#scott summers: rescue

[skymaiden32]

Secrets In L.A.

Tagging: @dragonoffantasyandreality @janetm74 @thundergeek59 (Please ask if you would like to be alerted when I update or write new stories)

May's calendar story.

The London to Los Angeles flight on Fireflash touches down at dusk. What was originally a regularly scheduled commercial flight became a VIP exclusive when Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward purchases every last seat on board. Her party, even more mysteriously, is made up of only herself, her right hand man, and a Sir Jeremy Hodge. But what business do they have that requires absolute secrecy? (One-shot)

------

*phew!* 2000+ words with which I finally catch up with all the months I lost XD

This is a one-shot, although I hope the extra length makes up for that. This is intended to be a direct sequel/interquel to my previous story in the series, Dangerous Waters, tying up all the little loose ends, so I recommend reading that before this, or you may not know what's going on... I hope you enjoy! :3

Chapter 1

Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward put her faithful teapot aside, ruminating on what Virgil had just told her. She hummed, pushing herself up out of her chair before reaching to pull on the rope on the other side her sitting room. A bell rang as she did so. Her companion, who had previously been content reading his newspaper, looked up from it, alert.

“A mission then?” Sir Jeremy Hodge grinned slyly, always up for a bit of action.

“I’m very much afraid so, Sir Jeremy.” Both spoke with the accent of the British aristocracy, both clipped and stoic, but held a concealed excitement for their craft. “And I would be thrilled to have your assistance in this case.”

Jeremy smiled at her. “The pleasure is all mine, m’lady.” Penelope nodded as the double doors of the sitting room swung open, revealing the Creighton-Ward manservant, and ex-con by the name of Aloysius Parker. His accent was by no means upper class, but it also screamed of a British heritage, thoroughly Cockney and trained to speak with respect to his employer. 

“You rang, m’lady?”

“Yes Parker. Get the Rolls Royce, and arrange phone calls to Air Terrainean and London Airport. We have a mission, and Sir Jeremy will accompany us.

“Very good, m’lady. Will you require h’any assistance with your bags?” The Lady shook her head. 

“Thank you, Parker. But that won’t be necessary. This will be a short trip, so any bags I may take, I can handle myself.” Parker bowed before leaving to make the necessary arrangements, and they were soon trundling in FAB 1, the faithful Rolls Royce, to London Airport. They had a flight to catch…

------

Captain Hansen stared at how many passengers were in the cabin. Then at how many seats were booked. Then back at the cabin. He scratched his head, puzzled by the whole thing. Why, the whole plane had been fully booked. Yet here they were, five minutes before take-off, and there were only three passengers on board. He exchanged looks with Bob Thorne, his co-pilot, who also had a similar reaction to the passenger situation.

The transmission from London Airport Control reminded the Captain and his co-pilot to focus on the task at hand. They had a plane to fly. “Four minutes to take off.” Bob hummed in his seat as he completed final checks on his side of the cockpit. Hansen did the same before turning his head to his friend. 

“So, what do you think is going on back there?” 

Bob shook his head. “I haven’t the foggiest. But I do recognise two of them. Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward and Sir Jeremy Hodge. The third is dressed in a chauffeur’s uniform; maybe he works for one of them…”

Hansen hummed, thoughtful. “They would certainly have the money to buy all the seats; make sure no-one was on the plane but them, us, and the cabin crew.”

Bob frowned. “What reason could they possibly have to need a whole plane pretty much to themselves?”

Behind him, Captain Hansen heard the cabin supervisor give the passengers the safety demonstrations. The green light to head to the runway flashed in front of them, and the two of them guided the plane towards the long strip of concrete. “I don’t know. But I suppose it’s not our concern for now. We have a job to do, and that’s flying this plane to LAX.”

Bob nodded, frowning as his grip tightened on the wheel. Soon, Fireflash soared above the clouds, cruising at it’s top speed of Mach 6. At this rate, they would touch down at LAX in just over an hour.

------

Penelope frowned. “We have an hour to decipher who the counter-agent on the East Zephyr may be, so let’s get to it. It will not be an easy task, which is why the more people who can help us, the better.” Her two male companions nodded, looking at the list of information on the four suspects in the case.

Parker looked curiously at his employer. “Just ‘ow did you gather all this h’information so quickly, m’lady?” The noblewoman grinned.

“Now, Parker, you should know by now to allow a lady a few secrets, but I did acquire the information through a dear friend with connections to the WASPs, however tenuous those connections are.” She pointed at the first candidate. “Artem Zhuk. The lowest ranking in the ship’s hierarchy, and the last person to check the line before the dive.”

Jeremy hummed. “He has the means…”

Parker continued the thought. “But does ‘e ‘ave a motive?”

“He does not.” Penny answered. “He hasn’t met any IR agents before, but his family were saved from the wreckage of the last major earthquake in Ukraine by International Rescue. Why would he attempt to lure the organisation that saved his loved ones into what may very well be a trap? It doesn’t make sense…”

Jeremy huffed. “Neither does the next suspect, Peter Meddings. He’s never met any of International Rescue before, nor has he or his family been saved by them, but he has always spoken highly of them.”

Penelope took a puff of her cigarette. “He may be lying.” Parker shook his head.

“I’m h’afraid not m’lady. ‘e ‘as been a WASP for years before this, h’and they require regular lie detector tests to h’ensure they h’are fit for service. H’according to your source, h’one h’of the questions h’is their h’opinion h’on h’other h’organisations such h’as Spectrum and H’International Rescue.”

Sir Jeremy continued. “His opinion is the same every time. He agrees these fellow organisations dedicated to the protection of humankind be protected. Not only that, but he was on Gordon’s bathyscape crew.”

“So it isn’t him either…” Penelope sighed, looking at the remaining files. “That leaves two people. Otis Akers, and Tara Summers.”

Jeremy frowned. “Both of whom know the identities of International Rescue.” Parker shared his employer’s gaze.

“People they trust…”

The Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, London Agent and Head of International Rescue’s agent network, looked sadly at the choice between the two allies. For perhaps the first time since she became a secret agent, she felt completely hopeless. “Whatever shall we do to detangle this whole mess?”

------

Captain Hansen frowned as he stood some ways away from the trio, having heard the last few sentences of the conversation. He knew he really shouldn’t eavesdrop, but the second he’d heard the words International Rescue, he couldn’t exactly walk away. Twice, the organisation had saved his life, along with the people in his care. He had always made a private promise to return the favour one day. Maybe that was a debt he could never repay, but helping the supposed agents in front of him was a start. He discreetly approached before clearing his throat. “If I may, m’lady, I believe I could give you an answer to your problem…”

Lady Penelope looked up quickly, frowning at the intrusion. “And who are you?”

Hansen frowned. “My name is Captain Hansen, the pilot of this aircraft. I also piloted the Fireflash’s maiden flight, when it was sabotaged by that bomb in the landing. It was their very first rescue, if I recall.” Penelope looked curious, as did her companions, but he knew he had to say everything he could to convenience them he was on their side. “International Rescue saved my life not just that day, but also when we were attempting to figure out why the Fireflash fleet kept crashing at precisely the same location into the ocean last year.”

Penelope nodded, smiling. “Yes, I remember both those incidents. I also remember your name.” She grinned at him, gesturing for him to sit with them. He did so, glad he had their trust. “The pilot of Thunderbird 1 has spoken highly of you, Captain Hansen.”

Hansen smiled. “And I speak highly of him, Lady Penelope. He and the rest of the Thunderbirds pilots are brave men.” He laid his hand over his chest as a show of sincerity. “Your secrets as agents of International Rescue are safe with me, I assure you.”

“I expected nothing less of you, Captain.” Penelope hummed. “So, what can you tell us about these two people?”

Hansen carefully studied the files that the noblewoman turned secret agent handed him, humming as he recognised the names. “The names are familiar to me. Otis Akers was an old family friend shortly before he left for WASP. He had a sister who we were also close to.” He paused. “Tara Summers was also a dear friend of mine. We met through Otis, as a matter of fact. She trained with me to become a pilot for Air Terrainean before changing her career path and joining the aquanauts instead. I’m still in contact with both. They’re both officially out of WASP ranks, but still work for them on occasion.” He sighed. “I can hardly believe one of them would betray International Rescue, but between them, I have a suspicion.”

Lady Penelope motioned for him to continue. “Go on.”

“Summers has led a fairly regular life, even in WASP. No tragedy or threat until the incident a few months ago. She has no major qualms about International Rescue.” He let the information sink in. For both them, and himself. “There is a key piece of information missing from this file,” He held up Otis’s folder. “Akers’ sister is… no longer with us.” The three agents in front of him froze up. “She passed away in a landslide last year. A landslide that International Rescue attended…”

Jeremy’s eyes widened. “He has a motive for hating International Rescue then…”

“They failed to pull ‘er h’out h’alive…” It clicked for Parker as well. 

Penelope sighed, standing. Captain Hansen did the same. The agent laid a hand on his shoulder, smiling sympathetically. “Thank you, Captain. I know this was not an easy thing to tell us, but we appreciate your honesty in this matter.”

Hansen folded his arms, saddened beyond belief. “You think you know a guy…” He shook his head, banishing his tears before they even truly appeared. “I… better get back to the cockpit. We’re landing in 20 minutes.” He smiled sadly. “I suggest you prepare for landing, m’lady, sirs.” 

He turned to leave, before Sir Jeremy’s voice called out to him. “Wait!” He spun back to the trio. “Would you like to come with us to apprehend Akers at the L.A. docks? We wouldn’t have been able to work this out without you…”

Hansen sighed. “That’s very nice of you, and I would quite like to see Scott again, but I unfortunately have another flight after this, so I can’t leave after post-flight checks.” He smiled. “Besides, I don’t think I could handle facing Otis right now…”

Penelope nodded. “That’s fair enough Captain, but please, allow me to get in contact with you when we both return to London. I believe we have more to discuss…”

The Captain nodded, returning to the cockpit. Bob just stared at him. “Where have you been? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Just talking to the passengers. Nothing to worry about.” It would take a while before he recovered from the betrayal of his friend, but for now, he could put those feelings aside. Bob hummed, knowing there was more to it, but didn’t press him. They flew in silence before Hansen’s eyes widened in realisation. “Wait. She never got my number… How can she get in contact with me?!”

Bob just looked more and more concerned by the minute.

------

“So… it’s true then?” Gordon asked, pure betrayal in his tone. “Otis did all this?”

Scott nodded, just as saddened as he flew Thunderbird 1 with an expert hand. They saw no reason to stick around once they had arrived in L.A. and Otis Akers was arrested by Lady Penelope, revealing his true colours by sending several curses at the IR operatives as he was dragged to Thunderbird 2 to be transported to the nearest secret agency with a mountain of evidence, much to Tara’s shock. They would remain in contact with the Captain. Gordon, having had enough trauma for one day, had decided to skip the trip to L.A.’s FBI branch by flying with Scott straight home. Virgil had been extremely understanding. 

“Apparently, they heard it from Captain Hansen, who was the pilot of their Fireflash, that Otis had a solid motive for it. His sister died on one of our rescues…”

Gordon was dumbfounded. “But why? Why endanger innocent lives when he could’ve just confronted us about it?”

