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heartofsnark · 3 years

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Can You Feel The Sun? (Chapter Eight): Icarus Falls

Notes: Why, yes, I am posting these relatively quickly. This is the last of a backlog since I’m actively still working on the next chapter, This is a doozy of a chapter, both emotionally and length wise, but I’m rather proud of it, if I’m being honest. I recommend settling in a snack and maybe...just maybe some tissues....

Word Count: 15327

Chapter Warnings: Multiple deaths, violence, gore, grief, angst.

If you haven’t yet, you can read the previous chapter here!~

V and Jackie get into the backseat of the Delamain taxi. White and tan leather interior, despite looking the nicest she ever has in twenty years she still feels like she might stain the white leather. No driver, instead there’s screens and consoles in the back of the seats in front of them. An avatar of a bald man with stark unnaturally white skin and blue lips

“Welcome on board this Delamain service. With Delamain, you leave your problems at the door,” the AI avatar greets them in a robotic voice.

“Son of a bitch! Better fuckin' believe I will!” Jackie yells out, still grinning. V lets out a breath of air meant to sound like a laugh, but the lump in her throat isn’t making it any easier.

“I see no reason why you should be using expletives.”

“Sorry, he gets… excited.” Her voice is tighter than she wants it to be, her leg bouncing now.

“Damn right, I’m excited. Hey, Del, what about that time I wanted to hire you for my cousin's bachelor party, huh?”

“Unfortunately, we do not take on such contracts.”

“Three months I'd been savin' up scratch… Egh, water under the bridge. Hit it, Del!”

“Before we begin our journey, I must verify the identities of all customers. Please proceed to connect your personal links,” the mercs plug their personal links into the console, “Thank you. "Excelsior" package activated.”

Crisp subtitles for Delamain alight along her contacts, more comprehensive than the lip reading tech sometimes gives. Maybe his AI avatar enunciates more properly than a human, she wonders.

“"Excelsior"? Hohoho, this just keeps gettin' better!”

Jackie laughs as the taxi cab starts to drive and V finds herself fiddling with her suit sleeve. It’s perfectly tailored, but she still feels like a kid in dress up. Having to pretend she’s a corpo, having to pretend to be a hearing person. Her bright painted nails seem to clash so much with the persona and she curses herself for not changing the polish. What if they’re caught right away? The corps smelling Heywood and The Badlands on them the second they walk through the door. What if the spoofed SID hack doesn’t work, what if the bot malfunctions… What if, what if, what if; spins around her brain. They can’t fuck this up, there’s no room for mistakes. One disaster will destroy their reputations, hell their entire merc careers. And that's the best case scenario.

When she glances at Jackie there’s no hint of nerves, no hint of reservation or fear, just giddy excitement. Like a kid getting ready to hit up a party.

“What’s got you riled up?” She asks in spoken English, deciding she’ll mostly speak for the ride since Jackie is the only person really here, that way he doesn’t have to look at her the entire time. And maybe she’s also hoping if she talks enough she won’t clam up too bad in Konpeki.

“Hang on, watch this… Delamain! Initiate combat mode!”

She can see the bright red ink of his tattoo peeking from his suit sleeve, eyes drawn to it, and something about that scares her more; a hint of his Valentino roots showing, would it be a literal red flag for Konpeki security.

“My apologies, but you do not appear to be in any sort of imminent danger,” Delamain crushes Jackie’s hopes, a frown replacing his grin.

“Huh… Oh well. Trust me, he'll mow down an army of ‘Saka ninjas if it comes down to it,” Jackie explains to V and she wraps her arms around herself, resisting the desire to bring her legs up into the seat, trying to get her mind off her nerves.

“So, what else is included in Excelsior mode?” V tries signing to the AI, curious if it has translation tech for ASL.

“Comprehensive health coverage, including the handling and disposal of a client's remains should death occur on board,” Delamain responds without hesitation and instantly ruins any chance of her getting her mind off the massive risks within this job.

“Damn. Shit got dark pretty quick,” Jackie comments.

“Dex isn’t skimping though.”

“And thanks to you, we're still gettin' a juicy forty percent.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Excelsior…This is how you wanna cruise into the major leagues…” He says like the job is already done and they’re hitting up an after party…

“Wouldn’t get too excited yet, Jack, doing a job not hitting up a party.” And her words are too sharp, voice too venomous and rough in her throat. She regrets it as soon as they leave her lips, as soon as she’s spoken them into reality, wishing she could swallow them back down. His face drops completely, eyes harsh and she knows she fucked up.

“For real, V…? See me as that shallow?”

“I-”

“Lemme explain somethin' to you, V… My whole life I've spent in this shit around us! And I ain't goin' back!”

“I’m sorry, really, I just… I’m worried and I let my nerves talk for me, I’m sorry.” She quickly tries to smooth it over, those knots in her gut only winding tighter with Jackie mad at her.

“Swear to christ, V, I will never fucking get you,” he says, shaking his head and looking out the window.

“What do you mean?”

“Twenty years old, sitting in the back of a Delamain, on your way to do a job for Dex fuckin’ Deshawn and you can’t even muster a fuckin smile? You fuckin’ know what I’d have done to be where you are right now when I was your age, I was still dreaming of seeing The Afterlife! Took you less than a year to be here, took me ten! And you ain’t even happy about it! Then you act like I’m not takin’ it serious, like I don’t got my fuckin’ head in the game, just cause you can’t appreciate where the fuck you are right now!”

She chews her lip, not sure what to say to him. Guilt coming over her. He’s right, she hasn’t lived in Night City nor been a merc nearly as long. He’s been doing this since he left the Valentinos… For Jackie this has been a lifelong dream, the ultimate goal. She didn’t even consider it a possibility until she met him and now she’s already on her way there. Of course he’s happy, on the precipice of his dreams coming true.

“I’m sorry, really I didn’t mean to piss on your parade.”

“Yet somehow you always do.”

V sighs watching the city pass outside her window for a few more moments, tapping her fingers, that knot feels like a ball of lead now. She wants to claw her skin off, tear and tear away at herself, at her being, and maybe, just maybe she’ll find someone better under the gore. Someone who isn’t such a fucking asshole. Someone who knows how to keep their mouth shut and doesn’t ruin everything for everyone else. She’ll never understand why Jackie puts up with her, why he has for so long. She just doesn’t want to fuck this up. The job, her friendship, the little bit of happiness she’s built. V wrings her hands together, tight enough to hurt and she twists them a little harder, nails digging into the skin. If she can’t find anyone better maybe she’ll just claw away until she’s nothing at all.

She’s already a bundle of nerves over the heist and she can’t stand another moment of the tension hanging thick in the air.

“Did you fuck my wife?” She says in her best imitation of something between an Italian and a Brooklyn accent, watching Jackie’s face, the hint of a smile tugging at it. Tension starting to melt ever so slightly.

“Don’t get me started,” he returns forcing the same cheesy voice.

“Did you fuck my wife?”

“I think you fucked my wife and got me started.”

“I got started cause you fucked my wife.”

“I could trace back the moment I got started it’d definitely be when you fucked my wife!”

“That is unquestionably when I got started!” They’re smiling now, giggling at every other word as they choke on their cheesy jokes. Tension melts away as a weight is being lifted off her chest.

“My records indicate that neither of you are married.”

And they lose it, laughter filling the car at Delamain’s interjection to their stupidity. Its ridiculous and dumb and they sound like children. But, she’s thankful for the moment, the reprieve, where it’s laughter and not nerves tearing at her guts.

A call notification lights up on V’s optic contacts, T-Bug’s avatar and V answers, the runner’s voice coming just a moment later.

“Hey. How's things?”

“Eh,” Jackie answers, “been better, been worse.”

“We’re nearing our destination,” Delamain tells them and V’s throat tightens.

“Listen, set up a direct, encrypted line to guide you through Konpeki. V, ring Jackie now, see if we're in sync. Can't be too careful.”

She puts a call through to Jackie, inteface telling her it’s establishing a secure connection.

“And?” Bug asks, expectantly.

“Got static,” Jackie cringes, “Say somethin', Bug?”

“The greatest crimes issue from a desire for excess and not from necessity."

“Say what now?”

“Yeah, I read you. Not so much your Greek friend, though it was kind of exciting,” Jackie tells her with the ghost of a smile on his lips.

“Could give it some thought, try to understand…? How 'bout you, V?”

“I want more Aristotle!”

“Fuck off, both.”

Jackie and V share a giggle at the runner’s expense, V’s going to miss when Bug goes into retirement. If all works out, even on the brighter side, it may be the last time all three of them work together. But at least Bug will be happy and safe, unlike V or Jackie, this was never her dream or end goal.

“OK, tech checks out, looks like,” T-Bug confirms.

“Será mejor que sí…”

“Stay in touch”

And V just realizes the taxi has stopped moving, through Jackie’s window she can see the front entrance of the hotel. The bright red exterior walls, a worker standing at the ready and those nerves are clawing their way back with a vengeance, tearing up her insides and making her want to bolt, terrified that they’lll be found out as soon as they step foot in. They need to get moving, only way to get through the fear is to take control, do what needs to be done. And hopefully avoid puking in the back of an expensive AI taxi.

“Thank you for choosing the Delamain service. And best of luck. I shall await here for your return.”

“Shit's finally happenin’… “

“Its game time, got any iron left on you, time to put it away,” she tells him, tucking her gun and knife into the center compartment. Jackie following suit. V tugs off her suit jacket and rolls her white sleeves to her elbows, making sure her blades are accessible from the start.

“Alright, Hannah, let’s go.”

V opens the door of the Delamain, greeted by the view in front of the hotel, in the distance she can see the space travel facility, night settled over the water. The hotel has trees and plants out front, trying to sprinkle some nature into the cement and chrome world of Night City. She carries her suit jacket over her shoulder, keeping one hand busy with it, while the other sits in her pocket. Hoping it will keep her from signing if she needs to talk.

“Hold on, lemme grab the Flathead.” Jackie pops the trunk of the taxi and pulls out the case with the bot.

The mercs take the two marble steps up, a vibrant stript of red along the path.There’s long white marble with planters and the name of the hotel inscripted in gold.

“'Member, reservation's in your name… Ramón. You're there to meet Hajime Taki - military tech department rep. Papers are for the Flathead” T-Bug tells them as they get closer to the double doors.

“Welcome to Konpeki Plaza,” a man in a red, black, and gold uniform greets them, bowing his head as they pass by.

There’s a large waiting room, white couches along the sides with monitors displaying documentaries and vases with red hologram plants branching out of them. A security gate divides the waiting room from the front desk, scanners to check each guest for weaponry. Beyond it she can see staff with gold plated skin. All non-security personnel of the hotel are gold plated; receptionists, concierge, bartenders, and the like. A requirement for the job, even staff must match the aesthetic.

“Welcome to Konpeki Plaza. Please come through single file,” The guard tells them as they reach the full body scanner.

“You got it, holm-- uh, ahem, sir,” Jackie stumbles and V screams internally, watching her friend step forward. Blue light crackles along him, like lightning, then it flashes red. Misty’s warning of mean reds, flaring in V’s mind.

“Ahem. Hold on got something,” the guard stops Jackie before he can go any further, “Sir, care to explain why you're bringin’ a combat bot onto Konpeki Plaza premises?”

“Arms dealers.” V yells out quickly, hating how forced it sounds, tightening her fingers in her jacket, desperate not to sign on instinct and not realizing she forgot the ‘we’re’ part of her sentence until she finished saying it.

“Excuse me?”

“Ah!” A gold skinned concierge steps over, “You are here to see Taki-san, am I right? Please accept my apologies for the confusion.”

“Pff,” Jackie scoffs as the concierge bows and walks into the lobby, waiting at the front desk.

V steps into the scanner, guard assuring her it will only take a moment. It distorts her vision, crackling it with blue for just a moment. Then the guard tells her to go ahead and she walks forward, meeting Jackie at the desk. A woman with gold skin, black hair all shaved except for the bangs and sidelocks greets them. And V is starting to notice that the Arasaka logo is everywhere, the corp hotel owned by them. On the screens, gold emblazoned on marble planters, and on pamphlets. The hotel and Arasaka logo are clearly one in the same.

“Youkoso. Greetings and welcome to Konpeki Plaza,” she says bowing her head to them and V returns the gesture.

“We’d like to check in,” Jackie says and V sends him a silent thanks for talking. .

“Of course, just a moment, please” the receptionist taps away at a keyboard, “The name on the reservation is…?”

“Victorino.”

“Double room, two adults, one night. Correct?”

“That’s the one,” V tells her, with a tight nod.

“Perfect… I will go ahead and notify Taki-san of your arrival.”

“Shit, no good, not part of the plan. Talk her up, V, stall!” T-Bug yells out over the call and V is once again wanting to scream.

“That, uh, won't be necessary,” she curses herself for stuttering, “We'll go freshen up first, notify him ourselves.”

“But Taki-san is expecting you, no…?”

“Senorita, do you know how long we been traveling? Eighteen hours from New Barcelona. With a delay on Metakey 'cause some cyberpsycho blew himself into bits inside the terminal…”

“Been a nightmare, ugh.”

“Of course, I understand. You will be in the Lapis Lazuli Suite on level forty-two. Oh, one more little formality… Please validate your SID chip.”

“Honor's all yours, Hannah.”

A tablet on the table lights up with a bright blue handprint and she’s reminding of her issue getting into her own apartment. Bug said she put a temporary hack on their SID chip, but there’s an extra twinge of anxiety as V lays her hand down on it. She half expects it to show a senior citizen, to be outed as a fraud and tossed out the door.

“Everything seems to be in order. We wish you a pleasant stay!~”

“Better get goin'.”

V murmurs a thanks, feeling a bit of relief at having that part of this whole thing done. Playing corpo is somehow more stressful to her than the idea of breaking into Yorinobu’s penthouse. She follows behind Jackie. Large marble planters fill the lobby, some with trees that nearly touch the staggeringly high ceiling.

“New Barcelona? Really?” T-Bug comments as V follows Jackie up a short set of marble steps.

“It's called improvisin' - you should try it,” V stares up at a gold framed painting, “Whaddaya think, Hannah"?

“...” V raises an eyebrow at him with a soft noise in her throat.

“Quaint, cozy. Not like the hotel we had in Zurich for that convention.”

“Don't need that, Jack. Enough.”

“What? I’m takin’ this seriously!” Jackie grumbles when T-Bug scolds him.

They take two turns through the lobby, guards passing by talking about dolls being left in rough shape as they near what looks to be a bar in the corner. It's an open pathway inside, the bar illuminated in pink and a gold plated woman stands at a podium bearing Arasaka’s logo. There’s a lit collection of alcohol behind the bar, liquor that costs more than V’s rent, which isn’t a hard feat but still rubs her the wrong way.

“Bar don't look too shabby.”

“We don't do reservations on weekdays, so feel free to grab any available table. Or a couple of stools at the bar if you prefer?” She explains to them, a valley girl accent to her words.

“Could bring Misty here one day. When we, uh… close this deal.”

“Might take a look around.”

The idea of sitting down, if only for a moment, and catching her breath after the close call in the lobby sounds nice. Her nerves are frayed already, she’s never wanted to drink so much on a job before. A quick breather before she has a full blown panic attack.

“Shit,” Jackie curses, “look like some fuckin' travelin' salesman with this case. Go ahead, I’ll go on upstairs.”

V nods, watching Jackie go to the elevator, a part of her feels guilty, but she doesn’t intend to take too long. And it’s not as if she’s made visiting bars on the job a habit before, she can have this one. She rubs a hand over the back of her neck, feeling the chrome indents of her Mantis Blades cooling the skin. Half of the room is a lounge with black couches and slick pink metallic chairs, terrariums built into the walls. The other half is, gold stools and booths before the neon pink bar. Each side is filled with people mingling, dressed in high fashion, people who’ve gambled away more money than she’s ever seen.

“And when I say heads're gonna roll, I don't mean it as a fucking turn of phrase,” a half drunk man slurs his speech at the golden bartender. The stench of whiskey clings heavy to his clothes.

“Had enough guy, don’t you think? You’re making the other customers uncomfortable,” the bartender sends a pointed look towards V, a slight twang in his voice. She was looking for a breather, not conflict.

“Good! 'Cause this affects them, too! It'll slap everyone in the face!”

“What’s that?’ She entertains him, figuring it might get the guy gone sooner.

“You wanna know what a bearer of bad news looks like? What's four hundred yards long, weighs a hundred thousand tons, and is nuclear powered…? The answer's docked in the bay! Hanako Arasaka decided -,” he hiccups, “decided to take a little vacation!

“Big deal.”

“Don't know how big just yet,” her sarcasm doesn’t penetrate the fog of whiskey, “And by the time we do, it'll.. it'll be too late. Screw this. I'm gonna get some sleep…”

With that the man stumbles away, taking the too strong smell of booze with him and the shining bartender turns to her. His shaved hair either red or pink, color distorted in the glowing light.

“Evenin, what can I get you, baby?”

Her nose wrinkles at the term of endearment, “little forward, don’t you think?”

“Suckled it outta my ma's very breast,” he returns, “Fifty percent protein, the other half pure high octane CHOOH2.”

He presses two gilded hands to the bar leaning forward as he regales his story and she can’t help but raise an eyebrow; he’s implying he’s a nomad, but why would he tell her that?

“What?”

“She had wind and dust in her hair, so to speak. Belonged to the Aldecaldos. Before the bombs began fallin'. Her final words? ‘Wherever you go, whatever you do, be yourself, David.’ And so I ended up here. Still no one but myself.”

He’s full of shit, she decides immediately. Maybe her own distrust or her own frustration, nobody with nomad blood would end up here, gold plated and slinging drinks to corpos. At the very fucking least, they wouldn’t act so damn happy about it.

“Lovely story if it wasn’t a crock of shit.”

“Everyone's making something up,” he smirks, “Just like you, baby.”

“Excuse you?” she chokes out, feeling like ice water has been shot through her veins. He’s seen through her, that implication clear, but how? Even regaling to her some fucked up story of being a nomad, like he could smell the dust of the badlands still on her skin.

“Can I getcha somethin'? At the least, water?”

“Bourbon and cherry coke.”

“You got it, baby.”

The repeated use of the pet name earns him a glare, V tapping her fingers against the bar, his story and perceptiveness making her nerves worse. He sets the drink on the table and she downs it with a gulp, alcohol not quite loosening her how she hopes. She sets the glass down and leaves the bar, it may be petty but she doesn’t leave him a tip, frustrated at the idea he could have seen through her.

She jabs the elevator button, tapping her foot as she waits and stares at some painting. Its all abstract bullshit, pretty colors, but she’s not sure she sees much else to them. The golden doors open, the back of the elevator windowed with what looks like foliage inside, maybe it’s just a screen. V steps inside and jabs to her level. And after just a short ride, it stops at her floor.

The doors open and she sees Jackie, looking over one of the art pieces, walking past a desk and concierge to greet him.

“About time,” he says, when he spots her, the pair making a beeline to the suite. They walk past a couple speaking Russian, talking about testing on people, as they find the door.

Jackie opens the door and she gets her first peek of it, stepping in. The furthest wall almost entirely windowed, looking out over the hills. Another expanse dedicated to a terrarium, a large plush bed, white sofas, and a table projecting hologram displays of fish. V tosses her suit jacket off onto the couch.

“Pretty snazzy. Too bad we ain't stayin' the night. Nice choice, Bug.”

“Didn't pick it for snazz. Offers quickest access to the dweller and servers.”

“Sí, sí, me acuerdo,” jackie grumbles as he puts the Flathead case down on a table in front of the terrarium. The little spider bot springs to life the second it’s case is opened.

“Now you fire up the Flathead and find the shaft entrance.”

“Sounds simple enough…”

“Simplicity's sometimes toughest to master,” T-Bug tells her.

“Aurelius? Aristotle? Who's it this time?”

“Yours truly, that one's mine.”

“Go ahead and find the shaft, chica, I’ll get the Flathead running.”

V nods and begins looking around the room, scanning around, finding the shaft after a short moment. A little square panel standing out on the wall next to the terrarium, scanner telling her it’s Flathead compatible.

“Found it.”

“Good. Jackie, how's the Flathead lookin'?” T-Bug asks, he’s put the control shard in one of his neuroports while V was looking for the shaft, eyes now glowing bright white blue.

“All set. Systems’re operational, charge at a hundred…,” a moment passes his expression furrowing as he shakes his head, “Mierda. Little gonk's stuck.”

“Just gonna stand there and look at it? Gonna have to switch to manual control. V, take the control shard from Jackie. Gonna link your Kiroshis to surveillance so you can guide the bot.”

“Why me, Jack’s got full blown optics?” She asks, as he pulls the control shard from his head.

“Yeah, but you got better tech, unlike someone I ain’t run up my tab with Vik. Got last-gen firmware low flow. May be contacts, but you’re working with top notch Kiroshi tech.”

“Plus someone already has some playtime with the bot,” T-Bug outs her and Jackie raises an eyebrow at V, a teasing smile on his lips.

“You played with the bot?”

“Just… give me the shard,” she takes it from Jackie’s hand, “Surveillance cover the whole hotel?”

“Mhm. Even the bedrooms in the suites.”

“Seriously?”

“You'd be surprised what people're willin' to give up to feel secure. Lucky for us, Yorinobu's an exception. Penthouse is dark, no hotel security.’

“Okay, here goes.” V pushes the control shard into the slot, the interface says it’s connecting her, then it glitches and in a moment she’s looking at herself and Jackie through the surveillance camera.

“Patching you through to in-cam view. Might get a little disoriented, but don't freak”

Her vision switches between rooms; a man getting a lap dance from a doll in a dimly room, two men in another hotel room. And then it lands on a third room. A meeting of four people; two Arasaka suits and two faces she vaguely recognizes. The view doesn't shift again and she takes the chance to look closer, talks of losing control of Watson, election season. And it clicks, the mayor of Night City.

“Camera’s set,” V tells Bug, political bullshit isn’t her business, she can see the vague outline of the Flathead creeping into the room. Only slightly visible to her thanks to her connection,

“Get him to the next vent.”

V scans and finds the next vent shaft tucked in the corner of the room, sending the Flathead to it. She watches as it crawls and creeps through the room.

“C’mon little buddy, you got it, yes,” She cheers on the little machine as it skitters across the camera and into the vent.

“It’s a Military grade combat bot, not your pet, V. Patching you into the next cam now.”

The next room appears, more brightly lit with two maids working to clean it. V goes to send the Flathead into the vent but the request is denied, detecting one of the cleaning ladies is too far into it’s path.

“Cleaning crew’s in the way,” V tells Bug, listening to one of the women start drooling over Yorinobu.

“Gotta distract her. Hmm, let's see what's on the subnet…temp control on the terrarium, sic the bot on it.”

V follows the runner’s orders scanning and sending the Flathead onto the temp control. Barely a moment passes before the maid’s notice, freaking out about how expensive it is. The merc takes her chance and sends the bot into the unblocked vent shaft.

“Little guy’s through.”

Next cam flickers into a green tinted maintenance hallway, the bots legs tinkering across the floor. Vent on the other side of the room, V sends it through, smiling as her little buddy makes his way through. And it brings her to a new camera, it looks like where the surveillance feeds lead to. A console and row of screens with a security guard watching them.

“Dweller's just beyond the door. Flathead can jimmy the lock.”

V sends the command, watching it scamper to the door, tendrils working at the lock. But nothing gives away.

“He’s having some trouble, poor feller.”

“Shit… Gotta be another way. Lemme think… Got another cam other side of the door, but it's disabled.’

“Got a CCTV port, might be able to enable it.”

“Go for it.”

