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sery-chan-13 · 3 years

Text

Drives With Them

Alice In Borderland

Only doing Chishiya and Niragi because they're the only two who have access to cars hahahahahaha-

This song makes my brain go 'brr'

Chishiya

Warnings: Swearing, arguing

- He hates driving

- Learns it's the only way he can get alone time

- With you

- Can talk about stuff with you, and there's no one else to interrupt

- He usually asks you by spinning the keys around on his finger and saying "Wanna go?"

- He drives pretty nice, honestly

- Hasn't crashed, doesn't make you pray for your life before you get into a car with him.

- Enjoys taking the longest way possible home

- Gives zero fucks if a group need the car for the games

- Usually ends the drive somewhere scenic to watch the sunset or if it's raining, he just parks the car and talks to you

"Wanna go?" Chishiya asked, spinning the keys on his finger, interrupting the conversation you were having with Arisu. "Sure! Sorry Arisu-Kun, gotta go," you said, excusing yourself from the conversation. "No problem. Have fun," Arisu smiled, leaving. You chased after Chishiya, grabbing his hand. He pulled it away and you scoffed. "Jerk," you muttered. "You know who is watching," he whispered back, nodding to Hatter. "And?" You asked as you left the building, heading over to the cars. "He could use it against us. I don't want you in danger because of me," he said, opening the door on the passenger side for you. "What a gentleman," you said rolling your eyes, getting in the car. He shut the door after you, getting in himself on the drivers side.

"I'm sorry," he said into the quiet atmosphere after you two had been driving around the empty streets of Tokyo for a couple minutes. You only huffed, looking out your window. "I'm get that you don't want to make our relationship out there and shit, but I... I have feelings too Chishiya. I want to be able to hold your hand around the Beach, or just show you love in front of other people," you answered, he kept his eyes on the road, listening to your words. "I can understand that. But... you have to understand that I don't want you getting caught in the middle because you're with me," he said after a few seconds. You felt bad about being mad at him, especially when you knew he had good intentions. "I know... I'm sorry Chishiya," you apologized, looking at him. "It's ok. It's upsetting, I get it," he said, slowing down a bit as you got closer to the inner city.

"Sucks there's no radio," you said, holding his left hand on the glove compartment as you two drove around, the argument you had earlier having been talked through. "It's better, in my opinion. We can talk," he said. The sun was setting, the sky painted in an array of pastels, golden sunlight fading from view. You smiled at his response. "You know, when I first met you, I thought you were going to be a bitchy, antisocial, I hate people kind of guy, who would've pushed me off the roof for talking to him, but I'm glad only half of that is true," you giggled. "Oh? Which half is true?" He asked, as you noticed the car slowing down. "The 'I hate people' part. You just have no empathy towards them," you said, leaning on his shoulder. The car had stopped on a bluff that overlooked the ocean. Chishiya got out of the car, telling you to do the same. He climbed up on the hood of the car, making his way to the roof of it. You did the same, sitting besides him. You stared out into the ocean, watching the sunset as he sat besides you. "Beautiful..." he whispered. You looked at him. "It is," you said. "I'm not talking about the sunset. I'm talking about you you know," he said, cupping your face in his hands. You blushed, looking to the side. "I thought you said no PDA?" You asked, looking back at him. "I think... I think I'm willing to protect you if worse comes to worse. Hold my hand around the Beach. Kiss me around the Beach. Do what you want," he said, resting his forehead on yours. You smiled. "If they use us against eachother?" You asked. "If we go down, then we go down together," he said. You laughed, kissing his lips quickly. You kept doing that before he said, "If you're going to kiss me, kiss me." Before kissing you passionately.

Niragi

Warning: Mentions abuse, bullying, swearing, weapons

- I'd personally pray to the gods before I get in a car with him

- Honestly pretty fun

- He goes fast, reckless, but somehow hasn't crashed

- He loves driving with you because it makes you both forget everything

- Asks you by going "Im going for a drive. You coming with me doll?"

- Late night drives after games that were especially hard on either one of you

- You had CDS and got the radio to work somehow. (Yes he helped)

- I feel like he's a car guy for some reason?

- Like, he knows his way around cars. But would rather drive them

- You know those cars that don't have a roof? It's just open? Yeah, those are his favorite.

- Ends drives with driving around slowly while you two talk about anything and everything

You sat anxiously awaiting the arrival of Niragi's group for the games. Your leg bounced up and down, scanning the groups that walked in. You swallowed thickly, trying to rid your head of the dark thoughts. You two hadn't been put in the same group for tonight, as the militals all got split up.

You heard a couple girls whispering and laughing. You glanced at them out of the corner of your eye, and listened in to what the were saying. "She's so heartless when others loose people, but there she is anxiously awaiting her boyfriend's return," one of them laughed. "I hope Niragi dies so she can feel how others feel," the other responded with a giggle. You growled, grabbing your riffle, walking towards both of them. "Oi, if I were both of you I'd stop talking," you threatened, pointing your gun at them. They tensed up. "W-we didn't do anything!" One of them stuttered. "I fucking heard you. Bitch, I'm not deaf, you want me to feel pain as if I haven't before," you said darkly, glaring at them. "I lost my best friend when I first came into the games, I don't have family here, he's all I have left. You two think I haven't felt the pain of losing someone important to me because you don't know me, so shut the hell up," you said angrily, putting the barrel of your gun facing towards the floor. You gathered yourself again, walking back to where you were sitting. "I still hope he dies though... he's such a dick, I don't know why she stays with him," you hear one of them say. "Okay, that's it," you shouted, turning back to them. "You think I won't fucking shoot either one of you?! I'm not fucking scared to do so! And if Niragi doesn't come back then I'll just kill one of your boy toys and see how you like it! He's not... he's not a bad person. So shut up about people you don't know!" You yelled, getting angrier by the minute. "Well I bet he's already dead anyways! It's what both of you deserve for using so many of us as pawns in the games! You need to feel pain, and he deserves to die!" The other girl yelled. "He's not dead! He doesn't deserve to die!" You shouted back. You took your gun, firing a shot in between both girls. "That's a fucking warning shot, next time, the warning shot goes through your damn skull," you threatened, walking out of the hotel lobby, out to where the game players come back. You sat on the sidewalk, watching cars coming back, none containing your boyfriend. You saw Chishiya, and ran up to him. "I'm going to seem pathetic asking, but have you seen Niragi?" You asked, him swallowing back the tears of worry. Chishiya noted this want a time to joke about him being dead. He was a dick sometimes, but he also knew when it was enough. "No, I haven't. His game was on the other side of the city though. Maybe it was a longer game?" Chishiya answered. A soft 'oh' left your lips, and you nodded, thanking him. You went to a corner, sitting down facing the entrance. You brought your knees up to your face. "Please be ok... please... I need you here," you whimpered.

About an hour later, you heard the engine of a car come into the beach. You looked around, counting how many cars were already there. Only one was missing, which meant this car was the last one. You ran over quickly.

To your relief, you saw Niragi standing by the car, talking to Aguni about something. You ran to him, hugging him as soon as you got there. "Woah, hey there princess," he said, hugging you back. "You stupid jerk, I thought you died!" You cried into him. You weren't one for crying, but it had been a night. Aguni looked at you strangely as he had never seen you cry. Aguni excused himself, giving you time to be alone. Niragi looked down at you, feeling a tinge of guilt. "I- I thought i-i was- I was gonna b-be alone again!" You cried, snuggling your face into his chest. "Never. You'll never be alone again, ok? I'm not going to let some measly game take me out," he said, giving you a kiss to the top of your head. "Im going for a drive. You coming with me doll?" He asked, holding the keys in his hands. You nodded, drying your tears.

The drive wasn't like most others that started fast and reckless. It was slow. The kinds of drives you two had on the late nights. "What game did you have tonight?" You asked, trying to break the silence. "It was weird. A 5 of hearts. To win we had to kill the past in a way," he said, looking out. "That doesn't sound like a normal hearts game," you observed. "That's what I thought. Games of betrayal. The rules were simple. If you failed to kill the past, you failed. You had to say what part of your past you were killing too, or else you died... There were items all around the building, each from different people's past. There were films of people's memories, toys, pictures, audios, books, glasses... If everyone didn't manage to kill their past, the buildings boiler would explode," he explained. "What we're your items?" You asked, looking at him. "Glasses, notes, there was a video, a baseball, a pack of cigars and an empty beer bottle," he said. You pieced together the items. "The glasses you wore in highschool, the baseball that broke your nose more times than you can count, the notes kids used to pass you in class that said horrible things on them, the cigars your father burned you with, and the bottle you used to silence your sorrows," you said. ''Clever girl," he chuckled. "Your game?" He asked. "4 of spades. We had to diffuse a bomb in the that was at the top of this building, the elevator was out, and there was 20 flights of stairs. Oh, and a shooter. God was it fun shooting that motherfucker after he pulled my hair," you aaid. Niragi laughed slightly. The cool night breeze passed by you, and you closed your eyes. "When we go back to the old world, we should do this," you muttered, reaching for his hand. He grabbed your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours on the glove compartment. "I agree."

He had stopped the car on a bridge, although there was no water under, just gravel. "I used to come to this place, look down, and think it would be a quiet place. So I started going there after school, hiding. Until they found it. Then you found me there. I don't know why you talked to me in high school anyways," he said, looking over the railing, down to the gravel covered ground. "Because I knew you didn't deserve what people said or did to you. And I also thought it was a nice quiet place," you said as he put an arm around your waist. "What did you run away from? Something or someone in your past that scared you?" He asked. "My family, my feelings. The monsters that lived in my head," you said, leaning your head on his shoulder. "I really love you, you know?" He asked, looking up at the stars. "I know. I love you too. Love you more than there's stars in the sky," you responded.

I'm brain rot, helpppp-

Also, this is just like if you are in an established relationship with them. I feel like they open up a bit more to you, so that's why they might be OOC.

#niragi #chishiya #scenario #fluff?#mostlyfluff #some angst #id jump out of the car ngl #Alexa play daddy issues by the neighborhood-#Spotify

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kzuhadovey · 3 years

Text

loving and losing someone

character: mafia!beomgyu x female reader

type: angst <3

warnings: suicide, blood, violence

song reccomendation: everything i wanted - billie eilish

soo- this is my first mafia!au and my first beomgyu oneshot. i hope yall enjoy- i poured my heart and soul and i got kind of lazy at the end. i’m rlly sorry for not posting aswell- no inspo so this was just word vomit.

It was a cold day at your apartment. Beomgyu… still wasn’t home. He had said that he had a business meeting to attend- but it’s been over a day. He hasn’t replied to your texts, not even your calls, which he always answered. At first, you suspected him of cheating. He was always popular with the girls, getting looks and numbers. But he wouldn’t do that, right? But soon, after more than 5 hours of no info, you thought he was in danger. You slumped your head against the pillow, glancing at your phone on the coffee table. You were just hoping, he was just gonna call you right there and then. As you were about to call Beomgyu again, you heard a knock on the door. It was 10 PM- what were people doing here? You sit up and look through the peephole.

You paused. They were… Beomgyu’s workmates. One had bright pink hair and one had blonde hair. You recognized them from some pictures, and you smile excitedly. You open the door in a hurry, and they greet you with a soft smile. “H-hey.” You mutter. They barge into the room, surprising you a little. “Where’s Gyu? I know you guys work with him.” You say as one of them sprawl on the sofa and one wanders around for the kitchen. “He’s- busy. He’ll give you a call later, princess.” The blonde one says, lighting a cigarette. “Can you not smoke here?- The landlord’s gonna freak.” You say, chuckling. They were so vulgar- putting their feet on the table, smoking, cursing. “We have somethin’ to tell you, kid.” The pink-haired man walks out of the kitchen carrying 2 bottles of beer and a mug of coffee for you. “Ah- well alright.” You sit down awkwardly. Did he just make coffee for you? He hands you the mug aggressively, making some of it spill. He takes the bottle for himself and his yellow-headed friend.

“My name’s Taehyun, by the way. Kang Taehyun.” The blonde one starts and you shoot a small smile at him. He seemed charming. “That prick over there is Yeonjun. Jun for short.” Yeonjun nods his head towards you and you smile softly. “Why are you here?” You ask, sipping some of your coffee. “Gyu’s in trouble. And looks like you’re in trouble aswell, Missy.” Taehyun says, smiling. Your head feels heavy, you feel sleepy. “Gyu? Me? W-what happened?” Your words slur and Yeonjun only laughs. “Poor missy. Hey, boss is gonna like this.” Yeonjun laughs. “Boss?” You mutter, your eyes slowly closing. “G’night Missy.” Taehyun chuckles. Before you can even process what was happening, your eyes closed and you drifted into a deep sleep.

“Good job, Chip!” You shift awake, hearing a loud voice. It’s dark and… windy. You can barely see the figures in front of you and you instead focus behind them. You can see little sparks of light- buildings. Wait- you’re on a rooftop? You try to look to the right, but your neck strains painfully from the rope tied there. You’re tied to a chair, and you’re completely unable to move. You realize that you’ve been gagged aswell. “Aye, she’s awake! Hey Missy!” Your body is pushed forward by a large hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet ya- My name’s Changbin.” He shouts and you flinch. “Now missy- you might be wondering what ya doin’ here.” You roll your eyes. Obviously- you were tied to a chair and kidnapped. You were very very curious. “Jun! Take the kid out- c’mon.” Changbin screams behind you. You’re so desperate to look behind you, but the rope on your neck was pulling you down. You close your eyes. Please let this be over.

You hear a soft grunt behind you. “Let me out of here! Changbin- I swear to god- you’re dead!” A voice you recognize shouts. Beomgyu. What was he doing here? Was he kidnapped aswell? “Hey Gyu! Look what I got here!” Changbin shouts as he spins your chair, causing you to yelp from surprise. You look up- there he was. Blood was trickling from his cheek and forehead, bruises littered his shirtless body. Your eyes stared into his- he looked different. He looked deadly. His eyes softened as soon as he met yours- he could recognize those eyes anywhere. “Y/N.” He softly mutters. He wants nothing more than to wrap you in his embrace and tell you everything was okay. Unfortunately, his arms were being held behind his back and Yeonjun had a strong grip on his hair. “Why’d you bring her here? Please. Take her home- I’ll do whatever you want!” Beomgyu screams. You observe the desperate tone in his voice. “Ooh~ looks like Mister Pissy Pants is protective.” Changbin coos behind you. “What if… I held a knife up to her?” Changbin takes out a sharp pocket knife. “Like this?” Changbin holds the blade near your throat, causing you to nearly scream. You look up at Beomgyu, pleading with your eyes. “Should I kill the woman you love? Or you give me what I want?” The burn of the blade against your skin makes you clench your fist- blood started pouring slowly from your neck. “NO- FINE- I’LL GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT- PLEASE JUST LET HER GO!” Beomgyu screams. “Don’t hurt her. Please.” Tears pricked at Beomgyu’s eyes. “Alright alright~ Don’t get all emotional bro.” Changbin laughs as he pulls the blade away from your neck. “I’ll give you what I want. Let me- talk to her.” Beomgyu drops his head, trying to avoid the looks. “Ight. Boys, let the piss pant talk to the bitch.” Changbin could only roll his eyes as Beomgyu came crawling to you, cupping your face in his arms. “Don’t let her go. I have a gun at your head, piss pants.” Changbin warns as Taehyun and Yeonjun point guns at Beomgyu and you.

You tried to avoid eye contact, looking around steadily as Beomgyu slowly ungagged you. “Y/N. H-hey. You okay buns?” Beomgyu mutters. “Gyu.” You mutter with the voice you have. Your throat stung when you started speaking but you tried to talk the best you could. “What's this?” Beomgyu sighs. “So… I’m part of the mafia. One of the best gangs in the country. I’m the leader, buns? Can you believe that?” Beomgyu lets out a light chuckle. “M-mafia? I thought you- sung at cafes?” Changbin laughed behind you. “He came home late at night every fucking day- with blood on his hands- don’t tell me you’ve never noticed that, bubs.” Changbin teased behind you. “Shut the fuck up or I’ll stab your smug face right now.” Beomgyu warns, glaring at Changbin. “Woah- okay, Mister I love girlfriend.” Changbin rolls his eyes while Beomgyu’s eyes wander on yours. “Gyu. You’re not gonna die… right?” Beomgyu chuckled. “I might. I’m sorry.” He mutters. You feel frustrated, tired, angry. “Gyu. Why’d you- lie?” You mutter. “To protect you, love. I don’t want these men to ever hurt you- no- touch you anymore. I love you.” You didn’t even realize it, tears were spilling from your eyes. “Gyu. I don’t care that you’re in the damn mafia- just stay safe for me, yeah?” You say, looking down. Beomgyu lets out a small chuckle.

“I’m sorry.”

You look up at him, confused. “What do you mean? You’re not leaving me- are you?” Tears clouded your vision, and your breath was getting shorter every time. “I’m- so so, sorry, baby.” Beomgyu sighs. Before you could protest more, Beomgyu stands up and nods at Changbin. “Let her go. Take her home.” Beomgyu says, walking away. “And you give me what I want?” Changbin folds his arms. “Exactly the deal. 100 Million for each of you. Along with the files.” Beomgyu folds his arms. “Gyu. Gyu- Gyu wait.” You squeak with the best of your abilities but they don’t hear as they’re busy discussing things. “Good. Now. You know what to do.” Changbin says as the others start leaving one by one, carrying a large suitcase. “Wait. Wait what’s happening?” You try talking louder, shifting your wrists right and left. “Disappear. Never come back. Got ya.” Beomgyu says and you freeze.

Disappear?

Beomgyu walks to you and smiles. “I love you. So so much. Hm?” Beomgyu takes your face and kisses your forehead. “I’ll be gone now. I hope you have a good life okay bubs?” You start crying again- this time harder. “Wait- what do you mean by disappear? Take me with you. Please. Please.” You protest, but it’s too late. He’s walked away, and Changbin’s suddenly opening up your ropes. “Be careful Missy. Shut up or you’ll hurt yourself.” Changbin says as he forcefully pushes you back to the chair. “BEOMGYU!” You scream, trying to see him. You finally observe the peaceful sight of him, standing on the edge of the roof, looking down. “Beomgyu! Wait- wait- let me come with you- please-” You scream as the last of your restraints finally comes off. You run to him, but it’s too late. He looks at you one last time. His brown hair was flowing messily and dried blood trickled on his cheek. He puts on a small smile. It was almost as if he said… “Thank you for loving me.” You try to grasp at the fabric of his sweatshirt but it’s over for you. He falls backward, towards the ground, but he feels… free. As you cover your eyes to avoid the sight, it was as if you felt him. The warm presence of him, littering you with kisses and smiles. It finally… felt calm. That was the beauty of loving and then losing someone.

A/N: the end felt cringey- sorry- also send in requests!!

#beomgyu #beomgyu x reader #beomgyu imagines #txt imagines #txt #txt angst #mafia!au #mafia!beomgyu #beomgyu angst #kpop #kpop imagines #choi beomgyu #choi beomgyu imagines

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werezmastarbucks · 4 years

Text

coming back was a mistake

the reader bonds with kai over their shared dislike of mystic falls

kai parker x fem!reader

word count: 2494

warnings: language, the POV’s are changing

music: poa alpina by biosphere

This damn hole hasn’t changed a bit. The same old story: clean, tongue-licked glowing welcome sign. There we go. Then there will be this turn on the left... oh no, wait, bless, the road has been destroyed. The wooden white bridge connects this part of the highway with the town, and here we go. First houses, Livingstones used to live here, and their son was bullied by literally everyone at school, because he always had stupid haircuts. Word is, he’s dead. Welcome to Mystic Falls, the town where normal people can last up to one year.

Your house was still standing on the 19th November Street, cuddled by dry rose bushes. Apalling. All the other houses on the street have it together. The window sills are freshly painted and the porch is clean, the flowers are watered and cut, and then there’s this fucking outrage of a dwelling where the remains of your family reside.

You had to keep your act together but this town just infuriated you. You couldn’t understand why people would stay here when they could leave right after they’ve turned of age. What kept them? The charming crab-shaped park where everybody stored their dead bodies? The library on the main square where the entitled old lady has been residing for the last 500 years and telling you off for breathing? The blood-red clock tower dinging and donging every damn twenty minutes. No, wait, it must be the staggering fifteen streets. It must be the magic of running into your parents on the Market Street at ten am when you’re supposed to be at school. It’s the neighbors watch, the bored, jaded people’s desire to know everything about everybody. It must be all the supernatural jerks swarming here, killing everybody left and right, acting like their collective age is twenty years old. The fashion in this city has not changed since two thousand and thirteen, either. Nothing did.

The blood-red clock tower was still announcing the midnight hour through the dense hot air, the cars were still disgustingly clean like the citizens had nothing else to do except wash their cars all day long; Damon Salvatore still had the bitch expression on his face, fuming over the next this-just-in ghoul drama, pacing slowly in the living room of his ridiculous, always half-lit mansion with a glass of bourbon in his hand. Stefan was still miserable. Elena’s hair was still golden-black, smooth like a mirror, and you were still mortally tired of all this.

You could feel your negativity fill you up to your throat and eating on you as you drove up to the house and looked at it. The light was on, but nobody came out to meet you.

You were still coming once a year.

You sighed and turned off the engine, then left the car. It’s just a week. Then you can come back home and start pretending you don’t have Mystic Falls past again. The thought of going back home, running back like a rabbit, was what got you through every year.

You walked up the porch. The door wasn’t locked.

He liked this space here. The tenth row, seventeenth seat. He was like a cat, choosing the perfect spot. From here, he could see the clearing between the trees on the other side of the field, where a lady was walking her adorable huskie every evening at eight sharp. The dog was damn smart and the lady wasn’t. Kai had no idea how smart she actually was, she just didn’t look smart. The field below was empty now that it was summer and the eerie hollow feeling gave him a lot of kicks. The place that’s supposed to be full of people, literally made for big gatherings, the seats and all, empty, gave a special vibe. Looking around it, especially at the evening hour, when August was doing its best in the skies, was strangely nice. Nobody saw this side of Kai Parker when he was just sitting quietly, an expression of satisfaction on his face, on his chosen spot, and observed this quiet empty place like a little black king.

He saw somebody and went invisible in a second out of some instinct he couldn’t explain. It’s been some time since his presence caused an outcry of anguish among the party of people... a lot of time, actually. Nowadays, people would just roll their eyes. Don’t care. They’re the losers, living in this boring swamp, fidgeting with their pathetic drama every day. Kai didn’t know how they managed to tolerate themselves. And the hair! Everybody had this inexplicably perfect hair, glistening like they all wore wigs.

Oh my god.

What if they all wear wigs?!

Kai started giggling, thinking about that.

He was now looking at this girl in a crop top that matched the color of her skin. The girls do that, they wear the tops that match their skin which Kai finds very suggestive. Okay, you have all my attention.

Cruising around this unbearable place, he has familiarized with all the faces, and this one was new right away. She started running. You know how people usually jog, without a hurry, with the dumb light-hearted expressions on their faces, and the 90% of them always imagine they’re in some expensive automobile commercial. It helps them jof. This one ran. She did two tours around the field and stopped. Wrong, you’re supposed to walk or else your heart will burst. She stood, her hands on her thighs, her face up, and watched the sky. Kai had no idea why he was hiding from her, but he felt too comfortable now to manifest himself. She was listening to her music in her earphones and looking at the slowly drifting long clouds, and she looked like she was either pissed or very thirsty. Leaning a bit backwards, she just gave him the honors. The ribs were heaving, her stomach breathing for her. Her hand came up to her throat. Kai tried to picture her at the Mystic Grill, or on the main square; whether she looked similar to anybody he’s seen here; he looked at her hands and arms, the way she moved her jaw as if those pretty lilac clouds have done something to her and she was about to get even. She shook her head animalistically, getting rid of some thought. Girl, I know that. You’re trying to shake them all off through your ears, it doesn’t work. He felt for this pretty, collected lady who ran around the track like she was chasing somebody for a murder. Kai liked that kind of interaction the most; when he pretended they had connected. That they had a conversation. When nobody could argue with his illusion they had something in common.

He liked how she had her hair, a bit messy but feminine; the way she looked around dispassionately like she’s had enough of whatever shit she had going on. Like she seemed as if she was a separate entity. Her elbow pointed aside, with some kind of expectation.

Then she gave up. She put on a hoodie she’d thrown onto a first row seat and started walking up slowly. One, two three... four rows... Kai watched her curiously. He never doubted his magic. That’s right, not ever. You know.

But when she passed row nine he tilted his head. She came up to his row and started walking. Now, if she sits right on him, she will feel it. He will, too, and of course he won’t mind, but the girls usually freak out if they try to take a seat somewhere and there’s an invisible dude. Not that Kai had practiced it a lot. He just knew they didn’t like being stalked on. He didn’t really care. He doesn’t know her. If she’s a part of this town, screw her. She’s pretty up close, though, such a nice, frowning face, big eyes. She took the next seat to him and they almost rubbed shoulders. If she took off her earphones she would hear Kai breathe next to her. Instead, he was listening to slow ambient. It went well with the evening sky.

Together, they watched the huskie and the lady run around in the field behind the footbal field. Then she shivered a little in her hoodie. Kai wished he could read her mind when she started crying. When people don’t know they’re being watched, they cry in a very specific fashion. Kai was sure it wasn’t the huskie that upset her; it had something to do with her standing and watching the sky, rubbing her elbows with nervous fingers.

Or maybe she was unhappy with her running time, who gives a fuck.

You were watching this dude. The Grill did not appreciate him the way they should’ve. First of all, he was different breed. People come and go, but the type is always the same. This one was not the type. You had no idea who he was, but he was damn entertaining. Unapologetic singer. Stretching the notes like nobody was watching. Singing for the soul. He enjoyed himself the harder the more confused people looked, throwing awkward glances in his direction. His self esteem was on point as he expressed the ultimate artistic freedom through his bad singing, skipping the words masterfully and changing the melody on a whim. When the song was finally over, nobody clapped, and you felt that truly, he was the underrated artist, the local gem. Where Mystic Falls citizens cared for how others perceive them, he didn’t give a shit about it; while they side eyed their friends judging him silently, he was glowing with self-satisfaction. He was a bad singer, and a bad dancer; he chose an old song nobody knew, and did the finger guns at the DJ as he left the stage. A collective sigh of relief shuddered over the bar; you leaned over the counter, and the bartender nodded at you.