Scott sighed. “I’m not sure, Gords. But I’ve got a feeling there’s more to this than we originally anticipated. This isn’t over. Not by a long shot…” His eyes narrowed. If whoever was behind this even tried to hurt his family, they’d be meeting his fist…

Gordon grinned after a while despite what had happened. A grin that was audible in his voice. It made his older brother perk up just that little bit as well. “You think Virgil will be okay with Akers on board Thunderbird 2? He might try something…”

Scott chanced a look back at his water-loving brother. “With Lady Penelope to protect him? No way is anything gonna happen to him.”

The two brothers laughed for a while at the thought, their chuckles eventually dying down. Gordon spoke up again after a while. “Are you okay? With what happened to Ryan?” His brother froze in his seat. “Scooter?”

“Not really.” He admitted. “But I will be. I could ask you the same thing, what with the anniversary coming up and all…”

Gordon cleared his throat. He had gotten an answer from Scott. Now he had to give his own. “I’ll be honest, I’ve almost had a few panic attacks today…”

“Gords…”

“But I’ll be fine, Scotty. Whatever we have to go through…”

Scott finished for him, Tracy Island appearing in front of them as they got closer to home. “We’ll get through together…”

#thunderbirds #thunderbirds 1965 #thunderbirds fanfiction #thunderfam #lady penelope creighton ward #sir jeremy hodge #aloysius parker #captain hansen #bob thorne #artem zhuk #peter meddings #otis akers #captain tara summers #gordon tracy #scott tracy #virgil tracy #thunderbirds calendar 2022 project #captain hansen knows everything #bob thorne is the same bob who co-piloted the fireflash gordon rescued in operation crash dive

[scottxlogan]

The key to the past!

This WIP has been sitting in a folder collecting dust for a long time, but I know it's also one people really enjoy. Thanks for the ask and here is a tease of some of what is there:

“Where are we?” Scott questioned watching her reach out to touch one of the soft red roses on the bush beside her, “This isn’t real.”

“No, I’m afraid that it isn’t,” Jean sighed tilting her chin up to reveal sadness behind her eyes, “but it was the only place I could reach you at the moment.”

“Where am I?” Scott asked urgently. The sound of birds chirping in the distance added the weight to the moment drawing him from the reality that he was struggling towards grasping now that Jean’s illusion played out in his mind.

“We’re in your head Scott,” Jean explained in a patient voice, prompting him to focus upon her, “Your subconscious is in a state of distress. Right now you’re at war with your body, so I wanted to free you from that. Given all that’s happened I thought you could appreciate a moment of serenity while your mind and body are at odds with the world around it caught up in the prison that monster brought upon you.”

“But…”He blinked a few times realizing that everything in this world was in vivid color, rich and on display as it had been when he’d been trapped with Logan in Craven’s underwater world.

“I wanted to help you escape. You seemed to enjoy the colors that dark world provided when you were held prisoner,” Jean explained discarding the rose she’d been touching. She took in a breath, rolled her shoulders back and moved forward to bridge the distance between them, “Despite the horrible nightmare you were trapped in at that monster’s hand, the colors called to you—they seduced your senses and gave you something that you won’t be ever able to have in the real world again. They provided you with a sense of peace and normalcy if only for a little while. They freed you from the burden of your powers and for once I would like to be able to do the same for you.”

#ask me #wip game #the key to the past #rescue-ram #fanfic #scogan fanfic #scott summers #cyclops #jean grey #chapter tease of the next installment

[enchanted-lifepath]

Summer Wells Reward Fund Scandal Video Playlist

Summer Wells Reward Fund Scandal Video Playlist

Summer Wells Reward Fund Scandal videos from Enchanted LifePath and friends covering the unlawful fundraising marathon held by YouTubers in October 2021. Summer Wells is a missing girl from Rogersville, Tennessee. She was 5 years old when she vanished from her home on Ben Hill Rd. She was last seen on the afternoon of June 15th, 2021 On June 28th reward fund was set up with the hope that it…

View On WordPress

#501(c)3 non-profit #carlock q #charitable solicitations #chrs #chrs reward fund #church hill rescue squad #civis bank #John Q Cue #liplocked nomore #penny #q cares #q carlock marathon #q carlock reward fund marathon #Q Carlock Reward Fund Scam #qcares #QCares 501(c)3 non-profit #Scott H #summer wells chrs #Summer Wells Reward #Summer Wells Reward Fund #summer wells reward fund marathon #summer wells reward fund scamathon #susan brewer reward fund marathon #True Crime Commentary

[iliveworldnews]

Summer Wells Reward Fund Scandal Video Playlist

Summer Wells Reward Fund Scandal Video Playlist

Summer Wells Reward Fund Scandal videos from Enchanted LifePath and friends covering the unlawful fundraising marathon held by YouTubers in October 2021. Summer Wells is a missing girl from Rogersville, Tennessee. She was 5 years old when she vanished from her home on Ben Hill Rd. She was last seen on the afternoon of June 15th, 2021 On June 28th reward fund was set up with the hope that it…

View On WordPress

#501(c)3 non-profit #carlock q #charitable solicitations #chrs #chrs reward fund #church hill rescue squad #civis bank #John Q Cue #liplocked nomore #penny #q cares #q carlock marathon #q carlock reward fund marathon #Q Carlock Reward Fund Scam #qcares #QCares 501(c)3 non-profit #Scott H #summer wells chrs #Summer Wells Reward #Summer Wells Reward Fund #summer wells reward fund marathon #summer wells reward fund scamathon #susan brewer reward fund marathon #True Crime Commentary

[missglaskin]

Yandere Scott Summers, Remy Lebeau, Logan Howlett Headcanons (Romantic/Separate)

For Scott, there is an awareness in everything he does. He knows his strong feelings for you are not "normal," and at first he tried to deny them. Scott even pushed you away, leaving you wondering if you had done anything wrong.  Little did you know that this was just his way of shielding you from him. 

At a certain moment, Scott realized he had to face the truth—he desired you; he could no longer just ignore you. Initially, there was that air of coldness, as if he were to disappear from a room upon your entering, and his replies were as brief. But, you were blind to the fact that his eyes were always on you—an advantage for his visor/glasses — you had no way of knowing how intensely he stared.

You don't realize how you're getting drawn into small talks with Scott. Sometimes it happens you run into him at breakfast time or when you happen to cross paths in the hallways, he greets and asks about your day. There is an air of awkwardness but you just ignore it; finding it endearing how he's making an effort to get to know you better.

When the initial awkwardness fades, Scott can be quite charming. When a joke of his makes you chuckle, Scott wanted nothing more than to record it and listen to it on repeat. His approaches become more bold, handing you a cup of coffee not missing how your fingers touched, or informing details of a mission. Scott may even make a flirtatious comment and seeing your flustered response, he smiles to himself. 

Jealousy or protectiveness are the two things that can put Scott in a situation where he could expose his tendencies. Despite his training in handling stressful situations and his role as the Xmen's leader, his impulsivity never left him.

You may or may not notice Scott's glare when someone interrupts your conversations. Or how he observes from a distance while you're speaking with someone, clenching his fists, thinking about what could possibly make you laugh that hard or why you feel the need to be so close. It should come as no surprise when you feel uncomfortable or if there is a disagreement that Scott is the first to intervene, standing between you and the said person.

His protectiveness shows when the two of you are on a mission. At first, he believed you could take care of yourself, but has seen how you distract him, taking him away from the task at hand as he rushes to your rescue. You have begun to notice how Scott is giving you fewer missions, making up all sorts of excuses. If you keep pressing him, he'll raise his voice confessing he can't afford to lose you. 

Scott will eventually confess, aware he can't hide his feelings any longer. You must have noticed his intense jealousy, his fear of losing you, and the sometimes confessions of how much you mean to him. Regardless of all those slip-ups, you convince yourself Scott is the good guy; he just has too much on his plate, or so as everyone tells you.

Remy has always known he had feelings for you from the very beginning, but he never imagined those feelings would grow to be as strong as they are now. There was more confusion than there was denial. Even so, with Remy, you had no way of knowing the difference as he gives you his usual charming smile and quips.

Remy happily adapts the role of your 'friend' at first. Finding any excuse to spend time with you, but he never comes across as desperate. Getting up in the morning and heading to the kitchen, Remy already has breakfast and coffee ready just the way you like it. Or when the team plays sports together and he walks over to your side, showing off by purposefully taking off his shirt.

Remy is more jealous than you think. He tries to keep his cool, but you don't notice the quick glare he gives to those who take away your attention - he quickly turns his head the other way to ensure you saw nothing. He'll remark on how close you seem, teasingly asking with a forced smile if you've replaced him.

Still, Remy is more lenient than most; he doesn't consider trapping you in one place. The last thing he wants is for you to look at him with such fear or hatred. He lets you reside in the xmen, and make as many friends and allies, jealousy still stings but is it really that bad to see you happy as long as nothing 'happens'.

With Remy, expect his flirtatious nature to never go away. He always has an incentive to touch you in some way. Whether it's tucking something in place, or placing his hand on your shoulder to catch your attention or on your back to guide you. Every time, he gets bolder, daring you to reject him.

Remy is not all about keeping his feelings hidden; you may never learn the truth of his 'nature', but he lets it be known that he desires you. Remy stays close to you during missions, and if you ask him why, he'll simply respond that he's only watching out for you. Catch him staring and tease him on it, and he'll tease you back, replying he was staring at your gorgeous self. You could even ask of his feelings and he'll come clean.

As said, Remy will eventually make a move, make his feelings known, even if he anticipates being rejected. However, Remy knows that all those moments spent winning you over have done something. Making you warm up to him, allowing him to comfort you during your lowest moments, making you share your deepest secrets. It will all work in his favor.

A life with Remy seems normal to most. Remy the ever most devoted and affectionate, attuned to your every want and need, others look at the two of you with envy. It's just the thoughts in his head, the actions done behind your back, the doubt he whispers in your ear, the strings he pulls would be enough to frighten anyone. But with that charming smile of his, the eyes watching you with fondness, arms wrapped around you as he presses soft kisses on your skin, how could you ever know.

Note- a little nsfw in Logan part, but it's implied

For a man who has lived as long as Logan did, he had countless lovers and night affairs. So his feelings for you were not a surprise. But his intense attachment; the need to be near you at all times left him wondering just how much he really felt for you. 

Logan always watched you from the corner of his eye; years of experience have taught him to go undetected by most. And if he wasn't with you, he's become familiar with your scent, easily focusing on the trace of it. He has made a comment or two teasingly asking if you brought a new fragrance, but you brush it off as Logan being his typical self. 

Mutant or not, Logan is protective of you, as said he watches out for you like a hawk. Even if you're powerful, he still insists on shielding you nonetheless. Besides what are the chances of you overpowering him in the first place. He simply thinks if you were to ever discover his true nature and decide to escape; he'll simply hunt you down and bring you back. 

Despite what most may believe; Logan does not want to cage you. In his eyes, everything is good as long as he stays in the same place. He will give you the impression that you are free to do whatever you wish. There are however moments when Logan's possessiveness and jealousy overcome, he has no qualms in threatening or even unleashing his claws to ensure the person gets the message.

Logan knows out of all people he doesn't seem like the easiest person to approach, he tries to be as "nice" as he can be to get you to warm up to him. There was an instance when you were thirsty/in need of a midnight snack, and you found him in the kitchens. He'll try to begin a conversation, even offer you to sit down. As you warm up to him, you don't notice how he's staring intently at your thighs; visible cause of your pajama shorts. 