The Flathead creeps across the room and jacks into the port, giving V access to the other camera. And V switches her vision to it, the next room looks like a high tech runner’s nest. Two netrunning chairs in deep cooled divots within the room. But only one is in use, a man jacked into the security frame, illuminated in blue, screens running code around him.

“Dweller’s inside.”

“Just as planned.”

“Still don’t get why they only have the one.”

“Decent dweller's as good as a dozen rank-and-file. Lemme graft a demonoid onto your link, you’ll be able to jack the bot directly into the chair and neutralize the runner.”

“Got’cha”

“You'll have to get the Flathead in there first, though.”

“Got another shaft grate,” V finds when she twists the camera’s view, there had to be a vent in the other room, servers lining the walls. Bad ventilation and the entire operation overheats.

“Shaft may link both rooms, looks like. Toggle to the other cam.”

V does so, a moment of scanning and she finds a hidden shaft grate in the floor, “Think I got it.”

“Send the Flathead over there, then toggle over to the second cam.”

She waits until the bot is prying open the vent in the surveillance room, then flickers back over to the runner’s den, eyes on the vent and hoping she didn’t send their tech into the wrong room. A moment passes and she sees her robotic friend creeping his way out.

“Our friend’s inside.”

“Flathead into the chair, V, jack in.”

The bot crawls across the floor and into the netrunner’s cubby, creeping up the chair and scuttling over the man’s body. Deep in the subnet the man doesn’t stir or even notice as the bot hovers over his face and jacks into the chair. And the code across the screen glitches, replaced by a T.

“Holy shit.”

“Whoop! Got him! Love those daemons!” Bug cheers, louder and more excited than V has ever heard her. They did it, the bot is in, T-Bug has access to it all.

“Uh, Flathead buddy stays, right?”

“To keep an eye on the dweller, yeah. Punching into Konpeki’s main net. Go ahead and log out.”

The young merc’s vision starts to glitch and flicker red, her pulling the shard from her head, everything spinning. Lightheaded and her body feels both too light and too heavy. Like she could collapse and float away all at once.

“That's how it's done! How ya feelin'?” Jackie asks, concern lacing his voice.

“Like I’m about to puke on a rug worth more than my car.”

“Bug? How're you doin' on time?” The runner doesn’t respond right away, a moment too long passing.

“Bug?”

“Yeah, yeah, I'm here. Soooo listen, ICE is thicker than I thought. Piercing it'll take a couple hours.”

“A couple hours?! Can't do it any faster?”

“Want my brain to burst into flames? Just siddown and enjoy your snazzy suite.”

“Thanks, I will! V, you take it easy, c’mon rest for a bit.”

V doesn’t need anymore prodding, settling down onto the white sofa, hoping her head will stop spinning and stomach cease churning by the time Bug is done. The merc kicks off her heels and lays across the sofa, softer than her bed. Jackie sitting across on the other side of the table, V brings her hand up to her face, trying to block out the blue light from the holo projector. But catches herself looking at the bracelet Misty gave her, the way the beads catch the light, remembering the name of it.

“Hey, what was our suite’s name again?”

“Lapis lazuli, why?”

“Isn’t that what Misty’s bracelets are? The blue beads with the gold.”

“Oh...yeah, ain’t that some shit, must be a good sign.”

“Maybe… she read your cards before this?”

“Nah, didn’t get a chance, nagged me about mean reds though. What about you, cards in your favor?”

“All I remember is something about a magician and love, blegh.”

“Hehehe,” his laughter is warm and fills the huge room, “telling you, one day you’re gonna be head over heels with some chiccy or mano and you’re not gonna know what to do with yourself.”

“That how it was with you and Misty?”

“Pssh, knew I was crazy about her from day one, took a while to work up the nerve though one day I just told her the truth.”

“That you were in loooove~.”

“More like I’d take a bullet for her, chica.”

“Romantic.”

“Fuck yeah it is, in Night City, that’s worth a billion I love yous.”

“So you say.”

“Keep doing that and you’re gonna rub the finish off Vik’s work,” Jackie tells her and she realizes she’s been rubbing and fiddling with her implants, “be a waste for free work to be ruined.”

“I’m gonna pay him.”

“You give him anything upfront, even a dime?”

“I… gave him a hug…”

“Wow,” Jackie says half laughing and she’s laughing too, “a whole hug for top of the line chrome! Probably wasn’t even a real hug, just your half ass shit!”

“I may have only used one arm.”

“Santa mierda, V, gotta learn to hug people like you mean it.”

“Yes, yes,” she yawns, “blah blah blah, never know which hug will be the last one, blah….”

“Flathead wear you out that bad?”

“Maybe a little…” Her stomach feels better, but her head is still light, fuzzy. And in the plush of the sofa, with Jackie close by, she finds herself drifting away. Eyelids getting heavier with each word, each lull of his voice. She didn’t drink much, but she’s sure the bourbon didn’t help.

“Gonna be a while, might as well catch a cat nap, chica. Though Bug might not like it, haven’t quite managed to get the stick out of her ass.”

“Yeah..maybe…”

The world fades away, a soft fuzzy sleep taking over. Time ticks by around her as she catches a moment, or maybe several, to sleep. Her brain is still a little foggy, but the dizziness is gone by the time she slowly starts to wake back up. A bad case of cottonmouth as she wakes, world filtering back in.

Her suit jacket is tossed over her, a makeshift blanket she didn’t put there, she rolls over to sit, more stable than she was before. The time on the terrarium panel tells her only an hour or two has passed. Jackie’s back is too her, his eyes staring at the window. And she finds herself staring, standing in a suit and basked in the lights of the city view, he’s never seemed so serious.

“Whaddaya think? Why'd he give it all up?” He asks after a moment and she blinks, brain still foggy.

“Who?”

"Yorinobu Arasaka. The good life, I mean. Old news, I know. Just got to thinkin's all. It's like, think… You got everything, right? Eddies, education. Your pops can snap his fingers and turn half the fuckin’ planet into a nuclear wasteland… But instead you're like, ‘Nah, fuck it,’ and whaddaya go do? Start a fuckin' gang! Steel Dragons or some shit! You ghost from your fam, chip some RealSkinn and play gang leader for a few years. For what?!”

She can sense the frustration in every word, feel it every clench of his fingers or swing of his hands. Someone like Yorinobu was handed everything he could ever want; tried to piss it away to play edgerunner, then found himself sucking the silver spoon once again. But, she can’t blame him for wanting out from under his father’s thumb; that alone a feeling she knows too well. Her fingers hover over her wrist, the still branded flesh that Vik saved.

“Maybe...he just wanted out of the system.”

“So then why’d he come back.”

“Tough to ditch the system when the system’s your own family,” V admits, finger still on the mark.

“Black sheep’s still a sheep, eh?”

“Maybe…”

It took her forever to get the nerve to leave, she talked about it constantly, but it wasn’t until her mother’s death, murder, culling. Whatever she’s meant to call it, that she finally was pushed to make that move. Been gone for years now, but… more days than she cares to admit were spent wondering if she ever should have run, if she should crawl back and beg. If a family that hates her is better than no family at all…

“Crawled back on all fours, tail between his legs, fuckin’ cheap ass rebel. Fuckin’ tourist!”

Her nails dig into her skin; insecurities brimming, fear that maybe she’s just as much a fuckin’ tourist. Some black sheep nomad who’ll go running back to her dad, beg for another chance, playing pretend merc when all she’ll ever be is the family burden.

“Tourist or not, he just walked into the lobby. And we are back in biz. Penthouse security is neutralized.”

“Perfecto, let’s start this show.”

And with those words, they’re back in business, the younger merc up on her feet. V grabbing her jacket and following Jackie out of the suite, fiddling with the fabric as she walks, heels clicking across the floor.

“Hey, Bug…” Jackie says after a beat of silence, “were, uh… were you on comms that whole time?”

“Three and a half hours.”

“Eehh… about that stick up the ass…”

“Mean the one up mine?”

“Ehh, slip of the tongue, y'know…”

“I know. Now's your chance to make up to me,” T-Bug tells him as they reach the elevator, Jackie pressing the button.

“This is going pretty smooth right,” he turns to V as they wait, “right?”

“Really are a silver lining type, ain’t ya?” V teases as the doors open and they step into the elevator.

“Hey, when are you gonna wave off that dark cloud hanging over your head? Tellin’ you, it’s downhill from on in.”

She rolls her eyes and hits the button to the penthouse, elevator doors closing and the carriage rumbling, shaking as it ascends. Silence falling over them, only the sound of the elevator. Jackie’s leg shakes and she knows that silence is about to end.

“Ahh, there's the awkward silence. You, uh, wanna hear a joke?”

“Now? Seriously?”

“OK, so why'd the rockerboy's output kick him out of the apartment? ‘Cause he wasn't chippin' in.” Jackie cackles at his own joke and V rolls her eyes, a slight smile on her lips.

“Jesus Christ…”

Bug sounds a moment away from killing him, but thankfully for the older merc’s sake, the elevator comes to a stop. Doors opening up to Yorinobu’s suite. It feel different, seeing it from her own perspective instead of Evelyn’s and outside of a braindance editor. The entire suit feels bigger. A part of her wonders if it’s the height difference between herself and Evelyn, but decides to chalk it up to braindance shit instead.

“Huh… not bad bein' heir to the Arasaka empire. Sure as shit better'n bein' the son of Raúl Welles,” Jackie comments taking in the room.

V turns the corner through the room and a tank catches her eye. A slightly red light illuminating an iguana. It immediately reminds her of the only other iguana she knows, Manny. Come to think of it, his original crate was from Arasaka?

“Hey, Jackie, look!”

“Whoa, another fuckin’ iguana, not as cute as Manny though.”

“Manny’s original crate was marked Arasaka; think he might’ve been Yorinobu’s before we klepped him?”

“Think we stole his iguana and made him get a new one?”

“Maybe?” She gently taps the tank glass, watching the iguana’s tail flick back and forth.

“Guys! Focus! The safe! And make it quick!” Bug yells out, bringing the merc’s back down to earth. V tosses her jacket onto one of the seats in the center, searching around the penthouse. Rain patters outside the windowed walls. They know where the safe is, but how do they get it out of the floor?

“Why, what's the rush?”

“Sig on Yorinobu's gone dark!”

“What is he, a fuckin' sorcerer?”

“Some kinda dead zone's my guess - have him back in a sec. And you do your damn job! Look around for a switch.”

V walks around one of the dividers where Yorinobu’s bed is, the slick metal of a gun catching her eye first and foremost. Black and gray, with purple detailing. She checks it for ammo and finds it loaded then decides it’s hers.

“Looks like Yori left us a little gift,” she laughs, tucking the iron in her waistband. And on the other side of the bed, she finds a little switch. She presses it.

“Bingo, got somethin' ejectin’! C'mere, V!” Jackie calls her over to the corner of the room, heart pounding in her chest.

They’re so close to the finish line, each click of her heels feeling like a step closer. This could actually work. A large black safe has risen out of the floor, a small jack in port and two red lights. Jackie stands on one side of it, the gray rainy day behind him.

“What now, Bug?”

“Jack in your personal and make us rich.”

V plugs her personal link in, leaning one hand against the safe. Jackie leans against it from the other side, foreheads nearly touch as they wait for Bug to work her magic. Just get the chip and walk out, that’s all that’s left. All they need to do. She can’t stand still, itching to cross the finish line, minutes away from the major leagues.

“Gimme two…”

The merc’s interface shows Bug uploading the daemons to crack the case and V watches the number rise. Sixty percent, seventy, seventy-five; each ticking number another shaky breath, a rising beat of her heart, and a chill up her spine. Homestretch, nearly there.

And there’s a hum, V’s focus drawn away from the rising percentage, to the windows. Flying AV whirring through the gray skies, hovering around. She looks to Jackie, hoping somehow he’ll have an explanation, something to help her ignore the way her stomach is starting to drop.

“We got winged visitors… Bug…?” There’s catch in his voice, nerves. Jackie’s scared and she swallows the lump in her throat. His face illuminated in the red flashing lights of the case, mean reds, the words flash in V’s mind.

“Dunno who. But staffs abuzz, all two hundred on their feet, can't keep still…”

Somethings wrong, the hair on the back of her neck stands up, a chill in her she can’t shake. Something is so fucking wrong.

“Can't say I like this, how much longer, T?!”

“Shit. Yorinobu's penthouse bound!”

“What!?”V’s voice cracks, digging her nails into the safe, they’re fucked. They’re so fucked.

“Fuck him!” Jackie slams his hand down, rattling the container, “Open the safe!”

“Almost got it… Done!” The safe opens, revealing a cryo-container within. Bright white light and a fog of ice cold air coming with it. V rips her personal jack out.

“Preem, lets get the fuck out of here!”

“Lemme look to this, eh?” Jackie says, pulling the container out and looking at the little screens across it.

“Relic intact?”

"Bioshard integrity - one hundred percent." Guessin' that's a yes,” Jackie reads off the vitals of the shard, picking up the case.

“Good, let’s delta.”

The pair nearly trip through the center of the penthouse, rushing towards the elevator with Jackie lugging behind the giant cryo-container. So close, so close, so fucking close. An elevator and taxi ride away, then they’ll be at The Afterlife counting their eddies. The homestretch.

“Fuck, too late!” T-Bug yells before V can hit the elevator button, “Yorinobu's about to walk in - find cover!

“Where in the fuck!?” V swings her hands as she yells, they’re so fucking close. She rakes her nails across her face, leaving red angry marks down her skin.

“That pillar- try that!”

“You fuckin' kiddin'?!” Jackie screams as the mercs make a move to the pillar in the center of the penthouse, were she thought servers for the room were kept. The back of it opening up and allowing a tight passageway.

“No! Inside it! Now!”

V slips inside as quickly as she can, Jackie following suit. He holds the cry-container close to his chest. The glass barrier is one way, they can see out, but it can’t be seen in. Still not ideal cover, ideally they’d be outside of the fucking hotel by now. The merc presses her hands to the glass, cursing under her breath.

“We’re in,” she whispers to Bug.

“Which don't solve our problem, T.”

“I fuckin' know our problem's still there! Lemme think for a sec, okay?”

The lights to the penthouse come on, elevator doors opening as Yorinobu strides in. with mechanical monstrosity of a body guard from the BD taking large whirring steps after him. And he seems even bigger now. He’s a cyber giant, one mech hand larger than any part of V.

He’s outlined in red, his eyes staring straight at her, Vik said her new contacts would highlight if enemies saw her.. No, there’s no possible way. The man has barely set a borged-out foot into the room. She meets his gaze head on, swallowing the lump in her throat as she tries to seem braver than she is. On the off chance he may truly know the mercs are there.

“Is that… Is that Adam Smasher?” Jackie whispers and V trusts him to look at her hands as she signs, not wanting to break eye contact with the robotic monstrosity, refusing to show weakness.

“Bodyguard?”

“Worse,” her trust in her friend is well placed, “Night City legend. Bleak motherfuckin' one, too. What's the plan?”

“We stay quiet and we wait.”

A flash of movement makes V finally break the stare down, Yorinobu walks to the middle of the room and stops at the seat across from the table, black fabric strewn across it. He picks it up, regarding it for a moment and her heart drops into her stomach.

V’s jacket. She left her fucking jacket on his chair, like an idiot, she didn’t even have time to consider grabbing it. They’re going to die because she left her fucking jacket out in the open and Adam Smasher is still staring at her.

She half expects Yorinobu to call a sweep of the room, ring security, that he’ll realize the random jacket must be an intruder. But he shakes his head, tosses it aside onto the floor, not giving it another thought. While his body guard Smasher lingers in the corner, robotic eyes staring straight at V, watching the mercs squirm.

“Are they here yet?” Yorinobu asks out loud.

“They approach from the landing pad,” an AI voice responds.

“Fuck are they talking about?” V resists the urge to elbow Jackie, silence has never been more important. One sound too loud and a borged out psycho will rip their heads off. And if her contacts are right, Smasher may just be waiting for the perfect opportunity.

“Nuh-uh, no fucking way…. This isn't happening…!” T-Bug whispers over comms and V sees someone coming down the spiraling stairs, a guard it seems, with another older man following him, “Saburo Arasaka.”

The second man is older, much older than the first. Balding with gray hairs and liver spots across his scalp, glasses perched high upon his nose. Dressed in a mixture of yukata robes over what seems to be slacks and loafers he takes slow measured steps down the stairs. The head capitalist himself, owner of Arasaka.

“The emperor? Yet another asslickin' legend….”

V taps Jackie’s side and puts her finger to her lips, encouraging him to be quiet. The man who led Saburo in starts to walk around the room. He’s older than V or Jackie, but nowhere near Saburo’s age. Long graying dark hair pulled back in a bun, cyberware across his neck coming out from under his black suit.

“I thought I told you not to meddle in my affairs,” Yorinobu speaks in his native tongue, V’s contacts translating and subtitling to English.

“Oh fuck,” Jackie curses as the long haired guard comes to stand in front of them, silver ringed brown eyes starting to scan them.

“Leave us,” Saburo orders and the guard stops scanning, turning to face the corporate leader.

“Arasaka-sama, I still haven't done a full sweep.” The guard turns his back and V can see where part of his hair is shaved, allowing intense cyberware extending beyond his neck and towards his scalp.

“This is my son.”

“Of course. Should I retrieve what we come here to-”

“I will handle it. You may go.”

The long haired guard bows and goes to leave the room, finally Adam Smasher’s gaze on her drops, as the borged freak leaves with the guard through the elevator doors. If they’re here to retrieve something… it’s likely the biochip, which means if they go to get it and see it’s gone… They’re fucked. They’re straight fucked.

“Un-fucking-believable… Saburo Arasaka.” That comment makes V nudge Jackie with her foot, once again begging him to just stay quiet.

“Did you think I wouldn't know it was taken from me?” Saburo asks his son, barely making eye contact as Yorinobu looks through a datapad.

“Actually, I don't think of you at all. Ever. You see, that's your problem. You think the world revolves around you. Arrogant.”

“Yorinobu.”

“Why did you come? To humiliate me? To personally see to it that your son knows his place?”

“"The nail that protrudes from the wall gets hammered…"

“Couldn't think of anything original to say?” Yorinobu yells in exasperation, standing up and pacing around the room. He’s on edge, looking ready to jump out of his skin and V can’t say she has a good feeling about any of this.

“And do you think it ‘original’ to sell our greatest achievement to Westerners - our future to these… barbarians?!”

It’s definitely the biochip Saburo is after, they’re screwed, monumentally screwed. V would laugh if she didn’t feel like dying, of course, of course it all goes to shit.

“Our future? Ours?! You are mistaken. You've only ever cared about yourself… and your sick schemes.” Yorinobu points and swings his limbs, still pacing, every word coiled tight with barely restrained hatred.

“I knew this day would come. That sooner or later your impudence would cross the line,” Saburo is calmer, measured, taking soft steps towards his son, “There is much for which I could forgive you, but for treason - no.”

The two men, father and son now stand in front of the pillar before an audience they don’t know. Stares trained on each other, each hateful, but one furious in it’s spite and the other calm in it’s contempt. Moments pass, no word said, each waiting for the other to light a fuse that will set off the powder keg.

“I'm just glad your mother didn't live to see this. The heart should break but once.”

And it goes off. Saburo’s words are punctuated by Yorinobu’s hands wrapping tightly around the old man’s throat. Yorinobu slams his father back against the pillar, cracking the glass in front of Jackie and busting open Saburo’s head. Blood streaking the shards. And he pulls away and for a moment, as Saburo clutches at his crushed windpipe, Yorinobu seems nearly regretful.

“You shall never have to forgive me for anything again.”

His hands wrap again, choking his father against the pillar. Until Saburo starts to fall limp, Yorinobu bringing him down onto the floor in a lifeless heap. Yorinobu stands over his father. Saburo is dead, killed before the merc’s very eyes at the hands of his own son. Jackie curses and V watches as Yorinobu paces, mind clearly racing before he stands over his father’s corpse again.

“I wish… I wish to put the hotel on lockdown.”

What does that mean? What the hell does that mean?

“May I ask why?” The AI secretary asks him.

“Saburo Arasaka has been murdered.”

“Code red initiated. Attention! Code Red has been initiated throughout Konpeki Plaza. Please remain in your rooms and follow all instructions given by staff.”

Oh no, oh fuck no. The lights in the room drop, only bright neon red ones glowing angry in the dark. What the hell is going to happen? What the fuck do they do now? The elevator doors open, Smasher and the long haired guard walking in; the latter rushes and comes to a full stop when he sees Saburo’s corpse.

“What happened?”

“Someone… someone poisoned my father.”

“Poisoned…?”

“Seems so.”

“Yorinobu-san… I doubt…”

Yorinobu glowers at the guard, pushing into his personal space, trying to intimdate him. Trying to make him stop questioning what happened, trying to stop him from looking any closer. Anyone who gets a good look at Saburo’s corpse will see the fingerprints around his neck.

“What is your job, Takemura?”

“I don't follow.”

“It's a simple question. Answer it.”

“To protect the head of the Arasaka family.”

“I do sincerely hope you'll do a better job of executing your duties from now on…”

“Forgive me, Arasaka-sama,” the guard drops his head in shame, “I shall not disappoint.”

Yorinobu turns to leave the suite. The guard, Takemura, follows close behind. And the still red highlighted Smasher follows behind him. The elevator doors close behind them. Jackie and V left alone in the suite again. But what the fuck just happened?

“What the fuck just happened in there?” T-Bug asks, exactly what’s rattling around V’s skull as the pillar back opens again. Jackie and V clambering out.

“Yorinobu just killed Saburo, he fucking choked out his own dad, I didn’t even know you could do that!” V rambles and yells as she turns the corner of the pillar, looking down at Saburo’s corpse. She quickly checks his pockets, stealing some cash and a pair of dog tags off of him.

“What?”

“His own fuckin’ pops.”

“Know what this means?l Security's gonna swarm the place any second. Oh my god, we're so fucked!”

“We need to get the fuck out of here, now!” They can’t just go out the elevator, they’d meet security on the way. They’re beyond fucked. Why the hell did they take this stupid fucking job!?

“Gimme a sec!”

There’s the helipad, but it’s not like they have anything that fucking flies. Think, think, think; she screams in her head to just fucking think, there has to be something, anything.

“We don't have a sec!”

“Okay, got somethin'! Window - now! Releasing the lock! Should see a ladder… Ladder…”

V sees an opening in the large windowed walls, double doors practically made of glass they goes onto the ledge. This has to be in, T-Bug can undo the lock and they’ll slip out.

“Oh fuck.” T-Bugs voice drops and a chill shoots up V’s back, something is wrong.

“Bug!?”

“No, no, no, no - not now…! I’ve been made… “

And panic turns to agony as T-Bug screams, a shrill cry of pain then she’s gone. Connectuon cut and V freezes in place.

Bug is gone, just gone…

Maybe, Konpeki just cut their comms? But the scream rings through V’s mind. She’s heard of how runner’s can die, daemons and quick hacks. Having their entire brain fried, every nerve and neuron set on fire, burned from the inside out... And all that's left to find is a simmering corpse stewing in their own filth. Bug was never meant for that, meant to retire, meant to find peace after years of netrunning. But now…

“Bug.!? Bug!? Can you fuckin’ hear me, Bug please, are you there!?” V calls out, words slurring together. She just needs to hear Bug one more time, and know everything is okay.

And nothing.

“¡Pinche Dios Santo bendito! We lost her, V!”

“They...scorched her...didn’t they…?”

“We… we gotta go, V,” Jackie says, voice cracking as he smacks at V’s shoulder.