“Pass a cider to that guy. Tell him he saved my evening”.

Jerry was the name of the bartender. He was the new guy, because almost all bar people at the Grill were always human, which meant they died all the time. They all looked exactly the same though, and Jerry was no different from Evan, from seven years ago. Short dark hair, dimples, could star in American Pie. He smirked and nodded again.

The guy has just landed at the counter with a swing. He sighed happily as Jerry put the glass in front of him. You weren’t watching, because you didn’t feel like it; you made the sincere gesture of friendliness, no need to take it further. However, you should’ve known what would happen next. No good deed ever goes unpunished in this world.

You spotted him with the corner of your eye as he approached you, with the cider you ordered for him, and sat next to you.

“Well, that’s not too bad at all...” he started.

You turned to the guy - who looked rather like a boy who got stuck in his post-teenage phase - sharply.

“Please, don’t take it personal. It was not intended that way. It’s just a drink, so, drink it”.

For a second, he just watched you, as if challenging you for more talking. Then he shrugged.

“Somebody’s feeling antisociable today”.

And sipped a little from the glass.

“I usually take cocktails, the sweeter the better, just so you know”.

You sighed. A part of you knew you would regret it. But you still did it. Why? You looked in front of you, meeting your own miserable face in the reflection of the mirror wall behind the bar. The guy kept talking.

“I mean, it’s so nice to start acquiring the fan base, I guess, you can get a lot of things as a rock star. I’ve always wanted to be one”.

“You won’t be a rock star for your singing voice”, you noted.

Drinking alone at the Grill sometimes made you do weird stuff. But it was a tradition.

“Huh? You didn’t like it?”

“I enjoyed how much it confused everybody else”.

The guy expressed an ‘oof’ emotion.

“I’m sensing some xenophobia here. You hate this place, too?”

You didn’t answer. The guy sighed mockingly, as if he was pretending. He sounded like a hyperactive child, and in spite of your very self, you found him relatable.

“I say to myself every day”, he went on, in a slightly more serious voice, “Kai, today you’re leaving Mystic Falls. I’m not in the place where I can tolerate this boredom any more, you know? But this thing... keeps me here. I can’t wait to...”

You blinked and looked at him.

“Kai? Your name is Kai?”

“Uh, yeah”.

He clincked his glass on yours.

“Cheers”.

“What’s it short for?”

He didn’t look too proud saying,

“Malachai”.

You dropped your jaw.

“That is the coolest name I’ve ever heard. Malachai? Seriously?”

He lit up a little bit, straightening his back with praise.

“Yeah”.

“Dude, this is badass. Show me your ID!”

His dark eyes were laughing. You finally took a proper look of him. There was something foreign about him although he spoke very clear American English. It was a different kind of foreign: alien. Given it’s Mystic Falls, stagnating in its own revolving old routine, alien was good even if it was dangerous.

“You wanna see my ID?” he chuckled. He looked down on you with an adoring glint in his eye as though he was admiring something he saw. His reactions were inexplicable.

“Yeah, I wanna see how it’s spelt. Come on, Malachai, it’s so boring here. Show me”.

He sniffed through his nose.

“Okay”.

He had to stand up a little bit to take his ID from the back pocket of his jeans. You looked at it, visualizing his unusual name. Malachai Parker sounded fucking elite. He’s come a long way from Oregon, too. You wondered what he was doing here and was about to ask, but your glance got hooked on the year of birth.

“1972? You were born in...”

Frustration filled you slowly like lake water. Of course, the only interesting, good-looking character who’s fun enough, will be one of the messy freaks, here. You passed the card back to him.

“Are you one of them?”

Malachai didn’t look confused or insecure which further advanced your disappointment.

“What do you mean?” he asked with a grin, playing with you.

“I’m not having this tonight”.

You downed your glass, feeling earthly tired. Like the earth. The Earth, that’s billion of years old, like that.

You stood up to walk away.

“I’m not one of the vampires”, Kai chanted, turning on his seat.

You shrugged.

“Even worse”.

He watched you as you went, his eyes not leaving your back until you were out of the door. Then he realized he still didn’t have your name.

#kai parker #kai parker imagine #kai parker x reader #vampire diaries imagine #vampire diaries

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stardust-walker · 3 years

Text

High Hopes: Chapter 11

Previous Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

word count: 3364

______________________________________

Dove never thought that she would see sunlight again. She felt sad for losing Jacqui, of course. The older woman had been kinder to her and Carol than she had to be, but she was more grateful to have her family with her. To be able to feel the sun on her face again. She stood close by Carol as she watched the men try to bust the windows down with everything, they could get their hands on. The axes, chairs, hell even the guns. Nothing worked.

A thought crossed through Dove’s head as she sat on the ground next to Sophia to shield her from anything that might go flying. In an instant, her attention was drawn away from the window to her sister who was already on her feet, ready to hand Rick a grenade. She scrambled to her feet, more careful as she pulled Sophia right along with her. “A nail file isn’t gonna help,” Shane said. God even close to death, Shane can be a fucking asshole. She said nothing and smirked to herself as she saw the shock cross Rick’s face.

The explosion was loud and shook the whole room. Sophia yelped and Dove covered her ears as the grenade exploded and the glass shattered. She could feel the wind on her back already, they were so nearly free. There was shouting as everyone began to pile towards the window. Glenn jumped down out of the window and held his hand out to Dove, ready to steady her when she landed. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she turned and held her arms out for Sophia as the others continued to jump around her. “Just jump, Sophia. I got you!” Dove called up to her as Carol jumped down and cast a worried glance between her family members.

“You can do it Sophia, come on honey. It’s not that far,” Carol’s voice shook.

Sophia let out a small whimper before she finally jumped. Just like she promised, Dove leaned forward and caught the girl before her feet could touch the ground. “Good girl, Soph,” Glenn managed a weak smile as the four of them took off towards the cars with the rest of the group. There were walkers everywhere, but they were going down just as fast. It was only as she pushed Sophia and Carol closer to the car that she noticed something.

“Wait where’s Dale,” Dove shouted over the chaos.

Carol froze, hand on the door handle to the car before she pointed towards the building. “There they are!” Dove took her word for it as she opened the passenger side door and got into the car. She wanted Carol to slam on the gas and just go but she knew there was no way they were going anywhere alone.

The shockwaves from the CDC exploding shook the earth around them as Carol laid down across the front seat. Dove peeked her head up when it was finally over, only to see that Sophia was peeking her head up from the floor of the Jeep. “Good girl,” Dove chuckled weakly as she reached back and ruffled Sophia’s hair.

A look through the back window before the caravan started to move showed that T and even Daryl looked just as frightened as everyone else did. There was nowhere to go but forward. The younger woman leaned back in the passenger seat as Carol put the car in drive. It was the first time in a long time that she just wanted to drive in silence.

No matter how nice they were, Dove didn’t like the idea of heading back to the Vatos gang. Something just didn’t feel right about it and she was sure to tell her sister about it. “Listen, I mean they weren’t bad people. There were a lot of them there, I just don’t know if they’ll be so willing to take in a big group of people,” she muttered to Carol after she heard Rick talk over the walkie.

Carol sighed and ran a hand down her face. “I don’t know. We might as well go if Rick thinks it’s a good idea.” She tried to keep her voice down as best she could. Dove could feel for her, still wanting to protect Sophia from hearing things she shouldn’t have to.

A quick look over her shoulder and Dove leaned closer to her sister in the front seat. “Yeah well Rick also thought the CDC was a good idea and look…”

“Enough. We’re not talking about this anymore,” Carol shook her head as she reached over and hit the volume button on the radio. Dove’s music started right back up where she left off and she was left feeling like a scolded child as she huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

It was silent until they pulled up to the gates, then it was too silent. Dove whispered, “Sophia, do me a favor? Hand me that crowbar in the hatch back there,” Dove said as she continued to stare out the front windshield.

“This one,” Sophia questioned as she passed it in between the two women in the front seat.

Carol looked between her sister and the weapon but didn’t say anything. Dove beamed as she took the bar from the girl’s hand. “Yes, that exact one. Thank you, sweetheart.” She felt like a line of ants as the group marched along together up to the bricks that marked the entrance.

“All the guns they gave us, they’ll probably throw us a party,” Daryl answered as Andrea voiced Dove’s own concerns about the group, they were on their way to see. “Good call…for once,” he glanced sideways at Rick. Dove rolled her eyes and held a hand behind her.

“Just stay behind me, okay,” she said quietly to Carol and Sophia. As they walked further in, it felt more and more wrong.

“Where’re the lookouts,” Glenn panicked.

“Something isn’t right here,” Dove hissed back quietly as her eyes darted around the grounds. A few moments later, she realized what exactly had happened. Walkers were inside the camp. Panic swept over her as she turned her back to the men and focused on Sophia. Carol already held a hand over her eyes and crouched down next to her. “Don’t scream it’s gonna be alright,” Dove tried to keep her voice calm even though she felt her own panic rising.

She pulled Sophia right after her as they began to follow Rick through the building. Dove offered quiet words of encouragement to Sophia for being able to keep quiet, hell it was worth a shot. It didn’t help much as the little girl rounded the corner first and got a full view of a few dead bodies. As Sophia clung to her mother, Dove’s attention turned to Daryl. “You shut that little girl the hell up! Right now, or I will” he growled back at them.

Dove narrowed her eyes and raised her crowbar slightly until a strong grip made her stop. “You cut that out, right now.” Lori warned him as she pushed Dove back a step. She had to give it to the other woman, she had really nailed the ‘lecturing mom’ look and voice. It even made Dixon stop with how intense she was. A sharp tug on her arm pulled her back as the women went to block the doors. “Listen, I know you’re angry.” Lori sighed as they pulled an empty refrigerator across the room together, “but you can’t let him get to you like that.”

Dove huffed as she pulled harder on the fridge, a relieved exhale left her as Lori nodded to show that it was good enough. Dove brushed her hair back from her face and lowered her voice. “He threatened Sophia.”

Lori shook her head and placed a hand on the younger brunette’s shoulder, “You leave Daryl to me. I mean he listened this time, right?” Dove didn’t answer and Lori continued. “Besides, if he gets too out of hand, we’ll just sick you on him.” Lori gave her arm a playful shove before she marched back over to the others.

“Promises, promises,” Dove chuckled as she picked up her crowbar and tried to prepare herself for what else they might see. Sudden movement behind the door made her drop to the ground where she stood. Her eyes locked with Carol until it was safe enough to move.

It was serious business when Carol was angry enough to speak her mind and Dove knew it. “Are you telling the truth or are you lying like all the other times?” Carol looked angry and Dove felt a wave of admiration go through her. There she was, that was the woman that made Dove want to be strong. The real Carol peeked through for a moment and then it was gone like a puff of smoke as Lori spoke in defense of her husband.

Dove placed a hand on Carol’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze, “Atta girl,” she muttered under her breath.

“The hell happened,” Glenn sighed as he looked around the room.

“What do you think,” Andrea spoke up. Dove felt her blood start to boil. Did she have to be so condescending? “They got overrun.” Dove rolled her eyes, then raised her eyebrows. Daryl had scoffed at the other woman. “Something to say,” Andrea snapped.

“Uh yeah, how about observant,” Daryl snapped right back.

Andrea nodded, “Observant. Big word coming from a guy like you. Three whole syllables.”

Dove pinched the bridge of her nose, “Can you like stop being a condescending bitch for like 5 damn seconds and let someone else have an opinion?” She planted her feet on the ground and placed her hand on her hip as she observed the other woman. There was a stunned silence for a moment before Daryl continued. Hell, she never thought she’d defend Daryl ever, especially after what he’d said to Sophia, but everyone deserved to have their voices heard.

Daryl continued, “Walkers didn’t do this.” That was clear to anyone with a brain. The ones she’d seen all had headshots. “Geeks didn’t show up until all this went down. Somebody attacked this place.” Dove felt Sophia shift closer to her. “Killed all these people, took whatever they wanted. They’re all shot in the head, execution style. Y’all worried about walkers? What about the people that came and did all this?”

Dove glanced over at Rick as he looked over a body. A nod from the sheriff seemed to confirm everything that Daryl had just said. Dove never thought she would see the day when she could appreciate any words coming out of the mouth of Daryl Dixon, but she never thought she’d see the dead walk either. “Get a dictionary,” Daryl smirked at Andrea, “look it up. Observant.”

Dove couldn’t fight back the nervous giggle that left her lips at Andrea’s face. A subtle slap to the arm made her clear her throat as she rose to her feet again. “Sorry. Sorry,” she mumbled as she placed a hand over her mouth and walked over closer to Glenn.

Glenn watched as Daryl left the room. “Did that just happen,” he mumbled to Dove.

“I don’t know about you, but that might have just about been the best thing I’ve seen in weeks,” Dove whispered back. “But odds are, that might have shoved the stick further up Andrea’s ass.” She nudged Glenn as the group started to move on again. Glenn just shook his head.

One bottle of water, garbanzo beans, and fucking cough drops. That’s all that was left out of everything Guillermo had fought for. What would be left of her when she died? Probably just a crowbar, a comfortable pair of boots, and maybe a few old pieces of jewelry. That’s if she was lucky.

“I don’t think salty snacks are that great without water,” Dove sighed as she caught the bag of chips Shane had tossed to her.. “I think I’ll pass,” she smiled as she held out her bag of chips to Carl. The little boy took them with a big beaming smile.

Dove wasn’t that surprised at all to see that Shane had managed to smuggle a bottle of wine out of the CDC right along with him. “I’d go easy on that stuff,” Lori spoke up again as Daryl went to open the bottle, “don’t forget where we are.”

Daryl nodded and uttered a quick, “Yes ma’am,” before popping the bottle open. Dove ruffled Sophia’s hair as she tried her best to look like she was enjoying the meal in front of her. It made her sad to think about all the things her family might have been through without her around.

Dove sighed and dug through the bag she had left in the car. She shuffled a pack of cards nervously as Glenn brought up all the people that had been killed. Her eyes drifted around the room before they landed on Daryl. He just shook his head as he took another drink from the bottle. Carol shook her head as the men left the room. “I’m perfectly fine with them talking about it with adults here but with the kids, they really do need to be more careful,” she sighed as she stroked Sophia’s hair and tried to calm her down.

Lori sank down to the ground next to Carl and stared at the paper crafts on the wall. “I’m sorry, Carol. I can talk to them when they get back in if you want.”

Dove shook her head as she focused on the movement of the cards between her hands. “You don’t have to. I’ll do it.” Her focus shifted to the other woman, a look of surprise on her face. “You don’t have to carry the weight of actual common sense on your shoulders, Lori. I got you this time, but you owe me.” Lori smiled gratefully as she went to reply but was interrupted by a scoff from across the room. “You got some other enlightening information for us all Andrea, or are you just going to sit over there are wallow enough for all of us?” Dove’s attention turned to the blonde woman.

Andrea shifted forward as she spoke, “You’re all trying to play leader like it matter or something. Everything’s gone. None of that matters anymore! Look around us! Everyone else is dead,” Andrea stopped as Sophia began to whimper and inched closer to Carol.

Dove gripped the cards in her hands so tight she thought she might break the skin before she composed herself enough to reply, “If none of it matters then why the hell are you still here? You don’t even believe half of the shit you’re spewing out. I think you’re just angry because Dale wouldn’t let you get yourself blown up and on top of it? You got outsmarted by Daryl Dixon of all people! Now I can’t imagine how that would feel, but what I would like to imagine is for you to decide whether you want to stay here and act like shit matters or else you decide to go out on your own and get yourself killed.” The silence between the women in the room was palpable as Carol stared at her sister and Lori placed an arm around Carl.

“You must have been a shitty counselor,” Andrea snapped at the brunette across from her.

“Yeah and you must have been a real shit lawyer if that’s your only argument. Now shut the hell up and eat your beans or I’ll come over there and take them for someone who’s actually grateful for what they got,” Dove snapped. The silence was only broken by the door being opened back up and the men filed back in. A confused look crossed Dale’s face as he glanced over and saw Andrea begin to pick at the food on her plate. A hand raised in the air and that said to Dove that he wasn’t even going to ask.

A few hours passed after Dove had taken it upon herself to talk to Glenn about not upsetting Sophia and she felt like she had kicked a puppy. At least she’d done him the courtesy of doing it while he was on watch. A hand shook her awake from her slumber as she jolted up. It was Glenn. “Hey, you asked me to let you know when I was off watch. You sure you wanna go out there,” even in the dark, she could see the worry cross his face.

Dove sighed heavily as she dug into her bag and pulled out the pack of cigarettes she’d been trying to sneak since this whole thing started. She’d been too close to Carol, she’d feared a lecture, but now she couldn’t give a fuck. “Yeah, gotta bite the bullet and go talk to the other one.” She ran a hand through her hair as she shoved the pack and her lighter into her pocket. Glenn held a handout and helped his friend to her feet before he took her spot on the ground next to Carol and Sophia. “Keep it warm for me, buddy,” Dove winked at the younger man as she headed quietly to the door.

She didn’t have to look far until she saw the man on the top of the stairs. His hearing must have been better than she thought as he turned to see her walk down the hallway. Dove pulled her hands from her pockets and held them up, pack in one hand and lighter in the other. “I come in peace,” she whispered as she came to a stop by the railing. Daryl just grunted as he turned to look back down the stairs. The only sound the echoed between them for a moment was a click from the lighter and then a relieved sigh as the cigarette finally lit. Dove held out the pack to Daryl as she removed the cigarette from her mouth and blew the smoke out after a few seconds. “A one-time offer,” she chirped as she waved the pack in front of the man and handed him the lighter after he swiped it from her hand.

“What do ya want,” he whispered as he began to light his cigarette.

Dove sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Sorry that I told you I was going to put you in a chokehold. I was stressed,” she caught Daryl’s eye for a moment. The look on his face made her want to shrink back into her coat. “Yeah, that must sound pretty stupid. I’m not sorry for wanting to kick your ass for being a dick to Sophia though.” She laughed quietly before Daryl spoke up.

“Apology accepted. But next time you threaten me with something, you best follow through,” Daryl’s response was humorless and Dove just nodded in response.

The two of them spent the next few minutes in silence. Smoke filling their lungs and being blown back out into the air every few seconds. Dove yawned and raised her arms above her head, “I thought it was pretty awesome how you took charge before when Andrea tried to call you stupid.”

Another scoff. “I didn’t do it to fucking be awesome. Ya’ll gotta know what we’re dealin with. I don’t give a shit if someone thinks I’m stupid. So long as I know I got my shit together.”

Dove nodded her head as she tossed cigarette to the floor. The light on the end of the cigarette went out as she pressed the toe of her shoe into it and blew the last of the smoke from her mouth. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re that stupid.” Daryl turned his head slightly to look at her, his expression unreadable. A smirk crept onto Dove’s face as she leaned down slightly, “but if you threaten my niece again? I just might have to kill you.” She stood up straighter again, as calm as ever. “Night,” she cooed over her shoulder and then she was off down the hallway again. Within a matter of seconds, Daryl was alone in the hallway again and it was like it never happened.

@crossbowking @momc95 @chaotic-gary-king-stan

#daryl dixon #daryl dixon imagine #daryl dixon fanfic #daryl dixon fanfiction #Daryl DIxon fic #daryl x oc #daryl dixon x oc #daryl x reader #daryl dixon x reader #The Walking Dead #the walking dead fanfiction #the walking dead fanfic #twd fanfic #twd #twd fanfiction #lori grimes #carol peletier #we love and appreciate lori grimes in this house #my writing

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whitewitchdani · 4 years

Text

Laters, Baby: Chapter 12

Read Chapter 11 Here

Word Count: 1780

Pairing: Winchester!Sister x Reader

Warnings: angst, language, description of injury, mention of a serial killer

A/N: Sorry I’ve been MIA y’all. I had to go back to work and it sucked. lol. Here’s chapter 12! Let me know what you think and if you’d like to be tagged. :)

Laters, Baby Masterlist

“Simple salt and burn my ass. Did Bobby do any research on this house before he gave us this case?” You complained as you sat at the motel table doing research while Dean cleaned his gun on the bed and Sam had just finished showering.

“Why, what’s up?” asked Sam as he approached you from behind drying his hair.

“This house was the site of a serial killing. A victim of the BTK killer was killed here, oh my god.”

“No way. Really?” Sam asked as he looked at the laptop over your shoulder.

“BTK? What the hell is that?” asked Dean as he slid a magazine into place.

“Seriously Dean? He’s one of the most famous serial killers in history; he killed at least 10 people. I learned about him in one of my classes at Stanford. BTK stands for bind, torture, kill. Guy still gives me the skeeves,” you shuddered.

“Shit really? And this is a victims house?” Dean asked as he walked toward the motel table.

“Yeah checks out. And the way the people have been being attacked lines up with the way the girl was attacked and killed,” answered Sam.

“So is it the victim or BTK?” Dean asked as he walked around the table and sat down, leaning back to reach the fridge and grab a round of beers for everyone.

“Well Rader, BTK, died in prison. So there’s no reason for him to be tied to that house. I’d say it’s definitely our girl,” you replied as you accepted the beer from Dean.

“This is going to be an interesting case,” Sam said with a sigh as he took the beer from Dean and sat down. “Haven’t had a good ghost hunt in a while.”

“It says here she’s buried in the town cemetery. So, Dean, you wanna go dig her up while Sam and I go to the house?” you asked as you shut the laptop.

“Why do I always get the dirty jobs?”

“You lied to Sam and me for over 25 years; I don’t want to hear you complain about anything I ask you to do for a very, very long time,” you batted your eyes at your eldest brother.

He nodded his head at you, “Touché, kid. Touché.”

------------ Later at the house, you and Sam made sure the place was empty. The previous occupants had fled after the last attack, leaving the home vacant. It was silent in the small house, until the ring of Sam’s phone caused both of you to jump.

Sam grabbed it and looked at the caller ID, “It’s Dean.” Flipping it open, he put it on speaker and answered. “Hey Dean, did you find the grave?”

You both heard heavy breathing on the other end of the line, “I’m getting too old for this shit.”

“You’re 30, Dean,” Sam rolled his eyes, “Did you burn the bones?”

“Yes I burned the bones,” he replied out of breath. “I just finished filling in the grave.”

“Alright, Sam and I will sweep the house one last time so just get back here.”

“Super.” Dean rasped out before he hung up.

Sam flipped the phone closed and turned to face you, “Well, you take upstairs and I’ll take downstairs?”

“Meet back at the front door and then we can get the hell out of here in time to hit the bar.”

Sam rolled his eyes with a smile as you ran up the stairs. You looked through the bedrooms and, finding nothing, began to trudge back down the stairs. As you hit the second step on the staircase, you felt two hands in the small of your back and before you could react, they gave you a hard shove. With a scream, you tumbled down the stairs and landed at the bottom with a thump.

Sam came scrambling around the corner to the base of the stairs to see you groaning at the bottom. “Y/N!” He rushed to your side and breathed a sigh of relief to see you were still conscious. “Are you alright?”

“Just peachy, Sam. Not like I just fell down a damn flight of stairs or anything.” You rolled your eyes at your twin. Attempting to stand, you hissed and grimaced as you put weight on your right hand, “Ah! Son of a bitch! Goddammit I think I broke my wrist.”

Your brother grabbed your wrist to examine it and opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by the front door slamming open. You both turned expecting another ghostly encounter, only to see your older brother strut in waving his gun around.

Dean walked in and cleared the room before looking at his siblings on the floor, “I heard Y/N scream, what happened?”

Sam helped you stand as you answered, “Well, either our girl’s tied here some other way, or there’s something else in this house. Something pushed me down those stairs and now my goddamn wrist is broken.”

“I burned those bones, there’s no way that ghost is still here.”

“Then what else could be here?” Sam crossed his arms in frustration.

“Well I didn’t throw myself down the stairs. Something is here,” you groaned as you held your wrist and leaned on Sam to stay upright.

“Good observation, Winchester.”

All three of you turned to follow a British accent towards the staircase finding a tall, blonde man standing in the middle of them. As your eyes met his, he flashed his blue eyes onyx causing every Winchester in the room to let out a collective sigh.

“Seriously? I’m gonna kill Bobby. Simple salt and burn my ass,” you repeated your sentiment from earlier in the evening.

“Don’t blame your surly hunter friend, Winchester. Before I arrived it WAS just the spirit here.” The demon began to descend the stairs as he spoke, “No I’m here for a different reason all together.”

“What could you possibly want?” you yelled.

“You, Miss Winchester. You see, our Father has issued a bounty on you. Any demon that brings you back to him alive will be rewarded greatly, and I intend to be that demon.” His thin lips curled into a sickly smile.

“Like hell.” Dean fired the shotgun into the demon’s chest, causing him to fly backwards. “Time to go.” He grabbed your good wrist and pulled you through the front door, Sam pulling up the rear.

Suddenly, Sam got thrown by a force into the lawn.

“Sam!” you yelled. You and Dean turned to look back and saw the demon in the doorway.

Your brother put an arm protectively in front of you, “You aren’t taking her to Lucifer. Over my dead body.”

“That can be arranged.” The demon smiled, “Just give me the girl and no one gets hurt. For once no one gives a rat’s ass about the infamous Winchester brothers, just their whore sister who miraculously is the soulmate to the devil.”

“Hey!” You yelled at him. “Just because you’re a demon doesn’t give you license to be a dick.”

“No one talks to my sister like that.” Dean lifted the shotgun once more but with a wave of his hand, the demon flicked it out of his hands. With another wave, Dean was thrown away from you.

“Dean!” He and Sam were groaning in a heap on the lawn, leaving you alone with the demon on the sidewalk. You turned your attention to him, “I’m not going with you.”

