#jump off the ledge; fall onto another platform; paint and then jump off AGAIN... | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

halfgclden · 4 years

Text

Sweet Dreams | Patrick&Eli

Summary: After talking about it in their first meeting, Patrick finds Eli in one of his dreams. They play 20 questions.

Eli was scaling a large tree for what felt like a long time, though he wasn’t as high as he should have been. He waited for a moment before he leapt to a branch on the tree next to his. He caught, then began to climb up this tree; the forest around him slowly turning into a vast system of bridges and games among the treetops. He walked along a tightrope before stopping on a platform with Patrick, feeling as though he’d always been with him. He nodded at him, not lucid enough to remember their earlier conversation. He jumped to another branch.

Patrick wasn't sure what he was expecting, dream wise, but it wasn't scaling giant trees and treetop hopping. He didn't bother touching the landscape just in case— he already could think of a hundred ways this could take a dark turn. Instead he just brought himself to Eli, waiting on the platform until the boy joined him there. He nodded back, checking for any recognition. Patrick decided there should be a fence around the platform and leaned against it, watching as Eli jumped away. "This is pretty cool," he said, choosing to just step onto the branch— somehow, his legs were long enough.

Eli dropped down so that he was gripping the branch and dangling by his hands. He looked up at Patrick and nodded, smiling at him. "They're adding in a slide soon. And it connects to the waterfall." He swung himself back and forth.

Patrick watched Eli hang from the branch, then his gaze slid down to the long fall below. "That's awesome," he said, playing along. After another moment he slid off the branch and landed on one below, then made eye contact with the boy, now hanging above him. He tilted his head to the side. "Do you remember why I'm here?"

Eli let go of the branch, his feet finding the platform that now existed below him. He smiled at Patrick and put his hands on his hips as he squinted at him. “Uh.” He blinked. “Were you here for a lesson?”

“Uh,” Patrick smirked. “Kind of. More like a demonstration.” He reestablished eye contact but this time started to subtly shift the world around them. Not enough to make a huge, noticeable difference, but things started to warp, turn more obviously dreamlike. “Do you know you’re asleep right now?”

Eli nodded, stepping closer to Patrick, assuming that he was the one giving the lesson. He didn’t seem to notice things warping around them until Patrick explained that he was dreaming, and then looked around, laughing. “Oh shit!” He smiled, then took a step closer to the center of the tree, suddenly afraid of falling because he had no harness. “Uh, I guess so, now. I have a few questions about that! Where are we? In my brain?”

“More or less,” Patrick replied with a shrug. Now that Eli was lucid, he let the environment relax back into the semi-realistic setting he’d found it in. “This is your dream. I take it you like... uh, climbing? Nature? The spirit of adventure?” He chuckled.

“Yeah,” Eli said in reply to Patrick’s question as he nodded. As he looked around, he hummed. “This is the park I worked at, but it’s wrong.” A few of the trees changed, replaced by ones spaced further apart with less branches. “We’re on a hiking trail instead. Oh my gosh, can I do that thing where I think about flying and I do it?” He concentrated for a moment, then floated a few inches into the air. He laughed and raised his eyebrows at Patrick. “Okay, so I was gonna ask: if there are people in my dreams, are they those person walking into my dreams? Or are they just memories of them that I’m processing? How do I know it’s you you and not me projecting you? Also, you ever have those dreams where you’re like, not yourself? What would you do if you came here and I was having a dream about being a sea turtle or something? Would you be able to turn me back into Eli? Also, what was your name again?”

"Jeez, okay, let's do one question at a time." Patrick wasn't one for flying, so he remained grounded on the platform as he inspected the trees around them. "You can change your dream a bit, especially now that you're aware that you're dreaming. But I can do a lot more, a lot faster." As an example, the platform below them turned a dark, cracked marble covered in vines, and the trees went barren, all of the leaves suddenly far below on the ground. "Everyone you see is in your head. Sometimes even I might be, but right now I'm actually here. Uh..." he tried to remember what else he had asked. "I can find you no matter what you look like. Was that it?" He snapped. "Oh. Patrick."

Eli lowered back down onto the platform as the scene changed around him, finding it hard to focus on both things at once. He nodded as he processed the information. “How do you find me? Do you think of me and then you’re in my dream? Or is it like the Nightmare Before Christmas with the doors? Or is it like that one Fairly Odd Parents movie thing with the TV? You know what I’m talking about?” He held up his hands. “Sorry, I know that was more than one question. One just leads to another.”

Patrick laughed again. "I'll allow it, but only because they were technically follow up questions," he said. "I had to go from dream to dream. Basically walking around town in dreamspace. It took me a while to find you, but now that I have it'll be easier. Like... I don't know, knowing your dream address or something."

Eli smiled, leaning back against the tree again. “So it was like Fairly Odd Parents.” He nodded. “Cool, cool. And how did you... leave your own dream? Is there a space between them? What were you showing me tonight? I can’t remember what the point of this was.”

"The point was that I show you that I could," Patrick said. He ignored the part about leaving his own dream, because he was sure it was going to open new questions. "I'd usually change the dream more—" usually he was not chatting with the dreamer, either— "but I skew scary." There was a bit of a challenge in his voice as he continued. "Don't really want to freak you out any more than I already have."

Eli moved to the edge of the now-cracked platform and took a seat, dangling his feet over. “Why do you like scary dreams?” He looked up at Patrick before pushing himself off the platform, floating down to the ground somewhat gracefully. “That seems like it’d be stressful.”

Patrick joined him at the ledge, but just as he opened his mouth to speak, Eli was gone, drifting to the ground. Patrick didn't bother jumping, and the next moment he was standing beside Eli again. The trees now stretched into cloud of darkness above, but Patrick stared into the sky until the sun came back. "I'm used to them," he finally answered. The path on the forest floor was overgrown and tangled; Patrick stuck his foot out to see if any more changes would occur. "Got them all the time as a kid, so I learned how to control it."

“Control it and make more bad things?” Eli walked along the gnarled roots with his arms stuck out for balance. He turned to look at Patrick as he walked, his feet finding the right path naturally. “Why didn’t you control them and turn them nice?”

Patrick smiled, but his eyes flashed somewhat. "Because it was harder to change it completely than to just tweak it." He was tempted for a moment, to produce a root to trip Eli, but he ignored the urge and mades sure the path stayed clear. "By the time I got better at it, I was into the scary shit. Besides, nice is relative."

Eli nodded and turned around again. He hadn't considered that, but he appreciated the explanation. He dropped his arms and ran his fingertips along the moss-lined trees instead. "So you like horror movies?"

"Oh, no way," Patrick laughed. He fell into step with Eli, also feeling the moss beneath his fingertips. "Nah, I like them. They aren't scary enough, though."

Eli tilted his head at Patrick and then nodded again. "No horror movie is scary enough for you? Do you not get sucked in enough?"

Again, Patrick smirked, suppressing another urge to surprise Eli, this time with a sudden change in scenery. "Does that surprise you? I don't really watch movies. I think most of them go for cheap scares."

Eli shrugged, hopping over a root straight into a puddle. He laughed quietly and continued on, shaking muck from his foot. “I dunno, I guess I just figured you would consume it if you like it. Do you read or listen to scary stuff? Or do you just go in and watch people’s nightmares?”

"My parents wouldn't let me watch or listen to horror," Patrick said. "And I don't fucking read." He laughed. "They thought it'd keep nightmares away, which it didn't. Mostly I just find other artists I like. But watching people's nightmares is cool, too."

Eli also laughed when Patrick said that he didn’t read. “Wait, so your dad is the dream god and you got nightmares? That seems unfair.” He held his hand out for a mouse that was crawling along one of the trees. “You know Creepypasta? Or, um, SCPs? You seem like you’d be into those.”

“Life’s not fair,” Patrick mumbled, nonchalant, not showing on his face that the small comment felt oddly vindicating. Instead, he leaned against a tree, watching Eli interact with the mouse. “Yeah, I like those. Some of my paintings would fit right in with those. Did you want to go somewhere? Dream wise.”

“Yeah, but you’d think dreams might be different,” Eli exhaled the words with a small sigh and wiggled his fingers, trying to turn the mouse to a bird, but just turning it into a mouse with wings. He made a face as it flew away. “Cool. Can I see one some time?” He looked around, the woods in front of them dark and thick. “Uh. I dunno. A beach or something?” He pressed his hand into another tree. “What do you normally do? That isn’t creepy. Also, don’t dreams only last like six seconds in real time? How does that translate?”

Instead of answering the question right away, Patrick melted the trees into sand, turned the ground beneath them into a shallow pool of saltwater. The pool expanded and rolled out into ocean waves, and the sunshine turned hazy and intense. Other people were on the beach, but they were far away, specks in the sand. "I don't remember the last time I did something that wasn't creepy," he said honestly. "And if I just go free reign it'll probably get a bit, uh, wild." He smiled and shrugged. "But I can take requests. We're in dream time, we could oversleep a bit but you'll pretty much wake up at a normal time."

“Wow,” Eli breathed out the word as the scene around them changed, his eyes wide and bright with wonder. He dug his feet into the sand, then walked a bit further out towards the water. “I don’t mind oversleeping. I guess we have so much potential to do stuff here, and I’m keeping it all so simple; asking for the beach. We could walk underwater and explore there, right? Or... I don’t know, go to a museum that your mind can make and jump into all the paintings? How cool would that be?” He walked further into the water and looked back at Patrick. “Can you travel into daydreams? How does that work?”

Patrick followed him into the ocean, feeling no resistance in the current even after wading in hip-deep. He nodded to Eli's suggestions, silently confirming that he could do all of those things and yes, they would be cool. He moved his hands in circles, creating little whirlpools in the sea. "I can't get into those, though I'll say yet. I'm working on it." He smiled. "Want to be a guinea pig?"

Eli moved further into the water until his head was under. Even still, he breathed easily and could hear Patrick. He reached his hand out to touch one of the whirlpools. “I would want to be a guinea pig.” His clothes had changed into swim trunks. “But for the daydreams? You won’t make them freaky, right?”

Patrick nearly turned Eli into a guinea pig on the spot, but as always he resisted the urge. He moved the ocean floor down so they were both submerged in the deep sea, his whirlpool spinning out until it surrounded them. He then conjured a boat to keep them afloat, spinning slowly along the huge circular current of the now giant watery vortex. He laid back, sunglasses sliding over his eyes. "Is this freaky?"

Eli’s stomach dropped as he was suddenly floating rather than wading, and he took in a sharp breath as he was sucked into the whirlpool, spun around quickly. Despite this, however, he laughed, and once they were above the water once more on the boat, he pushed his hair from his face, feeling dry once more. He shook his head at Patrick. “I don’t think so. Are you trying to be?”

"Are you seriously asking me that question?" Patrick asked, lifting his head sharply. He looked genuinely insulted for a moment, then he started laughing. "Do you want me to leave you here? No, I'm not trying. I'm just figuring out what's freaky in your book."

Eli bristled at the sudden change in tone, and he shook his head. “If you left me here, couldn’t I just wake up?” He wasn’t sure if Patrick would take that as a challenge, but he figured that even if he did, it was all just a dream, and since he was aware of that, it should be less scary. “If I tell you what I find freaky, will you do it?” He shrugged. “Water isn’t scary. I grew up on an island.”

Patrick lowered his head again. "It's too predictable to do it as soon as you tell me," he said. After a pause, he sighed, figuring he had to play nice and be a little more reassuring. "I won't give you bad dreams. Scout's honor, or whatever."

“I didn’t ask if you’d do it right away,” Eli retorted, a smile tugging at his lips. He exhaled a small laugh and laid back in the boat. “The people who say that are never boy scouts.” He sat up again and leaned over the side of the boat to dip his hand into the water. “Does anything freak you out?” He glanced at Patrick. “Or have you exposed yourself to too much?”