Bug’s final hack going through, the window unlocked. V steps out through the window onto the ledge, rain pelting her skin as she rushes around the corner. Bug said there’s a ladder they can use, last thing Bug ever said… There’s no time for mourning, no time to cry, they need to get through this. The ledge narrows around the corner, ride lights outside the hotel window guiding the way, secured against the steel of the hotel. V sees the yellow safety ladder. The merc presses her back to the building, gently side stepping across the narrow ledge, if they just reach the ladder. One wrong step and they’ll plummet.

“You can do it, Jackie… just don't look down,” jackie tries to talk himself up, following V, “ Yep, that's fuckin' high…!”

There’s a whir of engines, an aircraft vehicle buzzing around the outside of the hotel.

“Shit! That Trauma?” Jackie asks and that’s exactly what they need right now, doctors shooting them.

“If they’re here for Saburo, they’re a little late.”

“Just hope they didn't see us! ¡Chingada madre!”

The aircraft carrier flies in close, flashing blinding white light onto the mercs. It sees them, definitely sees them.

“Suspects in violation of security protocols.” The mechanical voice croaks out.

“Time to bail!’ Jackie screams and the aircraft starts to fire, drone automated shooting at them.

The glass around them bursts and V jumps, grabbing Jackie’s hand in her left, she swings her right blade out towards the ladder. It hooks in the bottom rung, creaking in distress as it stops their fall. And there the mercs hang, suspended by a single Mantis Blade and a ladder rung; rain pouring down upon them and a drone still searching for them through the debris. The strain pulls at V’s arm, pain shooting throughout, shoulders ache and left arm pulled tight trying to hold Jackie and the case he holds in his other hand.

If she could pull them up with the blade, maybe they can get to safety. But her muscles already strain, wrought tight with the strength it takes to hold them up. The blade pulling at the inner tissue it’s attached too, never meant to support more weight than the person it’s attached to. Rain and tears sting her eyes as she forces herself to pull with the blade, use it to lift them up.

“V! I can’t hold on!’ Jackie yells out, rain slick hand starting to slip from her own. She digs her nails into his skin, holding him tighter.

“Just a bit more, I can do this!”

Her throat is raw and she doesn’t know how much she believes her own words. Nerves scream in pain as her cyberware pulls at what’s left of her flesh. Muscles cry as forced beyond their capability. She curses beneath her breath, pulling them just a little further up. Immeasurable pain and brute force of will only amounting to the tiniest bit of progress, not even an inch closer to safety. Her blade is pulling further out from her skin, raising up from her arm in a way she knows it shouldn’t.

Every nerve in her arms on fire; blade tugging at flesh and the other nearly pulled from socket under Jackie’s weight. Barely an inch closer to the safety, Jackie slipping from her grip quicker than she can pull, blade lifting from her arm quicker than she can move them. Her teeth sinks into the inside of her cheek, hard enough to bleed as she pushes herself further. Closer, closer, she urges herself.

A bright white light shines across them, illuminating them in the gray night, adding another ache to her eyes. Drone marked Arasaka buzzing around, refinding them within the debris of the destroyed hotel wall. The robotic voice speaking again.

“Violators found.”

And her blade breaks, V’s eye blown wide as they begin to plummet, shock blurs her pain and deafens the world. Slowing it for a moment, only able to stare as metal snaps, tissue tears, and her arm is ripped open. Cyberware tearing out tissue and nerves, viscera left behind.

Then she hits glass, shattering it as gravity slams her through and shock becomes hurt. She hits metal, body bouncing from impact, crying as the air is knocked from her lungs. Her head bashing against something. V clutches her arm, the pain it hitting her as everything else does, blood sticking to her fingers. Each breath hurts, a labored wheeze as bruised lungs strain to work.

V blinks, sitting up slightly, regaining her sense of self now that her fall is broken. Across from her is Jackie and the cryo-case. She looks at her arm, A solid rip from wrist to near elbow, nearly an open hole, metal and moving inner parts of the cyberware mixed with gore. It doesn’t bleed as much as she'd expect, the internal mechanics helping block major bleed out. It hurts, metal now working against raw nerves. But, she’ll live… if this is the worst that happens, she’ll live.

The cryo-case is dented, part of it sparking and part of it splatted with blood. But her eye is drawn to Jackie. A tear in his gut, shrapnel and glass caught him well, bleeding more than her. The white of the button up around his stomach turned scarlet.

“The Relic! ¡Madres! Agh… Oh, this ain't good. Agh…” Jackie curses, each breath pained.

“Jackie, you’re hurt!”

“Worry about me later,” he growls, “check the relic… "Container depressurized. Biochip integrity at ninety-four percent." And fuckin' droppin'! Carajo! Parker! Call her!”

“And tell her what!? We fucked up!?”

“Just do it!”

Evelyn answers after a short ring, her avatar coming across V’s contacts.

“V?! Konpeki's all over the feeds! What the fuck's going on there?”

“Got a problem! Cryo-case is damaged. Biochip's integrity at… Jackie?”

“Eighty-six percent!”

“Eighty-six percent and droppin'!”

“Shit…! OK, listen to me. There's only one thing you can do. One of you's gotta slot the Relic into your neural port!”

“That sounds really dangerous!”

God only knows how this biochip could fuck them up, the relic itself is like putting another personality in your head, seeing ghosts. If this one is even half as fucked up as that, they could be putting themselves in serious danger.

“The longer you wait, the greater the risk we lose it!”

“Well, someone’s got to do it,” Jackie says, voice a rasp, face steadily draining color as he opens the case, “In the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit - Amen.”

Jackie crosses his body with the pray and pushes the chip into his neural port and V watches his eyes light up for a moment. And he’s quiet for another, a second too long.

“You okay?”

“Dunno… I guess… Don't feel any different.”

“Once you're back, we'll take out the Relic and run a full brain scan and sweep. But you two need to get the fuck out of there first!”

“We’re working on it!”

Jackie and V get back on their feet. He holds his hand to his stomach, trying to press his guts together and she keeps her arm held close to her chest, not putting pressure on it. Jackie calls Delamain.

“Del, we'll be there in a couple. Be ready, got it?”

“Certainly, Mr. Welles.”

“Better be fuckin' certain.”

“We gotta somehow… reach the lobby. Only chance to hit the garage. And we'd best be quick,” Jackie jabs himself with an air hypo, “ Oh-ho, that's the shit… Great… Now let's get outta here.”

“Wait, take your jacket off, use it to keep pressure on your gut, okay? Should help with the bleeding.”

It’s minimal first aid knowledge, she knows. Hold something to a wound to keep it from bleeding out as quickly. But it’s all she can offer, helping Jackie get the jacket off with one hand, so he can press it to his stomach wound. She can move her right hand somewhat, but it hurts and she swears she can see the tendons moving around the metal in the gaping wound her forearm has become. She catches herself wondering if she’ll be able to sign with her right hand again. But, there’s no time for those fears.

She walks down the red lit metal grate, heels nearly catching in it as she turns to a doorway. V leads the way, less injured than Jackie, she pushes the door open. A door lobby with glass banisters and plants, the only light the bright red ones.

“Great… Now let's get outta here,” Jackie says, each word a stressful choking sound to get out.

An AI voice speaks repeatedly over the speakers that Konpeki plaza is in code red, as the mercs work to move quickly and quietly. Catching the murmuring of two guards as they reach a marble staircase, speaking of sweeping the floors and checking the lobby. They creep around the corner and past a desk, seeing the back of the men’s through the glass banister. The only sound the pounding of V’s heart and Jackie’s labored breathing. They watch as the two men separate, enough space for each to grab one.

They move down the last stretch of the stairs, guards talking about evacuating Yorinobu. She lets Jackie take the one closest to them as she moves further to the one at the doorway. V swings her left blade, now her only one, through the man’s gut. Her right arm shoots pain through each nerve, metal inside churching to dispense a blade that no longer exists. She holds back a sound, Jackie’s already choked out the other guard, checking for pockets. Each one armed with a silenced gun. She steals ammo off of them.

They come to another door, each catching their breath. Sweat clinging to V’s brow as they brace themselves for what’s to come next.

“Careful… security likely to be swarmin' outside,” Jackie warns and V nods, words clumping together in her throat as she opens the door.

They stay crouched, spotting more guards as they go. The pair hide behind a planter, V taking a scan of the area, spotting a security camera. Remembering Bug’s lessons, she’s quickly able to shut them off. She’s the one to step back out, leading the way for the first time in months of working together. V needs to get Jackie through this, he’s holding on now, but..

She grabs a guard from behind and snaps their neck, arm twinging in agony at the movement she throws their body aside, clearing a long stretch of hallway for Jackie to follow her down. All light bright red and screens that once showed commercials now flash the words, Code Red. She leaves Jackie to stay hidden behind a counter when she sees another by the doorway, jumping at his back and dropping him just like his coworker.

“Ain't doin' too bad… Just a little further…” Jackie whispers as she drops another guy, her arm screaming at her to stop. But she’ll survive without an arm, if worse comes to worse, she can’t let Jackie get hurt any worse.

They creep through a door, past a desk, hearing a guard yelling out as they sneak and weave through the room. She watches over the top of a planter as the guard walks past them, none the wiser as V creeps around, getting behind him, and taking him down. She can’t risk leaving any behind, leaving one alive and them finding the mercs later. The hotel is huge, a labyrinth of Arasaka guards.

“Engaging hostiles!” A voice booms out, the mercs spotted by a heavily armed Arasaka guard who nearly trips over V.

Fuck, fuck, so much for stealth. Jackie shoots over a counter, trying to stay somewhat protected from the gunfire, while V takes lead, firing Yorinobu’s gun at the men, only dropping behind cover to reload, she blasts. Fuck it, stealth not an option, she’ll turn the whole damn hotel into a blood bath.

The guards drop and V knows she’s been shot, but she’s standing so she moves onward. Through a doorway, three more men open fire as the mercs turn the corner. V blasts a bullet through ones head, Jackie blows the second full of holes.

“One more fucker dead!”

The third is further back behind a glass door and V charges forward, glass open as she fires at the man. Bullets ripping through his chest in a spray of blood before he collapses, red smeared across the marble. If she gets a chance to sleep tonight, she’ll be seeing red in her dreams. The vivid neon lights of the emergency lit hotel, the burgundy uniforms, and the steady spray of it from every shot fired.

Jackie and V go running around a corner, through another glass doorway and slide into side of a marble planter. Taking a moment to breathe, she can hear guards talking. Orders from higher up, panicked yells from the less experienced. She can spot two around the corner, but can’t get a clear shot. She runs to the open doorway, catching one off guard as she slams into his view and rips a blade through his gut.

A full armored worker fires off when he sees it, partially hidden by a linen rack. Another runs in, half hiding behind a planter, firing off around the corner. She presses against a wall between it and a partial doorway, reloading before she looks back through. The less armored man moves around a pillar, peeking from behind cover, and she shoots his head as soon as she sees it, watching him hit the marble.

She struggles to get a clear shot of the third, still hidden behind the rack and so she runs forward, past the rack and coming to a sliding stop behind him. The guard fumbles to swing around when he realizes where she’s landed. Back turned to Jackie now, her friend fires a shot clean through the guard’s head.

The room is cleared for a moment and the elevator is nearby, she runs past a desk, when she sees the button screen. A glowing red off symbol.

“Fuck!”

“Chingo tu madre! It's shut down! What about the other one?” Jackie yells between rattling breaths, she wanted this to be stealthy, didn’t want to put him anymore danger.

She runs, heels clicking against blood streaked marble, nearly tripping over a corpse. Quickly trying to stop herself when another guard springs up behind a desk. Two more swarming the room, one in the heavy almost samurai-like Arasaka armor.

“Orale! Got to plough through them!”

She focuses on the Saka samurai, pulling the trigger again and again, Thankful to have emptied the ammo off every body she’s dropped so far. A bullet catches his throat, a gush of blood as he paints the floor, and she shifts to the other men. A headshot on one, the other already down thanks to Jackie.

V searches their corpses, pocketing ammo and bounce backs, when she finds an access token on the samurai. V thanks any god that may be listening, if they exist and makes a beeline for the elevator at the end of the room.

“Got access,” she breathes out, calling the elevator.

Its doors open and she steps in, the side railing lit that bright red. She waits as Jackie rushes in, he’s still in somewhat decent shape it seems. Not the ideal heist, she thinks as she hits the button, but maybe they can get out of this. Rush Jackie to a ripper, check on T-Bug, collect their eddies, and tonight will be a story to tell later. Remember the Konpeki Heist, how everything that could go wrong did.

“Hah-… agh! Heh, hng…” She can’t tell if he’s laughing or groaning in pain, maybe both. Blood is coating his hands, has he bled through the jacket? No, Jackie’s bulletproof, said it himself a billion times. He’ll be okay, he has to be.

“Jackie…”

“Saburo Arasaka, Hundred and fifty years… and today… of all fuckin' days. That's like… some divine comedy shit… hehehehe… agh.”

And he’s laughing, of course he is, holding his guts together and he laughs, because why would Jackie Welles do anything else. She’s not sure if she’s going to cry or laugh along, if she’s charmed or infuriated by it; is he just still desperately searching for that silver lining or does he genuinely not give a fuck if he flatlines? That idea, the thought, makes her throat tighten. He can’t die, he won’t die, she won’t let him.

“Save your strength, please, we’re not out of the woods yet.”

“What do you think I’m doing!?” She doesn’t miss the frustration, because if he wasn’t so hurt, he’d been the one leading that battle, charging in to take brunt of it all, “Buuut… chill, V. We'll get out alive.”

“I know we will,” she says and wants so desperately to believe.

The elevator reaches the lobby, doors open to more guards, more gunfire. She shoots at one that looks out behind a wall, three more in the main room of the lobby. Jackie slides behind a desk, using it for cover between shots. V takes lead, shooting from around a doorway. Its chaos and mayhem, V blasting the four men. One dropping behind a chair, catching one through the green ferns growing from a planter. Three more Arasaka corpses, splattering blood across marble and the roots of those towering trees. Bullet after bullet, shot after shot, until her ears are ringing and three remain; the mercs and one last guard.

He throws a grenade across the room at them, V shooting it in the air before it can hit them, smoke and fire smoldering across the ceiling. She uses the chance to close the gap and blows his brains out at close range.

Room cleared they rush through the rest of the lobby, finally reaching the elevator that will take them to the garage. V slams the button, calling the elevator. The door opens and she runs inside, expecting Jackie to run in after her. His steps are slowing and he leans against the wall for a moment instead, having to catch a second wind. He’s getting worse, but they’re in the homestretch, they can do this. They can do this, he stumbles through, leaning against the elevator wall.

“Argh… I'm leakin' a little…” His voice a rasp.

The elevator stops at the garage, so close to safety. Doors opening she can already hear the guards and the mercs step out, eye on them, its a swarm of Arasaka. Gunfire rings out alongside the screech of brakes. The Delamain taxis coming to a stop in the center of the garage, it’s doors flinging open.

“I advise that you waste no time in entering the vehicle,” Delamain chirps at them, like this is a normal night.

But she needs no prodding. V grabs Jackie’s hand and runs for the taxi, dragging him through the garage to the open doors. Rather than making him walk around, she shoves Jackie through her side on the right, letting him slide into the left seat before she jumps in; he needs the extra second of protection more than her. The doors shut, bulletproof shields raising as they the taxi is blasted by the guards. They’re safe? Right?

“Welcome back. With Delamain, you leave your problems at the door….”

“DRIVE NOW!”

And Delamain does just that, engines firing up as he rams through the garage door like it’s nothing. She leans forward on the two front seats. As the taxi takes a sharp turn, they’re almost there, almost safe. Jackie wasn’t fucking around about the combat mode.

“Not bad at all.”

“Client feedback noted.”

“How’s the ride looking?”

“Tiptop. Though alas, we are being pursued.”

And then she sees him, Adam Smasher, the borged monster of a former man rushes them. No hesitation, no fear, as he slams his entire body into the car. Shattering glass, gnashing metal, and nearly sending the car to the side; slamming V and Jackie to the right.

“Sweet fuckin’ jesus!”

Jackie curses as V screams, the hell kind of freak is this guy? The car goes back down on its wheels. Adam Smasher on a metal knee, slowing standing up on front of the car.

“Combat mode activated. Please remain calm.”

“Calm!!!????” She yells out as Delamain begins to drive backwards.

“Road block ahead. I kindly request that you brace for impact.”

“¡Oy, mis huevos! Shiiiit!”

The cab takes a turn, rather than driving through Adam Smasher, it goes through another roadway. A row of cars blocking the way and Delamain slams through through without hesitation, taking them through the Night City roads away from the hotel. Jackie is hunched over, bloody hands still pressing the jacket to his gut, the white shirt soaked through with it.

“A hostile enemy aircraft has a lock on us.”

V doesn’t need a word more from the AI taxi, climbing halfway out of the window, she spots the drones flying after them. Three of them. Needing steadier aim, she flips off her hearing aids with a thought, steeling herself as the car weaves through the road and she fires at them. This is Arasaka’s last ditch effor to keep a lock on them, if she can get rid of them, they’re in the clear.

Three shots; first drone goes down sparking as it hits the city streets. Two more kills the second, the metal remains slamming into a streetlamp. And the third goes down with a final shot, smoldering onto the roof of a BD store. She turns her hearing aids back on as she slides into her seat again; they’re gone.

“Hostile aircraft eliminated.”

“Nice work there… Del…”

She shifts to look at Jackie, he has one hand on his stomach, the other braced against the door. V grabs his shoulder with one hand and his leg with the other, practically shaking him.

“We did it, Jackie! We made it!”

“Heh...guess we did…” It’s not the triumphant excited Jackie, she’d expect to hear. His voice still rough, a rattle barely leaving his lungs. Her eyes sting, no, no.

“My medical diagnostics indicate that Mr. Welles’ condition is critical.”

“Critical, what- take us to a fucking ripperdoc, now! Vik’s behind Misty’s shop!”

She reaches to put pressure against the jacket over his wound, hand over his, but the fabric is bled all the way through. Blood sticking to her skin, warmer than Jackie’s skin and he’s looking pale, paler every second. He leans back against the chair, strength starting to leave his body.

“Apologies, but that will not be possible. Our itinerary has been pre-arranged and paid for in advance. I am not at liberty to alter it.”

“Fuck your itinerary and fuck your liberty, just get us to goddamn doctor!”

“It's OK, V… I'll hold out…”

When did his nose start to bleed, when he did he start hacking up blood, red streaking down his nostrils and over his chin. She sucks in a shaky breath, eyes starting to water. No, not Jackie, anyone but him… please. She doesn’t know who she’s begging; maybe god, maybe fate, maybe just anything in this world that will listen.

“Yeah, yeah,” she chokes out, nodding, “you-you just got to hold on, okay? And, and, we’ll hit the major leagues. Only the best jobs, swimming in eddies, just like you always wanted.”

She brings her forehead to his, feeling the cold sweat of his skin, hoping her warmth, touch, her words; anything will keep him alert. The tears flow freely now, wet and hot on her cheeks.

“Mija... you’re gonna be rich, I can feel it…”

“No, we’re gonna be rich, Jackie! You and me, that’s how it’s always been, I-I can’t do it without you, y-you got to stay with me okay! We’ll get back, you can see Misty and your mom, everyone and let them know you made it.”

“Misty… She knew… She always knew…” he breathes out, eyes glassy with a weak smile, “told me not to take this job, why she always got to be right?”

“J-just a little longer, please, Jackie...please,” she begs him, like he can stop it. Like he can put his inside back together, stop the color from draining out of his face, and can just stay with her.

“The biochip…” he holds her shoulder, grasp weak, and takes the chip from his head with the other, “Hold on to it. For me…”

And he slides it into her neuroport, her vision glitching for a moment. She surges forward, wrapping her arms as tightly as she can, burying his head into his chest, crying into him as she clings tightly; wishing she had the strength to just hold him together.

“Please, please, Jackie, I can’t lose you, just a little longer, please,” she sobs into his ashen skin and blood soaked shirt, begging with every slowed beat of his heart.

For a moment his hands graze her back and she waits for a bear hug, for him to squeeze the breath from her lungs and lift her from her seat like he’s done so many times. For him to be Jackie; her best friend, her partner in crimes, her brother, her everything. But his touch is faint, the space between each beat growing further and further. Until his hands fall limp, body slack in her arms, and she knows the next heartbeat will never come.

And she sobs, she holds him and cries out her pain, if only for a moment. No more ‘chicas’, ‘jainas’, or the odd ‘mija’. No more smiles that outshine the sun. No more nagging her to look on the bright side. No more bear hugs or hands the size of her head ruffling through her hair. No more Jackie…. And it’s not fair and it’s not right.

“Mr. Welles has passed. Where shall I take his remains?” A robotic voice asks and she realizes the car is no longer moving.

She forces herself to let him go, one of the hardest things she’ll ever have to do. Pulling away, she sees him, truly lifeless. Bright green eyes now dull with no light behind them, limp hands falling away from her.

“W-what?” She stumbles over the word, brain fogged over with grief.

“The Excelsior package provides for the disposal of passenger remains free of charge. I merely require a destination.”

“I…he-he’d want to be with his family,” she stumbles across her words.

“Mr. Welles' closest blood relative is Guadalupe Alejandra Welles, proprietress of the El Coyote Cojo bar. I will make sure to deliver him safely. Mr. DeShawn awaits you in room number two-oh-four. ”

That’s right… Dex… The chip. The world didn’t stop spinning, only her’s. There’s still a job. And the idea of still going, that there’s a tomorrow beyond today, seems unfathomable. How the hell could she ever move on…

Because Jackie would kill her if she didn’t and she knows that. He’d haunt her for a thousand years and kick her ass every day of it. She looks at the remains, her friend gone, now limp and bleeding across white leather. And knows if he could speak, he’d tell her to get her ass to that hotel room and finish this job, that he and Bug didn’t die just for V to bury herself alongside them. She squeezes his shoulder, presses her forehead to Jackie’s one last time, feeling the cold of his skin.

“See ya in the major leagues, Jack…”

V opens the car door and steps out into the backlot behind the motel. Rain pours down across her bloodied skin, soaking her to the bones, a numb chill clinging to her. Painted across brick is the Night City emblem marks the wall, red graffiti altering its slogan.. The city of broken dreams…

She moves, on autopilot as she makes her way up the stairs and to the back door of the motel, sheltered from the rain once she’s in a trash filled back room. The motel is bathed in the neon red lights, only offset by the white of sign bearing its name, it’s always red. She stumbles up the staircase and then another, past a tv chattering on about Saburo Arasaka.

The merc walks down the gloomy hallway, dark except for warm yellow floor lights, Graffiti covered walls, rain washing down the windows at the end of it. And she reaches room 204, her arm leaden as she knocks.

No response.

“Its V,” she yells out, knocking harder.

The door opens but before she can take another step, Dex’s body guard takes a step out. Large hand blocking her from coming further. He checks the hallway, making sure she wasn’t followed. After a moment, he finally pulls away.

“He waiting.”

The man takes a step back, allowing V into the room. She pushes through a bead curtain and sees Dex, leaning over a TV screen, another cigar between his golden fingers. She clears her throat, hearing the door close behind her.

“WNS… N54… Even the pirate networks… You blowin' up everywhere! And the Jackster? He out in the car?”

“He’s...dead,” her voice breaks, words like thorns in her throat. Having to say it, having to hear it from her own lips…

“Condolences friend,” he tells her, shifting to look at her rather than the tv, “and the relic?”

“Here,” she says, voice a murmur as she taps her neural port.

“Hmm, I was afraid of that…”

“What?!”

She got the fucking relic, everyone is fucking dead, but she got the relic! Everyone died for this fucking chip and now he’s disappointed that she has it!?

“Saburo Arasaka?” Dex paces, smoking his cigar, “Dead…?! You got any notion of the shit you pulled me into?! You offed the fuckin' emperor! His majesty! Anyone with so much as a pinky toe dipped in this mess is as good as dead!’