“My dear, I don’t think you’ll have a choice. See, I’m a demon and you’re an injured, female hunter. Not exactly much of a fight,” he smirked. In a flash, he backhanded you across the face.

Your face turned to the side with the force. You looked at him wide eyed as you wiped the blood from the corner of your mouth, realizing he had a bit of a point. But you’d be damned if you went down without a fight. Bringing your leg up behind you, you grabbed Ruby’s demon knife out of your boot. You leaned forward and slashed, making contact with his arm.

“AH! You bitch! You’re lucky Lucifer wants you or I’d kill you right here.”

“Not if I kill you first you black eyed bastard.”

Fighting with your non-dominant hand was difficult, but you held your own. The demon got a few licks in, but he was no match for the knife. Dean yelled from the lawn, causing the demon to look away from you just long enough to make your move. With one swing, you brought your left hand around and plunged the demon knife into his chest, causing him to spark orange inside his vessel as he died.

The vessel collapsed on the ground as your brothers rose from it, making their way over to you. You bent over and pulled the knife from the man’s chest, the blade still smoking.

Sam got to you first, “You alright?” He grabbed your face to check the split lip and saw a bruise forming on your cheek.

“I’m fine Sam. I just need Bobby to set this stupid thing and I’ll be good as new.”

“Friggin’ demons man.” Dean growled as he made his way to the driver’s side of the Impala.

“My sentiments exactly. But Dean, Lucifer issued a bounty for me. Attacks like this are only going to get worse,” you slid into the backseat with your twin, him tending to your injuries.

“I know, kid. We’ll figure something out.”

Dean threw the car into drive and headed back to Sioux Falls. With a yelp from you, Sam set your wrist and wrapped it in a bandage from the first aid kit. You gave him a look of contempt as he did so since you A. weren’t expecting it and B. expected Bobby to do it when you got back.

“You better not have fucked that up, or I’ll re-break it on your jaw,” you smirked at your brother.

“Ha-Ha. You know it’s right; I wanted to get it set before it started to heal wrong.” He sighed, “What are you thinking Y/N/N? I can see your wheels turning.”

You sighed in return, “That I should just go to Lucifer like I planned. You and Dean are gonna get hurt soon and I don’t wanna risk it.” You replied to him lowly so Dean wouldn’t hear; he was pissed enough.

“You know that isn’t an option.”

“I know but-”

The screech of the impact of metal on metal interrupted you as another vehicle rammed into the passenger side of the Impala. The car flipped twice before landing right-side up on the side of the road, leaving all of the Winchester’s inside unconscious.

Read Chapter 13 Here

Tag List:

@lovesamwinchester @tomhiddleston-is-mischief @ditu-m9 @stuckinsaudi1 @sugar-nico @potato-extra-pot @humbledarkness @the-fiery-ghost @jo-wayward @streetghostfighter07 @millieccino @some-local-dumbass

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hearteyes-for-killmonger · 4 years

Text

Part 19: Colleague

Co-workers don't typically try to knock down your front door or threaten to burn your house. Those are actions reserved for people with feelings attached. Erik has a lot of sexual partners, that's nothing new. It only makes sense that someone else would find themselves attached to him.

Leaning in closer to hear the conversation, you step forward but the "co-worker" sighs crossing the room.

"Fine. Have fun," she says listening silently before lowering the phone. If that was all they had to talk about, why had she been threatening him and his house? Why had he been avoiding her call? It doesn't make sense. Something about their relationship ain't right, and if she were actually a sub, why would Erik lie about something that stupid? He didn't hide his other subs. In fact, he'd proudly paraded them. So it wouldn't make sense now to lie about this one. She was definitely not in the count that he'd given you as far as his subs and he'd been thorough then.

Impossible. He can't be secretly in love with her. Can he? No, he'd have answered her call.. He'd have given her a key.. Maybe. Never really know with him. What if she knows about me.. Maybe he told her.

Her face is aggravatingly neutral and it seems she's done that on purpose.

"Where exactly do you work again," you test.

Without making eye contact she holds the cell phone out to you and turns on her heel to glide quickly back to the staircase, speeding down with you hot on her heels.

"HEY," you call grabbing her upper arm and she snatches away quickly before stepping into your personal space in a piercing threat, brown eyes locked on yours. You've seen eyes like that before.. on Erik. Knowing him, he'd definitely find a way to yell at you for getting your ass beat by a bitch you let in.

"...Who are you?"

"Oh girl," she scoffs with a shake of her head. "We ain't doing this tonight."

"The hell we ain't. You come barging in here like you pay the mortgage and then you can't talk about for what purpose? Does Erik own your mouth, is that why you can't speak? Why are all of y'all so damn troublesome," you frown. "I'm just trying to mind my business and I always end up in the middle of some bullshit."

Her eyes narrow briefly, her chest moving as she sighs, "..And why are you here?"

"I was invited unlike some people."

"Riiight." She rolls her eyes and heads toward the door with you behind her again, but this time you don't touch her.

"Yes? No? You're his sub right?"

"Fuck.. Me," she mumbles to the sky turning yet again, glare steady. She obviously thinks these are stupid questions. "We work together. What part of work are you not understanding?"

"How long have you two been working together," you ask knowing she hears the real question. Shaking her head, she turns back to the front door.

"What's your name?"

She turns again, her exasperation now painfully clear.

"Sis, I'm a give you a word of advice that I give to all of Erik's little pets. One.. Don't get too attached. Get your nut and go."

"But you threatened to burn down his house for ignoring you. Is that not too attached?"

"We are co-workers. He told you that. I told you that. One thing has nothing to do with the other. Two.. Don't keep digging for shit you ain't ready for or you might just find it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you'll go home if you're smart," she stares. "Doesn't look to me that you are though."

"Then maybe you need glasses because I can clearly see why he ignores you. You're a bitch."

Her eyes widen briefly as she's taken aback. Turning, she walks to her car and you've yet to get answers. She pulls away slowly into the night as you watch her car disappear leaving you alone with the house again. As irritating as it was having her there, it did take your mind away from the uneasy feeling that was building in your gut. Looking around at the black open space outside, you close the door and head back to the couch deciding to sleep there where you can hear.

---

Disassembling the AS50 took less than three minutes so Erik had taken it upon himself to take a few of the weapons from the trailers as well as the ones in the clearing where the dead men laid in the brown hard dirt. After collecting them and binding them to make them easier to carry, his makeshift bandage needed to be changed. Also, he couldn't lug all of the bodies realistically although he wanted to clean up his mess. He sat carefully on a fold-up chair in the clearing, ripping material from the shirt of one of the men and tying up his leg again. Damn he really missed Rell. Rell was his right hand and he'd never had to worry about this shit when Rell was around. He'd do the killing and Rell would make it all go away as if it never happened. No one would know and Erik would go right back to his house and try to sleep or live a normal life. As normal as he could. Swift was his left hand. She had the information, the technology, and she was a platinum level scammer.. but Rell.. man, Rell was special. Rell was like a brother.

A drop fell onto the dirt and for a moment Erik wondered if it was starting to rain before he realized it had come from him. His eyes were wet and though he wasn't making any sound and his breathing was still normal.. he was somehow crying. He stared at the dirt as small round spots darkened, wet from his tears.

"What the fuck did I do," he whispered in the silence, surrounded by dead bodies with no life outside of the small animals and the brown spider creeping on his hand. The scenario ran through his mind again. The set-up. The near death experience. Pulling the trigger on Rell as he sputtered to verbally defend himself. He ain't deserve that. "Damn." He cursed himself inwardly for being a no-good, selfish, and non-compromising, murdering asshole. "What the fuck did I do." His hands began to shake and he threw down his gun bag before taking a deep breath and holding it as he mentally counted to ten while holding his nasal bridge. Then he released it slowly, inhaling again for another 10 seconds before releasing it. He had to get himself together and do it fairly quickly. Falling back on the breathing techniques he'd shown Y/N, he focused on the sound of his heartbeat and on keeping it calm and consistent. He couldn't afford to let his mental resolve weaken. Afterall, he couldn't go back in time and handle life differently, he had to build on what had already been done. Rell was dead. He'd murdered him. He'd murdered hundreds of people. He'd probably murder hundreds more before his own time came to be brutally murdered. It was inevitable, he couldn't escape his hellish history and he was resigned to a very short future. Rell would get his justice someday and until that day, he'd have to handle the mess... but not today.

Shoving off the spider that had made its way to his shoulder, he sniffed and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. He'd learned enough from observing Rell to be adequate as a replacement. He couldn't drag all of the bodies through the woods, but he could manipulate the scene, arrange them and make it look like an amateur did it. Then again, these guys wouldn't have lost their lives to an amateur. Erik picked up his bag and looked around with a sigh before saying fuck it. The CIA wanted these mothafuckas dead anyway, he'd let them clean it up. That was one of the benefits of killing for a government agency. Not that he was still doing that (mainly because they like to act like they own a nigga).. but they'd cut him some slack.

Quickly he snapped pictures of the bodies and sent them to Swift, waiting for his money to hit and washing his hands of the situation. If it came down to it, Erik wouldn't deny his involvement he'd just have a slew of new people to kill until the issue was forgotten. Nothing he hadn't dealt with before.

Erik hobbled through the woods, bag in hand and weapon bundle on his back as he passed under branches and around rocks on the uncharted path. "Shit.. Shit.. fuck..," he hissed as he picked up his leg repeatedly to walk as long as it took to the car. He wanted to kiss the hunk of metal on arrival, but slung his weapon bundle into the trunk and folded himself gingerly inside the driver's seat with his bag in the passenger seat. He sighed starting the car. He had to get to get some shit to stitch himself up so he could stop bleeding and head to the airport before he was pulled over for driving a stolen vehicle. He'd drive as carefully as he could force himself to drive so not to arouse suspicion.

---

Upon snorting awake on the couch, you look around briefly to see where you are. It's indeed the couch downstairs in Erik's home and it's a little drafty because of the A/C causing you to shiver and pull the blanket around you tightly. You need to charge your phone but the charger is upstairs.

It takes ten minutes for you to move, keeping the blanket wrapped around you as you ascend the graceful stairs to your room. In your bag is your charger along with laundry that needs to be washed from your trip. Getting it together, you decide to wash them in two separate loads before moving onto your bedsheets and pillow cases. It's while that's washing that you make yourself some tea. It's not Trader Joe's Red Refresh, but in the bare minimum it serves its purpose to wake you up.

After that, it only takes one more good look around for your lips to pout. It's actually a very clean living space considering Erik is a man, but there's still the basic maintenance like dust and baseboards. Your eyes go to the dust buildup on his game collection and console in particular. It's a bothersome eyesore and you saw his cleaning supplies so why not? He'd do it for you... possibly... maybe.

Anyway, you don't really mind. Cleaning is therapeutic and good for calming the mind. You decide to re-light his candle from last night while you're at it.

#house rules #erik killmonger x black reader #erik killmonger x reader #erik killmonger #black panther killmonger #killmonger #killmonger x reader #killmonger fic #killmonger fanfiction

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allforhader · 4 years

Text

Why here?!

Barry Berkman x (F) Reader

Warnings: Blood, Language

Y/N and Barry have been dating for half a year, but secrets weren’t kept very long. When Barry told Y/N about his affairs, she needed space. She didn’t take the space to protect herself, she needed it to process the information. She needed other reasons to cloud what’s been said.

“Please don’t make me do this”

“You promised your fucking word Barry”

“I can’t do this”

“Just fucking do it”

Y/N jolts awake in her bed to a loud crash coming from the main room of her apartment. She grabs the bat from under her bed and braced herself making her way out of her bedroom. She reaches and takes a hold of the door knob quickly opening it about to swing when the silhouette was too familiar.

“Barry?” Y/N questions as she turns on the light and the first thing she notices was the broken window. “Barry I can’t afford-“ she stops talking when she noticed the blood on him. Was it his?

“I’m sorry I-I’ll fix....” Barry felt lightheaded as he stopped talking to process what’s happening internally until he couldn’t.

“Barry-!” Y/N freaks when he passes out on her coffee table, well what was her coffee table.

Fuck...

Why here?

I could’ve...

No I couldn’t have...

I trust her

I love her

She’s my everything...

Barry groans as he woke up eventually after passing out. He sits up in Y/N’s bed realizing his shirt is off and his wounds were taken care of. He looks around finding Tylenol waiting for him with a glass of water on the night stand. Barry tried to get out of the bed when Y/N walks in angrily smacking his legs to be brought back onto the bed. He noticed her hospital uniform and he immediately thought that he made her late, but the worried expression said otherwise.

“Y/N...what are you doing here...”

“I live here and there’s a patient in my damn bed. Who should stay in the damn fucking bed” Y/N’s anger seeped through the worry as she took his wrist doing the regular check of vitals she’d do in the ER.

——

Barry met Y/N in the ER, but it wasn’t for him that time. Sally fell and hit her head during an exercise, and Gene made Barry take her.

“Hello my name is Doctor Y/L/N and I’ll be your doctor this evening. Can you tell me...” Y/N trails off when she locked eyes with Barry. She immediately looked at Sally to bring back the attention. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“I fell...”

“Well, you clearly hit your head” Y/N sets down the tablet for keeping charts on the end of the bed before putting on gloves. “You have a head lac. What exactly did you hit?”

“One of the floor speakers. Y’know, on stages?” Barry states as Y/N gave him an annoyed smile for talking to her like she doesn’t know shit.

“This is LA, Mr.?”

“Berkman”

“Mr. Berkman. So please. Don’t talk to me like an idiot when I get actors almost every day. The usual is heat exhaustion or dehydration. What is up with you actors not taking care of yourselves?” She frowns checking the lac as Sally winces. “Alright. You hang tight while I order a CT before stitching up that lac”

“Oh wait. Are staples faster?”

“Why?”

“I have an audition”

Y/N rolls her eyes taking the tablet and ordering the CT before waving over an ER nurse to put a pressure dressing.

“Ms....Sally Reed” Y/N reads the chart for her name before giving her a stern look. “Staples will definitely scar. If you let me take my time with your stitches, I promise there won’t be a noticeable scar”

“Fine...”

“As for you...Berkman. You can wait for your friend in the waiting room” Y/N states as she left to take care of a few things.

The hours went by and Y/N’s shift was over, she always leaves from the ER’s exit/entrance and when she stepped out. Barry sat on a bench outside the ER catching her attention.

“You injured Berkman?”

“No ma’am”

“Then what are you doing out here?” Y/N smiles walking over to Barry as he stood to his feet looking down at her.

“My name is Barry”

“Oh, first name formality is why you came here?”

“Well I thought I’d ask the badass ER doc if she’d like to get a drink”

“This...badass ER doc. Doesn’t drink on call” Y/N smiles. “But Y/N, would happily get tea with Barry this late”

“Then shall we?”

“We shall”

——

“You’ve been out for a week”

“I’ve been out for what...?”

“You lost a lot of blood Barry. I already stole gauze, a syringe, lidocaine, wraps, a few suture kits. I can’t steal blood to replace what you lost. So your body made it natural while you were out cold” Y/N frowns grabbing the clipboard off the night stand seeing the Tylenol and water. “You should take some right now if you’re still in pain” she states writing down his vitals as she’s been charting it down.

“Y/N, you didn’t-“

“What? Didn’t have to? Oh like I totally want my boyfriend dead on the streets for who knows what fucking happened to him” Y/N frowns making him sit up completely so she can check the wounds on his back.

Barry frowns feeling her take off some of the bandages to clean and re-patch.

“Tell me”

“What?”

“How this fucking happened”

“One bad job”

“Details Barry, for fuck sake”

“I was paid. Well. Boss-“

“Fuches”

“Fuches, was paid and then I’ll be paid. To take down this guy in downtown LA for the favor of Hank. I got stuck in a fight. That involved Guns of course. I only got grazed for the most part until I took a metal bat to a few places and well a knife to a gun fight”

“How many people were involved? Was it a trap?”

“It seemed like that. Honestly. You do a lot better job at taking care of wounds compared to Fuches when I fought a guy with a fucking black belt”

“Barry...”

Barry frowns turning around looking at Y/N upset expression only becoming her balling. He tried to move completely to hold her but she stopped him. Y/N got up cleaning up everything before propping Barry up with her pillows.

“I’ll....be back after my shift”

“Y/N...”

“Why here? You have actor friends. Aren’t actors supposed to be great liars? Lie to one of them that you got mugged. Just like New York, there’s a lot of jackasses in the streets of LA.”

“You’re the only one I trust Y/N”

“...it’s hard to believe that love”

Barry frowns watching Y/N grab one of Barry’s jackets on her way out. A part of her still loves him, even if everything is so out of the ordinary.

A few hours into the shift, Y/N sat down in the ER nurse’s station taking a minute as she watches interns freak out when nothing much is going on. She started trailing into her thoughts causing her to think out loud.

“He would’ve died...if he got shot...”

“What?”

Shit

“Huh?” Y/N looks over to find her favorite nurse Ollie look at her confused.

“You said something about getting shot?”

“Oh, yeah sorry. I’ve been thinking about an episode of Greys” wow.

“Y/N how can you watch that stuff when you do most of it everyday?”

“How can you watch that show AND it’s spin offs?”

“Okay. This isn’t about me”

“I just think about it a lot. They over dress a lot of stuff that we tend to see everyday. Can you imagine it being that bad every day? Also...I wouldn’t want to be Owen Hunt”

Ollie laughs at the final comment before answering the call. When he ends it he gave Y/N a look.

“You jinx the ER when you mention Owen!”

“Sorry!” Y/N laughs getting the trauma gown on as she makes her way out to meet the rig.

When Y/N meets with the rig, it wasn’t a big trauma but the person was too familiar.

——

Y/N sat in the middle of the audience waiting for the play to begin.

“Why are theaters so cold...” she whispers to herself as she heard a man laugh at her comment.

“Actors can’t sweat or the makeup will melt off”

“Tsk. Fucking actors”

“Who are you here for?”

“My boyfriend, you?” Y/N turns to look at him as he scoffs a bit.

“My uh. Nephew” Fuches laughs. “I hate acting. I think it’s an excuse of a job but he wants to do it. So whatever right? Support the ones you care about”

“Yeah, so. Your name?”

“You first little lady”

“Y/N”

“Fuches”

——

Y/N frowns putting her gloves on and checking Fuches for any major injuries but for the most part he took a beating. To her, he got what he deserved. But to her as a doctor, no one deserves to be in pain.

“Get an x-ray and CT. Let me know when he’s conscious”

“Should I admit him?”

“If there’s anything on the scans according to radiology that recommends observation, then yes. Please” Y/N states going to order the tests but before she did. She decided to handle all of it.

Fuches groans waking up in a hospital bed but when he looked around. The only one he spotted was Y/N.

“You...”

“You broke a few ribs and there’s a grade two liver lac. We are observing it and if it doesn’t resolve, we’ll do surgery”

“Why...our of all the doctors-“

“Did I help your ass?”

“...”

“I should’ve known that the funny guy sitting next to me during the showing of A Midsummer’s Night Dream, was the guy telling my boyfriend to go kill people”

“Should you...really be saying that out loud?”

“Who hurt you?”

“That’s none-“

“It’s my business if its the same fuckers that almost killed Barry”

“Tsk. So he’s not dead”

Y/N frowns realizing what she admitted as she crosses her arms leaning against the back of the chair.

“You leave him alone, or I’ll call the police”

“They’ll...only arrest Barry too Y/N..”

“The leave him alone or I’ll make it look like a complication in surgery, if there is one.” Y/N got up from her seat as Fuches watches her leave the room.

“Crazy bitch...”

Barry jolts awake when he heard the front door shut. He pushes himself to get out of bed and check on Y/N but she had already walked in when he stood to his feet.

“What’s wrong?” Barry frowns as Y/N just stood there. “Y/N?”

Y/N places her hands on his face giving him an angered look. Barry frowns resting his hands on her hips waiting for her to say something but for the most part all she did was look at him and tear up.

“Y/N what happened?”

“That fucker...that fucking fucker that told me he was your goddamn uncle at the play, was in my ER with semi similar injuries to you”

“Did he say anything? Anything of concern...?”

“No just....“ Y/N lets go of Barry trying to pull away when Barry only wrapped himself around her. She just didn’t want...she didn’t want this. She didn’t want to have to worry to an extreme level. Her job is already stressful enough...now there’s so much more.

“I’m in love with you Y/N...”

“...really? I should be saying that to you...I did just threaten to kill a man to protect you...” Y/N frowns feeling Barry squeeze her in his arms as she gripped onto his shirt. “I’m in love with you Barry Berkman...and I don’t want anybody hurting you anymore”

#bill hader #barry berkman #barry berkman x reader #barry block #barry block x reader #barry hbo #barry x reader #bill hader x reader #I like...writing. a lot

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katastroficwriter · 4 years

Note

Fic title: Behind the mask

Behind the mask

Summary: Bedridden for as long as he could remember, other than stepping outside of the four corners of his room, Kiibo wished to experience something a little adventurous despite his sickly disposition. His wish came true in the form of a phantom clad in white.

Tags: human!Kiibo, sickly Kiibo, phantom thief!Ouma

You can read it on ao3

Edit: I added more stuff on ao3 and I’m too lazy to add the same on this tumblr post.

——————————————————————–

Kiibo often wondered if he had committed a terrible sin in his past life to deserve being born in such a frail body. He had lived in the hospital for a good number of years. What kept him stable was his father’s own medical inventions.

Fortunately, as he grew older, his body grew more formidable, albeit at a slow rate. Enough to have the doctors allow him to stay home, though still forbidden to engage in anything stressful. The idea of leaving the hospital first thrilled him, until he realized that it would mean less time to see his father. He often worked overtime in the hospital just to make sure the machines stayed in tip top shape after all.

“Maybe it’s better if I stayed in the hospital…” he murmured. Even that was better than staying alone for the rest of the night. The only time his father would rush home is if his health monitor would send his father a distress signal should anything go wrong.

He shook his head. “No. No, that’s not better at all. I need to get better. I want to get better…! I don’t want to go back.” As if on cue, he started coughing in a fit, much to his discomfort.

He buried himself under his sheets. He was lonely. So terribly lonely. He wasn’t even allowed to walk down the stairs due to the risk of him falling. And walking to his own bathroom is already challenging enough. He just wanted to roam free like everyone else.

“Why was I born this way, God?” he whispered the question to himself, knowing that much like his other prayers, it would remain unanswered. He closed his eyes, hoping that sleep would give him comfort.

*KLICK KLACK KLICK*

*KA-CHAK*

Kiibo’s eyes shot wide open, but he remained still. ‘W-what was that…? It sounded like it came from the window–is it a burglar?’

He stiffened when he heard his window slide open, followed by the notable rustle and shuffle of clothing.

‘What do I do…what do I do?! I might get killed if I get noticed!’ Kiibo’s grip on the sheets tightened. He could hear his heart beating through his ears. He could either die from a burglar, or die from his own body giving out from the stress. He’s a goner! ‘What do I do, father?’

“Tsk!”

Kiibo froze up once more, straining his ears so he can hear the trespasser better.

“Damn those trigger happy idiots…they totally ruined my outfit.” hissed the trespasser. “Ow–! Stings…! Since I’m already here I might as well look for the bathroom…”

Kiibo’s jaw clenched when the lights were flicked on. He’s dead. There’s no way they could miss a big useless lump in bed. He felt his soul leave his body when the sheets were suddenly ripped off him, exposing him to all sorts of danger.

“…You’re awake, aren’t you? Don’t play dumb.”

Kiibo gulped before slowly looking over his shoulder to see who the trespasser was. Instead of a menacing glare of a hardened criminal, he was greeted by the smiling mask worn by the stranger, clad in a fully white ensemble, save for the splotches of red that stained his suit.

Before he could even do so much as speak, the masked man pointed a gun on his forehead, silencing him in an instant.

“Maaa~n! That was a close one. I would have been in trouble if I didn’t notice you sooner,” the stranger moved a few paces closer. “You would have called the police as soon as I left. We can’t have that, no, no!”

Kiibo was tongue-tied. How was he going to get out of this one? All his life he had lived in fear of dying due to his frail constitution. The possibility of being killed by another man’s hand had totally escaped his mind. He’s dead. He’s dead. He’s dead. He’s dead!

“…Hey. What’s up with you?”

The albino had instinctively grasped his chest, trying to stabilize his breathing but to no avail. He was having a damn attack in the middle of a robbery. Great! Just what he needed!

“Hey…”

Kiibo had completely hunched over as he hyperventilated. Cold sweat started dripping from his face as his breathing grew more labored with each passing second.

“Shit! Hey…!”

He felt hands on his shoulders to keep him from falling face first on the floor. Kiibo then raised a shaky hand and pointed at the general direction of his bedside drawer. “…Pills…there…” Maybe it was foolish of him to hope that the robber would help him with his attack, but he was desperate. He didn’t want to die. Not like this.

He faintly heard the familiar sound of his pills getting shook out of its container before his head was pulled back firmly but painlessly.

“Open up.”

Kiibo obeyed and felt the pill drop on his tongue; relief washed over him when the stranger helped him drink water afterwards. He gave it a few minutes, trying to breathe a little more calmly before the pill’s effects would kick in. “…Thank you.”

“…You’re welcome, I guess.” The stranger rubbed the back of his head. “I wouldn’t have pointed my airsoft gun at you if I’d known you were the fragile kind.”

“…Airsoft?” Kiibo tilted his head, a little calmer now that his attack had subsided.

“…What? You don’t know what that is?”

Kiibo shook his head. “…No. I’ve lived most of my life in the hospital and only moved home two years ago.”

“Now you’re making me feel like a bigger asshole.” The other man clicked his tongue. “…It doesn’t have real bullets in them. It still hurts like a bitch though. I only meant to scare you into not calling the police.”

The albino blinked in mild surprise before smiling, “You’re actually a kind person.”

“Are you seriously saying that to someone who just broke into your home? You really are sick.” The stranger huffed.

“I’m sure there’s a reason why you’re doing what you’re doing,” Kiibo started. “…You could have left me to die and robbed my home with ease, but you didn’t. I don’t think you’re as bad as you or the police think.”

“Tsk. I just didn’t want a bigger mess in my hands, that’s all.”

