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a-world-in-grey · 4 years

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Bring Back Memories au II

Tissue warning! (and coarse language)

Also tagging @agent-jaselin because I blame them for inspiring this au in the first place.

-The glaives believe Sola to be dead. Tredd and Nyx are broken. It's like the Burning all over again, except the grief feels like someone tore out part of their souls.

-Tredd never wore a Mourning Braid for his parents and siblings, and Nyx thinks he might one day unbraid his Mourning Braid for Selena. But for Sola? Never. Because the aching wound in their souls feel like they will never heal.

-They return to Insomnia, and Nyx and Tredd are so glad they can leave it to Captain to report to the King. Titus knows his men are grieving, he's not going to push them to face the King, to force them to tell the King that his daughter is dead.

-Nyx… doesn't know why Abyssus sticks to him like a stubborn burr, but he won't admit that the big cat's presence helps him keep it together when he wants to fly off the handle.

-The funeral… it goes. Titus secures invitations for the remaining 33 members of Sola's regiment, because they were brothers- and sisters-in-arms and they deserve to be there. The King, the Marshal, and Captain give speeches that Nyx barely remembers. Everyone in the regiment cries by the end. Nyx can see the Crown Prince, seated next to the King, the odd golden fox Nyx remembers Sola once called Cyrus sitting in his lap. Dark head bowed, and thin shoulders hunched and shaking.

-Once all the speeches are done, and everyone is waiting for the pallbearers to lift the empty casket to be delivered to the Royal Mausoleum, Tredd takes a breath and lets his voice rise to the rafters of the cathedral. It's not a Lucian song, but rather a Galahdian one, because for all that Sola had never been braided, she was one of them. One by one, the rest of the regiment joins in, until all 33 of them are singing.

-And despite his knee, the King insists on being one of the pallbearers. An elderly man, thick Leidan accent and clearly close to the King, is at the front with Regis. Another man, dark skinned and closer to the King's age, takes one of the center holds opposite Clarus' son Gladio, who stands for both his father Clarus and for the too short Crown Prince. And at the back, the Marshal and the Captain. Leaving Clarus and the Kingsglaive to form up around the procession because like Pyre they're going to allow assassins to take a shot at Sola's family at her funeral. Nyx and Tredd and Abyssus hover near Sola's little brother, while Libertus and Crowe guard his Hand.

-The hug Noctis gives Abyssus isn't surprising. What does surprise Nyx are the two hugs he gives to Nyx and Tredd, before allowing Gladio and Ignis to usher him into the waiting Regalia.

-Safe in Little Galahd, the fourth regiment gathers to mourn and get roaring drunk. Nyx doesn't remember Libertus dragging him back to his apartment, slung over Abyssus' back. His next memory is Abyssus waking him up at some Pyre-cursed hour, raging hangover making his already shitty mood worse. Nyx tries to push Abyssus away, but the damn cat just meows insistently at him, dodging the half-hearted swat Nyx blindly aims his way.

-Nyx's resolve to go back to sleep loses against Abyssus' determination when the cat grabs him by the tangle of his sheets and drags him, bedding and all, onto the floor. Nyx swears, blearily glaring up at Abyssus. Abyssus huffs at him, unimpressed before dropping shirt and sweatpants on his head. Nyx grumbles about making cat-kebabs, but stumbles upright and into the clothes before tossing his bedding back on the bed and then searching for something to help his Six-awful hangover.

-A search he's forced to abandon at the knock on his door. Not by choice, if it were up to Nyx he'd ignore it because fuck everyone else at the moment, but Abyssus lets out another one of his demanding meows and Nyx just wants to go back to sleep. Nyx yanks open his front door, ready to tear whichever unholy daemon of a morning person a new one, only to freeze at the sight of the Crown Prince standing on his doorstep.

-Nyx really wants to know who he pissed off to deserve this. He's hungover and nowhere near awake for this, he's not even on duty! But he knows Sola would come back from the dead just to kick his ass if he let her little brother get hurt, so Nyx looks around to see if he can spot whichever Crownsguard are shadowing Noctis.

-Only, unless they're sneakier than an Arra - and Nyx knows where he'd put his gil and it's not on the Crownsguard - it doesn't look like the Prince has anyone guarding him. What. The. Pyre. Nyx manages not to swear out loud through Astral-worthy willpower and ushers the kid inside.

-Once he's leveled a Look at Abyssus and the cat's taken up a position at Nyx's front door and only window, just in case, he levels a stern look at Noctis and tells the kid that he'd better have a good reason for being in the slums at - Nyx checks the clock and wants to glare at Abyssus all over again - seven in the morning without any bodyguards. Does anyone know where Noctis is?

-Noctis blinks wide blue eyes at him - Sola's eyes, fuck - and says that Nyx does. Abyssus huffs from the door, and Nyx swears the cat is laughing at him. Nyx is not amused. Nyx rubs a hand over his face and tells Noctis that he can't do this. They just lost Sola, don't… don't make his father grieve him too. Noctis hunches his shoulders, looking away guiltily. He mumbles an apology, but some of Sola's stubborn defiance pokes through when he adds that it's important.

-Nyx sighs, but ushers Noctis over to his crappy kitchen table, rummaging through his cabinet for two glasses and painkillers. He sets the water down before him and the kid, but pauses at the elixir Noctis holds out to him. Nyx frowns, and tells the kid that he's not injured. Noctis tells him that it's for the hangover. Nyx… doesn't actually want to know how an eleven-year old knows what a hangover is or how to make a magical cure for it. Especially when he knows for a fact that Sola never drank, even after she became legal for it.

-But he's sure as Pyre not turning it down. And Ramuh does it help. Nyx savors the sweet relief for half a second before turning his attention back to Noctis. He asks the kid what's so important to bring him down here without telling anyone. Noctis says that Nyx knows how Sola was his Sword, right? Nyx nods. It was something Sola was fiercely proud of. Noctis asks if Nyx knows why.

-Nyx… actually doesn't know, and he admits it easily enough. It's not like the inner workings of the Royal Retinues was common knowledge. Noctis doesn't look surprised. He frowns in concentration, like he's trying to figure out what to say. He tells Nyx that the Lucis Caelums are Blessed by the Draconian. Nyx nods. That's common enough knowledge, and Galahd has a number of Clans Blessed of the other Astrals, though none so recent as to have magic. Noctis says that because of the Blessing, they bond with people. Like, stronger than normal.

-Nyx frowns, and asks what Noctis means by stronger. Noctis flails a hand, saying that he's not sure how to explain it. It's… it's a feeling. It's instinct. But, when he was a baby, Sola decided that he was hers. And that she was his. And when Noctis was older, he accepted and returned that bond. Sola was his sister.

-Noctis huffs, frustrated, and complains that he's not explaining it right. But Nyx is frozen in his seat, because that… that's familiar. He tells Noctis that Sola Claimed him. And Noctis Claimed her back. Noctis perks up and says that yeah, that's exactly it. Meanwhile, Nyx is thinking back, a year and a half ago, when Sola's enlistment was leaked to the public and Tredd dragged him to calm Sola's Rage. How Tredd had called Nyx one of Sola's Claimed.

-And Nyx asks Noctis if it's only their Retinue that Lucis Caelums Claim. Noctis shakes his head. He says that Sola Claimed the Glaives years ago. All of them. He figured it out when she kept calling them 'her idiots.' Nyx fixes Noctis with a deadpan look and Noctis grins innocently back. Noctis adds somberly that it was why he encouraged Sola to stay with the Kingsglaive, because she was happy with them. They were hers.

-Nyx swallows hard, because damn it, he's not going to cry. He roughly asks what this has to do with Nyx specifically. Noctis tells him seriously that Nyx was Sola's Sword. Nyx chokes on his water, because what. Noctis says he didn't see it before. Sola never wanted a Retinue when he was little, because she was worried the Council would make her stop being Noctis' Sword. But Sola must not have realized it, because Nyx was Sola's Sword and Tredd… her Heart? He wasn't her Shield because Sola refused to have a Shield and he doesn't think Tredd was her Hand-

-Nyx holds up a hand to cut Noctis off, and takes a moment to order his thoughts. He was part of Sola's Retinue, go figure. Tredd too apparently, which, Nyx can see now that he thinks about it. And if Sola Claiming the Glaives wasn't enough to bond with them as her Retinue, but Noctis Claiming Sola back made her his Sword… Nyx thinks of the bead he added to his Mourning braid for Sola, for the woman he'd have adopted as his little sister if only he'd realized it sooner.

-Fuck, that makes far too much sense.

-Nyx asks if Tredd should hear this too. Noctis nods. He says that he could use Abyssus to find Nyx, but he doesn't know how to find Tredd. Nyx nods, and says that he'll call him, and Noctis can tell them at the same time. Privately, Nyx is feeling just this side of petty because if he has to be up this early to have this conversation, then Tredd can suffer with him.

-It takes three calls before Tredd finally answers his phone, swearing at him. Nyx tells Tredd that he's going to be stopping by in thirty with breakfast, get up and get dressed because the Crown Prince is coming with him to talk with them about stuff no one knew they had to tell Nyx and Tredd about Sola Claiming them. There's a few seconds of silence on the other end, and Nyx asks if Tredd got all that. Tredd swears and says that yeah, he got it, but Nyx better bring the good shit, not Yamachang's pathetic excuse for kebabs. Nyx snorts and says that yeah, yeah, he'll get a proper breakfast for him.

-Nyx tells Noctis that they're gonna pick up breakfast on the way, wait at the table while he changes. Nyx washes his face, scrubs his teeth, and throws on jeans and a shirt, redoes the worst of his braids, and buckles his kukri to his back. Then he's ushering Noctis out his front door with Abyssus and locking up before hoisting Noctis onto Abyssus' back. Because if he's the only guard Noctis has currently, he wants Noctis to have a quick escape route if things do manage to go south. And Abyssus is more competent than half the Crownsguard. Easily.

-Turns out Noctis hasn't breakfast either, so Nyx picks up three of the breakfast burritos from Psamathe Furia, who takes one look at the Crown Prince and tones down the spices on one because Nyx honestly doesn't know if Noctis shares Sola's delicate Lucian palate.

-Tredd is in fact up and presentable by the time Nyx pounds on his door. Nyx gives Tredd a cheerful good morning just to be an asshole, and Tredd tells him to shut the fuck up. Nyx tells Tredd to watch his language, there's a kid present. Tredd swipes one of the burritos from Nyx, retorting that the kid's in public school, there's no way he hasn't heard it all. The two look at Noctis, who's staring at them innocently and Tredd tells Noctis that his innocent face sucks. Noctis pouts and Abyssus laughs at Noctis. Noctis clambers off, accepting the milder burrito from Nyx and finding a place to sit at Tredd's table because Tredd tells both of them that he's not discussing anything until he's had food damn it. Noctis wrinkles his nose at the veggies, but obediently eats them when Tredd gruffly tells him not to waste food.

-Noctis presents Tredd with another hangover cure, which puts Tredd in a marginally better mood but prompts him to ask where the Pyre Noctis learned to make hangover cures. Noctis says that it was Sola. Whenever a mission went bad, he'd spend time with her while she made them, because she always said the other glaives would need them. And Noctis was curious, so she taught him how to make them too. Nyx pinches his nose because fuck, that was Sola all over. She always showed up with her hangover cures after a mission gone bad, because half the glaives usually went out and got drunk. And sure, Sola usually poked fun at them while she handed the cures over because she could be a bitch like that, so no wonder she taught her little brother how to make them. Handing out cures made by a kid would've been hilarious to her. And because she could never really say no to her little brother.

-Nyx listens as Noctis repeats the first part of his explanation to Tredd, who, to his credit, picks up the details almost immediately. Though he asks what the Pyre Noctis means by him being Sola's Heart. Nyx snickers, because Tredd looks so disgruntled. So Noctis explains what he knows about each position in the Retinue. It's a bit rote, but clearly someone's drilled the details into his head, because he explains that the Sword's duty was to wade into danger and destroy threats before they reached their King, therefore protecting him. They attacked. Whereas a Heart protected their King's emotional wellbeing. Protected their King's heart.

-Noctis says that a Retinue is en-tit-led to stuff, even after Sola's death, and Noctis wanted to make sure they could get it if they needed it, because Sola was his and they were Sola's. And it's all he can do for his sister. He's knows it's not much, but he got Iggy to help him print off all the info for them. Nyx tells Noctis that they appreciate it, and they'll look it over. But he needs to get back to the Citadel. Noctis frowns, but Tredd tells Noctis that Sola wouldn't want him taking stupid risks. He's still a kid, but he's smarter than this.

-Before Noctis can reply, there's a knock at Tredd's door, and Nyx opens the door to see a very Unimpressed Cor. Nyx apologizes for the trouble, but Cor says he appreciates Nyx alerting him to the situation before anyone caused a panic. Noctis cringes from the Look Cor gives him, and yeah, kid knows he's in trouble. Nyx tells Noctis that if he really wants to come down to Little Galahd and meet more of Sola's people, let them know first and they'll come get him, okay? That way everyone knows he's safe. Nyx asks Abyssus to go with Noctis. The roads can't be good for his back. Abyssus nods, and Noctis climbs back on.

-When the door closes, Tredd slumps back in his chair and breaks down into grief-tinged laughter. Nyx agrees with the sentiment exactly. Tredd says that of course the fucking short stack went and grew on him, like a Ramuh-damned fungus, and once he was attached she had to up and die on them, and he couldn't even do anything because he was fucking bleeding out like a useless idiot!

-Nyx tells Tredd, the first person he's told, that he tried to reach Sola. But Sola stopped him. Raised a shield and he, he couldn't break through before Abyssus dragged him away. Tredd says that of course Sola did that, the self-sacrificing dumbass. Nyx whispers that he's not sure he'll ever be able to forgive her for that, for not letting him try to save her. Tredd tells Nyx that he'd be dead if he'd reached her. Nyx admits that he knows, not saying that he'd almost prefer it that way. Tredd hears it anyway. Tredd says that Sola always did care more about them than herself. They were hers. Nyx smiles bitterly and says that no one ever told Sola that she was theirs too.

-Neither of them say that now they'll never get the chance.

#Bring Back Memories au #ffxv #Nyx Ulric #Tredd Furia #Noctis Lucis Caelum #Abyssus #ah yes #the aftermath of a major plot point #in which I find a million different ways to hurt my characters #with the little things #before the next big hammer smash #poor Nyx and Tredd #they've got no idea what's coming #take the respite while you can boys #it's only getting worse from here #I'd say I'm sorry #but that would be a lie

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ertrunkenerwassergeist · 4 years

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First Strike - Cor Leonis

(This takes place during the first chapter of Born Into the Wilds. Here’s the Link to AO3.)

Cor sat near the radio set in the military issued tent, arms crossed over his chest, and frowned at nothing. It was the early hours of the morning – dawn wouldn't set in for another two hours – and something within him was too restless to let him sleep.

At this point in time he had been a military man for over half of his life and he knew to trust his gut feeling. And his gut told him that something was fishy about this whole situation.

As General of the Lucian army and Marshall in this war, it was his duty to know the finer workings of the army as a whole, and not just the Crownsguard he had direct control over, ever since Clarus stepped down to only focus on his duty as a King's Shield. He knew the people working under him and trusted them to watch his back and do what had to be done. Most of their duties fell under guarding the Citadel, the King and securing the dwindling numbers of supply lines going in and out of the Insomnia.

The last of the big divisions – and the youngest – was the Kingsglaive and at the same time they were his biggest headache. Regis had had a good idea with drafting every willing refugee into his newly built special forces, but it had the negative effect of every Lucian native commander that may have been qualified for the job refusing the post. Since the Kingsglaive was to be the only active fighting unit of the military they needed a qualified commander.

Finding Titus Drautos for the job had been a stroke of luck.

The Captain was half Galahdian, half something else that apparently didn't matter because he carried a Galahdian name and had managed to nearly single handedly guide a group of refugees into the city. They had been part of the last wave that had been allowed into the city before the borders had been closed for good.

Cor still remembered how the slightly younger man had looked then. Dirty, emaciated, but his eyes had burned with a fire that still managed to impress him to this day. And that ragged, wilful young man had flown through base training with a discipline that had amazed everybody. He had earned himself the trust of the Galahdians and that small handful of other refugees that made up the newly formed Kingsglaive and had been made their captain.

However, there was something that didn't sit well with Cor. No matter how he trusted Titus and his capabilities as a captain. And that was why he sat here tonight.

Everybody higher up in the food chain of the military that had to deal with happenings outside the protective embrace of the wall had their informants. Most of them were members of the Border-patrol. Cor's own network spanned a bit farther since he had been part of then Prince Regis' entourage on his journey to Altissia, but it had nothing on the assumed vastness of Titus'.

It was mostly guesswork on Cor's part, which was why he never breathed a word on it to anybody. In their current situation they didn't need infighting on top of everything else. However, it was disconcerting that he couldn't even begin to guess where some of Titus' information was coming from. It didn't happen often, now far less than at the beginning.

Maybe that was why it was bothering him so much. That or hurt pride, but he thought he knew himself well enough to recognize the signs of it.

When he had heard about this truly reckless and stupid plan of Titus' to infiltrate a newly built Niflheimr base, because an informant of his had made allusions to plans of some kind of magic suppressing technology, all alarm bells had gone off in his head.

He didn't know what had been said in the meeting to convince Regis of this plan and he still wasn't happy about that, but it was no use to cry over spilt milk. Instead he did as he always had since he had become part of the Crownsguard at age 14: he rolled with the punches and made his own plans.

Currently he was on a military exercise drilling his forces in guerrilla warfare in mountainous terrain, that just so happened to be relatively close to the new base. Clarus had stared at him as if he knew exactly what Cor was doing. Cor himself had all but dared Clarus to breathe a word about this.

The steady light of the lantern next to the radio station on the table burned in his eyes. Cor blinked. He checked his watch and then turned the radio on.

The reception was strangely spotty even after he fiddled with the buttons and switches. He cursed quietly. There was a reason he wasn't a radio operator. There was a whirring sound, more static, a click. Then a voice he could identify as Lazarus: “On my mark.”

He listened to the chatter as best as he could. Which was not very well, but he might have learned a new Galahdian swear word or two.

Another person stepped into the tent. Quiet steps drew near over the rocky ground of the haven and a hand pushed his away from the radio set.

“Didn't we say you would keep your hands to yourself when it comes to the radios, Marshal?” asked Dustin with a grin on his face.

Cor just raised an eyebrow and gave him an even stare until his friend and subordinate huffed a quiet laugh and set a cup of coffee down in front of him.

“Here you go, Marshal.”

“Thank you, Dustin.”

Cor hummed in appreciation as he took a sip. Dustin was the only one he knew that somehow managed to make their military issued coffee into something palatable.

“I knew this was one of your gut feelings,” stated Dustin. “Those are the only times you pull something like this.”

Taking another sip of his coffee Cor watched as the other man dragged another chair over and started to fiddle with the radio. Slowly the voices grew clearer and the static less.

“I knew why I made you come,” he said instead of answering the unasked question.

Dustin threw him a reproachful stare that Cor returned without blinking. He had been at the receiving end of Regis', Clarus' and Cid's stares combined; he had grown immune to them a long time ago. Dustin knew that, too, and instead of saying anything else, simply leaned back in his chair, sipping at his own coffee. The two of them listened in silence as the Kingsglaives voices drifted through the tent.

Everything seemed to be going fine. Until Glaive Khara's voice crackled through the speakers.

“Luche, call the Captain, now! We need an extraction team and Kresch won’t be enough.”

“That will take more time than we might have.”

“I don’t fucking care. Do it. I hope to the ancestors that Drautos has a good explanation for this fuck up. Otherwise I’ll haunt him from beyond the gate.”

Cor didn't jump up or curse, even when he wanted to. Instead he went completely still. His gut feeling had been right. Again. Carefully he set his coffee cup down and turned towards Dustin who now wasn't the amiable friend sitting next to him, but his subordinate awaiting his orders. They listened for another few seconds.

“Go wake the others. We'll be on the move in ten.”

With a sharp salute Ser Ackers left the tent and not half a minute later the siren sounded. The radio gave a sharp whine and then the connection broke. Cor hissed and turned it off before leaving the tent. He walked towards the edge of the haven they were using as their base and stared into the darkness. It wouldn't be too long now, until the sun rose, which was lucky because the deamons could make their advance stop in its tracks, if they weren't careful.

Behind him he could hear people cursing and yelling while they tried to find out what was going on.

An hour, Titus had said over the radio. How was he planning to manage that when he was supposed to be in Insomnia? The Crown City was half a days ride away, if one drove without break. It could be done, if one went by airship. The thought made something heavy settle in his stomach.

Dustin Ackers stepped up next to him. “Marshal, we're ready to go.”

The drive took a little over an hour. Under better circumstances they could have made it in maybe 45 minutes, but they had to maneuver around a newly emerged daemon nest. Cor's face was a thunder cloud.

First light was a silvery wisp on the horizon when they drew to a halt, their vans hidden in a small group of trees. Cor could hear the sounds of firing guns the moment he stepped out of the van before it had truly stopped. He could practically feel Dustin’s disapproving gaze drilling into his back. Cor didn’t care.

It didn’t take long for him to organize the people he had taken with him. He had trained every single one of them and everyone had gotten the briefing while they were on the way.

They were to clear the terrain of enemies and rescue any survivor they came across. The people organized themselves into two teams which consisted of two units each. Cor examined the happenings with a critical eye.

In front of him stood 27 people waiting for his go ahead. Not quite enough for this kind of clean up and rescue but it would have to do.

“This is not an ordinary rescue mission,” Cor started, his voice hard and cutting. All eyes were on him. “Be careful out there; since the enemy managed to block communications the others cannot come to help you fast enough should something happen.” His gaze grew more stern than cold for a moment. None of the people in front of him showed any sign of hesitation. “Go, and may Bahamut guide you.”

At the beginning of his little guerilla exercise he had divided the four squads he had managed to take with him, into two teams. Team Steel consisting of Squads Shinryu and Almasy, and Team Wire consisting of Squads Qun'mi and Rui. The only squad at full capacity he had managed to take was the Shinryu Squad. The other three lacked either members due to sickness, injury or death in the field.

Now Cor himself lead Team Steel towards the sounds of fighting and Ser Ackers lead Team Wire towards the Base to stake out the situation there. Squad Rui was also to acquire all information they could from the Niflheimr network before the connection was cut, if it wasn't already.

They found what was left of Kresch Unit entrenched in a group of trees that grew on a small hill. Smart decision. Without prompting the two Squads with him split up, Shinryu for a frontal attack and Almasy slunk off into the undergrowth to get rid of the snipers and the commander, if there was one. Cor himself summoned his sword from the armiger; he could feel a strange resistance when he did so but ignored that for now, and charged at the MT trying to attack Squad Shinryu from behind. A few seconds later the rest of Kresch Unit joined the fray.

The fight was over within 20 minutes with only one causality on his side.

“You're damn late,” he heard someone grouch. Judging from the voice it probably was Sir Ostium.

“I apologize, Sir Ostium, but we had to pick our way around a deamon's nest on our way here. I hope our service was to your satisfaction,” Cor said in an even deadpan.