“I didn’t kill Saburo! I- I-” she stalls, wanting to say she didn’t do anything, but can she say that? Can she act like she didn’t fuck up any of this? Like she has no role in Jackie and Bug’s deaths…

"No shit?l Tell that to the ‘Saka ninjas they send after you!”

“We...we got to leave the city.”

Badlands isn’t the safest for her, but it will be safer with money, she could settle in another city, maybe. She can outrun her family more than Arasaka.

“You don’t say.”

“Call Parker, we close the deal, collect our eddies, and go off the radar.”

“A’ight, settle down,” he sits down on the leather couch, “Gotta be tactical about this. Parker, eddies, then we leave the city limits behind. But first… Your face… got blood all over it. Bathroom's there. Go get yourself cleaned up.”

He points her to the bathroom of the motel and she nods, in no place to argue, she just wants to be on the other side of this mess. To be able to tell herself at least she made it to the major leagues, at least Jackie would be proud of her, even if he isn’t here to see it.

V stumbles into the bathroom, legs wobbling. Everything should hurt, her arm ripped open. Bruises mottling every inch of flesh. But she’s… numb. She works on autopilot, only somewhat aware of the door shutting behind her as she grips the sink, streaking blood across the silver.

Her blood and Jackie’s.

Bile rushes up her throat, stinging as she pukes into the sink, choking and gagging it out. The tears threaten to come again, eyes stinging as he nails dig into the sink. He’s gone, he’s really fucking gone. Her best friend, her brother in everything but blood and name, her rock, and world. The man who took her in, who gave her a goal, a life…

And how’d she repay him?

Watch him die in the back of a Delamain. All her promises to keep him safe, to repay back all the kindness he gave to her. And she couldn’t save him, couldn’t protect him, couldn’t do shit but hold him. Fuckin’ only time she really hugged him with all she had and she doesn’t even know if he could really feel it, if his body was too numb.

If she would have refused the job.

If she had gotten them up the ladder.

If she had been stronger.

If she had been stealthier.

If she had gotten them through the lobby quicker.

If she could have convinced Delamain to get him to a doc.

If she knew better first aid.

If….if… if…

Thoughts spin and whirl through her mind, a thousand reasons why it’s her fault. Why she could have saved him, why she could have done more, why she failed him…

Misty will never take Jackie’s last name and it’s V’s fault. They’ll never have kids, they’ll never buy a home together, he’ll never get to take her to that stupid hotel bar with the annoying waiter.

Senora Welles will be forced to bury her son and it’s V’s fault. She’ll never hold her son again. Never see him smile again. Never see him live out his dream. Never cook his favorite foods for him and nag him not to talk with his mouth full.

Jackie had a future, a family, people who loved him. He was going to marry Misty one day, have kids. Get enough eddies to provide for them and his mom. And now there’s a hole in all of their lives. The world as a whole now worse off without him, her own world destroyed. It should have been her, she knows that, the world would be better off losing her than losing him.

Yet here she is and she’s just supposed to keep moving, supposed to keep breathing, supposed to live a life post Jackie.

When she looks up, she sees her own reflection staring back at her. Red rimmed eyes, swollen from crying and blood splattered across her skin, stuck in the ends of her hair. And she doesn’t know where it’s from, if it’s her own, if it’s Jackie’s, or if it’s from the people she killed tonight. T-Bug and Jackie gone, yet she’s here.

A brilliant talented netrunner is gone. But she’s still here.

The kindest man to walk in Night City is gone. But she’s still here.

She glares at herself, because she has no right to be here and the world has no right to be this cruel. Her fingers clenches, pulling at her damaged nerve endings and she slams her fist into the mirror. Glass shatters and crackles, shards splintering into her knuckles.

V washes the blood from her hands and face, cleaner but still a zombie as she turns to the door. Jackie wanted this for her, one of the only people who ever wanted anything good for her. If only for him, she owes it to him to finish this job. She stumbles to the bathroom door and opens it, stepping out.

Knuckles collide with her head, wracking more pain through an already injured merc, she’s sent sprawling to the ground. She curses and twists around on the floor, not sure she has the energy to stand back up, vision blurring as Dex’s bodyguard stomps on her. Heavy foot colliding with her head. She curses and sputters choking on blood. She twists onto her back, blinking through the pain as Dex’s bodyguard hands him a pistol. The fixer walks closer, standing over her.

“Can't risk it, V,” he says casually, leveling his gun with her head,” ‘Member our first convo?”

“I’ll fucking kill you!” She screams, spitting blood as she stares down the barrel.

“Seems I've chosen the quiet life, after all. No blaze o' glory for me.”

The shot rings out, loud and clear, the world going dark as a bullet rips through the young merc’s head. Blood splatters across the dirty carpet, her body going limp, a final breath gurgling forth as she chokes on her own blood, iron taste clinging in the back of her throat.

Then she’s gone.

#cyberpunk 2077 #cp2077 #silverv #johnny silverhand #jackie welles #female v #aidan becker #aidan v becker #angst

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energyanon · 3 years

Text

Surprise reading as I can’t seem to shake off the curiosity. Ok, I’m gonna set them up in relation to this drama. Personally, I don’t believe it. NV would have to have various personality disorders in order for this to be true, among 5000 other reasons why that is not normal, sane human behaviour. But the Instagram.. so many things don’t match up. However, both me and another anon felt fuzzy headed when we were representing her.. maybe it’s not just her overthinking, maybe it’s something more relating to some kind of disorder, but that’s not my place to say. Let’s check it out. Once again I’m gonna type as I go.

I’ve decided for three set ups here: 1. NV, 2. The group chat as a whole as cited on said Instagram, and 3. Henry.

Set up 2. (The GC) first. I picked up NV and got a headache.

First flag: Natalie wanted to be on top of the GC… that’s weird..

Henry is at a distance but he is staring at them both. Starting to feel like I may have been wrong in my judgment here ha.. 😬 I’m really hoping it’s not true cause otherwise that’s fucking sad and NV has genuine issues. But, I’m ok with being wrong.

Alright, let’s start as NV (cause GC, I feel I already know their feelings regardless of if it’s true or not) FYI, I have moved NV to being close but not on top, as one energy on top of - group of energies would be much too hard to decipher.

NV:

Immediate dizziness. I feel very hot and my air con is currently blasting down upon me so it’s not me. The group chat feels very little to NV. like tiny, as in I could step on them. (1. This can mean they’re not even being seen, she barely cares about them, or 2. Can feel more powerful than) as we know in the screenshots the latter was supposedly the case, so I’m not going to cross that out just yet, but it feels more like I’m just not even seeing them. they’re dirt under my feet. They don’t really have her attention and she’s not super bothered by them, but once I brought her attention to it She does want to stamp it out, it’s a complete nuisance. She wants to cover them up. I gave them a little tap, which ended turning into many taps which turned into actually wanting to destroy their rep all together. so she’s angry about it. (At this point I don’t know if she’s angry about This situation being a lie, as in she’s sick of these people doing this to her, or if she’s genuinely angry at the group for exposing her) the tiny dirt now feels a bit bigger but more like a basketball sized nuisance. She still feels bigger than them, it’s just that this is so ANNOYING. Still wants to rip them up into little pieces, she’s annoyed, she’s moving me around a whole bunch, she’s angry, she’s frustrated, she’s tying her hair up, she’s not having it. like it’s fucking annoying. this is all so ANNOYING. She’s stressed, she’s annoyed, she wants this over and done with.

No more energy shifts. Incoming questions.

Q: do you know them?

No I don’t fucking know them

Ok do you think that was a friend who exposed you?

I don’t know I can’t think I- (just a bunch of profanities) [note: it’s like she’s keyboard smashing in my brain right now it’s REALLY annoyed]

Jaw clenched, I’m swaying from side to side my hands are on my hips, hair away from my face I want to move somewhere else but I need to deal with THIS FUCKING THING FIRST ISHDJFKSJXJDSNX.

god it is SO ANNOYING like if you guys were all in front of me right now you’d be heading me yelling and screaming and So irritated I’m so I’m SO Annoyed. I can’t even think of any other questions to ask cause I’m too busy getting keyboard smashed atm.

I’m gonna move to the group to just see if the intentions there are legit. I need a break from NV.

Ok the group:

the group have some anxiety, stomach dropped. They’re not angry they’re just looking at NV. None of them can be sure if It was NV - I think some of them doubt but it was a “get it out just in case” situation. At least one of them feel bad. Nervous jitters from my right leg. You know how you fidget when you’re waiting to get in trouble?

Q: do you believe it was NV?

There are many of them so I’ll just say it as it came up. No (1) I don’t know (majority) one of them is a yeah, feels like the leader of the group but even then the yeah isn’t a solid resounding yeah. But it’s also not like a “yeaahhh?” It’s like I’m just gonna make a decision and it’s yeah.

Q: are you mad that nv is with Henry

I’m not mad (1)

We’re not mad, we just think he could do better. (Majority)

Q: why did you do this

To expose her

Q: why to expose her if you didn’t truly believe it was her

There is a very weak “it was the right thing to do” like.. when I say weak it feels like they don’t even believe that, but they’ve convinced themselves it is..?

Q: at any point did you lie or fabricate the screenshots?

Resounding no, but one solid yes from someone.

Q: Yes?

One of them.

Q: which one

(I was shown one of them, it was one of the purple and black ones, one where there isn’t much purple - I’ll have to check it after)

Ok, my leg isn’t going crazy anymore - there is just an expectant waiting. They’re looking at NV, she’s taller than them but not much taller (not like they’re a basketball being looked down upon, just normal human heights) the feeling is just waiting. Waiting to see if there is a response. That’s it, that’s all I’ve been given I can’t even conjure Up another question. (Sometimes when the energy is done sharing its just done, I can’t force it past that and I’m not in my right to)

Checking Henry:

Henry is tired, he’s disillusioned, he’s just staring into space. The other two are in front of him (facing one another) but he doesn’t see them. Genuinely no thoughts from him it’s complete disassociation. But I did ask if he knew about this situation, he doesn’t seem to know yet.

And yet he’s still disassociating.. the thought “I don’t know what to do” came up, but it was so slow and fractured it was like… you know that video of that kid who’s trying to say have you ever had a dream that you could do anything but he muddles it up for 20 seconds before getting to it? It’s like that (I’ll link it when I’m done)

“I don’t kn- I just I - what do I ev- wh-“ and it keeps going but imagine it taking FOREVER for him to say it.

He’s stuck in the disassociation. Weird choice, but I need to do it. I’m gonna slap him. (Which yes, means slapping myself)

Ok, that didn’t make much difference, he’s still super tired, he still didn’t see the other two but I tried to bring his attention to NV and he was already turning around to leave “I don’t care, I don’t care I’m too tired” and then he turned back and said to NV to clarify “I do care, but I don’t, I’m tired” and I took him out cause he was walking out of there anyway.

Back to NV one last time, and then I’m doing other stuff with my day and then I’ll do CE tonight.

It’s always dizziness with this chick, I swear. Everytime im with her I’m dizzy, I’m losing blood pressure. She’s calmed down at least but fuck I’m dizzy more dizzy than I usually am (can be her, could also be me continuously going into different energies, I don’t tend to feel like this though but don’t rule it out)

Dizzy, Im not tired, but fatigued like I don’t need to sleep, I need to just lay down. I see the GC but they can fuck off I don’t care. She wants to kick them out of the way. As soon as she does she wants to leap out at them and tear them to shreds. She goes from 1- 100 real quick. I don’t want her to destroy my representative for the group, cause I don’t want anything to accidentally manifest in real time for the actual group, so im going to create a little thing that she can destroy instead - just in case there are any energetic consequences of her destroying the representation of the GC. Found a little piece of paper I called it placebo GC and we’re tearing it up.

Ok so, I got her to tear up Placebo GC. She got raveonous with it. I am now coming to believe that NV has some major anger issues. To be fair, im feeling how annoyed she is and I get it honestly it’s the only way to get out this level of emotion. It’s not healthy, therapy is needed for sure, but I’m not gonna sit here like this and say that she’s overreacting cause when you’re feeling like she is, there’s no where else for this to go

She ripped them up, crushed them, tore at them with her teeth, crushed them into a little ball again and chucked them away and then we just screamed “FUCK!” For literally about 3 minutes and she was LIVID. I’ve sat her down now while I write this, she’s still annoyed, she’s not livid.

Interesting to note though, all throughout the screaming there was never a single thought that came up that was like “why can’t they just let US live, why can’t we just BE together” she really doesn’t seem to care about the affect it has on her and Henry’s relationship, she’s just annoyed people are talking shit. Like she just doesn’t care that people won’t accept them.

Oh! I haven’t checked on her vs. HC so lemme do that. I wanna see if she checks up on him too, cause from a normal relationship perspective, this would affect him too. But let’s see.

Yup, ok, nothing from her end, if anything she’s giving him the silent treatment. Like she’s looking at him in the way you do when your partner has said something stupid and you’re too angry to answer. But she doesn’t care that he’s there. I went to him also to see if he would comfort her and he was just a brick wall, kind of more like “here I am I’m showing up but idc. I really idc. Sorry that you’re going through it I guess.” Both of them had the ~aura~ (I don’t know how to explain it on text) of “this did not go as planned” however, they didn’t SAY that, just as an FYI, it was just a bit of a shared feeling translated into words.

That’s it. I’m ending it there. I’ve got life admin to do, be back later for a CE reading as promised. :)

#ooo I should also check on the “quote NV unquote in the Instagram #fuck that would have been a good idea to see if it was legit her or not.#I’ll leave the set up as it is #do my stuff #do CE as promised and then try that out #reading #nv #hc

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cruddyborderlandstheories · 3 years

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I like the implication that, in what is basically Gearbox's own Bl3 AU, Tyreen respects Amara more than she respects her own twin brother. Like. For some reason Tyreen suddenly values the loyalty of a single cultist (those things she eats and views as disposable) more than gaining another set of Siren powers and ascending further to Godhood. It's really funny to me

She absorbs her brother and steals Lilith's powers and attempts to absorb the Destroyer in order to become a God, but no she draws the line at Amara because Amara had [checks notes] "loyalty and usefulness on the battlefield". Sorry, didn't realize those were things Tyreen values given she bleeds a shitton of her loyal battle forces dry like she's sucking down smoothies, but yeah OK.

Like. I KNOW. That this is just for the new body customizations. I GET IT. I know they needed to write up SOMETHING. but God damn it this made me laugh so hard like. They did the main story again. They did it fuckin AGAIN and they did it WORSE.

Because yeah in the actual game Amara is on our team and we can just kinda half hand-wave away the twins not going for her powers as a sort of "oh they never saw an opportunity they didn't wanna risk their plans" (totally ignoring Jakobs Manor with Troy because if you play as Amara, uh, Troy's got some self esteem issues picking monologuing over obtaining more siren powers given we know he can absorb the people in his phaselock cuz he does it to Tyreen) but now AMARA IS LITERALLY IN THE CULT, ON THEIR TEAM. If her loyalty is that goddamn notable that she becomes a holy avatar of Tyreen maybe just be like "hey, wanna do something cool for ur God Queen? Lemme have your powers to get to the Great Vault and you'll stand next to me when I open it". Boom loyal cultist has been SUCKERED into giving up her powers FOR FREE. And if Amara would've been like "oh hell no" and left after Tyreen asked for her powers why is Amara okay with Tyreen and Troy stealing OTHER Sirens powers. Not to mention that Tyreen would not even need to ask for the powers, just sneak up behind Amara n take them, it's not like she'd be on guard 24/7 because she joined the CoV OF HER OWN VOLITION.

But nah we just uh let her keep her powers because um. She's loyal and strong. Like all of our other cultists. Yeahhhh. LMAO. Ah God. It's so bad. The others aren't great either (Zane swaps from trying to hide in the CoV to being a bandit leader solely because his relatives were bandit leaders like can I get a yikes from all my siblings with shitty relatives), but Amara's really got to me as I was thinking it through.

The other 3 don't need 'divine intervention' from the twins when they join the cult so they can slip under their radar, but Amara definitely fucking does as a God damn SIREN and that's where it went wrong. Like, again, I know it's just so we can have these new cosmetics and shouldn't be taken that seriously but ahhhhh it's so laughable fhhagshdkdhhfk like yeah you'll be our... Uh... holy... avatar..? Yeah sure that. You'll survive if you stay with us, Siren [wink wink]

They could've just said something like 'the twins are letting Amara keep her powers for now to lull her into a false sense of security until they need/yoink them later' or some shit and idve been like oh sick boom case closed this cosmetic is just from before they take them. But instead they say Tyreen allows Amara to keep her powers because she's loyal and good at fighting. Bitch you'd be good at fighting too if you took Amara's powers and added them to your own set.

In fact now I'm just disappointed we never heard of Tyreen or Troy when they had their powers going down with the masses of cultists to fight. No vlog footage of them livestreaming combat from their perspective like Maya does in a video call from Athenas.

It kinda makes them seem like they can't do anything by themselves (all we see them do is sneakily steal vault monsters after we do all the hard work, kill Maya completely by accident and intimidate a 12 year old, surprise attack us but only to monologue and get shot by an old man they can't even catch, then sneakily yoink Tannis. I guess they also steal Lilith's powers at the start of the game but that's... Well it's Lilith, the queen of shitty decisions who 100% could have teleported with the Vault Map instead of fighting, and the twins still had the element of surprise on their side to get the upper hand) which really undermines the whole thing they're trying to build up with Sirens being stupid powerful and them being the Main Villains of a shooter video game.

At least with Jack we were told up front that he was a coward and wouldn't fight fair or directly if he could help it by angel herself. The start of the game he tries to blow us up on a train with a cocky sign, not fight us head on. Meanwhile the twins are all like "nooo we're unkillable gods" and everyone we meet is like "noooo they're terrifying cult leaders" and they go after Lilith to take her powers by surprising her with Troy being a Siren (?) and then we don't ever see them actually, really FIGHTING again until their final boss fights where we kill them. Making it come across like they probably only ever got lucky in combat instead of using their skill sets.

They don't even have to be on the battlefield when the VHs are fighting, but imagine calling ahead to another planet and instead of seeing yet another bunch of nameless cultists killing people, you saw Tyreen and Troy doing their own thing with their Siren abilities while the CoV took care of stragglers. Literally anything to make them feel intimidating instead of noise machines. Like damn. Imagine if they showed Troy doing his orb sword rock attacks in-game to kill a bunch of civilians with guns before we fought him. Or wait was him actually getting that power cut along with the explanation for the Vault of the Architects 😩

Idk I'd like to imagine instead of their shitty meme videos that play on repeat on eden-6 even though they're both dead god damn it turn the fucking videos OFF there are compilations of kills by Tyreen having both Phaseleech and Phasewalk on the battlefield. Troy with Phaselock executing people with his giant sword while cultists cheer him on while swarming other people. Let them have mlg pro sound effects and editing and shitty dubstep if you must BUT AT LEAST WE'D HAVE REASON TO BE LIKE "oh shit, we're about to fight these guys how will we survive against those attacks" instead of "oh, finally, I get to shut them the hell up". It'd be terrifying, but so cool to see and would really build up the boss fights at the end of the game in general. Especially Tyreen's, seeing all her sweet Abilities and combos, teleporting behind people and insta killing them anime style, maybe gaining new ones by combining Phaseleech and Phasewalk together into some twisted amalgamation of powers. Wow. That'd be great.

[remembers the disappointment of Tyreen the Destroyer and her not even absorbing thrown grenades to kill us with them as she previously showed she was 100% capable of that] sigh. [wipes it from his memories] like it's so sad Tyreen just spontaneously combusts at the end of Bl3, imagine the awesomeness of fighting a Siren with 2 sets of siren powers at once who then, out of desperation in the final phase of her fight, absorbs a space abomination and becomes one herself because she's not giving up her dream that easily. Wow.

I'm rambling now lol. This whole "Amara is definitely still a Siren but don't think about it" situation just makes me laugh and I wanted to talk about it because it's borderlands why else. Just imagining Amara showing up immediately after Tyreen takes Lilith's powers and Tyreen going like "yup not taking those powers she's chill I like her" and then turning around and absorbing her brother instead is just. Comedic gold.

#No but fr bro WHAT #Tyreen would have sniped those powers as soon as they appeared and she had a clean shot #She `fights` Lilith for hers and it was more of a beat down but she GOES FOR THEM *knowing* that Lilith was the Firehawk (strong)#Imagine if Amara joined the cult and was completely chill around Tyreen she'd go for those powers in an instant like. HELLO #Godhood is calling my good b!tch!!!#It took me 2 days to read this because I genuinely dislike these customizations solely bc the VHs as characters would NEVER #I can see them not becoming VHs #Understandable. But joining the CoV? Nah Im drawing the gatdam line #Borderlands #Borderlands 3 #Cruddy rambles

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rotblut · 3 years

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Luniiiiiii!!! Please tell me who would be your dream pairing with Won ji an...I totally LIVE for your amazing visual and aus and ideas like girl how do you even come up with this!! Your convenience store modern AU of YOM...omg The talent!! The creativity!! Also your gifs with the new laptop looks AMAZING!!! Love youuuuuu!!!!🌸🌸🌸🌸

YOU ARE MAKING ME CRY OMG I AM CRYING LOVE, my eyes are teary WITH HAPPY TEARS OMG THANK YOU in the last 2 days i was really insecure and freaked out about the new gifs on the new laptop like i tested lots of different stuff but you all said they looked pretty like omggggggggggggggg thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu! I wanna give back the positive emotions that you all give me so lemme make for you all something omg in return you all i am emotional

I REALLY LOVE YOU and HAPPY YOU asked about my new babygirl jian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! did not expect that your brain is connecting the dots with my brain and that we share one thought and i love that and you’re asking me the important questions thank you big goddess that you are! I hope I am worthy of your time omg.

ok so jian with these guys but that will likely never happen because she’s like new new and not gonna happen anytime soon BUT THERE IS HOPE ;______________; BUT IF I COULD PAIR HER UP IT WOULD BE

dongyeon

kwon youngchan (because he is amazing and also new in the game and i deserve to see him in love and make out and be happy)

dohyun

jaewook

choi kyu jin

AND I AM RECENTLY OBSESSED WITH THE THOUGHT of her being in hounds since the director did say he wants to cast a new rookie actress in hounds and SHE WOULD BE PERFECT LIKE HER EYES AND CHARM HER CHARISMA HER EVERYTHING!!!!!! her with dohyun and dongyeon is my new obesession i want that for me and for us and for her so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OHHHHHHHHHHHHH also LOVE THAT YOU LOVE MY AUs LIKE HAPPY my fantasy makes you happy too omg if you have something in mind let me know I will make more for sure of AU YOm scenes i got half of the set already finished for more of University/work AU for them. sometimes my brain surprises me to the way it conects the points and the things together and the ideas come at the most random moments like omg.

also if you are stil not over yom please follow my gif twitter where i post most of the yom stuff there since i feel like I’m annoying you all with me giffing and giffing and giffing yom on here so bts content of my gifs and edits will be on there (also graphic fails and stuff that i am not posting on here)

https://twitter.com/lunigifs

HUGS YOU AND LET ME KNOW YOUR PAIRINGS WITH HER OMGGGGGGGG I LOVE US AND THAT WE ARE IN LOVE WITH HER AND THAT SHE GOT US WRAPPED AROUND HER FINGER AND ALSO I LOVE SUPPORTING ACTORS THAT ARE NOT POPULAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! a win for us i would say the way she was devouring in those 10 min of screentime everyone else!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

#frage

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plugloveff · 4 years

Text

Chapter 6

Cassidy:

Looking down at my phone I rolled my eyes in annoyance at the 17 missed calls and 32 messages from Chris. Shoving my phone into the pocket of my sweatpants I motioned for Stephanie to pass me the blunt.

