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shadowsndaisies · 7 months

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codename: nightingale - usual suspects

Reference: Young Justice Season 1 Episode 25

WC: 7.4k

synopsis: fuck cadmus tbh, robin needs to work on his timing, kaldur’s got birdy’s back, and roy finally gets what he wanted

main masterlist

codename: nightingale series masterlist

a/n: guys, there's only one more in the season after this. i cannot belive my little hyperfixation fic of pure self-indulgence has come this far. i love you all so much and your support means so much, especially when i know that i go months without posting but you all come back so excited with each update! xoxo

WASHINTON, D.C.December 30th, 09:16 EST

You were all in the Hall. The mega screen before you shows the official Justice League Induction and announcement playing on every news channel. Wally and Dick were standing on either side of you, and all of you had your eyes glued to the screen.

“The Justice League was formed for two reasons: first, as an acknowledgment that no single individual, no matter how powerful, can solve all the world's problems alone. And second, to uphold the values of truth, liberty, and justice,” Superman was making the announcement this year. Usually, it was him or Wonder Woman, seeing as the Bat didn’t exactly exude charming. “That, uh, last one's even in the name,” Superman muses, gaining a few laughs from the crowd before him. “These five heroes have sworn to uphold those values,” he continues, and the camera pans over Doctor Fate, Plastic Man, the Atom, Icon, and finally, Red Arrow.

Your lip quirks a bit as you stare at Roy. he had sent you a message this morning, reminding you that you could be standing with him today, but you had just laughed and mused that with how badly he’d wanted this, it’s surprising anyone else can stand up there with him, never mind you, who would undoubtedly steal the spotlight. You were happy for him, you were, but you were also bummed. You all had just gotten into a groove with Roy on the Team, even if it was only for a few missions, and once again, he was gone.

“You are watching live coverage of the Justice League's induction of its five newest members,” Cat Grant’s voice pulls your focus back to the News. “Looks like the entire League has shown up to welcome the new blood. Everyone from Batman to Captain Marvel!” she exclaims.

“I’m glad they didn't kick Billy out,” Wally decides, and you can’t help but nod. Dinah had mentioned briefly that there had been a chance he wouldn’t be. “And I love the fact there's a ten-year-old on the League,” he says, taking a bite of his apple.

Dick hangs his head, and you see Kaldur turn toward your redheaded best friend while the new girl, Raquel, turns to you all, “There is?” she asks.

You elbow Wally squarely between his ribs, and he hunches over, “Ow, Birdy!” he groans.

“Way to keep a secret, genius,” you scoff, glaring at him through your blacked-out lenses.

“Hey, she's on the Team now, right?” Wally defends, one arm rubbing at his side while he eats his apple.

“Is this going to be a regular thing, you just blurt out secrets whenever we get new people?” you ask.

Wally has the audacity to look affronted, “I don’t-“

“You told me about the Watchtower,” Zatanna cuts in before he can say anything else, and you snort.

Wally retorts by taking another bite of his apple and glaring at you.

Everyone’s attention shifts back to the screen, “Superman is now handing out official League membership cards starting with Doctor Fate…” You and Dick both step forward briefly to squeeze Zatanna’s shoulder in solidarity, something she smiles gently in response to, and you can feel the comfort she takes from the action in the seconds you’re touching. “…The Atom, Plastic Man, and Icon.”

“You know, I was the one who convinced Icon to become a hero in the first place. I should be celebrating with him, not hidden away in here!” Raquel complains, and you bite your lip to keep from laughing.

“Welcome to our world,” Kaldur laments.

“Well, I suppose there's an upside, too,” Raquel flirts as she eyes Kaldur. Quietly to Rob, you roll your eyes and fake a gag, which gets a silent chuckle out of him.

“Finally, Green Arrow welcomes his former protege, Speedy, now known as Red Arrow, to this roster of heroes,” Cat’s voice continues, but it’s quickly drowned out by your cheers.

“Way to go, Roy!” Wally shouts, pumping a fist in the air.

“At last, he has his wish,” Kaldur nods.

“Woohoo!” you exclaim, smiling at the screen. “The first of us to make it,” you breathe.

“No one'll call him a sidekick anymore,” Dick nods.

“Wait- Since when is being a sidekick a bad thing?” Raquel demands, and you can feel the twinge in the air. “You sidekicks were my inspiration.”

“Well, see, six months ago-“ Robin explains, but he’s quickly cut off when his communicator starts to beep.

You hover over his shoulder to look at what he’s looking at and can’t help but frown. In the background, however, you can hear as Cat Grant finishes her report, “So there you have it. The world's officially a safer place!”

There are tons of questions being shot out to Superman, who was still running the press conference.

“Looks like we can’t stay,” you announce, and everyone turns to you.

“We have a mission,” Robin tacks on, and the shift is evident as we all turn to the Zeta.

SMOKEY MOUNTAINS December 30, 10:48 EST

“Are you sure it's her? I mean, are you absolutely positive?” Artemis asks, and it’s easy to pick up on her anxiety in the enclosed space of the bioship.

After the alert, you quickly got to the cave and changed before loading onto the bioship. The alert in question had been about a Cheshire spotting. After everything that’s happened in the last few months, especially in Taipei and then again in Louisiana, catching her was a top priority for the team.

“See for yourself,” Robin says, displaying the details on the screens in the bioship.

“This is the security footage from the Asheville Regional Airport. Facial recognition confirms that's Jade Nguyen,” you explain, having witnessed the details when they first came through Robin’s wrist computer. “But you've seen her without her mask. What do you think?”

Artemis stares at the screen for a second before her lips tug down, “It's Jade. Cheshire,” she confirms.

“Agreed, but focus on what she carries,” Aqualad hints. “Is that the case you saw in New Orleans? The one that got away?” He asks.

Artemis’ eyes harden, and her jaw sets, “Yes.”

“Okay, I'm guessing from the mug shot that this Cheshire's the bad guy. But what's so important about that case?” Rocket asks.

You have to bite back the urge to say you mean other than the fact that we fumbled the ball and lost it? Luckily, Robin speaks up first.

“Remember the Injustice League?” he asks, pulling up a photo of your friends from the bayou.

“And their giant evil plants? Uh, yeah,” Rocket confirms.

“Evil and Nasty plants,” you mutter lowly, glaring at the photo.

“The Team and the League put them in prison, but their allies still scheme, and whatever is in that containment case seems important to their plans,” Aqualad explains.

“We had a chance to grab it in New Orleans, but someone-“ Wally tacks on, but you interrupt him with a glare that he seems to miss as he focuses on Artemis.

“But we screwed up,” you correct. It was a team mission and the team’s attitudes and environment that culminated in what had happened. You weren’t going to place the blame squarely on Artemis.

