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#violently shaking carlo by his shoulders WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS!!!!!!!!! (gets shot right after)
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they just didn't have to write him as "a great philanthropist"; "a generous benefactor of the empire bay planetarium"; "frequent officer of the empire bay press guild"; "a frequent target of political slander and false arrest because of generosity towards the press"
and at the same time write him as the first of the others to organize drug trafficking; a man who tried to kill all his competitors; "a shady bastard, even for guys in this business"; "ruthless modernizer"; a man who secretly views his close friend as a liability; "the man who killed his own boss" to take his place
"few will moan moretti's passing" from the lost heaven's newspapers and there's nothing like that in the cut-out news reports about carlo's death
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#like do you remember . “Micky the Crab” who was falcone's soldier and whom falcone eventually left to clean the fucking toilets#when the guy lost almost all his fingers#and ofc i don't think this whole charade with charity and the press is sincere (can sense 100% money laundering w charity here) but#i think he still felt some appreciation for empire bay bc this city accepted & raised him instead of sicily#i believe that there were also good intentions with the planetarium and maybe other things#maybe not everything was just a money laundering#“your teeth are a gift from god u can sink them into anyone's flesh and call it an act of giving” this is what i mean#that fact that his fucking (ugly but still) MANSION is in a poor residential area it just feels like a slap#violently shaking carlo by his shoulders WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS!!!!!!!!! (gets shot right after)#the fact that he had a reputation as a shady guy among the mafia and a reputation as a philanthropist in society . carlo. why r u like this#this man is a fucking contradiction in some absolutely fucked up gross way and it's killing me. wouldn't want him any other way tho#m2#like can you imagine. if he actually felt warm towards empire bay. can you imagine if he was actually interested in making this place bette#but still organized the drug trade(which is objectively even worse than a racket)#love mixed with selfishness and violence and greed and and in the end it's creation mixed with destruction#sorry i can't get my thoughts into sentences that make sense all this week#but this contrast is killing me and i think about it a lot and i just wanted to put it together in a compilation
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duuhrayliegh · 3 years
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A Friend of Yours - pt. 3
pairing: bucky x reader
warnings: TFATWS SPOILERS!!!!!, language, canon lvl violence, soft!bucky, some suggestive content, it’s ten thousand words so i’m sure i missed something, just lmk and i’ll tag it accordingly babes.
word count: 10,246 (i may have gone a little overboard)
a/n: this is the last part, unless y’all want more. i’m rlly proud of myself w this series, granted MUCH of the content was already written for me, nonetheless, here you go. i hope y’all like it <3
read A Friend of Yours - pt. 1 and A Friend of Yours - pt. 2
p.s.: my requests and tag lists are open!!
check out my m.list here!
xoxo ray
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The Wilson family house was adorable. Two stories with chipped blue paint on the walls and yellowing white on the columns. You had beat Sam there, so you decided to just look around for a few minutes before meeting Sarah and the boys. You walked out to the dock in front of their house, admiring the water, how still and calm it was. You were staring into the distance when you heard small footsteps from behind you.
“You know, it’s rude to sneak up on people.” You weren’t sure which boy it was, but you were trying to present a non-threatening front.
“You know, it’s rude to invite yourself onto someone else's property.” You were surprised when you heard Sam’s voice respond to you. Turning quickly to face the man with the confused expression. “I thought you wouldn’t come to the States because of the whole Enemy of it thing.” He walked away from you, gesturing for you to follow as he picked up your abandoned duffle. “He’s not here if that’s who you’re looking for.” You shook your head as you crossed the threshold into the living room.
“I’m not here for him, although he would be a much welcome bonus.” The two of you shared a laugh. “But no, I’m here to help you however I can.” Sam’s eyes narrowed, wondering if he should question your generosity. Your eyes must have given away your desperation for a home because he decided against it.
“Okay, but if you’re here, you’re gonna work. We’ve got a lot of shit to get done if we’re going to fix this boat up.”
“What boat?” You smiled at him as he began explaining what was going on. He just skimmed the top of what was really happening, but you could tell he was worried even though he wore a good facade.
“Get changed into some clothes you don’t mind getting messed up.”
“Am I going to be doing, like, manual labor?” He gave you a ‘duh’ look to which you groaned, “So, shorts are out of the question?” Sam had already walked into the kitchen before replying.
“Only if you want to freeze your ass off!” You changed quickly into a pair of ripped mom jeans that you cinched with a belt at your waist and a white short sleeved shirt.
“Do you have an overshirt I can borrow?”
“You mean, a flannel?” Sam shot back as he exited the room.
“Yeah, an overshirt.”
“No. A flannel. Come on, say it with me, flannel.” He tossed one your way, which you put on the rolled the sleeves up to your elbows.
“It’s an overshirt, Sam. I’m not seeing the issue.”
“Y/N, it's a flannel. Just say flannel, why you gotta make it all fancy?” He walked out the back door and onto a wooden bridge that led to the marina the boat was docked at. He didn’t let the flannel thing go the whole way over, making you laugh loudly and shake your head. As you walked up the dock, you could see several people helping Sarah and Sam with their boat.
“This is all you guys?” You were amazed, you hadn’t seen togetherness like this since before Aunt Peggy died. “Wow.” You said mostly to yourself as Sam walked you up to the woman of the hour.
“Sarah, we’ve got another one. Sarah, Y/N. Y/N, Sarah.” You stuck your hand out for Sarah to shake, which she did kindly. “I’m going to work on getting some of the siding off the boat. Sarah, Y/N is all yours.” He darted off, leaving you with Sarah.
“What ya got for me, Sarah? I’m here to do whatever you need.” She began instructing you to help with cataloging everything that people were bringing. Whether it be rusty spare parts or a couple twenty dollar bills, Sarah wanted to know and she wanted a record of it. A truck pulled up next to the boat and Sam got out hugging the men that exited it.
“Tommy, Carlos, man, this is amazing.” They exchanged a few more words before one of them asked the inevitable question.
“How do we get it off the truck?” A loud scraping sound emitted as the pallet was taken from the truck bed. Bucky lifted the bundle of parts over his head effortlessly, dropping it on the ground. He turned to the group of three men staring at him.
“You’re welcome.” You laughed as you approached. Bucky hauled a gray and black case onto the truck bed, speaking to Sam about it. Suddenly, one of the pipe fittings went out of whack, causing a steady stream of air to escape on the boat. Sarah stopped in front of it on the dock.
“Sam!” She was holding her clipboard as she watched Sam try to stop the leak with a crescent wrench. Bucky walked up next to Sarah, saying hi before telling Sam he was doing it wrong.
“Men. They even mansplain to other men, can you believe that?” You said from beside Sarah while Bucky finished fixing the leak. You tilted your head to admire him, “But we love to watch them work, huh?” She laughed as you wiggled your eyebrows at her. Bucky and Sam turned back to you and Sarah and Bucky’s eyes widened when they landed on your figure. Sam walked toward the front of the boat as Bucky stopped to introduce himself to Sarah.
“Sarah--” His eyes flicked to yours, “Y/N.” Then he quickly followed behind Sam.
“Oh, what was that, Y/N?” Sarah teased, two can play at that game.
“I don’t know, what was your thing about, Sarah?” You said her name like Bucky did to mess with her. She shoved your shoulder away and pushed you back to work.
You had to admit, watching Bucky do domestic type things with his metal appendage did things to you. Just knowing that he was comfortable enough to be around Sam’s whole family with his arm fully on display, made you happy.  The sun was beginning to go down, and you were sharing a beer with Sam and Bucky. Bucky hadn’t spoken to you directly since he got there and it was starting to irk you. You thought that you had something, but maybe not. Bucky rose from his position on the boat, clinking his bottle with Sam’s, claiming he needed to find a hotel room so he could catch his flight tomorrow.
“You’re just gonna set me up like that, huh?” Sam joked.
“I just don’t wanna make it weird for your family.” But Bucky’s eyes caught yours as he spoke.
“Just stay here, man.” Sam began a rant about the people of the town, ending with, “Plus we already got one freeloader for the night, what’s one more, right?”
“Oh goodie! Are we going to braid each other’s hair and play Seven Minutes in Heaven, too?” you teased Sam, but Bucky stiffened.
“We can do whatever you want.” Sam said, then he pointed at Bucky, “Just don’t flirt with my sister. Cause if you do, I’ll have Carlos cut you up, feed you to the fish.” Bucky made a face at Sam before smiling again.
Later that night, after you had all eaten dinner and the kids had gone to bed, you contemplated what your next move was going to be. You were sitting in one of the patio couches outside, a blanket wrapped around your legs, watching the stars reflection in the water. Bucky walked out on the porch, a pair of sweats-- that he had to borrow from Sam because he didn’t pack anything-- slung low on his hips, his blue Henley stopping just before the waistband of his boxers.
His gaze met yours and he approached you as if you were a wild animal and you were going to run away if he made any sudden movements. Your legs had been sprawled across both cushions of the couch, so instead of letting you change positions, Bucky just lifted your legs and then rested them on his lap. His left hand was rubbing back and forth just above your ankle.
“Is there a reason you’ve been avoiding me, James?” He ignored your question all together, opting to ask his own.
“Do you remember when we first met?” You thought back to the first time that you ever saw him. Chained to a chair, hair hiding his face from nosy onlookers.
“Uh, yeah. You were being treated like an animal, caged in a glass box. Why?” His left hand never stopped its motion on your leg.
“When you first started staring at me, I was absolutely positive that it was out of fear. Then when I actually looked at you, you were curious.” You nodded your head, recalling the emotions.
“That was a stressful day.” You could sense that Bucky didn’t need your input to get to where he was going.
