#i need to do more with null!sonic at some point man

[timewontwait]

we should get all our apeshit sonics together in a room and let them throw a party

#🌀 — later guys! i’m outta here. ❪ ooc. ❫ #i need to do more with null!sonic at some point man

[f4liveblogarchives]

Fantastic Four Vol 1 #231

Thurs Apr 30 2020 [10:59 PM] Wack'd: It's actually the gruffest looking comic writer you’ve ever seen. It’s like if somebody put Jack Kirby through a meat grinder and just sorta schluffed him back together again and then like glued some hair onto him. He's smoking a big cigar and he says "My name...is

[11:00 PM] Bocaj: HAH! [11:01 PM] Umbramatic: pfft [11:02 PM] Wack'd: Seriously, his name is just Gurland. Even Marvel Wiki says so. This issue is the only reference I can find of this person *ever existing* [11:02 PM] Mousa The 14: ... [11:02 PM] Mousa The 14: What [11:02 PM] Mousa The 14: No... No first... no first name? No alias? That’s not possible. Someone’s gotta know something! [11:03 PM] maxwellelvis: This might be an Alan Smithee [11:03 PM] Wack'd: If it is, no one knows who it's one for [11:03 PM] maxwellelvis: Could have been one for everyone [11:04 PM] Umbramatic: The Gurland Collective [11:06 PM] Wack'd: Anyway, our story opens not with the Four but this great collage of NYC humanity reacting to their neighborhood having been abruptly Negative Zoned.

[11:06 PM] maxwellelvis: Why's the head of Filmation working a construction job? [11:06 PM] Wack'd: Look at Filmation's finances and ask that again [11:07 PM] maxwellelvis: Ha [11:07 PM] Umbramatic: burn [11:07 PM] maxwellelvis: 'course this is just a few years before they got the He-Man deal [11:08 PM] Wack'd: Anyway, back at the Baxter, Ben is really cheesed off. As far as he's concerned, this just isn't the sort of thing heroes do to an unsuspecting populous of average joes, and he's really steamed that Reed didn't think this out. [11:08 PM] maxwellelvis: As right he should be. [11:08 PM] Mousa The 14: Legit [11:09 PM] Wack'd: Reed, to his credit, apologizes, and concedes that even with the pressure of Earth's impending destruction, he could've thought harder about all this. [11:09 PM] Mousa The 14: Earth’s destruction is a lot of pressure admittedly [11:09 PM] Umbramatic: yes! listen to ben! [11:10 PM] Mousa The 14: But also he deals with that every week so [11:10 PM] Mousa The 14: Not that much pressure, he should be used to it by now [11:10 PM] Wack'd: He's also been monitoring the situation and found that the island is moving, specifically towards the Distortion Area, which is where the Baxter's Negative Zone portal usually opens up. [11:11 PM] maxwellelvis: Uh-oh [11:11 PM] maxwellelvis: That can't be good. [11:11 PM] Wack'd: It's...kind of good. [11:11 PM] Mousa The 14: Yeah [11:11 PM] Mousa The 14: That’s a way home [11:11 PM] maxwellelvis: Yeah, but the other side is currently in the Negative Zone [11:11 PM] Wack'd: See, the Distortion Area just kinda shunts shit between the Positive and Negative Zones naturally, so ideally if the island gets there they can go home. [11:12 PM] maxwellelvis: That's just ASKING for space to warp and bend to the snapping point. [11:12 PM] Mousa The 14: They don’t have much a choice right now [11:12 PM] Mousa The 14: And they use that area all the time [11:12 PM] Mousa The 14: It’ll be fine [11:12 PM] Wack'd: However, to get there, they need to. You know. Traverse the Negative Zone. Which even apart from the monsters has a host of terrors in it. [11:12 PM] Mousa The 14: Iiiiiits fiiiiiiiiiiine [11:13 PM] Wack'd: Specifically, they'll have to pass through Sub-Space, a nexus of all realities that could dump them literally anywhere if it doesn't destroy them first. [11:13 PM] maxwellelvis: And during all of this, hope that Annihilus doesn't spot this chunk of city floating through space. [11:14 PM] Wack'd: And Reed can't put too much computing power into calculating a trajectory or even figuring out how to steer, since he needs as much electricity as possible to keep the bubble protecting their neighborhood going. [11:15 PM] Mousa The 14: “Citizens, my name is Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic Four. As you know, we have rescued the earth with the help of your unwilling sacrifice. The good news is I may have found a way home!” [11:15 PM] Umbramatic: this is a lot of fuckery [11:15 PM] Mousa The 14: “Now we might die horribly torn across the 5th dimensions, but that is a risk I am willing to take on your behalf” [11:16 PM] Mousa The 14: “I’m certain you would all agree to my plan of getting all of us home even if it kills us” [11:17 PM] maxwellelvis: "Let's just beat him up and take his stuff!" [11:17 PM] maxwellelvis: "No no no, do not listen to that man!" [11:17 PM] Aleph Null: imagine being stuck in this scenario and the only person with the know how to get you out is the person who got you in [11:18 PM] Wack'd: Anyway, on top of all this, there are a couple of new problems brewing. One of them is a giant purple spacegod who thinks his territory is being invaded...and the other is a construction foreman.

[11:18 PM] maxwellelvis: Purple guy's probably just pissed because of his very painful-looking glasses. [11:19 PM] Wack'd: ...I just noticed the foreman is also wearing purple and glasses [11:19 PM] Wack'd: That's some good storytelling [11:19 PM] Mousa The 14: ART [11:19 PM] maxwellelvis: And "Stygorr" and "Lew Shiner" sound a little bit similar as far as names go [11:19 PM] Umbramatic: don't trust purple glasses [11:19 PM] Mousa The 14: The true villain was the foreman we made along the way! [11:20 PM] Mousa The 14: Man, they’re really going for the parallels thing, huh [11:20 PM] Wack'd: So Reed has a plan [11:20 PM] Wack'd: All they need is to build up infinite momentum. For complicated science reasons. The problem is generating force. [11:21 PM] Bocaj: UM [11:21 PM] Aleph Null: @Wack'd hang on [11:21 PM] maxwellelvis: Infinite momentum. [11:21 PM] maxwellelvis: Right. [11:21 PM] maxwellelvis: That means "very fast" [11:21 PM] Wack'd: Yes, that's what I said. [11:21 PM] Mousa The 14: Infinite... right. [11:21 PM] maxwellelvis: got it [11:21 PM] Umbramatic: LUDICROUS SPEED [11:21 PM] Mousa The 14: That’s how science works [11:21 PM] Aleph Null: reed trying to tap into the fucking speed force here [11:21 PM] Aleph Null: thinks he’s goddamn sonic t hedgehog [11:21 PM] maxwellelvis: I actually think Neelix would be a better scientitian in this instance than Reed, gods help me. [11:22 PM] Aleph Null: oh god this was literally a voyager episode [11:22 PM] Aleph Null: thanks max [11:22 PM] Wack'd: Back on Earth, Lorrie feels awkward

[11:23 PM] maxwellelvis: "I can see you all!" -- Franklin Richards, 1980 [11:23 PM] Wack'd: I'll say this--this is the most acceptably child-looking Franklin we've gotten. Um. Ever? [11:23 PM] Aleph Null: he looks like a small adult [11:24 PM] Wack'd: Eh [11:24 PM] Aleph Null: i mean, sure. less like a small adult. than usual [11:25 PM] Umbramatic: franklin is watching you. judging you. [11:25 PM] Wack'd: SO! Reed and Ben are going to fight purple dude. Sue is the last line of defense in case purple dude breaks the bubble protecting the neighborhood. Johnny is making sure Reed and Ben stay tethered to the Baxter [11:25 PM] Wack'd: YELLOW! FROM THE YELLOW DIMENSION!