Patrick didn’t say anything right away, long enough that it seemed he wouldn’t answer the question at all. “I’m sure there’s something,” he eventually said. “But nothing comes to mind. If I think too hard about it right now I might accidentally take us there.” After another moment, he sat up again, fully this time. “Anywhere else you wanna go?”

Eli wasn’t sure if Patrick would answer him, but figured it was a personal enough question that he should let it go. He occupied himself with sticking his hand into the water, and focused on trying to feel it, though he couldn’t tell if he actually could. He rested his hand on his chin, looking at Patrick as he spoke, and nodded at the explanation. “I’ll probably get freaked out by it if you do, so I’ll pass.” He stuck his legs out in front of him and hummed, thinking. “Did you say that you could take me into another dream?”

"I said we'd take baby steps." Patrick cracked his knuckles, hearing them pop even though he felt nothing from the motion. "Earlier today you were panicking about the implications of a dream reality, I don't know if you're ready to walk it with me. Is there someone you're looking to visit?"

“It still freaks me out, I’m not gonna lie, but I’m not enough of a physicist for it to rock my entire world, you feel?” Eli leaned over the side of the boat again, minnows appearing around his fingers. “I didn’t ask with anyone in mind,” he admitted. “But how far can you travel? We live in the same place, but can you figure out the dream address for someone across the city? Do you ever pop into someone’s dream when they’re doing something weird?”

"Far, if I know them, yes, and yes," Patrick said, answering each question in quick succession. "Lots of weird shit, actually. But dreams are weird. They don't all have some secret implications so I try not to judge." This was true, but Patrick didn't bother mentioning that he often failed on that front. "I once tried to find someone across the country. Didn't work, but I think it could if I kept at it."

"Only if you know them?" Eli seemed disappointed by this, but didn't linger on the subject as Patrick continued. "Does it use more energy if you're travelling further? Or do you have an infinite supply of energy because you're doing it in your sleep? What does looking for someone look like? I know you sort of explained it, but... I dunno, I guess it's hard to imagine." He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "What's the weirdest thing you've seen someone dream? Was it a weird sex thing? Do you wake up feeling rested after this, or is your brain doing too much?"

Patrick took a deep breath then let it out slowly, dipping his hand into the sea. "I didn't realize that I was signing up for twenty questions," he teased lightly. "And, it looks like you might actually have someone in mind. Anyone far away you want to go see?"

Eli shrugged somewhat sheepishly, but he still smiled as he watched Patrick’s hand. “Is this the astral sea that we’re in?” He smiled more. “Sorry, just making it an even twenty,” he said as though he’d actually been keeping track of how many questions he’d asked. He rested his chin on his hand and sighed. “It sounds lame, but this is the longest time I’ve gone without seeing my mom like, ever. I feel like even a dream hug would be nice.”

The confession made sense, and it felt like Patrick was being trusted with something that he perhaps shouldn't be trusted with. Despite recognizing the need for compassion, his face still contorted slightly before he glanced away, twirling his hand around in the water again. "This is just a dream," he said, referring to his most recent question. "Not the astral sea."

Eli dropped his hand and leaned over the edge of the boat to see if he could see to the bottom of the sea, or if the water was murky. "What's the difference? Your power is so cool. Does this mean that our brains are touching?"

Patrick smiled. "It is cool. The astral sea is the layer of reality that made you so worried. We're both there right now, so is everyone else who's asleep, and... I don't know." He shrugged instead of explaining more, figuring it was mostly speculation on his part and it would only make Eli's brain explode more. "There's a lot of lore, I'm not sure what's actually true. All I know is this is where we go when we dream."

Eli laughed suddenly. “Oh! The astral sea is the reality layer! That makes me way less scared about it. I don’t even know why.” He turned suddenly, leaning over the side of the boat, and resisted the urge to jump in. “Can all your siblings do this? How does the power overlap work? Does everyone have different powers so it makes us hard to claim?”

"We can all dreamwalk," Patrick explained, laying back again. "But not everyone can change other people's dreams like this. It's always roughly the same powers, I think. I dunno. Morpheus is kind of a freak, I wouldn't be surprised if ten more kids showed up soon." He grinned and glanced over to Eli, watching him hover over the water. "Go swim if you want. I'll bring in a giant squid, who won't hurt you, scout's honor."

Eli raised his eyebrows at Patrick, looking back over his shoulder. “Woah, ten? You mean that? Chase said Morpheus normally claims his kids right away. Is that always true?” He looked back over the water, then reached his hands up to take his hearing aids out, though they only appeared when he reached for them. “What’s the squid’s name?”

"No, I don't mean that," Patrick laughed. "He does, though, at least I think so. Haven't met anyone who had to wait to be let into the club yet?" He paused, then turned his head toward Eli. "Are you unclaimed?"

Eli tried to not look too disappointed at that news by looking out at the sea, but he glanced back at Patrick when he nodded. “Yeah.”

Patrick frowned. "Well, Morpheus wouldn't put off claiming you. You seem, kind of the type of personality he'd like." He didn't sound particularly happy to say this. "So we're probably not related. Sorry to disappoint you." He moved closer and took one of Eli's hearing aids, inspecting it, then looked out toward the sea again. "Squid's name is calamari."

Eli exhaled a sigh and nodded again. “That’s cool. Gives me a mystery to continue pursuing.” He laughed at the name. “That’s funny.” He threw himself over the edge of the boat and into the water.

Patrick watched Eli disappear into the depths of the water, knowing exactly where he was even without seeing him. He pocketed the hearing aids— both had wound up in his hands— and made sure they'd stay dry. As promised, he brought in a friendly giant squid to swim around with the boy, then sat back, trailing his fingers along the water as the current pulled him along.

After what felt like long enough for someone else to get bored while you were playing with a giant squid of their making, Eli emerged from the water; not having to search for the boat as he paddled over and climbed up onto it. Again, he was dry as he emerged, but this time a towel rested on his shoulders. “This was so fun. You’re telling me you never have dreams like this? Not even for yourself?”

When Eli returned, Patrick changed the boat into something larger, motorized, with a warm deck that they were both sitting on. He handed the hearing aids back over, and they were back in Eli's ears a second later. "Something this tame probably wouldn't happen for me unless I made it. I'm... If I had a dream of the ocean, no manipulation involved, it'd probably be more intense. Calamari wouldn't be our friend." As if on cue, a huge shadow moved underneath the boat, then the vessel rocked slightly as it dover further underwater. Patrick watched with interest. "So, short answer, yes, but very rarely."

Eli smiled in thanks when Patrick handed his hearing aids over, and stretched out more as their boat grew. He listened to Patrick and considered this for a moment. “You must see the world as a scary place.”

That seemed like a strange and largely unfounded observation to make; Patrick didn't quite know how to respond. He pushed a hand through his hair. "I don't think so." The whirlpool had dissipated at some point, and they were floating on a vast, still, sea. "I know the world I see here isn't real."

Eli picked up a rock that appeared on the seat next to him and he turned to toss the stone over the edge of the boat, skipping it into the distance. He repeated the action as he spoke. “It’s not real, but it’s based on your memories, which are just your interpretation of the world, right?” He looked out at an island in the distance. “Can we get out of the water soon?”

Patrick considered this, but this time he didn't even attempt to respond. Maybe Eli was right, but he didn't want to talk about it. "We can go wherever you want," he replied with a shrug, "whenever you want.”

“Is that you implying that we should go see dinosaurs or the future? Or just saying you’re easy? Actually, probably the second.” Eli smiled and tossed the rock in his hand to skip across the water. “Let’s do something in the clouds,” he said, looking at his hands suddenly. He held them up to Patrick, showing off the fact that he had a few too many fingers on each. “Woah. Does this happen a lot?”

Patrick made a face at Eli's comment, not sure how he was supposed to take it. For a moment, this soured the conversation enough to make him look away from his companion and stare out at the island. But once Eli moved on, he decided to let it go, too, though he was even more stoic and detached as he looked at the boy's hands. "Oh yeah, all the time," he said. "That's a pretty basic dream check."

Eli laughed at the realization, apparently missing Patrick’s slight change in demeanor. “Like when you have those dreams where all your teeth fall out?” He reached up to check his mouth for falling teeth. All good. “Do you still have your wisdom teeth? I say I do, because I do, but they’re in a little box rather than my mouth.”

Patrick smirked as he looked up to the sky. "Do I have my wisdom teeth? Twenty questions took a turn." He tried to focus on a cloud-themed dream, and the sky darkened. Rain started to fall, thunder rumbled, the sea churned. A moment later, they were high above an ocean, standing on a gray cloud, flashing with lightning. Above their heads was a fiery sunset, the light slowly dwindling.

There was something in the air, and Eli’s stomach flipped as he was in the air. Instead of standing next to Patrick, he floated, and spun in a slow circle before he grinned at his friend. “Wow, dude, I get how you can paint these,” he said with a small laugh, more out of amazement than amusement.

It was beyond satisfying that Eli was so blown away at the change, and Patrick took a seat on the cloud with a smirk. His legs were almost swallowed up with the fog curling off the cloud. Light illuminated beneath his face as thunder rumbled again. "I don't normally paint something so... not scary," he commented. "But this turned out cool, so I might."

Eli moved to sit cross-legged, and floated down so that he was level with Patrick again. “If you don’t, I might. Ooo! Or we can both paint it, and see how it works out with our different styles.” He held his ankles. “Have you ever played exquisite corpse?”

Patrick thought about his sister, who was supposed to be collaborating with him and who he hadn't seen or spoken to in weeks. He was so lost in thought that for a moment, the sky turned a strange texture, less real and more flat, like a canvas. Eli's question floated past him, basically unheard. "Do you want to just work on a singular painting together?"

Eli picked up a piece of cloud and shaped it like it was made of some clay or foam. He glanced up as Patrick began speaking, and grinned at him. “Yeah, sure! I’ve never done that before. Will we do that sunset?”

"Sure," he replied, unsure if he was surprised or not that Eli said yes. "I'll probably want to add something unsettling, but we can talk more about it when we're awake." He paused again, then reached forward to alter the shape of Eli's handheld cloud. "You asked me something about a corpse."

Eli grinned and bobbed his head excitedly. “Cool! This is so cool, man.” He tossed the newly-sculpted cloud rabbit. “Huh?” He drew his brows together before remembering what he’d been saying. “Exquisite corpse. It’s a game where you fold the paper over in three parts and someone draws a head, someone draws a body, and someone draws the legs, but you can’t look at what the other person draws. All the end products are really fucked up.” He laughed. “I feel like you’d like playing it.”

Eli's tossed rabbit cloud started running, just barely outpacing a pack of pursuing wolves that materialized behind it, before leaping over the edge and into the open sky. "I would definitely like playing it," Patrick agreed, holding his chin up in his hands, barely paying attention to the chase happening on the other side of the cloud. He let himself sink an inch further into the cloud as it lit up yet again. "I think it's nearly morning," he said. "We have a bit more time but we might wake up soon."

Eli smiled as the rabbit animated, but his expression dropped as the wolves appeared, and he looked unsettled for the first time since the dream had begun. He dropped his hands to rest in the cloud and nodded at Patrick, sinking down a bit as well to feel if his body would register the flashes. “Okay. Does it just happen suddenly, or can I hold onto it? Also! Before I forget, can we do this again sometime? It was really fun.” He tossed a bit of the cloud up and let it float down. “And, uh, where and when should we meet for the painting planning?”

Patrick didn't quite notice Eli's reaction to the wolves, but no more appeared anyway. "It depends," he answered as the lightning below lit the underside of his face once more. "Usually it's pretty fast. If I wake up before you I'll just disappear, fifty-fifty chance on you staying lucid." He was quiet for a moment, the beginning of a smile on his face. But when he spoke again, he sounded almost smug instead of happy. "We can definitely do this again. Don't set a date in the dream because you might not remember. Just try to hold onto the fact that I work at the store where we met. You can find me there most days."