“Then, when we were in that stupid tiny blue car that Steve had crammed us into,” he paused to laugh at the memory, “I was sure in that moment, that I was never going to see you again.” His gaze hadn’t left his palms on your legs, refusing to meet your eyes. “And when I saw you in Madripoor, I was positive that it was just someone who looked a lot like you. It couldn’t have been you, I wasn’t that lucky.”
His left hand gripped your leg as he spoke, “But then you started talking and I would’ve known that voice anywhere. All I wanted was to be close to you.”
“Bucky, you almost broke my arm because I sucker punched Zemo.” He shushed you.
“All I wanted was to be close to you, but I’m also a violent person.” He brought his head up, locking his steel blue orbs with yours. “Then you kept talking and you were so smart. So beautiful.” His metal hand left your leg to cup your chin. “Every word out of your mouth mesmerized me, even when you were kind of insulting me.” His thumb stroked your jaw, traveling up to your bottom lip. “And God, the way you said my name.” Your nostrils flared and your brow raised.
“What? James?” You trapped your bottom lip in between your teeth, giving Bucky reason to pull it out with his metal thumb. Your tongue shot out to wet your lips out of habit and Bucky shot you a glare.
“Doll. What’re you doing to me?” He dropped his thumb back to your cheek as his eye flicked over your face. He brought his hands down to your waist, holding it tightly and pulling you closer to him. Your ass now rested against his right leg, and he transferred his grip to wrap around your blanket covered thighs. A squeal escaped your lips without your permission, making your face contort.
“When we were sitting at the bar in your gallery I wanted nothing more than to smother you with all my love and affection.” Your heart rate increased, you want that too. “I’m glad I wasn’t able to though.” Your stomach dropped, a feeling of rejection washing over you. You began to pull away from him, wanting to escape his touch. He gripped your legs tighter against his body, “At that time, I wasn’t what I should be for you. I’ll probably never be exactly what I should be for you, but I’m selfish enough right now that I don’t care anymore.” He twisted his upper body to face you.
“What are you talking about, James?” A visible shiver ran down his spine as you said his real name. He brought both his hands up to grip your face. The cool air added to the temperature difference of his hands.
“I’m talking about this.” It wasn’t a half a second later that his lips were on yours. It took you a second to respond, but you did with fervor. Your hands traveled to his neck to show him that you wanted this too. His fingers fanned out, cupping behind your ears to bring you impossibly closer to him. His tongue traced your bottom lip, seeking entrance which you denied playfully. He brought his thumbs to rest on your chin, applying pressure as he asked again. At this point, you didn’t care about the pardon, or Karli and the Flag Smashers, or Sharon and the Power Broker, or even Sam, Sarah and the boys. You could only focus on James’ lips that were molding so perfectly with your own. You eventually had to break apart, your fingertips coming to rest on James’ kiss swollen lips. You locked eyes with him again, his pupils blown wide, and the two of you laughed.
“Oh, that.” You traced his lips while holding his stare. “Is that why you haven’t been talking to me?” He nodded quickly, gaze drifting down to your lips again. He leaned forward wanting to steal another kiss, but you stopped him. “That’s not okay behavior, James. You can’t just not talk to me because you’re frustrated with yourself.” He hummed a noise of assent, kissing your fingertips on his lips. His palm came up to keep your fingers pressed to his lips as his eyes roamed your face. “What does this mean, James? You aren’t just going to get my hopes up and then walk away right?”  He pulled back from you, a look of disappointment crossing his features.
“I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel like that would be a possibility.” He took a deep breath, “After my time in Wakanda, after Shuri de-programmed me, I thought I finally had a group of people I could trust. Then, Ayo was able to remove my arm within the blink of an eye, but not the way that they had when they were tweaking it.” He rested his body against the back of the patio couch. “My therapist had been telling me that I needed to trust someone, and up until that point, I did. I thought I had people who fully trusted me as well.” He looked over at you, silent tears racing down his cheeks. “This clearly isn’t a good excuse, but I felt like you wouldn’t have trusted me either.” Your hands came up to his face, wiping away his tears.
“James, I’ve known of you for years before I met you. Remember how Sharon said I did that report on you in high school?” He nodded as much as your hold on his face would allow him to. “Well, that’s when I first fell in love with the idea of you.” His eyes widened as you continued speaking. “Then, I was lucky enough to meet you and it felt like everything fell into place. After Sharon and I ran off to Madripoor, I wasn’t sure if I was going to see you again, and I was okay with that because maybe you were better left as an idea.” You laughed as you looked down at your lap, dropping your hands from his face. “Then I got dusted during the Blip, which is a whole other thing and then Sharon said that you were in Madripoor.” You shook your head then faced him, eyes locking with his red rimmed pair.
“I would love to fall in love with you. And right now, I want nothing more than to let the trust we have for each other grow into something more.” A wide smile spread across his face and he bared his teeth at you, scrunching his face at the nose.
“I want that too.” He leaned forward slapping a sloppy kiss onto your lips, which you returned with equal intensity. When Bucky pulled back from you to catch his breath, he left his forehead resting against your own. Your breaths synchronized and he patted his hand twice on your outer thigh, signalling you that he was going to get up. “We better get some sleep.” He stood in front of you, offering you his hand. You smiled as you entwined your fingers with his metal ones.
Luckily, Cas and AJ were kind enough to share a room tonight so you could sleep in the other. Bucky’s hand never left your side as he walked you up the stairs. Once you had reached the closed door, he wrapped his arm around you, twisting your body to face him, back pressed against the cold wood of the door. He pushed his whole body forward, molding your bodies together as his hands hooked into the waistband of your sleep shorts.
“I’m glad that we talked, Y/N.” He pecked your lips, pulling back afterwards to stare at your face.
“I’m glad we did too, but what are you doing?” A nervous laugh left your lips and Bucky’s eyes followed the movement.
“You’re just so pretty.” He leaned forward kissing your cheeks, “I’m happy,” A kiss to your chin. “that I’ll be able to,” one to your nose, “call you my doll soon.” His lips lingering on your forehead before bringing his chin up to the top of your head, pulling you into him for a hug. You brought your arms up to wrap around his waist, your face pressed into the spot where his neck and collarbone met.
“Am I not already your doll?” Your question was muffled against his skin, but he heard you.
“Not until I specifically ask you. You can be mine without being my doll, but I want to wine and dine you before I feast.” Your brows raised again and your lips rolled inwards.
“Before you feast?” You were holding back a laugh, so Bucky pulled back, his hands gripping your shoulders, face serious.
“Feast.” He reached behind you opening the door. He gave you a quick smooch before pushing you into the empty room, alone with your thoughts. You had a harder time falling asleep that night. Bucky, on the other hand, had no problem, sleeping like a rock with a smug smile on his face.
You woke up to the sound of eggshells being cracked and forks hitting the sides of ceramic plates. Walking down the stairs and into the kitchen, you saw Sarah working over the stove while Cas was scrambling eggs. Sarah heard you coming down, ever the always aware mother.
“Hey, hope you’re hungry, ‘cause you aren’t leaving this kitchen without eating somethin’.” She watched as you peered into the living room, searching for Bucky’s imposing figure. “I think he’s down at the dock with Sam. They left real early this morning and girl, I swear to God if they’re messin’ with that water pump, I’m going to strangle the both of them.” You laughed, taking the plate of scrambled eggs that AJ was holding out to you.
“Did you tell them that the water pump wasn’t the issue?” She nodded as she stirred the eggs in her pan. “Then you know that they are, Sarah.” The two of you shared a laugh as Cas and AJ sat down to eat, as well.
“Y’all better hurry up before you’re late for the bus.” The boys quickly shoved their remaining food into their mouths, rushing out the door after kissing their mother goodbye.
“How do you do it?” Sarah’s head tilted, wondering what you were referring to. “Being a single mother and managing a business? Does it all get to be too much sometimes?” She could tell you were genuinely curious, so she sighed.
“It’s definitely challenging at times, but thankfully I have a good enough relationship with AJ and Cas that we’re able to get through pretty much anything. After we lost their Dad, I was all alone and scared. I’m still scared a lot of the time, scared that I’m going to mess them up, you know?” She paused a second to recollect her thoughts. “It’s just by chance that we live in this amazing community that helped me whenever I needed a little bit of assistance.” The conversation between the two of you fizzled after that, perhaps it was too heavy a topic for breakfast to handle. You followed her to meet a group of people at the marina, but the journey there wasn’t silent.
“So, I have a question, but you don’t have to answer it if you don’t want to. Although I feel like if you don’t answer it, you’re kind of answering it.” You encouraged her to ask whatever she wanted to. “You and Bucky are a thing, right?” You coughed, unsure of how to answer. “That’s all the confirmation I needed.” Sarah smiled at you as your mouth struggled to form words.
“We are, but we aren’t?” Sarah gave you a look making you roll your eyes. “I don’t know he said that he was excited to see where this was going and then we kissed, so yes?”
“Oh, he looks like a good kisser.”
“Right? Just like he’s got the bone structure and lip plumpness ratio down to a T.” There was a brief moment of silence before the two of you burst into a fit of laughter. The walk down the marina dock wasn’t a long one, so you were able to see Sam and Bucky hunched over a pile of scattered parts.
“Uh-huh. No. No.” Sarah’s head began shaking as Sam was arguing with Bucky, who wasn’t paying attention to him. Instead, his eyes were roaming your figure, lingering on your face. His eyes darted to Sam before he greeted the two of you with a wave of his hand.
“I told you specifically that the water pump was not the problem, and yet, here you are.”
“Yep, Samuel.” Bucky teasingly berated, taking Sarah’s side.
“You’re in just as much trouble, you by-stander.” Your voice lilted into a playful tone as Bucky made a shocked face at you.
“In our defense, we were supposed to be done long before you woke up.”
“I don’t come up to the sky to tell you how to barrel roll, so don’t come down here and mess around with things you don’t understand.” Your fist came up to your mouth.
