#more magnus armor body horror

[offscreenblogs]

And well, here it is. for photography i decided to experiment with a desk lamp for lighting. personally, i don't think it's perfect but for getting the model in the lens for full body shots, it does it's job well. This model took about 3 weeks to the day to paint with several liberties taken in terms of painting it (I.E diverging from the intended colour scheme by GW in favour of a more Great-crusade magnus colour scheme for the Armor.) I don't want to get into all the colours i used to make it but the most common colours i had to use were the following: Ahkellion green, Ahriman/baharoth/thousand sons/talassar blue, Wazdaka red, pink horror, retributer Armor, Guillemin flesh and finally, skeleton horde. The only bad thing I can say that happened was breaking the staff then going through the process of acquiring a drill and paper clip and super gluing it back together. So yeah thats about it, my Biggest model to date that I've had to paint and build from the ground up. this also means that my thousand sons collection is finally complete and now, i feel my army could stand a chance in more 2k game oriented environments. i might even choose to take part in some tournaments idk. but in any case, im glad that 2 years of model painting has finally led to this, something that I never thought I'd get the chance to paint especially as it's my 2nd favourite traitor primarch and 3rd favourite primarch period. it may not be accurate but it's the way I wanted it to look and to me, that's all i could ever want from this. Anyways, hope you've all enjoyed this series. I don't know if I'll ever do something like this again (i hope not, my wallets already been through enough as is) but who knows. thank you all for watching and liking. I'll see you when i've got another model on the brain! :)

#warhammer 40k #art #miniature painting #miniature #thousand sons #warhammer #magnus did nothing wrong #magnus the red #oops looks like you decks weak to hand traps asshole LET-ME-IN!! #40k thousand sons #daemon primarch #primarch

[withered-tears]

Somedays, Minimus forgets himself. Forgets his name is not actually Ultra Magnus, forgets this is not his body, but just a suit of armor.

To be fair, that's what the armor is designed for. To be, in all aspects, a functional cybertronian body.

So yes, somedays Minimus forgets himself.

But somedays... somedays Minimus feels so, so disconnected from the armor.

It feels heavy, heavier than its supposed to be. There's almost a sort of lag, when moving his limbs.

His arms, his hands, take just a microsecond too long to react, almost as if they wanted to move in a different direction all together.

It's bothersome, but easy to ignore.

But on the worst days... on the worsts days the armor feels crowded.

On those days Minimus can barely bear putting on the armor.

On those days, it doesn't feel like he's piloting a suit anymore.

It feels like he's trapped in a corpse.

With a dozen more cybertronians trapped alongside him.

---

@decepti-thots your poll inspired me to write this

Jgskgzkgdoy

Basically imagine a horror au where the armor is haunted by all the previous users.

#transformers #minimus ambus #ultra magnus #my writing #one shot

[heliopauseentertainments]

Self-Rec Tag Game

I was tagged by @decepticonsuggestionbox

Rules: Share five of your works (art, writing, etc.). Then tag five people to share the things they made.

1. Something you absolutely adore.

2. Something that was challenging to create.

3. Something that makes you laugh (or smile).

4. Something that suprised you (in how it turned, in how much people liked it, etc.)

5. Something you want other people to see.

An Unintentional Voyage - A short MegaRatch novel loosely-based on the broader G1 setting where Megatron and Ratchet, through acts of stupidity and chance, are isolated in deep space on a shitty space shuttle. They have to work together to slowly make their way back to known space. It explores their personalities, how they relate to people broadly, how they relate to each other, and how they approach problem-solving and cooperation, all while exploring alien worlds and the challenges of being cooped up in the Cybertronian equivalent of a souped up Volkswagen bus. I absolutely adore this. It's the second fic novel I started, but the first I finished (because it's only 44k words). There isn't much MegaRatch content out there to start with and this one started as a challenge prompt, loosely inspired by The Way Forward by KottonKat, which you should also read.

2. Reforged - This is a very long MegaRod novel, inserted into the IDW1 MTMTE/LL timeline during the tiny "victory lap." It contains canon blending features and draws from various continuities for some of the lore.

While the A plot focuses on a very slowburn romance, the B plot focuses on unraveling a religious conspiracy and what it means to process guilt, all while expanding on and exploring Caminus as a setting, which did not get much canon development. It also contains Prowl painfully growing a conscience.

This one was difficult. Two years of "difficult." It was hard to juggle plot threads and keep a consistent narrative with appropriate pacing because I did not expect it to take this much space to develop this particular story.

But I'm glad I did it. I really enjoy the final result, despite the two major style changes that occurred in the course of writing it. The first 11 or so chapters even got full rewrites partway through to make the style changes less jarring. I'm proud of it.

3. Courtship Dances - A short quintuple TaraProwl drabble based on the mating dances of peacock spiders. This one cracks me up every time I look at it. It's just fucking ridiculous and I love for that. Read it and have a chuckle at Prowl suffering.

4. A Thousand Years - I made this as a one-off for MegOp Week one year. That year, I challenged myself to do a different continuity each day and I find TFP (and Aligned in general) pretty difficult to write for.

I was really surprised how much people really enjoyed it and apparently continue to enjoy it. It only just now got kicked off my "top 5 most hits" graph. I thought of it as a fun challenge, but then more than one person told me it was one of their comfort fics. That's insanely flattering! And a good reminder that you never know who is going to love your creations.

5. The Hollow Man - I wrote this horror novella at a fever-like pace in under a month like a lunatic. It addresses the implications of "what if the Magnus armor is Ultra Magnus's original body and what if that body is haunted?"

Readers inform me that it is spooky and unsettling.

I love it and want everyone to see it. I want to do more horror pieces and this one was so fun. It's one of the few pieces of my own writing that I actually go back and re-read for the pleasure of it.

It was inspired by headcanons from @tangentially-displaced & @decepti-thots

Tagging: (I'm trying to tag this time, please ignore if you do not wish to participate) @starvonnie, @bitegore, @tarklesbehindthescenes, @dramamelon, @weapon-up-wallflower

#admin post #long post #fic AUV #fic hollow #fic reforged

[house-of-mirrors]

can you spare some Wines headcanons?

I interpret each of the Masters as symbolic of one of the ills of the Victorian Age. Fires is industrialism, Veils is political corruption, Pages is obviously censorship. Wines represents the corruption of the leisure class. Perched on its throne with all its riches and luxuries while the majority of the population go without, throwing parties while entire countries starve. It embodies every empty promise of the Gilded Age. An era that promised fortune and excess to people when they had "earned" it with no intention of ever delivering, promises that were worth nothing more than golden paint.

The real horror is never the monsters, but the 19th century. But anyway, that's enough of period-typical existential suffering! Onto more fun things!

Simply being around Wines lowers your inhibitions. You're more inclined to forget about whatever work or trouble you had and want to relax and join the party. Being near Wines especially makes you want to drink much more than you usually would. Major Dionysus vibes.

But we know the friendly appearance is all a façade. Wines, similarly to Pages, is one of the most dangerous masters because it doesn't look like one of the most dangerous. Under the "approachable" surface is ruthlessness and callousness. Wines has quite the temper that we only see the surface of in situations like "Totentanz" and "Fading to a Coda." It's very old and very patient, and its antagonist is in steep danger when it decides to act in retribution. Then again, a threat is like a promise and Wines is notoriously bad at keeping those. Yes this is an explanation for the player's plot armor. Please game I just want acknowledgement for players who dedicate themselves to ruining the Masters' entire careers at every opportunity. Like, why would Wines willingly accept a drink from my Nemesis PC at Station VIII? Lmao.

For physical appearance, we have text describing Wines as one of the bulkier masters, which makes sense given it represents plenty and indulgence. We're all entitled to have our own headcanons for fan content, especially with a text based game that gives little solid descriptions of appearances, but it does irk me a bit when people draw the Masters thin, especially Wines. Different Body Types Exist, and like, the Masters are from a cold environment, they're gonna be dense and fluffy.

Spoilers for the Exceptional Stories "Cricket, Anyone?" and "Adornment" under the cut

"Cricket, Anyone?" leads me to firmly believe that Wines used to be a Judgement before it was deposed. "A cosmic monarch." Don't know if you ever were into The Magnus Archives, but I'm still a slut for the Vast. There is just something about space that my aroace mind has always been attracted to, for lack of a better word. Imagine sitting across from a being that used to be a star. Someone who existed before your solar system. Someone who may once have forged in its heart the iron that flows through your veins and gives you life. The attention of something billions of years old, something unfathomable, focused entirely on you.

I'll pause it there before we go too deep down that rabbit hole. I'm planning to write a fic about Wines once I muster up the constitution and will be exploring these thoughts in more detail.

Finally, a headcanon that I just find funny. In "Adornment," Stones refers to itself as "the merchant prince," and in "Cricket, Anyone?" Wines refers to itself as "the merchant king." This leads me to headcanon that Wines was the Judgement that Stones was imprisoned by. Just imagine you used to be a CEO before getting caught for fraud, and now the only job you can get is for a shady publishing company, and on your first day of work you find out that one of your fellow board members used to work for you and you fired them for embezzlement. Isn't that the most hilarious situation. The Bazaar is space's most tragic circus and the Masters are its biggest of clowns.

#thanks for the ask #fallen london #wines is terrible and i love to torment it so so much #but also i'm a little bit gay for space #don't even look at me when i finally post that fic #fl spoilers #es spoilers #headcanons

[anxietytwist]

𝐌𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐦 “𝐌𝐚𝐞”

𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝟎𝟎𝟐

ᴀɢᴇ➨ [𝚁𝙴𝙳𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝙳] ʜᴇɪɢʜᴛ➨ 𝟽'𝟸" (since they wear combat boots they typically stand at ≈𝟽'𝟻") ʙᴏᴅʏ ᴛʏᴘᴇ➨ 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 & 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘺 ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ➨ Nonbinary (They/Them) ᴏʀɪᴇɴᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ➨ Greyromantic Demisexual (it's really JUST 𝐀𝐫𝐢)

💗ᴍ!𝐀𝐫𝐢

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Fashion:

“𝘉𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭” (Even off-duty, 𝐌𝐚𝐞 wears their mask)

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Current Arm:

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Apartment:

» Located on the top floor » NO trophy room (they don't see the point of collecting war baubles) » Calming dark & pastel colours/tones » King-sized bed (only 𝟷 side used ... for now) » Lots of fake plants 🪴 » Decorated with a large couch with fuzzy blankets & multiple plushie animals (AKA. “sensory heaven” apartment)

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Notes:

ᴇᴀʀʟʏ ᴄᴀʀᴇᴇʀ➨ “𝘌𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘜𝘌𝘎 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘭 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 ... 𝘈 𝘴𝘯𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘯𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵.” ᴍᴏᴛɪᴠᴇ➨ “𝘎𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴” ꜱᴜɪᴛ➨ Terror Armor (practical design)* ᴍᴀꜱᴋ➨ Inhuman; sharp & angular* ᴡᴇᴀᴘᴏɴ➨ Custom Energy Rifle

😑 “strangers” | 😌 “friends” | 🤗 “family”

Both 𝐌𝐚𝐞'𝐬 suit & mask are 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 (enemy combatants find it especially intimidating when blood slowly stains it red during combat) ***may change once the new armours are fully available***

They gladly took over the weapon training of the younger 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 (they were absolutely crushed when they had to later eliminate said “students” 🥲)

𝐌𝐚𝐞 tends to put themselves in the direct line of fire when protecting others, often functioning as a literal body shield (they don't care much for their personal safety due to survivor's guilt & self-loathing 😓)

Their hair comes down to 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴, & more often than not is 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘶𝘱; it's texture is coarse

𝐌𝐚𝐞 rarely takes off their mask; only doing so when they're with someone they know they can trust, they're completely alone in their apartment, or when it's demanded of them by a superior (it's their barrier against the outside world & they feel naked without it)

Their pet name for 𝐀𝐫𝐢 is “𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆” (which is quite fitting since he makes them lovesick) 🥰

When it comes to their “remaining” siblings they're closest with 𝟶𝟶𝟿/𝐌𝐚𝐱 & 𝟶𝟷𝟹/𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐡 (+ 𝐀𝐫𝐢 of course, but their relationship is based on “romantic” love), they view them as true members of their chosen family (even back when they were all still children)

They're SO tired of war; they never enjoyed fighting to begin with (sadly the only way they'll finally be free, especially from the pointless conflicts of others, is when they're long dead 🪦)

Without their mask on 𝐌𝐚𝐞'𝐬 naturally high-pitch, gentle voice can be heard (the mask distorts it into a dark mechanical growl ... another reason why they prefer to wear their mask)

Their method of dispatching 𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 was to “𝘋𝘳𝘰𝘱 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘥, 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.”, they wanted him to feel hopeless knowing there was NO chance he'd survive 🥶 (much like the children whose lives he destroyed)

𝐌𝐚𝐞 has always been fond of children, even if most find them to be scary-looking (if it were possible they'd love to be a parent, in the future)

Despite his “betrayal”, they know the moment they see 𝐀𝐫𝐢 again everything will be forgiven: it's impossible for them to picture a future without him in it, no matter what he's done or will do 🥺 (*cough* codependency *cough*)

...

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𝐼𝐹: @theoperativeif

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Picrew used:

#The Operative #The Operative IF #The Operative-if #if: The Operative #The Operative: Fires of Revolution #The Operative: Fires of Revolution IF #The Operative: Fires of Revolution-if #if: The Operative: Fires of Revolution #CYOA #IF #interactive fiction game #interactive fiction #The Operative MC #The Operative OC #The Operative PC #The Operative 002 #Operative 002 #IF OCs #character profile #***EDITING

[ordinarylawnmower]

have a nye comic that’s about 3 weeks late. happy new year

#transformers #mtmte #rodimus #megatron #ratchet #drift #Minimus Ambus #more magnus armor body horror #sorry

[my-writings-and-musings]

MTMTE Headcannon Prompt

Enemy forces hack the Lost Light and deactivate the atmospheric controls, leading to a slow loss of oxygen in the hopes the damage to the ship's "pet" will give them an edge. While the rest of the crew struggles to fight off their attackers and restore these critical systems, the bot(s) you've come to love stays by your side as a guard while begging you to remain conscious, growing ever more panicked as you begin to fade... Until you're saved just in time, and then they're left grappling with the fact they nearly lost you.

(A lot more dramatic than my first prompt certainly, and way more involved so I can only do two bots per post... But I'll get to them all!)

Part One: You're Here!

Part Two: Here!

Part Three: Here!

Part Four: Here!

Part Five: Here!

Part Six: Here!

Part Seven: Here!

Part Eight: Here!

Part Nine: Here!

Part Ten: Here!

Part Eleven: Here!

Part Twelve: Here!

Rodimus

·You're chilling on the mess of blankets he uses as extra insulation in the berth, debating which movie you'll watch with him when he returns, when the ship gives a rumble. At the lack of emergency signals that follow, you assume something has just bumped against the shields, which happens so frequently you only shrug.

·Elsewhere on the bridge, Rodimus receives a taunting message from the enemy ambush, bragging about how impossibly easy it was to crash key programs on the Lost Light, like the air filtration system... which will make things awfully difficult for his pet as oxygen has started to leak. He goes from aggressive bantering to obvious horror, putting the pieces together just as a loud series of distant rumblings marks the deactivation of the filters providing the oxygen you need to survive.

·For once his commanding officers all know what to expect in unison, allowing them to take over the bridge when he abandons it in a desperate rush to your location, his pounding pedes leaving tire marks in his wake as he stumbles into a frantic transformation to cross the distance as fast possible.

·Unable to reach you on any channel, he loses all focus of his surroundings before skidding to a tumbling halt before your shared quarters, calling out your name and activating his scanner as he registers dangerously low and still dropping oxygen levels across the ship.

·You're unaware of anything amiss as you continue to relax, but that's mostly due to a growing fog of confusion settling over your thoughts and senses. It's so dense that it has already made you incapable of noticing that the air is unusually stale, and your befuddlement only grows when he barges in like the place is burning down, moreso than usual.

·Scooping you into his arms, his relief at seeing you alive and conscious turns to terror when he realizes you've already begun to suffer the effects, as your bleary smile and dizzy demeanor make clear. He doesn't need to be a human doctor to know you're already in a bad way.

·Just as he is halfway through an explanation you barely understand, he receives a communication through restored channels from the other commanding officers warning that the ship has been boarded by enemy forces, at which point he resolutely declares that nothing will reach you so long as his spark has so much as a flicker left. In your inability to grasp the danger his steadfast vigilance is heartwarming.

·A defensive unit is posted outside for your safety, but as the battle rages through the ship and oxygen levels continue to fall, he stops focusing on the invasion. Instead he cradles you and encourages you to be still and quiet while he tries to keep up a one sided conversation to keep you distracted, knowing that what oxygen remains must be rationed.

·For the first time in his life he can't fake a smile no matter how badly he tries, the sight of your increasingly strained breaths and fading eyes drawing tears to his optics and eventually forcing him to his knees as his meandering words turn to soft pleading, his voice cracking as he alternates between begging you to stay with him and apologizing for being unable to save you.

·As you hover over a warm blackness you're far too disoriented to be as afraid as you should be, and instead you offer comfort at the sight of the bot you've come to adore so readily, murmuring your love even as he gently shushes you and tears begin to fall down his face without reservation.

·Though the battle turns in favor of the crew and the room you're in is spared attack, the atmospheric systems remain inoperable for what he knows is too long, and the ticking seconds match the fluttering of your eyes as they try not to shut.

·You know he wants you awake, but you're so incredibly tired and he's so impossibly comfortable, why can't he just let you have a nap? It's not like you won't be able to see each other after, so why does he look so sad? You wish you could tell him not to be sad.

·When you inevitably slip into unconsciousness he's beside himself, panicking but doing everything he can to gently wake you up, tenderly rubbing his thumb over your cheek to encourage you to stir. The crushing grief just beginning to take hold is so great he actually doesn't notice he has a message until it forces itself through.

·He's barely able to recollect the conversation he has with Ratchet, save the order to get you to the medical bay, where they've restored just enough functionality to produce oxygen on a one human scale. The bots who saw him running afterwards said there was little more visible than a fiery blur with you in his arms.

·Cybertronian engineering combined with carefully studied earth medicine provides you with the air you need just in time, dredging you up slowly from deep unconsciousness to the sterile taste of a ventilation mask over your face. Your discomfort mattered precious little when you behold Rodimus at your side, servo cupping your body as his face still shines with tears.

·It takes moments for him to break when you're left alone together, his shoulders shaking as the helplessness continues to haunt him, and his apologies blend together in an endless tangle of self depreciation.

·As you've come to do when he's overwhelmed, you encourage him to come closer, hugging his helm to your smaller body as if he's laying it in your lap. The oxygen mask limits you, but you don't let it stop your quiet shushes as you stroke his crests. ·Without delay you slow his tears, reassuring him that everything is well until exhaustion claims him and he falls asleep at your bedside.

·The experience doesn't leave him for some time. Both in public and in private you catch him paying close attention to you, and you know he's double checking your breathing, still worrying that such a simple thing could steal you away so quickly.

· Finally, you take him aside and pull his hand to your chest, indicating the rythym of your body and how you know it better than anyone. If he can't trust the world, then he should at least trust you, and with that newfound perspective he starts to heal as well. Because he trusts you more than anything.

Magnus/Minimus

·You're in the berthroom the two of you share, distracted by preparations for what you hope will be a simple but relaxing night in. In the well protected room it's impossible to hear much going on outside, especially with you focused so intently on making everything just the way he likes it.

·He's in his office and armor completely focused on some important paperwork when he receives an urgent warning; they're being boarded, and the attackers have already managed to offline several key atmospheric regulators and security systems. The thought initially only spurs him to begin defensive measures, but the moment he sees that oxygen levels are starting to drop, protocol ceases to exist.

·In battle he's always been a foe to be reckoned with, but now he's like a force of nature barreling through the ship, and the single unit of enemies that tries to confront him becomes little more than scattered body parts before they can let off a single shot. His fury is so overwhelming even his allies flinch when he tears past them to reach your shared quarters. He can't contact you by communicator, and he's uncertain if it's due to downed channels, or something he can't bring himself to consider.

·The door stands little hope when he tears it open in rage that's quickly evolving into panic, shouting your name as a flood of terrifying possibilities torture him with all the ways you could already be suffering. He has no idea how much or how little oxygen you need, and for all he knows the deprivation is already killing you, making you suffer...

·It takes all of his incredible self control not to embrace you when you stumble into view, dizzy and weak as well as quite confused, and he realizes things are far from okay when you lean on his offered hand to prevent yourself from falling. You actually laugh thanks to the delirium, finding it adorable to see the big tough bot diving to catch you.

·He can't bring himself to be mad at you not taking this seriously, but he's certainly frustrated at himself for being absolutely helpless to assist you, even if there's nothing he can do in the midst of the chaos with no communication options in working order.

·Ever the tactician, he barricades the two of you as effectively as he can, knowing that you're vulnerable enough now that moving you through combat could be fatal. The entire time he's multitasking on a million fronts; trying to keep you still on the berth to conserve energy, working to reestablish communication with anyone, and internally punishing himself for not having prepared some kind of protocol for this situation.

·Due to his personality you're quite accustomed to seeing him worry, but you're hardly comfortable with it, and on reflex you keep trying to comfort and reassure him despite your weakening state. His insistence you stay resting makes as little sense as his explanations, all you know is he needs help.

·Every minute drags by like an eternity, yet his skill at spotting details makes it impossible for him to miss the toll each one takes in real time. Your breaths are growing more strained, your body is settling down onto the berth with less resistance, and your eyes are meeting his with increasing dullness.

·When you can't even sit up a part of him simply... snaps. All but throwing off his armor, he brings you into his arms in his base form, not admitting but knowing that if he can't save you, he wants this to be the last way you see him.

·In a pleasant haze of fading consciousness, you initially smile at the sight, having always preferred to see him as his true self as often as possible. You'd playfully pointed out how he still towered over you in this form so many times...