Kiibo laughed gently. “You’re hurt, aren’t you? Let me help you.”

“What?”

“You saved my life. I’d like to return the favor. Don’t worry, I won’t call the police.” Kiibo slowly shuffled out of his bed. “My room has its own bathroom and I have plenty of medical kits in my room because of my condition.”

“You’re definitely not right in the head,” the stranger shook his head but sat himself on the bed anyway, nursing his bleeding side with a hand. He observed the albino wobble his way in and out of the bathroom, leaving a medical kit on the bed before returning to the bathroom. ‘What a weird guy…’ he thought.

It was probably because he was only starting out on this new phantom thief gig that no one fears him as of yet, especially not a person who’s barely able to leave the safe confines of his own room.

“I’m back,” Kiibo carefully brought a small basin of water towards his bed. “Mind unbuttoning your clothes?”

The raven-haired phantom wordlessly peeled his cape and coat off and undid his buttons, looking away as soon as he was finished.

Kiibo knelt before him to examine the wound and nodded to himself. “It’s not a deep wound, thankfully.”

The phantom winced as the albino began with his ministrations; thankfully the latter was careful not to press too hard as he wiped the wound clean with the wet towel. He didn’t expect the feeble looking male to be skilled with his fingers when it comes to first aid. But at the same time, it only made sense.

“All done,” Kiibo took a few steps back to admire his handiwork.

“…Thanks.” The phantom buttoned his clothes with ease. “Now that this is over with, I shall take my leave.”

“Ah, wait–” Kiibo grabbed the other man by the wrist. “Here, take these bandages. So you can change it later.“

The phantom wordlessly accepted the bandages, storing it inside his inner coat pocket. “You’re a total weirdo, you know that?”

“It’s better to be safe than sorry,” huffed the albino. “I guess this is good bye, umm…?”

Realizing that the sickly boy wanted his name, the phantom bowed with a flourish. “Phantom DICE, at your service–though I suppose I was in your service for tonight.”

“Phantom DICE…” Kiibo parroted gently. “My name is Iidabashi Kiibo. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

The phantom idly rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of how to respond. “…Nice to meet you too I suppose. In any case, it’s already getting late, I should get going.” He sauntered his way towards the window he entered from, checking if there were any patrol cars roaming about.

“Mr. DICE!”

The phantom looked over his shoulder. “What is it?”

The albino gave him a small bow out of gratitude. “Thank you for saving my life.”

The raven-haired phantom returned his attention to the window. “Don’t mention it. Anyway, I’m off now. Ciao.” He leapt out of the window with ease; one wouldn’t have been able to tell that he was actually wounded considering how elegant and graceful he moved.

Kiibo hurriedly padded towards the window and closed it shut with a relieved sigh.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Kiibo? Kiibo are you okay?” his father’s familiar voice had snapped him out of his reverie.

Not wanting his father to realize that someone else had been inside his room, Kiibo carefully hid the first aid kit under his bed before answering the door.

“Father? Weren’t you at work–” Kiibo’s eyes widened as he felt strong and warm arms wrap around him in a protective hold as soon as he opened the door. “…Father?”

“Your health monitor sent me a distress signal while I was at the hospital. I rushed out of work as soon as I got it.” His father explained. “…Even if it said that your condition had stabilized, I wanted to see that you were safe with my own eyes.”

Kiibo returned the hug. “…I’m okay now. Don’t worry.”

It wasn’t right to lie to his dear father, of all people. But if he found out that his own son had treated the wounds of a possible criminal, who was also the one who triggered the attack in the first place, things wouldn’t go well. That’s why he kept that fact to himself.

The next time he had heard the name Phantom DICE was a week later, while he was watching the evening news to fill the silence of his room. He had stolen a prized antique vase belonging to some business tycoon. The police were furious, not because of the injustice done, but rather because of the pranks they were subjected to while in pursuit of the mischievous phantom thief. The media had already taken to calling him a criminal, but…

‘No one has gotten hurt during the heists.’ Kiibo thought with awe. ‘…I wonder what kind of face he was making while doing all these things?’

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Kiibo straightened his back when he heard something tap against his window. He was on the second floor of his house, but it was still quite a height to climb up to. Could it be…?

Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock!

The less than gentle knock jolted the albino out of his thoughts. He gulped as he slowly shuffled out of bed to check who it was. What greeted him beyond his windowpane was none other than the familiar smiling mask of Phantom DICE. The phantom’s posture slackened at the sight of the sickly boy.

Excitement bubbled in Kiibo’s chest as he unlocked his window to let his unexpected guest in.

“Why are you here?” whispered the albino, eyes wandering to his television screen for a split second.

“Just here to drop off some stuff,” the phantom revealed an armful of comic books with a flourish of his cape. “Something to keep you busy while you’re bedridden. Since you’ve lived most of your life indoors, I’m sure you’ve never read things like comics before.”

Kiibo approached the phantom, eyeing his haul with child-like interest. He was meant to be in his third year of high school, but due to his condition, he was resigned to his fate of being home schooled for the rest of his teenage life. “These all look amazing…!” he gasped.

“You may be a newbie, but you’ve got a good eye,” DICE puffed his chest with pride. “Just so you know, I didn’t steal these. These are all from my personal collection, so I’d appreciate it if you’d return them in mint condition.”

“You’d really lend all of these to me?” Kiibo looked at the other male.

“Duh! It’s pretty much why I’m here,” DICE shook his head a little before crossing his arms over his chest. “Remember. Mint condition. If I see a single spill or tear on them I’m stealing all of your stuff the next time I drop by.”

“Thank you…!” Kiibo impulsively hugged the thief.

“Yeah, you’re welcome. Now please, hands off the merchandise.” DICE patted the albino on the shoulder.

“O-oh, sorry I was just so happy that you’d do something like this for me,” Kiibo’s cheeks took on a rosy hue, embarrassed. “I promise to take care of your comic books.”

DICE adjusted his top hat with an amused huff. “You better. Anyway, my business here is over. I’ll see you when I see you. Later Kiiboy!”

Before Kiibo could say a word, the phantom had already disappeared out of the window.

“K-Kiiboy?” the albino hugged a comic book to his chest, his cheeks now a few shades darker. ‘It’s the first time someone gave me a nickname…’ He smiled to himself. Who would have thought that his first friend would turn out to be some kind of gentleman thief.

After this night, their meetings started becoming regular. Some days DICE would pop in his room despite there being no heist that night. And during unlucky days, Kiibo would tend to his wounds just like he did during their first meeting. If anyone else knew about their secret meetings, they would probably judge him badly for being friends with a criminal. But DICE…DICE wasn’t just a thief. Underneath that facade protected by a mask, is a genuinely kind person. Though Kiibo remained to be curious about what kind of face DICE kept behind his mask, he knew well enough that the latter’s true identity was off-limits.

Their meetings went on for two more years without a hitch.

“It’s your birthday today, isn’t it, Kiiboy?” DICE mused, idly swinging his legs as he sat on the albino’s bed. It was exactly midnight when he asked this question.

“Yes,” Kiibo nodded. “It’s always lively outside during this time of year because of Halloween.” He laughed.

“Want me to play a little trick on you?” DICE hopped off his place on the bed and took a couple of steps away from the bedridden albino. Kiibo grew more feeble within the two year period of their friendship, which was why the phantom thief had to break in through the window, since the albino was unable to open it for him.

“A trick? Is that my only option?” Kiibo coughed after speaking. It was a wonder how he could smile even in his weakened state.

“Yuppers! Besides, sweets are a no-no for you, isn’t it?” DICE tilted his head innocently, hands clasped behind his back.

“You may be right,” Kiibo chuckled weakly. “Give me a trick then.”

Thanks to the phantom thief’s mask, Kiibo remained blind to the anxious and worried emotions contained in the thief’s being.

DICE raised both of his arms, waving both of them in the air childishly. “I lied! Tonight, I won’t be giving you a trick. I shall be performing a heist! And tonight’s target–is Halloween itself! I shall steal Halloween from everyone!”

“H-huh? But Halloween is still–“

“Shush!” The phantom thief did a graceful about-face. “Just watch me.”

He clapped three times then spread his cape out with a flourish. “I wish you a happy birthday, Kiiboy!”

Kiibo instinctively closed his eyes when his room was suddenly filled with light. Multiple jack o’ lanterns and various bat-shaped decorations had adorned his usually simple room. Kiibo knew how skilled his friend was when it came to magic tricks and sleight of hand techniques, but this was a whole other level of magic. Frankly, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing!

“…Beautiful…” Kiibo gasped with awe.

“Turn on your television.”

Kiibo stared at the phantom thief with curiosity before reaching for his remote.

“Breaking news! After a sudden power outage, it has been discovered that ALL Halloween decorations of shops have disappeared! Authorities are currently looking into the situation and are searching for possible witnesses to the crime!”

“W-was that you?!“

“Mmhm!” DICE puffed his chest with pride. “My tricks have gotten better over the years, if I do say so myself.“

“Why would you do something like this for my sake? Everyone is so troubled–” Kiibo chewed on his bottom lip.

“Don’t worry, I’ll return all of it on the 31st,” DICE sauntered towards the albino. “…You’re going to leave for a surgery soon aren’t you? I wanted to at least give you something worth remembering before you go under the knife.“

“DICE…“ Tears started pouring down his cheeks. How could he not cry when this was the most happy he’s ever been? “Thank you…thank you for being my friend.”

“The pleasure is mine, Kiibo,” the phantom pulled the bedridden albino into a gentle hug. “Do your best for your operation. I know you’ll pull through.” He pulled back as soon as he finished.

“I will,“ Kiibo smiled through his tears.

“Good.” DICE clapped his hands twice, and the decorations have all vanished from the albino’s room. “I should get going. You need all the rest you can get.”

Kiibo sniffled and nodded. “Okay. Please take care.”

The raven-haired phantom gave the albino a two-finger salute before disappearing out of the window. Little did Kiibo know that this was going to be the last time he’ll ever see the phantom thief.

——————————- One Year Later ——————————

“This campus is bigger than I thought…“ Kiibo murmured to himself as he checked the school map. This was his first year of university. No, his first year of actually entering school! His surgery in the past year was highly risky, but it was a success. After months of rest, his body had grown more resilient and strong. It was now safe for him to be up and about without suffering from any form of exertion. And that was how he was able to convince his father to allow him to enter into university. He developed a passion for literature during his years spent bedridden, he chose a course with that in mind.

“The literature department should be around…”

“Over here.”

Kiibo stilled at the sound of a familiar voice. A hand not his own guided his attention to the location of his department. The albino slowly looked over his shoulder. “…DICE?”

He was met with a raven-haired man with purple eyes, who looked to be around his age.

“Shh…I’m known as Ouma Kokichi in these parts,” Ouma smiled as he placed a finger against his own lips in a shushing gesture. “Good to see you up and about, Kiiboy.”

Kiibo probably shouldn’t be crying and hugging his friend while standing in front of the campus bulletin.

“Hey, hey, hands off the merchandise,” Ouma chuckled.

“Sorry, I got too happy,” Kiibo backed away, wiping his tears. “I didn’t–I didn’t think I’d ever see you again. You disappeared so suddenly I–”

Ouma pressed a finger against the albino’s lips. “Spare me the rambling. We got plenty of time for it during lunch. My treat.” He winked. “Now come with me, you were looking for the Lit. Department right?”

“Umm…yes I was,” Kiibo nodded.

Ouma smiled. “Follow me.”

“Okay!”

For years, Kiibo had wondered what kind of face DICE’s perpetually smiling mask was hiding. Was it the face of a hardened criminal? An unfeeling sociopath? What kind of person was DICE underneath his phantom thief persona?

And now, as he walked the halls of the university along his old yet new friend, excitedly chattering about comic books, Kiibo was happy to discover that…

Behind the mask, was a friendly face.

#ndrv3 #kiibouma #kiibo #ouma kokichi #katastrofic writing #anon #sorry if this feels a little rushed

45 notes · View notes

mirkwoodshewolf · 4 years

Text

Mother dragon (12); Winchesters brothers x reader

*Author’s note*

Okay guys to make up the chapter of the BoRhap boys barely making an apperance besides Ben’s character, here is a makeup chapter and this time it’s longer chapter than the last one was so I hope that you guys enjoy it.

Warnings: Torture, drugs, blood, violence, death, the usual SPN warnings.

Taglist:

@psychosupernatural

@plethora-of-things

@ixchel-9275

@waddles03

@platawnic

@deanscroissant

@onebigfangirlworld

@izzyisavengersupernaturaltrash

______________________________________________________

*3rd Person POV*

Warren landed about a mile and a half away downwind of Percy’s mansion. He lowered his head and the brothers and Cas slide off of him.

“Thank you Warren.” Said Castiel.

‘His mansion is just a walk that way. But be warned, his acid spitters patrol the entire territory of his mansion. But if you do run into his dragons make sure to cover your scent.’

“Thanks for the warning. What will you do?”

‘Something I promised I wouldn’t do but have to. Otherwise I know he’ll kill me.’ It was then Warren took off flying back towards the den.

“And so what he’s just gonna leave us here?” Dean asked in a snappy tone.

“He’s gonna get help Dean. Dragons can easily detect other dragons based off of smell, had he stayed it would’ve been like a beacon in the dark. It’s best he left when he did.”

“Okay so we just walk from here on out?”

“For the next mile yeah. But we need to watch out. Percy’s dragons patrol this part of the territory. We need to move quickly, quietly and hopefully undetected.” The brother’s nodded and they proceeded to walk the mile and a half to the mansion.

*My POV*

When I woke up, the first thing I felt was just this splitting headache and my vision was incredibly blurry. No matter how many times I blinked or tried to shake my head of it, my vision kept going in and out.

“Seems our little hunter is awake.” Damn it Percy. Now I remember what happened, son of a bitch drugged me with something in that damn needle of his. “Now what do you say we start over my dear? Like tell me your real name? And what exactly you were doing at the dragon’s nest?”

“I—don’t know about no dragon nest.” I groaned as I kept hearing this high pitched ringing in my ear.

“Oh don’t lie to me girl!” he hissed. Then I saw a tv click on and for a split second I saw me holding my dagger and the video paused on my face. “Along with injecting their own venom so that I can control them, my dragons’ come with a video surveillance collar. No one has been able to kill those acid spitters, not even other dragons. So what makes you so special to kill probably the most dangerous of dragon species?”

I just looked up at him and told him.

“A good set of balls.” It was then I felt a hard slap across my face before feeling another needle injection in my neck. I groaned and hissed as my vision got more blurry.

“I’m surprised you managed to wake up from just a slight dose of acid spitter venom, let’s see what a full dose does to you?” At this point I began seeing hallucinations and flashbacks of my parent’s dying and the vampires that killed them surrounding me as they taunted me.

“It’s all your fault.”

“You’re the reason your parents died.”

“You should’ve protected them.”

“You’re weak.”

“Not only will we kill your friends but also that precious son of yours.”

“No….no you….shut up. Shut up shut up shut up! SHUT UP!!!”

*3rd Person POV*

Sam, Dean and Castiel were just about to reach the mansion when Cas saw the familiar shape of an acid spitter climbing down one of the trees.

“Get down.” He quietly hissed. The three of them soon hid behind underneath some large uprooted roots of one of the trees and they saw as the acid spitter came down on the ground.

It softly growled as it turned its head from side to side almost as if it sensed them somehow. Then it reared it’s head back and let out that god awful raptor-like cry which made the three hunter cringe as it then roared out. Soon enough another acid spitter came flying in and the two of them chirped and growled at each other, communicating to each other.

“Now how the hell are we supposed to get by them?” asked Dean. It was then Sam saw a good patch of dirt.

Taking out the holy water from his pocket he dumped the whole container into the mud and swished his hands around it till the soil got wet and muddy.

“Here, cover yourselves up with mud.” Sam whispered as he dipped his hand into the mud and began to smear it over his face.

“Sammy this is no time to play boy scout.”

“No Dean he’s right. Warren said if we want to get past those dragons’, we need to have our scent covered.”

“And (y/n) always said that covering yourself in mud blocks your sweat and scent. That’s how she’s survived everything she had to go through.”

“Okay, okay fine. Fine.” Dean then took out his holy water flask and dumped it near a patch of dirt closest to him. Once it was muddy, both he and Cas covered their faces, necks, arms, and hands in mud trying to block off their scent.

They even patted around their clothes and then once they were done, Cas peeked over to see the dragons still there. One quickly turned towards them but Cas ducked back before it could spot him.

“Alright, keep low and follow me.” Cas then crawled towards the nearby shrub trail and soon the three of them crawled slowly and quietly past the dragons, who at that point were walking on the other side of the shrubs sensing that something was close.

Hearing the haunting hisses and the low purrs, it sent shivers even up Castiel’s spine. Sure he had dealt with a dragon or two whenever he was forced to come down to Earth during the Medieval ages, but never has he dealt with dragons like these. He didn’t even think he’d even have the power to kill dragons like these.

As soon as one of the yowled out, the boys stopped and kept low among the shrub, fearing that if they moved another inch, it would hear them. On the other side of the shrubs, the dragon in front walked before tapping one of it’s front leg onto the ground, almost as if sensing something was close but it couldn’t picture out where.

It looked over the shrub but didn’t see anything as it continued to growl and snarl before it was called out by its partner. Once they knew it was safe, Cas led the brothers onward again, while at the same time on the other side, the two acid spitters walked the opposite way.

Once they reached the end of the shrubs, Cas peeked out and he was surprised to see the dragons were now gone. He didn’t even hear their wings flap away much like he could hear Deacon’s or the rest of his nests.

“They still out there?” asked Sam. Cas shook his head but his face held nothing but confusion.

“I don’t know either these dragons are very smart or very dumb.” Said Dean.

“We’ll have to be cautious. I think we’re about a half mile from the mansion now. Come on.” Soon they took off running as swiftly and quietly as they could until they finally reached the over hill passage and they looked down to see the mansion dead ahead.

“So—this is Percy’s mansion?” asked Dean.

“Looks like it, I’m surprised there’s not a heavy artillery of guards around. I mean yeah he’s got some dragons but surely he doesn’t just rely on them. Especially when he hunts and kills dragons.” Said Sam.

“Dragons, humans I don’t care what this son of a bitch has got. All I know is that he’s got (y/n) and we need to get her out of there. Who knows what she’s going through in there.”

“We’ll get her out Dean. By any means necessary.” Said Cas.

*My POV*

God I was—I don’t know whether to count myself as high or delusional but all I did know was that I was out of it. From the vampires that killed my family, seeing the ghosts of my parents telling me their disappointment, as well as seeing the spirits of everyone that had died because of me from my time with the Winchester.

But if I had to say the worst thing that I was seeing from my hallucinations was it felt like I was now in a tight glass coffin and standing over me was my son Deacon in his dragon form. However there was no kind, sweet eyes.

I was looking into the eyes of a real dragon as he sniffed around the glass coffin and stared down at me with sharp, soulless golden eyes.

His head hovered right over my coffin and almost like the scene with the T-Rex from the first Jurassic Park film, he broke the top part of the glass coffin and roared down at me trying to actually eat and devour me whole.

I screamed bloody murder as he tried repeatedly over and over to try and get to me. When that didn’t work, he resorted to tipping the table I was strapped to over. I felt the hard jostle and I shrieked and squirmed trying to free myself but it was futile. Then the second time I was immediately flipped over and landed flat on my face. I whimpered and sobbed hysterically as I begged for Deacy to snap out of it and see that it was me, his mummy.

But all he did was try to come at me again. His canines bared out as he growled and hissed.

*3rd Person POV*

While sitting on the other side of the window, Percy observed (y/n) tossing and turning as well as screaming in absolute terror.

“Her heartrate and brain activity is off the charts. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen before from being injected with the acid spitter’s venom. At this point I’m not even sure if she’ll die or not.” Said Doctor Zemo.

“There’s something off about her. Not to mention she keeps mentioning the Alpha’s name. Keep observing her, I’ll be back.” Percy said as he walked away. Doctor Zemo kept a watchful eye over her, recording her data onto his record books for further research.

Meanwhile Sam, Dean and Castiel finally managed to make it past the acid spitters and a line of Percy’s dragon hunters and trappers all lined along the corridor.

“We’re not gonna ask again bud. Now tell us where our sister is?” sneered Dean. He had one of the male dragon trappers pinned against the wall after Cas had broken both of his arms so that he was now unable to reach for a gun or even radio for help.

“Go…..to….hell!” the blonde trapper hissed.

“Been there pal, dozens of times and frankly they ain’t got nothing on us right now. So tell us where she is or we’ll have our angel friend fry your brain to a puddle.” Sam snapped. Castiel stepped forward and placed his hand on the trapper’s head and as his eyes glowed blue ready to evaporate the trapper’s brain and burn his eyes out, the trapper succumbed and said.

“THE LAB! THE LAB! PERCY TOOK HER DOWN TO THE LOWER LAB LEVELS FOR TESTING! He wanted to find out just how she was able to kill one of his dragons and why she wore that suit of dragon skin.”

“Thank you. For your cooperation.” Dean smirked smugly as he patted the trapper’s cheek. Then at the flick of a switch, Dean stabbed the hunter in the chest. As his body collapsed Dean shook his head and he muttered. “Like I’ve always told you. Give me a monster to deal with anytime. People—hell no. They’re experimenting her like some kind of lab rat.”

“Well at least we know where she’s at. Now let’s go before Percy sends in more of his lackies to stop us.” Soon the three hunters ran down towards the lower levels of the mansion until they reached an elevator.

“Huh? Is there anything this guy doesn’t have?” asked Dean as they all got into the elevator and Sam pressed the button for the basement levels. They waited and waited until finally the elevator dinged and they soon ended up staring down an endless metal corridor.

“So do we—just run ahead or…..” started Sam.

“I think I might know where she is.” Said Cas as he once again took the lead and the brothers followed him.

Doctor Zemo who was currently in (y/n)’s room jotted down some final notes before packing up his things. As soon as he left the room, he looked to his right and saw the Winchester’s and Castiel standing there.

Frightened, he quickly took off running and Dean cried out.

“Hey stop!” But before Dean could run ahead to grab the doctor, Cas stopped him and he said.

“She’s in there.” Sam was the first to head in and there he was horrified to see (y/n) strapped onto a metal table. Her eyes were bloodshot and red ringed.

“Men of letters……Winchesters and angel of the lord Castiel…..”

“(Y/n), (y/n)? Oh my god what has he done to you? Cas!” Cas came over and he didn’t like the looks of this.

“She’s been drugged.”

“With what? LSD? Morphine? Seleucidan?” asked Dean.

“Acid spitter venom. See the rash markings on her neck?” Cas gently turned her head aside and there the boys saw a palm-sized black rash marking on her neck.

“Is she gonna die?”

“That’s the thing. She should’ve died after just one injection. At this point she must’ve been drugged 3-4 times.”

“Can you save her?” asked Sam desperately.

“I can try, but this is something even out of an angel’s league.” Cas then touched both of (y/n)’s temples and began to heal her. Both her temples glowed as well as Cas’ hands. The brothers watched nervously and anxiously as the angel healed their sister. It must’ve been—who knows how long before finally (y/n)’s soulless eyes started to gain some life back.

*My POV*

I saw nothing but darkness after my hallucinations. No idea what I must’ve said, probably babbled about some things or maybe confessed everything who knows.

But I then saw a bright light. Am I—Am I finally dead? Am I going to heaven? But why? I thought I was damned for hell just for being a hunter?

When my vision finally came back into focus, I saw the three familiar figures of Sam, Dean and Cas.

“Sam? Dean? Cas?” I croaked out. My voice was scratchy as hell from lack of water and from my constant screaming earlier.

“Hang in there (n/n) we’re gonna get you out of here. Sammy help me get these damn straps off of her.” I then felt the tug and pull of the triple leather straps Percy had on my wrists and ankles. I looked up to Cas and he stroked down my head.

“Warren?” I croaked out.

“He came and told us. And he brought us here to get you out of here. He’s safe.” I closed my eyes and once I felt my limbs were finally free.

“C’mon kid stand up. Can you walk at all?” asked Dean as both he and Cas helped me sit up.

“I don’t know.”

“Okay, let’s test it. One, two three, up.” Both Dean and Cas picked me up and set my feet onto the floor but almost immediately I felt myself leaning forward.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa easy, easy, easy. Okay she can’t walk. Not without us. Here get her on my back.” Sam knelt down and Dean placed her on his little brother’s back. Sam held (y/n) under her knees and hand her arms wrapped around his neck. “Alright let’s get the hell out of here.”

“I can teleport us back to the den once we get out to the woods.” Said Cas.

“Alright come let’s go.” Said Dean as he was the first to race out of the torture room, then Cas and finally Sam and I.

Just as we made it outside and before we could even reach the woods, we were stopped by one of Percy’s acid spitters. Soon two more came from the corners and surrounded us before finally a fourth one came right behind us, trapping us in a deadly circle.

It was then a spotlight suddenly shined on all four of us and a voice came out through some speakers.

“The Winchester brothers, and the angel Castiel. I must say I have heard a lot about you three.” Percy soon came up along the balcony of his room as he stared us down. I also saw how all of his trappers and hunters also surrounded us with their military weapons ready to fire at us.

“I take it you’re Percy.” Dean proclaimed.

“Seems my name’s famous even across the seas.”

“More like infamous.” Sam stated.

“Oh now Sam darling, no need to be so crude.”

“You kidnapped our sister. I got no reason why I shouldn’t Captain hook!” Dean exclaimed.

“Well I could give you four a warning, let you go but then again Americans usually are resilient little things. And resilience, means trouble.” He held his normal hand up and a snap rang out loud and clear.

The dragons surrounded us, hissing and baring their fangs. Sam set me down and stood in front of me, while Dean and Cas got on either side of me, forming a protective wall around me. The dragon in front of us huffed and slowly crawled closer and closer before getting ready to fire at us.

Just before it could spit out it’s acid, suddenly a dragon tackled it onto its side and went for a bite straight into the head. The dragon squirmed underneath the larger dragon but it wasn’t until I saw the familiar horns and pattern-like skin that I knew who exactly was attacking the acid spitter.