Expect Logan to always be there in any mission you go on; Charles merely raises a brow when he demands it, but complies for the time being. He will just shrug if you remark on how the two of you always seem to be paired up. God forbid you sustain any injuries on the missions. Logan will see red, whether it's a sentinel or a person; they are facing his fury.

After he comes back to his senses, Logan will pick you up even when you insist you're fine. Bringing you to the medical bay himself. Standing outside as he informs Hank not to let you know he has been there all day. Moments like these make him question whether you are cut out for this kind of life and that perhaps it's possible to steal you away from others. 

Logan makes a concerted effort to resist at times, but his ugly side is revealed not only by jealousy but in fighting the urge to touch you. Sometimes he gives in to temptation and you feel his fingers caress your check. If you don't resist, he'll bury his face in your neck, letting his lips touch the skin. You will find his hands reaching to take off your clothes, desperate to have you there and then.

#yandere xmen #xmen x reader #xmen 97 x reader #yandere xmen 97 #x men x reader #yandere x men #logan howlett x reader #scott summers x reader #remy lebeau x reader #marvel comics x reader #yandere marvel comics #marvel x reader #yandere marvel #yandere headcanons #yandere x reader #female reader

[goodstuffhappenedtoday]

10 years ago, Batkid was battling bad guys and cancer — now he's 15 and healthy

Today, Miles Scott is a healthy teenager with a passion for baseball. He plays catcher for his high school in Tulelake, Calif. "I wear all-black in baseball," Miles said. "So the dugout's always screaming 'Batkid! Batkid!'" Ten years ago, the then-5-year-old Miles won hearts both in his hometown and around the world when he transformed into the black-clad superhero Batkid for a day, becoming an instant media sensation. The Make-A-Wish Foundation, a non-profit that grants wishes to children who are seriously ill, partnered with the City of San Francisco to organize the adventure for Miles, who had been battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia since he was just 18 months old. According to the Yale School of Medicine, the disease is the most common type of childhood cancer. Survival rates used to be low, but these days children with the disease have up to a 90% chance of going on to lead a healthy life. Granting the wish Make-A-Wish went to elaborate lengths to make Miles' dream of becoming Batman's sidekick Batkid true. The foundation enlisted the help of The Mayor of San Francisco (the late Ed Lee), the San Francisco Police and Fire Departments, the San Francisco Giants and many other individuals and entities. San Francisco was re-dubbed "Gotham City" — Batman's fictional home — for the day. Clad in his Batkid costume and accompanied by a grownup Batman (played by Eric Johnston), the pair zipped around in their Batmobile thwarting villains — they prevented The Riddler from robbing a bank vault — and undertaking daring rescues, including freeing the San Francisco Giants' mascot Lou Seal from The Penguin's clutches.

Thousands of people descended on San Francisco to cheer Miles on. He earned a key to the city. The San Francisco Chronicle published a special edition of its daily newspaper to mark the occasion. Then-U.S. President Barack Obama sent Miles words of encouragement via a video message on social media. "The feeling was palpable; you could just feel the positiveness and how the community came together," said Miles' mom, Natalie Scott. "People flew in from everywhere and it just gave everyone some sense of peace almost." The event was covered by many mainstream media organizations, including NPR. And millions of people around the world followed the #Batkid hashtag on social media. Batkid lives on Batkid's legacy didn't end on that day.

The wish was the subject of the 2015 Warner Bros. documentary, Batkid Begins. Media organizations have revisited the story over the years. "He plays Little League, attends fifth grade, helps on his family's farm and sold his first market goat at the fair over the summer," reported his hometown California paper, The Siskyou Daily News, on Batkid's fifth anniversary in 2018.

And Miles himself has been free of cancer for the past few years. "Every year he goes for a checkup, and everything's been on the straight and narrow, so, we hope to keep it that way," said Nick Scott, Miles' dad. Miles has grown out of his Batkid costume. But his kid brother Ben donned it last Halloween. Miles is now in high school and is looking ahead to the future. "Right now, he's dead set on going to Alaska and being a 'pack mule' for his cousin's husband's guide business," said Natalie Scott. "And he has a lot of interest in welding. So we'll see!"

#good stuff #batkid

[dominos-palast]

Pillow replacement

Fandom: XMen

Pairing:   Peter Maximoff x gn!reader

Characters mentioned: Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Professor X

Used Pronouns: (they/them)

Warnings: none

A/N: In this story, reader is a psychic. They came from an isolated place and joined the school (here academy for some reason) not too long ago. They can use for example Telekinesis.

P.S.: This was written with a platonic relationship in mind, but you are free to perceive it however you like.

P.S.S.: This happens after the events of Apocalypse (2016) (Scott and Jean are teenagers and Quicksilver decided to stay at Xavier’s School)

Summary: Reader can’t sleep without hugging something. When the other kids use all the pillows to create a fortress of pillows in the academy, reader has to improvise. Word Count: 4k

Peter lay comfortably on his bed while reading some comic book he took from Scott’s room when he wasn’t around. He had his headphones on and was listening to Floyd at full volume. Because of this, he missed the knocking on the door.

He looked up and took the headphones off. “It’s basic manners to knock before you enter, you know?”

You rolled your eyes and stepped into the room, leaving the door open behind you.

“I can hear the music from over here. Why don’t you turn the volume down before you become mute.”

He furrowed his eyebrows, puzzled. “You mean deaf?”

You sighed at the realisation. Peter just grinned and slowly incorporated himself, leaving the comic and the headphones on the bed.

“Let me be. I’m too tired to think right now.” You pinched your nose bridge while still holding onto the door knob. Your eyelids were heavy from fatigue.

“Oh yeah, you weren’t around for breakfast. We should prohibit missions before 9 A.M.” He looked into the distance dramatically, remembering the many times he had been forced to wake up in the early morning hours to rescue civilians from burning buildings and such. Why couldn’t people blow buildings up in the afternoon?

“Why don’t you take a nap, though?” He ended up asking.

“That’s why I am here. The other kids are doing some massive fort out of pillow in the living room, and they took mine as well, and you know I can’t sleep without hugging something.”

“You didn’t fight for your beloved pillows? That sure is out of character.” He smirked teasingly.

“Last time I did, I ended up getting scolded by the Professor for sticking them to the wall with my powers. Anyway, would you lend me some-”

He grabbed the bag full of dirty laundry he had been leaning on. “Mine were also taken.”

You groaned displeased, and were about to leave the room when he quickly added, “You could use me as a pillow.”

You stopped in your tracks and looked at him, throwing a deadly glance. You saw him flinch.

“Nevermind, I wouldn’t qualify as a pillow anyway…huh?”

Peter didn’t know how to react to you dragging your feet in his direction. You took off some layers from your outfit and threw them on the ground without a care in the world. Then you climbed onto the bed. Finally, Peter snapped out of his confusion and smirked to himself, laying his head on the bag packed with laundry and spreading his arm so he could embrace you as you laid your head on his chest. You hugged his waist and put a leg on him, just as if he was a pillow. He looked down at you happily and made sure you felt comfortable. Then he squeezed you gently.

“I thought you wanted to hang me for offering you myself. You really must be tired to have accepted my request.” He admitted.

“I will hang you if you don’t shut it, speedy boy”, You replied, your eyes already closed.

He just giggled and rested his head on yours. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Didn’t you go get them?” asked Jean, already in her suit.

Scott replied in an annoyed tone. “Not in their room, and not in the living room sticking people to the wall. I can’t find them anywhere. Can we just go without them?” Scott groaned at Jean’s disapproving look. “I don’t know why the Professor insists on bringing them along. We already have you as a psychic.”

“Stop complaining, will you? Go look for them in Peter’s room.”

“They are the most antisocial person I have ever met, and you believe they’d be together in a room? We would have seen Peter flying off a window already.” Scott followed Jean to Peter’s room.

“Don’t be dramatic. They only have to get used to other people. They haven’t had it easy before coming here, after all”, she said.

But Scott wouldn’t take that as an answer. He still had bruises from the first time he had met you. Although he knew it had been his fault for pushing your buttons, you still didn’t have to throw him across the room in front of the other XMen.

Jean stopped in her tracks and pressed a finger to her lips, then opened the door to Peter’s room. Scott peeked inside. His mouth dropped.

There you were, Peter and you cuddled to each other, both sleeping peacefully.

Jean smirked, “I told you.” He glanced up in annoyance. “Let’s let them sleep. The Professor will understand.”

#XMen #xmen x reader #xmen x gn!reader #peter maximoff x reader #peter maximoff x gn!reader #peter maximoff x you #peter maximoff #scott summers #jean grey #x reader #x gn!reader #x gn reader #x gnreader #peter maximoff x gnreader #xmen x gnreader #xmen x gn reader #gender neutral reader #gnreader #gn!reader #quicksilver x gn!reader #quicksilver x gnreader #quicksilver x gn reader #psychic!reader #psychic!gn!reader #x psychic reader #peter maximoff x psychic!reader #x fem!reader #masc!reader

[mattzerella-sticks]

My Idea for a Live-Action X-Men Movie...

Thinking... how can we introduce the X-Men into live action, whether through movie, tv show, limited series, etc. ... and I have an idea.

Let's start in media res.

Charles Xavier's School for the Gifted has been active for the past few years, however with a small class size of seven. Scott. Jean. Bobby. Hank. Warren. Alex. Lorna. Despite only consisting of seven students, due to Xavier's wealth he has been able to keep his school open and thriving since the beginning.

However that has changed as the size of his class has dropped from seven to one after a botched mission led to the capture of his students save one, Scott Summers.

And the opening scene is Xavier sitting in his mansion, worried, waiting, until Scott kicks his door down, tells them his team is gone, and passes out due to exhaustion.

We then pick up on our narrator for the movie, the character whose eyes we will be seeing the entire movie take place through, stepping off a plane and into JFK airport...

Ororo Munroe. Storm.

She had travelled from her home in Africa seemingly on a whim, as if drawn there by fate, and - unsure where to go or what to do next - she goes to a nearby bar to make her next plan.

Who should happen to sit next to her but a short, hairy man in a cowboy hat and a thick, Canadian accent?

Ororo, meet Logan. They do not hit it off.

She does happen to hit it off with the soft spoken Russian man who is reading poetry at the other end of the bar - Piotr Rasputin - and the bartender, a Native American man - James Proudstar - who wasn't supposed to be working that day but traded shifts with his roommate.

While they are all gathered there they hear a voice in their heads and turn around to see Charles Xavier, a man they all recognize and all soon realize is the reason they are now gathered together in this bar. At first they all want to leave but Xavier implores them to at least first hear him out, which they agree to do, but he tells them he won't start until the final member of their group is here.

Cue shouts and gunfire as Kurt - Nightcrawler - runs, leaps, and teleports across the airport in all his blueness.

Xavier manages to calm the crowd however not before one of the security guards manages to call in that the threat is a mutant and it's a race to grab Kurt before reinformcements arrive. But wouldn't you know it the group is not the best team yet and the reinforcements do arrive in the form of Sentinels.

It seems like all hope is lost when, out of nowhere, a stray quartz-colored beam blows one of the Sentinels apart and allows the group a moment to escape. They regroup in Xavier's car, which had been where Scott was waiting while Xavier gathered the others.