“What’s going on with you?” Chanel asked taking a sip of her drink.

“Chris is getting on my god damn nerves” I replied bringing the blunt to my lips and taking a long pull.

“How is that going? Y'all been together for what three years now ?” Aria asked

“Yeah, but I don’t know how much longer it’s going to last”

“Your just upset right now, you just need to calm down” Chanel said.

“Yeah” I replied but I knew the truth.

Chris was a great person and I knew he loved me, but I wasn't in love with him anymore. I hadn't been for a while now, I was just going through the motions. I didn't want to hurt him, I couldn't he didn't deserve it. Plus who left a man who loved them and treated them like a queen for no good reason. I just kept telling myself I was going through a faze and I was going to find that spark with Chris again. I mean I had to right?

“Cass” Chanel yelled

“Huh” I said snapping out of my thoughts.

“This is Cash, Meek’s cousin” she said pointing to the man who was now sitting next to me.

When my eyes locked on his my breath caught in my throat. Hazel eyes bore into mine, and I couldn't seem to speak. He's gorgeous, no men weren't gorgeous were they? I thought.

“Nice to meet you beautiful” he said smiling at me.

“You too ” I said but my voice came out hoarse.

Cash smirked at me and my entire body ignited like someone had set me on fire. This man was fine as hell and I didn't realize that we'd been having a staring contest until Chanel cleared her throat breaking my trance.

When I looked up at her she was smirking at me and shaking her head. Looking away from her I picked up the bag of weed off the table and the rolling tray and stated rolling up. I needed to distract myself from looking at him and I could feel Cash's eyes on me.

“Yo Cash I’m coming to the shop this week I need a new tat” Wayne said.

“What you getting ?” Steph asked.

“You’ll see when it’s done” he replied.

“Just lemme know when, so I can squeeze you in” Cash replied.

“Where’s the lighter” I asked

“Here” Cash said pulling one out of his pocket.

Looking at him I took the lighter out of his hand and lit the blunt. "Thanks" I said taking a pull, I let the weed fill my lungs and rested my head back against the chair blowing the smoke out of my mouth.

I felt Cash's eyes boring into the side of my face “You wanna pull?” I asked.

Cash smirked and took the blunt from my hand. When his finger’s grazed against mine I felt like i'd been shocked. It must be the weed she thought.

We spent the next two hours smoking and talking. I felt a sense of comfort talking to Cash as if I’d known him my entire life. He was easy to talk to and he made me laugh. We were in their own bubble tuning out the rest of the group around us.

“Yo I’m so smacked, I feel like I’m talking too much” I said laughing.

“Nah you not, I like talking to you” Cash said leaning his head back against the chair and staring at me.

I felt hot all over again, the more he stared at me the hotter I got. And when he licked his lips I felt my center pulse. Oh no please no !!

“I should probably get going I got an early day tomorrow” I said sitting up.

“You good to drive ?” Cash asked

“Nah I came with Coco but I’ll take an Uber home I don’t look like she’s ready to go” I said looking at Chanel who was snuggled into Meek's lap.

“Nah I can take you home I’m bouta head out too” he said

“No that’s ok I don’t want to take you out of your way"

“Your not I offered Ma, come on” Cash said standing up.

Standing up I said my goodbye's and waited for Cash. “You ready?“ he asked.

“Yeah”

“Aye Cash tread light nigga that’s family” Meek called out to him but I saw the smirk on his face.

Cash chuckled and shook his head “Nigga I’m family” he replied as he lead me out of the backyard.

When we got to the driveway Cash opened the passenger door to a cherry red Ferrari.

“Aren’t you a gentlemen” I said as I slid into the buttery seats.

“Only for you” Cash said closing the door and getting into the driver’s side.

“Alright where we off to?” Cash asked when he was behind the wheel.

Telling him my address I rested my head against the window. The weed in my system had me super relaxed and it was only a matter of time before I fell asleep.

When we pulled onto the highway, Cash broke the silence. “You sleeping over their lil mama?“

“No I was about to but your loud ass interrupted me"

Cash laughed and I couldn’t help but smile at the sound of his deep laugh.

“You can’t fall asleep on me, I need you to entertain me” He said

“I look like a clown to you? Plus I’m losing beauty sleep right now"

“Nah you not a clown lil mama, and I'on think you need beauty sleep"

"And why is that?"

"Because you're already so beautiful” he replied.

I bit my lip trying to hide the smile that threatened to spread on my face. "You're real smooth, you say that to all the girls?"

"Nah only the one’s I’m really interested in” he replied.

“So your interested in me?"

"Hell yeah I’m tryna be invested though if you let me "

I couldn’t find the right words to say so I nodded my head and looked outside the window. I heard Cash laugh.

Pulling in front of my apartment I sighed and looked up at the tall building. "Thank you for the ride Cash” I said unbuckling my seat belt.

“Wait” Cash said putting his hand on my thigh. “I was wondering if you could do something for me in return" he said.

"What?” I asked glaring at him.

Cash smiled “Noting like that lil mama. Can I have your number? You know to work on my investment?” he asked.

I playfully rolled my eyes “Who said I was available?"

"Nobody but if you are he obviously ain’t doing his job right"

"Why would you say that?"

Cash leaned into me, his lips only inches away from mine. "Because I wouldn’t let your fine ass out of my sight if you were mine."

"Oh” I said feeling my pulse quicken.

Cash bit his lip and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. “So them digit’s? You might as well give them to me cause I ain’t gone stop till I get them. All I gotta do is text Meek and they’re mine” he said.

“He wouldn’t"

"Oh but I’m very persuasive” Cash said.

I knew he was telling the truth because he was finessing me right now. I knew this was a bad idea but I took his phone and typed in my number. When I handed it back to him his smile was so cocky I rolled my eyes.

“Good night lil mama” Cash said cupping my chin in his hand and kissing my forehead.

"Goodnight Cash ” I said getting out of the car.

I quickly walked into my building fighting with myself not to turn back and look at him. When I got on the elevator I rested my head against the cold metal trying to calm myself down. My heart was pounding against my chest. What the fuck was that? I thought.

I went to sleep that night next to Chris but dreaming of Cash. And I knew I was in trouble.

Chanel:

Stepping out of my Louboutin's I sighed feeling my feet hit the bare wood floor. My feet were killing me and I desperately wanted to take a hot bath and climb into bed with my man. Unfortunately for me I was the girlfriend of a gangster which meant most nights I went to bed alone.

Walking into my bedroom, I dropped my Birkin bag on the dresser. Noticing the balcony door opened I stepped out onto the patio. When I saw Robert standing on my balcony I paused.

"What the fuck are you doing here?” I asked

“I’ve been trying to talk to you for a while. You have me blocked on everything and I’ve tried to get to you at work but Stephanie hasn’t let me talk to you. I got lucky that there’s a new guard downstairs and he let me up” Robert said.

“You wanna talk to me? You have 30 seconds make it fast” I said.

“Chanel I love you I know I fucked up believe me I know and I’m sorry about that if I could take it all back I would. But you not really with this nigga Chanel if you think I was bad what do you think a nigga like that is gonna do?” Rob said.

“He’s never given me a reason to think other wise Rob I can’t say the same for you though. And your thirty-seconds are up” I said.

“Just tell me do you love him more than me ?"

Rolling my eyes I shook my head. "You really want this answer?"

"Yes, if you do I promise I’ll leave you alone"

"Robert I loved you since I was 18 years old, you were my first real love. But I’ve never loved anyone the way that I love Meek” I said.

Robert looked at me stunned by my confession. “Oh okay then. I’ve only ever wanted you to be happy Nel and if he makes you happy then I’ll fall back"

"Thank you"

"I just hope he realizes what he has and holds onto it before it’s too late”

“He knows” I replied.

Nodding his head Rob walked over to me and planted a kiss on my forehead. “Take care Chanel” he said before walking out.

When I heard the elevator doors close I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Stepping off the balcony I walking into my ensuite and set myself a bath. Pulling my hair into a high bun on top of my head I connected my phone to my beats pill. Kehlani’s voice poured through the speaker as I sank into the tub.

The hot water eased my tense muscles.Closing my eyes I let out a deep breath and sank deeper into the tub. My mind replayed the last few minutes over and over again. I had finally closed the door on my relationship with Rob, he was my first so I knew I would always have love for him. But the love I felt for Ahmeek was different it was borderline obsessive, dangerous. Someone had already lost their life over it. And I wondered what or who else would pay the price of our love.

Then there was the detective who was looking into Jennifer’s disappearance. You mean murder.

Meek promised me that it was all taken care of but I still feared the worst.

That wasn’t the only thing that bothered me though. I knew that if the detective hadn’t told me; Meek wouldn’t have and that bothered me. He was so good at hiding it from me he didn’t even seem fazed by it. If he could hide that from me then what else would he hide from me?

I wanted to trust him but something told me that there was more to Ahmeek Brown than I knew and I wasn't sure how much I really know the man I slept next to every night.

I sat in the tub for almost an hour deep in thought and when the water got cold I quickly washed my body off and stepped out of the tub.

Throwing on some boy shorts and one of Meek’s shirt’s I climbed into bed. Glancing at my phone it was already 3 am. I was exhausted but my body fought to stay awake. I just needed to see him before I closed my eyes. Rolling over to his side of the bed I hugged his pillow. His scent still lingered on it and my body relaxed deeper into the mattress.

I was addicted to this man I needed him I craved him and on night’s like this when I couldn’t have him I felt uneasy.

Picking up my phone I sent him a quick text message.

Chanel: I love you, be safe and I’ll be waiting for you at home.

I didn’t wait for an answer because I knew he’d be busy. Gripping the pillow tighter I fell asleep.

___________

It’d been two days since I had heard or seen Meek and I was going crazy. I’d reached out to Dre and Wayne and they assured me that he was fine. Which turned my worry into rage, because it meant he was purposely avoiding me but I wasn’t sure why.

Sitting on the edge of my bed I fastened the straps of my Tom Ford heels. The girls were dragging me out of the house to get my mind off of Ahmeek. But there was no use my mind was constantly on Ahmeek he had infected my entire body and mind. Days without him had been torture for me.

Sighing I stood up from the bed and walked to my mirror. The distressed jeans and crop top I wore weren’t my normal club attire but I wasn’t in the mood to put any effort into my outfit.

Pulling my hair into a high ponytail I grabbed my wristlet and headed for the elevator. Reaching for my car keys, I noticed the keys for Meek’s Ferrari on the hook. Smirking I picked them up and stepped onto the elevator.

Pulling up in front of the club I noticed my friends waiting for me. Putting the car in park I stepped out of it and walked over to my friends.

“You wanna start a war tonight I see” Aria said.

“What are you talking about?” I asked smugly, I knew exactly what I was doing.

“You know someone’s gonna spot his car and snitch on your ass right?” Aria asked pointing to the custom car.

Shrugging my shoulders I walked into the club with Steph and Aria close behind.

I had plans to make a scene tonight, if Meek wasn’t gonna answer me. I was just going to have to get his attention another way.

Meek:

I clenched my jaw as Wayne pulled up in front of the club. When I saw my Ferrari parked on the corner my blood boiled. Wayne hadn’t even fully put the car in park before I hopped out.

“Where is she?” I asked the bouncer.

“Last time we had eyes on her she was by the bar” he said.

Nodding my head I stepped into the crowded club with Wayne and Dre on each side of him. I scanned the bar looking for Chanel.

"Aye we got action” Wayne motioned towards the end of the bar where Chanel, Aria and Steph were doing shots. My jaw clenched when I saw the man standing behind Chanel wrap his arm around her waist.

"Ah shit” Dre said shaking his head because he already knew what was going to happen next.

Pushing through the crowd I got to them so fast that Steph and Aria didn’t have a chance to warn her.

“If you like having your hand I would move it” I barked out.

I noticed how Chanel’s body stiffened when she heard my voice. When she turned to face me her eyes were red and low. She was high and from the empty shot glasses on the counter she was drunk as well.

“Oh now you care” she asked, leaning closer into the man’s arm with a smirk on her face.

Chanel was definitely drunk and she was testing my patience.

“Chanel let’s go” I said.

It was taking everything in me not to knock this man’s head off his shoulder’s and fling Chanel over my shoulder to my car.

“No, you ain’t speak to me for fucking day’s didn’t even check on me. For no reason now you think I’m just going to leave with you? No fuck you” Chanel spat. She was fuming, her eyes were wild and her breathing had picked up.

We glared at each other, the tension between us was thick. Each one of us daring the other to do something.

“I'on think she wanna go with you my man” the man who lingered on Chanel said.

Breaking my eye contact with Chanel I glared at him. “What the fuck you just say to me ?” I asked taking a step closer to him.

Dre and Wayne watched on ready for whatever. That’s just how we rolled, if one bussed we all bussed.

“Yo I don’t mean no disrespect but she don’t seem like she wanna leave with you. Maybe you should just fall back” he said.

I let out a throaty chuckle, danger flashed in my eyes. As he locked one hand over the opposite wrist. I stared my opponent dead in the eyes.

“You see you’re trying to keep me from my girl and that is what I take as disrespect. Look around you, think about what you doing before you have your mama crying in all black ” I stated.

I didn’t want it to come to this because the clubbed was packed and I wasn’t one who believed in leaving witnesses. But if it came to it, I would handle it.

The man glanced around the club, he hadn’t noticed before the two men that sat on either end of the bar. Or that the guards all seemed to be staring at him. He was out numbered, this wasn’t a fight he wanted.

Nodding his head he glanced down at Chanel “take care of yourself” he said before walking away.

Chanel rolled her eyes at looked back at me. “You happy now? You ruined my fun” Chanel said.

“Let’s go now” I said reaching for her hand but Chanel snatched it back. “Don’t touch me” Chanel said pointing her finger in my face.

I had enough of Chanel’s attitude. Groaning I scooped her up and threw her over my shoulder.

“Pass me her bag?” I said while fighting to hold Chanel still.

Aria smirked and handed him Chanel’s bag. “Thank’s. I'mma hit y'all later” I said walking out of the club with Chanel screaming and punching at my back for me to put her down.

When they reached my car, I finally put her down. Opening the door I motioned for her to get in. Chanel stood still with her hand crossed against her chest.

“Chanel stop fucking playing with me and get in the fucking car” I barked at her.

Chanel rolled her eyes and slid into the passenger’s seat. Slamming the car door I got in on the driver’s side.

___________________

“You gonna talk to me now, or you gonna keep acting like I don’t fucking exist” I asked.

“You wanna talk now? You been gone for two fucking days and now you wanna talk to me? I had to go to the club and make a scene to get your fucking attention ? My own boyfriend. So I don’t have shit else to say to you Ahmeek.” Chanel yelled.

“I needed to handle some stuff” I said

“So you didn’t think to let me know that?” Chanel asked.

“I needed to calm down before I came to you”

“Calm down for what?"

"I know you had him here” I said my jaw twitching.

“Who?"

"Bitch ass Rob"

Chanel looked at me for a few minutes and then started laughing. "This was because of Rob? Are you serious right now? He was here when I got home, I’ve been avoiding him for months and there’s a new guard downstairs who obviously didn’t know not to let his ass upstairs. But I told him that we were done and that I loved your dumb ass. He respected it and left he wasn’t even here for five fucking minutes"

"He shouldn’t have been here"

"No shit I just said he was here when I got home. So that’s why you been ignoring me? Instead of opening your fucking mouth and actually talking to me” Chanel shook her head and walked out of her room.

I followed behind her. “I’m trying to handle you differently. I don’t wanna be barking at you and fighting with you so I needed a couple days. And then you pull this shit tonight, you testing me Chanel on god you testing a nigga. I was so close to turning that nigga lights out” I said running a hand through my waves.

“You can’t be hurting people because of me” Chanel said.

“I don’t know how else to get this anger out. Two nigga’s already lost they lives cause I was in a bad mood because of you” I said.

Chanel sighed and shook her head. “Talk to me first, if it’s not needed and it’s just because your mood is sour talk to me Ahmeek. I’m not here just to lay down with you I’m here to be your sounding board, if there’s something on your mind or something that’s bothering you tell me I’m here. But please don’t shut me out again. Because I’m gonna be petty and you’re gonna be mad. It’s a dangerous cycle"

"Loving you is dangerous ma. Because for you I’ll do anything” I said.

Chanel’s anger softened. Walking over to me she wrapped her arms around my waist. “25 to life with you pa. I love you” Chanel said.

I sighed and planted a kiss on her forehead. “25 to life” I said.

#plugloveff #pluglove #jordyn woods #jordynwoodsff #donnell blaylock #dababy #jaydawayda #amour jayda #saweetie #Roddy Ricch #taina #taina williams #Hood Love #fanfic #fan fic blog

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austarus · 4 years

Text

HR Wells x Reader Hidden Among The Fairy Lights (Part 2 of 3)

**A/N: The picture/edit/gif does not belong to me.

*There’s a hidden Easter Egg, lemme know your thoughts in the comments or in reblogs. Could be about my next one-shot or it could be about part 3, let’s discuss ;D

Word Count: 5271

Part 1 Part 3

“HR?” you gave his arm a little squeeze, concern flooding your eyes at the sudden shift in his body language. Tension replacing his usually sunshine-y disposition that you had been accustomed to seeing every day, even if it expertly masked how he truly felt at times around the others. Gradually realizing that you eagerly wanted to see him sincerely smile at the beginning of each day to know that he was doing ok. A part of you wanted to retract your question, but a bigger part wanted to know- to understand what had happened to him to cause such a change in his demeanor.

“Are you sure this is what you wish to know?”

You swallowed your saliva as your answer fell out of your mouth without a second thought, “Yes.”

HR rubbed his face with a firm hand, exhaling slowly through his nose. What he shouldn’t have expected was for you to back down, after all you were just trying to befriend him. He knows you weren’t trying to intentionally hurt him, especially with all the kindness you’d shown him. “The people in my life have always set high expectations for me.” HR reopened those crystal blue eyes that you’ve found yourself falling into more than once. Like a riptide. He held your gaze, rubbing the skin on his wrist. “I came from a well-off family of scientists. My father was a genius physicist and a mathematician while my mother contributed whatever time she had to her cancer research. Everyone in the science community knew of the Wells family. I was… different. I didn’t want to study science or math; I didn’t want to be stuck in labs making analysis and collecting data. I wanted to create worlds and write my own reality- adventures that I can only dream of going on.” Your hand soon found his, giving it a little squeeze to let him know that you were listening intently. “My mother had a weak heart after I was born, so her movement was limited, but she gave me all her time while balancing her research and my father. My father… indirectly had blamed me for her health complication, fueled by my failure to follow in the scientific field. I essentially besmirched our family name.” You can tell where that was going, heard similar stories shared by friends of the past. Your heart clenched tightly in your chest for HR. “One thing came after another and my mother passed away from her heart condition, all because she was defending my desire to write and my interests in traveling.”

“I’m sorry,” you looked down, now mentally scolding yourself. “I-I shouldn’t have asked.” I’m so stupid, of course with that reaction he… I’m an idiot for asking. After this he won’t want to talk to me. After this, he won’t want to be around me again. I’m so stupid. I didn’t mean to hurt him.

“You didn’t know,” HR chuckled mirthlessly, a somber smile crossed his face as the author waved off your apology. He hadn’t noticed your hand in his until now, how his larger hand had encased your smaller one as if complementing each other like puzzle pieces. HR swallowed whatever had gotten caught in his throat. “My father wasn’t a fan of me or I him. But my mother was the one that I held onto dearly. She always told me that it’s ok to be myself, that I’m worth something, so I should keep smiling and continue on with my work. Then I met Randolf Morgan in middle school, and well, here we are.” HR sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. You saw his eyes glistening so you couldn’t help yourself but wrap your arms around him. HR returned the hug, letting out a breath as he concluded in a low whisper, “I hadn’t… truly confided my story to anyone in a while.” The invisible chains of his past still hung onto him even after all these years. What else could I have done, but to lie as Randolf covered for me until we re-opened up STAR Labs.

“Well, I’m here for you,” you spoke softly into his chest with red cheeks, unbeknownst to you his own cheeks and ears were flushing a similar color, “whenever you need me.” When you both pulled away a heavy droplet from the heavens fell onto your nose, causing you to snap your neck back a bit. HR laughed at your reaction to which you pouted at him for until another drop hit him in the eye. You laughed at his demise. Not a second too soon, an army of rain drops cascaded down onto the city, pelting down you and HR. The clouds angrily rumbled in up above. Instantly, the Earth-19 novelist had taken off the backpack and shrugged his jacket off.

“What are you doing?” You loudly asked him as the noise of rainfall increased. “You’re going to get sick!”

With a determined look, HR was already wrapping his jacket around you, but you resisted. “You’re going to get sick too!” Your hair was already sticking to your forehead as was HR’s, your shirt clung to the skin of your back. This seemed vaguely similar to a scene in all those cheesy rom-coms that Caitlin and Iris watch, but instead of a kiss under the gentle flow of rain, the water’s unyieldingly merciless to you and HR. A kiss would have been nice though.

“We’re both going to get sick!”

“Put this on-” HR firmly spoke, taking a hold of your hand once you had your arms in the sleeves of his warm jacket, “-and get ready to run.”

“Huh?!”

“We’re only a few blocks away from the labs, we can make it back and dry off there,” he explained as HR adjusted the backpack on his person once more. You wordlessly followed him back to the labs with fast steps. His warm hand had tugged yours along. Way to ruin everything rain.

***

Once back to the empty labs, HR had ushered you to his room as you both left a trail of water droplets. You two were cold and soaked to the bone. I… think my bra’s wet too. The rainstorm ragged outside and boy where you were relieved to finally be inside the labs. Cisco’s stuff is surely damaged at this point from the amount of rain. I guess we might have to make another trip up to Star City. HR handed you a dry towel, to which you immediately began to dry your hair as he did his own. You giggle when he had finished, revealing a floofy mess. He looked at you quizzically before you shook your head at him. You had to reprimand yourself from having your eyes trail along with the droplets that had trickled down his neck and into his shirt. I have no idea how to get home and on top of that, HR’s looking unfairly sexy right now. More so than he already is on a day to day basis. You once again scolded yourself for such thirsty thoughts because there was no way someone like him would want someone like you. He was up there, and you were just… down there. Literally from two different worlds. You shifted your footing a bit as you continued to dry yourself off as best as you could.

You crinkled your nose at the way you smelled from the rain then you mentally facepalmed because you just did that in front of the cute novelist… whom you’re not crushing on because you’ve obviously got no chance with him. A shiver ran throughout your body as a small sneeze left you. HR didn’t know why, but he found your tiny sneeze to be cute as a puppy-like grin made its way on his lips.

“You can borrow my shower if you want. That way you can warm up and avoid getting sick.”

“I’m not-” you sneezed once more, holding the towel close to you for some warmth. “…” You remained silent, sheepishly and stubbornly looking at anything other than HR. A warm shower does sound really nice right about now, especially with the idea of getting out of these wet clothes. You still had his jacket on your body, you’d have to return that too.

“Uh huh, you were saying?”

“… HR.”

“Yes, little sick birdy?”

“I-I don’t have any extra clothes with m-me.”

You and HR just blinked at one another as water trickled down the back of your neck from your roots. “…” Clearing his throat, HR fumbled around his room to get clothes that would fit you. You saw his face had reddened and so your immediate thought was that he had gotten fever, but before you could ask HR had handed you a dark long-sleeve and some shorts with adjustable strings. “J-just leave your clothes in the basket by the door and I’ll put them in the dryer.”