Eli felt his head growing fuzzy as Patrick spoke to him, and it almost was as though he could feel the lightning. "Will I remember this? The lucid part?" He nodded as Patrick continued to explain. "The store, alright. I'll try to remember. If I don't and you see me, just bring it up! I'll totally be down either way."

"You should definitely remember most of this part. Maybe the details of what we talked about will be fuzzy..." He paused again, then laughed. "So we might be playing fucking twenty questions all over again when we're awake. Fuck me." He shook his head, still chuckling. "Whatever, I'll keep an eye out for you."

Eli laughed at Patrick's dismay, since he seemed pretty amused by it himself. He nodded, opened his mouth (seemingly to ask another question), and promptly disappeared, having apparently woken up.

Patrick waited for Eli to speak, but in the next instant he was gone. "Bye," he mumbled to himself, smirking a bit. "Good morning." He laid back on the cloud, letting the lightning spark against his back, and closed his eyes. Almost immediately, the sunset morphed into a blood red sky, and the world started to shift. But he was going to wake up soon, too, so there was no point in crafting something new from scratch. Instead he just sank, and sank, through the cloud and eventually through to the other side. Then it was a long drop through air, the ocean speeding toward him, Patrick falling as fast as a storm of raindrops. When he hit the water, he woke with a jolt in his bed, as if he'd just slammed back onto the mattress.

#c: eli #c: elipatrick

2 notes · View notes

arrianna21 · 6 years

Text

~Spontaneity is a Good Technique~

It is the year 2554, the Human-Covenant War has ended. Or has it? While the Halo rings have been destroyed or deactivated, some rebels of the Covenant are trying to finish the job of the Prophets and gain ultimate power. The UNSC has decided to send Jeon-119 and you, his A.I. companion, along with a squadron of Marines, to figure out what’s going on at this other undiscovered ring.

Game: HALO

Word Count: 3,526

“Marines! Prepare for drop-off in T-minus 2 minutes.” The pilot yells in the headsets.

All the soldiers readied themselves, stepping into their pods and making sure all the weapons were set.

“Remember to take out any hostile enemies you come across. This Covenant fleet will not be as welcoming as the others. Find this brute leader and stop him before he can take control of the ring.” The sergeant barks the orders to everyone in the hangar, walking back and forth so she can look at the faces of each person. “Oh, and you,” the older woman directs her attention to you specifically, “don’t do anything stupid. Both of you.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She walks away and you watch her get into her drop pod before it slides shut.

“I prefer to call it risky.” You mutter, miffed at her notion. “Besides, I’m a mere spectator if anything. You’re the driver.”

You hear a snort of disbelief before the hangar is opening beneath you and all the pods immediately drop. Everyone plunges to the ground, speeds increasing by the second as they fall towards the blue ring. It isn’t long before you are crashing down onto land, other pods hitting hard as well.

Jeon kicks the door open, stepping out to reveal a place covered in grass with hills and mountains surrounding it. He grabs his assault rifle and pistol along with the four frag grenades.

“I know we both like to play with fire, but try not to blow us up in the process. It’s not just you that’s in this helmet.” You remind him.

“Eh, you’ll be fine. I didn’t bring my rocket launcher this time.” He says, patting the hard metal on his head.

You knew he was right, the Spartan wouldn’t dare put you, the A.I that the housed a majority of the U.N.S.C data and keeper of some of the most sensitive information regarding the Halo rings, in danger. Granted, you couldn’t exactly be destroyed, but the chip in the back of his helmet could be.

The noise from the landing had alerted anything within the vicinity and so the Covenant aliens were scrambling to prepare themselves for a fight. Some of the Covenant had been waiting inside of a small open building and you watch the aliens run out with their plasma weapons. As the rest of the Marines start shooting, Jeon runs into the middle of battle, guns a blazing while aliens begin falling left and right. Brutes roar, the ape-like aliens returning fire, red plasma bullets spraying the entire area. The Spartan sprints up to one and melees it with his gun, causing its black armor to break.

Jumping back, he sees the Brute charge him as it goes berserk and he dodges out of the way, the alien running past him as he shoots at its exposed back. When it falls in a dead heap he reloads quickly, feeling a strong boom shaking the ground. That wasn’t a grenade. Another bang resonates, causing a soldier to fly back from the impact.

“Brute Chieftain coming up on your right.” You inform him upon seeing the gold armor and he chucks a grenade before ducking behind a stone pillar. It explodes and Jeon leaps back over, shooting at the giant beast who turns his attention to him. He continues shooting, jumping around the Brute who slams the gravity hammer down in the opposite direction. After a few more rounds and couple of melees, the alien collapses.

The Chieftain’s death sends the alien group into a frenzy as its companions go berserk while the Grunts scatter in fear. Jeon merely melees one as the short, green triangular-shelled figure runs by.

“Save yourselves!” one squeals to its friend, arms raised as it hides behind a tree before being shot.

A laser hits Jeon, though it barely stings through his armor and he fires up at the skinny Jackal on the cliff, killing it instantly. Once all the aliens have been dispatched, all is calm once again.

“Everyone spread out and secure the area!” Sergeant yells, two SMG rifles in her hands. “Find this damn Brute so we can be on our way.”

A few Marines stay behind to secure the area while you and a group trudge down a hidden pathway, stepping along the dirt as you search for another building. The land is fascinating because it appears to be habitable, in that, there is oxygen and trees to your understanding. Yet from previous research, all “natural” structures and designs were actually artificially made. It was surreal, as though whoever designed the ring’s environment took a section of Earth and printed it on Halo’s surface.

While you continue analyzing the supposed plant life, the soldiers come across a different building. It was larger and more closed off than the one you were just at and you could detect alien life inside.

“I’m detecting Covenant lifeforms in that building, that should be where the Brute leader is located.” You report to Jeon and he nods, as the troops move quietly to the door. With Jeon at the front and Sergeant right behind him, the Marines head through the grey door which slides open upon close contact. Walking up a ramp, more sliding doors reveal a chamber of some sorts with sleeping grunts curled up all across the room.

“Take them out, silently,” is the Sergeant’s command.

Jeon leads the way as everyone begins disposing of the small aliens, hard hits to their backs killing them quickly, blue blood painting the floor. Grabbing a few plasma grenades, the Spartan head down the hall while the soldiers investigate the rest of the area. You see an open doorway up another ramp and you walk up, finding an empty space. An open doorway was across the area and you quietly get closer. Leaning against the wall, the Spartan listens while taking occasionally peeks inside.

It was another room and you could see the Brute leader, Indigo armor impossible to miss as he speaks to a hologram, though you can’t tell what it is. 4 other Brutes stand around at the outer rim. You can barely hear what they are saying, the conversation too far away and the Spartan moves closer without being soon. The hologram speaks, the voice fading in and out, but you can hear the Brute snort in understanding.

“Yes, High Prophet, we will resolve the situation immediately. The Demon and its followers will not make it far.” He reassures.

“High Prophet, but that can’t be. All of the Prophets and their race went into hiding after the war…unless they came back. Jeon, we have to find this High Prophet and figure out what he wants with the ring. If he’s trying to activate like the Prophets before him, we may have a second war on our hands.”

It had been prophesized to the Covenant that whoever activated the Halo rings they and everyone who believed would become gods. Yet this was not the case at all. If activated, the Halo rings destroyed all life forms in the galaxy, a last effort to contain the parasite known as the Flood.

The holographic Prophet disappears and the Brute turns to the others. “Find the Demon and kill the humans at once.” He orders them before walking out through another door.

“If we follow the Brute leader, he can take us right to this Prophet.” Jeon replies softly.

“Yes, but we have to get through those guards. I have a multitude of strategies we could do and yet you choose the most rambunctious of them all. Not that I’m complaining.” You say when the Spartan tosses the frag grenade in the air a few times before throwing it inside the space.

The grenade detonates, injuring one Brute and Jeon runs inside, shooting at the aliens while they fire back. Reloading quickly, he dodges out of the way of the hurtling grenades. The Brute continues firing the grenade launcher and he is the first to be killed. Another two follow suite and the final alien goes berserk shortly after, abandoning his weapon to instead attack using only his body. He charges and the force sends Jeon skidding back some feet while he maneuvers out of the way.

“Don’t let him push you into a corner,” you advise as the Spartan jumps around to avoid being hit. Jeon throws a plasma grenade at the alien and the blue explosive sticks to its furry body. It explodes, but doesn’t deter the beast, only angering it further. Shooting a few more rounds at his head, eventually causes the Brute to go down.

“Sergeant, we are in pursuit of the Brute leader!” you report to your superior while Jeon runs after him, going out the other doorway in the room.

“Understood,” the sergeant’s voice crackles through the headset. Gunfire and roars sound in the background as the Marines appeared to have encountered more Covenant forces in the facility. “We’ll take care of the mess here. Spartan, don’t let that damn maniac escape. I’m not chasing after his furry ass again!”

“Yes, ma’am.” You reply.

There’s another high ramp and Jeon climbs up, soon reaching the top and the automatic door opens outside on the rooftop. Three banshees are parked, but one flies away as the alien leader pushes over the ledge. Running after it, the Spartan takes some shots at it before climbing into one of the unoccupied vehicles. Pushing one of the controls, the aerial craft accelerates at his command, leaving behind two tails of wispy blue vapor.

As he flies through the air, you hone in on the other purple vessel as it heads to its destination. “He’s going to fly left around the mountain, probably going to another tower.” You direct and Jeon turns the banshee, following after the Brute, but even with the acceleration it’s not enough to catch up.

The alien does indeed arrive at a tower, landing the flying machine on a platform before running through the sliding doors that are flanked by two Hunters. The massive aliens step forward so they can begin shooting, giant shields held in their other arms to protect them.

Jeon swoops down to shoot at them with the plasma canons equipped on the aircraft. Spinning the banshee, it rolls to the right to avoid the cannon blasts. Doing evasive maneuvers while returning fire he manages to kill one of the Hunters as it collapses in a pool of orange blood. This only angers the other beast due to the death of its partner and it begins firing more erratically.

At one point the banshee isn’t quick enough and the green canon hits one of the wings, blowing it off completely and leaving only blue sparks.

“Jeon, we might want to get out now.” You suggest as the machine starts beeping frantically, signaling its near demise.

He says nothing, only nosediving and the banshee plummets drastically before pulling up at the last second so it can run directly into the remaining alien. The force pushes the giant beast back and despite its large shield the vehicle still makes it slide back. Making sure it continues to drive forward, the Spartan jumps out while the banshee and the Hunter go over the edge where they then crash to the ground.

“That’s one way to do it. Instead of it hitting you, you decided to run it over. Fascinating.” You mutter to yourself. He runs up to the doors, but they don’t open. “Damn, the Brute must have locked them. I could try to locate the emergency control panel; it shouldn’t be too far from-where are you going?” you ask the Spartan who is currently running down the ramp leading up to the tower where some destroyed U.N.S.C vehicles lie in a smoking heap next to the dead Hunter and broken banshee.

“Jeon, I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not going to work. Besides I don’t even think that tank works.”

“It will,” he reassures you, climbing into the brown Scorpion tank that somehow was still able to function despite the small fire in the rear. He begins slowly driving it up to the locked doors and positions the nozzle while you try to explain the complexity of this building.

“This is an ancient structure that was built by the Forerunners long ago. The material they used was to construct this was meant to last and remain durable. There’s no way a tank could-” you don’t get to finish as he shoots the doors, the blast leaving a subtle crack in the material. Some more shots later and then they are broken apart, leaving a gaping hole where they once stood. “Okay, never mind.”

The Spartan gets out and heads to the now open passage, easily stepping past the wreckage.

“Be careful, I’m detecting Covenant life force everywhere.” You say, noticing the specks of light blinking around the vicinity.

“Good, maybe they’ll give us a warm welcome.” He replies. Running into the first section, you are greeted by Grunts and Jackals, the former the first to notice your presence. As Jeon begins exchanging fire with them, some take the opportunity to flee when their companions fall dead.

