#i mean with the way he spoke to mephisto last time we know he can be petty when someone insults or threatens the brothers BUT STILL!!! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mageofseven · 11 months

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When Heat Cools: A MephistoMC Love Story

Chapter 5

Taglist: @astroseuss @fcxyviixen @jar-of-moondust @marvelous-maniac @missloserqueen

A couple days passed. MC didn't hold that argument back at HoL against her boyfriend, but she also didn't want him anywhere near the brothers or vice versa.

Fair enough. The couple still spent plenty of time together at school.

The two received some looks from their fellow classmates. I mean, the arrogant nobleman and the human exchange student being all tender and affectionate around school? Oh boy, were a lot people losing bets and a few lucky bastards were racking in the dough on this day.

One day, Mephisto finally gained the courage to talk to his parents about the baby

And it went about as well as he expected.

"This is ridiculous!" His mother screeched. "You've been raised better than this, Mephistopheles!"

His mother was a tall woman, around 5'10 (~178cm) and shared her son's purple hair, but had eyes as dark as the Devildom's sky.

"Mother--

"You've embarrassed our family enough!" She chastised.

"I under--"

"Enough! Now just pay that little...pet of your off," She spoke in disgust, as if MC was some gross little stray her son found in an alley way. "And cut ties; your father and I will clean up the rest."

"I won't do that." Mephisto said strongly. "MC is--"

"Your mother worked tiredlessly to get you an engagement with Duke Bastien's daughter and this how you return her effort?" His father stared down at him coldy.

This man was an impressive 7'2 (~219cm) tall with dark, greying black hair and the same green eyes as his son.

Most are intimidated by his father's height, but what most don't is that Mephisto's mother, on average, is the real one to be afraid of.

"I never meant for her work to end up fruitless." He defended. "However I won't abandon my child--"

"It's a bastard." His mother corrected. "Your father a had few of them himself and dealt with them as any nobleman should; exactly how you should."

Mephisto flinched.

"I am not like Father."

"You could have fooled me..." The woman said bitterly.

"Lamia, can we not do this right now?" Her husband asked tiredly.

"I don't know, can you do something about your son then?"

The man sighed before turning back to his son, eyes steeling once more.

"You leave your mother and I no choice. If you refuse to cut ties with this human, we will be forced to disown you...or worse."

Mephisto's eyes widened.

In truth, he wasn't scared of being disowned. He knew damn well it was an empty threat. He knew his parents weren't going to get rid of him when he was nearly ready to help his father with work just to wait a few hundreds of years for his little brother to be old enough.

How ever...he knew exactly what 'or worse' meant and his parent knew that the meaning came across crystal clear

And so the young man felt powerless.

MC was breathing quickly and her heart raced in her chest till her vision went white and the world went silent.

Slowly, a scene formed in front of her. Translucent beings swirling through the air in some form of dance, their strange voices reverberating off one another and creating a strange but somewhat familiar melody.

Seemingly just as soon as it came, the swirl of dark and light beings left, returning the woman to her room.

She took a moment to focus on her breathing.

In truth...this wasn't the first time the pregnant woman has had such a strange experience. These... visions (?) have been happening on and off since she's been pregnant. She never told anyone though not even Mammon because it seemed as if when things like this happened to her, the best thing was to stay quiet about it.

I mean, think about it. When was the last time her head of was messed with? Back when Lilith was directing her to save Belphegor and the rest of the brothers.

Often, it just seemed like when her head was affected by a seemingly supernatural force to just stay quiet till she got her answers.

However, these were getting tiring and whatever or whoever were causing these were not leading her to any solid answers about what she was seeing so far and it's been three months already.

Her phone beeped.

Out front. We need to speak for a moment.

Mephisto?

MC rose from her bed and left her room before heading to the front of the house.

The nobleman was at the front door, his limo behind him.

She growned.

"Did you have to bring that thing?" She complained.

"That's not important." He waved her words away. "I need you to do something."

The woman raised an eyebrow.

Mephisto told his corazón a slightly censored version of his conversation with his parents and asked her to come to the castle with him.

In truth, the man had no power in his home against his own parents so he decided to try to hit them where it hurt--politics.

However, he cannot do it on his own. Obviously, he and Lord Diavolo are not as close as they were as children. MC, however, is an important friend of the prince's and so Dia would surely step in to help the both of them if it was a request of hers?

So the couple headed to the castle and was led to the prince's office by Barbatos.

The prince raised his eyebrows.

"My friends, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Lord Diavolo...some issues have arisen and we are in dire need of your assistance." Mephisto explained.

"That...sounds quite urgent indeed." Dia looked to MC with a concerned look. "Are you alright?"

She hugged her small belly and leaned into her boyfriend for comfort.

"Kinda?" She answered, worried about the situation she and Mephisto were in. "Look, Mephisto and I are...kinda together--"

"I heard!" The prince smiled at her before his gaze traveled to the other man. "This is great news and especially great personal growth on your part, my old friend."

"I...thank you, my lord."

"That's not it though!" MC interrupted, tearing up slightly. "I'm...I'm pregnant and his parents are upset and we aren't sure what to do..."

"My parents said they will disown me or worse," Mephisto emphasized those last words. "If I don't abandoned MC and marry Duke Bastien's daughter."

Diavolo's eyes darkened. The human may not know, but both men in the room knew what the 'worse' his parents spoke of was. A last resort when noble parents don't get their way; they put a hit out on the person their child is breaking the rules for.

Essentially, Mephisto's parents are threatening to hire an assassin to kill MC simply for carrying their son's baby, a baby he refuses to abandon.

Neither man will explain this out loud though. No, the mother-to-be had enough to worry about; best to let her in-laws' lethal plans not be one of them.

"I understand." Diavolo nodded in seriousness. "I will lean on them, let them know I am watching and that no...'accidents' will be overlooked."

"Thank you, my lord."

The human was quite confused about what the prince meant, but it seemed as it he had things covered so...that's good?

"Now," Dia clapped his hands and smiled. "Enough of all those stressful things. How about joining me for some tea in the garden?"

MC sighed and relaxed her shoulders before looking up at Mephisto.

"Can we stay for tea? Please?"

In truth...considering his past with the prince, the nobleman would rather not. However, he is in no position to refuse now that MC has asked him so sweetly.

Well...tea it is.

#obey me #obey me otome #obey me mc #mephistopheles x mc #obey me mephisto x mc #obey me mephistopheles x mc #obey me mephistopheles #obey me diavolo

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randomshyperson · 3 years

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The Scarlet Witch Prophecy - Chapter 25 - The Battle of Hogwarts (Part One)

Thanks to my gif maker and friend of course, @abimess.

Summary: As the youngest daughter of Howard Stark, you have ordinary expectations for your years at Hogwarts. Little do you know what adventures await you when your destiny is intertwined with the legendary Scarlet Witch.

Warnings: +16. Adaptation of the Harry Potter Saga, Magical Thematic, Prophecies, Mentions of Violence, Torture and dark magic, Language (swearing and minor/major offenses), manipulation of will, Underage kissing, insinuation of smut with minors, Smut (overage), descriptions of death, aggression, obscurity, angst, fluffy, soulmates analogies. || Words: 5.550 K

A/N> The third to last chapter is here, a little late because I just forgot to publish it yesterday. Well, good luck and good reading everyone.

Series Masterlist || Read on AO3 || All Works Masterlist

Chapter 25 - Part XXV - The Battle of Hogwarts (Part One)

The first thing you notice when you arrive at Hogwarts is the sky.

Maybe it's because you fell backwards onto the ground, and the high was what was within reach of your gaze, but you can see clearly that the exact moment Wanda apparated you and Charles into the castle, was also the exact moment when the protection spells broke.

The great force field placed in the castle, breaking into luminous pieces in front of your eyes, would be beautiful to watch in any other situation.

Now, it just means that you arrived just in time for the fight to begin.

A gentle touch pulls you up, helping you stand.

Wanda's concerned face checking to see if everything is okay, and you have to push the ringing in your ear from the adrenaline to absorb her words:

"[...]Charles is not breathing, Y/N! Help me!" And suddenly your heart is beating so fast that you have barely stood and are kneeling again, now next to the man who has fallen to the ground.

"What happened?" you asked worriedly, watching him squirm, the wide wound in his throat.

"He splinched! I don't know why I-"

"It's okay, Wanda, give me your hand." You interrupted her trying to calm her down, pulling her close. "Do as you did with me, I'll help you."

"I-I don't know how, I-I-"

"Trust me, then, babe." You guided quickly, as Wanda lowered herself down beside you, and you intertwined your hands at the height of Charles' wound who was almost passing out. "Breathe, let your magic flow with mine. The same way you healed me, help him."

Wanda tried to control her nervous tears, taking a deep breath. Her hands trembled on top of yours.

But as soon as you felt her magic, you focused.

It was a strange feeling, healing someone with Wanda's magic.

A soft sigh escaped her lips, and then it turned into a laugh of relief as the wound began to close.

Within seconds, Charles was blinking in confusion, trying to sit up, breathing normally.

"Hey buddy, how are you feeling?" You asked, touching his shoulders, and he shook his head.

"O-okay." He replied breathlessly, impressed. "Thank you, ladies."

"What happened, Charles?" Wanda asked worriedly, helping him stand. The sky exploding around you.

"We appeared a second before the protection spell broke, girls." He explained as he looked up at the sky, "I figured it would be worth absorbing the damage, rather than putting you two in danger."

"That was stupidly brave, buddy." You mutter making him laugh.

"Let's hurry up, I think the fight is on the other side."

You were near the entrance to the stone circle, just before the Wooden Bridge. There was no one there, but the force field was disengaging almost completely at that point.

Grabbing the Sorting Hat that had fallen from your head, and the sword that Gryffindor Charles had made a small belt for you to hang on your back, you ran beside them toward the castle.

As the distance diminished, your body began to shiver.

Wanda was in danger here.

You pushed the feeling away, trying to ignore it.

She intertwined your hands together, trying to give you a minimum of reassurance as you crossed the wooden bridge.

"Don't come any closer!" Someone shouted from the edge of the entrance, his wand raised.

The person saw Charles, who was in front, first. Hence the hostility, you guessed.

And then he recognized you and Wanda.

"By merlin, it's them!" Shouted the boy. "Tony, it's your sister!"

You choked, stepping forward.

Tony stumbled out of the area he was covering, and had half a second before he recognized you for you to catch up to him, jumping on his neck, hugging him tightly.

"Idiot, your friend almost stupified us!" You fought between tears as he laughed in relief and hugged you back.

He let go of you to hug Wanda too, but the loud noises of explosions in the distance made you exchange knowing glances about continuing.

"We need to go, the walkers are coming through the front entrance." He directs, but before you guys can move, there is a loud whistle.

You turn toward the bridge entrance again.

There is a large group of wizards there, who have probably appeared in the forest.

"That's why we're here, Y/N. I put a bomb on the bridge. Come right in." Tony says quickly, pulling you guys off the bridge.

The group of wizards is led by a grim-faced man with a huge scar on his face.

"Stop hiding, children!" He shouts as he walks.

Tony exchanges a look with the boy who was watching, and shouts.

"Come on, don't you think it's pathetic to attack a school, Digger?" Tony teased, clearly wishing the man would advance on the bridge. "You sound desperate, buddy!"

And this Digger guy seemed to get annoyed, but his gaze fell on you and Wanda, and his expression flashed with anger.

"My, my, is the Scarlet Witch am I seeing? You guys are fools."

You would have moved forward, wiped that sick smile off his face, if Tony hadn't cast an incantation on the end of the bridge, which caused a huge explosion.

He rushed to get you guys out, pushing you back into the castle as the wooden bridge was destroyed and that whole little horde of walkers was defeated at once.

"That was incredible!" The boy from earlier commented as soon as the explosion was over, "I'm Scott Summers, nice to meet you all."

You frowned at the outstretched hand. The name was not unfamiliar to you. But it wasn't until Wanda discreetly whispered in your mind that he was a friend of Jean Grey's did you recognize him.

He greeted everyone quickly before Tony turned to you.

"What the hell are you doing here anyway?" He asked, now almost annoyed. "Mephisto is here, somewhere outside the field. Neither you nor Wanda should be anywhere near him."

You started walking back to the castle, as you spoke. "You shouldn't have attacked now, Tony, you don't understand. He can't die, it is an ancient magic, it's called horcruxes and-

"Well, break it then!" He interrupts impatiently, because you guys are running and he is trying to get to the others soon. " Actually, tell me how to break it, and go back to Strange's room, that psycho can't lay eyes on you."

"No chance, I'll fight with you." You contradict, and Tony turns around with a grimace, but doesn't have time to protest, because by the time you reach the inside of the castle, it's insane.

There are many wizards in there, from the order, from the ministry. Also, a lot of classmates and children. Your first thought is to mentally curse Stephen for not sending the students home.

But someone jumps on your neck. It's Gamora, hugging you so tightly that she almost knocks you to the ground.

"By Merlin, what you're doing here, you can't be here-"

"Good to see you too, little sister." You interrupt in a tearful laugh, some members of the order recognizing you as well, but they keep moving on out, probably to deal with the rest of Mephisto's army.