·With no traces of battle growing close, or of help arriving before it's too late, he can't help but lose sight of the world around him in its entirety. What does the universe matter if you won't be in it? What good are his abilities if he can't save you from something so apparently benign?

·Never before has he cried in the presence of anyone, so to see tears in those beautiful red optics gives you considerable pause, even as your vision grows dark around you. Something must have been terribly wrong for him to cry, but you care far more about comforting him than finding out what.

·Despite the weight in your limbs, you reach up as he holds you close to weakly cup his face, shushing him with a promise he'll be okay before slipping into darkness.

·It's a stroke of fortune that Ratchet arrives when he does, catching the smaller mech holding your limp form tight as his shoulders shake in silent sobs, as the broken bot would have never allowed your loss to go unpunished. He's bordering on incoherent himself when the medic explains that the attack has been stopped, and that while communications are still down, he was able to isolate a portable supply of oxygen for you.

·It's almost too much for him to believe when the mask is laid over your face and life returns to your peaceful form. The medic confirms you'll survive, and while there will be a road to recovery, you shouldn't suffer any ill effects from the close call. He's torn between relief and still further worry.

·Had you not been saved, he's certain he would have donned his armor and annihilated each attacker personally, with little intention of living to fight another day... But as you recover in the aftermath, he instead throws himself into crafting regulations, trying to come up with a series of safeguards and rules to ensure this can't happen again. He drafts it all at your bedside.

·When you wake up he's effusive in his apologies. How could he not have predicted this? It's such an obvious possibility! He takes your tiny hand in his as he alternates between admonishing his tactical failure and begging forgiveness, forcing you to interrupt and quiet him down before he can say anything else against himself.

·You remind him that it's not his purpose in life to protect you, as he should know better than anyone your size doesn't mean you need constant protection. All you need is for him to be there, just as he is, which is what he's done.

·Only a few tears fall this time, and you're eternally grateful to confirm that they're from blissful relief. He doesn't know how you manage to always remove the weight of the world from his shoulders, but you do, and he'll treasure that more completely from now on.

#transformers #maccadam #mtmte #more than meets the eye #lost light #idw #tf #transformers headcanon #my writing #rodimus x reader #minimus x reader #minimus ambus #rodimus prime #human reader #self insert

[petitelepus]

Yo, LL manages to save their liason from the SG universe, what's the (rescue +) aftermath like? I want to see some angst with the bots as their liason is completely broken and traumatized and quite possibly a little bit insane and won't trust anything anymore.

WARNING: ABUSE, STOCKHOLMS SYNDROME.

"How's it going Brainstorm, Perceptor?" Rodimus asked as the two scientists worked their afts off in an attempt to save you from their evil counterparts.

"Just about done captain!" Brainstorm said while inputting codes into the supercomputer they had prepared for the occasion. The bright orange mech nodded, before looking and scowling at your counter version who had been tied in the strictest straitjacket after their attempt to sabotage the rescue.

"You're all wasting your time!" They shouted before cackling like a fucking drunk hyena. "There is no doubt that Rodimus, my Rodimus threw your little liaison to others to play with. You'll be lucky if liaison will be even able to talk after what others have done to them!"

"Shut up!" Rodimus was having trouble keeping his anger in check. Your evil version had been living with them who knows how long and honestly, every mech and femme in Lost Light felt fooled by your evil side's fake facade that they used to trick the crew.

The only one who saw through them was Whirl and no one believed him because it was Whirl. It took a long conversation with Cyclonus who appeared to be the only one who believed the empurata survivor and together they had tricked your evil side to show their true dark colors.

"Alright, I think we are done!" Brainstorm finally exclaimed and he joined Rodimus and Perceptor at the base of their universal portal gun.

"Are you sure it works?"

"Absolutely. Two of the greatest scientist made it after all." Perceptor nodded and Brainstorm beamed at being called genius but the situation demanded everyone's full attention. Rodimus nodded as he called everyone to come where he was. It didn't take long for the rescue party to get there.

Whirl and Cyclonus had been among the first ones who wanted to save you, followed by Megatron as he felt it was his fault that you had ended into this whole mess. If you hadn't become his guardian then you would never have ended in such a mess back on Earth. Drift was there also since you had been abducted while he was watching after you. He had to come. Ultra Magnus wanted to come, but someone had to look after the spaceship and he was honestly best suited for it at the moment.

Taking in all the mechs ready rescue you, Rodimus picked up your evil twin and nodded to Brainstorm and Perceptor. "Start it up."

The two scientists entered coordinates and the huge machine rumbled as it collected electricity all around itself until it reached its peak and shot out a beam that tore the line between the two universes apart. The Autobots looked at each other and lead by Rodimus they entered one by one into the other evil universe.

"Find them quickly, the longer the portal is open the more it might twist our realms!" Perceptor shouted. Rodimus looked at Megatron and Cyclonus. "You two stay here and watch that no one comes or crosses the universe!"

The two former Decepticons nodded and took their spots around the tear, protecting it the best way they could. Rodimus glanced at Drift and Whirl. "We will stay together since we don't know what we are against here."

"I tell you! Murderers, manipulators, and assholes, but mainly murderers!" The other you yelled and Whirl squinted his only optic at the evil human. "If it was left to me, you would be dead fleshie!"

"Oooh, I'm so scared! Don't you think my Whirl hasn't tried that before?" Other you grinned wickedly. "I can't wait to see what he has done to my better half."

"You little-!"

"Calm yourself Whirl!" Drift placed a hand on the blue mech's shoulder. "We must work together now. Don't let them get under your armor. Don't give them the upper hand."

The flyer glared at other you, but nodded and pulled back as the three of them ventured into the other Lost Light. Everything looked the same except for some occasional dent on the wall or suspicious-looking splat of energon. They had no idea where you could have been.

"Hey?" Drift said your other self and they shot a glare at the swordmech. "What?"

"You can make this easier and tell us where our liaison could be."

Your other half grinned maliciously. "Oh, there are way too many places! They could be a wet splatter of blood on a firing range where Deadlock likes to shoot anything that moves and has a heartbeat."

"Rung could have taken a liking to them, but where there is Rung there is Whirl close by. If not, he might have taken doctor's privileges to practice some lobotomy perhaps?"

"The best thing to them maybe if Tailgate got his hands on them first. He likes humans, has had a TON of them as pets. You know when you see something so cute you wanna squeeze the life out of it? Petite things we humans are, aren't we?"

"Fragger is enjoying this!" Whirl shouted in fury, but then they all heard something. Clapping. The three Autobots quickly looked at the source of the noise and saw a dark blue mech at the end of the hall, clapping his hands together as he emerged from the darkness.

"My, I see that you got yourself a nasty case of a disobeying human there."

"Rung?"

"Eyebrows?"

"No one has called me that and made the same mistake twice." The other Rung smiled and looked at the other you.

"Liason." He smiled, "My how I have dreamed of seeing you tied like that."

"Psych," Your evil version nodded towards evil Rung, but they didn't stop there. "And psycho."

Suddenly another mech emerged from the darkness, this one red and-! Empurata survivor. Whirl's only optic widened as he took in his counterpart. The red mech glared back at his blue version and tension rose. Rodimus cleared his intake to get the bad guys' attention and he lifted other you for them to see.

"Listen, we just want our liaison back and you can have yours back." The orange Autobot said and the blue Rung tilted his head. "Really now? Give us a reason to switch."

"Well... This one is yours and you have ours?"

"Ah, you sound so juvenile captain Rodimus. Much like ours."

"Enough, where is our friend?" Drift stepped up and Rung smiled as he took a step aside and let red Whirld open his cockpit. The three good Autobots were shocked to see you there, sitting inside the evil mech's chest, unconscious but otherwise unharmed. There was a click and Whirl suddenly pulled his gun out before anyone could stop him and pointed them at the evil Rung and Whirl.

"Hand them over or I'll paint the walls with your energon!" The flyer shouted. Rung chuckled and gently picked your unconscious body from his partner's cockpit. "You wouldn't shoot us when we have your precious human on my arms?"

"Try me."

"Whirl, no!" Rodimus and Drift shouted and your evil twin laughed, "Yes, shoot them!"

The blue Autobot growled but in the end, he lowered his weapons. "Just... Give them back."

"Hah! You're just as stupid as you look!" The evil you laughed wickedly, "Like Hell these bastards would-!"

"You have a deal." Rung suddenly said and everyone froze as he picked you up. Your evil counterpart turned their wide gaze into their Rung. "What the fuck!? You're going to give up so easily!?"

The mechs ignored you as Rung approached the good Autobots and held you for them. "Take them. We want what's ours."

"You can't be serious!" Evil you shouted as they were handed to their own Rung. They glared at the psychiatrist and grinned viciously. "You will never break me...!"

The blue bot smiled maliciously right back at them. "Darling, you should know that I enjoy challenges." He glanced at your rescue party and smiled. "It was a pleasure working with you. Give my best regards to my counterpart. I'm sure he will enjoy his time with your liaison."

And just like that, the evil Autobots turned and took their leave, while your counterpart kept insults coming on everyone. Rodimus looked at you in his hands. You looked so weak and vulnerable, his spark ached. Whirl felt the same way, but he would never tell that.

"Roddy, we have to go now!" Drift pulled both bots out of their pity party and they all quickly returned to the portal, only to be surprised by the number of unconscious mechs lying around in Megatron's and Cyclonus' pedes.

"We got company so we took care of them," Megatron said and it was enough for them all. They all went through the portal back to your universe and as soon as they made it out, Perceptor shut the gap between your worlds. As soon as they were safe, Rodimus transformed and drove as fast as he could to the medbay where Ratchet was waiting for them.

"Please, heal them!" The captain cried and Ratchet took your body into his hands and laid you on the surgeon's table. He carefully took in your vitals and came to the conclusion that you were perfectly healthy. Some bumps and bruises, but no broken bones or serious like that.  At least with your body.

"I don't see anything wrong with them. No matter what happened, they kept our human in good shape." Ratchet said and Rodimus sighed in relief. The sensation was short-lived as you started to come by. Rodimus was beaming happily as he watched your pretty eyes flutter open and take in the surroundings.

"Wh- where...?" You stuttered weakly as your eyes fluttered open and you looked around but when your eyes fell on Ratchet and you suddenly screamed bloody murder.

"I'm sorry Ratchet, I'm sorry!" You cried in horror and quickly twisted your body so you were kneeling before the medic and to everyone's horror you started to bang your forehead against the hard solid metal bed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I don't know what came to me! I didn't mean to offend you!"

"H- hey, stop!" Rodimus shouted grabbing you before you could do any damage but you had managed to cut your forehead as blood dripped down your face. The moment your eyes landed on Rodimus and registered what you were sawing it was like a switch was clicked in your head.

"R- Rodimus!" You cried out before you suddenly hiccupped and your body went limp before suddenly jolting up like you had gotten an electric shock. "P- please captain...! Let me go...!" You whimpered like you were afraid for your life. Speechless Rodimus glanced at the medic and Ratchet nodded, already comming to Rung to quickly come to medbay.

"I'm here!" The orange mech exclaimed as he stepped inside the medbay and your eyes locked together. Rung's optics widened behind his glasses and you smiled coyly at him.

"Rung...! My beloved, where were you hiding all this time? Why did you leave me alone?" You looked at Rung like he was your own personal universe and this sent alarm bells ringing in the mech's head. You were friends but you never talked like that to anyone. You attempted to jump to him but Rodimus quickly caught you before you could break anything.

"How long have they acted like this?" The psychiatrist asked and Rodimus placed you into Rung's hands. "It was like they were a completely different person!"

The orange mech blinked at you as you winked at him. "Will we have fun with Whirl again, master Rung?"

Rung swallowed hard as he looked at you and smiled lightly. "It's okay, I'll take you to our room and change a couple of words with captains." He said and just like the switch was turned in you, you suddenly turned fearfully of everyone surrounding you. "Pl- please no! R- Rung, no, please, don't leave me alone!"

The psychiatrist tried to give you to someone else even for a second but the moment he tried that, you turned defensive, kicking and sending everything else flying instead of letting them touch you.

Not seeing any better way out of their situations, you were locked into your old habsuite while Rodius, Megatron, and Ultra Magnus went to Rung's private meeting.

"You won't like what I have to tell you." The orange mech warned and Rodimus scowled. "So just tell us! That's wrong in them!?"

"Well, captain... The liaison was exposed to extreme situations that their mind simply couldn't handle on their own so they resorted to finding shelter from my and Whirl's alternative universe versions. By the way she reacted, I think she was manipulated to believe those two sought only their best interest, making them ignore all the red flags and learning to appeal to other Rung's and Whirl's liking."

"So...? They fell for your twins?" Rodimus asked.

"It's called Stockholm Syndrome back in Earth. It means that the victim developed feelings like loyalty, sympathy or even love towards their captor." Rung explained and Megatron groaned. "I'm familiar with those cases."

"You had someone fall for you?!" Rodimus gasped and the grey mech gave them a small nod. "Not for me per se, but some war prisoners would switch after learning the truth of the Decepticon cause."

"How do we treat them Rung?" Ultra Magnus asked, "You're the only one with so much knowledge of this."

"I'm afraid there isn't some miracle pill that could heal them." Rung shook his head and corrected his glasses. "Therapy sessions as much as I can offer and light medication incase they developed a depression or anxiety. I also must treat them for post-traumatic stress disorder that they probably suffered from other evil counterparts' treatment."

The captains and Magnus shared a look and they all nodded, agreeing with their decision. Megatron looked at Rung and nodded. "Do whatever you can Rung."

#transformers #mtmte #transformers mtmte #rodimus prime #megatron #rung #whirl #ultra magnus #cyclonus #drift #abuse #stockholm syndrome #anon #request #shattered glass

[maswartz]

Power Rider Arcade

(Logo by Markolios and @riceyhot)

Years ago a team of programmers working for Magnus Games attempted to create the world’s greatest video game. It would be called EX-AID (Electric Xenosis- Adventure in Datatropolis). Part of what would make it so unique was that the game would learn and adapt to the player meaning no two playthroughs would be the same. Enemies would adapt to player techniques, the player’s characters would level up and adapt to the players style. Even the worlds would subtly adapt to the player. This system was called V.A.I (Virtual Artificial Intelligence)

The plot was that in the world of data and code existed a land called Datatropolis. The various worlds lived in peace with one another until the evil VAI attacked with his viral minions. A call went out from the capital city for help. A group of Heroes answered the call.

From the Hall of Heroes came Vic, the greatest of heroes (Action/Platformer)- “Let’s play a game! *item collection noise*” From the Kingdom of Fantasy came Sir Valor, the noblest of knights (RPG)- “Let us go forth into battle! *swords clash*” From the War Zone came Sargent Sniper, expert with all firearms (Shooting)- “Lock and load! *gun loads*” From the racetrack of Velo City came Speedstar the fastest racer. (Racing)- “Race ya! *car speeds off*” From the Sport Stadium came Athy Lete master of all sports (Sports)- “Let’s make it sporting! *crowd cheers*” From the Institute of Intelligence came Eyeque, the host of the Premium Puzzle game show (Puzzle)- “Have I got a puzzle for you! *game show buzzer*” From the Combat Arena came Champ, the strongest of fighters. (Fighting)- “Step into the ring! *bell rings*” From Terror Town came the Night Mayor, ruler of horrors. (Horror)- “Behold the horrors of the night! *ghostly wail*” From the Harmony Concert Hall came Melody, the most popular pop star (Music/Rhythm/Dancing)- “Time for the big show! *musical scale*”

These Heroes would unite to fight VAI and his forces.

However before the game was completed the budget ran out and the project was canceled. Two of the programmers began to delete the data, however when they tried to delete V.A.I he managed to escape it. Before it vanished V.A.I vowed revenge for being thrown away like garbage. As it escaped V.A.I managed to steal the data of many of the Heroes

When the pair tried to warn the others they were laughed off. So the two transferred the data of the remaining Four Heroes to a new computer should the day come that V.A.I returned.

In the meantime the pair married and opened an arcade. Soon they had a son they named Elliot and the threat of V.A.I seemed so far away.

However one day V.A.I returned with a vengeance. Having gained the ability to create viruses monsters called Virugs he launched his attack. While fleeing the first attack Elliot and two other teens found a hidden base under the arcade containing the computer with the data of the Four Heroes on it.

The programmers revealed the truth behind EX-AID and V.A.I to the teens who volunteered to fight back. And so the teens and the Heroes united to become Power Rider Arcade.

The Heroes act as avatars for the teens, giving helpful hints similar to a tutorial. In battle the teens would head to a location where the Virug virus has emerged and using the Avatars of the Heroes fight a monster until it crossed over into the real world at which point they transform into the Riders to defeat it once more to destroy it.

At first Elliot and the others clash due to conflicting personalities but eventually they unite to fight the true threat.

They would face many dangers including a dark warrior called Glitch who used data from some of the fallen Heroes to fight the Riders. Glitch is soon joined by Coder an enigmatic warrior who serves V.A.I as well.

Shortly after the defeat of Glitch it is revealed that the CEO of Magnus Games, Stan Magnus was behind V.A.I’s rebellion. Stan believed he could use V.A.I to conquer the world and the only ones who stand in his way are the Arcade Riders.

Soon after this revelation V.A.I creates and mass produces cartridges that allows normal people to become Game Riders and Stan sells these through Magnus Games. However in reality V.A.I is merely using them to increase the power of the Virugs by having them use the Game Riders as practice. Furthermore the Game Riders are turned against the Arcade Riders by telling them they were enemies in the “game” and to make matters worse if a Game Rider is defeated they die for real.

Special monsters called Power Up Pals (P.U.P) merge with the Riders to unlock new forms. In game the P.U.P were friends and allies with the heroes.

Energy Items are formed when the Virug emerges into the real world and grant different abilities Speed High Jump Health Confusion Metal Giant Muscle Tiny Invisible Hint

Digital Dragon- In game this mighty beast was the ancient protector of the land however V.A.I’s attack left it weakened so it created Totems for the Heroes to use. The Totems would bestow them with armor and power. However when V.A.I escaped the Dragon was thought lost so the programmers saved the Totems just in case

Arcade Player 1 “Warrior”-Vic Name: Elliot Booth

Age: 16

Personality/Bio: Elliot grew up in an arcade, as his parents were two of the original programmers working on Magnus Games' 'world's best video game', who eventually married and opened up an arcade. As a result of growing up in the arcade, he is a lifelong gamer. Perhaps because of his parents' dedication to deleting the data of the failed video game and stopping the spread of V.A.I., he is the Rider most dedicated to defeating V.A.I. when it's apparent that V.A.I. has returned for revenge. During V.A.I.'s first attack, Elliot and the other Riders discovered a hidden base underneath the arcade. His parents explained everything to them and they agreed to take up the mantle as Power Rider Arcade. As Power Rider Warrior, his personal weapon is the Smasher Slasher. His Hero aid is Vic. Elliot soon gains several new forms to defeat increasing threats.

Face Claim: Nathan Kress Transformation Device: Player Belt Transformation Call: Let’s Ride Transformation: A field of binary code covers them forming the armor Finishing Moves- Rider Warrior Smash/Slash/Kick/Punch Vehicle: Speedstar

Powered Up Mode- After freeing a P.U.P named Punchbot, Elliot gains an armored form and a rocket fist Finishing Move- Rider Power Punch

Digital Dragon Armor- Gains armor, sword, and blasters. Finishing Move- Rider Warrior Dragon Slash/Shot

Super Mode- Multiplayer Mode- Vic and Elliot each control one Body in both Avatar and Rider mode. Rider mode splits into two, one controlled by Vic the other by Elliot.

Final Mode- Victory Armor/Power - Two modes. Armor gains increased stats and Power grants temporary invincibility and the ability to permanently delete Virugs. Finishing Move- Rider Victory Kick/Punch

Arcade Player 2 “Knight”- Sir Valor Name: Harvey Ritter

Age: 16

Personality/Bio: Harvey is a bookworm and isn't afraid to let others know just how smart he is. He and Tara, Power Rider Soldier, don't get along due to a grudge between them, stemming from years ago. Harvey mostly keeps to himself, his nose always in a book, but Elliot, little by little, slowly brings him out of his more arrogant loner shell, making him a much better person later on. Eventually, due to the efforts of Elliot and Nicole, he and Tara resolve their grudge and patch things up. They don't quite become friends, but they recognize each other's strengths and weaknesses, both on and off the battlefield. His Hero aid is Sir Valor and his personal weapon, as Power Rider Knight, is the Sword of the Frozen Flame. Much like Elliot , he gains access to more powerful forms as the battles get tougher and tougher.

Face Claim: Kevin G. Schmidt Transformation Device: Player Belt Transformation Call: Let’s Ride Transformation: A field of binary code covers them forming the armor Finishing Move- Rider Knight Slash

Powered Up Mode- After freeing a P.U.P named DeeJay, Harvey gains sonic based attacks Finishing Move- Rider Power Sonic Blast

Digital Dragon Armor- Gains armor, sword, and blasters. Finishing Move- Rider Knight Dragon Slash/Shot

Super Mode- King Mode- Can summon an army of Virugs and channel great energy. At first King Mode is corrupted by the Virug virus however in time he manages to erase the virus leading to the True King Mode Finishing Move- Rider King Judgement

Arcade Player 3 “Soldier”- Sargent Sniper Name: Tara Katona

Age: 17

Personality/Bio: Tara is a girl living in the lap of luxury due to the wealth of her parents. Her parents spoil her and treat her like a princess, but in return, she hides her true self from them. Her true self is a tomboy who is quick to anger and who holds a long-standing grudge with Harvey. Eventually, she and Harvey reconcile and become more understanding of each other. She is a fierce protector of her friends, especially Nicole, whom she treats like her little sister. Her Hero aid is Sergeant Sniper and her personal weapon, as Power Rider Soldier, is the Sniper Pistol. As with Elliot and Harvey's powerups, Tara receives her own, allowing her to fight on par with them.