[11:26 PM] Bocaj: Hal Jordan: ;__; [11:26 PM] Aleph Null: pissland! [11:26 PM] Aleph Null: "Wack'd and Umbra are typing..." [11:27 PM] Umbramatic: i was gonna say that dimension wasn't always yellow [11:27 PM] Wack'd: Stygorr claims to be the equal of Annihilus and Blastaar, so naturally I checked Marvel Wiki and he gets his ass kicked this issue and we never see him again [11:27 PM] maxwellelvis: "No no, don't worry, it's lemon" [11:27 PM] Wack'd: He has the power to change his body from matter to anti-matter, which, uh, causes explosions, I think? [11:28 PM] Bocaj: Surrrre [11:28 PM] maxwellelvis: That is the basic theory of matter-antimatter [11:28 PM] maxwellelvis: Matter + antimatter = kaboom [11:28 PM] Umbramatic: antimatter god huh? [11:29 PM] Wack'd: Meanwhile, an army of militants convinced that they are being conspired against are about to storm the buildings of the people who are supposed to be preventing them from dying painfully. You know. Something that would never happen in real life. [11:29 PM] Wack'd: Certainly wouldn't happen today, in America. Nope. [11:29 PM] Wack'd: Comic book fantasy at its best. [11:29 PM] Umbramatic: also eeeeeeeep [11:31 PM] Wack'd: All these people are white so the cop, singular, doesn't shoot at them. The foreman successfully steals his gun. [11:32 PM] Bocaj: Well [11:32 PM] Wack'd: ...i just remembered the foreman's motivation here is that he needs to stay on deadline [11:32 PM] Wack'd: i fucking hate everything [11:32 PM] Bocaj: Huh! [11:32 PM] maxwellelvis: THE ESCAPISM OF COMIC BOOKS [11:32 PM] Bocaj: The more things comic the more they stay the same [11:33 PM] Bocaj: I imagine the writer though this was obvious ludicrous ridiculousness [11:33 PM] Bocaj: The way that comic book villainy is just a thing that happens openly nowadays [11:33 PM] Wack'd: Anyway the foreman's like "okay, so here's the plan, we go into the Baxter building and do the thing that will get us home" [11:34 PM] Wack'd: And a member of the mob is like "but Reed and Ben aren't in the bubble right now? How're they gonna get back" [11:34 PM] Wack'd: And the foreman's like "fuck them, actually" [11:34 PM] Wack'd: And now the mob has Doubts [11:34 PM] maxwellelvis: You serious? [11:35 PM] Wack'd: Sue wants to use a force field to keep the mob out, but unfortunately a hole in the containment field has cropped up so she needs to send Johnny to deal with this nonsense [11:36 PM] Bocaj: Raimi sure got Jameson right [11:36 PM] Wack'd: I could pin this on Sue needing to be kept out of action but I think the fact is seeing Johnny deal with this nonsense is just more entertaining. The mob is using fucking dynamite and wrecking balls [11:36 PM] Umbramatic: oh boy [11:36 PM] Wack'd: The foreman tries to shoot Johnny [11:36 PM] Wack'd: And suddenly the mob is like "fuck this, actually" [11:37 PM] Wack'd: They successfully dogpile him so he gives up and runs off, shouting about how they need him and he'll be back [11:37 PM] Umbramatic: The Mob Has Standards [11:38 PM] Wack'd: It's nice, yeah [11:38 PM] Wack'd: Anyway, Reed has A Plan [11:39 PM] Wack'd: Stygorr keeps rotating the island by blasting at it. They are going to release the demolition site from the bubble just as it's in Stygorr's range, creating a huge matter/antimatter explosion [11:39 PM] Wack'd: Which will create infinite momentum [11:40 PM] Wack'd: Johnny goes to make sure there's no one still there and evacuates everyone [11:40 PM] Bocaj: "Stygorr keeps rotating the island by blasting at it" this makes me laugh [11:40 PM] Wack'd: Except this dipshit who is definitely going to die

[11:42 PM] Umbramatic: that man, later, probably [11:43 PM] Wack'd: I want to praise the storytelling here but it occurs to me these guys have literally nothing in common besides being the bad guys of this issue and similar aesthetics so like. Uh.

[11:44 PM] maxwellelvis: Well, they both immediately assume that this is a personal attack on them and immediately go off to kill the FF [11:44 PM] Wack'd: Also christ the inks on this section are garbage [11:44 PM] Wack'd: I suppose that's true, sure [11:44 PM] Bocaj: They're thematic doubles [11:44 PM] Bocaj: And the universe abhors doubles [11:45 PM] Bocaj: I assume anyway since everyone is always saying 'no doubles' [11:45 PM] maxwellelvis: FA-BA-BA-BOOM [11:45 PM] Wack'd: But also like. Uh. We don't actually know what purple dude wanted or what his deal was besides being a baddie? [11:45 PM] Wack'd: Like the foreman had very concrete and specific motivations and pathology [11:45 PM] Umbramatic: Holy shit, there’s two of them https://imgur.com/Br8T9tS https://i.imgur.com/Br8T9tSh.jpg [11:45 PM] Wack'd: Purple dude just yelled a lot [11:45 PM] maxwellelvis: I think he assumed this was an attack on his kingdom or something [11:46 PM] Wack'd: He did but after his big intro speech he doesn't really say anything meaningful about himself [11:46 PM] Wack'd: hahahahahahhaahahahahahhahahah

[11:47 PM] Bocaj:

Purple Guy: -shoots lasers- "BY THE WAY, I'M A VIRGO AND LIKE LONG WALKS ON THE BEACH" Ben: "Uh" Purple Guy: "I'M LOOKING FOR LOVE BUT FEAR I'M UNLOVABLE AND ALSO I FEAR MATTER ANTI-MATTER ANNIHILATION"

[11:47 PM] Wack'd: Some real forty-years-later quarterbacking here but like [11:48 PM] Wack'd: Maybe if purple guy had also been in actual peril at some point? [11:48 PM] maxwellelvis: Isn't this the ending of TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist? [11:48 PM] Wack'd: Because like the New Yorkers are kinda right to be cheesed off [11:48 PM] Wack'd: Anyway [11:48 PM] maxwellelvis: Yeah, but he starts a lynch mob because he personally is inconvenienced by this. [11:49 PM] Wack'd: New writer incoming, new love interest awkwardly exits stage left

[11:49 PM] Bocaj: Aw [11:49 PM] Bocaj: Shame [11:49 PM] Umbramatic: f for johnny [11:49 PM] Bocaj: I liked the character beat of her sort of envying how close knit the Fantastic Four Family fwere [11:52 PM] maxwellelvis: Does Lorrie get a last name? [11:52 PM] Wack'd: She does, it's Melton [11:52 PM] Wack'd: Which is cute [11:52 PM] maxwellelvis: Ahh [11:53 PM] Wack'd: She is also never seen again according to Marvel Wiki. which is less cute [11:53 PM] Wack'd: So many great characters casually discarded in the 70s interim [11:53 PM] maxwellelvis: Alas [11:53 PM] Wack'd: ...fuck [11:54 PM] Wack'd: Okay this is hilarious. A legendary six-year run starting with "Diablo! Everyone likes Diablo, right?"

