bag is forty pounds," he hesitated.

"And how salty does it have to be?" Remus prompted.

"As the dead sea." Janus shot back. He raised an eyebrow, "that's the one you float in, right?"

"I float in a lot of things." Remus wiggled his eyebrows.

"Well, we want to experience death. So dead sea it is." Remus cocked his head, pulling his morningstar out of the water.

"River Styx is deader," he idly scratched his back with his weapon. Janus brought a hand up to his chin, contemplatively.

"This is true. You'll just have to take a trip there to find out how salty it is." Janus waved him off. "Do let me know the results."

"I think the only components they have there are water and the souls of the damned." He swung his morningstar back around.

"Pity. We're fresh out."

"We're out of water?!" Remus gaped. Janus snorted behind his hand.

"Put the second bag in," Remus grabbed the second bag. "Carefully." Remus pouted, and grumpily used a spike from his star to tear open a corner. Janus turned to address the camera again. "Now, we have here a small sports and action video camera, capable of being mounted and attached, with underwater capabilities," Remus started pouring the second bag into the tub. "That way, we can share the experience at home."

"Yeah! Come die with us! Via the GoPro, or whatever that long, stupid name you said was." Janus rolled his eyes, but let the matter drop. He began to shimmy his whole body up and down with the bag. Janus sighed. "Is this stuff supposed to melt? It's a little crunchy in there."

"Well you are supposed to float." He peered into the water. "Maybe you're just suspended by the rocks." Janus smirked.

"Ooh, let's just get a giant boulder!" Remus grinned back, still shimmying. "Then we'll float real good!"

"You have to still be in the water, though." Janus pointed out, amused.

"What, like all of you or just like a toe or something is good?" He shook the last of the salt out.

"Well, possibly, but knowing you, you'd just sever a toe and huck it into the water." He made a throwing motion. "And the rest of you would just be dry."

"But floating!" He tilted his head. "That toe thing is a good idea, though. They drink that in parts of Canada, could probably make a quick buck." Janus squinted, taken aback.

"They what."

"Yeah, there's some shot that they make from a gangrene toe," he explained with a flippy hand. "It's cold up there, y'know, so I guess it happens often enough. The Sourtoe cocktail!" He got the last of the salt out of the bag, and chucked it over his shoulder. "It started because-"

"Listen," Janus held up a hand, stopping him, "We've got death to experience, there's no time for toe talk." Remus pouted, while Janus peered into the tub. "Hm. It probably won't irritate our skin," Janus mused. "Incidentally, you're going first." Remus let out a whoop, reaching down near his feet, and peeling his clothing off in one upwards motion. A big black censor box popped up to cover his general genital area.

"Ta-dah!" He flung his arms up over his head.

"We discussed this, you weren't supposed to be naked," Janus frowned.

"Gasp!" He said, as opposed to actually gasping. "You're right!" He covered his nipples with his hands and turned his head away. "DON'T LOOK AT ME!" He faced his head forward again, grin present as though it'd never left. "Hey editor, put in a really big censor on my dick euphemism." The black censor box changed to an elephant head, its trunk long and centered.

"Put on. Your shorts." Janus gritted through his teeth. "I don't care if it's boxers or swim trunks, but we discussed that you would not. Be. Naked!"

"Uuuuuuuugh," Remus whined, body becoming floppy as he tilted his torso to one side. "Fine." He grumpily grabbed a bathing suit from the ground and tugged them up. They were green, and read 'Penis Inside' on the front. He crossed his arms, still pouting, "Are you happy now? I changed for you," Janus stared at him.

"Yes, I know," Janus un-tensed.

"I didn't even wear the ones with the little penii on it," Remus added.

"Yes, I know."

"That's plural of penis!"

"Yes, I know."

"Alright, let's get kinky!" He grabbed his shirt and waved it around. "We're going as full syncopatey dispatchers as possible!" Janus cocked his head and raised an eyebrow. Remus shrugged. "I got excited!"

"Well, put that on, anyway." Janus rolled his eyes, and grabbed a pair of big headphones from the side, waving them at him. Remus snatched them, holding them in between his legs as he wrapped the shirt around his eyes, tying it behind his head. The torso of the garment hung in front, down to his chest. "Not like that," Janus sighed. "Must you make everything difficult for me?"

"Tie me up right, Jaddy," he turned around, wriggling, facing the knot of the shirt towards Janus. "That's Janus and daddy." He paused, "Or jean daddy!" Janus whapped him on his head with two fingers. "Ow!" He exclaimed with a wide grin on his face.

Janus untied the shirt, taking it off completely, and rolled it into itself, so it was cylindrical. Remus was humming to himself, eyes closed, shifting from one foot to another as he waited. He wrapped it around Remus's eyes again, tying it firmly in place. He gave an extra tug that seemed a little harsher than it should be.

"You're done. Headphones on." Remus did so, lewdly grabbing the headphones from between his legs, and placing them on his head with a flourish. "And now, step into your death pool."

"Deadpool?!" Remus shouted, much louder than he needed to. "It's hard to hear you through these headphones!"

"Perfect." Janus nodded to himself. He jolted slightly, looking from Remus to the bathtub and back. "Hm. This, might be a problem." Remus began to clap far away and then closer to his face to see if he could hear himself. Janus put a hand on his chin, then looked at the camera. "Joan, do you think if he trips and falls on his way, anyone would believe it's an accident?"

"I dunno," they responded. "You think it's worth the risk?" Janus turned back to look at Remus, who clapped right on top of his nose, looked around, confused, then did it again. Janus silently looked back at Joan. "Okay, but you should probably help him anyway."

"Ugh, fine, spoilsport." He strode over to Remus, and lifted one end of the headphones off of his ear. "Alright, come on, I need to help guide you to the tub." Remus laid the headphones around his neck. "Joan says I shouldn't kill you."

"They what?!" Remus screeched, turning completely the wrong direction to look at Joan. "Spoilsport!"

"That's what I said," Janus smirked, walking over to him. "Now come here," he patted his shoulders, "let's get you dead-adjacent." And he tugged him gently by the shoulders, leading him over to the bathtub. "Left leg," Remus dutifully lifted it, "forward" and flailed his foot around until it touched water, then plunged it in.

"I got it from here, Janny Bananny," and swung himself around into the tub. Janus clapped, once.

"Bravo," he grabbed the GoPro, "put the headphones back on."

"We gettin' some tunes on this thing?" Remus asked as he adjusted them back up around his ears, sliding only one ear cover on.

"I'll see what I can do," he rolled his eyes. "Maybe I'll serenade you."

"Oooooh!" He wiggled his butt, sloshing the water around the tub. "Now all we need is some rubber duckies!" He snapped the second cover over his other ear. Janus placed the GoPro in his hands, and Remus felt around the camera. "Is this the lens?!" He shouted, rubbing his fingers over what did, in fact, appear to be the lens.

"Yes!" Janus harshly tapped his wrist. "Now stop smudging it!"

"I don't know what you said!" Remus grinned. "Hey, you know, if we peed in here you'd never know!" He put his hands behind his head, camera in hand acting like a pillow. "It's already warm! And crunchy from the salt!" He hummed. "I bet it'd taste delicious!"Janus ignored him as he prattled on, and turned back to Joan's camera.

"Alright, so, in normal sensory deprivation tanks, they're, well, tanks." Janus gestured to the open bathtub. "So what we need here is a cover to be more enclosed. Luckily, we have an actual cover." He gestured in a different direction, and the camera panned to where the empty salt bags were. "It's a bed cover. Or blanket as it is sometimes known." He went over to grab it as Joan focused on Remus again, still talking.

"I don't know, I mean! It's nice! But I'm not floating!" He was waving the GoPro around in wide figure eights around his head. Janus grabbed the blanket, walking back over to Remus. "I think I'm supposed to be floating! Maybe the water needs to be seasoned more?!" Janus hefted the blanket, placing it on top of Remus. "I'm not exactly feeling anything! Not even the pee that I may or may not have added to it!" He pulled it over his head.

"There we go," Janus smiled calmly. "Perfect enclosure."

"Hey, it's darker in here!" The blanket by Remus's head moved as though he were moving his arms underneath it. "Am I being smothered?! You're doing it really badly!" Janus left the camera screen. "I can still breathe and everything! Also it feels really soft and blanket-y!" Janus came back on, dragging a chair with him. It was a padded, wheely one. "Is this a blanket?!"

"Oh my god, shut up and experience death!"

"What?!"

"Shut up!"

"Oh okay!" Janus sighed out in relief. Then, "So what am I supposed to do now?!"

"You're supposed to be not talking, so that you can get the experience of a sensory deprivation chamber, so shut up and deprive your senses, already!" Janus was breathing harshly from the force of the yell.

"... I'm bored!" Janus let his head fall back in frustration. "I'm gonna play with the GoPro!" There was more splashing, and movement under the blanket. "Okay, viewers, so here I am, getting my secretaries desolated." Janus massaged his temples, before turning to the camera. The background music swelled, and Janus took on a deeper, more narrator-like voice.

"So, in theory, the idea of a sensory deprivation chamber is that you become unfocused on your senses." Remus continued talking to the GoPro in the background. The music stopped, and Janus's voice went from more intense to more casual. "Not just the usual five that you're taught in school, either, which is a bunch of garbage, by the way," the music resumed again, getting louder as he spoke, "and instead, you focus internally, and if you concentrate your efforts, really feel the sensations of death, you'll be able to improve yourself, to make yourself, unstopp-"

"HEY JAN!" Janus physically flinched, turning towards him. The music stopped. "I'm not feeling any sensations of death!" Janus stared at the bundle of motion under the blanket.

"Are you telling me you can hear m-"

"I feel like I'm in soup!" Janus sighed and put his head on his hands. "But chunky, because the salt's still intact! Is it supposed to melt?! Because it's not! Here, I'll get a close-up!" Janus was mumbling under his breath. "Hey, can this GoPro go in water?!" Janus sighed very heavily, and lifted his head, rolling his eyes.

"Yes."

"Down she goes!" Janus snorted, startled, and it turned into a laugh. There were heavy swishing noises from within Remus's bathtub cocoon. "I'm giving the GoPro the experience of a tsunami!"

"Okay, tell you what," Janus put his hands up as if in surrender. He walked back over to the chair. "What if I soothe you with some water-themed white noise?"

"We have a white noise machine?!"

"No," he sat down. "Shh-"

"I can't hear the CD!" He brought up a hand to his headphones.

"Put that hand back!" Janus said sharply. "You'll feel the low vibrations. And it's not A CD," Janus crossed his legs. "I'm making the sounds myself. "Shh-"

"CA-CAW! CA-CAW!" Janus jumped, eyes wide, startled.

"This isn't a group activity!"

"Just trying to help!"

"Help by shutting up!" He glared before attempting again. "Shhhwshhhhh! Shwoooshhh. Shhhhhhhhhh!"

"Are you going to do more than waves?!" Remus shifted under the blankets. "Just waves is boring!"

"More like wave goodbye to your life if you don't shut your mouth," Janus mumbled under his breath. He sighed. "I was getting to that." He rolled his neck. "If only you'd been more patient and shut up, you would have heard that."

"Neither of those sound like me!" He cackled from underneath. "Go back to the death threats! That was fun!"

"No!" Janus resumed the homemade ocean sounds. "SHHHHHHH! SHHHWSHHHH! SHHHWWWSHHHHH!" He was a bit angrier about it than before. "Hhhhwwwwhhhoooo……… blup, blup blup."

"This is nice!" Remus shifted down lower. "I'm feeling pretty dead, I think! Dead people love the ocean! Especially if they've been eaten by something in it!"

"Wee-ooh," He ignored him, continuing to imitate a foghorn. "Weee-oohhh." Then a loud sucking noise interrupted him. Surprisingly, it did not come from Remus. "What was that?" The noise continued its wet slurping. "Did you kick off the drain?"

"Maybe!" He kicked a foot around a bit. "I'm not sure! Hypothetically! How would one put it back with no hands?!" There was a bunch of splashing near Remus's feet. Janus sighed, propping his leg up, and putting his head in his hands.

"You get it back in?" He raised an eyebrow, expression bored.

"No! It's just sucking on my toes!" Sure enough, there was a prominent sucking sound. Remus moved his leg up. "See?! Out!" He put his leg back in the previous position, "In!" The sound got softer. Moved his leg, "Out!" The sound got louder. "In!" He let a second pass. "Out!"

"I get it, yes. Please-"

"In!" Janus huffed, and slouched over, rubbing his face in frustration. "Hey! You ever pretend like you're a submarine and you've got a peniscope checking out the enemy territory?!"

Janus looked like he gave up hope. Not for the video going well, just in general. He got up and walked off-screen. Remus was still talking. "Don't shoot your torpedoes off too early, though!" There was a pause. "Torpeendoes!" He laughed to himself a bit. "I think that I'm gonna check out enemy territory myself! Why rely on your peniscope for something you can do yourself!" He raised up, still covered by layers of fabric, "Going down!" He sank down into the water all the way, swishing and splashing, the blanket starting to bunch up and swirl around.

Janus walked back on-screen again, clearly not in his normal outfit. He had a swim cap on his head and bathrobe on, untied. He frowned when he walked in, and looked around. He walked towards the tub, peered in…

And just under a minute after he submerged, Remus broke the surface, pulling the shirt blindfold off as he came up. "Woo!" He splashed Janus considerably, causing him to flinch and take a few steps back.

"Hey!" Remus flipped his hair back, making even more of a mess.

"Don't go underwater. It hurts." Janus's robe fell open, revealing his yellow shorts with a green snake coming around a leg, its head by the front of them. "... You sure those aren't mine?"

The video cut.

When it came back on, it had transitioned to Janus in the tub, eyes closed, relaxing back as much as possible. He had the headphones already in place.

"If I find out you peed in this, I will kill you."

"You don't gotta worry about that, my deceitful delicacy." He reached down for a shirt that was by the outside of the tub. "You just worry about relaxing, and being dead!" Janus sighed, and Remus dutifully tied the shirt around his eyes. "Today's safeword is mungbean," he gave an extra tug around it, and grabbed for Janus's hand, opening his fingers before he placed the GoPro inside.

"I thought you were trying to hold my hand," Janus let the camera roll around his fingers.

"Aw, you know nothing gets me in a romantic mood like soaking in a death bath." You could see Janus's eyebrows constrict slightly.

"Is-"

"Now now, don't worry about anything." He patted his hand. "This'll aaaaallllllllllll be over soon." Janus seemed to frown from behind the shirt. He went about tightly tucking Janus in, from his head to his feet. "Whoops, got your dick a little bit. That's okie dokie, though. Okie dickie." He ducked down to grab something.

"I'm so glad that you're telling me what I'm okay with," Janus moved the camera to his other hand, deadpan.

"You're welcome!" He stood again, and partially unrolled some duct tape off the roll he'd grabbed, with a shhhhhhk! "Now, move your head up a bit, I want to make sure this is all secure." He began wrapping the duct tape around his head a few times.

"Holy crap, Remus!" Joan accused, slightly horrified, before they laughed a little. Remus tore the strip off with his teeth, licking his mouth as he patted the tape down so that it stuck. "Delicious. Now, what's your favorite song? Serenade yourself!" Janus hummed in thought before he started up.

"Let's face the facts and come to terms, it's time to realize," Remus brightened.

"Great, now slowly lean your head back and keep going." He put a hand on his head.

"These goals are only merely hope we quickly leave behind,"

"These goats are hoes you subtly love with roving eyes!" Remus joined on top of him, singing off-key. Janus thwapped his hand and continued on his own.

"They're lies," Remus put a hand on his head, "lies," he pushed softly, "lies," he led him down to the water level, " lies," his ears were now underwater, "lieeeeees!" He kept pushing until his entire face was underneath the surface. The last held out note came out, bubbling. Janus quickly sat upright again with a gasp. "Wait, wait, hold on now. I feel as though something's a little off, here." Though his face was covered by a t-shirt, it had a distinct pinched look to it.

"Naaaaaaw, you're fine, you're good," he put his hand on his head again, and pushed insistently until Janus had sunk down again, this time he stopped before he submerged completely. "So? You feel closer to god?" He purred, double checking he was completely tucked in.

"If by closer to god, you mean about to get murdered, then I think so."

"Uh-huh, uh-huh," he nodded, distracted, as he gently caressed his head. "And are you feeling relaxed?" He rubbed his thumb back and forth across his nose and mouth. "Relaaaaaaaaaax."

"Okay well, now I'm feeling less relaxed by the second." He wriggled. "Did you tuck my arms in?"

"Naw, come on. Think relaxing thoughts. What's the best sleep you've ever had?" He drummed his fingers on the top of his head.

"Any one but this one."

"Just let go. Relax. Sink into it." He started pushing on his head again, and he went down those last few centimeters. Remus did not release him. Janus began to twitch. Then harder, writhing and twisting to the best of his abilities. "That's it, that's it," he stroked the top of his head, giving his forehead a few last pats as he finally stopped his movements. "Boy, he was a heavy one!" Janus suddenly rose up fully, breathing harshly. He tore down the shirt from his face, cursing. He stared at Remus, panting. Eventually, he took in enough oxygen, and said,

"My lips burn."

"Neat! How would you rate your time at the Thomas Annus Death Tub Experience?" He held two thumbs up.

"You know," he tilted his head, "I think if there hadn't been someone trying to kill me, that might have been relaxing."

"Yeah, what an asshole, we should fire that guy."

"Felt kind of like what I imagine the womb is like." His hand drifted through the water.

"I miss the womb," Remus sighed wistfully.

"Yes. Very dead in there."

"We were all dead before we were born." They stared at the camera. The clock resumed its ticking.

Endcard:

Remus was naked again, censor in place.

"Alright, editors!" He pointed towards the camera. "It's time for hard mode," he gyrated his hips for emphasis. "Ready? Let's go!" He pointed at the camera, "Something long!" The censor turned into a giraffe's neck. "Something small!" A giant termite nest in the dirt, tall and bustling with tiny termite activity. "Something sweet!" A candy cane, hook facing up, tied nicely with a fancy bow. "Something salty!" A big, twisted soft pretzel.

Remus cracked his knuckles until they cracked off, each hanging by a thin strip of skin. He shook his hands out, and they realigned, fusing together again. "Something curvy!" A corkscrew popped into censorship existence. "Something straight-" a long yardstick, "-as my thinking!" The yardstick flickered, instead a graph with a sin curve charted on it hovered in its place. "Now the same thing, but straight as in orientation!" The graph turned rainbow colors.

"Now just let my dick hang out!" A picture of a plate of spotted dick. Remus looked around excitedly. "Did that work?" The pudding wobbled in a distressing way. The camera cut off.

-----

Taglist: @smileyzs @robinwritesshitposts @thatgaydemigodnerd @arya-skywalker @itsabsurd-and-terrifying @potatsanderssides @katelynn-a-fan @dwbh888 @royal-stormcloud @thefivecalls @ananonsplace @ollyollyoxinfree @intruxiety @grouptalekindnesssoul @the-hoely-bleach @anvil527up @fanficloverinthesun @brain-deadx0 @the-grounded-raven @just-your-typical-trans-guy @a-fandom-trashdump @hekking-happy-nonsense @legendsgates @10moonymhrivertam @idont-freaking-know @aceawkwardunicorn @nyamafriend

#sanders sides #remus sanders #janus sanders #joan the camera operator #ta chapter #my stories

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deepdisireslonging · 3 years

Text

Chained to the Wall

The Reader and Elias are scheduled to sing together after winning the Intercontinental Title. One problem: Roman Reigns. When he threatens the Reader in more ways than one, she plans a way to retake control.

Pairing: Elias x Reader (Y/N) x Roman Reigns

Warnings/Promises: wrestling violence, SMUT, knife use (not fun), bondage, sub!Reader, dom!Elias, threesome (no M|M), oral (male receiving), implied further SMUT

Word Count: 2395

Note: Happy New Year! In true Lizzi fashion, this was supposed to post half an hour ago. @staff still hasn’t fixed that queing function. Anywho, here’s a fic I’ve been working on since 2019. Feedback is always appreciated. Enjoy!

You took a second to breathe. Never in a million years, except only in your wildest dreams, could you have foreseen the moment when you would be standing in the ring. Let alone with the love of your life about to sing in front of several thousand people plus more watching at home. Your next shuddered breath caught Elias’s attention. His brows furrowed with worry.

You smiled and covered your mic. “There’s a lot of people here.”

Elias mirrored your movement and covered his mic. “If you’re not ready…”

“No. I want to sing. I want to sing with you.”

He smiled at you and gave your hand a squeeze. The camera in front of you counted down the seconds until Elias, your partner and Intercontinental Champion, would begin his intro. He moved your hand to his shoulder, ready to play.

“Hello, I am Elias.” He couldn’t help but grin at the returned greeting. “Tonight, I have a very special vocalist joining me tonight. I’ve been trying to introduce their voice to you for months… she finally said yes.”

As the spotlight widened, the arena burst into a deafening cacophony. You beamed openly, knowing full well they would be booing you in a few seconds once the song started. It took more seconds than you were expecting, but you sang above them. Your voice was strong and you felt on top of the world.

Your mic, and Elias’s, and his guitar mic cut out. While you scrambled to check the receiver at your hip, Roman Reign’s music cut through the darkness. Elias kicked his stool out of the way and stood between you and the entrance ramp.

But Roman didn’t come that way.

You were tugged back, and a fist flew past your face to collide with Elias’s chin. When the lights came up, Elias was struggling to his feet and Roman Reigns was standing between you.

Faster than you could blink, Roman’s hand was around your throat. You squeaked in shock and Elias attempted to step forward.

“I wouldn’t if I was you.” Roman ignored the boos that filled the arena with a smile. Behind him, Jey Uso and Paul Heyman stepped into the ring to be further back-up. Not that he needed it. “I don’t have to snap her neck, but it wouldn’t take much to keep her from singing again. Just a slight,” he tightened his grip, “squeeze.” He watched amused as you tried to scratch at his hand. “Claws down, baby girl.” His eyes glinted dangerously at your second of hesitation. His fingers twitched. You dropped your hands down to your sides, holding them flat against your thighs to hide their shaking. Out of mic range, but loud enough so Elias could hear, Roman chuckled. “Always so responsive.” He ignored your glare.

“What do you want Reigns?” Elias was nearly flexed out of his shirt, muscles churning with ready energy.

“I want my title back.”

“That’s not going to happen, Roman.” Despite the momentary tightened grip on your throat, you wheezed out your statement. “And you know it.”

“Ooh. Using my first name. I must be in trouble.” He spun you around to hold your back against his chest. His swell of pride pushed into your shoulder blades at Elias’s thinly veiled rage. The threatening fingers against your skin kept your silent. “I will have my title back. And it’s coming back to me… tonight.” His rumbling chuckle sent a shiver down your spine. You gasped as his grip teasingly jostled you. “In the meantime, I think Y/N can hang out with me.”

“Like hell I will.” You twisted and pushed at his chest with more courage than you felt, not that it had much of an effect. Especially when his grip flashed to the hair on the back of your head, pulling you close.

“Fine.” He gave you a mocking nod. “I don’t think I have to say it, but just in case: do not interfere, Y/N. The consequences could be… showstopping to you or your accompaniment.” He released you.

You ran to stand between him and Elias. Roman chuckled. He gave you a nod, smirking and taking a step back. “I’ll see you both later tonight. My title will be on the line, and by the time the show ends, it’ll be mine again.”

Together, you stepped to lean against the back ropes, giving plenty of room for the Tribal Chief and his court to walk by. You never took your eyes off of Roman. Buzzing electricity pulled at the base of your skull. A plan began to form.

***

The sixty-plus minutes simultaneously dragged and flew by. There were too many things to do, and not enough time to ensure their completion. But each time you checked a clock or your phone, the minutes inched by, keeping you on the razor’s edge.

You brought it with you to the ring.

Roman had made his entrance. Patiently, he waited for Elias. When you showed up instead, wearing a thigh-length skirt and an icy glare, he frowned. You made it all the way into his space before he knew he was in danger. As the knife in your hand pressed against the underside of his jaw, he let out a surprised puff of air.

“You threatened my throat earlier. It’s only right that I return the favor.” Carefully peering around him, you added, “on that note, you also threatened my partner.” He surged forward, stopped only by the blade. “Stay,” you mouthed.

Roman closed his eyes with a growl as the ring bounced. He watched the Titantron on the stage. Elias quickly dispatched Jey and Heyman. They would not be a threat to the night’s title match. You lifted the knife off with a wink. They second you were out of the ring, you caught his eye again and bent the rubber blade in a mocking curve. Roman looked at the canvas to hide his smile. It was hardly the first time you had outsmarted him, but he could plan his vengeance for you later.

As for the match, there were several times you nearly leapt into the ring. Taking away the Big Dog’s back-up had backfired. Roman Reigns had been a champion many times over under his own skill. With Spear after Spear, it looked like he would be again. Elias held up admirably. Until the Guillotine Choke was locked in. Your partner would never tap out. And you would never throw in the towel, or a scarf or gauntlet, for anything. It was up to the referee. He called for the disqualification bell after you finally ran headfirst into the Gorgon Knot of limbs. Elias was knocked free. He sputtered and coughed back into consciousness.

On jelly legs, he met you on the ramp. You shoved the Intercontinental title back into his hands.

“Thank you, Dove.” He kissed the side of your head as you helped him back up the ramp. “I’ll meet you in your dressing room after cleaning up. For your special present.”

“Don’t clean up too much.” Winking at Roman, you returned your partner’s forehead kiss. “I have a feeling that present will just get ourselves dirty again.”

***

With the knocking at your door, you primped your hair in the mirror one last time. “Come in.”

“I thought I told you to stay out of it, baby girl.”

You spun, sliding across the wall before Roman could pin you into a corner. All too soon, he loomed over you. Beating on his chest did nothing. He caught your wrists and fought them above your head. Of course they bumped into the handcuffs you’d prepped for celebrating with Elias. That earlier chill down your spine returned under Roman’s dark grin.

He leaned his forehead against yours. “We’re gonna have fun tonight.”

“Funny. That’s what I was going to tell her.” Elias locked the door behind him, distracting Roman long enough for you to click the cuffs around his wrists. The Drifter hugged you close when you ran to his side. Roman further tangled in the chains, following you and kicking out at Elias. “Well done, Dove.”

“What is this?” Roman snarled.

“An opportunity.” You were bubbling with excitement. Elias tightened his hold around your waist to keep you grounded.

“Did you really think my partner didn’t tell me about your little trysts back in the day?” Leaning his body forward, he brought his cheek level with yours. “I don’t blame you for taking her first. I applaud you. But now she’s with the better man.” He ignored Roman’s struggle with the cuffs. “Here’s the deal: I can let you go and we can have a little rematch, or… we can both enjoy her little… melodies.”

Your mouth dropped open and your eyes drifted shut. Slowly, Elias tilted your head to the side with his nose, running it along your jawline. He maintained eye contact with Roman as he gingerly kissed your pulse-point. Your nails clamped around his wrist, dragging it to your throat. The tiny whimper that escaped your mouth made Roman’s eyes glass over.

A warm hand slid down the front of your body. The other tightened its grip on your throat. Dipping under the waistband of your jeans, Elias shimmied your pants down with your panties, baring you to Roman. At any second, Elias was ready to stop and release his rival. But Roman didn’t say anything. He was watching you. Watching your breath catch in your chest. Eyeing the sheen grow over your skin. Roman knew you were blissed out, and Elias hadn’t even started yet.

When he did start, you almost lost your footing. His fingers, well talented on his guitar, pulled through your slick. The only thing holding you up was the hand on your neck. You clawed at his jeans as sparks tingled through your nerve endings. Between your thighs you were dripping. It was running down your leg.

Roman wanted to lick it up. He settled on licking his lips instead.

Elias released your throat, sending you careening into orgasm. Before you could recover, he ripped off your shirt, and pinned you to the wall next to Roman. Both of your hands fumbled with his belt and his jeans until his cock was able to slide through your slick. He filled you slow and quickly enough to take your breath away. Tossing your head back, you bared your throat for his teeth to drag across your pulse point, reveling in the scratch of his beard on your bare skin. When you dared to open your eyes, Roman was there to fill your vision. His hair was plastered to his forehead. There was something… feral about the way his whole body leaned towards you, held back by only the cuffs on his wrists.

“She’s gorgeous, isn’t she?” Elias stilled, but toyed with your clit to make you writhe on his length. “Especially when she’s so close to cumming.” To emphasize his point, he thrust roughly. You cried out his name. Roman thrust into the air. Elias worked himself to completion, taking you with him into bliss. Stepping back, he let you fall to the floor.

You landed right in front of Roman.

He couldn’t see. Not really. Not anymore. Only one thing was on his mind, and it was the same in yours.

“Please, baby girl.” Roman panted, licking his bottom lip.

A moment later, you were licking up and down his cock. Kissing the tip. And twisting the measure you couldn’t swallow with short strokes.

The wide, calloused grip of Elias pushed you further onto Roman’s length. The Tribal Chief maintained his glare for a minute. Then his eyes closed and he moaned deep in his throat. You sucked and hollowed your mouth, drinking down his length and humming and begging for a deeper taste. From your spot on your knees, you could just see his face contorted in pleasure. Pleasure that you were causing. You moved more. Faster. Desperate. Behind you, Elias still had his hand on your head, reminding you who had placed you on your knees in the first place.

With a strained roar, Roman was seconds from filling your mouth. When he strained against the cuffs, Elias yanked you off and up to your feet. He tossed you to lean against the spot where he just fucked you. Roman’s lip curled into a snarl. From his pocket, Elias pulled out the handcuff’s key. He stepped into Roman’s face, silently daring him between two options.

Your lovers glared at one another as Elias unlocked the cuffs. They jingled against the wall, empty. A second of silence glittered. Then Roman was on you, kissing you, clawing at you, instead of beating Elias to a pulp. He pounded into you, seeking the release he almost had. You were a vessel, a means to an end. And you were loving every second of it. He steadied himself against the wall, placing his mouth right next to your ear. Your skin rushed with heat to hear his sighs. The moans. And the desperate grunts as he chased your ends. For you were desperate for release too. You could hardly breathe with all the need coursing through you.

When it came, Roman shuddered and stiffened against you, pinning you tightly to the wall. You clamped your thighs around his waist, riding it out.

Elias was there to catch you when Roman rotated to lean against something sturdy. They sandwiched you between them. With your mind still spinning, you couldn’t tell who was behind or in front of you. It didn’t matter. They were both warm, and both had brought you to brilliant heights of delight.

“That went well.”

You hummed into the chest of whoever was holding you.

Roman rumbled above you. “That it did. Though I liked to fuck her until she can’t walk or-”

“I did fuck her that hard. She fell to your feet easy enough, didn’t she? Or didn’t you like her sucking your-“

Grabbing him by the beard, you tugged Elias down for a searing kiss. When you broke apart, he panted and needed a second to collect his thoughts.

“Round two back at the hotel?”

“Only if we really get to share her this time.” Roman arched an eyebrow.

They looked down at you as one.

It was going to be a long, lovely night.