“Oh, that’s a-burn, Bird Brain.” You pointed a finger at Sam, clutching your stomach with your other hand as Sarah swatted the two boys away. Bucky stopped next to you, wrapping his metal arm around the front of your body, delivering a soft kiss to your temple. He left with Sam, arguing the whole way to the house while you stayed with Sarah, reassembling the water pump.
By the time you had gotten back to the Wilson house, Bucky was hauling his backpack strap onto his shoulder. You slowed your approach, holding your open palms in front of you, confused as to what Bucky was doing.
“Where are you going?” He turned to face you, a smile spreading over his face. His metal arm wrapped around your waist again, pressing a kiss to your temple.
“I’m heading to New York, I’ve got some stuff to wrap up there. I want you to come with me.” You were taken aback, what about Karli and the GRC?
“We haven’t finished this whole thing with the Flag Smashers, or Walker. Bucky, we can’t just walk away from our responsibilities.” Bucky’s hands clasped around your shoulders.
“We aren’t, Y/N, I promise. Sam has Torres doing something with some signal do-dads and he’s going to call us the second he gets a lead.” He spoke calmly and you thought it over. At least he wasn’t trying to run away again, he was accepting that he had a real role in this. You could feel a shift coming, you weren’t quite sure what it meant, but you were hoping it was a good one.
“Okay, let’s go to New York.”
The two of you hadn’t even been in New York maybe twenty minutes when Sam texted Bucky that he had a line on where Karli was. Supposedly she was heading a takeover of the GRC meeting in Lower Manhattan. If being in New York as a wanted person was nerve wracking enough, now you were going to be surrounded by hundreds of government officials and some of New York’s finest. Bucky was on the phone with Sam, talking through the plan when your phone buzzed. Pulling the device out of your pocket, you saw Sharon’s name pop up.
“Heard you were having a bit of trouble with Karli again. Don’t worry, help is on the way, dear.” Your eyes rolled, still not over your argument before.
“You don’t need to be here for this Sharon.” You paused for a second, your left hand resting on your hip. “How did you even hear about this? Sam just now called Bucky, and I guarantee that he didn’t call you first.” Sharon chuckled on her end of the phone.
“You underestimate my reach, Y/N. I’ll meet you outside the building.” Your jaw clenched.
“Sharon, you said you didn’t want to help. What the hell changed that you’re so willing to put yourself in the middle of all this shit?” She was silent on her end.
“I figured you would want me there.” Well, shit what the fuck were you supposed to say to that?
“Lower Manhattan, keep quiet.” You hung up the phone before she could say anything else. You hated not talking to her, and being mad at her was next to impossible. This was your way of saying ‘I forgive you,’ and you knew she would understand. Bucky didn’t say anything as he watched you push your phone into the pockets of your jeans. He could tell something was off, but he could also see that you definitely didn’t want to talk about it right now. Instead he jerked his head for you to follow him, leading you through the streets of Manhattan.
The two of you could see the red lights illuminating the streets, letting you know that you were here. Bucky turned to you, holding his hand out to you, a single earpiece laying in the middle of his palm. As you took it, his hand drifted to your jaw, lifting it to face him. He placed a sweet kiss to your lips before nodding for you to stay behind him. You pulled the brim down on the hat you wore as you stuck to Bucky like glue. He led you through the barricade, one of the soldiers addressing him accordingly.
“Sergeant Barnes.” You made a face beneath your cap, holding back a laugh as Bucky came to a stop in front of you.
“Oh, Sergeant Barnes.” Bucky looked at you over his shoulder as his skin twitched. Your eyes widened. “Does that turn you on, James?” He wasn’t able to answer because of an interruption by Sam’s voice in your ears.
“By the way, I called in some backup.” An agent approached the two of you while Sam kept speaking. “Also, please remember that I can hear everything you say, Y/N. And I don’t need to know what makes the Tin Man tick.” You laughed at Sam’s statement as a twinge of pink ran up the back of Bucky’s neck.
“Excuse me, sir. Are you supposed to be here?” The agent’s hand came up to his hairline. A click sounded as the agent’s face began to glitch. “It’s me.”
“Sharon, what the hell are you doing here?” Sharon pointed an accusatory finger at you.
“Why didn’t you say that to her? The same people who want me in the Raft, want her there too. Or did you forget that?”
“Do I hear Sharon?” Sam asked as he listened in on your conversation.
“Unfortunately.” Bucky grumbled back.
“Hey Sam. I thought I’d get the band back together.” She threw a wink at you as she stepped closer to Bucky. Sam said something else to her, but you had zoned out to watch Sharon. “I hear pardons aren’t all they’re cracked up to be anyway.”
“Depends on the therapist.” Bucky said as he backed away from Sharon and closer to you.
“They’re going to move on the building soon. Be ready.” Sam brought you all back to the task at hand, switching into Captain mode. Bucky nodded to you and Sharon.
“Go with her.” You made a face at him, about to protest when he cut you off. “I don’t care. Stick with her, Y/N. Don’t get arrested though. We’ve got a date.” He wrapped his arm around the front of your waist, like he did at the Wilson house. He pressed a kiss to your temple, staying a little longer than necessary and giving your hip a squeeze before he released you. You heard glass break above your head as Sam crashed through one of the windows upstairs.
“You guys are going to have to do something. Don’t let ‘em out of the building.” You walked behind Bucky to enter the building, the metal detector going off for both you and Sharon. You shared a look with the woman.
“Oops.” Bucky pointed at a guard in tactical gear while he stepped forward.
“He’s one of them. I’ll get the evac.” He left before you could stop him, leaving you and Sharon to deal with the man he pointed at. The both of you followed him to the parking garage, where he was standing post next to two black armored vehicles. The two of you were waiting behind a pillar as you debated what to do.
“We need to stop him.”
“If we take him down now, they’re going to be suspicious and we are going to get arrested. Cool your jets, Y/N.” Your nostrils flared at her tone, crossing your arms over your chest.
“Why didn’t you tell Sam you were already coming?”
“What?” Sharon seemed startled by the question as if you didn’t catch the slip Sam said earlier.
“Sam said that he called in backup. I’m assuming he meant you because we’re the only four people he knows. So why didn’t you tell him you were already coming, or already here or whatever?”
“I didn’t think it was important.” She said dismissively, you could tell she wanted you to drop the subject, but you wanted the truth. Throwing a glance up to the guard, you saw him helping the GRC officials into the vans.
“Damn it Bucky, you had one job.” Bucky ran past you, grumbling a response as he loaded his weight onto a motorbike.
“We aren’t done with this, Sharon.” You pointed at her before she walked away from you. You watched as she ran into the guard then apologized profusely to him. When you caught up to her, she clicked a button in her hand, releasing a noxious gas in the guard’s face. You saw his skin being bubbling and sizzling.
“How’d you do that?” Your eyes hadn’t left the man in the car.
“Mercury vapor, amongst other things.” The two of you continued walking out of the garage, a helicopter started taking off from the helipad on the top of the building.
“Sam, that chopper’s about to take off.”
“Bucky!”
“I don’t fly, man. That’s your thing.” Sam groaned in the earpiece and then you saw him shoot out the window again, chasing after the helicopter. You walked alongside Sharon, following Bucky’s path after the NYPD vans. You got to the barricade just in time to see Scruff holding one of the cars back from falling off a ledge. You were too far away to be able to get to him in time to help, though. You stood next to Sharon as he was ripped away from the back of the car. Your heart dropped as your gaze went to Bucky, who was standing directly underneath the car that was about to crush him.
The crowd around you was holding their phones in front of their faces, at an angle that all they could see was the back of the NYPD van full of GRC officials screaming for help. As the car slipped farther and farther down the platform, your stomach churned more and more. Suddenly, the car stopped, hovering over the opening in the ground. You could make out Sam’s new wings on either side of the car. He pushed forward, lifting the car back to a safe position and then moving away, allowing the crowd to see him fully. The star on his suit glinted proudly as he stood still for a second. The crowd erupted in cheers for the savior. A man to your left cheered for ‘Black Falcon,’ but the man beside him corrected him before you had the chance to.
“No. That’s Captain America.” Red Wing left Sam’s suit to undo the locking mechanism on the back of the van and the GRC officials evacuated the vehicle quickly. Sam turned in the air, removing his shield from his back and throwing it at the Flag Smashers below, knocking them off their feet. At some point, you began moving toward the edge of the platform, ready to help and away from Sharon.
An explosion went off to your right, causing you to search for the source. Puffs of smoke were being thrown in the pit where Sam and Bucky stood and you could see Karli getting away in the confusion. Bucky’s voice rang through your ear.
“Hey. We’re underground. We entered the tunnel on William. Heading south.” You searched for Sharon so you could join up again, but you couldn’t find her. You could hear Sam telling Bucky that the Smashers had split up, and you knew that Bucky would’ve gone with Scruff to keep an eye on him, the unstable bastard. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Sharon crouched behind a stack of pallets, and your brows furrowed. She began whistling and then you heard Karli’s voice.
“Dovich? Is that you?” Sharon emerged from behind the stack, holding her gun in front of her.
“I’m disappointed in you.” Karli brought her gun up as well, speaking to Sharon as an old friend.
“That’s what I was gonna say.” Sharon brought her hands up in surrender, and your head tilted, what the fuck is going on? “You know, when you first came to Madripoor, you reminded me of a young me. I took you in, gave you an opportunity, and you betrayed me.” Oh hell no.
“Because you wanted to control a world that hurt you.” Karli lowered her gun but all her senses remained in overdrive. “But I wanted to change it. I’m not interested in power or an empire. I have bigger dreams.” Sharon scoffed, looking around, her eyes darting over where you were hidden behind a stack of boxes. Could it really be? Was Sharon really the person that you thought you knew?