"She said something about death magic, Gamora, just get her out of the castle before he knows they're here." Tony warns and he looks at you for a second before following the crowd of wizards outside, wand in hand.

"Let's go down the top hallway and-" Gamora says, already pulling you along, but you don't move from your spot.

"No you don't understand, I need to destroy two things, and I need to know where Pietro is." You say quickly, and Gamora blinks in confusion before answering.

"I think Piete was covering the Suspension Bridge entrance but-"

Wanda is already running before Gamora is finished, and honestly, no chance in hell you won't follow her.

Gamora shouts your name about four times, but the crowd of people keeps her behind.

"We should get back to Agatha, girls." Charles tries to ration, but you and Wanda keep running.

Hogwarts has never been so crowded.

The students are getting desperate, and you think that's why they seem to be running everywhere.

The stairs are changing very quickly too, and you and Wanda grumble impatiently as you struggle to get to Pietro by them.

It's when you reach the third floor frame that you lose your breath all at once, and almost fall into the gap between the stairs, but Charles holds on by the cover.

"Stark, what is wrong?" he asks worriedly, and hearing this Wanda stops running, turning to check on you immediately.

But you're not listening.

I know you're here, child. And I'm going to kill every one of them if you don't give me back what’s mine.

You choke, shaking, blocking your mind. Mephisto had managed to get in for a second, long enough for you to fall to the floor.

"It's him." You gasp accepting Charles' help to stand properly. "He got inside my head, and he knows we're here, Wanda. We need to hurry."

"I have to find Pietro and-"

"I know, let's find him first and destroy the Horcruxes."

In the Suspension Bridge area, a duel was going on.

A small group of walkers were trying to invade the castle through that zone, and Professor T'Challa, along with Pietro were covering the place.

You didn't recognize any of the wizards, but it didn't matter much, because Wanda attacked them the next second, her magic going by the free space between Pietro and T'Challa to hit the three wizards with a wave of energy all at once, which threw them off the bridge.

The two boys turned around confused and impressed, but Wanda jumped on Pietro the next moment, hugging him tightly.

"Sestra!"He said, shocked, matching the squeeze with a tearful laugh. You smiled at the scene, but looked forward, and your stomach gave a complete flip.

"How touching, a family reunion." Hela mocked as she slowly approached, behind her, Loki and three other wizards you didn't know, "It'll be worth killing you all together then."

T'Challa attacked first, but Hela used a magic you had never seen before.

It was a black claw, coming out like an extension of her own hand. It didn't break apart with your teacher's stupore spell, but rather darted through his chest.

You let out a loud exclamation, widening your eyes.

T'Challa fell down to the floor, dead.

"Did you like my new trick? I learned a few months ago, when Maximoff brought us out of the forest. I needed to learn how to never let my bunnies run away again." Hela narrated as she pulled the claw back. "Nothing fairer than to use that on him don't you think?"

But you attacked, furiously.

A shower of spells began. Agatha's lessons had been worth it.

You were dueling three wizards at once.

Charles joined you at your side, while Pietro pulled the professor's body out of the way, sniffling softly.

And then Hela was aiming her claw at you again, and you had no idea which spell to use.

You know the spell. Kill her.

Hela missed as you pushed that sinister thought away.

Wanda hit her in the ribs with a wave of magic and she let out an angry and painful scream, the claw hit the wall behind you, narrowly missing your face.

You muttered a “Thanks, babe”, realizing that the claws had a regarch time.

Your problem for the next ten seconds was to keep your mind blocked from Mephisto, ignore the trembling in your body from having Wanda in danger, and dueling three witches at once.

Everything was under control.

Until Hela took aim at Wanda.

"No, she belongs to the dark lord!" The witch next to the woman shouted, but too late, because Hela shot.

And Pietro reached Wanda before you did.

He pushed her to the ground, and the claw went through his chest.

"N-no!" Wanda screamed, and everything exploded around you in a bright red light that threw you and everyone around.

You shook your head as you tried to understand what had happened.

But you raised your eyes to find Pietro on the ground, and Wanda standing there, a red circle around her before she attacked Hela with a energy so strong that completely disintegrated her.

And then the other three witches were targeted.

You reached Pietro, choking on his own blood.

Just like in Wanda's vision.

"Piete, no." You gasped tearfully, as you pressed your hands to his wound. "Please, buddy, keep your eyes open."

He just stared at you, losing his strength.

You could feel Wanda's liquid fury in your veins as she kept fighting.

And if you couldn't help her now, you would help Pietro.

The sorting hat fell from your head as she cast the spell, and you looked at Charles picking it up off the floor, a confused but impressed look on his face.

On the brim, the Hufflepuff's cup.

You remembered Agatha's memories in the same second. About the cup healing the wounded, like it healed Thanos' colleague.

And Charles threw it to you before you even asked.

As soon as it touched your bloody hands, the cup filled with a transparent liquid.

You recognized the appearance because Charles was an excellent potions mentor.

Pouring the fluid into the wound, Pietro cried out. His skin burned as it closed, but the wound gradually cleared.

"Wanda, he'll be okay, look!" You shouted, and it was the same second she was going to aim at Loki, who was already on the ground, his hands raised in pity.

She gasped out her own magic, turning to you.

Pietro was pale, but he was healed. And Wanda quickly knelt down to you, and you stepped back so she could hold him.

"Destroy it now, Miss Stark!" Charles directed as soon as the cup rolled from your hands to the floor.

You waved frantically, but when Wanda threw you with the magic, the sword fell forward as well.

And it was Loki who reached for it first.

"Give it back!" You ordered, wand raised to the boy with the mixed look of fear and anger in front of you.

He just shook his head, and seeing the validity of the item, and understanding that he had no chance of facing you all, he ran to the edge of the bridge, sword in the air.

"Stand back or I'll throw it." Loki warned, and you obeyed, your hands raised in the air.

"Loki, please give it back."

"What is it?"

"It doesn't matter, just give it to me."

"She killed my sister, Y/N." Loki accused then, his eyes filled with tears.

"And Hela tried to kill Pietro. I'm sorry, Loki, but we're not the ones fighting on the wrong side."

"Wrong side?" Loki let out a humorless laugh. "You have no idea what he's done do you?"

"Who, Loki?"

"Odin." He retorted in disgust, his sword swinging over the edge. You swallowed dryly, trying to think of the possibilities of reaching Loki before he threw the sword.

"No buddy, I don't know what you're talking about."

"You think you're fighting for the right side?" He angrily accuses. "Odin killed my parents!"

You frown in confusion.

"Is that why you are fighting for Mephisto? Is it for revenge?"

"I am a child of late autumn, Y/N." He clarified, and you widen your eyes. "Odin killed my family."

You shake your head. "No, Loki. Mephisto searched for the children, he wanted to find Wanda. He-"

"Do you really think only the dark lord was looking for the children of the prophecy?" He interrupts angrily. "Everyone was. And when Odin came into my house, my parents thought he was a walker, and they attacked. And Odin killed them. And because he loved to play the good man part, he took me to live with him. All these years, I never knew. Until Hela told me the truth."

"Do you think fighting for Mephisto changes that? Odin made a mistake in lying to you, that doesn't give you the right to follow a dictator."

"None of them had the right to lie to me." He continues angrily. "Your side pretends to be good, covering the lies for each other. But it was Odin who broke into my house and murdered my parents. He stole me. He stole my life."

"And I'm sorry, Loki." You said sincerely. "But teaming up with someone worse doesn't fix things. Give me back my sword."

"What is it for?"

"To destroy horcruxes."

Loki hesitates. He looks at you doubtfully, and then at the object at his feet.

"You are lying."

"No, I'm not." You return. "Please, Loki. We are friends. Don't make me take the sword from you by force."

Something in his eyes changes for a second. “Friends? Even after what I did?”

You swallow hard, nodding. “You knew it was me. That day. But you didn’t say anything. I think it’s because you’re not like them. You’re scared, like the rest of us.”

Loki just looks at you for a moment, then throws the sword on his other hand and advances against you.

But it’s not on yourself that he aims, it’s in the object at your foot.

The second the blade pierce the cup, a dark magic energy flows out of it. It throws you and Loki away, right to the floor.

You see the image of a furious face emerge before it completely fades away.

The second horcrux was destroyed.

Coughing a bit, you feel this sharp feeling behind your neck, and close your eyes.

Fool child. I will not have mercy on any.

It’s Wanda’s touch on your face that brings you back to reality. She’s pulling you to stand, worriedly looking at you as Charles carries Pietro inside.

“I’m okay, love.” You whisper weakly as she checks you, but you’re looking at Loki, who has the sword in hand, sitting on the floor. “You did it.”

You tell him, somewhere between proud and impressed, but the boy just seems tired. He swallows hard, as if trying to control the urge to cry as he stands up.

“There's little I know about my real parents, Y/N." Loki says approaching. "And one of those things is about their contempt for magics like Necromancy. There are things I need to figure out on my own. Loose ends in my story, that will now be harder to unravel without my sister, or my mother. But I will not follow anyone who is willing to kill others to avoid his own death. I think I'm pretty evil already."

Loki hands you the sword. You swallow dryly, holding his hand over the item.

"You're not evil, Loki." You say. "You just made the wrong choices."

He gives you a sad smile, the explosions getting more powerful. The fight is getting worse, and he sighs, moving away.

"Hela said he was looking for a chamber in the castle, something underground." He tells you, and before you can thank him, he has disappeared before your eyes.

You turn to Wanda, and she already has an understanding look on her face, knowing where you should go.

"Go. We'll join the main entrance." Charles said, but Pietro moved to protest, and Wanda touched his shoulders.

"No, I'm not leaving you two alone!" He shouted, but his sister shook her head, ignoring the tears.

"Up here, you'll be safer than with us." She said with her voice full of emotion. "Please, Piete. Just...go."

"Wanda..."

"Now."

Pietro swallows dryly, and hugs his sister one last time before heading back inside the castle with Charles, running towards the loudest noises.

"Let's end this, darling." You say as you intertwine your hands together.

//-//-//-//-//

It is in between stumbling around the crowd of wizards running through the third floor to the stairwell that you remember that you don't know how to get into the chamber of secrets.

"Wanda, wait." You say giving a gentle tug on the hand that remains entwined with you the whole way.

And she turns around curious and concerned, but you just shake your head.

"We don't know-"

"Let's find my father then." She interrupts and you give a short laugh.

"Stop reading my mind." You tease as she pulls you to walk, a mischievous smile on her lips.

You make your way down the stairs back to the second floor, and an explosion in the nearby hallways catches your attention immediately as a group of first-year students scream and run away from that direction.

You and Wanda exchange a glance before moving forward, only to reach the almost completely destroyed hallway. A huge crater had been opened in the wall by a giant outside, who was looking in.

"Witches!" Said the monster in a loud, slow voice, as it noticed you inside.

You choked, stumbled and pulled Wanda away, before the giant could stick his hand into the hole and grab you two.

“Okay, not this way.” You comment as you run the opposite direction, screaming to the students outside to go the other way around.

Back in the Grand Staircase, there are wizards on brooms.

You frown, not understanding what the point of that is, but you figure that in their desperation, the students have tried everything.

And then there are walkers coming in from the upper floors, and you understand that whoever is in the air was trying to prevent them from coming down.

"Darling, where do you think your father is?" You ask worriedly, looking up to see two seventh-year witches knocking out a walker on the uppermost stairs, flying between the staircases with their Quidditch brooms.

Wanda didn't respond as one of the walkers hit a staircase, blasting the steps with a bright spell, and she quickly stopped three students from falling, pushing them back to safety with her magic.

Slightly out of breath, she turned to you.

"Upstairs." She says.

You let out a sigh. The upper floors, and the main entrance are where the fighting is at its worst. That's where your bond will leave you breathless due to the danger Wanda will be in.

But you just nod, and guide Wanda between the stairs, occasionally exchanging spells with the walkers who make it down.

Professor Erik is nowhere to be found.

You and Wanda are running for about twenty minutes, and it’s getting hard to ignore the way the bond is begging you to take her away from danger, as you feel an insistent headache and chills around your body.

As you stop to catch your breath, around the fifth floor, you keep your head down, as you lean against a wall with your hands on your knees.

“What is it, babe?” Wanda asked worriedly, her hands coming to your neck. “Merlin, you’re pale.”

“I’m o-okay.” You say back, feeling a bit nauseous. “I think we’re close to ending this, love. That’s why i-”

But a strong explosion cuts your line, the magic doing it’s job to protect Wanda for the wreckage that came flying all the way around. Someone just destroyed the sixth floor, the remains of the explosion flying to the halls, all the way down the stairs.

Coughing a bit, you get up, helping Wanda stand properly as well.

Before any of you can understand what happened, there’s a wizard jumping on you.

“I got the protector!” He screamed as you two fell through the air, in the gap between the stairs. The walker could turn into some kind of flying mist, and even though you were struggling against his grip, you couldn't get loose, and the ground was closing in at a considerable speed.

Your ears had an irritating ringing, and from the way your whole body shook, someone had reached Wanda too.

But then the feeling diminished.

And as you fell, you saw the characteristic light of Wanda's magic, before the walker's mist overwhelmed your vision, and you crashed against the steps, cascading to the last floor, as your back hit the stairs many times before you hit the ground.