It was Stephen. He tore the spitter’s head off before tossing it aside and he turned towards us, his pupils recited to a sharp point.

‘Go! Run!’ I heard his voice in my head and I’m sure the guys also heard it too. Suddenly he was tackled by two of the acid spitters. The three of them rolled along the ground till finally Stephen revealed his four wings and began flying in the air sending the other two after them.

But it was then suddenly shooting out from the trees like a snake striking its prey, Apophis in his dragon form grabbed one of the spitters and quickly wrapped it up so tightly that it couldn’t even move. Squeezing the life out of it till it drew it’s last breath.

As the next spitter got onto Apophis’ back and just before it could send it’s stinger into his skin, suddenly a fire ball shot out right onto the spitter’s side sending it off of Apophis’ back. I then heard the sound of two different wing flaps and soon coming down were Warren and Deacon.

Deacon shot a fire ring around the four of us protecting us from any oncoming threat as Warren went in and landed in front of us and firing right at Percy’s warehouse burning it down to the ground. Forcing the hunters and trappers to scatter everywhere. They tried to grab any weapon they could get their hands on, but with his whip-like tail Deacon tossed them either far into the woods or right into the burning warehouse.

The two remaining acid spitters leapt for Deacon but Warren managed to grab them both with his mouth. Getting a good grip onto them adjusting them into his mouth before finally delivering that last powerful bite to make them gurgle until finally lying limp.

Warren then discarded them towards the warehouse, and due to the force he threw them at, it created two large holes which only allowed the fire to explode out like a firework booming in the sky.

My son looked to his Beta in gratitude before Warren turned towards Percy. I could sense that Warren was wanting more bloodshed, especially from the hunter that had been hunting them for years. But Deacy stopped him and growled and huffed at him.

I watched as my son phased from his dragon form into his human state but kept his wings out as he flew towards Percy. Warren, Apophis and Stephen followed suit and soon the four of them all flew over Percy’s head.

*3rd Person POV*

Percy now was forced to look at the Big Four of the dragon’s nest he had been hunting down. He had encountered all four of these dragons in the past, but this was a first when all four of them were together like this. Truly seething with rage and a protective aurora.

The burning flames from his warehouse just enhanced the fire in their eyes, especially the Alpha’s whom he refused to break eye contact with.

“My Big Four. I am—honored that you four would come to see me so willingly.” None of them responded, only kept their glares set on the dragon trapper.

“One warning; If you ever come near the Winchester brothers, the angel or the woman again. There will be more to come that not even you can stop.” Stephen sneered lowly.

“I—am surprised my dragons. You do realize the Winchester brothers have killed a dragon before with the one thing that can kill your kind. The angel has killed thousands in his lifetime probably, and that girl—she’s probably just like me with her dragon suit of armor. Why would you care so much for dragon killers like them?”

“Because that girl is my mother!” Deacon snarled. It was then Percy began to realize something. He may be a hunter and come from a dragon hunting lineage, but he wasn’t stupid to the dragon laws.

And he knew the consequences of harming or even hunting the mother of the Alpha from the story of his great-great-great grandfather who made that fatal error.

“Mother.” He whispered as he turned towards the ring of fire to look right at (Y/n). “Forgive me Mighty Deacon.” He fell to his knees extending his arms out almost as if offering himself to the Alpha. “I—I had no knowledge of her being your mother. Had I known I would’ve never done what I did. Have mercy I beg of you.”

Deacon just stared him down before flying down towards him but keeping a distance from him. His tail came out and it quickly wrapped itself around Percy’s neck choking him.

He gasped for air and tried to escape the Alpha’s tail but Deacon just continued to glare soullessly down at the hunter who had killed many of his people.

“Stay. Away from my mother. Don’t track her down, or her family. And never let me hear you trying to find her again.” Percy nodded and groaned out.

“Yes Alpha, I swear it…..I’ll never touch her again.” With a thrust of his tail, Deacon tossed him down towards his room and that’s when Apophis said.

“Call off your army, any dragons you got left, and let us pass.”

“Less you want to see your precious mansion burn too.” Threatened Warren as he allowed his hand to burn up. It was then Percy spoke into the microphone.

“Stand down. Let them pass.”

“But sir—” cried one of the hunters only to be interrupted by Percy.

“LET THEM PASS!!” He then looked up at the Big Four once more and they flew back towards the ring of fire.

*My POV*

He was letting us go. Why? Why would he let us go so easily. I saw the boys flying back towards us changing back into their dragon forms.

Stephen grabbed Sam and Dean with the hooks of his two lowers wings allowing them to mount his back, Apophis wrapped his tail around Cas and hoisted him up onto his.

But now with them gone, I had no more support as I found myself collapsing to the ground. Until both Deacy and Warren were now flying over me.

Lowering their heads down towards me; Warren first gently nudged me like I was a newborn baby trying to get me to stand up. Deacy lay his head right in front of me as Warren kept gently nudging me to stand. Finally I at least managed to crawl and grab a hold around my son’s neck.

I pulled myself up and mounted on top of his head and he slowly took off from that position trying not to move his head around so much since he knew I was still fuzzy from the drugs.

Soon I felt nothing but the wind on my face and I saw Warren flying close behind Deacon as he looked down at me and nodded to me.

We were going home.

*3rd Person POV*

As Percy walked out to join the remaining trappers Doctor Zemo said.

“Why did you let them go like that?”

“I had too. Besides our Mother dragon will prove more useful out there than she will here.” It was then Percy pulled out a small device and turned it on to reveal a red dot on the move.

Smirking victoriously.

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goldenworldsabound · 4 years

Text

First Challenge II

Direct sequel to First Challenge I. Danger presents itself! How will the odd threesome handle it?

They set up camp, getting a small fire started despite some bickering between Philly and Shizuo.

"I'm going to see if I can hunt some dinner." Philly said with a small smirk, holding up his gun pointedly. "Hold down the fort here." He disappeared into the edge of the woods.

Shizuo sat cross legged, leaning against the wall of the outcropping. He sighed gently. Wendy sat down close but not touching him, looking at him curiously.

"You really don't remember, huh?" He asked, opening one eye to look at her.

"N-no. I'm sorry..." She mumbled.

"It's okay. We've been through this before. You got hit really hard once and had amnesia for a bit... you forgot me entirely at that time too." Shizuo shrugged, though she could see a hint of pain on his face. "We'll get through this too." he turned and smiled softly at her.

She smiled back, but felt a sense of consternation at his words.

"That sounds painful." She murmured.

"It was." he trailed off, gazing down at his hands. She felt her heart ache for him.

"What did you do?" Wendy asked.

Shizuo thought for a moment, but then smiled softly, taking her hand in his.

"I took care of you. Just like I will now." He squeezed her hand gently.

She smiled back at him, feeling a blush creep onto her face as she gazed into his eyes.

They were startled out of the moment by Philly's frantic yelling.

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

His stomach churned at the thought of leaving Wendy alone with that Shizuo guy, but...it was also very painful to be with her, to really understand that she didn't remember him. After everything they'd been through...

He just wanted to kill something.

He slunk through the forest, keeping an eye out for any movement, but it was dead quiet. Nothing moved. He hadn't noticed anything earlier either. This place was a weird, walled in space, so maybe it would have been stranger to find something.

He leaned against a tree, unable to stop his thoughts from spiraling.

"Wendy...goddamn it...what happened to you..." Alone, he let a few tears slide down his cheeks. He froze suddenly, feeling the ground shaking a little. He wiped away his tears, jerking back to a stable standing position, looking around intently.

He strained his ears. He could hear something...like trees being flattened.

"Oh shit." He scrambled up a tree quickly. It was plain to see the path the destruction was taking.

And it was headed right for the camp they'd set up.

It seemed to be moving slowly. Maybe he could stop whatever-it-was. He waited, holding tightly to the tree, one hand pointing a gun at where he expected it to appear. The cracking of trees grew louder, until finally it appeared.

Philly's eyes widened. It was a large mech of some sort - slow and lumbering, but a mech. Or maybe just a large robot? It was hard to say. It's form was blocky, not comparable to any particular living thing. Not as graceful as a Botican royal guard by far.

Philly cursed as he searched for anything other than his guns. Of course he didn't have anything else - he kept all the excess inside of Bessie. Son of a bitch. He took a few shots at it anyways, cursing as they bounced off harmlessly.

He leapt to the ground, rolling and breaking into a run in one smooth motion. Shit, shit, SHIT! Think of something, Philly, anything...

As he spotted the edge of the treeline, he started yelling.

"Wendy! Something big is coming! We gotta move right the fuck now!" He broke the tree line, spotting Wendy and Shizuo on their feet, having heard his frantic yelling. He skidded to a stop in front of them.

"What's going on?" Wendy asked, looking nervous. Her eyes flicked to the forest, the crashing sounds now audible.

"There's no time to explain, we need to run." Philly grabbed her hand, looking around for anything that could help, or anywhere that would be useful to run.

"Something loud is coming..." Shizuo commented, looking at the trees with...a total lack of concern. Philly felt a vein in his neck twitch. Why was this guy so unconcerned? Anything that could topple trees was horrifyingly dangerous. And he had no idea if this Wendy was immortal! And he doubted this Shizuo guy was.

"Yeah, no shit, we gotta-"

The trees nearest them began to topple as the robot grew close. Philly pulled Wendy out of the way of one that fell nearby. She cried out, focused on Shizuo, who couldn't possibly move out of the way in time.

As the dust and the debris cleared, both Philly and Wendy were startled to see that Shizuo was...okay. In fact, he had one hand over his head, holding the tree that they expected to fall and crush him. He hefted it over his shoulder, looking moderately annoyed.

"What the..." Philly murmured, staring with bug eyes at Shizuo. Wendy was equally impressed, her free hand over her mouth as she gasped.

The robot burst through the woods. Philly pulled Wendy behind him, pulling out his gun despite it's proven uselessness in the situation. "Stay behind me."

Meanwhile, Shizuo had a wicked smirk on his face. "A robot, huh? I guess that means I can go all out." He pulled the tree back like a baseball bat as the robot approached. As it came into range, he swung the tree at it. Philly ran, pulling Wendy with him as the robot went flying.

The robot "got to it's feet", grabbing a tree to lob back at Shizuo. It appeared to be dented, and sparks were coming off it. Shizuo caught the tree, skidding back a few feet, before throwing it back at the robot and following up with his fists. He battered it rapidly, with a strength that seemed inhuman.

"What is that guy...?" Philly asked out loud, now that he and Wendy were far enough away to avoid the dangerous flying detritus from Shizuo's fight. Wendy shook her head fearfully.

"I...don't know." She squeezed his hand tightly, shaking a little.

"It'll be okay. It's clear to be me that he won't hurt you." Philly replied, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb gently. "He should be a bit more careful with where he swings those trees though, geez...we could have been hit." He rubbed the back of his head nervously, watching as Shizuo pulverized the robot into a barely recognizable heap.

"But...that robot...?" Wendy asked.

"Hm? It looks pretty toast to me." Philly gestured at it.

"Ye-yeah, but...what was it doing here? What are we doing here?" Wendy put a hand over her mouth, feeling tears starting.

"I wish I could tell you." Philly sighed, using his free hand to cup her face. "But I don't know. The thing I do know though," He tilted her chin up, meeting her gaze, "is that I will do everything in my power to protect you." He frowned. "And it seems like...that guy...will too."

"Thank you..." Wendy mumbled, putting her hand on his arm lightly as she averted her gaze.

There was a loud popping noise, like party poppers going off. Wendy and Philly turned to see Shizuo standing in place, blinking in confusion as confetti fell down over him. Wendy relinquished her grip on Philly's hand, running over.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Wendy yelled, with tears still in her eyes. "What...how did you do that?"

Philly followed after more slowly, pouting a bit. Of course, Shizuo had been the one to save the day and not him...tch...

"Oh, that's...I'm just...really strong. Ah...now's probably not the time to explain why and how." Shizuo answered, rubbing the back of his head. He pointed with his other hand down at the robot rubble.

There was now a neat package (done up with a bow and everything) on top of the robots barely recognizable remains. Wendy wandered over to it while Philly watched defensively. Shizuo seemed completely at ease.

"It appeared when the, uh, popping went off." Shizuo explained, lighting a cigar and beginning to smoke.

"I wonder what it is!" Wendy excitedly began to unwrap it, only barely registering Philly coming to stand closely next to her as she knelt down. He watched skeptically. As she undid the bow, she put it on her head, giggling and looking up at Philly and Shizuo with a little blush.

Too cute...they both thought, looking away in an attempt to hide their own blushes.

As she opened the package, Philly's eyes widened and he knelt down as well.

"Woah, look at this! Food, and, and tech!" He picked up one of the sleek silver grenades. "This looks like it's Crystalline Angel make." He observed, grinning. "And extra cartridges for my guns? Sick."

"Crystalline Angel?" Shizuo asked, squatting down to look closer as well.

"That's Wendy's outla- er, business name." Philly answered, correcting himself with a nervous smile. "She makes and sells the best fucking tech I've ever seen. It's always a pleasure when I get to use it." He pocketed the tech happily.

"I...make stuff like that?!" Wendy asked, eyes wide as saucers.

Philly nodded. "Sure do. And you're damn good at it." He puffed out his chest with pride. She blushed, laughing a little.

"Well, maybe in some place I am." She picked up the food, taking a closer look at what it was.

Without warning, her eyes went blank, the food slipping out of her hands and back to the ground. Her eyes began to glow blue.

"Wendy?" Shizuo asked, putting a hand on her shoulder, lightly shaking her. Philly clenched his jaw, feeling afraid, the situation seeming out of his control. He put his hand on her other shoulder.

After a moment, Wendy's eyes closed and she began to fall forward. Philly and Shizuo kept her in place, holding her arms and shoulders. Her eyes opened slowly, back to normal.

"Wendy...?" Shizuo prompted, concern evident in his expression and tone.

"Mm...I...I have something." She looked at her hands, marveling.

"What thing?" Philly asked, looking equally concerned.

"I can't explain it but...I can teleport us to the..." Her brow furrowed. "The next place. Whatever that...means." She shook her head. "I'm fine now, I promise. Just...confused." Her stomach growled audibly.

That broke the tension, and everyone couldn't help but smile.

"Let's eat, and then we can, uh, figure out what the fuck is going on." Philly suggested, smirking.

Shizuo nodded. "Can't think on an empty stomach."

And the picnic commenced.

#Wendy Protection Squad #fic #HEHEHEHEHE #:3c

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suffering-and-happy-about-it · 4 years

Text

Retrograde (Pieces of the People We Love, Part 2.)

Description: Not many people had the chance to see a vault or to mean anything in the world of Pandora. Will a hardly built relationship in the loneliness of the desert have the potential to change anything in the world of anarchy and chaos - or will the friends try to murder each other?

A/N: One time, my friend asked me if I would like to drink Dr. Bob or classic Coke when she was making an analogy for a random movie. So Dr. Bob is sort of a long running jokw when comparing a bad movie.

Warnings: A lot of guns, violence, reader is a tough badass - not a vault hunter tho. They’re badass and don’t give a fuck. And Scooter is a dumb bitch, as always. All Psychos and Fanatics are various Vine references - oh, what luck that reader can understand them since she is friends with Bandits.

Word count: 3.6K

Tagging: @notaliteraltoad, @nemodoren

Series master list: H E R E

You were looking straight into the man's face for what seemed to be infinity, it was almost half an hour, while your entwined fingers supported your resting chin. You sat there like that for the past hour while Scooterboy was eating like crazy. He was sure hungry like a wolf.

That was pretty acceptable and reasonable, as far as you could judge - he was pronounced DEAD several years ago. The worst part was that the whole Pandora probably mourned for the best-known, and basically only, mechanic in the business. And now, he was just looking at Pintley and ate almost everything from his plate, looking like a hamster. Scooter literally stuffed his faces with homemade fried Skag bacon and Pintley's bread - definitely one of the best combinations in the entirety of Pandora.

"Are you done with the food?" - A mumbled cold as ice filled the room when Scooter finally finished the fourth plate of food and his last can of the Dr. Bob cola. The drink was sure as hell not healthy and barely nutritious, but it was the only soda Pintley had in Hell's Cauldron's pub.

"Now, you're going to explain to me how the hell are you alive and why, for the fuck's sake, have you respawned here." - The rhythm of your words was slow, your tongue rolled every syllable on its top - as if Scooter had some brain damage. Each of you was staring at the mechanic with hidden curiosity; this was a miracle, to say the least. Was he inside the database the whole time? If he wasn't there, could it be that the systems had some hard time figuring where should it respawn him? It didn't matter how you approached the problem - any of the solutions was making sense to you.

"Ye man, I'm done for now. Thanks for payin' for me, anyway. I don't have any cash on me since..." - Scooter zoned out for a second, watching a small spot next to your head. He was doing that quite a lot throughout his eat-all-you-can episode. His eyes fixed on a precise point somewhere inside the room. It was unnerving.

Without wanting, your eyebrows had risen on their own after a minute of complete silence. You've counted every second of Scooter spacing out before deciding to drag him out of the trance. Slowly, you rose both your hands and clapped. The metallic one could clap pretty loud, so it made Scooterboy freak out, looking around with genuine fear on his face. You've given him another ten seconds to get it all together before you leaned a bit closer, still staring at him without any clear emotion on your face.

Scooter, at first, was staring back at you. Then, he chuckled and leaned his back into the chair. - "How can I know, man? I'm only Scooter, I do cars. Ye, I could repair you a network or stations when ya would like me to, but nobody except those Hyperion robots doesn't know how does New-U work. Can I have another Dr. Bob? I'm really thirsty." - Scooterboy asked you politely, raising the empty can to your eye-level. Oh, he was negotiating, that was what he was doing. He wasn't going to tell you anything without another can of the naughty mysterious cola, right? Well, if this was the case...

Slowly, you closed your eyelids so much that they became two small lines, thinking about murdering Scooterboy just for the fun of it; it wouldn't be that bad, since he would respawn at the station again. It would be maybe morally incorrect, but who were you to care about such bullshit? Being the responsible adult you pretended to be, you managed to overcome your sour feelings against Scooter and calmed down, leaning your back into the chair as well.

"Listen up, young man. You'll tell me everything you remember from the last time you were alive and I, as a little show-off of my gratitude, will buy you another cheap and disgusting cola. Are we on the same page?" - Another few seconds passed until Scooter nodded in agreement before you stretched your arm to Pintley; the old man basically tore the money out of your palm, making you shoot a furrow in his direction. With the speed of literal lighting, he fetched another red can of the soda; everyone was eager to hear Scooter's tale so they could piece the story together on their own.

That didn't mean you would completely wipe the thoughts regarding Scooterboy's sudden and unexpected death in your head. For a reason, when you managed to wrap yourself in some rather unpleasant bullshit, murder scenarios were your usual go-to tactic to calm down once more. Like most things on Pandora, this tendency couldn't be simply explained or treated by walking straight to a therapist's office. If you'd believe what Blindy told you here and there, another psycho named Jay had a small psychologist office on his own - but let's be serious, what good could a therapy by a psycho do? Your situation wasn't that bad for now; until you'd randomly go on a rampage, you weren't planning on booking an appointment.

The staring contest was going on for a few seconds, yet when neither of you cut the staring off, your normal arm slowly rose another two dollars, as you kept on watching Scooter intensely. Anticipation was in the air as the mechanic leaned closer to Pintley, catching the soda between his fingers. After that, he just gave you an innocent gaze. - "I blew up." - Scooter said simply, shrugging his shoulders. That made Billy, who was sitting two tables away from you, laugh out loud.

"BITCH DISGUSTING!" - Rayray yelled and every single one of you, including Scooter, looked at the bandit boy. Scooter was the only person in the room who certainly didn't know what Rayray just told him; given Blindy gasped for air, it couldn't be nice. "Dude, there's no need to be this harsh. Calm your tits and apologize!" - You yelled in Scooter's defense and so did Billy.

Not that you were a master psycho-to-normal translator, yet you could at least roughly understand what Rayray just said. Each of you had your mouth opened as you stared at the bandit boy. You could rarely hear him say something so outrageously accusing. What he said was so damn rude; he was accusing Scooter of lying just like that.

"There's no need to be so fuckin' aggressive, you deadbrain! You don't know if he's lying or not! Say that you're sorry. Do you even realize that enough people already think that we're nothin' but stupid idiots?!" - Billy said in a firm voice and stared Rayray down, almost smacking him like a bitch. Rayray and Billy had a father-son relationship which could simply be described as ridiculous. Yet, since they both lived in the same bandit colony, somebody had to lead Rayray to behave as well as he could.

“I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'VE DONE THIS.” - Rayray said in a low voice with his head hung low. Everyone shook their heads and looked at Rayray with disappointment just before shifting their looks back on Scooterboy. Each one of you was wondering about the story Scooter had to tell; as you looked over to him and observed the face his face was looking, he surely wasn't done with the story just yet.

“There was a group of weird people travelin' with my friends and one day they came to me and ask “Hey, Scoot, ya willin' to make us a rocket? Need to go to Helios ASAP.” and I was like “Yea”. So I and my pal Janey built them a rocket, but there was a small mechanical problem and my hand was stuck in the rocket... And it needed to blow up, so they could continue their journey to reach Helios, alrite? And it took me to hell and back, man, I tell ya.” - Scooter smiled a bit at that thought. - “I remember it blowin' up. Me bein' on it. And now I'm sitting here with new friends, sippin' some good old Dr. Bob. How is Helios hangin'?”

The silence that had suddenly surrounded you all was uncomfortable, to say the least. Quickly, you glanced over Pintley to look out of the window. Until that day, you could still pinpoint the exact location where Helios was hovering in the sky. Never in those long years since it had blown up, you'd look in the sky and think "Man, it's strange to not see an ugly-ass space station there". But, somehow, that was precisely what you've been thinking about at that moment. Obviously, if Scooter was dead for the past seven years, his first instinct wouldn't be to look up and search for the most hideous view you've ever had encountered. But not that you realized he wasn't fucking with any of you, it felt strange not to see the station there. As if it was your personal guilt that some jackasses had blown it up.

It was you, again, who decided to speak the first. With a gulp, you've leaned forward to lean your elbows to your thighs, trying to say it in the most natural way possible. - “Scooter... Helios was blown up by a group of pretty weird guys.” - It was nothing but a mere whisper. - “Five years or so ago.”

For a moment, Scooter didn't seem to be connecting the information. It didn't click until a few minutes later. - “Wait, what? And... Sanctuary?” - Scooter leaned even deeper into his chair with his gaze directed into the oblivion. Why did you have to be the one who had to tell the deadman all the news? Why wasn't anyone else speaking? But as you looked over to the men around, their gazes only answered "Well, you've started with it, don't be a pussy now and finish what you were saying". Did Scooter even know that Handsome Jack was dead now? That there were rumors about discovering about four or five new vaults on the sister planets of Pandora? Did he know that the Children of the Vault had risen all over Pandora? And if he didn't know... How much were you supposed to tell him if you didn't want him to have a hysterical seizure?

“Okay, we might have to trace what you know, get your timeline matching ours and we will have to tell you... So many new things that you may shit your pants.” - You mumbled and opened another Dr. Bob. It took quite some time before you managed to somehow connect your memories with his. It was almost ten p.m. when you ended. Occasionally, you managed to line-up his memories until the moment when the original Sanctuary was attacked by the flower-army or who (don't act so surprised - anything was pretty much possible on Pandora). As the tales said, the town was now blown up into millions of tiny rocks and the VHs had constructed a literal spaceship (which was Scooter's sister Ellie). Again, you couldn't tell how much of it was true. You couldn't be quite sure that anything on the planet Pandora you heard had actually happened.

But mostly, it all seemed to true - that Helios has fallen, that Sanctuary was teleported by the legendary siren Lilith, known as the Firehawk, or that Handsome Jack was posting a job wanted posts for Vault Hunters wanted just so he could easily kill them off. Carefully, you told Scooter about the chaos that started when Sanctuary was blown up and the vault key had been lost in the desert. Back then, it was hard to notice the entire Pandora changing since you've been living in a literal desert, but you could tell that something wasn't adding up. When you told him about the siren-powered Calypso twins, you couldn't leave out their cringy streaming career.

You told him all about how the COV had recruited most of the bandit and psycho clans all over Wastelands, starting their big suicidal cult somewhere in an old base, growing bigger with each month. They weren't a serious threat, serious pain in the pain at their best, but they could be quite something to deal with at times. Of course, were now including all the women that were insane enough to join them, which was among the first questions Scooter was wondering about. Now, there was a small amount of free-psycho-bandit-whatever clans remaining in the deserts and wastelands. Most of the bandits joined the COV; the places they've been living in before were now empty, lifeless and Pandora was a bit less fun without the random encounters.

“So, you aren't in contact with Lilith? Or Moxxi? Or Ellie? Or basically anyone?” - The man asked suddenly after being quiet for a moment. You weren't thinking of yourself as the most empathetic person in the whole of the desert; you've told Scooter all about the reality you've been living in for the past couple of years. For you, it was natural to take it all as the matter of fact - but you couldn't forget about Scooter being a man-out-of-time. It could take him some time to understand the rules of today's Pandora and you had to be patient with him for now. Until you'd get rid of him and get back to your old life.

The question about the VHs and Crimson raiders made you surprised. How could you be in contact with them when you never met them before? - “I don't even know them personally, dude. Hey... You okay, Scooterboy?” - The can with the nasty cola was laying on the table as if Scooter didn't even want it anymore. His face went two shades paler and the grin on his face had faded away. - “You look like you're about to puke.”

Now, he lowered his head and played with his fingers, fidgeting them around. Yeah. It was tough to get accustomed to. So many things had changed since his days on Pandora and even though, it all remained almost the same. It must've been feeling pretty surreal. - “Nah, man. I'm not about to puke, don't ya worry. It's just too much to take in. That's all. I'll be alrite.” - He answered. You could tell something's off. He was an exploding ball of energy and happiness just two hours ago; now, you managed to destroy his confidence, positivity, and to murder his good mood. Wow. Good job, you.