They return to the mansion where Xavier explains what happens to his team, that they were responding to a mutant in distress on an island that had ultimately been a trap - with only Scott escaping. The group has been gathered together to help Xavier and Scott rescue their teammates.

It's mostly a resounding no. Piotr would rather be at home on the farm. James has to go searching for a new job since he undoubtedly got fired from the bar for leaving during shift hours. Logan is "not a team player" and believes that the team is most likely dead anyway. Kurt is game but he is also "not the best fighter".

Ororo also agrees to help.

That surprises everyone. She says that while the circumstances that brought them together were underhanded, she cannot sit idly by while innocent people, people like her with a mutant gene, are in danger. Not just those on the island, who they are tasked with rescuing, but around the world especially since Sentinels have become standard issue around the world. While she does not see herself being a full-time member, she knows that the team Xavier had protected mutants like them from these threats and, with them gone, who will protect their community now?

Xavier tells them that, after they help rescue his original team, they would be free to leave and do what they want with their lives as they please.

Piotr is in. So is James. Logan sighs and agrees, "Since I don't want to be the odd one out." They agree to go save the others. Scott says, however, that before they can mount the rescue mission, they need to become a team first - referencing their battle at the airport and how they need to improve.

They agree to train.

Meanwhile, on the island, we see that there is a Master Mold along with Trask and scientists working on creating the next model of Sentinels in their ongoing war against mutants using the captured mutants from Xavier's Academy as test subjects. The scientists are just as much as prisoners as the X-Men, however, as they were led to the island on false pretenses and forced to work for Master Mold who had, unbenknownst to everyone until the final act, had taken over Trask and controls him as a puppet.

A few of these scientists came with their families. One of these families were the Prydes. Katherine Anne Pryde is seen as a non-threat by both Master Mold and Trask, and is able to freely wander the island as well as speak with the prisoners because, since everything is monitored and she is twelve, she cannot do anything to disrupt the mission. We learn from this scene that Master Mold is on the cusp of unveiling a new breed of Sentinel that, using the schematics pulled from Jean's mind, would be able to track mutants anywhere without needing to be called in. It was luck that the X-Men arrived on their island, fell into their trap.

Meanwhile back in Westchester, NY, this new team of X-Men are having a hard time at coming together to work as a team, which is making Scott mad. He and Logan almost come to blows if not for Piotr stepping between them to break things up. They both step away to cool off.

Ororo decides to speak with both of them. First, she goes to Scott, and tells him that he is not being a good leader. They have a heart to heart where he confesses that his friends are his family, and Jean... he has a lot riding on this being a success, and this is as new to him as it is new to them. He is not used to working with people he hasn't grown up with. Ororo tells him that he needs to lead from a place of love and courage, and not fear. Then, she goes to find Logan to see that he is brushing off Kurt rather coldly and Ororo does not wait to take him to task on his loner attitude. They clash a bit before Ororo tells him to get his act together or just leave, as it shouldn't matter to him what they think if he really doesn't care.

They all agree to do another training session, only they never get the chance as Xavier tells them it is now or never as there was a spike of pain from the same island his first team was lost, and that cannot mean anything good. The heroes go to get suited up and fly to the island base.

Master Mold is ready to create his new breed of Sentinels and it looks like they are a success, as they have been fitted with new upgrades. He activates a few and they immediately power online with the alert that there is a mutant among them.

All eyes turn to Katherine Anne Pryde. Kitty.

Her father and mother object but are restrained as the Sentinels begin to pursue her, only able to tell her to run before they are knocked out. Kitty runs and manages to escape the Sentinels after discovering her ability to phase through solid matter. The escape is not fullproof as they burst out the bunker in full pursuit. When she reaches the beaches with what looks like no place left to go, the clouds part and reveal the Blackbird jet which Ororo had just exited from and is now flying down to confront the Sentinels she spotted chasing the little girl. The Sentinels sense her power and lock onto her, only to get blasted by lightning and turret fire.

The X-Men land and confront the Sentinels but, unlike at JFK, they are able to work together and take them down. Even Logan finds himself being a team player. They rescue Kitty and she tells them where the prisoners are and also what Master Mold is planning.

The team decides to split up - Scott, Piotr, and James will confront Master Mold while Ororo, Logan, and Kurt follow Kitty to the prison area.

Of course we stay with Ororo because, again, she is who we are relying to guide us through this story.

We get to the prison area and it's Ororo, Logan, and Kurt going HAM on these guards taking them down while Kitty uses her powers to free the X-Men. She manages to get to the main control room and hits the button that releases all the prisoners who do their best to help, despite being weakened from experiments and torture.

We learn from Kitty that there's a prisoner missing, and they admit that it's Jean. She was taken by Trask.

So the group races to the main room where Scott, Piotr, and James are and see a BUNCH of Sentinels on the loose and pure pandemonium. Piotr and James are on the ropes and Scott is putting up his best fight, however just as the group arrives the Sentinels converge and blast him, with a woman across the room watching calling out his name as he 'perishes' (we'll circle back on this later).

Without their leader and shocked, Ororo steps up and takes command, leading the group into battle like she's been doing it all her life against the Sentinels while Kitty and Kurt evacuate the scientists. She cuts across the room almost instantly to get to Trask and Jean where we finally learn that the former has been completely taken over by Master Mold and is now a Sentinel cyborg. They battle it out but it's a tough battle given the numbers they're against until there's a moment where Ororo and Jean are tucked away, shielded from incoming blaster fire from Trask and the Sentinels, when Jean places her hands to the ground and closes her eyes. Ororo asks what she's doing and Jean tells her she's asking for help.

"From who? Xavier only sent us?"

"From the mutant we came here to help in the first place. From the island."

BOOM! We get the reveal that the island. Krakoa, is a mutant and has been weakened by the experiments run on it by Master Mold and the Sentinel. Jean tells the group that they need to let Krakoa 'feed' on a piece of their energy to recupe its strength for it to help them and they all look to Ororo as it's her call, and she says they should do it. They do and the ground rumbles and shakes and we can see the island begin to terraform as it fights back against Master Mold and the Sentinels. It takes out MANY of them while the X-Men pick up the slack on the rest.

Ororo takes on Master Mold/Trask hybrid as the island begins to sink back into the ocean, with Trask, damaged, spouting nonsense. That he is there to save the world, that he is the FUTURE, the INEVITABLE, that the X-Men cannot prevent the world falling apart in the future, that they will be responsible for the apocalypse. However, with a lightning zap and some timely telekinesis, the group escapes back to the Blackbird as the rest of the island has already been evacuated.

The X-Men return to Westchester without Scott and inform Xavier of what happened.

Time moves on. They recover. They mourn. A memorial service is held for Scott. Xavier's original students, Warren, Bobby, Alex, Hank, and Lorna, decide to leave the school afterwards as they believe they need to come at the Sentinel problem another way. They form X-Force.

Xavier comes up to Ororo after the service and asks her to stay on, despite her having no obligation to do so. She watches Logan and Kurt keeping Kitty entertained while Piotr and James speak with her parents, about Kitty staying on at the school and learning from Professor Xavier, and decides that she would like to stay and lead the X-Men. Jean joins them and says that she'd be happy to be on any team Storm is leading, revealing that -of the original students - she is the only one who is staying with the X-Men. The three look out onto the horizon as there are endless possibilities for the X-Men now *play the theme song*

END CREDIT SCENE NUMBER ONE - Magneto watches Xavier's new team of X-Men in action and converses with Mystique, saying that, "If Charles has put together a new team of recruits, we should, too."

END CREDIT SCENE NUMBER TWO - A blonde woman in all white speaks with a raven-haird men with red eyes and a crimson diamond embedded in his head. "You pulled a lot of favors to get him, are you sure he's worth it?" "Believe me. He is." The duo, Emma Frost and Dr. Sinister are looking over the body of Scott Summers, very much NOT DEAD, held in stasis as the camera pans out and reveals the Hellfire Club.

And that would be how we introduce the X-Men, and mutants, into live action movies.

#marvel #mcu #x-men #ororo munroe #wolverine logan #piotr rasputin #kurt wagner #james proudstar #charles xavier #scott summers #jean grey #bobby drake #warren worthington III #hank mccoy #lorna dane #alex summers #krakoa #like personally you HAVE to start with the x-men team that changed EVERYTHING I.E. the team from giant size x-men #love to the core 5 because that was the humble beginnings but we can easily sum their experiences up in like 5 minutes #whereas you take the team from 1975... there's your story #throw in kitty really set yourself up for success and you have a story #however instead of having kitty be our stand-in to guide us through the plot - sorry girl i love you so much - we need it to be ororo #ororo who is having such a MOMENT in pop culture right now AND is dominating as a boss in comics #ororo who DESERVES her flowers #ororo who is the LIGHTNING #like put ororo center stage in the x-men/mutants universe and just let everything unfold #she should be the EYE of the STORM #and also this idea sets up so many other plotlines #you have X-Force which we can then follow in a miniseries #you have the Brotherhood where we can be introduced to ROGUE

[edutainer2022]

@astranite About the PROM PROTOCOL from this thread . It's a Sky and Star headcanon very dear to my heart. I'm so glad you found it! 💙🧡

The PROM PROTOCOL is a story I really hope to write out some day. But if I never do, the general outline is as follows: think the Kansas farmhouse front porch, around past midnight. There's a figure on a porch swing - Jeff. Waiting up. Steps crunch the gravel and stop to an abrupt halt by the porch. Scott hasn't been expecting Dad to wait up for him like this. Scott is past his curfew.

The party had been a long and ardorous negotiation - Jeff was weary, because springbreak and highschool seniors (and juniors) usually equals underage drinking and recreational edibles or pot, or who knows what else, especially if somebody's college freshman sibling is doing the chaperoning. Scott was adamant and made a good case of being the most responsible and reliable sixteen year old in the history of ever - youngest President of the class, Prom King nominee, Team captain and projected valedictorian at the graduation (early graduation for him, because he worked his a** off over summers taking extra AP credit and got early admission to Yale), consummate big brother. Besides, he promised to take Stacey the Girlfriend to THE springbreak party. Surprisingly, Virgil and John chimed in on Scott's side with a good case too - he deserved a night off, as big brother had nearly run himself to the ground the years Mom was gone, while Jeff buried himself in grief and more work. Jeff doesn't enjoy thinking back on the boy's translucent pale face on the hospital sheets and the drip of IV in the deafening silence. Jeff gets the reasoning, but he's not ready. Not ready for Scott to be growing up and leaving for college (John soon to follow, skipping a class the genius his ginger is), not ready for things to change, not ready for the boys not needing him soon, not ready for Scott being serious to take up his Ivy League degree parallel to the AirForce program.

Anyhow, this one time Dad conceded and is now sitting up on the porch, waiting for the eldest to be back past the curfew, minutes away from rising up Kyrano to start a state-wide search and rescue. But Scott is walking back. WALKING. Jeff is absolutely certain the boy left in his car to pick up the girlfriend and then drive her back home. And to ensure there would be no succumbing to peer pressure to drink at the party. Jeff is ready to rain thunder and lightning, assuming that's what happened - drinking, smoking, something irresponsible.