HR sneezed after you had entered his bathroom, mind going to places he shouldn’t have let it go to, especially in this situation. The author sighed as he pushed the thought away of your undergarments also being among the wet clothes. Stop, you’re a gentlemen, not a hormonal teen with his crush over for a slumber party from kissing out in the rain like fools. HR shrugged his wet shirt off once he heard the shower start, his mind easing that you would no longer be cold. Pulling out some clothes to change into, he realized that it’s better to do so until after you’ve finished with your shower, he’d then take his turn and change into a new set, but at least he’d be dry for the moment. The laundry basket was placed by the entrance of the bathroom, but out of view from his bedroom. Picking it up, he accidentally caught sight of your bra among your clothes. Maybe I’m the fool… The dark-haired Wells nibbled on his bottom lip as he went to place the clothes in the dryer. Blue eyes took one final glance at his room before wandering to the brown bag of a purchase that he had bought a few days prior. I guess now’s the best time to set those up.

***

The entirety of your time in his shower, you had blamed the heat for your pink-flushed face and how fast your heart had been beating. The warmth of the water thawed your body as you berated your heart for running a thousand miles an hour. You’d rub your face multiple times to stop yourself from daydreaming any longer of how you’d want to spend the rest of your days in his arms, basking in his generous smile and sunny-like personality. I’m a fool for hoping. You made sure to take a quick shower as to not take all the hot water because… this isn’t your bathroom. Stepping out of the shower, you wrapped a spare towel around your form. You faced the fact that for the evening, you would smell like HR as your only shower options were limited to his own shampoo/conditioner and body wash. You played with your damp locks before fully drying off and putting the long-sleeve sweater on your body. The scent of his cologne as well as a forest-y musk hung to his shirt with the vague smell of old books and you swore it was making your head spin, intoxicating you. Get yourself together! He’s just being nice, that’s all.

You peered outside the window, finding that the rain relentlessly fell onto the city. Thankfully, your panties weren’t too wet, so you opted to have them on as you lamented your bralessness. The soft fabric scratched slightly against your nipples. Taking a glance at the mirror, the shirt hung on you a bit loosely as it reached past mid-thigh length while the sleeves needed to be rolled up to your wrists. Guess I don’t need the shorts. You re-folded the shorts he had given you. They weren’t going to fit me anyway, but I do appreciate the thought. You wrapped the towel around your head and padded out of the misty bathroom.

“HR, do you have a hairbrush that I could use?” You asked as you peered into his bedroom, mentally wondering if this is what it would be like to be his and sleeping over for the night. Sighing sadly, you pushed the idea to the depths of your mind.

“Should be back in the bathroom, first drawer on the right,” he had called out with his back turned to you. You weren’t able to see what he had been tinkering with. Hearing some shuffling behind him, HR assumed you had re-entered the bathroom for the brush. The Wells doppelganger had finished setting up his purchase and had already put your clothes in the dryer with his wet ones. He had gotten two mugs of hot chocolate, readily seated on the small counter. The Earth-19 being had remembered you telling him that you liked the warm beverage when you both were discussing drinks on a coffee run to Jitters for the team. Reasons beyond him, that was one of the details that had struck his memory 10 minutes or so ago. “Did you find it?” He turned around at the sound of the bathroom door clicking shut and HR swore that he felt his whole world stop.

HR swallowed thickly as you took your hair down from the towel up-do, messily tangled and awaiting to be brushed out. In his eyes he saw that his shirt had encased you perfectly, but also allowing his imagination to not wander too far. The novelist chewed on the inside of his cheek as he looked back into your eyes. He took a breath, knowing his self-control was what the stars were testing him on today.

You self-consciously smoothed out the soft fabric of the long-sleeve shirt as the towel hung over your forearm. “H-How do I look?” The words tumbled out of your mouth before your mind could even register what you had said. Your gaze finally locked onto his, not noticing that for a split second his eyes had looked you over.

“Good- you look good.” HR did his best not to stumble with his words when in reality he wanted to say so much more. But that would be inappropriate. He couldn’t deny that his heart had swelled with pride at how his clothes looked on you. The taller man had gathered his things for his own shower. “I- The rain doesn’t seem to be letting up now so- I mean only if you want to- you could make yourself at home until it calms down.”

“Yeah, yeah. That sounds like a plan.”

“I made hot chocolate for us- you- I think you like it?”

“I- I do yes! Um- sorry for imposing and everything.”

“Trust me, you’re not. It… gets lonely here sometimes,” he tilted his head as a laugh left him, having the gall to send you a wink before he entered the bathroom. Butterflies started a rave in your body at the wink. Shutting the door, HR leaned against it and released an audible sigh. It truly does get lonely every night. He closed his eyes as he felt various chemical hormones, adrenaline among them causing his body to feel nervous and tingly. Sensations that he hadn’t felt towards anyone in a really long time. What are you doing to me, little birdy? was the only thought left in HR’s mind as he started up the shower.

Smiling to yourself, you hummed out a little tune as you had set your hair into a French braid after getting all those pesky knots out. You checked your phone for any texts or missed calls only to find it at 5%. I should really carry a charger around with me. Placing the wet towel in the laundry basket, you turned around to observe your surroundings. You happily noticed that HR had remodeled the area to his liking, giving his temporary residency a home-y kind of vibe with the current decorum. What had really caught your attention was what appeared to be his work desk littered with books and spare papers messily put together along with glasses that were unfolded beside some candles.

Your feet had padded on the cool concrete floor as you approached the desk.I didn’t know he wore glasses. Picking them up, you analyzed them before putting them on for a few seconds. They look so much like Harry’s and Thawne’s, but they’re for reading instead. Slipping them off your face and settling the glasses back to their respective spot on the desk, your eyes wandered over to a slightly open manuscript paper set at the top of all the other case-covered books. A dark green bookmark and a pen was lodged in the midst of it, the bookmark tucking out from the top of the page. Curiosity picked and pulled at your brain, tempting you to take hold of the thick papers and unravel its contents. You pursed your lips. I’m sure he won’t mind… I’ll just put it back when I hear the water turn off… A little peek won’t hurt anyone.

Ethereal Beings was the title of the manuscript, printed with HR’s initials beneath. You settled at his desk, cracking the novel open and pulling out the pen as you wondered what kind of books HR had written. Running a hand through your hair, you began reading the prologue as you took sips from your hot chocolate-filled mug. Unbeknownst to you that you would become so engrossed in the plot of the Mermaid and the Pirate Gentleman (coincidentally meeting and unknowingly searching for the Kjarni Flower) that you wouldn’t hear the sound of the shower shutting off.

HR turned the shower off after dealing with some… pesky thoughts. The fantasy author quickly styled his hair to his level of perfection and applied a spray of cologne onto his skin as he freshened up. HR took in a breath before exhaling slowly. Leaving the bathroom with a crisp white short-sleeve shirt and dark sweatpants, HR spotted your petite frame hunched over his desk. He raised an eyebrow at you.

“What are you doing?”

“Ah!” You felt a rush of electricity shock you as you dropped the manuscript, which landed with a dull thud. You quarter-filled cup of warm milky chocolate almost spilled over at the impact. Turning around, your blood rushed to your head as HR approach you. You awkwardly stumbled over your words. “I-I was totally not reading one of your books that just happened to be lying on your desk.” Please believe me… I’m so guilty, what the hell?

“Uh huh”

HR just shook his head at you, pulling the dropped three-hole bounded paper set from you. Out of every reading material he had published, you had chosen to crack open the one he had been revising. Taking a seat on the plush bed, his gentle baby blues scanned over the text.

“Would you be able to read to me your current work?”

“Is that what you wish your second question to be?”

He had raised a teasing eyebrow at you to which you nodded at his question in confirmation; HR smirked as he patted the space beside him on his bed. Sheepishly you stumbled onto his bed and scooted beside him but remained a respective distance apart.

“Two in one day, things must be getting really interesting in that head of yours.” HR joked as he reached over to shut off the main lights to the room, simultaneously flicking on another switch. And he said let there be light. Your eyes lit up at the spectacle dimly lighting the room, yet providing a good enough light in close proximity for reading.

“HR,” you whispered, slowly looking around the room at the twinkling fairy lights. How did I not notice them? The lights continued to sparkle around the both of you, an insightful truth hidden among them.

“I figured you’d like them. You mentioned a couple days ago that you’re fond of them, but never had time to actually go out to buy some. So, I thought…” HR trailed off once the fairy lights had illuminated. A soft and toothy grin graced his features as he saw stars twinkle brightly in your eyes. Your face held a smile of jubilee. HR held up the manuscript, regaining your attention, “Shall we continue your adventure with the Mermaid and Pirate Gentleman?”

“I thought that one was published since you seem to do things differently on your Earth.”

“So, you thought our books would be different?”

“Uh huh!”

“We have books with covers, your choice on the illustration of course, and coverless manuscripts too. This is essentially a drafting manuscript, I’m in need to revise it before submitting it in for further publication. That’s why I had it open.” HR had rubbed the back of his head as he explained, giving you a great view of his bicep unfairly and reflexing a flex. A firm vein popped along the strained muscle. You swore the universe was out to remind you of your everlasting singleness and infatuation with the Wells doppelganger. That’s really… an appealing piece of muscle.

HR didn’t grab his glasses, knowing after a while his eyes would strain a bit at the reading. But he didn’t want to look like Harry. As his handsome Earth-2 doppelganger had once said to the others “I’m my own man” and so was HR. And others may view the decision as selfish, but he didn’t want you to see Harry. Especially in this moment.

“Are you not going to drink your hot chocolate?” You pointed to his now cold beverage.

“I was, but it’s cold now.”

“Then I’ll go heat it up for you.”

“And you’ll come back?”

“Of course, you have to fulfill my second question after all.”

HR watched you perk up and off the bed with a mission to provide him a warm drink as he had done for you. Biting down on his lower lip he got under the covers. You returned with a warm mug of hot coco for your crush friend this time with a candy cane in it. HR only looked at you quizzically before you handed the cup over to him, telling him to try it. He took one sip, humming in delight and approval. You grinned taking a seat next to the author.

“Chapter 3: Of Pestilence and Mayhem,” HR had started with a low voice, unknowingly allowing your heart to jump at the tone. “The fates seemed to have decided to toy with Gerard today…” He continued on, expertly reading through each sentence that you hung on to. You fought with sleep that gradually clouded your vision as HR moved on to the next chapter. Midway through the chapter, you had subconsciously scooted closer to HR as he seemed to provide a pretty good source of heat. HR subtly noticed but voiced no rejection of it.

As the novelist moved from line to line, there was a growing battle between your mind and the cloudiness of dreams that threatened to take over. You yawned in audibly accidently causing HR to, but he kept on reading. I don’t want to go home, he’s so warm and his voice sounds so nice… Like velvety chocolate. The heaviness in your eyes won the battle against your resistance, causing them to flutter shut as a sleepy haze took over you. Simultaneously, your head had rocked to the side and fallen gently onto his shoulder as a pillow remained loosely clutched in your arms.

HR turned his head, watching your chest rise and fall as gentle breaths escaped you while you were in a world of dreams. Letting out a little breath, the corners of his lips turned up at the corners as HR shook his head at you. But his thoughts subtly stop him. Was I that boring? Maybe the plot needs to be reworked? HR decided that he’d ask you in the morning as he set aside the manuscript. For now, he pushed the covers away as he moved your gently in a better position to sleep. With one last look, HR had brushed a strand of hair out of your face. HR mused to himself that to anyone watching, they’d see hidden adoration and maybe something else within his blue iris. Maybe a dark and possessive quality he didn’t know he had. Who knows? HR analyzed your sleeping form before sweetly planting a kiss to your forehead, secretly wishing in the depths of his soul that you were willingly his to love. HR’s fallen in love before, it’s just the unfortunate fact that it was something that was never reciprocated to him in his life.

“Goodnight, my little songbird.”

***

Blood-curdling screams had greeted the multiversal author as he descended into sleep. HR’s eyes snapped open, finding himself standing ankle-length in a dark-colored substance. The acrid smell overwhelmed his senses as his eyes slowly focused. It took a few seconds for the taller man to register the foul and metallic smell of blood. He was standing in blood! HR yelped at first trying to move his legs away, feeling as if the fluid had nipped at his skin, almost burning him. But the gruesome fluid was everywhere. Trembling blue eyes looked all around the landscape, finding nothing but a void of black death.

“Pathetic,” the familiar voice sneered. HR’s gaze locked onto Harry, who continued to give him an annoyed look. HR furrowed his eyebrows.

“Excuse me?”

“Pathetic, you always were pathetic. Maybe that’s why your friend Randolf sent you here.” Harry’s cold laugh tuned to the dryness of the atmosphere. He unfolded his arms to pocket his hands, HR watched as a malicious smirk weaved its way onto his doppelganger’s features. “Booting you from Earth-19 to do away with your pitifulness. You can’t even use a computer correctly. How laughable. You crossed to a different earth. Congrats, dead man, so have many others. How could you ever deserve someone like her? She should be with me instead. After all, I was here with her first.”

In a blink of an eye, Harry’s lithe form had vanished in thin air. This is all in my head, I just need to breathe. I’ve dealt with worse; I’ve overcome many. I’m fine. I’ll be fine, I just need to breathe. He calmed his breathing for a moment, Finally turning around, HR found decaying bodies and corpses all around. His breathing hiked again at the scene, his stomach churning. Once more, HR turned to the side only to come face to face with you. You, who had blood spilling out of the corner of your mouth. HR felt his own mouth go dry.

“Why did you leave me?” You asked in a raspy voice. HR remained frozen in place, his body unable to move away from the image of you and all the carcasses. “Why did you run?”

“I-I didn’t run. From what?”

“You let him take me,” HR’s eyes widened as blood gradually stained your chest as if you had been impaled. “You let him use me and now he killed me. You were the reason he came after me.”

“N-no no no,” HR took a step back, your haunting image taking a step forward to him. “You’re safe. You’re asleep next to me. You’re fine. Nothing happened.” Hysterically, he ran a hand through his messy hair, just noticing the blood on his hands. Your blood. He tried to shake it off in fright as you closed in on him.

“Why didn’t you save me?”

“I-“

“Didn’t you promise me to stay?”

“You’ll always be a coward, HR Wells,” HR snapped his head towards the voice. Lo and behold, the one person he hoped to never crossroads with now stood in front of him in all her leathery glory. Gypsy, a legendary Collector. “You see what you did?” The brunette strode close to him. HR felt a million of pins and needles in his limbs. “You’re the reason she died. All because you kept running and running and running. Like a coward. All these corpses were your fault, if only you had learned your lesson the first time.” The author couldn’t move his legs, couldn’t feel them, as if someone had filled them up with lead. His chest felt tight, bile stuck in his throat causing him unable to retaliate. His head screamed at him achingly. He was utterly helpless. “One way or another, I will find you, HR Wells, and I will collect you.” She made a gun gesture, aiming it right at his heart. “Bang.”

HR’s eyes snapped open, feeling himself sticky with sweat. His breathing was rapid, closing his eyes once more he forced himself to calm down. That’s the third nightmare these past few weeks. HR tiredly sighed, reopening his eyes and focusing them in the dimness of the room. The sun was languidly climbing up the sky, yet it was still too early for even the birds to be out and about. HR had barely registered how close you were to him now, essentially tucking yourself close to his body for warmth. Adjusting his body, HR saw how your hair tie had left your braid, allowing your hair to half be settled in the braid and half gently untamed. Soft breathes escaped you, signaling that you were still asleep.

HR ran a hand over his face before he checked the time. The sight of you calmed him but remnants of his nightmare remained at the back of his mind. Women are usually the first ones to leave me in the morning, especially after realizing who they had slept with. He mused that thought to himself as he pulled the blankets over your shoulders. Looking over your peaceful expression, his gaze lingered on your lips before submitting to one wish of many within his being. The novelist gingerly placed a kiss to your lips, slowly backing away to gaze upon you like prince would do to a sleeping princess. But you remained asleep, unaware of his feelings and affections for you. If only you knew, what I would do-. He hated his nightmares, hated those dark thoughts that constantly plagued him from reaching higher. Consistently scaring him from doing things he never imagined of doing. HR with the lightest of touches threaded his fingers through the hair that had left the confines of the braid. I would try anything to be by your side and you at mine.

The emotion behind HR’s eyes suddenly shifted as a thought crossed him. Maybe… Randolf did want to get rid of me. He knows of the Inter-dimensional Travel Execution rule, yet… And here I am, on an Earth that’s not my own. With people who are not my own. And… Father did always favor Randolf since we were kids, even in his will. HR swallowed the bile in his throat as he pursed his lips. I guess the fates were really toying with me all along. A little noise had erupted from your throat as you snuggling closer into HR’s chest, but with sullen eyes he had to gently pull away from your welcoming warmth. The taller man decided a walk would be best to clear his head in order to face the trials and tribulations of today with Team Flash. HR tucked you in and left the room, sparing one last glance over his shoulder before shutting the door quietly.

Would that be her third?

#harrison wells x reader #harrison wells #hr wells x reader #hr wells imagine #hr x reader #hr wells #The Flash #the flash cw #the flash imagine #harrison wells fanfiction #the flash fanfiction #the flash x reader #team flash x reader #team flash #team flash imagine #DCTV #DC comics #dc #harrison wells imagine

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staticscreenwriting · 4 years

Text

Casual moths - chapter seven

Find the other parts on my masterlist here.

If you liked this part and wanna help me out, please consider a reblog. Thank you.

Chapter seven - ice-cream and cuddles

Angel is leaning against the side of the building, cigarette dangling from his hand. Every once in a while his gaze drifts back towards the big front windows of the ice cream shop. Callie and Daisy are sitting in one of the booths with the bright blue plastic benches. Daisy is happily pointing at pictures in the menu in front of her, no doubt trying to decide which flavour to chose.

He can’t hold back the smile pulling at his lips as he thinks back to a moment ago when Daisy spotted him waiting in the car as Callie picked her up from her mother’s place. There’s an infinite amount of adoration and affection in her whenever she interacts with him and though he knows kids get infatuated with just about anyone, it still fills him with pride to know that she likes him this much. That she likes having him around.

Some irresponsible, delusional part of his brain conjures up thoughts of a future much like this. One where the club doesn’t get tangled in cartel shit anymore. Where violence and death doesn’t pave his way. Where he can lead a good life with his girls. Maybe have a little house with a garden and a pool for Daisy to swim. They could get a dog, a big fluffy one. And maybe someday down the line he’d get Callie pregnant again. See her carry his baby. Give Daisy a sibling. They’d have so much love to give. One thing Angels knows for sure, never would any of his children (blood related or not) feel inadequate. Never would they be made to feel like they had to compete for his love. He’d remind them of it every damn day, so much so that they’d probably grow sick and tired of their old dad. He wouldn’t care though as long as they knew they were loved unconditionally.

A future like that, he can almost see it, it’s there in front of him just waiting for him to reach out and grab it. But he can’t. Because he knows that no matter how much he wants it and no matter how close and real it seems, it’s just a dream. Though the movies and songs always tell you to do it, chasing your dreams is dangerous, it’s scary. Because there comes a point when maybe you can’t catch up anymore, where you have to admit to yourself that it won’t happen. And what then ? The movies never talk about that. About the heartbreak and the pain.

So he tries to keep those thoughts pushed to the back of his mind and just enjoy the time he’s given with these two ladies, however short or long that will be.

The ringing of his phone shakes him from his daydream and, after stomping out the bud of his cigarette, he answers.

“ Took you long enough. What held you up, man ? Your kid got her hands on a screwdriver again ? “

Coco’s unamused chuckle sounds through the receiver, “ very funny. You should be a fucking comedian “.

“ Tell me something I don’t know. “

“ So, what’s got your balls in a twist then ? “

“ Someone trashed Callie’s Flower shop and I need to find the guy. “

“ Shit, really ? How bad is it ? She alright ? “

“ She’s not hurt but that shop is her baby. And that guy, he’s been stalking her for a while now. So me crazy delusional ex. He needs to go Coco. “

“ Geez man, ya know I have your back but — “

“ I don’t wanna kill him. I just wanna scare him off. “

Yet. He doesn’t wanna kill him yet. If this whole scaring off thing doesn’t work, Angel is not afraid to move on to more drastic measures. That’s both a vice and a virtue, he thinks, once someone means something to him, he’s willing to do everything to keep them safe. He’s fiercely protective, loyal to his family, to the people he — loves.

Killing that guy is not something he wants to do necessarily, but he will if it comes to it, if he has to. Coco doesn’t need to know all that though, not right now.

“ You know where to find this guy ? “

“ Not yet. I got the prospect watching her house. If I ain’t with her I’ll have him watch her every step. “

“ So what do you need me for ? “

“ I uh — kinda wanna fix shit at the store, kinda rebuild it. “

“ Angel. “

“ Look, I’ll put in all the money and shit I just need someone to help me out with the work. “

“ I got shit to do. “

“ Like what ? Making more kids ? “

“ Fuck you, Angel. “

“ That was a joke, ok ? Just a joke. Look, she’s real important to me. I told her I’d fix this. “

He can hear Coco sigh at the other end of the phone. Angel is painfully aware that this is a lot to ask of Coco. But he’s his closest friend and who else would he turn to if not Coco. They’ve been through the biggest piles of shit together, this is nothing compared.

“ Well why the fuck would you say that ? Man, will you ever stop thinking with your dick ? “

He’s not. Maybe for the first time in his life in a situation where a woman is involved that he’s thinking with something other than his dick. He’s letting his heart lead for the first time ever. But that’s a cheesy fucking thing to say so he doesn’t say it.

“ It’s not like that. Not this time. “ he hopes the sincerity in his words translates well through the phone. Because this is serious. Whatever it is he has with her is so serious to him.

Coco is silent for a moment and Angel can just imagine him fighting with himself. But this is Coco and though he’s a weird dude, he’s got a big heart and he’s as loyal as a god damn Golden Retriever.

“ Alright. Alright I’ll help you. But you owe me man, big time. “

“ I do. I know I do. Thanks Coco. I’ll come around the clubhouse later, we’ll talk then. “

“ Sure, whatever man. Only doing it because she’s a nice girl. “

“ You have no idea. “

She’s not just nice, she’s incredible. She’s everything.

As he catches her eyes through the window, his heart skips a beat and he knows then, that he’s doing the right thing. He’ll do whatever he has to, to see that smile.

“ I gotta go, Coco. Talk later. “

“ Yeah alright. Bye. “

As he finishes his phone call, Angel steps inside the ice cream store, the bell above the door chiming up as he enters. Daisy looks up and there it is again, the sparkle. The adoration as she looks at him like he’s some kind of hero. He’s far from it but he’ll be damned if he doesn’t at least try to stay the hero in her story.

“ So, what have you girls decided on, huh ? “ he asks as he slides into the booth next to Callie, Daisy sitting across from them.

“ I want one scoop of bubble gum, one scoop of mint chocolate chip and lots of sprinkles. “ the little girl replies.

“ Ooooh sprinkles sound good. What about whipped cream ? “

She enthusiastically nods her head. “ Yes. Love whipped cream. “

“ Me too. “

It feels easy being here, light. It feels as if all his problems don’t exist when he is with Callie and Daisy. They give his life a certain glow, a pop of color that hasn’t been there before.

He feels Callie’s hand slip into his underneath the table, fingers tangling with his. He was never one for PDA, never one for holding hands. That was before Callie though. Now every little sign of affection, he soaks up like a sponge. And so when she looks up at him he presses a soft kiss to her lips and it feels — right.

It’s later that day, the sun slowly setting sends a pink glow across all of Santo Padre. Angel is holding a half asleep Daisy in his arms. Her head rests on his shoulders as she tiredly murmures on about some animated movie she’s been watching the other day.