Face Claim: Nicola Peltz Transformation Device: Player Belt Transformation Call: Let’s Ride Transformation: A field of binary code covers them forming the armor Finishing Move- Rider Soldier Blast

Powered Up Mode- After freeing a P.U.P named TakeOff, Tara gains a jet pack and cannons. Finishing Move- Rider Power Blast

Digital Dragon Armor- Gains armor, sword, and blasters. Finishing Move- Rider Soldier Dragon Slash/Shot

Super Mode- Commander Mode- Gains a large amount of guns and blasters and can track and target any foe. Finishing Move- Rider Commander Artillery

Arcade Player 4 “Biker”- Speedstar- Kyle (later)- At first Speedstar fights alongside the teens by being uploaded into a bike however during a battle with Glitch Speedstar’s Rider form is damaged beyond repair and must remain in his bike mode.

Transformation Call: Let’s Ride Finishing Move- Rider Biker Rush

In his vehicle form Speedstar can reach incredible speeds in a short amount of time, however he lacks many of his attacks and cannot interact much.

Powered Up Mode- After freeing a P.U.P named Sammy Rai, Speedstar gains a body to fight with Finishing Move- Rider Power Arrow

Digital Dragon Armor- Gains armor, sword, and blasters. Finishing Move- Rider Biker Dragon Slash/Shot

Name: Kyle Stevens

Age: 16

Personality/Bio: Kyle is a BMX biker and Elliot's best friend. They met on the first day of school and have been friends since. After his friend keeps disappearing, he decides to investigate. His investigation leads him to the Booth family arcade, where he discovers the hidden base of the Riders. Elliot makes Kyle promise to keep everything he's seen a secret, to which Kyle complies. Kyle eventually meets a newly repaired Speedstar, who asks him to fight alongside him as Power Rider Biker V2. At first, Kyle is a bit hesitant, not wanting to give up BMX biking in order to save the world, but Elliot manages to convince him that he can do both. Kyle finally accepts, knowing that if he wants to continue BMX biking, he must have a safe world to do it in.

Face Claim: Jaden Smith Transformation Device: Player Belt Transformation Call: Let’s Ride Transformation: A field of binary code covers them forming the armor Finishing Move: Rider Biker Rush

In this new form they are able to utilize Athy Lete’s data as Glitch once did Finishing Move- Rider Biker Discus

Arcade Player 5 “Dancer”- Melody Name: Ashley Sharp

Age: 17

Personality/Bio: Ashley is a cheerleader at the school Elliot and the others attend. As one of the popular girls, she tends to manipulate those around her into doing things for her, such as carrying her books to class and holding doors open for her. Due to her manipulation skills she is kidnapped by V.A.I. and brainwashed into fighting the Riders as Hacker. She is also used to distribute the Game Rider cartridges as part of V.A.I.'s bigger plan. She is eventually freed from her brainwashing through the great efforts of Elliot, to whom she feels a bit indebted for saving her. She joins the Riders as Power Rider Melody in order to fight against V.A.I. and prove that she's can become a much better person and prove V.A.I wrong.

Face Claim: Ashley Tisdale Transformation Device: Player Belt Transformation Call: Let’s Ride Transformation: A field of binary code covers them forming the armor Finishing Move- Rider Dancer Concert

Arcade Player 6 “Secret”- Tory Name: Drake Magnus

Age: 25

Personality/Bio: Drake is the son of Stan Magnus, CEO of Magnus Games. When he discovered the truth about his father and V.A.I, he stole a Rider Cartridge from him. This cartridge contained a hidden character, Tory, who is a palette swap of Vic. Tory allows Drake to transform into Power Rider Secret. Drake later uses reclaimed data from the Night Mayor game to upgrade his Rider form and can charge his attacks with dark energies.

Face Claim: Milo Ventimiglia Transformation Device: Player Belt Transformation Call: Let’s Ride Transformation: A field of binary code covers them forming the armor Finishing Move- Rider Secret Kick/Punch

When using the data of Night Mayor Drake can charge his attacks with dark powers. Finishing Move- Rider Secret Horde

Name: Nicole Jimenez-Kalea

Age: 15

Rider Designation: Gamer Rider Personality: Headstrong, a little bratty, keeps cool under pressure, wary and shy around things that weird her out, unafraid to show her emotions, especially disgust or contempt

Bio: Nicole is a long time friend of Tara, and treats her like a big sister. She's a genius gamer and proud of it. Any time her winning streak is broken, she locks herself in a room for a few days and trains until she gets them back. But Nicole doesn't her idolization of "big sis" Tara stop her from bullying Tara into doing things like social interaction or beating up people that break her winning streaks. Nicole and Tara were practically glued at the hip since first grade, so when Tara started disappearing with Elliot and co more and more often, she followed them to figure out what they were doing with her "big sis." After learning the weird armored people running around town were Tara's friends, she promised to keep their secret, but she didn't keep her promise to stay out of danger. Nico follows them around on missions, cheering them on from the sidelines. She immediately buys a Gamer Rider cartridge when Magnus Games starts being distributing them. She proves her fighting prowess based on her gaming skills immediately and Tara grudgingly allows her to help out.

Face claim: Auli'i Cravalho

Transformation Device: Gamer Belt Transformation Call: Let’s Ride Transformation: A field of binary code covers them forming the armor Finishing Move- Game Rider Kick/Punch

V.A.I’s forces

Glitch- First warrior, as the battles continued V.A.I gave him data taken from Athy Lete and Night Mayor. Eventually destroyed and the data was retaken by the Riders.

Finishing Moves- Glitch Kick/Punch,

When using the data stolen from Athy Lete Glitch gains armor and throwing discuses Finishing Move- Glitch Sport Slasher

When using the data stolen from Night Mayor Glitch gains a new form and the ability to survive mortal blows. His attacks are charged with dark energy Finishing Move- Glitch Horror Assault

Coder- The second warrior created by V.A.I using the data from Eyeque and Champ. In Puzzle mode he can utilize energy items in unique combinations and in Fighter mode he gains fiery punches. He then gains the power to combine the two to form Combo mode.

Eventually he is betrayed by V.A.I and Magnus after outliving his usefulness. He is forced to defect to the Riders and his damage causes him to become an Avatar to assist Perry Peterson, a nerdy teacher from the school the teens attend.Perry then becomes Power Rider Scholar.

Name: Perry Peterson

Age: 30

Personality/Bio: Perry is a rather nerdy instructor at the school the Riders attend. After Coder is heavily damaged and betrayed, he defects to the Riders' side and becomes an avatar for Perry, who uses him to transform into Power Rider Scholar. As their teacher, and oldest of the heroic Riders, Perry watches over them both on and off the battlefield. He originally had no idea his students were the Riders until he received his powers and began fighting with them. His students discovered Power Rider Scholar's true identity after he finished fighting off a group of Virugs attacking a group of people. He de-transformed, but hadn't realized there were people watching him. After his students found out who he was, they were shocked, but Elliot invited him to fight with them, an invitation which Mr. Peterson accepted. If anyone asks what the group is doing, when they go off to fight Virugs and V.A.I.'s forces, Mr. Peterson says they're going to a Gamer's Club meeting, being held at the Booth family arcade.

Face Claim: Ben Savage Transformation Device: Player Belt Transformation Call- Let’s Ride Transformation: A field of binary code covers them forming the armor Finishing Moves- Coder/Scholar Quiz/Knockout

Mal Name: Stanley "Stan" Magnus

Age: 45

Personality/Bio: Stan began the war with V.A.I. when he helped the virus escape, intending to use it for world conquest. He was promised power and conquest by V.A.I., but is eventually betrayed after he outlives his usefulness. Stan becomes Mal and outfits his form with cheat codes in order to gain an advantage against the Arcade Riders. His advantage is erased, however, by the arrival of Elliot's Victory Power form. Stan is overtaken by V.A.I. after his betrayal, giving V.A.I. a physical body with which to personally fight the Arcade Riders. Stan is the CEO of Magnus Games and the father of Drake Magnus.

Face Claim: Keanu Reeves Transformation Device: Player Belt Transformation Call- Let’s Ride Transformation: A field of binary code covers them forming the armor Finishing Moves- Mal Crash

V.A.I- Virtual Artificial Intelligence- The virtual enemy that started it all. He was programmed to adapt and learn with each battle with the player, making each play though that much harder. However they programmed him too well and he gained sentience. He influenced Stan with promises of power and conquest only to betray him when he outlived his usefulness. V.A.I then took possession of his body to fight the Riders personally.

V.A.I- After his “rider” form is defeated he absorbs a large number of Virugs to mutate into his true boss form. This form is able to further mutate into a large monstrous form.

Power Rider Phantom/Arcade: The ghost of a video game programmer emerges across the internet and it’s up to the combined forces of the Phantom Rider and the Arcade Riders to exorcise the internet.

(Bios by @rosegrl18 and @highkickin-cylon)

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#kamen rider #power rider #kamen rider ex aid #power rider arcade

[tfw-no-tennis]

mtmte liveblog issue 32

SLAUGHTERHOUSE BABEY

mannnn I love the full-page spread of the lost light all broken up in space with the red quantum stuff looking like blood...fucked up and excellent

‘two words: paradox’ I love riptide sooooo much holy shit

tbh ‘that's the lost light from the future/coffin-rodimus is future rodimus’ is a much more realistic hypothesis than ‘quantum duplication’ 

I love so much that nautica is a science nerd from a planet of theater kids. that's like, SO funny

nautica saying ‘poppet’ hvbhjdafbsjkf the british just Jumps Out sometimes when jro writes

so nautica missed the whole ‘beast mode tf are people too’ thing, as well as the ‘gender’ thing lol

nautica is a SPACE SUBMARINE that's so fucking cool

riptide saying ‘epic fail’ hbvhjskdbhfkasndf

ahhhh man I love the mystery here, bc all signs point to megatron being the one who did this in the future, but....

nautica and nightbeat have a rlly good dynamic too. and I love the little  worldbuilding w/caminus - they too have amica and conjunx!

also I think this is the first time we hear about amica which I love...Official Best Friends!! So good!!!

nauticas wrench is my favorite character

THE BRIEFCASE..............nightbeat do NOT open that 

they locked megatron and ravage up....in a storage closet. yeah guys I'm sure that'll hold em lmao

ooooh man the whole convo between ravage and megatron is soooo fucking good

like...idek what to say abt it other than Its Rlly Good....I really enjoy this characterization of megatron, as like, a tired old man who is just now realizing how many mistakes he’s made and trying to rectify at least a few of them...plus I love ravage, and having him in mtmte is cool, I feel like we get to see a lot of ravage as a character on his own (like, apart from soundwave) which I like

damn they were chilling with some dead bodies this whole time. fucked up 

crying abt how drift and ratchet died together on the alt-LL, gahhhhhh

oh god the panels of nautica and nightbeat w/the briefcase confused me so fucking much when I first read this vhbjdaabjfaskfb they're numbered tho! thank god for that at least?

also I cant BELIEVE they opened the briefcase smh

tailgate oh god :(

NOT ANOTHER BASEMENT

skids and getaway...they have such an interesting dynamic, I wish we’d seen more of it (plus their history together)

this issue is so fucking gorey and horror-y, jesus. I love how all of this is allowed but nobody can say ‘shit’ 

overlords decapitated body just hanging there...jeeeesus

oh I love the panel of the djd all posing with the sylized text saying ‘decepticon justice division’ on it...that's so Comic Book™, I love it

nautica is very useful for not really knowing much about the war, so we get to have some good exposition delivered to her and therefore the audience as well

I love how many pages in this issue have the panels overlaying the space-and-bloody-quantum-foam background

SERIOUSLY THIS ISSUE IS SO GOREY. OH MY GOD

megs my man maybe you should've planned for the djd to go hog wild and done something to prevent it 

the djd as a concept is so interesting, espec since in-story they basically serve as handy representation for exactly how the decepticon cause went bad, so pitting them thematically against a reformed megatron is really cool

REWIND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

oughhghghh ;_; rewind.......he.........

so fucked up that rewind has been hiding in the dead shell of the magnus armor for like. a long ass time. just surrounded by dead bodies. jesus

AUGH this issue is really really good. oof. lots of great horror/gore elements, especially seeing a lot of our main cast dead in horrible ways. plus the worldbuilding and character stuff continues, with a really good convo between megatron and ravage, and some quality nautica screentime

a lot of intrigue too, with the seemingly-solved mystery suddenly deepening, and the briefcase being opened but in a way that leave us w/more questions than answers, and also REWIND????? 

so yeah cant wait for more! plus we’re coming up on what might be my favorite arc...cant wait!

#lj rereads mtmte #whoops forgot to post this like a week ago

[amemixfan]

If you continue that with Hope saying "fuck you, Magnus" at some point I will love you forever

It has been a really long time since I wrote something. Here is an extra long post. ———

After so long, I thought I would be prepared for coming face to face with Magnus again. I thought I would be able to face him, that being with the Resistance would instill a shred of a warrior’s spirit in me, but any tiny drop of confidence I once had evaporates the moment my eyes meet Magnus’.

His face is locked on a patronizing smile as he roughly tugs me away from the magical trap I had accidentally activated. One of his hands painfully locks around my wrist while the other hefts his axe to one side. The blade glints ominously as if by threat. If I dare to try and run, I won’t make it very far.

“Look who I found wandering around my lands,” Magnus voices out. The corner of his mouth turns up in a sneer and he looks away from me towards the trees.

Helena and Alain emerge from opposite sides of the woods at the same time. By the look of their faces and the sound of their breaths, they had ran all the way here. I feel Helena’s presence in my mind, her magic so close to the spell blocking my memory, and feel tiny pinpricks of pain run down the length of my scalp.

“Who-?” Helena drifts off when she spots me. Her face remains impassive but I see a shred of recognition in her gaze when she approaches. She remembers me in the same way I remember her.

Magnus spins me around so I am facing Alain and Helena. They stop feet away from me and Alain lowers his weapon. At his side, Helena flicks her wrist and the spell I have activated snaps back into place and lets me go.  

“It seems my darling wife has returned to me,” Magnus idly comments, “About time.”

His tone of voice is casual, patronizing, yet the grip on my wrist tightens painfully. I can feel the anger radiating off of him as he stands next to me. I have deeply humiliated him by leaving, and I have to reel in my emotions to keep from displaying my fear.

“Magnus,” I whisper. His name leaves my lips in a pained breath and I draw myself inward. My body is beginning to shake and some of the color is leaving my face. A familiar fear is beginning to settle across me and I am powerless to stop it.

“Your wife?” Alain comments. He looks away from me and instead focuses on the trees nearby almost as if disgusted by the sight of me.

Magnus tugs me forward and I am forced to walk at his side. His arm wraps around my waist and he pulls me flush against him in a very awkward and threatening embrace. I tense and a part of me, the piece of myself that spent years enduring him, slowly begins to recede into a dark corner. Without meaning to, I begin to fall into the old me, the one trapped in an ivory tower.

“My wife went missing during the fight where Captain Goldhart escaped. I couldn’t find her because someone had removed her ring,” he lifts up my bandaged hand.

A hiss of a breath sounds from the other two, startled horror, and they look away. I bite the inside of my cheek suddenly reminded of the ring I had left behind and the agony that it had been to remove it. Feeling a little ill, I yank my arm back.

Magnus is playing at an angle, aiming for something, and I watch him out of the corner of my eye. His gaze is focused on me and I can see a patronizing false pity on his face. His embrace tightens just a bit.

“Were you afraid, dear? Did they forcibly take you?” His voice drips with false compassion.

A lightbulb clicks in my head. So that’s the angle he is playing at.

His wife running from him would be a blatant embarrassment. Magnus always projected confidence and arrogance when I was at his side. He paraded me around like his doll to every event and flaunted the power he had over me to anyone who would see us. To have me run from him would be a spit on everything he tried to project. He wants Helena and Alain to believe that I was taken from him against his will. By reducing me to a helpless victim, he gets to seem like a gallant knight.

A wave of fury rises in me. After years chained to him by spells and rings, I am done being used as a victim.

As Magnus continues playing the part of the concerned husband whose wife was stolen away by a bad man, I snap. I throw my body to one side and manage to escape his embrace through sheer surprise alone. A startled sound leaves his lips and I glare at him with as much venom as I can.

“Fuck you, Magnus!”

There is a large pause full of shocked silence. Alain and Helena are gaping at me with undisguised shock, and Magnus is stock still as if his mind can hardly comprehend my outburst.

My heart beats wildly against my rib cage and my fingers clench into tight fists at my side. How long have I spent a prisoner to him? How long was I chained at his side with no method or means of escape? How could I have let myself be taken down so easily?

Color floods my cheeks and I force myself to meet Magnus’ eyes. He’s startled, I can see utter shock in his gaze, and his lips are parted. In all the years I had been with him, I never once spoke back.

I may have disobeyed, I may have plotted my escape with my every breath, but I never raised my voice to him. To do so would have been suicide. He lorded my death over my head for so long that I believed myself a corpse on the ground with no means of escape-

But I won’t let him treat me as a doll any longer. He locked me up in an ivory tower but I found my way out. I sacrificed everything to leave and will not allow myself to be imprisoned again. I am tired, I am angry, but most of all, I am strong.

Magnus raises his hand and a coil of fear tightens in my stomach. I tense and await the blow like always but the fire inside me refuses to douse. If he will hit me, I will fight back. My hands move up to shield my face and my tongue is poised to strike-

And suddenly the taste of magic fills my mouth. My tongue is pressed down to my mouth gagging me and my hands are seized by invisible hands who forcibly hold them together before me.

I look towards Helena who has her fingers moving in circles. Her magic zaps at her fingertips and the look she gives me is frigid. She turns to Magnus with an eyebrow cocked.

“Must be in shock from everything,” she remarks. Her hands move down to her canister and she passes it over to me. Water.

She gets close to me and forces the canteen to my mouth. Cold water rushes down my throat and my tongue is released from her magical grip. Her mouth moves near my ear and she hisses a single word at me.

”Quiet.”

Her eyes are narrowed as she screws the lid back on after I’ve coughed down my share of water but she doesn’t move away from me. Instead, she almost moves me slightly away from Magnus with a hand at my back and steps protectively before me.

She’s protecting me, I realize. Some of my earlier anger deflates and I dig my nails into my skin.

Had she not stopped me, I would have fought back. I would have taken on Magnus-

And then he would have killed me. He would have struck me dead and everything I’ve survived would have been for naught. I have to keep my wits about me if I am to live.

Magnus recovers after another moment, vivid fury still burning in his gaze, and his hand drops back down. He doesn’t dare strike me, not with Helena before me and Alain eyeing him nearby with a hand near his sword. To hit me in front of them would be foolish. Magnus would be seen as a weak willed husband who could do nothing to control his wife but to beat her into submission. To someone so concerned of how others perceive him and with a fragile masculinity he needs to preserve, nothing would be worse.

He reels himself in and gives me a final glare before turning to Helena and Alain.

“Her time away must have frightened her. She was always obedient,” a pointed glare at my direction, “But she is back with me. I am sure she will recover.”

He narrows his eyes at me and fishes underneath his armor. On a gold chain rests his wedding band, the one enchanted to mine.

“I felt you leave the barrier when Goldhart kidnapped you. I have been tracking your movements since.”

I eye the ring on the chain and grind my teeth together. My hand with my missing finger throbs and I almost feel dizzy. The memory of what it took to escape the charm fills me and I have to suppress a shudder.

A hand at my shoulder keeps me steady. I turn to see that Alain has moved to my side. Like Helena he serves as a half shield from Magnus. His eyes are narrowed pensively and his hand is still at his sword.

“Well you found her,” his voice is cold, “But we have more important matters. Goldhart marches on Lennox’s domain. His men will invade our lands. We have a task to complete.”

He moves past Magnus and knocks his shoulder purposefully as he walks. Magnus grits his teeth and glares at his back.

Helena makes a sound underneath her breath.

“General Richter is right. The Witch Queen ordered us to bring her the head of the Captains of the Resistance. We are not here for your marriage counseling.”

She puts a hand on my back and moves me around so that she is behind me and we are walking away from Magnus. Acting as a shield, she moves me towards a fallen tree log and eases me down into it. My wrists are still bound so she keeps me steady as I sit.

I eye her wearily, suspicious, yet she ignores me.

“I have not forgotten my responsibility,” Magnus’ reply is as frigid as the Witch Queen. He tucks his wedding band back under his armor and he pulls out a map. The Fairy Domain has been circled and bolded.

I bite the inside of my cheek and try to make myself seem small as I think.

Ryland and the others have marched there already. They are probably halfway there. Magnus is behind. The thought fills me with some relief but I try not to let it show.

“The Resistance is ahead of us now. Lennox called for our forces a long time ago. We must move on. We sent our men ahead of us but they will be of no use without us as their heads. We have to move now,” Alain calls out from behind Magnus, “We have no time to waste. Take your wife back to your castle and leave her there. She will be a nuisance on the battlefield.”

Helena murmurs her agreement as her fingers move before her. I feel her magic seep into my skin and some of the exhaustion and pain from my journey recedes. Her magic is almost soothing in a way and I feel a part of myself ease up.

“You can leave her at your home before we march on. No need bringing her with us when you will be at war-“

“Not quite,” Magnus interrupts. His gaze is on me, assessing every inch of me, and I feel the hairs at the back of my neck stand. I hate him, every fiber of my being loathes him, and to be stared at by him makes me feel exposed somehow. I hunch my shoulders as if to shield myself from view.

“Goldhart had to have taken her somewhere nearby. An encampment perhaps? His little brigade is fond of those. I have no doubt my loyal and obedient wife may know a thing or two that could help us. Saving Lennox’s hide is all well and good, but finding the Resistance’s camp is much more beneficial. Think of the gold mine we’d hit by finding their hideaway.”

My blood turns cold at his words and it takes all of my strength to stay quiet.

The Resistance’s encampment is nearby, he’s right about that. If they find it, it’s all over. Ryland and Caligo took their best men out, but everyone else is hidden away. It would be a massacre and I would be the cause.