[11:55 PM] maxwellelvis: Shall we wrap it up for the night or dive right in to the Byrne era? [11:55 PM] Wack'd: Also fuck "back to basics". Everyone in the letters pages is complaining too much 60s stuff has been discarded and I'm over here desperately trying to think of a single Lee/Kirby thing I miss that hasn't been retained [11:55 PM] Wack'd: I don't even remember what Diablo's shtick was. Is he the illusions guy? [11:55 PM] maxwellelvis: Alchemy [11:56 PM] Wack'd: Cool [11:56 PM] maxwellelvis: He's the guy who made Dragon Man, too. [11:56 PM] maxwellelvis: And most memorably, tried to get Ben under his thumb by partially curing him, putting him in this creepy "Ben-Thing" intermediary state. [11:57 PM] Wack'd: Right, I remember Dragon Man. He has nothing to do with dragons, and he has nothing to do with men. He has everything to do with hurting [11:57 PM] Wack'd: You know what? I will say this. [11:57 PM] Wack'd: The 70s hasn't had nearly enough Mad Thinker [11:57 PM] maxwellelvis: And even less of Andy [11:57 PM] Wack'd: I don't care about Andy so much but for your sake I hope he returns [11:58 PM] Wack'd: LETTERS! [11:59 PM] Wack'd: There's not much here. People are torn on the Brain Parasites, and one writer is sad Doug and Bill are leaving. [12:03 AM] maxwellelvis: Anyways, I find it hilarious, all these letters calling for a back to basics thing, to the point that the next issue is titled that in the preview blurb, when John Byrne is one writer who brings in a lot of shake-ups

#1981 #Doug Moench #Gurland #Bill Sienkiewicz #Jerome Moore #The Main Book

[littlekatleaf]

Buried in a burning flame is love and its decisive pain (part 2)

Part One

Felt like he’d only just fallen asleep when someone shook his shoulder. “Wazzat,” he mumbled. The room was still pitch black, only the faintest hint of lightening around the edges of the curtains. 

“Up, Rat. Null Sector.” Roadhog’s voice was unusually sharp and Junkrat bolted instantly and completely awake.  

“Here?” He buckled on his prosthetics, already ticking through the supplies he’d brought and what could be cobbled together. No one’d expected a fight, but he ‘n Roadie weren’t never unprepared.

“Close. Morrison radioed Tracer - apparently someone tipped him off about a civilian hit a couple klicks from here.” “Think it’s a trap?” Seemed odd for an attack in such a remote area. 

Roadhog shrugged. “Possible.”

Guessed it made no difference - Overwatch couldn’t risk leaving innocents unprotected and where Overwatch went, so Junkrat and Roadhog went, too.

As he stumbled into the kitchen, Emily thrust a large paper cup of black coffee into his hand. Junkrat smiled gratefully. Heat felt good on his raw throat and the caffeine burned away the lingering fog from the corners of his brain. “Ta,” he said, but she didn’t seem to register. Her eyes followed Tracer as she paced, alternating between terse tactics with Morrison via com and equally short suggestions to Satya about setting up defenses around the cabin. 

“Take Satya with you. I don’t need a babysitter,” Emily said as Tracer slipped her communicator into the pocket of her coat. Her words were defensive, but pleading. The air between them crackled, heavy with everything they didn’t say. Trying to stay out of the way, Junkrat fossicked through his bag, checking over concussion mines and bombs, making sure fuses were properly set, triggers locked but ready.

“You’ll need her...” “Em.” Tracer interrupted, crossing the room and cupping Emily’s cheek in one hand. “We’ve been over this. If Morrison’s informant is playing us… if it’s a trap, I need to know you’re safe.” Emily sighed and bent forward slightly, leaning her forehead against Tracer’s. “I want you to be safe, too,” she said softly.

Junkrat stood. Felt like intruding on a private thing. “Satya, show me where you’re settin’ up the sentry turrets? Got a couple a things might help.” Fortunately she nodded and he followed her out. 

Wind still howling; was cold enough to feel like his nostrils froze. His lungs ached with it. Fuck - didn’t think he’d ever been this cold. Wished he’d brought a scarf. Or mittens. “I’d kill for some mittens,” he mumbled.

Satya ignored him, pointed out the turrets, hidden under the eaves. 

“Guess yer used to the cold, huh,” he said, laughing a little at his own joke and positioning a couple of steel traps - would hold ‘em long enough for the turrets to dispatch ‘em. 

“You think we have not heard these ‘jokes’ before? You think we do not hear the comments?” The scorn in her voice was clear, then took on a mocking echo, sounding surprisingly like McCree, “Quite a match, the Robot and the Ice Queen.”

Junkrat looked up, surprised. “Didn’t mean nothin’ by it,” he said but Satya had stalked away. Shit. Maybe she wouldn’t have a chance to say anything to Mei. Finished rigging the traps and was about to go apologize when he caught sight of Hana motioning him over from the window of a ute. “Let’s go,” she called. Apology’d have to wait. 

As he clambered into the back and squeezed next to Roadhog, Mei gave him a look that said she’d love to take him down with her endothermic blaster. He resisted the urge to shiver, case she took it as another insult. Fuck - just what he needed, a team member least as happy to kill him as Null Sector’d be.

Hana leaned over his seat. “You messed up, dude. What’d you say to Satya, anyway,” she asked, keeping her voice low.

Junkrat glanced at Mei out of the corner of his eye. Seemed to be listening to something Tracer was telling her and paying no attention to him. “Made a little joke ‘bout the cold.”

“You think before you talk? Like, ever?” Lucio shook his head.

Roadhog snorted. “No.”

“Was tryin’ to lighten the mood.” 

“Moron.” 

“Gonna have to agree with Roadhog on this one, man,” Lucio said. “Better stay out of Mei’s line of sight.”

Junkrat slouched down in his seat. How the hell did he keep fucking shit up? A low laugh echoed through his head. It’s not a riddle… you are a fuckup, Jamison. Shut it, he thought. Tracer was saying something about the plan of attack and he needed to listen, to focus, but his thoughts felt cloudy and muddled. He gulped at the rest of his coffee. They clearly should have left you behind. You’re going to fuck this up, too. The only question is, who will get hurt because of you? Junkrat ground his teeth. You know fuck all, he told the voice. Only laughter answered, echoing… 

Suddenly Roadhog elbowed him in the side, and he realized they’d stopped. “Time to go.”

Get it together, he told himself. Gonna do this right. Ain’t no one getting hurt on my watch.

The mountains loomed above, trees pressed close on either side of the path. Light was just beginning to show at the edge of the horizon. Junkrat found himself straining to listen, like if he tried a little harder he’d be able to hear what was coming. Instead only wind whistling in the pines, crunch of their footsteps, thudding of his own heart in his chest, Roadhog’s breath through his mask. 

Sudden rattle of gunshots and the group surged forward, fanning out, Lucio’s sonic amplifier lending them unnatural speed. Adrenaline spiked like a fever. Tracer darted ahead, blinking in and out of sight. They crested a hill and the forest gave way to a small cluster of cabins, like Junkertown shacks.

Metallic scream sliced the air and the battle swept over them. Dozens of omnics - Nullifiers, Slicers, Bastions, OR14s - descended on the clearing from the mountains above. D.Va’s mech fired a round of rockets, Roadhog’s scrap gun rattled, and Junkrat sent a volley of grenades over Mei in the frontline to finish off the B73 Bastion she’d frozen.

“Ha! How’d ya like that, ya fuckin’ bot?” Heart hammered in his throat. Mouth dry. Vision narrowed with focus. Roadhog, always in his peripheral. D.Va. Lucio. Had to keep them covered. Keep them safe. Reload the launcher. Toss the mines. Hard to breathe - air smoky and heavy with gunpowder. Chest aching, head aching. Coughed to clear it, but didn’t help much. Blinked sweat out of his eyes. When had it gotten warm? Reload. Fire. Where was D.Va? Someone shouting, couldn’t make out words.

Tracer raced past, dropped her pulse bomb, winked out of sight as another B73  exploded right where she’d been. The concussive blast knocked him back, made his ears ring. Lost one already… better hope she’s more attentive than you’ve been.  Shook his head once, sharply. D.Va had to be okay, had to be nearby, just out of his line of sight. Wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his wrist. Lucio’s music pulsed, lending him strength. Reload. Fire. Bag was getting dangerously light. Tried to figure how many grenades left, how many bots, couldn’t be many now, but kept losing track.

Roadhog’s hook flashed out, yanked in a Nullifier, finished it with a shot to the head. Bot’s carcass dropped and Roadhog hooked another, dropping it just as quick. Junkrat grinned - watching the Hog work was a thing of beauty. 