This girl seems to have an unlimited amount of energy. He remembers being a child. Things back then felt infinite. Everything was exciting and grand and breathtaking. Even back then he realised that EZ was the golden child of the family. The one his parents’ hopes and dreams rested on. But it didn’t matter then because all it meant back then, was less pressure resting on him. That would change once he turned into a teenager but back then it really didn’t matter. All that mattered was having fun and causing chaos and making chocolate chip pancakes with his mom on a sunday morning.

“ Do you wanna take a nap baby ? “ Callie asks, as they enter her apartment, and combs her fingers softly through her daughter’s hair.

The little girl shakes her head adamantly, clinging tighter to Angel. Again, he can’t help but smile.

“ I wanna stay with Angel. I wanna watch Pets. “

“ You sure ? You seem really tired. “

Again she shakes his head “ No. I wanna stay with Angel. “

Her words are lulled in a sleepy voice and both Callie and Angel know she’s not gonna last much longer but neither of them really have the heart to tell her no.

“ I don’t know if Angel wants to stay ? “ Callie says then looks up at him. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking but he’s sure there’s something in her eyes, hope, longing — love.

“ Oh yeah I do. I’ll stay as long as you girls want me around “.

Those words seem harmless, as if it’s just about tonight’s plans. They aren’t though. They mean more. They hold a heavy weight. And Callie knows it, she can see it in his eyes.

So when she smiles back, his heart soars. “ You’re always welcome here, always. “

“ Guess we’ll be watching Pets then “ he says and sits down on the couch with Daisy still holding onto him as if he might vanish if she lets go even a tiny bit.

“ You do that. Lemme just go shower real quick, Daisy knows how the TV works. Make yourself a home. “

With that, Callie disappears in the bathroom.

“ D’you wanna show me how to put the movie on ? “ Angel asks, trying to get Daisy to look up at him. She does and her big gorgeous eyes look tired. So so tired, it seems to be a struggle for her to keep them open at all.

“ It’s the silver thingie, press the big button first. “ she instructs him and points towards a silver remote control. Angel does as she says and the TV springs to live. He’s shown a menu of several things to chose from, TV, Amazon, Netflix, Music. There’s a big selection of things though none of that catches his attention.

What does catch his attention, is the picture in the background of the selection screen, one that Callie clearly uploaded and chose herself. She’s there, a bit younger, hair a bit longer and styled differently. But it’s her no doubt. The smile is the same radiant ray of sunshine that he’s grown so fond of. She’s holding a baby, one that can’t be older than a few weeks. Tiny thing. So so tiny. He doesn’t know a lot about babies, thinks they all look pretty much identical, so really he can only assume this one’s Daisy. He’s fairly sure of that though, judging only by the way Callie is looking at her in that picture. Full of love. Pride. Happiness.

There’s a man there, holding them close. His eyes are displaying the exact same kind of love. He seems so proud of these girls and Angel can only assume how that feels. He feels glimpses of that, tiny sparks every once in a while. But this guy, those were officially his girls, no buts, no almosts, no maybes. Those were his girls through and through.

“ That’s my daddy. He went to heaven when I was a baby. “ Daisy’s tiny voice speaks up again. “ Mommy says he loves me very much. She always tells me stories. She says he’s up in the sky watching me and making sure I don’t get hurt. “

It hasn’t occurred to him until now, that Daisy knows so very little about her own father. That all she ever gets to learn about him is from other people’s stories. She was too young to really remember him. He wonders what that is like. Wonders if in the end it saves her a lot of heartbreaks. Maybe it’s easier to lose something you don’t remember, something you never know you had in the first place.

“ Oh I’m sure he’s watching over you. Looking at all your pretty drawings. He’s probably really proud of you learning how to swim. “

“ You really think he’s up there ? I can’t see him. “

This is not a conversation he thought he was going to have today. Existentialism and life after death is not usually a topic to debate about with a small child. And yet, sometimes kids have an easier approach to things. One that’s both less and more factual at the same time. They spend not thoughts on being reasonable, they just want to know. They just want to understand.

“ You know, my mom went to heaven a few years ago and she always told me people we love never really leave us, that they sit up there on clouds and watch over us and send us little miracles, little wonders every once in a while when we need them. I didn’t believe any of that. My mommy was gone and I was so sad and there were no miracles for me, nothing. It felt like she was just — not there anymore. But then something did happen, life did send me a miracle and now I think my mom might actually be there looking out for me. “

He’s never told this to anyone before. Has had a hard time coming to terms with this himself. But spilling his heart to Daisy, someone he knows won't judge him, it feels good. It feels liberating. Like someone is taking a huge weight off of his shoulders.

“ What happened ? “ Daisy asks, cuddling further into him as he leans back on the couch.

“ I met your mama. “

“ Mama’s your miracle ? “

“ Mmmh. And you too. “

She kisses his cheek at that and he’s sure he’s melting right there and then.

“ You’re my miracle too. “ she says and lets a big yawn overtake her. “ Now can we watch secret life of pets ? “

“ Sure little one. Sure we can. “

It’s 20 minutes later that Callie walks back into the living room. Obnoxious animated cats and dogs are jumping around on the tv screen. She’s just about to speak up, when her eyes drift towards the couch and a smile overtakes her face.

Angel is lying on the couch, Daisy resting on his chest. Both are fast asleep, little snores echoing through the room.

This, she decides then, is a sight she wants to see more often. This is what she wants her future to look like. Even if it’s scary. Sometimes scary things are good. Sometimes they really are worth it.

And if anyone is worth it, it’s Angel. Even if he can’t see that himself.

#angel reyes x reader #angel reyes fanfiction #angel reyes fanfic #angel reyes imagine #mayans mc fanfiction #mayans mc imagine #mayans imagine #mayans fanfic #mayans mc fanfic #casualmothsstory

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orangeoctopi7 · 4 years

Text

Do You Even Lift?

Hope you’re all staying healthy and physically isolating yourselves. Unfortunately, I can’t work from home so I’m still working most nights for the foreseeable future. Still, I know everybody’s stuck at home and looking for something to do, so I’m gonna try and post all the WIPs I’ve been sitting on for the past few months.

Here’s the latest chapter of the Spider Stan AU

* * *

Stan had no idea how to broach the subject of what he’d seen last night with Ford, so he asked a not-so-subtle question the next morning.

“So, uh, you had any weird dreams last night?”

Ford looked at him blankly. “No, why?”

“Uh…” Stan stammered. How was he supposed to answer that question? Remember my spider-sense that you hate so much? It went off again last night, so I snuck into your room and watched you sleep for like half and hour until I saw that weird triangle you have all over the house float out of your head.

“I, uh, thought I heard you talking in your sleep last night?”

“Really? What’d I say?”

“Pch… I dunno! You were all the way downstairs, I couldn’t understand what you were saying! Just heard some muttering through the floorboards with my, y’know, super hearin’.” Stan crossed his arms and looked away.

Ford shrugged. “No, it was a pretty normal night for me.”

“Good. That’s good.”

Their awkward breakfast conversation was cut short by the ringing of the phone. Ford scrambled out of his chair and down the hall to where the main-floor phone was kept. Stan could easily overhear Ford’s end of the conversation from the kitchen.

“Hello, this is Stanford Pines… Ah, hello Fiddleford.” Stan couldn’t help but notice his brother sounded annoyed. “How is Emma-May? ...Mhmm… I--I’m glad to hear she’s ok. Oh, Stan and I are, surprisingly, doing very well. There have still been a few arguments but really, I think we’re getting along better than-- better than in a very long time… Look Fiddleford, I know… sigh… I know you want to spend more time with your family. You could stay over the weekend, if you want. ...Yes. I’m sure. Take your time. It--it’ll be good to have you back. ...Ok. See you Sunday night.”

Ford re-entered the kitchen with a conflicted expression on his face. “McGucket will be back on Sunday.”

“Oh. Good?”

“Why did that sound like a question?”

“Well, ya don’t seem too excited for him to come back.”

“I-- of course I’m happy he’s coming back, he’s my friend!” Ford replied stiffly. That conflicted expression returned to his face.

“Are you mad ‘cuz he lied about his wife bein’ sick?”

“I-- you-- you don’t know that!” Ford spluttered. “But… but even if I did learn that--that your assumption was somehow correct, that doesn’t mean-- it shouldn’t be-- that’s no reason--maybe… maybe he was right.”

“Wha?”

“It--it’s been nice, just spending time together again. Would… would you agree?”

Stan swore he felt his heart leap into his throat. Don’t get your hopes up, don’t look desperate! “Y-yeah.” he choked out with a noncommittal shrug.

“Maybe Fiddleford giving the two of us some space is exactly what we needed right now. We got along better yesterday than we ever did the preceding week. The preceding twelve years, really.”

Stan grinned. “See? Lyin’ can be for the greater good sometimes.”

Ford frowned. “I still believe honesty is the best policy…” he added under his breath, “except for when it’s not.”

Stan burst out laughing. Ford looked away sheepishly.

“What, you forget I have super-hearing already? We were literally just talking about it!”

* * *

After cleaning up the kitchen, the brothers returned to the storage room where Ford kept most of his spare inventions.

“Well, you’ve already tested out the anomaly filtration goggles, the web-shooters, and the--”

“Super hero costume.” Stan finished with a roll of his eyes.

“--high durability textiles.” Ford corrected with an annoyed glare. “Do you see anything else in here you’d like to try out?

“How am I supposed to answer that? I don’t even know what any of this junk does!”

“Well, is there anything you always wanted, when you were out on the streets?”

“Money.”

Ford pinched the bridge of his nose but couldn’t quite suppress the smile sneaking onto his lips. He’d walked right into that one. “Let me rephrase. Is there any kind of equipment or tool or skill that would have been helpful to you when you were saving people?”

“Huh…” Stan thought about it for a minute. One thing in particular came to mind. “Something to carry stuff with that’d still keep my hands free.”

Ford gave him a withering glare. “Some place to hold stolen goods?”

“Not all the time!” Stan defended. “Like what if when I ran into you and Mc-What’s-his-name there had been more guards and we had to make a run for it up the wall. I couldn’t carry you two and hold onto the gun I’d swiped at the same time, and I couldn’t just leave it there for some mook to pick up and start shooting at us.”

Ford looked at his brother in confusion. “Your parka has pockets, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, big, old pockets that things can fall out of very easily when you’re climbing directly up a wall. I tried sewing zippers on them once, but zippers are tricky. I almost ruined this coat, and the left pocket still won’t lay right. I tried usin’ a backpack a while ago, but it got stolen, and it was throwin’ me off balance when I climbed anyway.”

“Hmm… Ok. So it would have to be compact enough that it wouldn’t swing about while you climb.” Ford pulled out his Journal and began to sketch something.

“And y’know what? That reminds me of something else that’d be nice to have. Some sorta handle for people to hold onto or like, I dunno, a baby sling or something. ‘Cuz I’ve had to carry a lot of people to safety, and it’s way harder to climb a shear wall when you’re also tryin’ to carry even a little kid, let alone a grown man! This one time I saved a lady from a mugging by climbing up an office tower, and she nearly strangled me, she wrapped her arms around my neck so tight.”

“I think I’ve got an idea!” Ford flipped around his book to show Stan his drawing. “A belt, with different compartments to hold different supplies in. We could even incorporate a holster for any wayward guns. And of course, people could hold onto it--”

“I don’t want people pullin’ my pants down, genius.”

“Oh, right, of course. Then perhaps more of a harness? Hmm… yes, that could allow for more compartments.”

Stan looked at the sketch. “A utility belt? I’m not freakin’ Captain Nightshade!”

“A tool belt is a piece of equipment that people have been using since our ancestors first started fashinoing clothing out of animal skins.”

“That’s not what I’m complainin’ about. I told you, I’m not playin’ at bein’ a hero, Ford!”

“I never said you had to!”

“Then why’ve you got a logo drawn on it?”

Ford looked down at the little spider silhouette he had drawn on the belt buckle. “It’s just artistic license.” He folded his arms, as though that settled it. “Anyway, I had an idea for another test we can run. Grab the web-shooters.”

“Uh, I dunno if I’m ready for more trapeze stunts.” Stan scratched the back of his neck apprehensively.

“Oh, don’t worry, we’ll be on the ground this time. I want to see how much weight this stuff can take.”

* * *

Ford led Stan out into the woods, not far from the house, where a large pile of squashed scrap metal lay rusting under piles of discarded pine needles. It looked like something that would come out of a trash compactor in a big junk yard, not something you would find in the middle of the forest.

“What is this?”

“This is what’s left of my old car. You remember Steve from yesterday?

“Ah.” That explained it.

Ford powered up the leaf blower he’d packed out and blew away the pine needles, revealing his squashed car. “Now, the idea is to attach a line to the frame of the car, loop over one of the thicker branches up there as a pulley, and see if you can pull the car up off the ground. It’ll test the limits of both your strength, and the strength of the web material.”

He picked up one of the web-shooters and tried to aim it up and over the thick branch he’d been thinking of. The line just sailed up over the branch and stuck to another tree a few feet away.

“Lemme see that, Sixer.” Stan took the web-shooter from his brother and strapped it around his wrist before climbing up the tree to the branch in question. He fired a line down on the car and then jumped back down to the ground, letting more webbing out slowly to lower himself.

“Oh. Thank you, Stan. I’ll just stand over here where there’s no danger of being crushed.” Ford retreated a couple of yards.

Once Stan had good footing, he grunted and started pulling at the line like it was a rope. It was hard, at first. The web line was thin and hard to get a grasp on, despite how sticky it was. But once Stan got a good grip and found a comfortable way to pull, he felt the car begin to give. With another strong tug, it lifted a few inches off the ground. Stan grinned as he heard his brother start laughing triumphantly.

“Yes! Yes, it’s holding! It’s perfect! How much of a strain is this on you?”

“Heh, just like liftin’ weights back in high school!”

“Wonderful!” Ford began scribbling in his Journal again. “Oh, weights! We need more weight.”

Stan released the line and the car crashed back to the ground. “You tellin’ me you nerds have a weight set hidden in that cabin?”

Ford laughed again. “No, but one Liter of water weighs about a kilogram. We can just fill up water jugs and put them in the car.”

“Kilo-what?”

“No, Stan, kilowatts measure electrical current!” Ford joked with a cheesy grin.

Stan punched his brother playfully in the arm. Ford winced and rubbed the spot, but he smiled back nonetheless. It was like they were teenagers again, working together on whatever experiments they could come up with.

They ran back and forth between the crushed car and the garden hose, filling up jug after jug with water. Each time they added another jug, Stan lifted it again. When they got to ten jugs, no more would fit inside the flattened vehicle without them falling out, but Stan could still lift it without much trouble. Ford got the bright idea to use the web fluid to stick more jugs to the car. They finally had to stop at 105kg, not because Stan could no longer lift it, or because the line had broken, but because they were out of water containers.

“Pfew!” Stan wiped his brow as he finished the last lift. “How much did that last load weigh in normal weight?”

Ford rolled his eyes. “Pounds can hardly be considered normal weight when the United States is the only country that still uses them widely.”

“Fine, how much did I lift in abnormal weight?”

“Over 230 pounds of water, plus the weight of the car… I’d estimate around 1300 pounds! That’s over 300 pounds more than the current world record!”

“Haha! Yes! Eat it, world record guys! Pines! Pines! Pines!”

Ford chuckled and joined in the chant as they walked back home.

* * *

Things were going great. He and Stanford were finally getting along like brothers again! Which was why Stan was terrified to ask Ford about the triangle thing. Stan had a strong suspicion he wasn’t going to like the answer, and what if it led to yet another fight? Just because things were going better between the two of them now didn’t mean the situation wasn’t still delicate.

But he couldn’t just ignore it! His spider-sense had never steered him wrong before, and had in fact saved his life more times than he could count. If it was telling him something bad was happening to Ford, then he had to get to the bottom of it!

He was climbing the stairs up to the attic to go to bed that Friday when he finally worked up the courage to ask his brother a simple question.

“Hey Ford, could… could you tell me more about this thing?” He pointed down at the rug on the landing that had caught his attention his first night in the cabin.

Ford certainly looked caught off-guard by the question. “I thought you said it was creepy.” he finally replied icily.

“Well, yeah, but, you know me. I like creepy stuff.”

To Stan’s relief, this seemed to be the right answer, because now Ford was smiling like a proud mother hen and motioning Stan back down the stairs and into the library.

“This mysterious figure can be found throughout history! It seems to be the inspiration behind many great civilizations and secret societies.” Ford narrated as he pulled out a large file filled with depictions of the one-eyed triangle. “More specifically, it inspires one brilliant mind a generation to lead their civilization, their society, into a new era of enlightenment!”

“Ok, but what does it want?”

“What?” Ford responded in confusion. “I--I just told you, it wants to enlighten civilizations.”

“Yeah, sure, but what does the triangle guy get out of it? Does he wanna be worshiped? Does he get a cut of the profits?”

Ford rolled his eyes. “Not everything is about money, Stanley!”

“I know, I know, I was just jokin’ about the profits thing.” But he wasn’t joking about the worship thing. “But no one does anything for free! What’s this thing’s angle?”

Stanford just stared at his brother in disbelief. “You really have no concept of a selfless act, do you?”

“If this thing was selfless, it wouldn’t go plasterin’ its face, or symbol, or whatever it is all over!”

“You can’t assume he has any ulterior motives by just projecting human behavior onto a supernatural being!”

“And why are you so sure it’s some friendly ‘enlightenment’ giver?”

“Because I--” Ford’s expression suddenly went blank and his eyes drifted to some point behind his brother.

Stan turned around and saw nothing, but he did notice that same twinging spider-sense again. He suspected if he’d been wearing those special goggles right now, he’d see that same sickly yellow aura around his brother.

“Ford? You ok?” Stan asked. No response. “Stanford, snap out of it!” He went to snap his fingers in front of his brother’s face, but a six-fingered hand shot up and grabbed his own instead.

“Just a second.” Ford shushed him with a far-away, dreamy voice.

“Seriously, you’re freakin’ me out.”

“Shhsh!”

After a few more seconds, Ford gave a small nod before focusing back on his brother.

“Sorry about that, Stan. I… uh… I zoned out for a moment there.” He laughed weakly. “I think we both need to go to bed.”

Stan snorted as he watched his brother rush down the hall to his own bedroom. Stanford did have a tendency to zone out from time to time, but that was usually while he was caught up reading or studying or just staring into space, not right in the middle of an argument. And when Ford was zoning out, he wasn’t paying attention to anyone, so he certainly never had to shush anyone. It was almost like Ford had been trying to listen to something. But Stan had super-hearing, and he hadn’t heard a thing.

Unless… Stan remembered the triangle floating out of Ford’s head a few nights ago… Unless it was something Ford could only hear in his mind.

* * *

As Ford had hoped, he found himself in his mindscape almost as soon as he fell asleep, his muse floating before him. Which was good, because he really needed a word with Bill now.

“You disappear for four nights, only to show up while I’m awake again! And in the middle of a conversation, no less!” He made his annoyance clear.

“WELL EXCUSE ME, I THOUGHT YOU WANTED SOME QUALITY TIME WITH YOUR BROTHER!”

“I do, but that doesn’t have to exclude your night visions, does it? And that doesn’t excuse jumping into the middle of our conversation just to stop me from telling Stan about you!

“I WAS JUST LOOKING OUT FOR YOU, SIXER! YOU WERE ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING YOU’D REGRET LATER.”

Ford sighed. “You’re right, as always. Thank you. Letting slip that I have a literal muse in the middle of an argument certainly isn’t how I want him to find out. I need to find the right time to tell him.”

“I WOULDN’T RECOMMEND IT.”

“Please, Bill, I know Stanley can be a valuable asset in building the portal! We’ve been testing his strength, he can lift upwards of a thousand pounds! Immagine what he can do to help with salvaging parts from the alien ship or placing the superstructure frame!”

“LOOK, SIXER, IF YOU TELL YOUR BROTHER YOU’RE GETTING YOUR IDEAS FROM ME, AN OTHERWORLDLY MUSE WHO ONLY CHOSES ONE GREAT MIND A CENTURY, ONE OF TWO THINGS’LL HAPPEN. EITHER HE’LL THINK YOU’RE A NUT-JOB, OR HE’LL GET JEALOUS THAT YOU WERE CHOSEN INSTEAD OF HIM. AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO REMIND YOU WHAT A JEALOUS STANLEY IS CAPABLE OF.”

“... He says it was an accident.”

“WE BOTH KNOW YOU DON’T REALLY BELIEVE THAT. AND EVEN IF IT WAS TRUE, DID THAT SAVE YOUR SPIDERS?”

“... No.”

“THEN WE’RE AGREED! YOU’LL KEEP STANLEY IN THE DARK. ALTHOUGH, I GUESS WE COULD STILL USE HIM TO HELP BUILD THE PORTAL. THAT SUPER-STRENGTH SURE WILL COME IN HANDY!”

“Well, if you didn’t want Stan finding out, you shouldn’t have interrupted me earlier. Now he’s bound to be suspicious.”

“AW, I’M NOT WORRIED. A GENIUS LIKE YOU WILL FIGURE IT OUT, NO PROBLEM!”

Ford smiled. “Thanks, Bill, your confidence in me really does make me feel better.”

* * *

Stan wasn’t completely surprised when his spider-sense went off again just an hour after he’d gone to bed. It was the smallest period of time between warnings yet, but Stan was finally getting an idea of what this weird twinging spider-sense was trying to warn him of, so the frequency didn’t bother him. If it really was the triangle guy, then it made sense that he’d come back after whatever had happened to Ford earlier.

Now, what to do about it? Obviously, waking Ford in the middle of whatever was going on just made him mad. Was there a way to communicate with it? Catch it?

Stan had a dream catcher hanging from his rearview mirror in his car. He didn’t remember where he’d gotten it. He’d probably bought it to cover for all the actual valuables he’d stolen from some gas station or gift shop somewhere. He knew it probably wouldn’t work. It was just some mass-produced trinket, not a genuine article crafted by a Native American who knew what they were doing. But for the time being, Stan didn’t have any other options. It was worth a shot.

After grabbing the dream catcher, the web shooter, and the anomaly goggles, Stan crept into Ford’s room and dangled the cheap trinket over Ford’s head with a line of webbing. He didn’t have to wait nearly as long this time. After just five minutes, Stan saw the triangle float out of his brother’s head again. He was honestly surprised when the thing stopped half-way through the web. It started to struggle, like it was stuck. Just as Stan was about to reach out and grab it, the triangle guy just rose out of the dream catcher like it wasn’t even there. It stared directly at Stan. Despite the fact that it didn’t speak, and only had one eye for a face, it’s expression clearly read “Haha, just kidding. You actually thought that would work? Idiot.”

“W-wait, I just wanna talk!” Stan whispered as quietly as he could. Thankfully, Ford didn’t wake.

The triangle guy looked at Stan intently. And then disappeared.

Stan huffed in frustration and carefully cleared away all evidence that he’d been in his brother’s room that night. Well, that hadn’t worked. But he wasn’t going to give up yet.

* * *

JWZ CFAY PLVST EIQD, SCM? PPTQ, FLGGX T ENEW IWKLVLX QWW T WQYMWM HALB. N’EW PFOP BT VLTQ BY I KXH XFPYA KBCAY.

#Gravity Falls #Fanfiction #Stanley Pines #Stanford Pines #SpiderStan AU #This jerk #Spider Stan AU #My Writing

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anxiousbean33 · 3 years

Text

The Black Sails - Chapter 3 : We're Going on a Trip in Our Favorite Rocket Ship!

Notes: Funnily enough I planned out this whole thing for the farm and all this fancy stuff and a chapter name and it turns out that I have to save it all for probably chapter 5? Also I edited the prologue on ao3 I haven't done it here though. I dunno if @sitting-around-and-fantasizing still wants a tag but here ya go lemme know if ya dont want me to do this next chapter

Summary: Trade to Smp has been cut off due to threats from the Black sails, and raids on the towns that continued trading. Food sources are being limited, with the increasing amount of refugees, they are running out quicker than normal. They figure out a plan of where to go to gain a stable food supply.

