#Platinum Dunes | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

liugeaux · 6 months

Text

A Definitive Ranking Of Every Incarnation Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Seven years ago I was so butt-hurt by an Uproxx article that I wrote a response with my own TMNT incarnation ranking. Was I right to do it? Absolutely. Do I regret it? Not at all. I stand by that ranking and where the TMNT property was in 2017. Read it here.

What HAS happened though is multiple versions (incarnations) of our beloved turtles have been rolled out in the past 7 years and I think it's time to re-rank them. This will be similar to the reposts common in this blog, as it will have a lot of old content, but it will be a full-on refresher with a brand-new definitive ranking. Here we go!

17. Saban’s Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation

The Next Mutation is the worst. While technically a hit TV show, TNM is a reimagining of the Turtles in a similar style to the hyper-popular Power Rangers of the time; and created by that same production house. It was too goofy, too Japanese, and pandered to a completely different audience. Any charm or goodwill the original show still had was flushed right down the drain after the launch of The Next Mutation; not to mention the introduction of the cringe-worthy Venus, the fifth Turtle. The Next Mutation is best forgotten, but sadly never will be.

16. Japanese OVA - Mutant Turtles: Superman Legend

Not included in the original list because I didn't think it was a substantial enough incarnation to include, Superman Legend is a gem if you like weird 90s anime. If you don't, skip it. When I say skip it, I mean it. It doesn't feel like a Ninja Turtles story and while styled after the Fred Wolf TV show, it drips of cheesy anime tropes and is, at times, hard to watch. I include it here as almost a warning against possibly watching it.

15. Konami’s Video Games

At the time, Konami’s video games seemed awesome. The arcade games and the classic NES games gave children exactly what they wanted, a way to control their favorite turtles and fight the foot. In actuality, the original arcade games were built as quarter-eating button mashers. There was little nuance to the games themselves and the home console releases were either bad (that first NES) or were trying to recreate a game on a platform for which it wasn't designed (TMNT II, Manhattan Project, Turtles in Time, etc.). If you wipe off the thick film of nostalgia, it's easy to see these games really aren’t that good.

14. Platinum Dunes’ Movie (Series)

The two Platinum Dunes movies have a style to them, and it's best we leave that style in the 2010s. Everything from the Incredible Hulk looking over-design of the characters, to the disasters of plots, there is very little to like about what Michael Bay’s production company did to our beloved Turtles. The films have some decent action and comedy, but a lot of the creative directions taken leave the heart of the Turtles unrecognizable. Out of the Shadows was better than the first film and did a good job capturing the feel of the original cartoon, but it still committed a lot of the same sins, despite being the "right kind of dumb".

13. Fred Wolf’s Original 1987 Animated Show

It’s funny how the most popular of all the incarnations is also one of the worst. The original cartoon is a victim of its era. The animation is bad, the plots are silly and sometimes nonsensical, and many episodes are just thinly veiled advertisements for the mega-successful accompanying toy line. Still, there’s a charm to that old show that made it popular for a reason. Presented as the figurehead of late 80s cartoons that it is, it might be a masterpiece. Presented in a vacuum, apart from the craze, that old show can be unwatchable. This incarnation is another victim of nostalgia and is probably best experienced through t-shirts and merchandise, not through actual experience.

12. Image’s Vol. 3 Comics

Die-hard Turtles fans love to point at Image’s short-lived run of comics after Mirage’s first hiatus as being “Amazing”. “Volume 3″ to which it is referred, was planned as a continuation of Mirage’s colorized Vol. 2. Sadly, it followed many of the tropes of late 90s comic books. It was more violent than its predecessors and even went as far as having two of the TMNT get deformed. Donny becomes a cyborg and Raph’s face gets disfigured. At the time it was a fresh take on the characters and seen as bold and unpredictable. Because of this, it should hold a legit chunk of respect, but in practicality, it wasn’t great.

11. Batman Vs. TMNT Crossover Comics and Movie

This is, by far, the hardest incarnation to rank. It's not bad, and in most ways it's great. However, taking a generic version of the TMNT and planting them in a story beside The Dark Knight creates an un-winnable situation. Character development must be spread across two universes and cannot be too in-depth, because you can't stray too far from the core essence of either property. Fans love this version of the Turtles and I don't blame them. It boils the 4 brothers down to their core traits and, through solid writing, creates an entertaining romp that plays into both properties' tropes. Where the Batman/TMNT crossover succeeds in entertainment value, it completely fails in compelling story-telling.