***

More Roman Fics:

Such a Tease (S)

A Reflection of Us (S)

Back Hallways (AR, F, S)

Taste of Terror (S, Horror, Vamp!Roman)

More Elias Fics:

Chiffon in the Streets, Lace in the Sheets (S)

Jealous (S)

Fuck the Demon Away (A, S)

Full For A Song (S, Challenge Fic, Angel/Demon AU)

***

Masterlist

Forever Tags: @blondekel77 @brianaraydean @chwehansol98 @fireflyfunhousetrash @laochbaineann @ramblingsofabourbondrinker @savmontreal @shieldgirl18 @tinyelfperson @writtingrose @xladyxfatex @gold--gucciempress

WWE Tags: @1dluver13xx @a-home-for-stray-stories @flightofthefantasies @livelifewondering @mother-forker @neversatisfiedgirlfics @racheo91 @roman-reigns-princess @scuzmunkie @secretagentfangirl @wrestlersownmyheart @thirst-n-bullshit @top-1-percent-blog

Elias Tags: @mrsbreezango @ohnojustimagine @secretagentfangirl @sixdegreesofsamson @team-elias @wrestlingbabe

Roman Reigns Tags: @danielle-ferrara @imagination-of-a-fandom-slut @it-is-reigning-men @littledeadrottinghood @mybeautiful-worldrrfics @savmontreal @stylesgirluk @theangelsfightwithdevils @vanity1385

#roman reigns x reader #elias x reader #roman reigns smut #elias smut #wwe x reader #dom!roman reigns #dom!elias samson #sub!reader #wwe fanfiction #reader insert

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swanqueeneverafter · 4 years

Text

Sins of the Past Pt.7

Camelot. Present. Morgana's Chambers. (Guinevere stands watching from the doorway as the physician finishes his examination of Morgana.) Physician: "Everything’s going to be all right. You’re safe now." (He leaves. Guinevere begins to follow him.) Morgana: "Guin. Please, I want to speak to you. (Guinevere walks further into the room:) I want you to know that I don’t blame you for what happened.” Guinevere: “Morgana, I’m sorry but after all this time, I still don’t know for sure... what did happen? Arthur never told me.” Morgana: “He tried to poison me.” Guinevere: (Shocked, moves closer to Morgana:) “I blame myself. I never believed he could do such a thing.” Morgana: “It’s alright, Guin. I understand. You were in love with him.” Guinevere: (Shaking her head:) “I thought I was. For years he kept me under his spell. I was complicit in his lies and treachery. Can you ever forgive me?” Morgana: “Only if you can forgive me in return?” (Morgana reaches out her hand.) Guinevere: “Of course, My Lady.” (Guinevere rushes over and hugs Morgana, taking a seat beside her on the bed.) Morgana: “I was so naïve, Guin. I don’t think I really understood what I was doing. But, believe me, I have seen firsthand the evils in this world. You don’t know how much I regret everything that I’ve done. I just… I hoped so much that you would forgive me.” Guinevere: “I’m so sorry for everything you’ve been through. I never thought I’d see you again. It’s so good to have you back.” (They hug once more.)

Camelot. Past. Council Chamber. (Uther stands with his arms open wide, relieved to see his daughter until she storms towards him.) Morgana: "You have blood on your hands, Uther Pendragon! Blood that will never wash off!" Uther: "Morgana, what-" Morgana: "Those were my people you slaughtered!" Uther: "The Druids? What is this madness you speak?" Morgana: "I know now who I really am. And it isn’t something to be scared of." Uther: "Morgana you're raving. Clearly they've bewitched you, you're not yourself." Morgana: "I'm more myself than I have ever been, father. Maybe once you're dead and gone the people of Camelot will come to see magic as a force for good in this world again." Uther: “May I remind you that you’re speaking to your father and your King.” Morgana: “May I remind you that a king is wise and just. You are neither. You rule only with the sword.” Uther: “You know nothing of what it means to be King. The fate of Camelot rests in my hands. It’s my responsibility to protect the people of this land from its enemies.” Morgana: “Then the kingdom is doomed! For one by one you make enemies of us all!” Uther: “You speak treason, Morgana.” Morgana: “Only a mad man hears the truth as treason.” Uther: “Take care, child, or I’ll have you restrained.” Morgana: “You just try.” Dungeons. (Morgana is dragged into a large prison cell by some guards and chained to the wall.) Uther: “And you will remain here until you learn your lesson.” Morgana: “Then release me because I’ve learned it already! That you care not for me, or anyone but yourself! That you’re driven mad with power! That you’re a tyrant!” (Uther walks away, the guard slamming the door shut behind him.) Enchanted Fortress. Past. (A young woman watches Morgana through a magic crystal and smiles.) Morgause: “Hider eft funde. On þisse ne middangeard. Morgana Pendragon, a great destiny awaits you. The battle for your soul is about to begin.”

Storybrooke. Present. Swan-Mills House. (The Swan-Mills' are having dinner. While Regina feeds Maria, Emma and Henry are talking.) Henry: "So Gabrielle said I should write what I know, and obviously I told her that I've already done that." Emma: "Right, and tell me again why you can't just take the storybook to a publisher and see what they think?" Henry: "Because I think there's got to be some Author's law about trying to make money off these stories. Just look at Isaac." Emma: "You're comparing yourself to that creep? Isaac abused his power as the Author and wrote his own happy ending at the expense of everyone else's pain and suffering." Henry: "And I wrote my happy ending by joining the Dream Realm to the other realms of story." Emma: "Which means you're no longer the Author." Henry: "Right." Regina: "So what's the worst that can happen? Henry, if you're worried that someone's going to come along and trap you inside the storybook, the Apprentice is long dead." Emma: "And the Sorcerer? He's not going to be able to do anything to you from where he is." Henry: "It's not that. I just... I didn't realise how hard being an adult was going to be." (Regina and Emma exchange looks.) Regina: "You didn't just make Ella's world real. You became the man of her dreams." Henry: "And how can I live up to that when I can't even put a roof over her head?" Emma: "By being there for her. Henry, why the hell didn't you go with Ella to Wonderland?" Henry: "We've been through this. I'm being responsible, I have to earn money to-" Emma: "You know damn well your mother and I have no problem with the two of you living here. This is your home." Regina: "And it'll be here waiting for the both of you when you return." (Henry looks from Regina to Emma and back before throwing up his hands and leaving the table.) Henry: "You guys don't get it." Emma: (Standing:) "No, Henry, it's you who doesn't get it! (Pointing:) Ella is out there right now looking for her mother. You more than anyone know what that's like and instead of going with her, you're what, working day and night saving money for the future? Don't you see? Every moment that you're not out there is a moment you're allowing to slip through your fingers." Henry: (Shaking his head:) "It's just not that simple." (He leaves.) Emma: "He needed to hear it." Regina: (Nods:) "I agree one hundred percent, but I'm glad you're the one who said it." Emma: "Yeah, I know you hate to play the bad cop with him." Regina: (Smiles:) "But I do so love when you play it with me." (Emma smiles despite herself and begins clearing the plates from the table.)

Wonderland. (Lead by Silvermist, Ella and Will continue to fly over the lake.) Will: “I must admit, I do enjoy the flying.” Silvermist: “You always did.” Will: “For what it's worth, Sil, I enjoyed some of the other bits as well.” Silvermist: (Turns in mid air:) “Not nearly as much as I'm going to enjoy this.” (Silvermist points her wand at Will and he immediately starts falling.) Will: “Whoa!” Ella: “Will!” Silvermist: “I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for that.” Ella: “How could you!” Silvermist: “Trust me. He deserved it.” Ella: “But we have to get him! He can't swim!” Silvermist: “Sorry. No detours.” Ella: “Oh, for goodness sake!” Silvermist: “Ooh!” (Ella purposefully takes a dive towards the water. Landing beside Will, Ella grabs him and pulls them to safety. Climbing to the top of a small island, they stop to catch their breath.) Ella: “What did you do to that fairy?” Will: “What did I do to her? She just tossed me into the bloody lake!” Ella: “Which you clearly deserved. Now we're stuck in the middle of nowhere, all because you broke a fairy's heart.” Will: “Well, she shouldn't have given it away in the first place.” Ella: “People can't help falling in love, Will.” Will: “Sure, they can. You just sneak out in the middle of the night, grab your trousers, your keys, and don't ever look back.” Ella: “Is that what you do? Should I warn Tiana about her future?” Will: “This isn't about me, Ella. If it were, I'd be sat back at home, with Tiana, happily watching the telly. Look, all I'm trying to tell you is, you've got this picture of your mum in your mind, these perfect little memories of how things were. But maybe that's just how they were for you.” Ella: “It wasn't like that. And if you really believe that, what are we doing here?” Will: “This is your quest, Ella, not mine.” (Frustrated, Ella turns away from Will, staring longingly at the shore.) Ella: “We're never gonna make it there. It's miles and miles away.” Will: “True. This is a bit of a setback, I'll give you that. But I'm sure we'll find another way.” Ella: “How?” Will: “Give me a minute. (Ella turns back to face him:) Two minutes.” Ella: “We don't have two minutes, Will. (Stands:) We need to get there today!” (Ella stamps her foot causing their little island to move violently, shaking them off back into the water.) Will: (Clinging to the island:) “What the bloody hell was that then?” Ella: “I don't know.” Will: “What kind of an island is this?” (They climb to the top again.) Ella: “This isn't an island.” Will: “What?” Ella: (Draws her sword:) “Hold on tight.” Will: “Tight? To what?” Ella: “Anything.” (Ella turns and leaps from the island.) Will: “Ella!” (After a long moment, Ella rises into the sky sitting astride the back of an enormous creature’s head.) Ella: (To the sea turtle:) “I’m sorry, did that tickle?” Will: (Amazed:) “A turtle?” Ella: “I wonder if you would be so kind as to give us both a lift to shore? (The turtle lazily nods its head:) Good boy. Now go!” (Will makes himself comfortable as they ride the enormous turtle across the lake.) Camelot. Past. Hall of Ceremonies. Night. (Uther is knighting new soldiers.) Uther: “Arise Sir Vidor, Knight of Camelot. Arise Sir Caradoc, Knight of Camelot. You have been accorded a great honour. But with that honour comes great responsibility. (While Uther speaks, an armoured figure approaches the main gates and dispatches two guards:) From this day forth, you are sworn to live by the knights’ code. You have pledged to conduct yourselves with nobility, honour, and respect. Your word is your sacred bond.”

(Outside, another guard is easily dealt with and the figure continues into the castle. The entire court turns to face the door at the sound of sword fighting outside. The armoured figure enters. The newly made knights of Camelot draw their swords as Arthur steps forward. The armoured knight drops their gauntlet in front of Arthur, who picks it up.) Arthur: “I accept your challenge. If I’m to face you in combat, do me the courtesy of revealing your identity.” (The knight removes their helmet to reveal a wealth of long blonde tresses.) Morgause: “My name is Morgause. I am here to fight for the freedom of the Lady Morgana who as we speak is being held captive in the dungeons of this castle by order of her father, King Uther.” (The court erupts into appalled murmurs at this revelation as Uther glares at Morgause.) Morgana's Chambers. Later That Night. (Freshly released from the dungeons, Morgana stands at her window, watching Morgause while she practices with her sword in the main square.) Guinevere: “Who is she? Why would she challenge Arthur? It seems no one’s ever heard of her.” Morgana: “I feel as if I’ve met her somewhere before.” Guinevere: “Really? Where could you know her from?” Morgana: “I don’t know.” Guinevere: (As Morgana continues to watch:) “She killed five guards.” Morgana: “Then Arthur should not underestimate her.”

Storybrooke. Present. Swan-Mills House. (After putting it off for months, Emma and Regina finally sit down to sort through some of the gifts they received after Maria was born.) Emma: "I think we might just have got something from everyone in the united realms." Regina: "If not, I'd definitely say it was close." Emma: "Clothes, toys, rattles. Half this stuff Maria's already grown too big for." Regina: "Which is why we're finally doing this. We have to bag up everything that's too small, too dangerous, (Throws a toy catapult into the 'reject' pile:) or just plain hideous." (Regina holds up a lime green baby-grow which Emma frowns and shakes her head at and it too finds itself sailing across the room into the pile.) Emma: "Please don't tell me we have to write and thank each person for their 'lovely, thoughtful gift'?" Regina: "Well, that would be the responsible thing to do." Emma: "So what does that mean we're going to do?" Regina: (Chuckles:) "Relax. I already sent the thank you cards." Emma: "You did?" Regina: "Yes. I used a modified tracking spell to find out who sent us what and then enchanted each card to go to the right person. I sent them at night so people wouldn't be overcome by the sight of hundreds of letters flying through the air. I got the idea from those ridiculous Harry Potter movies you make us watch." Emma: (Smiles:) "I love magic. And you, of course. Just the thought of writing that many cards... (Shivers:) The only person who would possibly enjoy that is-" Snow White: (Entering with Maria in her arms:) "There's nothing wrong with being polite, Emma. As a member of the royal family, I was taught manners and etiquette by my mother at a very young age." Emma: (To Regina:) "Have I thanked you lately for casting that curse? (Regina laughs. At Snow's stony expression:) Oh come on, Mom, it was a joke." Snow White: "Hm. Well it's just as well I'm here to teach Maria about her royal duties."

Regina: "Snow's right. (At Emma's look:) Oh, not about whatever she just said, I'd stopped listening by then. No, what I meant is that it seems a little ungrateful to accept all these gifts without giving something in return." Emma: "I know what you mean. The people of Dun Broch have just gone through hell and yet they're still out there, laughing and singing together. It's a very festive atmosphere down by their camps, despite everything." Snow White: "That's it!" Regina: "What's 'it'?" Snow White: "A festival! Guinevere and I were talking only yesterday about how to take everyone's minds off their troubles. A festival is just what we need! There'll be games and competitions and food and wine and oh, this will be so much fun!" (Watching Snow take Maria upstairs, then returning her attention to the reject pile, Emma grimaces.) Emma: (Turning to Regina, giving an exaggerated yawn.) "Do you think we can finish this some other time?" Regina: "No need. (Regina waves her hand and the messy reject pile is replaced by several trash bags marked 'donate':) There. Now do you think you can fit all those in your car?" Emma: (Beams, holding her arms wide:) "My brilliant wife." Regina: (As Emma wraps her arms around her:) "Just make sure they're all cleared out by tomorrow morning." Emma: "Your wish is my command." (Lifting Regina off her feet, Emma spins them in a circle, delighted that their task is over.) Regina: "Careful, Emma, there's not enough- (Catching her foot on the leg of the sofa, Emma stumbles backwards, Regina in her arms, onto the pile of trash bags:) ...room.” Emma: (Smiling up innocently:) "At least I landed on something soft." Regina: (Chuckles, then leans down to kiss her wife:) "Mm, so did I." Camelot. Past. Tournament Grounds. (Uther enters with Morgana by his side. At the earliest possible moment, Morgana takes her hand away from his and shares a smile with Guinevere. Arthur stands waiting while Morgause enters the arena.) Uther: “The fight is by the Knights’ Rules. And to the death.” (Uther takes his seat.)

Arthur: “I’m offering you a final chance to withdraw. I suggest you take it. (Morgause merely stares at him:) Then you leave me no choice.” (Confidently forgoing his helmet, Arthur twirls his sword a few times and the fight begins. Arthur quickly catches Morgause on the arm, but allows her to pick up her sword to the cheers of the crowd. Retrieving her sword, Morgause attacks with renewed vigor, blocking Arthur’s strikes and knocking him to the ground. Standing over him, Morgause presses her sword to Arthur’s chest.) Morgause: (Removing her helmet:) “Do you yield, or shall I run you through? (Breathing heavily, Arthur glances toward the dais:) You would rather fight on to keep the Lady Morgana in chains than to see her free?” Arthur: “But Morgana is already free.” Morgause: “Not yet she isn’t. So I ask again, do you yield?” Arthur: (Nods:) “I so yield.” (Morgause lowers her sword and extends her hand. Taking it, Arthur allows himself to be pulled to his feet. Walking over to the dais, Morgause gives a curt bow to Uther as he stands.) Morgause: "Morgana goes free." (Morgana watches with interest as Morgause leaves the grounds. Uther glares at Arthur before making his exit.)

#sq #swanqueen #swan queen

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crimson-ace · 3 years

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A Real Rock-Solid Dude (Or Would a More Accurate Term Be Dudebot?)

Archive of Our Own Link

Here’s yet another story in the Transformers AU, this time focusing on Stoneheart and Nino. If anyone wants to share their thoughts on it or offer advice on how I can improve, you’re more than welcome to.

Nino couldn’t believe that he was actually riding in the passenger seat of an advanced alien robot taking on the form of a dump truck who was specifically assigned to protect him. He looked so cool and had all these weapons, and Nino actually got to hang out with him! Yeah, he was technically there to make sure some evil giant robots didn’t try to kill him and his family, but that was a minor detail. He couldn’t wait to get to know him.

Likewise, Stoneheart couldn’t believe that Optimus Prime was actually letting him spend time with a human. Ever since he had arrived on Earth, he had wanted to understand humans more, but hadn’t gotten much of a chance because of Optimus’s orders to remain robots in disguise.

Stoneheart naturally had a lot of questions to ask Nino. “Why do humans have so many different skin colors? How do you make those trees I see in the forest? What does your kind use to refuel? Can you tell me what a ‘meme’ is? Does the cybernetic warlord Schwarzenegger really exist?”

“Whoa, dude! Calm down for a second.” Nino was surprised by how eager Stoneheart sounded, and the strange questions he was asking. But then again, humans are kind of weird. Nino thought he saw the yellow Autobot dudette trying to hide from him before the big leader Autobot dude (he’s really bad with names, okay?) told her to get back to the command center.

“I’m sorry, I really want to learn everything I can about humans.” Stoneheart said. “I haven’t really interacted with your kind before. I haven’t really even interacted with a lot of life forms outside of other Autobots.”

“Well, I’m still open for questions. Just be sure to ask them one at a time, okay?” Nino suggested.

“Uh… okay.” Stoneheart felt a little embarrassed for going on like that. “What do humans do for entertainment?”

“Well, I like to listen to music. Here, I’ll play something for you.” Nino took out his phone and looked for a good song for Stoneheart. He pressed a button, and a smooth hip-hop beat started to play.

“Ooh, that sounds nice.” Stoneheart said, enjoying the music.

“Only the best songs go on my playlist.” Nino said, happy Stoneheart was having a good time.“How long have you been on Earth anyway?”

Stoneheart had to quickly do the math converting stellar cycles to human units of measurement. “I’d say about three of your Earth years.”

“And you’ve really managed to stay hidden that long?”

“Well, we’ve had help from your planet’s government.” Stoneheart explained. “We have a liaison who monitors our activity and occasionally calls for backup if we need it.”

“So you have a babysitter?” Nino asked. “That’s so lame.”

“I wouldn’t call him that. Our liaison’s abrasive, but he’s got a good heart.” Stoneheart said. “I’ve worked with far worse before.”

Stoneheart kept driving until he stopped, much to Nino’s confusion.

“Uh, dude, why did you stop?”

“I was told that when the light on the street is red, vehicles are supposed to stop. Did I do something wrong?” Stoneheart asked.

Nino looked out Stoneheart’s window and saw the stoplight. “We’re still in the countryside, and there wasn’t a stoplight here yesterday.” Right after he said that, the stoplight faded away in a flash of orange light. Before he could think of anything else, Nino saw an orange sports car charging towards him and Stoneheart.

“Get in!” Stoneheart cried as he started driving away, knowing what, or rather, who the car really was. But before he could get any farther, Stoneheart was flanked by several black cars with purple highlights. The cars transformed into robotic drones, much like the ones Stoneheart had fought earlier with Ladybug and Queen Bee. They all pointed their weapons at Stoneheart

Soon after, the orange car stopped and transformed into a humanoid figure that casually walked over to Stoneheart with a smirk on her face.

“Hi Stoneheart. Why don’t you transform so we can have a little chat?” She asked.

Stoneheart had Nino get out and transformed into his robot mode, making sure Nino was safe behind his leg.

“What are you doing here?” Stoneheart asked, clenching a fist in anger.

Volpina chuckled a little. “Well, during our little skirmish today where you risked your titles as ‘robots in disguise’ over a couple of organic lifeforms, I took the chance to place a tracking device on you.”

Nino saw the orange device on the Autobot’s leg and tried to pull it off before Stoneheart did it himself. “So why me? Why not Queen Bee or Ladybug?”

Hearing the question made Volpina laugh a little more. “You’re really asking that? Do you even realize the position you’re in right now? This is a chance to rejoin the winning team!”

Nino’s eyes widened as he heard Volpina’s offer. “R-Rejoin?”

“Yeah, you know those big bad Decepticons you were told about by Optimus Prime? Your buddy here used to be one.” Volpina said with a sadistic grin on her face.

Stoneheart tensed up, worried his past would drive Nino away like so many before him.

It turned out that Volpina was counting on this, as one of the Vehicons took advantage of Stoneheart letting his guard down and grabbed Nino in one hand before handing him to Volpina

Nino struggled to escape the grip of the Decepticon, which only got tighter the more he moved around.

“They’re even more disgusting up close. Though they are fun to see go ‘pop’.” She sneered, enjoying the human’s suffering.

Stoneheart thought of charging Volpina, but he was stopped by the Vehicons aiming their weapons at him.

“Here’s the deal: You’re going to call the Autobot base for a ground bridge, so we can find out just where you all hide from the wrath of the Decepticons.” Volpina said as she presented Nino to Stoneheart. “If you don’t, I get the organic’s blood all over my hand.”

Stoneheart was at a loss of what to do as the Vehicons moved closer to him.

Suddenly, he got a message from the Autobot base, almost like fate was laughing at him. “Stoneheart, this is Pegasus. How are things with the human?”

Volpina grinned wickedly as held Nino in her hand, making Stoneheart know what would happen if he didn’t cooperate.

“I, uh… everything’s fine, Pegasus. I’ll check in with you later.” Stoneheart said before ending the call, causing the Vehicons to move in on him.

“I get that you’re a little nervous, but are you unaware of our deal?” Volpina asked. “Call your base again, or my troops open fire.”

To make sure Stoneheart did what Volpina wanted, a Vehicon pressed its weapon against his back.

Stoneheart raised his left hand and went to press the button on his head that activated his comlink… and then swiftly grabbed the Vehicon behind him and threw it at Volpina.

The sudden impact caused the Decepticon to lose her grip on Nino, who started to fall to the ground. Thankfully, Stoneheart dived down and caught him before transforming back into vehicle mode and driving off with Nino in his cab.

Just when he thought he had outrun then, Stoneheart found himself cornered by more Vehicons. Just when it seemed like he was outnumbered again, he saw a stray blaster fire from afar, hitting one of the Vehicons.

Stoneheart transformed back into his robot form, holding Nino in his hands, and saw Optimus Prime was there, holding his ion blaster. “Stoneheart, get Nino to a safe place.” He ordered as he engaged the Vehicons.

Stoneheart nodded and ran through blaster fire before hiding Nino behind a rock. “Stay here.” He said as he charged back out with Optimus. The two Autobots quickly dispatched the remaining Vehicons.

...........

“How did you know I was in trouble?” Stoneheart asked as he and Optimus walked back to Nino.

“The tone in your voice made it clear you were in distress.” Optimus explained.

Stoneheart sighed a little. “I’m guessing you don’t want me to be Nino’s guardian anymore?”

“On the contrary. The fact that you risked so much for Nino shows you have learned so much about compassion for life.”

Nino saw Optimus and Stoneheart and ran over to them. “Hey dudes!” He said as Stoneheart picked him up. “Are you okay?” Stoneheart asked.

Nino nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. A little bruised, but still fine.” He said before he looked at Optimus. “Hey, uh… Prime Dude? The fox bot said Stoneheart used to be a Decepticon? Is that true?”

Optimus saw the concerned look on Stoneheart’s face and pondered how to explain this to Nino. “Yes, Stoneheart was a Decepticon, but not anymore. Every solar cycle, he is learning about the importance of life, and is now fighting for more reasons than personal thrill.”

Nino was surprised, but noticed how worried Stoneheart looked, so he decided to stop asking questions for now. “Okay, that’s fine. I’m fine with you, Autobot or Decepticon.” He said, making Stoneheart smile a little.

“To ensure Volpina does not attempt to ambush you again, I shall accompany you home.” Optimus said as he transformed into his truck mode.

“Okay, that’s pog!” Nino exclaimed, confusing both Autobots

“What does ‘pog’ mean?” Stoneheart asked Optimus.

“I believe it may be the name of a famous poet on Earth.” Optimus replied, just as confused as Stoneheart.

Optimus drove alongside Stoneheart and stopped a few houses down from where Nino said his home was.“So what’s going to happen tomorrow? Are you going to watch me 24/7?” Nino asked.

“We’re going to do some things to make the base more hospitable for you.” Stoneheart explained. “I’ll pick you up from school and take you to our base.”

“That’s… weird.” Nino replied. “You guys are really doing all of this just to protect us?”

“Any life lost to the Decepticons is one life too many.” Optimus explained.

Nino was surprised at the Autobot leader’s dedication.“But I almost endangered one of your guys. You really don’t see me as annoying?”

“Nino, we Autobots value all sentient life, and are willing to lay our sparks on the line to ensure your people’s safety.” Optimus said. “Now, from what I am familiar with, Earth customs say it is best that you come home to rest.”

Nino checked the time on his phone and realized Optimus had a point. “Okay then. Goodnight, dudes. Wait, do robots have to sleep? Eh, never mind.” Nino said as he headed back to his house.

“Are you sure you aren’t mad, Optimus?” Stoneheart asked nervously.

“Stoneheart, what you have done tonight has proven that I made the right choice in giving you a second chance.” Optimus replied while the two stood watch in their vehicle forms, planning to meet up with Pegasus once things looked clear.

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug au #transformette #transformers #transformers au #miraculous ladybug crossover au #transformers crossover au #nino lahiffe #ivan bruel #stoneheart #lila rossi #volpina #optimus prime

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movienotesbyzawmer · 4 years

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October 19, 2020: Friday the 13th

This is happening. I am going to watch the first eight Friday the 13th movies over the next eight evenings.

Am I an idiot. Will I even get through them all. Why.

The earlier movies in the series came out at a time when I was a pre-teen movie fan who really wanted to get past the too-scary barrier and just enjoy horror movies. I think rewatching the first couple on cable back in the early 80s helped me get used to horror movies. But it's not like I ever was a huge fan of, just, straight slasher movies. I'd appreciate the effects and the gore, but I never thought they were excellent movies.

So here we are at the first one, still the most famous one. I remember it well enough that I don't think anything will be scary or surprising, but it's been so long that I suspect it will look very, very dated. Let's pop this sukka in…

Right away we get to hear the familiar "riff" or whatever you want to call this bit in the score that goes CH CH CH CH CH HA HA HA HA HA HA. Good job coming up with that.

So they tell us that it's Camp Crystal Lake in 1958, and we cut between teenage camp leader people doing a singalong and a POV stalkercam creeping around. It really doesn't look like 1958 in any way. But that turns into a POV murdering of two boinking teenagers; definitely owes a debt to Halloween, which came out two years earlier. But that ends with the title of the movie shooting out toward us all and shattering some glass we didn't know was there! Oh mercy what a surprise how will I ever get any sleep.

Ha! A crazy old man jumps in front of the nice girl and be-s all scary at her with the portentous "death curse" warning. Kinda hard to believe this movie came out in the same decade as Blue Velvet, is my comment on its dramatic maturity.

0:12:45 - Kevin Bacon's first appearance! Do people remember that this is one of his earliest roles? Still a couple years after his small role in Animal House though, so he was actually known.

So now we're at the camp and we see the girl who makes it to the end. She's talking to the dude with the mustache who is, what, the owner of the camp? There's a creepy tension maybe because they will want us to suspect he's a bad guy later. Or maybe because awkward exchanges are a consequence of movie budgets being small. But there's also dumb plot exposition about how, okay, fine, she'll stay on the job until Friday but then she has to move to California to pursue her real interests. You know, art drawings!

Ooh, now the first girl, Little Miss Backpack, catches a second ride, but we don't see the driver, it's all POV! She's in trouble, and we don't know who it is! Is it Moustachio? She's on the run through the woods! Limping, oh no! And… SLASH! That's kind of interesting because it was looking like she might be the protagonist. But in the brilliant clarity of this very nice, newly-restored Blu-ray presentation, we see her cruelly dispatched by way of some pretty mediocre gore makeup. Good enough for what must have been a pretty low budget I guess. But hard to believe this came out just one year before An American Werewolf in London.

0:26:20 - "What Do I Do", says the snake-chasing counselor guy. It's a funny delivery! And I actually like some of the angles in this scene.

Now there's this motorcycle cop character who shows up to Be A Cop at them. The actor seems like he's not very experienced, but like he was cast because he has a weird way of talking that was amusing during the casting sessions.

Bah ha ha ha, the weird dude from town is lurking in the pantry! He emerges shockingly to deliver another warning! The only reason that happens is to make us wonder if he is the stalker. "You're doomed! You're all doomed!" Way to embrace that dialogue, buddy.

It's kind of like the director didn't give these counselor actors individual character notes; he just told them all "you are spunky young camp counselors, that's it, that's the direction".

So Kevin Bacon and his girlfriend have repaired to a little cabin so they can Do It, and something that's occurring to me is that, unlike what we're more used to seeing in slasher movies, they aren't focusing on the sexual attractiveness of the females. The guys and the gals are all just kind of good-lookin-enough young adults who are all into each other. I'm going to keep an eye on how this progresses as I get deeper into the series, if I even last the whole eight movies.

Whoa a dude is dead in the bunk above where they're Doing It! We didn't see that guy get killed even, right? He looks enough like another one of the guys that I might not have noticed his character was absent.

The KB death scene I totally remember, and at first it looks quite good and is a good shock! But because this restoration is so clean, you really notice the color difference between where it's KB's head and a fake body getting speared. Other than that, though, that is pretty exquisite horror movie violence, that death.

KB's girlfriend is looking like she's about to get murdered, and while she is in skimpy underwear, I still don't think it's like that to titillate us as much as to make her seem vulnerable. Am I being naïve? Maybe. The rest of the gang is playing strip poker in their quarters, but they're such regular people and not being filmed in any kind of steamy way.

The pace really slowed down after those couple of bloody murders, but audiences at the time were probably pretty shocked by how bloody they were. Both of those deaths were very much in close-up. At this point in the movie, though, there's a more careful suspense. We go back to Moustachio, chatting in a diner, then having car trouble. It's plodding in a way that seems actually pretty smart. I feel suspense building.

0:56:58 - I don’t remember this scene at all… one of the girls is all by herself and she clearly hears someone calling for help. It's not done in a "maybe it's the supernatural echo of the drowning boy's screams" way. It's just a lure. The girl goes outside, someone turns floodlights on… and we cut away just as she's ostensibly about to get all killed up.

So now it's just the short-haired girl and the dark haired guy that didn't die yet. Are they the last ones left? Other than Moustachio? That happened quick!

1:02:10 - First mention of it being Friday the 13th. It's really not significant to the story or to the whole series. They were clearly just stoked that they claimed "Friday the 13th" as a property.

Moustachio just got killed; no violence; it was just so we could see that he recognized the killer. Plus also now we know for sure he's not the killer, even though we figured that because he was off at the diner while killings were happening. Our minds are really spinning trying to solve this diabolical mystery!

I do like how they are drawing out the suspense at this point. Lots of little moments where maybe a lurker is about to get them.

How come people used to make coffee in the exact same was as they make hot cocoa? Just get a mug and put some coffee crystals in there and some sugar, then pour boiling water in there and serve?

Boom! After all that meticulous slow action, dude is dead on the door! Up until this point, the main girl had no idea that actual deaths were going on, and suddenly she's the only one left alive! It is exciting to watch her figure out what she'll do.

What she does first is go all in on blocking one door. It's kind of unintentionally funny, and also maybe that's what any of us would come up with.

In case she wasn't sure if the other gals were still around, a cadaver of one of them is heaved in front of her through a window! Just like that she undoes all her door work because she sees a jeep pull up. Are we supposed to recognize it as Bad Jeep from earlier? I think we are. It's a nice lady, but we are suspicious because Bad Jeep. But why would she throw a girl through a window and then just a few minutes later arrive in a Jeep?

The Jason's Mom actress is awesome, super intense. Only problem is that it's a little hard to believe that she's twenty years on from being a mother of a kid who was at a camp.

The main girl is on the run and found a rifle, and is just like OMG where is ammo, and she looks as desperate as I'd be. This is fine, you guys. Fine work. Fine, fine work.

1:26:40 - We're near the end. The chase devolved into an I-found-you-hiding-in-the-pantry fight. Jason's Mom got laid out on the floor and there was a little blood, so the main girl was like, time to just kneel by a canoe with my back to all of everything. But Mom is there and the fight ends with her being beheaded, because somehow there was a machete there that only the main girl knew about! The machete from the snake incident earlier that was in a totally different place, I guess. So she rewards herself with a midnight canoe ride by herself on the lake, which honestly should have been pretty free of murderers, not that dumb a move.