But Scott is shivering in his windbreaker, hands deep in his pockets, face visibly stricken with tears. He walked all the way from the town to the farm in the middle of the night. Somebody's college freshman brother home on a break being far more alluring to the Prom Queen nominee is what happened. Vicious and biting, and humiliating words happened. First love crashing and burning in an instant is what happened. Scott was shaken too much and couldn't drive. So he walked all the way home.

Jeff manages to coax the boy up the porch, on a swing and into his lap. Quiet, hot tears are back. So help him, Jeff is not ready. That was to be Lucy's area - nursing bruises, kissing away booboos and heartbreak. Jeff is not ready. He wants to tell his boy there will never be pain and betrayal again. He wants to make sure there isn't. Ever. But he can't. Jeff wants to keep Scott and his brothers safe from any danger of the world. But he's not sure he can reliably ward off more heartbreak. So he just holds the crying child on the cusp of adulthood and wishes his wife were still there.

Scott is still grounded - he didn't call Dad to pick him up, and walking alone at night was very dangerous. He'd be grounded till the Prom (Jeff is not cruel enough to let the school have no Prom King). That's where the problem is, unexpectedly. Scott's not going. Stacey the ex girlfriend now has that college freshman as a Prom date to show off. Everyone would know he was dumped. He has no date and doesn't have the heart to go anymore. Jeff really, really wishes Lucy were there. He's out of his depth.

That's when the rustle on the porch roof happens and a lithe, agile form slithers expertly down to the rails. John. John, who too is not asleep. John, who was probably stargazing past his bedtime or too lowkey waiting up for his biggest brother. John would go with Scott to the Prom. John is graduating next winter, so will miss his own Prom - nobody will ask questions. That dries the tears, at least, and has Scott sit up from Dad's lap. John HATES social anything. It will be loud, and flashy, and crowded, and LOUD. John would be uncomfortable. Scott can't have that. Exactly! Everyone knows the Ginger Tracy hates that kind of scene. And everyone knows Scott always has a posse of little brothers. So, if Scott is too upset, or not having fun, or overwhelmed - nobody would bat an eye that he had to take the "ginger weirdo" back home. John is calm and completely logical - clearly he had it all thought through. But what if Scott is having a good time and John is uncomfortable at a big party?

That's when more rustle on the porch roof happens and a bleary eyed Virgil parcours down too. Jeff is more or less resigned that bedtime is just not a thing that day, apparently. In THAT case, Virgil is going to the Prom too. Everyone know his two brothers are graduating early, so they won't be around for his Prom. It's a sound cover up. If Scott is enjoying himself, but John needs to leave - Virgil would accompany him home and make sure he's not overestimulated by the noise and the crowd. And Virgil would still have his own Prom to go to next year, if he wanted a big ole party. And thus - The Prom Protocol is born.

In the end, it's a huddle on the porch swing - Jeff holding Scott curled up in his lap, John leaning into Dad's side, and a semi-asleep Virgil draped over Scott's still shivering form for warmth and comfort. Still, Jeff is not ready. Amazed by the bond his boys share, but not ready to let them go.

#thunderbirds are go #scott tracy #scott tracy needs a hug #jeff tracy #john tracy #virgil tracy #the prom protocol #methinks i have astronomy

[pokemon-legends-and-legacies]

Some preliminary designs for Anabel & Thorton's (and Dulse's) family!

Carola (left) is Dulse/Anabel/Thorton but is primarily raised by Dulse and considers her other two parents more like an aunt & uncle. Growing up mainly in Ultra Megalopolis, but exposed to Earth culture from a young age, she has a love of the other world's media, especially video games, as well as pokémon.

Cardea (right) is Anabel/Thorton's daughter, born when the two of them are around 40. Anabel uses her maternity leave as an easing out for Interpol, fully retiring when Cardi is a toddler. She then becomes the Sinnoh Battle Frontier's manager (not unlike Scott's job). Cardea grew up entirely in Sinnoh and loves the outdoors, giving guided hikes of Mt. Coronet in the summer and working Search & Rescue for the mountain in the winter alongside her Skarmory. She's seen some things...

(Higher Res versions of the image under the cut!)

#Pkmn Fankids #Pkmn #TowerTycoonShipping #IodineShipping #my art #carola #cardea

[mischief-and-tea-by-the-sea]

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Category: M/M Fandoms: X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Avengers (Comics) Relationship: Logan/Scott Summers Characters: Logan (X-Men), Scott Summers, Emma Frost, Hank McCoy, Bruce Banner, Piotr Rasputin Additional Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Mission Fic, Missions Gone Wrong, Rescue Missions, Rescue, Scott Summers Deserves Happiness, Hurt Scott Summers, Scott Summers Needs A Hug, Caring Logan, Logan is a good friend, Hurt/Comfort, Humor, Flirting Language: English Collections: Scott Summers Secret Santa Bingo 2023 Published: 2024-02-05 Words: 3,809 Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

They should be used to missions gone pear-shaped by now, but it never gets easier for Logan to pull Scott out from under wreckage and deal with his team leader, friend, and the guy he has feelings for being hurt, unconscious, and unresponsive until the rescue team comes for them. This time was no different, but maybe with a few laughs under them, and a confession of sorts, things will be a little different in the future.

For Cerylid on AO3

@scottxlogan and I co-authored this baby. It came out so well, we're going to try our hands at co-authoring more in the future.

#scott summers bingo #ssb2023 #ssb secret santa 2023 #scott summers secret santa 2023 #Scott Summers #Cyclops #James Logan Howlett #Wolverine #Scogan #Scott x Logan #Cyclops x Wolverine #fanfic #co-authored goodness

[pareidoliaonthemove]

Reason 102 to Wear Your Helmet

You would think an aquanaut would know the value of keeping their helmet on.

Warning: Rat. One rat. One very large rat.

It was hot.

No, scratch that. It was a furnace. And Gordon was stuck in the middle of it.

Australian summers had gotten steadily hotter, and bushfires had gotten larger and more frequent, all due to global warming.

After (too many) firestorms and lives lost, authorities had gotten better at forestry maintenance, a large part of which was backburning operations. Unfortunately, no matter the amount of planning, care and precautions, Mother Nature could, would, and did exert her will over humankind.

What had started out as a carefully executed hazard reduction burn had been blindsided by high winds and unseasonably hot temperatures. The local authorities and volunteer fire services had fought the blaze with everything they had, but the fire had gotten out of the control and when it threatened an unprepared town, International Rescue had been summoned and launched.

They had started with evacuating the town ahead of the inferno, and then, as it threatened to turn on a second unwitting town, the focus had shifted to fighting the fire itself.

Scott and Gordon had worked firepods on the flanks, while Alan was granted rare operational flight time on Thunderbird Two – the astronaut had yet to earn his groundfire qualifications, age apparently being a bigger barrier to firefighting than to space certification, while Virgil and his fire exosuit stood with the locals and challenged the beast head on.

It had been a hard fight, in tough conditions, but eventually the fire was contained and tamed to the point where the locals had felt confident in finishing up operations unassisted.

And not a moment too soon, from International Rescue’s point of view. They had been on the ground for over twenty-four hours, with few opportunities for rest periods, and less to cycle their equipment through a cool down. Brain’s cahelium alloy was a wonder, but even it had its limits. Thunderbird Two, spending much of her time hovering above the fire front, blasting it with both sonic suppressors and water bombing runs, had soaked up a lot of heat, and now the flying behemoth needed time to cool down and dissipate some of the stored thermal energy in her hull before she cooked her own electronics.

It was easier said than done when the ambient atmospheric temperature was creeping dangerously towards the 50deg Celsius mark.

John had found safe location for the transporter to land, without risking starting off a new fire, and the pods had hared off cross country to meet her, Virgil clinging tiredly to the side of Scott’s pod with his exosuit.

Gordon was thrilled to be able to extract himself from his pod, the opportunity to stretch out, and get some blood flow back in his legs, temporarily distracting him from the other issues.

He and Scott had both been forced to resort to their full uniform rig inside the pods, sealing themselves away behind their helmets as the pod’s air filtration and temperature regulation had started to fail from the onslaught. Sealing themselves behind the ‘double-bubble’ as John had termed it, had allowed them more time on the ground, but it did have its drawbacks.

Gordon was – first, foremost, and last – an aquanaut. It was his primary role in International Rescue, and all his personal equipment was geared towards that particular role, and the deep sea environment that was his element. Including his uniform. Especially his uniform.

The deep sea was cold. Very cold.

And fire was not.

Gordon Tracy was a fish, not just out of water, but in the frying pan.

He was, he decided, going to have to speak to Brains about a uniform variant for high temperature work. Like all the IR unforms, his was intended to be used in all temperature conditions – it was even space-rated – but, out of necessity, it was more efficient at maintaining a temperature in deep cold water, an environment that Gordon was most decidedly not currently inhabiting.

Blood flow adequately restored, he surveyed his new surrounds.

John had directed them to a grain storage facility, twenty kilometres as the Thunderbird flies on the western side of the firefront. Less than optimal growing conditions had produced a poor harvest, and the blue-tarped bunkers were clustered on one side of the facility, leaving plenty of open bare ground for Thunderbird Two to settle on her extended struts between the concrete walls of the empty bunkers. Alan had quickly powered her down, and exited via the cockpit floor elevator to join Scott and Virgil near a star-struck cluster of the site’s employees.

Gordon looked around. There was a train parked in a siding, a discharge chute from overhead garner bins still pointing into an open wagon, loading operations abandoned when the company had granted International Rescue permission to use it as a temporary parking facility, and Gordon sought temporary refuge in the scant shadow of the wagons.

It wasn’t just the pods and Thunderbird that was worked to straining point in the heat. Gordon’s uniform wasn’t up to the sustained task, and with his helmet still clamped firmly over his head, he felt like he was trapped in his own personal sauna. Gordon looked around, the wind had died down, so there was no risk of smoke inhalation if he breathed unfiltered air. There were signs on the infrastructure surrounding him warning him that the loading facility was a hard hat area, but all operations had ceased, and there was definitely no one in the gantry above him.

Gordon risked it, pulling off his helmet, and feeling a slight breeze that felt like a slice of heaven after the stifling confines of his uniform helmet.

A youngish man in a sweat soaked hi-vis shirt, shorts and safety boots unzipped at the sides, a hardhat sliding over his skull as he walked, was hurrying up to him, clutching a large bottle of what looked like chilled water. He looked horrified as Gordon removed his helmet. “Sir, please, don’t …”

Something heavy landed on Gordon’s skull, small sharp blades seemed to rake the top of his head, before the whatever-it-was leapt off him, rocking his head back slightly with the force of its propulsion, passing briefly in front of his face to land on the ground and disappear under the train wagons. Gordon had a brief glimpse of long whiskers, dirty yellow fur, and a long naked pink tail before the monstrosity disappeared.

Gordon stared at the ground where he had last seen the creature. “Wh-what …?”

“Sir, are you all right? How’s your neck?” The young man had reached Gordon, forcing the bottle into his hands, before reaching up to gingerly touch the side of Gordon’s neck.

His hands were ice cold, and Gordon started a little. “Shit, sorry! Did that hurt?” The man snatched his hand away and grabbed at a little handheld radio clipped to his belt, speaking before Gordon could reply. “Boss. Over at the train spout. IR guy took his helmet off…”

An expletive crackled back over the radio, as an older man split away from the gaggle surrounding his brothers, who were quicky in pursuit, the remainder of the onlookers, trailing after them like curious ducklings.