“General!” the Glaive cried, his eyes growing comically large.

Cor suppressed a smile, his face settling into a dark frown. “We must make haste. Sir Bellum, tell me what you can about the situation on the base while we get there. Squad Alamy will stay here and take care of the people too injured to fight.”

“Ser!”

Sir Bellum stepped forward with a sharp salute. The Glaive was pale, sure signs that magical exhaustion wasn't far away, and covered in cuts and bruises, but seemed fine otherwise.

All in all there were eleven people left able to fight. Cor nodded, satisfied. Together with Team Wire they should hopefully be enough.

“Units Roh and Firn are sitting fr... ducks,” stated Sir Bellum while they jogged through the trees at a brisk pace. “It was a trap. According to Sir Lazarus, General Ulldor is here and set the whole thing up. He couldn't tell me how many there were exactly before the connection was cut, but he said there were more than Captain Drautos reported.”

Not enough. That was not enough information. Cor hoped that Team Wire had been able to find out more.

Dustin Ackers was waiting for them by the entrance gate. A broken down MA Veles laid near it in a crumpled heap along with a squad of magitek soldiers.

“Report,” Cor barked the moment they arrived.

“The base is empty with the exception of the drill ground. It's been closed off and until now we haven't been able to get in. Squad Qun'mi is currently trying to hack into the electronics to open the gates. There is some kind of shooting mechanism that goes off when you try to climb over the wall. Three people have been shot, but luckily no one has died yet.”

Cor frowned in discontent. Behind them people were cursing. Sir Ostium being amongst the loudest.

“Ser Ackers!” called a young woman, running up to them. Her name was Energa Curro, the youngest and newest member of Squad Qun'mi and a budding stealth specialist. She skidded to a halt the moment she saw Cor and saluted. “Marshal! We have managed to hack the gates. Waiting for further instructions, Ser.”

The Marshal's long legs practically ate the distance towards the drill ground. “Squad Qun'mi will secure the gate and take out the automatic shooting system. Rui will continue with securing what information they can. Shinryu and and Kresch will follow me in the assault. Concentrate on the heavy hitters first.”

They arrived at the gate and Cor gave the order to open it. Sir Ostium was the first person through. The situation on the drill ground was a strange one. The enemy had been eliminated entirely, with no hint towards if General Ulldor was still on the premises.

With sharp eyes Cor took in his surroundings. Black marks, some still smoking, were littered around him, the highest number being situated around a cluster of Glaives surrounded by a staggering number of fallen enemies. There were MT torn limb from limb, twisted metal everywhere and the heavy smell of ozone in the air.

He stepped further inside, ignoring the loud questions of Sir Ostium and Sir Lazarus' attempts to calm him down.

There, at the heart of destruction, in a circle of fallen MT and MA Veles, laid Sir Ulric, clearly injured, and being supported by Sir Khara and Sir Arra. Startling greyish blue eyes caught his. For some reason they reminded him of a lightning storm. Sir Ulric threw him a feral smile, all bloody teeth and cutting edges. Cor couldn't really say why, but to him it looked like a promise.

#ffxv #born into the wilds #cor leonis #outsider pov #cor has gut feelings #he knows something is going on #he just doesn't know what #he won't talk until he knows #the author has no practical knowledge of the military #google and university classes helped #the spirit writes #my fics #this is way longer than I intended it to be

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sarcasticdebate · 5 years

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Sailors Take Warning

Relationship: Emori/John Murphy, Gen - AO3

Rating: T

Summary: Emori was born with black blood and a mutated left hand. One of those things granted her the opportunity for leadership and acceptance, the other barred her from ever hoping to have either. Emori has long since accepted that the spirit of the Commander will never chose her, and has carved out a different life for herself. Until four strangers offer her a chance to ascend, and, more importantly, a way to get back to John Murphy.

[Canon Divergent AU from 3.13/3.14]

Written for The 100: Chopped Fanfic Challenge hosted by @dylanobrienisbatman and @littlefanpire. Super excited that I won first for the use of the canonverse theme, the character swap trope, and the ‘everyone thinks you’re an asshole but you’re nice to me’ trop, as well as first overall!! Thanks to everyone who voted. You can check out the other fics here!

Emori loves her boat. It’s been the one constant in her life since her early adolescence. A means of escape and survival, a place of shelter and sleep. She’s fallen in love on this boat, with herself, and the world, and a boy. In her head she sometimes calls herself Emori of the Boat People. She loves her boat, and there’s someone on it.

Emori drops her freshly caught rabbit and unsheathes her knife, still dirty from her kill.

The boat had been well concealed, and Emori is forced to tamper down her annoyance at it being found to focus instead on using the thick brush to conceal her movements as she creeps onboard.

The closer she gets the more she’s able to gage about the trespasser. He’s younger than she first thought, tall and skinny, maybe malnourished. Hardly capable of putting up a decent fight. But he’s also yelling, in Gonaslang, and in conjunction with his clothes its clear he’s skaikru.

“Guys!” he calls, and Emori knows she needs to act now, before any of his reinforcements arrive. “We’re looking for the boat people, right? I found a boat!”

There’s an answering call, muffled by distance, but then the sound of movement, and Emori knows she’s running out of time. The kid is searching through her stuff now, hunched over as he picks through her tech, and although something in her prickles at the sight of this stranger handling her things, she also recognizes it as her last opportunity.

With practiced grace she leaps onto the boat, her landing so soft that they don’t even sway in the water. It’s a simple matter after that to take him by the collar, haul him away from her things and throw him belly down onto the deck, her knee in the center of his back pressing hard enough to cause discomfort. The knife finds its place at the nape of his neck and he grunts, trying to reach back and push her off, but she takes his wrist in her gloved hand twists it till he yells.

“Tell me what you want with my boat and I won’t kill you,” She whispers into his ear. The words come out as a hiss and her breath makes the hairs rise on his neck. She has to make sure he fears her.

“We’re just looking for someone named Emori! We’d heard she’d have a boat!”

The use of her name surprises her, but not enough for her grip to loosen.

“Who told you that name?” She asks, and her prisoner starts moving again, wriggling in an attempt to break free. As if on cue his back-up breaks through the treeline, but there’s only two of them: a petite blonde woman who looks at the situation first with worry before it settles into grim determination as she looks to the older man at her side, his gun aimed at Emori.

Emori pulls the kid in her grip to his knees, her body shielded by his. The knife finds its way to the front of his neck. There’s a faint scar there, where someone has cut his throat before, so she presses the edge of her knife to that point, to remind him of the pain. He goes still.

“Eject the magazine from the gun and kick them both away and no one has to get hurt.”

The man with the gun hesitates, looks first to her knife, then her hostage and finally over his shoulder.

“We don’t want anything from you, just information,” he says, voice low and gravely, but he begins to lower the gun holding up his free hand in what he probably assumes is a show of good faith. As if information is nothing.

“Bellamy, wait. What if she’s chipped?” The woman on the bank says and Emori blinks.

“Bellamy Blake?” She says, her mouth forming the words without her mind’s consent. The gun is raised again and the posture of all three of the strangers becomes lined with tension. They’ve suddenly become more dangerous.

“How do you know who I am?” He barks, and she can see him weighing the risks of taking a shot, his eyes falling to his friend with concern.

She takes a risk before he can. “John told me.”

Bellamy’s eyes shift, uncomfortable and uncertain. His gun doesn’t move, but his finger on the trigger softens.

“John Murphy? You know John Murphy?” The blonde woman asks, her eyes wide with something like excited relief.

Emori’s mouth pinches. Of course she knows John Murphy. Knows the sharp spark is his eyes when they outsmarted a mark, knows how his voice sounds in the morning, knows about his scars, the ones on his body and the ones in his mind, knows what his hands feel like running up her thighs and cupping her breasts and tracing her jaw.

That knowledge burns now though. It’s eating her up inside, when she considers it against the memory of him shaking his head, fear in his eyes, as he was dragged away and she did nothing. He might be dead now. He could have died days ago while she dawdled trying to fit together the flimsiest outlines of a plan to get him back.

This is the first time she’s allowed herself to think of that possibility, his name in this stranger’s mouth a trigger to all the worst case scenarios when before she was able to convince herself to rely on the cleverness of his mind.

“I do,” she says, but has no opportunity to elaborate or ask questions because the boat rocks, unsettled, and Emori turns her head to see a fourth member of the party, a girl with sharp black hair, sword in hand. She doesn’t have a chance to yell a warning before the girl springs forward, her sword swinging in a wide arc, and Emori is forced to shove her hostage to the side, so she can parry with her knife, the sword’s sharp edge just catching on the hilt, close enough that she feels wind from the motion move her hair. She forces the path of the sword to her right, then grabs the girl’s wrist with her gloved hand to limit her control of the weapon. Emori tries to pull her opponent closer, knowing that her knife will be useless against the wider range of the girl’s sword. They wrestle over the blade for a moment, before Emori’s elbow connects with the girl’s jaw making enough of an opening to kick her down.

But their struggle was enough time for the former hostage to recover himself, and rush her. He tackles her to the ground using his momentum and the leverage of his height. With the breath knocked out of her he’s able to land one punch, sending the back of her head smacking into the deck, and making her nose sting in sharp pain.

He stops in the assault, which makes him a fool. One punch is not enough to keep her down. He seems confused, and his distraction allows her to deliver a swift knee to his gut and push him off her.

Her attention turns back to the female warrior who has reclaimed her sword and Emori is thinking about the possibility of pushing the two of them overboard and starting the boat quick enough to get away, when the hostage exclaims behind her.

“Wait! You’re Emori?”

The warrior’s stance becomes less hostile. Although her expression remains the same, held together by anger. It might be set like that.

“Well, she’s a nightblood. And she feels pain.”

Emori feels blood drip onto her lower lip and quickly brushes away the trickle coming from her nose.

The other two are on her boat now as well, and Emori doesn’t like it. She takes a step back. She can’t fathom what they might want with her. No one’s cared that she has nightblood for a long time, skaikru should least of all.

“You are Emori, right?” The blonde asks, stepping forward, seemingly unaware that Emori doesn’t want her close. “I’m Clarke, and this is Bellamy, Jasper, and Octavia. We’re friends with Murphy, and we need your help.”

“Friends who hung him from a tree?” She snaps back, satisfied by the way Clarke flinches and Bellamy looks to the ground. Octavia mumbles something inaudible, but obviously rude, and it’s only Jasper’s hand on her shoulder that seems to take the venom from her eyes. “Why should I trust you, let alone help you?”

“You’re the last Natblida,” Clarke continues, with desperation Emori notes. She reaches into a concealed pocket on her chest to pull out a small box which she opens it to reveal a tiny piece of tech, like one of Jaha’s chips, the sacred symbol, ALIE’s symbol, emblazoned right in the center. “Lexa died,” Clarke says, something hopelessly empty in her eyes for a moment, “and her spirit has chosen you to be the next Commander. Titus entrusted me with the flame to give to you.”

Emori scoffs.

“You want me to be the Commander?” She asks, the idea honestly funny. All four pairs of eyes are fixed on her, and Emori isn’t sure she’s ever had this much attention put on her in her life. Clarke must misinterpret the comment. Her next statement is still desperate, but insistent now too.

“Titus told me about how you ran from your conclave, and I know it’s frightening to lead, but—”

“Of course he told you I ran,” Emori interrupts, almost laughs. She hasn’t had reason to think of that self-righteous bald man in years, but her hatred for him still bubbles, just below the surface. Memories of how happy she had been to come to Polis as an accepted novitiate are now clouded with bitterness over her own naivety when she remembers how she had been neglected or excluded in all aspects of the training the other nightbleeders were groomed in. All of that she might have been able to deal with if it weren’t decided at the most final moment that she wasn’t even deserving of a warrior’s death in a competition for what should have been her birthright. Cast out again, it was then that she began to recognize it as the pattern of her life.

“I didn’t flee the conclave because I thought I would lose. They kicked me out because they were afraid I would win.”

Clarke’s eyes narrow, as if she can’t comprehend being lied to by the old flamekeeper.

“I can’t ascend,” Emori says, her left hand curling into a fist. “No one will ever accept me as Commander.” As a child it was a hard truth, but the thought of it no longer stings. She’s moved on from who she could have been.

“You don’t have to be Commander,” Bellamy interrupts, a statement that Clarke doesn’t seem too keen to accept. “You just have to take the flame so we can stop ALIE from taking over everyone’s minds and ending the world.”

Emori’s thoughts starts spinning with this admission, she doesn’t know why they didn’t start with that.

“Jaha’s ALIE?” She asks. “In the City of Light?” She remembers John’s explanation of what had happened to the old man, the offer that he had made to go to a place without pain. Remembers also ‘the bitch in the red dress’, the one who had first ended the world.

“Yeah,” Clarke confirms, “She’s turning people into mindless minions who take away free will. If you take the flame we can figure out how to stop her.”

Clarke holds the little rectangle between two fingers, pressing it into her line of vision, and Emori thinks of the reasons she should refuse. There’s clear danger in what they propose and little benefit. Still, ALIE might come to prove herself a nuisance for Emori in the future, and she doesn’t often have the reassurance of allies. Having ones who don’t seem to wish her harm is better than any future opportunity will be. And she certainly wouldn’t mind them owing her a substantial favor.

“Okay,” she agrees, and all four of them seem to relax by at least a few measures.

“I need to put the flame in the back of your neck,” Clarke explains, and it takes more self control than Emori is willing to admit to stop herself from flinching at the way Clarke brushes aside her hair. Her fingertips on the first notch of her spine are oddly shaking, as is her voice when she whispers words Emori has never heard. “Ascende superius.”

There’s a feeling like a needle entering the back of her neck, cold enough to halt the flow of blood in her veins before it changes sharply and starts to burn like a cauterization across the length of her spine. She yells, her back arching in unpleasant ways that only abate to an aching throb pressing out from inside her head to every inch of her skull.

The pain subsides quickly, except for the headache, leaving a warm prickle to dance through her blood. Emori blinks away the tears that had welled in the corners of her eyes to see Jasper crouched in front of her, his hands hanging loosely in the air just in front of her shoulders. She doesn’t remember falling, but she accepts his hand and lets him pull her into a sitting position.

“Are you okay?” he asks, once he’s satisfied that she’s settled.

Her mouth feels thick, like her lips are so swollen as to make talking difficult, but she nods anyway. Despite the bodily discomforts she feels largely the same.

“Do you know how to stop ALIE?” Clarke asks, not one to stray far from sight of the goal it would seem.

Emori rubs the center of her forehead in an attempt to ease the headache and closes her eyes. She doesn’t know if it will help to stimulate whatever is supposed to happen, but at least she won’t have to be aware of all the eyes pressed on her.

The idea comes to her in flashes of memory: The backpack she had stole from Gideon clutched in one hand, opening it with her knife, John holding it over the water in a successful exchange for her life.

“There’s a backpack,” Emori explains piecing together the information slowly, “That’s what ALIE is stored on. Destroy it and we destroy her.”

“Yeah, I remember that,” Jasper says sitting forward in interest. “It’s what Jaha used to make the chips, I think.”

“Well, where is it?” Octavia says, sharp.

“Last I knew Jaha had it.”

“Yeah,” Jasper confirms, “he was really protective of it.”

“Well then where’s Jaha?” Bellamy asks. They look to each other in dumb confusion until Clarke hatches a plan.

“Polis probably. If he’s trying to get as many people chipped as possible. It’s even more densely populated than Arkadia.”

“I can’t go to Polis,” Emori says, a reflex. “I’ll be killed.”

“What did you do?” Clarke asks, in the same breath as when Jasper questions, “Why?”

“Is it for the same reason why you couldn’t ascend?” Clarke continues, clever enough to find the commonality. Emori admits nothing, shifting how she sits so her hands are tucked under her thighs.

“The twelve clans are intolerant. They’ve been trying to erase my existence for my whole life, I’m not going to let them.”

“But now you’re the Commander,” Clarke tries, as if she’s been able to learn in the short time that’s passed since skaikru fell all the ways of the people on the ground. “They’ll respect you.”

Emori thinks about laughing in her face, thinks about spelling out her ignorance to her letter by letter, thinks about just kicking the lot of them off her boat. But she doesn’t move or speak, thinks instead about finally carving out a place of acceptance for herself.

“Please,” Clarke says, desperation setting in, “You said yourself this is how we stop ALIE. And Murphy’s in Polis.” Emori hates that she’s right to know those words will cause a squeeze of longing in Emori’s chest. Hates too that she was already planning on going to the Capital in the flimsy hope that she could trade her scavenged ALIE tech to Titus for John’s safe return without even the reassurance of the spirits of the Commanders shifting in her mind.

“And we’ll protect you,” Bellamy adds.

“Alright,” Emori says, wondering where all her common sense has gone. “The river will take us straight there.”

Polis sits on the Wide River, and Emori would never typically travel on it when it was so commonly used for commerce by various villages along its banks. But speed is of necessity so she risks the danger, finding comfort to in the fact that Bellamy has a gun.

She starts the boat, guiding them to the mouth of the river, not too far down the shore. It’s unerringly quiet until Bellamy breaks the silence to speak into a radio to someone named Raven, informing her of the events of the afternoon. The others fall into deliberation after that, and like so many before them they seem to forget about her once she’s left their frame of view. She stays still and keeps her breaths quiet so that she can eavesdrop.

“Are we doing the right thing?” Clarke says, maybe rhetorically. “All we really know about this girl is that most other grounders hate her and that she’s John Murphy’s girlfriend? None of that is really giving me a vote of confidence. I mean, think about what kind of person you have to be to fall in love with him.”

“Lincoln trusted her,” Octavia says. “And Murphy might have been a lying killer, but his body count isn't as high as some people's.”

“He was still always kind of a dick though,” Jasper says, more bored than harsh, trying to neutralize the rising heckles of the little group, but still the comment irritates something in her chest at the lack of understanding his so called friends have of him. “He’s the one that shot Raven.”

“It’s the best choice we have,” Bellamy says in a way that’s final. “If she’s working an angle it can’t be worse than anything else we’ve seen.”

The others seem to agree with that, and they go quiet.

“Come on,” Bellamy says, “Daylight’s dwindling, this might be the only chance we have to sleep for a while. We’ll take shifts to stay up with Emori, I’ll go first.”

Emori might question why they feel the need to have one of their own group stand guard, but it seems a waste of energy to pinpoint the level of trust they’re placing in her.

Bellamy lingers on the lower dock for some time, eyes trailing over the three others as they drift off, but soon enough he comes up to meet her. Let’s his gun hang loose at his side.

“Where’d you get this boat?” He asks, as if too strike up a conversation, or peel information from her. But he’s no spy, and when she looks in his eyes there’s something close to sincerity. Even still she lets the silence sit while she considers lying.

“I acquired it from a previous owner. Made some improvements myself.”

“Impressive,” Bellamy notes, “you’d get along with Raven. She designed the motorized Rovers we use.”

Emori hums. “I don’t generally get along with people.”

“Sorry about my sister attacking earlier,” he says, as if he thinks that’s the root of her social trouble. “I’m sure we can all get along given enough time. I mean apparently you get along with Murphy, that’s no easy feat.”

“It’s not that hard.”

Bellamy’s stance shifts were he stands next to her, in disagreement perhaps, or plain awkwardness.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how do you know each other?”

It’s probably the black ink of the night that prompts her to answer the question so openly, darkness conceals all sorts of vulnerability. It lets you expose some of the bleeding pieces of your heart to the fresh air.

“We’re lovers.”

“Huh.” A funny expression plays across Bellamy’s face, surprise, confusion, amusement. The need to defend John flashes sharp in her.

“I know you hate him,” Emori says. “But he’s…” She thinks of the way he had seen her, the day they first met, when she had carted him and his friends from the desert to the island and he had stood where Bellamy now stands, asking about her solitude. He had looked at her the same every time she returned to the island to hand off new tech. It was the care and a cool softness and understanding that convinced her to start taking him on the trips. It’s what made her fall for him too. “He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“You’re right,” Bellamy says after a long pause, one which Emori didn’t think he’d try to bridge again. “I hated him for a long time. Now though...a lot of things have been put in perspective.”

“As they should be,” Octavia says behind them, standing at the bottom of the stairs. “It’s my shift for watch.”

Bellamy looks as if he’s thinking to protest, but he moves away from Emori without much complaint, looking to his sister for some type of compassion. But she presses her eyes closed as he passes.

Slowly Octavia comes up to take a position next to Emori, taking the assignment of guard seriously even when there’s nothing to see except the reflection of the moon against the water.

The wind picks up several times making them both shiver, but neither of them talk about it. Emori is just beginning to think they’ll spend their time together in utter silence when Octavia’s hoarse voice breaks the quite.

“You knew Lincoln,” she says, and Emori would have to be far more pigheaded to not noticed the layers of grief that coat the name.

“Not well,” Emori says, although she remembers the one time they had spoken very clearly in her memory. It had been a good con.

“He mentioned you a couple times,” Octavia continues, seemingly not satisfied by Emori’s answers. “He spoke highly of you.”

Emori turns her head away. A person like Lincoln would. He was a skilled warrior, but too soft. A few lies about a fictional safe haven for the misplaced had gotten her a large supply of medicine. Seemed better than telling him it was for the boat dwelling clan of one.

“He’s dead?” Emori asks, turning the conversation so that her own viewpoint of their relationship won’t come to light.

“Yes,” Octavia whispers, not that Emori needs the confirmation.

“That’s a shame,” Emori says, thinking of the ways to endear herself to this vulnerable girl. “He had a good heart.”

Octavia scratches at her chest, then stands with a sudden jolt, distancing herself from Emori as if she’ll be able to shake off the weight of heartbreak with movement alone. Emori licks her lips, and is forced to acknowledge that she’s been attempting to do the same these past long days.

Exhaustion pulls at Emori like a riptide, the desire for sleep a sudden and deadly call. Octavia stands at the stern, her eyes looking to the river behind them, and despite her habits Emori doesn’t think the girl will attack her in her sleep.

She stalls the book and picks a spot away from the others to lie down to sleep, just for a few hours. But her sleep is not restful.

She dreams of the crack of a gunshot, a flaming cinder planted in her stomach that spreads to consume her flesh. There’s sobbing and gasping, and then pain choked yells. Someone else’s black blood drips out of a closed fist, warping as it lands on the flame. The sacred symbol on the blue tech transforms into the same symbol installed in a geometric backpack, one she had once killed for. The tech of its belly uncovered and shining in dim light for precious few seconds before the blunt end of a spear comes crashing down on it. From the corner of her eye she can see John’s face, dirty and handsome, like the day she met him. Exhaustion pulls at his eyes, and all she wants to do is to turn her head, reach out and soothe the worry from his skin. But then synapses disconnect, wires break, and Emori wakes with a start.

“The City of Light’s been destroyed,” she says into the cool air of the night. Octavia is the only one awake, but the others stir at her outburst.

“It’s gone,” Emori repeats, “Someone else destroyed the backpack.” She doesn’t mention who that someone is, but her heart thuds with the knowledge.