“I'm sorry if you think that your friends abandoned you here..." - At that point, Pintley looked on the back of your head. Was he dreaming or were you being... Nice to someone? What happened to you? Were you trying to calm Scooter down? Did you finally grow as a person? Oh, but then the rest came, destroying the nice-person aura you had for a bit. "But that's true, man. They left you here because they thought you were dead-dead... And that's kinda fair if you ask me. I both know it, you know it, Rayray knows it. We all do. Keep it together, yeah? You were fucking dead for the past couple of years. There are so many new things to get accustomed to. But if you'll chicken out of that, you're a pussy." - The tone of your voice was empty and emotionless.

Pintley, for a minute, saw some kind of humanity shining through the aura of I-don't-give-a-diddly-damn you've been keeping ever since he met you. The truth was - you simply didn't care enough to "do emotions", as you called it. You weren't good at it at all, so you didn't bother with trying. Maybe that's was why you were living on your own in the middle of a desert. That was a pretty plausible explanation.

There were some people you'd call friends, yeah. You even liked to joke around with them. You could do sarcasm, irony, and arse-biting jokes that were sometimes really offensive. But every other emotion was a literal mystery to you. You couldn't quite show them off even if your heart was warm and full of love. And it was even worse when somebody pissed you off. As soon as you turned on the killing-machine mode, as Pintley called it, you didn't care about being as subtle as possible. Nothing in this world couldn't stop you from shooting someone, killing them, or simply throwing them through the window? Oh, how many times did you have to pay Pintley a new window? He wouldn't be able to count it even if he'd like to.

Yet, even though your dead stare and emotionless expression, the man smiled and patted your shoulder. With a furrow, you watched Scooter slowly backing his hand back to his lap, since you seemed to be thinking about biting the said arm off. "At least I respawned here, where ya people are actually pretty friendly under playin' that "I'm a badass and cold" facade." - At that, Pintley grinned; since you didn't know what you should respond, you just nodded and made a weird sound. You didn't know what to answer - you never met anyone that would see you as a... Friendly person? Ugh. Sure, pretty friendly persons live in a cabin hidden far, far away from any signs of society and they have actually fun when they hunt Skags. Right... That was a description of your normal local weirdo, not a description of a damn nice person. As you finished your internal monologue, you snickered under your breath, shaking your head as you unconsciously sat in a defensive position; your knee was thrown over your knee, your arms were covering your torso.

"And where you're planning to sleep, Scooterboy?" - Pintley asked. Since he was done with all the cleaning, he lightened up a cigarette, leaning his shoulder into a near doorframe. - "You know. Just wondering."

Scooter seemed to realize it at the same time you did; where will the poor guy sleep? Pintley had a guest room, sure, but you could already tell something fishy was going on since Pintley himself was the one calling the shots. You knew a spot or two in the forest where Scooter could make a small campsite; you've been sleeping there when the hunt took too long. - "I hadn't thought of somethin' like that. Wow. I am a homeless person, isn't that quite funny?" - Scooter said, clearly being more saddened than before. Damn, were you and Pintley trying to outdo each other in bringing Scooter's mood lower than before? Clearly, you had more points for the entire Calypso mascarade, but this was an impressive move, to say the least.

Of all people inside the room, it was Blindy who answered. - "Y'all know we can't take him to Ham's Creek. Guys would eat Scooter alive, Cowboy." - Blindy shrugged his shoulders and you just nodded. It was clear Blindy wasn't joking around - every time you had to visit Ham's Creed, you had goosebumps all over your body. Even if you didn't think of yourself as an emphatic person, you surely thought you're courageous. Damn, your day-to-day job was to hunt Skags down. But Ham's Creek? That was a whole another universe of horror and things that were unseen until you stepped inside the psycho territory. They would grill him like a pig and you didn't second-guess that they would even manage to find an apple which would they stuff into Scooter's mouth. That wasn't a nice image.

Pintley, the traitor, sighed too. - "I would give him a room if Jocelyn wasn't over right now." - Pintley said in a low voice, which was merely indicating how deeply in love your friend was. That mothersucker. Oh, you knew her. You precisely knew who Jocelyn was. With a confused face, you've been the one to answer Pintley's confession. "Listen, man, love's nice and all... But... Just theoretically... If you have your girlfriend over, and you have sex with her... Why don't you guys sleep in one bed? As far as I know, it's kinda considered to be normal." - It was a frown on your face that made Pintley realize you didn't buy his bullshit at all.

The old man only reddened before mumbling an answer. - "Jocelyn and I aren't ready for such a commitment to sleep in one bed." - At that, you had enough. The next sentence kind of... Slipped out of your mouth before you could stop it. "Pintley, do you realize that Jocelyn is a figurine? You can literally put her anywhere else and let Scooter have a sleepover at your place before we figure out what to do with him." - The tone of your voice was so incredulous that your voice just slipped an octave higher. For a moment, you've been looking at each other; but it didn't make Pintley say "okay".

It was at that second when you realized what was going on. No, Pintley and Blindy didn't agree on this beforehand, yet both of them were sure it wasn't to be them who would have the boy in their home that night. The truth was that you had an ultra-old couch at your place that was just... There. - "Ah, you sons of a bitch." Right after that, you stood and expected Scooter to do the same; as he remained sitting there, you just snapped your fingers in front of his face, which freaked him out. As he was picking himself up from the ground, you walked through the pub while putting your significant hat back on.

"Looks like you'll be at my place, boy. Get up, Blindy will drive us home.” - And right before you left, you've shown Pintley your middle finger, making the man chuckle under his breath.

#scooter #borderlands 3 #just an intro #bandits speak in vine #crimson raiders #sanctuary #moxxi #ellie borderlands #moxxi borderlands #lilith borderlands #sanctuary borderlands #borderlands 2 #scooter borderlands

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dontdietwd · 4 years

Text

Don’t Die, day 20

The sky had only just started to pale in the horizon when I left my tent. I had been asleep for many hours now, nearly passed out. I’d been feeling sick all those days, especially when night came – I surely had night sickness rather than morning sickness – and after throwing up alone in the woods, far from the camp, I’d stumble back to the tent and pass out until the next morning. Last night hadn’t been different. As I left the group that had been reunited around a small fire, not explaining to anyone what I’d do, I walked by Daryl, who was on watch duty just by the edge of the clearing. I gave him a small smile, which he didn’t give back. It was clear to me he knew something was wrong, and I am sure that if he weren’t on his post for a few more hours, he’d have gone after me. I was glad he didn’t. I didn’t want anyone thinking about what was happening to me; I wasn’t ready to tell anybody, to make it real, to admit it to myself. And maybe even more than that, I didn’t want to tell Daryl.

[MORE]

He and Merle were the only people I knew from the old life; the only people who had known me before, seen me young and growing up, who had some kind of history with me, even if a lame one. I didn’t worry about Merle knowing, because even though we could even be called friends now, I still didn’t forget the part he had always had in my life. What we had now didn’t erase the past. When he was present there, next door, he meant trouble. He meant offensive words when I didn’t deserve them – hell, when nobody deserved them! – so I didn’t actually give any a shit about what Merle thought of me. I knew I could deal with him; I had learned how to talk to him in those twenty days of this acquaintance-friendship.

But Daryl – Daryl was different, and I didn’t even know how. He’d never spoken offensive words at me – only eighteen years ago when his teenager version told me to fuck off, but that had been it – and he had always been a presence in my life, in the background, the boy from the other house, the one who’d disappear and resurge again on and on, a constant variable. Daryl was my only constant.

After the dead got up to eat the living, this frail and nearly inexistent relationship had shifted. He was there, I wouldn’t know how to explain it if I had to, but I knew he was there, in the amplest meaning of the word. In those little more than two weeks, Daryl was the one who’d talk quietly to me, look at me to confirm decisions, tell me things with his eyes when he didn’t talk much with words. He was comfortable and, yes I dared to admit, he felt safe. There was something blooming there, I knew it, there was no denying, but ever so slowly, like the way you have to approach a wounded animal because they are just so scared and defensive. That’s the image Daryl reminded me of. I didn’t know much about his life even having been there for so long, but I knew it hadn’t been good, it had made him be as closed up as he was. So whatever was going to happen, if it was going to happen, would have to be slowly, no rush.

So I didn’t want to tell him yet, just not yet, but I knew that when I was ready to tell anyone, it’d have to be him, even fearing he would judge me, look down at me, or worse: pamper me. I didn’t know him well enough yet to foresee which one it would be, but I dreaded any option. So I just kept throwing up out of sight in the woods, sleeping early only because I’d worked a lot all day, pretending nothing was happening.

The camp was quiet as I left the tent area to reach the clearing. Dale was on top of the RV, T-Dog walking around the edge of the clearing – he nodded at me with a little smile for a good-morning – Ed was ahead of the cars on the edge of the road, and Merle on the other side of the clearing, opposite T-Dog. I knew Jim was down on the quarry keeping watch there. This shift of watch was nearly over and the five men would be replaced and would have to eat something before going to sleep. Carol and Miranda were up and about, preparing food for breakfast – I had previously set shifts for that too, where the two were together for the first meal, Lori and Amy for lunch and Morales and I for dinner. He was the only man on these shifts because no other could cook in a satisfactory way.

In a way, slowly and discreetly, I had organized small jobs for everyone in camp. The cooking shifts, a person responsible for never letting the boiled water to run out – Jim – four to keep picking the best twigs and dry leaves they could find so the fire would never die out – the children – and even laundry duties. I had tried to make it fifty-fifty, men and women, but my feminist way of thinking hadn’t been much appreciated, for my dismay. I couldn’t understand the concept that men could to wash their own fucking clothes. The men had turned their noses at the idea, and the women had decided they’d only stand in their way and do it all wrong and they’d have to do it all over again anyway. Defeated, I also excused myself from this duty. I’d never done laundry by hand in my life, I’ve always just had to toss them inside my old washer and that was it. Everybody else who could shoot or use a knife and felt safe facing walkers were on watch duties, which meant almost all of them, but this had been Shane’s responsibility. He organized the weapons, the shifts, the points were each one would be, all the strategy around it. I was glad because this invisible line Shane and I had drawn made things more peaceful and had us knocking heads less every day.

“Morning,” I said quietly as I approached Merle.

“Hey, what’s up, baby face?” he smiled as he threw away the butt of the cigarette he had been smoking.

“All quiet here?”

“Yeah, heard twigs all over the night but was a raccoon or something like it. Gonna get it later.”

“Right, you guys gonna go huntin’ today?”

“Yeah, bring some protein for these assholes.”

“Not gonna rest a little before leaving?”

“Yeah, couple of hours be enough.”

“’Kay,” I nodded. “Hey, go on, I’ll take the watch now.”

“Ya gonna? Thought it was china-boy.”

“Glenn’ll take Dale’s spot.”

Merle handed me the rifle he’d been holding for the past three hours and left, crossing paths with his brother on his way. They just nodded at each other and Daryl approached me, an old metal bowl in hand. I looked at him just as he handed it over.

“Mornin’.”

“Morning… Yeah, I don’t think I’m gonna eat,” I said refusing to take the bowl.

“Ya gotta,” he insisted. “Know you got sick last night. Canned meat balls didn’t agree with ya?”

“Uh, you saw that…” I moaned out instead of an answer.

“Not the first time. You ok?”

“Yeah, no, not sure…” I looked down, kicking the hard ground with the tip of my boot. “Didn’t know my stomach would bitch so much about all this fuckin’ change in eating habits.”

“Gotta get used to it, don’t see it turnin’ back to normal anytime soon,” and with that he tried to hand me the bowl again. I took it this time, reluctantly, still not looking at him. “Ya sure that’s what the problem is? Ya been getting’ sick since the road.”

I looked up then to find his eyes glued on mine, searching for something. He had asked that in a low voice, stepping a little bit closer, head a little lowered to get almost in level with mine. I felt my mouth go suddenly dry – or at least drier than it was before – and swallowed, looking down at the bow, escaping his gaze.

“Yeah. What else would it be?”

“You tell me.”

He didn’t move or say anything else. Daryl just stood there, waiting for me to say something, and I almost did. I felt like I wanted to tell him now, just say it and get it over with, but my throat seemed to be reminding me of the reasons why I didn’t want to voice it. I couldn’t admit it, not yet.

“I’m fine, Daryl,” I finally said and mustered courage to look up at him. “Really.”

For a moment he didn’t move, still fixing me a deep gaze, and finally nodded, really slowly, and straightened up. “Alright,” he said tightly before turning around and walking away without looking at me again, but saying “Eat. Ya sure as hell need it.”

I stood there looking at his retreating form for a long moment. Was it possible that he knew it? The way he asked, like he wanted me to be the one to tell him, as if he already knew but wanted me to trust him with the truth… Was that it? Was I not being discreet enough with my nightly episodes? I shook my head, looking down at the bowl – warmed up but already cooling brown beans and sweet corn stared back at me. No, he didn’t know. He didn’t even know me well; there was no way he had observed me that well. I looked up again, trying to see him one more time as if this would give me an answer, but didn’t find him. Was he observing the that closely? Did he care enough to do that?

I ate half of the food, only because I knew she needed it, but my stomach refused to eat more than that. I stood there on guard for nearly three hours as the rest of the people on camp started their days, until Jackie came to release me.

In the tent area, I found Merle waking up from the nap he had taken after his watch and breakfast, and Daryl handing him his share of guns.

“Any special request from the woods, pumpkin?” Merle said when he saw her approach.

“I would like veal, if you please.”

Behind him, Daryl snorted. “Did ya just do a British accent?”

“Shit, did I?” damn, I seemed to already be tired if I was cracking bad jokes.

I stayed with them until they had all they needed in backpacks to stay in the woods for a few days to hunt, and were ready to go.

“Hey, you realize it’s the first time in twenty days that I’ll be away from you guys?” I asked out of the blue before I could think of it, after being quiet for a moment when I just watched the Dixons organize their things and talk about the supplies they would need. As I said it, I felt my cheeks get a little pink. If I had stopped to think for just a moment, that was not something I would ever voice. Damn feelings.

“Ya countin’ days?” Merle laughed.

“Yeah, this is day twenty of the new fuckin’ world,” and I waved a hand, “Guess I’ll just stop doing it eventually.”

“Ya gonna miss us aren’t ya?” Merle said as he started to retreat. “Jus’ don’t fall in love, honey pie!”

I laughed and, when he looked back, gave him my middle finger, making him laugh more and send me one himself. Daryl was shaking his head at our interaction, not moving. Smiling, I looked at him and forced myself not to go all serious and keep smiling, but unconsciously my arms crossed over my stomach.

“I’ll see if I find your veal,” Daryl said quietly, a shy little smile playing on his lips, making the little pink in my cheeks grow a little warmer. My smile widened.

“Be careful out there, is all I ask,” I said and saw him frown slightly, he seemed surprised. “Ya know, there walkers in the woods…”

“I got it,” he answered dismissively.

“I know,” and I took a step closing most of the space between us, arms falling to my sides and a hand reaching out for his. I took a light hold of his wrist and saw him look down at my hand and back up at me quickly. “Just… Don’t die. Ok?”

He didn’t answer, instead started to bite on the skin of his lower lip, and after a moment he nodded slowly.

“I won’t.” he promised quietly.

“Good,” I answered in a whisper, only then letting go of his wrist. Daryl took a step back, eyes still on me, and then turned around to walk away, quick steps, towards where Merle had disappeared into the woods.

Ok, I was not kidding myself. There was a moment, right there. Wasn’t there? Damn, I wish I had a friend there right now, someone girl who’d look at me and say there really had been a moment there – but I had never had that friend in my life – just to let me know I was not seeing things, that this had not been my imagination.

Shit. I was definitely fucked. Because I really, really wished I had not imagined this.

* * *

“Ok, now, after taking these calming, deep breaths, you just have to relax and empty your mind,” Andrea tried saying in a quiet, calm voice while I sat by her side, Amy and Lori also around. She opened one eye then, looking at the others. “Or at least it’s what the instructor said. I was never able to do it.”

“Oh, that’s bullshit,” I uncrossed my legs and leaned back, resting on my hands over the rock we were sitting on, by the lake. “How can a person just think of nothing?”

“I did it once,” Amy said, also moving from her meditation position and standing up. “I spent nearly five minutes thinking of nothing, just relaxing, until I noticed I had been thinking about my breath and how long had it been and about my itching nose all the while.”

“I did yoga before Carl was born,” Lori told us. “But never really went into meditation. I don’t think it would be useful now, you know, these days.”

“Yeah, I really don’t wanna be sitting on the woods with my eyes closed and mind faraway when a walker comes over. These eyes are staying wide open,” I pointed briefly at my own eyes.

“Oh, by the way,” Amy called. “I’ve heard you calling them walkers this whole time. How did this name come about?”

I rolled her neck from side to side, listening to its pop before starting to explain. I told the other three women about how I’d been hiding in the Dixon’s house for a while when we saw a neighbor of said name wander around the street, dead, and after that started calling all of them walkers.

“Wow… It’s kinda weird imagining being stuck in a house with those two for as long as you did,” Andrea opined.

“Why’s that?” I asked with a frown.

“I don’t know. Nothing against them, it’s just… They are a little…” the blonde woman thought for a moment before finishing. “Strange.”

“Strange?” I asked for confirmation. “What’s strange about them?”

“Well –”

“It’s nothing personal,” Amy cut her older sister off, trying to help her. “It’s just that they don’t really talk to anybody else here. Just you.”

“Yes, they’re always on the edges of the group, you know?” Andrea kept talking. “I mean, Daryl barely speaks to anyone, and Merle, when he does, it’s to be… Well, snarky.”

“Snarky?” I asked permitting the frown to fade away and give place to an amused smile. “You mean ‘asshole’, right?”

“Well, you said it,” Lori commented.

“They ain’t that bad,” I started. “They’re rednecks, ya know, they got their own ways. Merle really is an asshole, and a racist… And misogynist. And a drug addict.”

“Wow, is there something good about him?” Andrea laughed, but sounded worried at the same time.

“Yes. He’s loyal. He’s been looking after me since the first day, and even though he’s always been a jerk to me all the years I’ve known him, he never crossed a line. Never touched me. I didn’t in the beginning, but I feel safe around him now,” I paused, impressed by my own words and how honest they had been.

“Alright. What about Daryl?” Amy asked seeming more interested her body turning a little more towards me.

“Uh, well… You girls might not believe it, but Daryl is actually really kind,” I smiled. “He’s got this hardened exterior, he’s always had, but he seems to be a good guy. I guess he is, you know.”

“You guess?” Lori asked. “Did you say you know them for a long time, how many years again?”

“Eighteen. I’ve been their neighbor for this long, but we’ve never been friends. Never talked before that day, actually. We just ended up together by chance.”

“Oh. Oh, so you mean…” Andrea started, paused to look at her sister and then again at me. You and Daryl, you’re not together?” she seemed to find this idea strange.

“Together? You mean, together, together?” I asked and at Andrea’s confirmation and Amy’s emphatic not, I continued. “No. We’re barely friends… I mean, I guess we are now, but it’s been less than a month.”

“But do you like him?” Amy questioned yet again.

“Like this? Oh, uh…” damn the questioning. I never saw this conversation taking this direction. “I care about him, of course, but there’s nothing happening in that way.”

There, it was not a lie. Nothing had ever happened, and this was true. Didn’t have to say I didn’t feel anything, because that would have been a lie. Andrea and Amy shared a look that didn’t pass unnoticed, both of them going quiet.

“What?” I asked. “What is it?”

“Nothing.” Amy answered a little too fast.

“Amy has a crush on him,” Andrea told them.

“Andrea!!”

“You have a crush on Daryl?” Lori asked seemingly holding in a laugh.

“It’s no big deal! I just… I think he’s cute.”

“Cute? Really?” Lori meddled in again. “Daryl, cute?”

“Alright, I mean hot!” Amy confessed, her cheeks going pink, hands moving up to cover her face.

“Well, that’s more like it.” Andrea agreed. “See, the guy’s single, isn’t that what you wanted to know?”

“It doesn’t matter, ok?” Amy uncovered her face. “It’s not like I’ll do anything about it. A guy like that would never look at a girl like me.”

“Well, you don’t know that…” I said quietly, a bit shocked at these confessions. “He might. That is, I mean... How old are you again?”

“Twenty-four.”

What?! “Oh. Alright, you look a lot younger... He’s not that much older, I think about fifteen years.”

“I told you, it doesn’t matter, nothing is gonna happen!” Amy assured again. “I just think he’s hot, that’s all,” and then she pointed a finger sharply at her older sister, “Andrea thinks the same thing about Shane!”

“Amy!!”

* * *

As the sun started to set on the horizon, coloring it beautifully with pink and orange shades, the fire that centered the clearing roared high, crackling the twigs and dry leaves the children had collected earlier. Carol was around it, setting cookers ready for Morales and I to start preparing the group’s night meal. Silently and with her head down, she worked not paying people around any attention, not noticing the ones who were standing guard, or the children running around and giggling without a single worry in life, or the four women who approached the clearing carrying two buckets filled with water each. Carol only looked up at them when some of the men ran towards us to offer and take the heavy buckets from their hands. They gladly handed them out, happily being released from the weight; except for me.

“Now ya’ll offer?” I asked and kept walking, leaving Shane with his hands extended trying to take the containers. “Don’t touch the buckets, I got it!”

I carried them over to the fire, now along with the men, and placed them on the ground.

“Do you really have to do it by hand?” Carol asked me as the others moved away. “Can’t you just take a car down there?”

“I don’t wanna spend any more gas than we have to,” I explained rolling my shoulder muscles to relieve the tension. “Cars should all be ready to go if we have to.”

“Right. But next time at least get the men to do that. Those are pretty heavy,” Carol struggled with the last sentence as she lifted one metal bucket to place it over the grill that had already been placed over the fire.

I barely heard her last few words. My eyes were trained on Carol’s forearm; the long sleeved shirt she had been wearing unintentionally rolled up. There, over Carol’s pale and delicate skin, four angry purple marks shaped perfectly as fingers.

“Carol?” I reached out instinctively and took Carol’s hand on mine. “What’s this?”

Carol looked down and immediately flinched, understanding what I had been looking at. She took her hand away from me and lowered her sleeve quickly, blue, watery eyes darting around checking if anyone else had seen in.

“It’s nothing,” she urgently whispered. “Really, I just hurt myself –”

“When did he do this?” I ignored her tentative excuse. “Gotta been last night, right? They’re fresh.”

“Sam, really, it’s nothing. I was my fault.”

“Yeah, and what did you do? Didn’t iron his shirt right?” I also whispered, but anger was clear even then.

“No! Sam, just let it go, ok? I’m the one who annoyed him –”

“You annoyed him?” I repeated, outraged. “He must have done it pretty quietly, huh? So no one else would hear it?”

“Sam, please, listen to me,” Carol’s whisper now sounded like a plea. “Just let it go. Please. I don’t want a scene, I don’t want to make things worse.”

I took a moment to breath, my anger tightening my throat dangerously. I saw terror in Carol’s eyes, and knew that acting on my outrage would really only make things worse at the moment.

“This man is nothing without you, Carol,” I announced instead of running to Ed’s tent and beating the fuck out of him. “Not a fuckin’ thing. He made you think that you need him, but you don’t. He is the one who needs you. You’d be just fine without him. In the past, you could very well leave, find help, get a job. It wouldn’t be easy, but nothing in life really is, right? And now, you need him even less. You have this whole group to look after you and Sofia. You got me, alright? You don’t need him,” I took a hard breath and an angry laugh came out of my lips. “He, on the other hand… What would this useless fucker be without you, Carol? If you left him, he’d starve. He’d stink, live out of a can of beer and cup noodles, and he would never, ever again, find another woman who’d even look at him twice. He’d die alone and miserable while you rebuilt your life.” I looked around and gestured around the camp, moving on to an astonished looking Carol. “And here? He’s only here because of you and your girl. Nobody here likes him. Shane didn’t want him to come. If it wasn’t for you, he’d be out on the road, alone, eaten by walkers. He owes you everything, Carol, every fuckin’ little thing, now and then. He made you believe that you need him so you wouldn’t leave, because he is a fucking useless piece of shit.” I smiled despite Carol’s wide eyes and opened mouth. “You have no idea of the power you got over him.”

At the end of my speech, Carol blinked and looked down, wordless. I took a step back, staring to move away, and Carol look at me again, still not saying anything.

“I can teach you self defense if you want. You and Sofia. You don’t have to go thought it anymore, girl. Just say the word.”

With that, I turned around and walked away from Carol. I hoped, for Ed’s sake, that he didn’t cross my path anytime soon.

#twd #The Walking Dead #twd fanfiction #the walking dead fanfiction #twd fanfic #the walking dead fanfic #daryl fanfiction #daryl dixon fanfiction #daryl twd fanfiction #daryl dixon twd fanfiction #original female character #daryl original female character

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v01d-ch1ld · 5 years

Text

I am a Lion Born From Things You Cannot Be

I am a Lion Born from Things You Cannot Be

Name changes are based on whether or not people are in costume (with their mask on).

Breathe in and out slowly. That is the only thing Rebecca can do right now. She woke up tied hand and foot to a bed frame. The room is pitch and there are no windows. Nothing new, that’s how she was kept in that padded cell. She gave off the illusion of someone who was asleep, but she was actually thinking about how to get to her hair clip. It had a saw edge on it for this exact scenario.

She slowly moved her head to the side, making it look like she was trying to take some of the pressure off her neck and get comfier in her sleep, and once her fingertips were hidden by her hair she snapped the pin out of her hair. She let her head hang loosely from where she had suspended it and cracked open her left eye, which would have been hidden from any CCTV camera trained on her. Her hair hid the hand that was slowly sawing the ropes binding her hand to the wrought iron bed frame. When her hand was only bound by a few thin threads she stopped, making sure it looked like she was still tied. Then she readjusted her head and did the same with the other hairclip. Now that she only had a few strings holding her hands she could plot her escape.

Meanwhile, in the Batcave, there was a meeting of the minds and fists over what should be done about the girl upstairs who was still presumably unconscious. The conversation was too heated for anyone to be checking the security camera placed in there.