Groaning in pain, you felt your whole body aching as you tried to blink and locate yourself, all half blurred around you.

You thought someone was calling you, and trying to ignore the whole accident to focus on the feeling that you needed to protect Wanda, but just as you started to get up, something came around your ankles, and started dragging you.

"Keep them busy, you useless bastards! The dark lord just needs the protector for the ritual." It was the last thing you heard before the bruises from the fall knocked you out.

//-//-//-//-//-//

There was an insistent ringing in your ears when you opened your eyes again.

And the floor was cold and damp.

It took you a few seconds to realize that besides the water, your clothes were wet in places with blood from your wounds.

Your whole body ached, but you didn't mind.

Because every cell was screaming Wanda's name.

Find her. Protect her.

You choked as you forced yourself to move, noticing your surroundings.

“Wanda?” you gasped breathlessly, trying to locate yourself. It seemed like a long hallway, and it was dark.

You could hear the explosions from the castle, even if they were muffled.

Someone chained you to the walls, and you realized that there were voices in the distance, and as you sat up, you tried to understand what they were saying:

"Harkness is going to help with the ritual." Someone commented. "Our master and his apprentice are finally united again."

"I thought he wanted to kill the girls." Retorted the male voice.

"The dark lord wants the scarlet magic, but he can only get it with Agatha's help, because of the fusion she did. I think she managed to convince him not to kill the children. For now at least."

The voices grew closer, until two tall, frowning wizards with their faces hidden by skull masks turned down the corridor, catching up with you.

"Hey, the sleepyhead is finally awake." Teased the taller one, raising his wand toward you to make the chains force you to your feet. "Come on, they're waiting for you."

Fighting the chains was useless, but you did it anyway.

And your head began to pound. Wherever Wanda was, she was in danger. Or maybe it was because she should be in great stress right now.

As you were dragged down the corridor, you were startled by the magnitude of the snakes embedded in the stones.

And then it occurred to you where you were.

Salazar Slytherin's chamber of secrets.

The walkers led you to the center, and as you reached the place, you noticed that colorful runes were drawn on the pillars, and candles were flying around. And in the middle, a pentagram that you didn't recognize.

What frightened you the most, was the gigantic basilisk skeleton in the corner of the room, perched like a work of art. You deduced that many years ago, the mortal remains of the creature were moved back into the chamber to avoid the curious.

It was no less frightening.

The wizard from before, hit your knees with a colorful spell, and you fell to the ground, facing the pentagram.

"Wait here, protector." He said, and then gave a little laugh. "Not that you have a choice."

"Fuck you." You grumbled but then gasped in pain, the torture curse hitting you in the ribs then making you curl down on the floor.

"Stop it, Zsasz!" Asked the wizard next to you, pushing the other's wand away, and consequently making the spell stop. You gasped with relief. "She's not ours to play with."

"Tell her to behave herself then, Vormund ." Retorted the angry Zsasz fellow. "I hate those half-bloods."

"Calm down, you idiot." Warned the other. "This will be over soon. Don't do anything to annoy the dark lord again. He's already pissed off enough with the destruction of the darkhold."

You widen your eyes, and let out a humorless laugh.

"Ouch, your master lost his little book? What a pity." You teased helplessly, and almost regretted the kick to the stomach you received, but the infuriated faces of the walkers made it worth it.

"You won't keep that little smile on your face when I rip out your spine!" Threatened Zsasz, causing you to lock your jaw by the wand on your neck.

"What's going on here?" interrupted a female voice, coming from the hallway.

It was a woman you didn't know, without a mask like the other two. And her confident posture, or perhaps her presence, made the walkers jump away from you.

"N-nothing, ma'am." Answered Vormund quickly. "The half-blood was being rebellious an-"

"And you two assume you have any right to correct her?" Cut the witch snidely, moving closer. "This must be a joke."

The wizards exchanged glances, but bowed their heads.

"Forgive us, Lady Mystique, it won't happen again." Said Zsasz, but the woman just held up her hand telling him to keep his apology.

"Go back to the entrance. No one must interrupt the ritual. And the dark lord is on his way." She said simply, and the wizards looked at you one last time before they started walking off in the direction they had carried you.

The Mystique woman waited until they had disappeared down the hall to look at you.

"I'm sorry for the hostility, dear, in the best of words, they are brutes." She said, waving so that the knot in your chains loosened a bit, which lessened the pain, but did not free you. You also felt a slight push on your back and legs, forcing you to stand gently.

"Do you expect thanks for the mild torture, ma'am? Not going to happen." You retort between teeth, trying to look around for some way out. But the chamber was dark and you didn't know the place.

The Mystique woman seemed to find your harshness amusing, and gave a short laugh, following your curious gaze.

"Even if you try to run, they will catch up with you." She says, making you lock your jaw.

"And even if you escape the spells, you won't be able to ignore the bond."

You have no argument really, so you just sigh. "What are they going to do to me?"

"The dark lord wants the scarlet magic." She answers. "And he needs to break Agatha's spell to get it now."

“But if he kills us, the magic will be gone.”

“That’s why he’s breaking the spell before killing you two.” She states simply, as you feel your stomach turn. But her eyes are gentle, and makes you confused, so you try to bargain.

“Please, you can’t let him do that, he’s insane and-”

“Enough with the begging, i hate it.” She cuts impatiently, but not cruelly. “Just do what you’re supposed to do and don’t freak out.” She whispers and you can hear steps coming closer. “We’re ending this for once.”

You frown, but Mystique is putting her hands on your arms to spin you around, making you look forward.

Widening your eyes, you take a step forward.

"A-Agatha, help me!" You ask quickly, watching the woman come out of one of the hallways to meet you in the center, wand in hand. "They're trying to do a ritual and-argh!"

Your speech turns to a groan of pain as Mystique's magic throws you to the floor on your knees, bending you over.

"Kneel in the presence of the dark lord, child." The woman warns beside you, and you choke as you feel your whole body shudder.

In the tunnel beside Agatha comes a man, whom you recognize well.

"Agatha, what's going on?" You ask confused as you see her walk beside Mephisto, to the center to meet you. And her expression is impassive, and you want to vomit. "Professor, what...?"

"Just look at that child, old friend." Mephisto interrupts, assessing you as you walk. "How did someone so weak get chosen to protect my sorceress?"

You lock your jaw, staring angrily at the wizard. He nods to the witch beside you, who also bowed.

"Raven, dear, thank you for taking care of everything." He says. "You may go, we will need privacy for the ritual. Go up to the castle, my sorceress needs to stay busy as much as possible until we're done here. And then you can leave it to me, I'll go after her myself."

“As you desire, my lord.” Raven says before getting up and leaving.

"After everything, you're going to betray us?" You accuse Agatha angrily, but she says nothing, just deflects her face to Mephisto, who gives a short laugh.

"Only a fool would believe that wizards like us do not belong together, Miss Stark." He says, and with a flick of his hands, all the candles in the place display a green flame. "Let's get on with it, Agatha. I need your help now that that fool destroyed my book."

"Yes, Faustus." Agatha replied before nodding toward you, and the chains glowed purple, steadying you tightly against the pentagram, which also lit up. "Let's begin."

//-//-//-//-//

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#wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff fic #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda x reader #wanda maximoff x yn #wanda x you #wanda maximoff x you #marvel imagines #The Scarlet Witch Prophecy

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kainetestament · 3 years

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Deciphering Peter’s conversation with Wanda

1. Wanda tried to test Peter by asking him about the name of the boy that has a skin problem who always steal his shoes to which Peter counter “You’re testing me.” And has successfully divert the conversation by telling her “I know I look different.” Wanda do feel his brother is not the same brother she remembers. That even us viewers wonder why Peter and not Pietro is present? Though I do have a theory about that and talk about below.

2. “I'm just trying to do my part, okay? Come to town unexpectedly, create tension with the brother-in-law, stir up trouble with the rugrats, and ultimately give you grief. I mean, that's what you wanted, isn't it?” For these sentences, it kind of look like someone is speaking for him (like he’s possessed). Peter gave off the ‘mischievous elder brother’ or possibly has a sister complex as seen X-Men Days of Future Past. If this is really him, giving Wanda a grief will definitely be the last thing he’ll do, pranking her? Maybe, like what he did when Vision left the house and sneak up on her back on Episode 6.

3. Peter said “Details are fuzzy, man. I got shot like a chump on the street for no reason at all and the next thing I know, I heard you calling me. I knew you needed me.” And Wanda has a confused look on her face. Also, If we go on FANDOM, Wanda’s profile has been updated and one of the updates the user add was “He told her that he heard her calling him after he was shot by Ultron, and that he knew she needed him.” First of all, whoever made an update, none of Peter’s words mentioned Ultron, and didn’t imply Ultron as well, second Pietro was not shot for no reason at all, Ultron was firing bullets from Quinjet and Pietro have to save Hawkeye and the kid he’s holding, Peter on the other hand phrase it as “no reason at all”, so I don’t believe it’s anything related to Ultron.

Let’s translate what Peter just said, “I got shot like a chump on the street” – if we are to simplify this sentence, he could meant he’s running (as usual) on the street and got knocked down because he’s an easy target (after all, chump means a foolish or easily deceived person), or someone stopped him from running then he was hit by something, then when he’s trying to understand what happened, he can hear in his head his sister calling him, in probably mournful voice because he claimed “I knew you needed me.” Because before he appeared, when Wanda mentions Pietro (in past tense), she was still smiling, almost indicating she was able to move on from his passing, then when was asked by Tommy if Wanda have a brother, she now spoke of him in present tense “He’s far away from here, and that makes me sad sometimes.” – this could probably be what he meant when he say “I heard you calling me. I knew you needed me.” Because Wanda is now reminiscing the Pietro, and could possibly be now in denial with him and she wants to see him. We don’t know what’s going on in X-Men Universe and hell Earth-616 is one confusing world. Retelling it here in MCU that X-Men could probably be from different multiverse will make it less confusing as well.

Also Wanda was not officially introduced in X-Men Universe, but on the delete scene of Days of Future Past, Ms Maximoff (their mom) said to her youngest “Go upstairs and bug your sister”, implying (and confirmed by the director) that the “sister” is Wanda and she does exists in X-Men world, Peter being the eldest of the siblings, have a big brotherly love for his younger siblings so he easily got brainwashed and was summoned to Earth 616, we can only theorize that Mephisto discovered him as he was travelling thru the multiverse (as per his comics abilities), discovered Wanda and Pietro. Who knows if Wanda of X-Men Universe is alive or dead, but we can try and think, why this Wanda? If Mephisto has the ability to travel to the multiverse, he can chose Wanda of other multiverse too. Is it because of her involvement with the Infinity Stone? So this Wanda is so special because she is able to mother twins without a man’s help? We just have to wait for 2 more episodes for answers.

Also on top of Wanda not being introduce X-Men Universe, FOX changed Pietro’s name to Peter because MCU is also introducing another Pietro, but in MCU, they killed Pietro, this is probably due to copyrights restrictions (between Disney and FOX) because both Pietro and Wanda can appear on both franchise with some restrictions, which makes sense why there’s only Wanda in MCU and only Peter in X-Men World to avoid referencing the restrictions due to legal rights. Now that the Multiverse is being introduced, they can now cross Peter from X-Men World to MCU as a mutant (vice versa) and can also be referred to as Magneto’s children since the restrictions have been lifted. Although another possibility that the MCU killed Pietro is because MCU and FOX already planned ahead for a possible future Multiverse since way back, once the First Generation of Avengers retires (Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, etc.), that is possibly the time they can introduce the mutants. Because if the First Generation is still present when the Mutants arrive, it could destroy the balance of the super heroes line up and the MCU might become a trash of super hero franchise, which of course they won’t want that to happen. By killing Pietro on the other hand, can actually be both a risk and advantage. MCU’s researchers have definitely done their job well and study other products that involved alternate dimension/reality/timeline. In my point of view (as an otaku), when I watched these type of anime with alternate dimensions/reality/timeline, it does feel weird especially if the character meets her/her counterpart, like in Dual!! Parallel Trouble Adventure where both Mitsuki have actually met (I only remember parts of the story, so I won’t go deeper into this), the awkwardness is kind of hard to watch… So killing Pietro might’ve been the best decision, because keeping both characters and later meets up will not only cause awkwardness but the viewers might also find it weird. With no offense to ATJ but unlike his, Evan Peters’ QS have more cool scenes, his running in the kitchen is definitely a big wow, Age of Ultron didn’t showcase much any cool moves, we do see the slow motions around him and his afterimage, but the kitchen scene looks way more cooler, and personally for me, I find his break in Magneto scene (the glass shattering and escaping the guards) much more satisfying than anything...

Evan Peters could’ve also been given instructions by FOX of him possibly appearing/joining the MCU in the future because in an interview with the X-Men Apocalypse cast on MTV After Hours, Peter (Evan Peters) comment to Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) “Just because you wear shades, doesn’t make you cool.” In which Cyclops responded with “Just because your name is Quicksilver, doesn’t make you an Avenger.” And Peter responded back with “You know, legally I’m not able to respond to that.” Also during Dark Phoenix interviews, Evan Peters was nervous yet silently freaking out, almost like Tom Holland trying to avoid telling anything. In the interview with New Trailer Buzz, Evan Peters was ask to say the first thing that come to his mind like Wolverine = claws, Marvel = X-Men, Magneto = metal, Charles Xavier = wheelchair, then when as SCARLET WITCH – he pause and almost choke and said nervously “okay” and started to laugh, then was asked about cross-over and he responded with sweet, although compared to his previous answers where it only took less than 1sec to respond, the word SCARLET WITCH and CROSS-OVER definitely gave him a scare as he was probably be in talks but is of course not allowed to disclose.