“It can’t be that easy…” Clarke says, and Emori wonders if the girl feels lost because she wasn’t able to fulfill her savior complex or because paranoia is what has kept her alive this long. “How do you know?”

“I saw it,” Emori says, unsure how to explain something she doesn’t know herself. Perhaps it has something to do with the interconnections of the tech, but Emori has no way to know, and doesn’t particularly care either.

“Raven it’s Bellamy, come in.” Emori looks over to see Bellamy speaking into a radio, hope that’s known too much disappointment rising behind the depths of his eyes.

“You’re lucky I wasn’t asleep Blake,” a disembodied voice comes back. “I’ve actually been meaning to tell you guys, I think I can create a backdoor through the key into ALIE’s code to find a kill switch.”

“Wait, is the City of Light still there?” Bellamy demands, and even Emori, who is sure of its destruction, holds her breath in wait of the confirmation.

“What do you mean is it still...oh my god. It’s gone. There’s no more code.” Comes back the voice, a crackle that pours relief out into the open air. “We did it.”

“Not us,” Bellamy corrects, “Someone in Polis destroyed the server ALIE was on. We’re on our way there now. We’ll get our people back and then we’ll start to rebuild.”

“It won’t be that easy,” Octavia says, dark and sharp into the silence the click of the radio had returned. “Some people still have things to atone for.” She stands as if to move away from the group but there’s little space to go on the small boat. Jasper gets up to follow her, the pair of them speaking in hushed tones as they lean over the railing to watch the first rays of dawn bring light to the day.

Bellamy and Clarke watch them for a moment before turning to each other, their own quiet conversation concerning plans and technicalities. Emori stands so she can get the boat moving. She won’t be able to sleep any more.

“Emori wait,” Clarke calls out, “We need to talk about rebuilding.”

“That doesn’t concern me,” she says.

“It should now that you’re Commander.”

Emori has no intention of lingering in Polis, she’ll find John and then the two of them will get the hell out. He’s probably already trying to leave now that the City of Light is gone, they’ll need to get there quick if she wants to intercept him.

“That can wait till we get to Polis.” For now she plays along.

Clarke seems to accept this, although not without a suspicious pinch of her eyes. Emori gets them moving again, and tells them they should be at Polis before mid morning.

As they continue down the river, she begins to think she overestimated. They don’t encounter a single other boat along the way, and despite passing the banks of several fishing villages they don’t see any people either.

“Is anyone else really uncomfortable?” Jasper asks, when the tower of Polis has come into view. There are sounds, finally, coming from the city, but none of them bode well.

“Yeah,” Octavia agrees. “And I think there’s someone following us.”

“What?” Bellamy says, moving to stand next to her, using the scope of his gun to look out to the place where Octavia points. “Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”

“I can’t make anything out for sure, but there’s been movement for the past couple of miles. At first I thought it was just an animal, but it’s been following the line of the river too closely for too long.”

“It’s someone on horseback,” Bellamy confirms.

“They won’t be able to catch up,” Emori says. An animal that can fatigue is no match for the swiftness of her boat. None of them seem to take any comfort at her words, all of them turning their ears to listen for the pound of hooves. Emori is more concerned about what awaits them in the city.

She’s right to worry. Polis is soaked in blood, it sits in pools among the cobblestones, weeps out of bodies that are nailed to crosses or that lie already dead in the center of the streets. In her memory Polis always smelled like iron, but it was the ashy type that came from fire and blacksmiths; now it’s wet and red, thick enough to taste.

Jasper looks nauseous, and Clarke heartbroken. Bellamy squeezes his eyes shut for long stretches of time, as if to ward of the sting of a violent memory. They walk silently through the streets, avoiding the sobs and outraged cries of mothers and children and friends. There’s an odd urging in the back of her head to call them to action, say some fancy words of condolence before putting them to work, but Emori shakes her head to dislodge the suggestion.

They make it to the center square without being stopped, or even looked at twice. And it’s there that Clarke finally breaks the silence.

“Mom!”

There’s an odd assortment of grounders and skaikru brought together before the entrance of the tower. And even as Clarke rushes into her mother’s embrace, tensions between the two simmer, suspicious eyes and barked insults threatening to bring the situation to a boil.

“What’s going on?” Bellamy asks of a bearded man, tear tracks the only lines of clarity on his dirty face.

“The grounders are blaming skaikru for the deaths that occurred under ALIE,” the man says, his head bowed, but his gaze remained fixed on the accusers.

“But we have our dead too.”

“It’s the tech,” the older man says, his hand on the muzzle of Bellamy’s gun to keep it pointed down. “They think we’re the ones who created her.”

“Aren’t you?” Questions a new voice, cool and sharp. It’s owner is a tall woman, her furs characteristic of Azgeda, but her face bearing none of the traditional scarring.

“Echo…” Bellamy says, recognition and then desperation playing across his face.“We’ve suffered as much as you. And now we have to help each other.”

“Skaikru is incapable of helping us,” Echo says, regret mixing with her harshness to create something heavy. “I’m sorry Bellamy, but Azgeda is taking command of the city on behalf of Commander Ontari. No one leaves.”

“If it’s on Ontari’s order, then where is she?” Clarke steps up, and the two women wear matching glares. “You don’t have any authority here.”

Echo lifts her chin. “Take them all prisoner.”

There’s a scuffle then as the two groups approach each other and Emori turns her head to look for a route of escape, but before any of them are dragged away in chains, Jasper’s voice breaks through the struggle like the crack of a whip.

“HEY!”

Emori wouldn’t think it enough to distract heavily trained Azgedan soldiers, but there’s enough influence in his voice to catch them all unaware.

“Is this really what we’re doing now? We all just got our minds back from a crazy AI who made us torture people we love, and we’re all turning against each other again? If this can’t draw us together, then we’ll always be at war. We have to try and work together.” Jasper is frantic in his insistence, and convincing too. Emori sees more than one soldier lower their sword.

“The boy is right,” says a warrior woman coming out of the tower, but Emori pays her hardly any attention because John stands to her left, his eyes shifty and distrustful as he looks out over the crowd. Until he sees her.

“Of course Trikru would say that when it suits them,” Echo snaps back, and the two start a squabble about the old feud, but Emori couldn’t care less because John is alive, and he’s here, and his mouth is forming the shape of her name.

She’d run to him if there weren’t so many people in the way, screw the fear of making a spectacle of herself, it would be worth it. Instead she’s trapped between two groups a pin drop away from a fire fight.

“I say it because you don’t have any authority here. Ontari kom Azgeda is dead, and until a time when a new Commander can ascend, the council of ambassadors will speak for the needs of the clans. Not Azgeda alone.”

Silence, by definition, should not have a sound, yet Emori swears it rings through the crowd at the news.

“Except there already is a new Commander,” John says, his voice not raised, but still able to carry through the crowd, his sardonic tone catching on all their ears. She’s almost surprised when he singles her out with a casual point, but his eyes remained locked with hers, wider than how he normally holds them, willing her to understand him.

Trusting him is easy. She takes one of her knives off her belt and nicks her palm, the cut oozing tar that starts to trickle down her wrist as she holds her hand over her head for the crowd to see. The grounders in her vicinity take a step back, a familiar motion, but one that is now associated with awe rather than disgust.

John is then able to make his way through the crowd to her, he reaches out, her gloved hand slipping into his easily. He smiles at her, small, almost not there, but still he lets it crack through the pretense for her.

“Murphy?” Bellamy questions, but he’s already pulling her away, and only manages a glance over his shoulder for his former friend.

“I got this Bellamy.”

Emori isn’t yet positive about what they’re lying about, but it’s easy enough to follow his lead, to find a place at the base of Polis tower and prepare to bullshit her way through this.

“This is Emori, she’s the last Nightbleeder.”

“And who are you?” Someone calls out, one of the Azgedan guards.

“The flamekeeper,” John says, his tone accusing the man of idiocy. Emori studies John from the corner of her eye, wanting to ask him a thousand questions but refraining for the sake of the con. God, she taught him well. “Now why don’t we go up there,” he says with a point up there tower, “where she can recite the lineage and we can figure this thing out without spearing each other.”

The warrior John was with, Indra, some part of her brain supplies, steps forward then, eyeing them with no small amount of suspicion, but seeming to fall into support of them anyway.

“Let’s go,” John whispers in her ear as the woman starts calling for representatives from each of the clans to ascend to the tower and for those left behind to start building pyres for the dead. John guides her inside the tower, first into a main hallway before pulling her off to one that was narrow and easy to miss. Her memory of the building from her childhood seems wildly insufficient.

“We could still get out of here,” he says, their pace nearing a run now.

“We won’t make it out of Polis.” Not with tensions running as high as they are. And especially not after they put themselves on display like that. “Might not hurt to have a lot of power. And your old friends owe me now.”

“Okay,” John says, coming to a halt. They’ve arrived in the same hallway they originally started in. They've ran a circle. Now there’s nowhere to go but up.

“Okay,” Emori agrees, stepping into the old elevator, John joining her a moment later after miming something for the two men who are inexplicably still standing by the wheel waiting to turn it. The doors haven’t even closed before he wraps his arms around her, two hands strong and firm across her back.

“I missed you,” he says, his arms squeezing tighter as she presses her forehead into his shoulder, allowing herself to sway just a little bit.

“I missed you too,” she breathes back, forcing herself to step out of his embrace so that they can start getting on the same page only to fall back into it when the elevator stutters to a halt, upsetting her balance.

“What was that?”

“Don’t worry about it,” John laughs, brushing down her hair. “I told the guys to stall us halfway there. Gives them a break, gives us time to talk.”

“Yeah,” Emori breathes, her hands squeezing his forearms. “How did you know I ascended?”

John exhales deeply. “No one’s shut up about nightblood since I got here. Remember that time you pricked your finger making fishing hooks? I knew you had it, and I knew Clarke had the flame, and that you were with her. But mostly I was just bluffing. Been doing a lot of that lately.”

Emori huffs in laughter. “That’s a big risk John. Hardly a survivor's move.” She tries to sound berating, but mostly she’s too charmed by how his mind works. His daring and quick thinking.

“It was worth the risk, if it could get us both out of there.”

“But now we’re here,” Emori notes. And John nods, his hands falling to cup hers, fingertips staining from where she cut herself. But no, stain is the wrong word.

“We’ll go along with it for now, until a big enough distraction comes along for us slip away. How does that sound?”

“Perfect.” Emori nods, wanting nothing more than for them to get back on their little boat and to leave the complexities of society to flounder on the shore.

“Okay, now that all that’s settled, I’m going to kiss you now.”

“Please,” she mumbles into his lips. There’s no patience in the kiss, both of them seeking too much from each other—reassurance, comfort, presence—for it to be chaste. He backs her against one wall, clutching at her waist, tongue playing at her bottom lip while she reaches for the back of his neck to pull him closer.

She kisses at the corner of his jaw, and when she moves to the sensitive parts of his neck he gasps her name without shame. His thumb presses into the point just behind her ear, his other fingers tilting her jaw up so their mouths can collide again. Her gloved hand tugs uselessly at his collar when he slots one of his legs between hers and she’s on the verge of asking him to take it off so she can feel his skin when the elevator starts moving again with a jolt, sending their foreheads knocking into one another.

“Shit, sorry,” he says, soothing the spot with his thumb. She copies the motion and he smiles fully this time, just for her. A moment later the door dings open.

The body of the former Commander lies on the steps in front of the throne, stabbed to death it would seem.

“Shit,” John says. “Indra and I didn’t move her.” He explains how he and Indra had come to kill her after they destroyed the City of Light. “She really deserved it,” was the story’s culmination, John’s voice shallow and dark. They move her corpse to a vacated room and leave it at that, the floor dark and dirty enough that her blood doesn’t leave too much of an imprint.

The others begin coming up in batches, first the skaikru she had escorted on her boat, but then many others, mostly faces she doesn’t recognize; people who have just been informed about the existence of the new Commander and look at her with curiosity. John stands a little in front of her, protective, which she finds so sweet she doesn’t bother to remind him of the fact that she’s the much better fighter. He passes the time by whispering how she’ll have to recite the names of all the former Commanders, and makes a big deal about brushing off any of the representatives who approach in hopes of talking to them.

The room fills too quickly, but it also seems to take far too long. But at last the final elevator arrives and in unspoken recognition all the room goes quiet, attention placed solely on her. So many eyes.

“The Commander will now recite the lineage.” The words sound so boxy and improper in John’s mouth, but everyone but Emori seems convinced.

Standing in front of them, in front of a throne, makes her think she should quiver. John stands next to her and fighting the urge to hold his hand seems more difficult than any of the tasks she’s completed in the past day. But despite those things, her stance is firm as names and faces flash in her mind. She doesn’t realize she’s saying them out loud until she peels her eyes open to see the various degrees of surprise written across the faces of the crowd.

John looks to the room as if in challenge before announcing to them all. “Commander Emori.”

She’s often thought that her name felt empty without a following clan title, but she’s always liked the way John says her name.

“One of you sound the horn,” John orders. “Let the people know they have a Commander.”

A man at the edge of the group begins to move, but doesn’t make it to the balcony before a new arrival breaks through the gathering.

“Not so fast,” says a strong square man, pushing his way past people.

“Roan wait!” Clarke calls out, only to be ignored, as is Echo who seems to say something sounding a lot like “My liege!”

“The pair of you are frauds!” Roan calls out, his finger and glare accusatory. “That man is a skaikru imposter and the girl is nothing but a frikdriena!”

Actual gasps of shock rumble through the room, but no one yet makes a move for a weapon. Confusion setting in first.

“You might think you’re so smart, using your little boat to hide away all these years, but you couldn’t even shake a tail. It just makes obvious what you are. A coward and a stain.”

“Back up,” John growls even if he can’t hold a candle to Roan in terms of intimidation. The man turns his focus to him instead.

“You have big talk for a dirty rat.”

“King Roan,” that’s Echo by his side now, her hand on his shoulder a gesture made to pull him away. “Even if what you say is true, Ontari’s dead. She’s the true Commander now, we all saw.”

“Don’t make me question your loyalty to Nia’s ideals, Echo,” Roan says. Without even a glance to accompany his words, Echo’s arm drops and she takes a step back.

“I question your loyalty to your mother’s lust for power when she had you banished,” Emori counters, the knowledge pressing on her without warning, like a headache. Roan flinches ever so slightly at the words.

“Fine,” he says, “You’ll get your peace for now. But I’ll never accept a stained Commander.”

Emori blinks with utter boredom. It’s funny how this man thinks she will crumple to insults now after hearing them her whole life.

He storms out of the throne room after that, followed by at least half of those gathered. Clarke looks intimidated by their leaving, the gears in her mind clearly turning, but their exit is undermined by the bellow of the trumpet, reverberating through the streets of Polis.

Emori doesn’t care much either way, it’s not like she’s planning on staying Commander for long.

“You know I was actually expecting that to go a lot worse,” John says, offers her a tired and funny smile. She caves and reaches out to hold his hand.

“It did,” Bellamy says, his face more pale than can be natural. In his right hand he holds his radio, wrist shaking as he presses down a button. “Raven, tell them what you told me.” His eyes are afraid as they survey the room, and a pit drops in Emori’s stomach as the crackle of a voice makes an announcement.

“There’s a wave of radiation coming. We’re all going to die in six months.”

#emori #emori kom spacekru #memori #john murphy #the 100 #memorific #dailymemori #a writing tag

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powerofkings · 5 years

Text

Stumbling into Dawn | Holiday Drabble

Here you go @darkpuck have a Christmas present of a drabble with, quite a few of our muses actually!

Silencia felt the dawn king step into his power, and felt him turn, refusing to surrender to death, swallowing it down, striding up into the sun and-

Death relented for him, in the few seconds of his ascension, and in that time his thousand sunlit hands reached into the void and plucked as many of those that had died for this, for all of it, as he could. All of his anscestors that wished to, the strongest of the Lucii that had kept their watch, many of them slipped out as he held the door open.

Silencia was one of them. As a ghost she'd courted Temai again through ten years of darkness, protectin children. And now, she slid back into a mortal shape almost nonchalantly. Her new body only a few years older than Temai's.

“You know, sweetheart,” she said casually, plopping into a chair beside the younger woman, that was staring. “Sun's rising and all that, and I know it's been a while since you've seen the sun. But ah. Have you considered maybe waiting to head outside. I'm not sure about you, but I haven't touched the love of my life with these hands in a few hundred years. It took me a while to come home to her, you see. And I miss the sun too, but I thought a reunion might be in order?”

She sounded confident, she always did, but there was a trace of almost shyness in the rogue queen's voice.

Elsewhere, a woman who'd conquered half the world once found herself suddenly seated beside three children. She'd stretched her spirit to near tatters keeping track of them. “I'm fairly sure I know where your father will return, young ones,” Claritas told them, they'd caught half glimpses of her spirit shouting warnings for the last ten years as they grew up, as they decided to be glaives. “Time to go back to Insomnia before the lovely man starts combing the world for you.”

Tonitrus laughed joyously, sliding out into the world and clapping the gasping redheaded smith on the back. “Deep breaths little one, I think this journey is hard on many of you. Show an example for this sweet girl,” he encouraged Tredd, gesturing to the small redheaded girl that had crossed the veil with them. Noctis was a good young man, he had grasped as many children as he could.

Itero darted through the crowd and found her, no. Him. In this life, him. The beautiful tenor Sonitus, reaching out to grasp the shreds of light and power that still hung in the air, and approaching him out of nowhere. “Harbinger, your throat, please. Hurry, before our bodies are too set. I think I can help,” he said, not caring that he'd rushed from the veil so fast he hadn't imagined much more than a pair of pants. His hands glowed with strange waves of light, powers half Leviathan and Auroran, he swallowed, putting on as charming smile as he could. “And I'd really appreciate it if this time you didn't push me into the harbor after.”

Clarus and Regis both slammed back into the world, one hand each on Odin's shoulder, Regis blinking owlishly and Clarus standing tall, holding both the younger men up. Though he realized they looked at least a decade or so younger themseles. Which was nice, he supposed. “Ah. Lord and Lady Njordsson,” he greeted the two twins, who'd trained guns on them and then abruptly froze. “As you may notice from the dawn, some things have changed. Regis was of course rather eager to be reunited with his son, but he was far more eager to see young Odin again, and to return your husband to you of course, my Lady. But still, if we could begin making way for Insomnia,” the Shield said, dignified.

“Also, it's a great pleasure to meet both of you,” he said, polite.

A man that'd been named death, once, stood beside Brillig, younger than her, for once. Maybe twenty, and looked out over th city he'd never served particularly well, after her. He pulled out a cigarette, and took a long drag of it. “It's going to take a bit of rebuilding. But we'll get the old girl back into shape. I suppose I always did find architecture appealing, I suppose I'll get some hands on experience, this time.”

Themis, once called the Just, held herself poised, one hand around the massive former traitor's throat pinning Titus Drautos to the ground, the other gently cradling Luche's hand. She smiled. “I have no obligations, in this new life, Gentlemen. And we are going to do this right. Though I suggest, perhaps, we do it somewhere rather far from Insomnia. If we are even near Insomnia. I'm not quite sure where I dragged us out,” she said, primly, smiling up at the dawn.

#darkpuck #drabble #holiday drabble

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ardensaltius · 6 years

Note

Her face is definately pressed against the glass of the coffee shop. "Can I pet your dog?!" - Persephone! Luna (hehehehe had to)

Titus hadn’t been back in the living world in two years. He’d felt like he was growing into his role for most of his life, slowly stepping into it. Finally finding his way to the Underworld.

His new kingdom.

He didn’t seek out many other of the newborn divinities. Just those few that found themselves connected to the dead. A few run ins here and there. Ceberus was one of the few divine creatures he’d met that wasn’t human, though, and he liked his company. Wanted to give him more experience in the world.

Even so. He felt something about the woman in the glass, blinking as he arched his eyebrow. Cerberus lifted all three heads, but didn’t get up, watching her intently beneath the glamer that shielded him from mortal eyes. Titus just arched his eyebrow at the beautiful younger woman, and nodded.

“If you like.”

#calamumincharta #walking myths #excelllent #crowe plays titus

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mandakatt · 6 years

Text

Moments of Comfort - FFXV

A/N: Just a moment of comfort - just something to help you [and myself] get through the day.

Noctis: “Hey,” he reaches up, brushing your hair out of your eyes to look at you before he blushed a little, then reaches back, rubbing the back of his head. “I’m not the best with words but…you’re not alone, okay?”

Ignis: “I am not here to coddle you Darling,” a faint smile pulls at the corner of his mouth as he gently reaches up, petting a lock of your hair back behind your ear. “I am here for you however, in any way you desire it.”

Gladio: “Hey babe,” he frowns a little then dips his head, lightly kissing your cheek before he gently nuzzles his scruff against you, causing you to laugh a little. “Remember, I’m your shield too.”

Prompto: “A-ah,” he bit his lower lip a moment before he surged forward then wrapped you up in a hug from behind, resting his chin on your shoulder. “It’s ok to be sad, believe me, I’ve been there, but you’re not alone. Never alone. I promise.”

Cor: Gently rests his hand on top of your head, petting fingers down the back of it as he pulled you to him, letting you fall against his chest. “I’ve got you sweetheart…”

Dino: Hums softly a moment before giving you a gentle smile, and gently slings his arm over your shoulders. “Sometimes, things just have to be shit, before they get better, but just remember, your ol’ pal Dino is here for ya, alright?”

Ravus: “I do not know the words to make you feel better,” he gently takes your hand in his, and rests his Magitek hand over yours. “But do know that I am here for you should you wish to talk.”

Clarus: “My darling,” he rumbles softly, pulling you gently to his chest as he pets a hand over the back of your head, and buries his nose into your hair. “Come now, I’m here. It’s alright.”

Regis: “Shh, my dear, it’s alright,” he gently brushes his lips against your forehead, his beard tickling your nose. “Allow your King to comfort you for a time...Will you?”

Nyx: “What’s got you so down, Princess?” he gently presses his finger against your chin, lifting your face to look up at him, he smiles at you gently then dips his head, kissing your nose softly.

Pelna: “I don’t like not seeing you smile,” he gently pulls you to him, pressing his lips softly against your forehead before he gently cards his fingers through your hair. “Don’t forget, I’m here.”

Tredd: “Tredd knows exactly what you need.” you frown, expecting him to do something very Tredd like and you brace yourself for it, only to be surprised as he grabs your wrist, pulling you off somewhere out of sight. Once alone, he just pulls you against his chest, and gently holds you there. “Just…shut up.”

Luche: You heard him click his tongue softly as he pulled you flush up against his chest, a smirk pulling up the corner of his mouth as you gasped in surprise before he dipped his head, brushing his lips against your cheek, then up to your ear. “You can hide in my arms, if you want for awhile.”

Titus: “Hmm…” he threaded his fingers up into your hair, and pulled you into his chest. You blinked in surprise and squirmed a moment. “Shh.” when you stilled he gently massages his fingers against your scalp, as he presses his nose into your hair.