What is dumb is this ending. She wakes up in the hospital, vocally convinced that The Boy Jason pulled her under, even though she didn't see what happened because he grabbed her from behind. But there were cops there looking right at her at that time, they should have seen. Also, like, so do you slip into a coma when you fall overboard or something? Last time I got fully submerged in water I didn't wake up in the hospital with lots of questions.

So that's that! I watched Friday the 13th and told you what I was thinking as I watched it. It is not without virtues and the Blu-ray transfer looks very nice, but it is a slasher movie whose intended audience is no more nuanced than the undefined blob of camp counselor characters that make up most of the movie.

(next: Friday the 13th Part 2)

#Friday the 13th

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themockingcrows · 4 years

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Companionship Through Circuitry ch. 6: Setbacks

Bro/Hal cw: blood, violence, deathclaws, and a generally bad day in the wasteland

Journeys are never without their inherent dangers. When you're living in the wasteland, it's to be expected. Doesn't make them suck any less, though.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20942408/chapters/64071430

I spy with my little eye-

“Hal, pick a new game already.”

I can assure you this is the best game to play out here.

“Fine,” Bro said, exhausted. They’d been traveling for days on the remains of the highway by now and there was no sign of a proper township. He smelled, his back and legs hurt, and despite having plenty of food water was always a precious commodity. He also had at least four letters to send by now, including a few sketches and schematics he’d designed after toying with the Furby body some more, in case Dave wanted to get his hands on a little guardian bot of his own. The kid was smart, even he’d be able to handle basic scripting to make a functional system for it. Surely someone else he was buddies with could figure out an AI of sorts for it, too.

True, it would have been easier to follow another path by now, but following the main point of the highway just seemed the best, most direct route for him. Who’s to say it was brahmin who made the trodden paths that led further into the wastes, or humans? What if it was mutants, or worse, deathclaws stalking the wastelands? Scuttling parties of mole rats or vicious dogs.

Would you like to know what I spy or not, Bro.

“I don’t want to know, but I’ve got a feelin’ you’re gonna tell me anyway aren’t you.”

Correct! I’ll give you a few hints.

Bro groaned in irritation.

“A bloatfly,” he guessed off the bat.

No, though it is annoying.

“As annoyin’ as you? Why isn’t there a fuckin’ mute option on these shades..”

Your second hint is that it’s bipedal.

That perked him up somewhat. Bro scanned the horizon further off for signs of a city or outpost, a wanderer, a courier. Anyone. Instead what he saw was the lanky, sharply pointed edges of a juvenile deathclaw. A definite pain in the ass, but nothing he couldn’t handle.

“...And how long have we been in deathclaw territory for, Hal?”

Uncertain, my saved map mentions shopping centers, not deathclaws.

“Ooh, shopping centers?” he said. “Put a peg in it, if we find somewhere to trade soon we might do a run back to grab some more supplies for trade and keepin’.”

The deathclaw is still nearby, you know.

“I can avoid it if I want,” Bro said, taking out his sword. A juvenile would take some fast work, but he knew he was good for dispatching the monstrosities, and people paid good money for their clawed hands, even the small ones. Hell, even he wanted some bits off of one sometime, though mostly for show. How sick would a deathclaw fang necklace be, after all?

You appear to be approaching the small one instead of fleeing.

“Watch and learn, Hal,” Bro said as he shifted his weight and began to run. Aching feet or not, his boots cut into the crisp cooked layer of topsoil and sank ever so slightly with each step. The deathclaw noticed him and turned, beginning to awkwardly run towards him, long limbs ungainly but just as deadly as an adult. They met in the middle, Bro’s sword singing off the armored hide of the creature’s forearms, taking a chunk with it as he went. The deathclaw lunged for his middle with a shrill noise, catching a chunk of shirt on the end of one of its spiky hands, but just missing his tender vitals. He turned, and used the momentum to slice at the space where its behorned head connected to its body, the sword sliding against softer skin. Staggered, the small deathclaw stepped forward, then tottered back unsteadily as it began to bleed out.

Bro lifted a foot and kicked the creature backwards to its spiny back, then followed with the sword to spear its chest, cranking the blade to the side once it glanced off a rib, forcing downwards till it stopped moving. Planting his boot on its chest, he yanked his sword free and swung it in the air a few times to rid it of blood, and smirked. Fuck, that felt good. Nothing like taking out a little nightmare to give a nice rush of adrenaline and dopamine. Hell, he wouldn’t even say no to a smoke or a drink right now, ride that high long as he could.

Excellent, now how do you intend to deal with the mother?

“Mother?” Bro asked, about a half second before he felt something plow into him like a freight train, sending him flying and pain searing through his right shoulder blade. He landed flat on his face and skidded before rolling over, hand on his sword raising it defensively and other hand reaching for his gun.

Shit. Shit, shit, this was definitely a mother death claw, the hide was darker than usual. He must’ve just killed one of her brood. Not a good look for someone not interested in dying in the middle of nowhere. He fired a quick two shots, missing the first and nailing her in the left eye with the second, though it only seemed to make her more enraged after a brief second of shaking her head. She raised a hand and slashed downwards where Bro was scooting backwards, forcing him to block with a weakened grip before the second slash sang home across his chest, blood spurting where her claws shredded flesh and fabric alike. One of the straps of Bro’s bags was severed, leaving him half dragging it as he continued to try crawling backwards, firing till his clip was empty.

Hal was urgently trying to tell him something, but Bro couldn’t hear anymore, couldn’t think, could only focus on the burning in his chest and the taste of copper in his mouth. Things were flashing through his mind as he stared down the deathclaw, who was raising both of her hands for a double slash that he wouldn’t be able to block in the slightest. Things he still wanted to do, to say. Memories.

Dave the day he left home to travel to the city, bag on his back and barely a look back as he wove past the traps. Dave as a lanky tween, perched by his side on the counter top as he cooked an omelette for them both, telling him a joke that he still didn’t think was funny but that he’d laughed at anyway. Dave at five, sitting on his lap as he fiddled with a new project that would eventually become a birthday present game for him, looking up at him with big red eyes almost full of tears when he refused to tell him what he was working on.

Dave, still struggling to put weight on as an infant as Bro kept him warm on the sofa through a bout of fever, trying to coax him into eating just a bit more from the bottle, wondering if he should make the trek to find a doctor or keep hunkering down and hoping it would work itself out. Being scared out of his fucking mind about this tiny, sick thing in his arms and on his chest, worried he’d break if he moved wrong.

This wasn’t fear he felt. It was acceptance. Dave being sick or hurt was fear, even when he’d been the one to hurt him in the preparations he’d run repeatedly over the years. A deathclaw? This was his just rewards for being cocky without backup. He wanted to have time to apologize to Dave, like he always really meant to.

He wanted to apologize to Hal, too, for not managing to take him to get his body. For getting his hopes up about Dirk and then dying with him in the middle of nowhere. Maybe the shades would get crushed by the deathclaw after he died, spare him much misery. They’d both just go out like a candle in the breeze and nobody would be any the wiser.

A shot rang out, and blood spurted from the side of the deathclaw’s head. She staggered, stomping her sharp feet on his abdomen and legs as she adjusted her balance and snarled in alarm at the new threat. More shots, each one more precise than the last, till finally one hit the same eye he’d shot earlier, and the beast went down on top of him. Though his ears were still ringing, Bro could feel his pulse slowing down and everything going darker as the feeling of faintness took over.

Bro. Bro!

“Sorry, Dave,” he mumbled, blood on his lips and eyes unfocusing as red eyes stared at him. No, wait, not Dave. “Hal..”

AMBROSE.

The last thing Bro was aware of was a high pitched repeated beeping pattern ringing out from the shades on his face, a signal he knew so well. Anyone out here could recognize SOS when they heard it, but Bro couldn’t care anymore who did hear it.

Darkness claimed him.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“...p. See? I think he’s waking up! Jake, push more fluids!”

“I’m going as fast as I can, don’t you think he’d bl-........”

“...ver if we don’t. Sometimes you have to do dangerous things in a time of crisis, just pu-...”

“...rry chap, we’re doing our best. Why were you playing with a deathclaw mot-...”

“...’s going under again, God damn it why don’t we have more gauze!”

“...aid last time we wouldn’t need that many, let me check his ba-...”

“....tting sick, stupid coat, ugh! Hand me a clo-...”

“...ehozaphat he’s rolling in meds and chems! Lookit all this, it’s a kings ran-...”

“...ab whatever you can, inject him with at least two, and hand the alcohol to me so I ca-...”

“...nk he’ll make it? He’s in an awful way, Jade. We’re still at least a few miles out fro-...”

“...re he’ll make it, we just need to hur-...”

...ve him. Please. Pulse is falling at an alarming ra-...

“...re trying our best, believe me, it’s up to him if we ca-...”

...n’t lose him to-...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When Ambrose woke, it was to clean sheets and a bright light coming from a window. He reached up to touch his face and panicked to realize the shades weren’t on him any longer, looking around as he tried to sit stark upright to look around. Tried being the correct term, considering when he got a few inches upright his abdomen and chest sang with burning pain and forced him to lay back on an aching shoulder. Sighing an exhale, Bro took the room and himself into account.

The room itself looked to be a standard medical setup for a scap town, shelves of supplies and a few more beds shoved into the same room with him, a shabby gray curtain sectioning the space off from another area. He was laying on a cot with the aforementioned clean sheets, which were a hell of a commodity, and wrapped what felt like head to toe in bandages. His chest had padding underneath that seemed fresh enough, as well as his abdomen, and another bandage seemed to be wrapping his shoulder. His forearms had bandages, a shift of his legs revealed smaller areas of wrappings and-

Bro snatched the sheets and lifted them upwards, looking down towards his groin in worry. Okay. Phew. Dick still there and in one piece, no need to panic. Thank fuck.

Were you honestly more concerned for your dick than me? Came a voice from the top of the shelves, arms folded in and tucked at an angle to not get damaged or in the way.

“To be fair, I’ve been attached to my dick longer than you,” Bro said, giving another try at this standing thing and getting as far as sitting upright before he had to stop, dizzy. He was also connected to an IV he realized, two bags half drained already and the tether attached to his arm carefully with another bandage and some tape to keep it from moving. One of the bags was unmistakably blood. “Where’s my stuff.”

I’m fine, thank you for asking. I can really tell you were concerned for my safety after being nearly disemboweled. I can also tell you’re just dying to know how you went about not dying.

“My stuff, Hal.”

In the other room, safe and fucking sound.

“Thank you. Gimme a second and I’ll come get you,” Bro said, running a hand through his hair. He realized with surprise that it was clean instead of gritty with sand and dust and blood, freshly washed like the rest of him. Someone had taken care to wash him thoroughly it seemed. Hell, even his fingernails were spotless. Shocking. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d been this squeaky clean, it was almost a shame he didn’t remember it. “How long have I been out?”

Almost a week.

“Jesus,” Bro rasped as he finally stood up on shaky fawn legs, reaching for the IV stand for balance before making his way over to the shelf, naked as the day he was born save for the bandages. He groped for the shades hurriedly when he started feeling faint again, and had just grabbed them when the curtain pulled back.

A tall girl with dark skin, shocking green eyes and long wild hair tied back into evenly sectioned ponytails stood owl eyed behind large round glasses with a single crack in the left lens, a stethoscope around her neck and familiar leftover military gear covering her from head to toe. She frowned, and immediately rushed forward to grab Bro by the elbow and middle of his back, steering him back to bed.

“How long have you been awake!” she asked. “Why didn’t you wait till someone came to help you? Are you in pain? Do you need any water? Food?”

“Few minutes,” Bro said, more than a little startled. He sat and covered himself soon as he could, but the young woman didn’t back off in the slightest, swooping close to shine a pocket light in his eyes, checking his pupils.

“Has there been any bleeding? Any night terrors? Do you have any numbness or weaknesses?”

“I feel like shit, but otherwise,” Bro said, grimacing and jerking his head back from her grasp as she turned the light off.

“I’ll get Jake to bring some lunch in for you, I’m glad you’re not running on glucose anymore. Actually, I’m glad you’re running at all,” she said with a grin. Her canines were strangely sharp looking. “My name is Jade Harley, and I’m half of the reason you’re alive right now.”

“Is the chap who tried to cuddle the wrong end of a mother deathclaw awake yet?” asked another voice from beyond the open curtain.

“He is! Get some of those mirelurk cakes and mac and cheese, please?”

“I’ll bring some of that slackjaw jerky too, I imagine he’s half starved for real food,” said the male out of sight, before Bro heard distant sounds of dishes and metal scraping metal.

“...So what, you a doctor?” he guessed.

“We both are, in our own right. My cousin, Jake English, is the one who spotted you first out there. The primary reason you’re alive, however, is because we’re both sharpshooters! There wouldn’t have been much left to save if we hadn’t pegged that bitch into the dirt,” she said enthusiastically.

Bro’s lip twitched in amusement. This person couldn’t have been older than her early twenties, but she was a doctor? And a sharpshooter?

“So who really saved me?”

Jade’s smile sharpened somewhat, looking predatory. “I don’t think I’d tease like that when you’re still so weak. All it’d take is a cushion to take you out right now, I bet.”

“Sorry, just. You’re so young…” he trailed off as another figure entered the room with a dinner tray. This person didn’t look much older than Jade if he was a day, face clean shaven and hair styled but messy, standing at about the same height. He looked much more solid, though, shoulders broad and chest straining a little at the fatigues shirt he wore, and his demeanor seemed much sweeter than his cousin at first glance. More innocent somehow, or somehow less aware of the intensity of their surroundings.

“Here you are, I’ll get some juice for you as well in a few ticks. First time I’m seeing this much of your outside as opposed to your inside since we got you scrubbed down!” he laughed, setting the tray on Bro’s lap. The food smelled fresh and was warm on his thighs beneath the sheet, mirelurk cakes looking greasy and delicious, mac and cheese that smelled plenty creamy from the box, and some kind of soft looking jerky rubbed with spices that made his mouth water as much as the fresh stuff before him

“Try to eat slow,” Jade warned him as Jake trotted back out of view for a moment and came back with juice as promised. “Hope apple’s okay! It’s what we’ve got.”

“Apple’s fine,” Bro promised, tucking into the mac and cheese first, eyes closing in bliss. Salty, creamy, rich. He could feel it flooding his system already, a body starved for nutrients beyond the bare minimum of functioning and safety. Once he shoveled a second bite into his mouth, he slid the shades onto his face and grinned a bit when haughty red eyes looked at him. Hal was clearly annoyed, angry even, but those eyes were full of concern too.

“We’ve got tea too, though not everyone enjoys what we brew,” Jake chuckled.

“Their loss, it’s delicious,” said Jade with a shake of her head.

Scans show temperature readings as normal. Pulse normal. Pupils overly reactive to light, but not abnormal.

“I hope he didn’t talk your leg off,” Bro said. “He’s kind of annoyin’.”

You have terminal stupidity, I propose an immediate lobotomy to put you out of my misery.

“Will you knock it off for ten seconds and let me eat before rippin’ me a new one?”

It’s true. The doctor said so. You’re just stupid.

“You were snuck up on by a creature twice your size in the wasteland,” Jade pointed out with a smirk. “Though I’m glad Hal’s giving you a positive reading. He was quite useful while we were saving you.”

“How much did he talk,” Bro wondered aloud.

“A bit,” she admitted. “We discussed why you were traveling, though he wasn’t that talkative about details. He let us know about Dave when you kept saying his name, in case you didn’t make it. He wanted us to be sure to let him know, and to send your other letters.”

“You’re a long way from home,” Jake chimed in, taking a seat on the nearest bed to talk while Bro shook his head and went back to eating. “But it’s all fine now. Er.. mostly.”

“How much do I owe you,” Bro said almost immediately, breaking a mirelurk cake in half with his fork before stuffing it into his mouth. He’d worry about manners when he wasn’t sitting in a room with two strangers who’d apparently saved his life and seen him in more detail naked than anyone else had in years.

“We’ll figure out caps in a little bit,” Jade said. “You’re going to need to stay here a while longer either way, and we had to use a lot of your medical supplies.”

“Helped ourselves to a little bit of your food as well, but mostly it was the chems and supplies we needed at the moment. Lucky for us you were damn near carrying a medics inventory on your back!”

“Yeah, I just got through a vault,” Bro said. “Place hadn’t been looted yet till I got there.”

“A vault!” Jake interjected excitedly. “Was it like they say, all sterile and eerily perfect?”

“It was full of the people who used to live there, and they weren’t human anymore,” Bro said simply.

It was quite a show to see that many feral ghouls get put down in one go.

“Oh, that doesn’t sound very dapper.”

“Vaults rarely are. They’re either fulla deadly shit, full of a shit load’a nothin’, or fulla people who don’t want you to bother them because you’re all gross from bein’ outside and they know you just want the goodies they’ve got.”

“My grandpa was from a vault,” Jade said with a grin. “He’s the one who raised both of us, taught us everything we know.”

They traded conversation for a time while Bro continued to eat, though it waned when he finished and looked exhausted, surprised that the very act of eating took so much energy out of him. Jake took the tray away and Jade performed a followup examination as Bro settled back tiredly on the pillows. Before she left, he requested his belongings, or what was left of them.

He had an important letter to write.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Bro’s head ached sickly by the time he finished writing the letter, nearly as much as his heart, and his eyes were wet. He didn’t dare to rub at them, nor to even draaw attention to them, but the fact he’d cried while pouring his fucking soul out onto the page wasn’t something he’d admit to anyone. Hal, bless him, remained quiet aside from occasionally offering a correction on a phrase to make it sound better. At first Bro had resented the dictation, but found the changes in wording to be a positive thing, eliminating double meanings. What he ended up with was the letter he’d envisioned sending Dave when the deathclaw was about to do the killing strike, and the fewer mistakes and misunderstandings that could arise from it was for the better.

It took another few days of resting, eating, and conversing with the doctors before Bro was strong enough to go for walks around the town. First thing was first: he paid express for his letter bundle to be sent to Dave along with some money, the most recently written one marked URGENT in bright red stamped letters. Secondly, he got himself a cola and drank the entire thing in one go. The doctors had been kind enough to spot him some clothes, since his shirt was ruined and his pants were scrapped in the moment by bloodshed and emergency bandage use on top of their general wear and tear. The down side was he hated fatigues… but hey, beggars couldn’t be choosers.

He was settled with another soda at the little bar and grill early one morning, having shared breakfast with Jade and Jake once more (his own recipe this time, which only Jake seemed enthusiastic about once they’d tasted the product), but wanting to just sit outside and enjoy the early morning before the sun really got going on cooking everything in the wasteland to death. Hal was quiet, watching as well he presumed based on the little target viewers moving around every time someone moved.

What do you plan to do if you don’t get a reply?

“Keep goin’,” he said with a shrug, taking a sip. “I’m not expecting a reply to any of my letters, but he knows which way we’re headed if he wants to write back. Kid knows how to use a map of settlements to send ahead of the curb if he wants to.”

...I was worried I lost you too, back there. But you’ve never once apologized to me yet.

“Apologized for what?”

For nearly making me watch someone I care about die. At least the first one had the decency to not die while wearinng me on his fucking face.

Bro was pensive and stretched his long legs out from his seat before tipping it back on its hind legs, balancing in place as he took another sip.

“I promise I won’t die while wearin’ you, then.”

You f-

“I wouldn’t wanna hurt you at all.”

… That is acceptable I guess.

#bro strider #lil hal #stridercest #brohal #my fic

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spectraspecs-writes · 5 years

Text

The Endar Spire - Chapter 2

Link to the masterpost. Chapter 1. Chapter 3.

Right when we step out the door, I feel my back pocket buzz. Right, right, my communicator. What, you don’t keep your communicator in your back pocket? Doesn’t everyone? I bet Trask keeps his communicator in his back pocket. You know what, I should probably take a look at my communicator, see who’s trying to contact me.

After a brief flicker of static, the message comes out clear. Oh, it’s a man. Damn, he’s cute. “This is Carth Onasi – the Sith are threatening to overrun our position! We can't hold out long against their firepower! All hands to the bridge!”

“That was Carth contacting us on our portable communicators,” Trask says, like Carth the cute guy didn’t literally just say his name. “He's one of the Republic's best pilots! He's seen more combat than the rest of the Endar Spire's crew put together.” Really? That guy? He looks like a soft bunny with stubble. “If he says things are bad, you better believe it. We have to get to the bridge to help defend Bastila! There's a map of the Endar Spire and a copy of Carth's message in your electronic journal, just in case we get separated.” Right! My journal in my other back pocket!

… you seriously don’t keep those in your back pockets?

“Let’s move out, then, we should get to the Bridge.” Trask goes to unlock the door at the end of the hall. I can hear gunfire behind it. Please tell me it’s just a weapons malfunction.

I can never be that lucky, can I?

One Republic soldier, fighting two Sith troopers at once. Lousy aim, the both of them, that’s probably why the Republic soldier is still alive. Maybe with his training as a soldier he can get at least one - nope, they got him. Damn! “These Sith must be the advance boarding party!” Trask says.

“Okay, maybe if we don’t make too much noise we can -- ” I start to say.

“FOR THE REPUBLIC!” Trask shouts, going in with his gun blazing.

“Or maybe we can just shoot first, get to the Bridge later!” I say, mostly to myself, drawing my short sword from its scabbard. I did not want to KILL PEOPLE this early. Thanks for that, Trask Ulgo!

At least there’s two of us against two Sith soldiers, so we can each take one. And the Republic soldier, may he rest in peace, did most of the work for us, so we dispatch of the two pretty quickly.

When I start to move off again, I feel a twinge in my side. I wince and reach for it. Huh - one of the Sith soldiers must have got me with his vibroblade. “I've got a feeling that won't be our last battle with the Sith,” Trask - or should I call him Ensign Obvious - says, “Good thing we have medpacs to heal our wounds. It might be a good idea to use one now before our next battle.”

“I think you’re right,” I say, and inject myself with one. The pain quickly goes away, and I feel fighting fit again. “Let’s keep going,” I say, “We need to get to the Bridge.”

I open up the next door - more Sith again. Come on, I didn’t even get the chance to put my sword away! Alright, since I guess we can’t talk this over - I hack into one of them with my sword while Trask whittles away at the other one with blaster fire. These two don’t take very long, either - either the Sith didn’t send their best troops on this mission, or they’ve really lowered the standards for recruits.

I’m about to go into the next room when I remember something. A valuable lesson I learned from a crazy old man in the Outer Rim. “There’s only one thing you can do with all-dead: go through their pockets and look for loose change.”

What? It’s not like they’re going to use it. And hey, if there’s one thing I learned out in the Outer Rim, it’s that you take supplies when you can get them, even if that means taking them off the corpse of a friend. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used a gun I pulled off someone in my group who wasn’t lucky enough to make it, and then used that gun to keep myself alive. And that’s just with friends! These Sith shot at me - there is absolutely no good reason why I shouldn’t rifle through their corpses and pull out whatever strikes my fancy.

If it makes you feel any better, I don’t go through every corpse I find. Sometimes they don’t have anything good, anyway. But I have a feeling this ship isn’t going to be around for much longer, and if I don’t get this stuff now and I need it later, I know I’ll regret it. Same with the footlockers and metal boxes and plasteel cylinders in this room. It might not have been mine when this day started out, but it is now. Ooh, another sword! That could come in handy.

The next room has three more Sith fighting two Republic Soldiers. I manage to hold Trask back from jumping right into the fray - look, fighting now could well help the Republic soldiers, but it could also distract them and make them an easier target for the Sith, just as much as it could distract the Sith and make them an easier target for the Republic. Right now they’ve got the Sith on the ropes.

Oh, look, that Sith’s got a grenade. He definitely won’t use it now, though, he’ll take out one of his own soldiers, too, along with the two Republic troops. What kind of idiot would --?

Ah. That kind of idiot. Well, there go the Republic soldiers. I’m starting to think me and Trask are the only Republic people still on this ship. That leaves three Sith behind, and like idiots, they’re all standing in a group. Well, might as well give them a taste of their own medicine - I throw my own grenade. Takes all three down in an instant, and I didn’t even have to break a sweat. But no sooner than I take them out that two more come running at us.

That does it, I’m never putting my sword away again. I almost wish I hadn’t taken this job. Maybe I could have settled down on one of the Outer Rim worlds, lived near the woods and planted some crops or something. As if I ever could have been a farmer.

Okay, okay. Maybe now we’ll get a little peace. Just for a little bit. Trask actually lowers his blasters so maybe we’ll be able to gain some ground and keep going to the Bridge.

No, wait.

What’s that sound?

Is that…

… a lightsaber?

No, wait…

...that’s two lightsabers.

I’m just going to stop hoping for shit.

I open the door, ready to face my fate. “It's a dark Jedi!” Trask shouts as we look on at the two Jedi duking it out with their sick-ass laser swords. “This fight is too much for us – we better stay back. All we'll do is get in the way.” Amen to that.

This dark Jedi is no match for his light-side counterpart, and with a final slice, she cuts through him. Awesome! Maybe we’ll have an ally in this --!

Another explosion. And she got caught in it. Wow, this is a lot of death for only being awake for, like, half an hour. I’m going to have a lot to cope with when things finally settle down. “That was one of the Jedi accompanying Bastila. Damn, we could have used her help!” Trask swears. I honestly think that’s the least of our concerns right now - she just died, Trask! I mean, do Jedi even have families? Is there someone we should tell about this? How do Jedi handle a death? I know it’s sort of a religion - should we take her lightsaber and present it to the Jedi Council or something? What the hell do we do?

Calm down, Rena, calm down, maybe this really isn’t the best time to be thinking about this. Save your own skin first.

Two more Sith.

I’ve got this.

I slice through the two of them with my swords. I am ready to get off this damn ship. “Come on, Trask, let’s get to the Bridge.”

“The bridge is just beyond that door,” he says, “I see you’ve already got your melee weapon out.” Just noticed that, did you? “There isn't much room on the bridge, and it's suicide to use a blaster in close quarters. I should equip a melee weapon, too. Either that, or I'll have to stay back and use my blaster.”

“Do whatever the hell you want,” I say absentmindedly. And I open the door. Bastila better be here.

And she’s not. More Sith. There’s a lot of blood on my hands, and I’m not sure I like it. But there’s also more Republic soldiers. So it’s not all on mine.

“Bastila's not on the bridge,” Trask says once the Sith are all dead or dying, “They must have retreated to the escape pods! We better head that way too.

“The Sith want Bastila alive, but once she's off the ship there's nothing stopping them from blasting the Endar Spire into galactic dust!” Why do you think I’m so eager to get off this ship, Trask? Let’s get off this damn Bridge. No sense in spending any more time here.

Once I open the next door, Trask runs to the next one. “There’s something behind here,” he says, and he opens the door.

Lightsaber.

“Damn – another Dark Jedi! I'll try to hold him off, you get to the escape pods! Go!” Trask shouts as he runs through to face the Dark Jedi.

“Trask, wait!” I shout, but it’s too late. The door closes.

No. No, he needs my help! No, he’s going to die in there! But the door is locked!

Rena! Rena, relax. Just relax. Okay? Trask has bought you the time you need to escape. Just - you should make your way to the starboard side of the ship. Get to the escape pods. That was his dying wish, right? That you get to the escape pods. Just relax, Rena. Get to the escape pods

#star wars knights of the old republic #swkotor #Knights of the Old Republic #kotor #specs writes stuff #endar spire #kotor fic #the endar spire #fem!revan #revanasi #carth onasi #trask ulgo #rena visz #oc

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seenashwrite · 6 years

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The Lore You Know (Part Five)

Status: Part 5 of 6 Word Count: 5.9K Category: Mini-Series, Mystery, On-The-Hunt, Humor, Behind-the-scenes Canon-Compliant Rating: 18+ [for language/sexual situations] Character(s)/Pairing(s): Sam x Reader/Female O.C. #1; Dean x Female O.C. #2; Reader/Female O.C. #1 x ??? (ahem-surprise!-ahem) Warnings: Coarse language; mild-to-moderate allusions to sex/activities of a sexual nature Author’s Note(s): The draft of this was lost, and this was to be completed a way long time ago, and boy howdy I’m sorry the muse didn’t hit me again til recently, but I hope you enjoy and that it was worth waiting for, one last part to go; see more post-story Overall Summary: see Part One ; reminder: this takes place in early S11 Part Five Summary: The agent stumbles upon a discovery that seems too good to be true; Dean lands himself in real trouble; the waitress shows a different side; the agent finally reveals the truth behind her mission

* ~ * The Lore You Know: Master Post * ~ *

WEDNESDAY

I slept like the dead that night, thanks to the fact that Sam didn't sleep in my room. He'd said something about not wanting to wake me up, though he did just that at half past the crack of dawn, when he came in and grabbed up his laptop and his bag, barely even looked at me. Well, that's not exactly true - he did at my admittedly snide goodbye.

"Cheer up, Sammy. It's Wednesday."

The door was slammed shut without another word.

I was still turning over the news from Wildcat in my mind. The trio of terror had most definitely gone rogue, and their stunt of turning my request for a touch of mayhem into a horror movie meant they were dunzo. The Recovery Team - which in this case, meant recovery of pieces because this was elimination-level shit - was supposedly en route, but I was hoping it wouldn’t be any time soon. I called Wildcat as I finished getting ready for the day, told him I was pulling rank, and Recovery should let me know once they had the goons cornered, hold off on the wham-boom til I gave the word.

"He won't like it," Wildcat advised.

"But you can get around him, can’t you? For now? Isn't he bopping around some other world, hunting for his X-marks-the-spot?" I replied. "C'mon. You're the best at covert shenanigans."

"And you are a control freak," Wildcat stated, but I heard him clicking away, putting in the team's orders, relating I was running point.

I finished applying my lipstick, rubbed my lips together, then made that pop sound just to piss him off; I grinned when I heard him sigh. "Kitty, I got no choice. Sam's onto me hard core. Got a feeling I'll need the distraction if I don't want this assignment to bloat and belly up."

"This better work. If he gets word, I wouldn't want to be in your Louboutins, my dear."

Wildcat's comment was perfectly timed, as I was right at that moment slipping them on. "Just make sure Recovery knows to keep those shitbirds corralled, no sedating darts, let the mania fly - and to keep out of sight of the Winchesters."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I'm sending them on the prowl, which they’ll do, because I’ll share how my fantastic partner in covert crime has alerted me to the location of the creeps-of-the-week. General vicinity. Give or take."

"So it's to be a snipe hunt."

I picked up my keys, walking to the door as I answered.

"Yup. I got work to do."

The boys took the bait, too pumped for the action to bother being pissed at me or question my saying I was going to follow a lead Wildcat had given me on the mara’s hidey-hole. I didn't have one, of course, and it didn’t matter since daylight hour evisceration wasn't her jam. What I was actually up to was boring as fuck, but a necessary bore - I was stuck in my car on an old-fashioned stake out, across the street from the waitress' house, waiting on her to emerge. I'd texted her under the guise of taking her to lunch, but got no answer, and there was no light on in the bedroom I knew to be hers; no doubt she was still asleep.

At least one roommate had returned to the roost, but I didn't get a glimpse of her until late afternoon, when she opened the front door, crossed her arms, and stared right into my eyes.

And when I looked into hers, I sat up straight, felt my eyebrow arch on its own. "Fuck me," I muttered.

As I walked across the street, she came out onto the small landing, closed the door behind her, re-crossed her arms. She was an absolute dish, tips to toes, tall and curvy, looked like she'd just hopped off a vintage Hollywood poster. It was a purposeful, polished presentation, one I appreciated, so much so I honestly didn't want to update the database with this newly encountered, mighty fine brand of mara.

To say I couldn't hardly get my head wrapped around this stroke of luck was the understatement of the goddamned century.