If we think about it back then, we can probably just dismissed it as part of the restrictions between Disney and FOX, but Kevin Feige did mention before that everything is plan even up to 5 years, and X-Men to be in talks for the future multiverse is not impossible and of course they will not disclose that information (to actors let alone media), and what are the odds of killing Pietro in MCU and not introducing Wanda in X-Men.

I will wait for Episode 8 for the next WandaVision update ‘cause it really hard to assume.

#WandaVision #WandaMaximoff #PietroMaximoff #PeterMaximoff #Vision #MonicaRambeau #Marvel

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lilacmoon83 · 4 years

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Finding You Always

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 224: Blackout

Snow hummed sleepily and turned over, instantly finding David's side of the bed empty. She didn't worry though, for his side was still warm and her heart could sense his own nearby. She felt him come back into their bed chambers before she saw him and smiled, as she clutched the bedsheets around her unclothed body.

"Good morning," he purred, as she looked him up and down. Just sleep pants, a sleeveless gray shirt, and slightly mussed hair. She was sure there couldn't be a sexier man than her husband.

"Where did you go?" She asked.

"Well…I was going to make you breakfast, but then I realized that we have staff again and they're insistent that I let them handle the kitchen, so I came back," he said, as he slipped back into bed.

"I figured there are...other things we can do while we wait for breakfast," he said softly, as he pulled her into his arms. She smiled and kissed him tenderly.

"Mmm...I hope you mean things like we did last night," she purred, as she nuzzled his ear and her words created tiny puffs of air in his ear. His eyes glazed at that and she kissed just below his ear, before sucking the lobe of his ear between her lips.

"Snow…" he breathed and she felt him pressing against her.

"Mmm...definitely a repeat of last night and I may have been a bit tipsy, but I remember last night very well," she whispered.

"We played hard...but then we always do…" she purred to him again and he felt hot all over.

"Snow…" he breathed again.

"But you didn't have this many clothes on…" she said, as she pushed his shirt up and over his head and made the same quick work of his sleep pants.

"Mmm...much better," Snow said, as she looked her husband up and down and licked her lips. He was always marveling at how beautiful she was and revering her as such, but it was never lost on Snow how gorgeous and handsome he was. She made sure she did plenty of her own marveling.

She slid her hands purposefully down his sculpted torso and to the member between his legs. He was already hard and erect and she put her small hand around his considerable length, watching him writhe beneath her.

"Snow…" he breathed, as he gazed up at her straddling him, completely naked and beautiful, her round, pert breasts in his full, delighted view. She smirked down at him and shifted her body so that she was fully straddling his hips now and he groaned in pleasured agony, as she slowly lowered herself onto him, pushing him inside her body.

"Snow…" he cried and bit her bottom lip, as she stared down at the sight that was him before her.

"I love you so much…" Snow breathed, as she began riding him. He was beside himself, as she made love to him and he watched her roll her hips over his with deep, languid gallops. He cried out, as he felt himself pulse almost painfully inside her and she felt it too.

"Come baby...come for me…" she requested, as she panted for air due to the sexual exertion. She felt her entire body begin to tremble, as she drove him into her sweet spot with every thrust. She threw her head back and he watched, mesmerized by her naked breasts bouncing against her chest. He let out a strangled cry, as he came inside her and she rode him through his orgasm.

"Oh Charming…" she cried, as he was there to hold her as she came as well and their lips crashed together, as she writhed and trembled flush against his hard body. They were so thoroughly tangled together that one would not be able to discern where one began and the other ended.

"So beautiful…" David rasped, as he kissed at her neck and her breasts, while she thrashed in the throes of passion.

"Mine…" he said possessively, as she stilled finally and he kissed her passionately.

"Yours...forever…" she breathed, as they lay sated together in the aftermath of their intense bout of sex.

"This was way better than breakfast," she said, with a giggle.

"It was...but now I really am starved. Good thing they know to leave the breakfast tray at that door and not come in, because there is no hiding what just happened," he joked. She giggled again.

"Yeah...we definitely have sex hair," she said, as they heard a knock at the door and then retreating footsteps. They had a reputation, after all, and the staff neither wanted to intrude or accidentally see something they probably shouldn't. He smirked and wrapped the sheet around his waist, as he pulled their tray in. Snow sat up and covered her unclothed body with the blanket, as they proceeded to have breakfast together.

~*~

Drizella paced in Jekyll's lab, waiting impatiently on the item he was working on for her.

"Well...is it ready?" Drizella asked impatiently.

"You must have patience. This sort of thing cannot be rushed," Jekyll warned. She scoffed.

"I don't know why I can't just use the mirror thing like Regina used to," Drizella complained.

"I explained that to you. Snow and her Charming prince have had that same former Evil Queen enchant all of their looking glasses to keep anyone from using them to spy," he reminded her. She scoffed in annoyance again.

"But this will be much better anyway. This nano technology in these devices will transmit directly to our cellular phone devices and give us a crystal clear signal," Jekyll said, as he made the final modification and the device did as it was programmed to do, flying off to it's programmed location.

"Now...we just wait for it to arrive and it should begin to transmit the signal," he said.

"Fine...have you perfected the serum then?" she asked.

"I have...made a few adjustments, but there are still no guarantees. Are you sure you still want it?" he questioned.

"Yes! If I am to be the new Evil Queen...then I must do what she did, especially if I want to get Charming's attention," she said.

"And what exactly are you planning to do?" he asked curiously.

"Exactly what the Queen used to do. Terrorize the poor peons in the villages so the valiant Prince Charming will come to their defense," she replied.

"An...interesting plan," he said. Honestly, he loathed teaming up with this foolish twit, but if she provided some inane distraction for the prince, then he would use it to make strides toward getting what he wanted and that was the fair Snow White.

"Ah...it looks like our signal is coming through," he said, as an image of the Charming castle came through on their phones, particularly focusing on the balcony. She gasped, as it gave her the image of Charming on the balcony, seemingly freshly showered, and shirtless for the moment.

"I swear...the man never wears a shirt," Jekyll grumbled. Snow came into view then and wrapped her arms around him, as they shared a kiss.

"Ugh...I hate her!" Drizella complained.

"She is definitely far more beautiful than you," Jekyll said and she glared at him.

"Just give me the injection...I'll make him mine, even if it's the last thing I do," she said, as she held her arm out.

"Being that there could be unknown side effects...it could be. Are you sure?" he asked.

"Give it to me," she ordered and he obliged with the injection.

~*~

Zorro could hear the hooves of the horse galloping closer and nodded with a curt bow of respect, as Fandral arrived, along with Rose. The former hopped down off the horse and then gently helped his Queen to the ground, as they joined hands.

"Your Majesties," he greeted.

"Is this where you saw that man?" Fandral asked.

"Yes…I used the fancy phone device to take a photo, I believe it's called," Zorro replied, as he showed the photo to them.

"I wonder if this is the General that Major Donovan spoke about?" Rose questioned.

"It very well may be, which means he knows our location and the barrier is the only thing keeping him out," Fandral replied.

"Send that to my phone and we will certainly present this to Snow and David at the meeting later this morning," Rose said. The masked warrior nodded.

"I hope they have ways of making sure he and the rest of this world stay out. I don't think invasion would bode well," Zorro mentioned.

"No...we don't believe so either and we will defend our Kingdoms," Fandral agreed, as he and Rose mounted their horse again and headed off to Misthaven.

~*~

Snow smiled at him, as he was busied buttoning his shirt, while she sat at her vanity, brushing her hair. It was getting long again, not nearly as long as it had been long ago, but it now brushed just at her shoulders.

"Ready?" he asked, as she stood up and welcomed his arms around her and they shared a kiss.

"Yes...another war room meeting led by my very handsome, sexy husband," she purred, as their lips met in another passionate kiss.

"Remind me why we got out of bed?" he asked and she giggled.

"Well, we sort of have a Kingdom to run, among other things," she reminded him playfully, as they exited their chambers, hand in hand, and made their way to the war room once again. Most everyone was gathered there by that time and they took their place at the head of the table.

"You're on time today," Patricia teased.

"No, they're not. I told them to be here by nine and everyone else by ten and it's now ten so we're all on time," Regina said. David rolled his eyes and Snow smiled coyly.

"Yeah...well, we took down two evil human trafficking scumbags last night with demon powers so we deserved that extra hour," he argued. Regina smirked.

"Touche," she agreed, as Patricia presented the bulletin board before them, which had photos of the thirteen heads of the families they were after. There were red x's through the photos of Erin Mercer and Stefan Landers now though.

"Since we know now that Mephisto possessed these two, I think it's safe to say that we are now dealing with all heads of these families being demon-possessed now," Patricia began.

"Lovely…" Emma deadpanned.

"We weren't ready for it, but now we are and these two didn't seem to have a complete handle on their powers," David mentioned.

"He's right...and somehow I doubt we'll get that lucky with the others," Snow agreed.

"And we know that this one here...may know our exact location. This is him, yes?" Fandral asked his right hand, Zorro. The masked man nodded.

"Yes...that is the man I saw just beyond the barrier," he confirmed.

"General Mendoza...he was my direct superior," Patricia said.

"And he's also the head of one of the families?" Snow asked. She nodded.

"He is nearly a carbon copy of his ancestor, Antonio de Mendoza," Aphrodite said.

"You knew his ancestor?" David asked. James nodded.

"We met him when I was Adonis. He was actually a Navigator to the Dragon King and Queen. But he betrayed them and joined Clayton to pursue Cibola," Aphrodite replied.

"So that's how his family ended up in the Land Without Magic," Leo deduced. Aphrodite nodded.

"He's definitely the last for us to take on. He has military might behind him. Some know how evil he is, but most soldiers follow his orders blindly and if we take him on too soon, a lot of innocent military men and women could be caught in the crossfire," Patricia said.

"Not to mention we might ignite a war between us and the armies of the world," Eva added.

"Exactly," Patricia agreed.

"Okay...then we pick someone else to take on next," David said.

"If I may...I suggest Jeremiah Crane, the descendant of none other than Ichabod Crane," Patricia replied.

"The Ichabod Crane? Of Headless Horseman fame?" Belle asked curiously.

"So goes the story among those in this inner circle," Patricia replied.

"But I thought Ichabod Crane was a good guy?" Summer asked.

"He was...at least in every version of his story that I've read and I've read quite a few," Rose confirmed.

"She's right...they all differ, but he's always the protagonist," Belle agreed.

"That may be, but that doesn't mean that someone in his bloodline along the way wasn't corrupted," Regina said.

"She's right...it would be helpful to know though," David replied.

"Belle and I can scour my library for all versions of his story and see if we can find something," Rose offered and they nodded.

"We won't have too much time, because if we're going to strike, then we should do it in two days," Patricia said.

"What's happening in two days?" Snow asked.

"Jeremiah Crane is opening the Sleepy Hollow museum in none other than Sleepy Hollow, New York. Thousands of elites will be flocking there for the unveiling and Crane rarely appears in public. This will be our only chance at him," Patricia replied.

"Okay...then we need a team for this one too," David said.

"The real Sleepy Hollow...I don't think I can help myself," Belle said with fascination.

"Belle and I will be joining you for this one," Rumple confirmed.

"And Mephisto will probably show up so you'll need me again," Bobby said.

"Okay...with Patricia that makes six. We need one more," Snow replied.

"It's a museum...so count me in," Natalie said. David nodded. They had their next team, which was good since his phone rang at that moment.

"What is it, Leroy?" he asked.

"That crazy bitch is lighting up Munchkin Land!" Leroy shouted.

"Wait...what crazy bitch?" David asked.

"The one that's obsessed with you, chisel chin!" Leroy cried and David sighed.

"We'll be right there," he said, as he hung up his phone.

"Drizella is terrorizing Munchkin Land," David said.

"Jekyll giving that crazy loon magic is insane," Regina replied.

"Let's go," he said, as many of them joined Snow and David to head off the problem.

~*~

Jeremiah Crane stood before the grave at the tree of the dead and stared down at it. In his hands was a skull and he heard someone approaching.

"General," he addressed.

"Mr. Crane," he replied.

"Are you sure they will come?" Crane asked.

"The opening of your museum combined with a rare public appearance by you will be an invitation that Major Donovan will insist they cannot pass up," Mendoza replied.

"And is it true that magic follows them...that they bring magic to places without wherever they go?" Crane asked.

"It is true," Mendoza confirmed.

"Then this will definitely be a night that Sleepy Hollow will never forget,"

~*~

Drizella cackled with glee, as she obliterated another house in the Munchkin village with her sickly green magic.

"That's right...scurry like the vermin you are!" she said in delight. Having magic was addicting, she had found and the more she used it, the more of it she wanted. The evil witch set her sights on a family that was running away and she smirked deviously.