Tagging: @momokitty27 @major-artery @blossattic @kayterschmater @kairakara101 @fieryfantasy @itshaejinju @lazarustrashpit @its-like-i-never-made-a-sound @indigochocobo @vaporwraithing @crowncitizens @mysukisilentdeath @whimsyofthewind @themissimmortal @catierambles @mp938368

#final fantasy 15 #final fantasy xv #noctis lucis caelum #ignis scientia #gladiolus amicitia #prompto argentum #cor leonis #dino ghiranze #ravus nox fleuret #clarus amicitia #regis lucis caelum #nyx ulric #pelna khara #tredd furia #luche lazarus #titus drautos #moment of comfort #meraki

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callunavulgari · 6 years

Text

Scrapbook 2018 - Pt. II

Second part of the scrapbook for 2018. A reminder, for myself and others-

Italicized titles - enjoyed quite a bit | bold titles - love | titles with an asterisk* - all time favorites | (bracketed titles) - re-watches/re-reads | strikethough - dislike

Goals are: read forty-five new books this year (34 so far!), finish six video games (2 so far!), write either 30 fics or 70k total, finish the damn Sabriel AU (not so much), and write something original.

MOVIES

June

Solo

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women

(Coco)

(The Lost Boys)

(Road to El Dorado)

(Avatar)

The Philadelphia Story

Singin’ In The Rain

Incredibles 2

Funny Girl

High Society

Blade Runner 2049

Moonlight

Ocean’s 8

July

Ant Man and the Wasp

Lego Batman Movie

Good Morning Vietnam

Mary and the Witch’s Flower

(Coraline)

August

(Hercules)

(Wonder Woman)

(Coraline)

Flavors of Youth

September

(Song of the Sea)

The Losers

The Greatest Showman

October

(Jurassic Park)

(LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring)

November

(V For Vendetta)\

(Serenity)

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

December

Wreck It Ralph 2

(Howl’s Moving Castle)

Ready Player One

Home Alone 2

BOOKS

June

The Stand | Stephen King

Think of England | K.J. Charles [Fin]

Reincarnation Blues | Michael Poore [Fin]

Voyage of the Basilisk | Marie Brennan [Fin]

Wishful Drinking | Carrie Fisher [Fin]

(Captive Prince | C.S. Pacat) [Fin]

(Prince’s Gambit | C.S. Pacat) [Fin]

(King’s Rising | C.S. Pacat) [Fin]

The Fifth Season | N.K. Jesmin [Fin]

The Power | Naomi Alderman [Fin]

July

The Stand | Stephen King [Fin]

King of Attolia | Megan Whalen Turner [Fin]

Conspiracy of Kings | Megan Whalen Turner [Fin]

The Ocean at the End of the Lane | Neil Gaiman [Fin]

Postcards From the Edge | Carrie Fisher [Fin]

A Closed and Common Orbit | Becky Chambers [Fin]

The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 1 | Kieron Gillen [Fin]

The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 2 | Kieron Gillen [Fin]

The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 3 | Kieron Gillen [Fin]

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street | Natasha Pulley [Fin]

Half Bad | Sally Green [Fin]

Spinning Silver | Naomi Novak [Fin]***

(Uprooted)** [Fin]

The Bedlam Stacks | Natasha Pulley [Fin]

If We Were Villains | M.L. Rio [Fin]

Circe | Madelline Miller [Fin]

Lord of the Flies | William Golding [Fin]

The Goldfinch | Donna Tartt

The Obelisk Gate | N.K. Jesmin [Fin]

(His Majesty’s Dragon | Naomi Novak)

August

The Goldfinch | Donna Tartt [Fin]

(His Majesty’s Dragon | Naomi Novak) [Fin]

Pachinko | Min Jin Lee [Fin]

The Cruel Prince | Holly Black [Fin]

Thick As Thieves | Megan Whalen Turner [Fin]

The Language of Thorns | Leigh Bardugo [Fin]

Salt Magic, Skin Magic | Lee Welch [Fin]

Red Queen | Victoria Aveyard [Fin]

Record of a Spaceborn Few | Becky Chambers [Fin]

The Labyrinth of Drakes | Marie Brennan [Fin]

The Stone Sky | N.K. Jesmin

Luck In The Shadows | Lynn Flewelling

September

The Stone Sky | N.K. Jesmin [Fin]

Luck In The Shadows | Lynn Flewelling [Fin]

Stalking Darkness | Lynn Flewelling [Fin]

Within the Sanctuary of Wings | Marie Brennan [Fin]

Traitor’s Moon | Lynn Flewelling [Fin]

Shadow’s Return | Lynn Flewelling [Fin]

When Breath Becomes Air | Paul Kalanithi

The White Road | Lynn Flewelling [Fin]

Casket of Souls | Lynn Flewelling [Fin]

Shards of Time | Lynn Flewelling [Fin]

The Name of the Wind | Patrick Rothfuss

October

The Name of the Wind | Patrick Rothfuss [Fin]

When Breath Becomes Air | Paul Kalanithi [Fin]

Little Fires Everywhere | Celeste Ng [Fin]

Titus Groan | Meryn Peake [DNF]

The Fellowship of the Ring | J.R.R. Tolkien

Howl’s Moving Castle | Diana Wyyne Jones

The Wise Man’s Fear | Patrick Rothfuss

November

The Fellowship of the Ring | J.R.R. Tolkien [Fin]

Howl’s Moving Castle | Diana Wyyne Jones

The Wise Man’s Fear | Patrick Rothfuss [Fin]

December

Howl’s Moving Castle | Diana Wyyne Jones [Fin]

Ender’s Game | Orson Scott Card

The Poppy War | R.F. Kuang

PODCASTS

June

Wolf 359 (Eps 49-61) FIN

The Bright Sessions (56 - Finale) FIN

Penumbra Podcast (1-32)

Alice Isn’t Dead (5-6)

July

Penumbra Podcast (32)

August

Penumbra Podcast (ALL OF IT)

September

EOS 10 (Rewatch of s1 & 2, then 1-5 of s3)

Welcome to Night Vale (1-26)

October

EOS 10 (s3; eps 5-FINALE, bonus episode)

Welcome to Night Vale (26)

November

Welcome to Night Vale (26-29)

Wolf 359 RELISTEN (1-34)

Penumbra Podcast (Juno Steel and the Long Way Home pt 1-2)

TANIS 1

December

Wolf 359 RELISTEN (34-62)

TV SHOWS BY SEASON

June

Westworld s2

Legion s2

The Flash s4

Siren s1

Sense8 Series Finale*****

Black Mirror

Voltron s6

July

The Bold Type s1

Anne With An E s1

Black Mirror

Big Mouth

August

Anne With An E s2

Legion s2

The Flash s4

Voltron s7

San Clarita Diet

Jeff Jeffries

September

American Horror Story: Apocalypse

Killing Eve

The Dragon Prince

Castlevania

October

American Horror Story: Apocalypse

Killing Eve

The Haunting of Hill House

The Good Place s2

Castlevania s2

November

The Good Place s2

Castlevania s2

American Horror Story: Apocalypse

Killing Eve

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

She Ra s1

December

(Dead Like Me)

(Buffy the Vampire Slayer s4)

VIDEO GAMES

June

Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone DLC - 2 hrs

Song of the Deep

(Final Fantasy 15) - 30 hrs

July

Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone DLC - 2 hrs

SOMA [Fin]

(Kingdom Hearts Final Mix) - 34 hrs [Fin]

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days - Remix [Fin]

(Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix) - 40 hrs

August

(Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix) - 40 hrs [Fin]

Kingdom Hearts BBS, Terra - 20 hrs [Fin]

Kingdom Hearts BBS, Ven - 5 hrs

Prey, M Morgan - 30 hrs [Fin]

Prey, F Morgan - 6 hrs

September

(Final Fantasy 15) - 100 hrs

Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone DLC - 6 hrs

October

(Final Fantasy 15) - 100 hrs

Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone DLC - 6 hrs

Kingdom Hearts BBS, Ven - 12 hrs [Fin]

Kingdom Hearts BBS, Aqua - 5 hrs

November

Kingdom Hearts BBS, Aqua - 5 hrs

Pokemon Go?

December

Pokemon Moon (34 hrs, Ghost trial?)

Pokemon Go

(Kingdom Hearts: DDD - La Cite de Cloches, 5 hrs?)

Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee

Detroit: Become Human

DELIGHTFUL FIC

June

take the stage and deliver by mothwrites | Wolf 359 | Jacobi/Kepler | 3k | “Why me?” Jacobi asked.“You’re just his type,” Cutter said. “He’ll never see it coming.”

push to the limit by gortysproject | Wolf 359 | Jacobi/Kepler | 10k | five times kepler asks too much of jacobi, and one time jacobi can't pull through for him.

you be the motor, I'll be the gasoline by crookedfingers | Wolf 359 | Jacobi/Kepler | 5k | The hold music begins before Jacobi can finish his sentence. He blinks at the far wall and then glances at a clock. He’ll give it thirty seconds before he hangs up.Then the music stops jarringly mid-note and someone says, “Thank you so much for your patience. I understand that you’re seeking career opportunities with Goddard Futuristics.”

life 2.0 by goldtreesilvertree, mothwrites | Wolf 359 | Jacobi/Eiffel | 5k | "Alright... Daniel. Why are we having a movie night?" Minkowski never seemed the type to be into movie nights, and Hera probably doesn't get the point. He's beginning to get the feeling this will be the first movie night Eiffel 2.0 is going to remember, and he doesn't know if that's a good thing."Because," Daniel says, passing him a DVD so he has to get up again, "I really want to watch this, and my usual movie-buddy is dead. My backup movie-buddy is also dead. Any further questions?"

'til your heart goes numb by LuckyDiceKirby | The Bright Sessions | Mark/Damien | 1k | Instead of going out and getting drunk with Rose, Mark goes for a drive.

black sheep and mischief by grim_lupine | Thor | Thor & Loki | 3k | A bird alights on Thor’s shoulder and pecks his cheek twice, hard enough to make him wince.“What are you doing?” it warbles in his ear.“Wondering what my brother is doing up at this hour, little bird,” Thor replies. “Will you go ask him for me?”

(Lines on Palms by Fahye | Captive Prince | Damen/Laurent | 35k | "You're lying," Damen says. "You walked into Akielos and stole something from me.")**

On Tilt by 13th_blackbird | Solo | Han/Lando | 3k | “You want to play?” Han says, nodding at the cards, before he can think better of it. “Or are you just showing off?”

tell me, get my shit together by paperclipbitch | Solo | Han/Lando | 5k | “I thought we were actively avoiding each other after the Trandosha Shitshow,” Han says.“We’re actively avoiding each other after the Iridonia Shitshow,” Lando corrects him, “the Trandosha Shitshow is That Which We Do Not Speak Of.”

Make Me Feel by Copper_Nails (Her_Madjesty) | Solo | Han/Lando | 2k | Winning the Falcon back is supposed to fill the empty space beneath his ribs. Han told himself this the whole way to Lando, tells it to himself again, now: it’s immensely satisfying to stare up at the ship’s sleek (battered) lines, so he can stop thinking about Crimson Dawn, thanks; can stop thinking about Beckett on the cliffside and Qi’ra, fading like a star in the morning.

Proving It by sailingonstardust | Solo | Han/Lando | 1.5k | “You know,” Lando interrupts Han in the middle of a story about a seedy club and two twi’leks, “you can talk, and talk, and talk, but I don’t believe half the things you’re saying for even a second.”

one night on the falcon by topaz | Solo | Han/Lando | 3k | If Han was the kind of guy who thought about things like this, the idea of fucking Lando Calrissian in the ship he'd used to own would have fallen somewhere on the Cool side of the prospective ideas spectrum, probably shading to the Not really likely to happen but still fun to think about group.

A Cornstalk Fiddle by notbecauseofvictories | Devil Went Down to Georgia | Devil/Johnny | 9k+ | Where Johnny goes, the Devil follows; where Johnny goes, the Devil is already there.

The Beginning After the End by notbecauseofvictories | Star Wars | Padme & Obi-Wan | 7k | Padmé wakes to the back of Obi-Wan’s head, his hair mussed and his arms spread, outstretched over her knees as though to shield her from all that would come.

( Stargazers by Ruby_Wednesday | Captive Prince | Laurent/Damen | 90k | Five years after the Truce of Marlas, Damen and Laurent meet again in Delpha. They're forced to work together to soothe the growing tension between their countries. But Laurent does not forgive easily and Damen's not that sorry.)

( One the Other by Ruby_Wednesday | Captive Prince | Laurent/Damen | 200k | Marlas goes badly for Damen. He goes back to Ios with Laurent as his reluctant ward.)

July

Any More Obvious by idiopathicsmile | Les Mis | Eponine/Cosette | 2k | “Look, folks,” says Musichetta, ten minutes from the end of cheer practice, “we have an audience. A spooky audience.”

speak in tongues by SpineAndSpite | Yuri On Ice | Yuri/Otabek | 7k | The last time Yuri went sightseeing with Otabek it had been the middle of winter, and he only had breath to contemplate the speed of the bike and the warmth of Otabek through his jacket. A crowded bus is a far cry, but he still has the same feeling of displacement--of not knowing what will happen next.

cherry pie by brawlite, ToAStranger | Stranger Things | Billy/Steve | 133k | Billy Hargrove lives for summer. Endless sunshine, heavily chlorinated pools, roaming ice cream trucks, and unencumbered freedom? There’s nothing better.**

(you hate me) cause i got what you need by brawlite, ToAStranger | Stranger Things | Billy/Steve | 6k | “You smell like coconuts,” Billy murmurs. “Like the ocean, too.”

Draconia by perceived_nobility | The Bright Sessions | Damien/Mark | 4k | "So I was driving. One ex wife and one ex husband later, stopping at the same fucking gas stations you and I stopped at."

untalked of and unseen by prouvairing | If We Were Villains | James/Oliver | 5k | Four times Oliver and James slept together, and one time they didn’t. Not exactly in that order.

Swipe right by mee4ever | HP | Draco/Harry | 2k | Or then one where Harry swipes right, and it turns out Draco does too.

The Truth by mee4ever | HP | Draco/Harry | 4k | Or the one where Harry is too bloody thick to see the truth, even when it's staring him in the face.

August

Victory Condition by astolat | Transformers | Megatron/Optimus | 39k | “Do you want me to tell you a story?” Megatron said mockingly. “You won’t like it, Prime. It’s not a very nice one.”

chases, escapes, true love, miracles by pepperfield | The Flash | Cisco/Harry | 55k | Just because the timeline has been restored, doesn't mean things are back to normal. Cisco's got 99 problems, and Harry Wells is approximately 38 of them.

Turn by Ever-so-reylo (Ever_So_Reylo) | Star Wars | Reylo | 9k | I would kill for you, he thinks at her, inside her, and this is the result of what they just did, the culmination of all of their history together. I would destroy the entire galaxy for this.

You should see the things we do by Ever-so-reylo (Ever_So_Reylo) | SW | Reylo | 13k | “Maybe Ben will come home from his business trip and bend me over the nearest piece of furniture and fuck me hard and fast.”

Your Pretty Little Heart by Ever-so-reylo (Ever_So_Reylo) | SW | Reylo | 64k | “Good. Good little Omega.” He says the words against her gland, almost sweetly, and Rey—Rey is going to die. A wonderful, delicious death. Depraved, all of this. Filthy. Beautiful.

✓✓ Read by Boyue | South Park | Kyle/Stan | 65k | AKA how Stan Marsh met Kyle Broflovski through a dick pic mishap.

Pretend There Is No Wreck by LuckyDiceKirby | The Flash | Harrisco | 11k | Cisco and Harry figure out how to not kill each other, and also maybe how to talk about their feelings.

the cure by aquaexplicit | The Flash | Harrisco | 43k | “I guess I don’t really get what you need to fix? Harrison Wells is a hot, rich genius that pays you to make cool stuff with his daughter and is totally into you. If you guys boning is the biggest problem you have, I think this officially qualifies as your best relationship ever.”

and everything nice by perzimon | Voltron | Sheith | 5k | when he's beautiful and you love him but he can't make toast, the fic

hello, i love you, won't you tell me your name by perzimon | Voltron | Sheith | 12k | Keith's human enough to have wisdom teeth and unlucky enough to need them extracted. The team despairs.

Unexpected Developments by mific | SGA | McShep | 14k | Detective John Sheppard after Vegas (S5E19). His near-fatal wound's slowly healing and he's got his old job back, but then someone turns up unexpectedly who's a greater mystery than any of the cases on John's desk, and John has to make some hard choices.

teach me something new by tagteamme | Voltron | Sheith | 64k | Keith and Lance accidentally get into trouble. Shiro is the TA that has to Deal With It™.

to go, to follow, to kneel at your feet by arahir | Voltron | Sheith | 12k | They think it will be funny to leave him with a Galra in heat.

called out your name (but it was too late) by arahir | Voltron | Sheith, Griffin/Keith | 5k | Walk into the Garrison like—wait, what the fuck, is that Keith? Or: an old classmate watches Keith fall in love with someone else.

To Consummate is to Burn by the_glow_worm | Spinning Silver | Miryem/The Staryk | 6k | Miryem, the Staryk, and their wedding night.

The Time-Traveller's Portion by PutItBriefly | Pride & Prejudice | Elizabeth/Darcy | 7k | Darcy always knew she was to be his wife. He just didn't know she was poor.

September

songs about love by sarahyyy | YOI | Yuri/Otabek | 8k | In the embedded Instagram photo just under that subheading, a very grumpy Yuri is cuddling a very grumpy-looking cat. The caption reads: I found the cat version of me at the shelter today. #iknowisaidnomorecats #canyoublameme

Between the Lines by Dementordelta | Harry Potter | Snarry | 22k | Harry discovers a secret in his Potions text and a friend in the Half-Blood Prince.

More Than Gravity by JenTheSweetie | Marvel | Stony | 20k | “Aw, time travel, no.”On Christmas Eve, Tony came unstuck in time.

Of an Arcane Binding by Salvia_G | The Hobbit | Thilbo | 44k | An inexplicable magic ties Bilbo Baggins, hobbit of the Shire, to Thorin, dwarven prince of Erebor.

Back and Forth by kiyala | Yuri On Ice | Yuri/Otabek | 4k | Yuri convinces Otabek to get snapchat, just to send selfies of himself making faces at Victor and Yuuri. He gets more than he expected.

your tongue is sharp, but i miss the taste of it by thecopperkid | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 7k | Billy had one job -- don't take off the scarf. / Science is probably not Steve's strong suit, but he's really trying to make sense of why Billy's suddenly found him so appealing.

Things Already Said by balloonwhisk | The Bright Sessions | Damien/Mark | 4k | Damien gets a not entirely unwelcome early morning surprise.

Wreak Havoc by myfandomsareinfinite | EOS 10 | Ryan/Akmazian | 8k | Five Times Ryan Dalias Saved Akmazian's Life (Sort of) and One Time Akmazian Saved Ryan's (Sort Of).

you will see what it is to be overcome by magneticwave | Star Trek | Spirk | 10k | What kind of an idiot would try to explain magic to a Vulcan.

Bloody Ruin by esama | Castlevania | Alucard/Trevor | 37k | Vampire hunter and a vampire try to get along.

Minus 1 by Ever-so-reylo (Ever_So_Reylo) | Star Wars | Reylo | 6k | The text—'What’s up, daddy?'—was originally intended for Finn.

Paint it, red by CeruleanHeart | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 3k | " That's a pretty color..." Billy repeated and stepped closer, crowding Steve against the door "... for a pretty boy."

October

a road less traveled and a life less led by Azzandra | Dishonored | Gen, Outsider & Billie | 9k | She took him out of the Void, as promised.And then she kept him, she supposed.

Changing the Sound of Your Name by Agrotera | Dishonored | Outsider/Corvo | 14k | It was the first thing she said to him when they stumbled out of the Void. You’re going to need a name. Emerging from the dark into what promised to be a lifetime of questions impossible to answer, and she broached the hardest one first.

if the end comes (don't let us hear it) by Kandakicksass | Dishonored | Outsider/Corvo | 5k | "He comes in like a ghost in the fall of 1854."

Work of All Saints by antistar_e (kaikamahine) | Coco | Hector/Imelda/Ernesto | 210k | Imelda Rivera (b. 1899 - d. 1969), a story that includes but is not limited to: the finest music school this side of the Santo Domingo, three traveling musicians and the mess they made of love, the twice-cursed assassination of Venustiano Carranza, all the patron saints, and ninety-six ways a man can try to cross a bridge.**

Traveling Far by astolat | GOT | Jaime/Brienne | 24k | Three weeks into their delightful slog across Westeros, during yet another charming day of shitting in the woods, eating half-raw squirrel, and trudging his feet bloody, the single most dour and uninteresting woman Jaime had ever met in all of Westeros stopped in the middle of a field, drew a deep breath, and said, “When I was seven, my aunt came to visit with her son. My father told me that as the daughter of the house, it was my duty to show hospitality to my guests and to be gracious to them. I wanted to make him proud. So for three weeks, I let my cousin follow me around and talk to me about spiders.”

insert baseball pun here by hoppnhorn | Stranger Things | Billy/Steve | 6k | He’s considering taking up smoking again if it keeps him from trying to pick up Steve in the middle of the office. That’s really the last thing that he needs to do, start fucking around with someone he works with. He had sex with a coworker one time back in college when he worked at some shitty deli and that had devolved into his manhood being threatened with a meat slicer.

Regrowth by moogle62 | Uprooted | Agnieszka/The Dragon | 1k | Agnieszka’s wood-green cottage stands waiting for her when she leads Sarkan carefully by the hand back home. They wind through the trees together and only she does not flinch at the stray touch of branches. The Wood has known her too completely, now, for her to mistake friend for foe.

I just met you (and this is crazy) by littlesystems | Captain America | Steve/Bucky | 41k | After Steve gets outed by a grainy cell phone picture, it takes the media less than 24 hours to discover Captain America’s secret relationship with James Barnes: classical musician, teen heartthrob, and son of a former president.The only problem? Steve has never met James Barnes in his life.

will you chew until it bleeds? by brawlite | Venom | Venom/Eddie | 7k | Venom drags Eddie into a seedy club out of sheer curiosity. Trying to make the most of a night he didn't choose for himself, Eddie tries to get laid. Instead, he gets mugged. Afterwards, Venom doesn't let Eddie feel too disappointed about the missed opportunity.

devil's backbone by starscry | Castlevania | Alucard/Trevor Belmont | 3k | “Come, now. I’ve seen you stalking around, pent up like a bitch in heat. You’re quite high-strung; it’s beginning to wear on the others, me included,” the vampire drawls. His sharp eyes find Trevor’s, narrowing slyly. “You need a good fuck.”

Steam and Skin by LuciferianRising | Castlevania | Alucard/Trevor | 5k | He wanted to spare Sypha the horror of having to share a bath with either of them, but Trevor never imagined choosing to share it with Alucard would lead to this. He's not exactly complaining, however.