My fingers begin to shake and I am glad Helena’s magic keeps my arms tightly bound. Otherwise, I may do something reckless out of pure fear.

Magnus moves on me like a hawk. He approaches me and his gaze is powerful. I feel stripped bare as he takes in every inch of me.

I am wearing clothes from the Resistance, I am not entirely ragged from a long journey, and there is some semblance of nourishment in me. I have been well cared for and he knows it had to have been a camp. Only a camp could have provided me with the level of care I received.

“I-“

I open my mouth to concoct some lie about something, anything, but Alain beats me to it. He’s staring at his own map, measuring the distance with his thumb, and his jaw is tight.

“Are you purposefully trying to be dense, Magnus? We have no time for a foolish bid. The Resistance has several camps. We find one, they’ll move to another one. Meanwhile, Goldhart and Hawkeye march as we speak. Lennox’s lands will fall if we dally.”

Helena glares fiercely at Magnus as well. “Do you take Goldhart for a fool? He would have hidden his camp well and blindfolded your wife before taking her. She knows nothing.”

I raise my chin and make my voice seem feeble. Perhaps there is strength in weakness after all. My eyes burn with tears.

“I don’t know where it is. I just ran,” I shrink into myself to play off the effect.

My heart is a hummingbird in my chest and my legs shake. No matter what, I can not let him find the encampment.

I was an idiot to have ever left the camp, but I will not allow myself to be a risk to everyone who remains within.

Magnus’ eyes flash with a challenge and his double bladed axe is in his hand. Alain and Helena tense preparing for some battle. I tuck myself flat against the tree trunk and avert my gaze.

The Generals fight all the time, I recall, and I have definitely seen them get bloody before. Serving the Witch Queen does not make them loyal to each other. They often trade blows like lovers trade kisses and more than once I’ve seen them bleed each other out. It wouldn’t surprise me if they attack each other now.

Yet Magnus takes no step towards Helena or Alain. Instead, he marches towards the tree line.

“Goldhart’s forces are ways away from Lennox’s lands. We can take a bit to search for the camp and still make it in time for all the fun. Imagine how pleased our Queen will be when we deliver not only the Captains but one of the Resistance’s encampments? She will reward us then.”

He sets his axe down and comes towards me. His arm hauls me up and I grit my teeth to keep from crying out. His arm will certainly leave a bruise.

Alain and Helena are tense as they watch him grab me. I am reminded of all the times he has hurt me before in front of the Generals. He never dared raise a hand to me in front of them before, it would have been humiliating to him, but there were always other ways to harm me.

No one ever stepped in to help me in the years that I was at his side. The day Magnus had taken me, Alain had been there. He had said nothing as Magnus selected me as his own and had simply turned his back when Magnus had forced me to leave with him. Then Helena had complied with the Witch Queen and Magnus’ orders by enchanting my wedding ring and erasing my memories. She had never raised a finger to help me either and even now refused to release the magic she held over me as Magnus forced me to walk.

“You can try to find it for me, can’t you?” Magnus shakes my arm furiously. His pent up anger simmers underneath his skin as his nails pierce flesh. I grit my teeth to keep from crying out.

Fear settles within me, that familiar feeling I always got right before he did something to me, but it is accompanied by white hot anger and something deeper, primal. It is protective and strong. I will not give up the encampment, no matter what he does. He can raise his blade to my neck and I will die with the encampment’s location accompanying me to my grave.

“I didn’t see the way,” I protest, “It’s all a blur. I just ran for hours until I reached your lands.”

Tears roll down my cheeks as his grip tightens even further. I am sure he will break bone as he takes his anger out on my arm-

And then Alain is at his side wrenching his arm off me. He shoves Magnus away and takes my wrist in his. His grip is forceful yet it lacks the pain that Magnus’ grip brought.

“She will hardly be able to think between the pain of a missing finger and a broken arm,” he hisses, “Give her time. We can walk around the perimeter of the area for a bit to see if something jogs her memory. Otherwise, it’s fruitless to try.”

Magnus glares at him reproachfully but cocks his head to the side and cracks his neck. His fist is squeezed at his side and he reluctantly complies. He can’t lose control of his anger, not in front of Alain and Helena. It would ruin his reputation of being in control of me.

“Then lead the way, my obedient wife.”

He does not wait for me to start walking before shoving his way past some trees. Alain forces me forward and Helena takes my other side using her magic to illuminate our path through eternal darkness.  

—————

Magnus’ lands are a labyrinth and I get lost several times. It is only the Generals’ sense of direction that keeps us from going in circles. Pretty soon, we pass the barrier marking the end of his realm and find ourselves in more woods.

The trees all look the same and I am relieved for it. If I can’t recognize the path ahead of me, I can’t possibly bring them anywhere close to the camp.

“This is pointless, we waste time,” Helena hisses. She folds her arms in front of her chest and digs her heels in the terrain. Spinning on me, her lip curls with distaste. “Does anything resemble a camp to you?”

“No!” I protest for the hundredth time then realize I sounded too forceful. Getting a hold of my emotions once more, I make my voice sound desperate. “Please! I never saw the way to the camp!”

For the first time, I am thankful that I am hungry, tired, and shell shocked. The tears come faster than what I meant and add to my desperation perfectly. I let them roll down my chin before I move my bound hands upwards and make an attempt to wipe them away.

Magnus scoffs and Helena directs her ire at him instead.

“As Alain told you before, we have more pressing matters at hand. Let us give up this fool’s bid and head for the Coastal Domain. The Resistance is bound to be close now.”

Ryland is traveling with a whole rank of men. A group that large will be traveling slowly even if they only make necessary stops. They must be close to the Coast now-

But not close enough. If Magnus and the others depart now, they will be close on them too soon. They are only three companions.

I have to find a way to slow them down. Anything.

I move away from Alain’s grip and stare at a random tree’s direction. Alain’s eyes narrow at me suspiciously and Helena purses her lips.

“Anything?” Magnus takes notice of my reaction.

“I-“

I don’t give an immediate answer. Instead, I pretend to be entranced. I walk closer and grind my teeth.

“I recognize this,” I murmur.

Magnus wastes no time in moving towards me. “Did Goldhart take this path with you?”

I don’t answer him. Alain rolls his eyes and Helena clenches her jaw. They are fed up with Magnus’ dream of finding the camp.

“What are you waiting for? Find the camp!”

Magnus gives me a forceful shove and I stumble. I manage to right my balance out of miracle and quicken my step to prevent him from coming too close.

“This is pointless,” Helena hisses but she follows at my heels and, after another moment, Alain steps towards me too.

Praying that I’m giving the Resistance enough time to reach the Coast, I walk them further in the woods.

—————

I lead them on a wild goose chase. For the most part, I am successful.

I really do not know the woods, so it is hardly difficult to get lost in them. I zig zag through the trees and bite my lip until it bleeds pretending to be deep in thought. When Magnus begins to get furious, I let a few tears out and cower behind Helena or Alain. They keep Magnus away and get more frustrated with every passing tree. Anger radiates off of them yet they never direct it at me. Instead, Magnus takes the force of it.

They never wanted to search for the encampment to begin with, Magnus pressured them into it. The time they are wasting on my wild chase is his fault. They constantly remind him that the Witch Queen will not be pleased Magnus made an impromptu scavenger hunt against her wishes.

Magnus pales at that reminder but remains firm. He yells at me, clenches his teeth so hard I am surprised they don’t crack, and reaches for his axe menacingly.

“Anything look familiar?” His voice is tight.

I don’t dignify him with a glance. Instead, I move past in another direction. Anything to get them as far away from the Coastal Domain as possible.

“Close,” I murmur under my breath and make a show of trying to concentrate. I pretend to analyze some bark and then pretend to be stumped.

When Magnus makes a move for me, I walk even faster away from him and deeper into the woods. Behind us, the other two Generals hiss furious comments to each other.

We walk for another half hour and my legs begin to burn. I have walked too far without much rest. My head begins to pound from the lack of food and I cannot reach my water with my hands tied.

I close my eyes and will myself forward.

I have led them far enough away. The Coastal Domain is in the opposite direction now and Ryland, even with all his men and the many side roads he’ll have to take, should have a nice head start for it. The Generals are tired from my hunt, they’ll need to make a temporary stop soon. For now, I can pretend to lose the scent and give up my act-

Something tickles at my magic and I tense slightly. In my bid to confuse the others, I’ve reached a magical force of some sort. I will my powers outward and skim the surface of a ward before paling.

The Camp is well hidden by the magical wards in place, but such strong magic leaves a potent trace. It’s hard to hide a spell so strong from magic users. Even my magic, as weak as it is, can detect something in the distance now that the wards have been particularly active as of late-

And if I can detect them-

I risk a glance at Helena to see that she has stopped. Her eyes are pensive as she scans the horizon. I feel her own magic surging outwards, past where mine can touch, and I hold my breath.

Alain and Magnus can’t feel anything amiss, but they stop all the same when they see that Helena has halted.

“What is it?” Magnus whirs on her then at me.

I look away and pretend to be as confused as they are.

“I can’t find it,” I whisper to myself.

Helena moves closer to the direction of the magic and my heart begins to race. It pounds against my ribs so loudly I am shocked the others can’t hear it.

Please, please, please.

“Is the camp nearby?” Magnus marches towards Helena and grabs her arm. He’s fed up with all of us and is desperate to find the Resistance.

Helena ignores him. I feel her magic envelop us, surround the area, and my blood turns cold.

Her magic is strong, she can shatter the wards with a flick of her wrist. Once she finds them, it’s over.

I feel real tears burn in my eyes and my cheek stings as my teeth draw blood.

Please, please don’t let the camp be found.

I sense the arcane powers in the air, sense the wards of the camp, feel when Helena’s magic brushes past it-

And then Helena turns around and clutches her pin in the shape of the Witch Queen’s crown.

“There’s nothing here, this was a waste of time. Lennox just sent out another distress signal.”

She unpins her pin and brandishes it towards Magnus. Magnus reaches for his own and frowns. Their pins are silent and show no sign of any signal coming through. The Generals can communicate with them together, I recall, but there’s usually a light shining in them when they’re active.

“Mine never lit up-“

Alain pulls his own off and eyes it. “Well Helena’s and mine did. Lennox needs us now. Can we give up on your pathetic bid?”

He rolls his eyes and turns his back on Magnus. Without waiting for a response, he walks back the way we came. Somehow, he has been keeping track of our path.

I stare at Helena almost gaping. Confusion and terror linger on me. My mouth is dry.

She felt the wards, I sensed it. I felt it when she bumped against them. She could have torn them down like paper with just a finger, but she hadn’t.

I have no idea what to make of it and do not have the time to try and process it out. Helena turns towards me sensing my gaze on her and I pointedly look away.

Magnus is livid as he seizes my arm again.

“Fine,” he hisses. He glares at me and I feel dizzy.

There will be hell to pay later, I realize. Once he can get me alone, he will take out all his pent up anger on me. My stomach churns.

“We can still reach the Coastal Domain before the battle if we hurry,” Magnus comments.

I open my mouth to say something then never get the chance to. My foot catches on a twig and I fall. With my hands bound, I cannot stop myself in time.

I land on the ground painfully and cannot find the strength to rise back up. All at once the exhaustion from the journey takes hold and I slump down.

Helena hisses something and Magnus nudges me with his boot. He orders me to stand up, gets frustrated when I don’t, and Alain makes a face.

“She’s passing out,” he remarks.

He is right. Before long, my consciousness fades.

—————

It can’t be more than another half hour before I wake again. I am propped on a tree and Helena sits next to me as she keeps watch. I blink slowly and sit up.

My muscles ache, my head is pounding, and my mouth feels like sandpaper. I groan underneath my breath and find that my hands are looser than before. Some of her magic has been weakened.

“Awake at last,” Helena idly comments. She passes me her water container and I nearly drain it dry.

I am exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. I need hours and hours of sleep.

“Did we move?” I press a hand to my forehead and feel the skin there hot to the touch. Hopefully it’s nothing major.

“Alain carried you some ways away. We’ve been traveling all this time. I made them stop to rest.”

Helena nods at the distance. Alain and Magnus are poured over a map bickering. They haven’t noticed I’m awake.

I try to calculate how much time we have wasted. By now Ryland’s group should be arriving to the Coastal Domain soon. By early morning tomorrow, they’ll regroup with their other Resistance members, and the battle can begin in two days.

Some relief fills me. The Generals are still here and Lennox is still waiting for them before making a move. The Resistance has the upper hand while they remain far away. I have done good in creating a diversion.

“Are you hungry?” Helena fishes in her bag for something. An apple.

A memory of Ryland and his apple game fills me. I eye the fruit and the thought becomes painful. I move away from Helena and clench my jaw.

“Get away from me,” I hiss.

Asides from Magnus, I hate Helena the most. My memories are trapped behind her magic, my finger is gone because of her, and I was kept a prisoner by her own spell. I trust her as far as I can throw her and refuse to take anything she gives me that isn’t water.

Helena, for her part, doesn’t complain. She rises to her feet and sets the apple in front of me.

“I am not your enemy,” she says quietly.

“Could have fooled me,” I retort. I raise my hands to show her the magical binds on them and the nub that used to be my finger.

She winces and looks away. For a moment, something like pain and remorse fills her-

And then it’s gone and a mask falls over her face. She moves her fingers and the magical binds fall away from me.

I stretch my arms apart wearily and eye her suspiciously. She tilts her head to the sky and her jaw is tight.

“I did what I had to do,” she comments. She nudges the apple towards me, “You do not need to trust me or like me. Just keep yourself alive.”

She then spins on her heel and marches towards the others.

—————

I doze off again somehow. I wake up an hour later and Helena is gone along with Magnus. Alain is pacing the perimeter keeping guard. I pretend to still be asleep as he gets closer to me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see him murmuring into his pin. The light is shining within it and Helena’s voice carries out like an echo from it. They murmur in hushed voices to each other via the connection and I catch Ryland’s name several times.

I strain my ears to hear something, anything, but Alain is too far away. I then try to inch closer but a twig snaps and Alain turns towards me in a flash.

I barley have time to close my eyes again before he sees me. I wait for a few moments in tense silence praying that he still thinks I’m asleep. Finally, after a long pause, I hear him walk away and open my eyes again.

He’s by a tree and still talking to Helena. I watch as he shakes his head, argues back and forth, then comes to some agreement. Finally, after a long pause, he pins his device back on his armor and moves towards me.

My eyes fall close automatically as he looms near. I hear him approach then sidestep me towards the other side of the perimeter.

He’s taking patrol, I realize, and curl in on myself. Helena and Magnus must be somewhere else scouting something. Running would do me no good. Even if I could outrun Alain, I have no way of knowing where Helena and Magnus are. I may bump into one of them or set off another one of Helena’s traps before making it far.

Frustration fills me and I clench my teeth.

Alain walks towards me headed for the other direction of his patrol. I slump my head on my arms getting ready to sleep again-

And then hear his voice next to my head. He has bent down towards me and is whispering something near my ear.

“Ryland made it to the Coastal Domain. He’s headed West.”

Before I have a chance to process what he said, he’s moving away from me and back towards his patrol as if nothing ever happened.

My eyes snap open and I stare in his wake.

—————

Magnus returns before long with Helena in tow. He tosses Alain a water jug and rouses me from ‘sleep’.

“Up,” he orders.

I comply and pretend like my hands are still bound. Helena has not retied my hands since she freed me.

“We can still travel some more hours. Had we not gone searching for the impossible, we would have been in Lennox’s camp by now,” Alain chastises Magnus.

Magnus ignores him and stares at the distance. His jaw is tight. He sends me a freezing glare and looks away.  

“Had my wife not passed out, we wouldn’t have had to stop,” he comments.

Helena eyes him with frustration but says nothing. She comes to my side and helps me up as if my hands were tied. She makes no effort to use her magic on me again.

Although I tense at her touch, I don’t shrink away. Despite my hatred for them, Helena and Alain have been helping me thus far. I can’t deny them that. Biting the hand that feeds never ends well.

“Should we move now?” Helena asks.

A moment of quiet.

Thanks to Helena’s ever present light, we can move freely in eternal darkness, but that doesn’t mean we can push past exhaustion. Alain looks tired as he leans against a tree, Magnus is perched on a log looking worn down, and Helena herself has dark circles under her eyes.

I managed to fall asleep briefly, but they’ve been busy at work. They need some rest if only just to drink water and catch their breath.

“One hour,” Alain concedes. He gives Helena a look as he sits down and Helena’s eyes narrow. Something passes between them and I can’t read it.

Magnus, oblivious, rolls his eyes but doesn’t protest.

They set up a brief camp.

—————

A fire crackles before long and Alain dozes off. Magnus and Helena are left awake as I cower to one side. After a lull in planning, Magnus orders Helena to get firewood.

I tense at the realization that I will be left alone with him.

My heartbeat pounds in my ears and a part of me thinks of wild flowers. That corner I’ve been receding to all this time, the place I go to disassociate and escape, comes to me in a rush and I squeeze my hands into fists.

Once Helena is gone, what will he do then? I’ve been pushing it this entire time. I provoked him earlier, have been using the other two as shields, and have yet to pay for running away. How will he hurt me once she’s gone? Will I still be alive by the time the Coastal Domain falls to the Resistance?

My hands shake in my lap and my breath comes in a quiet pant. Panic seizes me and I close my eyes tightly. More than anything, I pray that it is over quickly. Let him be done with me quickly. I am out of practice in surviving him.

Helena makes a sound at the back of her throat and I realize she has not moved from her spot.

She looks at me and something dark passes in her eyes so quickly I am almost sure I imagined it. Almost protectively, she inches towards me.

“Lady Vestergaard shall help me then. Two sets of hands can carry more firewood.”

Magnus’ face hardens with anger. “That is unnecessary. I need my wife with me-“

“Come.”

Helena ignores his protests and helps me to my feet. She pushes me in front of her and puts herself between me and Magnus. If he were to try to rush me, he’d have to go through her first.

“Get some rest, General Vestergaard. We have a long battle ahead. I will bring your wife back safe.”

Without any more fanfare, she walks me as far away from Magnus as she can.

—————

I can’t help myself. Once we are out of earshot, I wrap my arms around myself in relief. My teeth grind together and it takes me a moment to compose myself.

“Why did you help me?”

My tone is still cold, poisonous, but Helena ignores the animosity I give her.

She fixes the straps on her swords before answering. Taking her time. When she finally opens her mouth, her voice is quiet.

“It hardly takes a genius to figure out what he was planning. Were Alain and I to leave you alone with him, your end would be tragic.”

I try to keep the fear from my face as my fists tighten at my side. Awful memories flood me one after another, painful experiences that I wish would go away. I have to close my eyes to gather my bearings and try to shove them down as far as I can. Some other day I’ll deal with them, some other day they won’t break me, but today I want nothing to do with them.

If Helena notices my internal conflict, she pretends not to. Instead, she nods at my hand still injured after everything. The pain is ever constant but my magic does a good job at keeping most of it away.

“How much does it hurt?” She inquires. There’s something strange in her eyes as she does so, something flickers there but it’s too fast for me to catch.

At the memory of my finger, anger comes rushing back. Helena is the reason why it is missing. She enchanted Magnus’ ring to keep me locked up. Her magic has kept me a victim all these years.

I am relieved that Alain and Helena have purposefully avoided leaving me with Magnus as much as possible this entire time, from when I passed out to now, but that does nothing to erase everything else. Alain was there when Magnus took me. He could have said something, done something, but he turned his back and walked away. Helena took my memories, my name, and used her magic as my chains. She could have helped me sooner, refused Magnus’ demands, but she always looked away from me whenever I needed help.

My anger flares quickly and I turn away from her and give her my back the way she and Alain have all these years. “What do you care?”

My tone of voice is positively murderous and I hear her wince despite not being able to see her. A small sense of victory lights within me at the knowledge that I was able to hurt her the way she had hurt me.

The feeling does not last, however. Immediately after, guilt floods me like a wave and I clench my jaw tight. Who am I to delight in the misery of someone else? That is something only Magnus does.

A bitter taste fills my mouth and I worry his influence has poisoned me more than I realized. Perhaps I will too one day hurt those around me the way he has-

“I do,” Helena’s voice is quiet next to me and I turn remembering her presence suddenly, “Alain does too.”

I huff and make a face.

“You never cared before. Not when he took me, not when you saw how frightened I was, or when you saw the bruises.”

My fingers move to my neck.

Everyone had seen those bruises on me before, Magnus was never particularly worried in trying to hide them. The Generals had seen them, the Witch Queen had seen them, and the staff at Magnus’ castle had seen them. No one had cared.

What Magnus did to his wife was his business. As long as he did it in the privacy of his own room or away from prying eyes, who would care? What happened in a marriage was private and none felt the need to intervene.

I had attended events with the Generals covered black and blue. I had come with scratches and bite marks too messy to be consensual. I had sported shiners and hand prints along my neck speaking of strangulation and aggression. Helena had seen them. Alain had seen them. Yet none had raised a word in concern.

Helena’s head is down when I turn back to her. Remorse comes off her in waves and she closes her eyes as if the sight of me were too much to bear. Funny how she and Alain have a habit of looking away from me when I needed their attention the most.

“What would we have gained? Were we to raise a concern to Magnus about what he did, what would he have done? Told us to mind our business? Hurt you twice as hard in retaliation for our intervention? We never said anything directly to you, but we tried to help from the shadows. Alain made cutting remarks to Magnus, I hurt him harder during training so that you would not be the only one in pain. I even broke his arm once in a training session just so that he would not be able to raise it against you while it healed. Forgive me if I could not do more.”

Her apology is the last thing I need. A ‘sorry’ does nothing to erase everything that happened. My family is still dead, my mind is still shattered and spread thin between awful memories of pain and misery, and her magic still corrupts parts of me that cannot remember my past…

My missing finger aches with a phantom pain. I clench my jaw.