"You can call me Raquel," she said by way of introduction, didn't ask my name, and I didn't volunteer it.

"And our girl in there's working the Mansfield angle,” I replied. “Damn, now I kinda wanna meet the other roomies, who else we got? A Loren, a Monroe --- ooh, dare I hope --- a Lamarr?"

"You amuse me. You know why I look the way I look. Part and parcel of living alongside them. Which I enjoy more than hiding in the woods."

"Still. Didn't have to go bombshell to chum the waters. You got good taste." I gave her a lingering once-over, admiring more than just the perfectly fitted slacks and cashmere shell. "Beyond the Chanel, I mean."

"Likewise. Those shoes are in excellent condition for how old they are - though I could say the same for you."

"I'm real big on regular maintenance. Mind if we get down to business?"

"I've no business with you. I don't deal with your kind. I only want to know why you're camped outside of my home, yet doing nothing."

"Yeeeeah, but this may interest you - benefit you. I'd like to take a couple potential problems off your hands. And I'll throw in three super-powered square meals, team full of buffed after-dinner mints to sweeten the pot. All-male review."

"And what am I to do in return?"

I grinned. "Make a big fucking mess of main street tonight."

"I have plans tonight."

"That so? If you got another dirtbag lined up, well... you don't need my help, but I'd be up for a quick peep show. Never seen it go down in real time."

"I rarely go down."

My grin widened. "I wanna be like you when I grow up."

That earned me a wicked - but genuine - cackle, head thrown back and all. "Aren't you just a peach. I do take pleasure in a witty woman."

I tilted my head toward the house - and the waitress slumbering inside. "My experience with ol' Mansfield says you're in short supply. There's a not-so-good-head-on-her-shoulders joke somewhere in there, but I've been a little off my game."

"Your game seems quite on point from where I stand." She paused, returned the once-over. "So. Should I consider changing my plans for tonight, tell me: what's your pleasure? Traditional start? Or full gallop?"

"Hmmm. Mine? Given what you're working with ---" I took a step closer, ran a finger under the long string of pearls that landed right above her cleavage "--- may wanna come on the scene like Lady Godiva."

"That's how you'd have me come?"

Jesus. "Just considering, huh? I thought you didn't do business with my kind," I said, removing my hand, but letting it drift away slowly. That ultra-fine cashmere blend felt - dare I say it - heavenly.

"Are we still discussing business? Or I have I misread?"

I glanced at my watch. "We got a while til sundown." I looked back into those sharp, glinting eyes. "No business for hours. Not a man to deal with for miles."

Raquel brought a hand to my face, swiped a thumb across my lower lip then down, smearing the red lipstick to my chin, admiring her handiwork for a few breathless beats - breathless on my part, that is - before she met my gaze again, and responded.

"Give me a minute. I'll make sure the baby's fast asleep."

I couldn't say if it was when I was getting in some going-down, or if it was when Raquel was strapping up that the sleepy-time cocktail wore off and the waitress slipped out of the house, but the series of borderline belligerent texts from Dean sure pulled me out of a helluva afterglow.

The short version was that she'd gone to the restaurant for no good reason, then when her co-workers - the ones not on the slab - started talking about the manager's murder and the subsequent massacre, the brain cells that managed to rub together opted to regale the soon-to-be-stunned folks with so much detail about said deaths that one of them called the cops. Thankfully, brain cells three and four kicked in, and Dean was her phone call after she'd been officially arrested following enough of a quote-unquote confession to convince the powers-that-be she was definitely involved, whether the ditz routine - or the nutbar routine, depending - was for show or not. I managed to shoot a text to Raquel in the time that it took Dean to get back to the motel and pick us up, telling her that we were running behind schedule, but she didn't text back, and there wasn't much time to dwell on it, because, well, Sam.

I knew when Sam made with the flirting and the come-ons that it was an act, didn't even need to check the tap to know he and Dean had made a plan that morning while they were out chasing the fake lead, all to try and get one over on me, go after the mara on their own after the cakewalk of dispatching the trio - presumptive arrogant dicks - wanting to keep me busy, even if it meant Sam had to do the dirty work while Dean went off alone to finish up the recon.

Which was bad. Very bad. Extremely bad.

Sam had barely gotten his mouth around a nipple when my brain started screeching out a red alert, and I sat up so quickly, he rolled off the bed, bumping his head on the night stand.

"It was a set!" I shouted.

"The hell?!" he shouted back, rubbing the bump.

"Last night," I answered, quickly getting dressed. "Dean. Where was he?"

"What?" Sam asked with a frown, getting to his feet.

"Cut the bullshit, Sam, this is serious!" I exclaimed, whipping back around. "Stop with the fuck-her-incoherent plan for a second, all right?"

"What?" he repeated, but there wasn't much of a question in his tone.

"I know that you know I'm not all what I've put myself out there to be, and I also know that you know that I know this right here isn’t anything legit, so listen up: you're right. Dean's right. I'm a liar. But I'm not lying now."

"Sure you aren't."

"Dean's in real danger."

I don't know what the expression on my face looked like, but Sam immediately stiffened and gulped - he'd heard me loud and clear.

"Tell me," he said, hustling to get his clothes back on.

"You first - when Dean got laid last night, do you know who it was?"

Sam looked at me, puzzled. "The waitress was at the club ---"

"NO!" I yelled, threw one of his shoes at him, which he dodged. "Focus! In the car, dumbass! Who did he fuck in the car? Did he say a name? Did you see her, like was she the bartender at the restaurant, or was the medical examiner a chick, or ----"

"I don't underst ----"

Since he was officially being of no use to me, I bolted out of there, took a sharp left, started banging on the door of Dean’s room; the waitress finally opened it nigh on the twenty-thousandth pound, standing there cool as could be with that rat's nest of bleach piled atop her head, the near see-through joke of a blouse replaced by an old black tee of Dean's.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, sweetly, politely, even though there was a slight grunt underneath her words, seeing as how I'd shoved her ass to the side, plowing ahead to the bathroom where I rightly assumed the confirmation of my gut feeling was located.

"Oh fuck me," I said for the second - okay, more than that, but in this sense - time that day.

"I got almost all of my mascara off it," said the waitress, coming up behind me. "I didn't realize it was so nice."

She'd washed it out in the sink, that shirt-turned-snotrag that I’d found under the seat and handed to her earlier, and it was now hanging over the shower rod. It reeked of motel shampoo, and the mascara hadn't really come out, just gotten smudged around into grey stains that made the cream cardigan look like a jaundiced leopard. I reached up, pulled it down, closed my eyes briefly before I read the tag, even though I knew. I just fucking knew.

CHANEL

"It's, um, not yours, is it?" she asked.

I threw the cardigan into the tub as I turned to her with a look for asking such a dumbshit question, one I was now positive she knew the answer to, and not just because it was plain that I wouldn't touch Dean unless it was a proverbial gun-to-head situation.

She jumped slightly, the combo of the sharp splat of the clothing and the fierceness in my eyes rightly startling her. I took a small step forward. She took a big step back.

"Y-your... your eyes are... the, um... they look like how when... when sometimes my ex would take ----"

"Yeah, my pupils start to dial it up to eleven when I get scared or pissed, and I ain't been scared of anything in a long, long time, so guess where I'm at right now."

"Mad at me?"

I grabbed her by the neck, put her up against the wall, and she squirmed, clutched onto my wrist. I didn't choke her, nor did I lift her off the floor, but I had a damn good grip. She needed to get my message. Fast.

"Now I don't give three shits how you play it in front of Sam and Dean, or the rest of the human race for that matter, I really don't, but from here on you're dropping this dimbulb bunny shtick with me, because I get you're legitimately shit-for-brains and too stupid to breathe on most subjects, but not when it comes to people. You're pretty damn good at reading people, aren't you?"

Though she kept hold of my wrist, the halt in the squirming and the chagrined expression on her face was my answer.

"You navigate jobs like stripping and waitressing as pro as they come, and you handled those cops like a boss, and you summed up Dean in a hot second, knew exactly what fantasies to wrap him up in. How am I doing? Reading you?"

A barely-there shrug.

"Thought so. And you're crafty, I read all about how you got yourself out of the marriage to that asshole biker who liked to knock you around. Duke the Douche, your sister liked to call him, wasn’t that it?"

Widened eyes.

"Oh I did my homework on you, you think I wouldn't? So we're done with this sweet little ray of sunshine bullshit. I hate those small-dicked fuckers who hit women ---" I slid my grip up, pressed into her face hard with my fingertips "--- but I got a big dick, and I will break your jaw if the next words out of your mouth aren't in your real voice, and show some real brains, and have some real information, 'cause you don't start talking straight, you're not gonna talk at all, you got me, Malibu Barbie?"

She nodded best she was able, and I let her loose. As she sat on the bed, head dropped, posture slumped, she cleared her throat. And then she started picking at chipped polish on her thumb.

I huffed and crossed my arms. "We're on the clock here!”

Sam chose that moment to enter the room, opening his mouth to no doubt start yelling again, but the waitress beat him to it. Except it wasn't a yell that came out. What came out was a voice that was still light but less breathy, and a good quarter step down on the scales than what we'd heard so far.

"What do you wanna know?"

Sam's eyebrows shot up, looking from her, to me, then back again.

"When did Raquel get back in town?" I asked, getting right to it.

"I'm not sure when, exactly. I'd talked to her on the phone while I was at work the other night."

"We're gonna need to get some exactly. Was it when your manager was playing grab-ass?"

"Mmm-hmm. And I told her I was getting scared, being all alone. That the FBI was in town investigating those murders."

"And you told her about the murders? That they were your roommates’ boyfriends?"

"Uh-huh."

"And she made a beeline back, so you wouldn't be by yourself."

Another set of nods. "But she said she didn't want me to miss out on a good time, that I needed to get out of the house for some fun, get my mind off it, so she'd go with me to the club opening, hang around til I felt comfortable." The waitress paused and gasped. "She's okay, right? Did anything happen to Raquel? She was home when I left today..." A puzzled look briefly crossed her face. "I think she had company over, because I heard ----"

"Yeah, yeah, she's great, she's fine," I interrupted. I turned slightly to Sam, including him on the next level of my sleuthing. "I have the feeling that together, the two of you will fill in some big gaps. I want you ---" I pointed at the waitress "--- to tell everything Raquel said about last night, and you ---" my finger went in Sam's direction "--- to tell everything Dean said."

They both looked at me blankly.

"On your marks! Get set!" I prompted, and in my most threatening tone.

Sam went first. "Ah, well ---” He paused, glanced at the waitress. “Listen, I don’t want to hurt your feelings or anything, but Dean... he sometimes just ---”

The waitress cut him off. “It’s okay, Sam, I know he slept with somebody else. It’s not like we’re dating. Go ahead. Tell her whatever he said.”

And what Dean said was this: it seemed while Sam and I had been up to some legitimate dirty work the day prior, in the time between the morgue and the trio’s meltdown, Dean had decided to park himself at a bar and sulk over how the waitress was planning on having a ball without him. So after striking out with the hot co-ed bartender - god, just so unbelievably predictable - who'd reportedly called him "geezer", he took his bitter ass over to the club, despite the soiree being invitation-only. And he spotted someone more his age leaning against a light post to the side of the building, puffing on a pale pink Fantasia, someone who put that baby bartender to shame, someone who was an absolute dish, tips to toes, tall and curvy, looking like she'd just hopped off a vintage Hollywood poster.

And ol' Raquel knew him on sight, courtesy of the suck-face selfies the waitress had showed off of the two of them, bragging about what a tough guy he was, how charming, how he had all the right moves. Given the waitress' foul taste in men, and the way she was a damn dirtbag magnet in general, Raquel likely presumed Dean was one more in an ever-growing line. The waitress reported that Raquel hated the professor for stringing along roomie Monroe, and she loathed the long-time boyfriend of roomie Loren for stringing her along since junior high.

"Oh shit," I muttered, bringing a hand to my forehead. I'd inadvertently had two of the mara's prime targets taken out. At least she didn't know; if she had, she'd have likely tried to rail me in the not-so-fun way.

"Oh shit, what?" the waitress asked, and it broke me out of my thoughts.

"What came next? Did Raquel tell you she was leaving?" I asked as my reply.

"Mmm-hmm, because she’d met a guy. She said she’d stay if I was still nervous. But I told her it was okay, because my friends were..." the waitress began, but trailed off.

"They're dead, we know, gotta keep moving honeythighs," I said with a few snaps of my fingers, which caused Sam to glare at me as he sat on the bed next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. I sighed, opted to move her along without going full-tilt bitch. For now. “When did you know it was Dean - was it the sweater?”

Sam cut in, speaking to the waitress. "Time out - your roommate is the person who --- I don't ---" He looked to me. "She's the reason you think Dean's in trouble? I mean, you know this woman?"

"So do you.”

The waitress’ eyes grew wide as she stared at Sam. “You slept with Raquel, too?” Then, softly - “Wow.” Softer - “Ew.”

Sam frowned at her, then brought his eyes to mine with a look that said Spill it.

“You do. Well. You know her work," I said, hoping my return look conveyed my meaning, and boy howdy, did it.

Sam glanced down at himself, or rather, at his now-rumpled Fed gear. "Let me change," he told us, standing and rushing over to his bag.

"We'll be in the car," I replied, then gestured at our clearly clueless third wheel to gather up her stuff - and once we were settled, she started gathering some clues.

Leaning forward, resting folded arms on the back of the front seat, brow knit, she asked, "How did you know it was Raquel? I don't get how it has to do with Dean being in trouble. He's not in trouble with me. So you and Sam don't have to be upset on my account."

I fought the urge to pop her in her perpetually pouty lips, but instead just shifted to look at her. "I met the ol' girl earlier, noticed she was wearing the shell to that sweater set. Not many people dress like that around here. And it was crammed under the front seat, and he’d gotten his panties in a twist when Sam had put you in back last night. I put p-and-v together, like a good investigator does."

"But you investigate..."

The question trailed off and no babbles followed, so I took in the sight of myriad light bulbs firing up behind her eyes. "Go ahead.” I gave a quick point to the motel. “Apparently hair care's taking priority over certain death, we got a minute or two.”

“Is Raquel who you guys have been looking for? You think she did... that she's been murdering people when she was out of town? Because she wasn't? Wasn't out of town? She was in town? And she was ---"

"Yes. I'm saying Raquel came back in town and killed your manager."

"But she didn't kill the boyfriends or the people at ---"

"No."

"No?"

Shit. "Yes. They're, ah.... they fit her M.O. No to the club."

"’Cause she has an alibi,” the waitress said, glancing to her left, at the scene of Dean’s crime. Looking back up, she asked, “So Raquel’s, like, a for real serial killer?" A beat or two, a few of the bulbs ratcheting up the wattage."Oooh, orrrrrr...."

"Yeah. Or."

What felt like millennia of silence passed before the waitress spoke up again. "Can I ask you something? About something you said earlier?"

At that moment, Sam came out of the room, hair perfect, weapons bag thrown over a shoulder. I started the engine as I responded. "What?"

"You have a dick?"

I rolled my eyes. "Metaphor. Do I need to explain what a metaphor is?"

A sheepish look immediately hit her face. "Maybe?"

"Later."

WEDNESDAY, 5:38 p.m.

"You think she's going to kill Dean how she killed our other roommates' boyfriends, don't you?"

Sam and I looked up from our weapons assembly to stare at the waitress, surprised.

We'd broken into the diner on the modest main street, the one that had been our go-to lunch and late-night-dinner stop. They'd have normally been open and hopping, but the mayor had initiated a curfew; triple homicide plus mass murder'll light a fire under even the sleepiest of towns. It was a little extreme - everyone should be closed for business at 5:00, everyone should be locked in their houses at 8:00 - but it worked perfectly for me. I had no doubt my boss' attachés were in town, likely put their finger on the scale so that Recovery would have full run of the area.

"Do you think that's why she... why she did it?" the waitress added. "To see if he was a cheater? I told her we weren't serious."

"She's not your friend," Sam said, but gently.

"You think that's what it was, though, right?"

"Maybe she got the impression you like Dean more than you let on," Sam suggested, resulting in an instant down-turned look from the waitress as response, yet just as suddenly, she raised her head again, back to her bright, bubbly - and in this instance, clearly faked - persona.

"Hey, I bet you guys are hungry. Or, you will be after you're done... um, working. I'm gonna get going on some food, okay? Okay!"

She'd barely finished her sentence before turning and heading in the direction of the kitchen. I opened my mouth to call out and tell her not to bother, to just sit still for once. Sam put a hand on my arm.

"Let her feel useful," he advised.

I jerked my arm away, went back to looking over the arsenal we had laid out across the tables of three booths. Between the two of us, it was decently impressive. Impressive for most anything other than a mara of Raquel's caliber, anyway, that I made sure of - last thing I wanted was her incapacitated. Long as they worked her down to the level I could get her non-corporeal and pop her into that pandora gizmo (be still my heart, in-house coven and some FedEx-worthy transportation spell work), then I was gold.

"I don't know that our team will get here in time to nail the bitch, but this'll at least keep her busy, help you get Dean out of whatever bondage she's got him into," I commented. Lied. Whatever.

"So they are coming?" he asked.

"Oh yeah. Locked and loaded."

"Why do you think she'll go after Dean? Won't she have bigger issues to worry about, with them breathing down her neck?"

"What loyalty she thought Dean should have to Barbarella was beyond me, but suffice to say she took it for a test run, and he failed, and given that she couldn’t get her rocks off with the two long-time sources of her ire, it makes sense that the manager’s comeuppance was gore-a-palooza. Still. I met the broad, she's intense. No way that one asshole satisfied the craving. Especially since he wasn't actually involved with anyone at their Playboy mansion."

Sam nodded, began sticking various weapons on him, but when he started to put his jacket on, he noted me pulling out my case of toothpicks and froze. "Um, that's your prep work? You're not going to change clothes? Maybe bother with getting yourself locked and loaded?"

“Nope,” I replied, sticking the pick in my mouth and returning the case to my pocket. “I’m staying here with the waitress. Hold down the fort. Make sure she doesn’t add to the mess your brother’s gotten us in.”

He pulled his jacket on the rest of the way, straightened it with a sharp tug, and huffed as he ran a hand through his hair. Then he looked me dead in the eye, saying, "I could actually use your help, you know."

I shrugged. "She needs it more."

"Because you care so much about her," he shot back, the words coated in sarcasm.

"Has nothing to do with caring, it's just logical. You and Dean are a team, can practically read each others' minds. Like I told you before: it’s hunting 101. Limit liabilities in the field.”

“Thanks for the tutorial, it’s my first day.”

“I'd be a distraction. One of us could bite the dust."

"What, because I care so much about you?"

I snickered. "Oh honey, no. Because I care so much about me. It wouldn't matter if the sensible thing - you know, greater good and all that - meant you needed to handle some goon when another had Dean against the wall, you'd turn your back on what mattered just to rush to his side."

"Turn my back on... Right. Yeah. Since Dean doesn't matter."

"Are you leaving at any point in the next century? To scoop up whatever's left of Mr. What Matters?"

"You're a bitch," he muttered as he stormed by me, knocking into my shoulder on purpose.

"You’re a large-diameter dickhole," I muttered back; then, louder, as he walked out the door, I got in one final dig. "Have a stellar Wednesday! Fingers crossed it doesn’t turn out Tuesday!"

He shot me a bird without turning around.

I locked the door behind him, put the half-drawn blinds down all the way, and turned off all the lights except for the ones directly over the counter seating area, to make it look good for the waitress. She came out of the kitchen to find me taking off my suit jacket and hanging it on the hand-carved coat rack by the door. So, so quaint this joint - I hoped it'd catch on fire.

"We're closed!" she said, but when she saw it was me, a tiny frown hit her face. "Did I not hear the bell ding?"

"You did. Sam's off and running. It’s just us girls," I replied, walking over and plopping down on a stool. "So what's cooking?"

"Nothing yet, I'm just getting some burgers and a pie ready to go for when they come back."

"They may not come back."

"You think they'll leave without saying bye?"

I gave her a look. "What did I say about the playing dumb?"

She blinked a few times, then softly said, "Oh." After a pause, she added, "I guess it's a habit."

I took her in for a moment - minus the mascara still holding on from the night prior (fuck if I knew how, I'd have to ask her the brand), her face was clean of makeup, revealing a barely-there touch of freckles. Her hair was in a smooth ponytail, the clip-in extensions coming out when she took it down from the messy bun, and she looked fantastic. And I told her so.

She let out a near soap opera-level gasp. "Really? Seriously?"

"Lookit, if all that other shit makes you happy, I mean, you do you. But from where I sit, it doesn't seem to, and it seems like a real pain in the ass to deal with every day."

She snickered and nodded. "It's not cheap, either. But that’s what Dolly says. Takes a lot of money to look so cheap."

I grinned. "See, there? Smart cookie. You don't have to play dumb to be attractive. Trust me, the kind of men that attracts? The kind who don't even bother to remember your name? Not worth your time, anyway. I think you know that."

"Men like Dean?"

"Like Dean. He's a mess of trouble sewn into a sack of squirrel."

"You don't like him very much... I mean, the way you talk to him... talk about him..."

"I'm pushing him because he tends to get pulled off course by women, whether it’s chicks like you or his landfill of mommy issues, and I'll let you in on a secret: he's getting closer and closer to a real grade-A cunt back on the home front. He needs to get done with her so that he - and Sam - can really start getting down to business. Like I'm trying to get down to business. With you."

"I don't understand. I’m not playing dumb, I promise."

"I didn't come here for some creature, the mara wasn't my mission - neither were they, them being here was a surprise. A kinda nice one. See, my assignment was to get to you."

She eyed me warily. "What do you want with me? T-to... are y-you... gonna kill me?"

I laughed. "No, no, pumpkin - I try not to get my hands dirty nowadays. But I'll tell you another secret: I was behind the first two dirtbags taking dirt naps."

Her eyes got wide. "Are you really the creature? Not Raquel?"

"Oh she's the real deal. We knew about your roomies and their troubled love lives from profiling you, and her cover was way good. Don't get me started on our surveillance team."

"O-okay, I won't."

"That asshat manager of yours was an unplanned bonus, so was Raquel, but earmarking those other creeps as the ones to be taken out instead of some rando townsfolk was just me being... nice."

"You don't seem very nice."

I tapped her forehead with my finger. "See. Like I said. Smart. Ditch the dumb act for good. This looks prettier on you."

"But I don't get it - why'd you do that? Have them killed?"

"I wanted to scare you."

The waitress blanched. "It... it worked. But ---"

I reached out, took her hand. "I need you to go back home."

She stared at me, opened and closed her mouth a few times, then inhaled and exhaled a shaky breath which didn't do a thing to bring any color back to her cheeks.

"You need to patch up whatever went down between you and your sister. You know. The one who works at that low-rent wing joint called Cooter's, which should be getting sued any time now."

That got a response. "We haven't... it's been years."

"Your sis is roomies with a gal that my company's very interested in - but she's about to screw herself over with all the partying she's starting to do with said sister. She's gotta be as pure as a newborn babe... well, maybe not that clean, but at least on paper, she needs to be close if she's going to get her foot in the door with a politician who’s going to be a big damn deal. And you’re going to teach her how to be a class act."

"I don't know anything about ----"

"You will. Because I'm going to teach you."

The waitress pulled her hand away, took several slow steps back, shaking her head as she went.

I stood, began to walk around the counter. "Don't you think you've spent enough time on the run? Doesn't matter what name Dean calls you, 'cause it's not your real one."

Now her face flushed. "Well... I bet your name's not real either!"

"I bet you're right." I came to a stop right in front of her. “This gal is real, real important. And we don’t want your sister to play the part of mentor, we checked her out, and - no offense? - her idiot act is legit. There’s that, and the weed. She’s a space cadet, but you? You’re a diamond in the rough. Not to mention? You’ll be rewarded. Oh baby girl, will you ever.”

Another round of silence, some looking around at anything and everything that wasn’t me, and when she met my gaze again, I knew I had her when she asked, “So who is she?”

“Your new best friend is one Kelly Kline.”

The lights suddenly began flickering. Car alarms went off. I felt a small vibration up to my ankles as the ground briefly shook. Shouting floated our way from somewhere down the street. The Impala’s engine came and went. Then, in the not-so-far distance came the sound of galloping, and it got closer, and closer, and fast, the sharp clomps on the pavement indicating our favorite mare was not wasting any time.

“What is all that?” the waitress whispered.

I smiled, shot her a wink as I answered.

“It’s showtime.”

Feedback makes my ❤️ go boom

See Nash Write : Master | See Nash Write : Mobile

🏷️🏷️Wanna be tagged? Hit me up! 🏷️🏷️

Author’s Note #1: I am profusely sorry for the lateness of the completion of this story. The draft for the final parts was accidentally deleted, and then I had an out-of-the-blue thing, and then I lost my mojo on this story, blah-blah-biscuits, excuses and whatnots. Mea culpas all around, especially to the folks whose challenges this included. I won’t do this with challenges again, cross mah heart.

Author’s Note #2: My personal challenge was to see if I could seamlessly integrate more than a few prompts (okay, sooo… between y'all & some from my own challenge, it ended up around 20… what’re you staring at?) without the challengers feeling shorted & without you all noticing what they were. Why?

Even without the bolding of prompts that authors often include, sometimes they don’t feel like they “fit” with the writer’s typical style/cadence, at least for me. So see if you can guess them & be the judge of if I pulled it off.

The challengers are all being noted below, however the prompts won’t be revealed til the last installment. [There’s one that stretches throughout, and I didn’t want to ruin the ending!]

It is *not* my expectation the Challengers read this whole thing/beyond the part where their prompt(s) were (especially poor Melissa, whose prompt is the one that spans the entire shebang!), cross-my-heart!

Author’s Note #3: I’m also not gonna use the tags for all the challengers anymore because I’d given y’all the link to the master post way-back-when for inclusion in your challenge round-up posts/lists, hope that’s okay - besides, I’m finishing this up so late from when it started, I’m doubting you’re following your tags anymore. Did I mention I apologize? I’m *so* apologizing.

Author’s Note #4: All my stories (save the pure humor & goofy AU) are set in the same “universe”, and Top of the World readers may wanna pay attention to this one, in particular. ;) They’re getting an epilogue to this that contains some juicy behind-the-scenes tidbits in celebration of the completed first “season” and the premiere of season two later this summer, which is loooong overdue! (Wait, it’s August, is summer technically over? Okay, then, late summer/early fall. Eek.)

*~* The Challengers *~*

Featured in this part.....

a #Nash200

Featured in next (final!) part…..

@katymacsupernatural - #katys wish upon a star challenge [2/2]

@super-not-naturall - #Tristan’s 200 Follower Challenge

@hannahindie - #HanCelebratesWithPawnee

more #Nash200s

Previous parts….

@kas-not-cas - #Kas’ 2.5K dialogue challenge

@itswitchcraft-not-googlemaps - #GoldenGirls1.5k

@wideawakeandwriting - #randomwritingchallenge

@katymacsupernatural - #katys wish upon a star challenge [1/2]

@cas-is-my-hero - #cas-is-my-hero 100 challenge

@kathaswings - #Lina’s chiliad

@deansdirtyduchess [the artist FKA melissaj616] - #Melissa Celebrates!

@idreamofhazel - #hazels throwback challenge

…..and of course, #Nash200s

Also in past parts, the “JUST FOR KICKS” pair….

@theblackharrystyles [the artist FKA blackcaptainrogers, FFKA senselesssamii ] - #Samii gets scary

@impala-dreamer - #Dreamer’s OP4A Challenge

[This wasn’t their “real” entry, I just threw ‘em in because they honest-to-goodness happened to be close to things I’d wanted as dialogue anyhow!]

Tag List:

@impandagrl @waywardjoy @jalove-wecallhimdean @jame-sbarnes @just-another-busy-fangirl @amanda-teaches @fanforfanatic @salt-n-burn-em-all @thisgingerlikescoffee @cyrilconnelly @rozadolphin @carryonmycobaltangel @ilsawasanacrobat @klaineaholic @helvonasche @zepppie @amionthetumbler @tankcupcakes @littlegreenplasticsoldier @emlostinwonderland @michellethetvaddict @theoriginalvicki @ellen-reincarnated1967 @copperseraphim @mrswhozeewhatsis @crowleylovesyou @bumbleball13 @anticipate1003 @raspberrymama @lastactiontricia @butiaintgonnaloveem

#Supernatural Fanfiction #SPN Fanfic #Dean Winchester #Sam Winchester #Nash Writes #Queueby Dooby Doo #Dad's on a blog post and #he hasn't been queued in a few days

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racingtoaredlight · 7 years

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RTARL’s NBA Previewpalooza: Part One

One of the most hectic and entertaining NBA offseasons in recent memory is finally drawing to a close, and real-live game action is nearly upon us. After ending last season by swiftly dispatching the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Golden State Warriors have cemented themselves as the most ridiculous Final Boss in the history of team sports. Barring an injury that prevents either Kevin Durant or Steph Curry from playing in the postseason, it’s damn near impossible to imagine anyone preventing them from repeating. In the same way that a movie can still be great even if you guess the ending ahead of time, the ups and downs of each of the thirty teams in the NBA are still a ton of fun to follow, even if the eventual champion is basically a foregone conclusion. For me they are, anyway.

Today I’ll be previewing the Eastern Conference, with the teams presented in the order I think they’ll finish, worst-to-first. I’ll roll out my Western Conference predictions and my picks for the end-of-season awards as soon as I can. Let’s rock and roll.

15. Chicago Bulls. Mother of God, this roster is an atrocity. Zach LaVine is the best player the Bulls have on their roster by a country mile, and he’s currently recovering from a torn ACL. He’s not even going to be cleared for contact until sometime in November. In the meantime, their best player is...Nikola Mirotic? I guess? Mirotic is a 6′10″ PF who averaged as many three-point attempts per game as rebounds last season, while shooting under 42% from the field. Woof.

This year is all about landing a high draft pick to add to their young core of LaVine and uh, Denzel Valentine, Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen. Damn, GarPax. Nice work.

14. Brooklyn Nets. Oh, jeez. I’ll say this for the Nets: I really liked the move to ship Brook Lopez out of town for D’Angelo Russell. Lopez served no purpose on a team this bad, and there’s always the chance that the next foot injury he suffers is a career-ender. Getting a young guy with Russell’s pedigree for him is a score. In addition, the Nets are doing that thing where a team acts as a dumping ground for other team’s shitty contracts, while picking up draft picks along the way (they got a 2nd rounder from Toronto for taking DeMarre Carroll, for example).

Speaking of draft picks, it’s impossible to talk about the Nets without mentioning the truly heinous trade that deprived them of their ‘14, ‘16, 17, and ‘18 first round picks. I still can’t believe that happened. The light at the end of the tunnel for the Nets isn’t going to be all that bright until after next season, when their rebuild can finally begin in earnest. In the meantime, enjoy D’Angelo and Jeremy Lin!

13. Atlanta Hawks. I learned recently that Dennis Schroder is a huge douche and his teammates really don’t like him at all. A team’s best player being an asshole isn’t a big deal when the player is a legit stud. When it’s Dennis Schroder, that’s less than ideal. The Hawks have some decently fun guys to watch in Schroder, Kent Bazemore, Taurean Prince and incoming rookie John Collins (pride of Wake Forest). I don’t really see it translating to a whole lot of wins, though. This feels like a transitional year for them, and I’m not sure if coach Mike Budenholzer is the kind of guy who’d want to stick around for a full rebuilding project. I can’t for the life of me find any information on his contract, so it won’t be surprising if he bails after this season, and the Hawks sink into full tank-mode.

12. New York Knicks. Well, they got rid of Carmelo. The return wasn’t all that great (that’s putting it kindly), but it’s tough to argue that it was the wrong move. Now, the team can focus on developing Kristaps Porzingis into a superstar, and trying to build around him. The Knicks definitely aren’t going to be a GOOD team, but with Kristaps doing Kristaps things, Michael Beasley doing Michael Beasley things, Willy Hernangomez hustling like a madman, and Tim Hardaway Jr. possibly attempting 10 threes a game, they won’t be a total drag to watch.

