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#when other people can take up the search in safer circumstances (what with Arthur being the king and all compared to his knights)
sneakyboymerlin · 3 years
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“I’m as worried about Merlin as you are.”
Merlin and Gwen: Bad Friends or Rational Strategists?
Merlin and Gwen both know that, whether Arthur attempts a rescue mission or not, their missing friend(s) is either already dead (and thus, Arthur is endangering himself for nothing) or being kept alive (putting Arthur at a higher risk of death than them). If Arthur also dies then not only is Camelot doomed, but they’ve lost yet another loved one in so short a time. Arthur’s ambition is noble, but it isn’t wise.
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sirensmojo · 4 years
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Black Bird - Tommy Shelby x Reader.
Summary: You’re a young writer for a famous magazine back in New-York, and forced to move out to Birmingham due to certain circumstances. A woman American writer, all alone in a city you know nothing about. Your presence soon enough gets noticed by none other than Thomas Shelby, who think about using your writing skills to his advantage.
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Warnings: suspense & fluff
A/N: I wrote this for @a-mess-of-fandoms​ ‘s 1k challenge, hope you’ll enjoy it
Prompt: “If you’re a bird, I’m a bird”
Word count: 1,601
*Masterlist*
You’re walking path went from slow and light to quick and fierce, someone was following you, you knew it. As a woman who used to live alone in New-York, you had to work on your hearing to keep you safe from whatever danger the American streets were full of. Even more, than you used to work until late at night. Here, a pub, you will spend the rest of the night there if that’s what it takes for you to feel safer. Nothing in this city looked like what you used to see. You hoped you could get along well with the English, but wherever you would put a foot in, they would all either ogle or stare at you as if you weren’t even a human. You knew for sure some gangsters have heard of what you were writing on back in your hometown, that was why you were being followed and kept under surveillance. They wanted to make sure you would not do the same here. “Oh look, who’s there” Arthur mutters to his brother. Tommy lifted his eyes to the woman that just pushed the door. Something wasn’t right, your face was full of fear and he could hear your heart pounding in your chest as if it wanted to jump out of it. Yet, in your eyes, a beam light was shinning softly and peacefully. It looked like a truce in war. You were full of fear, your body was speaking it, while you remained calm in the mind. As he was reading your face, Tommy observed the crowd stopping from cheering, instead, they were all murmuring into each other’s ear. It reminded him of what people did whenever he entered a room. But instead of muttering things to others, they all stayed silent. He ordered Arthur to fetch a bottle of Irish whiskey and two glasses. The young woman was now sitting at a table, looking at the door as if you were waiting for someone to join you. When Tommy pulled the chair so he could sit, your whole body turned to him in one single movement. Your lips slightly parted and your eyes dawdled on the face of the man before they looked down to the glasses. Tommy coughed without giving you a single look. Once he was comfortable in his seat, he opened the bottle and filled one of the cups he pushed so it slid to the other side of the table, in front of Y/N. Then, and only then, he deigned to look at you, searching for a cig in his cigarette case. He held the case towards the brunette. “A cigarette Mrs. ?” He asked, brows high. You lifted your hands to your hair and grabbed a bobby pin in between your fingers. You led it to your lips and opened the tool wider so you could grab a cigarette with the edges of it. Once the cigarette was stuck in between the two pieces of metal, you lifted your eyes to Thomas that was intently looking at her movements the whole time. He cleared his throat and came to light the cigarette of the woman, but when he leaned towards you, he found out you already lighted her cig. “Gentlemen are dead in America” You lowly let out, as you slouched to stick your back to the wooden chair. “I’m no gentleman,” Tommy hassled to speak. Too fast. You now knew he wasn’t used to be turned down by a woman. 
Y/N sketched a smile and grabbed the whiskey bottle with one hand, as the other was still holding the bobby pin with the cig. You poured the liquor in the empty glass and dropped the bottle on the table in a thud. You glided the glass to Thomas and then looked at his face to gauge, once again, his reaction. He reluctantly grabbed the glass and took a sip on it. You did the same. “A woman cannot stay alone in a bar” He stated. “At the bar, no she cannot, Mr. Shelby,” You retorted. He chuckled, and draw upon his cigarette. “It’s a table here, eh?” He patted the table. “Not the bar,” He added. “Not the bar,” You repeated, as shaking your head to each side. “So, I’m going to help you a bit as I see you have difficulties to talk to me. Someone is following me. I’m not staying long in here. ‘Just waiting for the gangster to get tired. You know?” Eyes fluttering, you took some puffs on your cig and gracefully spitted the smoke to your side, locking your eyes to the door. Tommy ignored your sassy remark and exhaled loudly. “I know who you are. Y/N Ethel Frances, in your hometown you were a star. Kind of, every gangster was afraid of you. Not because you were part of a gang bigger than them, but because you could write. And write you did” While talking, the man waggled his cig in the air, pointing you with his fingers. Not to mention he wanted her attention, he tried to approach you as he did with every woman he knew. But he also was well aware you were nothing like the women in here. At first, he thought it was because you were American, but since he sat down with the brunette, he knew it was more than that. “I searched for Justice,” You said without looking at him. “And you reaped what? Being forced to move out because of your thirst for ‘Justice’”. He almost spitted the last word, and your gaze couldn’t stay away from him anymore. "Tell me what you want from me" You finally spoke. "I can take it," One of your brows lifted as you were waiting for Thomas to say something. "Your writing skill could benefit me". "What could benefit, me?" You asked. "Other than protection, money, and peace?" Tommy squinted. "You can offer me the two first ones, but peace? Please I'm too old for believing in such foolishness. You're a gangster after all". 