The ‘boss’ skidded to a halt in front of Gordon. “Are you alright?” He turned to his underling before Gordon had a chance to answers. “Is he alright? What happened?” He glanced up at the wagon. “Shit, did Canola …?”

Virgil and Scott arrived, Virgil had a medscanner out, and was passing over Gordon, even as he was sliding to a stop, and Scott started snapping out questions, demanding to know what had happened.

“Uhh, he had an encounter with … local wildlife?” the young man offered reluctantly, as Virgil frowned at the medscanner results.

“No injuries flagged, except some cuts on the top of his skull …” IR’s medic reported.

Scott frowned, before turning to face the site employees. “Local wildlife?” he asked.

The boss nodded, and gestured to the hardhat signs. “Yeah. It’s a known hazard, but we can’t trap the damn thing …”

“What was it?” Gordon asked, as Virgil tried standing on tiptoe to examine the top of his skull. “Because it looked a lot like …” he trailed off, and shuddered.

There was a lot of shuffling of feet. “Um, what would you like it to be?” the young man asked, sheepishly.

Gordon glared. “I can only think of two things have long pink furless tails, and it was too freaking big for either of them.”

“It could be a possum, if you want it to be?” A young woman asked. “You know, a possum with, um, fashion opinions?”

Scott sighed, and turned to the site boss. “You said ‘Canola’. Canola is a grain, how could canola cause multiple lacerations on to the top of his head?”

The site manager flushed. “Um, we call it ‘Canola’, ‘cause we always see it over by the canola bunkers, and it’s about the same colour as the pulp when its crushed.”

“Stinks like canola, too,” offered up a voice from the cluster of employees standing back watching the show.

Scott stared. “What exactly are we talking about?” he asked, mystified.

“Um, well, it’s a … uh, rat?” The site manager seemed embarrassed.

Alan stared. “A rat?”

“A really big rat?” offered another voice. All the site employees nodded, embarrassedly, as if understanding exactly how bizarre the explanation was.

Another man in long trousers was bending down and peering under the wagons with a torch. “Ah, here he is, if you want to see him for yourself.”

The four Tracy’s moved forward, Virgil keeping a firm hold on Gordons’ arm, and as one, they crouched down to look under the wagon.

Scott and Alan recoiled, while Virgil, eyes wide, let go of Gordon’s arm to pull out a small camera from his baldric, and capturing a few images, before setting it to record a short video. Gordon glared at it, reaching for a nearby chunk of rock.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t do that,” the man beside him said, bemused. “There used to be cats all over this place – easy hunting, plenty of mice, y’know? Canola there saw ‘em off. He fights nasty.”

Gordon recoiled, and looked back at the rat clinging to the metal rigging under the wagon. Now he had a good look, from nose to tail, the beast was easily two foot long. Gordon had seen fully grown dogs smaller than Canola, never mind cats.

Gordon’s mind flashed back to the old movie Lady and the Tramp, suddenly the rat attacking the baby didn’t seem so farfetched.

Gordon started away, was the rat suddenly noticed them, whipped up to clamber along the wagon, clinging to the metal undersides, before leaping off and scampering away towards the blue-tarped ridges on the far side of the train.

“Wow!” Virgil’s eyes were huge. “I’ve never seen a rat so big, I mean you hear about giant New York Sewer Rats, but …” he shook his head.

Gordon reached up to scratch his head, wincing at the pain it created, and pulling a way bloody fingertips. “Damn!”

Virgil frowned, and glanced worriedly at Thunderbird Two, still emitting a thick heat haze. He turned to the site boss. “Um, we can’t access our medical facilities until my ‘Bird cools down some. Do you have a first aid kit we can use?”

The man nodded vigorously. “Sure thing!” Before his eyes went wide. “Um, we kinda need to …”

Scott sighed. “You need to create an incident report.” His head dropped down. “For an on-site injury to an International Rescue employee.” He stared at the signage, then glared at Gordon’s helmet, still hanging forgotten in his left hand. “Because he removed his helmet in signposted hardhat area.”

The man gulped. “Nothing like that! Work was suspended, he should have been right to remove it. It was just … a local knowledge thing …” He pointed eagerly to a transportable building standing on short cinderblock piers, with an ungodly number of air conditioning units, hanging off the sides. “First aid kit’s here, and you can wait as long as you want for your equipment to cool down. Feel free to use the kitchen facilities, and we’re just about to put in our food order for delivery, so you’re welcome to order whatever you want.”

His spiel went on, as he led the way, tired IR operatives, and awed employees trailing in his wake.

Gordon sighed. It was going to be a long wait to head home.

He hoped it was an equally long wait before they had to launch again.

John’s hologram popped up in place of their movie, with no warning. “Scott, I’ve had a very odd incident report forwarded to me from that Grain Receival site you parked up at in Australia.” He frowned. “Gordon apparently sustained an injury requiring first aid treatment from,” he glanced at a display near the camera, reading, “‘canola landing on his head’? Is that correct?”

Alan sniggered from the safety of his perch in his launch seat. “Yup. 100% correct.”

John’s frown intensified. “Canola is an oil producing seed. It is approximately the size of a mustard grain. How did canola cause lacerations?”

Virgil fiddled with the tablet he had abandoned, shooting a file into orbit. “Because this is Canola.”

They watched as John watched the video recording, an expression of horror growing on his face. “Is that … Is that a rat?”

Gordon smirked. “It could be a possum with fashion opinions, if that makes it better for you.”

John stared in horror. “Eos?”

“Yes, John?”

“Please add, ‘Giant Rats’ to my list of reasons why I stay in space.”

“Of course.” A pause. “You now have three-hundred and seventy-five official reasons why you prefer to live in space.”

The earthbound brothers stared, “You have a list?” Alan blurted.

“Am I on it?” Gordon demanded.

“Oh yes,” Eos responded brightly. “You’re reason number one.”

John cut the connection.

Notes:

I had to listen to a 20 minute rant from one of our little newbie assistant drivers complaining about having to wear a hardhat at some of our loading sites, and how ineffective they would be if anything actually fell on them from one of the silos (true, a bog standard plastic hardhat is gonna do very little if a silo lets go), and I was reminded of my encounter with an abnormally large rat that decided I would make a suitable step on their descent from the top of a wagon, way back when I was a little baby train driver.

Luckily I was wearing my hard hat; that site had the hardhat rule because of Canola the Rat (so named because he lived near the bunkers storing canola, which is apparently steroids for rodents. He was enormous, and beat up on the cats that used to live on-site for the easy mice hunting to the point they up and moved away), who had caused some nasty lacerations requiring stitches when he pulled the same manoeuvre on people who didn’t wear hardhats.

Took a while to live down. The loading site reported it to my company as a ‘near miss’, and it went out on the monthly safety briefing. Nationwide. No names were mentioned in the briefing, but it didn’t take long for people to figure out who it was locally, and there was a lot of comments about me being afraid of mice.

Until one of the old hands had an encounter with Canola.

The standard disclaimers, I do not own Thunderbirds, either the Original Series, the Movies (both Supermarionation and Live Action), or the Thunderbirds Are Go Series. (Although I do own copies on DVD.)

I do not do this for money, but for my own (in)sanity and entertainment.

#thunderbirds are go #fanfic #my fanfiction #gordon tracy #rat #terrifyingly large rat

[scottxlogan]

My Holiday Fics Master List

So it's that time of year and I decided to put together a list of fics I've written that have a holiday theme to them in case anyone who might be looking for something that fits the season. Below you'll find the fics listed by the main pairings from what I've written if you're looking for something new (or old) to enjoy. Happy holidays everyone!

Scott Summers(Cyclops)/James "Logan" Howlett (Wolverine)

Home for the Holiday (Rated M) Out on the road Scott finds himself contemplating his life miserable and alone until a ghost from the past reappears in his life and gives him a holiday surprise.

Escape from Christmas (The Gift) (Rated M) Logan and Scott take one last mission to a town named Christmas right before the holidays. The plan is to finish the job and make it back home for a big holiday celebration. However, will fate have other plans?

James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark

First Holiday (Rated G) Tony wakes up to reflect on the blessings in his life in sharing his first holiday with his family.

Secret Santa (Rated E) Bucky Barnes is at work in New York City during a snowstorm doing everything in his power to avoid having to attend his best friend's holiday party where Steve and his new wife Emma are hosting a grand affair for their friends and family. Instead, Bucky has decided to play Scrooge in skipping out on the fun until his last customer for the night arrives at the shop in the form of a sexy Santa looking for the perfect gift. Blindsided by the new arrival, Bucky discovers that a night of passion and holiday flirting is exactly what he needs to lift his holiday spirits.

The Holiday Celebration (Rated G) Bucky is surprised to receive an invitation to Tony's yearly weeklong holiday celebration up north with the rest of the Avengers. Upon arrival, Bucky soon learns that the trip is full of fun festivities and activities where the team shows off their skills and enjoys the season. Still feeling like an outsider Bucky tries his best to fit in, but worries that he's making a bad impression on their host until Bucky suddenly discovers that maybe his perception of Tony has been slightly off in what Tony thinks about him :)

The Chase (Rated E) Bucky Barnes and his team are sent to suburbia to seek out and take down the Merchant of Death after they were given a tip on where he would be for the holiday season. When their intel leads them towards some down time on the mission at a holiday party, Bucky finds himself flirting with danger in more ways than he'd imagined possible when the night began.

Tonight (Rated T) Bucky prepares for a special anniversary with Tony, but Alpine has other plans. Will Bucky be able to give Tony a night to remember or will disaster follow when Tony arrives with a few surprises of his own?

Three Things (Rated T) Bucky Barnes has been doing what he can to push forward in finding a way to achieve peace in the world around him after life has pulled him in a new direction. It's holiday season and a chance meeting brings Bucky into connection with a kid who could use a little help and leads him closer to the three important things that he's missing in his life as spelled out by Sam in an appeal to get Bucky to embrace life.

Peter Parker is down on his luck after life threw him an unexpected curve. He's not looking for handouts, but when Bucky offers him friendship and a place to stay, Peter finds himself hoping for a return to the joys he's lost along the way.

The Beginning of the End (Rated E) In 1989 Tony Stark is convinced that he's found his soulmate in the man who rescued him at a low point in his life. From their first meeting sparks flew, but there's a part of Tony that's seeking out even more from his new roommate. Will Tony be able to convince Bucky to take things to the next level between them.

After a year of ups and downs Bucky and Tony's story comes full circle as we travel back to the beginning to see where it all started before finding our way to the present where things reach the dramatic conclusion. Will Bucky, Tony and their friends find their way to happily ever after or crash and burn when the enemy's plans come full circle?

WinterIron Bingo Round Robin - December 2023 (Rated G) Tony and Bucky decorate the tree during their first Christmas together – will Morgan approve? And what else does Bucky have planned?

New Year's Eve Related Fics

Tony Stark/Clint Barton

All in a Kiss (Rated T) Following a team up with Tony, Clint realizes he has a crush on his sexy teammate, but getting around to admitting to that isn't as easy as Clint hoped. When Clint makes a plan to capture Tony's attention, it winds up having some unexpected consequences along the way.

Tony/Loki

Stolen Moments (Rated T) On New Year's Eve in 1999 Tony Stark is about to enter into a new journey in his life, but before that begins a sexy, enigmatic stranger offers him a brief detour.