Wally’s eyes dart to you, and you quirk a brow challengingly. He, in turn, scoffs and turns back to face the front instead.

“Approaching Cheshire's jet,” M’gann announces.

Everyone’s focus turns to the front, but when you get close enough, you let out a low gasp, and a wave of shock rolls over everyone at the scene of the downed plane. The crash had evidently been rough, but it’s a sharp note of grief that hits you that has you turning to Artemis, who is resolutely not staring at the crash anymore.

“Looks like there were no survivors,” M’gann notes, and your lips tug down as you try to assess the scene from the air.

“We need to go down,” you decide.

“NG-“ Wally’s scoff has everyone turning to you for an explanation.

“We need to check the wreckage,” you state.

“Are you serious?” Rocket asks, eyebrows raised.

“Cheshire and the case are our responsibilities, we check the wreckage,” you affirm.

It’s quiet for a moment before Kaldur speaks up, “open the hatches,” he agrees, and Wally lets out a puff of air, shaking his head, but stands up regardless.

M’gann opens a few drop hatches for those who can’t fly while the rest go ahead.

Soon enough, you’re spread out through the crash, analyzing anything you could find and looking for any indication that Cheshire was still in the plane when it went down or the case itself.

“How come Homeland Security and the N.T.S.B. Aren't all over this?” KF shouts, asking anyone.

“Cheshire's ID was a League alert,” you answer from where you’re crouched near the front of the plane, grabbing the black box and tossing it to Rob.

“Authorities didn't pick it up, and her jet didn't follow its flight plan,” Robin supplied.

“Flew under the radar, literally,” you note, standing back up.

“The Watchtower auto-tracked the jet and recorded the crash,” Robin continued.

“Then why isn't the League here?” Rocket pressed.

“Because our Boy Wonder has hacking skills and arranged to get the alert first,” Zatanna smirked. “Well that, and because Nightingale said to make it so,” she teases, gaining an eye roll from you.

“And because Cheshire and that case represent our unfinished business,” Aqualad corrects.

Superboy moves another part of the plane before asking the question that everyone had been wondering, “Where are the bodies?”

“Here's one. And it is stunning….” a voice all but purrs, grabbing everyone’s attention.

You can’t tell if you’re relieved or annoyed that Cheshire is standing tall, all in one piece, but you’re positive that this was the best outcome you could’ve hoped for, at least you were until the next voice pipped up.

“I am flora, not fauna,” the voice begins, and your gaze shifts as you spot the camouflaged ninjas along the mountainside. “I am foliage, not trees,” it continues, and your gaze keeps moving up, counting the adversaries before stopping on the man in green. “What am I?” The Riddler possesses his question, and you spot Shimmer and Mammoth behind him, too. He snaps his fingers, and suddenly, pylons are popping up from under the snow, and you groan at the realization.

Within seconds everyone is trapped underneath a green dome, “Seriously? A trap? We’re idiots,” you huff, soft enough for only Dick to hear, and he just shakes his head.

“Come on, you can get this. I am shrubbery, not grass. What am I?” The Riddler urges. “I…

“Am bush,” Robin grits, and you don’t hold back the groan that escapes this time.

“Didn't you think we'd be tipped you were on Cheshire's trail?” Riddler asked. “We're tired of your interference, kiddies. This is the end game. Ordered from above and executed by their master strategist, moi.”

You can’t help but roll your eyes. There was something about Riddler that screamed Narcissistic Personality Disorder, but that could be something you picked up from Dinah’s files.

“Miss Martian, is everyone linked?” Aqualad asks, and the second you hear him, your hands reach back to your back holster, fingers wrapping around your escrima sticks. “Yes,” she confirms, and you make brief eye contact with Dick, tilting your head slightly to indicate a direction. He responds with the same small action in confirmation. “Go!” Aqualad orders, and everyone splits up.

Zatanna makes her move first while you and Dick rush up behind and around her, “Ekahs siht ebolgwons!” (shake this snowglobe) she chants. Within your pylon-ed dome, snow flurries, creating an excellent interference from any direct attack.

The rest of the team jumps into action, using the moment of surprise and confusion to take on the ninjas.

You’ve just knocked one down when Aqualad speaks up again, “Superboy, the pylons,” he orders, and you risk a glance toward your friend with the S.

“Working on it,” he announces out loud, and you focus back on the enemies before you.

“KF-- cradle?” you inquire as you run up, behind Wally. “Ready,” he confirms, turning and dropping down, proffering his hands.

You run up and, with no hesitation, step into Wally’s grip. He’s pushing your body up a second later, giving you enough air to wail your escrima sticks down on the underprepared shadow. It’s reassuring that Wally will always have your back, even in disagreements. As he falls, knocked out, you quickly scan the rest of the battle and manage to spot as Rocket gets hit.

“Rocket’s down, she needs an assist K, and we’ve got a Shadow two tiers up, with some sort of electric disk device, looks like fatherbox tech to me,” you inform the team.

Robin quickly gets up, knocks out the Shadow, and Kaldur moves for the disk. You almost move to help him when you spot a Shadow coming up behind him, but you see M’gann moving in. You turn back to take on another Shadow, this time with Dick at your back fighting his own, but you see it when Conner launches into the air. You’re waiting for gravity to start pulling him back, but it doesn’t.

“That’s impossible,” you note as you use the electricity feature on a Shadow, who then crumples at your feet.

Robin turns his head, and his eyes widen as he stares at what you are.

“SB, you're flying!” he gasps, and your eyes widen too when you catch him using heat vision a moment later.

In his rage, he seems to miss the results of his attack. Your gaze drops, and you can see the top of Artemis’ head.

“Avalanche!” you shout into the link, hoping she’d cleared out of the way in time. You really weren’t trying to relive the Arctic in the real world. It’s silent for a moment, and then your anxiety takes over, “ARTEMIS!” you’re screaming into the link. “I’m alright!” she confirms, and you let out a breath.

Rob taps your shoulder and gestures up to where Riddler’s still standing, and you nod. The two of you make your way up, targeting Shimmer and effectively knocking her out cold with a mix of a smoke grenade, Robin’s bola, and your well-aimed punch.

With Riddler’s focus on you and Rob, Zatanna floats behind him as the smoke clears, “Tekcajtiarts!” (straightjacket!) she announces, and Riddler’s suddenly restrained, unable to get free.

“No!” he shouts. “I am not the straightjacket type! I am strictly Belle Reve not Arkham!” Riddler argues.

Zatanna huffs out a, “Gag mih!” (gag him!) effectively silencing the Riddler's little tirade.

“Hey Rob, what is broken when you name it?” you ask, a shit-eating grin on your face as you crouch down beside Riddler, who only glares at you in return.

“Silence,” Robin smirks, earning Edward Nigma’s ire.