“The Demon is here!” a Grunt yells with their pistols held high.

Jeon melees one as it runs by, triangular shell breaking from the force as it shoots randomly in the air before it becomes still. Two Jackals flank him as they come from opposite side. He throws a plasma grenade at one and it manages to stick on its body, rendering the blue circular shield its holding useless. The remaining Jackal proceeds to shoot at you and Jeon melees it, purple shield dissipating from the impact. Without any protection, it tries to flee while covering the back of its head. He hits it with his rifle before going deeper into the facility.

A group of Brutes are in this area and it takes more time and ammo to kill them, resulting in low cartridges for his assault rifle. At some point Jeon switches to his pistol after the other gun is empty, finishing off the rest of his grenades as well. Once all the Brutes are dead, he replaces his assault rifle for a Carbine gun. The alien rifle had some bullets left, but not a considerable amount. Continuing further down to the center, the Spartan eventually arrives at the control room where one can activate the ring.

Surprisingly, no one is here. No Brute leader or High Prophet. There was just the glass walkway and nothing more.

“I don’t like this.”

“Neither do I. Plug me into the system and keep an eye out, I’m going to try and see if I can locate the Index if it hasn’t already been taken.”

The Spartan does as you say, ejecting the chip from his helmet and you are put into the Halo’s control panel. An incredible amount of data is surrounding and you almost can’t believe the wealth of information given to you, having not experienced something so ancient, but also so very complex. Data about every aspect of the ring, ever building, purpose, function, ecosystem, energy sources, all these things are currently swirling around you in a pool of entries and files. Each piece is copied into your mind, information and knowledge expanding in your system. A map is also presented to you detailing the location of the Library, the building that housed the Index, and it was still there. This was good because that means these rebels didn’t have it yet. There was still time, but not much.

You pop up above the control panel so you can show Jeon the map. “Here’s the location of the library. It’s not too far from here and if we call for a Pelican or find some air craft we can get there before the High Prophet.”

Jeon goes to grab the chip, but you stop him and stare at the edge of the walkway. You two had company. At the other end, was the Brute leader. He knew everything now, having heard and seen the Library’s coordinates.

“The fight ends here, Demon.” He growls, pointing the plasma rifle at him as he walks closer. It doesn’t take long before the casual gait turns into a sprint, the alien charging directly at you.

The Spartan reaches behind him and pulls you out of the control panel before jumping out of the way. He tries to put you back in the helmet, but the brute throws a flare, effectively blinding you and Jeon. The Brute tackles Jeon while he’s blind and disoriented which results in you flying through the air. Jeon fights the alien and shoots at when they are out of range of the flare.

Your vision also returns but it is limited as you stare up at the ceiling, having no way to transfer yourself. That changes however when you are picked up by someone, three fingers gripping you tightly and you see a withered face regarding you carefully.

“So this is what the humans have created. An intelligent vessel with the ability to transfer crucial data and store it within its memories.”

Keeping an eye on Jeon, you see him and the Brute shooting at each other. The Brute tries to get close, but the Spartan keeps his distance, not wanting to be knocked off the square-shaped walkway.

“You’re one of the High Prophets. Yet the last three were killed 2 years ago.” You say to the frail alien though while you’re engaging in conversation with him, you were still keeping tabs on your Spartan. Glass breaks in the background from the force of the fighting.

“Yes, we may have lost power and our status, but my kind are far from extinct. I am called the High Prophet of Generosity.”

More gunshots ring out as the two warriors continue fighting, Jeon gets whacked by the Brute, but it hardly affects him. The alien’s odds are not looking good, yet he isn’t going down.

“If you’re trying to activate the ring to achieve eternal salvation and glory, it won’t work. The only you’re going to accomplish is killing all the species in the galaxy.” You recite, recalling the recent events involving the now deceased Prophet of Truth, who tried to do exactly that.

The older alien shakes his head, disregarding your concerns. “I have no interest in activating the ring. I merely wish to harness its powers so the High Prophets can be returned to our former place of leadership, a place where we clearly belong.” He rasps.

“You’re not going anywhere. The Prophets won’t rise to power again, not after what happened last time.” Jeon says, walking towards the alien, having been victorious against the Brute who now lay in a dead heap.

High Prophet of Generosity doesn’t seem surprised by the Spartan’s outcome, which doesn’t put you at ease at all. “Then you greatly underestimate my brethren.” The alien presses a button on his gravity throne and a canon shoots from it, knocking into Jeon.

The force pushes him off to the side, the slippery glass tilting as a section of the walkway shatters and the Spartan grabs onto the ledge.

“Jeon!”

He struggles to pull himself and then you can no longer see him as the Prophet floats away while you can do nothing. This Prophet can’t escape, not with the plans he needs for domination. Another ring didn’t need to fall into the wrong hands.

Something grabs the back of the floating throne, knocking it off balance. You fly through the air for the second time, the chip bouncing on the cracked glass until you come to a stop at the very edge. Looking down, you can see a never ending darkness looming below. Unfortunately, this angle does nothing for you in the sense that you can’t see what’s going on. Relying on your ears, you hear a struggle and then a single gunshot rings out, the fight over in the span of a minute.

You are picked up again and you are reinstalled into a familiar blue visor. “Jeon, you’re okay.” Relief evident in your voice.

A cough sounds not too far and you see the Prophet lying on his side, chair overturned with red blood pooling around his body. “Fools, you cannot stop what has already begun,” are the final words he says before dying.

“If what he says is true, then we need to get that Index before anyone else does.” You tell the Spartan, relaying everything the Prophet told you.

“Agreed.” Jeon replies, heading back up to the platform of the tower. “Sergeant, the Brute leader is dead. Can you send transport to come pick us up? We have a lot to discuss.”

“We can do that, Spartan.” The woman responds through the headset.

While the two of you wait for the aircraft to arrive, you both stand and look out across the mountains, up at the sky blue ring.

“Jeon…thank you for saving me.”

The Spartan says nothing as he walks down the ramp towards the military ship that hovers to the ground.

“Always.”

A/N: Okay, let me just say this was a crazy trip of nostalgia. Halo was the first ever console video game I played as a child and it was an incredible experience for me. This was my childhood. Seriously, my friends and I would place these games for hours and days at a time! It had been quite a few years since I played, but the moment I heard the music, it brought back so many memories. Instead of just playing the first one like I intended, I replayed the entire trilogy and got hit with many feels!

#jungkook scenarios #bts scenarios #bts imagines #jungkook #bts #videogame!BTS #also can I just say the soundtracks are the absolute best?

23 notes · View notes

ruffsficstuffplace · 5 years

Text

The Viridian Vanguard (Part 33)

With Taiyang unavailable, and Ren and Nora participating in the test runs themselves, Weiss and Cheese took over the refereeing, the former watching the feeds, monitoring the timers, and doing announcements via her comm-crystal, the latter operating a recording of the dueling horn.

“You sure you want to stick with those?” Pyrrha asked Yang as they did a last check of their gear. “I feel like Fury Fists would suit your fighting style as well, while providing significant increase in offensive power.”

“I’m sure,” Yang replied as she practiced collapsing and unfolding her Brawler’s Bracers. “I’ve depended on these guns all my life, I’ll keep on betting on them. Besides, I never liked the prospect of accidentally running out of ammo in the heat of a fight.”

“Fair enough.” Pyrrha replied.

With all that out of the way, Pyrrha started out with a Slugthrower pistol.

Rat-ta-tat! Rat-ta-tat! Rat-ta-tat!

Pyrrha raised her ballistic shield up against the bursts of machine-gun fire from above, Yang crouching behind her, the both of them slowed to a crawl as they crossed the arena’s bridge to the base in the trees. They made it to cover, Pyrrha didn’t hesitate to return fire at Ren!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Ren ducked, his cover cracking and splintering with each shot, wincing as one of bullets punched through and missed him by a few inches. <Moving position, defend the flag,> he whispered into his mask-comm as he abandoned his spot, Yang and Pyrrha made a break for it.

<On it!> Nora replied as she stood at a different platform, before she thundered towards the edge and leaped off, towards Yang and Pyrrha. “NO YOU DON’T!” she cried as she raised her hammer high above her head.

Yang and Pyrrha slowed down and turned to look, their eyes widened before they jumped out of the way!

Crash.

Dirt and mud flew up into the air as Nora made a new crater in the ground, the shockwave caused Yang and Pyrrha stumble. Bullets started raining down on them once more, Ren chased Yang into cover, Nora charged after Pyrrha with her hammer at the ready.

Pyrrha heard her thunderous footsteps coming far too close and too fast, she spun around and started firing!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Nora winced as some of the bullets slammed into her chest plate and slowed her down, a shot to the face-plate disoriented her just as she leaped forward!

Pyrrha dodged to the side, Nora missed her completely, overbalanced, and staggered forward. Pyrrha rammed her shield into her back, sending her falling to the ground. Nora began to struggle, Pyrrha kneed her in the back and put her gun to her shoulder.

Bang! Bang!

Nora cried out and stopped, Pyrrha put it to the back of her helmet.

Click! Click!

Pyrrha’s eyes widened. Before she could reach for a new clip, Nora shoved her off, and didn’t hesitate to climb on top of her, pin her down before going to town with her fists, raining blows down on Pyrrha till the horn sounded again.

“Ugh...” Pyrrha groaned as Nora climbed off of her. “I’m starting to see what you meant by ‘making it more like real matches’...’”

“Trust me, this is only the very tip of the iceberg!” Nora hummed as she carefully pulled her back up to her feet, helped her off to the bench. “Ren and I aren’t even using any of the most basic martial arts techniques yet!”

Bruises and bullet wounds were iced and patched up, before they moved onto Pyrrha’s second choice: a Stormbringer cannon, loaded with explosive shells.

Thoom.

Pyrrha fired a shell at Ren and Yang, they dove to the sides, just barely avoiding the explosion and the shrapnel. The two of them scrambled from cover to cover as they made their way deeper into the arena, Yang looking for way to the flag Pyrrha was defending, Ren shooting at her with a rifle to try and slow down the rain of explosive of doom.

Thoom. Thoom. Thoom.

Huge chunks were taken out of the barricades, new smoking holes and craters started appearing all over the arena, some of the smaller obstacles disappeared in clouds of smoke, ash, and splinters. There was a brief lull as Pyrrha ran out ammo, Yang and Ren took the opportunity to run, thundering up stairs, or grabbing as much spare ammo as possible before finding a new firing position.

“Come on, Pyrrha!” Nora cried as she watched with Weiss. “Yang’s getting closer! Reload, reload, you can still stop her with the secondary fire!”

“You seem awfully eager to see your long-time friends get blown up,” Weiss muttered.

“Ah, that’s just the way it is with the Watchers!” Nora replied, waving her off. “Unless they’ve got an attitude, cheer on the newbies, they’re the ones that need the most encouragement!”

Boom.

With a giant cone of fire, Pyrrha sent Yang flying off a ledge.

“WOO!” Nora cried, throwing her arms up. “Nice shot!”

Ren started alternating firing at Pyrrha and moving towards the flag, Yang hit the ground headfirst, before she laid sprawled out and unmoving. “Should I stop the fight?” Weiss asked, looking at her in concern.

“Aw, she’ll be fine!” Nora replied. “Believe me, if this were a live match, folks would riot if we ended it over something as minor as that!”

Stray sparks rained down on Yang, she started slowly dragging himself across the ground, and away from it.

“See? Just fine,” Nora said, nodding.

Weiss looked at Yang curling up into a ball behind cover, at Cheese’s concerned face as he shared a dock with her comm-crystal, before she resumed quietly observing.

The match ended with Ren hiding behind a tree, Pyrrha shearing off another layer from it if he so much as tried to peek.

“Argh...” Pyrrha groaned as she unceremoniously dropped the smoking cannon on the ground then rubbed her arms. “Can any of you suggest something with much less recoil…? I don’t think I want to handle high-caliber weapons for a while...”