November

when the devil comes to plea (he'll be running quicker than you've ever seen) by Hornswaggler | EOS 10 | Ryan/Akmazian | 3k | Akmazian runs with some pretty shady people. Akmazian is a pretty shady person. Now the Destroyer of Stars has developed something of a soft spot. Not all of his employees approve.

like it's supposed to by Hornswaggler | EOS 10 | Ryan/Akmazian | 2k | Ryan is consistently busy. Luckily for him, that means he's consistently distracted from things he'd really rather not think about.Unluckily for him, he's apparently not too busy for impromptu visits from one of the most wanted men in the system.

a lesson in cartography by novembersmith | Uprooted | Agnieska/Sarkan | 7k | “I will never cease to be amazed at your unequaled talent for creating chaos out of the simplest components. You were meant to be scrying and map-making. What were you doing?”

heart on a string by jilliancares | She-Ra | Adora/Catra | A good Force Captain would do a lot of things that Catra wouldn’t, like not pulling their punches when fighting Adora and not sneaking into Castle Bright Moon for anything less than evil purposes. Unfortunately, Catra wasn’t a very good Force Captain, despite striving all her life to become one.No, everything had changed when Adora wandered into the stupid Whispering Woods to find a moral compass. Little did she know she was dragging Catra’s heart on a string behind her.

December

Aia ke ola i Motunui by asteriae | Moana | Moana/Maui | 25k | The trouble with saving the world and returning home a hero with a demigod by your side, is it really scares off potential suitors.

lilies of the valley (cover me with kisses, make my garden grow) by diasterisms | Star Wars | Reylo | 8k | Every girl is entitled to the mistake. That one colossal fuck-up that permanently alters the terrain of who you are. You'll either learn from it or you won't, so might as well have the time of your life.

Astronomical Odds by xzombiexkittenx for Cinnamaldeide | Hannibal | Hannigram | 2.5k | Picked up a hitchhiker last night. He said, “Thanks! how do you know I’m not a serial killer though?” I replied, “The chances of two serial killers being in the same car are astronomical.”

meet me in the woods tonight by brawlite, ToAStranger | Stranger Things | Billy/Steve | 86k | There’s something in the woods of Hawkins, Indiana.

Notes of Noy, Notes of Joy by pendrecarc | Spinning Silver | Miryem/The Staryk | 5k | "I might wander ten thousand years in the goblin depths and never find a way out again...."Miryem descends into the depths with no more than a dagger in her hand, a mirror about her neck, and a song in her heart to bring her husband out again.

if you don't like the company, let's just do it you and me by hoppnhorn, thecopperkid | Stranger Things | Billy/Steve | 9k | “Stevie, Stevie, Stevie,” Billy tuts, and it’s nearly sickening, too fucking good, the way he looks like he can think of nothing better than digging his teeth into Steve Harrington. “Look at you. What’re we gonna do with you, huh? Tell me what you want, pretty boy.”

B-Sides by notbecauseofvictories | Devil Went Down to Georgia | The Devil/Johnny | 5k | All the tunes that didn't make the cut.

DELIGHTFUL FANVIDS

June

Steve Rogers | Elegy

Lucifer | Heaven's Door

in my veins | keith

[𝙺𝙻𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴] WAVES

Voltron | Rise

VOLTRON || H O M E || Season 6

Eleven || I'm this way because of you

July

Tenth Doctor | Reminiscence

Lucifer | Heaven's Door

Marvel || Where are you now? (Faded)

Stranger Things | Heroes

What if THOR RAGNAROK had an anime opening?

August

the maze [multifandom]

Gilbert Blythe || The last, the only

K E I T H // "I won't quit" (6x07)

(Marvel) Avengers | Sacrifice

sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴏʀ (ᴇᴘɪᴄ) // {Voltron AMV} ᴍᴀᴊᴏʀ sᴇᴀsᴏɴ 𝟼 sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀs

Voltron | Rise (Season 6)

sᴏʟᴅɪᴇʀ // {Voltron AMV} ᴍᴀᴊᴏʀ sᴇᴀsᴏɴ 𝟼 sᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀs

Marvel | We Will Rock You

infinity war || bleeding heart

How Far We've Come - Voltron AMV (s1-s6)

Kylo Ren | Look What You Made Me Do

Way Down We Go｜Detroit: Become Human

Loki // Hustler

Born ready [VOLTRON]

You could be h̶a̶p̶p̶y̶ and I won't know

ʜᴏᴡ ғᴀʀ ᴡᴇ'ᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ

voltron s7 | home

VOLTRON || FIX YOU || Season 7

almost everything;

Infinity War || Flesh and Bone

Broken People || Avengers Infinity War

September

Marvel || Death is not the End

Blood//Water || Voltron Legendary Defender

The Wolf|Voltron| AMV

Harry Potter || Across this New Divide

► I Like Me Better

Game of Thrones | Flesh and Bone [6K]

October

The Byers || We can fix it, together

Legion || The World Killer

Infinity War || Violet Hill

Mike & Eleven || Out of the darkness

My Hero Academia「AMV」|| You Can Become A Hero

MARVEL || Stronger [The Score]

Peter + Roman | he hurt you

peter & roman | animals

November

N/A

December

Excelsior, Stan Lee

[Catradora] ＴｈｅＥｎｅｍｙ

Avengers: Endgame - (Logan Style)

2018 --Trailers Mashup

X Ambassadors - UNSTEADY | Official Dance Video #LoveisLove

2018 Movie Trailer Mashup

just a machine? [Detroit: Become Human] *HBD Pteryx*

who are you? | Connor | Detroit: Become Human

Detroit: Become Human || Paralyzed

DELIGHTFUL MUSIC

June

Emeli Sande - Daddy

EMPIRES Hello Lover

Stupid | Brendan Maclean

Chaos Chaos - Do You Feel It?

GHITA - Mindfvck

Olivia O'Brien - Fuck Feelings

gnash - i hate u, i love u ft. olivia o'brien

Paradise Valley | Honey and the Sting

Hidden Citizens - Hazy Shade of Winter

Attila the King | Nick Glennie-Smith

Lawless - Crossing Over (feat. IO Echo)

Is This the End | Joseph William Morgan

Man or a Monster | Sam Tinnesz(feat. Zayde Wølf)

EXPERIENCE - LUDOVICO EINAUDI

Nothing Matters When We’re Dancing, Sense8 Remix ft Zoe Wise

Moonlight End Credits | Nicholas Britell

July

Ori and the Blind Forest Soundtrack

Little Sadie - Crooked Still

That Feeling When - Dagny

Asylums for the Feeling - Silent Poets

Starboy - The Weeknd

Lash Out - Alice Merton

Liztomania - Phoenix

Alice - Fields and Planes

Little Black Submarines - The Black Keys

Ahead By a Century - The Tragically Hip

Can I Sit Next To You - Spoon

Fantasy Reading Soundtrack

Watercast Soundtrack

HAEVN - The Sea

August

Achilles Come Down - Gang of Youths

Ocean Size - Jane’s Addiction

174 Hours - Jeff Russo

you should see me in a crown - billie eilish

the trapper and the furrier - regina spektor

the war - syml

lion - saint mesa

island - svrcina

who are you - svrcina

lovely - billie eilish

hold me - the sweeplings

natural - imagine dragons

mermaid - skott

sky full of song - florence + the machine

music to watch boys to - lana del rey

road river and rail - cocteau twins

hypnos - daemonia nymphe

in a landscape - john cage

mmm mmm mmm mmm - crash test dummies

queendom - aurora

ordinary world - duran duran

September

silent lucidity - queensryche

friends - marshmello

popular - nada surf

song of the sea lullaby - nolwenn leroy

flesh and bone - black math

the wolf - siames

broken people- rag n bone man & logic

nina cried power ep - hozier

kol nidrey - the yuval ron ensemble

amen - for king & country

stronger - the score

rise like a phoenix - conchita wurst

heroes - mans zelmerlow

cut to the feeling - carly rae jepsen

electrified - just loud

all my friends - the revivalists

the way you used to do - queens of the stone age

the morning after - maureen mcgovern

killer shangri-lah - psychotic beats

work it out - effee

sous les aquarelles - ingrid st-pierre

the other side - greatest showman ensemble

the greatest show - greatest showman ensemble

never enough - loren allred

this is me - greatest showman ensemble

October

SOS - Cher

Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! - Cher

Dancing Queen - Cher

Perfect Opening Line - The Frames

Twin Fawn - Chelsea Wolfe

The Plains/Bitter Dancer - Fleet Foxes

Don’t Fall In Love - Still Corners

Acid Rain - Lorn

One Night Only - The Struts

Goodbye My Lover - James Blunt

Always Starting Over - Idina Menzel

Ghost of John - Kristin Lawrence

Fernando - Cher

The Ancestors - Dario Marianelli

November

Turn Back Time - Cher

It’s Quiet Uptown - Kelly Clarkson

Stranger Things - Facing West

Saturn - Sleeping At Last

The Origin of Love - Hedwig

December

DJ Earworm Mashup - United State of Pop 2018 (Turnin' It Up)

DECADE OF POP | The Megamix (2008-2018) // by Adamusic

MASHUP 2018 "THE GREATEST HOPE" - 2018 Year End Mashup

DANCE TO 2018 | YEAR END MEGAMIX (MASHUP) // by Adamusic

Vivaldi Recomposed by Max Richter

WRITTEN FIC

June

and i'm always tired, but never of you | The Bright Sessions | Sam/Damien/Mark | 10,405 words | Sam runs into Damien at the grocery store two years later. It changes everything.

July

N/A

August

tides will bring me back to you | Kingdom Hearts | Axel/Roxas | 7,383 words | When Axel was sixteen, he did something stupid. He and a couple of his friends took his mom’s car up to the mountains, where they’d spent the better part of the day drinking bottles of stolen liquor and staggering along a heavily forested trail, laughing and bumping into trees as they went. As it was getting dark, they’d ended up near the end of it, where the heavy brush of the trees gave way to open sky and sea, a quiet little cove in the middle of nowhere.Then, one of his friends said, “I dare you to go in the water.”

September

Smallest Light | Stranger Things | Gen, El & Will | 5,165 words | In the summer of 1986, Will’s mom marries Jim Hopper. OR, Will and El learn how to be real people again together.

October

N/A

November

i don't want to rest in peace, we can haunt each other's dreams | EOS 10 | Ryan/Akmazian | 1,520 words | In the dream, Ryan wakes up and Akmazian is there.

December

Looking For Atlantis | SGA | Mcshep | 4,632 words | Hey Rodney, the postcard reads. Go see a movie.

keep your heart open (i'll keep mine open too) | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 7,915 words | “Did you even like me before you found out I was your soulmate?” Billy murmurs as he kisses a line down Steve’s throat.

FANMIXES/GRAPHICS

December

2018 Playlist

#heather says what #scrapbook #2018

2 notes · View notes

farbsturz · 7 years

Text

title: The pain of yesterday

fandom: batman (comics)

characters: Damian Wayne, Jason Todd, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake

rating: general

word count: 1705

AO3

description:

Damian didn’t have to look up from his own grave to see Todd standing still, blue eyes fixated on the personal tombstone. He could imagine the way the snow had already covered black hair, the way hands might be clenched into fists as their warmth was taken from them.

Stupid Todd. Always forgot to wear appropriate clothes for the seasons.

The two brothers stood in silence and Damian wondered whether he should break the silence. Damn it, where was Grayson when you needed him? Why the hell had the boy decided to come out here?

Oh yea.

Because no one should be alone on the anniversary day of their own death.

Dying was easy.

Coming back was a different story.

In this business dying was an occupational hazard. But when it actually happens no one is prepared. For the pain. For the loss. For the absence.

The boy glanced one more time at the ticking clock before he reached for his coat to put on. His boots weren’t far away and the quiet steps of paws followed his every step. He wasn’t one for sentimental talks, hell, even Drake would be a better choice, but the youngest one knew what the others didn’t.

He knew what death felt like.

As Damian stepped out of the kitchen and into the dark garden, the coldness was the first thing he noticed. The wind was clawing at his body heat and he buried his hands in the pockets to save as much warmth as he could. The darkness of the night soon began to swallow him but the boy knew where he had to go. The silence of the end of the day was accompanied by the soft sounds of steps in the heavy snow and Damian huffed as he watched his dog jump around in obvious amusement.

At least one of them was having fun.

Damian and Titus continued to walk towards the place the boy had tried to avoid all those months. He had visited the area after he had come back, however it had acted as a grim reminder for his failure.

The failure of dying.

Even though his family had mostly remained quiet, Damian had eventually found the recordings of the cave and the time he had been… away. He had seen his oldest brother being uncharacteristically silent, had seen Drake actually shedding tears. Even Todd had been more aggressive towards his father than usual.

His absence had caused the people he cared about great grief.

And it had only been after his death that Damian had realized that they had cared about him just as much.

Releasing a deep breath, the boy watched his breath being carried away by the wind. His steps became slower and Damian gritted his teeth as his reluctance began to show.

It didn’t matter anymore.

He was alive.

He was with his father and… brothers.

He had overcome death.

Damian pushed himself to walk further until he could finally see his goal: the family graveyard. Many graves decorated this part of their property and green eyes glanced towards the tombstones of Martha and Thomas Wayne. His grandparents. He used to come here often and complain to them whenever father hadn’t understood him.

Which had been a lot of times.

Normally Damian wasn’t one to believe in ghosts or the supernatural. And talking to a pile of stones had felt stupid at first as well, however he had found comfort in wording his thoughts and struggles.

Dead people couldn’t judge him.

Coming to a stop in front of his own grave, the boy’s back began to tense up. He straightened his stance in an unconscious way to present superiority.

He had beaten death.

He didn’t lay here anymore.

Titus came to a stop next to him and Damian wondered whether his dog remembered the time when he hadn’t been there. The way the animal lowered its head and snuggled closer to the youngest’s leg, Damian could only guess so. Green eyes studied the destroyed tombstone by his grave and he clicked his tongue quietly.

“Father?”

“Yes, Damian?” “What happened to my tombstone?”

“...I destroyed it. When I had made up my mind to bring you back, I destroyed it to show my resolve that you won’t stay here. That you won’t need one.”

Another tombstone was still intact.

And the person standing in front of it dead silent.

Stupid Todd. Always forgot to wear appropriate clothes for the seasons.

The two brothers stood in silence and Damian wondered whether he should break the silence. Damn it, where was Grayson when you needed him? Why the hell had the boy decided to come out here?

Oh yea.

Because no one should be alone on the anniversary day of their own death.

Damian licked his lips and tried to sound as indifferent as always.

“I believe I have failed to express my… gratefulness all those months ago.”

Silence.

But he could hear the change as his brother shifted his weight.

Todd was listening.

“I believe it was fairly obvious that you, Drake and me had quite a lot disagreements since I had arrived in Gotham for the first time. And it’s no secret that we can not stand each other. And yet…”

He swallowed the lump in his throat, eyes fixated on the broken tombstone.

“And yet you and Drake went to Apokolips to help my father. To help him in reviving me. And when I had heard about Grayson’s ‘death’, you two did not abandon me.”

His voice grew smaller and smaller with each word and Damian closed his eyes to force the rest of his thoughts out.

“I appreciate it. And I appreciate the family which had accepted me. A broken, makeshift family with bonds stronger than blood.”

He finally looked towards his brother and Titus trotted over towards the former Robin to nudge against a leg.

“Whether we want it or not, Todd. We are not alone. Never.”

The hint of a smile appeared on his brother’s face for a mere second but Damian had noticed it. He watched as Todd began to scratch Titus’ ear and the dog seemed to love it as he barked happily. The sound tore through the silence of the night and the heavy sadness was lifted from their shoulders. Green blinked in surprise when a small light appeared in the corner of his eyes and Damian turned to see several fireflies around some of the tombstones. The small animals shouldn’t be alive in this season but who was Damian to judge? He and Todd shouldn’t be here as well.

Outstretching his hand, the boy stayed perfectly still as a firefly landed on his hand. Many months before he had admired and envied these little creatures. They could always produce light, would never get swallowed by the darkness. Damian used to wonder whether he could steal their light and take it for himself if he killed enough.

But he had found his own light.

“Here you are!”

A ridiculously loud voice called out and Damian watched as the firefly took off once again. A huge flashlight shone into his eyes and the boy clicked his tongue in annoyance as he shielded his eyes.

“Whoops, sorry.”

The voice laughed and the light was soon lowered to reveal their oldest brother’s huge grin. Grayson was wearing layers of clothes and Damian merely huffed as a gloved hand came down to ruffle his hair.

The boy would never admit it but he savored those little moments of affection.

“Tim and I looked everywhere for you two. I even checked below your beds but we couldn’t find you.”

Grayson’s smile softened as he walked towards Todd and Damian watched in silence as the oldest brother removed his hat to place it on the other’s head. Todd seemed to roll his eyes but he didn’t complain about the mother hen action.

Throwing an arm around Todd’s neck, Grayson led him towards the manor once again. As they passed the youngest boy Richard interlocked his arm with Damian’s, making sure his brothers wouldn’t get away once again.

Titus barked happily and began to jump through the snow as the Robins began their walk back towards the manor, Grayson’s annoyingly cheerful voice ranting about trivial things.

A quick glance towards Todd revealed the smallest of smiles and Damian had to look away to keep his own hidden. Leave it to Richard to pull them out of their sulking.

They soon enough reached the warmth of the kitchen and Todd complained loudly as Titus decided to shake off the snow right next to him. Grayson’s laughter was interrupted as the second Robin threw the hat into his face and Damian watched in satisfaction as his brothers began to bicker slightly.

The more annoying Todd sounded, the better he must be feeling.

The youngest Robin sat down at the kitchen island as the other two prepared some milkshakes and snacks for the upcoming DVD evening. Even Drake joined them soon enough after he had prepared the living-room for their needs.

The conversations they held were mostly mundane, with Drake and Grayson talking most of the time. Here and there insults were exchanged as someone messed up the food of another but Richard was quick to restore the peace between the brothers. Seeing Todd opening up some and making snarky comments whenever he could only proved that the presence of their brothers helped to ease his mind.

They finally entered the living-room and before Todd could do something, Damian watched as Drake and Grayson took the seats at both ends of the couch. With this they forced him to sit in the middle of their little sibling gathering.

For this day Todd wouldn’t be allowed to be an outsider.

Green observed the second Robin hesitantly sitting down on the couch and even though Damian would have preferred to sit next to Grayson, he reluctantly sat down between Todd and Drake. Snacks and drinks were exchanged before they made themselves comfortable. The movie began and the boy clicked his tongue as he watched the first few seconds.

Of course, a black and white movie for the brooding vigilante who loved classical literature.

Damian didn’t know how much time had passed before his eyelids began to feel heavy. He leaned more and more against Todd who surprisingly didn’t seem to mind. The current Robin felt himself drifting off as he absentmindedly felt an arm readjusting his covers before resting around his shoulder.

This family might have been broken and makeshift.

But Damian couldn’t have asked for more.

#dc #damian wayne #jason todd #dick grayson #tim drake #hurt/comfort #robins looking out for each other #its basically the anniversary of jason's death and his brothers wont let him be alone at this day #my fic

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secret-engima · 4 years

Text

Drabble for Time Travel Twins verse

(because I have no impulse control and SOMEONE *eyes @rayearthdudette* reminded me about Titus and then my muses ran away with me. Enjoy!)

...

-They are 12 when Titus first comes to the Citadel. Romulus is more than ready to stab him, because he remembers Libertus telling him what happened, that the man became a traitor, and any threats to Regis are threats that need to be removed, but Remus is … conflicted. One on hand, yes, Titus is a danger. But when? Surely the man hadn’t always been a traitor. Captain had taught him … so much. Taken care of them before going cold and hard in those final days. Remus is … biased he supposes. Reluctant to arrange an “accident” for the man who meant so much to him at one point, especially when he shows no signs of treason right now.

-So they watch, aloof and quiet (which is not unexpected for them considering their … backstory, so no one really notices), trying to find evidence of treason or loyalty and are both disturbed when they realize that Titus Drautos is … he is loyal. He is angry and hurting, having just lost his home of Cavaugh outside Insomnia and it’s Wall, but he is not angry at Lucis. He is not bitter toward the king, but instead seems to respect Regis in a polite, impersonal sort of way. He treats both twins with respect and manners, not questioning their paranoid looks, the way Romulus keeps picking a fight, or how Remus has nicknamed him Captain with a feral sort of smile even though the man is a Crownsguard rookie with no real rank.

-Sometimes he even steps into situations unprompted on their behalf, and while Romulus is convinced it’s a ploy to gain trust, Remus sees the crease in the man’s forehead when he interjects himself in a situation (a dispute with the other guards, a reckless prank he can see about to go dangerously south rather than just hilariously sideways) and his gut whispers that Titus is sincere. But then, he trusted Captain before and look where that got him.

-They are 16 when Titus Drautos disappears on a mission outside Insomnia. If they hadn’t been keeping a constant eye on him (hadn’t been making up excuses to be around him so as to search for treasonous behavior, hadn’t been getting attached despite the memories screaming that it was a bad idea) then they would never have noticed. Titus was one man amid the entire Crownsguard, and as good at his job as he was, as personal his reason for joining the Guard (saved by Regis when their “father” personally led rescue efforts to Cavaugh in the wake of the destruction), one man is so very easy to miss. Titus was new, he didn’t have that many friends in the guard, and most of them were on other missions and duties themselves. So when Titus was assigned to a milk run outside the Wall with three others and two of them came back with a report of a daemonic ambush, everyone else just shrugged with regret and moved on. Hardly the first time they’d lost a rookie to the Night.

-Except.

-Except Romulus and Remus know that Titus couldn’t be dead. They had not altered the timeline in a way that would have made the man die, surely. If anything, Romulus’s constant sparring challenges would have made the man more capable and besides all that, somewhere deep inside Remus still clings to the image of his Captain before the betrayal. The strong, steady, unbreakable presence that kept so many of them from throwing themselves into fights they couldn’t win because they didn’t want to come back to empty houses and shattered Clans.

-Except Romulus and Remus know that at some point Titus Drautos becomes Glauca, the wielder of an experimental regenerating armor, and Romulus has personal experience with Niflheim and their predilection towards immoral science.

-They are smart enough to leave a note at least. One telling Regis that they’re going looking for Drautos and will be back in a few weeks. Hopefully. Then they run, putting as much distance as they can between themselves and Insomnia before Cor can catch up to them and drag them home.

-It takes them longer than expected. Romulus remembered a lot of things and a lot of missions, but Niflheim holds a lot of territory and they can only hit so many bases before they risk capture and discovery from either side.

-But they do have some ways to narrow it down, and the twins lost their qualms against “aggressive negotiations” to gain information a very long time ago.

….

-Titus doesn’t know how long he’s been there. Only that it’s been too long. Far too long.

-Long enough to know that no one is coming. He is alone. Forgotten. Abandoned.

-Just like his home when Mors pulled back the Wall, not even sparing a thought for the region of small towns and simple villages right on his doorstep that were no match for Niflheim’s military.

-Long enough that he’s stopped trying to fight it when they come into his cell and unshackle him from the wall to drag him off to the lab for another session. Another agony filled day of them pumping black sludge and liquid metal into his veins and watching him writhe on the table as it forces itself into shape around his skin and then slides back underneath when the scientists press certain buttons.

-He hates them. He h a t e s them.