“I still say we take her to Arkham right now,” Bruce says in a no-nonsense tone.

“ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOT!” Jason roared back at his used to be father.

“Yeah no, there’s no fucking way that’s happening, Bruce.” Surprisingly, Tim chimes in glaring at Bruce over his cup of coffee.

“I won’t let you touch her, not after last time.” Nightwing in an icy tone, enunciating every syllable.

“I agree with Father,” Damian said nonchalantly. His brothers turned on him within seconds.

“You little fucking brat- “Jason was cut off by Nightwing who sounded loudly.

“YOU SOULLESS UNGRATEFUL LITTLE SHIT!” He paused and caught himself bowing his head and taking a breath, Dick looked at Damian with a look of intense sorrow. “After all she has done for you, for us all, you would abandon her for things that were outside of her control? She loved us and cared for us and made sure that we were taking care of ourselves even when she didn’t know the truth. She didn’t pry and she always looked after you and Timmy especially. She is the only reason this family even resembles a family in the first damn place.” Dick sat down and placed his head in his hands. Tim placed a hand on his back, Dick loved her like a sister. They all had.

“Look, all I am saying is that we are ill-equipped to help her as none of us have the necessary training to act as her therapist.” Damian hurriedly states, not wanting to seem his usual soulless self. “I wouldn’t abandon her. Who else would I prank you guys and play with Titus with?” The snark reminded Dick of who he was talking to. Damian did care he just had issues with showing it, but that didn’t mean that Dick couldn’t dish some back out.

“Jon. You already do all those things with Jon.” Dick said matter-of-factly. Damian sneered.

“Only because my usual partner was presumed dead.” Damian glared.

“The kid has one thing right, Dickie, I’m irreplaceable.” Everyone whipped around to the elevator leading down into the Batcave. Bruce cussed, how the hell had she managed to get into the Batcave? The boys looked on in shock as she flashed a smile and sat down on the table. “Don’t look so surprised, I was a med student. I’m nothing if not observant. I just didn’t think that the secret elevator led to the Batcave until recently. By the way, you have got to hide that better.”

Rebecca sprawled all five feet ten inches of herself across the table, laying down in a pose on her stomach that reminded them of Selina. Grinning a sickeningly wide grin she turned to the boys, rope still tied tight around her wrists, with jagged edges where she cut them from the bedposts. “Whatcha talking about?” she purrs.

“We have to do something with you, babe, you need some serious help.” Jason drawled.

“Don’t I know it. Do you have any idea how much my head hurts right now? Fighting another personality for control of your body is a living hell. Makes me pity Dr. Fate.” Selina has had a definite influence on her speech. Little do they know that she is mimicking her old voice.

“Really? You are fighting for control right now?” Tim says in awe. She was very strong, she always had been, but it only now registered how strong. She would make a freakishly strong Green Lantern.

“Yep. Hurts like a bitch lemme tell you. Honestly, I don’t know how long I have before she takes my body back. When that happens, you should Taser me.” She rolled on her back and smiled at Tim, her eyes glowing softly.

“NO! We are NOT hurting you!” Jason and Dick said at the same time.

“Guys, she wants me to jump on top of you,” pointing at Jason, “and fuck you while I dig my fingers into your eye sockets and play with your eyeballs. And she wants me to stab you,” pointing at Dick, “and play with your entrails while I lick the sweat off your skin.” She said with a tone of absolute boredom, while she dangled herself halfway off the table. She put herself into a handstand and proceeded to front flip and land in a split. She’s become less and less able to sit still lately. “Oh, and you don’t want to know what she wants me to do to you Brucie.” She stuck out her tongue.

“I shot you in the leg. You need to be careful. Don’t hurt yourself,” Jason growls from his chair.

“Please, I shot you in the everywhere else plus, if I’m not already healed by now, I would be surprised. Also, can’t feel pain anymore. My nerve endings are fucking fried, dude.” She sat up with alarming quickness. “Hey! Do you have any cigarettes?”

“Yeah, baby doll, come here.” Jason dug his hand into his jacket and grabbed his pack and his lighter. Rebecca trilled with joy and ran over to grab the outstretched cigarette and waited for Jason to give her the light. Once she had it, she took a deep drag and her shoulders immediately sagged in relief. She really needed that. Jason lit one for himself much to Dick and Bruce’s chagrin.

“You need help. You have to go to Arkham. I can call for the top professionals to try and rehabilitate you, but you can’t stay here, Jester.” Ouch. That one hurt.

“Really Brucie, not even gonna use my real name anymore? Guess I was right to say that you don’t care about me anymore. But guess what? You’re the reason I’m in this mess.” She stood up straight and began to stalk forward. “You’re the reason we are all in this mess. The reason Jason died. You know that, right? Because I was there that night.” Jester was in his face now, eyes glowing a hue that put shivers down Jason’s spine, smiling that sickening Joker smile.

“Rebecca, what are you talking about?” Damian said in a careful tone. He knew the slightest provocation and she would lose it.

“The night that my father turned into the Joker, I was there.” Bruce paled. Uh oh. “We were in dire straits. My mother was pregnant with my little brother and she was sick. The hospital bills were racking up. Dad had recently quit his job because he got an offer to be a comedian at a nightclub, supposedly guaranteed pay. Unfortunately, my dad wasn’t as funny as he thought he was. I was coming home from boarding school. I had gotten in on scholarship. My mom was hospitalized earlier that night and they were doing everything they could to save her. I went to the hospital immediately. We didn’t have the money to pay but that didn’t matter. They both died. I was devastated. So was father, but he didn’t find out until after. We still had bills to pay though and he was approached by two mafia men earlier that week. He went on the job that night. The deal was he help them break in, they split the money three ways and he was never the Red Hood again.” She paused, tears welling up in her eyes. She took a long drag from her cigarette and closed her eyes. She continued.

“You were on your first case, busting the Red Hood robberies. You came in after them there was a fight, you, having mistaken the masterminds as goons and my dad as a real criminal, ended up above the acid vats. You fought, he tried to defend himself. He fell and you could have saved him, but you let him fall. You got the goons but left me, the little girl who followed her father in there, knowing what was about to happen, trying to get to him to talk him out of it. I watched him fall and I cried for hours. I ran out of there back to our house. I cried until I passed out in my parents’ bed thinking I had lost my whole family in one night. But then there was banging at the door. A man. I panicked. I went to go get my mother’s gun from the closet, but my father had taken it to the robbery. I grabbed my old softball bat and waited for what was inevitably my death. The Joker busted in, laughing hysterically with my mother’s gun. I almost passed out. This was my father. I swung blindly, heard a crack that was the gun flying out of his broken hand and I bolted for the window. I got out and spent that night, and many afterward on the street.” The tears were falling down her face in a silent stream. Her face showing an indescribable amount of hurt. The same hurt they all knew personally.

“Jester, you know it was not my fault. Your father committed a crime.” Bruce said in his Batman voice. It didn’t work. It only set her off. She lunged at him, fag between her teeth, and before he could put his hands up to defend himself her hands were around his neck with crushing force and they were knocked to the floor.

“YoUfUCKiNgAsSHolE! YOU RUINED MY LIFE AND YOU SAY IT ISN’T YOUR FUCKING FAULT! YOU PIECE OF SHIT I SHOULD PUT YOU OUT OF YOUR MISERY, YOU SELFISH EVIL BASTARD!” Jester said while she banged his head into the floor over and over.

The boys immediately ran over to try and pull her off of their boss. Damian tried to get her fingers off of his father’s neck, but they were held fast like steel traps. The crushing force spoke of enhanced strength, one part of Bruce’s brain noted (explore the extent of this in order to detain her better in the future).

She then ripped the cigarette out of her teeth and held it over one of Bruce’s eyes, one arm and her legs enough to hold him to the floor. This prompted Dick to jump on top of her to try and wrestle her to the floor while Tim got one of his eskrima sticks and tried (and failed, he swore only Dick knew how to use the damn things no matter how hard he tried to learn) to turn on the Taser setting. Jason got in front of her face and began telling her to let go like she was a scared animal. That one, scarily enough, seemed to work and her grip relaxed. Once Jason was able to get her to calm down and took back (and subsequently finished) the cigarette, Bruce’s neck was dark purple, and he was spluttering for air. Served him right, he thought.

“Baby girl, come on you know that if you keep doing that, we’re gonna have to tie you up again.” His own slightly glowing Lazarus pit green eyes were peering into her for the parts that were still sane. She responded to him in kind with her brighter ones looking into his for permission to finish what she started. She tilts her head to the side like she was appraising him and in the next second, she is kissing him furiously.

Dick jumps thinking she had decided to bite him but then Jason groans and holds her to him tighter. I suppose this had been long coming, but to happen so suddenly. Then he remembered things about the Joker and how he always seemed horny after violence, seems the apple didn’t fall far from the deranged tree. Abruptly she stopped and Jason is left panting while they all look in in either shock or disgust. She then settles into his lap looking at them like the cat that ate the canary. Then Dick knew that she did it for two reasons. One, she wanted to and two, to piss Bruce off.

Bruce growled when he was finally done recovering, from the strangulation or the shock of what just happened no one knew. Storming over to where the current thorn in his side was gleefully waiting, he picked her up out of Jason’s lap despite him yelling and threw her over his shoulder and walked to the Batmobile with his sons on his tail. Dumping her in the passenger seat while she was still kicking and screaming, he jumped in and sped off.

Jason cursed. This is going to be a long night.

A/N: Holy shit this took forever but hey angst works right. @nxttime @dcdweeb @batfam-imagines @dcuniversefanatic

#damian wayne #bruce wayne #dick grayson #jason todd #jason x oc #tim drake #robin #red robin #nightwing #red hood #batman #joker #selina kyle #catwoman #oc #angst #batfam

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itsagoodluckkiss · 6 years

Text

Someone To Stay

Request by anon: “Can you please write a fanfic about Jake and MC’s relationship from Jake’s POV from the moment they met, till her “death”?

So, because I got a lot of requests about the fall, I decided to write a three part fanfic about it (that’s why I haven’t posted anything in so long lol). The first part is about this request (I hope you’ll like that, nonny, I worked really hard for this).

In this, I have written their most significant moments, from Jake’s POV. I didn’t write scenes I thought I wouldn’t do justice to. Excuse my English, it’s not my first language. The title is from the song “Someone To Stay” by Vancouver Sleep Clinic, a song I used to write the night before the MASADA scene (all in all, listen to it when you get there). I’ve also added some extra things in some scenes, completely out of my headcanons.

Pairings: Jake x F!MC

Warnings: Swearing (I mean, it’s Jake guys), NSFW (not a lot, actually almost none existant but I’m gonna throw it in there), thoughts of desperation or sadness, implied depression (more like thoughts of a depressed person), death.

Part Two

“Excuse me, it’s Jake, right? Weren’t we supposed to have landed by now… Wait, are you asleep?!”

Her voice woke me up. Thinking “another annoying college girl”, I turned and noticed her staring at me, part shock and part amusement in her eyes. I was immediately drawn to her but managed to pull myself together quickly.

“Listen, Princess, don’tcha know it’s rude to wake someone who’s taking a nap?”

“Princess?”

“What can I say? I give nicknames to people who annoy me.”

“In that case, I’m calling you Top Gun.”

What?! She just gave me a nickname? That quick? How was that even possible?

“Top Gun?! Hang on, you can’t be giving nicknames. That’s my thing!”

“I dunno. I like it. Might keep doing it.”

She smiled at me with a hint of mischief on her face and I couldn’t help but smile back.

“You ain’t clever enough to keep’em coming. Takes work to be as good as me.”

It was the first time I noticed her. The first time she walked into my cockpit was the first time I laid my eyes on her.

“So it’s cool if I join you?”

She wanted to come with me to control tower? Why? I didn’t think she would actually want to join me. Keep it cool, McKenzie.

“You ask permission for everything? Come on, Princess.”

We walked up the rusty stairs. They gave off an eerie vibe. I was here just a few days ago. Were they this rusty before?

“This place is gorgeous. Do you fly out here a lot, Top Gun?”

She observed the forest before us, her eyes gazing the horizon. Sure, up here you have a good view of the island. The view I had next to me though was more captivating than anything I had even seen.

“Here and every other privately owned resort island in the Caribbean. The favored vacation spots of the young and the privileged.”

“You don’t sound like you like it much.”

“Hey, it pays the bar tab.”

“So, Jake, what did you do before this?”

Why was she asking so many questions about me? Why did she even care? Annoyance was visible on my face by now.

“Hey, what is this, anyway?! Twenty Questions?!”

“Sorry.”

I noticed her cheeks blush slightly from embarrassment. Damn, I was being an ass. For some weird reason, I actually wanted to tell her. It took me a minute to answer her.

“Fighter pilot. Navy. I was good at it too. Best in my class. Until I got discharged.”

“What happened?”

“Punched my commanding officer in the jaw.”

“… I’m sure he deserved it.”

“… Yeah. He did.”

We talked more. She thought living my life is lonely. She asked if I wanted more, if I needed someone to actually be here for me. I teased her, smirking while asking if she was offering. She blushed even more, mumbling that she was talking in general and I couldn’t help but laugh. Suddenly, the step she was standing on broke in two and she screamed my name. My reflexes kicked in and I caught her, bringing her close to me. She stared down in horror while clutching me, as the fragments of the step plunge to the ground.

“I think you just saved my life.”

“Now you owe me one. Come on.”

I let her go and we finally reached the top of the tower. I pushed the door open, already yelling at Carlos, only to find the room empty. What the fuck? MC dragged her fingers across the desk and they came up dusty.

“Are you sure they still use this airstrip?”

“Of course I’m sure. I was just here a few days ago, and I’m damn sure…”

I looked out the window, an outlandish show in front of me, making me forget what I wanted to say. Strange lights were moving on the sky above the island. I moved closer to the window and touched the glass. MC was next to me a moment later, staring at the weird sight in the atmosphere as well. I felt her small hand in mine and I laced our fingers without thinking.

“Jake… what is this?”

“I… I don’t know.”

She was closer to me and her gaze met mine. The colors reflected in her eyes, making her look more ethereal. In that moment, I felt a connection, I felt like I somehow knew her before. In that moment, I knew she would be someone I wouldn’t be able to forget.

I saw smoke rising from the hangar. I immediately run toward it, me and Sean opening the doors quickly, only to find my plane covered in flames. Desperation filled me as I watched Delilah burn. It was my last possession. The last thing that was actually mine. The last fragment of how I am. Of who I was. I put everything in her, only to watch her destroyed like that.

I didn’t see her plunging into the thick smoke, through the flames until it was too late to stop her. She was already in, picking up something from the ground. Then, I saw the gasoline line toward my plane catching fire and looked at her with pure terror in my eyes. Not her, too. I screamed her name and dived for her, tackling us out of the way just as my plane exploded.

My only thought was that I had to protect her with everything I had. I shielded her and her arms wrapped around me as she buried her face into the crook of my neck. I felt her rapid heartbeat and knew she was gonna be okay. Knowing I managed to save her almost eased my despair. When the explosion passed, I glanced down at her and our eyes met.

“You still with me?”

“Jake… you could’ve gotten yourself killed. Why’d you save me?”

“Think you can leave me alone with this crowd? Guess again, Princess.”

I got up and helped her as well, still holding her close to me, still looking into her eyes. I couldn’t say it to her like that but I needed her to know I care for her more than anything, more than anyone else, more than I care about myself. It was that moment that I knew I would do anything for her.

“I ain’t leaving this island without you, understand?”

“Mind if I join you? It’s a little cold.”

I looked away from the starry sky and lifted my gaze to her. I smiled and laughed a bit.

“You wimp.”

I scooted over for her to lie down next to me. We were side by side, stargazing. So many stars were lighting up the sky, creating weird constellations I had never seen before, but nevertheless I couldn’t take my eyes off them.

“Wow. Back home, you definitely can’t see that many.”

“Yeah. In the city, it’s easy to forget they’re even there. It’s a big sky, but we just block it out… make our own lights.”

I turned my head and stared at her glancing in the sky, her beautiful face aglow by the moonlight. After a moment she looked at me too.

“You can get closer. I don’t bite.”

“You sure about that?”

“I guess it depends what you’re into.”

She laughed softly and came closer to me, her head resting on my shoulder and I wrapped an arm around her.

“Better?”

“Much better.”

She was still gazing up at the sky, her eyes wandering.

“You know that some stars actually travel across the universe? Like, they are not bound to one galaxy, they just go everywhere and it makes me wonder sometimes…”

“… What?”

“… If one star is strong enough to actually leave a whole galaxy behind, why can’t we, here on earth, just get over whatever makes us feel like we can’t continue? Why don’t we try to find what we’re looking for?“

”… Wow, you just fucked me up, princess. Now I gotta rethink every single decision I’ve ever made in my whole life.“

“Well, maybe you should.”

“You surely stargaze a lot, princess.”

“Stop teasing me, I’m just thinking about… stuff.”

“You’re adorable.”

She was blushing a bit, her eyes close, her face on my chest and one arm wrapped around me. I glanced down at her and laughed a bit, brushing away a lock of hair off her cheek and couldn’t help but give a quick kiss there, only to notice more color rising.

“Alright, sweet dreams, kid. Don’t drool on my shoulder.”

“I’ll try.”

I chuckled, smiling down at her and watched her slowly drifting to sleep. She had me exactly where she wanted me and I was not complaining. How could I? The most precious person in my life was sleeping in my arms. It was the first time I realized I was in love with that girl.

“Jake! Do it! Shoot!”

Cap managed to get the bomb into that monster’s teeth. It was my turn. I had to make that shot. Our lives depended on it. Her life did. I calmed down, focusing on my target. I squeezed one eye close.

“Don’t forget to floss, asshole.”

BOOM!

The Semtex detonated, tearing off the chunk of that bastard’s jaw. The thing wailed in pain before it sank down to the depths. The three of us looked at each other, not believing what had just happened. It worked.

“We did it! WE DID IT!”

“We… we did.”

“That actually worked… Huh.”

I looked at Sean for a moment before I smiled and fist-bumped him. If it wasn’t for that son of a bitch, we would be dead! I would have screamed Well Done Bro, That Was Fucking Awesome but that wasn’t an option.

“Damn, flyboy, that was some good shooting.”

“Couldn’t have done it without that power arm, Q.B.”

“Can we seriously take a moment to appreciate that we just blasted the hell out of a sea monster?!”

We heard our friends cheering for us back at the shore. I glanced at MC, who smiled like crazy. I would have kissed her right then and there if I haven’t seen that white light coming from the sea while the water started rumbling underneath our boat.

“What’s happening?!”

“I don’t kn-”

The light surged toward us in a pillar of white. It shot up through the water and hurled our boat into the air. The last thing I heard before I hit the water hard was her scream.

As I sank down in the depths, I tried to push myself up to the surface but I couldn’t. It was like something was dragging me down. I wasn’t able to hold my breath properly like I usually could inside the water. No, not like this.

I looked around, trying to think of a way out as I saw a figure swimming close to me. It was her. My mind stopped thinking of anything else as I wrapped my arms around her, our bodies touching, our faces close. I saw the fear in her eyes and felt the despair overwhelming me. I never got the chance to tell her. That was the last time I would hold her close to me. I couldn’t do anything to save her.

We looked into each other’s eyes and she leaned in, bringing our lips together. I cupped her face with one arm, kissing her as we sank deeper into the sea. I didn’t want our first kiss to be our last. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.

I woke up lying on a shore, feeling the sun on my face. I was alive. The memories of what had happened came to me. The explosion. The kiss… was that a dream? A hallucination? None of these mattered as I heard a soft coughing not far away from me. I got to my feet quickly as I ran to her, screaming her name.

“Help ya with something, princess?”

“Just seeing what you’re up to.”

“Trying to see if we’ve got any good whiskey left. You?”

“Not a whole lot. Just wondering if… maybe you wanted to come with me to my room?”

I froze for a second, then turned my head to look into her eyes. Was she… ? A memory came to me, that memory of us, kissing as we sank into the depths and the regret I felt because I would never be able to hold her again.

“… Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

A while later, we were lying in her bed, side by side, feeling the warmth of our bodies pressed together.

“That was… something else.”

I rolled over to my side, looking at her as she brushed a lock of hair out of my face.

“You’re something else.”

“The gruff, no-nonsense Jake McKenzie acting sentimental? Now I’ve seen everything.”

“What can I say, princess? You’ve got that effect on me.”

I stroked her face with the back of my hand, only for her to kiss it tenderly. I smiled and leaned in, kissing her lips once more.

“Think we’re gonna make it through this thing? Get off this island and go back home?”

My smile faded and I turned onto my back, staring up at the ceiling. Home. I didn’t have a home anymore. The thought I wouldn’t be able to be a part of her life hit me hard, and a sudden wave of melancholy came to me.

“Make it through this? Probably. Get off this island? Hope so. But if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that I’m never going back home.”

“What? Why not?!”

I gazed into her eyes, thinking if I should tell her the truth. But she deserved to know. It was too late for me to hide from her. I let out a sigh and told her everything. About the Navy. Mike. Lundgren. The trap. Mike’s death. She wrapped an arm around my chest, holding me close to her, but I was too numb to move as I remembered all these.

“Oh Jake… that’s terrible…”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t have time to mourn. I was stranded behind enemy lines, being hunted by government forces. It took me a week to get back to the base. And when I did, Lundgren was waiting. Along with a pair of M.P.s.”

“Military police…”

“He’d doctored the records, made it look like Mike and I were the traitors. They came to arrest me. I punched Lundgren in his worthless face, dove out the window, and ran like hell. I’ve been running ever since. Hiding out in Costa Rica.”

“Jake… I’m so sorry about your friend.”

“Not gonna lie, it still hurts. After that, I figured, well, that’s what I deserve for letting someone get close to me. I wasn’t going to make that mistake again. I wasn’t going to let anyone else in.”

I turned onto my side again, my hand moving to her chest, above her heart, my face close to hers. I was ready to admit everything to her, all the things she had triggered inside me. I was falling hard, and I couldn’t stop. I gazed into her eyes.

“Then I met you.”

“Jake… what’s wrong?”

This was a disaster. I thought there would be enough parachutes for us to escape but I was wrong. I glanced at her guiltily, trying to avoid her eyes.

“… We don’t have enough chutes for everyone.”

I tried to think of a way out but I couldn’t. Not all of us would manage to leave this rooftop in time. Sean put a pack in MC’s hands, deciding he was going to stay back. Craig did the same. I knew that was the right move but I couldn’t help but protest.

“Shut up, you idiots! Now’s not the time to act all noble.”

“Jake… it’s exactly the time.”

“… Goddammit. Fine. Guess I’m staying back too.”

“No! No one’s getting left behind! A lot of us have only known each other a short time… but we’ve been through so much together. We’re all we can count on in this crazy place. So we’re not going to abandon each other now.”

She had a fierce look in her eyes while saying all these. We all looked at each other, determination setting in. We were going to stick together and the decision had been made. While the others were talking, I noticed her being deep in thought.

“Man, I do not wanna go out like this. I just wanna close my eyes and wake up when it’s all over.”, Diego stated with a panicked voice.

She mumbled something under her breath, her eyebrows furrowed in thought. Then her face lit up. She came close to me and grabbed that strange gun behind my waistband. Of course!

“We’ll use this!”

“It won’t work, MC. There are too many of them. You can’t shoot them all quickly enough.”, Sean mentioned. But he hadn’t figured out what she meant.

“Who said anything about shooting them?”

There was some protest but it was the only way out for all of us. Our group came together in a big hug around her and she aimed the gun at her feet. While the others were expressing their last thoughts, I couldn’t stop staring at her. She was my last thought, after all. As she was about to shoot, I stopped her.

“Hang on a second, Princess…”

I leaned down at her, connecting our lips one last time. I kissed her deeply for just a mere moment, then broke away and smiled.

“Alright, I can die happy now.”

She smiled back at me and pulled the trigger. A white light expanded around us. The last thing I heard before it engulfed me was her, screaming Diego’s name.

When the light died down, all of us were back at the rooftop of The Celestial. All of us except…

“Wait… MC… where’s Diego?”, Craig asked.

She was trembling now, her face full of panic and grief, her eyes filled with unshed tears. I knew that feeling. That was the worst thing that could happen to her.

“They… took him… pulled him out…”

I wrapped an arm around her gently, bringing her close to me before she would burst. She lied her head in the crook of my neck and tried to speak between the sobs that were now leaving her body.

“They… they would have… pulled me out too… and he let go and… I… I couldn’t hold him… I couldn’t save him… This is my fault, I couldn’t save him!”

“It’s not your fault, Princess. He did it to save you. He loved you too much to keep on holding.”

And it was true. Diego was like Mike. They did everything to save their best friends, their family, even if it meant that they wouldn’t survive. I brushed her hair as she cried, a tear falling down my face as well.

A while later, I found myself in the bar. I had to clear my thoughts somehow and a glass of whiskey sounded like the only solution to that. I went behind the bar and started rummaging for that damn bottle while already holding a glass, too absorbed into my work to hear someone coming in.

“Uh, Jake?”

Smack!

My head hit the wooden board above hard, causing me to drop the glass, which shattered into pieces.

“Ow, damn, that hurt.”

“You okay back there?!”

I stood up to see her, while trying to ease the pain by rubbing my head.

“Yeah, just about gave myself a concussion bumping my head, but I’m great.”

“That’s what happens when you get a big head about everything.”

“What can I say? My ego is a gift and a curse, Princess.”

She laughed softly but I noticed her eyes were a bit red from crying and a sudden need to cheer her up more came to me. I noticed her changing of clothes and smirked.

“Hey, lookie here. Didn’t realize I was in the middle of a supermodel’s photo shoot. Should I get outta the way?”

“Oh, shut up.”

“Fair warning, don’t think you’ll be able to post to pictagram. Cell service has been a biiiit spotty.”

She was now beaming and I couldn’t help but smile too. Our eyes met for a second, then I looked back at the bar.

“What are you doing behind the bar, anyway? I thought we were looking for clues to where the Watchers took Diego.”