11. Indiana Pacers. I love Myles Turner as much as almost anyone, but he’s not enough to carry a winning team by himself quite yet. Victor Oladipo is a fine running mate, and I think he’ll have his best year to date. With Darren Collison and Cory Joseph both on the roster, the Pacers are assured of having a competent, unspectacular general on the floor at all times. I think the Pacers have enough to keep from completely bottoming out, but this still looks like a lottery team.

10. Philadelphia 76ers. There’s not a team in the league with as wide a range of possible outcomes as the Sixers. There are so many “ifs” here. IF Embiid plays 65+ games, and IF Ben Simmons hits the ground running, and IF Markelle Fultz is ready to play, this team could sneak into one of the final playoff spots in the East. On the other hand, IF Embiid has a health setback and another lost year, and IF Ben Simmons is still too raw to count on, and IF Markelle Fultz’s terrible jumper totally undermines his other qualities, the Sixers could find themselves dangerously close to the Nets and Bulls at the bottom of the conference. I think the Sixers will be one of the most fun teams in the league to watch this year, but they won’t coalesce enough to make a legit run at the playoffs until next season.

9. Charlotte Hornets. Truth be told, there really isn’t much of a difference between the Hornets, Pistons, and Magic. The Hornets losing Nic Batum to injury is a bummer, as this is a team that can ill-afford to lose a playmaker. They brought in Dwight Howard, and if the early reports are to be believed, he’s as healthy as he’s been in awhile, and he’s feeling rejuvenated. It remains to be seen how long the honeymoon period will last for him in Charlotte. The Hornets are well-coached and they have several good defenders. Kemba Walker is a legit star and has shown the ability to drag his team to the playoffs in the past. I also really liked their drafting of Malik Monk. Add it all up, and the Hornets aren’t a top-tier franchise, but they’re far from a smoldering trainwreck. I’m not great with compliments.

8. Detroit Pistons. I might be one of the few people remaining on the Andre Drummond bandwagon. I still think he has it in him to be an absolute force defensively, and I hope he makes a leap this season. Bringing in Avery Bradley gives them some more shooting and further fortifies their defense. By surrounding a rim-wrecking big man with shooters, it’s pretty clear Stan Van Gundy is trying to recapture the glory of his Orlando days. If he can get something useful in return for Reggie Jackson, and if Stanley Johnson progresses enough to be a legit rotation player, the Pistons may very well have a stew going.

7. Orlando Magic. I really like a lot of the Magic players individually, but they’ve had issues fitting together in recent seasons. I think things will be different this year. Aaron Gordon is primed to take a step forward and become an All-Star, and Elfrid Payton has the skill to be a very good PG, especially defensively. Evan Fournier and Terrance Ross can both score in bunches from beyond the three-point line. The organization seems to dislike Nic Vucevic, but he’s a good player. He’ll either be productive for the Magic, or they’ll finally find a trade they like and bring in someone who fits what they want to do. 6′ 10″ rookie Jonathan Isaac was one of the picks at the draft that made the analysts ooh and ahh, so I guess that’s a good thing.

6. Toronto Raptors. The Raptors are a pretty good team. They have two All-Star caliber players in Lowry and DeRozan, and Serge Ibaka is a perfectly decent third wheel. With that said, it feels to me like they’ve gone about as far as they can go. Most likely, they’ll chug through the season similar to the way they have the last couple of years, and proceed to bow out early in the playoffs. However, it wouldn’t surprise me if they get off to a slow start and decide to fire Coach Dwane Casey. After that, things could really spiral out of control, and DeRozan or Lowry could end up being traded.

5. Miami Heat. I love Erik Spoelstra, and this roster is tailor-made for a coach to go buckwild trying to cause matchup problems for the opponent. They have an elite rim-protector in Hassan Whiteside, an upper-echelon point guard in Goran Dragic, and a slew of very good role players. There’s size and athleticism up and down the roster. They can go small, they can go big, they can load up with perimeter shooting, they have Peak Dion Waiters, and they brought in Kelly Damn Olynyk. This team as constituted is a blast. The only thing keeping them from legitimate contention is their lack of a go-to superstar. Pat Riley has proven rather adept at securing the services of players like that, but they don’t have any young guys that are obvious trade pieces, and they’re devoid of draft picks for 2018, so odds of an in-season deal are pretty slim.

4. Washington Wizards. I consider myself to be a reasonably WizWoke guy, but much like the Raptors, this feels like a team that’s reached it’s ceiling. The difference between the Wiz and the Raptors is that while Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka have caused locker room issues in the past, John Wall and Brad Beal seem to be more measured and mature guys, their own rocky relationship notwithstanding. I don’t see the potential for their locker room to implode the way I do with Toronto. Barring major injuries, this is a team that should coast to home court in the first round of the playoffs. Wall and Beal are a spectacular backcourt, and Otto Porter has improved every year he’s been in the league. Marcin Gortat is steady, but his style of play is rapidly becoming a liability in today’s NBA. They’re an athletic rim-protector away from taking another step forward, and unfortunately those aren’t all that easy to acquire. Also, Markieff Morris is a total piece of shit.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers. Just to be perfectly clear, I’m not saying the Cavs are the third best team in the East. I’m saying they’ll finish with the third-best regular season record. Isaiah Thomas, Derrick Rose, and Dwyane Wade are going to miss a ton of games. LeBron’s only objective is winning a title, and if he thinks resting during the season will improve his chances, he’s gonna sit some, as well. They aren’t going to care about gunning for a #1 seed, because they know they can beat anyone in the East without it. There will probably be a little bit of a feeling out process at the beginning of the year, but this is a veteran-laden roster and it should go smoothly. There’s a faint whiff of danger here, with Isaiah Thomas’ uncertain health, and the cloud of LeBron possibly bolting after the season hanging over everything. I don’t THINK things will take a nasty turn for them, but if they did it would be delightful from an entertainment perspective.

2. Milwaukee Bucks. I am ALL IN on the Bucks. The term “position-less basketball” has become en vogue recently, and the Bucks are perfectly suited for it. They are flush with young, athletic, lengthy defenders. Half the battle in today’s NBA is trying to force defenders to switch assignments until you end up with a matchup you can take advantage of. Well, the Bucks have a boatload of guys who can reasonably guard every position on the floor. They’re going to be a nightmare to play against.

In addition to their defensive capabilities, they have motherfuckin’ Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’s a superhuman. I think this is the year he vaults into superduperstardom, and he’s a legit MVP candidate. The Bucks figure to get Jabari Parker back sometime around the All-Star break, and if he can pick up where he left off, it’ll give them a massive boost offensively. Jabari was averaging over 20 PPG and shooting over 36% from three before he went down.

I think the Bucks will keep the pedal to the metal all season long as they announce their presence as a legit team, and as a result the wins will pile up. They are young and hungry, and will enjoy the hell out of wrecking people. The main thing keeping me from vaulting them all the way to the top spot, and giving them serious consideration to make the Finals, is the fact that they’re coached by Jason Kidd. I have no idea if he’s a good coach or not. He does completely inexplicable things all the time, but then he’ll counteract that by pushing all of the right buttons for a few games in a row. Much like the rest of the Bucks, there’s room for him to take the next step forward and become one of the league’s best.

1. Boston Celtics. I swear this isn’t me being a homer. The Celtics are loaded and they have a very good coach. It’ll likely take them a bit to figure out how to play together, but once they get the hang of things, they’re gonna be really good. Basically everyone has a Celtics-Cavaliers Eastern Conference Finals set in stone at this point. But, whereas the Cavs have the kind of well-earned confidence that allows them to not give a rat’s ass about the regular season and homecourt advantage, the Celtics aren’t there yet. I think getting homecourt for a potential playoff showdown with the Cavs is really important to them, and as a result they won’t let up during the season. Even if Kyrie Irving does miss games, as he’s wont to do, the roster is deep enough that they should still be able to hang with most teams even without him. When you have a team with this amount of talent trying to win as many games as possible, playing in a weak conference, they’re gonna put up a enough Ws to lock up a #1 seed.

Whew! That’s it for the East, be sure to come back next time for my thoroughly uninformed opinions on the West!

#NBA Preview #Basketball #Sports #Kelly Olynyk

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seriouslyhooked · 7 years

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False Alarms (A CS AU) Part 6/?

Modern AU where Emma is a Boston police detective and Killian is firefighter. They both get called to a fire in progress but it ends up being a false alarm, however there can be no denying the sparks between them. Includes fluff and my usual attempts at humor as well as a touch of fake-dating and meddling friends. Inspired by the song ‘False Alarm’ by Motoma and Becky Hill. Rated M for future chapters.

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five ; On Fanfiction Here.

A/N: So despite the title of this fic, not every call in the line of duty for a cop or a firefighter can be a false alarm, and sometimes there are pretty close calls. This chapter will be dealing with one of those. But don’t worry, I never linger on angst for long, and the chapter also introduces the M rating so there’s smuff to smooth over any would-be anxiety. Hope you all enjoy and thanks for reading!

“Can you believe the day we’ve got going right now?” Graham asked, standing at the doorway of the station by Killian’s side, watching as the rest of the crew worked on cleaning off the engines outside.

The weather merited comment today because despite the fact that they were still braving the winter months, Mother Nature had brought a surprise – a gloriously sunny day with temperatures more befitting May than anything else. It was a nice change, and had vastly improved the moods not just of the others at the firehouse, but the people in the city as well. Killian appreciated it too, but to be honest, his mood hadn’t needed any heavy lifting. He was enjoying life to the fullest already, and he had one blonde, brilliant detective to thank for that.

“You know they warn you about New England winters when you take this job,” Killian affirmed, “They tell you all about the blizzards and how snow emergencies can effect a ride and response. But they don’t prepare you for days like this.”

“Well get used to the changes. With our luck we’ll get a week of warm temps and sunshine and then another two feet of snow. If there’s one thing to know, it’s you can’t trust Boston weather.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Killian replied, enjoying his morning coffee as he and Graham watched a fight on the cusp of starting.

“I swear to God Scarlet if you spray me with that hose I will actually kill you!” The threat from Tink was completely serious, and Killian winced just thinking about how angry their ladder leader would get if Will was as hair brained as he pretended to be and turned the spray her way.

“Aw come on Tink. I’m practically you’re oldest friend…” Will baited and Tink scoffed, shaking the towel in her hand at him.

“Bull shit! And you can kiss the idea of me even tolerating you goodbye if you mess with me right now. I’m serious Will, back off.”

Tink was already poised to act and whether it was to either sprint away or charge Will, Killian couldn’t say. But he could see the actual consideration in Will’s eyes. He trusted his friend would make the right choice and be a grown adult about this, but then a challenge was presented and Killian didn’t know what to expect.

“I say you do it man,” Gus joked from the other engine. “No one’s gotten Tink real mad in a while.”

“Because everyone wants to remain in one piece,” Tink snapped causing a chorus of ‘oohs’ from the others cleaning.

A number of scenarios passed through Killian’s mind in that moment, and though he knew the firehouse was bound tightly together in a unit, there was a risk here. Tink did have a bit of a temper after all, and Will did like to push the envelope. Besides, with Gus getting involved and putting his two cents in as the probie and low-man on the pole, they might be in real trouble. Someone should step in.

“Anyone who starts a water fight is getting kitchen clean up for a week, you got that?” Graham called out beside him and Killian grinned at his lieutenant.

“Some days I wonder why you don’t have my job,” Killian admitted only half joking.

“Some days I wonder the same thing,” Graham tossed back humorously before another cry came from the truck bay.

“Did you all see this week’s picture?” one of the EMT’s named Thomas asked. “Sergeant Jones and his girl got pretty cozy at that open house.”

The response from everyone was a rowdy one as Killian had come to expect whenever Emma was brought up. He was a bit disheartened though since he thought he’d successfully hidden the copies of The Globe that were dropped off at the house this morning. Clearly some of them had gone unchecked, or Thomas had just been snooping. As such the squad now had access to a picture of Killian and Emma sharing a smile while in the company of some of the city’s cutest kids donning fake police badges and fire hats. It was ‘PR gold’ as Emma’s mother and the mayor’s office had put it, but Killian saw it as a snapshot of a great memory he was glad to have.

Thinking back to that afternoon just a few days back, Killian had the immediate urge to smile. It had been chaos in so many ways, with the engine house they’d used as a base swarming with children and their families as well as neighbors from the borough that the engine serviced. It was loud and packed with people, and in the midst of all of that, Emma and Killian had known they’d be watched all afternoon. But Emma, charming and graceful as she was, decided to put her best foot forward and to bring Killian with her.

Hours passed in the most enjoyable way, with Emma and Killian leading different games and answering questions for the little ones, and at more than one instance Killian found himself watching her. Surrounded by all these children and enjoying herself in a way that was reminiscent of being a kid herself, Emma was beautiful, entrancing, and impossible to ignore. Killian pondered most of the afternoon about what it would be like for Emma to have children of her own. He knew she’d be a spectacular mother, but in those imaginings Emma wasn’t going it alone – no, she was standing there with him, sending him that same knowing smile and lighting up his world.

It was crazy to think how little time they’d known each other and already Killian’s imagination was running away with him this way. He’d never experienced anything like it, but the sureness he had in Emma was unchecked. There was just something about her that eased his worries and convinced him that more was possible. With Emma in his life and in his world, everything seemed brighter and more vibrant. For the first time Killian wasn’t just content but actually happy and he had to credit that change to Emma. She was the one who gave him that, and the one who he was starting to build so many hopes for the future on.

“So remind me again how the new Sergeant not only scores one Detective Emma Nolan, but also gets the acceptance of the District Chief? Because something just isn’t adding up here.”

Will’s words pulled Killian back from the haze of his recent memories. They were meant in jest clearly, and Killian could read his friend’s humor in all of this, but it still set him on edge to discuss his relationship publically.

Killian had long prided himself on being a man who spoke the truth. Honor was important to him, and full disclosure with his team was a part of that code he held so close, but when it came to him and Emma things were complicated. The start of their relationship had been unique, and though they were dating now and they had an understanding between them that this was a permanent, exclusive, romantic attachment, there was still the matter of telling her parents it was a real thing between them.

“I feel like maybe we can cross that bridge when we get there,” Emma said the night before when she was at his place and in his arms. “Besides, if you think my Mom is overbearing now, just wait until I tell her I actually like you. She’ll take it to a whole new level.”

Killian smiled now thinking of the way Emma put it, and the way he’d made her admit that there was more than mere ‘liking’ between them. It might not be love (at least not declared between the two of them), but the promise from Emma that they mattered and that they were starting something together that was real and worth exploring soothed something in Killian. He couldn’t shake the feeling that as long as he had Emma, everything would be all right, and so he didn’t dare risk losing her.

“It’s likely thanks to my dashing good looks and roguish charisma,” Killian quipped and the whole squad laughed at that ridiculous statement, but Will was onto Killian and his friend didn’t look inclined to let it go easily. Before Will could make some witty retort, however, the alarm blared through the space around them, setting everyone off into an instinctual set of movements to man to trucks.

“Saved by the bell,” Graham said as Killian and he headed into the house to gear up. Killian shook his head, knowing he shouldn’t engage in the teasing any longer. Now was the time to get serious again and focus entirely on doing things right and getting to whatever situation awaited them, but he couldn’t help pointing out an obvious fact to Graham.

“And you’ve been saved from speculation by me. Don’t think I haven’t noticed the lack of scrutiny you’ve gotten with your own detective,” Killian said and Graham laughed.

“Fair enough.”

Grabbing their gear and manning their stations was second nature to most everyone in the house. The rigorous training they’d all gone through and the years of experience most of the people on this team had made for a well-oiled machine that performed even as the harsh tones of the alarm droned on and on. This was a familiar dance to all of them, and for Killian that continued wailing sound was what put him in the headspace he needed. It got him moving at top speed and kept him vigilant to the others, making sure they all filed into place with speed and efficiency all in one.

Once on the trucks, they got the basics from their dispatch team – fire in progress in a warehouse on the south side of their district by the docks. There wasn’t as of yet an alarm number garnered, but from the description the 9-11 call had made, it was shaping up to be a big one.

The ride from the firehouse to the docks was mercifully smooth without the added burden of rush hour traffic before them all, but it would never be truly easy maneuvering one of these engines through city streets. If he’d had space in his mind to do more than focus on the possibilities a warehouse fire could bring, Killian would likely applaud his team members manning these vessels right now.

By the time they arrived, station thirty-two was already on site and making moves to start an offensive against the blaze and when Killian touched base with their Captain the plan was made clear. This would be a three-pronged fight: They’d attack from the exterior, the lower levels and a special unit entering from higher above. Thirty-two would provide the higher reaches and some exterior work, leaving Killian and Graham leading the majority of their team inside.

Conversation was brief, with just the basic directions of the plan in place, and though there was some idea of what they might be walking into, none of them were stupid enough to think they could totally anticipate this fire. That should have gone unspoken and be branded in the minds of every fighter on this team, but Killian repeated that sentiment again for the record into his headset.

“We all come home tonight, and we do that by sticking the course and following orders. You got that?”

“Yes, Sergeant,” his team responded and then they were off, cutting through the smoke and flame to try and do their job and prevent more damage to this section of the docks.

Visibility in the warehouse was low thanks to the billowing smoke, but it wasn’t the worst Killian had ever been through, and at first he was confident in every move his team made. They made note of what corners and portions could be swept through first, and the primary objective was to see if anyone was inside. This wasn’t a residential building, but there was always the chance with big spaces like this of someone coming in for some reason and not being accounted for. They needed to clear every corner they could and then start the hard work, but all through this each member of their team knew when to call out and check in.

“We’ve got a problem, Sergeant,” Will called out at one point and then he flashed his light towards a far corner that had a half a dozen large drums of a material they couldn’t ascertain from this distance. “Probably flammable; could go up and mess up the whole structure.”

“Thirty-two be advised we’ve got a possible accelerant on the north side along the walls. Abort entry,” Killian said into the radio, hearing the acknowledgment of the other team just before a blast came from those tubs. The force of the blast was harsh and harrowing, and just as Will had expected it created a host of problems, not the least of which was the added instability of the beams above them.

“Tink, where are we out outside?” Killian asked, already anticipating her response.

“Those flames spiked high sir, and it’s infiltrated the warehouse next door. We’re trying to control it.”

Damnit! Killian thought to himself. That would change the plan and just as he was formulating their need to get out of here, Graham mirrored his thoughts with a proclamation of his own.

“It’s too hot in here, Serg! We gotta tackle this thing outside!” Graham exclaimed and Killian agreed, ordering everyone out of there now, but from the corner of his eye Killian noticed one of his men lagging behind. It was Gus, their probie, and his staggered movements and bent over frame immediately told Killian what was wrong: the smoke was getting to him and so something must be wrong with his suit.

“Get everyone out!” Killian ordered Graham and then without thought for anything else Killian sprinted back the extra distance, grabbing onto Gus just as it seemed his body might give way.

The man’s knees went weak, but he was conscious and that was something. Killian tried to tell him to hold on, but all of this was pure instinct now. He had to make a way for them out of this and it was easier said than done. Gus wasn’t a tiny guy by any means, but Killian had carried more and been through worse. He didn’t have any real fears until a portion of the rafters above came down, blocking their original path out and separating them from the rest of the team.

“Damn it!” Killian yelled to no one in particular, but he scouted another way, not letting himself fear what he had to do. Right now the key was survival and getting him and Gus out of there as fast as he could.

It was hard to find an answer right away, and that wasn’t helped by the continued calls on his attention from the others through their headsets. He begged them all for quiet and to keep going, but with every passing second doubt crept in. Then when a path seemed impossible to find, Killian felt this unfamiliar need welling inside him. He couldn’t accept defeat – he had to keep going. There was too much to fight for, and one woman in particular who he had to see again. He had to get out of here and then home to see her.

Clutching onto that feeling that he could not fail, Killian meandered around the wreckage and got them to the exit, but he could feel the damage to his suit when they made it into the blinding brightness of outside and knew he’d nicked himself a few places and risked a few burns. Graham was right about those temps, it was too hot in there, and he was gasping for air by the time they got outside.

“We need some help over here!” Graham yelled as he and Killian looked over a clearly dazed Gus who was spread out on the ground a safe distance from the blaze.

Graham made quick work of checking Gus’ equipment and saw the fracture in his mask and mouthpiece, making note of it to Killian. Now the only question was had that been there when Gus grabbed it before, and if so, did the man realize how bloody dangerous it was to go into a fire without every piece of equipment working at top ability? At the same time the EMTs responded, treating Gus and assessing that there was some damage from the inhalation and a mild concussion from some of the jerked motions Killian had to make to get them out but nothing terribly serious.

“We gotta take him to Mass Gen, but it doesn’t look life threatening,” Thomas said leading Killian to sigh in relief. Well that was one thing they didn’t have to worry about.

“Wouldn’t have been able to say the same thing if you hadn’t gone back for him, Serg” Will noted and Killian shook his head, not wanting them all to get sidetracked.

“We can hash it all out later. Right now we’ve got to be mindful. We can’t take our eyes off of this,” Killian said, mentally calculating that everyone on his team was now outside and safely battling the flames. They were and that gave him some small comfort.

“There’s no we right now, Sarg. You’ve gotta get checked out too. Last thing we need is you falling apart on us” Will argued, all of his teasing from before long gone. There was almost a command in his friend’s voice, as if he were the superior in this situation. It made Killian laugh, but the sound came out harsh and grating and provided no comfort for any of the others.

“I’ve got this for now,” Graham promised and Killian nodded, knowing it was better to let them clear him in the ambulance and keep his eye on things from afar then to fight them on it and find out there was trouble later.

In the end Killian was willing to give the paramedics twenty minute of time and in that they confirmed that his own injuries were minimal. He heard the phrase ‘close call’ a few more times than he would have liked, but Killian also knew they were right. His suit had managed to take most of the hit today, but he’d have some aches and pains for a few days, and he was a little cut up here and there. As it was he was damn lucky, and so was Gus. This whole scenario could have played out very differently.

But Killian wouldn’t let himself linger on that. Instead he returned to his post by the ladder and with his people until they were called off and relieved. The blaze was dying down (thanks to the milder weather that meant the water wasn’t freezing as it would have just a few days ago) by the time his team departed, and all along the ride home there was silence as if the crew knew just how near they’d been to a more tragic afternoon. Only when they were back at the house did Will speak up.

“Shift’s over in twenty minutes and I’m sure probie will still be at Mass Gen.”

The chorus of agreements signaled to Killian that they’d all be going to see him, but Killian didn’t think he could face that today. He needed the space to get his head on straight before going to see Gus, otherwise he ran the risk of berating the poor kid for his rookie mistake. From the way Graham said nothing and stood there with his arms crossed over his chest, Killian took that his Lieutenant felt the same way.

“I’ll brief the Captain on what happened and check on Gus after. Maybe by then I’ll stand a chance of not reading him the riot act.”

“I appreciate it, mate,” Killian said readying himself to get out of here. He was in need of a shower and some clean clothes and then he’d be heading directly to Emma’s. Well that was if she could see him, which he desperately hoped she could.

“Tink will take you home,” Graham said and Killian started to refuse but it was Tink who put her foot down.

“Don’t even start. You’re going home and that’s that.”

Killian decided not to argue and figured the slight delay wouldn’t kill him. Though he didn’t want to have to be patient, Killian would be to put his crew at ease and it would give him time to get himself a bit more under control before he saw Emma. Without that chance he might just take her in his arms and never let go.

“Hey Sergeant?” Graham called out later when Killian was just about to leave with Tink. Killian turned back to his colleague, finding his friend looking serious. “When we were joking earlier about who has which job, I didn’t mean anything by it, and if I had, I definitely wouldn’t mean it after today. This house needs you.”

“A Sergeant is only as good as his team, Graham. You’ll learn that soon enough,” Killian offered, slapping his new friend on the shoulder in an unspoken salute of thanks before heading out in the hopes of finding Emma, the woman who had unintentionally seen him through today in a truly miraculous way.

…………

Distractions while on duty weren’t something that Emma or Ruby often found themselves subject to. There was a state of mind both friends entered when they were officially on the clock and serving this city that they didn’t mess with. They prided themselves on being on their A game anytime they donned their badge, but today a wrench was thrown in their usual way of doing things and it all stemmed from one call that came over the radio:

“We’ve got a possible four alarm in progress at 69 Harrison. Be advised that firehouses sixty-one and thirty-two are en route and patrol from District three is clearing the area and setting a perimeter.”

That warning had been sent out three hours ago and the fire had been roaring away steadily according to the updates Ruby and Emma had been able to get. They weren’t able to sit on the radio waves listening because they still had work to do, but the situation wasn’t far from either of their minds. It followed them through secondary interviews from an incident from the last shift, consulting with some academy teachers who wanted them to give a lecture on rising through the ranks, and a drive-by check of one of the local businesses where the owner was wary of people casing for an easy robbery mark.

But finally when their shift was over, Emma and Ruby came to the unspoken agreement that they were sticking together until there was word one way or another. Now they were sitting at the counter of the bar just across the way from the station and waiting over a drink for what Emma had to believe would be a routine end to a pretty bad fire. She couldn’t let herself linger in thoughts that something could go wrong because this was their reality. Killian was a firefighter and he loved what he did. Emma had seen that same dedication when it came to her Dad and his work too, and that passion and capability would keep him safe. It just had to.

At the same time though, Emma was craving some kind of closeness with Killian right now, and she’d found it with what Ruby acknowledged was a peculiar choice in drink for her. Rum wasn’t usually Emma’s go to choice, but Killian liked it and the other night when he’d invited her to his apartment for the first time it was all he’d had to offer. It was nice though, and the taste and burn on her tongue helped zap away some of the underlying current of worry and reminded her of the kisses they’d subsequently shared that night at his place.

“How did your Mom do this for so long?” Ruby asked, clearly feeling the uncertainty a little more than Emma currently was.

That’s not to say that Emma wasn’t worried; there were a lot of factors when it came to firefighting that could put Killian and his crew at risk, and it wasn’t exactly the safest line of work by any means, but Mary Margaret Nolan had always been a beacon of strength and hope when her husband was called into the line of duty and she’d passed that onto Emma. You couldn’t worry until the problems came. That wasn’t any way to live.

“A lot of cocoa and a lot of random hobbies. You know all those needlepoint signs my parents have in their house?” Emma asked and Ruby nodded. “Those started one summer when there were a string of arson cases in my Dad’s district, and they just never stopped.”

“Well if I follow in your mother’s footsteps you can be damn sure I’ll drink something stronger than hot chocolate and have dirtier puns on my pillow cases,” Ruby said, trying to joke with Emma despite the continued unease.

“I could help you with some of those if you want,” a voice said from behind them and when they turned around it was Graham. Immediately Ruby was in motion, pulling him down for a kiss that totally disregarded everyone in the place, Emma included. But when they came back up for air (after a rather long and passionate interlude), Graham looked mighty pleased with the warm welcome. “Well hello to you too.”

“Is the fire out?” Emma asked and Graham turned to her with an answer at the ready.

“Almost. We got relieved half an hour ago, though. I’m about to head to Mass Gen and check on one of our guys.”

Emma’s face must have given her concern away though she tried to conceal it as best she could, but when Graham filled in that it was one of the new people on the squad and that Killian was the one who got him out, Emma’s heart restarted again. Killian was safe – and that was what mattered.

“I usually wouldn’t say this – we’ve got fire house superstitions after all – but this one was pretty close, Emma. Killian’s a tough guy, but anyone would be a little shaken up after what he went through. I don’t even know how he managed it honestly.”

“Is he at the station?” Emma asked, already grabbing her jacket, ready to go.

“No, he’s home. I had Tink make sure he got there and I just got a text to confirm it. Maybe you should -,”

“I think Emma’s got a plan already, Graham,” Ruby said, nodding at Emma in a silent exchange. Emma knew if she needed anything Ruby would be there for her and she appreciated it, but right now all she needed was to see Killian and make sure he was really okay.

Getting out of the bar and back to her car, Emma tried to map out exactly what to do here. She and Killian had only been dating a couple of weeks and it was still new and fresh between them, but she wanted to be what Killian needed today and she was also a little selfish in wanting the comfort of being with him too. Despite the brave face she’d held the past few hours she was worried, and the only relief for that built up emotion would be seeing Killian again.

Emma debated calling him and reaching out to check that coming over was even a good idea, and then she considered bringing something with her, but she was at a loss. What did you bring someone who fought a fire and nearly lost? She didn’t know the answer, and when it was her parents in that situation, her Dad always said the best remedy was coming home to his family. They might not be at that level yet, but Emma did know that she mattered to Killian, and if there was even a chance that her presence would help him then she needed to give him that.

Just as Emma parked her car in front of Killian’s loft, her phone rang and the sound split through Emma’s internal planning about what to say and how to act and jolted her back to the present. Emma fully intended to ignore whoever was on the other end of this call, but then she saw it was Killian and she knew she had to answer even as she was crossing the street to get to him right now.

“Killian,” Emma said, not having anything else but him name that she could think to say right now, and from the relieved sigh on the other end of the phone he didn’t seem to mind.

“God it’s good to hear your voice, love.”

“Rough day?” She asked, already knowing it had been worse than rough and Killian let out a half-hearted chuckle.

“I’ve certainly had better,” he said as Emma managed to slip inside the building when another tenant was leaving. She headed up the stairs two at a time as he made a request that warmed her heart. “I was wondering... is there any way I might see you tonight, love? I know you’ve had a long day of your own but…”

“I think that might be arranged,” Emma agreed and before Killian could reply with any kind of particulars, she knocked at his front door and found him on the other side looking downright thrilled to see her.

“Emma,” he said, forgetting his phone and pulling her into his arms quickly.

She melted into Killian’s embrace without hesitation and then she closed her eyes, trying to deal with the fact that the smell of smoke still lingered on him. It was just another reminder for her of what Graham had said – they’d had a real close call today and she could have possibly lost this man she’d only just found. To combat the swell of emotion that thought brought, Emma tried to ground herself in the fact that he was really here.

Beyond the smoke was the familiar scent that she’d come to associate with Killian, and the warmth of his arms around her. She felt that same comfort that only Killian ever provided and Emma felt even more secure in her choice to come here as he mumbled relieved words. They were whispered so low she couldn’t hear much more than the slight lilt of his action and the reverent tone but they were perfect all the same.

Finally Emma pulled back to look at him and she took everything in, wiping away a slight smudge of black soot he’d missed from his handsome face and noticing the scratches he’d accrued in today’s action. If she had to guess he’d be a little worse for wear all over, but he was here and whole and that was the most important thing.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” he said, clearly still stunned.

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” she confessed.

With that Emma pressed a kiss to his lips that went from soft and sweet to heated all too fast. Emma understood why that was. They were both trying to find a way to channel the immense emotions in the room, but she didn’t want to get so caught up in the physical that she wasn’t really there for Killian. So as hard as it was to pull back, Emma did so, looking back into his eyes that now seemed slightly warmer and offering a small smile.

“The way I see it we have to options. You tell me what happened today over some rum, or we actively avoid what happened today, also with rum. Your call.”

Killian’s smile actually reached his eyes in that moment, and he ran his thumb along her cheek, gazing at her with this mix of affection and awe that made Emma feel like she was so much more powerful than she felt. The only thing she could offer Killian right now was company and maybe the comfort of listening, but he made her feel like she was the answer to all of his problems with a simple look.

“You are remarkable, Emma. I hope you know that,” he whispered, sending a thrill of pleasure through her. Then he took her hand in his and led her to the couch as he went to go get them two glasses and the bottle of rum she knew that he had here. When he was back, Killian made sure to keep no distance between them, and Emma was pulled into his arms, loving that way that she was so wrapped up in him and connected like this.

“So what’s the verdict?” Emma asked and Killian chuckled shaking his head.

“Part of me is tempted to take you up on the offer of avoidance, but I promised myself a long time ago I wouldn’t do that anymore. Better to face the darkness head on than suffer the fall out later.”