“Hguone htiw eht ebolgwons,” (enough with the snowglobe) Zatanna’s shout echos’s across the mountain, and suddenly the snow stops.

You all quickly work on the remaining pylons before loading the bioship with Nigma and the captured Shadows.

“Cheshire?” you ask out loud.

“Gone,” Artemis confirms.

“From you? Again?” Wally challenges. “That’s like the third-“

“Enough,” Kaldur cuts in quick. “We need to drop these prisoners off at Belle Reve and return to the Cave, I imagine, the League will want a debrief and an explanation.”

“I guess it’s a good thing, I got the case, though,” Artemis adds, and you can’t help but smile at her.

MOUNT JUSTICEDecember 30, 15:45 EST

You felt like he was staring right at you. Given the whiteouts of his mask, Batman could be glaring at any of you, “Tell me if this sounds familiar. You hacked League systems, disobeyed protocol, and endangered your lives,” he pauses.

You have to fight the wince when you catch Dinah’s eye. She’s standing behind Batman with Red Tornado and Martian Man-Hunter, and she’s got an eyebrow quirked as she stares straight at you.

“And your initiative resulted in the capture of three escaped felons proving Warden Strange runs Belle Reve as a cover for criminal activity…. Well done,” he affirms, and you let out a small breath, gaze darting over to Robin, who quirks his lips in a small smile, one you match.

“And then there's this,” he adds, forcing your attention back as he and Icon approach the case that Artemis had recovered, “Bio-technology integrated with some form of nano-circuitry.”

“Though I am unfamiliar with the species, the bio-component is clearly not of Earth,” Icon confirms.

“We'll take it to the Watchtower for further study,” Batman decides, and the Leaguers head back toward the Zeta.

Canary lingers before walking over to you, mostly everyone else disperses, but you can feel Wally and Kaldur behind you, and Dick’s still at your side.

“I get the feeling that this decision was not made on your own?” she inquires, staring at you.

“I have a team,” you reply loftily. “I don’t have to make these decisions on my own.”

“No, you don’t,” she smiles gently at you, running a hand across your cheek, and then turns to the boys, “and I’m glad to know you see it too.” She says nothing but offers you a pat on the shoulder and turns to the Zeta.

As soon as Canary and Icon zeta out, you turn to the team, shoulders set, “You realize we were set up,” your tone is even, despite the worrisome nature.

“Yes,” Aqualad confirms. “Cheshire and Riddler were tipped and ready for us.”

“They knew we were looking for her, specifically,” you point out, and you can’t help the way your gut swoops.

“Not the mole thing again,” Artemis groans, and your lips turn down. How was it that Roy got to move on, but you were still battling the same demon.

“Mole thing?” Rocket asks, concerned. “Again?”

“We had intel that there was a traitor on the Team,” Wally explains, tone resigned.

“Namely, Artemis, M'gann, or me,” Conner huffs, his bravado cutting through as he steps forward with clenched fists and levels a glare at you specifically.

“It is more complicated than that,” Kaldur argues, placing a hand on Conner’s shoulder.

“And we-“ you gesture between you and Kaldur “-never said that, we only tried to look into the claim to see if it were true,” you argue.

Conner scoffs and shoves Kaldur’s hand away, turning to leave, “But your recent behavior does concern me,” Kaldur adds, following after him. “Your attack on Mammoth nearly got Artemis killed.”

Conner doesn’t respond, though he does stop for a moment. When he winces, your brow furrows, “Conner?” you call cautiously.

“There’s something I need to do,” Conner says, turning back to face you, but his tone is wholly different. “Something I need to tell you,” he admits, and you shift as you pick up the unease of everyone in the room. “Last month, on Thanksgiving, I went back to CADMUS and found a few things out.” Your eye twitches slightly at the mention of CADMUS, but you fight to keep your expression neutral. “When I was cloned, only half the DNA was Superman’s. The other half was human,” he admits, and there’s a shift from everyone else. “That's why I don't have, will never have, full Kryptonian powers.”

Your brow furrows, thinking about what you’d seen today, “You sure? Because you sure seemed to have them today,” Robin teases, voicing your thoughts.

“I've been using these,” Conner says, pulling up his sleeve and showing a patch, “Shields. They suppress my human DNA. I get the flight, the heat-vision, but I think I also get angry. Well, angrier… I’m… sorry,” he explains and only one question comes to mind.

“Conner, where did you get those?” you ask, voice lethal.

Conner winces at the question and your tone but meets your gaze. There’s an honesty there that hasn’t existed in a while, a calmness that stems from finally unloading the truth, “From my human father… Lex Luthor.”

There’s an audible intake of breath from someone behind you, and everyone’s eyes are blowing wide, but you? You’re fuming because if Lex Luthor had that much reach, it meant he must have been the silent bankroller for CADMUS, which in turn means Lex Luthor was responsible for the death of your parents, and that? That was not something you’d be letting go of, not now, not ever.

“Lex Luthor, is your dad?” Dick asks. The surprise is evident, and if not for the topic, it would’ve been a moment to commemorate, catching the Boy Wonder off guard.

“He's summoned me to Santa Prisca,” Conner continues.

The silence is deafening. Your shoulders tense as you try to gather your thoughts, and as you open your mouth to say something about Conner’s decision to keep these things secret, Artemis speaks up.

“Ahhh, listen,” she sighs. “Superboy’s not the only one suffering from bad DNA,” she admits, and you tense further, turning to look at the blond. She pulls up three IDs on the holo-computer before beginning. “My mother is Huntress, an ex-con. The rest of my family aren't even ex. My dad's Sportsmaster, and he's sending my sister, Cheshire, to fly me to Santa Prisca, too.”

You gape at the screen, but it all makes sense: her need to prove something, her secrets, her mother’s desperation, even the reason why Cheshire always seemed to escape when up against Artemis.

“That's why-“ Wally’s voice cracks, and you’re hit with a wave of understanding and regret from the speedster as he stares at the archer.

“Yeah,” she mutters. “I was so desperate to make sure none of you found out. “

“I knew you weren’t GAs niece, but-“ you mumble but stop as eyes shift to you.

“I knew,” Dick negates, and Artemis’ eyes blow wide, and you can’t help but gape at him. “Hey, I'm a detective!” he defends but quirks a smile, “But it never mattered. You aren't your family. You're one of us,” he reminds her.

“You always have been,” you manage to choke out, “nothing to prove,” you remind her, and you can see how the tension melts away from her.

Wally pushes forward and stops beside her. He hesitates on what to say but eventually settles for a small smile, propping an arm on her shoulder and jokingly asking, “So who's next?”

“I am,” comes the somber response from M’gann, and for the first time since the start of these revelations, you watch as she seems to curl up into herself.

“I swear I was kidding,” Wally says desperately, hands up in surrender.

“Queen Bee's been blackmailing me. She wants me in Santa Prisca too,” she admits.