"You're speaking about gangster and justice, but what do you truly know about good or bad?” He cleared his throat. “And...” He marked a pause. “You're not so old," He glanced at you as you choked on her drink. 
“Didn’t you ever tried to do things right, Mr. Shelby?” “Call me, Thomas” “Why would I do that?” You hassled to answer. You were irritated. Not because of Thomas Shelby, but because the scars of your past life did not heal, yet. It was too soon to be able to talk about it with a stranger, even more to a gangster you would have torn down if you still was the same person as in America. 
Mrs. Frances got up, ready to leave, but the hold of Tommy’s huge hand prevented you from it. You turned to face him, diving your free hand into your purse. In a single clean and neat movement, you lifted her purse to Thomas’s head level and shot a man from a background table. Tommy immediately turned around to see the damage while Arthur that was initially behind the counter, pulled a gun to Y/N. The whole crowd started to run loudly out of the pub as screams filled the room. “Arthur! Put this gun away, eh?” Tommy motioned to his brother as he stood up. He then looked at you. “The fuck was that, Tommy?” Arthur enunciated loudly, his profound accent calling you out. “Just put that away, brother” Tommy tried to resonate with his brother, speaking with a soft voice, but in his tone, it was clearly heard he wasn’t unfazed either. 
The three soon were the only ones left in the Garrison. Tommy was walking forward you, knitting his brows, a new cigarette stuck in between his plump lips. You slid out the gun of your purse and held it to Thomas to make him known you didn’t want any more trouble. She wanted to cooperate. “He was the man following me. I told you I was leaving as soon as I knew he would get tired” You loudly say, you knew who the Shelbys were, in Birmingham. But your safety was pivotal for you. You were forced to shoot your shot. “Fucking Americans coming to my pub pretty like birds but with the mind of fucking rabid dog,” Muttered Arthur for himself. “I am a bird!” Y/N screamed to him, quite offended by his implicit. “If you’re a bird, I’m a bird,” Retorted Tommy with a solemn voice as he tore the gun off of your hands and unloaded it. Y/N giggled and tried to muffle it. Hearing you laughed for the first time made Tommy turn around to see that. It was just as warm and as charming as he has imagined. “Are you taking the job?” He asked, pulling the cig out of his lips with his thumb and index. “ ‘Course I am” You snapped back. Then, you glanced at the man and took the cig of his hand, dragging on it. The man poured a little bit more of whiskey in two glasses and sat down, motioning to Y/N, so you would do the same. Once you sat down, he took back his cig you were holding him, and a wide smile grew on his lips. “What’s that?” She frowned. “You’re a black bird, eh?” Tommy pointed the black bird embroidered on the fabrics of your dress with his fingers that were holding his cig. “Shut up, you fool” You retorted, quite amused but more charmed by how stunning he looked with this smile on his face.
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sebeth · 5 years
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Injustice #4
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Warning, Spoilers Ahead…
 Injustice: Gods Among Us # 4 by Tom Taylor.
 Dick and Damian spar in the Batcave. Dick critiques Damian: “You keep aiming for that killing blow, you’re trying to hurt me, which I’m trying not to take personally by the way, but it’s not all about the body and head. Your opponent has sticky -outy bits that are easier to reach. Not only does your opponent have sticky-outy bits, they may also have had some bad circumstances that led them to a point where you’re fighting them. Some criminals deserve a second chance. Second chances are harder with a severe brain injury.”
An angered Damian hurls an escrima stick at Dick’s head, which is caught by the newly-arrived Superman.
“That’s not very sporting, Damian.”
Dick assures Clark: “It’s okay, Superman. I knew it was coming. He tries it all the time.”
The opening scene is foreshadowing for later events in the series. Damion’s routine hissy fit with the escrima sticks will end up having severe consequences.