Tony/Rhodey

Together (Rated T) Tony and Rhodey have been roommates and best friends for a while, but after returning from family holiday with Rhodey's family where they pretended to be dating things have changed between them. Tony has ended his impossible relationship with his boyfriend and is facing the idea of spending a holiday alone as to not upset the balance in Rhodey's life. Will his decision prove to be a wise one or will Rhodey have a surprise in store for Tony?

Steve/Tony

Out with the Old... (Rated M) AU: Alone on New Year's Eve in 1989 in New York City, Tony decides to go all out in throwing a solo party for himself until sexy cashier Steve offers him a better alternative to a night of drunken loneliness.

Steve/Bucky

I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm (Rated G) Steve and Bucky prepare to spend New Year's Eve together in a posh hotel suite in NYC, but Steve has a few other surprises up his sleeve to welcome Bucky into his world.

Yelena Belova/Kate Bishop

Bringing in the New Year (Rated T) Kate Bishop has decided to spend the winter season with Lucky in the city away from it all just sorting her life out. On the eve of New Year's Eve at a NYC bar Kate discovers an old familiar face is back in town and set on delivering a special message to her.

#scogan #wolverine #cyclops #scott summers #james howlett #winteriron #tony stark #bucky barnes #frostiron #loki #steve rogers #captain america #clint barton #hawkeye #yelena belova #kate bishop #james rhodeys #rhodey #stucky #stony #iron husbands #holiday fic master list #fic master list

[tagsecretsanta]

From @such-a-random-rambler

From @such-a-random-rambler to @ajpendragon

Here is my gift, much love to you all

Scott threw down his tablet to clatter onto the marble work surface. With a frustrated sigh that echoed around the kitchen he spun forlornly on the stool. Months of ‘I’ll get to it next week’ or ‘just got to rest after that last rescue’ or ‘the board meeting’s coming up soon, got to get the agenda sorted’ had swept away the time between his great idea and now. If he’d started research when inspiration had first struck back in the summer Virgil would shortly be receiving the most perfect Christmas gift. But he’d left it too late and now with just two weeks to go Scott’d have to fall back on Plan B.  

After he thought of Plan B. 

He laid his head in his crossed arms slumped across the tabletop, and allowed himself to indulge in wallowing at the problem of his own making. He’d come up with something great no doubt. In a minute. 

The soft scuff of boots across tile announced a visitor, easily identifiable by their pace, light step and the squeak in the left heel. The slight ‘oof’ as they sat on a stool opposite and the slightly clinical smell of an intricately controlled environment that accompanies them confirms it.  

“I’m busy being melodramatic.” Scott said, only slightly muffled by having his head in his arms.  

“I know. I could see that in space. It’s much more entertaining down here though.” 

Scott allowed himself a peak at John, who looked far too amused to be comfortable with. As suspected he’s still in uniform, only leaning a little to the side from his hasty descent from vacuum to atmosphere.  

“You keep saying that I should take more time out, get a hobby. Well I’m trying ‘procrastinated too long and now I’m a failure’. Not enjoying it so far.” 

John actually laughed at that: his full deep laugh that he rarely got a chance to exercise. John never used to be so serious, and that’s just one more wound their family bears. If Scott’s own mistakes got John to laugh like that it was worth it, just a shame Virgil was dragged along too. 

“I thought you might be trying that.” John said, a twinkle of mischief in his eye. “Why don’t you get me one of those disgusting juice drinks Virgil keeps insisting I have and tell me all about it.” 

Loath to let an opportunity to get some vitamins into John go to waste Scott dragged himself to his feet, and grabbed a bottle of the freshly made, nutrient packed smoothie from the fridge. And two glasses, for solidarity purposes.  

“Virgil’s the problem really. See he – wait. Where is he?” Scott looked about, as if Virgil was about to spring out from behind the couch cushions. 

“Hangers. Obviously. And will be some time judging by the number of pieces of Two that spread out on the floor.” John took a sip of his juice, then eyed it suspiciously. “This one’s not that bad actually. I’ll give him my compliments.” 

Scott also took a cautious sip – just in case John was using some reverse psychology – and … he kinda agreed. It was lacking most of the bitter earthy notes that usually made these concoctions a chore.  

“Ok, so you know Virgil’s been working on those music pieces, those compositions, and he finally finished last spring?” 

“I do.” 

“I was going to get them all written out and bound. Not just printed mind you – hand written on hand made paper, old school. Like the greats of classical music used to.” 

“Sounds like a really thoughtful idea. I’m sure he’d like that. Things always feel more real to him when he can get his hands on it.” 

“Exactly. I thought it would be easy to get that sorted, but I never found the time. And apparently there are only a few people in the world who do that sort of binding any more, and they can’t get it done in a couple of weeks. I’m one of those desperate leaving-it-to-the-last-minute sort of people now.” Scott takes a deep draught on the juice, which gets worryingly more bitter the further down the glass he gets. 

“If you’d listened to me, started taking breaks, you’d have been all nice and organised and had Virgil’s sonatas in the bag by October.” John continued to sip at his drink, unbearably smug.  

“And you’ve taken your own advice have you? You’ve had a weekend off here and there? Picked up a hobby? Like sleeping, you should try that for a hobby.” Because Scott knew that John barely had a sleep schedule, let alone a healthy one and certainly didn’t have days off. And John knew that Scott knew. 

John grinned. “I have got a new hobby: bailing my brothers out of trouble. Maybe that’s not so new actually. Here.” He picked up a large square package that Scott hadn’t noticed on the stool beside him, and slid it across the work surface. “Consider this an early Christmas gift. I’ve got you an actual one of course, this is just a bonus.” 

Carefully Scott put his still half full glass down, and inspects the heavy wrapping. With one eye on the still grinning John – there’s always trouble when he looks that triumphant – he grabbed a knife from the block and slit the side. 

Inside were several leather folios of crisp cream paper, embossed with the name ‘Virgil Tracy’ and filled with careful hand written notations – Virgil’s music made real by a master craftsman.  

Scott was stunned. “How did you - ? I didn’t tell anyone.” The realisation hit. “Have you been looking at my personal files again?” 

“And your internet searches.” John downed the remaining juice without so much as a grimace, and seemingly no guilt. “You really did come up with an amazing gift idea, but I knew that you would never actually get around to organising it in time. So I sorted it for you.” 

“And if your lack of faith had been misplaced?” 

John shrugged. “No harm in having a back up is there.” 

Scott ran his hand over the soft leather. He’d been too busy. He really had. And John’d been there to take the load as he always was. “Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome. I’m not going to gift wrap it though, that’s on you.” 

“I wouldn’t dream of asking you to.” Wrapping presents was not one of John’s skill sets. The wrapping paper was usually held together by hope as much as tape. “Are you eating dinner with us before you go back up?” 

“Thought I might have a dinner or so. I was thinking of not going back up until after New Year. Take one of those breaks you’ve been going on about.” 

John says it so offhandedly that Scott almost doesn’t make a quick calculation of days between now and then. “Two weeks?” 

“Three actually.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah. I’ve been … tired recently. More tired than usual. I think I need to breathe fresh air for more than twelve hours at a time. Maybe go swimming. Sleep in on Sundays. Live like a normal human for a bit.” 

Placing the folio gently on the countertop, smoothing down the cover, Scott slowly yet inevitably stalked around the counter. Scott waited until John had put his glass down safely – you could never be too careful with him newly planetside – to enfold John in the tightest hug he could manage. Scott would forgive his brother his snooping and meddling to have him home for three weeks. And John knew it. It was probably all part of the plan. 

John suffered the hug for at least thirty seconds before pushing Scott away with a roll of his eyes. Despite his mutterings about overreacting John didn't actually look that displeased at the contact. 

“Hide that in your room somewhere,” John nods in the direction of the folio, “and we’ll go help Virgil reassemble his bird. Being as I have nowhere else I need to be.” 

#thunderbirds are go #tag team secret santa #thunderbirds #thunderbirds fanfiction

[idontknowreallywhy]

Estera - Ch 17 - Haunted

Oops. It all went a bit pear shaped didn’t it?

John&Virgil discuss bagels, EOS goes loopy and Scott fails to enjoy his whisky.

Another long one, but a lot had to happen before I could tag @sofasurf back in for the next chapter so… buckle up ;)

(Previous… Prologue - Stars are Only Visible in Darkness, Estera - 1 - Colour, 2 - Dinosaur, 3 - Shoes, 4 - Thunderbird, 5 - Lesson, 6 - Safe, 7 - Gull, 8 - Deliver, 9 - Coffee, 10 - Flight, 11 - Run, 12 - Fall, 13 - Trying, 14 - Hide, 15 - Wait, 16 - Distraction)

(Sofasurf’s Recrudescence which is the foundation for all of this)

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“Hey Johnny what’s up?”

“Don’t call me Johnny.”

“Sure.” Virgil squinted as he rubbed out a middle C on the score he was drafting and replaced it with the Ab. Ah, perfect. He smiled to himself, he was nearly there with this one.

“Scott sent bagels to the girl.”

“He… bagels?”

“Yes. Bagels.”

Virgil frowned and scrubbed out 4 bars of the bass line. Too derivative.

“Bagels, Virgil.”

“You can’t have every bagel on the planet John, got to let us earthbound types have a few of them.”

“What? That’s not… Virgil! Pay attention this is important!”

Virgil sighed and closed the manuscript. “What are you concerned about John?”

“It’s HER. He’s… getting too… involved. What if…? Look what happened before.”

If he couldn’t already tell from the furrowed brow, John’s uncharacteristic incoherence would speak volumes about how worried he was. And Virgil sympathised, he really did. Worried-about-Scott was a fairly constant state of mind for him too. But this time… he just didn’t see it.

“John, he’s… happy. He’s on form, he’s fit, he’s enjoying himself - that rescue yesterday? He was on fire, honestly. I thought Allie might ask for his autograph at some point. He’s relaxed. He’s laughing again. I think he might actually be sleeping occasionally.” Virgil paused for a moment and experienced a rush of thankfulness as he processed exactly how relieved he was by how things had changed in recent weeks.

“EXACTLY Virgil. We’ve only just got him back! What if she… triggers something? Or… or breaks his heart? What if next time we don’t get him back?”

“I don’t think she’s any more likely to break his heart than anyone else. Remember the Ruby Summers debacle?”

John cringed. That had been a difficult month for anyone within a 2 mile radius of their eldest brother.

“If he’s interested in her romantically he’s moving unusually slowly for him. You know what he’s like. It’s entirely possible he’s just trying to be supportive - they clearly have something in common. He told me she understands things he can’t explain. Don’t you think it’s good for him to have a friend who does?”

“But…”

“Either something will come of it or it won’t, John. And if he gets hurt we’ll be here. Like we would for any of us.”

Holographic shoulders slumped.

“He won’t thank you for interfering, John.”

“I’m not going to!”

“Good.”

His brother’s image winked out while still muttering and Virgil turned back to his manuscript. He chuckled to himself

“Bagels eh? That’s a new one, Scotty.”

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Can I ask you something?

Of course!

Fire away

How do you know my address?

Scott?

Ok, I was hoping that wouldn’t be a complicated question.

Please answer the question.

You can’t, can you?

You see I’m ex-directory, always have been. I opted out.