“Blackmailing?” Kaldur repeats as if he hadn’t heard her correctly.

“How?” you press. Your voice is rough, and you notice how M’gann’s not the only one to flinch at it.

“She knows my… true… Martian form,” M’gann admits, but the way she says it makes it seem heavier than your first instinct.

“Bald M'gann? Who cares if-“ Robin wants to make a joke, to lighten the mood, but M’gann cuts him off, and before she shifts, you know why: Bald M’gann had been another cover for a secret she hadn’t been ready to share.

“No,” she interrupts, taking a deep breath before shifting.

If you thought the reactions to Luthor being Conner’s human dad were extreme, it was nothing to how almost everyone reacted to M’gann’s true form. She stood before you, a towering creature, a White Martian. While your information was limited, you had enough to assemble a theory.

You fought not to react, to stand firm and impassive beside Kaldur, just as he did. The only other person not to react was Conner.

There’s a whispered “woah” from Rocket as everyone else releases startled gasps.

“I realized you would never accept me if you saw what I really am,” M’gann tells us, and you ache for her. You struggled sometimes balancing Nightingale and (y/n) Roxo. You couldn’t imagine having kept your true self a secret from everyone, having no one to turn to. It had to have been incredibly draining and lonely… so lonely. Your anger was fading with each revelation, but there was one point where you were still stuck.

“M’gann, did we truly seem so shallow?” Kaldur inquires, and though he sounds the same, you can hear the hurt in his words, the edge you recognize as him questioning his abilities in setting the tone of his leadership.

M’gann crosses her arms, her gaze cast down. Dinah called that stance protecting by avoidance, “I couldn't take a chance,” M’gann admits. “Being a white Martian among the green on Mars, I endured constant rejection….I couldn't face that from-“

“From me?” Conner asks, carefully stepping forward and taking her hand.

The way they stare at each other is enough to tell that they are now having a more private conversation. Dick takes the opportunity to grab your shoulder, forcing you to turn to him, Kaldur doing the same.

“Now might be a good time for anyone else to share secrets regarding CADMUS,” he hints, and your lips part- he hadn’t even bothered to whisper.

“What are you talking about?” Zatanna’s question echoes from behind him, but you standing stock still, staring at him.

“You must be joking,” you hiss as you shrug out of Dick’s grip.

“C’mon, Birdy,” he urges, and you feel Kaldur’s hand on your shoulder.

You shrug off Kaldur, too, before spinning on your heel, pushing past Artemis and Wally and to the computer. Your hands shake a bit while you type, but you pull up everything you have; the news article about your parent’s death, the report on your blood from Dinah and Bruce, and the readings on the genomorphs at CADMUS. You take a deep breath before turning back to everyone now looking at you and at everything you’ve pulled up, eyes jumping between each article and report.

You sniff before reaching into a compartment of your belt and pulling out a mask adhesive dissolution wipe. When you start pulling at your mask, there are a few wide eyes, and when your glare lands on Robin, all he does is smile in return.

“My name is (y/n) Roxo, and when I was six years old, I witnessed the murder of my parents,” you begin. Everyone but Kaldur and Robin focus on you with lips parted and wide eyes. “They were Wayne Enterprises scientists, brilliant actually. They noticed some discrepancies with a project in the labs, cover-ups, and false reports. One had to do with an instance when I was in their lab and was accidentally exposed to whatever the project had been focused on,” You begin. “When we went to CADMUS on the Fourth of July, something about the genomorphs seemed familiar. I later discovered that’s because when I was young, I was exposed to a replication of their abilities, the beginnings of the research that led to the cloning capabilities. It’s what gave me the empath abilities and why J’onn thinks I could manifest further powers, just like the genomorphs have,” you explain.

“Which is why you looked like you were about to whip out some kryptonite when SB here said Luthor was his dad,” Artemis pieced, gaze jumping toward you and Conner. “Because CADMUS-“

“Because CADMUS is his project, and he funded, orchestrated- he was responsible for my parents murder,” you affirm, eyes meeting Conner’s.

“Holy shit,” Wally mumbled, and you couldn’t help but agree.

Conner was staring straight at you despite how focused he had been on M’gann only moments before. His blue eyes were wide as he stared straight at you, his lips parted but closed, and then his expression shifted as he took in the rage in your eyes and again when he saw the hurt. His shoulders sag slightly, and he slowly takes steps forward until he is right in front of you.

“I- I’m so sorry, Bir- (y/n),” he stutters over your name for a second, and you want to hold onto the anger. You want to be mad at him, but his eyes are so open and honest with you right now, and you’re reminded of the Conner who saved you from Cadmus back in July, the one who wanted to do good, to be good.

“It’s not okay, but I don’t… I don’t blame you,” the fact that your blame fell squarely on Lex Luthor went without saying.

He offers a curt nod, “a problem for later?” he adds quietly, and you give a silent nod in affirmation.

“So uh.. I know I’m new, but what now?” Rocket asked, and everyone’s eyes jumped from person to person, waiting for someone to speak up.

“We know that CADMUS has played a much larger role than any of us anticipated when we began this team six months ago, and we know that Superboy, Artemis, and Miss Martian are all expected at Santa Prisca,” Kaldur begins, and everyone’s attention shifts to him. “So we go as a team. Prepared for whatever they may throw at us. The backroom deals and secret alliances end today.”

SANTA PRISCADecember 30, 17:57 ECT

“Superboy’s about to make contact,” M’gann’s voice echoes as everyone focuses on the exchange.

You and Robin were in the bioship with M’gann. At the same time, Kaldur, Wally, Rocket, and Zatanna had taken discreet positions on the island, each of you waiting for the call.

You could feel Robin staring at the back of your head, but you ignored him instead of focusing on what was happening on the ground below you.

“Welcome, Superboy,” Lex Luthor’s voice sets you on edge the second you hear it. Still, you force yourself to watch as Suberboy dismounts the Supercycle. “I'd like to introduce you to my associate, Queen Bee.”

Even though it was expected, your heart begins to speed up a bit in reaction to the developments, “My pleasure,” she greets.

“I believe you know everyone else. Sportsmaster, Mercy, Blockbuster. And our new friend Bane, who's allowed us use of his island in exchange for certain considerations,” Luthor introduces as everyone around him steps forward.

“No one wanted to listen when I said following Bane was a bad idea, and here we are,” you huff into the link, but the rest are silent.

“So the Injustice League was just a distraction. You two have been behind everything from the start,” Conner surmises, painting his expression with shock.

“Heh, a flattering notion, son, but we have many friends,” Luthor sidesteps, and your skin crawls at the way he calls SB son.

“This one of your friends now?” Conner asks as a helicopter begins to approach and then as it lands.

“No, my boy,” Luthor smirks. “One of yours.”