"Sorry rats...time to die…" she hissed, as she hurled the sickly green fireball toward them. A poof of white smoke appeared between her magic and her would be victims though and Charming deflected her magic away with his sword. Snow hurried to see that they were okay.

"Are you all right?" she asked the two parents and their small children.

"Yes...thank you," the man said, as they picked up their children and hurried to safety.

"There you handsome...I was hoping I'd get your attention," Drizella purred.

"Oh trust me...this kind of attention from me is not what you want," he warned.

"You're right...you brought her," Drizella replied, looking at Snow with disdain. She wound up with a magical charge and hurled it in Snow's direction, but David leapt in front of her, taking the blast. It sent him hurling into a tree and Snow cried out, as she rushed to him.

"David!" she cried, but the witch used her powers to disappear and reappear near him before she got there.

"That wasn't supposed to be for you...but I can make it better," Drizella purred. David shook his head and was mostly unhurt, except for the tiny gash on his forehead. It only took a split second for the wound to glow and went unnoticed, just as Snow shoved the horrid woman away as her hand was reaching toward her husband. Snow punched in the mouth and then kicked her in the gut, sending her flying back.

"David…" she called, as she helped him sit up.

"I'm okay…" he promised, as she examined the cut on his head.

"As usual...you were in the way," Drizella said snidely, as she glared at Snow.

"She is my wife...psycho and I don't know what it's going to take to get it through your thick skull, but I will never want you, nor will I ever be with you!" David said hotly.

"All I've ever wanted is for you to love me! To have a Prince Charming...why can't you just love me!" she cried, as she clenched her fists and lost control of her new powers, causing shock waves to cause more damage to the village. David put his arms around Snow, as Summer put them and as many others as she could in bubbles.

"I deserve my happy ending and I'm going to get it," Drizella insisted.

"What's wrong with your hand?" Snow asked, as the other woman looked at her outstretched hand. Regina smirked.

"Gray must be the new color of jealousy," Regina observed and Drizella looked down, noticing that the gray patch from last time had spread further into her entire hand.

"Taking shortcuts in learning magic will do that," Rumple agreed, with a smug smirk.

"This isn't over!" she promised, as she used her newly acquired magic, while it lasted, to disappear.

"Thank you...thank you so much for chasing that witch off!" one of the munchkins called.

"You're very welcome," Snow said, with a kind smile.

"Please...take these, Queen Snow," one of the female munchkins said, as they offered her a bouquet of pink and white flowers.

"Oh thank you...they're beautiful. We will be sending a crew to help repair the damage she did," she promised. David smiled at her and Rumple waved his hand, as they disappeared and returned to their Kingdom.

~*~

Drizella stormed into Jekyll's lab and let out a howling shriek.

"Stop that bellowing, you idiotic banshee!" Jekyll growled, as he covered his ears.

"Something has happened to my hand!" she cried in hysterics.

"I warned you that there could be side effects of such an experimental concoction," he said in a matter of fact tone.

"Then fix it!" she cried.

"Are there any brains in that big fat head of yours, you simpleton? Science is always a work in progress, you idiot!" he snapped back and the insane woman burst into tears.

"I did what you wanted! I got Charming's blood from you and planted those flowers so you could get that irritating retch's!" she sobbed.

"But he won't love me...he won't even look at me. He can only see her…" she continued to wail.

"Snow White...I hate her!" she screamed, as she tore the photo he had of her on the wall and proceeded to tear it to shreds with more insane yelling.

"Yes, well...there is only one thing the Prince and I agree on and that is that Snow White is the most beautiful and fairest woman in existence. She is brilliant too...unlike you," he goaded, as the beaker boiled at maximum roar and he quickly removed it from the burner. He sucked some of the potion into a syringe and gave her another injection. The gray began to recede and she calmed a bit.

"What about the magic?" she asked.

"That was an antidote to your current condition. More trials will come with the magical potion. For now...we are about to have at least a tiny amount of magical blood," he replied, as the image of Snow and Charming came up on his phone screen.

~*~

"She is batshit crazy...how in the world did Archie ever okay her to be released into society again?" Regina wondered, as they arrived back at the palace.

"I don't know...but it's a good question. I'd say we're going to have to catch her and commit her again. Jekyll giving her crazy powers is the last thing we need," David replied.

"I can swing by Archie's office and tell him to get busy on the paperwork to have her committed again, but we'll need a good trap," Emma said.

"That's easy...we have the perfect bait," Regina replied. Snow scoffed.

"I do not want Charming being the bait for that insane woman," the raven haired beauty argued. He sighed.

"I hate the idea...but I could probably draw her out pretty easily," he agreed.

"I suppose you're right...ouch!" she cried, as she sliced her finger on the stems of the flowers.

"What happened?" he asked, as he looked at her hand.

"I guess these flowers have thorns," she replied, as he examined her cut, while Emma used her magic to put the flowers in a vase and then set them aside.

"Here Mom…" Eva said, as she used her magic to heal her cut and the cut on her father's forehead.

"Thanks honey," Snow said, as none of them noticed the blood on the thorns glow and disappear.

~*~

"Excellent," Jekyll said, as he extracted the blood from the thorn his nanomite had obtained and added it to the Prince's blood that had been collected by another nanomite. The blood glowed and he smirked deviously, before extracting the blood with a syringe and injecting it into the pen he had crafted. It glowed, just as Elias entered.

"I see you've done it," he mentioned, as the doctor handed the pen to him.

"This is barely enough ink for a page or two," he warned.

"Yes...but this is only the beginning. Creating a small crisis could lead to more opportunities to collect more ink or blood rather," Jekyll replied.

"I can't argue with that...and I think I may know of a way to create a crisis that could spawn it's own trouble without me doing much at all," Elias said, as he opened the cover on a blank notebook.

"Then by all means...let's get started," Jekyll replied.

~*~

"Mmm...I cannot think of a better way to spend an evening," Snow said in a dreamy tone, as their lips parted. They were on the balcony of the bedroom and it was getting cold, being that it was the beginning of November in Maine, but she was perfectly ensconced in her husband's arms and very much enjoying his warmth as he held her.

"Me either, my darling…" he agreed, as they each had a wine glass in hand and were enjoying it together. They shared another passionate kiss and noticed the lights flicker, as their lips parted, before going out completely.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I don't know...but it doesn't look like it's just us," he mentioned, as she looked out and saw blackness. From their view, they could usually see several Kingdoms and Storybrooke, but all of them, including the town, were dark.

"A power outage?" she asked.

"Our power system is reinforced with magic...which means something isn't right," he said, as he found his phone and saw that there was no signal.

"No signal…" he said.

"Mine either," she replied.

"Okay...none of this makes any sense, but I have to go find out what's going on," he said.

"I'm coming with you," she insisted. He smiled and pecked her on the lips.

"Yeah…I'm not leaving you alone during a blackout with that crazy mad scientist out there. We'll let the kids sleep though," he agreed, as he took her hand and used the flashlight on his phone to lead them through their castle. They saw Regina and Robin arrived via a puff of magic in front of them once they reached the atrium.

"Well...magic still works it seems," Snow mentioned.

"To a point," Regina replied.

"What do you mean?" David asked.

"Come with us," Regina replied, as they disappeared in a puff of smoke with them.

~*~

"There...a complete blackout in the United Realms. It's best I could do with the ink I had and it will not last long, because they still have magic," Elias said.

"Then let's create maximum chaos while we can," Jekyll replied.

"Rallying the riff raff without being able to promise we have nullified the magic won't be easy," Elias warned.

"I don't need the riff raff...I'm a demon now and I can send other demons to do my dirty work," he said smugly, as he made his way out.

~*~

They reappeared in front of the power grid plant and observed the protected facility, which only went further to confuse them.

"I don't get it...nothing is amiss here," David said.

"Exactly," Regina replied.

"Then how is there a blackout?" Snow wondered.

"That's what we're trying to figure out. It's an odd way to do it. The easiest way would be to penetrate the magical protections and take out the entire grid at its source," Robin said and Regina's eyes widened.

"Except that they can't," she realized. Snow's eyes widened then too.

"That's right...remember, we had Henry protect the power grid with author magic!" Snow recalled.

"That's right...we did that after the Final Battle so that no magical being could tamper with the power grid. Only the author would have power to shut it down," David said.

"Then how did someone find a way to plunge us into a blackout without tampering with the electrical grid?" Robin wondered.

"That's the mystery…" Regina said. There was a slithering sound and Snow turned around, trying to discern what the noise was in the darkness. She soon found out though, as a shadowy figure was soon outlined by burning embers. She gasped and backed away, just as her husband sliced through the creature with the chalice sword, obliterating it in a blast of white light.

"What are they?" she asked, as another rose and was blasted by a fireball.

"They appear to be wraiths," Rumple said, as he and Neal arrived with Belle.

"This has that insane doctor's stench all over it," Regina said, as she blasted another, but was surprised when one sneaked up on her.

"Regina!" Robin cried, as he threaded an arrow, but fortunately, this one was frozen and then exploded harmlessly in a burst of steam. Leo and Elsa hurried to Snow and David, as more wraiths formed around them.

"Uncle James and Aphrodite are making sure the prison is secure and the generator is keeping up to make sure there's no breakout," Leo informed them. Snow felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end once again, just like the night before, and she turned around sharply.

"Show yourself, you snake!" she demanded, as she held on tightly to David's arm.

"Ahh my lovely Snow...we have such a connection that you can sense when I am near," Jekyll's voice sounded, as he emerged in a display of sparks and acrid smoke.

"We have no connection! I can sense you, because my skin begins to crawl and I feel sick when you're near," she snapped in return.

"You're behind this blackout, aren't you?" David asked.

"Oh, figured it out, did you? It's fairly obvious, I suppose...so I'm not surprised that even a simpleton like you put it together," Jekyll goaded.

"How did you get around author magic?" Snow questioned. He smirked deviously.

"I am a genius, dear Snow," he reminded her.

"Not even a genius could circumvent the author's power...that's why we had Henry protect the grid. Try again, doctor," Rumple interjected. He smirked.

"Think about it, Dark One...think about it…" he responded.

"I am so sick of you coming after my wife and trying to hurt her!" David snapped, as he charged him with the chalice sword. Jekyll's arms became alive with his fire whips and Snow rushed into the fray.

"Charming!" she cried, as she could only watch them duel. David parried his fiery whips and evaded him expertly and as the mad doctor wound up again, David met him in a high arc with his blade. The fiery whips wrapped around the blade of his sword, as they fought for control of the fight.

"I'm stronger than you now...Charming and smarter. Those good looks are all you have left," he goaded.

"You had to sell your soul to a demon to get stronger than me...and I'm not as dumb as you think," David growled, as he called on the full power of his half of the chalice and shattered Jekyll's whips. The doctor was surprised and stumbled back. David took advantage of his momentary startling and plunged his sword into Jekyll's stomach. The doctor glared at him with bloodshot eyes and his irises burned like embers, highlighting the sheer madness in his eyes.

"Time to finally end you...once and for all," David hissed, as the doctor pulled himself off the prince's blade. David wound up, preparing to decapitate him, but Jekyll cowardly dissolved into a fiery spray of embers, descending back into his demonic domain below the surface.

"This isn't over, Prince Charming! Mark my words...tonight was only a small taste of what is in store for you!" his voice sounded from beneath them, sounding much like he was underwater.

"You will be mine, Snow White! You will be mine!" he shouted, as his voice finally faded away. Even so, David pulled her close and she held onto him tightly. Thankfully, the moment he was gone, power was restored and the lights in all Kingdoms shined again. They sighed in relief at that.

"The prison is secure," James said, as he and Aphrodite arrived in a puff of orange smoke.

"That's good...and apparently, the grid wasn't tampered with at all," David said.

"Then how was the power knocked out?" he asked.

"The doctor seemed to suggest that he was able to get around author magic," Regina replied.

"That's not possible...the pen is infallible. It cannot be overwritten, even by magic," Aphrodite said.

"And you are positive that there is only one pen?" Rumple asked.

"Positive," she confirmed.

"And even then...it's not really the pen. It's the ink and there is no way to replicate that ink," Aphrodite said.

"That we know of…" Rumple muttered.

"Rumple? Do you know something?" Belle asked.

"No...but it is clear the doctor found a way and we must find out how. If he manages to do this again, next time will likely be far worse," Rumple replied.

"I agree...a power outage could have just been a prelude to a more devious plot," David said.

"I will research from Merlin's oldest texts. I am assuming Rose will be able to access them easily," Rumple replied.

"I'm sure...I'll come with you and help," Belle said.

"The rest of us should probably make the rounds to each Kingdom and check with the leaders to make sure everything is in order," David said. James nodded.

"Arendelle is secure," Elsa confirmed.

"Good...Snow and I'll visit Oz, Neverland, The Land Without Color, and Cibola," David said.

"Aphrodite and I'll check on the Land of Untold Stories, Starcomb, Camelot, and the Southern Isles," James offered.

"Robin and I'll check on Agrabah, Maritime, and the other Kingdoms within Misthaven then," Regina said, as they parted ways.

~*~

"Yeah...everything's fine, Daddy. Fortunately, the generator kicked on when the power went out so there was no interruption in any of the life saving machines for any patients," Eva said, as she talked on her phone, while Paul finished their final rounds.