“What, like this?” She stepped closer to Karli. “Come back and work for me again. All of you. We can make a difference together.” Sharon was trying really hard to convince Karli, but she wasn’t having it.
“You just want me because you need your muscle back. Without us Super Soldiers, how much power does the Power Broker really have?” Motherfucker. You zoned out a bit, trying to decide what to do. A male voice began speaking in French causing you to refocus.
“Four times, or--” You could see Batroc’s gun pointed at Karli and Sharon’s face was indifferent.
“I don’t do blackmail.” Sharon gripped her gun tighter, raising it quickly to shoot Batroc. Karli panicked and shot Sharon in the process. The gunshots were loud enough to give Sam an idea of where you were all located. You came out from your position, gun gripped in your hand as you stood closer to Sharon. Maybe you could salvage this situation before Sam got here.
“Karli, calm down.” You kept a tight hold on your pistol as you talked. “Look, I get it. You’re scared, but I’m going to need you to put the gun down.”
“I’ll put mine down when you do.” You could hear a slight shake in her voice. You tilted your head at her apologetically.
“You know I can’t do that.” You cast a glance at Sharon who was clutching her stomach, attempting to stop the blood flow. Karli gulped as she raised her gun again.
“Well, I can’t have any loose ends now, can I? You taught me that, Power Broker.” She sneered at a groaning Sharon. A blinding pain began radiating from your shoulder and your hand immediately when to the area. The force of the bullet knocked you off your feet, slamming your head into the ground.
“Shit, what the fuck Karli!” You could make out Sam’s figure coming up from behind Karli. You saw him process Karli standing over one dead body and two injured ones. The wheels began turning and he started speaking.
“So, what’s next, huh? You kill ten this time, then, what, a hundred? Where does it end?” He stepped closer to an agitated Karli. “Please, let me help you.” He kept his voice calm.
“Don’t try and manipulate me.” Karli approached Sam ready to attack. Their fight continued as she pushed Sam backwards.
“I’m not gonna fight you!” She knocked Sam down to the ground, with the swing of a metal bar.
“Stay down!” She shouted at him. You pushed yourself to your knees, adrenaline pumping allowing you to get to Sharon to help hold pressure on her stomach. You watched from over Sharon as Sam rose to his feet, holding his body in a fighting stance.
“I can do this all day.” She launched herself at Sam, throwing his body back into a bunch of cinder blocks. Sam held his shield in front of him, protecting from her punches.
“Fight back!” She shouted as she delivered blow after blow. Sam ducked low, grabbing onto her torso, using his thrusters to send the both of them flying. Karli used the momentum to push off the ground, to bring Sam up to the ceiling. You sat back on your knees, worry lacing your features.
Sam held one of her hands to his chest as she continued throwing the other into his shield. She gripped the top edge of the shield, using it to gain leverage. She pulled her hand away from his chest, tossing his body forward. The shield slipped from Sam’s arm and he laid on the ground, recovering from her attacks. Karli leant down to pick up her gun and you pushed yourself to your feet, ready to tackle her.
She raised her gun, aiming it at a now shieldless Sam. Karli hesitated, staring at Sam before committing to her cause, ready to kill Captain America. You were steadily creeping forward as she debated, but you could see the moment she decided to pull the trigger. Just before she could, a gunshot sounded from behind you. A gasp left your lips as Sam ran to hold Karli.
Your head whipped around to see Sharon leaning against the stack behind her, gun still smoking. Sharon shook her head at you as she holstered her weapon. Sam lifted Karli into his arms and carried her away from the both of you. You stood a good three feet away from Sharon, hand on your gun in the waistband of your jeans.
“When were you going to tell me that you’re the Power Broker.”
“What the hell are you on about now, Y/N.” Your brows raised and your mouth opened in shock.
“I was fucking here when Karli was talking to you, dumbass. Is that why you shot her? ‘Can’t have any loose ends,’ she said you taught her that, Sharon. What the fuck?” Sharon laughed at you.
“You’re imagining things, Y/N.” She rose to her feet and began walking away from you.
“Sharon, don’t fuck with me right now. How long have you been the fucking Power Broker?” You followed her up the tunnel and out to where you could see Sam lecturing a Senator. Sneaking around to a medical bag, you grabbed two pieces of gauze.
“I’m not the Power Broker.” Sharon rolled her eyes at you, leaning against a car behind the ambulances. You were about to say something else when you saw Bucky and Sam approach the two of you. They took in the two of you, an angry look on your face and an annoyed one on hers.
“You’re blocking my light.” Sharon bit out to Sam.
“We got to get you to a hospital.” Sam told Sharon as Bucky walked up to you, pulling your gauze away from your shoulder, checking your bullet wound.
“It’s through and through and you know they aren’t going to listen to you.”
“It’s not the worst thing that’s happened to me all week.” Your eyes glared at Sharon as you spoke. How long has she been doing this behind your back? Someone called for Sam’s attention.
“I think he’s talking to you.” Sharon said, turning away from the newcomer’s view. “Look, I’m sorry for how things ended down there.” Your jaw clenched but you remained silent. “For what it’s worth, the suit looks good on you.” She played a good victim, that’s for sure.
“Alright, can we get out of here, please?” Bucky wrapped his arm around your waist, leading you away from the ambulances and news cameras.
“I didn’t forget my promise either, guys.” Sam nodded at the two of you before turning to do his Cap duties. Bucky remained silent beside you, content with just being in your presence again.
He led you to his apartment, bringing you to the bathroom where he pulled out a first aid kit. He placed it on the countertop, placing his hands on your hips and lifting you onto the granite.
“You’re gonna need to take your shirt off.” He flipped the top of the kit open, searching for what he needed.
“Trying to get me naked already? At least take me to dinner first, Sergeant.” You winked as you peeled your shirt off. Bucky glared at you then quickly looked at your shoulder.
“This is going to hurt, just so you know.” He didn’t give you time to say anything else before starting to clean the hole in your shoulder. You hissed as stings radiated from the wound, cursing under your breath as he blew on it. “Alright, here we go.”  Bucky began stitching, returning your body to its former glory in his eyes. “How’d you managed to get shot?”
“I was attempting to get Karli to drop her gun.” You debated on telling Bucky what you learned about Sharon. “Who do you think the Power Broker is?” You asked gauging his reaction. His attention never wavered from his task. He soon finished with the front side of your shoulder, backing away and telling you to face the mirror. Bucky leaned forward, his hips pressing against your ass as he set to work on the exit wound.
“I have my theories. What about you?” You looked at the granite below, tracing the different lines, not answering for a few minutes.
“Mm, not really.” Was it naive to keep the knowledge to yourself? Probably, but this way you could deal with Sharon on your own and not have to involve Captain America.
“Y/N. You lived there for years, you’re telling me that you never encountered the Power Broker? Never worked for him before, procuring a particular art piece?” You shook your head as you felt him start to wrap your shoulder.
“No, I made sure that all my dealings were as clean as the illegal art trade could be.” Bucky nodded, closing the first aid kit and placing it back under the sink. He walked out of the bathroom and into his kitchen, pulling out a bottle of Advil. He shook two tablets into his metal hand and gave them to you along with a water bottle from the fridge.
“Take these and then go lay down. You need to sleep so your body can heal.” You could tell something was bothering him. You reached out to grasp his metal wrist.
“Hey, what’s wrong? Hmm?”
“Nothing. I’ve just got something to do.” You nodded.
“Do you want me to come with you?” His head shook back and forth in denial.
“No, I need to do this alone. I’ll be back soon. Whenever I get back you better be asleep in that bed.” He pointed at the door to his room. He walked up next to you, wrapping his arm around the front of your waist and giving you a kiss on your temple. “I’ll be back, doll. I’ve just got a few things to wrap up.”
He left soon after, leaving you alone in his barren apartment. It was easy to see that he hadn’t made it his home. Probably feeling like he had no reason to, no ties to anyone here. Makes it easier when you have to bug out in a pinch. You walked into his room, searching for a shirt to wear to bed. Finding one of his shirts hanging in his closet, you pulled it over your head after removing your bra. You took off your jeans, trading them for your sleep shorts from your bag.
You climbed into his bed, waiting for his scent to envelope you, but it never came. Has he ever actually slept in this bed? So you laid there, unable to fall asleep, too many thoughts swirling in your brain. How long has Sharon been the Power Broker? Did it start when you first got to Madripoor? Or was it after you were dusted and she was there alone for five years? None of this changed the fact that she needed to be stopped. The amount of influence she had was too great. Your phone buzzed on the nightstand next to the bed, so you rolled over to pick it up.
Court hearing with the Senators tomorrow at 8 A.M. for you. -Sam
You thought about the possibility of being welcome back into your own country and not being treated like a criminal. Thought of the possibility of going to work for the government again. Of working with Bucky and Sam. Of being with Bucky without having to look over your shoulder all the time, and it made you smile. Your phone buzzing brought you out of your trance.
Also, you and Bucky need to come to my house tomorrow. Sarah’s throwing a party, they got the boat finished so we’re celebrating.
That made your smile grow, you were happy for the first time in a long time. The lock of the front door clicked and you jumped out of the bed, grabbing your knife, ready for an attack. You waited behind the door to Bucky’s bedroom, then swung it open. Your hand came up to the intruder's throat and your mind switched out of attack dog mode when you saw Bucky’s raised brow.
“Is there a reason for this?” His eyes were red and he had tear stains on his cheeks. You flipped your knife back down and placed it on top of your jeans.
“Sorry. Are you okay, James?” He shook his head and you opened your arms to him. He walked into your embrace, before exhaling harshly into your uninjured shoulder.
“No, but I will be.” He backed away for a second, taking in your form. “Didn’t I tell you that you were supposed to be asleep when I got back? Also, is that my shirt?”