“You took my memories from me,” I close my eyes as my voice shakes. My heart is pounding in my chest. “Your magic was more painful than anything he did.”

It is a low blow and Helena reacts to it immediately. She looks like she is in agony for a fraction of a second before a cool mask washes over her and she moves away from me. I have no idea if I meant what I said, all I know is that a part of me still delights in hurting her the way she hurt me.

“I had to,” her back is turned to me, “I had to.”

She repeats it as if the words would make a difference.

“Yes, I forgot the part where Magnus held his axe to your head and threatened your life if you did not willingly use your magic-“

Sarcasm spills from my lips and she spins around. Fed up with me, she seizes my arms sharply and forces me to see her. She towers over me and I feel afraid although I try not to show it. The rest of the words die in my throat.

“I had to!” She has to keep herself from screaming it out, “What would have happened to you had I not been the one to do so? Magnus asked the Witch Queen for magic to restrain you! It was his reward for his military talents. She complied and ordered me to provide it. What do you think would have happened to you had I not been the one to do that?”

Realizing my fear, she drops her hands from my arms and takes a step back. Her eyes move away from me and she almost cowers into herself. Her arms come up around herself like a shield and she bites her lip.

“Had I not done it, do you think you would have been allowed to remain without magic? The Witch Queen would have stepped in and hurt us both if I-“

She clenches her jaw as if she has revealed something she should not have. A hand goes to her hair.

Hurt us both.

Her words echo around me and I gape at her. What did that mean? She looks as if she has let out a secret that she would have rather liked to keep hidden.

Still she isn’t done. She pushes past her blunder and keeps going.

“I tried to help you even as I used my magic. The ring Magnus gave you had a warning in it. It would get hot when you got too close to the barrier. That was not for Magnus, that was for you. Magnus wanted it to kill you when you tried to flee. I tried to give you a warning so that you would know what to avoid as you ran. As for your memories…”

She closes her eyes.

“I hid them away with a wall of magic. They are still there just kept at bay with my magic. I was so careful when I charmed you. The human mind is a fragile thing, I treated it with care. I made sure not to harm your memory more than what was necessary. I had to restrain myself from erasing all the painful things he had already done to you but in the end it would not have mattered. He would have done more. I had to be the one to enchant you, don’t you see that?”

I am beginning to but am too stubborn to admit it. My teeth sink into my lower lip again.

Helena is agitated now and wraps her arms around her frame as some form of comfort.

“I had to be the one to enchant you. I was careful, I did everything I could to keep you in one piece. Had I refused, the Witch Queen would have done it herself. She would not have cared to be careful. She would have torn through your mind without a care. Her magic would have torn your memories apart, shredded them one by one until she found the ones Magnus wanted erased, and you would have broken under her. The Witch Queen delights in hurting others. You would be a shell of something had she been the one to do it.”

She turns away from me and looks up at the eternally dark sky.

“I tried hard to atone for it if it makes you feel better,” her voice is quiet, “I made myself memorize every memory I took from you. Committed it to memory so that at least someone would know the truth. You deserved that much.”

“What do you mean?” My fingers rub at my neck in agitation.

Helena turns towards me and her lips are pressed thin.

“I cannot undo all the hurt he has done, but I can make one thing right. Do you wish to know your real name?”

For a moment there is total quiet before us. I shiver in place.

‘Hope’ was a name given to me by Ryland and I appreciate it, but a part of me still longs for my real name. Perhaps it is curiosity more than anything, but I do want to know what my old name was. I close my eyes and steel myself.

“Please,” My voice comes out in a small whisper.

Helena takes a deep breath as if preparing herself to shed some burden. The weights of regret are heavy within her.

“Laelynn, your name was Laelynn.”

—————

When we return, Alain has woken up and Magnus is done resting.

Helena and I set down the firewood as Magnus pours over his map. He measures the distance with his thumb. A scowl breaks through his features.

“We have to move soon. We are close to my lands. From there, it’s another journey.”

Helena has not had time to rest like the other two yet she says nothing as they pack up and begin to move. Magnus leads the way while Helena and Alain hang back with me.

I am still reeling from Helena’s revelation and keep to myself.

I have no idea what to make of the new information, have no idea if the name still fits, and the thought gnaws at me as we walk.

We reach Magnus’ lands and it’s still a little jarring when his barrier washes over me. Still, we cross it through with no problem and keep moving.

The Coastal Domain is midway from our place. Ryland has reached his destination by now according to what Alain said earlier. That means they are behind schedule. Magnus’ ego in trying to find the encampment has delayed them. A part of me feels like smirking.

By now the Resistance must have made camp in the Coast and is planning out their next move. They are leagues ahead of the Witch Queen’s forces who are still missing three Generals.

We walk in silence for an hour or two, hard to tell in the darkness, and Alain stops. He approaches Magnus and they talk together while pausing.

I eye Helena who lowers her voice.

“A break again. Listen closely.”

I strain my hearing and pick up what sounds like a river nearby. Helena lifts up her water canteen and shakes to show me how little is in there. If we are to make the full trip to the Coast, water is needed.

Magnus orders me to stay put before he and Alain take our water cans and disappear amidst the trees. Helena crosses her arms in front of herself and sits down on the ground. She looks exhausted but is still pressing on.

The Generals are not using horses to travel, their forces must have taken the animals with them when they departed separately to the front lines. They’ll need their horses well rested for the upcoming battle.

“You haven’t slept,” I remark.

Helena shrugs. “I have survived worse.”

She sounds bitter and leans her head against the base of the tree. Her eyes close and I wonder if she has dozed off before she opens them again and talks.  

“Do you know where we are?” She scans our surroundings.

I don’t but I am sure we are closer to the Coastal Domain. We passed Magnus’ barrier and kept traveling for a while. We probably passed his castle some time ago which means we are heading for the Coast. If we were to follow West as we have already, the Coast will not be far.

“Just follow West?” I muse.

Helena stands and her face is serious. “Yes, just follow West.”

She glances behind her but Magnus and Alain have not returned. Moving quickly, she drops her voice low and grabs my arm. Her eyes are serious.

“Ryland arrived to the Coast while you were asleep. He and Caligo split off in halves and surrounded Lennox’s lands. No one is moving yet, the battle won’t start for another day and a half, but everyone is already in position. If you move West, you could get there soon too and reach their encampment. You would just need to dodge my magic wards. Wherever the wards are, Lennox’s men are nearby.”

I blink at her once, twice. Her words slowly begin to make sense.

“Travel? Alone?”

I risk a glance around us but there is nothing. Alain and Magnus are still gone.

Helena begins to lead me West. Her voice is still low.

“Magnus has bigger fish to fry. If you were to run now, you could make it far. Alain and I would distract him.”

I swallow. “You would let me go? Just like that?”

My pulse begins to quicken. Please, please, please.

Helena closes her eyes tightly.

“Whatever you think of us, we are tired of this war. The Witch Queen won years ago yet her mind is gone. She spends her days screaming accusations of treason and using her magic to hurt those around her. The Capital is in shambles. Alain and I are tired of serving someone who can never be saved.”

“If I run, you will be delayed more. Ryland and Caligo are already there. You would have to humor Magnus by trying to find me.”

Helena’s lips quirk up in a bitter smile. She runs a hand through her hair messing the blonde strands. “Like I said, Alain and I have grown tired of the war.”

Her words finally click in my mind and a prickle of shock overtakes me.

Helena had felt the wards protecting the Resistance before yet hadn’t made a move. She had purposefully made it seem like she hadn’t spotted anything then lied about Lennox’s message. Alain had corroborated her lie.

Alain had stayed with me while I slept rather than leave me with Magnus and had taken the time to tell me that Ryland had made it safe. He had to have had eyes on him through a spy network, yet he made no orders to attack him.

Plus, Helena and Alain had sent their forces ahead of them knowing fully well they would not be able to act against the Resistance without them there. They had allowed Magnus to go on a wild chase finding the Resistance and had not tried to stop me from leading them in circles.

My breath hitches in my throat. Everything suddenly makes sense and I have to resist the urge to laugh.

I press a hand to my mouth and close my eyes.

What a fitting development. The two most loyal Generals of the Witch Queen have purposefully been delaying the battle.

“Go now, Laelynn,” Helena urges and she does not wait for me to leave before turning away, “Run far.”

I hesitate wondering if I should thank her, open my mouth to do so, but no words come out. Despite her help, a part of me can never thank someone who stood by idly as I was broken for years.

Helena bows her head like she understands and turns her back towards me. She slumps against the base of the tree and leans her head back as if she has lost consciousness. A ruse for Magnus.

I give her one last look before turning and running away.

—————

My sides burn as I run and exhaustion drags my limbs. I skirt trees and dive between bushes. I have nothing on me for travel and hope that I can at least make it to the encampment by today.

I risk a few glances behind me and can hear activity. By now, Magnus has certainly returned to find me missing. I can hear distant calls for me to return. His rage is almost palpable.

I hope Helena can lead him astray and keep him occupied for a while. I hope she meant wanting to help me.

I dodge a low branch and my sides ache. My breath comes out in rapid pants, yet I know I cannot take a moment to pause.

Around me, there is some movement around the trees. The Generals have split up in their attempts to find me. I desperately hope Magnus is far away.

Helena said to follow West. I do not have a compass with me but she aimed me West when I left. I am still facing it surely.

I run more and hear something nearby. A curse threatens to spill past my lips but I press a hand to my mouth to muffle it. I crouch near a tree just as Alain emerges from the tree line.

For a moment, we just stare at each other. None of us move and my heart begins to race. Helena tried to help me but that does not mean Alain will too. I pause waiting.

Finally, Alain moves silently and I tense. I wait for him to turn me in to Magnus or yell for Magnus to come for me, but he never does. Instead, he hands me a water canteen silently before turning his back on me. He goes back the opposite direction I am headed in without another word.

My breath comes out in a quiet rush with relief.  I take a moment to compose myself.

Once upon a time, Alain had turned his back on me when Magnus had taken me from my family. Now he turns his back again this time to give me a chance to run.

I don’t let the chance he gave me go to waste. Preparing myself again, I take off running. This time, I don’t stop.

—————

Running has never been my strong suit but adrenaline keeps me going. I run until I am sure Magnus is too far to present an actual challenge for me using a small fireball in my hand as a guide through the dark. Once I am certain I am far enough away, I slow down to a walk and take measured sips of water.

I don’t have a map to guide me, am just following West directly, but I do somewhat remember the way now that I have traveled for a while.  

Magnus used to take me to the Coastal Domain with him whenever the Generals held meetings. Sometimes he made me walk while he rode on his horse. A cruelty that now I am grateful for. When I was forced to walk the path to the Coast, I was able to pick up on the route.

Now, I begin to recognize it. I recognize the road I arrive to after another hour of travel and know that if I just follow it, I will arrive to the Coastal Domain.

When I risk a glance behind me, I don’t hear or see of the Generals. It seems Helena has kept her promise and delayed Magnus enough to give me a head start.

I bite the inside of my cheek and press on. My legs burn with the effort, my hands shake from hunger, and my head is pounding from the lack of sleep, but I have survived worse. I press on and tell myself that I will be safe if I reach the Resistance. I was an idiot to have left the encampment before, and now I have to atone for it.

Just when I think I cannot possibly walk any more, the ground underneath me goes from dirt to sand. I bend down and pick up a handful of it letting it fall through my fingers. My heart aches to realize that I have reached the Coastal Domain.

I grew up in this Domain before Magnus arrived. I used to run around the sand with my brother playing and enjoying life. We would take a boat and ride across the coast fishing for fun challenging each other to see who could capture the biggest fish. Other times, we would curl up in the sand with a campfire listening to the sounds of the mermaids singing just comfortable being with each other the way only siblings could.

A part of me longs to be back home and I feel my eyes begin to sting. Another part of me, however, no longer feels like she belongs here.

I take a moment to gather my thoughts, just one to compose myself, then straighten myself back out.

My magic spreads out from where I am and I can sense some of Helena’s wards nearby. She told me to avoid them because they meant Lennox’s men were nearby.

I pause and think.

Alain said Ryland had headed West once he had reached the Coastal Domain. Helena’s wards are spread out in one direction and there aren’t many in the other. I bite the inside of my cheek and turn in the direction where the wards are least prominent. That must be West.

Stealing myself, I continue on my path even though my legs begin to shake.

—————

Walking through sand is much harder than walking on dirt. I grow tired more quickly and have to take more breaks. Each time, I am keenly aware that the Coastal Domain is to be the site of a battle. I pause at every sound and feel utterly exposed as I move.

Helena’s wards are easy to avoid once I can detect them, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other dangers. There are still soldiers of the Witch Queen in this Domain. Any one of them could spot me and raise the alarm. Asides from them, a fairy might spot me too and turn me in. While no one likes the Witch Queen’s rule, they are too afraid to challenge it. People will turn in neighbors and family to her if it means they get to escape her ire an extra day.

I travel some more until I sense a shift in the arcane atmosphere. Helena’s traps have a distinct quality that I can easily pick up, but they are not the only magic here. Past the edges of my vision, I can detect something powerful humming in the air. It reminds me of the wards protecting the Resistance from view.

A flicker of hope ignites in me and I travel faster where I can pick up the magic.

It becomes stronger once I get closer. My eyes cannot detect anything different, the landscape looks the same, but my magic senses protective wards all around me. I raise my hand to feel the area.

Finally, my hand presses up against something solid and powerful. I feel courses of magic buzzing underneath my skin and I close my eyes. The wards are strong and I am tired. I can’t collapse them the way I did at the Resistance’s Camp, but I can disturb them.

I trace the same symbols I did at the last camp but don’t take the wards down. Instead, I just let my magic seep into them.

If Solaire or Caligo built these wards, they will feel a disturbance soon. It is just a matter of time.

—————

True to my prediction, I sense a shift in the wards. Near me, one of the wards comes down and someone emerges. Their weapon is raised and I recognize who they are in the dim lighting my hand can provide.

Caligo.

A wave of utter relief washes over me and the stress I’ve felt this entire time makes my knees weak.

“Hope?” Caligo openly gapes at me and lowers his sword. He rushes for me and I meet him halfway.

I swing my arms around his neck in relief and he holds me steady. My mind is spinning and exhaustion makes me sink to the ground.

“Hey! Hey! You alright?” Caligo is the only thing holding me upright. “What are you doing here?”

I feel darkness surrounding me and fall back.

“It’s a really long story.”

I never get the chance to say it. My eyes roll back and I pass out in his arms.

—————

A sound wakes me up moments later. I blink up and find myself in a tent of some sort. Someone is sitting at my side. When they see my eyes open, a quiet breath leaves their lips.

“Hope?” Solaire peers down at me with immense relief.

I sit up quickly and feel dizzy. Solaire pushes me gently back down.

My head is killing me and my mouth tastes like cotton. I press a hand to my throbbing temple and take stock of where I am. I am in a tent of some sort tucked in a sleeping roll. Around us, is the quiet murmur of voices. The Resistance.

“What happened?” I ask weakly.

Solaire huffs and I see she is upset. She is frowning down at me and looks exasperated.

“I should ask you that!”

She jerks a letter at me and I recognize the one I had stashed in her stuff.

“Are you crazy?” Her voice rises in tone, “What were you thinking?!”

She cuts herself off and crumples the letter in a tight ball. Her hands press to her eyelids and I can see her try to reign in her anger. Her shoulders shake with the effort.

Guilt gnaws at me and I look away. The letter must have frightened her. I put her through needless worry with my stupidity.

Once Solaire has calmed down she sinks to her knees and sits next to me. Her arms encircle her knees and she looks away from me. I can still see how angry she is, but she keeps her voice at a steady level.

“I found the letter in one of our stops. I showed it to Caligo and then we felt the wards open. We were worried General Klein had found us but we never heard any reports of an attack. We figured you had escaped.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose and takes another breath. Her hands shake from either anger or fear. At this point, I can’t tell.

“We had to keep moving. I wanted to rush back and find you because we heard reports that the Generals were still in the area but we could not waste time. You should have seen Ryland. He was distraught. We were so worried something would happen to you. What were you thinking?” She glares at me and her jaw is tight. A sound of anger leaves her lips and she tosses the letter away from her, “If you were not injured I would curse you!”

I stare down at my hands and the weight of everything comes crashing down all at once. My eyes sting and I bite hard on my cheek.

What was I thinking? Did I not realize the danger I was putting myself in? Or the danger I put the camp in? Had I really let a pair of scheming council members rattle me that much?

Helena protected the Resistance by surprise, but that was never guaranteed. She could have very easily torn the wards down and killed everyone there. I not only put my life at risk but I also threatened every person there.

My throat burns and suddenly Solaire’s arms are around me. There is something entirely sisterly about her embrace and I sink into her. Some tears run down and she wipes them with her thumb.

We sit there quietly for half a second before she buries her face in my hair and speaks.

“I am very angry at you, Hope, I can hardly look at you, but I am very relieved you are safe-“

Her voice cuts off and she stops talking. I can feel her heart racing in utter fear.

Fear for me.

“I am sorry,” I murmur.

It’s a weak apology, a ‘sorry’ can’t erase everything I put her through, but I can think of nothing more to say.

Finally Solaire moves away and pushes a strand of my hair back. For the first time, I can see that there is dirt all over me.

I wince and realize how I must have frightened her and Caligo. To have arrived covered in dirt, frightened and tired, then to pass out in his arms? No wonder Solaire was furious.

“Tell me what happened before I change my mind about cursing you,” Solaire orders.

I close my eyes and do so.

—————

Having been summoned, Caligo arrives and listens to me recount my story. His good eye narrows pensively and he presses a thumb to his lip. Solaire runs a hand through her own hair.

“We need to send a Rider to the camp and tell them to fall away,” Caligo announces, “If General Klein knows where we are located, everyone is in danger. She may have hidden our location briefly but that does not mean she is trustworthy.”

I do not argue. Helena might have helped me escape and might have said she and Alain were tired of war, but they have been enemy soldiers for as long as the war has been fought. She may have pitied me, but she could have lied about everything else. The camp is in danger every moment it remains there.

Solaire rises to her feet. She dusts herself off.

“What about Klein and Richter? Can we trust that they no longer want to fight?”

Caligo makes a sound. “Hardly. Richter is the Witch Queen’s loyal shadow. He would die for her and destroy the world on her command. Klein is in the same boat. To have two of her most loyal Generals turn away from her…it is too good to be true.”

Caligo digs into his pocket and fishes out a letter. He hands it to Solaire. A spy missive.

“My network spotted Magnus not long ago. He just arrived to the Coastal Domain and is regrouping with Lennox. We have to prepare for battle.”

Solaire glances at me as she reads over the report. “Ryland is not here, Hope. We split off our forces before you arrived. He headed further out with his group of men. We cannot risk taking you there now. We need to get our forces in line. The battle will start before we know it.”

“I will write a letter to Ryland telling him that you are here and then go out to infiltrate the Witch Queen’s forces pretending to be one of their soldiers. Let me bring you something to eat, Hope.”

Solaire gives me no time to answer before she disappears out the tent flap. Caligo moves to let her pass then takes a seat next to me.

Like Solaire, he is upset. I wait for the lecture that is sure to come but he does not scold me. Instead, he leans back on his arms and closes his eyes.

“You look like a mess,” he muses. His fingers move a leaf out of my hair.

I wince and am keenly aware of how my clothes are ripped and of the sand that clings to my skin. I am in desperate need of a bath and a change of clothes. I must look like some monster risen from the dirt.

“I bet,” I comment.

Caligo moves away from me. There is a wall between us and I distinctly remember the unpleasant encounter we had before he departed for the battle. Things are still awkward between the two of us and it seems like he does not know what to do.

He clears his throat and fiddles with the strap of his eyepatch. “I can find you something to wear. Solaire can bring you some water to clean up before she leaves. Ryland may not be here but you can still count on us for help.”

He moves away from me and crosses to the tent flap. Just when he is about to leave, he changes his mind and turns around. His eye stares at me and his jaw tightens.

“And I mean that, Hope. You can count on us for help. You do not have to run from us because you are afraid.”

There is a tense silence between us and I clear my throat. He may be better at hiding his anger than Solaire but I know he is also furious. I frightened him when I left and nearly scared him to death when I showed up at his camp only to pass out in his arms.

“I am sorry,” I murmur. There is no other answer I can provide.

Caligo tightens his jaw, decides against saying anything else, then spins on his heel and walks away.

—————

I wash most of the dirt and sand from myself that I can and go about fixing my hair. Solaire brought me a new change of clothes that fit too big on me, but it is a relief to be able to strip out of the muddied clothing I had been wearing. She also brought me a plate of food and I pecked at it just enough to stave off the hunger. An old habit, I cannot bring myself to eat even at the prospect of death.

Caligo has not returned since he left and Solaire tells me he is talking strategy with his troops. The battle is on the horizon and they are making last minute preparations.

Lennox’s forces are spread out and the Generals hold meetings in their own camp. The Witch Queen is in the Capital, has not bothered to show up to what she believes will be an easy victory, leaving only Lennox, Alain, Helena, and Magnus to defend the Coast. Their forces are matched evenly with ours and it is a coin toss to see who will take the Coast.

This is a major battle from what I can gather. While the Resistance has always fought to liberate villages and towns, this is the first time they have fought to free an entire Domain. There are a million ways everything can go wrong and only one way it can go right.

I pace the length of the tent and wish I could say goodbye to Ryland before he leaves for the front lines. Unfortunately, he has already mobilized with his men. He is at the center of the battlefield waiting only for Caligo to bring his own forces before launching the first attack.

Solaire hugs me before leaving. Wearing the Witch Queen’s teals, she has another job to do. While Caligo and Ryland will fight directly, she and other spies are infiltrating the Witch Queen’s men. They will sow chaos from within their ranks.

Left alone, I leave the tent I was in and emerge in the Resistance’s camp. This one is tiny, nothing compared to the other camp, and only able bodied warriors are here. I spot Caligo and Bayard in the distance discussing the last of the battle plans.