Then - flash of pink at the edge of his vision. D.Va’s mech, Lucio beside her, holding their own with fusion cannons and sonic amplifier against a handful of Slicers. Her mech was looking a little worse for wear, but nothing’d penetrated its shell. See, fuckin’ told ya she’d be fine. Rush of relief so strong left him a little dizzy. 

“Fall back,” Tracer’s voice above the fray. “Back!”

“What’dya mean? Ain’t finished ‘em off yet!” 

“No questions. She’s in command,” Mei snapped, following Tracer, D.Va and Lucio back toward the ute.

Screw command - not gonna let any fuckin’ bots escape an’ attack someone else.  Working fast he pieced together the few things left in his bag. Handful of grenades, a concussion mine, bit of ammonium nitrate. Rigged up a trap across the path the others had taken. Gonna be a corker of an explosion.

“Rat!” Roadhog’s voice at his left, harsh. Junkrat looked up and straight into the fusion driver of a OR14. Fuck. 

Who would have thought you’d be the one getting hurt… taunting wisp through his thoughts. Fuck I am; ain’t gonna cark it to a goddamn bot. Heard Hog jamming the toploader onto his gun and dumping in the last of his ammo. Had to time it just right. 

The gun roared, knocked the bot off center, scent of plasma burning his nose as the OR’s shot missed him by a hair. Had to be enough room, wasn’t gonna get another chance. Clenched his teeth, took a deep breath, gonna be close, dropped his special concussion mine, stepped on the pressure cap with his peg leg and detonated.

The air cracked and the blast launched him into the sky, backwards, away from the OR14 and the trap he’d laid. The force was as exhilarating as it was disorienting and he laughed as he flew, high pitched, manic giggles. He came down hard on ankle and peg but Roadie’s hand was on his arm, steadying him and then they were running together back up the path as another whumping explosion echoed and a gout of flame shot high above the cabins, warmth and smoke enveloping them. Tossed one glance back over his shoulder and the beauty of the sight nearly brought a tear to his eyes. Nothing left of the bots but twisted lumps of metal. Perfection.

#snezfic eventually damn #oversnez #constitutionally incapable of writing shortfic

[consciouskingdom]

Surviving R. Kelly....

This was hard to watch. Since the six part series premiered on Lifetime it has created a firestorm and we as a people have got to unpack all of this! To begin: I believe Every. Single.One. Of. These. WOMEN! And we ALL should.......BUT we don’t..... because the painful cries of Black Women fall on deaf ears. The series featured personal accounts from everyone including his security guards, back up dancers, his own brothers and most importantly, the survivors of his abuse. Their vivid and descriptive depictions of what they endured set social media on fire and everyone had an opinion to share. For everyone writing post, sharing memes blaming young black girls or still in support of Robert Kelly in any way - please read the following bullet points and get your life!

· Young Black Girls are not “FAST”, They are prematurely overly-sexualized, manipulated and preyed upon.

We can not attack young black girls for “seducing” older men. I’ve seen the memes shared with captions demeaning teenage girls that had older “boyfriends” picking them up from the high school parking lot...everyone is laughing & sharing their memories of this but ignoring the fact that these same men are aware of their power over a younger woman and exploiting it for benefit. A dominant dynamic is established when someone such as a young girl in poverty/lack thereof to basic necessities encounters a manipulator who will target that and use it to their advantage. Most of these young girls were thinking with a scarcity perspective fueled by desperation, craving more out of life and unfortunately predators were the respondents to their pleas as opposed to someone who could help.  These type of men willingly and strategically use their age, money and perceived power to manipulate a younger naive mind. Preying on their need for emotional attention, financial support and validation; young girls are met with psychological brain washing tactics that they are in no way prepared to fight against.   As early as I can remember - my body changed as I matured and older adult men were the first to comment and notice it. “Oh girl, you really starting to fill out”.....”You getting some hips and legs on you”...”You grown up now”.....”Come on over here and give me a hug, let me look at you”...comments like these occurred at family events, school and even my church growing up. Young black girls are objectified and violated in plain sight! And unfortunately because of that mindset that translates to our bodies are disposable and serve as an object of pleasure - no one acknowledges the pain endured when our innocence is stolen before we can even fully comprehend the full implications of the actions that are transpiring. Ask any black woman you know, she has a story in her childhood where this or something similar has occurred. The common misconception is that because it happens so often, the young girl is to blame because she is being “fast” or “frisky” and pursuing an older man but we ignore what the older man is doing to persuade and manipulate her to be there in the first place! Stop labeling her a whore, slut, fast or frisky! A young girl could be as "fast" as Sonic the Hedgehog but no child is promiscuous enough to entice an older person into being intimate with him/her if that older person did not have an attraction to children initially. We never question the motives of the predator but question the actions of those being preyed upon. In victim blaming, we blatantly ignore the psychological damage that young girls and women are suffering through daily. Predators are stealing their innocence resulting in damage to their self esteem and their ability to have agency over one's own body and life. That type of damage will literally permeate every aspect of her life until she is able to heal. Many who endure sexual traumas hide their hurt in the nearest bottle or whatever substance will numb the pain as they spend their lives drowning in shame. 60% of young black girls have been sexually violated before the age of 18 and the Black community can not just keep dismissing it as  “Oh, She just acting grown.”

·  “Consent” received from coercion and manipulation of a naive underage mind makes it null & void!

Many opinions argue that the women involved all participated willingly - I Call Bullshit! Within the black family that type of ideology runs rampant. By definition, consent is to give permission for something to happen or an agreement to do something. If someone is granting their permission for a sexual act to occur but it’s prompted by emotional manipulation, promises to aid in career advancement, physical abuse and fear: That’s. Not. Consent! Young black girls in under-served and inner cities are in circumstances in which older men are preying on their naïve nature, immaturity and survival needs. Living in poverty creates a scarcity mindset that forces you to result to desperate measures for basic necessities and financial support. Aside from being under the influence of substances I believe there is nothing stronger than being under the influence of mind manipulation. R. Kelly used vulnerability, power, money and persuasion to ultimately create their dynamic; just as an older family member or someone’s boyfriend will offer money and attention in the midst of their abuse of a young girl. Molestation followed by providing money and/or physical abuse is a form of control, NOT CONSENT! A known pimp & womanizer once said “Any boy can control a girl’s body but a Grown Man can control her mind” To see the parents of Joycelyn Savege and Domonique Gardner crying out for their daughters, popping up on Kelly's residences seeking their children was heartbreaking. They wouldn't speak to their families because that's how deep psychological manipulation is, its classic "Pimp" culture and was  heartbreaking to watch. The survivors are not to blame here! (Yes I'm saying it AGAIN just in case you missed it in the last paragraph)

· R Kelly’s personal experience with sexual abuse is a deflection tactic & does not justify him repeating the cycle.

During the series, R Kelly’s brother admitted that he and his brother were both molested as children. My heart mourns for all black children who endure sexual, physical, emotional abuse. We NEED to discuss the sexual abuse Black boys go through as well! Black boys are sexualized as early and often as young girls.  Calling a young black boy “sexy” or your “boyfriend” or stating you’ll be waiting for him when he turns 18 is predatory behavior. Unfortunately society encourages it when it’s revealed that a teenage boy has slept with an older woman but it’s still perverted! A real discussion about sexual abuse with black boys and the trauma they endure must occur BUT not at the expense of Black girls. During the series his own brother, Bruce Kelly, stated Kelly's attraction to young girls were a “preference”. Pedophilia isn't a preference, its a choice! Truly examine the amount of time, effort, money and energy put into creating the "pimp" dynamic of power that Kelly enforced; that's intentional, calculated and strategic. Being a victim to sexual trauma and knowing the damage it caused, could lead to a mindset of NOT repeating those same heinous activities....R Kelly didn't make that choice. He is wealthy, he could have pursued counseling/therapy and he didn't. To use his own abuse as an excuse is a defense tactic, his predatory ways cannot be justified because of a traumatic upbringing. This is precisely why I constantly stress the importance of therapy and counseling. The entire Kelly family needs help to not perpetuate this cycle.