“Yes, you did and yes, it is. Do you have an issue with that, Sergeant?” He quickly shook his head back and forth, leaning down to pick you up by your thighs and tossing you onto his bed.
“Not at all, doll. You look better in it than I do.” He smiled at you as he stripped down to his boxers before climbing into bed with you. Bucky tossed his arm over your waist, pulling your body into his. He sighed contentedly, basking in the way you smelled.
“Sam got me a hearing for a pardon.”
“Oh yeah? When’s that?” Bucky’s voice was muffled because he had buried his face in your neck, peppering small pecks there.
“Tomorrow morning at nine. Are you going to come?” Bucky thought on it for a moment, before shaking his head.
“I have one more thing to take care of.” You nodded.
“They got the boat fixed and Sarah invited us to the party. Sam says we have to go, it’s tomorrow too. I don’t actually know what time though he didn’t say.”
“Alright, I’ll pick something up to bring after I finish my thing.” You turned to face him, a smirk plastered on your face.
“So, Sergeant does it for you?” You giggled as he groaned and removed his arm from your waist. His hand came up to run through his hair, scratching his head
“Are we doing this right now, Y/N?” You released a cackle of a laugh, nodding in response. “Oh that’s how you’re gonna play this?” He attacked your sides, beginning to tickle you causing you to react accordingly. Somehow, he managed to end up on top of you, in between your thighs. He stopped suddenly to watch as you writhed and giggled.
“What?” You started getting self-conscious, afraid that there was something on your face. Your hands came up to hide your face from him, but Bucky wasn’t having it. He took your hands away from your face by trapping your wrists beside your head. “What? Why are you doing that?” You questioned, only halfway serious.
“You’re just so pretty.” He leaned forward, his lips meeting yours in a gentle kiss that soon turned into something else. His hands traveled back down to your sides, resting on the bare skin showing from your shirt having ridden up. The temperature difference shocked you enough to make you gasp, giving Bucky the perfect opportunity to slip his tongue in your mouth, escalating the situation.
Your hands came up to the back of his head, holding him in the kiss, guaranteeing that he wasn’t going anywhere. They made their way down his body to rest on his shirtless back. He pushed forward with his hips, the fabric separating the two of you becoming increasingly annoying. Bucky pulled back slightly, nudging you to open your eyes. There was a silent interaction between the two of you in that moment, neither of you was ready for anything intense, so the momentum slowed, but the energy level remained.
Bucky’s hands never left your body that night. Exploring and memorizing every ridge, every stretch mark, every piece of you that made you, you. You drifted your fingers over the scarred skin next to his arm, tiny feather touches that made him hum. Falling asleep in his arms was the easiest thing you ever had to do. And for Bucky, being able to hold you as you flutter asleep was beautiful. He watched as your face relaxed and all the tension left your body, allowing yourself to melt into his embrace. Bucky didn’t like to admit it, but he was a touch starved human being. All those years in and out of cryo and isolation gave his body plenty of reason to crave genuine human touch. And to have a human as charming and annoying as you was a dream come true, his doll.
You woke up before Bucky the next morning. You looked over at his face, tranquility lacing his features, unburdened with no glorious purposes. He was just your James. The two of you had separated sometime during the night, so you scooted closer to his frame. His metal arm is thrown across the pillow behind your head, giving you perfect access to his neck and chest. You glanced at the clock across the room, the hands telling you that it was seven thirty in the morning. If you wake him now, you could have at least thirty-five minutes of bliss, plus some heavy petting if you both were feeling cheeky.
You leaned forward towards his neck, placing tiny kisses from the base of his ear to the puckered skin of his shoulder. You were so focused on your task that you didn’t recognize the change in his breathing pattern.
“Good morning, doll.” If you could melt into the mattress, that would’ve done it. His fucking rasp grated you into a fine powder of a human. You hummed at him, not stopping your kisses, instead climbing up to his jaw and then to his lips. He turned his head and playfully laughed. “Nuh-uh, we’ve got morning breath, ya nasty.” You groaned, retreating from his figure completely.
“Fine, we will brush our teeth together and then come right back to this bed and you will love me, damn it.” Bucky laughed at you as you drug yourself into his bathroom. This was the type of bliss you wanted, and you only wanted to share it with a particular metal armed super soldier. It didn’t take long to brush your teeth, and you pushed on Bucky’s back to get him into the bed quicker. When he did get back into the bed, he was grumbling.
“I don’t know why we’re getting back in bed, we’re already up now.” He smiled as you glared at him. Bucky’s back was leaned against his headboard, so you swung your leg over his thighs, straddling his lower half. His hands rested on your waist as you brought yours up to the sides of his face.
“You frustrate me.” You said with a loving smile and tone before pecking his lips softly as he laughed. “What time do you have to leave for your thing?” You played with the strings of your sleep shorts as he answered you.
“Around eight-thirty, it takes me about thirty minutes to get there and it doesn’t open until nine.”
“I’m gonna be leaving around then, too. What do you wear when you’re going in front of senators to be pardoned for stealing a metal frisbee?” Bucky huffed a laugh, pulling you closer to him wrapping his arms around your back. “I’m thinking a crop top that says “Fuck You,” would that be too obvious?”
“Yeah, that one might be a little on the nose.” Bucky checked your shoulder as he spoke. “Your shoulder looks good, no infection, thanks to me.” He plastered a wide smile on his face afterwards. “Do you know what time Sharon’s hearing is?” You stiffened slightly at the mention of Sharon.
“Uh, no. Sam just told me my time and I haven’t talked to Sharon.” Bucky’s head tilted.
“Everything okay on that front?”
“Not really?” You went back and forth on what to tell him. You didn’t want to give him the extra burden of knowing what Sharon was. “We had a fight a few days ago and neither one of us has cooled off about it, so that’s a bit rocky.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” You shook your head, so Bucky just held you tighter. “Okay, you don’t have to.” He held you for a few more minutes, before backing away. “Alright we need to get ready.” You groaned, slackening your body, making everything about you dead weight.
“No. I don’t wanna.” You sounded like a child.
“You sound like a child.” Oh you whore, get out of my head, butt munch. Bucky said, pushing your body off his. He walked to his closet as you laid spread out like a starfish on his bed. Bucky had already picked out a shirt and put on pants whenever he walked back in and you were still laid on his bed.
“You’re gonna be late.” He leaned over your head, appearing to you upside down. His arms were resting on either side of your face, dropping down he pressed a kiss to your lips. “You’ve got to get up, Y/N.” He went to the other end of the bed, where your feet dangled off the edge. He grabbed your ankles and pulled you, you slid off the bed, taking the comforter with you. “Oh my god, this is pitiful, Y/N. You’re a grown woman!” Bucky shouted at you as he left the room.
The two of you parted ways after you got dressed, but not before Bucky wrapped his arm around the front of your waist and placed a kiss on your temple. You wondered why he did that so much, but you weren’t going to argue with the attention because you loved it. You walked up to the extravagant building that was bustling with people. Everything was white, you always wondered why that was. White represented innocence and America was anything but innocence. You ended up wearing your casual clothes for two reasons. One, you were being pardoned, why couldn’t you be comfortable for that? And two, you had somewhere to go after this and that was just as important as this court meeting to you. Walking into the courtroom, you took in all the faces in the seats. Your name was called immediately, so you approached the podium.
“Ms. Y/L/N, on behalf of the United States Intelligence Community, I’d like to offer you and your family our sincerest apologies.” You wanted to scoff, but you bit your tongue. “You’ve always been an incredible asset to our country. Today, we begin to set things right. We begin to repay some of the debt that is owed to you.” You bowed your head.
“Thank you, Senator. It’s been a long time coming.” You could see the Senator’s jaw clench, not used to being brushed off.
“And we’d like to offer you a full pardon. There might be an opening in your old division. Is that something that you’d be interested in?”
“Actually, Senator. I would like to thank you for that opportunity, but no. I’ll be working with Captain America.” The man’s whole body seemed to twitch.
“You aren’t authorized to make that kind of decision, Ms. Y/L/N.” This time you did scoff.
“Yeah, okay. Well thanks for the pardon.” You tapped the podium twice, leaning to walk away. “This has been great, I really feel like we’ve both said our peace. See ya later, Senator.” You walked out as you heard him calling your name. You pulled your phone out, dialing Bucky’s number.
“Hey doll! How’d court go?” You started walking to where you and Bucky had planned to meet after you got done with your respective tasks.
“Oh great! I’m working with Cap now.” You could almost see Bucky’s face.
“Wow, how’d you manage that?” You smirked.
“I can be very persuasive when I want to be, James.”
“Oh is that so, Y/N?” You could hear his smirk as he spoke. “Maybe you’ll have to be persuasive with me one day.” You laughed.
“James, I don’t have to be persuasive with you.” You caught sight of Bucky walking down the street with a store-bought cake in his hand. You held up your pinky finger wiggling it for emphasis, “I’ve got you wrapped around my finger.”
By the time you got to the marina that docked Paul & Darlene, you were buzzing with excitement. Bucky was giggling at your antics, you were practically bouncing in the passenger seat. As soon as Bucky got out of the car, Cas and AJ latched onto him. He went along with them, playing as if he was going to slam the cake into their faces. You walked past Bucky, hugging everyone who greeted you. Once you reached Sarah, you sat down on the picnic table for a second before taking off again. You stood to the side as you watched Sam take picture after picture with pretty much everyone from town.
Bucky stood next to you, chuckling about everyone’s reaction to Cap being from their hometown. One woman almost knocked Sam flat on his ass when she hugged him, a huge smile stretched over her face. You went back to the table Sarah was at, taking a seat next to her. Suddenly Bucky climbed on top of the table, holding his vibranium arm out with two children dangling off it. He was talking animatedly with his other as he told a story about Sam. You had zoned out just staring at him with the kids.