“I’ve got some suggestions we can move further up the queue,” Ren replied as he stepped out from behind the tree. “Then again, it will require a drastic change of equipment and tactics beside.”

“I don’t mind, let’s hear it,” Pyrrha replied.

And so her heavy plated armour was exchanged for a hooded cloak, a leather chestplate and pads for her limbs, with tight-fitting, bullet-and-blade resistant clothes, similar to what Ruby used. Her mask was now almost entirely bare, except for reflective material placed over her “eyes,” making them faintly glint in the light, or with sharp enough eyes.

“Fighting Pits Regulations state that, except for actively channeled techniques, your opponents should always have the opportunity to realize where you are before you strike from stealth,” Ren explained. “It’s important to note, they never state how exactly, or how much of a window you should have to act. Faint sounds, disturbances in the air, flashes in the corner of your eyes, the smell of your opponent’s equipment, blood, and sweat, even the taste of such with the right mods, or biology… if at least one of those elements could have given them away for even a split-second before you’re jumped, you can’t contest it as unfair.

“It is entirely up to you and your team if this goes in, or against your favour.

“And a bit of advice, if you’re going to stick with stealth for the long-run: hunt on the regular. Nothing will teach you what can and will give you away quite like the animals outside the walls, the predators most especially.”

With the tree top base mostly destroyed and needing reconstruction, they tested in the other half of the arena, a shady, maze-like series of walls, obstacles, and barricades set near the water, her weapon the ranged cousins of Wingblades:

Windsingers.

“Do the users paint and design each individual flechette, too?” Pyrrha asked as she practiced loading them, collapsing and unfolding the “wings” to reduce their profile.

“Outside of particularly dedicated and well-funded performances, I’m afraid you have to do with mass-produced designs,” Ren said as he assisted her. “There’s quite the variety within them, though.”

Pyrrha chuckled. “I’m not surprised.”

Soon, Yang stood in the center of the maze, her bracers exchanged for a shield and a shotgun. “You ready for this, Pyrrha?” she called out, gazing at all the cover and darkness around her.

No response.

“Hah!” Yang laughed. “Glad to see you didn’t fall for that, at least!”

The horn was sounded, and Yang quickly got serious, holding her shield and gun up at the ready, warily eyeing her surroundings, listening in carefully. The insects and the animals had long abandoned the area for all the activity and violence, almost complete silence until…

Thip.

Yang felt a dart in the back of her helmet, she immediately spun around and fired.

Bang!

Wooden splinters flew into the air, but no sign of Pyrrha. Yang narrowed her eyes, debating a moment, before she stayed where she was, her shield raised in front of her.

Thip. Thip.

Two more, this time lodging into her lower back. Yang spun around again, and aimed at a wooden wall, her finger on the trigger. She slowly slipped it off and back on the trigger guard, took a slow, deep breath, observing the wall and its surroundings.

A minute passed, no action from either of them. Then, Yang charged, her cry almost as loud as the blasts of her shotgun!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Pyrrha winced as the pellets ripped through her cover, some of them grazing her side. She dashed out of cover, firing three quick bursts at Yang’s head before she she fled deeper into the maze. Yang raised her shield up, blocking most of them, blindly firing until she ran out of ammo.

Pyrrha had disappeared by the time Yang lowered her shield, but muddy tracks she left behind gave Yang a good idea of where she went.

“Three minutes left!” Weiss warned.

Yang chased Pyrrha through the maze, steadily blasting it to pieces as she destroyed potential hiding places or flushed her out, more and more darts sticking out of her shield and her armour as Pyrrha continued to catch her unawares or returned-fire as she fled, her movements slowing as the small, sharp pains and puncture wounds started to add up.

Thip. Thip. Thip.

Three darts struck near Yang, she fired and annihilated a waist-high barrier; even more darts proceeded to strike her from an entirely different direction, she cursed as she raised her shield and jumped behind a wall. “I am NOT losing to friggin’ dart guns, Pyrrha!” she cried as she rammed fresh shells into her shotgun, her movements stiff and mechanical.

“One minute!” Weiss cried.

Yang started blind-firing her shotgun, she smiled as she heard Pyrrha cry out, then frantic, muddy squelches. She peered out, saw the numerous messy gouges Pyrrha had left in her scramble, then charged out of cover to the barricade she was hiding behind!

She jumped around it, finger already on the trigger, a smile on her face... it disappeared as she found only many more muddy gouges and the dirt, and no sign of Pyrrha.

Yang heard wet squelches directly behind her, but by then it was already too late.

Pyrrha unloaded almost two full clips of darts into Yang’s back, before she hooked her leg into hers, and tripped her. Yang fell to the ground, Pyrrha pinned the barrel of her shotgun down with her foot, before aiming her windsingers at her head.

“You were saying?” Pyrrha asked, before she opened fire once more.

“So, how are you liking stealth and deception?” Ren asked as he carefully extracted the flechettes from Yang with a pair of pliers, dropped them into a waiting bucket.

“Well enough, but I’d like something with more power per shot,” Pyrrha said as she stood beside him, bandaging up her ankle.

Ren nodded. “Tell me: have you ever tried archery?” he said.

“I have, in fact,” Pyrrha replied, smiling.

“Just saying it out now, I am not cool with being on the receiving end for that!” Yang cried, before she winced and hissed.

“Fret not, Yang, Nora will be the better model for its effectiveness in a real fight, anyway,” Ren said, before he dropped another dart into the bucket.

And so with the sun beginning to set, and the tree top base almost rebuilt, Pyrrha decided to try out a Nightstalker bow.

“It gets its name for its effectiveness and popularity when hunting nocturnal prey,” Ren explained. “It’s still a solid weapon for any time of day, however, having enough power to penetrate skulls, hard shells, and thick hides with ease; an extremely long effective range; and should you be forced into close-combat”--he pressed a switch near the grip, blades shot out from the limbs--”you don’t even need to worry about reaching for a secondary weapon.”

“Clever,” Pyrrha said, gripping it in her hands, practicing slashing and guarding with it, before retracting the blades.

“Normally, I’d warn potential users that it takes quite a bit of upper body strength to draw it, let alone to full power, but I doubt that would be much of an issue with you,” Ren finished.

Pyrrha practiced her archery at the range, until the wrecked cover and holes were replaced and patched over; lamp posts were lit and a handful of floodlights were set up; and the ammo boxes were filled with plenty of arrows. For the sake of their handicap, Yang and Pyrrha were on defense, the latter starting high up on the platforms, while Ren and Nora were on the attack, both out in the open by the bridge.

“Fighters ready?” Weiss called out.

“Aye!” all of them cried.

“Then fight!” Weiss cried, before Cheese blew the horn.

Almost immediately, Yang and Nora charged straight for each other, fists and hammer swinging; ducking, weaving, and slamming into one another; trying to strike vulnerable areas, block and deflect counterattacks, outmaneuver the other by hopping, ducking around, and even climbing on and jumping off the obstacles all around them.

Pyrrha gritted her teeth as she tried to fire at Nora, her shots going wide and impaling themselves on the walls and the floor, her aim interrupted as they moved out of her line of fire. Even then, the ones that did hit looking like they didn’t hit nearly hard enough, bouncing off of Nora’s armour, or clearly not causing her much harm.

Then, a lucky hit: an arrow sunk into Nora’s helmet, stunning her for a moment; Yang quickly seized on the opportunity, dashing into her side and pummeling with rapid punches.

Pyrrha nocked another arrow, until she suddenly felt a wave of unease come over her. She quickly spun around, Ren pounced on her with his sickles, she thrust her bow out at Ren!

It slammed into his chest, knocking him back, but not far enough as his blades cut into her shoulders.

Pyrrha gritted her teeth, ducked to the side as Ren tried to slash at her again, hopping and skittering around like a wild animal on his hands and feet. Pyrrha tangled with him for all of three seconds, before she fled for the nearest zipline leading to the ground floor. Ren gave chase, leaping at her just as she launched off!

He sank his sickles into her sides, Pyrra cried out. “YANG!” she yelled out as she began to violently swing back and forth, tried to knock Ren off.

Yang ducked under a swing of Nora’s hammer, looked, and immediately dashed after her. Nora saw too, holstered her hammer, then made a break for the unprotected flag.

Ren let go as they neared the end of the zipline, landed on the ground with a graceful roll, readied himself to pounce at Pyrrha again. He was just bending his limbs, before his eyes widened, and he immediately flattened himself.

Yang went sailing above him a second after, her arms grabbing nothing but empty air. She crashed and rolled onto her side, Ren leaped on top of her, sinking his sickles into her shoulders and starting a messy, violent brawl on the dirt.

Pyrrha jumped off the zipline, spun around and nocked a new arrow; she aimed it at Ren raining strikes down on Yang, before she saw Nora in the distance, victoriously waving the flag as she ran back to the bridge. Her eyes darted between them both for a few precious seconds, before she raised her bow and fired!

Thack.

Nora flinched and slowed down as an arrow slammed into her back, Pyrrha nocked a new one and aimed it at Ren.

Thack.

It struck him in the shoulder, making him wince in pain, Yang headbutted him, and quickly reversed the situation, raining pnuches down on Ren in turn. Pyrrha nocked a third arrow, aimed at Nora just about to make it to the starting line at the bridge, and fired…!

Whiff.

It sailed past her head, Nora crossed the line, and did a little victory dance as the horn echoed throughout the arena.

Yang grunted as she rolled off of Ren, pulled her mask off and wiped the sweat off her brow. “I appreciate the save earlier, but we’ll have to get together as a team some time and talk about when it’s better to just go for the win.”

“And I’d appreciate someone steadying the arrow in my back...” Ren groaned. “Excellent shot, by the way!”

Yang and Pyrrha both carefully picked him up, helped lead him back to the benches, and started patching up their wounds...

Note: In the Pits, most ammunition, allowed weapons, and modifications necessary and optional have intentionally reduced lethality. While the fans DO in fact want to see blood, they also generally want to see their favourite Pit Fighters live to see another match, and another, and another. Accidental deaths and/or crippling injuries are still well within the realm of possibility due to various other factors, of course, but that’s why the health and life insurance is so good, both within the Pits and third-party organizations like Leagues.

Some specific examples include limiting weapons to semi-automatic receivers with small magazines; less potent formulations for chemical weapons that fizz out very quickly and/or are easily neutralized; and modifications to projectiles’ designs that emphasize blunt impact than penetration--”bruises over blood,” as the makers say.

Those that ARE intended to maim, kill, or otherwise completely and utterly destroy their target are used almost exclusively in Fae vs Animal/Magitech events. It is a grave, permanently bannable and possibly even criminal offense to intentionally attack other fighters during these, especially since all participants are on the same team, or are explicitly banned from directly attacking the other parties.

Some specific examples include automatic receivers and drum/box magazines; extensive use of catalysts and accelerants for chemical weapons; and projectiles designed to penetrate through hides, bone, and into vital organs, before exploding and causing even more damage.

I should mention that last part is rarely actually necessary to kill a target, it just makes for a bloodier, more entertaining show.