10. Archie’s TMNT: Adventures Comics

More comics from the 90s! Archie’s TMNT Adventures was less an Archie production and more a shadow Mirage title that was created mostly in-house under the eyes of Eastman and Laird. Its origin as a spin-off of the TV show made for a unique niche. Many of the stories and characters resonate to this day and If I were listing my favorite TMNT comic artists, Chris Allen would be in my top three. One of the title’s strengths was the secondary characters. Verminator-X, Armaggon, Ninjara, the Mighty Mutanimals, and Cuddly the Cowlick, are all great additions to the greater mythology of the series and many of them have returned in other media. As much fun as these were to read 30 years ago, a distinct lack of character development in the TMNT, and a heavy handed environmental agenda being pushed make these hard to read today. Those Future Turtles are the bomb though…

9. TMNT: Mutant Mayhem

I have thought long and hard about where Seth Rogan's take on the TMNT belongs in the pantheon of turtle stories. From an entertainment standpoint, it's fantastic. The film is incredibly funny and breathes fresh energy into tried and true character archetypes. Does it represent the legacy of TMNT as a franchise? I don't know. We've been promised a lot more of this incarnation, so our questions will likely get answered as series staples like Shredder and The Foot get introduced, but as it stands, Mutant Meyham is a fantastic anomaly ripe for exploration.

8. New Line’s Original Movie Trilogy

America’s love for the original movie trilogy is justified. They captured a moment in American Pop Culture that was unique and somewhat bizarre. On the surface, a lot of the dialog can be cheesy and eye-roll-inducing, but that’s what the 90′s were. Looking back at them, the only one that holds up as a GREAT movie is the first one. The effort put into bringing the comics to life, while dabbling in the silliness of the cartoon, is visible. There’s more emotion in that first movie than most would care to admit. I’m not going to call it a masterpiece or anything, Actually, I am gonna call TMNT 1990 a masterpiece. The second two movies are what keep this incarnation from being higher on the list. The Secret of the Ooze is embarrassing and TMNT III is boring at best. The care that went into the first film just wasn’t there the second and third times around.

7. “TMNT” Animated Movie

The Turtle’s franchise timeline can be divided into 3 phases; Phase 1: Eastman and Laird, Phase 2: Laird only, and Phase 3: Nickelodeon. The “TMNT” animated movie was released during Phase 2, and because of that, it has Peter Laird’s influence all over it. During his solo time with the Turtles, Laird had very specific ideas about what he wanted to do with the characters and what stories he wanted to be told. Not goofy, not over-the-top, not too dark, and maintaining the series’ comedic overtones, TMNT is a weird movie that feels like a release that fell out of another dimension. Despite its plot being the most non-TMNT-ish story ever told, there is still a handful of scenes that are quite wonderful. The epic fight scene between Leo and Raph at the close of Act 2 is worth the price of admission. TMNT is a beautiful film that has a charm unique unto itself and it’s really a shame a sequel was never made.

6. Rise of the TMNT

I'm sure putting Rise in the #6 spot can be seen as a bold move, but I stand behind it completely. Rise is possibly the most controversial version of the Turtles to date. Odd, and unnecessary changes to the lore and characters turned a lot of fans off of the project before it even launched. Taking a more comedic and short-attention-spaned approach to TMNT storytelling alienated many viewers, which means Rise lives on its own little island. Fans of Rise, LOVE IT, with good reason. It's hilarious, irreverent, sharp and stunning. By taking enough influence from anime to make the show look great, but not enough to make the show look ridiculous, Rise succeeds at looking better than ALL of its predecessors. Narratively, it takes some time to get to the significant story beats, but considering most TMNT stories aren't interested in telling a long-form story, Rise's approach to slow-drip-plot, is masterful. The Rise movie is a fantastic exclamation point on a series the creators knew was already dead. I almost understand why someone wouldn't like Rise of the TMNT, but it's hard for me to think someone gave it a fair shake and still didn't see the brilliance of its bizarre take on the TMNT.

5. Nickelodeon’s 2012 Animated Show

After the Viacom acquisition, the impending TMNT cartoon show was an uncomfortable unknown. How closely would it stick to the lore? Would it go off the rails and break the series? Would it be too kiddy for a classic fan to enjoy? All worries were washed away when the show debuted in the Fall of 2012. Featuring the most fully realized version of the 4 turtles to date, Nick’s show was a breath of fresh air. There’s a spark to its dialog and it’s obvious the creators were proud to be working on TMNT. It's hard not to chuckle at least once or twice during every episode and unlike most kid shows, it's easy to care about the over-arching story. The changes made to the base origin and characters can be confusing, but each one has been interesting in its own way. As my good buddy Jeff often says about, it's a beautiful melting pot of everything TMNT. If you haven’t checked it out yet, Nick’s TMNT reboot is more than worth a watch.

4. IDW’s TMNT Comics

The first real content to come from the post-Nickelodeon buyout was the IDW-licensed comic line. Not only did they immediately start frantically reprinting the old Mirage books, but they also launched a new ongoing title set in its own TMNT continuity. Without a doubt, this run has been the most exciting thing to happen to TMNT comics since…let’s say Mirage’s Vol.1. By taking a brand new origin and mixing old characters with new characters, Eastman and Waltz have found a way to re-tell a lot of TMNT history without telling any of the exact same stories we already know. My only real complaint about the book is that its a little too obvious that Nickelodeon has placed certain story restrictions on them. I.E. The Turtles don’t ever kill anyone, and death as a whole is kept to a minimum. Consequently, the book sometimes lacks the teeth of the original Mirage book.