Conner glares at the copter until the door slides open, “Artemis?” the name rings out with a tone of shock, and you roll your shoulders, trying to force yourself to relax.

To her credit, she plays her role well, “The hero thing wasn't working out. You get how it is. No trust,” she scoffs, seemingly indifferent to the developments around her. “This is where I belong,” she adds, and you flinch.

“You’re up, Miss M,” you announce, and she backs the bioship up a bit, making a circle around the island and de-camouflaging the bioship before parking it in the air above the group.

“It's a fast-growing club,” Queen B announces as M’gann descends to the ground.

You reach for the rope, securing yourself to the repeller in preparation for when you’ll all be making your move.

“So… you’re just going to ignore me?” he asks cautiously.

Your glare sharpens in his direction, but it’s difficult to make out with your mask back.

“I know you’re upset that I-“

“Upset? Dick, I’m furious, you pushed me into revealing things they didn’t need to know! Things I trusted you enough to share about, privately!”

“They needed to know!” he argues. “(y/n) you consistently come to the rescue, you throw your life on the line for us, you did it in the Bayou, you did it for Wally in Seattle, you did it last week for me in the Circus. You do it all the time, because you know these things about everyone, you know when they need the support, but no one- outside of Kaldur and I, even had the slightest inclination. They needed to know, because today is more than the conspiracy of the last six months. Today could be the end, of it all, for you. Today could be the answers you’ve been looking for since Dinah took you in.”

“It wasn’t your call to make,” you hiss.

“No, it wasn’t. But this team fights better, fights stronger, when it’s united, and you’ve always been able to make us get our shit together better than anyone else can,” he sighs.

You glare at him but refuse to respond, and his shoulders drop.

“Why are they here?” M’gann’s startled gasp forces you both to look back to the ground from your spots within the ship. “You promised!” she cries.

“I’ve kept your secret and my promise,” Queen B argues, tone deadly. “Now, you keep yours,” when M’gann ducks her head, the monarch smirks, “Good girl.”

“Give me more shields, and I'm in, too,” Conner decides, and your lips twitch down. Espionage was not his forte.

Luthor walks closer and stares at Conner briefly before smirking, “My boy, you're a terrible liar.”

Conner’s eyes blow wide before winding back for an attack. However, before he can, Luthor plays his card, “Red Sun.”

Conner does well with his role. His entire body relaxes, face falling flat, arms hanging limply at his side as he stands straight with a muted expression, staring at Luthor.

“What do you want us to do?” Artemis asks, stepping forward, prodding the meeting along.

Luthor nods his head once, and Sportsmaster gestures to Artemis and M’gann. “You two, follow me.”

“What about Superboy?” M’gann asks, eyes sliding to Queen B.

“He'll be fine. He simply requires a few adjustments…” she trails off.

Everyone but Superboy begins to follow after Sportsmaster, “Bring him along,” Luthor orders, and Blockbuster moves toward Conner.

Your breath catches as you wait to see what happens. You’d all agreed that it’d be Artemis, M’gann, or Conner’s call on when to move, given they were the three in the thick of it. So when Artemis starts running forward, bow in hand before shooting at Blockbuster, trapping him for the moment, before turning around and aiming at her father.

“Sorry, Dad. Wanted to play you like you tried to play me but I can't let them mess with Superboy's head!” she shouted.

“M'gann, be a dear and take Artemis down,” Queen B orders.

You look at Rob as you both step up to the drop-hole.

You let out an audible groan as you stare at the boy across from you, “After,” is all you say.

He nods in affirmation, “milkshakes?” and you nod in agreement.

M’gann lifts Artemis in the air but then uses the distraction to fling Queen B backward and into a tree. She falls to the ground unconscious, and you wait for the verbal confirmation. Artemis shoots a shot at her dad, and then M’gann lets her down.

“Queen Bee is down,” M’gann confirms. “Superboy, you're safe from her control.”

"I may not be much of a liar, but I fooled you,” Conner announced as he approached Luthor.

“And I'm so proud,” Lex states sarcastically. “I take it Miss Martian cleaned Red Sun from your mind?”

“And confirmed Nightingale, Aqualad, Robin and Kid Flash rescued me from Cadmus before you had time to install any other programming,” Conner shoots back.

Luthor sighs, “All true. Personally, I blame Dr. Desmond.”

As if verbally queued, Blockbuster frees himself from Artemis’ trap, charging at Superboy.

You observe as Bane’s goons start engaging, and the supercycle quickly lays down cover fire while SB gets busy with Blockbuster.

Artemis and M’gann alternate between defense and offense until, “Guys, reinforcement time,” the blonde calls.

Rocket and Wally are the first two to make it to everyone, and you glance at Rob, “Ready?”

“Go,” he confirms, and you both drop-down, trusting the rope and the bioship as you go. You yank the stop when you’re only a few feet off the ground, and both you and Robin stop abruptly before releasing yourselves, dropping to the ground and landing agilely on your feet.

You take a second to scan your surroundings. You spot Kaldur facing off with Luthor and his assistant, an unconscious Queen B in his arms. You turn instead to take on some of the goons. You and Rob were methodical in knocking down person after person, you hear the cocking of a gun behind you, and you turn with wide eyes,

“Ekoms dna srorrim!” (smoke and mirrors!) Zatanna chants and the gun turns to smoke, which then turns into a giant serpent, winding its way around the goon’s body. “Egnahc ekans otni sgnidnib!” (change snake into bindings); she continues, and the snake becomes a rope.

You’re frozen in surprise for a second, but that’s knocked away when Bane appears and charges at Robin, Zatanna, and you simultaneously.

“Shit!” you manage to grit out in surprise.

Your hands start moving blindly, a hand going to your hip where your grapple is. You quickly twist the cord out of the gun before whipping it and your arm out to the side in an arc. The tensile strength of the cable is enough to stop Bane as he falls forward with the three of you.

You and Rob push him off and to the side. Robin covers you while you quickly peek at Zatanna, who seems knocked out. You look up in time to see Bane get back up and start fighting with Robin. You're on your feet when he gets pushed back, facing off against Bane.

“Hola Chicita, it’s been some time,” he teases, head tilting down at you.

“Not nearly long enough, Bane,” you huff.

“Etaerc Elagnithgin Snoisulli!” (create nightingale illusions) Zatanna’s rushed chant whips through you, and you can feel the prickle of her magic as it washes over you, and suddenly, there are dozens of you all facing Bane.

Bane’s surprise is visible as he scans each and every duplicate of you. "Gotta love an army of NG,” Rob smirks as he pushes himself up.

You smirk in return and pull out your ring daggers, several duplicates doing the same or arming themselves with escrima sticks and marble bombs before you’re all running at Bane. He gets distracted by the ones jumping up at him directly and misses when the true you slip around him with one of your blades out. You cut through his tubes of Venom, weakening him. Then you turn with an escrima stick crackling with electricity and plant it firmly at the base of his neck, watching with satisfaction as it brings him to his knees and then as he collapses.