#rwby #fanfic #the viridian vanguard

1 note · View note

reimahowaido · 3 years

Text

Spyro: Reignited review parte 6~

And we continue~~ It's been a few days since, buuuuut Alpine Ridge! Take 2 xD Ayyy I got really lucky and in the end I Did in fact manage to get the gem from that last firework! Nice! No need to go back there anymore to struggle! Good stuff good stuff! But I did still need to go back to the level itself because I was missing some gems. And since it had been a few days of me playing last, I did take a bit of a breather and a step back to do other stuff, I had to get a hold of the controls again but this time it was faster and I had some more confidence I was missing some few gems at the beginning of the level, but after a few failed jumps to that somewhat far away platform with two fighting wizards, I was able to make my way over there, grab the gems, trot a little further on and woop, 100%, level completed~ So other than having to grasp the controls again and a couple jumps failing for the smallest missing of making it to that other area, it wasn't too bad Now, we finish Magic Crafters! Here we are, once again. This time we're releasing one of my faves, Zantor~~ Finally xD As well as getting a little lost because it's been a while, but the map is helpful. But more than that, it's my first experience with the Super Charge. Oooooh I'm nervous, big time oh boy how's this gonna go. But thanks to a youtube commenter whom I pretty much owe so so many lives to I'd assume, who pointed out that you can use the arrow keys to turn with some more control. That comment. Was so useful. Like I didn't even really try much with the Super Charge before I had read that comment, just a teeny tiny bit I think, but it was extremely eye opening. Like, maybe it's a little dumb, but I did literally have a whole "Wow, what? Those work here too?". So either like, the arrows don't do much in Pokemon Sword or I was having a big 'head empty' moment. But it was a good tip none the less! Ay, so there's another egg thief, whom I Think I caught before reading the mobility comment, and it was so stiff to try and turn and I wonder if it'd have been easier with the arrows. But I can say that the PTSD from the Alpine Ridge egg thief was very present. I don't want to run off ledges unintended! But luckily we caught 'em before then. Which is good. Also figured out that there was a semi-hidden secret platform you have to glide onto from around that area and I Think I did it independently with the help of the map, so that was a proud moment~ Now, back to stuff though. Navigating the level with the constant fear of 'oh shoot a legde' & 'oh no, water' was a bit nerve wrecking, but we managed. Kinda did good too as we didn't die during the wholety of it. Traveled around some more, a little lost as to where to go until I'd find some gems again, and then the hidden area I was like 'ok, so is that a hidden spot or can you get there from the front?' I checked the front first, of course xD Tracked my way carefully back so I knew I wouldn't be taking unnecessary risks in going there through some 'harder way', but nope, it was the only way of going there so careful back-back tracking and success in finding the key within, and with some help from Sparx again, made the way to the chest. And I think with that the level was 100%'ed, or then there were still a few stray gems around, but I did complete the level so good stuff~ The only problem now was to find the levels xD Ummmm, yeah, it was a little hard to navigate, and now i had to somehow find my way to all the levels again. Shoot. Where was, literally anything xD Welp, the moment I found a level I certainly entered and jumped right in!

Blowhard! Ok so I forget since it has been a few days since I last played, but I Think I went to Blowhard first before the other remaining levels. It was either this here or some time later when I had the thought of 'I might as well go in and leave right away so I can find it later' and I can't actually exactly remember if I finished this one before Magic Crafters or not. But regardless, I finished it in one go, 1 death because bruh, platforms and gliding = still not my strong suit xD But overall the level wasn't too bad! I kept wondering if I'd have to go to the windmill and jump around on it for some of the gems, but luckily that wasn't the case and I didn't have to die trying something dumb. But man, it feels goooood to leave the level through the portal again xD Like I've done a good job~ And I didn't look up at a guide here either xD Fully finished it on my own, good job me! God that makes me sound like such a cheater, but nah, I'm just lazy High Caves! So Imma admit, I completely forget which one I did first, High Caves or Wizard Peak. I'm just going to have to go off on a limb and say it was High Caves since it has less Super Charging. Maybe the level was easier for me to find too? Who knows, it's been a while. But yes. Here we go, a completely new normal level, yeeeee~ And this time we don't have any bitter expectations or anything. Okay. The first bit with the spiraling way upwards with lots of elemental wizards on the way. Mmmmm, that's not as easy as it looks. Ye it's simple, but there's a lot and you can't see where you're going or what to expect, so it catches you off guard. No casualties though, some damage yes, but no deaths. The jumps at the 'green druids that insist on moving everything in sight' was a tad stressful, I think I fell down at least once there? It's those small teeny tiny bits where I just barely miss the platforms. But it didn't go to the point of frustrating, so we're moving forward Painting found and scorched, the actually flaming and hitting it process was the hardest (because I saw it first on a youtube guide, lol, I was eating lasagna and just looking at some 100% videos while eating because why not) the turning is still a bit stiff afterall. But speaking of those videos, I was fairly happy with this level because now we get to the area that has those fairies that lift you back up if you fail and fall. Absolute lifesavers~ Why aren't you on the other levels D: I neeeeed youuuuu~~~ But yeah, failed those jumps a handful of times, I knew to jump after the charge after a try or two, but there were plenty of trial and error bits with several of the glides. My head was constantly pondering whether the game wanted me to use the Super Charge & jumps to get to places or if it was expecting me to get to those side caves with just a regular glide. Regardless though, failure after failure and god-bless those fairies for honestly making this level actually fun and enjoyable to try stuff at rather than to scream and cry in frustration (a super good decision really, to allow people to try and have fun without the cost of failing) all side caves were reached and cleaned up~Good thing the fairies can't just up and quit after you've failed X amount of times xD Because they definitely would have stopped lifting me up after all those fails if they did That one chase with the Egg Thief around that pond though. Nerve wrecking, but I was trying to be tricky and like, extra sneaky about it in like, jumping over it and using the flame. Pretty sure I took a dip into the pond itself, but I got the thief, so.... Necessary sacrifices. And now we're onto the spiders. As a kid I'd probably have been Terrified - and yeah they're Still a little intimidating if you miss them and fail to kill them with a charge since they are invincible - but we made it through that area just fine. Or like, we did clear it up, but it was not a one and done kinda deal xD First run I managed to miss every single spider x2 And then had to hurry on out of there. But this is when I figured out that the fodder respawned after you had

gone far enough away from there, at least here it did, so I could refill Sparx's HP to full and then try charging again. Eventually I had hit all the spiders, gotten lost until I found the second path that lead up to the fairy that gives you a power-up (and yas Spyro looks so cool with the power-ups active in Reignited~) and then that was cleared~ Now all I had missed was a small area you had to glide to at the beginning of the level and then we were done~ Good stuff good stuff!! This was honestly a really fun level and I had a good time. Even left it through the actual portal :2 So it was a success! <3 Also I forget if I've mentioned it or not, but, the Green Druids, the ones that just move stuff around and laugh at you? I kinda like them. Yes they can be trolls, but most of the time they're harmless. They won't hurt you if you stand next to them, they'll just keep doing their things. And I, as not so good and skillful of a gamer, appreciate the lack of hostility. Thank you for just chilling~ Wizard Peak! Another level that was completely new to me and I hadn't really looked into it all that much. And right away I gotta say that this place is really pretty~ I love snowy wintery stuff, so that's an obvious yes from me. Also the music. Yessss, here's one of those iconic songs that truly say 'Spyro' when you hear it~ Overall I do like the level :2 Here we see more of them big purple gnorks, and also get slapped by them a few times - some of those rooms were Crowded, guys it's 'rona time, keep your distance. They're not bad though, just gotta work on that flame length. The wizards on the ledges are a bit of a taunt, since you can just barely not reach them, but sooner than later you figure that there will be some other way of getting to them And ah, Jarvis is right, this Is a very good spot to Super Charge. This spot is seriously like, perfect. The topside will pretty much always spawn a fodder for you to grab a butterfly from whenever you need one, so being hit is no problem at all! No stress in moving around and exploring. Moving onto the next bit with the super charge. Yo, they certainly bring you straight up on over to that one big jump that you'll have to eventually make. And that's an intimidating looking jump. You have this platform, at a distance, all on its own, and you know that you'll have to make your way over there, Somehow. But for now we're still going to just charge at these wizards, and then proceed to smack and hit that tough chest in one go~ First time babey! I Definitely wouldn't have expected that from the stress and trouble I was expecting for the super charges to cause me. I was feeling super proud :2 Alright, time for those distant platforms~ Successfully made it up there, and really, I knew from some past speedruns I've seen that there was going to be some gems hidden behind those walls, so I knew to look there on my own before hand. But what a genious move from the game developers to have that egg thief back there in the first distant platform~ You hear a sound, but where is it coming from? It's like right here but there's nothing? Bellow? Nah, but back here? Yes! Oh there's a hidden bit right here! Sneaky developers~~ It'd be really really cruel, but the egg thief is a good hint to the player that there's something they might be missing. It's unfortunate for deaf players, but other than that it's really smart! And because of this past encounter, you know to look onto the back at the other distant platform too :3 After all of that, all that was left was some gems at the start of the level on some narrow sides that were a little more stressful to get because we be walking on the edge, but it wasn't that bad and there was plenty of room to move. Also Yeet at thee wizards! As I'm looking at some playthrough to remember everything. I think that apparently both the wizards can be reached from those side paths. And now I'm like 'oh' because I definitely remember super charging and jumping on over to one of those higher platforms to kill one of the wizards xD I suppose I took the harder route on that,

but it's fine! Level 100% completed and we leave through the portal again as victors~ Beast Makers! Ah yes, we're kinda writing some extra here, but I did indeed finally enter the 4th world as I played last. I had the option of going here way back before because I had met the requirements for it a way back. But ay, we doing these in order so here we go! Firstly, doesn't seem anywhere near as dangerous or confusingly lengthy as Magic Crafters xD So that's a bonus. The aesthetic is definitely different, but it looks cool, I don't mind it in here. I Think I remember some older stuff being like, there was a black sky box here or such, and that made it look really eerie and kinda like a void or such. But ay, new graphics, new stuff, place was fine The Hogs though. Oh boy xD Jumping off that raft seemed to be hard enough, and now we have these enemy hogs just homing in on you after you've barely made it. Rude. Regardless though, a few things I remember from here. I took to entering every level that I found almost right away and then exiting them. This way I'd not get lost and lose sight of them and it'd be easy to enter them whenever. Yeah I had to treck through the first bit of the level several times over and over again, but overall I feel it was worth it. Reaching some of those distant small platforms via gliding from that temple was a little difficult as you might have guessed, but it wasn't frustrating. There's a sneaky 'well' in the level, I knew of it, even as I somewhat accidentally fell in it as I was checking out if it was the one well that wasn't filled with death, but all was well and good and the level was 100%ed sooner rather than later with no major problems and me figuring out the hogs relatively quickly and easily~ Not so scary anymore, you just have to have some reflexes And this is where we are at now in the games. Flight levels are still incomplete, but other than those everything up to Beast Makers Homeworld is cleared 100% and we're having fun and enjoying ourselves :2

#Spyro #Reima gaming and makin' some reviews I guess

0 notes

addicted-to-dc · 7 years

Text

Jason Todd/Red Hood X ArkhamKnight!Reader- Set Your Demons Free (Part 5)

Warning: Mentions of torture, descriptions of fighting, guns, swearing, etc.

Set Your Demons Free, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

The Cloudburst was finally released. The criminals affected by Crane’s toxin could be seen tearing each other apart on the streets. You had successfully completed one of the major parts of your plan, but you still had to be cautious. Poison Ivy was using her abilities to remove the toxin from the air, but you would do your worst to prevent Batman from winning.

Make him pay, (Y/N), make him pay for throwing your life away and ending Jason’s. Batman replaced you, tossing you aside to get the newer model!

You wouldn’t let him win, you wouldn’t let him ruin your life once again. Deathstroke had provided almost everything you needed to complete the rest of your plan, but what you needed right now was the drill. It was a very expensive piece of machinery, but it was necessary to deal with Batman. Swinging the keys around your finger as you walked towards the drill, you climbed into the cockpit and shut the door. Placing the keys in the ignition, you started the machine and located where the Batmobile was on your mask screen. It was simple really, Batman may think that he’s untouchable, untraceable, but you knew every little secret that he kept away from the rest of the villains that went up against him. Villain, you scoffed at the word. There were no heroes or villains in the world, there are differing points of view that are either rejected or accepted by society.

“Knight,” Crane said through a secured comm, “have you dealt with Batman’s current interest in plants?”

“I’m in the drill now,” you answered, halting the drill’s movement. “I have two minutes until Batman reaches the location.”

“Good,” he stated. “I will contact you when you are needed, Knight.”

“Knight out,” you said, ending the conversation.