"That creepy doctor has so much nerve...are you sure Mom is okay?" Eva asked, as she listened again.

"Okay...be careful," she said, as she listened again and smiled.

"We will too...we're about to head home. Love you too, Daddy," she said, as she hung up, just as her husband returned.

"Are your parents okay?" he asked.

"Yes...but that blackout was not natural, so we were right about that," she replied.

"Jekyll again?" he asked, as he helped her put her coat on.

"Yep...and apparently, they didn't do it by getting to the grid, which somehow means that Jekyll got around Henry's protections on it," she replied.

"How the hell is that possible?" he asked, as he put on his coat and she sighed.

"I don't know, but I'm a little too wired to sleep right away. Let's swing by the diner for a cocoa," she suggested. He chuckled and they joined hands.

"Sounds good," he agreed, as they left the hospital for the night and the night staff took over.

~*~

After checking on most of the Kingdoms within Misthaven, Robin and Regina ended in Agrabah.

"Well...we're glad everything is okay, but to be honest, most people in Agrabah are used to not having electricity so we didn't have a lot of panic," Jasmine said, as they walked through the garden with their guests.

"Yes...it's very possible that the most complaints are likely going to come from Storybrooke," Robin agreed.

"Yeah...the last time the power went out in Storybrooke, the dwarves and Granny showed up at Snow's door with complaints about freezers and no Netflix," Regina said.

Aladdin chuckled.

"Spoiled is the word you're looking for," Aladdin joked.

"Well, since everything seems to be in order here, we're going to head home finally," Regina said, as the two royals waved and they disappeared in a mist of purple smoke.

~*~

"I'm glad Grams and Gramps are okay…" Henry said, as James and Aphrodite made their last stop in Starcomb.

"They are...and don't worry, we will get to the bottom of how he did this," James assured him.

"I hope so...I just can't fathom how he could subvert author magic," Henry said, as Ella stood beside him.

"We can't either...it shouldn't be possible," Aphrodite agreed, obviously still troubled by it as well.

"Well...if anyone can figure out how he managed this, it's Grandpa Gold," Henry said, as they bid them farewell and the couple left, eager to return home to Olympus. Hermes was staying with the children and they were glad the momentary, yet seemingly continuous chaos was at bay once again.

~*~

The magnificent golden city glistened before them, as Snow and David checked up on the newest residents of the United Realms. They weren't really affected at all, being that electricity was very new to them and they were still fairly isolated on their island home. Queen Nubia assured them that everyone was safe and everything was in order and with this being their last stop, Snow and David made their way back to their castle in Misthaven. Quietly, Snow looked in on Summer and Bobby, thankful that they had both slept through this crisis this time.

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omgahgase · 7 years

Text

Rin Should Keep His Mouth Shut

Hey guys I’m back with a new fanfic!! While scrolling through Tumblr a few days ago I found a headcanon from @ao-no-head-canons that I absolutley loved. This is also for @rinshairpins who rebloged the post for me to see and for @sataniasblog becuase they gave me inspiration for the last part of the story. I hope you guys like it!

Rin was always one to speak before he thinks, he knew his big mouth would get him in trouble one day. What he didn’t expect was it to land him in what he thinks is the most embarrassing thing he’s done yet.

He was making dinner for him and Yukio, moving around the kitchen in a blur of blue and black. The fish was on the frying pan and the rice was about to be finished any minute. Rin seemed like he was dancing as he glided to one end of the room to the next, knowing exactly what he was doing. As he added pepper to the chicken, he was also grabbing garlic off a shelf. The way he cooks makes it look like he could beat Bobby Flay with a hand tied behind his back. The boy was skillfully chopping vegetables for the stir-fry when Kuro decided to nuzzle up on his leg.

“Hey Rin! The food smells delicious!” He was practically drooling at the sight of the fish.

“Thanks buddy,” Rin smiled down at his familiar. “How does this taste?” He scooped a small spoonful of the stir-fry sauce and placed it on the floor. The black cat eagerly licked it clean with a happy purr.

“It’s great! When can we eat?”

“Once Yukio gets back from his mission.”

Kuro leaped up on the counter next to his friend. “But that could take hours! What if I die of starvation before he gets here?” He pouted as Rin poured the chopped vegetables in the pan.

“I think you can last another hour.” He took a pinch of spices and threw it in the pan. “Besides I saw you eat that rat not too long ago.”

“But Riiiin, I’m hungry!” If Rin wasn’t immune to the whining and pouting, he would’ve been putty in Kuro’s paws. The damn cat has mastered the big eyes and sad ears down pat, making getting what he wants a lot easier.

“Not yet,” He picked the cat up and plopped him on the floor. “Now get out of my kitchen before I fry you up.” Kuro yelped and dashed out the door.

While Rin finished dinner his mind drifted to the mission Yukio was on. It was just a simple task, get rid of a demon that has been hiding in someone’s house. They didn’t know what kind of demon it was, but Yukio could handle it and if anything went wrong then Shura would jump in. Those two made a good team.

Rin smiled as he thought of Shura. Ever since they found out she’s been living in their dorm, the three of them have been spending more time together. On some nights she would watch dumb YouTube videos with the twins, on others they would just talk for hours about their day. Rin’s favorite nights are when Shura would be in a good mood and tell them about their father before they go to bed. At times like that, it would remind him of the times Shiro would read him a bedtime story to sleep easier. After every tail of heroism about his father, Rin would sleep like a log the whole night.

Sometimes Rin would wonder if having Shura around is like having a mom. The thought would always leave a tight feeling in his chest, an empty feeling he doesn’t like. Not knowing what a mother’s love feels like is a touchy subject for the twins. They knew Shiro loved them unconditionally, it was enough fit for two parents, but it always felt like something was missing.

While Rin’s thoughts drifted from Shura, to not burning the food, Yukio entered the kitchen looking a little worse for wear. “Nii-san, I’m back.” Once Rin took a look at him, big brother mode kicked in.

“What the hell happened to you?” he shouted while putting the stove on low heat. “You look like you were dragged across Japan!”

Yukio looked down at himself and sighed. His coat was ripped in multiple places and there were mud stains on his pants. His glasses were also broken, one lens was cracked while the other didn’t have lens in the rims. He touched his forehead and found a trail of dried blood. Yukio gave a weak laugh. “Well, turns out it wasn’t a simple mission after all. A horde of Goblins were living in the basement of a newlywed’s house. When I opened the door they all attacked me. The biggest one latched onto my arm and took me for a ride around the block.”

“Damn it Yukio, aren’t you supposed to be the badass top exorcist?”

“I mess up sometimes too, I don’t need you to worry about me.” There was irritation in his voice. “I was completely fine.”

There was something in his eyes that wasn’t right, the blue took a darker shade and made him look more tired. Rin sighed. “Whatever, just get cleaned up. Dinner will be done soon.”

Yukio grunted in response and exited the kitchen.

As Rin set the table, his brother reappeared in a t-shirt and sweatpants, his spare glasses perched on his nose. “Nii-san, how many times have I told you not to leave your dirty clothes in the hallway?”

“I don’t think I can count that high.” He turned to face Yukio. “And what dirty clothes? I did the laundry yesterday.”

Yukio pulled out a chair and sat. “The clothes that I just picked off the staircase.”

“Sorry four-eyes, that was mine,” said Shura as she opened the kitchen door wearing an oversized shirt with a juice box in her hand. “Meant to get those after I was done with my shower.” She shook her short hair and water sprinkled onto Rin.

“When did you get back?” asked Yukio. “I thought you were picking a fight with Mephisto last time I saw you.”

“Yeah I was, but then that jackass poofed away before I could get a good swing on ‘em.” She winked and plopped down on the chair across from him.

Rin placed the rice on the table with a happy smile. “Alright dinner is served!”

“Thank you for the food!”

Just as the three were about to dig in, Kuro flew in from the window, eyes set on the feast. Before he could attack the fish, Shura stuck a butter knife in his path, almost slicing off a whisker. “Hold it cat, me first.” She cut a piece for herself then for the pouting familiar. She smiled as Kuro perked up and nuzzled her hand.

Rin felt his heart swell as he looked around the table. His brother had a soft smile on his face, looking content. Shura was devouring the stir-fry and chicken, looking like she was in heaven. After a huge bite of rice she told Yukio to sit up straight while he ate. This is what he looks forward to the most after the end of a long day, to have this family atmosphere around the dinner table. Rin was staring off into space when Shura poked him with her chopsticks. “Oi, eat. Or else yer food will get cold.”

He nodded with a goofy smile on his face. “So how’d the mission go?”

Yukio swallowed before he spoke. “Well after the goblin took me away, the rest of the exorcist deposed of the remaining nest. Turns out there was a dead rat that made them go ballistic. There were more than one house could shelter, so I had a few of the guys inspect the neighborhood. ”

“What he said,” Shura agreed in between bites of fish.

“What were you doing while my baby brother was being dragged off?” Rin pointed his chopstick towards the girl stuffing her face.

She snorted. “I was fightin’ off the king, the bastard got me good when I wasn’t payin’ attention.” Shura lifted her shirt to reveal a bandaged torso. A sharp feeling shot through Rin’s chest at the sight of the bruises and smaller cuts on her body. He knew she’s been in worse condition than this but it still hurt to see.

“Oi, don’t make that face!” She leaned over the table to flicked his nose. “I’ve taken more beatings than this than you’ll have in yer lifetime.”

Rin rubbed his nose while Yukio snickered next to him. “Oh yeah? What was the worst fight you ever had?”

Shura’s eyes lit up and a smirk made its way on her face. “One training session with yer dad left me in the hospital for a full week. That old man beat my ass into the next lifetime.”

“Yes that was a day to remember.” Yukio smiled at the memory. “I won twenty bucks that day.”

“Only because I was a cocky little shit back then and didn’t have enough experience.”

“Oh please, the only difference between then and now is that you’re taller.”

“Yer better watch it, four-eyes. I could ground you for sassing me back if I wanted to,” Shura’s smirk widened at her triumphant win. “As one-half of yer guardian, I have every right too.”

Yukio frowned at his rice, keeping his mouth shut. Rin laughed at his defeated brother until realization dawned on him. “Wait a minute! He was there to watch?”

“Yup, brat bet me Shiro could beat me in under an hour. It only took him twenty minutes.” She took a sip from her juice box. “I still have the scars to prove it.”

“Aww man! You guys got to hang out with Dad all the time doing badass exorcist stuff!” Rin crossed his arms and pouted like a child.

“If it makes you feel any better, Dad wouldn’t take me on most of his missions because they were too dangerous,” Yukio said in an attempt to cheer the boy up.

“Actually he didn’t take you because he didn’t want you pissing yer pants on the job,” explained Shura.

Rin erupted into laughter while Yukio stuttered in his seat, a blush creeping onto his cheeks. “W-what? That’s n-not true! He was just looking out for my safety!”

“Believe what you want kid.” She took another bite of stir-fry. “But he told me everything. He even said you didn’t stop sleeping with a nightlight until you were twelve.”

“T-that has nothing to do with this!”

Rin laughed harder as the two continued their banter, by the time they were done, Rin had tears in his eyes and a smile on his face.

When dinner finally finished, the three started to clear the table while Rin ranted about Suguro. “I mean the guy is a total jerk! He wouldn’t lend me a pen. A pen! How dumb is that?”

“I can see why he wouldn’t Nii-san,” said Yukio as he started washing the dishes. “You chew on the ends without knowing. It’s kinda gross.”

“Still, the dude has a whole case of pens, he couldn’t spare just one?”

“You’ve been talking about Suguro a lot lately.” Shura pointed a finger at the boy. “You got a crush on him or something?”

Rin stopped dead in his tracks. He hoped she couldn’t hear his heartbeat or else she’d know it picked up speed once she finished that sentence. As he turned to face away from her, a dark blush appeared on his face. “W-what? No! I hate the guy. He’s the worst.”

“Sure, whatever you say.” He could practically hear the smirk on her face. They continued to clean the kitchen until Yukio found a box in the fridge.

“Nii-san, when did you buy a cake? You know our allowance is limited, you shouldn’t be buying things you can bake yourself.”

Rin gave him a skeptical look as he pulled the small box out. “I don’t remember buying one.”

“I bought it,” said Shura. “I forgot I put it in there for after dinner.”

“What? Why?” Asked Yukio as he placed the box on the counter. “I don’t normally see you eating cake. What’s the occasion?”

“Who cares? Let’s eat it!” Exclaimed Kuro as he jumped up and down next to the box.

“It’s been a year since I started training Rin. I just thought that we’d have a little something to celebrate the kid not scorching anyone yet.” She shrugged like it was no big deal. “It also gave me an excuse to buy cake.”

If Rin hadn’t cried his eyes out earlier (one of his favorite manga ended and the last chapter was released that day), he’s pretty sure he would’ve burst into tears. “You remembered the day you became my teacher?”

“Course I did.” A faint blush colored her cheeks and she wouldn’t make eye contact with him. “Hurry up and cut the damn thing, I wanna piece already.”

Rin was so overjoyed that he flung himself into Shura’s arms, making her stumble backwards. She smiled as she awkwardly returned his hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” He pulled back enough to look at her face. “You’re the best, Mom!”