Emma was so relieved to hear that he felt that way, because she’d always seen things that way in her line of work too. Her parents taught her from the start of her time on the force that bad things would happen. Cases would go south in an instant, people would get hurt or worse, and the good guys didn’t always win despite what the fairy tales said. But the only way through pain was to face it, and the only way to keep in jobs like these was to acknowledge the risk and to accept that things happened for a reason, even if there was no explanation you could understand.

“Graham said something about the probie…” Emma urged on and Killian nodded.

“Aye, Gus. He’s a good man but wet behind the ears. He should have seen the problem before it got so bad – his mask was damaged even before we faced the flames - but he’s still new and he’s still got that need for the action over safety. He hasn’t yet learned that a fire doesn’t care if your heart’s in the right place. Destruction comes to anything that stands in its path and today it could have taken him.”

“But you didn’t let that happen,” Emma said, not knowing the full details but instinctively guessing that Killian would always be mindful of the men and women of his house.

“No, I didn’t. But it wasn’t easy, and there was a moment in there when I… when I thought I might have made the wrong call. I couldn’t see a way out of there, but I had to.”

Emma’s hand ran along his chest as she stayed tucked into him. She could feel the tightness in her throat as it constricted with residual fear. God that must have been terrifying – knowing that you were trying to save someone and that you might have just sacrificed yourself in the process. But it was also a spike in fear and emotion that she understood. She’d been in a few touch and go firefights before, had a few close calls where a bulletproof vest had made the difference between her coming home that night and never coming home again, but the fear was always there every time. Even if it was your instinct to protect others, it didn’t make you feel brave, at least it never had for Emma.

“I thought of you in that moment, Emma. That moment when I didn’t know if we’d get through that door, you were there. I heard your voice and thought to myself that I couldn’t have heard it for the last time. I couldn’t never see your smile again or watch the way your whole person lights up when you laugh. I had to get out of there, and so I did.”

“Killian, I -,”

Killian put their glasses back down on the table before them before bringing Emma to face him completely. His earnestness in this moment was almost overwhelming, and the tears that had been forming through some of his professions about how much she meant to him became that much more prominent. He noticed them too, and Emma could hear the tautness of his tone as a response.

“Look, Emma, I don’t want to rush things or make you feel like you have to feel a certain way, but I’ve known for a while that what we’re doing here… it’s bigger than anything I’ve done in my past. Being with you brings more than mere happiness to my world, love. It’s like when I’m with you, I’ve the remedy to move past everything else.”

Emma bit her lip, wanting to say the same thing to him because she could feel this connection he was talking about. A lot of her old fears and worries were assuaged by Killian’s presence. He was a positive force in her life that didn’t take, take, take, but gave her so much instead. Nothing about Killian was contrived or forced – he was totally genuine and that was so amazing to her, because it meant that all the intense emotions she had about him were actually mirrored back. For once she wasn’t terrified of getting hurt. She trusted this man with her heart and she had given that trust to him faster than she’d ever been able to with anyone else.

“It’s like I said though, love, I don’t expect anything. I just -,”

In that moment, Emma couldn’t stand to hear him second guessing himself and she silenced his worries with another kiss. This time though, Emma didn’t care about getting carried away, in fact she felt free to push for so much more with Killian because of what they’d just shared. This level of openness and honesty was invigorating even where it once would have terrified her and today Killian had let himself be vulnerable with her, which truly led Emma to believe that she could do the same with him. With Killian taking the risk didn’t actually seem so risky, and walking away from the way she felt right now with him flush against her and seeking out more, just wasn’t an option.

“This is different for me too,” Emma said when they pulled back, her eyes fluttering open in time to see the adorably smitten look on Killian’s face right now. It made her whole body heat even more than the kiss had and it prompted her further with her confessions. “And I’m not exactly an expert when it comes to relationships, but I think if we’ve found something like this we should go for it, fast or not.”

“God I love the sound of that,” Killian said, and the undeniable honesty in the way he said it was the final breaking point for her. Suddenly Emma was so far past her more honorable intentions of before, and all she wanted was her and Killian as close as they could be.

Killian must have understood her shifts in need, and he was hardly unhappy with the prospect, sweeping her up with him to his bedroom (despite the injuries she knew he must have), and taking her breath away with kisses and attentions that never stopped. He was everywhere all at once, but still Emma wanted more and she knew just how to get it. With a firm push against his chest, she separated them, moving to strip away her clothes from today with a clear, slow intent.

“You gonna just stand there or are you going to join me?” Emma asked after a few seconds of watching Killian take her in. His eyes on her fed this part of Emma that had gone hungry for so long and she felt powerful and wanted in a way that she loved. But she also wanted him with her, and she wanted them both so lost in each other that they forgot everything about today and pushed past it to something so much more desirable.

“Can’t fault a man for looking, love. You’re like heaven itself.”

Emma flushed at the compliment, but she was determined to make him move so she could get her chance to look her fill too. So when she was just about to remove her bra she stalled, flicking up a suggestive smile to this man who was totally focused on her.

“Lose the clothes, Sergeant. That’s an order.”

This time Killian quickly responded but there was a look in his eyes that said he was humoring her. She might have just given the command, but it was only a matter of time before he turned the tables and used that sexy as sin voice and his all too fantastic skill in making her mindless with pleasure against her. Just the thought had her mind racing, and by the time he’d actually gotten around to stripping away his shirt and pants she was shaking with the anticipation of everything that was coming.

When both of them were bared to each other, Emma stopped trying to fight for any control and she pulled him down for another scorching kiss as he maneuvered them to the bed. It was a dizzying kind of thrill as Killian’s hands and mouth roamed against her naked flesh, and her heart pounded in her ears even as her whole body hummed out this sound of joy. She was so ready for this, and the incidents of their day had only made that sharp need for him so much keener. What if they’d lost this? Emma couldn’t imagine this being over before it even really had the chance to begin.

Eventually Killian broke away from their hungry kiss and moved down her jaw to her neck and found that spot that always drove her crazy so quickly she had to moan and arch into him, but he had other ideas. The frazzled sense of awe he’d just had was long gone and instead he was all willful command. Killian was totally in control and from the flash of dark heat in his blue eyes Emma knew she was about to reap the benefits of that meticulous worship.

“A bit impatient aren’t we, love?” Killian asked teasingly, with his hot breath against her neck and driving her crazy.

“Can you blame me?” Emma asked, not even bothering to deny it and Killian chuckled as his kisses moved lower along her flesh until he was at her breasts and smiling with that almost infuriatingly attractive grin of his.

“Not when I want you even more than you can possibly imagine.”

Emma was going to argue that that seemed unlikely since he was the one making this a slow, meticulous exploration instead of the hard and fast release she knew he wanted, but then he was peppering her sensitive flesh with just the right mix of kisses, nips, and sucks designed to totally unwind her resistance.

And yes, maybe there was a chance that Emma could have pushed through that onslaught of pleasure to get him to go faster, but the only thing in her mind right now was that Killian needed this. Today had been too close and too dangerous, and now he was reminding them both of what they’d found together and what was waiting for them if they made it through the hard times and back into each other’s arms.

In the midst of his glorious attentions to her breasts, Killian’s hand trailed down her stomach creeping to the vee between her legs where Emma so desperately needed relief. The ache for him was straining to be released, and Killian’s quick attentions to her clit were designed to spark that coiling need into something so much more fulfilling. Before Emma even imagined it could be possible she was falling apart and calling out his name, and when she came down from that haze of perfect feeling, the look in Killian’s eyes was almost wild. He seemed addicted to making her come apart, and Emma swallowed harshly almost fearing just how much he was going to give her to sate that need on his part tonight.

She didn’t have time to worry long though, not when Killian’s mouth moved lower and lower in a rough then reverent way that would likely leave marks on her skin tomorrow. Emma didn’t mind those abrasions. Actually she reveled in the thought that come the morning she’d have those spots of his creation to remind her of this moment right here, when Killian made her feel like anything was possible and she was destined to feel this good every damn day.

By the time he’d gotten to her inner thigh, Emma was pulsing with the need to have his mouth on her sex. Craving that feeling wasn’t even a strong enough word for it – Emma thought she might die without it, and then he was there and she was gone for him all over again. It was pure magic, the feel of Killian making love to her this way and when she’d fallen apart by his ministrations again and was close to another shattering climax she pleaded with him to give them both more.

“Killian – I need you, please.”

Emma wasn’t certain if it was the please or the expression of her need for him, but he mercifully responded by coming back up to her and taking her lips in a hard kiss again. This time she could taste herself and it felt so damn intimate and dirty and fucking perfect, but that was nothing to the moment when he thrust inside her, filling Emma with that feeling of total completion.

The string of curses from Killian made Emma want to laugh but she didn’t have the chance when he was dead set on creating a rhythm that was as close to heaven sent as could be. She wanted to be frustrated at the fact that he’d done so much for her without giving her the chance to return the favor, but his continued praise that he lavished her with as he propelled them further told Emma that Killian had gotten exactly what he wanted. And in the end, all Emma could do was claw at him to get closer and plead for more of the same because she was so freaking close until suddenly she was there, falling apart and loving the fact that she’d brought him with her.

In the aftermath of that earth shattering release, Emma and Killian stayed curled up together in his bed, silently allowing their hands to roam. It was a calmer sense of searching, but Emma didn’t have to look very hard to find what she was looking for. Killian brought her this sense of peace and belonging that she’d never known before, and from the smile on his face and the light in his eyes, Emma knew he was feeling it too. What they had couldn’t be denied in anyway, and that fact led Emma to say something she’d been wanting to find the bravery to say for a while.

“I’m going to tell them,” she whispered and Killian’s brow furrowed at the words.

“Tell them?” he asked, not following her thoughts, which were admittedly random.

“I’m going to tell my parents the truth,” Emma said and Killian’s arms tensed for just a second until Emma ran her hand across his chest soothingly. “I’m going to tell them that this is real - that we are real - and that in a few weeks when the mayor’s office is tired of using us a PR prop, you aren’t going anywhere.”

“Damn right, I’m not,” Killian growled, making Emma giggle as he pulled her closer to him again. “But perhaps you could wait until morning, love. I have a few thoughts left on how to spend the evening, and they weren’t particularly conducive to seeing your folks.”

“Fair enough,” Emma agreed before sealing the agreement with a kiss and falling into this remarkable man all over again.

Post-Note: So first and foremost I want to thank you all for your patience. As you guys can obviously tell this was a much longer break from this story than I first anticipated but there were a couple of reasons for that. The first was I knew I wanted this chapter to include a close call for the firehouse and I needed to make that work. I hate writing angst (and I would call this chapter angst-light at best) but it did take a long time to get all of that on the page for me. Plus this is a longer chapter as you guys can tell and I wanted to find the perfect smuffy ending to ease away any lingering anxieties from the first part of the chapter. Anyway, thank you all so much for reading and I truly hope you guys enjoy. I’m not sure when the next chapter will be out, but hopefully faster than this one was!

#captain swan #captain swan fic #captain swan ff #captain swan au #cs modern au #cs fic #cs ff #cs au #cs fluff #cs smuff #cs smut #emma swan #killian jones #ruby lucas #the whole damn fire house really #false alarms #false alarms cs au #false alarms 6 #ouat au

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the-roadkill-cafe · 7 years

Text

Throwing a Stone In a River Part 4

Summary: When Sakura graduates from the academy, she suddenly finds her head invaded by the ghost of Uchiha Shisui. Her inner is gone, but not forgotten, and she struggles with impulse control more than ever before. But also, Shisui gives a lot of unsolicited advice - useful and otherwise - and does not shut the fuck up. He’s not thrilled about current events.

Rating: T

Author’s Notes: First of all, I’d like to thank @tozettewrites for allowing me use of her prompt and for coming up with the idea. The story would not exist without her. This story would also not exist without @jaycrowind, who cheered me on and nagged me as needed in order to get the writing done, only to immediately beta it for me so it looked presentable. Thank you so, so much. Thanks also to @phoenixyfriend, who became an impromptu sounding board and whom I bombarded with many many questions. Finally, thanks to @surfacage, who was probably very surprised when a random stranger popped up in their messages asking about Shisui, but very graciously answered my questions. Thanks for helping me out, and thanks for all the artwork you do for the Naruto fandom.

Chapter Tags/Warnings: discussion of suicide, discussion of eye trauma/gouging, manipulation, hallucinations, loss of bodily autonomy

If you think I've missed a tag or that one should be added, please let me know. Thanks!

Many many thanks to @jaycrowind for beta'ing, @elenathehun, @phoenixyfriend, and @jaycrowind for their ideas and suggestions, and @beyondthemoor for her cheerleading. They're responsible for pushing me into finishing this chapter.

Previous Part: Part 3

In the end, Sakura decided to compromise with Shisui and ordered lunch at a tempura stall, gratefully consuming a full plate’s worth of fried vegetables and shrimp. She still spitefully ordered a small bowl of anmitsu for dessert though and savored every morsel. If he didn’t like being in her slow body that liked to eat anmitsu, he could get out.

‘I really, really don’t think it works like that,’ Shisui paused. ‘I don’t even know how I got stuck inside you in the first place! Trust me, there are more interesting ways to be inside someone else’s body.’

‘What?’ Sakura blinked out into space, her spoon held half way between the bowl and her mouth.

‘Oh, oh shit, you’re like, twelve, right? Pretend you didn’t hear that. I mean, it’s not like you even know what it is-‘

Sakura cut Shisui off. ‘Did you just make a sex joke?’

‘It slipped out! I swear I’m not trying to be creepy.’

Sakura let Shisui stew in silence for a few moments. It wasn’t like the joke had been about her. Still, if the only way she had to make Shisui watch his mouth was by letting him think she thought he was a creepy pervert, she’d take it.

‘I,’ Sakura began once she thought he had waited long enough, ‘am not an idiot. I do in fact know what sex is.’

‘Are you sure about the first part? Because I could’ve sworn that you forgot to check if you could cut yourself loose from some ropes,’ he replied.

‘If you don’t shut up about that I’m going to order some dango for the walk back.’

‘Fine, geez, can’t make a joke around here…’

Sakura ignored him for the sake of her own sanity. All she wanted to do was enjoy her anmitsu in peace and maybe drink a gallon of water. She definitely didn’t want to spend her lunch bickering with a ghostly voice inside her head. If he even was a ghost, which she still wasn’t entirely convinced of.

The rest of her lunch would’ve passed without incident, except that after Sakura had paid her bill, she decided to use the bathroom. As she locked the stall behind her, it didn’t take her long to realize her conundrum.

‘Can…can you actually see what I see?’ Sakura asked, facing the stall door awkwardly.

Luckily for her dignity, Shisui seemed to recognize the problem immediately. ‘I…yeah. As long as your body can perceive it, I can too.’

Sakura fingered with the zipper to her dress as her face gradually grew warm. It shouldn’t be that difficult to use the bathroom with her eyes shut, right…?

‘I’ve definitely seen worse things in my life than a girl using the bathroom.’ Shisui said dryly.

‘That’s not the point! How am I supposed to use the bathroom with a boy in my head?!’ Sakura wailed. She fought the temptation to stomp her foot.

‘Well first you sit down on the toilet seat,’ Shisui began with a snide voice.

‘If you weren’t already dead I’d kill you myself,’ snapped Sakura. She glanced quickly around the stall and then determinedly shut her eyes.

‘Ooh, yes, I’m so terrified of a twelve year old genin.’

Sakura managed not to screech like a tea kettle, but it was a close thing. Instead she pulled on the zipper to her dress.

‘Should I hum or something?’

‘Be quiet, I’m busy trying to pretend you don’t exist.’

Several awkward minutes later, Sakura left the bathroom. She knew her face had to be clashing horribly with her hair but she couldn’t bring herself to calm down. That was the worst experience ever.

‘Let’s just…pretend this never happened,’ Shisui said.

Well at least they finally agreed on something for once. Then again, Sakura supposed it had to be equally uncomfortable for Shisui to be in a girl’s body, and one several years younger than him apparently, as it was for her to have a boy in her head.

Having plenty of time left before Kakashi expected her back at the training grounds, Sakura ambled back. At this point the double layered vision she had walking through the village was no longer surprising. Given the apparently supernatural nature of Shisui’s possession of her, Sakura supposed this might be her new normal.

‘Is what I’m seeing…your memories?’

‘I think so. It’s reasonable; you’re already getting some kind of bleed over from me,’ replied Shisui.

Sakura observed the faded, ghostly images with renewed interest. Depending on when Shisui died and how much older than her he was, she could gain a new insight on what the village looked like before disasters like the Kyuubi. As that thought came to mind, Sakura flicked her eyes to the horizon again, hoping to catch another glimpse of the dreaded bijuu. It wasn’t like she’d get another chance to see the now dead Kyuubi, and without fear of danger at that. Unfortunately for Sakura, the terrifying mirage did not appear.

For a moment Sakura was tempted to ask Shisui about the Kyuubi or even the Third Shinobi War, but just as the intent began to coalesce into actual words in her mind, an image of her parents, waking up exhausted from the nightmares they still had over a decade later surfaced. She grimaced. Shisui probably wanted to answer those kinds of questions just as much as her parents wanted to, which was to say, not at all.

Instead she asked, ‘So if you weren’t a desk chuunin but a jounin, what were your specializations? How were you usually deployed?’

‘My specializations changed based on who you talked to,’ Shisui said with a chuckle. ‘If I were to describe it…hmm, probably a kenjutsu user supplemented by mid-range ninjutsu and genjutsu. I was a burst melee front line shinobi, usually deployed for either assassinations or sabotage, though sometimes I also accompanied intelligence gathering missions as well, either as a specialist or as the muscle.’

If he had been a burst melee shinobi, it was no wonder he emphasized speed so much. Burst melee shinobi were unlike sustained melee shinobi in that, despite their strong offense, they couldn’t keep it up for extended periods of time. Whatever they chose to specialize in, all burst melee shinobi dispatched their enemies as quickly as possible. Depending on the squad, they either acted as a secondary offensive force to sustained melee shinobi, or they remained behind with medical squads and other support shinobi.

‘But why would other people not describe your specializations the same way?’

Shisui hummed thoughtfully. ‘Based on certain abilities I had, there were assumptions people made about what I was and wasn’t capable of doing, and how I preferred to fight. Other people had a tendency to think I focused more on either ninjutsu or genjutsu. I was no slouch, of course, but I knew others who were true masters in those areas. I’m much more generalized by comparison.’

Sakura frowned as she continued to make her way to the training grounds. The topic inadvertently turned Sakura’s thoughts away from asking Shisui more questions and towards her own team. Her quick mind glossed over what she knew of Kakashi, which was more than she thought. Yesterday she only knew that he was a weird shinobi that, despite all appearances, was definitely a part of the elite. Now she knew he was a former ANBU member and in spite of his smaller reserves of chakra, was considered a sustained melee shinobi that specialized in ninjutsu.

It was too soon for Sakura to tell what Naruto was going to choose to specialize in, but based on his stamina alone he would also be meant for ongoing combat. Sasuke at this point could choose to either be a solid all around mid to close range fighter, or focus on improving his ninjutsu, of which she knew he did the best in amongst their class. Which just left her. Sakura clenched her fists.

If nothing else, today highlighted that Sakura didn’t have much of anything that was useable in the field. She was the least physically capable of her team, not just in speed and strength but also in taijutsu; she had no ninjutsu whatsoever; genjutsu was a mystery…Sakura was becoming mortified to realize that the only thing she was good at was memorizing things and battle strategy and tactics. She was a paper ninja.

‘I’m…a terrible shinobi…’

‘Yeah,’ Shisui replied. ‘But a lot of genin are. That’s what training and your jounin instructor is for. Not everyone gets to start out as a talented genius.’

‘But where do I even start? I need to fix everything,’ Sakura said.

‘Well, you start with physical conditioning.’ Shisui paused. ‘Like getting faster.’

Sakura huffed out loud. ‘Ugh, how did I know you were going to say that?’

‘A strong body is the foundation to being a strong shinobi.’

She sulkily seated herself at the base of a tree in the wide training grounds Team 7 had trained in earlier. Naruto and Sasuke weren’t back yet, and if Kakashi was, she couldn’t sense him. Now that she had eaten and rested for awhile, she felt significantly better, though her legs still felt a little like jelly. It was as good a time as any to work through what direction she wanted to take her shinobi career. She flicked her thumbs back and forth while she thought.

As much as Shisui’s suggestion rankled, it was probably the best solution for now. Sakura didn’t have any idea what she wanted to be, as a shinobi. There was more to it than just taking missions and completing the objective. There were all the administrative shinobi, usually semi-retired or with career ending injuries, peppered with able-bodied shinobi to help defend the village in case of an attack. There was the medical corps, where she would have her choice of becoming a hospital medical ninja or a combat medical ninja. ANBU, the Academy, Intelligence, Research and Development…there were plenty of places for shinobi other than on the front lines.

‘It might help if you remember why you want to be a shinobi in the first place,’ said Shisui.

Sakura scowled at the air. ‘Can you not listen to my thoughts for five minutes? And why can you hear mine but I can’t hear yours anyway?’

‘Probably something to do with the Yin chakra. It’s the chakra of mental and spiritual energy. I’m not really an expert on it, like some fuinjutsu specialists, or the Yamanaka or Nara,’ Shisui answered. ‘I don’t exactly go looking through your memories or your thoughts, you know. They just appear. Especially your thoughts. Try meditating or something, maybe that will fix it.’

She dropped her head back against the tree. Physical training, meditation, none of that mattered if she didn’t also pick up a few jutsu along the way. Both of her parents had earth nature chakra, so she probably did too. Doton jutsu were good. They were mostly defensive, which would complement the offensive nature of her teammates. She should learn a few genjutsu too. She didn’t know if her parents knew much in the way of genjutsu, but they’d probably teach her some Doton ninjutsu if she asked and proved she was taking her shinobi training seriously.

But before she could follow that train of thought, she heard the faint sounds of bickering. It was soon followed by Naruto and Sasuke walking down the path. Sakura felt her brows rise. Did they actually eat together, or had they met each other on the way back? Either scenario was surprising. The fact that they were arguing was at least familiar to her.

Naruto waved when he saw her. “Oi! Sakura-chan! Are you ready for the mission?”

‘Mission?’ Sakura blinked. She reviewed the events before lunch and realized she didn’t actually know why Kakashi had asked them to return after lunch. At the time, Shisui had been criticizing her performance during training.

Naruto didn’t seem to notice her confusion. “Heh, this will be so easy. We won’t even need Sasuke. Between you and me, we’ll have this done in no time!”

“All you two would do is slow me down anyway. I’m better off doing it alone,” Sasuke said.

Sakura ignored her two teammates. She was sure at some point it’d get hammered into their skulls that they needed to work together as a team; no need for her to remind them.

‘I wonder what kind of mission we’re going to have.’

‘Something boring and awful. All missions for genin are terrible, it’s a fact of life,’ Shisui answered.

‘Oh yeah? What are they like?’ Sakura asked Shisui.

He made a non-committal noise. ‘Oh, you know, body retrieval, trap and bomb dismantling, chasing cats, that sort of thing. Just stuff that’s a pain in the ass but needs to be done.’

‘One of those things is not like the other, Shisui,’ Sakura said dryly. ‘You’re just messing with me, right? We’re not even in the middle of a war, there are no bodies to get from anywhere. Besides, Kakashi-sensei wouldn’t send three green genin out into an active battle zone, right? Shisui? Hey, I’m talking to y—’

Her internal tirade was cut off by Kakashi’s sudden appearance. Thankfully, he had foregone the chakra smoke this time. “Well, I see we all managed to get here on time. Hopefully you’ve had a full lunch, because we have quite the mission today. I made sure to get an extra special one, for our first time as a team.”

The three of them crowded a little closer to Kakashi. Naruto and Sasuke seemed excited, Naruto moreso than Sasuke, but Sakura found she couldn’t be with Shisui’s answer still weighing on her mind. She kept going over what she knew about various kinds of traps and how to properly disarm them, along with proper storage techniques for corpses.

Kakashi held up a scroll. “Today...” he paused dramatically, “we have been asked to finish roofing someone’s house.”

There was a beat of silence as they processed his words. Then almost as one their shoulders slumped, though Sakura’s did for reasons different than her teammates’.

“What? That’s crap!” Naruto shouted. “We should be doing something like defeating a corrupt daimyou and his army of samurai, or rescuing a princess! Not roofing someone’s house!”

Sasuke didn’t say anything but his expression clearly communicated his disgruntlement.

For her part, Sakura was relieved. Roofing sounded a little disappointing and not at all what she had been expecting but it was a better option than what Shisui had said.

‘I knew you were just joking,’ Sakura told Shisui.

‘You say that now,’ he replied.

“Maa, well, everyone needs to do their part, and sometimes your part is helping to repair someone’s house,” Kakashi replied. “A local construction crew has a few members out sick or otherwise unavailable, and they need more people to finish a client’s house. That’s where you three come in.”

“This is really a mission that genin take?” Sasuke asked dubiously. His brow furrowed as he crossed his arms. As Sakura glanced at him, an image of a small, slightly chubby, sulky Sasuke superimposed itself over her teammate. Her lips twitched and she felt a sudden swell of affection and nostalgia. She had the vague impression that he had hardly changed at all.

“It’s not just a mission genin take – it’s the mission you’re all going to complete.” Kakashi’s mask shifted as he smiled. She didn’t trust it for one second. There had to be a catch.

Fifteen minutes later, and Sakura found out that the catch was that the construction crew wasn’t just missing a few people – everyone but the manager had skipped out of work for the last few days and Team 7 had to do the majority of the work and have it finished by the following day. The house in question was a typical home of Konoha, with one flat section of roof for shinobi to run across and the rest gently sloping towards the ground for rain runoff. They learned this in between the manager’s profuse apologies and angry side comments about his unreliable crew.

“I’m sorry for such short notice, shinobi-san,” the craggy-faced manager said. “You just can’t trust those lazy Wave bastards that have been flocking here lately. My apologies for the language, sweetheart.” The last bit he directed at Sakura.

“It’s no trouble at all, Iwase-san. My team is ready for the work; they’ll have it finished in no time,” Kakashi reassured the man.

He bowed in response. “You shinobi are a bit pricey, but I hear great things about you lot. Finish it up today, and you’ll be getting my crews’ paychecks.”

“We’ll be sure to do an excellent job. You heard Iwase-san, kids. Get to work,” Kakashi said.

The three of them began to fasten the tool kits that were scattered around and nimbly climb up the ladders to the roof of the house. Just as Sakura was nearly at the top, she heard Iwase-san talking to Kakashi.

“Are you sure that little miss should be up there?”

Kakashi, however, had already pulled out his book and was reading it without a care in the world. “Hm?”

“I mean, shouldn’t she be doing more delicate work? Like bringing the boys some refreshments?”

On the roof, as Sakura pulled off sections of old tile, she felt her blood boil. She had gone through the same exact training as Sasuke and Naruto at the Academy, and had passed the same test. She was as much of a shinobi as they were. As she pulled up a particularly stubborn piece of tile, she imagined it was Iwase’s face.

‘I’ll show him delicate work!’ Sakura scowled down at the roof.

‘Easy now. You can’t actually kill your client. Calm down and work out your frustration later; save your energy for the mission,’ said Shisui.

‘I don’t need you to tell me that!’ She snapped.

The internal exchange caused her to miss Kakashi’s response, if there was any, but she didn’t miss the way Naruto looked from Iwase to her.

He shuffled closer. “Oi, Sakura-chan. That roof guy is right; it’s okay if you don’t want to help us fix this stupid house. I know girls get tired faster and you’ve trained hard already today. You can just relax because I’ll have this done in no time!”

Sakura flushed with shame and embarrassment. ‘Even Naruto thinks I can’t do this!’

She glanced at Sasuke to see his reaction. There was no way he hadn’t heard Naruto’s words. Naruto’s lowest volume was only just short of a full yell after all.

But Sasuke only started working on his section of the roof, ignoring them entirely. She bit her lip. Did that mean Sasuke agreed with Naruto? Or was it that he thought she could work on her own? Sakura wilted.

‘So you’re just going to give up?’ Shisui prodded. ‘I thought you were going to prove your client wrong?’

Sakura gritted her teeth and gripped the tool kit hard between her hands. As much as she hated to admit it, Shisui was right. She was tired, true, but she hated giving up even more than she wanted to skip their ridiculous mission.

“That’s okay Naruto,” Sakura finally said, smiling a poisonously sweet smile. “If you can manage not to let your stupidity stop you from being a shinobi, I’m sure being a girl won’t keep me from finishing this mission.”

She leaned in close and dropped her smile as she grabbed his jacket. “Now if you don’t leave me alone, I’ll throw you off the roof.” Then she shoved him away from her so she could start roofing.

As she worked, her foul mood only increased. The respite given to her from lunch only lasted her so long. Before Sakura knew it, she was exhausted and her limbs were trembling with strain. It turned out roofing was really hard work. Not only that, the temperature peaked as the sun reached high overhead. There was no breeze to provide relief and Sakura refused to be the first to ask for a quick break. Sweat dripped down her face and arms, causing her to stop every few minutes to wipe it away.

Nearby, it seemed Sasuke and Naruto had similar thoughts. Both worked relentlessly, and every few tiles they pulled up, they would glance up to check the other’s progress before throwing themselves back into it at a seemingly faster pace than before. Sakura huffed to herself. Boys. She couldn’t deny that their rivalry was going to help them finish the mission faster, but they were also going to exhaust themselves. On a real mission, they’d get themselves killed.

‘Now that’s the way you should be thinking during a mission.’

‘That’s enough out of the peanut gallery.’

In short order, the three genin were collecting small stacks of new tile to nail into the roof. Their collective poor mood had only grown as Kakashi and Iwase both sat in the shade, one drinking from a canteen of undoubtedly icy water and the other reading and occasionally giggling to himself. It was with this cloud hanging over them that things finally came to an explosive head when Sasuke brushed into Naruto, causing him to slip on the roof and drop his stack of tiles.

“Hey, bastard! You did that on purpose!” Naruto shouted as his tiles clattered to the ground below.

Sakura rolled her eyes and knelt down to start hammering in the wood tiles. It was about time they started fighting; they could hardly go a few hours without it.

“Don’t blame me for your incompetence,” Sasuke snapped. “You can do that all on your own.”

Naruto stepped closer into Sasuke’s space. Sakura eyed them warily. An argument was one thing, but they weren’t actually going to have a fist fight on a roof, were they?

“You bumped into me and made me drop my tiles because I’m beating you. I’m not stupid!” he insisted.

‘That’s debatable,’ Sakura thought uncharitably.

‘No need to be so mean, Sakura.’

Shisui sounded awfully amused for someone who was telling her not to be mean to her teammates. In the background, Naruto and Sasuke continued to argue.

Sakura diligently hammered in her tiles one by one. Even though it was beginning to cool at long last, she was completely covered in sweat, making her job difficult. She cursed as the hammer slid in her slippery hand and she hit her thumb.

She sucked her thumb and hissed when she pulled it out to peer down at it. It was a bright angry red and throbbed in time with her heart beat. As she finally considered stopping for some water and to ice her finger, the voices of her teammates crescendoed.

‘Sakura, duck!’

‘What?’

Sakura looked up instinctively at Shisui’s warning. She had just enough time to take in Sasuke dodging a tile that Naruto had flung at him before it hit her squarely on her accursed forehead.

Sakura reeled almost drunkenly, stars bursting across her vision. She tipped backwards and began to slide down towards the edge of the roof. Only some reflexive instinct had her flailing and grasping at the roof until her balance recovered enough for her to ensure she wouldn’t fall off.

There were twin surges of anger inside her and she was caught between the urge to clutch her head and do something about her teammates. A barely coherent impression of ‘those damn brats!’ and the burning desire to hurt them decided it for her and before she knew what she was doing, Sakura grabbed one of her own tiles and threw it with unerring accuracy at Naruto. He yelped when it connected with his chest and the force of it knocked him on his behind. A nasty part of her wished he had fallen off the roof.