Watching the red dot moving steadily towards your location, you gripped onto the controls and waited for him to arrive. As soon as the dot went past your position, you made the drill go up, breaking through the concrete.

“I did ask if it came in black, but then I thought, you’d just get all jealous. Plus, the paint job was a little over budget.” Flipping a few switches above you and activating the drills. “You didn’t think I was gone, did you? No, you knew better. You get knocked down, you pick yourself up again. See, I learned that from an old friend,” you spat, surging forward.

Batman quickly turned the Batmobile around, speeding away from you through the tunnel while avoiding road block and hitting construction signs. You continued to shred through them until the drill met with explosives, forcing you to stop. Grunting, you watched as rocks crumbled in front of you and blocked your vision. Screaming in frustration, you flipped and pressed numerous controls, not allowing yourself to be beaten.

“You can’t stop me! You’re going to die down here, forgotten,” you hissed, redirecting your vehicle until it drilled into the tunnel.

Surging forward when you saw the Batmobile, you tore through the rocks and concrete around you, “Stop running and fight me!” Shouting in frustration once again, you forced the vehicle to go forward, not giving Batman the chance to leave without losing something. “No way out,” you shouted, cornering him. “I did it, done what no one else could. All these years, all your enemies, but none of them understands you like I do. You think Crane found Oracle on his own? I’m the one who told him about Barbara. Me! I told you I knew everything about you, didn’t I? Don’t worry, Bruce, I kept some secrets to myself.”

You rushed the drill further into the corner, barely missing Batman as you crushed his precious Batmobile. Pulling back, you watched as the pieces scrambled onto the floor before leaving Batman to run like the coward he was. Next time, you thought, next time I’ll end you.

-----------------------------

Watching as Batman took down your men one by one, you waited silently for your final chance to end him. Gordon was the perfect bait, drawing Batman in like an insect to a light. Of course he would agree to do anything to save his daughter, even kill the man he had worked with for years. Just as your last man was defeated, you jumped down from the rafters, aiming your gun at Batman’s head.

“Turn around,” you ordered, watching as he backed away from Gordon, “now.”

“Who are you?” he asked, turning to face you.

“You really have no idea, do you, Bruce?” you questioned him, opening your mask to reveal your scarred face.

“(Y/N)? But…. you’re dead,” he stated, obviously shocked.

“What’s the matter? Lost for words? I expected more… I’m hurt,” you seethed, walking closer to him. “I thought coming back from the dead would be more dramatic.”

“Joker sent me the film…. I saw him kill you,” he claimed, making you scoff.

“Don’t you dare lie to me!” you screamed, “How long did it take you to kill Jason? How long did you wait before replacing us? A month? A week? I trusted you…. And you just left me to die!”

“That’s not what happened,” he insisted, not making a move to fight you yet.

“You always told me, Bruce… focus on what I want to achieve… and it’ll happen. Well, you want to know what I want now, huh?” you asked, shoving your gun against his chin. “I want you dead.”

Bruce headbutted your mask, making you stagger back. Growling, you pulled out your guns and fired. Looking around, you searched for him, but you knew he was hiding, waiting to take you down.

“You can’t hide from me! I will hunt you down!” you yelled, combining your two guns into a sniper and removed the shattered part of your helmet. “Five goddamn years I have waited, and now you’re going to pay!”

Pressing the switch, your helmet hid your face once again, but with a vibrant black mask. Grasping your grappling gun, you took a sniping position and searched for Bruce, ready to finally kill the man who did this to you.

“It was all about you, what Joker did. He ruined me to spite you!” you shouted, firing a few rounds in his direction. “Just because I was a pawn in your little game!”

When you lost him, he grappled up to you and grabbed your gun, “(Y/N), I can help you!”

Oh, look! There’s Batman now! Ha! I got you there, didn’t I. I told you, (Y/N), he’s not coming anytime soon. Think about that, let it stew inside you until you realize that your Batman used you until you were no longer needed.

“There’s no helping me!” you roared, firing the sniper and falling off of the ledge, disappearing into the next room under the smoke bomb you used.

Searching the new room, you watched cautiously as your men were taken down one by one. Growling, you were able to get a few shots on him before he disappeared once again.

“I was just a kid, grieving for the loss of my father!” you screamed, firing more times at him. “You turned me into a soldier, sent me to war!”

“Joker got to you!” Bruce shouted after he grappled in front of you, “I know what it’s like!”

You wouldn’t believe who I saw today! Good ol’ Batsy was prancing around with your replacement. He is an ugly one for sure, who shaves their head like that?

“Don’t pretend to understand!” you screamed, activating another smoke screen to escape into the next room. “You’re no hero. No savier. You failed me, and now you’re gonna fail Gotham the same way!”

Before you could shoot him, he grappled to your position once again, pushing the gun flat against your chest, “Stand down, (Y/H/N)!”

Since he hasn’t come here to save you yet, I’ve been thinking about this for so long. Just imagine it! The Joker and (Y/N) prancing around Gotham, causing so much discord and mayhem! I know, it still has to go through the editing process, but it’s a pretty good start!

“Don’t call me that! That’s not who I am!” you said while headbutting him, flipping over him and disappearing under another smokescreen. “I’m not afraid of you, Bruce. You’re not a legend to me!”

Without any warning, Bruce shot up to your position and knocked the gun from your hands. You went to punch him, but he beat you to it, forcing you against the wall. As you were recovering, he pushed you against it, tearing the Arkham symbol, your symbol, from your chest.

“You’re (Y/H/N), (Y/N). You’re not what he made you!”

Do you really think he cared for you? Nightwing was lucky to escape him, but you and Jason couldn’t. Well, Jason used the afterlife to escape him, and you’re with me now! You belong to me! Mine, mine, mine, mine!

You forced him away from you, “Stop! Stop talking to me!”

Tackling him off of the platform, you landed on your back, your helmet malfunctioning and covered in cracks. Bruce climbed over you, raising a fist, but hesitated. He stood up, taking a few steps away from you.

“You did this to me!” you wailed, barely able to push yourself off from the ground.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized.

“You left me to rot in that abandoned wing of Arkham… for over a year.. with him,” you whimpered and aimed your pistol at him, your finger itching to pull the trigger. “Endless physical and mental torture for over a year, and where were you?”

“It’s not too late, We can fix this…. Together,” Bruce stated, holding out him hand.

Letting the gun drop from your hand, you looked down, not able to accept his offer, “I can’t.” Tears fell from your eyes as he walked away, contacting Alfred.

“Alfred, it’s… I’ve found (Y/N).”

Looking up, you watched as Alfred appeared on the screen. He was the one who took you under his wing, the one who made you feel loved again. Unable to let him see you like this, you left. Once you ran out of the building, you grappled away, unable to stop the tears from falling. You failed, you failed doing the one task that had been the reason you were still alive, the reason why Joker tortured you. Knowing this, you couldn’t face Crane. He would kill you, make you experience the fears you tried to shove in the back of your head. Stumbling onto a building’s roof, you collapsed and tore your broken mask off, finally letting yourself cry after five years.

#Jason Todd #jason todd x reader #jason todd imagine #arkhamverse #arkham knight #arkham knight imagine #arkham knight x reader #DC comics #dc comics imagine #dc imagine #dc comics x reader

372 notes · View notes

castawxayaway · 7 years

Text

meant to be

I wrote this quite a while ago but did not like the end result, but rather than waste it I thought it’d be best to post it once I reflected over it. (now published merely because I didn’t have the heart to delete it and it annoyed me in my drafts)

to begin with I have tried something different, it is in third person and I haven’t tried it before so go easy on me. following that it is in dans pov- just to save any confusion!

There he was again, in the same place that he’d always sees her. Swinging out of sync he is too afraid to speak up and instead they continue to swing listening to the squeaks from the rusty chains. How badly they need oiling, he thinks despite it all being an illusion. Turning his head he focus on her whilst she keeps her head straight on, but tucks the loose strands back behind her ear marginally exposing the face he wishes to meet.

Opening his mouth to speak to her as he always tries to she stands up and begins to walk up the grass path towards the stars that shine too bright. Trying to force himself off of the swing there’s always something pulling him down; it’s as if the seat is made of cement and his hands melt into the chains. His eyes widen as he tries to call for her, yet no noise follows. She turns her head, for once facing him and all he can do is focus on those eyes, her freckles that sprinkle her face but more on the tears that stain her face.

Her face turns as she looks around at the empty park, admiring the abandoned laughter that lies in the swings and the zip line. With a few apprehensive steps she walks towards the zip line, perching on the edge of the stand glancing straight at him with a blank expression. “Where are you?” His mind begins to whir as she speaks, her voice echoing around the two of them despite the distance between them. Tilting her head to the side he feels a shiver down his spine, still clung to the swing as his legs move sporadically.

“I’m, I’m right here.” In desperation he calls out as she stares right at him, clearly unaware of his presence. “Do you know where you are?” All he can think about is the need to help her, to hold her in his arms as he has reflected over for every night these past two months.

Two months ago was when they started, the dreams. His mates told him it was nothing, some fantasy due to his isolation and lack of relationship. On the first night he sat in the swing and she walked over to him, he’d never thought she would’ve had such an impact on his life but she did. At first she appeared ghostly, placing her soft hand against his cheek felt too real. The more he tried to explain it to his friends the more they laughed and shunned him down, told him to just go out for a few weeks. Yet despite how much he tried, it wasn’t possible. Wherever he went, no matter how often he tried to stay awake she was there. The perplexed sweet expression that he could not avoid, but as he turned around to see her she was never there.

Her alluring eyes held all the possibilities and optimism that he’d wished for, the smile of innocence under the evening sky. The way she held herself around him, the simple floaty dress as if she had costumed based on a cloud that made her angelic, less ghostly. His sparkling blue eyes glimmer with hope as she jumps down from the ledge, nearing him once again. “Why are we here?” She asks lightly, taking slow steps.

Attempting to understand it all his eyes blur, his heart beating too fast against his chest. He shuts his eyes tightly, telling himself to wake up. “I wish I knew.” He sighs in response, but he can smell the daisies on her, the ones intertwined in her hair. “Who are you?”

Now she stands before him, every detail about her clear to register as his eyes scan hers. The bright optimism amongst the opaque form and sad smile. Lifting her ghostly hand up she places it on his cheek and all he can ponder over is how real it feels. “I’m the one you’ve been waiting for.” She cooed, pushing his hair back into the rest of the mess.

Blinking his vision shifts between focus and distortion, “When will I find you?” His breathing becomes more rapid, suppressed.

Pulling her hand away she takes small steps backward, her eyes still locked on his. “It’s too late.” She cries to him as he continues to fight the chains that hold him still, his vision struggling to be maintained. “Goodbye, Dan.” Her form continues to fade as he protests, his vision failing him until everything becomes black.

Sitting upright my breathing remains heavy, my shirt clinging to my chest with all its might. Glancing around the orange hue glides through the blinds covering my window, greeting me with slight warmth and opportunity. I reach for my phone, my hands still shaking and clammy from the dream that my mind is slowly considering to be a nightmare. With every blink I see her, a snippet of her state, the heavy look of misery and being lost. My need to find her, speak to her increasing with every night she greets me with that ghostly form she has yet to explain.

“It happened again.” I explain down the quiet line receiving a half hearted groan in response. “I, I know we aren’t booked until Tuesday but I really need to talk now.” Fidgeting I pick at the skin around my nails, a distraction from my shaking. “Look it is only getting worse, a lot more vivid. I just, I” Sighing I run out of words, my reasons are the same every time now.

She mumbles something incoherent down the line. “Dan, it’s five in the morning. Be at my office at seven twenty, I can see you for a half hour before my clients arrive.” With the blunt statement she refuses to listen to my gratitude as I am left with an empty line, only hearing my heavy breaths instead.

Getting out of the top that refuses to part with me the memories linger like the sweat does to my skin. All I can hear is her angelic voice echo in the peace of my room, the buildup of pressure in my ears from her laughter turning to screams. With some force I push the blinds back, exposing myself to the morning light. It feels as if the blended orange into the low blues and pastel pinks burn into my soul, I can feel them inside of me working away at replenishing my heart, healing the pain it goes through with every nights sleep.