3. The Last Ronin

After 9 years of a fantastic ongoing TMNT comic, IDW decided to stretch its legs and pull an idea out of the Eastman and Laird idea archive. The Last Ronin, is a stand-alone TMNT tale originally outlined by both co-creators Eastman and Laird. It's dark, violent, somber and bold. TLR is easily the best TMNT comic to hit the market since 1992's City at War, and it deserves the same reverence. Truth be told, outside of the original conception of the series, Peter Laird had little to do with its story. The volume was such a success, a teaser was written into the last book that introduced a new generation of Turtles into the fold. This birthed the Ronin-verse. As silly as that may sound, the transition to a new quartet of Turtles has been healthy and fun. The Last Ronin 2 starts later this year and I have no worries that the new TMNT will be built with respect to the originals. That's a feat in and of itself.

2. 4Kids’ 2003 Animated Show

The 4Kids Animated show was produced during the Peter Laird years and with a few exceptions it’s a love letter to fans of the Mirage comics. Unlike the original show, which took the loose concept of Ninja Turtles and built its own little silly world, the 4Kids show took many of its stories directly from the comics and carried a tone closer to that comic's run. Sure some things had to be changed because it was still a kid’s show, but the entire run feels like it's what Laird wanted to do the first time around, but not having complete control got in the way. The best part is that it has aged remarkably well. Despite all episodes being 4:3 SD, the characters and stories still pop to this day. Which, in the end, is just a reflection of how good the source material is.

1. Mirage’s Original Comic Series

Of course, #1 had to go to the Mirage run. Sure, a lot of things can be said about how disjointed the entire experience is, and how bad some of the guest contributors were during the height of the TMNT fad in the early 90′s, but at its core, the Mirage run represented so many different things. It was the start of what would become one of the most successful creator-owned franchises in American history. Mirage was built from nothing (hence the name), and ended up taking over the world on the strength of the characters they created. Vol. 1 of the comics was an instrumental piece of content in the indy comic boom of the 80s and was a flagship, “creators have rights” book. The canonical stories from Vols 1, 2 and 4 are the turtles at their most honest and raw. Eastman and more-so Laird weren’t afraid of taking chances and even the stories that didn’t pan-out HAD to be respected. So, what incarnation is the absolute best? It's the Mirage comics, without a doubt, by a wide margin. Say all the good things you can imagine about the other incarnations on this list, but none of them are "Capital I" Important. Sure, they were great, charming and even dabbled in amazing, but Mirage rewrote the rulebook, and that’s something that will never be usurped.

Cheers!

Addendum: The following incarnations were omitted because they didn’t make a significant contribution to the greater TMNT story.

All TMNT Manga, The TMNT Comic Strip, The Action Figures (they aren’t being included because they are just an extension of the shows and movies, but they kinda had a life of their own), Coming Out of Our Shells Live Tour, Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles, The 4kids Based Dreamwave Comics, Later TMNT Video Games (Konami, Ubisoft, and Activision Published), The many other crossover comic book series out there.

0 notes

thegoregoregirls · 9 months

Text

Ciclo Zia Tibia 2023: Non Aprite quella Porta: L'inizio

Regia – Jonathan Liebesman (2006) Come avrete capito, quest’anno Zia Tibia è un po’ fissata con gli horror più fetidi del primo decennio del secolo. Dopo quella prelibatezza rara de Le Colline Hanno gli Occhi 2, ha deciso di rivedersi il prequel di Non Aprite quella Porta, schifato in maniera generalizzata all’epoca della sua uscita e diretto da un’appendice di Michael Bay, che poi ci avrebbe…

View On WordPress

#ciclo Zia Tibia #Ciclo Zia Tibia 2023 #Jonathan Liebesman #Jordana Brewster #Platinum Dunes

1 note · View note

inmyjaws · 29 days

Text

stoppppp using the saw franchise as your token example for cynical money grubbing torture porn with no themes or character depth amidst the decline of horror quality in the 2000s im begging you there’s literally 27 amityville movies and the final destination sequels right there!! leave saw alone!!!!!!!!!!!!

#please just bag on hostel instead bitch about platinum dunes remakes instead I beg you 😭😭😭#saw

11 notes · View notes

diacripticcomplex · 2 months

Note

Shu x Yui smut (Yui going back in time again?? Optional)

Shu x Yui: (Crusader time period)

TW: War and sexual violence, rape, murder.

Shu’s POV:

Our calvary managed to breech into the desert kingdom, it was quite beautiful but I just wanted to take a moment to myself…it’s been a long war, I didn’t sign up for this, nor did I lead or devise any plans that was mainly Ayato and Reiji. I don’t care for glory or power, I just want to be left in peace..

Roaming this desert area was a pain, it was unbearably hot and due to the war there weren’t any women in sight. Most of them hiding, waiting for us to take them for the capture, the spoils of war, we were allowed to do as we wished with these women, we killed their men, enslaved their children…it was the way. I sigh out to myself. “What’s wrong Shu~?” Laito’s annoying voice sang out. I don’t say anything to him. “Where are the women??!” Kanato yelled out, throwing his sword to the ground, it made an irritatingly loud sound. “They’re probably hiding in that temple over there” Laito stated, and pointed in finger to a large structure it was quite lovely, the art and the color, it was a sandy dune nothing like the churches that were built in Europe.