In her head, Shisui was a fuzzy, static ball of irritation that made her aching head feel that much worse, which was compounded by her still throbbing thumb. Her other hand twitched with a need to punch her teammates that was not entirely her own.

“You moron!” Sakura’s voice was ragged as she struggled not to scream. “You hit me in the head!”

Naruto staggered to his feet. “H-hey, Sakura-chan, it was just an accident, I didn’t mean to—”

Sakura cut him off. “What did I tell you about leaving me alone?” She too climbed to her feet and started stalking towards Naruto.

Down below, Iwase was watching the exchange warily.

“Hey, shinobi-san, I think you need to do something about your kids. That little miss looks like she’s ready to murder someone,” he said.

Kakashi hummed a bit, unconcerned. “I’m sure they’ll sort it out. These sorts of things happen all the time with new teams.”

Back on the roof, Sakura seized Naruto’s ear. She twisted it roughly as she pulled him towards the edge of the roof, her temper lending her strength.

“No, Sakura-chan, don’t throw me off the roof!” Naruto squealed, his voice breaking on the high pitch.

“Too bad!” She snarled.

As she strode towards the edge, her foot kicked Sasuke’s tiles.

“Hey!” Sasuke jerked as his tiles went tumbling down the roof to the ground below.

‘This is going to be such a disaster.’

‘Shut up, I’ve had it with everyone!’

“Don’t get me caught up in your stupidity,” Sasuke continued.

Sakura stopped. “This wouldn’t have happened if you two weren’t so stupid.” She insisted. She tightened her grip as Naruto tried to squirm out of her hold.

“Don’t blame me because you’re too slow to dodge a brick.” Sasuke’s hands clenched and unclenched reflexively. He didn’t seem to know if it was appropriate to grab her the way he would Naruto. Or maybe he was just trying to keep himself from shaking her. Sakura bared her teeth. The way she was feeling, she wished he would. She would throw him off the roof too.

And then his words registered. For a moment, all seemed to go silent. And then she heard Shisui snicker in her head.

“I’m not slow!” she roared.

She lunged towards Sasuke with her free hand. She should’ve known better; he was far more agile than she, and dodged her easily. What he failed to account for was the slant of the roof. As he tilted backwards dangerously, his arms began to pinwheel. At the sight, Sakura momentarily forgot her anger.

“Sasuke-kun!”

His hand grabbed her shirt. The three of them only had a split second to stare and realize the coming consequences before Sasuke’s weight pulled them all over the edge of the roof.

The three of them lay tangled together, wheezing and groaning in a pile of limbs. Sakura had been lucky; she landed across Naruto and Sasuke, both of whom had taken the brunt of the fall, along with her weight.

“I think you ripped my ear off,” Naruto whimpered.

“You deserve it, moron,” Sasuke snapped back.

Sakura kicked her foot without seeing who she was aiming at. “Both of you, shut up.”

‘I told you this was going to be a disaster.’

‘You can shut up too.’

A shadow fell over them. Sakura looked up to see Kakashi staring down at them. “Now what have we all learned today?” he asked them brightly.

The three of them stared at Kakashi, all simmering with resentment and loathing.

“If you don’t learn to work together as a team,” Kakashi said, “you’re going to fall off a roof.”

Sakura rolled off Naruto and Sasuke and left them to figure out how to untangle themselves. She had a roof to finish and she planned on going home sometime today. Sasuke and Naruto soon followed her, and they resumed their work in stony silence.

By the time they finished, lunch was little more than a daydream and Sakura’s stomach was a gnawing pit of hunger, desperate for dinner. But the house was completely roofed and their client was pleased. Sakura might have felt more of a sense of accomplishment when she was handed her cut of the mission pay if her body weren’t aching everywhere.

Kakashi clapped his hands with faux cheer as he considered them all. “This has been such an illuminating day, hasn’t it? I think we’ve all learned a lot.”

‘I learned a lot about how much I want to punt my teammates all the way across the continent,’ Sakura grumped to herself.

“You’ve all worked very hard today and I look forward to seeing the same effort tomorrow,” Kakashi said, his solitary eye crinkling. In it, Sakura swore she saw the depths of hell. “So I will see you tomorrow at six am sharp.”

He reached out to ruffle hers and Naruto’s hair. As his hand reached towards her, panic suddenly spiked in her throat. She saw an image of someone else’s fingers moving towards her, grasping at her eye. Or was it her own hand? Blood was dripping down her face and she could hear water and she couldn’t stop the hand she was going to lose her eye no no no no

Sakura broke out of her paralysis and slapped away Kakashi’s hand. It hovered in the air for a moment and she could clearly sense his surprise. And then he let it fall away and acted as if she hadn’t done anything at all.

“Bye now.” With a wave, Kakashi disappeared.

Naruto and Sasuke were staring at her. She swallowed hard underneath their scrutiny. “It’s just been such a long day, and I didn’t want him messing up my hair,” she laughed weakly, trying to play off her sudden panic.

“Your hair is already a mess from sweating all day,” Sasuke pointed out bluntly.

“Well it’s not like I know where his hands have been or anything!” Sakura said as she grasped for excuses. “So, I have to get home now. See you tomorrow, Sasuke-kun! And you too, Naruto,” she added as an afterthought. With that, she dashed off into the darkening night.

Her jelly legs and bone deep exhaustion made the trip home longer than usual, but when Sakura came home, the house was filled with the smell of dinner. Her mouth watered in response.

Shisui chanted an unending litany of ‘food food food’ as the smell registered for him as well. She rolled her eyes. He was awfully concerned about food for a guy who was dead.

‘It tastes good,’ he said defensively. ‘I don’t need to be alive to appreciate the finer things in life.’

‘You are going to be murder on my weight loss plan,’ Sakura said.

Thankfully for her sanity, Shisui quieted down again when she sat down for dinner. She was able to make it through the meal and some conversation with her parents peacefully, and in fact she was almost able to forget that there was a ghost in her head. Instead, she got to be a normal twelve year old, complaining to her parents about her awful team and her weird jounin instructor.

After dinner, Sakura trudged upstairs for the bath. One of her parents had already drawn it earlier, so all Sakura had to do was wash herself off before she could relax in its soothing warmth.

Of course, once she was in the bathroom, she found herself facing the same dilemma as she had earlier that day, but even worse.

‘How am I supposed to take a bath with you in my head?’

‘Try closing your eyes again?’ Shisui suggested. Sakura groaned into her hands.

‘I can’t just close my eyes the entire time I take a bath.’ Sakura dropped her head against the wall.

‘Well, you can either get over it and take a bath, or just never take one ever again and reek for the rest of your life,’ he said.

Sakura shifted in place. It wasn’t that different from public bathhouses. There were some that didn’t separate by gender, even in Konoha. And she really wanted to soak before she went to bed.

‘Fine. But don’t you dare make fun of what I look like, or I’ll eat anmitsu for the rest of this week.’

Sakura stripped off her clothes and Shisui remained blissfully quiet. She paused while she folded her clothes, feeling suspicious of his obliging silence, but nothing was forthcoming. A few seconds later she was seated on the low stool and scrubbing away the day’s grime and sweat. Underneath the warm spray, her muscles loosened gratefully.

Once she was properly washed off, Sakura climbed into the deep bath tub and let herself relax and start to contemplate the day’s events. She stared unseeing at the pale islands that were her knees. Water dripped down her back from her pinned hair. The combination of water and her lowered guard resulted in a deluge of thoughts that weren’t her own.

-the clan never had a chance to begin with, he had been working against them the entire time-

-his hand ripped out his eye while he used the other one to brutally beat his body-

-he wasn’t one of the prized shinobi of the clan for nothing, and he needed to get away to warn him-

-no one could have his other eye, it was too dangerous-

Suddenly the impressions seemed to jerk inside her head and then Shisui’s presence seemed to expand in her head.

‘What did you just see?’ his voice was dark and heavy with intent. Sakura pulled her legs close as she processed the mental images. She had known all along, hadn’t she, that someone had hurt Shisui very badly before he died.

‘I said, what did you see? Tell me now Sakura,’ he demanded.

Sakura ignored his words. ‘Who…,’ she swallowed. ‘Who ripped out your eye, Shisui?’

His mental presence seemed to break in an odd way that Sakura instinctively associated with shock. It solidified again and this time was a nearly impenetrable wall that hid thoughts behind it which Sakura could not discern.

When he spoke again, his voice was hard and even, and for the first time she really believed he was a jounin. ‘What makes you think someone took my eye?’

‘I saw it,’ she answered in a small voice. ‘And then… and then you gave the ANBU boy your other eye. You…’ She furrowed her brow as she recalled her nightmare.

‘You told him he was your best friend and that you were giving it to him for safe keeping.’ Sakura’s voice became shrill as her horror mounted. ‘You gave him your eye! And then you jumped into the Naka River! I saw it!’

‘You saw how I died?’ Shisui pressed.

‘It was a little confusing; I had a nightmare about it, it was so awful, I couldn’t move at all except to pull my left eye out and give it to the boy. But I didn’t see very well what happened before then.’ Sakura hesitated a little. Shisui sounded slightly calmer. It was no wonder that his death was a sensitive topic. ‘Shisui… would you like to talk about it? Is that why you came back? To get revenge on the person who took your eye?’

Shisui’s presence remained impassive for a long time, so long in fact, that Sakura thought that maybe he hadn’t heard her or had fallen asleep. And then she felt him sort of shudder, or maybe ripple, and then she felt grief begin to emanate from him as his mental presence shrank in on itself.

‘I… forgive me, Sakura, I just can’t talk about it. It’s too difficult. Please, let it alone.’

‘Oh.’ There was a part of Sakura that wanted to keep pushing. What about the ANBU boy with Shisui’s other eye? Why did Shisui feel the need to commit suicide? And surely he would want to confront the person responsible for hurting him in the first place? Then again, the only way Shisui could do that was through her, and if this person could maim a jounin and escape, then killing her would be too easy.

Shisui’s plea struck a chord in her. It was clear his death was too new and he hadn’t come to grips with it. It probably bothered him that she was reliving it. It seemed like it was a private, intimate thing, and here was Sakura, watching it and picking at the scabs with hardly a care at all for how Shisui might feel about it.

‘I’m sorry,’ she offered lamely.

‘It’s fine. How about you just go to sleep now. You have to wake up early tomorrow, after all.’ With Sakura’s acquiescence to Shisui’s request, his voice became normal again and no longer the oppressive thing it was before.

Sakura made a noise of agreement. She climbed out of the tub and proceeded to finish her nightly routine.

Eventually she made it into her bed, collapsing into it with a grateful sigh. She could only imagine what kind of awful training and missions would be in store for her tomorrow. And that was before Naruto did something stupid to make things worse or Shisui started in on his nagging comments. She curled up beneath her covers and closed her eyes. But for now, sleep.

Not long afterward, the nightmares started.

#roadkill writes #throwing a stone in a river #haruno sakura #uchiha shisui #sakura ft shisui

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swanqueeneverafter · 6 years

Text

55. Wish You Were Here, Pt.3

Storybrooke. Present. Convent of the Sisters of Saint Meissa. (Belle is giving birth in the convent. Emma holds her hand and helps with her breathing as one of the sisters deals with the delivery.) Dream World. Boy: “Can you push me on the swing, Mommy?” (In a darkened playground, Belle walks towards her son on the the swings.) Belle: (Exhales deeply:) “I was... I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find you.” Son: “You'll always find me when you need to.” Belle: (Taking a seat on the swing beside him:) “So, look. We don't have much time now, okay? Your father's coming, and he will use those shears. So, please, if you know how to stop him, you have to let me know.” Son: “You know what you must do.” Belle: “No. No. (Stands:) No. No. I can't. I won't. There has to be another way.” Son: “There isn't. As you said, we're out of time.” Belle: (They embrace:) “I love you. I love you more than anything in the world.” Son: “I know. And I won't ever forget it. Oh, and Mother... don't forget the book.” Belle: “What book?” Storybrooke. Present. Convent of the Sisters of Saint Meissa. (Belle gasps and finally snaps back to the here and now just in time to give birth to her son.) A Short Time Later. (Belle rocks the baby in her arms as Emma leads the Mother Superior into the room.) Mother Superior: “Oh, congratulations.” Belle: (Laughs:) “Thank you, Blue.” Mother Superior: “Emma said you wanted to see me.” Belle: “Yeah. Yeah, I need your help.” Mother Superior: “Of course. Anything.” Belle: “Here. (Pats the bed and Mother Superior takes a seat:) Will you be his fairy godmother? And will you take him somewhere safe, somewhere far away from all this?” Emma: “Belle, what are you doing?” Belle: “Rumple will never stop. This is our son's only chance. (To Mother Superior:) Please take him, just until this is all over.” Mother Superior: “But you don't know when or if that will come to pass.” Belle: “I believe it will. I have to believe it will. Yeah. (Voice breaking:) Take him.” Mother Superior: (Taking the baby into her arms:) “Of course.” Belle: (Sniffles:) “Thank you, Blue. There's, uh... there's one more thing. Emma? (Emma hands over ‘Her Handsome Hero’. To Mother Superior:) Read it to him so that he knows that I'm always there for him. (To the baby:) My Gideon... strong and brave... a hero for all time. (Kisses the baby’s head:) Don't you ever forget that I love you.” (Mother Superior waves her hand and both she and the baby begin to glow. Elsewhere, Mr. Gold pushes open the convent doors and strides inside. Entering the room, he finds Emma and Belle sitting on the bed. Wordlessly he takes in the scene before something outside the window catches his eye. Mother Superior flies away with baby Gideon.) Mr. Gold: “No. You abandoned our son? After everything?” Belle: (Scoffs:) “I didn't abandon him! I gave him his best chance at a good life. And after what you did, that is clearly a life without you in it.” Mr. Gold: “Belle...” Belle: “Rumple, no! It's over. Okay? It's over! There's nothing left for you to say.” Mr. Gold: (Glances at the window, then back:) “What's his name? What's our son's name?” Belle: “Why? So you can use it to find him? You can do what you will with me, but I will never tell you.” Mr. Gold: “I would never hurt you, Belle. Never. But I will find our son.”

Enchanted Forest. Past. (Belle tracks down the parents of the stolen baby and returns the child to them. Unseen from the distance, Rumplestiltskin watches the happy reunion.) Storybrooke. Present. Mr. Gold’s Shop. (Mr. Gold enters the back room of his shop.) Evil Queen: (Sitting in the darkness:) “Someone lose another son?” Mr. Gold: “Don't. Not now.” Evil Queen: (Turning on a light:) “Or what? Hmm? (Laughing:) Oh. I bet Belle really hates you now, huh?” Mr. Gold: “Go.” Evil Queen: “No. I'm going to enjoy this. I went to a lot of trouble for this to see what happens when you poison your love.” Mr. Gold: “I did no such thing. (Points, at her accusingly:) You did.” Evil Queen: (Laughing:) “Oh, no. You did. By making me an enemy. Okay, yes, I did the actual dosing of the tea. But you forced my hand. (Standing, crossing the room:) Oh, worry not. It'll be easy to fix, no? Just tell her. Oh, wait. She won't believe you, will she? Tragic.” Mr. Gold: “I may not have crossed a line today. But you most certainly did. And I'm gonna make sure you pay for it.” Evil Queen: “Oh, please. If you haven't found a way to kill the woman who murdered your own son without enlisting my help, I'm not all that concerned.” Mr. Gold: (As the Evil Queen starts to leave:) “One thing I thought you knew about me by now, Your Majesty... I play a very long game. And you? You're nothing more than one of my pawns.” Evil Queen: “Good luck finding your son. Again. I hear fairies make wonderful mothers.” (The Evil Queen leaves. For a few moments, Mr. Gold merely stands with pain etched across his face. Then, he begins taking his frustrations out on several items in the back room, smashing them to pieces.)

Blanchard Apartment. (Henry, Regina, Snow and Emma are gathered in the apartment, having discussed the days events. David lays slumbering on the bed.) Snow White: (Sighs:) “Okay. That's enough despair for one day. (Motions towards David:) I'm going to wake him up. If you would please fill him in on everything?” Henry: “Of course.” (Snow moves to the bed and climbs on beside David. She is about to kiss him when something stops her.) Emma: “Are you okay, Mom?” Snow White: (Shakes her head:) “No. (Slides off the bed and picks up something heavy:) She's watching us.” (Snow throws the item at the bedroom mirror, smashing it. Meanwhile, via her mirror, the Evil Queen smiles as her curse is clearly having the desired effect on her victims.) Regina: (Having seen enough:) “This is all my fault. (Heads towards the door:) I can't let them suffer for it.” Emma: (Walking, blocking her path:) “Regina, where the hell are you going?” Regina: “To stop the queen. I can hurt her. I'm the only one who can hurt her. Anything that happens to me will happen to her.” Emma: “No, we decided this in the mirror world. I am not letting you sacrifice yourself.” Regina: “Well, I'm not asking for permission.” Emma: “Oh, I see, we’re still doing this. (Folds her arms:) So did you forget what's about to happen to me? That I have a death sentence.” Regina: “But you can fight that future, Emma. I know you. You will fight it.” Emma: “But that doesn't mean I will win, and the only thing that makes that bearable is knowing that Henry will still have you. I can't be there, so you have to be. You know I'm right. We have to find another way to defeat her. Together.”

Mr. Gold’s Shop. (Emma and Regina sneak into Mr. Gold’s shop to find the place wrecked.) Emma: “Whoa. Oh, well, someone had a temper tantrum.” Regina: “Do you really think we'll find something in here to stop the queen?” Emma: “Maybe. (Notices something laying on the floor:) But I think I just found something else. (Crouches beside it:) This is it. This is the sword from my vision. It's here.” (Emma reaches to grab the sword but the vision flashes before her eyes once more.) Regina: “Emma, are you okay?” Emma: (Panting, grabs the sword:) “Yeah. I think it's safe to say this is what did it.” Regina: “This is the sword that killed you?” Emma: “Will kill me.” Regina: “Why would it be in here?” Emma: “I don't know. But now that we have it, maybe we can finally find who's responsible.” Regina: “The figure under the hood.” Emma: (Stands, holding the sword:) “Yeah. And then we can stop them. You see? This is why we keep fighting. The Savior is a title I've thought about running from numerous times, but I never have, because I want to protect my family and my friends and the people that I love. The vision still bothers me but I can’t give in to it. Just like you can’t let the Queen get to you.” Regina: “Yeah, but the Queen could very well be the one under the hood.” Emma: “Well then I say we take the fight to her.” Regina’s Vault. Exterior. (Regina and Emma, carrying the sword, head towards Regina’s vault.) Emma: “Do you really think you've got something in your vault that can tell us more about this thing?” Regina: “The hooded figure who uses it is fated to kill you. First we need to figure out who that is.” Evil Queen: (Appearing in a cloud of smoke, blocking their path, flirtatiously to Emma:) “Ooh, nice sword, sweetie.” Emma: (As Regina conjures a fireball:) “Regina, don't let her get to you.” Regina: “It's too late.” Evil Queen: (Chuckles:) “What are you gonna do? Throw a fireball at yourself? The only way to hurt me is to hurt you, which is why your girlfriend won't be able to stop me. See? Love is weakness. (To Emma:) Say hi to Sleeping Beauty... or is it Sleeping Daddy?” (Enraged, Emma slashes at the Evil Queen with the sword, cutting her cheek. Immediately regretting this, she turns to Regina.) Emma: (Gasps:) “Are you...?” Regina: (Touching her own cheek to find no damage:) “I'm... fine.” (Emma turns back to the Evil Queen, who attempts to heal herself. Much to her dismay, her magic is unable to heal the cut. Determined to end things, Emma lunges once more with the sword, but the Evil Queen escapes.) Emma: (Looking down at the sword, amazed:) “We can kill her.”

Alleyway. (The Evil Queen reappears in an alleyway, sitting upon Regina’s car. As she touches the cut on her cheek again, she is approached by Mr. Gold.) Mr. Gold: “Thinking of going for a drive?” Evil Queen: “Rumple, I'm in no mood.” Mr. Gold: “Looks like the Savior's found a weapon. Now, normally I'd be upset that someone stole from me, but in this case, I think I'll let Ms. Swan's pilfering slide, and I can focus on finding my son. And you can prepare... (Places a golden cuff on her wrist:) to die. Now, no matter where you go, I can find you. You see, what you did to me, to Belle, was unforgivable. So if, at the end of the day, the Savior has yet to dispatch of you, rest assured that after I find my son, I will gladly finish the job.” Blanchard Apartment. (Emma and Regina have returned to the apartment as Snow continues to slumber.) David: “So it can hurt the queen without hurting Regina.” Emma: “The Evil Queen needs to die.” (David’s cellphone rings and he goes to answer it.) Henry: “You sure about this, Mom?” Emma: “In this case, the cliché is true. I was... born for this. With this sword, I can save all of us.” Henry: “That sword is what kills you. How do you know this isn't how you die... facing her? What if she's the figure under the hood in your vision?” Emma: “I can't sit out every battle because I think it might be my last. I'm the Savior, kid.” Henry: “You're also my Mom.” (Henry walks away as Emma’s hand begins to shake, the vision coming to her yet again.) David: (Returning:) “Hey. That was Leroy. The Evil Queen was spotted headed down Main Street.” Emma: (Clenches her hand into a fist:) “All right.” Regina: “Let's go.” Emma: “No. You can't. The only way you can hurt her is to hurt yourself, and I can't let you do that. (Takes Regina’s hand:) I've got this. You need to stay here with Henry.” Regina: (Sighs, lifting their hands and kissing Emma’s:) “Good luck.”

Storybrooke. Main Street. (Emma and David walk down the street when they hear a woman’s distress call.) Woman: “Help me!” (Quickly, the sheriffs run towards Granny’s diner.) Granny’s Diner. (They enter to find Jasmine tied to a chair.) Emma: “Jasmine!” Evil Queen: (Coming out of the kitchen holding the lamp:) “Ah, ah. This is about me. It's always about me.” Emma: “Damn right.” (Emma raises the sword but the Evil Queen begins to magically strangle Jasmine.) Evil Queen: “I can snap her neck before you get a step closer. (Emma looks to Jasmine as she gasps for air, then takes a step backwards:) That's better.” (The Evil Queen rubs the lamp and Aladdin appears.) David: “Well that’s new.” Evil Queen: “My genie.” Aladdin: “I'm sorry.” Evil Queen: “I believe I have three wishes.” Aladdin: “Go ahead. Wish. They always come with a price.” Evil Queen: “That they do. Which is why I'm not going to wish for something for me. (To Emma:) I'm going to give you something... something you've always wanted, something you confided about to Aladdin.” Emma: “You heard us?” Evil Queen: “Don't you know by now? I hear everything. You wished you weren't the Savior. So that's exactly what you're going to get. (To Aladdin:) Genie of Agrabah, I wish... that Emma Swan's wish, to have never been the Savior... be granted.” Emma: (Charging forward:) “No!” (Aladdin raises his hand and Emma disappears.) David: “Emma! What happened? Where did she go?!”

#sq #swanqueen #swan queen

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megamanxfanfics · 6 years

Text

S.IV Ep. 13: Insurgency Divine

Written by Metal Man X

----------------------------------------------- EXT. ABEL CITY – Streets – DAY -----------------------------------------------

Lasers and missiles rain down on the inhabitants of Abel City. The people look up in fear as the Maverick Hunter Police look up with a hardened, worried face.

JENNA: What’s this about!?

Explosions bypass the civilians and only cause damage to the streets or surrounding buildings. Then, they draw closer towards the police.

An off-duty Medic Hunter gets blown apart. Followed by a Miner.

ORESTES: Wait a minute! ..They’re only aiming at us!!

EVAN: (gasping) We gotta get out of here!

JENNA: Screw that. Our job is to protect the people, no matter the cost. Even if its our last.

EVAN: Right!

JENNA: Call it in. This is an Emergency.

She pulls out her pistol as she dodges an explosion, which destroys a Squad Car.

-pan up-

The Repliforce Space Fortress continues to fire upon select Reploids in Abel City with their armada of Air battle ships.

- Cut To –

------------------------------------------------------------------------ INT. MAVERICK HUNTER BASE – Control Room – DAY ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Captain turns to Iris with an irate face.

CAPTAIN: IRIS! What the Hell is this??

IRIS: (shocked, crying) I don’t know sir, I..

CAPTAIN: Well FIND OUT! We never asked for this!!!

Double sits at his command post in awe of what he is seeing. His eyes are huge and he becomes so nervous that he actually breaks out into laughter.

DOUBLE: (cracking up) Uha! ..haha! This is.. Hopeless!

CAPTAIN: Don’t have a Nervous Breakdown, Double. I might need you out in the field if X and the others don’t get back in time.

His eyes widen as he regains his composure and salutes his Captain.

DOUBLE: Roger!

CAPTAIN: Deploy the Armored Air Cavalry! I hope it’s enough to fend them off.

Iris tears up as the dispatchers in the room go to work.

[Insert Title Card: Insurgency Divine]

- Cut To -

------------------------------------------------------------------------

INT. REPLIFORCE ARCTIC BASE - DAY

------------------------------------------------------------------------

ZERO: Hah!

He uses a thundering Raijingeki to destroy a trail of ice blocks in his path. Venzo follows behind him as he takes out a Met.

Above them, X, Aeson and Scorche take out ice blocks with their busters and flame whip respectively. A met is destroyed by Scorche as they move on.

The group is united momentarily as they all make their way down a vertical corridor, which has been blocked by ice. X takes a charge shot at one of the cubes, which causes a mild explosion.

X: Whoa, careful. There’s bombs in there.

ZERO: Jeez.

Zero slashes at an ice cube and the same reaction occurs. Luckily no one is effected by the blast as they clear their path downward.

- Pan to -

------------------------------------------------------------------------ INT. ARCTIC BASE – Ice Blocked Path - DAY ------------------------------------------------------------------------

ZERO: Like I said, I go down, you go up.

X: Yep!

The group splits up once again as X takes a charge shot at a 45 degree angle.

ZERO: Come on Venzo!

Zero grabs the hilt of his saber and flips it upside down, so he can chip at these ice blocks in a downward fashion.

Venzo tosses one boomerang after another as we pan out to see all 5 Reploids gradually splitting apart.

X's group sets off 2 bombs within the packed ice as they unveil a hidden corridor.

AESON: Ooh. Check it out.

-Zoom in-

Aeson blasts the hover gunners in their path to clear the way.

They chip away at more ice. X fires another charge shot at a 45 degree angle, when suddenly his radar ticks.

[RADAR]: Hidden item, ahead.

X: Hm?

X hops up and Aeson follows him while Scorche breaks some more ice blocks.

AESON: Whoa! Sir, I think that’s a Weapon Tank!

SCORCHE: Haha. You’re getting all sorts of presents today, huh?

X: Heh. I guess so!

X takes the Weapon Tank and places it in his compartment belt with a surprised smile on his face.

-pan below-

Zero and Venzo continue to chip away at the ice blocks in their path on the ground level until they arrive upon a narrow, vertical corridor.

ZERO: Hm.. Looks like we've gotta go up.

VENZO: Right!

The two wall jump back and forth, destroying two mets and a hover gunner until they make it to the top of the room, where X, Aeson and Scorche have just arrived.

-pan to-

------------------------------------------------------------------------ INT. ARCTIC BASE – Corridors – DAY ------------------------------------------------------------------------

X: Whoa. Hey guys.

Scorche leads the way as he jumps over the gap to the next corridor and takes out two mets with his flame whip.

The groups reunite once again as they all follow. Running through the corridor, they take out a few more hover gunners and mets in their path. Then, an Ice Wing Bird Mechaniloid powers up and freezes the surrounding area by 5 yards.

X: Whooa.

ZERO: What the Hell is that?

X: Is everyone alright?

SCORCHE & AESON: Yeah.

X: We can’t let those things do that again. It’ll only make it harder for us.

He comments as a set of icicles rain down from the ceiling before them.

ZERO: Yeah…

They wait for the icicles to shatter in order to safely pass.

- Cut to –

------------------------------------------------------------------------

EXT. ABEL CITY SKIES

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Armada of Repliforce Air carriers continue to rain bullets, lasers and missiles upon Abel City until a large Maverick Hunter Air Craft blasts two carriers out of the sky.

- Pan inside the carrier –

Ren stands by Rayven, Burn Bishop, Stone Rook and Arboreal Owl at their front console.

REN: Nice one. That'll teach ‘em.

He turns around with a grin on his face.

REN: Thanks again for joining us, guys! We've got our work cut out for us.

Before Ren, a mixed group of Hunters from the 9th and 14th Units sit at the Air Carrier's vacant Battle Stations.

RECON RACCOON: It’s our pleasure. If anyone can man a turret, the Special Ops got your back!

The 9th Unit leader gives Ren a thumbs-up at the Gun Turret station. Alongside him are team members: Baryon, Frenzy Foxkit and Freeze Alopex.

From the turret station on the other side of the room, Turian’s gang perks up.

TURIAN: Right on! It’s good to finally get back out there again. We're glad we can help.

Tethlon, Blizzard and Blaze smile along with their 14th Unit Gang Leader.

REN: (smiling) Alright, lets take them out guys. The Captain is counting on us!

MAVERICK HUNTERS: Roger!

At the front of the ship, Stone Rook and Arboreal Owl ready their laser cannons, while the 9th and 14th Units lean in to their turrets from both sides of the Air Ship. The groups all fire away in retaliation as Ren maintains a focused grin. He turns around to survey the damage.

- Pan out of the ship –

The Maverick Hunter Air Ship blasts through two more Metal Hawk carriers with it's laser cannons, while the corresponding gun turrets do a massive amount of damage to the rest of the wave before them.

Instantly, Repliforce Air Ships descend upon Abel City, only causing more damage below.

REN: (o.s, filtered) We've gotta take this fight out of Civilian Air Space. There's too much Collateral damage.

- pan below to the city -

In the streets, Jenna presses on her earpiece to com-link.

JENNA: Good call. They’re killing us down here!

REN: (o.s, filtered) Hang tough. We're gonna take the fight back to them.

JENNA: When you do, beam us over. I want to personally handle these bastards, myself.

REN: (o.s, filtered) Haha. Roger that.

Above her, the Maverick Hunter Air Ship slowly ascends as they destroy another three Repliforce Metal Hawk ships, which violently crash down against the surrounding Rooftops of their City.

-cut to-

------------------------------------------------------------------------

INT. ARCTIC BASE – Gateway – DAY

------------------------------------------------------------------------

X, Zero, Aeson, Venzo and Scorche hop along a corridor full of pitfalls as they destroy a small wave of mets and blast through a final Ice Wing. At last, they arrive to a gate at the end of the corridor.

ZERO:

Finally, we made it!

X: Stay alert, everyone!

The team runs through the gateway and enter Frost Walrus’ Control Room.

- pan to -

------------------------------------------------------------------------ INT. ARCTIC BASE – Control Room – DAY ------------------------------------------------------------------------

The moment the gate closes behind them, Frost Walrus turns around from his computer and slowly walks toward them with a menacing grin on his face. He pounds his fists together three times and lets out a spurt of ice mist to intimidate them.

X and Zero stand firm, while Aeson, Venzo and Scorche all flinch, behind them.

FROST WALRUS: (disappointed) They sent kids like you after me?

X: “Kids”?

FROST WALRUS: After the last dump I went through, I figured they'd send in some bigger guns.

X and Zero /gasp in horror as they see that Ice Wolfe, White Wolf, Night Wolf and Grey Wolf have been frozen solid, to the same degree that Blizzard Buffalo, Crystal Snail and Chill Penguin met their ultimate demise. Most of their 13th Polar Battalion was dead.

ZERO: (gasping, ordering) /Ice Wolfe. ..Guys! Destroy that machine. X and I will handle him.

VENZO: Right!

FROST WALRUS: What’s the blonde kid up to?! I don’t have time for you Junior!

ZERO: (upset) Hey! Shut up and fight already!

He pulls out his Z-Saber, ready to go.

FROST WALRUS: Oh… That does it. You’re goin' down!