-He’s starting to hate the Lucis Caelums more. For leaving him. Just like they left his family to burn, just like they left all of Lucis to burn.

-(And in the back of his mind he knows that’s not fair, that he should hate the people doing this to him not those who live safe and far away, but he is helpless against these scientists who keep him drugged and shackled, and it is so much easier to hate the things that he doesn’t have to be terrified of, so much easier to keep himself alive when his hate has a target he can imagine lashing out at rather than the ones who have long since gotten wise to his escape attempts and tricks and pin him down body and soul).

-Titus has been here too long and as he is dragged to the table and strapped down for the (tenth-hundreth-thousandth) time he knows that no one is coming.

-He doesn’t realize that the shaking of the world is not just another side effect of his mind struggling to cope with whatever the sludge and metal does to him until the scientists stop in the middle of their work and start looking around.

-One of them looks toward the door and orders an MT to go check what was going on. The unit leaves and the pain resumes.

-Until the intermittent shivering of the world turns into one long, prolonged shake. Like reality is a wet dog and the entire lab is a stubborn drop of water that won’t quite leave the fur coat. Somewhere to his right, the head scientist, a weedy man with black hair and a propensity to laugh in childish delight when Titus gets violent, yells something that sounds like “earthquake? Here? Impossible!”

-Titus loses time easily on the table, and he isn’t terribly surprised when he blinks his eyes open without memory of closing them and instinctively looks around to try to reorient himself in regards to time (to whether the session is almost over or if he still has a long way of torment to go)

-Why is his face wet.

-Why does the wetness taste like copper.

-Is he bleeding again? Did the liquid metal come out of his skin too fast and open large gashes again?

-A blink of lost time, a sluggish glance to the right.

-Had … had the weedy scientist man been pinned to the wall by a sword through his chest for long?

-Why were all the scientists screaming? He was the only one who did screaming during the sessions.

-Another blink and the screaming was quiet but the alarms were like nails in his ears, so loud he almost couldn’t hear the words being said to him by the person yanking the restrains off his arms, “-kay, Captain, we’re gonna get you out of here. Just hang on. You hear me, Captain?”

-…Captain?

-Only one person called him Captain.

-He lifted a hand toward the … person? Hallucination? and brushed his knuckles against a slender cheek, metal skittering in and out of his hand, reaching for the person-vision-thing with something like curiosity, “Re … mus?”

-Blue eyes, darker than their usual ice, as dark as the ocean or the King’s magic, filmed with tears. The hand that took his was scarred in familiar patterns, burns that were done by fire but branched jaggedly like lightning, “I’m here, Captain. I’m getting you out.” A glance to Titus’s other side and a tightening of the jaw, “We’re getting you out. Just hang on, okay?”

-Titus had to be dreaming. Or dying. Finally. The royal princes were very openly not fond of him, for all they had chosen to make him their preferred pestering target and training chew toy for the last 4 years. They were only 16 and this was a Niflheim military laboratory. No one was coming for him, especially not the princes.

-Titus did his best to hang on to Remus’s shoulder anyway as the much smaller teen have carried, half dragged him down torn up, smoking hallways. Ahead of him, silver gleamed, not like the liquid metal the scientists kept pumping in his veins (that he was probably dying of right now) but brighter. Purer.

-Romulus’s armiger had always been a thing of deadly beauty, especially when Titus wasn’t on the receiving end of it. It carved through the MT Units that tried to stop them with barely a thought, the dozens of swords the boy had obsessively collected swapping from the air to his hands and back in the space of blinks, defending or destroying by turns.

-Not a single Unit or bullet got anywhere near Titus and Remus.

-Something coiled around him, warm and painful, but a … good kind of painful. Not like the scientists and their tools. More like the burn of a hot shower against sore muscles.

-Not a bad thing to feel while he dreamed up a rescue scenario as he died.

-A blink that lasted too long, because when he opened his eyes again, he was lying on his back, being dragged through the grass on some kind of makeshift shield sled. The sky was above him, so open and vibrant he hadn’t realized he’d started to forget what colors other than black, silver, and white were until just then. He didn’t dare blink away the tears that started, because he didn’t want to miss this. This dream of rescue and freedom in his final moments.

-It was evening. If he craned his head, he could see smoke rising in the distance. The base that had held him nothing more than an empty shell.

-The vision of Remus was still talking from where he and Romulus were dragging Titus’s shield sled, “-a little longer. We’ll patch you up once we get to the Haven, okay? Just a little longer.”

-He blinked. Opened his eyes to pain.

-Pain-pain-pain-painpainPAINMAKEITSTOPPLEASE-

-“What’s wrong with him?”

-“I don’t know! He might- he might be going through withdrawals from whatever drugs the Nifs used?”

-“It’s been hours past that point and it started up just now, withdrawals have more warning than that-!” swearing, loud and by his ear as he writhed in burning white agony, “Is he seizing? Hold him down till I get an elixir!”

-“-not working I don’t know what’s wrong-”

-“-ven! It’s the Haven!”

-“What?”

-“Captain never went on Havens! No one knew why, and he always had a good excuse so no one really questioned it but-.”

-“Daemon blood, it’s got to be, they probably used it as a conduit for the armor. The Haven was trying to purify him-.”

-“He’s off the Haven now, why hasn’t it stopped?”

-“We interrupted the process, the suit isn’t complete and we probably just screwed up whatever counted for stable with it-.”

-PainpainpainpainpleasejustmakeitstopjustenditenditENDIT

-“-dare die, Captain! Don’t you dare die on me!”

-Please.

-Just.

-E n d i t.

-Hand on his chest and on his neck it hurthurthurt-, “You don’t get to leave me behind!”

-Light.

-White hot light, brighter than the sun, brighter and more agonizing than anything in life before or after.

-Kids in front of him. Kids who thought they were adults, thought they were ready for war, thought they were ready for magic to reach inside and change them forever.

-His boys. His girls. His idiots.

-His Glaives.

-Blood and bandages, blades and crisp black uniforms edged in silver. “Appropriate,” laughed the shadow of the jungle and the storm on his heels and where did he know that voice from? Where did he know that shadow?

-Endless battlefields and unchanging training rooms, the flicker of braids in the corner of his eyes, meanings kept secret, meanings absorbed through exposure until the sight of pink made him cringe and the glimpse brown beads made his heart hurt in sympathy. A hundred faces come and gone, a dozen more that stayed-stayed-stayed. Brown eyes green eyes burning burning blue. Lips in a hundred different faces with a hundred different names, all of them looking at him and calling him the same thing in fondness-anger-respect-heartbreak-affection-trust.

-“Captain.”

-“Hey, Captain.”

-“Yo, Cap!”

-“For Hearth and Home, right Captain? As long as there is breath in my body, I follow that order.”

-A name on the tip of his tongue, a knowing that was fond and angry and regretful all at once. The glimpse of beads.

-Lightning branching scars made of purple fire.

-The pain stopped.

-Titus opened his eyes.

-And looked into burning burning blue, set in a face that was partially cracked open in branching lightning scars that bled purple fire, “Hey … Captain.”

-There was a name on Titus’s lips, and it wasn’t “Remus”, but for the life of him he couldn’t remember what that name was. At least not before the world went dark and he passed out from the relief of no longer being in pain.

-He woke up to the crackling of a campfire and a sprawling night sky over his head. For a moment he lay there in utter disbelief, not daring to move just in case he woke up back in the lab. Something shifted off to his right and a moment later a small, calloused hand rests on his forehead, “Awake for real this time, Drautos?”

-Titus stares, “…Prince Romulus?” The words cracked in his throat and when his coughing fit died down, the prince who shouldn’t be there handed him a canteen of water. Titus inhaled carefully several times after drinking, then looked up again. The prince was still there, “…How?”

-Prince Romulus sat back on his heels with a carefully blank expression, “You’re a hard man to find, Drautos. And a hard one to keep alive.”

-“I … what?”

-The Prince looked over his shoulder and Titus jerked internally when he spotted Prince Remus curled up asleep on a bedroll, exhaustion in every line of his teenage body, his branching scars far more vivid than usual.

-Purple fire spilling free of skin and blue, blue eyes and memories he can’t see-hear-touch-.

-“You … you came for me.” Titus whispered, unable to believe it, but also unable to disbelieve it. Why?

-Romulus grunted and evaded the implicit question in Titus’s words, “It took us longer than we thought to find you. Didn’t realize the Nifs had so many labs, let alone in Lucis. Then we got you out to a Haven and whatever they pumped in you decided to send you into some kind of violent fit.”

-Titus could remember that, dimly, and it made him feel sick just thinking of the black sludge and the liquid metal squirming under his skin-.

-Except he couldn’t feel it anymore.

-He pressed his hands over his arms, trying to find the feeling of foreign, painful metal inside him and instead felt … something else. Light. Twin suns of light hiding in his core, one that nipped and grumbled at his senses like a winter-chilled river that looked calm on the surface but raged quick and fast underneath, and another that crackled and sparked eagerly down his bones like lightning and the pounding of rain. Magic. Twin cores of magic, humming under his skin in place of the horrible, burning liquid metal the Nifs had constantly forced into his veins.

-…The princes’ magic?

-Romulus saw his look and turned his face away, “Remus burned the Starscourge and that … metal … out of your body with his magic but something needed to replace it. It had … carved you up inside and leaving those channels empty … would have been fatal.” Romulus glared at the night beyond the Haven, “I’m not explaining that well. But that’s what happened. Then he passed out.”

-Titus couldn’t untangle his emotions properly, they were too jumbled and strong do to more than rasp, “And … you?” Because there were two distinct magics inside him now, he could feel them.

-Romulus shook his head, stood up and prowled a few steps away to the campfire before sitting down again and admitting gruffly, “Remus wasn’t enough. After you were purified, you went into shock. I’d brought along ten phoenix downs just in case something happened…” The prince inhaled slowly, whispered more to the flames than Titus, “I ran out. You were still fading. So I dragged you back.”

-“Why?” Titus’s hands were shaking and he couldn’t get them to stop, couldn’t think about what the prince’s words made him feel because if he did he would break before he could get an answer and he needed to know. Needed to know why the two princes that had never acted particularly fond of him would race into the wilds, would risk their lives to free him, and then would … give him their magic.

-It wasn’t Romulus who answered, but a sluggish Remus, who slurred from his bedroll, “Cause you’re our Captain.” Remus blinked sleepily, yawned and finished, “Hearth and Home. ’S what matters most. Hearth is where you stay, Home’s the people in it. That’s you.” Blue eyes fluttered shut again before Titus could think of a response, but when he looked over at Romulus, the eldest prince was watching him solemnly.

-The prince tilted his chin in agreement with his twin, then added very softly, “We were afraid of you because you’re from Cavaugh. Our father already has to deal with enough bitterness and backlash over Mors’ reign, we didn’t know how you would react, being so close to the royal family that failed your town. But then you disappeared and … a prince takes care of his people. We can’t save everyone, we don’t have that kind of power. No one does. But that doesn’t mean we can’t try. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.” Then he shook his head, shifting to sit with his back to the fire and his sword on his shoulder, a soldier keeping watch even though there was no need on a Haven, “Go to sleep. You’ve been through a lot. We’ll call for pickup to Insomnia in the morning.”

-Titus lay back down very slowly, head spinning and limbs shaking, his entire world upended and shaky. Except for one thing. One realization, one burning vow, curling tight in his chest.

-These princes were his. They had come for him. When he’d lost all hope that anyone could come, they had. They had come and carried him to freedom, burned out the poison in his veins and given him each a piece of themselves to keep him alive when they had no obligation to do any such thing. No matter what he thought of Mors, or their father, for that …

-For that he would stand beside the throne without hesitation or doubt.

-He woke up the next afternoon to find that Remus had somehow migrated from his bedroll to Titus’s and was sleeping curled up under one arm, his magic tangling around Titus’s soul and keeping the nightmares at bay while Romulus, who had drifted over sometime in the night, dozed fitfully within arm’s reach away. When Titus stirred, Remus clung tighter to the tattered Crownsguard coat they had dressed him in at some point. Remus called him “Captain” the same way King Regis beckoned his Shield, (the same way a child called out to a trusted adult, and what had he ever done to earn that trust from two boys who were known to have been abused so badly by adults before), and Titus relaxed obediently into the teen’s hold.

-And he knew.

-He was theirs. Whatever they needed of him, whatever they wanted him to be to them, that’s what he would be. For them he would burn down the world if they only asked, and in their defense he would give anything.

#Secret Engima Rambles #Melodies and Manuscripts #Time Travel Twins verse #titus drautos #HERE BE ANGST #long post

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dauntlesstales · 5 years

Text

=CHAPTER 10D: THE MACHINE DRAWS NEAR=

~AO v2.0~

((Courtesy of @codedhopes))

<<—Previous——————Table of Contents——————Next—>>

[SEVERAL HOURS EARLIER, TITUS MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON…]

Soi: Horf...aaugh, that was way too much walking for my liking…

Call: We have arrived at the Prison, Doctor.

[The hulking fortress of steel and tower loomed ominously over the father-daughter pair, it’s once strong doors blown wide open by some massive force. Inside, there was a loud chaotic noise of many different prisoners and wards either dealing with each other, or the surely infected robots that were also trapped within.]

Call: I detect several Xellular signals within the complex, Dr. Sanda. Signs of viral infection also detected.

Soi: Oh, boy…

[The large, soft-hearted doctor nervously gulped as they both headed inside--the cool air was welcome, but it didn’t much help the situation they found themselves in.]

Soi: Oh, Will...I really hope you and the Mighties are alright…

[While the Whites were busy storming the Robot Factory, it was up to Soi and Call to take care of the Prison break-in--and ensure the personal safety of Dr. Blackwell, who had been imprisoned for life for his cyber-terrorism crimes against the country…]

[...And maybe, get some answers. Although Soi really didn’t think someone like Blackwell would be very willing to give them.]

Soi: Whoever heard of breaking INTO a prison…? (What’s your game here, Graham--?)

Soi: ...But...we need to talk to Blackwell, so...C’mon, Call!

Soi: The sooner we can get this over with, we can get out of here!

Call: Yes, Doctor.

[MISSION DETAILS: TITUS’S MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON HAS EXPERIENCED A BREAK IN. MULTIPLE DANGEROUS PRISONERS HAVE ESCAPED. DR. BENEDICT BLACKWELL IS HOUSED WITHIN THE DEEPEST PART OF THE PRISON. VIRUS PRESENCE CONFIRMED.]

[MISSION OBJECTIVE: ESCORT DR. Soi AND LOCATE DR. BLACKWELL TO ENSURE HIS PERSONAL SAFETY. QUESTION DR. BLACKWELL FOR POSSIBLE INFORMATION OF THE VIRUS. AVOID VIRAL INFECTION AT ALL COSTS.]

[SUB OBJECTIVE: MINIMIZE RMDC IMPACT, MITIGATE PRISONER THREATS.]

[SYSTEMS READY?]

[GO!]

Soi: Any prison built to house a genius like Blackwell will be a tough nut to crack into...we’ll just need to search every nook and cranny until we find a way in.

Soi: Alright...this must be the main prison building. Dr. Blackwell’s cell will be deeper inside...although I doubt they’re going to just keep him in just ANY old cell..

Call: Analyzing…

Call: Results: Dr. Blackwell will be most likely somewhere in which security is highest. We will need key cards to access the maximum security wing.

Soi: Yes, you’re right…

[At the end of the hallway littered with prison cells at it’s sides, there were a set of blast doors blocking their path. A key card terminal was mounted just beside it, blinking red.]

Call: Please wait here while I search for the key cards, Doctor. This area is safe.

Soi: A-Alright...b-but be careful, yes? A-And don’t be long!

Soi: I...really wouldn’t want to be alone in such a...dim place…

Call: Yes, Doctor.

[Call boosts on ahead, using a built in jet pack on her back. She wasn’t much taller than Beck, thus her small stature makes it a bit easier to slip by the patrol bots. A few of the supplies from a nearby storage room were strewn about this hallway--]

[And on one was a bright red plastic card with a metallic strip.]

[CALL] //: I have found one of the key cards.

[DR.SANDA] //: Already? Fantastic! I think there is another door behind this one, though...either way, try to find one more before we move on!

[CALL] //: Yes, Doctor.

[BWAN BWAN BWAN--]

Call: ?

[Unfortunately for her, sporting such a bright pink outfit didn’t exactly make her dressed for stealth.]

Patrol Bot: -INTRUDER DETECTED-

[Although not infected, this patrol bot still had a function to follow. It’s dangerous shields sprinted forward to attempt to apprehend the Soi bot by knocking her over first--]

[CALL has entered Defensive Combat Mode.]

[Shoom!]

[She extends her hand forward and a bow like gun appears in it--the tip of it glows once before firing an arrow-shaped energy shot into the patrol bot--which knocked it far backwards.]

[Her shots weren’t modeled after Beck’s, though--while indeed damaging, they didn’t break apart Xel like Beck’s buster did. After a few more volleys of arrows, the patrol bot shut down from too much damage to it’s frame.]

Call: Threat neutralized. Proceeding.

Call: Scanning.

Call: ....Organic lifeforms detected ahead.

[As Call turned the corner, she was greeted by a fairly alarming sight--or as alarming as one can get for a bot with a limited emotion range. Green hues blinked in slight surprise at the hall filled with wards and guards--all either injured or simply unconscious. There was a few that Call could not detect any vitals in, either…]

Call: ….

[The gruesome sight doesn’t seem to faze her as much as a normal bot would react to, at least. She steps carefully over the crew, eyes scanning their bodies--until she finally spied another key card poking out of a out cold guard’s back pocket.]

Call: -Swipes it-

[She makes her way back with all due haste--Back with Soi, he could definitely hear all the blasting going on, making him pace with worry and fraught.]

Soi: Ooh...Will, I really wish you were here…! I’m not really the kind of scientist for field work…! Much less this...Gh… I don’t even know how to defend myself…

Soi: (And don’t even get me started on your Dad…)

Call: Doctor?

Soi: --! Call! Did you--

Call: I have the key cards. We must proceed quickly.

Soi: Yes, yes! Let’s go…

[Beep! Beep!]

[As both doors opened for the two, there was something on the other side--something that seemed quite lost and afraid. It was small and pink, with a lot of scratches on it’s tiny body. Once it spotted the Doctor and Call, though--]

Patch: :’’’D

Soi: ! Oh--A Patch Service Bot! Perfect timing!

Soi: Call, plug in to recharge your shield energy! Use that as fuel to power your energy barrier--It should have just enough to deflect enemy fire!

Call: Yes, Doctor.

[The Patch bot was more than happy to come with them--with a happy beep and a twirl, the Patch bot flew behind Call to plug into some ports on her back--and then it folded away to look like a pack.]

Call: Charging complete.

Soi: Good, good! Let’s keep going--

Call: Doctor.

Soi: --Oh, yes?

Call: Question: Why was I equipped with an energy shield?

Soi: --Er...huh?

[Soichiro was absolutely not expecting a question like that, at a place like this. Call blinked blankly at her father, patiently awaiting an answer while he fidgeted and thought of a proper response.]

Soi: W...Well...it’s just...uh...aheh…

Soi: You never know, you know?

Soi: I just...thought it would be a nice little feature to add to your combat mode, that’s all. Just...covering the bases.

Call: …

Call: Analysis: Doctor Soi had concluded that this unit would eventually come across dangerous situations at the time of this unit’s conception.

Soi: S-Something like that! ^^’’’

Soi: But enough talk, dear--we REALLY should get going before something else catches us. Come on--

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[When Nico arrived on the scene, he looked somewhat disoriented. The air around him flickered, as if glitching with time itself.]

Nico: (Ugh, time warps… getting worse…)

Nico: (Pull it together, Alnico…)

[He did his best to shake it off as he looked around.

The facility was a lot larger than he had expected. He had been convinced at first that there was only one prisoner housed there, based on the way that people spoke of it. He could perceive now that this was not the case.]

Nico: (They're probably headed to the deepest part of the dungeon, so to speak…. So just making my way down should catch me up to them, right?)

[He began hovering down the hallway, casting bits of metal into the air. They created a floating shield of shrapnel about him, which he spun around in orbits occasionally.]

Nico: (Now let's see here…)

[BWAN BWAN BWAN--]

Patrol Bot: -INTRUDER DETECTED!-

Nico: !!!

[He gave a blast of a magnetic field, slamming the bot against the wall.]

Nico: Out of my way!

[He tossed it back behind him. When they started to come back, joined by others, his eyes flickered brighter green.]

Nico: So you want to play this the hard way? Fine then.

[Nico used SHRAPNEL SHIELD!]

[The cloud of shrapnel acted like a rain of daggers and knives, tearing into the patrolling squadron.]

[Nico used MAGNET MISSILE!]

K-CHUNK! K-CHUNK! K-CHUNK!

[The homing missiles sped toward their targets, latching onto them on impact. They blinked for a few moments before creating a small but powerful explosion, rocking the victims with the full force of the blast and ensuing shockwaves.

Between the rain of metal that had continued to swirl about and the bombardment of Combat-level grade of explosives, his opponents were reduced to nothing but crumbling Xel.]

Nico: -Grins slightly cruelly beneath his mask, feeling that little surge of a Wily's delight at the thrill of power- Heh.

Nico: I'll fight my way through if I have to.

[He wrenched out the shrapnel from the dissolving figures and carried on his way down the hall, moving with greater speed than before.]

Nico: (Now… where are you…?)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[MEANWHILE…]

[It’s a long trek through the labyrinth like prison--and the two weren’t exactly conspicuous on this stealth mission. Call did quite well despite not being dressed for it, though, easily sneaking past the various patrol bots still on high alert.]

Call: -From the vents- I have another key card, Doctor.

Soi: All the way in THERE? How?

Call: Unknown. Hypothesis: Someone threw it in here.

Soi: Bad day, I guess…

[Call kicks open another vent grate and crawls out, some dust on her hair. She brushes herself off some before motioning for her father to follow her.]

Call: The wing should be up ahead.

Soi: Oh, thank goodness…

[As Soi inserts the last keycard, the way into the maximum security wing opens--or at least the entrance was now available to them. It’s a long hallway with a large door leading into the wing--beside it, a large terminal was blinking idly.]

Soi: Ah--finally, something I can work with--!

[Call stands by the wing door while Soi gets to work on the terminal, typing away at it with vigor.]

Soi: If this is what I think it is--

[SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!]

[Suddenly, a HORRIFYING demonic screech fills the complex, both in the air and across the feeds--before they shut off COMPLETELY, cutting off any feeds coming in and out of the prison….!]

Call: -ERROR--

Soi: -SCREAM--

Soi: Wh--What in the world was that--?!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[Nico reeled from the sound of the scream, a part of his mind becoming lost to static. It was abrupt and almost maddening—to be suddenly cut off in entirety from the RMD and everyone in it, left with nothing but his own internal experiences and thoughts. It was not like simply turning off the transceiver—this was worse, far worse.

He staggered and crashed against the floor in a heap, clutching at his head in pain.]

Nico: Nnnnhhh!

>ERROR X05: UNRESPONSIVE/DAMAGED SOFTWARE DETECTED

[Errors blared like a throbbing headache, and he was dazed by them. The only way he could think of to solve it… was to go ahead and shut it all down, send his transceiver offline.]