To stop creepy people looking me up, actually.

My name and address isn’t anywhere public.

Have you had me followed?

Is it the young guy with the ridiculous beard and the labradoodle Bez has befriended on the beach?

It is isn’t it?

I knew there was something odd about him. He was too friendly.

I can’t believe this.

Please stop. I don’t know what kind of person you think I am, but I am not that kind of person.

Ok? I’m not interested in… whatever it is you want.

Please leave me alone.

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8 hours of mudslide hell and Scott was ready to drop. Debrief was postponed until they’d all got some sleep and he hastened to the privacy of his room, opening up the messages app on his comm as he did so. A notification popped up - 15 unread messages.

A little warm glow nestled at the base of his rib cage and he smiled, deciding to go and sit on the balcony under the stars to read them. Maybe with a small measure of whisky. As he poured it he remembered she’d been about to ask him something.

He sat back and toasted the moon then opened the chat as he took a sip.

His blood ran cold.

He put the glass down with a shaking hand and sank his teeth into his fist, desperately trying not to panic. He needed to react calmly and slowly and not like the psychopath she clearly thought he was.

He scanned the messages again and they were even worse on second reading.

Slow be damned. He’d already apparently ignored her for hours. He fired back a message.

Estera I promise this isn’t what you think it is.

I understand why you think it is but it isn’t.

Please let me explain.

He downed the whisky and started pacing the balcony.

I haven’t had you followed.

I don’t ‘want anything’ from you.

Please believe me.

The messages remained unread.

“EOS!!”

“Hello Scott”

“EOS which directory did you use to look up Estera’s address?”

“I didn’t use a directory, Scott. I already knew the address.”

Scott closed his eyes. The school staff records. Of course she didn’t need to look it up.

He hadn’t considered EOS would even need to do anything… EOS-ey. It hadn’t occurred to him Estera wouldn’t be in the public directory, most people were these days. Those who weren’t… there was usually a reason.

And now he’d scared her. Which was categorically the last thing on the planet he wanted to do.

He checked again and the messages were still unread. He resisted the urge to throw his comm into the pool and walked quietly back into his room to place it on the bedside table. And then very calmly sat on the side of the bed, picked up the fluffiest cushion in his arsenal and screamed a string of curses into it.

“Scott you are distressed? I am sorry I didn’t mean to upset you. What did I do wrong? Can I fix it please?”

She actually sounded upset. He’d somehow managed to upset the emotionless AI. At what point had John programmed ‘shaky tearful voice’ into his robot friend?

He placed the cushion carefully on his knees, pressed his lips together and shook his head. He opened the message app again. Still nothing.

“No, EOS, you can’t fix it. Please leave me alone now. I need to think.”

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Alan slid across the kitchen floor in his socked feet, cracking the seal on the instant noodles and popping the microwave door in one slick movement. Nice. He put them inside and set the timer before stretching with a loud yawn and a satisfied grin. It wasn’t gourmet but fast food was food and it was fast. 13 seconds later he leapt backwards in surprise as with a loud POOF the packet exploded into flames.

Huh. Maybe the microwaveable noodles weren’t microwaveable after all. He must have messed up and put the wrong kind in. Oops.

Ok, fine. He grabbed one of the slower, ‘just add boiling water’ type instead and flicked the switch on the kettle. The fuse blew immediately. He pouted. Why wouldn’t the universe let him have noodles tonight?

The cleaning bot whirred into life and threw itself down the stairs with a clatter.

Then all the lightbulbs went out one by one.

He stood in the dark, trying not to freak out when he heard a faint, almost childish sob from the lounge and did his best not to whimper as he backed into the corner.

He opened his comm and whispered in a definitely calm and not at all terrified way:

“John… John…? I think we got a haunting situation going on. Please help.”

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John answered his little brother’s call whilst dodging flying bagels and consequently he didn’t entirely understand Alan’s whispered SOS the first time.

Taking cover in the shower cubicle, he asked him to repeat it. The shower switched on at full power and minimum temperature.

“EOS! Please! Can we talk about this?”

There was silence and the lights flickered.

“Alan, I think I know what’s happened. There’s no ghost, I promise. I’ll call you back ok?”

There was a whimper from the other end of the line and an eerily similar one from out in the gravity ring. He poked his head around the door and hoped that this time around he wasn’t about to be crushed to death.

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Scott typed and deleted messages over and over.

What was the point if she wasn’t picking them up?

Why didn’t she have her phone? Had something happened?

She’d been ill… what if it had been more serious than she thought? What if… what if she needed help and nobody was there?

He itched to jump into One and to just go and CHECK. But that would obviously be a terrible idea in the current circumstances.

He glared at his comm, willing the ticks to turn green. And then startled as they did.

Nothing happened for what felt like hours but might have been only moments. Then

✨Estera✨ is typing…

He waited, hardly daring to breathe.

I’m listening.

Right. You’ve got one shot at this, Tracy.

Ok… first I’m so sorry for going quiet, we had a long rescue and there just wasn’t chance to check messages. I wasn’t deliberately ignoring you. I hadn’t actually read your question as it popped up just before we launched, if I had I would have answered it as it’s a good question.

Ok.

I messed up. A call came in yesterday as I was putting the order through and I had to launch One to rescue some climbers but I didn’t know how long it would take.

I just wanted to make sure you had something you could eat when you woke up. That’s all it was. I was worried I’d miss the delivery slot if I waited so

We have this new PA who is…

She’s great but she takes things very literally and I did not explain adequately. It was my fault.

I asked her to look up your address and add it to the order. She has access to non-public information for some of the stuff we have to do with work and I didn’t think to tell her to restrict her search when it was a personal matter.

I’m sorry, it was a breach of your privacy and I will have words with her on the topic.

I don’t know your address.

And I won’t ever know it unless you tell it to me.

I see.

And if anything else I’ve said or done has made you uncomfortable, I apologise.

Honestly I have no ulterior motive here.

I’d like to be friends if you wanted that and I’m here for you if you ever need anything but otherwise…

I just want you to be ok. But I understand if it’s too much

I know I can be too much

I can back off.

I’m rambling and will shut up now. 😏

Ok. Thank you for explaining.

I’m going to need to think for a while.

Sure, whatever you need. No rush from me.

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John’s hologram popped up looking concerned. Scott sighed and bit back an impatient comment.

“I’m fine, John.”

“EOS…”

“Is tattling on me again I assume?”

“No… she’s having some kind of breakdown about upsetting you.”

“Oh. Perfect.”

“What’s up?”

“Personal thing. It’s ok. Don’t worry about it.”

John looked like he was going to argue.

“Please? Just… let me deal with my own stuff ok? I will ask if I need anything. What’s up with EOS? Tell her it’s ok - the misunderstanding was my fault not hers.”

John looked over his shoulder and dropped his voice such that Scott had to stop pacing to hear properly.

“She had a small… tantrum, in the kitchen. I believe Alan is hiding in the cupboard under the sink, could you go and rescue him?”

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

He’d like to say he hadn’t been checking for new messages on a 3 minutely basis but it wouldn’t be strictly accurate.

He’d achieved a lot in between the compulsive refreshing though. First he got his big brother face on and coaxed Alan out of the cupboard. Following a brief conversation with John about toning down the “Do Not Upset Scott” aspect of her programming, he reassured EOS she was still his favourite niece and set about replacing the fuse in the kettle. He powered through the GDF paperwork then made precisely 74 chocolate chip pancakes because pancakes were definitely an acceptable substitute for sleep.

3 hours and 26 minutes later there was a soft ping from his comm.

Hello Scott

A soft voice in the back of his mind that sounded a lot like Virgil murmured “wait…” so he bit his lip and sat on his hands. The “is typing” symbol pulsed at him maddeningly.

I don’t know what you meant by having “words” but please don’t sack your PA or anything.

Hi Estera

Oh, no, I wouldn’t do that. It’s a training issue and thus my responsibility to sort out.

Ok.

Another pause.

I’m sorry I overreacted.

I don’t know that you did - it was a reasonable reaction to what you thought had happened.

Hmm.

And I’m sorry you were left thinking it so long. I should have said I had to go.

I should have guessed really. With your job being what it is.

Maybe. But you were also understandably freaked out so…

You’re quite an intimidating family you know.

We are?

Err yes?!!!!

The thought of being on the wrong side of you guys is… worrying.

When I thought… well. I didn’t know how I could escape. I was scared.

I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say really except we aren’t exactly the vengeful type.

But I don’t want you to think you have to be on any side of us… or of me.

If you want I can just say it was good to meet you, I’m glad that we both survived and wish you well.

Hmm would be kind of sad though.

Why is that?

I guess I’d miss the awful jokes…

Well fortunately I have an almost infinite supply of them.

I suspect I will live to regret saying that

Ha! 🤣

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Why could nobody see the seagull?

Because it was in da skies!

I hereby award you Level 1 Dad Jokes.

Is there a badge?

I’ll look into it.

Scott grinned to himself and opened up a comm channel.

“EOS?”

“Yes Scott?”

“You’ll like this one…”

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds #thunderbirds fanfiction #tb estera #estera #scott tracy #virgil tracy #john tracy #EOS (thunderbirds) #idontknowreallywhy fanfic

[racefortheironthrone]

Hello, I don't know if you saw, but yesterday on YouTube they released a video on the next series of X-Men comics (From The Ashes) that's coming out this summer. It looks like they're just going back to the classic storyline of the X-Men fighting to protect a world that hates and fears them. What I liked about Krakoa was that instead of mutants just struggling to survive, it gave them a place of their own where they could thrive and reach their full potential. However, it seems like no matter what they do, the X-Men always get kicked back to square one.

Yeah, I saw that. I think it's a bit more complicated than "going back to the classic storyline of the X-Men fighting to protect a world that hates and fears them." (To a significant extent, that's just describing the basic premise for the X-Men for most of their publication history.)

Rather, I would describe From the Ashes as evocative of the post-Outback, pre-Blue Team/Gold Team period at the tail end of the Claremont run, but with an aesthetic that's inspired by both the 90s comics (which makes sense, with X-Men '97 only days away) and the Bendis era.

For example, I would describe a scenario in which there is no Xavier School and there are multiple teams spread out from Alaska to Chicago to New Orleans to New York all pursuing different strategies for fighting for mutantkind as "back to basics."

Scott's team based out of Alaska is a more classic mutant rescue team, but it's being led by a visibly older Magneto in an Xavier-like chair, so there's definitely aspects of the "Revolutionary" Cyclops era there too. Kate and Emma's more youth-outreach team is somewhat evocative of the New Mutants or Generation X or Academy X, but the Chicago setting is more reminiscent of Claremont's somewhat controversial Mekanix book. And god only knows what NYX or X-Force or X-Factor are going to be about.

That being said, I am immensely excited about the new creative team. Marjorie Liu aside, women are almost never given the chance to write flagship X-books and here we have both the superb Gail Simone and the equally talented Eve Ewing (who is the first black woman to write a flagship X-book). And Jed MacKay has more than proven in his Black Cat and Moon Knight and Doctor Strange books that he's got an incredible knack for taking classic characters in compelling new directions.

I know you might be concerned about the marketing pitch, but this is not a team that's going to churn out meaningless nostalgia-bait fluff rather than tell real stories.

#xmen #xmen meta #from the ashes #gail simone #eve ewing #jed mackay