We all make our way to the temple, Laito was indeed correct, the women were there and they were in for a difficult time, but as I said before, this was the way of war. My brothers wasted no time and began to defile the women they found. Reiji had them strung up, naked and slice cuts all over them. He’s usually not like this, but war took away his gentlemen aspect I guess..the triplets raped women together then killed them slowly. “This isn’t right…” Subaru said to me, we were the only two not participating in this slow slaughter. “There’s no point in stopping them…I don’t care I’m going to find a place to sleep..” I tell him, and I got up the stairs on this lavish temple. There was a dark room that I entered it was much colder in this corridor also, it felt nice, I couldn’t hear the screams of the women anymore.

“You..! You can’t be here..!” A human woman shouted at me, just when I was enjoying the quietness. “Yea? Tell it to someone who cares, get out my way mortal” I reply back to her, she looks furious, I got a better look at her, she had silky slightly curled platinum hair and pink eyes, she was very pale for a desert person, she must be royalty..the princess Yui it had to be her.., always indoors she’s wealthy enough to be kept inside. I come up to her, closing in on any space she believed she had the right to, I shoot my hand to grab her face, such soft delicate features, I want her on her knees. “On your knees, we control this kingdom now, you have no choice but to submit to me here..or you’ll suffer much worse by my brothers, make your choice…” I gently tell her. “Your brothers..?” She questioned, I nodded and explained to her all the vile things they are doing to the women of her kingdom that she is supposed to protect, her face twists with sadness and fear, it wasn’t a bad look at all. “Please don’t do this to them.” She begs, I chuckled. “I can’t do anything about them…better pray my brothers give them a swift death…you however are a real treat, you smell awfully appetizing..” I state then lick her neck, I took a bite out of it right after, she hollered in pain, her cries were music to my ears. “I don’t want this..get off me!” She screamed and with all her pathetic strength she pushed me off her. “Alright I’ll give you to my brothers then..” I state firmly, and gripping her by her hair, felt like silk in my hands. I dragged her all the way downstairs like this, she kicked and screamed, she’s such a nuisance but it’s definitely giving me some energy.

“Who the fuck is this? She smells great” Ayato remarked and flashed his stupid smile. Reiji turned, he was holding a fresh head he just decapitated. “She does indeed smell quite ravishing.” He commented, all my brothers even Subaru were intrigued by this woman. “Her blood is of the finest quality..I gave her a choice she hasn’t made it yet..” I say out to them, I think after looking at all the disbursing things my brothers committed towards these innocent women she grew mortified.

“You’re all monsters…” she whispered, her eyes widened with fear, gripping her flimsy cross. “Make your choice human..” I tell her, she gulped. “Fine..I choose you.” I smirked at this answer, then I grabbed her by the back of her neck and bent her down, pulling up her dress, I guess desert women don’t wear under garments, must be too hot for that…not complaining. Her skin needed to be defiled with my handprints. I smacked her butt, hard. Instantly the skin turned bright red. I was already half hard, and decided to just take her then and there, in front of my brothers, I didn’t care what they thought..or what she wanted I cared only for my pleasure and power over this foolish human. “Know your place…you’re my slave now princess Yui..” I say, sadism and lust dripped in my voice, her moans enticed me further, she cursed at me and begged for me to stop already, I didn’t want to, and she couldn’t do a damn thing about it, she’s nothing now, nothing but my plaything.

#diabolik lovers #diabolik boys #dialovers #yui komori #diabolik brothers #diahell #shu sakamaki #smut #rape #war crimes #trigger warning #diabolik lovers community #smut diabolik lovers #sakamaki brothers #crusaders #dead dove fic

46 notes · View notes

darkmovies · 1 year

Text

#Corin Hardy #film d'horreur #King's Tavern Mississippi #Lure #Platinum Dunes #Universal Pictures #news #cinéma #actualité #acteurs #filmmaking

1 note · View note

rawr-gorg-smash · 4 months

Text

Chemist Stereotypes: Part 1

Bench Monkey: never wants to leave the lab. Brain never fully developed, but hands start turning solid gold. Life slowly turns into romcom titled, “Gollums and Their Chromatography Columns.”

Savior of the World: believes their big idea solves The Problem™. Usually in academia, but sometimes in business world. Research behaviors of Thomas Edison with personality of either Ted Bundy or a sand dune.

Savior’s Disciple: effectively designs entire research program and executes it without saying a word in public. Platinum hands meet diamond mind. Driven by pathological insecurity, crippling social anxiety, enthusiasm for paying karmic debt, or congenital case of Company Man Syndrome.

The Expanded Consciousness: obsessed with fringe psychedelics. Most likely to ignore lab safety, ingest manually purified alkaloids, and record resulting trips in lab notebook. Great to have a beer with, but never bring up fungi unless you want to hear all about them for the next 6 years.