Pulling at my hair I head down the stairs, phone in hand as it continues to ping, bleep and make various noises from strangers attempts of grabbing a hold of my attention. Of late I spend my evenings scrolling through different social media platforms trying to grasp onto someone who looks like her, but no one ever does. She is never found, she is my mystery. The one I fear is never meant to be solved.

As I near her office with every glance at my reflection I see her following, walking alongside me. Yet whenever I turn my head I’m alone, she is the ghost that haunts my dreams and lurks in my reality. Around me life picks up, the early morning bringing out those in a hurry to hide in their own shame amongst those who wish to be exposed to life as opposed to cowering away from it. In my mind she is the one who wishes to be exposed, sometimes I can picture the two of us in the dead of night, driving around aimlessly but living in the moment. Of late I live somewhere else, in this unknown park with childrens paintings on a brick wall where it is one continuous field of grass spotted with swings, zip lines, climbing frames, see saws. Everything is so pristine yet old, slowly rusting with each dream.

Standing outside of her office my foot continues to tap until she arrives, her heels clicking against the marble flooring. “Hi Dan, come on in.” Before she used to be upbeat, but now I am becoming more of a burden to her which I know and so does she.

We go through the dream, each time her length of notes and the rushing of her pen increases with concern mixed with curiosity. I feel like a mouse in an experiment, being closely observed except I am not forced here, the only reason I come is to find her. She goes through the usual questions and I provide the same responses, how life is becoming harder to seperate from the dream, that I do not know of this place where we exist. That with each passing day I feel closer to her yet I’ve never felt so far away.

Leaving her office I’m left with the same hole in my chest, the one that is unfulfilled as neither of us are any closer to figuring it out. “I’ll be in touch Dan, if I find anything.” She speaks up as I shut the door behind me.

The city is in full business now, lights are on as the street lamps fade. People with purpose stride by whilst those who lack need wither into the background. My eyes remain down, focusing on my footing rather than observing the variety of life before me. I feel a few knocks, some more forceful due to the rush than others.

One knock sends me back, I trip over my own feet but I don’t fall. Immediately someone places a hand on my arm, a small spark spreads through me, I can feel the hole closing. Lifting my head up my mouth goes dry as her eyes go wide, staring back at me. “I, I’m so sorry! I wasn’t looking where I was going and my friend is waiting for me and are you hurt?” She rambles on but I zone out of it all, it’s her.

“Do you, do you know me?” I ask sincerely as a small smile begins to form on my face, but her face only becomes more perplexed.

She glances around us, everyone continuing but it feels slower. Everyone moves but in a slow blur, allowing me to focus solely on her. “I, I don’t. Should I?” The hole in my soul becomes bigger, the moment I’ve been waiting months for only to find she doesn’t know me.

Releasing her arm from me she backs away cautiously. “I’m sorry, I must have the wrong person.” I mutter and walk away without another word. Tears fill my eyes as I walk, vision blurring along the streets as all I can hear is her confusion. I expected something, I thought she’d feel it too.

As I reach the corner I dial the number, “I found her.” I choke back a sob as I hear him sigh.

“Don’t tell me you scared her off?” Kyle retorts and I shake my head, pushing my hair back.

With the cuff of my jacket I wipe my face forcefully, keeping my head low. “She didn’t know me. She hasn’t a clue who I am Kyle. I, I don’t know what to do.” I lean against the wall, a mixture of fury and sadness lurking through me.

“I’m afraid you can’t do anything mate, there will be someone out there. She just isn’t the one.” Accepting his statement I go about my day, wallowing back home and wanting nothing but to sleep, to face her.

Lying down my face has become raw from the forceful fabric I have wiped across it too many times. I didn’t want to cry over her, she wasn’t worth it despite everything. All I wanted was to experience her love, to actually meet her and after all this time, it was just an illusion.

Closing my eyes they open again, the park around us has turned to rubble, the grass entirely dead beneath my feet. Searching the area around me I see her, sat on the top of the small hill with her hair flowing behind her. Except she no longer wears the angelic dress, the smell of daisies has passed and is replaced by cruelty.

She turns to face me, a sickening smile plastered across her face. Her eyes no longer hold optimism, instead they turn dark and deadly. “Where are we, Dan?” The voice is not hers, it is too afraid to fit her form. “Why can’t I see you?” She continues to cry towards me as I near the hill, taking hesitant steps up, enticed by her words.

Standing before her she blinks, her eyes turning back to what triggered my heart. “What, what is going on?” I bluntly ask as she stands up, her hand reaching towards my face which I bat away.

“Why, we’re playing a game.” She giggles and my heart plummets. Moving away from me she wanders by what would’ve once been the children's paintings, now only snippets of the bright colours are still etched. “It is me vs your mind. You are letting your mind win too often, and because of this you lost me.” Glancing down to her left arm it begins to fade.

Confused I walk towards her, my eyes turning hard. “I don’t understand you. Why is this happening.” Gripping onto her right arm she shakes her head, a smile forming on her face again. “Why me.” I sigh.

“We were simply not meant to be. And this is your mind’s way of showing you what could’ve been if you took the chance to.” Behind her someone appears, a broad man with blonde hair.

He takes her arm from me, she willingly walks away with him as I stand still, something preventing me from moving. “Goodbye Dan, do not let her fall out of your grasp.” Her whisper wraps around my ears as I fall to my knees.

Shutting my eyes as they open I’m in bed with something pressing against me. Blinking rapidly she lies fast asleep by my side, a small smile on her face. “This isn’t real, it’s all a dream.” I clutch my head and try to make sense of it, it feels too real. Why won’t it end?

“Mmmh.” She stretches out against me, her eyes lazily opening. “Mornin’“ Yawning as she speaks she reaches up and kisses my neck, moving up to my mouth. It feels too real. “Don’t worry Dan, I won’t let you lose next time.”

#idek what this was #erm #like ????#it got weird #and then I got confused #but its here anyway #enjoy?#either way its up and its something #that i spent a while on #too much time on i think hence why i got confused #bastille #bastille dan #bastille writing #bastille imagines #bastille imagine #dan smith imagine #bastille au

10 notes · View notes

changspain · 7 years

Text

The Abandoned House

We drove back through St. Llorenc de Montaigne and soon came across a small road heading up into the hills. We were rapidly losing light and were still recovering from our combined lack of sleep and needed a camp quick. I remembered seeing a small dirt road heading into the hills on the outskits of the village, near a bridge. We parked up at the edge of the track and decided to scout it out. I ran on ahead to see if it was going to be suitable, about 400m up the road I hadn’t found anything but the road itself, although arid and wild, was very driveable so knew if I came across somewhere habitable the car could be parked up close by and therefore secure. Another 200 sweaty meters and I found a slate ledge that extended over the road and was home to a range of dead trees and other fauna. I clambered up and found a large flat, seemingly isolated campsite. There was a ring of charred rocks ahead of me as well as piles of firewood – if it was good enough for someone else it was good enough for us. I ran back, appalled by my own lack of fitness, and found JUGB coming up to meet me, presumably to ensure I wasn’t trapped in some kind of ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ scenario. Back at the car, I told the others about our possible site and was met with a wave of approval but it was so late and we were so desperate I could have offered them a porta-loo turned on its side and they would have treated me like a prophet of a paradisiacal land. I timidly drove our space shuttle up the dirt track, trying my best to avoid large potholes or boulders, I felt guilty about forcing an already stressed futuristic hatchback up the grubby road but I also resented what Interrent had done to me and the Seat was merely a manifestation of their bureaucratic sinfulness.

I parked up next to the ledge that was home to my advertised hot property and began talking them through the campsite’s pros and cons like a post-apocalyptic estate agent. We heaved all our luggage up the ledge, including a fabric red suitcase that was designed for a weekend trip to Monaco, not to be thrown onto a dusty patch of rubble with disgust, by virtue of its weight. I always found it surreal whenever I opened it to find it full of roll mats, sleeping bags and fishing gear but to be fair to the trusty red suitcase it had been through hell and come out the other side to tell the tale even if it did have the air of an upstart French model, especially when compared to the other major bag on the trip - JUGB’s khaki army rucksack. We unloaded the suitcases and rucksacks and quickly set up the tents as JUGB assembled our dinner of pasta and tomato sauce. I demanded that, that night’s sleeping arrangements were to be different due to my moist nightmare at 5am earlier that morning so we set up my tent as a place for the bags and I would then share JUGB’s tent.

In this natural lull, I had time to fully take in my surroundings. Our particular perch was jutting out into a deep gorge that had an even more beaten up dirt road running through it, in place of a river. On the other side of the gorge a steep limestone rock rose above us like a tsunami of red stone, carrying trees and wildlife in its wave. Then behind that, directly ahead of us, more tumultuous peaks and troughs of limestone. The higher the cliffs rose the more inundated they were with deep green pines. The sun had set and a particularly sharp mountain occupied the zenith of the sky. Behind us, deeper into the valley lay a field of wheat that had recently been harvested. The road we had taken to get to our campsite continued round our raised platform then further into the hills that lay beyond. Seamus had seen an abandoned house further up the hill when we had come in so me, Luke, Seamus and Ivy headed off to explore whilst JUGB was left crossed legged, staring at some pasta sat in tepid water.

As we approached the house it began to loom out of the undergrowth, as if being released from the bracken. The walls were faded by the glaring sun and its windows had been broken long before we arrived. However, the window frames still contained the once expensive, custom wooden shutters and the mahogany varnish upon them hadn’t worn compared to the rest of the house. The house was blinded and wearied but still very much structurally intact, whatever had made the people within abandon it, it wasn’t architectural. It had also clearly been abandoned rapidly, the plants in the garden still stubbornly grew boldly before the kitchen area and there had been no attempt to rip down the fencing surrounding the property. An old beech tree, out of place in the arid environment, gazed over the forlorn scene, almost mocking humanity’s impermanence and weakness in the face of nature. The fauna had prospered whilst the clay and glass had grown old. There were multiple outhouses, that again, were in almost perfect condition and a mere lick of paint with some minor renovation would restore the home to its former glory. Whenever this glory had been, the house would have been without doubt home to an affluent family, or perhaps it had served as a holiday home for other wealthy Europeans. It was an eerie place, I had the distinct feeling that we were not welcome, neither the memories of the house, nor the now omnipotent plants wanted us there. We were exploring something that was to be no longer explored and the dichotomy between human lifelessness but natural prosperity made me feel uneasy. Obviously, when approaching a house in the woods your mind falls back to horror films, I personally thought about The Blair Witch Project, but the unease was more primal – the absolute silence apart from our own footsteps did not give rise to any jump scare only dread.

Seamus appeared un-phased by any similar feelings he was experiencing and boldly strode into the house to uncover the secrets within. I didn’t mind and simply thought that he would die first in our own personal horror film. Me and Luke hung back and took pictures, attempting to capture the atmosphere of the place. Next to the first outhouse was a modern, grey train track running maybe 10 meters behind the house. I inspected the rocks used to form the line and they had not been blackened by use yet so I assumed the line was recently built. The train track was my first, and probably most legitimate, theory as to why the house had been abandoned. This revelation transformed the narrative of the house, now it seemed industrial demands had destroyed social luxury. The other hypothesis I had been turning over in my mind was that the house had actually never been finished, that Spain’s deep lying economic issues post-banking crisis had caused the investors funds to dry up. The final, more romantic reason for abandonment was that it was something much more nefarious or sinister. As I weighed up the pros and cons for each of these theories Seamus and Ivy called out saying they had found some burnt clothes – suddenly one of the theories gained a lot more evidence. We had been away about 20 minutes and dinner was definitely well on its way so we headed back. The burnt clothes remained a mystery, as did the house, but strangely I never really thought about it whilst at our camp.

0 notes