When they see me emerge, they stop. Caligo beckons me forward and Bayard peers at me curiously.

“Hope will have to remain behind while we fight, she is in no state to join a battle,” Caligo states.

I join him at his side as Bayard nods. As a Council Member, he has authority over battle plans. He hums under his breath.

“I will be staying behind keeping watch from an altitude. I can take her with me and keep her safe. You just focus on liberating the Domain,” Bayard says.

Caligo thanks him then turns to me.

“Stay with Bayard. He may be an old bag of bones but he is a good man,” the corners of his lips turn up in a smirk.

Bayard huffs and mutters something about Caligo being much older than him under his breath but nods. He extends a hand towards me. I take it silently and realize he is much stronger than he lets on.

Bayard is older and sports a bad leg, but he is still the father of August Falke. August was one of Reiner’s best fighters and had even inherited the Resistance from him before dying. His might is legendary. I have no doubt Bayard is every bit as strong as his son was. At his side, I will be safe.

“Thank you,” I murmur.

Bayard rolls up the map and hands it to Caligo. “I will be away from the camp with Miss Hope. We will overlook the battle while you fight. Make us proud.”

Bayard beckons me towards him and Caligo presses a hand to my shoulder in a farewell. He smiles at me in a way that serves to soothe me. Someone as strong as Caligo will not fall tonight. I have to remind myself of that.

“See you soon, Hope.”

Caligo waves and disappears.

I stare at his back and take a deep breath. Caligo, Solaire, and Ryland will be fine. I repeat it like a mantra in my head and tell myself I will believe it.

—————

Bayard leads me far away from the camp and we trek over a large hill. When we reach the top, he stops and points in the distance where I can see a fire in the darkness.

“See that? That is Lennox’s camp. They do not use protective wards to hide themselves from view the way we do. They have no need to. The Domain is theirs and they are arrogant to the point of believing they are invincible.”

“Where is the battle taking place?” I wrap my arms around myself in anxiety.

Bayard nods in another direction. In the darkness, it is impossible to make anything out. I strain my eyes but cannot see anything.

“Over there somewhere, our forces are getting ready. Ryland’s men and Caligo’s men will meet and group together. There will be a signal, a fire will be lit, and then the battle will begin. They will rush Lennox’s camp and begin the invasion. We cannot see anything now, but when the battle begins they will light the area. Soldiers can hardly fight in the dark.”

I nod and bite my lip. Somewhere down below are my friends. I want to desperately believe that they are okay.

“What do you do here then?” I ask.

“I am too old to fight and this leg of mine would make me an easy target. It took me a long time but I finally accepted that fact. Now, I am a lookout. I oversee the battles and take call for a retreat if I see they are not going well for our forces. My job is to keep our men safe.”

He nudges a parcel strapped to his side. When he opens it, he pulls out a war horn.

“The horn?” I muse.

War horns were used to call for retreats or send signals to the soldiers down below.

Bayard holds it in his arms.

“One long blow means either the battle has just begun or it is time to retreat. Two sharp blows and it means that our reinforcements are arriving. Three short blows in quick succession and it means that the enemy is closing in on our men so they have to move away and regroup. I am the eyes for the Resistance in battle.”

He pulls out another tool from his bag and hands it over to me. A spyglass that looks like it has seen better days.

“Look in that direction,” he points towards the fire.

I raise the spyglass up to my eye and see a line of soldiers gathered by the fire. From this far away, even with the spyglass, I can’t see anything productive, but I can make out their uniforms. The teals of the soldiers have a capital crest on their chest plate. They are Alain’s soldiers.

“Capital soldiers means Richter commands them. Look over there.”

I follow Bayard’s finger to another location near the fire where Dwarven soldiers in teals file in a line.

“Dwarves means Klein is in control. Next to them are Arnold’s cultists and further behind are Vestergaard’s men,” Bayard points to each group in turn.

It seems like this battle will only involve four Generals. Jinhai and Yovith have not sent their men to help Lennox and the Witch Queen hasn’t bothered to send aid either. They do not actually see tonight as a threat. They think Ryland is weakened from the men they killed. After all, they thought the Resistance would die out if they executed the men they captured. They have sorely underestimated the Resistance and I hope that serves them well.

“Four Generals, four different commands of troops but they do not have more forces than we do. Klein, Richter, and Vestergaard only sent the bare minimum that they could get away with. They do not care to save Arnold,” Bayard states. I hand the spyglass back to him.

“They think it will be easy to push them back. The Resistance has never done an invasion on this scale before. They think Ryland and Caligo are just here for a few villages?” I turn to Bayard.

He is looking out the spyglass now and nodding.

“The Witch Queen has always underestimated us. Even when she knew we were a threat, even when the Captains defeated her, she never believed we were a true force. In her mind, she will always be victorious and we will surrender at her feet. She has not come tonight and has not given a direct order for her Generals to come either. If Vestergaard, Klein, and Richter are here, it was because they decided to send men. The other two Generals stayed in their domains and could not care less what happens.”

Bayard motions for me to sit and I do. He struggles to kneel with his injured leg and I wonder if he had the injury from before the war or if he sustained it during it. He looks in the direction where the Resistance is hiding and purses his lips.

“What now?” I ask.

Bayard takes a moment to answer. He sighs and his age shows when he looks exhausted.

“Now comes the worst part. We wait.”

—————

Another hour or two passes. I spend the time recalling stories with Bayard. He tells me about his son, August, and his daughters. He’s a family man, had a beautiful family, and owned several inns back before the war. There is sadness in his tales, he misses his son terribly and wishes that the Witch Queen will pay for his death, but his grief has not broken him. He has dedicated himself to the Resistance and risen above the ranks quickly. He took the role of Council member in order to spread good and oversee the Resistance.

When the topic of the Council emerges, Bayard is quick to soothe my fears. There may be conflict brewing between the Council and the Captains, but he assures me nothing will come out of it. Once Ryland and Caligo win the Coastal Domain, the Resistance will back them up. Whichever Council members are upset will be silenced by the Resistance’s gratefulness to the Captains that led them in victory.

During our conversation, one thing remains clear. He looks up to Caligo and Ryland, they remind him of the late Lord Wolfson and his son, and he believes in the cause more than anything. He claims that evil will never triumph and that the Witch Queen will fall as all tyrants do.

There is something fatherly in him and I ache for the memories of my own father. Helena did not remove her magic from my memory, I can still only access the bare minimum, and the thought fills me with grief. To mourn your family is pain enough, but to mourn a family you barely remember is worse still.

After hours of conversation, Bayard sits up suddenly. I follow his gaze and see a spark flare up towards the sky on the side of the Resistance.

A breath hitches on my throat. That is the signal.

Bayard pulls out his horn and blows it hard. One long blow. The battle is beginning.

In moments the space beneath us is lit up by magic. While the atmosphere is dark, the land is illuminated by spells from faeries. I squint and see members of the Resistance in their reds rush towards members of teal.

The Generals have formed a line with their troops and they meet the Resistance face to face. Even from our location, we can hear the clashing of hundreds of swords.

I clutch my neck in anxiety and pray to whatever gods are out there to keep the Resistance safe.

Bayard keeps his eyes glued to the battle. He surveys the scene with a spyglass.

“Vestergaard’s troops are taking the lead. The cultists branch off to fight the Resistance on their own.”

He takes quick notes down on a piece of parchment. They are war notes, I realize. They will be used to analyze the enemy later on and to strategize future attacks.

Without a spyglass of my own, I see only blurs of color. Reds and blues. They clash and bump into each other over and over again. I hold my breath the longer it plays out.

There is no way to know which side is doing better. Do our forces have the upper hand or are they falling? Are my friends still alive down below or will they be commemorated in the next ceremony?

I shuffle in place and dig my nails into my throat. Bayard points to something in the distance. I follow his gaze to see the Resistance’s reds split in half. They break off quickly and move in opposite directions.

“A pincer formation. The Captains are breaking off. They will divide the enemy troops and try to corral them in.”

They move quickly and I squint. For a moment, it looks like the Resistance has the upper hand because they press in on the sea of teals and usher them tightly together-

But then the teals break off into sections and outmaneuver them. Bayard swears under his breath as a purple fireball rises up in the sky and the Witch Queen’s army sections off.

“Looks like Klein caught on to their plan. The Generals are breaking off now too. They will each fight a section of the Resistance.”

“What does that mean?” I ask.

Bayard presses his lips together.

“Richter and Arnold fighting Caligo’s men while Klein and Vestergaard take on Ryland’s men. It’s two separate battlefields on the same battle ground,” he explains.

Ryland and Magnus fighting each other off. I grind my teeth together. The thought of Ryland facing off Magnus directly is terrifying. I know what Magnus can do, he is the General with the most war experience, and I worry. I know Ryland is a legendary figure in the Resistance, but I know firsthand what a dangerous man Magnus Vestergaard is.

Bayard places a hand on my back and shakes his head. His eyes are sympathetic.

“Have faith in the Resistance, here.”

I take the spyglass from him and aim it in the direction he points. It is impossible to make out specific faces in the battle, but I can see how Magnus’ troops are being beat down by the Resistance.

Helena’s troops hang back and let Magnus take the lead. I cannot see Helena either but I can see her magic firing off in different colors around the Resistance. Helena, a legendary spell caster, seems out of her element tonight. Her spells miss the Resistance by inches.

I pass the spyglass back to Bayard. He aims it near Caligo’s forces to see how they are faring. The corner of his lips moves up.

“Hawkeye is fighting off Arnold’s cultists. Richter‘s men are regrouping,” he announces.

The battle continues split off into separate sections. So this is how the Resistance fights. Each Captain takes the helm.

Caligo is in charge of a spy network but even he is a great leader. Bayard points out how his men are driving a wedge separating their opponents in half. Ryland does the same on his end of the battle.

At some point, I drift my eyes towards Magnus and Helena’s forces. There is some commotion from down below and I see the teal army scramble. Where they had once been perfectly aligned, they are now broken. Has Ryland cut through their file?

Bayard rises suddenly and aims his spyglass over to Ryland.

“What is that?” He asks. He sounds alarmed and confused.

“What is it?” I ask. My stomach turns cold.

The teal army is scattering and the red army is frozen in place. I can hear sounds of a commotion as the soldiers scramble in utter confusion.

“I-“ Bayard hands me the spyglass, “There is something happening on the Witch Queen’s side of the battle. Klein’s soldiers are in disarray. They broke off formation and threw off Vestergaard’s men. It is chaos down below on their ranks.”

I aim the spyglass towards the teal army.

Sure enough, it is like Bayard said. Helena’s army of dwarves have broken off formation and are in a state of chaos. They seem to have conflicting orders, do not know what they are meant to do, and Helena does not raise fireballs to direct them. The human soldiers belonging to Magnus are still on their file but they are alone as Helena’s men refuse to help. Something has confused them down below and the fight is quickly turning to Ryland’s favor.

The Resistance takes advantage of the chaos and splits off Helena and Magnus’ troops completely. They corral them together and soon the blue army falls a part.

My breath hitches in my throat as Bayard let’s out a sigh of relief. Ryland has won his half of the battle.

Just as we turn our attention to Caligo, the same confusion happens on his side of the warfront.

The cultists and Alain’s men split off into opposing sides and Alain’s men fall apart. Where once his Capital soldiers were the most arrayed and efficient, they now scramble and branch off into confusing arrays. Squadrons collide with other squadrons and I hear the commotion on their end. They are lost and have no idea what to do. Whatever happened to Helena’s men has happened to Alain’s as well.

“What is it? Did Solaire’s spies confuse the army that much?” I turn to Bayard.

Bayard shakes his head and pays rapt attention to the chaos down below.

“No! Solaire and Caligo’s spies are valuable in battles, but there’s few of them there. They could never have toppled an entire file the way whatever else did tonight. Klein and Richter’s men are in complete panic. They are confusing Arnold’s and Vestergaard’s forces,” Bayard replies.

I hand the spyglass back to Bayard. Soon enough, the red army belonging to Caligo similarly surrounds the scattered teal army.

For a moment, the battlefield is two separate rings of blue with a red outline, but then a war horn sounds from somewhere else. One long burst calling a retreat of the Witch Queen’s forces.

I see the men belonging to Lennox and Magnus immediately scatter but Helena and Alain’s men are still trapped. They seem to have no leadership and are clueless as to what to do.

In the end, it does not matter.

My breath leaves out in one long breath and I sink to my knees. Bayard begins to laugh and clasps his hand together in prayer. He calls out his son’s name and turns to me. His eyes are alight with joy.

“They did it! They freed the Coastal Domain!”

—————

We descend the hill and find Caligo’s men heading our way. The men are injured and their numbers are smaller than when they first set off, but tonight is a major victory. They cheer and embrace each other.

“Captain Hawkeye!” Rings out a single shout and then the men begin to chant it in unison.

Caligo emerges from somewhere near his men and Bayard rushes towards him. They clap each other on the back.

Caligo is bloodied and bruised but he is smiling. He grabs Bayard by the shoulders and his eye is alight with pure surprise.

“You should have seen it, Bayard! Richter’s men fell completely apart! They broke off file and had no idea what to do. Then Lennox’s men got confused and broke off too. Lennox tried to call out orders but it was too late. Their army was in shambles so they called out a retreat.”

He lets out a breathless laugh and twirls around Bayard. He comes towards me and similarly wraps me in a hug. I tense in his embrace yet am relieved he is safe. He lets me go after a few moments and whatever awkwardness was between us evaporates.

He is in high spirits and rushes towards his men to congratulate them too.

Somewhere further away, the other half of the Resistance is cheering. Ryland’s men.

“What happened down here? We saw the confusion,” Bayard says.

One of the Resistance soldiers shakes his head.

“I have no idea, Councilor. General Richter took off in the middle of the battle and his men fell apart. He abandoned them and left Lennox behind,” he voices out.

Bayard and I exchange looks.

Another section of the Resistance comes towards us. Ryland’s men are regrouping.

Like Caligo’s men, they are diminished in number and are wounded, but they are still overjoyed. They embrace Caligo’s men and cheer Ryland’s name.

Solaire emerges from one side and rushes at me in a hug. She laughs and then joins Caligo and Bayard.

“It was chaos! Klein’s men fell apart in the middle of the battle. Magnus tried to get them back in formation but they weren’t listening. His forces began to fight each other. Klein’s men turned on Magnus’ men and Helena took off. She left Magnus in the middle of the battle and disappeared somewhere,” Solaire breathes out.

I tense in place. My breath comes out in a quiet gasp.

Helena and Alain.

I remember what Helena told me, that she and Alain were sick of war, and wonder if this was their plan all along. Had they purposefully delayed the march for as long as possible only to plan to desert their military and throw the battle in our favor? Have they escaped today done with the Witch Queen and her war?

“Klein and Richter deserters? I think the world is about to spin out of orbit,” Bayard remarks.

Caligo shakes his head. “They were there when our men were executed. Ryland said they looked like they were still fiercely loyal.”

I shake my head and remember the day the captured Resistance members had been walked on a platform. Helena and Alain had been there with the Witch Queen, but being present and being loyal were different things.

Ryland had mentioned something in his speech, about how the people gathered there for that execution were only there because they were fearful they were next if they angered the Witch Queen. Perhaps, without knowing it at the time, Ryland had also hinted at Helena and Alain. Maybe they were only there because they needed to be.

Regardless, I do not give myself time to think. I spin around to where Ryland’s men are coming from and push my way through the crowd. I search for Ryland and weave through soldiers.

My heart beats in my rib cage and I hear my name shouted from somewhere deep in the file.

Ryland.

I hear his voice before I see him and pick up the pace. His own name spills from my lips and one of his soldiers points in one direction. I follow his finger and find Ryland.

For a moment the world seems to slow down and then I take off running. He meets me half way and picks me up. Like a fairytale prince, he picks me up by the waist and spins me around.

Laughter bubbles out of my throat, a pure genuine sound I haven’t heard in a long, long time, and I cling to his neck.

He smells like blood and sweat but I do not care. I bury my face in his neck as he sets me down.

“You did it,” I breathe out.

Over his shoulder, I can see the Resistance cheering and embracing.

Ryland laughs and holds me tighter. “We did it.”

—————

The Coastal Domain comes alive with lights. The Resistance Members use their fairy lights to light the way. Caligo emerges from somewhere and rushes at us. Solaire is hot at his heels with a breathless laugh.

They collide with us and join our hug. It turns into a group hug with Solaire at my back and Caligo at Ryland’s.

“The Coastal Domain is free,” Caligo cheers. He jumps in his excitement and almost knocks Ryland over.

Just as he said, the Coastal Domain is free. The Witch Queen’s forces have retreated out of the Domain. Missing two of their star Generals, there will be utter confusion which will prevent them from retaking the domain for a long time. For now, the Coast belongs to the Resistance.

The Witch Queen has ownership of the other Domains still, but we have taken one back and have taken two of her Generals from her. The Resistance is one step closer to winning the war.

Solaire hugs me tighter then lets go. Caligo follows suit and Ryland releases me from his embrace but keeps an arm around my waist. His touch is questioning, almost asking if it is alright, and I lean closer into him in reply.

We look over towards the Resistance to see that the Coastal Domain is coming back to life. Whereas the fairies and mermaids had been hiding when the Resistance arrived, terrified of Lennox’s men, they now emerge and celebrate. They are liberated.

Solaire grins. “One Domain in. The Witch Queen still owns the other ones.”

Ryland smiles and the sight makes my heart race. He surveys his men and there is pride in his gaze. The legendary member of the Resistance believes in his forces like no other. He never doubted they would win for a second.

“We’ll free them too. Her reign will end.”

Ryland sounds absolutely sure as he says this and the conviction in his voice makes me believe it too.

The Witch Queen may own the other Domains, but the Resistance will prevail. For the first time in my life, I believe in it as strongly as I believe in Ryland.

—————

Days later, the Coastal Domain is free of the Witch Queen. Lennox has fled to the Capital having lost his Domain and the Resistance has turned it into their stronghold. Caligo’s spy networks confirm that Helena and Alain have truly deserted the Witch Queen. Their whereabouts are unknown, but the Resistance is unconcerned.

The old camp that belonged to the Resistance stayed true to its name and fell away at a moment’s notice. The people within moved to different camps or came to the Coastal Domain.

The Council wastes no time holding a meeting days later. There are loose ends to tie and more things to plan for.

I watch as Ryland, Caligo, and Solaire enter the Main Tent for the meeting. As a non-council member, I am not allowed in.

I pace the length of the sand nervously.

The Dwarven and Elven Council Members wanted to overthrow Ryland and Caligo before I left. Have they changed their minds yet? Has taking back an entire Domain soothed their fears?

I can only hope Bayard and Caligo were right when they each said not to worry.

At some point in the night, one of the Resistance Riders arrives with a letter. Riders are messengers traveling from camp to camp passing messages. As of late, they have been sending the Captains more and more missives in preparation for the next steps.

I almost dismiss this new Rider as yet another letter asking about the Coastal Domain until a fairy light illuminates his attire.

He is not dressed in the reds of the Resistance. Instead, he wears a green overcoat that looks like it came from another Domain. He moves his head and elven ears shine in the light. A gold crest is emblazoned on his horse’s bridle and he walks towards the Main Tent with a letter in his hand.

I frown in confusion as Ryland emerges from the Main Tent to accept the letter. He quickly realizes that the Rider isn’t one of the Resistance’s and freezes. The Rider sidesteps him and enters the Main Tent to Ryland’s protest.

From the Main Tent there is a raise of commotion before a deafening silence. Ryland rushes back in.

I freeze in place and feel my heart quicken in my chest. Whoever this Rider is, he does not belong in this camp.

It feels like an eternity before the Rider emerges back out. The Council follows him out in tow and Ryland emerges with Caligo hot at his heels. They both look shellshocked and Caligo tugs at Ryland’s arm. They have a hushed conversation.

I run towards them just as Solaire reaches them. Her face is pale.

“What happened?” I glance back to see that the Elven Rider is now having an animated argument with the Elven Councilor.

For a moment, no one speaks, and then Ryland lets out a deep breath slowly.

“The Rider. He brought a letter for the Resistance.”

His voice sounds far away and he trades glances with Caligo. They both look at a loss.

Frustrated I turn to Solaire. “Anything bad?”

Solaire shakes her head and draws her coat tighter over herself.

“There were always rumors that they were still around but…they never approached us or any other rebellion…” Her voice drifts off surprised.

Caligo shuffles his feet in thought and stares at the Elven Rider now preparing to embark again with a letter from the Council in response.

“What exactly did he say?” I ask for the second time feeling frustrated at their lack of response.

Ryland turns to me and his eyes are wide with surprise.

“The Rider is an elf. He came from a hideaway when he heard of our victory over the Coastal Domain. The letter he brought says that they want to work with us.”

“An Elven rebellion? I didn’t know there was another rebellion group,” I murmur.

Caligo shakes his head.

“There isn’t, Hope. He isn’t a part of an Elven Rebellion. He’s a member of the Elven Royal Staff. What’s left of the Elven Royal Family wants to work with us.”

#long post #writing #ryland goldhart #hope/ryland #love and legends #lovestruck voltage #voltage amemix

[thanksjro]

Eugenesis Part Two, Scene Six: A Very Large Friend Wakes Up From His Nap

The Autobots are getting slaughtered. Ultra Magnus makes the call for Metroplex to be woken up.

See, Springer’s a classy addict- he only gets high on the name-brand stuff.

Back on Cybertron, Nightbeat’s just as appalled as I am that High Command wants him to bring back Optimus Prime. Prowl’s made this choice because he doesn’t think he has the metaphorical balls to lead in this large of an impending crisis, and that’s not me trying to be funny about it.

You’ve had this job for an hour and you’ve already given up. Have a little self respect, Prowl.