Events before the beginning of the series in this universe are rather vague. We don’t know the circumstances of Damian’s introduction to the Bat Family. I would assume it’s similar to the mainstream universe. Damian appears older than 10, possibly in the 13-14 years old range.
Tim became Red Robin in this universe but we aren’t given details. Did Final Crisis happen? Was Bruce lost in time and presumed dead? Or is Dick’s mentorship of Damian similar to the animated movies?
Superman is at the cave to speak to Bruce. Damian says Bruce is “broodier than usual.”
Damian thanks Clark for killing the Joker: “Not that the Joker’s gone, everything just feels safer, you know?
Dick asks Clark if he’s okay. Clark says he’ll manage.
Clark demands to know where Bruce was when Ma & Pa Kent were kidnapped.
Bruce tells Clark that he has to “stop what you’re doing”.
“I have to stop what? Stop saving lives? Stop bringing dictators to justice?”
“You’re scaring them.”
“They should be scared. They should be too scared to press the button. They should be too scared to pull the trigger. They should be too scared to hurt each other. You taught me that. You’d do exactly what I’m doing if you were me, if you could do what I can.”
“You killed a man, Clark.”
“I did. And every time you let that madman live, how many more did you condemn? Did you even feel responsible? Did you even feel guilty?”
“Every time. But we don’t get to choose who dies.”
“One death. To save millions.”
“One. Death.”
“It always starts with one. That’s how justification works. But once you justify something once, you can do it again and again. It becomes easier. Right and wrong blur.”
I find myself on both sides of their argument. Bruce is absolutely correct on the slippery side nature of taking the law in your own hands. Superman and company have no right to run the world. On the other hand, killing the Joker is something that should have been done years ago. The Joker’s body count is in the hundreds if not more. There is no hope of redemption for him – and even if he suddenly regretted all of his previous actions, there is no way to atone for his scale of murder. And this is before the Metropolis massacre. The Joker – and Harley’s – death toll is now in the millions!
A Japanese fleet harpoons whales in the ocean only to encounter a very angry Aquaman.
Aquaman sinks the ship causing the Justice League to respond.
Diana urges Arthur to withdraw. Arthur refuses – the ocean is his kingdom and he will protect it as he sees fit.
A worried Atlantean soldier blasts Diana, starting an Altantean-Justice League brawl.
We return to the Batcave where Clark accuses Bruce of loving the Joker: “You’re not sitting in the dark mourning Metropolis, are you? You’re mourning him. You’re angry at me for taking the Joker away from you. You loved having him around. Your constant nemesis. The two of you played your stupid game and people died. Why did you let him do this to me, Bruce?”
While the suggestion of a Bruce/Joker love match is disgusting, Bruce should have ended the Joker years ago. Honestly, the Joker should have been killed – and left dead – in the Death of the Family storyline.  After the paralyzing Babs/murdering Jason combo act, the only thing the writers seem to do with the Joker is have him commit yet another atrocity. Boring and redundant.
Clark continues his rant, bemoaning the loss of his wife an unborn child. Clark specifically mentions the loss of his unborn child denying the world of another Kryptonian, “someone who would have made me feel less alone.”
Maybe Clark should try being nicer to Conner!
Clark criticizes Bruce’s parenting skills: “You’re sitting in the dark, ignoring Dick and Damian. How many friends did they have in Metropolis? Have you consoled them? Have you held them? Your parents died and left you, Bruce. What’s your excuse for not being a father?”
I don’t know if the events of a future Injustice annual were planned out at this point but if they were, Clark’s speech is rather ballsy and hypocritical considering his treatment of the Titans in the aftermath of the destruction of Metropolis.
Did Clark ever consider Bruce is “sitting in the dark” at the Batcomputer because he’s searching for his missing son? The one Clark banished to the Phantom Zone?
Dick and Damian wouldn’t normally have “friends in Metropolis”. Jon was never born and Dick doesn’t hang around in Metropolis. Is Clark’s “friends in Metropolis” rant the first clue Bruce has regarding the whereabouts of the missing Tim and the Titans? Is that the reason Bruce punches Clark at the end of his speech?
Clark switches from angry to concerned in a second, examining Bruce’s hand. Normally, I’d say it’s a typical Clark move, but in the Injustice-verse it’s a sign of Clark’s growing instability.
The Batcomputer alerts the duo to the brawl in the Atlantic Ocean. Clark decides to head over there.
Bruce warns Clark: “You can’t yourself above us, Clark. You’re right. I’m not saying I’d act differently if I had your abilities. I’m not saying I wouldn’t try to impose peace but you…you’re a better man than I am.”
Not anymore, Bruce.
Alfred asks “Master Kent” if he’s staying for tea.
“I’m afraid not, Alfred. And you don’t have to call me ‘Master’”.
“Good. Let’s remember that.”