· You can not separate the artist from the “art” when the art is a detailed description of his perverse actions and predatory lifestyle.

Seeing the comments online still crowning him as the “King Of R&B” literally sickened me. I personally recall being taught “I Believe I Can Fly” in elementary school, flapping my arms to scream the empowering lyrics. I recall my Mom cleaning our entire house with his songs crooning as we all sang along as I washed the baseboards. R Kelly provided a soundtrack for our lives. As much as we love “Step In the Name of Love” We absolutely must step away from this nigga! We can’t turn a blind eye to his actions because we love his musical genius. His security guards, producers who have worked with him, background vocalist and dancers ALL confirmed he had multiple bedrooms intentionally installed in his musical production studios. Read that again… he had multiple bedrooms *IN* the music studio…meaning he was sexually engaging and abusing young girls in between song takes. One of the survivors revealed that Kelly penned “You Are Not Alone” for Michael Jackson detailing her miscarriage of Kelly’s child while she was 17. Analyzing the lyrics he had Aaliyah sing for her debut single: “Boy be brave, don't be afraid, Cause tonight we're gonna, go all the way. Don't mean to be bold, gotta let you know, I gotta thing for you, and I can't let go my.. Age ain't nothing but a number, throwing down ain't nothing but a thang, This loving I have for you it'll never change”......

I know the music is catchy but don't compartmentalize just to serve what benefits you and undermines the severity of damage these women endured.

There is absolutely no way we can continue to separate the art from the artist when his art depicts the life he manifest and the young girls who are a part of it!

· Everyone surrounding Aaliyah during her time with him had concerns but no one took action!

A stage manager, his body guards, his entourage, his family, producers who created music for her, friends of Liyah who were also background dancers and toured with her all witnessed her relationship with Kelly. Per the docuseries, they all stated they had concerns but no action occurred to protect her. The bodyguard openly admitted he forged documents to aid in their marriage; at the time Aaliyah was only 15 years old. After Aaliyah's mother heard the background dancer Jovante Cunningham openly stated she saw Kelly having sex with Aaliyah she immediately denied it in a statement stating she and her husband were always with Aaliyah as she toured. With all respect to the Haughton family and the legacy of Aaliyah, her family failed her and everyone around her failed her. It seems her mother is afraid to admit the truth of this situation, not every parent can be around their teenagers 24/7 and that's okay. BUT don't shame others for speaking their TRUTH. It dawned on me after watching the details be described that perhaps he likely married Aaliyah so that she could get an abortion without having to get parental consent. If a murder is committed and someone witnesses it - they are an accessory to the crime. I'm demanding a legal reform that applies the same logic to everyone who enabled R Kelly!

After we've watched the episodes and read the countless memes, status post and tweets let us remember: Listen to Black WOMEN! Tears don't flow that easily nor does pain resonate in someone's voice like that without reason. Even if you deny the claims, we have legal documents that show Robert Sylvester Kelly married Aaliyah when she was 15. You can be pro-black and still hold Black men and women accountable for their wrongdoings.  A black girl’s life is more important than some hit songs. I commend dream hampton and the superb cinematic efforts she executed in creating this docu-series! It highlights a truth so basic it pains me that I even have to state it: Anything that harms Black Women harms black PEOPLE in our entirety....and R Kelly must be added to that list.

Bye Robert, Get some help!

(Note: If this was triggering for you or you need someone to talk to, please email us at [email protected], confidentiality guaranteed...I love you)

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#rkelly #survivingrkelly #aaliyahdanahaughton #aaliyah #consciouskingdom #conscious #kingdom #consciousness #blackwomen #black girls matter #respectblackwomen #muterkelly #mute r kelly #surviving r kelly #surviving r kelly review

[nasfera2]

VOODOO's liner notes, written by Saul Williams.

To be the son of a preacher man was once African American cultural royalty. As traditional churches have grown empty many of us have been left to wander these haunted castles like that displaced Prince of Denmark, contemplating the paths of our mothers: that electric lady that landed us here in the first place. The Aquarian Age is a matriarchal age, and if we are to exist as men in this new world many of us must learn to embrace and nuture that which is feminine with all of our hearts (he-arts). But is there any room for artistry in hip hop’s decadent man-sion? Have we walked our Timberlands soleless…soul-less? When you pour that wine on the ground in that video shoot that has become your life will you be ready to hear the voice that pours from the bottle to inebriate the very ground on which we walk? It is libations such as these that are the start of every voodoo ceremony. And let us not forget that that is why we have come.

We have come in the name of Jimi, Sly, Marvin, Stevie, all artists formerly known as spirits and all spirits formerly known as stars. We have come in the tradition of burning bushes, burning ghettos, burning splifs, and the ever-burning candles of our bedrooms and silent chambers. We have come bearing instruments and our voices: Falsetto and baritone, percussion and horns. We have come adorned in the apparel of the anointed: leather and feathers, jeans and t-shirts, linen and cashmere, and even polyester. We have come to seduce and serenade the night and the powers of darkness. We speak of darkness, not as ignorance, but as the unknown and the mysterious of the unseen.

Envision this: a lone man in a haunted room surrounded by glowing instructments. What sounds are evoked from a room where Jimi once slept? What are the rewards of those who tend to their God-given talents as they would have the Creator tend to their spirits and daily lives? What happens when the artist becomes the conjur man? These are questions that seem to be null and void in the face of all the glitter and glamour that has dominated most successful Black artistry of recent years. We seem to be more preoccupied with cultivating our bank accounts than cultivating our crafts. Nowadays, I find my peers more inspired by an artist’s business tactics than their artistry. In fact, we do not seem to mind an artistry that suffers in the face of seemingly good business. More artists seem to yearn to own their own labels, etc., than they seem to yearn to master their crafts. No, we cannot allow any more Bessie Smiths to occur, but once an artist owns their own publishing the question then becomes, what are you going to publish? Of course, I am using the word “artist” loosely. I, personally, believe in an art as it exists in the context of the phrase “thou art God”. In this phrase, art is the word that connects the individual (thou) to their higher self (God) or to that which is universal. Using such a standard, most emcees might become embarrassed.

Whoa! Why am I attacking hip hop? ‘Cause I’m a lyricist, son, a lyricist that has had to serve as his own inspiration when most of my peers seem to idolize Donald Trump more than Sly Stone, when they don’t seem to realize that Jimi Hendrix was and is a sonic Bill gates. Oh shit, don’t make me call no names.

Now, you may ask, “Well what does this have to do with D’Angelo?” My answer: Inspiration. Here is a peer that is focused wholly on his craft and has given himself the challenge of bettering himself. I mean really, D could have come out with any ol’ follow-up album after Brown Sugar dropped so that he could double his sales “While he’s still hot.” You know, an album that sounds just like Brown Sugar, uses all the same formulas, so that audiences don’t have to think ….or grown, they just keep liking the same shit. He could even sample songs that you’re already familiar with so that you don’t have to go through the “hard work” of getting used to a new melody or bass line. Y’all don’t hear me.