Walter White III: starts as dead-end dissertation project, ends as small-batch artisanal meth brand. Most likely to wear orange for 7 to 12.

Escaped Convict: likes talking to people about more than HPLC gradients. Tunnels out of Fume Hood Penitentiary with a spoon and desperation, then goes on the lam disguised in an allied discipline. Makes twice the money for half the effort, but twenty years later, a faint whiff of paint thinner in their garage still cues a nostalgic mental montage of cleaning glassware while contemplating reaction mechanisms.

Kid with Expensive Toys: one of twenty world experts in NOESY-COZY-INEPTITUDE pulse sequences. Looks for jobs based on NMR magnet frequencies instead of paycheck sizes. Who needs to drive a 120k BMW when you can play with a $10M magnet? Bonus: most likely to wear cargo shorts and a Pink Floyd T-shirt to a black-tie award ceremony, and could happily set a record for hiking the Appalachian trail while bringing nothing but the clothes on their back and a dull Swiss Army knife.

Pyromaniac: ‘nuff said.

#chemblr #science side of tumblr #nerd humor #chemistry humor #chemistry #chem nerd

34 notes · View notes

fanficimagery · 2 years

Text

You’re Still You (2/4)

You wake up in the Upside Down and you're not exactly human anymore.

PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE | PART FOUR

Words: 3.8k

Billy Hargrove stands there smirking, blood red shirt unbuttoned to show off his toned chest and scars, a fang earring hanging from his right ear, and a leather jacket hanging from his shoulders. And then before you can rationalize your next move, your feet are carrying you towards the boy who you once had a love/hate friendship with, and you wrap your arms around him in a surprising hug.

Billy tenses before he hesitantly returns the hug. "So, I leave Hawkins and we're suddenly at the hugging stage, huh?"

"Shut up," you mumble, "and let me have this. You don't know what I've been through this past week."

"Yeah?" Billy pulls back, hands holding onto your biceps as he looks you up and down. "What the hell is going on in Hawkins now? And who came with you?" He glances up and over your head, looking around for more familiar faces.

"No one. I'm, uh, I'm alone. No one knows I'm here."

He glances back down at you, sees you chewing on your bottom lip, and swears. "Shit. That bad?"

"Worse, I think." Billy sharply inhales and you wince. "We need to talk."

Before Billy can retort, the revving of motorcycle engines part the crowd on the boardwalk. Many shout expletives at the four bikers pulling up close to you and Billy, and you frown when all their gazes land on you. One in particular makes your hackles rise, the platinum blonde leading the other three, but you swallow down the urge to pull a face or make a sound.

You take notice of the mullets, the earrings and matching styles. Then you glance back at Billy, arching an eyebrow at him. "Friends of yours?"

"Yeah. I think you'd like them."

"Really? Did I like you when I first met you?"

Billy huffs a laugh. "No, but look at us now!"

"Whatever." Your eyes roll as you address the platinum blonde now smirking at you. In fact, they're all smirking at you with the exception of the only brunette of the group who looks like he's trying to figure you out. "Sorry, boys, but I need to borrow Hargrove for an hour or so. We have a lot to catch up on."

"Only an hour? Pft!" The second blondie giggles, practically bouncing in his seat as the third curly-haired blonde hides his amusement behind his fist.

Your eyes narrow on the blonde, but Billy slides his arm around your shoulders. "YN, meet the boys. That's David, Paul, Marko and Dwayne," he says while pointing out each individual.

You nod at them and then look back up at Billy. "Seriously, can we go? It's important we talk about Hawkins."

"Hawkins, huh?" David drawls, garnering your attention. "That's the place with monsters and children with superpowers running around, right?"

You freeze as you stare at the blonde before whipping your attention back at Billy. You swat at his stomach. "Do secrets mean nothing to you?!"

"What?" He feigns innocence, laughing with his friends. "They're good with weird. Trust me. Whatever you have to say to me you can say in front of them."

"Fine." You sigh. "But we still need somewhere private."

Billy smirks and then looks towards his friends, each of them slowly smiling. Billy and David stare at one another, having a silent conversation with each other, and then, "Cave it is."

As Paul and Marko get excited for this turn of events, Billy leads you to his own motorcycle. He tells you to climb on behind him, and after much grumbling you reluctantly do as you're told, seeing as riding with any of the others is totally out of the question.

It's no surprise that the five men drive like lunatics, the motorcycles bouncing down the boardwalk stairs before hitting the beach. They gun their engines after, spraying beach sand as they go. You pass up multiple bonfires, grunting as Billy joins the others in jumping sand dunes, and then drive towards a pathway in a deserted part of the beach.

Everyone's face is alive with excitement and the thrill of the ride, and you can't help the laughter that escapes you as they race through the woods towards this cave you heard David mention earlier.

Soon enough the uneven path that the boys had been driving turns into a flat surface and through the low lying clouds you can see a lighthouse. The boys pick up speed, you grasp tighter around Billy's abdomen, and then all too soon he's screeching to halt at the edge of a cliff.