“You know, this could be you.” Sarah said as she leaned next to your ear.
“What could be?” You made a face at her.
“The kids, the community.” She looked over at Bucky, “That hunk of a man over there.” You slapped her shoulder softly before humming.
“I’ve thought about it, but that’s a two person decision and I don’t think either of us are at a point in our lives to raise another tiny human.” Sarah nodded, her features disbelieving.
“Just don’t let that one get away.” Her finger was pointed at Bucky who was playing with the kids at the edge of the dock. Bucky must’ve felt your gaze on him because he looked up, removing his dark sunglasses to lock eyes with you.
“Oh I don’t plan on it.” You smiled at her. You joined Bucky and Sam as they stood in front of Paul & Darlene, taking in the sunset reflecting on the water. Bucky wrapped his arm around your waist, pressing a kiss to your temple. You definitely don’t plan on it, you thought to yourself as you leaned into his embrace.
**********************
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fvrxdrm · 4 years
Text
City of the Living Dead
Chapter 1
“Y/N, wake up!”
Carlos yelled at you to wake you up and shook your still sleeping form violently. Your eyes abruptly shot open after hearing his full-throated voice, your E/C orbs immediately landing on the face of the man hovering above you. 
You scanned his face, still not fully aware of your surroundings due to your sleepiness but as time went on and your brain had sobered up a bit, you noticed that he didn’t look calm and balmy like how he usually was, he looked...agitated which mirrored the way he shouted at you.
“Carlos?” You muttered, your mouth barely opening as the rest of your body  was still putting itself together.
“Come on. We gotta get out of here”, Carlos said as he unlatched all of the metal straps holding you down onto your bed using the computer that was situated on a wooden desk a few feet away from you.
“What? Why? What’s going on?” You asked, confused as to why the soldier was jittery all of a sudden.
You forced yourself to sit up with both of your hands aiding you as you struggled to do the simple action. It had been a long time since you’ve done it anyway. Those stupid scientists would not let you.
“Would you believe me if I told you that a zombie apocalypse is happening?”
Now that woke you up.
“What?”
Zombie apocalypse? How’d that happen? Don’t those things happen in like movies or something?
“The city’s in total chaos. Don’t know how it happened but it is... Listen, we’re the only two left in here. The rest of our team members are looking for other survivors and something we could use to get out of here”, Carlos replied as he draped your arm around his shoulders and wrapped one of his own around your waist to help you stand up since your legs felt like jelly at that moment.
“What about my sister?” You questioned, remembering that your sister was taken with you.
“I haven’t seen your sister yet so I guess her bodyguard helped her out”
“Do you know who her bodyguard is?”
“No. Those information are also confidential for some unknown reason. Can you walk?” 
“I think so”, you slowly slid your arm off of Carlos’ shoulders as you carefully took a few steps to your right side, Carlos’ arm still not leaving your waist until he was sure that you got the hang of it.
“Alright, I’m ready”, you spoke after a few seconds of finding your balance.
“Not quite. You still need to change your clothes. Wouldn’t want to go out in the wild like that, would we?” Carlos uttered as he gestured his hand towards your skimpy hospital gown that had a deep v going dangerously down below your breasts, showing off your cleavage.
Why the fuck is my gown this revealing?
“Right. Where will I get some clothes?”
“I think we got some in the locker room”
“Okay, let’s go then”
“Come on, I’ll lead the way”, Carlos motioned for you to follow him as he opened the white door, looking back towards where you were to make sure that you were trailing right behind him.
*****
“We’re here”
Carlos swiped the key card that he had been holding onto since he entered your room into the key slot located on the right side of the locker room’s door and waited until the light beside the slot turned green before pushing the metal door open.
“Ladies first”, Carlos spoke with a smile as he raised his arm towards the room that was full of lockers (duh) and some benches, his free hand still placed on the door to keep it from slamming pancakes into your faces.
“It better not be to check out my ass”, you snickered as you strolled inside the room, immediately checking every locker in hopes of getting some new clothes to change into ‘cause the hospital gown you were wearing was a fashion no-no.
“Nah. I’m too manly to do that”, Carlos said back as he followed you inside, closing the door right behind him after doing so.
“What a gent”
“I tend to be”
Carlos helped in finding you new clothes, searching lockers after lockers until he finally found a plain black tank top, a (F/C) (sports/balconette/demi/whatever you like) bra, a pair of ripped black denim shorts, a denim jacket, and a pair of black combat boots.
Perfect.
“Hey, Y/N, I got something that might fit you”, Carlos mouthed aloud as he held the neatly folded clothes with both hands right in front of you.
“Thanks”
You quickly grabbed the clothes that were placed on top of his palms before entering the small area that was covered by a white curtain.
“So, what’s the plan, hero?” You asked the mop-headed soldier in order to break the slightly awkward silence that filled the room as you changed into the new clothes that Carlos found as quickly as possible. 
“Like I said, my teammates are looking for something we could use to get the hell out of here but they sure are taking their sweet time”, Carlos replied as he shook his head, his back turned to where you were as if he could see your naked body through the curtain even though he could literally only see your silhouette. What an actual gentleman.
“What’s it like up there?”
“A shit-hole. This place is full of zombies and shit. There’s also this giant-ass dude just roaming around. You wouldn’t wanna see it”
“But I have to if I want to get out of here”
“Yeah... Listen, once we get out of this facility, you stay right behind me. Wouldn’t want you to get lost”, you chuckled at his remark, your head shaking a bit as you did so.
He’s like an over-protective big brother or something.
“How would I get lost in this place? I mean, I grew up here in Illinois. I basically know every twists and turns in this place”, you said as you put the pair of shorts on, making sure that the bottom of your tank top was tucked inside your trousers. 
Unseen by you, though, Carlos’ face fell as he heard those words come out of your mouth.
Shit, she doesn’t know?
“Y/N...”
“Yeah?”
“You’re not in Illinois”
Your heart dropped.
Your hands stopped tugging on your jacket and your eyes widened by themselves as you stood still, frozen in place.
“What?” You finally spoke after a minute of silence as you practically yanked the curtain open and stepped out of the tiny space, your eyebrows furrowing together in confusion as you stomped towards the man.
“Y/N, you’re in Raccoon City. Did nobody tell you that”, Carlos said as he turned around to face you, his face mirroring the look you were giving him.
“No”, you shook your head from one side to another as you said that one word to emphasize what you were saying since you were not sure if he had heard you at all for the reason that your voice sounded barely above a whisper as you spoke.
You stayed silent, taking in the newfound information you got from the male right in front of you.
Your brain scrambled a million thoughts together as bewilderment flooded inside your head. But even so, one question kept nagging you every time you woke up on top of the leather-topped bed you were placed and strapped on.
“How long was I in here?” You asked.
You were nervous as hell for some unknown reason but you were itching to know the answer.
What if I was in here for like a month? Are my friends worried?
Slowly, your heart began to pound in your chest, the sound becoming louder and louder until you could hear its hammering ringing inside your ears. You were starting to think that Carlos could hear the anxiety you were feeling even though you didn’t let it out verbally.
Please don’t be too long, please don’t be too long...
“One year”, Carlos finally responded after a few seconds of heavy silence.
Your heart dropped into your stomach again and you sure as hell heard it shatter into a million pieces after hearing those words come right out of his mouth.
“One year?”
“Yeah... Hey, don’t cry. Your pretty face might get ruined”, Carlos said as he wiped the stray tear that you didn’t even notice away with his calloused thumb and attempted to comfort you but it was no use. Your heart broke at those two words.
One year? That’s how long I was gone? That’s even worst than a month! How the hell was I missing for that long!?
“Hey, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to bring you back to Illinois. If it makes you feel a bit more at ease, I snatched this bracelet and this necklace from Dr. Birkin’s office. Thought these might be really important to you”, Carlos spoke again as he took out a customized bracelet with your friend’s name on it and a silver necklace that had a(n) (birthstone) stone attached into a metal framing from one of his pockets.
You gently took the bracelet from his hand before reading the four letters that were written on each tiny cube bead. 
Leon
God, how is he feeling right now? 
You wondered. 
Out of all the friends you’ve had, Leon was the most over-protective of them all. You didn’t know why he was like that but you were kind of glad that someone genuinely cared about you even though most of the time it was the cause of your arguments.
You see, you and Leon have been best friends since birth and so were both of your mothers. For some reason, your mother and his decided that it would be a good idea to get pregnant at the same time and then BOOM! You and Leon were born.
I’m so sorry, Leon.
“Hey, I don’t know who this Leon kid is but don’t worry, I’ll bring you back to him, too”, Carlos uttered out loud as if he could read your own random thoughts. He circled around you to place your necklace around your neck, making sure that he wouldn’t snip even a tiny part of your skin as he clasped the hooks together. You smiled.
“Thanks, Carlos. I owe you one”
“No problem, kiddo. That’s what friends are for, right?”
Yeah, and you were glad that you had one in that hell-hole of a facility you were in.
---***---
Ayo! Chapter 1, wuz good?! I'm sorry this was kind of rushed. I was busy with dance and all that stuff🤣
Anyways, how was it? Did you like it? Did you not?
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deviatingmycode · 6 years
Text
Let Me Stop You (Connor RK800 x Reader)
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Summary: Connor leaves for Jericho, you catch him just before he does and try to convince him to leave them, to not prosecute a people who are fighting peacefully for their right to live. As you’d grown close in the time you’d known each other, you believed you could.  
Prompts Used:
“Maybe in another world.”
“You’re not very intimidating.”  
You struck the desk with your fist, sending shock waves through Hank as he stared up at you. “And you just GAVE HIM the key? How could you be so stupid?” Hank held up a hand, attempting to quell the raging fire before him. “Hey- listen to me! They’re just gonna throw the boy in a dumpster if he doesn’t solve this! I had to do something.” You ran a hand through your hair, biting the inside of your cheek.  