Word Count: 1894

ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30826130/chapters/78001871

H paces back and forth throughout his room. With L’Manburg being raided, Smp just lost their main source of food. The dream team was too busy helping people get to safety to realize the black sails were targeting the farmers and burning any house they could find to cause chaos. H knew he would have to talk to Eret about trying to find the rest of the heroes of old, but how would he bring up that things have gotten so bad that they need to regroup. Looking back on the maps, he tried to find any farms nearby that they could go to, and set up guards to protect them from the black sails. Skyblock Farms… that is the farm closest to Smp that has so far managed to stay neutral in this war.

Eventually, he stands up and walks down the hall to Erets room, he knocks on the door, and walks in not waiting for Eret to reply, “Eret we have a big issue, as you know L’Manburg got destroyed yesterday, and so we need another place to get food, we could find a place and have some of the few survivors but most of them have injuries. It would be best to go to this other singular farm, in between our kingdom and the fallen kingdom, named Skyblock Farm. So far the people there have stayed neutral in this war. Going to them for help would be our best bet. I was thinking you could send me and the dream team, we would probably be the best fighters for it. What do you think?” H states looking into Erets completely white eyes, due to them just waking up and not even being in their king outfit.

“H I am going to be real, I don’t know what you just said.” Eret responded with a blank face, “I trust you, if you want to do whatever is cool, just like leave a note or something. I’m too tired to think right now, but if you need me, I will be more awake in like an hour or so, talk to me then.” Eret says getting out of bed for the first time that morning.

“Oh sh- you were still asleep- sorry, my bad. I'll just head out now,”

H sighs walking back down the hallway, he eventually walks to the courtyard. H pulls out his notebook and starts to write more notes about the current situation. Just a few days ago, Hypixel sent a letter declaring Hypixel Fighting Arena’s new ally ship with SMP. Although Hypixel is unsure if the main farm Skyblock is going to drop out of the business deal with Hypixel, as they have not gotten any information what's happening there, hopefully they are able to gain their ally ship and also obtain fighters from the arena. H looks up from his notebook, hearing someone walk down the hallways towards him, looking towards the entrance. He sees Karl walk in, “H there you are! Eret said you had some sort of plan on how to deal with this whole food situation?”

“Ah right! I was thinking that- actually I dunno if you've heard yet, but we have allied with HFA, uhh Hypixel Fighting Arena, and so I was thinking we could head to Skyblock and see if the farmers want to ally with us as well.” H responds while shuffling through his notebook and handing it to Karl when he gets to a certain page. “Skyblock is a pretty big farm, as you can see here their main produce is carrots, potatoes, and cows. It would be great to convince them to join us before they declare full neutrality or get an alliance with Black Sails,” showing Karl specific sections of the farm.

“H! This is great! We could send you, Dream, George, and Sap- wait no, Sapnap is on location duty, and is helping people find a place to live… uhm, so probably just you, Dream, and George? Unless you or the others know someone else who would be able to go?” Karl rambles, still looking through H’s notebook, shocked by all the thought and effort put into it, “H how long did it take you to do all of this? This is some heavy research and can really help us, is it okay if I take this to Eret? They need to see this.”

“Oh thanks Karl, but not, yet I still need to add a few things to it, I'll show them later. And it took me a bit, but it was over the span of like a week. I won't overwork myself Karl, don't worry. I can go get Dream and see who is able to come bye Karl! Thanks for letting me know,” H says walking towards the main room of the castle, wondering how to bring up to Eret that he is Bomb, one of the revolutionaries that he worked with in the past. Sighing, he turns around and walks towards the exit again, hoping to find Dream.

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

“Tubbo! Tommy! Get off the roof!” Puffy yells, “Dream, go get them off the roof!”

“I don't think I will do that actually, it took too much work getting them up there in the first place,” he responds, shoving his hands into his hoodie pocket.

“You did WHAT! Dream, you are supposed to be the responsible one. You are literally one of the king's heroes, and you put your cousin and his friend on the roof!”

“We actually asked him to Puffy! We like it up here!” Tubbo shouts interrupting the current conversation.

“Dream. Get them down. Now.” Puffy says glaring at Dream. She starts walking inside, “I'm giving you however long it takes to go to the medic, check on Will, and come back. If they aren't down by then, you better start running.”

“Ok, you two fun is over, get off the roof, or we will be chased down by an angry Papa Puffy, and trust me Tommy, you don't want that.” Dream then pulls the lever that he hid in the bushes, causing the pistons to move and reveal a hidden ladder. Tubbo then starts climbing down while Tommy sits with an angry look, eventually following after Tubbo not wanting to stay on the roof by himself.

“Dream! There you are!” Someone else shouts, Dream turns around to see H walking towards him with George, and each of them have a bag, “Dream, we need your help, we're heading to a farm to see if we can ally with them. Can you get ready by the end of the day?”

“Uhhh how hard of a thing do you think this is going to be, I’m stuck with these two gremlins for the time being as Jordan and Puffy are heading to help with the people who came last night, and Phil is staying with Wilbur after he got hurt. They would probably have to come with us,” Dream says while grabbing Tommy and Tubbo. “Oh and by the way, H, George, this is Tommy and this is Tubbo,” He says, holding onto Tommy and Tubbo by the arms and pointing his head to the people he was talking about.

“No yeah, for sure, it's a two-day trip on horseback, but there has been no sighting of black sails in that area in around 2 days, so we should be clear for the entire trip, and when we get there is just going to be talking to farmers, so taking them with would be fine.”

“Sweet. You two go pack for the trip, we can probably help teach you more stuff with your magic on the trip as well, Tommy.” Dream says walking over to a notepad, writing a note for Jordan, Puffy, and Phil, “Hopefully they don't get mad at me for this.”

“POGCHAMP! We’re going on a hero's quest with Big D, and Gogy!!” Tommy shouts, dragging Tubbo to their room.

“Tommy, are you sure this is a good idea? Your mom is still missing and Wilbur is hurt, us leaving on a big quest may not be the best…” Tubbo whispers worriedly. Tubbo had never been on a quest with his cousin before but he usually came back bloody and bruised and Tubbo was terrified of something happening to him or Tommy, as they just found out Tommys power is controlling electricity yesterday.

“Cmon big man, we’ll be fine! If anyone gets in our way I can just shock them back! Hah! Ya!” Tommy responds, pretending to punch things at the end, “But seriously Tubbo it's gonna be fine, we have Dream, George, and H. I think we will be fine. Plus, we can look for Mumza on the trip!”

“Hey you two ready?” Dream shouts from the other room, “Cause we're leaving now, you better get over here before we leave without you!”

Tommy and Tubbo stare at one another and then shout “RACE YA!” scrambling out the door tripping over items and each other.

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

“You got this Will just one step at a time, be careful you are still burnt.” Phil says holding onto Wilbur on one side while Puffy helps on the other one.

“Thanks for helping me Puffy, you didn't have to do that. I never thought I would say this but I actually am excited to see Tommy again,” Wilbur says while watching his feet, hoping his legs won't give out on the 5 steps he has to do before the door, “Less excited for him to be around Tubbo as that would be very chaotic.”

“Hey… Uhm… I'm sorry to interrupt… but uhm..” Phil turns around and sees a really tall kid standing there, he has black and white hair, he looks like a hybrid and also has an ender eye on a necklace, which is probably his gem, “Sorry I don't talk to people that much… but uhm… I saw H and George walk over here to talk to Dream… and they left on a quest to go to this farm… I think?”

Puffy stared blankly at the kid, “Kid please tell me that Dream did not just go on a quest and leave Tommy and Tubbo alone at the house,” Looking more concerned as she talked.

“Uhm he didn't? I think… My name is Ranboo… but I think he took them with him?” he replied.

“Oh no. This is not going to end well… Uh Ranboo right? You said you know where they went? Puffy, you stay here and tell Jordan what happened when he gets back, I can go with Ranboo and go after Tommy?” Phil says helping Wilbur up the last step. “Hopefully they haven't gotten into trouble already.”

“Yea I can take you to them I know the general direction they went, I do have a bad memory though so let me get my memory book real quick!” Ranboo replies, running off towards the park nearby to grab his book where he set it down.

“Oh god why did Dream think this was a good idea…” Puffy sighs, walking Wilbur to the couch and helping him sit down.

“When I said I didn't want to deal with Tommy and Tubbo, I didn't mean I wanted them to not be at the house.” Wilbur says laughing, “Why am I not surprised that they begged Dream to drag them along.”

#mcyt #fanfic #philza #tommyinnit #tubbo #captain puffy #captain sparklez #wilbur soot #ranboo #dreamwastaken #georgenotfound #hbomb #my au #kingdom of darkness au

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meltiverse · 4 years

Text

(22-G Mature Oneshot)Birthday Gift

Note: So… That happened… I’m not sure exactly how this oneshot ended up going in the direction it went, but Oh well. So this is a birthday gift that I wrote for myself, since my birthday was yesterday (April 12th) and it ended up being mostly smut but with some angst at the end.

Warnings: Contain some weird, biologically inaccurate kinks like oviposition (because apparently, that’s what come to my mind during Easter) , non-human genitalia, hemipenes and cervical penetration. Also contain some Mommy kink, light bondage, some femdom, some dirty talking and mentions of age difference.

Also, I’m not sure how to explain it, but there’s some mentions of dubcon? The angst is mostly that after sex, both Mel and Shuichi think they somewhat forced themselves on the other, but it get resolved and there’s an happy ending.

Also, there’s some random silliness at some points, just because. That’s what happen when I decide to write smut on my birthday, apparently…

“What? What kind of question is that?

- I heard you talking in your sleep about “stuffing me full of your eggs” the other night… So, do you really lay eggs or…

- Damn it… I’m… I’m so sorry…”

Shuichi was blushing and hiding his face in his hands, ashamed that he talked in such ways in his sleep. He was already surprised that Mel wanted to date him to begin with, and even more surprised that she was more than willing to have sex with him. He tried to hide the fact that once a year or so, something weird, probably related to his quirk or something, happen. He needs to lay eggs out of his hemipenes. He also gets really horny during that time and he knew it was coming really soon. He already started to be hornier than usual, which is probably what led him to that dream of stuffing Mel with his eggs. Unable to be dishonest with Mel, he tells her the truth, apologizing again and again.

Shuichi was almost panicking, thinking that this was the end, there was no ways Mel would want to be with him now.

“What are you sorry about?”

Mel was cocking her head to the side, looking at him curiously.

“You… You probably think I’m some kind of gross monster now. I… I didn’t want you to know. I was going to pretend that I was sick when it was the time… Damn it… I’m so sorry… Please… Can you… maybe… pretend you never heard that? Please? You know I would never do anything that could harm you, yeah?”

Mel raised an eyebrow, still staring at the scaled young man.

“So, you do really lay eggs… Do you know more precisely when it’s going to happen?

-… About that… I’m sorry, but it’s probably going to be around Sunday… so… I won’t be able to spend your birthday with you… I’m so sorry”

Mel shook her head and smiled, already forming a plan in her head.

“Hey, it’s ok, relax Shuichi! I’m not mad at you or anything like that! Soooo… Have you ever tried laying them in someone or…?

- WHAT? No! Of course not! I mean, you’re only the second person I ever had sex with, you know that! So when would have I? Ugh… Can we stop talking about that, please?

- Sorry, sorry. I just find it interesting.”

Shuichi scoffed; Mel really found the strangest things interesting. Well, that was lucky for him, he guessed. She probably wouldn’t want to be with him otherwise, especially with that new detail about him now dragged into daylight. Mel found Shuichi’s dumbfounded expression so cute that she couldn’t help but giggle, embracing him and placing a kiss on his snout, making him blush.

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

Time-skip to Sunday brought to you by EGGS! ALL I WANT IS EGGS! EGGS! EGGS! EGGS!

--------

Shuichi was in the bedroom. Mel was supposed to be at Magne’s place for a few days, as the time has come for Shuichi to lay his eggs. He was naked, lying down on the bed, face flushed, eyes closed as he was stroking his cocks, one in each hand, trying to get those eggs to come out. He hated himself for it, but he couldn’t stop himself from imagining Mel. He imagined her riding him and asking to be filled with his eggs, her pussy clenching around him, her cute moans filling the air.

“Hmmm… yes… Please babe. Don’t stop and you’re gonna get what you want… I’m getting close, won’t be too long until I stuff you full of my eggs…”

It was quite the scene for Mel, who just discreetly entered the bedroom, wearing only a nice lingerie set.

“Hey, lover! Thinking about me?”

Shuichi stops what he was doing and sit up, his eyes wide open out of surprise.

“Mel, what are you doing? You’re not supposed to be here…”

Then, he notices what Mel was wearing, how nice the purple lingerie looks against her skin, leaving little to the imagination. For a second, he thinks that his lust got the best of him and that he is imagining her, but the feeling of her straddling his legs and her hand on one of his hard dicks feel all too real.

With her free hand, Mel gently push Shuichi back to make him lie on the bed again.

“It’s ok, baby. Let me take care of you…”

Shuichi could barely believe what was happening, but in his lustful haze, he didn’t care anymore. He wanted, no, needed Mel so bad right now, he couldn’t think of anything else.

“Unf… Please babe, I… I need you! Please, please, help me!

- Don’t worry, Love. I’ll help you get rid of those annoying eggs, yeah? Do you want me to help you?”

As she was saying that, Mel was now stroking both Shuichi’s dicks. He could feel her wetness against his leg, even through her panties. It was driving him insane.

“Please… please… I need… I need to be… inside you… please… please…”

He kept repeating it like a mantra, begging for Mel’s sweet embrace. He almost cried when she moved away from him to remove her lingerie, but the lost was short lived. Mel was now straddling his hips, grinding against his cocks. Feeling her warmth and wetness, Shuichi couldn’t help himself, his hands shot up to grab her soft, plushy breasts. He always loved the feeling of those in his hands. Mel bend down to be able to kiss Shuichi and whisper to him.

“So, here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to ride you until you lay those eggs inside me and stuff me full, and we’re both going to enjoy it. Is that ok with you?

- Yes! Yes! Please! Please do it!”

Shuichi’s hands moved to Mel’s hips, trying to move her so he could finally sheath his painfully hard dicks inside her, but she didn’t let him, slapping his hands away.

“Nuh uh! Lemme do it!”

And to make sure he wouldn’t try again, she grabbed Shuichi’s scarf.

“Since you don’t want to be a good boy, I’ll have to tie your wrists to the headboard, yeah?”

Usually, Shuichi was careful to not let anything that might imply some of what he consider his “weirder” kinks out of fear of Mel’s reaction, but right now, he was way too far gone to even think about the consequences of his actions. He put his hands over his head against the headboard by himself.

“I’m sorry… I… I’ve been a bad boy… Please… Tie me up… and teach me to be a good boy… Mama…”

Mel raised an eyebrow. Shuichi was always so secretive about his kinks, usually. This was rather a nice change that he finally let himself loose. Mel didn’t really expect that, but she didn’t really mind. Maybe their age difference was to blame, Mel was around 10 years older than him after all, with him being 21 and her actually turning 32 today. Or maybe it was Mel’s habit of being somewhat motherly with all her loved ones… Anyways, Mel just shrugged to herself and tied Shuichi’s wrists to the headboard.

“Now, are you going to be a good boy for Mama? You’ll let Mama fuck herself on your fat cocks until you lay your eggs? Your going to give Mama what she wants for her birthday and stuff her full of eggs?”

Shuichi was using all his willpower not to move, not wanting to risk Mel changing her mind.

“Yes, please Mama… I need… I need…

-Yes, I know, baby boy. Just a moment, I need to prep myself for you.”

A quick glance allowed Shuichi to see Mel stretching herself with her fingers, making him drool and lick his snout at the sight. He gladly started to lick and suck on her fingers when she presented them to him, eager to please Mel so she finally would ride him. And finally, Mel took his cocks and hold them together, struggling to get them both inside as due to getting ready to lay eggs, they were even bigger than usual, but eventually managed to get the heads in. From there, it was easier, both of their fluids allowing Mel to impale herself on Shuichi’s cocks with relative ease. They both moaned, Shuichi at the velvety warmth enveloping his dicks and Mel at the feeling of being stretched more than usual. Mel started to bounce on Shuichi’s cocks, slowly at first to get herself used to the stretch and then with a quicker rhythm.

Looking at him was quite the sight for Mel. Shuichi was panting a drooling, blabbering praises and begging her not to stop, struggling against the scarf in an attempt to free his hands and grab Mel. Unfortunately, Mel’s legs were starting to get tired, and her getting closer to her climax didn’t help her. It became quite difficult for her to keep doing that. Her lust got the best of her and she decided to do something somewhat risky. With the current situation, Mel was able to control the depth of the penetration and would’ve been able to back out easily if the eggs became too much for her. In his state, Mel knew Shuichi would not be able to have such restrains, even thought he didn’t want to hurt her in any ways. And yet, she still took the decision to let Shuichi take control.

“Hey, Mama’s getting tired, so she’s gonna untie you. You have my consent to do what you need to lay your eggs, so be a good boy, yeah?”

With that said, Mel untied Shuichi and mentally braced herself for what she knew would be wilder and more intense than anything she ever experienced. Within seconds of untying Shuichi’s hands, he grabbed Mel’s hips and rolled over so he could be on top, thrusting erratically into Mel and leaving sloppy kisses on her neck and collarbone.

“Thank you… love you so much…

-I love you too, Shuichi”

Even with the strange, numbing effect of Shuichi’s pre-cum, Mel could still feel the heads of his cocks pressing harshly against her cervix with each thrust, trying to gain access to her womb to lay their eggs and then, with a particularly powerful thrust, it finally happened. Shuichi bottomed out in Mel and stopped moving, keeping himself as deep as possible, instinctively using his Quirk to stick his hands to Mel’s hips to keep her in place...

“I’m… I’m going to… fill you with my eggs now, Mama.”

Mel barely understood, the feeling of Shuichi going past that barrier inside her getting her over the edge and making her climax at the unusual, but painless feeling. Finally, Shuichi had his relief, filling Mel up with both cum and small eggs. It was enough to quickly bring Mel to another orgasm, wrapping her arms and legs around Shuichi to keep him close and sharing a messy kiss.

It wasn’t too long for both of them to fall asleep, exhausted by the intensity of what they experienced. The last things Mel noticed before falling asleep was the full but not really unpleasant feeling of the eggs inside her and Shuichi cuddling her and nuzzling her breasts, a strange, almost purring-like sound escaping his throat.

Mel woke up some time later, the full feeling now gone. A quick glance at the alarm clock telling her that she slept for about 6 hours. She looked around, wondering where Shuichi was, since he wasn’t beside her in the bed. She noticed that she had been cleaned up and that the bed sheets were even changed! Mel thought that she must have been in a really deep sleep if Shuichi managed to do that without waking her.

Hearing a knock on the door, Mel got up, wincing because she was somewhat sore, and grabbed a bathrobe to cover herself before opening the door. On the other side of the door was Magne, holding a platter with a leftover piece of Mel’s birthday cake and a cup of tea on it, a worried look on her face.

“Magne? What are you doing here?

- Spinner called me about an hour ago and asked me to come over and keep an eye on you… Are you… feeling all right? Do I need to kill him?

- What? No! Why would you kill him? And I’m all right… Where is Shuichi?

- He locked himself up in your gaming room… He looked like he had been crying and he kept muttering about doing something horrible to you…”

Mel pinched the bridge of her nose and let a sigh escape her. Of course, Shuichi would blame himself, even if he had nothing to blame himself for. If anything, Mel should be the one to be blamed, going to Shuichi while being aware of his situation. Mel took the platter from Magne’s hands and placed it on the bedside table, grabbing the cup to take a sip of the tea.

“What happened?”

Magne still looked worried as she asked; after all, Mel was a dear friend of hers, ever since they met up for the first time at a LGBTQ+ group meetup. It was even Magne who introduced Mel to Shuichi, knowing they would get along well.

“Nothing special, really, Magne. You know Shuichi, he’s just… blaming himself unnecessarily. To be honest… I think I’m the one who messed up… I… I really need to talk with him. You can go back home, I’ll call you later, ok?

- If you say so… Don’t hesitate to call me, or even come over at my place if there is anything.

-Yeah, thank you, Magne.”

After Magne left, Mel put on some pajamas to be more comfortable and went to the door of gaming room. It was actually a second bedroom, but since they didn’t need 2 bedrooms they instead used it for their computer and video games consoles, with a flat screen tv and with a comfortable futon that could become a bed if they had friends or family over who needed a place to sleep. Mel tried to open the door, but since it was locked, she gently knocked, putting her ear against the door trying to hear inside.

“Shuichi? Please, open the door, Shuichi! I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have… I’m sorry… Please, we need to talk.”

Mel could hear movement in the room and then Shuichi’s voice right on the other side of the door, between sobs.

“Mel? I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry! I never wanted to hurt you, you know that, yeah? I… I know what I did was awful… I’m sorry…”

It took Mel all her willpower to not start crying too, but she knew there was no way she would be able to calm down Shuichi if he heard her crying.

“Shuichi, please, calm down and listen to me. You did nothing wrong. I’m the one who messed up. So, I’m the one who need to apologize. I’m sorry. I knew of your situation and I went to see you anyways. Because I wanted you. Because I didn’t want to spend my whole birthday away from you. Because, to be quite honest, the idea of being filled with your eggs was extremely appealing and arousing…

- Really? I mean… Even then… it must have hurt…”

Well, that was a bit of progress, Mel thought.

“Not really. I mean, yeah, I’m a bit sore, but not really much more than our first time together. Oh, and thank you for cleaning me up and changing the sheets while I was asleep.

- Hey, it’s the least I could do! Hm… About that… I think all the… I think you… “evacuated” them all in your sleep, but… maybe you should get checked by a doctor or something, just to be sure?

- I’ll keep it in mind, but I’m pretty sure they’re all gone. I think I would feel it if there were any left. Hey, Shuichi? I’m sorry, really. I… I really messed up.”

Mel’s eyes were stinging, tears silently slipping down her cheeks. The door opened, making Mel almost fall into Shuichi’s arms since she was leaning on it. Shuichi’s pink hair was a mess and his eyes were red from his crying.

“Stop. Stop apologizing. You… have you any ideas how glad I was when you arrived? When you were so willing to help me, when you even went along with… what I called you…? I… I remember everything… It’s a bit hazy, but I remember. I ASKED you to help me, didn’t I? I even begged. So please, stop apologizing. You did nothing wrong. I wanted it. I wanted you. I’ll always want you. I wanted everything you did.”

Shuichi gently dried Mel’s tears and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her. Mel reciprocated the action.

“I love you, babe. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. Don’t forget that.

- I love you too, Shuichi. Thank you.”

Shuichi chuckled. He had no idea how he got so lucky, to have someone who loved him so unconditionally.

“I should be the one thanking you. You’re always putting up with me. Hm… I know it’s a bit too late, but… Happy Birthday! I… I got you that new game you wanted. Sorry, I didn’t have the chance to wrap it. It’s hidden behind my games.

- Aw! Thank you!”

Shuichi leaned down a bit to be able to kiss Mel and hugged her tightly. They took turn taking a shower and then spend the few next hours playing with Mel’s new game and eating leftover cake. Strangely enough, this event only made them grow closer, and made Shuichi less ashamed of what he considered to be his “depraved” fantasies. Because, after all, if Mel shared his fantasies, they couldn’t have been so “depraved” after all. As such, he felt much more at ease to explore them with Mel, with rules and a safe word in place.

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