Nico: Nnnnnnggg…

[He pushed himself up off the floor, slowly hovering again. He was still a bit limp, trying to gather up his strength from the strange attack.]

Nico: …

[It suddenly occurred to him that he was truly alone now. There was no way to recall him at this point. If he continued forward, he ran the risk of self-destruction.

And unlike Cardinal, he did not have the jailbroken override function to stop it.]

Nico: … … …

[He pressed on.]

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Call: Error: My communication lines are unresponsive. This unit detects a jamming signal within the screaming just now.

Soi: Oh, poppycock...that i-isn’t good--

Soi: I--I’d better hurry up then--you watch my back, alright, dear?

Call: Acknowledged. I will stand by.

[There is nothing but the quiet sound of typing, Soi murmuring to himself as he did so. No comms...which means his phone wouldn’t work. They really were on their own on this one.]

Soi: Yes, this door is locked electronically...one second while I hack it open…

Soi: (I really hope I don’t end up getting arrested for this myself--)

[BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN--]

Call: Warning--

[INTRUDERS DETECTED. DEPLOYING UNITS TO LOCATION: MAXIMUM SECURITY WING ENTRANCE HALL.]

Soi: Great Caesar’s Ghost--They’ve found us! -SCREE, WE’RE GONERS--

[CALL HAS ENTERED OFFENSIVE COMBAT MODE. RESTRICTIONS: PRESERVE DR. SANDA.]

Call: Please focus on hacking the terminal, Doctor. I will try to neutralize any threats.

Soi: C-Call! Wait--!

[But it’s no use--drones were already closing into their location, easily outnumbering the lone Sanda Number. Call’s eyes glowed a dull green as she raised her weapon, a faint hint of a familiar focused gaze on her face…]

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

(...Nearly...Nearly there...at last…!)

[There was a furious red glow fast approaching, and the light it cast off scored all who dared to oppose it’s destructive warpath to it’s objective…]

(All these years...you could have come for me...could have looked for me...yet you chose to hide here…)

[It was far too fast for Alnico to even get a proper look at the mysterious whirlwind of red and rage, fully intent on getting past him.]

[SHING!]

Nico: ?!

???: OUT OF MY WAY!

[His shrapnel shield hurled about him, but it seemed to be of no avail on the powerful figure before him. He was rammed into and bowled over, completely overtaken by the new attacker.

Just as he got up again to his feet, however, it was gone.]

Nico: (What the hell WAS that? I swear this place has become nothing but chaos…)

[He gathered up his shrapnel again, ignoring the alarms that were starting to increase. Now that his transceiver was off, they didn't bother him mercilessly.]

Nico: -Tries brushing off some Xel and ends up smearing it- (Ewww…)

[He tried pursuing the new intruder, not wanting to let them run amok.

Unfortunately for him…]

"-SNARL…-"

Nico: …!

[He was given something else to worry about.]

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[BLAM BLAM!]

Soi: I never thought I’d be hacking under GUNFIRE, for crapes’ sake--!

Soi: B-But I’ve almost got it! Just a little more, Call--!

Call: Yes, Doctor.

[Call pivoted to avoid oncoming fire from her right, and then activated her shield to deflect the patrol bots from ramming her to the ground. The biggest threat right now was a giant, bladed patrol bot, hurling it’s huge cutter right at the combat secretary.]

Soi: DUCK--!

[She dropped to the ground at the last moment, the blade harmlessly passing above her. It had a boomerang effect, unfortunately, but just as the cutter was about to return to it’s unit, the pink Xelbot got an idea…]

Call: Opening fire.

Soi: --?! Call?!

[BLAM BLAM BLAM!]

[SCREEEE--]

[Stunned by the sudden onslaught of shots, the bladed patrol bot couldn’t recover fast enough to catch it’s own blade. When it came back, it embedded itself into its frame with a loud, horrific screech.]

[THUD!]

[The massive patrol bot fell to the ground, dissolving into a giant puddle of Xel. The other patrol bots followed suit to Call’s accurate aiming and shielding, clearing the area of all other threats.]

Call: All hostiles neutralized, Doctor.

Soi: I...I can see that… (...Her fighting style was...different this time around. Huh…)

Soi: ...Oh! The door! Right, one moment--

[ACCESS GRANTED.]

[The door slowly slid open, granting access to the maximum security wing of the prison. It’s not as dead quiet as one would like--there were faint sounds of screams and shouting just down the hallways of cells.]

Soi: Oh, that’s encouraging…

Soi: ...Now I’m really starting to worry about Dr. Blackwell. You...You don’t think the robots around here have gotten into his cell already…?

Call: ….

Soi: …? Call?

[The secretary bot was strangely silent, staring straight ahead with a blank, yet...paused expression. As if she was in deep thought.]

Call: ...Interesting…

Soi: Uh...What is it, Call? Did you figure something out?

Call: ...I often detect an aversion to combat in Beck’s vocal patterns, while I have no such reluctance.

Soi: …! (...Has she been analyzing her own combat protocols this whole time? It’s the only reason I can think of, if she’s asking NOW…)

Call: Question: Why would Dr. White include that hesitation in his design?

Soi: --Er--

Call: Beck is an Arena Combat Model, built for the purpose of acting as the role of a healer for Team Mighty Numbers, due to his Xel Manipulation function. A common strategy when dealing with healers is to neutralize them first so that they will not restore their allies’ vitality. Analysis concludes that Dr. White would have known that this would make Beck a constant target for other combatants in the Battle Colosseum.

Call: To include a hesitation to combat in this setting...

Call: It’s...illogical.

Soi: ….

[For a moment, Soi allowed himself to mull over it. When Call put it like that, it...was true. It didn’t make SENSE that Will would specifically make Beck so afraid of combat when that was the setting he was going to BE in--why with Beck, when all the other Mighty Numbers weren’t the same way, when they COULD have? Growth aside, even if he hadn’t...would Beck even be the same?]

Soi: Mmm...yes, well...that, uh…

[KSSSST!]

Soi: --! (The monitor--?)

[The screen on the terminal suddenly cuts off from it’s database, and a video feed pops up. Once the static clears, a familiar Mighty Number comes into view.]

Avi: Yoooo, Doc Sanda-Man! Duty calls from Call, eh? Haha--! Thank the maker I reached you!

Soi: Wha--Avi?! Y-You’re supposed to be at the FACTORY, why are you--WHERE are you?

Avi: Mighty No. 6 is reporting LIVE from above the Prison! I got a hot scoop fresh off of CherryDyn’s production lines that just couldn’t wait another minute!

[The screen switches off from Avi to a series of blueprints…]

Soi: ---??

Soi: ...What is this…? Schematics for a Combat Model…?

Call: ...These are blueprints for a CherryDyn patrol type combat model, Doctor.

Avi: Bingo! I scouted up ahead and spotted a nasty guard dog! I’m talkin’ one sick puppy. Probably literally! And there’s more than one--

Avi: It’s part of a line called the Cerberus series! There’s three of them--each of them has a total of one, two, and THREE heads respectively! And they’re assigned to patrol high level security locations...like the Prison.

Soi: -PALES- Oh...Oh, no… (Call is...I don’t know if Call can HANDLE something this huge--!)

[The screen flashes back to Avi upon hearing his uncle’s distress.]

Avi: Hey, but I got a pro tip! Blast his big eye first! That’s his weak point. THEN go for massive damage! He’s only got one, so he’ll be totally blindsided if you knock it out first!

Avi: Should be no problem for our call girl! How’s everything holding up for you two?

Call: All systems are still operational, Mighty No. 6. Dr. Sanda is safe.

Avi: Great! I wish I could stay and provide support, but I gotta fly back to the Factory--it’s a PARTY in there, lemmie tell ya--

Soi: No time for stories, Avi--you can tell us when we get back home! Please, hurry back to Will--!

Avi: Roger! See ya, and good luck!

[KSSSSSSSSST!]

Call: ….

[Call stares back at the screen after Avi signs off, yet again with that paused expression.]

Call: It’s not only Beck.

Soi: --?

Call: All of Dr. White’s designs have such contradictions...

Call: Aviator has an aversion to blood despite being a news reporter. Cryosphere possesses no fear reactions even when presented with situations that incite it. Brandish imparts his teachings of Japanese fighting styles to those that show a certain level of temperament, rather than skill level. Even Seismic, who is the team tank of the Mighty Numbers, is one of the more rational of the line rather than Pyrogen, who sometimes shows levels of ill temper.

Call: Why put such imperfections on designs that would negate their very functions?

Soi: ...Have...you been thinking about this since we arrived?

Call: I have been analyzing this data for 6 months, 3 weeks, 4 days and 17 hours, Doctor.

Soi: ….

Soi: ...Oh. o~o

Soi: (That...long. Huh. I...I guess she takes time to analyze other data when she’s doing her desk work...?)

Soi: I...Call…

Soi: I’m sorry, but...could you wait just a little longer for that answer? We’re...in the middle of a mission…

Call: ….

Call: Affirmative. This unit apologizes for straying from the objective.

Soi: No, no...it’s alright.

Soi: We should head deeper. It’s not long now--Blackwell’s cell should be somewhere in there...

[Father and daughter make haste for the maximum security wing at last, and it’s nothing but a mess inside. Bars bent this way and that, entire walls were caved in and the lights flickered ominously, damaged by some heated scuffle that had occurred not too long ago, most likely by the convicts and wardens of the prison.]

“I ain’t gettin’ cored, man! I’m OUTTA HERE--”

Call: -Eyes glow green, raises bow--

Soi: Ack, Call, get out of the way--! [Soi had just enough time to pull Call to the side of the hall as a group of Xelbots and humans in prison uniforms were racing down the opposite way.]

“MOVE IT, Fatso--”

Soi: >|T -Rude--

[The panicked convicts were too focused on escape to care for a Doctor and his only child in the prison, freedom beckoning them just beyond the walls. Soi’s annoyed expression slipped away into worry and concern as he watched them vanish around a corner.]

Soi: …

Soi: ...They...They probably don’t know what’s going on outside, do they…?

Soi: Those Xelbots weren’t infected...I guess they were lucky, maybe they were in solitary confinement when the virus broke out…

Soi: (But there’s nothing that’ll protect them if they even do get outside...Oh, no…)

Call: Doctor.

Soi: --Er, uh...sorry, Call, I just got...sidetracked for a moment.

Soi: --! Ah, look--there!

[Finally, at the end of the hallway, there it was--the gateway to the cell of the most dangerous man alive, in the form of...some sort of elevator. It was rather plain looking, save for a singular plate with a serial on it.]

[P-2045453.]

Soi: I...uh. Is this it?

Call: Searching database.

Call: This serial seems to be the number assigned to Dr. Blackwell.

Soi: So his cell is… underground? O.o

Soi: (Did they really built all this just to house him down there? Good lord…)

Soi: ...Well...down we go....

[DING!]

[They both entered the elevator, the reinforced steel doors shutting behind them as Soi punched the button for down. They smoothly started to descend…]

Soi: …

Soi: (...Will never liked his own father…)

Soi: (He always seemed bitter whenever I tried to talk to him about it...and he always switched the subject over to something else. From what he says, Dr. Blackwell doesn’t sound very nice…)

Soi: (And I’m inclined to believe him...Will said he just left him and Rebecca when he was 10…)

Soi: (Still...this is the first time...and maybe even the last time I’ll get to see him face to face.)

Soi: (I have to wonder...has he changed?)

[SCREEECH--]

Soi: --???

Soi: -What is that horrible noise--

Call: -PING, WARNING--

[The horrid metal screeching seemed to be coming from ABOVE them--]

Soi: -Looks up--

Soi: --!!!! LOOK OUT!

[CRASH--!!]

[Falling through the roof of the massive elevator was a HUGE canine unit, it’s singular eye boring holes into the pair, teeth buzzing in it’s maw as it HOWLED. The noise was akin to an alarm being raised, and the REAL alarms seem to respond to it by going off themselves.]

K-9: -HOOOOOWWWWL-

Soi: -SCREAMS--

[Helpless Soichiro skids off across the floor until he hits a corner--the weight on the elevator was uneven, causing the entire thing to screech against the elevator shaft as they continued to move downwards.]

Call: This appears to be one of the Cerberus models.

[DSN-000 HAS ENTERED OFFENSIVE COMBAT MODE.]

Call: Threat confirmed. Initiating combat protocols.

Call: Analyzing.

((Pic))

[ E N C O U N T E R ]

[CDN. ERR - CODENAME: K-9]

[HEIGHT: 333 cm]

[WEIGHT: 1009 kg]

[XEL COUNT: 201,800,000]

[The K-9 CDN did not waste a single moment in it's movements, poising to lunge at Call with it's teeth bared. There's little time to react, but Call was ready--she easily slid under the beast as soon as it jumped to the other side of the elevator.]

Soi: aaaAAH--

[...Which in turn, caused the round Doctor to slide to the other end as well. The elevator was big enough so that Soi wasn't in any immediate danger, and the K-9 was solely focused on Call for now.]

Call: I detect no viral infection in this model. Doctor, please find a way to stop the elevator--

Soi: There isn't! There's no terminal or box ANYWHERE--

Soi: What kind of--gh--elevator doesn't have an emergency brake?!

Call: ...

[There's a slight change in Call's stoic expression, as if she's trying to process something other than her analysis protocols. She doesn't have time to finish, as the K-9 unit opens it's mouth to reveal a gun hidden in it's throat--]

[BLAM BLAM BLAM--]

Call: Barrier.

[In an instant, Call's Barrier shields her from the oncoming shots. Luckily, they were energy based, so they didn't ricochet off dangerously--after all, Doctor Sanda was nearby--]

Call: -Frowns- ...Error...

Soi: -Gg--

Soi: Call! Do you remember Avi's advice?!

Call: --!

Call: Affirmative, Doctor. Knock the eye out first.

Call: -Aims--

[BLAM!]

K-9: ROOOOWWWWWWWWL--

[The shot hit its mark true, and the canine bot howled in PAIN as it was rendered blind, it's eye shutting close against it's head. Call takes this opportunity to fire even more shots at it...but they only bounce off harmlessly against it's armor.]

Call: ...

Call: This unit cannot pinpoint any other weakness other than the eye...

Soi: That can't be the only way--there has to be another way to damage it!

Soi: Something that its armor doesn't protect--!

Call: ...

Call: Analyzing new data...

K-9: AWOOOOOOOOO--

Call: -PING!-

[A spark flashes in Call's mind, manifesting as a sharp glow to her green hues. She bolts off towards the K-9 unit and jumps--]

Soi: CALL--!!

[Her foot SLAMS into its bottom lip, and the flash of her barrier goes up, forcing the K-9 unit to open its jaws wide--]

K-9: -HNGHE--

Call: -Burst of data-

[And then she jumps right back into the air, mirroring Beck's back shot, unloading shot after shot right down its throat--!]

K-9: -SCREEEEEEEEEEEEE--!!-

Soi: -Covers his ears over that HORRIBLE noise, hnnng--

[Call lands on the ground as graceful as a dove, stoic as ever as as the canine CDN coughed and spazzed in pain, pawing at it's own snout and throat.]

Soi: : D!! Brilliant! That's my girl!

K-9: Rrrrng...

K-9: -BWAAAAAAAAAAN--

[PING!]

"ALERT! ALERT! CONDITION RED RAISED TO CONDITION BLACK. CONDITION RED RAISED TO CONDITION BLACK. MAXIMUM SECURITY WING LOCKDOWN INITIATED!"

Soi: D:!! -Oh no--

Soi: (Now how are we going to get out?!)

[The alarms on the K-9 was responded by some stray CDN supply drones, who had found their way into the shaft through the damaged holes left behind by the fighting--and their cargo was both marked fragile and explosive.]

Call: --!!

Call: -BLAM BLAM--

[Fearing that the drones would target the Doctor, the combat secretary turned her attention at them, shooting them down and their cargo. The crate broke on contact, revealing another CDN inside--one that blew up after significant damaged was was taken.]

Call: Analyzing--

Call: -Grabs the bomb CDN-

[As it flailed in her grasp, she lobbed it at the K-9 unit with considerable force--it didn't explode on contact, however...]

K-9: RAAWWWR--

K-9: -CHOMP-

Soi: --!

Soi: It ATE it--

Soi: (--! Of course, it can't see! It probably thought it was Call!)

[SCREEEEEEEEECH--]

Soi: -Stumbles-- ?!

[The elevator suddenly jerked and slowed, metal screeching against metal as it halted right in the middle of the elevator shaft--as if they weren't trapped in here already--!]

K-9: -WHINES AGAINST THE SOUND--

Soi: -Our eaaaars--

Call: Analyzing...

Call: This unit believes we should stand back--

K-9: -Hack--HACK--

Soi: Butter and toast--! Help--!

[Call dashes over in a moment's notice thanks to her Jet Pack, hovering behind her father and pushing behind him.]

Call: Hnn...

Call: Patch--full output!

[JET PACK BOOST: MAXIMUM OUTPUT REACHED.]

Soi: Whoooa--!

K-9: -ERROR--ERROR--

[Call and Soi just barely made it outside the blast radius as the K-9's lower half exploded from the inside out, its dying, final howl echoing out into the shaft and shorting out into static...]

[THUD.]

[The Titus prison guard dog fell onto the elevator floor in a smoking, broken mess, charred Xel bleeding out from it's mouth and staining the pristine white.]

Soi: -Uuughh...-

Call: ...

Call: Threat Neutralized.

[DSN-000 HAS LEFT COMBAT MODE.]

Call: ...Doctor Sanda, are you injured?

Soi: @~@ A...A little queasy from all that shaking and tipping about, but I'm alright for the most part...

Soi: -Hooorf...-

Soi: You were really something back there...

Soi: But now we have other problems to worry about...

Soi: D: I think we're stuck in here, Call, I don't see anything that would help us out...climbing out seems dangerous, it's still a long way down...

Call: -...Frowns- This unit has exhausted all of the power from the Patch Service Bot. I am unable to fly outside and look for a solution.

Soi: (Oh no...that means she can't use her barrier either...)

Soi: (We can't call for help, can't get out, can't go down OR up...)

Soi: (Have...have we failed? Oh, Will--!)

Soi: Gnn...!

[The younger Sanda twin frets for a moment, before slowly getting back on his feet. There were still people in here, weren't they? Maybe--just maybe.]

Soi: HELLO?!

Soi: -Yells upwards- IS ANYONE UP THERE?! WE'RE STUCK--!

Call: This unit calculates the chances of survivors still in the prison are--

Soi: No time for that! Please, just--make as much noise as you can, SOMEONE has to hear us--!

Call: ...Analysis complete. This unit will use the elevator shaft's structure to ensure the best echo possible.

Call: -Takes a scrap from the K-9 and CHUCKS it-

[WHANG!]

Soi: -That'll do--

[The sound definitely echoed, that's for sure.

…

…Wait a minute, those weren't echoes…!

And there was another sound— growing louder. …Music?]

youtube

[There was a grating and screeching noise from the upper floors…]

[WHAM!]

[A cloud of swirling metal descended into the shaft.]

Soi: -SCREE—-

Call: -Blinks in mild surprise- ...It appears our call for assistance has been answered.

Call: Analyzing data...

Call: Error--cannot connect to the Sanda Enterprises server.

Soi: (That music...)

Soi: -Bangs on the side of the wall- Hello?! We're down here! Help!

[As if in response, the metal was sharply flung in a circular radius, embedding itself in the walls above.]

PING!

"Sanda?"

Soi: --!!

Soi: By Jove! Alnico, is that you?!

[Indeed it was. There was a fierce glow fading from his eyes as the DWN plunged down the shaft with purpose, coming to a silent halt and hovering in the air in front of them.

He was in full armor for once, making his expression significantly harder to read. But there was an undeniable flicker of something deeper as his gaze fixated not on the Doctor, but rather…]

Nico: …

Call: …

Nico: (They could almost be sisters…)

Soi: (...Oh.) o~o (Oh, goodness, I didn't think of that--)

Call: -Bows- This unit thanks you for coming to our aid.

Soi: I...uh. -Subject change go--

Soi: Y-Yes! D-Did Will send you as our back-up? There's currently no comms working right now...

Nico: - -; Hardly. I…

[He suddenly clutched at his head, and the air around him distorted with an audible fuzz and reverberation. It only seemed to get worse, and he clutched his head with both hands.

His powers abruptly reversed, sending him crashing to the side.]

Nico: -Pries himself off the wall, grumbling- Dammit, not now—!

Call: !

Soi: Nico--!

Soi: (What was...is this because of the disconnect from the server? Time? Or maybe both...)

Nico: Mmmnnrrgh…

Soi: Are you alright?

Nico: Relatively speaking.

[He seemed distinctly unhappy, though.]

Nico: More on that later. You asked me a question. No, Doctor, I was not sent.

[His eyes suddenly flashed a full green and he bared his teeth—not that they could be seen.]

Nico: No one would ever send me, you were all conspiring to CONCEAL THE TRUTH!

Soi: Aahh-- -Backs up--

[…But the temper faded just as quickly, and he looked away, somewhat tired and possibly even ashamed.]

Nico: …I saw you on the monitors and realized that there was trouble. After arguing with Siamini, I stormed out and came over here.

Call: ...

Call: -Blinks several times at that-

Call: ...Error...

Call: ...

Soi: -n-;;;; (Hnn...he's right, we shouldn't have hid Call away from him, but it was such a sensitive... issue...)

Nico: That… that all can wait until later, though. There's someone else here, but I can't connect to the server and there are very hazardous warps that are making things worse. My short-term memory is being jacked with, and without the server to reference, I'm starting to forget what happened on the way here and what happened after I got here. We need to leave as soon as possible.

Soi: Ack... alright...

Soi: ...But we need to finish this mission first.... Dr. Blackwell is at the bottom floor, but we're stuck...

Call: -Looks around- The floor is currently skewed at a 24 degree angle, Doctor. My analysis concludes that the elevator is stuck because we are not aligned with the shaft.

Call: Cause: Improper weight distribution.

Soi: >>;;

[Nico crosses his arms in thought, scowling a bit.]

Nico: I can move the elevator, but I doubt I'll be able to fix it. I want to keep a firm "grip" on the both of you in case I make things worse.

Soi: Mmng...we really don't have a choice anyway...

Soi: We HAVE to get the the cell at the bottom.

Call: Dr. Blackwell may be able to provide useful insight once we secure our objective.

Nico: …Excuse me?

[A brief pause.]

Nico: Nnn, never mind—

[There was a sudden tense feeling about them and a terrible noise of straining strands and grinding gears.

…While it was moving, it was slow and sounded like it was making things worse…]

Nico: Bah…

[There was a loud CLANK as the elevator abruptly righted into place and started descending both rapidly and smoothly.]

Nico: -Visibly surprised- Well huh.

Soi: : D! Well done, Alnico!

Soi: We should be there in no time...

Soi: I just hope he's alright, though before that K-9 unit came in here, there wasn't really any signs that anyone else came before...

Nico: -Gives a look- …You guys ran into a dog?