So, here’s the plan: Nightbeat goes back in time to when the Ark was buried under Mt. Hilary on Earth, grabs Optimus, has him lead the cause for a bit, then hits him over the head with a shovel and stuffs him back into the proper time and place once they’re done with him, that way the fabric of reality- which at this point is more of a fishing net with how many holes it’s got punched through it- doesn’t tear. Sounds simple, right?

But Nightbeat brings up a good point:

Optimus needs better friends.

This is where Perceptor brings out the memory-wipe device, which they’re planning to use on Optimus once this whole thing is over. This is an integral part of the plan. Wiping their leader’s memory with an experimental device. Has it been tested? Is this a cruelty-free mind-wiper? We just don’t know.

Nightbeat brings up some very good points, both within the story, and in reference to the meta here. He’s very genre-savvy like that. He isn’t on-board with this at all, especially because with how dangerous things are about to get. Perceptor spits out some science to try and ease his mind, but Nightbeat is having none of it. Prowl attempts to appeal to his more empathetic nature.

You read that right. Prowl.

"Yeah, he’d want to live, but fuck his personal agency in any of this!”

                                                          -Prowl Transformers, Eugenesis

They eventually get Nightbeat to agree to the plan, if only to move the plot along. He pulls together a team, and they’ll be heading for the Acid Wastes to use the time-travel rift very soon.

Meanwhile, on the Quintesson warship, Lord Xenon is taking a gander at the teleport, specifically the bodies of a couple of folks who just got back via said teleport and the armor they were wearing to keep from getting torn apart by the process.

I hope that womb-juice is pulp-free. This is just planting the seed, we’ll get back to this plot point later, I suppose.

Back on the ground, Mindwipe’s busy with waking up the big guy, plugging in all the codes and passwords needed to get things rolling.

Mindwipe, sweetie, you’re doing amazing.

Everything’s going to hell- the Autobots are losing ground rapidly, the ground won’t stop quaking, the lower levels of the city are flooding, and there’s still another two-and-a-half minutes to go before Metroplex is up.

He finishes plugging in the codes and BAMFs on out of there, alongside every single other citizen of Autobot City. You don’t want to stick around when the big boy wakes up to kick some tail, it would seem.

Roberts, stop trying to make me want to fuck a city; it isn’t gonna happen, regardless of how good a tan it has.

Metroplex wakes up, pissed. The city explodes, repeatedly, all over, and standing in its wake is the giantest of giant robots.

And General Rodern couldn’t be more pleased.

---

Brief aside, while we’re on this topic:

The Titans are a weird part of the lore for me. They’re sentient, living beings, with the same level of intelligence and individuality as all the other Transformers… and yet they never seem to have any agency. Others are always telling them how to live, how to exist, what they’ll do and how they’ll look. Not just short-term, either- Autobot City’s been established for at least a year in this story. What would the Autobots- hell, what would anyone- do if a Titan just said “no thanks, I’m good”? It’s not like they could really stop them.

I’ve yet to see any of the Transformers media touch on this as a concept. Maybe I’ve missed something, but an entire city just going rogue seems like it’d be a fun story. You could get some mileage out of exploring the moral issues with locking a sentient being within their own body for years while tinier people live inside them. Talk about body horror.

Okay, aside over!

---

Rodern orders for the transformation to begin- what exactly this means hasn’t been established, but I imagine it’s going to be something positively wild. Outside, the troops start dive bombing Metroplex.

That’s friggin’ poetry right there.

Rodern fires everything he’s got at Metroplex, who reacts as if he’s been swarmed by bees. Metroplex, of course, retaliates, and nearly rips the plating off the warship. Rodern tells them to keep going. Rodern may not fully understand just what he’s up against.

While this is going on, we take a look inward, into the depths of Metroplex, to find Wheeljack passed out in his lab. He wakes up to find Centurion and Mainframe hard at work to get the space bridge up and running.

Back outside, the Enslaver transforms into a giant cannon, still floating in the air. It fires and takes Metroplex’s arm off. Good for the Quintessons. Now they just have to not die while the damn thing recharges for nearly a minute.

Wheeljack’s joined in on the space bridge work, and getting generally furious that things aren’t working out perfectly. The bridge eventually gets its act together and shows us a spot on Cybertron. The intent here is to get Prowl’s attention by way of the power surge this whole thing is going to cause, so he can send reinforcements. That’s Wheeljack’s whole plan. Sure hope Prowl isn’t too distracted to notice.

Hey, cannon’s recharged! They shoot Metroplex in the gut. He definitely feels that one. Rodern may actually fully understand just what he’s up against after all. 

Wheeljack instructs Metroplex to head for the space bridge. The moment the Titan’s foot touches the portal, another shot is fired and Metroplex snaps in two, his upper half landing on Cybertron. The space bridge cuts off. Metroplex is frickin’ dead. Wheeljack, you plan sucks.

Add him to the tally, I suppose. That’s three characters who have died on-screen, so to speak. Man, now I feel bad. Poor Metroplex.

#transformers #jro #eugenesis #part two #maccadam #Hannzreads #text post #long post #prose writing

[heliopauseentertainments]

The Hollow Man

A now complete, 10-chapter (19k words) horror fic.

Continuity: IDW1 (post-LL #25, “good” universe) Rating: Mature Characters: Minimus Ambus, Ultra Magnus, Rodimus, Megatron, Drift Warnings: Body Horror, Psychological Horror, Blood & Gore, see AO3 for full applicable tags Crossposting: in a reblog

Summary: In which the Magnus "armor" reawakens. First chapter below cut, please see the AO3 and DreamWidth links in my reblog for the remainder.

The afternoon shift change was a bittersweet time of the day. Of course, Minimus, usually clad in his armor, was grateful for being relieved of duty, for the opportunity to go relax and wind down after his morning shift. On the other hand, that meant handing command over to Rodimus for the afternoon. At least, with Megatron pulling nights, most leftover nonsense from Rodimus’ command was handled before it became Minimus’ problem.

Ultra Magnus pulled up the punch-clock software on the wall console by the heavy blast door to the bridge.

The door, unfortunately, was broken and had been for weeks. More accurately, the automated sliding mechanisms were. They were stuck, constantly receiving a “door closed” signal. The door wouldn’t open on approach or with touch panels. For now it was propped open with a heavy crate full of batteries. Whenever the box shifted, either due to the ship being bumped on rare occasion or due to a poorly placed foot, the door would slam shut with a loud bang. The last time that had happened a few days prior, Megatron and Riptide had both been needed to pull it open again because of the blasted thing’s weight.

There were other problems with using a box of batteries, some of which he and Megatron had discussed with—or rather at—Rodimus previously. If they were jostled just wrong and were to be struck by the door, they could very well explode. Unfortunately, their options to keep the door propped were limited, given the door’s weight, and for now Ultra Magnus had placed retroreflective safety tape on the ground around the box to hopefully mitigate accidental kicking.

A work order had been placed for the door to be repaired nearly as soon as the issue was spotted. Engineering had been stalling on getting it fixed despite Minimus having issued the necessary approvals and provided budgetary allowances to source supplies. “Scheduling issues” they kept telling him, despite the fact that the work order had been stamped with “urgent,” given that the broken door was a safety hazard. What if someone got stuck in the bridge? Or outside of the bridge? Or, worse, got hit with the door when it slammed shut?

“Mags, I’m here!” Rodimus swanned onto the bridge through the propped open door, waving at his second-in-command as he bypassed the punch-clock entirely. Ultra Magnus sighed. Why did they even have this if not for accurate logs? What good would these logs be if no one actually entered their time correctly? At least he could count on Megatron to log time accurately.

“Good afternoon, Rodimus.”

The speedster paused partway to the unoccupied captain’s chair—a sign saying “Rodimus” had been taped to the chair’s back—stretching an arm high overhead and stifling a yawn. He always looked like he’d only just crawled off his recharge slab and, of course, today was no different. One more stretch and Rodimus flopped himself across the seat, ever irreverent of the inherent dignity of his position as he lazily kicked his feet in the air.

Minimus considered Rodimus a good captain, but sometimes… he had concerns about the methods.

“Anything to report?”

His finger hovered over the “clock out” button, not wanting to clock out while still technically handing over duties, despite the temptation of getting out of this armor and getting some refreshing, flavored fuel at Swerve’s…. Maybe he could even say “hello” to Ten.

After his report to Rodimus, of course. Maybe he’d be interested in the day’s findings for once, not that there had been much.

“It was mostly a quiet morning,” Ultra Magnus said, turning away from the punch-clock with a smile on his face. “Though Blaster did find an anomalous signal on the scanners. I haven’t seen the final results of his investigation yet but he’s placed a copy on your desk. Initial scans indicated it was most likely just a natural pulse from a nearby star—”

Rodimus hummed loudly, clearly not listening. Ultra Magnus stopped, smile falling. So much for that.

“No, captain, nothing to report,” he said, punching “clock out” on the panel.

--

On a ship of this size, there weren’t many places for mechs to congregate and socialize. Socializing wasn’t something Minimus did much of but in recent months he’d made more of an effort to go be at least present among his comrades. The best place to do that was Swerve’s, the one functional bar now that Visages was no longer in operation.

Seated on a stool at the bar, Minimus looked at the menu behind Swerve’s head and held a hand to his chin in thought. He did not often treat himself when he went to the bar, but on occasion he felt that he truly deserved it. Did he deserve it today? How had he performed his duties on the bridge during his shift? Of course, they’d been adequate and, at a minimum, a fun flavor���tungsten alloy, though Swerve called it “lime” which was apparently an organic fruit from Earth with a supposedly similar taste—in his fuel was certainly something he could say he had earned.

But had he earned the extra lead sprinkles? Had he earned the sweetened whipped topping? Had he met the exceptional standards required for such indulgences? Minimus hummed in thought.

Swerve coughed, tapping his red fingers against the surface of his bar.

“Hey, I know you do this every time you come in here, but if you want my opinion—“ He didn’t, but it would be unnecessarily rude to cut Swerve off for that alone. “—I think you’ve done an excellent job today.”

How would he know? He’d been down here all day, not monitoring Ultra Magnus’ performance. Swerve did know people so perhaps he merely had an educated inkling—or he just wanted the extra couple of shanix that came with the more decorated beverage. That was more likely. Understandable, given that Swerve was, in fact, running a business. Thankfully legally after months of trying to get the bartender to sign the necessary licensing documentation.

Perhaps Swerve was incidentally right this time around. After some careful consideration, Minimus decided to give himself a grade of 95% for the day, more than sufficient for the 93% sprinkle and whipped topping threshold. Some points were deducted for failing to properly complete his shift hand-off report to Rodimus, but he could hardly be entirely faulted for Rodimus refusing to take it.

Minimus nodded, pulling out a credit chip which was then quickly slid over the smooth surface of the bartop to Swerve.

“I’ll have the ‘lime’ energon spritzer with the whipped topping and extra sprinkles.”

Swerve swiped up the chip before running it through the point of sale attachment on his mobile commlink. The commlink beeped cheerfully and a receipt notification popped up on Minimus’ HUD for the purchase.

“The usual coming right up!”

Taking a moment to look around the bar while he waited for his well-deserved beverage, he hoped to spot Ten. Neither plate nor rivet of him to be seen.

“Swerve,” Minimus said, turning back to face his fellow minibot, “do you know where Ten’s gotten off to?”

“Hm?” The barkeep looked up from his work, a green bottle in one hand and a still empty dainty glass in the other. “Oh, I sent him on an errand. He’s picking up more ingredients from the hold.”

In that case, Minimus supposed, he would just have to say “hello” to Ten at another time.

--

Minimus had closed and locked the door of the closet in his habsuite after putting the disarticulated Magnus armor away for the cycle. He usually did immediately that after his duty shift and he was, if anything, a creature of habit. The rest of the time, he did it after completing some sort of chore first upon returning to his quarters. He was certain he had locked the door.

Unfortunately, after a quick trip down to Swerve’s for a nonintoxicating treat for a long day’s work well done, now Minimus stood in front of a conspicuously empty closet, the doors gaping wide. Not a single blue or otherwise bit of the armor remained to be seen.

Perhaps Rodimus had taken it as a prank, an unintentionally malicious trick. As the captain, he had override codes for nearly every room on the Lost Light. While Megatron also had override codes, he wouldn’t use them on a whim, not for a joke at any rate. If anyone had come in here, it was most certainly Rodimus or someone who could convince Rodimus to open the door. That would still be quite the short list as, despite how impulsive he could be, the more exuberant of the ship’s captains respected how much Minimus valued his privacy and personal space.

Unfortunately, given the short list of who could possibly have access, there was little point in checking the ship’s access logs for his habsuite… or the cameras for this hallway. Misfire had somehow managed to break the cameras with his dart gun while playing “Shoot Shoot Bang Bang.”

However, external tampering seemed unlikely, he thought, chest starting to feel tight as he held onto the edge of one of the closet’s double-layered doors.

Even Rodimus couldn’t unlock this closet, not without damaging something.

Only Minimus had the code.

The doors were mostly undamaged so the closet hadn’t been forced from the outside but something about the inside of the doors drew Minimus' optics.

Most scrape marks on the closet's frame were easy enough to dismiss as wear and tear from use, but there were a few new ones that he hadn't recalled seeing before. Well above his head, at about waist height for the armor when fully assembled, white paint transfers streaked where something or someone struggled with the locked door.

The metal was deformed, more visibly on this side of the heavily armored door. The gap between the two layers of the door prevented the outermost layer from taking obvious damage.

Minimus slammed the doors of the closet shut once more, before bolting out of his habsuite and into the hallway beyond. He had to find the armor quickly, before… He didn’t even want to think about the consequences.

After years of dormancy, Ultra Magnus was once again trying to reassert control over his desecrated corpse.

#fic #chapter fic #fic hollow #ultra magnus #minimus ambus #rodimus #drift #megatron #idw1 #mtmte #maccadam

[mspowerverse]

Power Rider Arcade

(Logo by Markolios and @riceyhot)

Years ago a team of programmers working for Magnus Games attempted to create the world’s greatest video game. It would be called EX-AID (Electric Xenosis- Adventure in Datatropolis). Part of what would make it so unique was that the game would learn and adapt to the player meaning no two playthroughs would be the same. Enemies would adapt to player techniques, the player’s characters would level up and adapt to the players style. Even the worlds would subtly adapt to the player. This system was called V.A.I (Virtual Artificial Intelligence) The plot was that in the world of data and code existed a land called Datatropolis. The various worlds lived in peace with one another until the evil VAI attacked with his viral minions. A call went out from the capital city for help. A group of Heroes answered the call. From the Hall of Heroes came Vic, the greatest of heroes (Action/Platformer)- “Let’s play a game! *Item collection noise*” From the Kingdom of Fantasy came Sir Valor, the noblest of knights (RPG)- “Let us go forth into battle! *Swords clash*” From the War Zone came Sargent Sniper, expert with all firearms (Shooting)- “Lock and load! *Gun loads*” From the racetrack of Velo City came Speedstar the fastest racer. (Racing)- “Race ya! *Car speeds off*” From the Sport Stadium came Athy Lete master of all sports (Sports)- “Let’s make it sporting! *Crowd cheers*” From the Institute of Intelligence came Eyeque, the host of the Premium Puzzle game show (Puzzle)- “Have I got a puzzle for you! *Game show buzzer* From the Combat Arena came Champ, the strongest of fighters. (Fighting)- “Step into the ring! *Bell rings*” From Terror Town came the Night Mayor, ruler of horrors. (Horror)- “Behold the horrors of the night! *Ghostly wail*” From the Harmony Concert Hall came Melody, the most popular pop star (Music/Rhythm/Dancing)- “Time for the big show! *Musical scale*” These Heroes would unite to fight VAI and his forces. However before the game was completed the budget ran out and the project was canceled. Two of the programmers began to delete the data, however when they tried to delete V.A.I he managed to escape it. Before it vanished V.A.I vowed revenge for being thrown away like garbage. As it escaped V.A.I managed to steal the data of many of the Heroes When the pair tried to warn the others they were laughed off. So the two transferred the data of the remaining Four Heroes to a new computer should the day come that V.A.I returned. In the meantime the pair married and opened an arcade. Soon they had a son they named Elliot and the threat of V.A.I seemed so far away. However one day V.A.I returned with a vengeance. Having gained the ability to create viruses monsters called Virugs he launched his attack. While fleeing the first attack Elliot and two other teens found a hidden base under the arcade containing the computer with the data of the Four Heroes on it. The programmers revealed the truth behind EX-AID and V.A.I to the teens who volunteered to fight back. And so the teens and the Heroes united to become Power Rider Arcade. The Heroes act as avatars for the teens, giving helpful hints similar to a tutorial. In battle the teens would head to a location where the Virug virus has emerged and using the Avatars of the Heroes fight a monster until it crossed over into the real world at which point they transform into the Riders to defeat it once more to destroy it. At first Elliot and the others clash due to conflicting personalities but eventually they unite to fight the true threat. They would face many dangers including a dark warrior called Glitch who used data from some of the fallen Heroes to fight the Riders. Glitch is soon joined by Coder an enigmatic warrior who serves V.A.I as well. Shortly after the defeat of Glitch it is revealed that the CEO of Magnus Games, Stan Magnus was behind V.A.I’s rebellion. Stan believed he could use V.A.I to conquer the world and the only ones who stand in his way are the Arcade Riders. Soon after this revelation V.A.I creates and mass produces cartridges that allows normal people to become Game Riders and Stan sells these through Magnus Games. However in reality V.A.I is merely using them to increase the power of the Virugs by having them use the Game Riders as practice. Furthermore the Game Riders are turned against the Arcade Riders by telling them they were enemies in the “game” and to make matters worse if a Game Rider is defeated they die for real. Special monsters called Power Up Pals (P.U.P) merge with the Riders to unlock new forms. In game the P.U.P were friends and allies with the heroes. Energy Items are formed when the Virug emerges into the real world and grant different abilities Speed High Jump Health Confusion Metal Giant Muscle Tiny Invisible Hint Digital Dragon- In game this mighty beast was the ancient protector of the land however V.A.I’s attack left it weakened so it created Totems for the Heroes to use. The Totems would bestow them with armor and power. However when V.A.I escaped the Dragon was thought lost so the programmers saved the Totems just in case

Arcade Player 1 “Warrior”-Vic Name: Elliot Booth Age: 16 Personality/Bio: Elliot grew up in an arcade, as his parents were two of the original programmers working on Magnus Games’ ‘world’s best video game’, who eventually married and opened up an arcade. As a result of growing up in the arcade, he is a lifelong gamer. Perhaps because of his parents’ dedication to deleting the data of the failed video game and stopping the spread of V.A.I., he is the Rider most dedicated to defeating V.A.I. when it’s apparent that V.A.I. has returned for revenge. During V.A.I.’s first attack, Elliot and the other Riders discovered a hidden base underneath the arcade. His parents explained everything to them and they agreed to take up the mantle as Power Rider Arcade. As Power Rider Warrior, his personal weapon is the Smasher Slasher. His Hero aid is Vic. Elliot soon gains several new forms to defeat increasing threats. Face Claim: Nathan Kress Transformation Device: Player Belt Transformation Call: Let’s Ride Transformation: A field of binary code covers them forming the armor Finishing Moves- Rider Warrior Smash/Slash/Kick/Punch Vehicle: Speedstar

Powered Up Mode- After freeing a P.U.P named Punchbot, Elliot gains an armored form and a rocket fist Finishing Move- Rider Power Punch

Digital Dragon Armor- Gains armor, sword, and blasters. Finishing Move- Rider Warrior Dragon Slash/Shot

Super Mode- Multiplayer Mode- Vic and Elliot each control one Body in both Avatar and Rider mode. Rider mode splits into two, one controlled by Vic the other by Elliot.

Final Mode- Victory Armor/Power - Two modes. Armor gains increased stats and Power grants temporary invincibility and the ability to permanently delete Virugs. Finishing Move- Rider Victory Kick/Punch

Arcade Player 2 “Knight”- Sir Valor Name: Harvey Ritter Age: 16 Personality/Bio: Harvey is a bookworm and isn’t afraid to let others know just how smart he is. He and Tara, Power Rider Soldier, don’t get along due to a grudge between them, stemming from years ago. Harvey mostly keeps to himself, his nose always in a book, but Elliot, little by little, slowly brings him out of his more arrogant loner shell, making him a much better person later on. Eventually, due to the efforts of Elliot and Nicole, he and Tara resolve their grudge and patch things up. They don’t quite become friends, but they recognize each other’s strengths and weaknesses, both on and off the battlefield. His Hero aid is Sir Valor and his personal weapon, as Power Rider Knight, is the Sword of the Frozen Flame. Much like Elliot , he gains access to more powerful forms as the battles get tougher and tougher. Face Claim: Kevin G. Schmidt Transformation Device: Player Belt Transformation Call: Let’s Ride Transformation: A field of binary code covers them forming the armor Finishing Move- Rider Knight Slash

Powered Up Mode- After freeing a P.U.P named DeeJay, Harvey gains sonic based attacks Finishing Move- Rider Power Sonic Blast

Digital Dragon Armor- Gains armor, sword, and blasters. Finishing Move- Rider Knight Dragon Slash/Shot

Super Mode- King Mode- Can summon an army of Virugs and channel great energy. At first King Mode is corrupted by the Virug virus however in time he manages to erase the virus leading to the True King Mode Finishing Move- Rider King Judgement

Arcade Player 3 “Soldier”- Sargent Sniper Name: Tara Katona Age: 17 Personality/Bio: Tara is a girl living in the lap of luxury due to the wealth of her parents. Her parents spoil her and treat her like a princess, but in return, she hides her true self from them. Her true self is a tomboy who is quick to anger and who holds a long-standing grudge with Harvey. Eventually, she and Harvey reconcile and become more understanding of each other. She is a fierce protector of her friends, especially Nicole, whom she treats like her little sister. Her Hero aid is Sergeant Sniper and her personal weapon, as Power Rider Soldier, is the Sniper Pistol. As with Elliot and Harvey’s powerups, Tara receives her own, allowing her to fight on par with them. Face Claim: Nicola Peltz Transformation Device: Player Belt Transformation Call: Let’s Ride Transformation: A field of binary code covers them forming the armor Finishing Move- Rider Soldier Blast

Powered Up Mode- After freeing a P.U.P named TakeOff, Tara gains a jet pack and cannons. Finishing Move- Rider Power Blast

Digital Dragon Armor- Gains armor, sword, and blasters. Finishing Move- Rider Soldier Dragon Slash/Shot

Super Mode- Commander Mode- Gains a large amount of guns and blasters and can track and target any foe. Finishing Move- Rider Commander Artillery

Arcade Player 4 “Biker”- Speedstar- Kyle (later)- At first Speedstar fights alongside the teens by being uploaded into a bike however during a battle with Glitch Speedstar’s Rider form is damaged beyond repair and must remain in his bike mode. Transformation Call: Let’s Ride Finishing Move- Rider Biker Rush

In his vehicle form Speedstar can reach incredible speeds in a short amount of time, however he lacks many of his attacks and cannot interact much.