You pull back, and with the moment you have, you take in a deep lungful of air, finally able to breathe. As you look around, you realize the fighting has stopped. Artemis and KF are standing by an unconscious and tar-trapped Sportsmaster. Superboy, Miss M, and Rocket are posted up by Blockbuster. You stare down at Bane as you realize who isn’t still here, and Robin joins you a second later.

“NG?” his voice is hesitant, as he notices how you’re gripping your escrima stick and dagger, your body tense, as you stare at Bane.

“He got away,” your voice cracks as you say it, and your fists clench tighter. "Luthor-"

When Robin touches your shoulder, you both recoil quickly; his lips part as he stares at you and his hand.

“I.. I felt-“

“I’m sorry,” you whisper, tugging on all the strings threatening to burst free, trying to cram your emotions back in their place to keep them from leaking out and affecting everyone around you. You drop your weaponry, hugging yourself as you try to compact your feelings.

A different hand lands on your shoulder. When you turn your head, you see Kaldur beside you. You can feel yourself unraveling just as fast as you attempt to stuff it all down.

“Stop,” you say as you attempt to shrug him off.

“It is okay to feel angry, my friend,” he reminds you, eyes burning with the same rage you feel, and you know in that second that it is the same rage, it is your rage, that he’s taking it on, for you.

“Kaldur, stop, that’s not- you shouldn’t-“ you huff, but with each move back, he follows, until suddenly he’s holding you in a tight hug, and you can’t move anymore. “Stop,” you beg, gripping on to his arms.

“Allow us to help, epitrépste mou na sikóso aftó to város. stiríxou páno mou, chrisimopoíise ti dýnamí mou, méchri na anaktíseis ti dikí sou. Eímai statherós, paliós fílos. (let me carry this burden. lean on me, use my strength, until you regain your own. I am steady, old friend).”

His words wash over you, and you finally do that. You stop pushing against the bits that are bleeding. You can feel Kaldur stiffen when he finally feels the whole barrage of your emotions, but quickly, he tightens his hold on you. When tears start to fall from both of you, all you can do is sag into him in relief.

“Den eínai díkaio. Xéfyge. Tha éprepe na eínai edó. Tha éprepe na logodotísei gia ta enklímatá tou, ton rólo tou. Échoun fýgei kai eínai exaitías tou. Eímai tóso kourasménos kai tóso thymoménos, to niótho óli tin óra kai prospathó tóso sklirá na min to afíso éxo. Allá giatí eínai eléftheros?” (It's not fair. He got away. He should be here. He should have to answer for his crimes, his role. They're gone and it’s because of him. I am so tired and so angry, I feel it all the time, and I try so hard not to let it out. But why does he get to be free?) the words tumble from your lips in sobs of atlantean.

Part of the truth you’re admitting was too raw to admit to everyone else, none of the sidekicks had ever seen your anger, your rage— Kaldur had. Kaldur was the one who he lped you learn how to manage it. He was the one who taught you, the one who showed you how to channel it into something better.

“Thýmose, Poulí, tha diatiríso tin isorropía kai gia tous dýo,” (Be angry, Bird, I will maintain the balance for us both) he answers, his voice as calm as ever, and you can’t help but marvel at him, how he can hold your anger, your hurt, your rage, but present as calm, and keep it from seeping out when you can’t do anything but make a mess.

You know the team’s watching. You know they’re concerned and want to tell them it’s okay, that you’re okay, but you’re not. You know that. Dinah would know what to say and how to tell the team that they did a good job and that they should enjoy the win, but you can’t. You can’t tell them that you can’t enjoy it, not when the mastermind of it all managed to escape.

Quietly, Kaldur helps you back onto the Bioship. Vaguely, you hear the conversations happening around you.

“It is always like this,” Rocket scoffs, dropping into her seat.

“Told you,” Wally chimes, but you can feel his gaze on you.

“Hey, disaster averted. Feeling the aster,” Robin muses as he settles next to you but keeps a distance.

“Agreed, this has been a good day,” Kaldur nods, fists clenched as he turns to you, “but it is not the end.”

“No,” you ground out in confirmation, and you can feel the promise in his words, “it’s not.”

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rhysdarbinizedarby · 7 months

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How ‘Our Flag Means Death’ Became the Funniest Show on TV

Creator and showrunner David Jenkins breaks down the new season of TV’s most adorable star-crossed pirates.

Our Flag Means Death debuted in March 2022 to respectable viewership numbers that grew. And grew. And grew some more. With each week of its 10-episode run, viewership increased, eventually tripling its original audience. The little gay pirate workplace and romantic comedy-cum-historical fantasy that could is back for a second season on Max, and fans will be glad to know that piracy power couple Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and Ed Teach, aka Blackbeard (Academy Award winner Taika Waititi) won’t be parted for long.

The first season of Our Flag Means Death introduced viewers to fictional versions of the real historical figures Stede Bonnet (aka The Gentleman Pirate) and Blackbeard, as well as their respective crews. The two captains instantly forged an unlikely connection. Stede, who decided to exorcize his midlife crisis by abandoning his family and taking to the seas, despite being at best a piracy novice, hero-worships Blackbeard and is thrilled to make his acquaintance. The fearsome Blackbeard, who among friends goes by his real first name, Ed, is taken with Stede’s commitment to enjoying the finer and frillier things in life, marveling at his new friend’s on-ship library and massive, beautiful wardrobe.

While the two captains are an odd couple, each of their crews regards the other as an entirely different species. Aboard the Revenge, Stede reads bedtime stories to his crew and encourages them to use their words when conflicts emerge, while on Blackbeard’s ship, Ed’s first mate Izzy Hands (a deliciously scowling, jealous Con O’Neill) rants that his captain is now a shell of the terrifying legend he used to be. Over time, Blackbeard’s crew begin to appreciate the healthier work-life culture on the Revenge, where there’s room for romantic and collegial dyads to form and pair off.

Of course, the path of true love never runs smooth even for a couple as invested in each other as Stede and Ed. At the end of the first season, the crews are split between ships and land, and Ed believes Stede has permanently abandoned their relationship for his original family, causing a heartbroken Ed to revert to his fearsome Kraken persona. As the second season opens, Stede is frantically trying to get back to Ed and explain that he’s all in on their relationship. Ed’s behavior has been swinging erratically from depressed to murderous, even toward Izzy, and when the two captains and crews meet again, there’s an extra twist: Stede and company have been co-opted by the far more capable and successful Chinese Pirate Queen, Zheng Yi Sao (Ruibo Qian).