You might respond, “Lyrics? Yo, I can’t even understand half the shit that D’Angelo be saying. That nigga sounds like Bobby McFerrin on opium.” And I’d say, “You’re right. Neither can I. But I am drawn to figure out what it is that he’s saying. His vocal collaging intrigues me.” Or you might say, “But his shit don’t sound all that original, he just sounds like he’s trying to be Prince or some shit.” And I’d say, maybe you’re right. At times he does. We often study the breathing techniques of our inspirations (inspire means to breathe in or to make breath, inhale). And that’s also true for most of you, emcees. I mean, don’t ¾ of y’all niggas sound like NAS? The difference is that D’Angelo has allowed influence to simply take its place among his own intuitive artistry. He works to find his own voice within his many influences. I’d pay to see Prince’s face as he listens to this album (Ahmir, ? of The Roots, said that the Artist lets Black people call him Prince). Do you think he’d feel robbed or inspired? My opinion, over the years as I’ve sat in countless conversations about why it is that the Artist puts out half the shit he does (you know the half I’m talking about) is because he lacks any new inspiration. Once again an artist is faced with the reality of having to serve as their own inspiration after they have worn out all their Sly, Jimi, Marvin, Stevie ( I do not mean to ignore the many inspirational female singers, I’m just making a point as regards this male vocalist)…

Damn, is there any way to speak of that which is feminine without having masculinity right in the middle of it? Female. Woman. Unless, of course, these words came first and we later dervied male and man from them. Somehow, I doubt that. We need a new language to go along with this new age. And a new music.

Thus, we have come. As we prepare to journey, we must decide which elements of our sonic past we are going to pack to carry with us into this new day this new sound. The distilled ambiance of an Al Green song, the ambiguous sexual majesty of a Prince song, the creative genius of Stevie Wonder…D’Angelo has made his choices, carefully weaving them into his character, and has courageously stepped into the void bearing these sonic offerings to be delivered to the beckoning goddess of the new age. I do not wish to overly dissect this album. It’s true dissection occurs in how it seeps into your life shapes your moments. What you were doing when you realized he was saying this or that? How it played softly in the back ground when you first saw him or her. How you kept it on repeat on that special night. You’ll see. These songs are incantations, testaments of artistry, confessions of an Aquarius as he steps into his own. ---text written by Saul Williams

#saul williams #voodoo #d'angelo #liner notes

[sonicrevival]

Reunions: Chapter 4 of 4: Answers

Alright, time for the final part of Arc 2.

Read on Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18573268/chapters/44028463