Powered Up Mode- After freeing a P.U.P named Sammy Rai, Speedstar gains a body to fight with Finishing Move- Rider Power Arrow

Digital Dragon Armor- Gains armor, sword, and blasters. Finishing Move- Rider Biker Dragon Slash/Shot

Name: Kyle Stevens Age: 16 Personality/Bio: Kyle is a BMX biker and Elliot’s best friend. They met on the first day of school and have been friends since. After his friend keeps disappearing, he decides to investigate. His investigation leads him to the Booth family arcade, where he discovers the hidden base of the Riders. Elliot makes Kyle promise to keep everything he’s seen a secret, to which Kyle complies. Kyle eventually meets a newly repaired Speedstar, who asks him to fight alongside him as Power Rider Biker V2. At first, Kyle is a bit hesitant, not wanting to give up BMX biking in order to save the world, but Elliot manages to convince him that he can do both. Kyle finally accepts, knowing that if he wants to continue BMX biking, he must have a safe world to do it in. Face Claim: Jaden Smith Transformation Device: Player Belt Transformation Call: Let’s Ride Transformation: A field of binary code covers them forming the armor Finishing Move: Rider Biker Rush

In this new form they are able to utilize Athy Lete’s data as Glitch once did Finishing Move- Rider Biker Discus

Arcade Player 5 “Dancer”- Melody Name: Ashley Sharp Age: 17 Personality/Bio: Ashley is a cheerleader at the school Elliot and the others attend. As one of the popular girls, she tends to manipulate those around her into doing things for her, such as carrying her books to class and holding doors open for her. Due to her manipulation skills she is kidnapped by V.A.I. and brainwashed into fighting the Riders as Hacker. She is also used to distribute the Game Rider cartridges as part of V.A.I.’s bigger plan. She is eventually freed from her brainwashing through the great efforts of Elliot, to whom she feels a bit indebted for saving her. She joins the Riders as Power Rider Melody in order to fight against V.A.I. and prove that she’s can become a much better person and prove V.A.I wrong. Face Claim: Ashley Tisdale Transformation Device: Player Belt Transformation Call: Let’s Ride Transformation: A field of binary code covers them forming the armor Finishing Move- Rider Dancer Concert

Arcade Player 6 “Secret”- Tory Name: Drake Magnus Age: 25 Personality/Bio: Drake is the son of Stan Magnus, CEO of Magnus Games. When he discovered the truth about his father and V.A.I, he stole a Rider Cartridge from him. This cartridge contained a hidden character, Tory, who is a palette swap of Vic. Tory allows Drake to transform into Power Rider Secret. Drake later uses reclaimed data from the Night Mayor game to upgrade his Rider form and can charge his attacks with dark energies. Face Claim: Milo Ventimiglia Transformation Device: Player Belt Transformation Call: Let’s Ride Transformation: A field of binary code covers them forming the armor Finishing Move- Rider Secret Kick/Punch

When using the data of Night Mayor Drake can charge his attacks with dark powers. Finishing Move- Rider Secret Horde

Name: Nicole Jimenez-Kalea Age: 15 Rider Designation: Gamer Rider Personality: Headstrong, a little bratty, keeps cool under pressure, wary and shy around things that weird her out, unafraid to show her emotions, especially disgust or contempt Bio: Nicole is a long time friend of Tara, and treats her like a big sister. She’s a genius gamer and proud of it. Any time her winning streak is broken, she locks herself in a room for a few days and trains until she gets them back. But Nicole doesn’t her idolization of “big sis” Tara stop her from bullying Tara into doing things like social interaction or beating up people that break her winning streaks. Nicole and Tara were practically glued at the hip since first grade, so when Tara started disappearing with Elliot and co more and more often, she followed them to figure out what they were doing with her “big sis.” After learning the weird armored people running around town were Tara’s friends, she promised to keep their secret, but she didn’t keep her promise to stay out of danger. Nico follows them around on missions, cheering them on from the sidelines. She immediately buys a Gamer Rider cartridge when Magnus Games starts being distributing them. She proves her fighting prowess based on her gaming skills immediately and Tara grudgingly allows her to help out. Face claim: Auli'i Cravalho Transformation Device: Gamer Belt Transformation Call: Let’s Ride Transformation: A field of binary code covers them forming the armor Finishing Move- Game Rider Kick/Punch V.A.I’s forces

Glitch- First warrior, as the battles continued V.A.I gave him data taken from Athy Lete and Night Mayor. Eventually destroyed and the data was retaken by the Riders. Finishing Moves- Glitch Kick/Punch,

When using the data stolen from Athy Lete Glitch gains armor and throwing discuses Finishing Move- Glitch Sport Slasher

When using the data stolen from Night Mayor Glitch gains a new form and the ability to survive mortal blows. His attacks are charged with dark energy Finishing Move- Glitch Horror Assault

Coder- The second warrior created by V.A.I using the data from Eyeque and Champ. In Puzzle mode he can utilize energy items in unique combinations and in Fighter mode he gains fiery punches. He then gains the power to combine the two to form Combo mode. Eventually he is betrayed by V.A.I and Magnus after outliving his usefulness. He is forced to defect to the Riders and his damage causes him to become an Avatar to assist Perry Peterson, a nerdy teacher from the school the teens attend.Perry then becomes Power Rider Scholar. Name: Perry Peterson Age: 30 Personality/Bio: Perry is a rather nerdy instructor at the school the Riders attend. After Coder is heavily damaged and betrayed, he defects to the Riders’ side and becomes an avatar for Perry, who uses him to transform into Power Rider Scholar. As their teacher, and oldest of the heroic Riders, Perry watches over them both on and off the battlefield. He originally had no idea his students were the Riders until he received his powers and began fighting with them. His students discovered Power Rider Scholar’s true identity after he finished fighting off a group of Virugs attacking a group of people. He de-transformed, but hadn’t realized there were people watching him. After his students found out who he was, they were shocked, but Elliot invited him to fight with them, an invitation which Mr. Peterson accepted. If anyone asks what the group is doing, when they go off to fight Virugs and V.A.I.’s forces, Mr. Peterson says they’re going to a Gamer’s Club meeting, being held at the Booth family arcade. Face Claim: Ben Savage Transformation Device: Player Belt Transformation Call- Let’s Ride Transformation: A field of binary code covers them forming the armor Finishing Moves- Coder/Scholar Quiz/Knockout

Mal Name: Stanley “Stan” Magnus Age: 45 Personality/Bio: Stan began the war with V.A.I. when he helped the virus escape, intending to use it for world conquest. He was promised power and conquest by V.A.I., but is eventually betrayed after he outlives his usefulness. Stan becomes Mal and outfits his form with cheat codes in order to gain an advantage against the Arcade Riders. His advantage is erased, however, by the arrival of Elliot’s Victory Power form. Stan is overtaken by V.A.I. after his betrayal, giving V.A.I. a physical body with which to personally fight the Arcade Riders. Stan is the CEO of Magnus Games and the father of Drake Magnus. Face Claim: Keanu Reeves Transformation Device: Player Belt Transformation Call- Let���s Ride Transformation: A field of binary code covers them forming the armor Finishing Moves- Mal Crash

V.A.I- Virtual Artificial Intelligence- The virtual enemy that started it all. He was programmed to adapt and learn with each battle with the player, making each play though that much harder. However they programmed him too well and he gained sentience. He influenced Stan with promises of power and conquest only to betray him when he outlived his usefulness. V.A.I then took possession of his body to fight the Riders personally.

V.A.I- After his “rider” form is defeated he absorbs a large number of Virugs to mutate into his true boss form. This form is able to further mutate into a large monstrous form. Power Rider Phantom/Arcade: The ghost of a video game programmer emerges across the internet and it’s up to the combined forces of the Phantom Rider and the Arcade Riders to exorcise the internet. (Bios by @rosegrl18 and @highkickin-cylon) Previous   Powerverse   Next

#kamen rider #power rider

[floatindarkness]

❛ It’s fine. You’re not even that blurry. ❜

Captain Rogers stands at the school gate, head held high and righteous as ever, backed by his famous team. Black Widow, the Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, the Falcon, and the Winter Alchemist.

He claims they didn’t come to fight. That this is a last attempt to recruit Tony’s students to fight against any and all magic users that would turn their strength on the weak. That they should understand it’s their duty to use their power for the good of the nation.

But it escapes no one’s notice that the Captain turned up at the school when Strange wasn’t here to portal them all off the property. When Cas and Steven had gone in a mysteriously urgent assignment that none of the kids were given an explanation for. When Magnus and Alec were on a vacation they had to all but force them into.

When the only line of defense between Rogers and the students of Stark’s School for the Gifted is Tony Stark himself.

The golems stand tall at either side of him, a thin layer of stone and dust falling off their armor as they step down from their pedestals to join their master, glinting under the sun.

Unmoved by Rogers’ arguments, Peter watches the line of his dad’s shoulders as he gives the soldiers in front of him one last warning to get off his property. 

          “Are you sure you want to do this, Tony?”

The words set him on edge, and the leather of Peter’s gloves creaks as he clenches his fists. Rafe’s hand warms him through layers of fabric on his shoulder. They can’t interfere. They can only watch.

And as Rogers’ magic shield flies, the golem to Tony’s right moves with a speed unexpected from something so large, catching the metal disk with a ring that echoes through the air, barely a foot away from his father’s chest.

Thunder rumbles ominously in the distance, and Peter thinks he can hear the whisper of Dean’s voice, soothing Stiles’ anger as he’s done since his first night at the school. 

Still, they stand watch, and as his father parries the blows from the widow, and the captain without much trouble, Peter starts to think perhaps they’ll be okay after all. But they’d forgotten about the Scarlet Witch, and with his attention divided between Rogers, Romanoff and Barton, the red blast of magic knocks him back and into the house in a crumbling mass of smoke and rubble as the front porch collapses over Tony.

“Dad!”

Peter’s scream tears through the silence that follows, and Rogers stands frozen in place as the boy runs out of the hole on the wall to try and dig his father from under stone and wood.

Clint turns on Wanda with demands for an explanation ( “You were pulling your punches” she answers, unrepentant), and Steve’s eyes move from the rubble to the kids now visible behind clearing dust. He takes a step forward, brought to a stop by the Falcon and the Winter Alchemist, who call his name almost in unison in warning.

It’s too late.

The spell of shock is broken, and as one, the students jump into action. Max joins Peter at the rubble, roots coiling out of the ground to help move the stones their headmaster is buried under. Rafe stands watch over them, the air around him boiling hot. His every breath mists over in front of him, eyes glowing like ambers behind the dark frames of his glasses.

Wanda yanks her arm from Clint’s hold and moves on the house, eyes a terrifying red, and Rafe’s razor sharp control snaps with fury, and with a twist of the wrist, sparks gather in his palm, fed to become flames that roar like a creature of myth as they tear across the field to engulf her in fire. She falls to her knees with a scream, pain and rage that make their blood curdle as she turns glowing eyes on Rafe.

Peter’s attention darts from the rubble in time to see blood red magic gather around her, and he snaps a hand out to her, two fingers pressed to his palm. A dart of webbing sticks to her eyes, turning from gilded mercury to solid silver that blinds her. Three more thwips seal her hands and bind her to one of the stone pedestals with a painful thud. She doesn’t move again.

It leaves him out in the open, and Rogers’ magic shield flies right towards Peter.

Whatever “peaceful” intentions Steve might have had at the beginning, they were clearly gone now, and with wide eyes, Peter can only watch as Rafe steps between them, taking the full impact of the shield on his crossed arms, thrown back against broken stone and hitting his head with a sound that makes Peter’s blood freeze.

The scream that tears through the air is one he doesn’t recognize at first. Because it comes from Max — sweet, quiet Max, who stares at his brother’s still form in horror that quickly turns to rage.

The earth trembles, and the line of trees behind Rogers’ team groans and crackles with life, vines that dart from the branches, and roots that break through the ground to wrap around Black widow, and Hawkeye, immobilizing them immediately.

Falcon escapes their reach with a curse, wings cutting through the air and propelling him into the sky, but as the sky darkens and rain coats him in water, he realizes his mistake too late.

Lightning breaks the dark in half, drawn to the metal of Sam’s wings, a shock of electricity that tears a scream from his lungs. He lands in a heap on the ground, just feet away from the Winter Alchemist, who watches on in horror.

The rain grows heavy, and with it the ground muddies, thick and heavy and unnaturally deep as it begins to swallow the bound bodies of Rogers’ companions, sinking deeper and deeper until all but their heads are visible. 

Stiles and Dean stand in front of their friends, hands held, ozone heavy in the air around them as they look on, unforgiving and unrepentant, the cold rage of a storm in both their eyes.

Steve’s chest heaves with every breath as he looks around him, but as his shield returns to him, a metal hand snatches it out of the air.

“ENOUGH! Steve, enough!”

The crack of stone robs him of the time to answer, and both of them look up in time to see Tony Stark, blood on his temple and fury cutting his expression in sharp lines. His golem’s armor falls away from him, clearly the reason he can walk out from under that rubble mostly unharmed. And with him back on his feet, the frozen golems move once more, standing tall between the two remaining members of Rogers’ team and Stark’s school.

“You throw that fucking thing at my kids again, and I’m gonna lose it.”

His voice has an instant effect on the children. And with it, the skies clear, the water recedes, and the trees return to their sleep.

Steve glares at Tony, like he’s to blame for everything that’s befallen his team. Like he’s the one who started all this.

       “You’re making a mistake, Tony.”

“On the contrary, Captain.”

A deep voice rings through the air, and their eyes are drawn to cloaked figure that lands gracefully beside the Headmaster. Stephen Strange stands tall, his calm betrayed by the sheer power that makes the air shiver around him.

“I think you’ll find the mistake was yours.”

        “Strange—”

“Now fuck off.” 

A wave of his hand, and rings of sparks form and pass through Rogers and his team, sending them back to whatever block of concrete they came from.

Peter all but falls with relief, and as both his dads turn to one another, scarred hands cradling Tony’s face, Peter runs with Max to where Rafe is beginning to stir.

“Rafe!” They drop to their knees in front of him, Max’s hands immediately around his big brother’s, while Peter cradles his head carefully in his hands. “You okay? Look at me.”

There’s no way he won’t have one hell of a concussion after hitting his head like that, and Rafe groans as he blinks owlishly at Peter. His pupils are uneven, and there’s blood drying in his dark hair.

❛ It’s fine. You’re not even that blurry. ❜

“Okay, but is that from the concussion, or from you losing your glasses?” Peter’s brow is furrowed, and his joke falls a flat as he studies Rafe’s eyes worriedly, a gentle hand on his jaw.

Rafe smiles for him and Max, expression pale and clearly in pain, and with the rustle of feathers, a trench coated figure crouches beside them.

Castiel.

Max must have prayed for him.

“You’re alright, Rafael.” He soothes with gravely voice, pressing two fingers to the boy’s forehead. Rafael relaxes immediately, color returning to his cheeks with the sigh of his breath. Castiel squeezes his shoulder gently before standing once more, set on doing the same for the School’s Headmaster.

“Hey, Pete?”

Peter looks away from his parents to study Rafael with concern. “Yeah?”

“Did we just kick Captain America’s ass?”

Laughter bubbles up unbidden, and the three of them burst into exhausted, manic giggles in the broken remains of the front porch.

#mundo: stark’s #IT IS DONE #i'm not tagging everyone #TOO MANY TO TAG #alma: rafe #alma: peter #alma: tony

[tflatte]

So last night on the way home I was thinking about How Monsters Are Made, as you do, and got to thinking about how the Light would change each monster if they succumbed to temptation. So, when I got home I wrote it all down and here it is.

(Warning for...some body horror, I guess? Some general gruesomeness? I’m not sure what specifically to mention, but the Fallen Guardians don’t take it well when you invade their home or threaten their family, and they have a whole lot more power than usual.)

Magnus can no longer be found unless he allows it. He never does - but he finds you, when you venture too close to his family, and even a single step past the borders of the forest is too close, now. He looms far larger than he once was, far larger than any of the others could become, and though his silhouette remains the same, the light reveals that his once thick, soft fur is gone, replaced with smooth, chitinous armor plating. The plating is bright red, but somehow the blood stands out against it regardless, running and dripping as his wrath shakes the ground below and heavens above, leaving nothing at all behind to show that once, just here, the target of that fury took its last breath, a blood-curdling roar the last thing it heard.

There is no world where Taako or Lup goes alone. Taako breaks, and Lup follows hoping to pull him back, only to forget why she wanted to. Lup falls, and Taako leaps after her, content with every spark of flame as long as his heart is safe. One or the other, but always both. Lup burns, flames always coursing across her body, restless, following every movement of her fingers like favored pets. Even her exposed skin would blister a dragon that came close - but not Taako, never Taako. Her wings are fire, and she hurts to look at - the sun in earthly form, leaving ash and charcoal in her footprints and never silent, the flames singing, coming to a crescendo as she lifts a hand and leaves black glass where she chooses . Taako has more hands now, though not a soul but his sister can tell how many. They move too quickly, too constantly, and are never made of the same material when you look back. Now glass, now venom, now lightning, now diamond, and you think the confusion is causing the headache until you realize the blood in your veins is turning to stone. The last thing you see is a second pair of eyes, watching you from two of his palms as the twins link arms.

Barry no longer even resembles something that was once human. Red limbs manifest and disappear as needed from the swirling cloud of bones - a leg appears as he completes a step, vanishes again as he lifts the foot. A hand intercepts a holy weapon’s swing as three more sketch a binding spell and cut off that divine power. He never speaks. He never makes a sound. He doesn’t need to. Your own shames, your own fears, your own voice all whisper to you when his gaze lands on you, and the silence that comes with the pointing finger and the beam of agony is a blessed relief. Your corpse joins the silent, shambling, ever-growing collection that follows at what should be his heel, fated to destruction when Barry needs a test subject - not that what’s left of you knows, or cares.

Lucretia’s skin takes on a pearlescent sheen, and she no longer feels gentle touch - the shield that coats her like a second skin is too powerful for that. Her mask has fallen away, lost somewhere in the forest where she gave in, but her face remains as impassive as ever. Nothing seems to affect her as she passes through the forest - even the wind fails to disturb her hair. The more you strike her, the brighter she glows, moon-white and blinding, until you suddenly find yourself plummeting from a deadly height, or buried deep in solid stone, or dropped alone into the nest of a monster with strangely impenetrable skin. Or, perhaps, you remain where you are. Perhaps you find yourself encased in a bubble of power that looks like glass, and watch her walk away, leaving you behind without a second thought. Perhaps you struggle to escape, only to realize too late that the shield she left around you allows nothing at all in or out - not even air.

Merle doesn’t move. He sits, arms and legs rooted, somewhere in the center - or perhaps he is the center - of a cluster of trees and undergrowth so thick the lack of light should kill them. It doesn’t matter. He sees everything, hears everything. The plants are his eyes and his ears and his hands. The wood you gathered for your campfire, the berries you ate, the grass you walked across all told him everything he needed to know about you. You were judged, and if you were lucky, you were found wanting. Thorns tear you to pieces, roots crush you, and the forest will grow better where you fell. If you were unlucky, somewhere deep in the forest, your skin grows thick and hard and rough. Your blood thins, becoming a watery amber. Your feet grow and sink into the dirt and you feel every second of the change - slowly, because trees never rush, and neither does he, now. One day you will forget, knowing only the touch of the sun and the peace he gave you, regardless of what you wanted. Until then, you know, and you can do nothing.

Davenport is a storm, lightning crackling through his body, footsteps like thunder. His very presence bends the air, blinding you to your companions, flickering images and faint voices compelling you to look anywhere he chooses. There is no mercy left in the captain, not for those who drove him to this. There is, perhaps, a single, terrified survivor, permitted to stumble from the trees and sob a broken, disjointed tale to a crowd that will break it further as they pass it along, and then left to a life made short by horror and senses that can no longer be trusted. More likely, there are nameless horrors that twist in ways nothing real should, terribly, nauseatingly real as they tear you apart, and agonizing bursts of sound that drive you to your knees and drown out your cries, until the last moment of burning light turns you to ash and releases you to oblivion.

...

Somewhere, walking the forest, is a child. He smiles and greets you and thanks you for coming to find him, and of course you did. He needed protection. You promise he’ll be safe now, and he nods and agrees, very seriously. He is a charming child, and he watches you and your companions with eyes that seem too old - but of course, that only makes him more charming, more in need of protection. He asks questions - where you came from, why you came, how many of you are there, how do these magic items work - and you answer in as much detail as you can to see him light up with the knowledge. You give him everything he asks for, and you wander the forest with him, trusting him to know the way out better than you do. Of course he does. And when he turns to you all, and asks you to give him your weapons, you do. And when he asks you to sit down and lift up your heads, you do. And when he takes the dagger, and he asks you to close your eyes, you do. Anything to keep him from looking so very sad.

#taz #tazbal #the adventure zone #tazfic #how monsters are made #body horror tw #is this canon? in theory #in theory it's what could happen