Glancing over the side and peering down into the crashing waves, you roll your eyes before glancing back at everyone. "Consider me terrified," you deadpan. "Now can we get on with it?"

Billy chuckles. "You're a lot bitchier than I remember."

"And you're a lot more mellow than I remember."

"California, sweetheart. It calms me."

"Mhm. I'm sure that's it."

"Enough chit chattin', you two, and let's go," David says.

You and Billy share a look, both grinning at David's impatience, before you follow his lead.

You're led down a rickety wooden staircase on the side of the cliff which Paul delightfully informs you is called Hudsons Bluff. Down by the crashing waves you can see the mouth of a cave- a chain link fence having been placed around the entrance with signs reading Condemned, Unsafe and Unlawful to Go Past This Point.

You snort at their lack of caution and enter the cave, surprising the others when you don't trip down the tunnel leading to their hangout. Eventually there's a steep drop the others hop down from, but you slide down it to the best of your ability.

Dwayne and Paul light up some torches and go around lighting up barrels of trash to give the room some light. You look around in surprise to be inside a room- a room that looks suspiciously like an old hotel lobby. You can see a front desk, a mural, a wrought-iron elevator, a fountain, and numerous pieces of furniture. Nearly everything in the room is broken with vines and roots hanging from the ceiling, and shafts of moonlight shooting down from cracks in the ceiling.

"This was the hottest resort in Santa Carla back about eighty years ago," David says while taking a seat in a dusty wheelchair. "Too bad they built it right on top of the San Andreas fault." He pauses and you take another moment to look around, huffing a laugh at Marko sitting on the fountain and cooing at a pigeon in his hands. "In 1906, when the big one hit San Francisco, the ground opened up and this place took a header into the crack."

"Bummer," you utter.

Paul chuckles. "Man, you wouldn't believe the cool stuff we've found in here."

"Beats my place," you say, grinning at Paul.

"And where exactly is this place you're staying if our hotel is the better option?" Billy asks.

You shrug. "Some abandoned warehouse on the other side of town. It has four walls and a roof, so I'm good."

A beat of silence passes and then, "What the hell happened, YLN?" Billy then asks. "You're not.. you."

You turn towards him, grinning. "Finally picked up on that, did you?"

"Spill. Now."

Sighing, you walk over to an overturned milk crate and take a seat. Then glancing around at the other men, you ask, "What did Billy tell of Hawkins? Of the Upside Down?"

"Everything he knew," David says.

"Well okay then. I'll just jump straight to what happened after that then."

"You do that," Billy deadpans.

Sighing once more, you say, "So the being who possessed you all those months ago finally made himself known."

Billy straightens a little. "What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly what I said. The one who possessed you? His name is Henry Creel. Or as we later came to learn, subject One."

"Fuck. Is he like that Eleven girl?"

You nod. "He was born with these powers. He was a sadistic little shit and killed his mother and little sister. He was well on his way to killing his dad too, but something happened and his dad survived. Unfortunately for the dad, the murders were pinned on him and little Henry Creel caught the attention of Doctor Brenner.

"Doctor Brenner took samples of Henry's blood to make serums for other children. Then Henry was later chipped so he couldn't use his powers, he took an interest in Eleven when she was really young and tried to help her escape, but it was all just a ruse."

"A ruse for what?" Dwayne asks. Those are the first words he's spoken and his voice startles you.

"He, uh, he told her that the Doctors abused him which was true, but he really laid it on thick. He earned Eleven's trust, she took the chip out of his neck, and then he slaughtered everyone he came across. Children included."

"But not Eleven," Billy surmises.

"Not Eleven," you agree. "He wanted her by his side, but she couldn't get past what he did. They went head to head, she thought she killed him but really she just banished him to the Upside Down where he eventually became ruler of."

"But they closed the gate," he then remembers. "How did this guy manage to come through?"

You sadly smile at him. "He didn't. He's so powerful that he was basically mind melding with vulnerable teenagers in Hawkins. He'd play on their trauma or guilt and then when he had them right where he wanted them, he'd break nearly every bone in their body before sucking their eyes into their heads."

Paul laughs. "Sounds awesome."

His humor sets you off, anger immediately igniting. Snarling, you chatter angrily at him and Billy's blood runs cold. "YN?" With darkened eyes, you glance towards him. "What the hell happened to you? That sound, it's just like-"

"He needed to open four gates," you say, cutting him off, "so he targeted four individuals. With each death, one gate opens."

"What would happen if these four gates opened?" Billy wonders.

"If?" You scoff. "Billy, the gates are open. We tried to stop it after one of his targets was one of ours, but-"

"Who?"

"What?" You blink at him, frowning.

"Who was the target?"

You stare at him and mentally wince. You didn't want to tell him like this. "Chrissy Cunningham was the first to go, then Fred Benson. Patrick McKinney was third and then.. then he took Max."

Billy goes eerily still and his new friends tense, paying more attention now. "What did you just say?"