Sonic: Revival- Reunions

Chapter 4 of 4: Answers “Answers would be good, Geoff…” Sonic nodded for a moment. He took a step forward, but stumbled, pitching into Nicole and Emerl’s arms as his legs gave out. “On second thoughts… I think most of us are gonna need a rest before we do anything else…” “You should probably get that hand looked at as well,” Nicole added. “It doesn’t look healthy.” “You… have a very good point there…” *** With Emerl taking care of getting the rest of their teammates home, Nicole took on the task of escorting Geoffrey to the hospital, along with a pair of guards. Regardless of circumstance, the skunk had still killed the ruling monarch, and injury or no injury, going two for two on treason wasn’t something that tended to be taken lightly. He would almost certainly be under heavy guard for a long while after this. However, as she watched the skunk disappear into a solitary ward, a nurse approached her. The older-looking giraffe had been shadowing the group since they entered, and Nicole turned to face him with a quizzical look. “Can I help you?” She asked. It sounded more defensive than she intended, if the nurse’s slight recoil was anything to go by, and she cursed inwardly. Naugus had managed to put her on edge around regular civilians, and she inwardly thanked every god she could think of that someone had put him down for good, even if it was his own lackey. “Sorry Ma’am, it’s just that we saw the battle in the plaza, and realised that one of your team would probably be coming here, so I waited. It’s about your friend, Antoine.” *** “Welcome home, Sally,” Bernadette hugged the squirrel gently, Jules laying a hand on her shoulder. With the exact situation regarding who was the monarch in flux, Sally had decided to spend the night with Sonic and his family. “Thank you, Mrs. Hedgehog. It’s good to be back,” She smiled warmly. “Now, Sally, if you’re going to insist that we use your name, you can at least do the same for us,”  Bernadette gave her a wry grin, which she returned. “Very well, Bernadette,” She nodded. “Uncle Chuck said he’ll be home late. Apparently having a fight to the death with the head of state right outside the Council Chambers creates a lot of paperwork. Especially when the king loses,” Sonic shrugged, leaning against the door. “He said that if we haven’t eaten by the time he gets back, he’ll cover that. Says Sal and I have gone too long without his cooking.” “Well, he’s not wrong,” Jules nodded. “That’s what I said,” Sonic grinned. *** Tails, Rotor, and Emerl stood outside the Prower residence, having paused to bid farewell to the fox. “When we’ve got all of today’s events sorted out with the council tomorrow, we should probably all head over to the lab and take a look at you, Emerl,” Tails suggested. “Hey, at least buy me dinner first!” She flicked one of her optics off, imitating a wink as he let out an exasperated groan. “Not like that…” He sighed. “I mean, seeing exactly what it is you can do. Power-copying is fairly obvious, but I want to know your limitations.” “That’s fair,” She nodded, folding her arms slightly. “We should also probably look into the whole “Chaos Emerald” situation,” Rotor added. “Counting the synthetic, you’ve got three of them in there, and, well, they’re not exactly stable when they’re brought together outside of a complete set. That’s a lot of power, and we should probably be sure you can contain it. I don’t want you to feel like we’re not trusting you-” “Nah, it’s cool. I don’t know a whole lot about them, save for them giving me a power boost and showing me what I think might be old memories. Last thing I want is to overdo it and cause problems by absorbing more of them,” She replied. “So I’d be glad to help you with that.” “Good to hear,” Tails smiled. “Anyway, I should probably go. I need to tell Dad that Mom’s gonna be home late.” “You also need to recover from the whole fight thing as well,” She added. “That goes for both of us,” Rotor sighed, rubbing his forehead. “That pain spell was nasty.” “Yeah. You’re lucky you didn’t have to deal with that, Emerl.” “I know, right?” She nodded. “Anyway, catch you later, Tails.” “Yeah, same to you.” “See you tomorrow.” *** “You know, you don’t have to do this, Ames,” Bunnie sighed as she let the pink hedgehog into her and Antoine’s house. “Maybe, but I want to,” She replied, glancing around the dusty hallway. “You’ve not been here since Antoine went into the hospital, coming back was always going to be difficult, especially alone. That’s why I’m here.” Bunnie smiled, and threw her arms around her, squeezing slightly. “Yer a good friend, y’know that?” “Bunnie, you’ve been supporting us ever since I joined the fight, and from what the others say, before that too. Supporting you when you need it is the least I can do,” Amy returned the hug. “Thanks.” As they stood there, Nicole flickered into the hallway, smiling broadly. “Bunnie, I have news!” She beamed, as they looked up at her. “Antoine’s showing signs of waking up. His brain activity has been on a steady increase over the last few days, and he should be coming out of the coma within a day or two.” Immediately, Bunnie pulled Nicole into the hug. *** The following morning brought a buzz of activity to the Council Building. The Freedom Fighters, along with Harvey’s secret team, and the new arrival of Emerl, all clustered inside the main chamber, with Geoffrey there, one arm bandaged, both cuffed behind his back. “It would appear that we’ve been kept in the dark here… You’ve clearly all been very busy lately,” Rosemary frowned. “I believe an explanation is in order.” “Where should we start?” Sally asked, standing amongst her team. Dylan opened his mouth to answer, but Isabella spoke up first. “Well, I think the first thing we should say is ‘Welcome home’ to all of you. Before we get into the heavy part, it’s a relief to see you all alive and well,” She said. “Thank you, Isabella,” Sally smiled. “But let’s get down to the reason we’re all here.” “Let’s start with the, uh, regicide?” Hamlin shrugged. “I was no supporter of Naugus, but Mister St. John murdering him raises some complications.” “I wouldn’t call it regicide,” Sally shook her head. “Nicole explained to me what happened with Naugus’ accession, and that was probably the least legitimate coronation in the entirety of history. The crown is important, yes, but the physical object is ultimately just a fancy hat. Removing it from one man’s head and putting it on another does not a new king make, regardless of the size of a cheering crowd.” “We’re here to represent the will of the peop-” “Yes. The will of the people. And that extends to all of Acorn, not just one city, and should be conveyed through due process, not a screaming mob.” Her eyes narrowed. “Additionally, given that Naugus was an escaped convict, responsible for not only multiple counts of attempted murder and trying to ignite a civil war between Mobians and Robians, but instigating the Great War, then I can only ask what in the name of Chaos were you thinking?!” The various members of the Council, with the exception of Isabella, were starting to look awkwardly at each other. “Given that this system was formed in response to my father’s own mistakes, which included trusting Naugus…, I can only refer to this as a resounding failure,” Sally almost growled. Sonic placed a hand on her shoulder, and she visibly relaxed. She took a deep breath, and sighed. “Given the circumstances… I believe we should disregard Naugus’ reign as legitimate.” The Council talked among each other for a moment, quietly, visibly cowed by the Princess’ anger, until they nodded slowly. “Motion carried.” “Thank you. Geoffrey is many things, but ‘kingslayer’ is not one of them,” Sally nodded. “Princess, you have my sincere thanks for-” The skunk spoke up, but stopped when she turned to face him. “Don’t mistake this for fondness, Geoffrey,” She snapped. “Naugus’ reign being illegitimate puts you in a poor position as his kingmaker, especially considering that his previous pardon of your betrayal has now been rendered null and void. I recognise that you’ve suffered more than many during this whole debacle, but that doesn’t excuse your actions.” “Of course…” He slumped back into his seat, Sally turning back toward the Council. “So, what’s next?” “I would like to ask about this… “Secret Freedom Fighter” team that appeared to guard us yesterday,” Penelope spoke up. “Where did they come from?” “The Secret Freedom Fighters were a creation of myself and King Elias,” Harvey spoke up. “They were formed as an underground resistance to Naugus’ rule. Understandably, the fewer people that knew about their existence, the better. They were successful in preventing him from gaining the ability to brainwash all of you in order to attain absolute power.” “I see… well, thank you for your service…” Dylan mumbled, not the only member of the Council  looking unwell at the thought. “And King Elias? Where is he?” Isabella asked. “He was injured during our last mission, broke his leg, and is currently recovering in our hideout,” Silver replied. “We asked if he wanted to be here for this, and he and Sally seemed to agree that him returning before the dust settled on Naugus’ death would complicate things,” Harvey added. “Very well…” “What of Naugus’ other dealings?” Hamlin prompted,  glancing at Geoffrey. We’re now aware of his ill-fated attempts to gain control of our minds, but what else was he up to, why was he hiding in Commander St. John’s body?” “Allow me to provide that information, as someone who witnessed it all first-hand,” The skunk replied, rising in his seat a little. “Get comfy, this might take a while.” “We’re all ears, Geoff,” Sonic shrugged. “Very well… my… former master’s power grab began the night of Mina Mongoose’s previous concert. We were present on a nearby rooftop, and when Miss Mongoose performed her rather on-the-nose song about Nicole-” “Something that she did apologise for, by the way,” Nicole cut in.  Isabella smiled knowingly, and the rest of the time sighed with relief, while Emerl’s tense form relaxed. “Yes, well. As I was saying, when the song was performed, Naugus used his magic to amplify the feelings of the crowd, and it seems his level of control over the citizens of the city seemed to increase until he was outright dominating the crowd outside the Council Building during yesterday’s battle.” “So, the general populace aren’t afraid of Nicole?” Sally asked. “I didn’t say that. Naugus’ magic amplified fear that was already there, it didn’t create anything new.” “Why would anyone be afraid of Nicole?” Emerl asked, voice raising. Nicole put her hand on her shoulder, smiling sadly. “It’s alright. When I made this city, I thought only of the good I could do with my power. I knew that very little was capable of breaking into my processor, due to the way my code is written. I didn’t expect magic to be my weakness, and in that respect, I was overconfident. While Sally has protected me against future invasions of that sort, I do think that some level of limitation does need to put on my control over Mobotropolis,” She said. “We’ll discuss that soon, as we continue to deal with the fallout.” Charles nodded. “As you were. St. John.” “Thank you,” Geoffrey nodded. “In any case, while Naugus was able to gain control of the city that way, his health began to deteriorate. Whatever that white energy wave that came from the Death Egg was, it destabilised him.” “Destabilised?” Penelope asked. “He wasn’t one person, he was three previous wizards fused into a single being. It seems that their minds were reawakened, and they started trying to separate themselves. This resulted in his mutations, his magic becoming more chaotic, and his sanity slipping,” The skunk continued. “He had sanity?” Sonic smirked. “Well, relatively speaking,” He sighed. “Regardless, he was never sure how he reverted Mrs. D'coolette to normal, but he wanted to recreate it so that he could use Princess Sally’s condition to maintain his security. Unfortunately, with his condition deteriorating, he began to try and find a body to hijack. He visited the former king, and Jules Hedgehog, but both of them refused his offer of healing, and he ultimately settled