On the eve of the second season’s three-episode premiere, creator and showrunner David Jenkins reflected on the series’ approach to workplace dynamics, male friendships and romance, and the character arcs he’s most excited for fans to see.

The first three episodes of the season premiere feature a bunch of breakups and reshuffling of romantic and work relationships—not just Stede and Ed. Were you chasing anything in particular, narratively, by splitting up so many dyads?

Definitely. To watch the effects of Stede and Blackbeard’s relationship reverberate through everybody's lives is so interesting. Their separation doesn’t just happen to the two of them, it’s happening to all of them, because they’re a family. Just as the breakup reverberated throughout both crews, getting back together is going to do the same thing.

That makes sense.

The goal was just being true to the character beats and finding ways to make them ring true. Oluwande (Samson Kayo) and Jim (Vico Ortiz, they/them) are friends who got romantic. It rang true to me that they’d watch each others’ lives move forward, and then come back together to find that they still care about each other, and each of them is also happy for the other person. I've seen that happen in real life a bunch of times, but I don't see that dramatized a lot. I think there should be a lot of different flavors of relationships in this show. And there's so many different pairings that you get a lot of chances to be like, “Oh, how are these two different from Stede and Ed?”

How does that relate to your interest in exploring tenderness and vulnerability in male characters? In previous interviews, you’ve referred to Our Flag Means Death as examining the burlesque of masculinity. What does it bring to your work to be exploring it over the course of many hours of storytelling?

That’s an area where Taika’s and my interests overlap a lot. There’s something so understated about his sensibility—I think some of it derives from his New Zealand accent, actually—that suits asking questions about masculinity. And it's fun to look at pirate stories, to play against that genre’s whitewashed, heteronormative conventions. Growing up as a guy, you get a lot of pressure to be just one type of a guy, the guy who refuses to feel things. Men are in terrible trouble in that way. We’re getting better about talking about feelings, but there’s so much more to cover—body dysmorphia, vulnerability, not just talking about feelings, but understanding them and having this whole range of emotions—those are always the things I want to watch.

Do you have favorites among on-screen stories that make room for a broader emotional palette?

Heat and Midnight Run are two really lovely Robert De Niro movies where characters have these very big emotional lives. It’s a similar thing with Robert Redford and Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I like extending that. We can push it further, because there's so many different ways to be a man! Not everything has to be a shoot ’em up action thing where people don’t have feelings. A lot of men feel like they need permission to just be their weird selves, to be funny, to dress differently. Try some different things! Maybe wear a color! Put some product in your hair! Don't worry about it, it's gonna be fine. You're gonna be fine.

Our Flag Means Death is not a casual show. It’s very funny and playful! But there is not one single frame of the show that plays it cool. As an artist, what’s the significance of qualities like sincerity and earnestness?

I hate coolness, it’s so ungenerous. And I like that you said that it’s not casual. I’m not a casual guy. This is a deeply uncool show. There’s something so special about seeing comedic actors like Rhys or Taika, who are so used to coming into a scene, being incredibly funny and destroying, and then leaving, having to use their earnestness, and not using their weapon of immediately diffusing it by going for a laugh. When I see that, it makes my heart leap. There’s something particularly special about seeing a comedic actor do it.

It’s really fun to watch comedic actors dispel the notion that dramatic acting is 180 degrees away from comedic acting.

Characters that call for that type of performance are a lot of what I love about Robert Altman, Christopher Guest, and Harold Ashby movies. They’re comedies, but those characters really grow and they experience pain, and the pain they feel is real. And then the funny shit that they do is even funnier because of it. Those are the things that bring me the most joy.

Tell me about Zheng Yi Sao, the Pirate Queen. She’s such a good foil for Ed and Stede—her ambition, competence, and leadership style are all so distinct from theirs.

Zheng Yi Sao is the most competent pirate captain on our show, and was the most successful pirate captain in history. She lived about 100 years apart from these fellas, and she was so successful that China had to cut her in and do a treaty with her so she would move on to some other field. She wound up making another fortune in gambling!

One thing that jumped out at me in these first three episodes of the season is how much therapy-literate dialogue is used—where did that come from?

I just think it's funny. The thing about a workplace is that they all see everything that’s going on with others, because they're all on top of each other all the time. I don't want to go l too far with it, but it’s fun that some of these characters can see that one of their friends is in a weird relationship with his boss, and then say “hey, you might want to look at that.”

Where do you think that comes from for the characters themselves?

There’s a level of care on that ship that Stede almost infected them with in the first season, and now those ideas are more alive because of how Stede built the Revenge’s culture. You can see that that spirit is still kind of alive when Jim tells the story of the wooden boy to Bang to calm him down. That’s a little bit of Stede’s kindness being alive in the world still, and of Jim needing and being able to call on it now that everything’s so dark. For them to go from an “every person for themselves” ethos to thinking “there was a time when life meant something on this ship, it doesn’t have to be this way” is interesting growth for the character, and is true to Vico as a person. There's a real kindness to how they carry themselves—they’re one of those people that just makes everybody feel safe. It’s nice to see some of those character traits bleed through to Jim.

Without getting too spoilery, what’s coming up over the rest of this season that you can’t wait for viewers to see?

I’m really excited for Izzy’s journey. Con O’Neill did such beautiful work, and getting to see where that character goes and how he grows, I think is one of the most exciting things of the season. To see where Ed and Stede’s relationship goes is gratifying—to see how they navigate each other and find, hopefully, a more mature way of being together.

Jim's relationships with Archie (Madeleine Sami) and Olu develop, too, and more broadly, the crew coming together as a new kind of family, now that Mom and Dad are getting back together. I also like that Lucius (Nathan Foad) is back, and has an angry young man thing going on that he has to process. For Lucius to go through something really harrowing and have to grow up with it is so interesting, because he had all the answers in the first season.

We can’t not talk about the mermaid sequence at the end of the second episode. How did that come about?

We really have to pick our shots on the show, so that was very storyboarded out. I knew I wanted Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work” for the scene, so that was incorporated in it. Unfortunately, Rhys had had a really bad near-drowning experience shooting in a tank before, but I didn’t know that until we were working on the stunts! But when Rhys saw the gorgeous tail, and it looked so cool and beautiful, he decided to go for it. He knew the scene was going to look awesome. So he navigated that costume, which is basically a big flipper that he needed to move his entire core to make it work, and Taika’s there with all this glue to keep his wig on underwater all day. When it’s humming and all the departments are working, everyone feels safe. It gives everyone a feeling of “let’s do it—let’s jump in!”

Speaking of jumping in, what degree of pressure did you all feel coming into the second season, knowing how high the expectations were from the show’s incredibly passionate fan base?