The kitchen went silent, no one talked, no one moved. The only sound was the water from the leaking sink. Even Kuro didn’t make a peep. Once the word left Rin’s mouth, time seemed to stop, just to leave him in utter embarrassment.

Yukio was the first to snap out of the trance by saying, “Holy fuck.” Normally he doesn’t swear, but this was definitely a swear worthy moment.

Rin released Shura and scrambled backwards, hitting his hip on the counter. He could feel his face heating up more every second. Even his tail was puffed up in embarrassment. Him and his big mouth.

Shura’s eyes widened and a huge smirk was plastered on her face. “It wasn’t a problem, Son.”

At that, he completely lost it. “I didn’t mean to say that! It was an accident!” Rin started to wave his hands in front of him. “I was just caught up in the moment! My mouth said that without me knowing!”

He stopped his ramblings when Shura doubled over in a fit of laughter. “Oh God kid, enough, enough, I can’t take it!” She was clutching her stomach, her face red with tears in her eyes. The twins just watched as she continued to enjoy Rin’s predicament

The boy wanted to be swallowed up by the floor, never to be seen again. He hasn’t felt this modified since Suguro found him snooping through his room for his phone. Even then he knew it wasn’t bad, the guy never spoke of it to anyone. But this, oh boy, this is gonna haunt Rin for the rest of his life.

Once Shura composed herself, she stood up and whipped a few stray tears. “Thanks for that, I haven’t had a laugh like that in months.” She grinned at the shocked faces of the twins, making sure to commit them to memory. “Oi, four-eyes cut me a slice, I ain’t getting any younger here.”

Yukio just shrugged as he grabbed a knife and started to cut the cake. Rin, still red in the face, went to grab plates and forks. “So we’re just gonna pretend that didn’t happen right?”

Shura snorted as she finally got her dessert. “Yer cute kid, but no. I’m gonna remind you about this until the day you die.” She yawned as she took a bite. “Well I’m gonna hit the sack. Night guys.” She turned and walked out the kitchen with a wave of her hand.

Rin turned to face his brother with a death glare. “If you tell anyone about this, I’ll poison your bento boxes.”

Yukio smirked as he took a slice for himself. “I promise I won’t tell a soul.” He then walked to the door but stopped mid-step to look at his brother. “Son.” The last thing Yukio heard as he walked to his room was Rin screaming.

Later that night, when the boys were sound asleep, Shura snuck into their dorm room. The light was still on when she opened the door, she wore a fond smile at the sight of the twins. Yukio was snoring in his bed, he was still wearing his glasses with a book on chest. She removed his glasses and book, placing them on his desk next to his bed. As she watched him sleep, she couldn’t help but poke the mole on his chin. He mumbled something about mineral water and turned, facing his back to her.

Shura made her way to the other side of the room, giggling at the sight of Rin. His right leg was hanging off the edge with half his blanket on the floor. Both his arms was above his head, as she got closer Shura could see that both his eyes were slightly open. Kuro was snuggled next to his neck, his split tail under his nose, making it look like Rin had a mustache. She picked up his blanket and draped it over his sleeping form. He stirred for a moment, uttering incoherent words. For a split-second, Shura heard him say “Suguro”. She smirked to herself. The kid did have a crush.

She stood next to the bed a moment longer. She didn’t know what came over her, but the next thing she knew, Shura was leaning down to place a kiss to his forehead. When she stood up, Rin had a small smile on his face. She walked to the door and flicked the light off. When she was almost out of the room, she turned back to look them. She leaned on the door frame, a warm feeling erupted in her chest as she thought of all the fond memories they had together. “Sweet dreams, my boys.” Shura turned into the hallway and closed the door, letting the twins sleep for the night.

#rin okumura #yukio okumura #shura kirigakure #ao no exorcist #blue exorcist #there's a little bonrin in there #i couldn't help myself #fanfic #hope you like it #my fanfic

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marvelsexiles · 7 years

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Marvel’s Exiles: Overture, Part 2

Travel through the Darkforce Dimension is infamously cold and, unsurprisingly, dark. Her teeth gritted against the discomfort, Shard Bishop wondered briefly why she could not recall the journey to the mysterious prairie. Had it been like this? Disoriented, featureless and mind-numbingly cold? With effort, Bishop could turn her head to the side, but she could not see anything in any direction. It was like falling blindfolded, with the accompanying creepy sense that one might hit the ground at any moment.

The abrupt return of gravity and her consequent indelicate landing on solid ground alerted Bishop that she had arrived in normal space. At first, it was not so different from the Darkforce: still dark, still bitterly cold. Her feet and left hand were buried in snow, more than a foot deep. She stood, rubbing her hands together to rid them of the clinging cold. Removing her sunglasses, Bishop could make out her surroundings by starlight. The terrain was rugged, with mountains jutting up into the sky all around. Snow covered nearly every stretch and side she could see, glittering in the pale light from above. She could also see her five fellow travellers nearby, retrieving their own bearings.

As Bishop began to contemplate what their next step might be, a sharp howl of wind cut down through their midst, impressing upon her the urgency of finding some protection from the frigid alpine weather. As if in response to the TVA officer’s thoughts, Doctor Storm called out.

“Everyone over here! Gather close!”

It took only moments for the others to comply with Storm’s command. It occurred to Bishop to marvel at the ease with which she assumed a leadership role, and how willing the others-- Bishop included-- were to accept her instructions. Johnny on the Spot was the last to arrive close, clutching his coat around him as he trudged through the knee-deep snow. Abruptly, the wind cut to a muffled whine as a bubble of invisible force enclosed the group.

“Is anybody hurt?” asked Storm. Receiving no replies in the affirmative, she continued. “Can anyone give us some heat?”

“A little,” answered Bishop, quickly. “The starlight doesn’t give me much, but I should be able to keep us from freezing to death.”

“No sweats, I got it.” It was the teenaged Madeleine Beaubier-Storm who spoke. Hovering just above the level of the snow, she opened her hand and produced a foot-high fountain of multicolored flames. Immediately, the air in the bubble began to warm, and Bishop felt a tingle of life enter her skin.

For a protracted moment, no one spoke, each regarding the others in the flickering light. With a gloved hand, Johnny reached out into the night, surprised when his fingers stopped at the unseen wall. The Juggernaut broke the silence. “Should we be concerned about using up the oxygen in here?”

“I’ve left an aperture at the top of the dome. It will be adequate for air exchange.” Doctor Storm replied.

“Invisible igloo. Cool.” If the teenager’s observation was intended as a pun, neither she nor her companions made any mention of it. Madeleine gathered her knees close to her chest and hovered in a cannonball pose, keeping the hand with the spouting fireworks extended toward the middle of the group.

Rogue pushed her hood back onto her shoulders and ran a gloved hand through her hair. “Can we take a few minutes to catch our breath? I’m still trying to wrap my head around… any of this.” Her voice was husky but carefully level, betraying little in the way of emotion.

Bishop instinctively looked to Susan Storm, who nodded pensively. They stood in silence for a minute or more, enjoying the crackling heat of Madeleine’s polychromatic firework display. Bishop pulled her 7D off of her bandolier and snapped it open. She permitted herself a small sigh of relief: at least it was working again. This iteration was not in its database, but that was no surprise. The information on its small readouts could still prove helpful.

“We’re on Earth,” she announced to no one in particular. “In the Himalayas, what’s probably China. 2016, by Mu Calendar.”

Doctor Storm stepped in close, craning her neck to look at the compact-sized computer. “This device tells you that?”

Bishop handed it to her without a second thought. “My seven-dimensional compass. TVA standard issue. Tells you where, when and in what iteration of what dimension you are--at least, the best estimate.”

Susan’s eyes flicked hungrily over the readouts on the small display, “Does it have information on this specific universe?”

“Afraid not. There are thousands of worlds in our database, but compared to infinity…”

“...that’s essentially nothing.” the physicist concluded. “Still, a very useful device.”

She handed the silver box back to Bishop, and nodded to the golden Tallus on her wrist. “Do you have any idea how to use that one?” Bishop could only shake her head, tight-lipped. She returned the 7D to its hanger and examined the new ornament more closely. Apart from glittering in the firelight, it gave away nothing.

Gathering her cloak beneath her, Rogue sat on the snow. “Anyone else hoping this is just a bad dream?”

“I’ll say,” answered Johnny on the Spot. He pointed a gloved finger at Bishop. “Accordin’ to her, I’m about five thousand miles and... a hunnert and thirty years from where I had breakfast this mornin’. I knew this world was fulla strange things, but this…” he concluded his statement with a low whistle.

“I think we’re all a little out of our element, here… with the possible exception of Officer Bishop,” Doctor Storm reminded them. “I believe the first question we need to ask ourselves is whether we believe this ‘Timebroker’ at all.”

“It wouldn’t be unfathomable that someone could fake this whole thing,” contributed Stark. “Mephisto… or Nightmare.”

“Mastermind… Mysterio…” continued Rogue, dully.

“But why strangers from alternate realities?” pressed Susan, undeterred.

“For all I know, you’re all figments in this fantasy, created to confuse me.” There was an edge of annoyance in the Juggernaut’s voice that raised goosebumps on the back of Bishop’s neck.

“Same to you, big guy,” countered Madeleine with a smirk.

“Thinking solipsistically is unlikely to get us anywhere,” Storm addressed them both, affecting a placatory tone. “As improbable as it may seem, I believe our best course is to trust the information of our senses and proceed on the assumption that all of this rea…”

The sound of Susan’s words was lost in a crackling hum as Bishop’s senses were commandeered. Stuttering snippets of words, and flickers of images like changing too fast between telesensor channels washed over her mind. “Wait… I-- I think the Tallus is trying to tell me something.” Shard’s own voice seemed distant, but through her physical eyes she could see the others watching her with concern. Squeezing her eyelids closed, she tried to focus on making sense of the jumbled perceptions. Gradually, a message began to emerge, like a picture made up of hundreds of smaller pictures, like a conceptual symphony. When she grasped the chord, with a sharp sense of relief, the images disappeared from Bishop’s senses.

“‘Take the Great Refuge to the moon.’ That’s what it said we have to do.”

“Are you alright?” The Juggernaut’s millstone voice was soft with genuine concern.

“Yeah, fine, it’s fine now. I’m sharp. Rotten way to send a transmission, though.” Bishop gingerly fingered the Tallus on her wrist. Now it was as unresponsive and inscrutable as it had ever been. The others were still watching her. “Anyone know what it means?”

Susan Storm replied, “The term ‘Great Refuge’ likely refers to Attilan, the secret home of the Inhumans. The directive to take it to the moon makes sense, as a similar event occurred in my world.”

“We have to take this place-- Attilan-- to the moon?” prodded Bishop.

“That’s kinda otherwise,” opined Madeleine. She stretched out her legs and traded the job of producing a flame from her left hand to her right. “In my world, Attilan’s been on the moon since, like, the eighties.”

“In mine the exodus occurred in 2004,” added Doctor Storm, pensively.

Johnny on the Spot swept the hat from his head. Though the black dot that covered his face revealed no emotion, his voice registered pique. “Can I just remind everyone that I have no goldurned idea what any of y’all are talking about? If we’re supposed to be in this together, will y’all quit talking over me and fill me in?”

There was an exchange of abashed looks. Doctor Storm took the initiative to speak. “I apologize, Mister Ohnn. We are in an unusual circumstance and I’m still struggling to make sense of it all myself.”

“There’s a lot we don’t know, Johnny,” joined Rogue, standing up and brushing snow from her legs. “For instance, before we go rushing off to the moon or whatever, I’d like to know who this team is...what they can do. The Timebroker’s little newsreel didn’t give us enough to put together any kind of strategy.” She looked directly at Doctor Storm as she spoke.

Storm rose to the challenge. “You want to know my powers. Very well. I can emit a kind of cosmic energy that bends light, effectively making myself or other people and objects invisible to most forms of visual detection. I can also generate and manipulate solid shapes composed of force, such as the walls of this ‘invisible igloo.’”

“How long can you keep it up?” Rogue pressed her. “My precise endurance depends upon how much pressure I must exert. Against a wind like this, a long time. Perhaps a few hours, if I needed to. Against the onslaught of a Hulk or a--” She paused, momentarily casting her gaze toward Stark. “--Colossus… Seconds. A minute at most. Any other questions?” After a silence, “Very well, moving on. Madeleine?”

The teenager rolled her eyes. “Only my dad calls me that. Just call me Maddie or Skyrocket. Anglos never pronounce it right anyway. Uh… I fly and throw fire. Clearly.”

Maddie had a direct, unpretentious manner that Bishop liked. The girl reminded her of her own brother. And, Bishop thought to herself, the pyrotechnics that the she effortlessly produced from her open hand were beautiful… though Shard Bishop had always been a fan of light shows.

“I’m a photokinetic,” Bishop offered, not waiting for her invitation. Taking in, without surprise, the uncomprehending glances that the declaration elicited, she elaborated. “I absorb energy from light and project it back in other forms. Heat, sound, concussive force…”

Rogue indicated the silver bandolier across Bishop’s chest. “Any more handy gizmos we should know about on that utility belt?”