"Max died, but Eleven brought her back. Just not fully."

"What the fuck does that even mean?" He seethes.

"It means she's brain dead," you tell him. "Susan refuses to pull the plug on her so she's in the hospital for now while the government tries to evacuate the town. Hawkins is falling and soon enough One will make his appearance."

"Why the hell are you here then, YN? From what I remember, you and your friends liked to run head first into the monster drama."

"And look where that got me." You scoff. "We walked into the Upside Down with a plan to distract these demonic bats while Steve, Nancy and Robin went after One, and it didn't end well. One of those bats wrapped its tail around my neck, others wrapped their tails around each of my limbs while even more took chunk after chunk out of me." You pause, hesitating on your next words while you glance at the other men who are hanging onto your every word. "I died.. and then I woke up as something else."

It's so quiet that you can hear the waves crashing outside.

"What- what did you wake up as?" Paul asks, glancing between his friends.

"You tell me." You roll your shoulders and let your leathery wings unfurl.

Paul's eyes widen. "Goddamn that's so hot."

You can feel your teeth sharpen in your mouth and your fingertips tingle as your nails turn into claws. As you stand, you let your wings stretch out. "While I was in Hawkins, I could hear One in my head. He wanted me to kill my friends and lead his army, but I'm not his fuckin' puppet. So, I left."

As you pass by Marko, a soft touch brushes against your wings and you pause, shivering. Then glancing at him, you arch an eyebrow at him. He smirks. "Sorry. I was curious."

"You don't seem shocked. Or scared."

"Because if you are what we think you are, then we're like you," Billy says. As you glance at him, he shrugs. "Just a different breed."

"Yeah? And what exactly do you think I am?"

"Vampire." The word comes from David and you watch as he leans forward in his seat, features sharpening and eyes turning yellow and red. You slowly grin before huffing a laugh. "We don't take too kindly to others hunting on our turf, but since you know Billy we might make an exception."

"I don't feed in Santa Carla," you tell him. "I have a rule about not feeding where I live. That's one sure way to draw unwanted attention."

"Well if you start hanging with us, you're going to draw attention."

"From?"

"Amateur hunters," David says, though he's smiling about it. "We struck a deal with them. We took out our Sire who kept trying to turn more individuals and now they leave us alone as long as we don't attack the innocent."

"So, they're going to side-eye me because I'll be seen with you?" You roll your eyes, hissing when Paul pokes your wings and then shiver again when Dwayne runs his fingers over them. "Stop that."

Marko chuckles as Dwayne grins, holding his hands up in mock surrender as you pull your wings back into your body. "They're going to think we have you under our thrall and use you for our deviant behavior or that you're one of us when they don't see you out and about during the day."

"They might even throw holy water on you," Paul muses.

"M'not sure about holy water, but I can be out and about during the day," you tell them.

"The sun doesn't hurt you or make you sleep?" Billy frowns.

You shake your head. "Not really. I can only be in it for so long before it starts to agitate me. Why? Does it bother you?"

"Yeah. It fuckin' burns and sets us on fire if we stay more than five seconds in it."

"Ouch."

The conversation tapers off then and you're left glancing around the lobby in silence.

You don't know how, but you just know the others are having an actual silent conversation with one another.

Eventually, David speaks up. "What are your plans now?"

You shrug. "Stay as far away from Hawkins as I can. I'm not interested in being mind controlled into killing my friends," you tell him. "And if my presence causes any issues, I'll move on. Just say the word."

"I think I speak for everyone when I say you're more than welcome to stay here. There are plenty of rooms to choose from."

"Yeah?" Your gaze darts from David to all the others, landing on Billy who's smirking while giving you a brief nod. "Well then I guess I should go collect my clothes. This place seems to warn off intruders more than the warehouse I'm sleeping in does."

"Atta girl. Woo!" Paul cheers.

You last a week with the boys in the cave, fending off Paul's advances and wrangling Marko into helping you cut up some shirts so your wings didn't ruin any of them.

You get to watch them feed, even luring away a few unsuspecting individuals when they manage to piss you or the boys off, and in return they watch you hunt. Your feeding habits are different, however, as they choose to rip apart their victims when they're done with them whereas you only feed long enough until your victim falls unconscious. When asked why you don't outright kill them, you explain that killing them would result in another being like you. It had happened once and you were forced to kill the man when he sought you out and was greatly angered by being something he didn't understand.

Eventually the lack of a shower and a toilet gets to you, and amidst all your complaining David offers up a solution. After their Sire met his untimely demise, the boys realized they were left his business, house, and money. So long as you could pay the bills, the beach house was yours.

It took you another week to land a job at the boardwalk's only music store, but you managed to get the power and water turned back on at the house using the money from your victims so you could move in right away.

Billy helps you get the house situated so it was to your liking since he too missed the comfort of a house, and then the boys have a new hangout when perusing the boardwalk gets boring.

A couple months in and you've grown accustomed to a routine- work from twelve noon to seven o'clock at night, hang out at the boardwalk or your house, find an unsuspecting meal, hang out with the boys and then sleep before repeating the day all over again.