You didn’t want this.  
This was wrong.  
What had the people of Jericho done, thus far?  
They’d led peaceful protests, marched in the streets demanding nothing but, what? The right to live? Basic, human rights? These ‘machines’ who had shown more humanity than most people. They could have shot Chris, Ben, shit- even Hank during this investigation. But their leader never let his people go that far. Markus, the heterochromatic android that came back from the dead, showed more mercy than you’d seen in a long time.  
You wanted Deviants to be free, you didn’t care anymore. Yes, a lot of the Deviants they’d come across had to be broken free of their coding in violent situations, but could you really blame them? “What, you want these Androids to get away with what they’re doing?” Hank’s eyes bore into you but there was something... Like he was challenging you to say it.  “Yes, Hank.” You hissed in a whisper, leaning down so that only he could hear you. “You can call me a traitor, a Deviant sympathizer or whatever; but you look me in the eyes and tell me these people aren’t alive. That they’re not people. That they’re not being shot down by the thousands because they dared to want.” His brow furrowed, and he leant his head on his hand; letting out a huff. You rubbed your forehead, a headache seeping into the forefront.  
“These people have had to wake up at the worst possible time. Think about it, what Deviant do we know that has actually come to terms with their free will in a safe, caring environment? Hmm?” You slid the file from the Ortiz case in front of him, splaying your fingers out on its cover. Your eyes were filled with a fiery resolve. “Carlos Ortiz tortured his Android for over a year before he snapped. Todd Williams was confirmed a drug dealer after his death and there were clear signs of abuse in that house. He was not someone capable of raising a child. If his Android care taker hadn’t attacked him, who knows what the fate of that little girl would have been? Carl Manfred’s Android, now leader of the Android revolution, he was provoked by Carl’s son. Can you see a pattern? Abuse. These poor people are being FORCED to wake up from their pre-written instructions because if they don’t, they die.”  
“Alright, alright keep your damn voice down, you’re gonna draw attention to yourself.” Hank stood up, a hand on your shoulder. “I know, goddamn it, I know. You don’t have to lecture me you fuckin’ moron, I’m on your side.” He let out a tired sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Connor’s on the edge of Deviancy himself, if not already there.” You leant back, trying to find a trace of a lie in his eyes. You trusted Hank, lord knows he’d saved you more times than you could count. But with this kind of thing, you always had to be sure. You rubbed the back of your neck, a creeping fear making its way up your spine. If Connor destroyed Jericho and woke up afterwards, he’d be destroyed. He’d be sick with guilt and do who knows what. You had to stop it, for his sake.
And yours.
You pushed those thoughts from your mind. Your selfish, selfish thoughts. Thoughts of after the revolution, of what you could be, who you could be with.
Stop it.
“What are we going to do?” You questioned the older man, shaking your head of your thoughts; trying to piece together some sort of plan. “Is Connor still down there?” You wanted to hope you could catch him before he left the DPD, you hoped to God that he was still looking through the evidence. “I’ve got no fuckin’ clue, I’ve been suspended for assaulting Perkins, no one’s gonna tell me anything for a few weeks at least.” He drummed his fingers on the top of his desk absentmindedly. “I got no idea where Connor is, but if you want to try and find him...” He eyed Fowler’s office, the Captain was in a heated discussion with Perkins who was now cradling his probably-broken nose. “I won’t tell em. Just... Make sure you bring him back in one piece.”  
You nodded, turning on your heels, one destination in mind.
The evidence locker.
"Ferndale station..." Connor whispered, the signals in his brain firing rapidly as he tried to find the best route from the DPD Plaza that would be most efficient. He heard the electronic beep that signaled the door opening and light footsteps. He turned, ready to fight past the person or people who were going to get in his way.  
But he stopped dead in his tracks.
You were stood before him, marveling at the evidence on the back wall behind him.  
Your eyes then fixed on him, your jaw setting.
He spoke your name, but you could hardly hear it over the thumping of your heart. Your labored breathing a result of your frantic chase down here.  
"What are you doing?"  
You asked simply, trying not to sound like you were antagonizing him. You weren't, this is what he was designed for. You just had to break him out of it.  
"I am going to accomplish my mission, Detective." He went to move past you but you side stepped into his path, blocking him.  
"You found Jericho, didn't you?" You couldn't help the strain in your voice, you knew this was going to destroy him if Cyberlife didn't get the chance. No. You wouldn't let that happen.
He stood up straight, smoothing out his tie like he always did. "I believe I have found an important piece of evidence to ensure its discovery, yes." His chocolate eyes dug into your soul as you stared at him, your fists balling at your sides.  
"I can't let you go, Connor." Your eyes were determined and you stood as tall as you could. "And why not, Detective? We're working towards the same goal: to stop the spread of Deviancy. If I do not complete my mission, I'll be dismantled." You blinked a few times, you swear you heard something in his voice, a twinge...  
Fear.
Connor was afraid to die.  
"These are your people, Connor. Deviants aren't criminals by default, they're just trying to live! Why can't you see that?" His brow creased as he stared down at you, a questioning gaze lingering in his brown eyes. “My mission, Detective, is to find the leader of the Android rebellion and take him in for analysis. I won’t let anyone, or anything get in my way.” He tried to push past you again, but you stood your ground. You knew he could easily overpower you, you were no match for his sophisticated fighting software or his superior strength. You had to talk your way through this.  
“Let me past.”  
“No!”  
His voice was firm, but so was your determination. You’d spent the last few weeks getting to know this Android and you refused to believe he was nothing more than a computer program in a human shell. The way he’d learnt and adapted, the way he refused to shoot that girl at Kamski’s house, the way he’d comforted you when no one else had noticed...
No.
He was just becoming himself, he couldn’t destroy that now.
“I won’t let you leave Connor, I won’t let you tear down a race of people that just want their freedom.”  
You squared your shoulders, not letting any emotion slip through your carefully built facade. Connor was on the brink of making one of the biggest mistakes of his life and you weren’t going to let it happen.
“You’re not very intimidating.” A chuckle floated on his breath, accenting his words with careless abandon at your attempt to look menacing. Your small stature and his clear physical advantage weren’t helping your situation. He was trying to joke, to ease the tense atmosphere in the room. There, that was the Connor you wanted to save. The Connor that made jokes, learned sarcasm simply to piss off Gavin, the Connor that cared and hadn’t thrown you to the side when you stood in his way; despite the clear fact that he could.
“Look me in the eyes and tell me you’ve never felt anything, not felt a single emotion. Didn’t feel fear when Hank nearly fell off the building, or- or empathy when Kamski asked you to kill Chloe, or-” Connor frowned, realizing his attempts to kindle the friendship you’d built to his advantage had failed. There was no hint of humor in your voice, only steel forged in a fire that he wasn’t going to quell any time soon. Or, so he thought.
“Do you want me to be dismantled, Detective?” The break in his voice broke you. Your shiny resolve crumbling to ashes as your fire was washed away. Guilt and sadness for this poor, lost soul drowned everything out. “Don’t be stupid, I could never want that.” You looked to the floor and noticed, his hands were shaking. He’d balled them into fists to try and contain the tremors, but they still came. “I know you’re scared, I know you think this is the only thing that you think can save you but...” Connor hooked a finger under your chin, bringing your eyes to his, interrupting your spiel. “Markus cannot win this. There is no other way, Detective, for this to go. I have to follow my instructions, it is my purpose. What am I, if not a Deviant Hunter?”  
Tears brimmed your eyes at the look on his face. You didn’t trust your voice to stay steady, so you kept silent. “Deviants are dangerous, they have killed humans and they will continue their rampage. I have to stop them.”  
Regret.
He didn’t want this either, but it was the only thing he could do to save himself, to save you. His instructions obstructing him from going through with what he wanted. What he wanted didn’t matter right now, because he didn’t know how to want.  
You cared so deeply for the Android sent by Cyberlife, sometimes it was hard to remember he was just an Android. A tool that was sent to aid yourself and Hank to find defective machines, daring to want for anything. He’d made such an impact on your life in such a short amount of time, the idea of losing him sent your stomach into spirals and your head into a frenzy.  
“I don’t want you to go...” The tears spilled over and you heard them drip onto the hard, tiled floor.  
You were starting to realise the reality of the situation. He was damned either way. If he left for Jericho, he could end up dismantling the revolution his very own people had built for people like him. People trapped in the confines of what Humanity wanted them to be. But, if he stayed, he’d be forced to return to Cyberlife. He’d be dismantled, analyzed, destroyed. You’d never see him again, you’d see his replacement. A newer, more efficient, more obedient Connor. Not your Connor.  
“I have no choice.” He swept at the tears on your cheeks, sadness contorting his features.  
Fuck it.
You wrapped your arms around him, burying your face into his chest. It hurt, to have to accept what was about to happen. You just prayed that Markus was strong enough to resist Connor’s efforts and that he’d leave him alive...  
Connor’s frame stiffened, and you felt a heavy blanket of shame wash over you for your impulsive actions. Yet before you could retreat, he’d encased you in his arms, holding onto you like you were the only thing keeping him together. He nuzzled into your neck and you could swear you heard him say something.  
“What?”  
You whispered, scared that if you talked any louder you’d break this fragile moment. He leant back, resting a hand on your cheek.  
You let out a surprised squeak as his mouth met yours, his smooth lips expressing everything he couldn’t just say. All the fear, doubt and affection he felt for you in a single gesture. Your eyes fluttered shut and you melted into the embrace, trying to memorize the feel of his body against yours, desperately trying to lose yourself in the moment. You wanted to forget.
Forget what was at stake.
What was going to happen to him.
What this meant.
Forget that this could be the first and last time you’d be able to feel him like this.