Call: Yes. A CDN unit that patrols prisons such as this one. K-9 must have been assigned to patrol this area specifically because Dr. Blackwell is held here.

Nico: I guess it would make sense to develop a pack…

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[DING!]

[The elevator chimes as a very large reinforced door appears--of course, there was a keycard terminal next to it.

The door had a single window.]

Nico: -Flatly- If you don't have a card, I'm tearing it off its hinges.

Soi: No, no-- -VERY QUICKLY PULLS THEM OUT- |D;;; We ran into a lot of them on the way here! One of them must have enough clearance...

[Surprisingly, the first card he pulled from the many they collected indeed had enough clearance to disengage the lock. It opens with a small hiss.]

Soi: ....

Soi: -...suddenly very nervous-

Soi: (...I'm going to meet Will's father...)

Soi: (Founder of Xel Robotics and everything else aside, even. I...)

Soi: (I really wish you were here, Will...)

Call: ...Doctor?

Soi: ...--Oh, I...sorry. The...the reality of the situation just hit me all of sudden...

Soi: ^^;; I'm fine, I promise.

Nico: -Eyes flash full green again-

[But it abruptly dies down. He pinches the bridge of his nose, venting heavily.]

Nico: -VERY strained- Right.

K-TANG! K-TANG!

[He takes a protective position in front of the both of them, holding a horseshoe magnet defensively in each hand.]

Nico: Let's finish what we came here for, then.

Soi: Y-Yes...

[DSN-000 HAS ENTERED DEFENSIVE COMBAT MODE.]

Call: This unit is ready to engage should the situation turn hostile.

Nico: …

Nico: -Quietly- If I take too much damage, scram.

Soi: ...

Call: Affirmative.

[Nico seems to relax a bit at that, as if satisfied.

Soichiro opens the door with some effort--it's quite heavy, after all--and they all step inside the cell.

...It's...very clean. The floor is a mirror in of itself, and while the room is fairly big, there's not much in it. A table with no drawers and a plain chair, a sink near by, a separate closed off section that must have been the bathroom. Very reflective surfaces. Very....empty.

Save for, of course, the elderly man sitting at the lone bench that sat at the center of it all.]

((Pic))

Ben: So it was you making all that racket.

Soi: Ah, uh...h-hello, Dr. Blackwell...

Nico: …

[The Robot Master recognized an air of authority when he saw it in action. And this…

This almost reminded him of…]

Nico: (…Mikhail…)

[He subconsciously gripped at the magnets tighter as he was seized with the fear of a memory made sharper.

Mikhail himself was locked up as they spoke, and the situation looked rather grim.]

Nico: (All the more reason to /hurry/…)

[Ben himself obviously looked frail. Old. But the cold hues of blue he bore showed a deep will and wisdom only acquired with long life, and they seemed to bore holes into the three, relentlessly.]

Ben: I will admit, you three were not what I was expecting. Especially you.

Ben: Yes...you're one of the Sandas, aren't you? The scientist one.

Soi: -Gulps- Mn...yes, that's me. Dr. Soichiro Sanda.

Ben: -Looks at Call- ...And this is your daughter, I take it.

Call: -Bows- Greetings, Dr. Blackwell. I am Call, an Arena Combat Xel Type Model. I am a support unit for various tasks and purposes.

Ben: Mm. Manners. Very good.

[And then his gaze falls to Nico himself.]

Ben: ....

Ben: Interesting.

Ben: Very interesting. So there ARE more of you...

Soi: --!!

Soi: (Wait, does...how does he...?)

Ben: -Brushes beard in thought- Yes, that makes sense now. They did ask me about that other one.

Soi: They—?

Ben: Hm. Yes. That's what I said.

Soi: >>;;

Ben: -Taps his cane VERY loudly-

Soi: -Flinches--

Ben: What do you want?

Soi: (Gh...Not a very talkative person...)

Ben: You didn't come all this way just to free me, I take it.

Ben: More questions. Always more questions...

Soi: T-Then you know what's going on outside? The virus? The clashes, the chaos--

Ben: Of course I am aware!

[The sudden SNAP in tone and posture made the kinder Doctor step back in fear. Blackwell curled up a gloved fist so hard that it shook, his teeth gritting as he contained a rage that burned deep in his eyes...]

Ben: That is all I've been hearing! Questions, accusations, pleads to a solution I DO NOT HAVE!

Ben: What that twit Graham expect, activating HER again?! AGAIN! HMPH! Call: --?

Soi: I-I...what? Graham--from CherryDynamics?

Nico: …

[His eyes were slowly seeping into a full green. Nearby metal was starting to shake slightly…]

Soi: Wh-What do you mean, 'activating HER again?'

Ben: Who ELSE? Trinity, of course! THAT project, the one that I was against from the start!

Ben: Graham is OBSESSED with her, with USING her to 'disrupt' the weapons industry! The FOOL!

Ben: I STOPPED him last time, and what thanks did I get? A LIFETIME stay at this maximum security 'resort!' HMPH!

Ben: His GREED led him to ignore all the warnings I put, all the time and effort into ensuring her final rest! But does he CARE? Of COURSE not.

Ben: Money is his only god, and in that petty pursuit, he's DOOMED us...

Soi: You...you tried to stop Graham? He framed you?

Ben: He's done PLENTY worse, Dr. Sanda.

Ben: That is not a man you are dealing with. That is a d e m o n.

[There were quiet rattling and scraping noises that were growing louder…]

Ben: A demon that has destroyed EVERYTHING I've had...

Ben: And placed me here, to face the end of my days in SOLITUDE.

Ben: Though now I don't have long to wait, it seems...

Ben: I had to stop them, because there was...a chance...

[...There's a distant stare as he stops short, the grip on his cane tightening around a certain spot.]

Ben: ...

Call: ...Doctor?

Ben: --...

Ben: If it's true...if she has been activated again, and it's been this long...

Ben: Then it is over. There is NOTHING that can be done now.

Soi: Wha--

Soi: I--you--don't say that, there--there HAS to be another way--! We've been working hard on a cure, and there's been efforts to minimize the--

Ben: You don't UNDERSTAND!

[He abruptly stands.]

Ben: Trinity can assimilate any robot's programming and OVERWRITE IT, TAKE CONTROL of it!

Ben: And not JUST the programming! She can assimilate a robot's components, their parts, their CORE, expanding herself ENDLESSLY!

WHAM—

[The bench abruptly tore right out of the floor, SLAMMING toward the group.

Nico held out a hand to stop it in its tracks, his eyes a deep and VIOLENT /full RED/.]

Soi: -Shrieks, sidestepping to avoid crushed toes--

[Nico vented heavily and haggardly for a moment, before…]

Nico: -SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEECH— -

Call: !!

Ben: -Frowns at this-

Soi: -aCK--

[Bits of the bench started flying off in splinters.]

Nico: That BASTARD! /SON OF A BITCH!/ We all KNEW he was behind it, we should have NEVER LET IT /GET/ THIS FAR—!

Ben: (Obviously. But he's GOOD at avoiding responsibility and consequences, it's not like you would have GOTTEN far, anyway.)

Soi: -N-Nico--

Call: -Places herself in front of the Doctors-

[This was the rage of Wily and his sons, who had inherited his absolutely MADDENING fury.]

Nico: We let it slide for the sake of all of YOU, and what do we find—?! /That THING eats code, IT CAN /FLAY US ALIVE!/

Soi: I-I--

Ben: (...So she does. But we? Perhaps I was on the mark. How many more of you are there, besides those two?)

Nico: -Points towards the door, still holding onto the magnets as the shrapnel starts swirling around him- Who's been lying to us, Sanda, and for HOW DAMN LONG?! /THAT THING INFECTED THE WHOLE DAMN SERVER!/ If Mikhail hadn't had tertiary backups, there's a high chance WE'D ALL BE DEAD RIGHT NOW!

Nico: For God's sake, Sanda! It absorbed Tobias! TOBIAS, OF ALL PEOPLE!

Nico: We should have let him rip open their sever MONTHS ago, back when we found that ex-CherryDyn accountant funding Greater Dusk!

Ben: -Raises an eyebrow- (...So THEY WERE behind that as well. Not surprised...but their involvement in much less ethical things leaves a few questions answered...a group of non-Xel models, and a 'Mikhail.')

Ben: (That is most DEFINITELY Russian...)

Ben: (Who exactly have you tangled yourself up with, Bill?)

Nico: Instead, Jack takes a sawblade to the back, we all get a SECOND Monstropolis, AND EVERYONE GOES MAVERICK!

Nico: [Fraggin'] hell, Doctor—! Tobias nearly KILLED Avi on live television, Shadow tried to CUT OFF Seven's hands, AND CARDINAL DIED TRYING TO RESCUE SHADE!!!

Nico: And now Mikhail is under arrest for this whole mockery of fate! WE /ALL/ KNOW HOW THAT IS GOING TO [color=blue]END[/color], SANDA!

Ben: {ENOUGH!}

[C R A C K!]

[The bold, sharp crack of his cane hitting the floor, the authority behind the Latin, and the rising CLOUD of dark cubes of utter blackness behind him give the Doctor a dark, terrifying aura--he GLARES at Nico with a beastly snarl, the dark Xel behind him pulsing in RAGE.]

Ben: {SILENCE, boy! Your anger is misplaced, and your tantrum helps NO ONE.}

Ben: -Casts a hand to one side, the Xel follows- {You DARE repeat what I have KNOWN for years in front of ME?! Had I not been locked away, I, too, would have taken action--but at what COST?!}

<DWN-018 has entered Defensive Combat Mode.>

[Nico's eyes flicker from full red to full green, and then start fading back to normal.]

<DWN-018 is now Online.>

[He's left with a mournful look of stifled anxiety, smothered by a forceful strain on emotion in the face of wrathful authority that denies the right to feel at all.

Within moments the color leaves his irises entirely, making what little is visible of his expression black and hollow.

With almost anyone else, he may "tearfully" give a hoarse protest, but…

Not with a man who was as unforgiving of shortcomings as the likes of Doctor Benedict Blackwell, and everyone knew that other than the Cossack series…

Robot Masters couldn't cry.]

[The poor ex-Industrial bowed his head in smothered agony, filled with intense despair in the face of such deserved outrage. He was shaking in sorrow, and seemed to be anticipating an extremely severe punishment.]

Ben: -Growls-

Ben: Bah! How PITIFUL. If this is what the rest of your kind is like, I'm sorely disappointed.

Soi: Hey--!

Ben: -GLARES-

Soi: O~O!!

Ben: You. -Jabs his cane at Nico-

Ben: Clean up your own mess. NOW.

Ben: I hardly have any place to sit besides that bench, so I would APPRECIATE it if it was back where it was.

[There was a tense pause for a moment, and then Nico mercifully seemed to relax. The tenseness in the air dissipated and the pieces of the bench started silently drifting toward the main feather, seamlessly fitting in to where they had been torn. The bench was righted and gently put back into place, even bolted back into the floor.

Nico was quiet for a moment, breathing deeply as if gathering his courage for something. He closed his eyes.]

Nico: ``…Everything…``

Nico: ``…Everything… isn't that right…?``

[He dared to glance up, raising his head just enough that his turbulent green eyes were slightly visible when he opened them, looking on in tired and sullen defiance. He held eye contact for a few bold moments before slowly shifting down—not out of cowardice, but in weariness.]

Nico: ``You're right about the cost…``

[He closes his eyes tightly, searing with regret.]

Nico: ``What you don't know is we've already seen this happen before. When we came here, we wanted more than anything to make sure it never happened again.``

[He turned his head away.]

Nico: ``I deserved what you said. So how could I have reacted otherwise?``

Nico: ``But don't…``

Nico: ``Don't judge the others based on the misery you see in me. They don't deserve it, especially not the two oldest…``

Ben: Hmph.

Ben: I would say 'we'll see about that', but quite frankly, I'd be surprised if we lasted more than this coming week.

Nico: -Raises an eyebrow- (I'd be even more surprised if you were let within sight distance of David, but there you go.)

Ben: If she's been activated...then it's already too late. Trinity cannot be stopped. Keeping her Offline was the ONLY thing stopping her from consuming ALL into herself. It's been an entire week and a half...

Ben: In all this chaos, all the robots she must have absorbed...

Ben: It will not be long before Titus falls.

Nico: …

Nico: (Why Titus specifically?)

Soi: I... n-no...

[The black Xel seems to gather around Ben like a shroud, a cloud of despair and sorrow as he sits back down onto his bench. After a moment, he heaves a long, deep sigh. The Xel around him behaves as such.]

Ben: And after that...no, she won't stop. She will spread, and spread, seeking out more to assimilate and consume.

Ben: It is... possible, perhaps, to survive in an environment like this. Closed off. No way in or out. But that in itself is only prolonging death.

Ben: -Half-lidded, entirely DEAD gaze, void of hope or life- ...run, Soichiro.

Ben: Take your daughter, your friends, your loved ones, and run.

Ben: If you leave now...you will still have a chance...

Ben: ...Maybe.

Soi: But--!

Ben: Listen to me.

Ben: Every second you waste here lessens your chance of survival. You need to leave me here and run as far away from Titus as you can. You run, and you do not stop--

Soi: We are NOT leaving you behind--

Soi: He would never--

[BANG--]

Soi: --?!

[B A N G--]

[The group turns at the sound and sight of the cell door, which was already dented considerably--]

[B A N G--!]

Call: Error, I detect no--

Nico: >>;;; If this were me, I'd have blown it outwards, not drawn it inwards. This isn’t my doing, I sw—

[BANG--!!!]

Ray: -DEMONIC SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE OF R A G E--

Soi: AAACK--!!

Ben: --?!?! GNNN--!!

Call: E--ERROR--

Nico: ?! -Struggling to stay focused through growing errors- (Why…)

Nico: (What the hell, why does she sound like Kate?)

[Nico probably shouldn't have taken those seconds to think about that. Because in those few seconds, the red raging bot had teleported in a blaze of fire from her spot, and reappeared right in front of him--]

Nico: !

Ray: -BURST OF WILD DATA--

[SLASH--!!]

[Claws--sharp claws, talons, TEARING--]

Soi: ALNICO--!!

Ben: -Backs away, wide eyed in disbelief, utter disbelief--

[Nico retained enough Awareness to hear and to try and use his magnetic power to distance himself as he fell to his knees, hand over his power core. The damage was massive—much more than he had ever endured and lived. He couldn’t handle much more of that, though— he could feel the MASSIVE drain on his core as his body worked to repair the damage.

When his mind tried to pull on cross-references, it seared him in pain, for he was unable to do so. To make things worse…]

Nico: -Silently, so silently across channels that aren't working, silently screaming in pain and despair— -

[The air around him was much harsher and distorted and seemed to echo things that had just happened and murmurs of things about to happen, and through it all, his injuries were doubling.]

[DSN-000 HAS EN--]

[Call never got the chance to fire off a shot, or even entirely enter her combat protocols--a heel met the side of her torso, dark claws grabbing onto her blond hair and RAMMING her head into the floor.]

Soi: CALL--!!

Call: -Pain--

Call: -Flash of green in her eyes--

[DSN-000 HAS ENTERED OFFENSIVE COMBAT MODE.]

[Her bow gun appears, and she shoots directly behind her, RIGHT into the hostile robot's face. She SCREECHES in pain, recoiling as it burned her unprotected eye.]

Soi: STAY AWAY FROM HER--!

Ben: -Heavy EMOTIONAL breathing--

[The older Doctor could not keep his eyes off of this mysterious bot that had suddenly appeared. He was too shocked to respond to anything else--]

Call: Doctors, please flee--

Ray: QUIET!

[Flames danced, wicked, SICK violet flames, so very familiar--]

Call: --!!! WARNING--

[WHAM!]

Call: GHNK--

[A fist makes heavy contact with Call's gut, causing her to double over, the air knocked clean out of her systems.

At this point, Nico recovered enough to move again. His reaction—even though the database couldn’t support a deluge of cross-references—was immediate.]

<DWN-018 has entered Lethal Combat Mode.>

[Nico used MAGNET MISSILE!]

[The screech of the Missiles makes for Ray's form--]

Ray: -Turns around, snarls--

[SCREE--CHOMP--]

Soi: --?!? What on EARTH--?!

[In an impressive display that was nothing short of horrific, Ray had caught the Missile in her mouth, revealing row upon row of sharp, razor TEETH--]

Nico: !?

[The missiles exploded, and Ray roared. Whether it was in pain, annoyance, or defiance was hard to say.

With a sharp growl, she takes Call by the throat and drags her over towards Nico...]

Call: -Gnn--

[When Nico tried to throw her off-balance by adjusting magnetic fields, she held steadfast. Annoyed, she started adjusting her grip to become something more like a crushing vise.]

Ray: END your foolish antics, or I’ll snap her pretty little head off!

[Nico abruptly stopped, visibly shaken. She took the opportunity to rush at him.]

[WHAM!]

[He was thrown to the ground with considerable force. Angered, his eyes flashed red, and he raised the arm that had a launcher.]

Ray: WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!

[With her free hand, she took a sharp swipe across his arm, tearing gashes that split the launcher and ripped open the panel with the Power Capsule. This time, Nico screamed and his systems screeched from the pain.]

Soi: No! STOP IT! LEAVE THEM ALONE--!!

[Soi's pleas fell on deaf ears. Ray stomped on the fallen Robot Master, RADIATING sadism and rage.

Nico looked up into the unforgiving half of a face, overcome by a wave of intense and indescribable heavy emotion.

Here, he was looking into the face of death. He needed time—so much more time—to think, to understand, to comprehend.

But of course, he wouldn’t be getting it. And if he died before getting the chance to reconnect to the RMDC, he would forget everything.]

Call: -Ghnn--!

[The Sanda Xelbot’s cries of pain spurred his fighting spirit once more, though, and he bared his teeth in a snarl and grabbed the boot pinning him to the floor, clearly intending to force his way free and keep on fighting.]

Ray: Idiots...

Ray: -Aims her buster--

[BLAM!]

Nico: AUGH—!

Ray: STAY there and bleed.

[Not for long, he wouldn't. Oh, coolant was running along so perfectly cruelly, but the wounds themselves seemed to be… repairing?]

Ray: Tch...

[BLAM BLAM BLAM--]

[Nico put a hand to what was left of his throat, glowing with surge. He gave a stream of woeful pings of warning, clearly concerned with something beyond the horror of the fight and overall dreadful situation.]

Soi: STOP IT! PLEASE! YOU'RE KILLING HIM--!

Ray: Quiet, HUMAN...

Ray: Be thankful that my rage does not ask for YOUR blood...

[She turned her predatory gaze to the aged prisoner.]

Ray: ...but HIS.

Ben: ...

Ray: Hello, Father.

Ray: Did you m i s s me?

Ben: ....R...Ray...chel...?

[She loomed.]

Ray: Oh, don't tell me you've gone senile in here. Raychel is d e a d...

Ray: Now it's just ME, the MONSTER you've created when you left me to D I E.

Ray: -Wicked, cruel smile- It's funny how karma works, hm? It comes back when you very much least expect it.

Ray: You and I...have SO much to catch up on...~

Ray: But first...

[C R U N C H--]

[Nico’s speakers crackled in the wake of the damage.]

>WARNING: DAMAGE APPROACHING CRITICAL LEVELS

>SELF-DESTRUCTION IMMINENT

Call: -Hnnh--!-

Ray: I'm going to make sure these PESTS don't get in the way.

Soi: CALL--

Ray: Oh, they'll live for NOW, Doctor. It won't matter in the end, though.

[She took a moment to lick loose, oil and coolant-covered Xel off of her talons before giving a wicked grin.]

Ray: After all, SHE'S almost ready for her GRAND debut...~

Ray: The final show the Colosseum will EVER have!~

Ray: And you, dear Father? You and that rotten excuse of a man get front row seats.~

Ben: ...R...Raychel--

Ray: -TOSSES Call aside-

[Call slams into the back wall in a heap, her head hitting the floor again with a sick crack. Soi screeches and rushes to her aid immedately--but as for Ben...

The sound of his cane clatters to the floor as Ray slowly, very slowly, takes her time in approaching Dr. Blackwell.]

Ray: I'm going to enjoy...EVERY last moment of YOUR SUFFERING...

Ray: And when it all BURNS...when everything in this useless city falls to her, I will PERSONALLY escort you BOTH to the gates of hell m y s e l f...

Ben: -Fear, sorrow, h u r t—- Raychel—!

[Claws grab at his shirt and coat, a TWISTED, crazed smile decorating her face, flames flicking at Blackwell's form as if they, too, wanted nothing more than for him to burn in their fury.]

Ray: We're wasting time...

Ray: Only hours left...! Yes... I'll make this work...

Ray: I WILL have my answers--!

[BWIP!]

[And just like that, they both vanished in red and violet flames, Ben's pained yell the only thing echoing off the cell walls...]

[PING!]

[COMM LINK ONLINE.]

[Nico was dizzy with screaming alarms, warning him that any more strain would be deadly for everyone. The heat was becoming overwhelming—he had to shut down before that became the tipping point.

As if in defiance of this, he brought out an oil-stained object that looked like a square of fabric wrapped around something circular in shape. He held it out in the direction of the Doctor, pinging once.]

Nico: Doc...tor...

Nico: You need... to leave...

Nico: Leave...

[He flicked his wrist, sending the object clattering. The fabric fell away, but the treasure it hid clattered a few feet away from Soi, a plastic packet skidding slightly closer.

The medallion was familiar—it was one of the same ones that had been given to some of the Mighty Numbers. The packet appeared to contain a single green ribbon, neatly looped into a coil.]

Soi: Alnico--!

Soi: (Hnn--I can't just leave him here, he's--!)

Soi: -Frantically looks back towards Call-

Soi: (But Call--oh, Call, I--I'm sorry I couldn't--)

Nico: Turn… off… and get… out….

Soi: (Hnn...he's right, I have to get her out of here--have to get her into repairs--)

Soi: Gnnn...

Soi: I--I promise--I promise I'll send someone after you, I swear--

[Soichiro frantically grabs both the packet with the green ribbon and the medallion, fumbling with the latter as he tried to figure out how it worked. Meanwhile, he manually shut off Call with his other hand. Her optics dimmed and her eyelids closed, her bow gun disappearing.]

Soi: Just please hang in there--

Soi: (I have to warn everyone--)

Soi: (Have to warn Will-- have to get everyone OUT--)

Soi: (Before it's too late--!)

[BWIP! BWIP!]

[The two vanish from sight, leaving Nico behind in the empty cell. Blackwell's cane had fallen next to the bench, the only physical sign of who was housed in this prison not moments ago.]

Nico: …

[He was in very bad shape, and the heat was getting too much. He had a nagging feeling that he was supposed to be able to reflect in a meaningful way on the situation as a whole, but…]

Nico: (Too hot… not enough time…)

[Shut down or allow himself to self destruct? In the end, would it even be able to make a difference? Was it worth the risk to the others, even if they did manage to pull off a miracle? He was so very close…]

Nico: …

Nico: (I'll leave that… up to them….)

((Insert shutdown sequence here—I'll need to comb various stories and archives to determine if it's something I've written before in full under "normal" circumstances.))

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