He pounds his fists and prepares himself.

FROST WALRUS: I promise to end this quickly. Yyyaahh!!!

He jumps up and splashes his body against the misty, frosted ground.

X and Zero dash-jump out of the way, but Aeson, Venzo and Scorche are caught in his body slam when he lands.

AESON, VENZO & SCORCHE: Aaauuughh!!

Frost Walrus slides his body across the ground, dragging and scraping their bodies along with him, before he gets up.

FROST WALRUS: Huhuhuh. Wimps..

Just then, he is blasted in the back by a Charge Shot.

FROST WALRUS: /Aghh.

X: C’mere, you jerk! You didn’t have to do this.

FROST WALRUS: Heh.

Zero stands by X, whose armor shifts from blue to red.

ZERO: Ready, X?

With a quick nod, both run after him and power up.

X & ZERO: Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

FROST WALRUS: (surprised) What the-?

X: /Yah!!

X shoots an up close and personal Rising Fire, while Zero uppercuts Frost Walrus with his fiery Ryuenjin blade.

ZERO: /Heeeh!!

FROST WALRUS: (burning, suffering) AAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Zero makes a dark grin as he lands.

ZERO: That’ll shut him up.

X grimaces firmly at Frost Walrus as he stares him down.

X: What did the Repliforce hope to gain by doing this?

Frost Walrus stands with cracked ice, tusks as he /spits out some blood.

FROST WALRUS: /Thpppt. You think I care about Repliforce Pride? I just wanna hurt ya.

X gasps and does a double take.

X: So there ARE Mavericks in Repliforce.

ZERO: (nodding) Told Ya!!!

He jumps and air-dashes towards Frost Walrus as he fearlessly slashes him three times.

FROST WALRUS: Agh, damn you.. kid. /YAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!!

Zero uppercuts him with another flaming Ryuenjin.

Frost Walrus writhes in flames once again, and frantically shakes it off with his frost breath. Then, he launches ice blades from his shoulders in desperation.

ZERO: Huh?

X: Watch out!

Zero gets struck by one and knocked to the ground.

X: ZEROOOO!!!!

- cut to -

------------------------------------------------------------------------

EXT. OUTTER SPACE – Repliforce Colonies – DAY

------------------------------------------------------------------------

A large, purple aura resembling a hybrid of Sigma’s face and a skull watches over the Earth.

SIGMA: (v.o, thinking) This is perfect. The Earth is slowly dying at the hands of the Repliforce. I couldn’t have planned it more perfectly.

He watches as the top of the Earth becomes more visibly frozen from up in space.

SIGMA: (v.o, thinking) The North Pole is slowly expanding across the eastern and western seaboards. This is their attempt at showing the World what they’re capable of, but it will not meet with success. The humans or the Mavericks will inevitably retaliate and push them farther into a corner. And then they’ll be forced to use this…

He turns his large, head to a gigantic laser weapon and makes a demonic grin. Amidst the several colonies the Repliforce have created, a Doomsday Weapon is pointed right at the Earth.

SIGMA: Oooh, I can’t wait.

-cut to-

------------------------------------------------------------------------

INT. ARCTIC BASE – Control Room – DAY

------------------------------------------------------------------------

As X blasts Frost Walrus with his charge shots and dodges a series of ice blades, we pan to Aeson, Venzo and Scorche in the background, who shake off their pain and limp over to the main console.

Aeson stands before the console and frantically types on the keypad. Then, in frustration, he punches the desk.

AESON: Shit! It’s Password Protected!! I can’t do anything.

SCORCHE: I’ll fix that..

He takes his flame whip and whaps it hard against the side of the Geo-Thermal Ice Cannon. The weapon is damaged, but not destroyed, as a small patch of flame lingers on the weapon.

SCORCHE: Come on, guys. Let’s save the World.

Venzo smiles and pulls out his V-hanger boomerangs, while Aeson charges his buster.

-pan behind them-

A distracted Frost Walrus turns to the Maverick Hunters, leaving himself wide open for attack.

FROST WALRUS: NO! You fools!! I won’t let you- GGYAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!

X uppercuts him with a flaming hand that was heavier than Magma Dragoon’s rising fire.

X: I’ve had ENOUGH of you, Walrus!!!

X allows the flame on his hand to fully engulf his arm, as the aura of his body shifts into a flaming gold color. The aura then materializes into pure Nova energy as X performs his newly learned Nova Strike once again, directly into Frost Walrus’ sternum.

FROST WALRUS: Gyuuuuuhhhhggh-ghhhuuuh.

Frost Walrus’ chest cracks and blood spurts out from his mouth as he is knocked to the ground.

The Nova Strike was not as effective as X would have liked, but Frost Walrus was definitely on the ground, hurting. X turns to see that Zero is back up on his feet. Zero silently walks over with a stern stare. His saber upside down, X can tell that he intends to make the final blow.

ZERO: This is for Ice Wolfe!

Standing above him, Zero grabs the hilt of his saber with both hands and thrusts it directly into his heart.

ZERO: Die, Maverick!

As Frost Walrus explodes underneath Zero’s feet, his eyes glow blue and his saber becomes a sharp ice blade for a moment.

X’s eyes widen, as he witnesses Zero learning a new technique before his eyes.

He looks up to see that Aeson and Venzo have cut off and ripped out the wire attachments of the ice cannon to the console, while Scorche takes a /finishing blow to the machine, himself.

SCORCHE: /YYAAHH!!!!!

The Geo-Thermal Ice Cannon combusts into a large explosion from Scorche’s Flame Whip.

X gasps.

X: We did it!!!

- cut to-

------------------------------------------------------------------------

EXT. REPLIFORCE AIR SPACE - NIGHT

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day quickly shifts to night as the Maverick Hunter Air Ship narrows the margin against the Repliforce Air Force.

-pan inside the Air Ship-

REN: We’re doing it, guys! Just need to keep pushing, further.

STONE ROOK: Lasers are down!

TURIAN: We’ve almost lost all our turrets.

RECON RACCOON: Not lookin’ good, Cap.. 2 of our turrets are down on the left side…

REN: Keep the faith! We just need to make it through this wave.

At that moment, their aircraft is blasted with a critical blow from a laser cannon at their underbelly.

FRENZY FOXKIT: WHOOOOAAAA!!!!

RAYVEN: We’re Hiiiit!

ARBOREAL OWL: Trajectory Declining.

STONE ROOK: We’re Siiiinkiiing!!

BURN BISHOP: NOOO!!!!

REN: Eject and engage! We ain’t come this far, for nothing. No time to retreat now.

RAYVEN: But sir, that’s.. Suicide.

He smiles at his air companion with a dutifully wild glare in his eye.

REN: It’s what we do for the cause…

BURN BISHOP: What about the Non-Flyers!?

REN: (crazed) Grab a Hawk and Figure it oooouuuuut!!!

The rest of his Armored Air Cavalry make wide eyes.

RECON RACCOON: Wait a minute. Is he really-

REN: YYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

In a manic fit of anxiety and bravery he hits the eject button from the main console, and pops out from the ceiling.

RECON RACCOON: Holy shit! He did it!!

RAYVEN: ..We understand if you don’t want to join us. …But we have a duty to uphold.

ARBOREAL OWL: Go… All of you. I will equip them and protect our convoy from the rear.

RAYVEN: Okay.

She turns to her eject button and hits it.

BURN BISHOP: Thanks, Arbie.

STONE ROOK: See you on the other side.

Burn Bishop and Stone Rook join Rayven, as their seats propel them to the warring sky above.

ARBOREAL OWL: Come, my friends. Everyone’s counting on us.

-pan outside-

Ren bravely leads Rayven, Burn Bishop and Stone Rook through a wave of oncoming Metal Hawks as they collectively shoot the smaller aircrafts down together.

BURN BISHOP: WHOOO, this is crazy!

Lasers fly by him as he spins through a Metal Hawk. Rayven fires her laser rays at a plasma cannon below, which is attached to a much larger aircraft carrier.

RAYVEN: That’s the culprit that took us down. Just keep your head in the game, Bernard. We can do this.

STONE ROOK: (grinning) We sure can. /Yah!

He drops a boulder on another plasma cannon as they pass the aircraft by.

Ren holds his earpiece as he com-links to Jenna from the Police Squadron.

REN: Hey Jenna. Still wanna help us out with Storm Owl? We kinda need all the help we can get.

JENNA: (o.s, filtered) Of course!! Send us your coordinates.

REN: We lost the Air Ship. / When I find a place to touch down, they’re as good as yours.

Jenna can be heard /gasping over coms.

-pan behind them-

Baryon blasts a hole through the cockpit of the small Metal Hawk Aircraft from his Hawk Ride Armor.

Behind him, Turian and his gang smirk in admiration as they do the same to the Metal Hawks surrounding them from their Ride Armors.

Further behind them, Recon Raccoon, Frenzy and Freeze Alopex all fly together, with Arboreal Owl protectively hovering above them. With Arboreal Owl’s help, each of them are guided to the nearest wave of Metal Hawks, where they proceed to destroy them and momentarily clear the air space.

RECON RACCOON: (filtered, excited) This is great man! Pure, Genius!!

CAPTAIN: (o.s, filtered) It gets better. More help is on the way.

RECON RACCOON: Hm?

-pan to his left-

X teleports on top of a green Metal Hawk aircraft, followed by Zero.

RECON RACCOON: (surprised) What the!?

Aeson, Venzo and Scorche are teleported to a green Metal Hawk below them, as they all hold on for dear life.

FRENZY FOXKIT: (excited) Whoa!! It’s the Elite and Shinobi Unit!

RECON RACCOON: (shocked) And SCORCHE!! Is that you???

SCORCHE: Huh? Oh! Heyy!!

He happily waves at his Commander.

CAPTAIN: (o.s, filtered) Hunters, take note. Our Airship is down. Your best bet is to push through this wave of Metal Hawks, with supportive cover from our 7th, 8th, 9th & 14th Units.

AESON: Whoa.

ZERO: (grinning) It’s a whole party…

VENZO: (agreeing) Really..!

Just then, a blue air ship sneaks in between the two green ships and juts out a missile.

SCORCHE: We’ve been SPOTTED!! /YAHH!!!

He protects them with a /crack of his flame whip, which dismantles the ship’s controls and causes it to descend in the sky.

X: Nice one, Scorche.

ZERO: Why aren’t the green one’s firing at us..?

CAPTAIN: (o.s, filtered) Fortunately, the green aircrafts don’t seem to be equipped with weaponry, but be careful. They still might try to shake you off, if they spot you.

ZERO: So we’ve gotta go in quick. Just the way I like it.

X: Let’s do it!

CAPTAIN: (o.s, filtered) Godspeed, Hunters.

A second Metal Hawk spots them and fires it’s missiles.

AESON: (annoyed, grunting) Aaahhhhgh!

They all dodge the missile, as Aeson charges up and shoots it down with rapid level 2 blasts.

Zero dash-jumps and leads them to a third green air ship, which attempts to fly them away from a larger air carrier, behind it.

The group air-dashes onto the larger carrier where they see an unused Ride Armor that they have not seen before.

SCORCHE: Whoa. That’s the Eagle Model, I think.

VENZO: Hm??

SCORCHE: It’s an updated version of the Hawk Armor. It’s supposed to be very powerful. Leap Frog used to talk about it, back when he lead my team.

ZERO: Take it, then. We need more cover fire in the air.

Zero runs passed them with his saber in hand.

SCORCHE: (smiling) You got it!

He hops inside and mans the controls.

SCORCHE: Aww, yeah!!

RECON RACCOON: Thatta boy, Scorchy!!

Recon Raccoon and the 9th Unit remain a steady force of cover fire behind Scorche, who gets airborne with the Eagle Armor’s wings and jet propulsion.

SCORCHE: Let’s kick some ass!

He charges the Eagle Armor’s buster and blasts a plasma cannon with a charge shot akin to that of X’s former Third Armor.

SCORCHE: Damn, this thing is strong!

ZERO: (smiling) I know.

X: Look ouuut!!

A second Plasma Cannon takes aim at Scorche, but X is able to shoot it down, while Venzo throws a V-Hanger into the barrel of the cannon as it explodes.

Beyond the second turret, a Giga Death Mechaniloid awaits them at an arching roof, which leads to the ship’s main wing.

ZERO: Venzo, cover me!!

Venzo throws sharp V-hangers around Zero as he rushes to the Giga Death and slices it down, before it can fire it’s missiles.

Zero leads the group with a dash across the large rooftop of the aircraft. They run into a small walk shooter mechaniloid, which Zero quickly slices down. They run past the back-end of the ship as they spot a green aircraft, waiting right behind the ship.

ZERO: Everyone hop on, quick.

X and Zero jump on the green aircraft, only for two purple Metal Hawks to swoop in at a vertical angle and take aim at them. At that moment, X’s radar blips.

[RADAR]: Heart-piece, detected. Hurry!

X: Huh? Oh!!

X spots the heart-tank peculiarly resting at the roof of the top purple, Metal Hawk ahead of him. A Cylindrical Aircraft above them arms it’s powerful laser core, ready to destroy the two as X, quickly kick-jumps up the two Metal Hawks, grabs the heart-piece and jumps off to another green aircraft.

Behind X and Zero, the two purple Metal Hawks are disintegrated by a thick red energy beam.

TURIAN: (o.s, filtered) WHOA!! Holy shit. Are you guys okay? I was about to have a heart attack.

X turns to see a new wave of Hawk Armor allies ahead, as he catches his breath and shoots down a blue aircraft before him.

X: Hah. We’re fine. Thanks, Turian.

X turns to look at Aeson and Venzo, who were left behind.

X: Are you guys, okay?

They both look very freaked out, while Scorche floats in the Eagle Armor amongst his 9th Unit.

AESON: (nervous, lying) Yeah.. We’re f-fine!

VENZO: (shaken) If you don’t mind, I think we’re gonna hang back with the 9th Unit and help out with air support.

SCORCHE: I want to scout along this way, if that’s okay.

RECON RACCOON: Sounds good to me. Let’s go boys!

FREEZE ALOPEX: (annoyed) And girls!

RECON RACCOON: (sighing) And girls…

FRENZY FOXKIT: Hehehehe.

Venzo jumps onto Scorche’s back, while Aeson rides on Baryon’s back. X smiles and watches them all disperse into the background, where more airships await them.

ZERO: Heh. That works.

X: I hope they’ll be okay.

The two of them dash-jump to another large aircraft. A thick blue laser wave blasts at the sky above them, towards the 9th Unit.

FRENZY FOXKIT: GAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

X: OH NOOO!!!

FREEZE ALOPEX: BROTHER!!!!

X and Zero see the turret waiting ahead of them from it’s mantle. X’s armor instinctively turns purple as his Aiming Laser locks onto the Plasma Cannon and disintegrates it with a green ray of power.

Then he dash-jumps ahead and is quickly alerted to the next one by his Aiming Laser.

The turret charges up only to get shot down by a secondary red ray of power.

X: Frenzy!!!!

ZERO: He’s okay, X… Just injured.

Zero points at the two Hawk Armors retreating amongst the air space in a slow descent. Freeze Alopex is escorting her brother below to safety. X can see that half of his face has been blasted off in a bloody mess. Tears well up in his eyes.

X: Damn it. Damn it all… I hate them!

ZERO: (surprised, then proud) Wha-.. That’s it, X. (v.o, thinking) Harness it. That’s how you beat them!

X leads the way as he uses his Radar’s Aiming Laser to take care of two more corresponding cannons from the aircraft.

Zero bats the walk shooters out of the way as they make it to another Giga Death. X covers Zero with far shots, while he takes out the Giga Death with three slashes. When they make it down to the rear of the large airship, they arrive upon another non-lethal Metal Hawk.

They spot two more purple air ships, which assume a vertical formation to blast them out of the sky, as another mother ship takes aim at them from above.

ZERO: Whoa! Jesus, they mean business!!

The giant red laser powers up and fires upon them as they kick-jump up the two purple aircrafts.

X: Gaaaaaaaah!!!

The huge laser was willing to sacrifice their own men for the sake of destroying them, but X and Zero dash out of the way, just in time.

Zero frantically air-dashes beyond the purple airships, and X does the same.

They pass by Blizzard and Blaze’s Hawk Armor as they destroy Metal Hawk ships of their own. Then they pass another death cannon without a second thought.

BLIZZ & BLAZE: (scared) Aaaaiiiiii!!

An ever-focused X and Zero, land on top of yet another green airship, as a blue one before them blasts them at close range. X gets hit and knocked off, while Zero quickly destroys it with his saber slashes.

ZERO: X! Nooo!!

He dashes over to the edge to see that X is hanging on by a thread, with only one hand. He quickly grabs his wrist and arm to help him up.

ZERO: Damn, that could’ve been scary.

He locks hands with X and stares him in the eyes.

X nods and takes a deep breath. Then Zero lets go of his hand.

X: Yeah…

X and Zero stand on two corresponding green airships, which aren’t firing at them.

BLIZZARD: This way, guys!

X & ZERO: Hm?

Blizzard and Blaze fly down to X and Zero from their Hawk Armors and offer their backs.

BLAZE: Hop on. The Command ship is up there.

ZERO: Alriiight!

-pan above-

X and Zero are carried up into further Repliforce Air Space, where far less lasers are firing at them.

They are followed by a guard of Hawk Armor Soldiers in the 14th and 9th Units, which reunite in the higher air space.

ZERO: Heh. We’ve done a good job taking out a chunk of these guys, huh? It’s better when we work together.

X frowns.

X: We’re destroying an Air Force…

ZERO: (sighing, annoyed) They attacked us first.

X: They did. You’re right. But I’m still not happy about it.

Zero makes a sideways look of remorse.

ZERO: (v.o, thinking) You’re never gonna get it, are you? …If Colonel wasn’t so damn stubborn in the first place… maybe Iris and I could live in Peace. But now…? Taking them down and forcing them to change from the ground up is the only way to resolve this.

-pan to-

------------------------------------------------------------------------ EXT. REPLIFORCE SPACE FORTRESS - Runway - NIGHT ------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two are flown to a runway, where Spiral Pegasus is engaged in a battle with Ren, Rayven, Burn Bishop, Stone Rook, Jenna, Alex and Orestes.

X: Huh?

ZERO: (irate) This guy!!

VENZO: BLAST HIIIM!!!!

SPIRAL PEGASUS: Hmmmm!?

Without hesitation, the collective guard of Hawk and Eagle Armored Hunters fire upon Spiral Pegasus and manage to blast him off of Ren. They get a few hits in before he dodges and flees, so they chase him off the runway, but the damage is already done.

Ren, Rayven, and Burn Bishop are all dead.

X: Oh my God… He killed our Air Cavalry...

JENNA: They’re gonna pay for this.

STONE ROOK: (regretful) I’m sorry… I couldn’t.. Protect them!!

Arboreal Owl puts a comforting arm around his partner’s shoulder, but Stone Rook bats it away and shouts at the sky enraged.

STONE ROOK: SPIRAL!!! YOU TOOK HER AWAY FROM ME!! You took them all away from me!!!!

The group collectively gasps.

STONE ROOK: And even if it kills me!! I’m going to stop you. ‘Cause now I’ve got NOTHING TO LOSE!!!!

He flies outward toward the Hunters in Hawk and Eagle armor.

ARBOREAL OWL: Rook, waaaait!

He flies towards his enraged companion.

X stands frozen as he watches two more Hunters fly to their potential deaths.

Zero takes a deep breath.

ZERO: Let’s finish this, X. Storm Owl is waiting for us, inside.

Jenna nods and pulls up her pistol.

JENNA: This way, guys!

She leads her team members, Alex, Evan and Orestes first.

They all run across the runway and inside the Space Fortress’ docking bay.

-pan to-

------------------------------------------------------------------------ INT. SPACE FORTRESS – Docking Bay - NIGHT ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jenna’s team passes by two dormant Metal Hawk airships, resting inside their garage compartments.

When they make it to a closed door, they charge their blasters and knock down the door, only to reveal a series of Beam Cannon mechaniloid drones, which unleash powerful red energy rays upon them.

5TH UNIT: AAAaaaaaahhhh!!!!

Jenna, Alex, Evan and Orestes are all blasted down to the ground.

ZERO: WHOA!

X: NOOO!!!!

He dashes to Jenna and bends down. Her Unit has fallen too.

He turns to Zero with a livid face.

X: They weren’t even a part of this!!! I’ll never forgive him!

X charges up and blasts the main beam cannon drone with from afar with pinpoint accuracy.

He charges up and runs after another one through a narrow corridor as the beam cannon charges up as well.

X: Haaaaaa, /Yaaaah!!!!

X blasts the second one down with an enraged charge shot.

In the next room, 4 more beam cannons await him and all fire at the same time.

X: Gah..

X blocks the blasts as best he can while Zero runs in and jumps after a top Beam Cannon.

Then he uses his new Hyouretsuzan, ice blade to impale the Beam Cannon harassing X, below him. When this drone is destroyed, Zero dashes and uses Ryuenjin to uppercut a flaming blade against another two floating beam cannons. By the time he lands, X blasts a final beam cannon with a charge shot.

Ahead of them lies a bed of spikes and a small platform, which leads to a spiked wall at the end of the room.

ZERO: Oh great. More of this.

He jumps onto the platform and X joins him.

When the platform reaches the short spike wall ahead of them, Zero jumps over it, while X’s radar blips.

[RADAR]: Light Capsules above.

X: Hm???

ZERO: I’m going inside. You do what you gotta do.

X: (distracted) I’ll catch up.

Zero enters the gate, annoyed to find that Storm Owl is not waiting for him. Instead, a Generaid Core Security System is blocking his path to the real prize ahead.

A swarm of Beam Cannons float into the room, ready to protect the Generaid Core as they power up their lasers.

ZERO: Hmph.

-pan behind him-

In the other room, X creates a Frost Tower, which sits at the bed of spikes below him. Above him, is a deadly spike trap, which he cannot afford to scrape against, on his ascent upwards.

X: (v.o, thinking) Hmm… I can only make one of these Towers at a time… So I guess I’d better switch.

X’s armor flashes from light blue to yellow and black. Then, he fires a carefully placed Lightning Web, just ahead of the spikes.

X: (v.o, thinking) Here goes!

He dash-jumps into the lightning web and carefully jumps up a narrow corridor, passed two sets of spikes, ahead and behind him. Then he uses his thrusters to hover for a second.

Inching forward, his feet clear the spikes and he is able to land on solid ground, before a Light Capsule.

X: Pheeeew.

Dr. Light reveals himself to X and quickly gets to the point.

DR. LIGHT: You can charge up to four blasts at a time with this arm module. It takes a while to charge, but you can fire a charged shot at any time you so wish with it. This arm module is also changeable. Enter this capsule to equip the part.

He disappears, allowing X entry. X can clearly see another blue Light Capsule waiting for him, far at the other end of the corridor.

X: (v.o, thinking) Hm.. Changeable parts? That’s different.

X receives his new upgrade in a brilliant flash of light. His gauntlets are coated in a familiar white with blue gloves. He tests out his new charge shot, which does indeed take longer than usual before the cycle feels complete in his buster. When he releases the lock on his buster, nothing happens until he fires once again.

X: Hm?

A small blue and white Charge Shot fires from his buster. It does not seem any more powerful than his normal Charge Shot. But then he notices that there is more energy waiting in his Buster. He fires three more blasts, rapidly.

X: Whoa! I see…

He studies his new upgrade carefully and then he looks to the capsule at the end of the corridor. Naturally, he walks over to see what Doctor Light will say to him out of curiosity.

When X reaches the second capsule, Dr. Light appears with a sheepish grin on his face.

DR. LIGHT: Did my first upgrade not suit your needs? I thought you might want something with a little more pep.. With this arm part you can fire the Plasma Shot, which is effective against stronger enemies. If the shot hits the opponent, plasma is generated, which will cause additional damage to the enemy. This arm module is changeable as well. Enter this Capsule to change parts. You may re-equip either Buster at any time.

Dr. Light smiles before he fades away.

X: Hmmm.

X curiously walks inside the Capsule and receives a power up with far darker energy.

When the dark light flashes across his Buster, he finds that his gauntlets are now coated in black with a gold cuff and his gloves are a glaring, red.

X: Whoa.

X makes wide eyes at his new image. His Buster does not match the rest of his Armor. Then he charges up his Buster and unleashes a huge Charge Shot, about as tall as him.

Yet again X makes large eyes.

X: (gasping) Oh my God. It’s too powerful… (v.o, thinking) But what if I need it…? He made it for a reason… Is this a Test? Am I.. a Demon, after all…?

X continues to second-guess himself as he looks at both Arm Capsules with a worried and slightly guilt-ridden face.

-pan to-

------------------------------------------------------------------------ INT. SPACE FORTRESS – Security Room - NIGHT ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zero struggles to slash the Generaid Core eye as beam cannon mechaniloids continuously enter the room and blast thei rrelentless rays at him.

ZERO: /Gah.. /Ahh. /Ehh…

Three separate mechaniloids blast Zero at his back and sides, when he focuses on trying to strike the Generaid Core once more. With it’s cracked eye, he can tell that it’s almost dead.

Kneeling, Zero looks up and grips his saber hard as his eyes glow orange.

ZERO: Damn this.. Stupid thing!!

X: /HAH!

X enters the room and /fires a huge Plasma Shot at the Generaid Core, which blows up the core. This breaks through the wall and explodes the room around them.

ZERO: GOD Damn it, I thought that would never end…

X helps his partner up to his feet.

X: Sorry I took so long, Zero. I had.. a tough decision to make.

ZERO: Hm?

He looks down at his black and red gauntlets.

ZERO: Damn. You look.. different with those. It doesn’t suit you.

X: I know!

He follows Zero out of the room.

- pan to -

------------------------------------------------------------------------ EXT. SPACE FORTRESS – Ladders – NIGHT ------------------------------------------------------------------------

X: (continuing) It’s too evil and sinister for me, but I couldn’t pass up the upgrade.

The two climb up a series of three ladders as they discuss this new development.

ZERO: Hmph… Just be careful, okay? Don’t let that power get to your head. We don’t want another iX to happen…

X’s eyes widen.

X: That’s what I was worried about too… But that was different. This actually feels right. ..If that makes sense.

ZERO: Hm.

Zero ignores what X just said as they make it to the top of the Space Fortress.

-pan to-

------------------------------------------------------------------------ EXT. SPACE FORTRESS - Rooftop - NIGHT ------------------------------------------------------------------------

They run across the ship’s roof as they near it’s top wing fin. They notice a raised platform by the fin, when suddenly a Warning Alarm blares.

Then, the flapping of Storm Owl can be heard above them as he descends to their position. A large gust of wind in the form of a tornado surrounds him until he lands. He offers a hard salute when he plants his foot against the ground.

STORM OWL: How dare you destroy my Unit!?

X: How dare you fire upon our city and destroy Our Units!!?

STORM OWL: Why did you judge us as Mavericks!?

ZERO: Wait! Stop the coup!

STORM OWL: No. We’re justified in doing this! You’ll pay for this with your life.

X: I think NOT!

Without warning, X locks onto his position with an Aiming Laser and fires it at him.

STORM OWL: (hooting, affected) Whooowww.

Storm Owl forms a protective barrier of cyclone energy around him, as he tries to fly away and recover.

X: (dark) No! You’re not getting away that easy!!

He shoots another Aiming Laser at Storm Owl from behind which drags him down to the platform in mid-air.

Storm Owl crashes against it, where Zero dash-jumps, climbs up and runs after him. As Storm Owl gets up, Zero dashes and performs a pink Shippuuga slash.

STORM OWL: (bleeding) Kuuuugh.

X jumps and hovers in the sky with a charged buster. Then he fires a Plasma Shot, which engulfs him and splits off into two smaller spheres of plasma, which continue to chip away at his armor until they fade away.

STORM OWL: Gyaaaaaahh!!!!

He flies upward and shoots out laser feathers from his shoulder pads in desperation. These feathers fall at a straight, 45 and 30 degree angle, which knock X and Zero back.

X: Agh.

Storm Owl defends himself with a four green cyclone spheres, which he throws into X and Zero evenly. Both are knocked to the ground.

ZERO: Awgh.

Storm Owl takes advantage of their damaged state and flies directly above them with his talons out.

X: Here!

He shoots a charged Aiming Laser at Storm Owl who writhes in pain.

STORM OWL: YAAAAAAuuuurrrrrrggggghhhhh.

He takes some steps back and almost trips over Zero’s shoulders. Then he decides to grab Zero with his talons and fly him high into the air.

X: (gasping) No!!!

Storm Owl rushes Zero to the ground and slams him against the mid-air platform.

ZERO: (panting, hurt) Guaah… Huurgh… Get Ready!

He raises a glowing blue fist and smashes it against the platform. He disperses a new splitting wave of plasma that disperses into 9 powerful blasts that arch in a semi-circle.

STORM OWL: (screaming, dying) EEEIIIIAAAAAAIIIIIIIGGGGGGHHHHHH.

Storm Owl’s chest plate violently ruptures as he is about to explode before Zero, who just revealed a new move that he’s been keeping from X.

ZERO: You pushed us to this point. Not us!

X: We tried to warn you, but you wouldn’t listen.

STORM OWL: We.. didn’t.. NNNNNNOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

An explosion erupts from within and corrodes his entire body as the Leader of the Repliforce Air Force is no more.

X and Zero glare at Storm Owl’s dead body as they take a look around them. Several Repliforce Air ships still exist, but many have fallen to the city below. The few that remain are retreating at last.

X: X and Zero to Captain, come in.

CAPTAIN: (o.s, filtered) This is Captain, speaking.

X: Storm Owl has been destroyed and their Air Force is retreating. Shall we pursue?

CAPTAIN: No… This battle has been won. Well done, boys. Come home and rest. You’ve earned it.

They both let out a quick sigh of relief.

X: With any luck, the Repliforce will have learned their lesson, and we can rebuild our relationship from there..

ZERO: Do you really think that’s what’s gonna happen?

X: No… But I can still hope.

ZERO: Hmph.

X: Hey.. where did that new move come from, by the way?

ZERO: Oh, my new Giga Punch? Cyber Peacock.

X does a double-take.

X: What the- But I fought him. How did you..?

ZERO: I studied the footage from the computer closely and figured I could mimic his move if I trained hard enough. It turns out, I was right.

Zero smiles and X smiles back.

X: Heh. You’re always full of surprises.

Zero takes a look at that dark new buster of his.

ZERO: You too…

He gives him a crooked glance, before smiling and putting a comforting hand on X’s shoulder.

ZERO: Let’s go home.

He teleports away into a thin, red beam. X smiles and does the same; his blue beam dissipating into the night sky.

-slowly pan up from the Night Sky to Outer Space-

NARRATOR: (o.s, v.o) The Maverick Hunters have defeated most of The Repliforce. After revealing a dark truth to the Media, the General Public does not find favor with The Repliforce anymore. Magma Dragoon had attacked the Sky Lagoon only to manipulate the Hunters into a War with Repliforce. And he was successful until yesterday. This news gave the Repliforce an opportunity to clear the air with the public and attempt negotiation discussions with the Maverick Hunters. Instead, they chose to conduct a vicious airstrike against the Hunters at the heart of Abel City, which endangered the whole public in the process. All the while, they attempted to freeze the planet from the North Pole down to the South Pole. Thank goodness for our Maverick Hunters. What was the General thinking? Perhaps he is a Maverick after all. Now I understand why Dr. Cain never trusted the Repliforce. Now I know what side I am on. Win, Maverick Hunters. You’re our only hope at truly attaining Peace.

Sigma’s purple head floats in outer space as he hovers above a Satellite Weapon pointed directly at Earth.

SIGMA: Muahahahahahah!!!!!

-Fade to Black-

#Season IV #Episode 13 #Insurgency Divine #Frost Walrus #Arctic Base part 2 #Storm Owl #Space Fortress #Maverick Hunters #Repliforce #X & Zero #5th Unit #7th Unit #8th Unit #9th Unit #14th Unit #Great Repliforce War

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