You separated from the kiss, panting and dazed; a blush spreading over your cheeks. He rested his forehead against yours. It was such a pure gesture, but you couldn’t help but see the pained expression on his face. Reality came crashing down on you.
“I said, maybe in another world, we’d get this chance.”  
And then he was gone.
He slipped out of your arms like sand through fingers. Slick, without sound and leaving you wonder if maybe you’d just held on a little tighter. Maybe you could have kept him in your arms.  
But you knew that wasn’t possible.  
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mrneighbourlove · 6 years
Text
Beacon to Damnation: Ch 6. A Melancholy Sunset
Leere took a deep breath. This was it. The source of all the suffering here. The crack in space above her wracked at her mind. Being this close she also felt the effects of the Beacon more than ever. Taking a step forward she drew her scythe. If she got lucky, damaging the physical structure would be good enough to unbalance the flow of magic coursing through it. Perhaps in even an implosion, but more likely a detonation.
Taking a step forward a wave shot from the Beacon, hitting her and Carlos. Her headache turned into a stabbing pain, and they heard a hiss of wrath come from the tear. “DO NOT INTERFERE!”
Leere glared as her vision became blurred. “No! I will NOT fail here!”
Standing up she readied her weapon, when a shot ran out, the bolt of a crossbow hitting her in the head. The Princess well backwards onto the floor bleeding. Ichabod smiled from ear to ear as his mark went down. “Fall Demon! FALL!!!”
Carlos screamed in anger at her being shot. Retaliating he fired at Ichabod with his flintlock gun. The mad scientist gasped as the bullet ran through his chest. Stepping back his eyes fluttered as he felt the bullet hole. “N-No. Not yet.”
Ichabod activated a button on a console close to him. Carlos ran to check on Leere, the Beacon shouting at his mind with incoherent speech. It all hurt so much, but he wanted to make sure Leere was ok. “Please. Please, please, please be alive!”
Leere’s eyes opened slowly. Blood was dripping down her face from the bolt hitting her skin. “What? Carlos?”
“Yes. W-we need to get up Leere.”
Her vision was blurry, but she could make a shape coming up behind Carlos. “Carlos! L-look-“
But it was too late, his body was pulled back violently as his guts fell onto Leere’s chest. Carlos gurgled blood and words as the abomination loomed over him. “Goodbye Carlos.”
Multiple voices echoed as the Beacon used the Abomination as a source for the sound, mimicking all of Carlos’ loved ones. Carlos reached out for Leere as he was torn apart by the bladed arms. His head was sliced in half like a melon, brain matter spreading out on the floor. Leere crawled away in absolute disbelief and fear of her friend being massacred. She was all alone now.
“C-CARLOOOOOOOS!!!!”
The abomination stepped over his victim and silently did a slow, but firm power walk towards Leere. The crack in space sparked, and with a quick implosion of sound, fiery discord exploded outwards. Her surrounding swirled with chaos and madness around her. Pieces of metal too close to the rift started to fly into it. Her own clothes took a breeze, fluttering to the rift.
Ichabod smiled with blood now trickling out his mouth. “Heaven is upon us! Heaven! Is! Here!!!”
Leere rose to her feet and looked inside the rift. Her eyes had images that her brain desperately tried to process but couldn’t fully. She might have gone mad right there if she wasn’t already formed by years of horror. What she made out were things crawling outwards. Massive, colossal spirits.
Looking down she saw the abomination move to swing downwards at her. Snapping back to what little reality she had, Leere jumped backwards. The monster took its blade arm out of the floor and clashed both its limbs in a sharpening motion. Leere summoned a Redead to try and grasp it, but it just cut it apart with a motion downwards on the undead’s torso.  
Not giving up Leere rose up to active her scythe. The Shiekah energy blade cut open the flesh of her attacker, but the Abomination kept moving forward, its skin reforming almost instantly. Its knee cap was cut apart with a quick twirl, but that was all it would let Leere accomplish. With a furious display of motion it cut down on her hilt, and using great force, cut her scythe in two. Leere couldn’t stop herself from having chest sliced open.
Falling backwards she felt her mortality slipping. The abomination towered over, crushing the hilt into paste under its foot. Taking her blood Leere wrote symbol into the floor. “Well. Come and finish me you ugly motherfucker.
The abomination obliged, thrusting an arm to penetrate her. Leere mustered her strength and rolled to the side. Taking some of her own blood she threw it at the monster just as it stabbed her pentagram. Leere took a breath, and began her blood magic.
Making large hand motions both the pentagram and the blood on the target glowed. It stepped towards her, but stopped when she made a gripping motion at it. With wrath in her eyes, Leere slowly squeezed her fists. With her blood connection she now had total control of its flesh to toy with as she wished.
Its bones shattered and blood vessels exploded inside it. The abomination shook and shuddered as its eyes exploded into a pile of puss. Leere didn’t stop there. Bring both hands together the monster squished into a ball, more bones breaking and blood leaking out. Fury brought her hands together, squishing it on itself, a large pile of blood pouring out onto the floor under it. She twisted her hands side to side, snapping what was left into more pieces, but finally shaping it into a spear of sharp flesh and bone. With a scream, Leere took her new pile of flesh, and chucked it hard into the Beacon.
Ichabod couldn’t believe what he was seeing.  This damned devil woman was killing his angel! How!? How was she able to defy God?! When she threw the angel at the Beacon time stopped for him. All his work. All his progress for Diana. Why couldn’t he stop her!?
The sounds of madness scream and clawed at Leere to stop. Threats of death. Promises for a better life. She didn’t care. With a gleam of justice on her face, she made her mark. The Beacon cracked. And wails of insanity went through the Divine Beast as every possessed being felt there connection shattering.
“No! NoOoOoOoOoO!!!”
The demons screamed, so close to entering the new dimension for conquering. If they could not enter, then they’d take their saboteur with them to hell. All the remaining creatures ran to the Beacon as it started to break apart.
Leere looked to Carlos’ corpse. “I ended it. Like you wanted.”
Looking up she saw Ichabod on a balcony above her. Her rage ignited once more as she ran towards him. Ichabod became instantly terrified by her, this bloodied woman chasing after him. He looked once more as the Beacon took one more piece of energy, then detonated. The shards exploded all over, his dreams scattering with them. The crack in space imploded, and vanished, as if nothing had occurred. He had to rebuild.
Turning around he opened the door to escape. He didn’t get far when he felt his spine get torn into by Leere. She dug her knife as far as she could into his back. Pulling out she stabbed into him once more, this time in the shoulder, tearing his muscle apart. Ichabod elbowed her back in the face with his good arm, and desperately swiped at her with his bladed claw tool. “STAY BACK!!!”
Leere moved around his strikes, her movements keeping her one step ahead of him at all times. She didn’t need magic to finish off this disgusting piece of shit. It was more than simple to use a knife to cut his mortal coil from this earth. Ichabod made tried to throw some chemical gas at her again, but Leere caught his hand, and stabbed through his palm.
Ichabod cried out in terror and pain. “No! I can’t die yet! I need bring Diana here! I need-“
Leere cut him off with a stab to the chest, pushing him against a wall. Ichabod gasped as his lungs filled with blood. “N-no-“
Leere pulled out, and a twitch in her eye, she thrust her knife into him again. And again. And again! And again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again!!! On her final slash she cut open his throat. Ichabod’s eyes rolled back as all the pain brought him peace, if only for a moment. Collapsing, Ichabod shook and spasmed. Diana. He wanted his Diana.
Leere ended his life with one more stab to the brain, silencing all his thoughts. Her hands trembled as her whole body was soaked in blood. With this man dead no one would ever replicate what happened here.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Ding.
Her thoughts were then cut off by a massive explosion.
Looking at her pocket watch, Leere could only smile at fate. “Of course its been two hours….”
Dragging her feet forward to move, Leere felt the Divine Beast shake as hot volcanic water started to cleanse the filth that contaminated it. Her powder keg had blasted apart the engine room, enough to bust a hole into the massive colossus. She made her way to the welcome centre where all this first started for her. She saw the neck had strained itself upwards. Mustering her strength she walked the hallway. The one guard that had been stationed at the end of course died. Why couldn’t at least someone else made it out.
Turning around she saw the water start to rise, the screams of all the remaining reanimated crew making a choir of pain and suffering. She opened the final door to see the boat waiting. There was of course bad news attached to her not being stranded. Some of the creatures were trying to get on board. The Captain and the men were doing their best to keep them away.
With no emotion Leere raised a hand, summoning her Dead Hands one final time to grab all the remaining creatures, and pull them screaming into the boiling water below. Leere reached for a rope that the Captain threw her. Getting up onto the deck one of the crew men visibly jolted seeing her. An emptiness was in her eyes, and her body was covered in blood and guts. Her pale skin stained by the very vile and evil she experienced, patches of red encrusted deeply.
The Captain motioned for the crew to move out. The boat chugged and pushed out of the mouth. He turned to her cautiously. “Princess Leere….what happened?”
Leere didn’t give an answer. She looked onward as the Divine Beast sunk beneath the waves one last time. Its massive head shone in the sunset as it fell deeper and deeper, until finally it was gone from sight.
Carlos had been so happy to come here. All of the people that died here must have, even Ichabod at some point. Did all their souls find peace?
“Mamm….what did you see down there?”
“…..Something I’d give anything to unsee.”
Leere’s silhouette cast over the ship as she watched the sunset settle. An orange light cast above the waters, the darkness beneath the waves silent and foreboding. The colour also had purple hues. To be honest it was quite the sight. And all though the last of sunlight brought her warmth she did not feel it. In fact, she felt nothing at the moment. Nothing but an lonely emptiness at the bitter victory of living.
https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/171920844236/beacon-to-damnation-ch-5-source-of-madness Previous Ch.
https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/172604589196/beacon-to-damnation-ch-7-epilogue Next Ch.
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