The boys took you in as one of their own and you were grateful, but most days found you longing for Hawkins and the people you left behind.

This night in particular has you sitting on the boardwalk railing, watching the locals and tourists go about their business as you sip on a Coke. Paul and Marko had tried their best to get you to join their shenanigans, but you weren't interested in teasing the boardwalk security until he eventually kicked you out for the night. Billy had left to do his own thing which left you situated between Dwayne and David who took the safety of the only female of their pack very seriously.

You sigh, unknowingly, for the umpteenth time and Dwayne slides closer to you. "Alright. Spill."

"Excuse me?"

"You keep sighing," Dwayne says. "So, who is he? Or she?" You frown at him, sipping your drink as you stare at him. "Come on, YN. It's obvious your mind isn't here. Hasn't been for a while."

The denial is on the tip of your tongue, but at his imploring look you cave. "It's stupid. We weren't even a thing. We were gonna see where things went, but I died. So yeah. Stupid."

"Name?" David drawls from your other side.

"Eddie Munson. He's a sweetheart and a total metalhead," you say, slowly smiling. "He'd definitely like you guys, but he'd probably get along best with Marko."

The other three of your group are making their way towards your spot when David asks, "Hargrove, what do you know about Eddie Munson?"

"Munson?" He scoffs. "The drug dealer who had to repeat his senior year? He wasn't going anywhere in life."

"Hey!"

"Just calling it like I saw it, sweetheart." He then glances back at David. "Why?"

"Because our girl here is pining."

Billy glances at you again and when he sees your pout, he starts to laugh. "Eddie Munson? Seriously?! That's who-"

"Shut up, Billy."

"I at least thought you'd go for Harrington, but Munson?"

"You have no right to judge, Mr. I Stick My Dick In Anything With a Pulse."

The others laugh as it's Billy's turn to pout. "I was not that bad."

"Yes, you were and it's even worse now with that vampire allure you got going on."

"My allure, huh?" The pout is immediately replaced by a smirk as Billy leans into you, eyes sparkling. "Does that allure pull you in too, YN?"

"Ugh. Gross." You shove him away and hop off the railing. "I'm gonna go grab a bite to eat and then head home. I'll see you boys tomorrow."

As you try to walk off, you roll your eyes as an arm slides around your shoulders. Glancing up, you find Billy keeping in step with you.

"So, you're really pining hard, huh?"

You sigh. "It's not just Eddie. I miss everyone," you tell him. "Hawkins included."

"You seriously miss that shitty little hick town?"

"Hey." You elbow him. "It might be shitty, but that's my little hick town."

Billy chuckles. "If you can't visit, why don't you call them up and tell them where you're at? Maybe they could use a little vacation from the monsters."

"Billy, we're monsters too," you deadpan. "Santa Carla would not be a vacation for them."

"Of course it would be. At least we're not actively trying to kill them."

You chuckle at his words, but your amusement is quick to taper off. "As much as I want to see them, it just isn't safe. We aren't safe."

Having left the boardwalk, you walk towards a darkened alley so you could fly off and search for a meal. Billy watches you shed your jacket, leaving you in one of your many backless shirts, and catches the jacket when you toss it at him. Your wings unfurl and then with a mighty flap, you're off.

Billy sighs as he watches you fly off, draping your jacket over his shoulder. Then plucking a cigarette he had behind his ear and setting it between his lips, he pulls a lighter from his jeans pocket and lights up.

As he makes his way to his pack brothers, they all stare at him to see what's going to be done about their newest addition. "Looks like I'm gonna have to make a couple of calls to Hawkins."

Another week passes and your longing for a place you can't set foot in anymore hasn't dissipated.

In fact, you're pretty sure it's gotten worse since the self-proclaimed Surf-Nazis of Santa Carla find themselves on the wrong end of your temper daily now when they single out Marko thinking he's the weak link of your group. You had never been a fighter, but with your new urges it's easy to give in to the violence and put a man or seven on their asses.

You're at work at the moment, taking inventory of the vinyls out on the floor so you know which ones need to be restocked later that night.

Flipping through one crate of the records, you hear the bell above the door chime and decide to let your coworker deal with them if they need any guidance. Then just as you're tallying what you've counted, you hear..

"Excuse me, but you wouldn't happen to have any Metallica, would you?" You freeze at the voice and straighten up, heart pounding. No, it can't be. "You see, this girl I really like likes Master of Puppets, but my copy got damaged when my trailer was swallowed whole by this hellish portal." It is! Whipping around, your jaw parts in surprise at the sight of Eddie Munson standing there in all his unruly hair glory. He smiles and oh how your heart aches at the sight. "Hiya, sweetheart."

To be continued..

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson fanfiction #stranger things imagine #stranger things fanfiction #eddie munson #lost boys x reader #the lost boys x reader #billy hargrove #david #dwayne #paul #marko #david the lost boys #dwayne the lost boys #paul the lost boys #marko the lost boys

424 notes · View notes