Alfred is not fond of Clark’s shenanigans.
Aquaman has summoned a creature so huge that its arrival causes a tsunami. That’s right, the Kraken has been unleashed.
Batman warns Aquaman via a communicator: “Listen to me. He’s coming. He’s in angry. He’s in pain. You’re hurting his friends. You need to stop or there’s no telling what he may do. Do as he says.”
Superman wants Arthur to withdraw the Kraken.
Arthur does after reminding Clark the League started the brawl. Which they did. Arthur attempted to calm the situation down after his soldier blasted Diana. Diana decided she was “tired of words” and started the rumble.
Arthur and Clark argue.
“I called for a worldwide ceasefire.”
“Even your voice does not reach down into the deep, Superman. If you wish to rule the surface world…”
“I do not seek to rule, only to protect.”
“I understand, with the destruction of Metropolis, you lost your kingdom. But you can’t have mine.”
“I do not want…”
“Superman, whether you see it or not, your reign is beginning. But the sea is mine alone to command.
The League realizes “Atlantean armies are rising in countries across the world.”
Superman: “Arthur, what is this?”
“A reminder. I am not some self-appointed leader of an insignificant country who can be bullied into submission. Every port. Every ship. Everything that flies over the oceans does so with my blessing. Your world would halt grind to a halt if I willed it. Every land mass borders the sea. Your entire world is inside mine. Consider this a show of strength. Now get the hell out of my ocean.”
Bruce fumes: “You idiot. He’s not going to respond to an ultimatum!”
Clark orders Diana, Hal, and Billy to accompany him: “Aquaman is using his strength. It’s time we showed him our strength. It’s time we showed everyone who would threaten the world just how much power they’re dealing with. No more holding back.”
The foursome then lift Atlantis out of the ocean and re-locate it into the middle of the Sahara desert.
That’s the show of strength? Lifting a city containing thousands of civilians, women and children, and putting it in the middle of an environment where they are unable to breathe or tolerate the extreme heat. Sounds more like a murder plan.
It should be noted the panels containing the “rising Atlantean armies” only showed the Atlanteans standing in formation on the coasts – not actually attacking.
I’m not defending Arthur – he, along with Clark and Diana, all acted like immature toddlers having a fit.
The forcible removal of Atlantis is where any remaining sympathy for Clark went out the window. He acted like a terrorist. A “proper show of strength” would have been engaging the Atlantean armies not threatening unarmed civilians. It boggles my mind that the rest of the Justice League has been fine with Clark’s actions.
Diana is clearly a more sinister version of herself in this universe. She’s been egging Clark on the entire team and she is the cause of the Atlantean confrontation.
Hal should know better – Sinestro was removed from the Green Lantern Corps because of Superman-like actions – but he’s shown bad judgement in the past so I could maybe see him siding with Clark. It’s still iffy as Hal hasn’t been traumatized by the destruction of Coast City in this universe.
Hawkgirl – well, if she’s “Hawkworld” version of Shayera then she would be comfortable in a military-run world
Raven – will be shown to have fallen under Trigon’s influence so she’s clearly fallen to the “dark side”
Cyborg, Captain Marvel, and Flash are simply too good/sweet to fall in line with the dictator posse. Boggles my mind to see the trio blindly following Clark and Diana’s orders.
Diana informs Clark that Arthur is ready to speak to him. Clark demurs, stating “I’ve achieved nothing by talking today.”
More like cowardly refusing to own up to his actions.
Arthur urges Diana to steer Clark “away from this course of action”, warning her that “you will have scared a lot of people today. Ordinary people who will not want gods and aliens telling them what they can and can’t do.”
Diana refuses as she believes “this course of action is what’s best for the world.”
Diana returns to Clark and informs him that Arthur “will pull his armies back into the ocean”.
Clark has Billy and Hal return Atlantis to the ocean, nothing “this action didn’t sit well with either of them.”
Diana tells Clark “Don’t worry about what they think. You did the right thing. You did what needed to be done.”
“So you’ve said.”
“I won’t let you doubt yourself.”
“What else?”
“What?”
“Surely Arthur had more to say.”
“No. Nothing.”
Diana omits Arthur’s concers and his expressed sympathies for the loss of Lois.
Diana is quite the sinister manipulator in this universe. She’s all but hurling Clark down the “slippery slope” of his actions.
It’s easy to see the reasons of Clark’s descent. He’s lost his wife, unborn child, and his entire city. He’s isolated his parents in a fortress instead of mourning with them. He has a fierce anger towards his best friend because of the Joker and is unwilling to listen to Bruce. Diana, his other best friend, is urging him to indulge in his worst impulses. And the rest of the Justice League – minus Arthur – is too cowardly to call him out.
Next issue: It gets worse. Of course, that could be the summary for every issue.
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