“Yeah. I think they left their address at the bottom of one of these bottles. Only one way to find out which one.”

I gave her a smile and a wink but I couldn’t meet her eyes. It hurt to think of her. That she lost her best friend. I lost my best friend and couldn’t do anything about it back then. Now, instead of helping her, here I was, trying to get away. Guilt filled me up. Why was I so pathetic?

“Jake…”

“Ya know, did somebody steal some of the booze? Used to be this bottle of Raleigh DeWitt Gold whiskey sittin’ here. Been sayin’ I was savin’ it for when things really went down the crapper-”

“Jake-”

“-and, well, I think it’s about time. But look, somebody guzzled the whole thing! It’s empty-”

“Jake!”

I shut up, staring at the floor, a feeling of desperation overwhelming me. Look at yourself McKenzie, you’re just plain sad. I closed my eyes and took a breath. She came closer to me.

“I’m worried about him too. But I’m here for you Jake, no matter what.”

“I know you are, Princess. That’s the damn problem. You’re all… ‘here for me’.”

I sighed and sat on the floor behind the bar, running a hand through my hair and closing my eyes. A few seconds passed and I felt her sitting down next to me, her eyes glued at me. I would really like to push her away but I couldn’t do it. I was only trouble for her but she kept getting closer to me, and I didn’t complain. I needed her. The words fell from my mouth without much thinking.

“I ain’t given a damn about people in a long time, Princess. Then you came along and pretty much blew that whole plan straight to hell. Anyway, thanks to you, I’m finding myself all torn up inside over your gang of Little Rascals. And it’s all your fault.”

“My fault? How do you figure that?”

I chuckled and turned my head to look at her, leaning just a bit to bring our faces close. Some strands of my hair fell across my eyes but I couldn’t care less. All that I was focused in that moment were her eyes.

“Not sure if you noticed last night, but you kinda blew my mind.”

“Hah… I definitely noticed.”

Our faces were now closer, our noses touching. She closed the gap between us, bringing our lips together for only a mere moment. We pulled apart just for a second and I gazed into her eyes before kissing her again, more passionately this time, my arms around her as I picked her up with me and put her at the edge of the bar. Our bodies pressed together and I could feel her heartbeat rising as the kiss started getting more needy. Our lips moved together perfectly as she yanked off my jacket while I fumbled with her shirt, finally managing to get it off.

“Does this mean we’re-”

“-Yeah.”

“And it’s not like-”

“-No.”

“Cool.”

I kissed her neck, slowly moving to her now exposed collarbones and chest when we heard Zahra calling for us to go and see something. I couldn’t help but groan, irritated.

“Zahra must hate me, She must really really hate me.”

“I’m sure she does. Come on, we should see what’s up.”

I let her down off the bar and gave her back her shirt. I wore my jacket again and we started walking to our friends. I took her hand in mine and gave it a gently squeeze, noticing her smile slightly. I couldn’t tell if this was going to last but I knew she was the only person I’d ever want to be with.

Sneaking past the Watchers wasn’t an easy part but we managed. The statue of the reclining woman stood tall in front of the monument. The ring on its hand caught my attention for a moment. Its arms were crossed too tightly to get a hold of it. The ring was tarnished but it was easy to figure out that it was made of gold. A wedding ring.

I gazed at MC while she sized up the statue. I wondered how she would look with a ring like that, in its former glory, on her finger. I wondered if I could actually give her something like that someday. I sighted slightly then saw her inspecting the carvings on the pyramid and went to stand beside her. The carvings depicted a crowd around a woman with covered face.

“I think the statue is of the same woman as the one in this carving. Only the statue isn’t wearing a mask.”

“You making any sense of this?”

“The Watchers seem to revere this place, but the people depicted in the carvings are in modern clothes.”

“Tuxes and evening gowns, yeah. Looks like a costume part for the well-to-douche.”

She looked back at the statue, noticing the ring as well.

“It looks really old, but I think… it’s a wedding ring?”

“If we want that ring, I think we’re gonna have to play Indiana Jones.”

“There has to be some way to free it from the statue…”

She thought for a moment while staring at the statue persistently, then covered the statue’s face with a torn up veil. Something clicked and the statue’s arm moved, allowing the ring to slide off and fall on the ground in front of us. I smirked and ruffled her hair fondly and she chuckled.

“Now I’m gonna have to start calling you Genius.”

Without thinking, I kneeled down before her, recovering the ring and looking back up. Our eyes met and I offered her the ring. I could make the slightest hint of her blushing.

“Oh… are you proposing?”

“Ha. You want me to?”

She took it and put it on her ring finger with a smile on her face. I noticed her looking at it with what I thought was… longing. I stood up and took a step closer to her, wrapping my arms around the small of her back and she turned her gaze on me. I never would have thought I’d meet someone that made me feel like she did. I wanted to be with her, to stay with her. I leaned in and kissed her softly. This was more than a kiss. It was a promise.

“Just hold on to me, and don’t let go.”

We dived into the water to find the cave entrance. Swimming deeper, we found it and went in there while holding hands, our fingers entwined. I smiled at her and then continue through the winding tunnel. Hues shined into the water from ahead. A few minutes later, the tunnel widened and the water started getting warmer. We came to the surface and found a magnificent sight. The cavern was full of colorful, shimmering crystals, their light reflecting onto the water of the shallow lake we were now in. There was a small island with a chest there.

“Oh, wow…”

“You ain’t kiddin’.”

“This place is a giant jacuzzi! What kind of Niagara Falls honeymoon suite did we just swim into?”

She slipped off her mask and we stopped swimming, both of us enjoying the jets, the hot water against my skin made my muscles relax.

“It must be a natural hot spring. This feels amazing.”

“No argument here.”

I closed my eyes and tried to relax more, the past few days being too much of a hellhole for me to handle that easy. After a moment I felt her eyes on me and I smirked, my eyes still closed.

“You just gonna stare at me all day? Not that I mind.”

I felt her coming my way quietly, then leaning in for a small kiss, our lips barely touching. I opened my eyes and looked into hers.

“… Well, hello there.”

“Hey.”

“Got any more where that came from?”

“I might.”

My hands already wrapped around her back, I brought her close to me. She took a quick breath before I crashed my lips to hers, kissing her intensely, her lips soft against mine. Her hands moved up from my chest, finally resting on my shoulders while one of my hands rubbed circles across the small of her back and the other entwined with her hair. A while later we broke away, my forehead resting onto hers. The chest in the island caught her attention and we headed that way. My attention however quickly went elsewhere. I swam to a deeper part of the lake where light danced across the bottom in a colorful show.

“It’s beautiful over here… Come check it out with me?”

“You bet.”

I dived first into the water, her following me soon after, both of us coming together in the depths, watching the reef in amazement. I looked at her and she came closer, falling into my arms, me holding her tightly. I kissed her again and, instinctively, I stripped her off her remaining clothes and she did the same, our need to feel each other greater than anything else. We rose to the surface and went to the shore of one side of the lake.

I touched her everywhere and bit her neck tenderly, the feeling of her underneath me made my skin tingle, our bodies moving in perfect tandem. I gazed into her eyes while moving against her, intoxicated by her soft moans. The colors of the crystals reflecting in her eyes and the look of pure desire and love she gave me sent shivers down my spine and I couldn’t keep my eyes off hers. It felt like we were alone in the world and I wish it’d stay that way.

A while later, we were laying on the sand, our bodies entwined, nuzzling and kissing.

“Every time… fireworks. How do you do that anyway?”

“I don’t think it’s me. It’s us.”

She looked up at the cavern wall of the cave in surprise, a ray of sunlight coming from there caught my attention too.

“You seein’ what I’m seein’?”

“Sunlight! Maybe there’s a way in for the others!”

“Almost forgot all about the Odd Squad.”

I gave her one last kiss before we got dressed and went to find the way for our friends to get in.

Our journey toward the MASADA facility had been a cold ass bitch so far and it was getting harder to even see where we were going because of the heavy snowfall. Traveling through the island’s frozen landscape was more difficult than we thought but at the very least all of us were properly dressed up for the cold. I walked beside MC, holding hands, me lost in my thoughts. If that gate in the facility would work, everyone could go home. Everyone but me. I would have to leave her and I didn’t know how I would bring myself to do it. To tell her. My thoughts were interrupted by her voice.

“Huh? What’s wrong, little guy?”

She was talking to Furball, who had stopped running around in the snow and was looking at something in the distance.

“Someone’s there.”

Estela was now scanning the landscape, her eyes falling into a lone figure in the white haze.

“Uh, hello?”

No response.

“Who’s there?!”

A small red circle lighted up close to the figure’s face, then a wisp of smoke rose. As we got closer to him, all it took from me to recognize him was a look. My jaw clenched and suddenly I couldn’t breathe. My muscles tensed up, blood started boiling inside me.

“Lundgren.”

“Jacob. How long’s it been?”

“Not enough you miserable-”

“Your family’s disappointed in you, McKenzie. First you sold American arms to a Kharzistan dictator, then you resisted arrest and took yourself off the grid.”

I froze. He touched my family? My sister? My mum? My fingertips buried in the palm of my hand, my whole body started trembling in pure hatred and… fear. I felt her hand squeezing mine tightly and I took a short breath.

“What do you want, Lundgren?”

“You, McKenzie. I’m here to bring you in. Had to break the news to your mama myself. ‘Sorry, ma’am. Your son betrayed his country and endangered his fellow soldiers.’ And then I held her as she cried hysterically. Least I could do.”

He snickered and I felt every nerve of my body ready to burst, pure hatred burned into my eyes.

“Don’t. You. Dare.”

“That all you got, boy? Lyin’ around in a hammock’s made you soft.”

“We both know what happened, Lundgren. What you did. You killed him!”

“Jacob, while I’d love to catch up on old times, I’m gonna need you to come with me if you don’t want your new friends to get hurt.”

“MC, we should be able to take him if he’s on his own-”, Estela said but she couldn’t end her sentence.

“Arachnid! Into position!”

Hummers full of armored soldiers suddenly surrounded us, the soldiers getting out of the vehicles, pointing their guns at as. Panic flood over me. I couldn’t let them get hurt because of me. They had to get out of here. She couldn’t be close to me at this moment. I was supposed to protect all of them, especially her. They had to run, away from them and me.

“Princess, it’s me he wants! Take the others and get out of here!”

“Jake, I can’t just-”

“Are we really doing this right now?!”, Michelle screamed.

MC looked straight into my eyes, wild anger and determination in her gaze, a fierce look on her face, angry tears filling her own eyes. She had taken her decision and I wouldn’t like it.

“Jake, I’m not leaving you!”

Many feelings came through me. Fear, anger, worry, but most of all… love. I loved her. She loved me too. She loved me too much to leave me behind. And that could be her death.

“Dammit, Princess… Why you gotta make me feel weak at a time like this?”

The first New Year’s Eve I wasn’t alone in years. It was strange to be surrounded by people who actually enjoyed my presence. Even before the navy, celebrations were never really my thing. But right now, I felt welcomed. Me, being here with these kids, with her… it felt right. I looked at the stars from the rooftop we gathered, wishing this night would last a little longer and we wouldn’t have to be in danger anymore.

“Mind if I join you?”

I turned my gaze to her and smiled. She was radiant tonight, with that dress. I wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her close.

“Was hoping you’d say that.”

They say you should wish what you want the New Year to bring you the seconds before it changes. The past few years I wouldn’t find the meaning in it. But now, I did.

“Ten… nine…”

I wish for them to be safe.

“Eight… seven…”

I wish for all of them to return home.

“Six… five…”

I wish there was a way for me to return so I could give her what she deserves.

“Four… three…”

I wish for her to be happy.

“Two… one…”

We all wished for a happy new year.

“Come here.”

I cupped her face and kissed her intensely. I wanted to cherish our moments together, to stow my love for her, because after all of this would be over, I would have to leave her. We wouldn’t last. I brushed her cheek with my thumb, looked into her eyes and smiled to myself. But this isn’t over yet.

“Happy New Year, Princess.”

“Happy New Year, Top Gun.”

A while later, we found ourselves in a beautiful bedroom, kissing in front of its fireplace. I held her as tightly as I could, thinking about everything that could go wrong if I let her go. Her hands moved from my arms up my shoulders.

“You seem tense. Here.”

She sat us both on the bed then moved behind me to massage my shoulders and I felt my muscles relax a bit.

“Hot damn, Princess, you’re a miracle worker.”

“Are you worried about your new team showing up?”

I stared at the fire for a second. I was terrified. Not about me. I couldn’t care less about me. It was all about her. If something happened to anyone from this group and especially her, I wouldn’t be able to handle it. But I had to reassure her everything would be alright. I turned to look at her with my usual grin.

“Not exactly a happy reunion. But like I said, I’ll handle them. That’s a promise.”

She chuckled and smiled back at me.

“A Jake McKenzie Guarantee?”

“At the very least, if I go down, I’m taking the lot of them with me.”

She froze for just a second then moved to sit on my lap. Her hands grabbed my shoulders firmly, a serious expression on her face as she fixed her eyes on me.

“Stay alive, Jake. For me. I mean it. Don’t do anything stupid.”

“I won’t-”

“Jake.”

I kept silent for a moment, studying her face. There was worry, concern and fondness in her gaze. It was new to me for somebody to stare at me like that. Only a few people have cared about me so much. It was also strange to see her so worried. Usually she was the strong one, the one who kept the group together and calmed everyone else down. Seeing her in this unusual state made me want to never leave her side again, to soothe her about anything. She was worth dying for but she was worth living for more. I smiled softly and kissed her lips reassuringly.

“… Alright. I won’t. That’s a Jake McKenzie Guarantee too.”

Lying next to each other, bodies pressed together, me hugging her tightly, her head on my shoulder. I stared up at the night sky through the window in the tent’s flap, my mind running wild. Tomorrow I would have to say goodbye. To everyone. To her. It felt like a crushing weight on my chest, like I was suffocated. How was I supposed to leave her now?

She was more important to me than the air I breathed. My body needed her body heat. My soul needed her soul. Everything would be meaningless without her. She was the only one I could imagine myself with, her voice the only sound I wanted to fall asleep too, her eyes the only sight I wanted to wake up to. I wanted to stay here with her forever. I wish I could.

But I had to keep her safe even if that meant my heart would broke. I couldn’t let her get hurt because of me. She had a life out of this hellhole. I couldn’t give her what she deserved and she deserved the world. I would leave her without a sound if that meant she would live a full life.

“Something bothering you?”

She was on her side now, resting her head on her hand, looking at me but I kept staring at the stars. I couldn’t meet her eyes. How would I say to her that what we had is over? But I had to be honest with her, I had to. She deserved to know. I closed my eyes just to stop the tears from falling and spoke in a quiet voice.

“Listen… there’s something I have to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Tomorrow, when we go to that facility… if that portal works…”

“We’ll go home!”

“Yeah. And I can’t go with you.”

“What?!”

She stared at me in shock and fear, her mouth slightly agape, her lips slightly quivering. It hurt to see her looking at me like that. But I had no place with her. I’m nothing but trouble and danger.

“I’m a wanted man in the States, MC. And if we all just show up through some crazy-ass portal, there’s going to be a whole lot of publicity. The rest of you get to go home to your families, to your lives. I get to go straight to a cold, hard cell.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to stay behind after you all go through. And then I’m going to open my own portal to somewhere Lundgen will never find me. Santiago, maybe. Madagascar. The Maldives. Somewhere with warm beaches and cold beers and no super-soldier squad hunting me down.”

“But…”

“I don’t want to do this, Princess. But it’s my only choice. I don’t have a future anywhere else.”

I kept staring up, one look at her and I would break down. I had lost so many things because of that bastard and now I would lose more. I would lose the most important person in my life. But I couldn’t go back to the States. I couldn’t face what was waiting for me there. And it wasn’t just Lundgren.

“No. It’s not. You can’t let Lundgren win.”

I chuckled bitterly at her remark.

“I’m on the run and he’s got an army. I’d say he’s already won.”

“Come on Jake. I know you better than that. You never back down, and you never let the bad guy win. Lundgren killed Mike, and God knows how many other people. He has to be held accountable for his actions. He has to be stopped. And you… you are the man to do it.”

“How the hell am I supposed to do that?”

“Come back with us. Testify. Tell the world your story. Expose Lundgren for the traitor that he is, and make him pay for what he did!”

“Wish it were that simple…”

“Why not?”

I bit my lip, thinking. All the people I had left behind these years. The fact that I had to explain everything that happened. The shame I felt. His parents. She was looking at me, waiting for an answer I didn’t know I was ready to give.

“Because… Because it’s not just about Lundgren.”

“What do you mean?”

I closed my eyes again, taking in a shaky breath, trying to keep my tears from falling.

“If I go back to the States… I have to face everyone again. I have to face Mike’s parents.”

“Oh… Jake…”

“I didn’t kill Mike. But I promised them I’d keep him safe. I promised them I’d bring their boy home. He died on my watch. He died because of me. And I can’t… I… I can’t…”

Remembering the crash of the plane and Mike’s last words, how I was responsible for this, how I should have protected my friend, tears I couldn’t keep flooded my eyes and ran down my face. I felt her hands wiping my face and then she wrapped her arms around my body, holding me tightly, her presence the only thing that calmed me down just a bit.

“I know it’s not easy, Jake. I know you carry a lot of guilt. But you can do this. We can do this!”

I turned my gaze on her. She was crying too, staring at me with a look no one had ever given me. A look of affection, a look of love I had never experienced before. And somehow this reassured me. For the first time is so many years, I felt the slightest hint of hope.

“You think so?”

“I do.”

“Ah, to hell with it. I love you, MC.”

Maybe this was rushed but it was the most honest thing I had said all these years. She beamed at me through her tears and cupped my cheek, gazing right into my eyes.

“I love you, Jacob Lucas McKenzie. There is nothing in this world or the next we can’t face together.”

Both on our sides, my hand traveled at the back of her neck, gently pulling her face closer, connecting our lips. I kissed her like my life depended on it. Because it did. I could taste our shared breath, feel the thud of our combined heartbeat, my fingers carding through her hair, her hands cupping both sides of my face.

Warmth consumed me. All these years I was helpless, carrying a burden alone. I didn’t expect to find someone to stay, someone who would reassure me when I’d doubt myself, who would take away my pain, who would hold me close, who would love me most. And I would do the same for her. I would keep her safe, I would hold her close, I would love her most.

“Looks like we’re gonna have to find our own way over.”

“We’ve seen choppers coming and going. Jake, would you know how to fly one of these?”

I could barely hear them talking. I stared down the cliff, my best friend staring up at me like I was nothing, like he stared into the void. I couldn’t bear that look. I gazed up at the horizon, my mind blank, a sudden feeling of nausea rushing over me. I couldn’t comprehend how I was still standing on my own two feet.

“Did… did you see what Lundgren did to him?”

“Jake, can you fly one of those Arachnid helicopters or what?”

Were they talking to me? I didn’t know. My eyes filled with tears. I felt cold rushing into my core. Maybe I was shaking too. It felt like my lungs would give up on me any second now, like I couldn’t breathe. I was mumbling nonsense to myself.

“Anybody got a flask on them? I could use a drink-”

I felt two hands grabbing my shoulders, giving me a light shake. I stared down at her. What would she say to me now? I was useless anyway.

“Jake, listen to me. I know how bad it hurts to see Mike like that, but it’s not too late.”

“Not too late for what?”

“To save him. To bring him back. That… that thing that attacked us? That’s not your friend. But he’s still in there somewhere, I know it. And we’ll get him out.”

“… You think so, huh?”

“Absolutely. But we can’t do it if we don’t survive today.”

It was hard for me to believe her. After all of the things I had seen and done in my life, believing her in this was one of the hardest. But I had to. At the very least, even if I couldn’t save Mike, I had to get everyone else out of here. I had to get her to safety. I wouldn’t bear losing her too. I gave her a tight hug and she hugged me back, holding me close. I took a deep breath and let her go.

“Yeah. Yeah, okay. I can fly us outta here in whatever you put me in.”

On the way back to the facility, Zahra activated a system to blow the whole building up. As we continue running toward the MASADA’s aerial hangar, alarms started blaring. We saw the military chopper in the distance. We ran toward it, but I noticed it was flickering and wavering in the light. That couldn’t be good.

“Whoa, whoa… what the hell? Is it a hologram?”

“No way… It’s…”

Zahra reached out to it and her hand passed through the chopper’s hull.

“It’s phase shifting.”

“What?!”

“You mean, like, it’s moving between dimensions?!”

“Or timelines.”

“So in one version of events, it’s here, and in another, it’s not… and we’re seeing both? Why?!”, I said, frustrated.

“The island is basically one big faultline in the space-time continuum.”

“We could be on the verge of making some decision that could decide whether or not the chopper’s even here in the first place…”

“You mean… if Arachnid’s even here in the first place.”

Realization hit me. The only way to escape this place… was through me. A pained look flashed over my face as I took my decision.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that Arachnid came here for me. Somehow, they knew I was here… And I think I just realized who told them.”

Reaching into MC’s bag, I took the crystal transponder.

“Jake… it was you. It was you the whole time.”

“Wait, what?!”

“Jake, what are you doing?! You’re gonna tell Lundgren your position, back in time?”, Sean asked me, enraged.

“But wait, if you don’t, maybe they’ll all vanish!”

“You can’t stop him, Craig. He already did it. That’s why they’re here. If he doesn’t now, it’s a paradox. He always turned himself in.”

“Besides, even if they did vanish, then we’re trapped here with no way out. I can’t risk that.”

I glanced at her briefly and she looked at me with an inconsolable expression.

“I can’t risk you, Princess. The chopper’s our one ticket off this rock. And there’s only one way to make sure Lundgren comes here for me.”

I wrote the sending position into the device, then lifted its microphone to my head.

“You want Jake McKenzie? Come get him. June 1st. 15 degrees, 11 minutes, 17 seconds North, 73 degrees, 20 minutes, 16 seconds West.”

I turned it off and looked at her.

“Well? Did that do it?”

She went close to the now steady helicopter and touched the solid hull.

“It’s here. It’s real now.”

“Then what do you say we get the hell off this rock?”

We all climbed abroad and I sat in the pilot’s sit, doing the only thing I was good at. It felt familiar, being in this kind of chopper. It almost felt… good.

“Hurry up! We’ve got two minutes!”

“Copy.”

Suddenly, Arachnid troops came into the hangar, aiming their weapons at the chopper, shooting at us.

“I need more time to get us off the ground!”

“This is an attack helicopter! Let’s fight back!”

“Use the chain gun, Craig! That’ll send them running!”

“Now you’re talking my language!”

Drax got behind the chain gun, aiming it at the troops.

“Don’t call it a comeback.”

Craig fired the chain gun, spraying bullets across the hangar, destroying their cover. The troops ran for cover as he bellowed “Get some!” maniacally. This kid was almost too funny. I finally managed to lift the chopper and move it away from the base. As we cheered Craig, the facility’s processing towers combusted and collapsed into the sea. And on the cliffside, there was that bastard. I saluted Lundgren in a victory smile.

“Adios, amigo!”

Bad move! Lundgren jumped and landed on the nose of the chopper, his exoskeleton supporting him.

“Aw, gimme a break.”

He climbed over to the side, pulling the door off its rack.

“Holy crap, that exoskeleton’s unstoppable!”

“MC, what do we do?”

“We have to shock him! His strength is all in that exoskeleton! If we can short-circuit it somehow, he’s a pushover!”

“Great idea! Love it… Now how exactly do we do that?!”

“Leave that to me.”

Zahra ripped open the compartment above the copilot’s sit and stripped the wires, causing the controls to malfunction.

“Careful with that! My instruments are going crazy!”

“I’m gonna go crazy if you don’t shut up!”

Whatever she was doing, she had to hurry. Lundgren managed to rip the door, tossing it into the void.

“I’ve got you now.”

“Is that so, Sparky?”

“ ‘Sparky’? Guess the bad nicknames have been rubbing off on you.”

With a smile, Zahra jammed two exposed wires into his exoskeleton, frying the bastard. Seeing him getting electrocuted was the most satisfying thing.

“Who said anything about a nickname?”

But as he was falling into the void he managed to grab Zahra.

“Hey! Get off!”

“Z, I’ve got you!”

Craig lunged for her but couldn’t catch her in time. She was pulled down with Lundgren, falling into the sea. Why did this have to happen?

“Jake! Turn around! We’ve gotta go back for her!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll- Whoa!”

Thanks to the alert, I barely missed a streaking missile hitting us. Someone was shooting us! Lundgren’s minion, Tetra.

“Go! He’s shooting again!”

“What about Zahra?”

“Go!”

I avoided another rocket but the alarm sounded once more. I wasn’t gonna make it.

“I can’t shake him!”

“QUINN NO!”

Quinn’s eyes flashed green and she floated out of the chopper, in front of the rocket’s way. We lost her too. A second later, it detonated twenty feet from the chopper, the blast strong enough to destroy its tail rotor. We were falling!

I heard her screaming Quinn’s name into the void, hanging from a handhold. I was ready to tell her to get inside the chopper when the handhold popped loose and she went sliding across the door. No! Without thinking, I jumped from my seat, diving for her. I wasn’t going to lose her too. She managed to grab the landing skid but her hold wasn’t gonna last. She screamed, a panicked look on her face as I reached out for her.

“Come on, Princess! You can do it! Give me your hand!”

She stretched out her other hand but I still couldn’t reach her. Lying on my stomach, I was almost out of the chopper too. I couldn’t let her die on me.

“Jake… I’m slipping!”

“No, you’re not! You’re fine! I can almost reach…”

I was almost ready to catch her hand, our fingers grazed each others. I could do it. Grab her, McKenzie! As I was going to take her hand in mine, her hold on the landing skid let loose, her hand slipped and I froze in terror. She fell into the void.

I screamed her name, ready to jump out too as hands grabbed me and brought me inside the chopper. I kicked and screamed to them to let me go as angry tears ran down my face. This is your fault. She’s dead because of you. This is your fault. They are all dead because of you. This is your fault. You should have grabbed her. This is your fault. You lost her. You are alone.

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