“Besides the 7D? A voice log recorder, a couple of flashbang grenades, a smoke bomb, and spare parts for my sidearm. Which is, itself, a useful tool-- it’s specially made for me, and channels my energy output, so it doesn’t need a battery or ammunition.” Bishop drew the long-barrelled energy pistol and held it flat on her open palm as illustration.

“Nothing that can transport through time or dimensions?”

Bishop sighed. “No. We have them at the TVA, but I didn’t have one on me when I got… unhinged. I guess the Timebroker didn’t want us to have a way off this boat.”

“Figures.” The mercenary shook her head, sucking silently on her teeth. “What about you, cowboy?”

“Me? I can toss out these spots.” He demonstrated by opening four circular portals in the air around the group. They hung indifferently in midair, each a two-dimensional plane the size of a serving platter at a different angle relative to the ground. Each was simply black, lacking any trace of color or the stereotypical swirling of an interdimensional portal. “By linin’ ‘em up on the other side, I can make things come out wherever I want.” This, he illustrated by putting his right arm through the nearest portal, withdrawing it, and then plunging it in again. Each time he did so, his hand and forearm emerged from a different one of the other portals.

“Neat trick,” mused Stark. “It must kill at parties.”

Without response, Johnny withdrew his arm and closed the portals. He faced the others blankly, his right heel digging idly in the snow.

“Can those portals only be used for short-range transportation, or can you go further? Say, a few miles?” Susan posed the question with the intense interest of both an experienced academic and an aspiring tactician. “Sure, but if’n I can’t see where I’m going, I’m liable to shoot pretty wide of my mark.”

She nodded, considering. After a few moments of thoughtful silence, she turned to the Juggernaut. “Stark?”

“Oh, well, I’m strong and just about invulnerable, and I wish you’d call me Tony. My gauntlets and boots project repulsor beams which let me fly and can be used as weapons. Oh, and my powers are enhanced by momentum-- once I get going, on the ground or in the air, next to nothing can stop me.”

Rogue’s eyes flashed and she almost stifled a snort. “A flying Juggernaut?” “Your Juggernaut can’t fly?” The industrialist seemed genuinely surprised.

“Nope. Iron Man can, though.”

“Who?” “I’ll tell you later.” The former X-Man smiled grimly to herself. Bishop watched her without amusement. “That just leaves you, Rogue.” Rogue turned to Bishop and answered flatly “When I touch people, I take their powers and memories. Just for a short time, unless I hold on too long, but that can… it doesn’t end well.”

Bishop pressed her. “How long can you keep a power you’ve stolen?” “Safely? Two, two and a half minutes.”

“And what happens to the people you touch?”

“They’re weakened, lose whatever power I take. Sometimes they pass out for a little while.” She paused, waiting for the interrogation to continue. At Bishop’s silence, she added “I also have eidetic reflexes-- meaning that whatever I see someone do, I can do.”

“Stolen from Taskmaster, like the Timebroker said? How is it you’ve managed to keep that ability so long?” Had she been asked, Bishop would not have been able to say why she pursued the issue so acidly. Her own voice reverberating off the invisible walls of the bubble sounded strange.

The mercenary’s steely gaze became molten and she advanced on the TVA officer “I held on too long. Now his brain’s a cabbage and I’m stuck with his power and his memories for good. You want to make something of it, Time Cop?”

Somehow her teammate’s sudden advance took Bishop by surprise. She was certain that a fight had not been what she was looking for. Susan intervened before the situation could degrade any further, breaking the eyeline between Bishop and Rogue with her own head.

“That’s enough,” she scolded. “I’m sure we all recognize that we’re overwrought, but we needn’t indulge in the cliche of turning on one another. Tone aside, Officer Bishop was asking questions that interested all of us. We can address personal courtesy at another time, but for now are there any other pressing strategic questions?”

Maddie raised her free hand like a grade school student. “I don’t know if this counts, but I have to go to the bathroom.”

Unclenching her jaw for the first time since Bishop had begun grilling her, Rogue turned away with a dry laugh. “Can’t get much more pressing than that.” Even Susan allowed herself a tiny quirk of a smile. “I suggest you find some cover and take care of your needs, Skyrocket. Does anyone else require a... break before we set off?”

There were no responses to Doctor Storm’s inquiry. Bishop suddenly felt a cutting wind in her back as the invisible force that had been shielding the group fell. A small amount of snow that had been blown onto the wall itself scattered into the melting snow at their feet, and Madeleine Beaubier-Storm zipped off into the night like a dragonfly. When the shield rose up again, Bishop instinctively began producing heat from the photonic energy she had accumulated in the colorful light from the teenager’s hands. The air inside the bubble quickly began to warm up again.

There was a long silence. Bishop self-consciously avoided watching Rogue, but found that she had nowhere better to set her eyes in the dim light. Johnny’s eyes were utterly indiscernible, and Stark’s were scarcely better. Doctor Storm was looking up at the stars through the invisible shield, to all appearances unconcerned with what her companions were thinking. The scientist cleared her throat.

“In my world, Attilan was in the Himalayas for a time. Unless anyone has another idea, I propose that we make our way to the location of my Attilan. It seems probable that this world’s Attilan would be in the same place. In any case, it’s as good a place as any to begin searching. Any objections to that course?”

There was no immediate opposition to the idea. “Good,” she continued. “I was able to make out our latitude and longitude on Officer Bishop’s compass, and I remember the coordinates of Attilan from the times that I visited there with the Fantastic Four. From that, all it takes is simple geometry to know that Attilan-- or at least, the location it occupied on my world-- is approximately five and a half nautical miles east by north… which, based on the location of the pole star, is that way.”

Bishop’s eyes followed Doctor Storm’s outstretched arm into the rugged mountains and the starlit night. All at once, the thinness of the air at this altitude became oppressive and she sucked in a breath to stave off light-headedness. She did not relish the idea of slogging six or seven miles through the snowy mountains.

“It seems to me that we’re working on the basis of a lot of assumptions,” Stark mused, “but, like you said, Doc… it’s as good a place as any to start looking.”

A flare of colored light just outside the bubble of invisible force informed the assemblage that Maddie had returned. Bishop gritted her teeth, and the wind once again bit into her skin.

“Tony--” began Doctor Storm, her voice raised against the rushing wind.

“Yeah?” answered Rogue. She caught herself just as Susan’s head snapped to face her. The beginnings of a surprising blush darkened the mercenary’s cheeks. “I-- never mind. Go ahead.”

The Juggernaut interjected a placating voice into the momentary awkwardness. “What can I help you with, Doctor?”

“I’ve been thinking about how we can travel most efficiently under these conditions. Would I be right in assuming that your mystic power protects you from this cold?”

Stark flashed another wide, toothy smile. “You certainly would.”

Scarcely a minute later, five of the conscripted companions were lifted into the night sky in another bubble of invisible force. The bubble perched on top of the Juggernaut like a howdah, and rocketed with him as he was propelled forward by a burst of crimson fire from the heels of his boots. Bishop pressed her hands and her forehead against the side of the bubble, and watched the landscape rush past in a dizzying blur.

The invisible wall warmed immediately under her touch, and for a moment she felt herself relax. From somewhere in the sweeping chaos of her mind, the TVA officer emerged and began to parse the situation. She was in an unknown iteration, cut off from her fellow officers and most of her tools. That much, at least, had been covered by her training at the Authority. The experience of being yoked to five complete strangers and a mission with disturbingly vague parameters was new, as was the curiously compelling agency that assigned the mission, but the essential principles of working in strange worlds and times were unchanged. Plan ahead. Practice discretion. Support your partner… partners. Complete the mission. Deep breath, Bishop. There’s nothing you can’t handle.

As if to give lie to her self-assurance, the landscape shook with a rumbling thrum so loud and deep as to be felt even in an isolated force bubble in mid-air. Before the astonished eyes of the assembled superhumans, a colossal span of rock and snow rose from some hidden valley out of sight and hovered at the level of the highest mountain peak. It betrayed no visual sign of the power that lifted it; only the incessant thrumming pressure that shook snow from the mountainsides. On the upward face of the rock expanse stood a city, small but magnificent. Its alien architecture had a beauty to rival the techno-skyscrapers Bishop’s own time. The city hovered four seconds, maybe five, before streaking off toward the eastern sky at an incredible speed.

“Attilan! Go after it, Juggernaut! We must overtake it!” Bishop seriously doubted that Stark could hear Doctor Storm’s shouted words. She could barely hear them herself over the pounding hum of the city’s engines, and she didn’t have to contend with the wind or a wall of invisible force between them. In any case, he must have had the same idea, because he adjusted his course and, with a flashy burst from the soles of his feet, redoubled his speed.

“Guess I shouldn’t have taken that bathroom break!” Maddie Beaubier-Storm shouted, to no one in particular. Below them, the rugged terrain passed by in a desperate blur.

Bishop could see the strain that creased Susan Storm’s face as she struggled to maintain their bubble of protection at the incredible speed. Her dark eyes snapped back and forth between the physicist’s face and the flying city which did not appear to be getting any closer. “We’ll never catch up to it,” she said out loud, though she did not expect anyone to hear her.

Bishop whirled. “Johnny, can you get us in front of it?”

To his credit, the bandit was only momentarily surprised. He tipped his hat back with one thumb and gazed inscrutably ahead. “I reckon I can,” he called back.

With no further word or gesture from Johnny on the Spot, a circular portal stretched open in front of them, black on the black night. Without hesitation, the Juggernaut plunged them into it, emerging a millisecond later to a view nearly identical, but notably lacking their vast quarry. Bishop, Rogue and Skyrocket rushed to the back of the bubble to see the Great Refuge behind them and gaining. Stark pitched upward and in a moment, the assemblage was over the streets of Attilan.

The Juggernaut landed in the street with sufficient delicacy as to make only a few small cracks in the stone, and the invisible howdah lowered itself to the ground before passing out of existence. The sound of the engines was somehow less overwhelming in the city itself than it had been before, but the shriek of wind rushing through the buildings was nearly as disruptive. The streets themselves appeared empty.

Doctor Storm caught Johnny on the Spot by his shoulders and shouted something that the others could not hear. She pointed to a large, high window set in the largest tower at the center of the city. Obligingly, a spot tall enough for any of them to walk through appeared over the street, and Susan waved to indicate they should pass through it. Rogue was the first in, followed by Madeleine. Bishop hesitated only a moment before following into the space-black portal.

The transition from the dark and roaring night to the comparatively silent tower room was abrupt and left Shard Bishop’s ears ringing. She stepped away from the Darkforce spot and made an instinctive situation assessment of the room in which she found herself. Including Skyrocket, Rogue, and herself, there were thirteen in the room. Four she recognized as the Fantastic Four from her own world’s history: Reed and Susan Richards, Jonathan Storm and Benjamin Grimm. The other six, she reasoned, must be the denizens of this city, whom Doctor Storm had called Inhumans.

They mostly looked human enough, excluding the pug the size of a DOVA shuttle. Two seemed to be women, one statuesque with an impossible volume of bright red hair, the other young and bright, with blonde, close-cropped hair. The three men were even more varied: one small and lean, his head shaved; another scaled all over like a reptile. The final Inhuman was a tall and powerfully muscled man, sheathed head to toe in a shimmering black material.

As the last of her companions hurried through the portal, Bishop stepped forward, her empty hands held out from her sides. “Everyone try and stay calm,” she said, her dark eyes seeking out contact with as many of the room’s occupants as she could manage, “We’re here to help.”

A few pairs of eyes turned to Bishop at the sound of her voice, but most were focused behind her, at the Juggernaut and, naturally, the second Invisible Woman. Mister Fantastic’s neck craned forward a meter and he blinked his eyes heavily as if to clear them. “Susan? But… how?”

With a supercilious frown, Doctor Storm stepped forward. “Calm yourself, Richards,” she chided. “I’m not your Susan.” She left the words hanging a little longer than a standard dramatic pause. The walls of the wide room seemed to be made up entirely of windows and large banks of computers. For this time in Earth’s history, the computers seemed well in advance of human technology and yet somehow terribly archaic, with spinning reels and innumerable blinking lights. “We’ve come from another reality, and we’re only here to help you get this city to the moon,” Doctor Storm continued at last. “Then we’ll be gone.”

Reed Richards’ elastic eyes remained wide with wonderment, and for a moment the excitement of questions bubbling within his powerful brain was practically palpable. All at once he caught himself. “The moon? We aren’t going to the moon. Our destination is South America, the Andes mountain range.”

“It seems that someone has another idea. Medusa, Black Bolt,” Doctor Storm addressed two of the Inhumans, the red-haired woman and the man in black, “we have been sent here to deliver Attilan to a new home on the moon. I can give a little more explanation, but I suspect our time may be short, so I must ask you now: are you amenable to this?”

The red-haired woman looked to the man, but no words passed between them. They watched each other carefully for several interminable seconds. The silent gaze between them was interrupted by a sudden, violent quaking of the whole tower that threw most of them to the floor. The computers that ringed the walls shrieked and sparked, and sections of lights began to flicker out. The incessant hum of the engines, already far more muffled than it had been outside, spun down and stopped. There was, for a time, the sickening sensation of falling.

Then Attilan crashed into the sea. To be continued...

#fanfic #fanfiction #marvel #marvel comics #exiles #marvel fanfiction

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