for me.” Sonic and Sally both narrowed their eyes, hands clenching, but Geoffrey continued all the same. “Ultimately, he was driven out by your ploy with the Sword of Light, and for that I thank you, in spite of the damage to my hand,” He finished. “I see… Well, this information will be useful.” “And the robot?” Rosemary asked, glancing at Emerl, who looked up as the room’s attention focused on her. “Tails, is it one of yours?” “Not exactly. Emerl here was something of a group project for the Brain Trust when that was a thing. We discontinued the project when Fiona warned us that a single robot like her once wiped out the empire of their creator, and while we tried to ensure that she’d be safe to activate, we couldn’t guarantee it, so we didn’t wake her up,” Tails explained. “Sally and Nicole had the activation codes hidden away, to be used in a situation where the worst-case scenario of bringing her online couldn’t make things a whole lot worse.” “I took a risk, but it was a calculated one,” Nicole spoke up. “If Emerl hadn’t been stable, I could’ve deactivated her. Fortunately, she was stable, and I can’t say I have any regrets about the decision I took. Without her, we might not be standing here right now.” “Yeah, she pulled us out of the fire when Eggman pulled a fast one on us,” Sonic shrugged. “She and Nicole saved my life,” Sally added. “Emerl brought Nicole to Holoska, and while Nicole shut down the self-destruct bomb and released my mind from Eggman’s command, Emerl quite literally saved my heart. Eggman took out more core and used it to power one of his mechs, and he tried to destroy that too. Emerl extracted it and removed the EMP generator that it was wired to…” Those who hadn’t been present when Sally’s modifications were discovered turned pale, the room’s temperature dropping. “W-well, I can certainly promise that, in light of these revelations, we will be reviewing our approach to the war with Eggman, perhaps working toward a more… active route,” Rosemary muttered. “But, while your defences of your new comrade are touching, they are appeals to emotion, not fact.” Emerl sighed, and stepped away from the wall she was leaning on, folding her arms. “Can I say something for myself?” She asked, striding to the front of the party. “Go ahead.” “Look, I understand why you don’t trust me. You’ve had some bad experiences with purpose-built bots. You’ve been fighting a guy who makes bots that look a lot like me since some of you were children, and others among you were forced to be his slaves. And the two groups aren’t mutually exclusive,” Emerl slumped slightly. “I want you to understand that I’m here to help. Your protectors are my friends. They can say all they like about me saving them, but I’m just following in their footsteps. I won some fights because I don’t get tired and I don’t feel as much pain. That’s all. But y’know what? I’m good at that. And I like doing it. And I like them. So I’m going to keep doing it. And frankly, you can’t stop me.” Emerl straightened, folding her arms as she took a few more steps forward. “I don’t need your approval to be their friend. I don’t need your approval to be their ally. Heck, I don’t even need to live here, I’m a robot, and I have three chunks Beryl fused with near-limitless power fuelling me, I can go anywhere I like and just swing by when I’m needed. But it would be much easier for all of us if I didn’t have to do that.” “Well… You’re certainly… passionate in your approach,” Isabella blinked, looking down at her. “Yes, perhaps if you want to convince us, you should show the appropriate respect-” Hamlin began, stopping short as Emerl appeared in front of him, hovering to meet the height of his chair as she stared down at him. “I’ll give you respect when you earn it,” She replied, before flashing back to ground level. “If anything, I’m being too respectful. So far, all I know about you is that you put Naugus in charge and exiled Nicole without actual justification. I’m not exactly familiar with your laws, but I’m going to hazard a guess that justice isn’t a popularity contest.” “Emerl…” Nicole ventured. “As forceful as Emerl is being… I can’t disagree with her,” Sally shrugged. “Regardless of her origin, Nicole is a person, and you have a duty of care to all of your citizens, not just those of flesh and blood.” “We’ll, uh… strive to improve that in future…” Rosemary slouched into her seat, as Sally offered a dry smile, and Emerl folded her arms. “Make sure that you do,” The princess replied. “Despite the outrage on her part, I can speak for Emerl’s integrity,” Charles said. “We would like to have your capabilities on record, though.” “Well, I can do… basically anything that I observe and understand,” Emerl tapped the closed optic in her forehead. “I can scan the abilities of others, and then adapt them for my own use. I have currently gained powers from Nicole, Sonic, Tails, Bunnie, and Mecha Sonic. I have additionally acquired weapons from Bunnie, Amy, Rotor, Mecha Sally, Mecha Sonic, and the former Eggman-goons we fought at the oil foundry, along with standard combat training from all parties. I’m always willing to add more powers, too.” “And the Chaos Emeralds? Reportedly you absorbed the one that Naugus held.” “Yeah, it seems to happen automatically when I touch them. When I do, I get flashes. I think they’re memories. Then the Emerald gets absorbed into me, and I get stronger. That’s all I know. Tails and Rotor are going to run some tests, and once that’s done, I’ll have more of an answer for you,” Emerl replied. “Can you… uh… spit them out?” Penelope asked. “Not that I know of,” Emerl shrugged. “Sorry.” “While they may be safer in your possession… we did want to use an Emerald to try and heal King Maximilian,” Dylan frowned. “Well, I can still do that. I used the one from the Death Egg to help fix Mecha Sally, and I’m sure I can learn a Chaos Heal from someone else so I can patch up organics too,” She responded. “Well… alright then,” Rosemary sighed. “Miles, can you get these tests done, and make a report. Then we’ll make a decision on where we stand with your new friend.” “Sure, we’ll get right on that,” Tails nodded. *** The meeting didn’t last long after that. Geoffrey was escorted back to the hospital, remaining under guard. Sally remained with the Council to discuss the situation she had engineered in the desert, and most of the others went their separate ways. Tails, Rotor, and Emerl all went to the lab, where they began setting up the equipment for the Gizoid’s tests. “What is this, a lab or a gym?” Emerl asked, optics flickering over the various machines. “It’s both,” Tails replied, looking a little proud. “I wanted to create a facility here that we could use to determine how strong, tough, fast, etcetera, we all are, as well as tracking improvement. We’re going to test your speed, strength, and your inbuilt weapons. We’ll also hook you up to the computer and see if we can run a scan on your programming.” “Sounds good me, except that last part. I dunno why, but I feel like that’s a bad idea,” She replied. “But if you want to try it, sure.” “Alright then. We’ll start with strength…” The strength test didn’t last long. Emerl’s first punch tore the bag from its mounting, hurling it into the far wall, sand spilling out. Speed tests were similarly short-lived, and her chainblades were carving through everything short of the few scraps of armour they had left from the wreckage of the first Egg Beater. “She’s off the charts…” Tails sighed, watching as the Gizoid ambled out of the test chamber, heading up to join them. “I… it must be the Emeralds.” “The Emeralds? That’s your field of expertise, not mine.” Rotor frowned. “Normally we only use them when we have all seven, because they can be unstable without a control, but I’ve managed to determine that when he’s Super, Sonic receives a power multiplier of 700%,” The fox began. “One-hundred for every Emerald, in other words.” “So it could be that, with two Emeralds, Emerl is experiencing a boost of 200%?” “Precisely,” He nodded. “We’ll have to get this place set up for a Super-level subject…” Emerl walked into the room, stretching herself out, despite the lack of muscles to keep limber. It just felt right to her. “So, uh, did you get anything out of that? Because I feel like that didn’t go as planned,” She asked. “No, but we’re going to reset everything and get it set up for a higher level of combatant. We think the Emeralds are what’s pushing you over the current limits,” Tails replied. “Still, the fact that you’re stronger than we can measure is, in its own way, a measurement.” “I suppose,” She shrugged. “How long will it take to set up for a second attempt?” “Not sure. We’ve only measured aura before when it comes to Super modes. Getting something that can actually take a hit… Well, we'll work it out later. We can do the scan now, if you like?” “Sure, why not?” Emerl shrugged. “I already destroyed some of your equipment, what’s a computer on top of that?” “Oh, what’s the worst that could happen? It’s not like you’re going to melt it, right?” Rotor asked. “Well, okay then… Wait, I think Nicole’s coming, hang on,” She held up her hand, and sure enough, Nicole appeared in their midst, grinning ear-to-ear. “How did you know?” Rotor asked, raising an eyebrow at the Gizoid. “We’ve shared a head, I can kinda feel it,” She shrugged. “What’s up, Nicole?” “Sorry if I’m interrupting, but Antoine’s awake!” She beamed. Emerl didn’t know much about the coyote, other than what she had been told or was able to pick up from the conversations she’d been privy to, but the matching smiles on all three of her friends’ faces were all she needed to see. An impulse of thought, faster than any verbal conversation, invited the lynx into her head, and she gripped the two scientists’ shoulders, warping all four of them away. Nicole guided her to the correct room, and she landed outside it, releasing her friends. Tails pushed the door open, and they all stepped in together. Bunnie and Amy sat to one side of the bed, the former clutching Antoine’s hand tightly as she hugged him as carefully as she could manage. Sonic and Sally were at the other, Sally gently holding the coyote’s other hand. They looked up as the newcomers arrived, and clustered together around the bed. Finally, they were reunited. *** A world away from the turmoil of Mobius, cold blue eyes snapped open, a spark of purple rippling through them. A change in the air, a familiar aura, a presence he had hoped lost, but deep down, he always knew would return. Miles Prower rose to his feet, running a hand through his black hair. He stood at the centre of a peculiar pattern, three runes arranged in a triangle, connected and contained within concentric circles, more runes filling the space between them. The eldritch sigil had been seared into a ledge of rock, jutting from the side of a black mountain that rose from a frenzied ocean, grey waves slamming against the stone, and Miles had been sitting at its centre for the past three and a half days. He looked down at his hands, and found the same sigil now branded into the backs of them. Clenching his fist for a moment, violet light ignited within the the fine lines of the markings, both those in his skin, and in the stone at his feet. He grinned, and turned away from the precipice, picking up his coat from the rock where he had hung it half a week prior, wrapping it around his shoulders. Descending the rough-hewn steps into the bowels of the mountain once more, he called out to his sole companion. “Myrddin, where are you?” It was less a question than a demand, and his brow furrowed at the lack of response. The old wizard was becoming increasingly difficult to rely on lately, Miles had noticed. Still, he’d got what he needed from him, so that wasn’t really an issue any longer. If anything, it was most fortuitous that his journey had reached its end just as his perennial adversary returned from his exile.

#Sonic #Sonic the Hedgehog #Sonic: Revival #Princess Sally Acorn #Miles 'Tails' Prower #Emerl the Gizoid #Bunnie Rabbot #Nicole the Lynx #Antoine D'Coolette #Amy Rose #Rotor Walrus #Jules Hedgehog #Bernadette Hedgehog #Geoffrey St. John #Rosemary Prower #Hamlin Pig #Miles Prower