I don’t feel pressure from the fans, I just feel unconditional love and acceptance, and I think that the writers room feels that too. We all want it to be good, and we want the storylines to be cool. But it’s less pressure, and more just the level of freedom that it gave us, knowing somebody’s watching. It makes doing all the hard work a joy, because you know it’s going to be appreciated. Some people will have critiques, and that’s fine.

I just know that this—the fan reaction to this show—will be the honor of my career. The fan community is so kind and nice and talented—it's just a good vibe, and it’s been safe and affirming for everyone.

We’re all basking in the glow of the adoration of the show from our fanbase. It’s infectious—when we all get together, it saturates every element of the show, and it's a very special thing for all of us.

Source: The Daily Beast

#rhys darby #ofmd #our flag means death #taika waititi #david jenkins #ofmd s2 spoilers

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squids-comics · 5 months

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So, I've been thinking about Spider-Punk a lot (as I normally do) and noticed a fun little detail that made me appreciate the punk side of the Marvel universe a lot more.

Remember in Edge of Spider-Geddon #1 when Kang the Conglomerate came to Earth to kidnap Hobie so he could turn him into a highly marketable punk poser?

This is a pretty clear reflection on how Marvel may treat Hobie in the future. Marvel's a company looking for profit, not societal change. Over time, Hobie will have his rough edges smoothed out to make him more marketable. And we can already see this in action! Edge of Spider-Verse #1 opened with Hobie beating a nazi (Thunderstrike) with a baseball bat.

(I cropped out the nazi and the dialogue about the nazi before I posted this. Thanks past me. I'm sticking with this though cause I'm too lazy to grab a different pic. Go read the comic yourself! It's great!)

Contrast that to his own series where he's all happy and bubbly with his Spider-Band, going on a road trip in his Spider-Van.

As much fun as I had reading Hobie's series, it does significantly round his edges and soften him up. Edge #1 made a point of Hobie's hatred of the name Spider-Punk. He thought it was demeaning, and wanted to be called Spider-Man like the rest of the Spider-Verse. This point is completely dropped in his series (titled Spider-Punk), where people call him Spider-Punk and he offers no resistance.

While these apparent changes are a little disheartening to see, it has made me appreciate Edge of Spider-Verse #1 a good deal more. The writers saw what was coming, and warned us. Which brings us to the point of this post. They weren't just warning us about Hobie, he was just the most obvious.

Edge #1 also introduced us to Hobie's good friend and partner in punk, Captain Anarchy.

Apart from being a variant of Captain America who's name keeps the same initials, Captain Anarchy is also the name of a song by the punk band Anti-Flag. The song is about someone who is punk in name alone, who has the aesthetic of a punk without the heart behind it, a punk poser. In case you don't want to listen to the song (which you should, it's good) here's the chorus to give you the gist.

Whether intentional or by accident, the allusion to this song is a genius choice that warns us this entire punk branch of of the Marvel Universe could very easily be punk in looks alone if given the wrong writer. It's a very neat detail that I just found out today, and one I thought I'd share with you guys! Thanks for reading!!

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nitpickrider · 6 months

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a bit silly, but if you had to fill an Avengers roster, who would you pick?

Wooof, oh me oh my. Let's lay down some ground rules before I do this. 1). Only people who have been Avengers at some previous point in time. Doesn't narrow it down a LOT but this list would be a jigsaw of my favorite Z-Listers otherwise 2). Limiting it to seven people. That's the magic number with superhero teams and it gives me a reason to stop

Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America: Sometimes you just cannot beat a classic and when it comes to Avengers line ups there is no one that I think is more integral than Captain America. The pathos that he brings to the table no matter what character he is interacting with is palpable and reading through his first big volume has given me a deep respect and love for the character. He's our leader for sure, the axis of solid, steady service I can hang my weirder picks on.

Dr. Walter Newell AKA Stingray: You all saw this coming and don't act like you didn't. One of my favorite if not my FAVORITE Marvel Characters of all time. He's a doctor with an interesting specialization. His "I'm only a part time superhero" hangup is even funnier and more interesting if forced into the limelight on THE hero team. Not to mention he comes with his own swanky Hydrobase we can use for an HQ and with his wife and four kids running around underfoot we have the kind of domestic adorability I think any good team needs.

Miguel Santos AKA Living Lightning: The first time I can ever remember reading about a comic book hero being gay, as just like, part of who they are. A tiny detail in their rich inner life. Not to mention the less respect a character gets the more I want to lift them up on my shoulders. He could be the sweetheart with a little chip on his shoulder from not getting the respect his objectively awesome powers objectively deserve.

Angelica Jones AKA Firestar: Something you may not know about me. The first piece of media that really opened my eyes as to the potential and depth and scope of the Marvel Universe was Spiderman and His Amazing Friends. It was cheesy, it was cheap and yet Angelica was the first character that I felt SPECIAL for knowing and caring about. She's happy, she's passionate, her simple classic costume kicks ass and the New Warriors need their goddamn respect. 'Nuff said.

Sersi, Just Sersi: What little I have seen of this character fucking FASCINATES me. This woman is chaos incarnate. It's like she is actively making on the fly decisions with everyone she meets whether she's going to kill them, screw them, turn them into a small mammal or some combination of the three. She's *Instant Plot Complication Just Add Water* because she saw a butterfly and that somehow translates to her blowing the entire team's cover.

Dane Whitman AKA The Black Knight: I love everything about him. I love his vibe, I love the fact that his backstory is built partially around recontextualizing the lore of a mostly forgotten Atlas fantasy comic. I love that he has a wickedly evil cursed blade that comes with the side effect of basically holding him hostage to a heroic moral code. And on top of that he's a dorky intellectual who can't see a social cue if it's blaring at him from oncoming traffic.

Jennifer Walters AKA She-Hulk: ...I do not feel the need to explain or justify this choice. YOU know Jen is awesome. *I* know Jen is awesome. She-Hulk does not need justification. She shows up in stories and makes them better by existing. Also yes this is the bodytype I'd use. Yes, I have an addiction. No, I don't feel the need to explain that either. RESERVISTS: Characters I really like but either don't know enough about or don't think they make good Avengers

Marc Spector and System AKA Moon Knight: One of my favorite dudes but does NOT play well with others. Was interesting for about 10 seconds as a member of the West Coast team but I'd prefer he never touch the ranks again.

Flint Marko AKA Sandman: Marvel did Sandman fucking dirty by never letting him fully reform and be the good guy. I want Sandman to be the good guy dammit

Maria de Guadalupe Santiago AKA Silverclaw: I know literally nothing about her outside of reference books but her powers are dope and I dig her vibe.

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thelittleliars · 10 months

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Divorce Party

Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Warnings: mention of divorce, fluff?

Words: 1.4K

Summary: Your ex wife Natasha attends your most recent party as you just got freshly divorced from Carol.

AN: I can't seem to find an ending for Chapter 3 (P.S. I Want You) so it might take even longer than expected but it'll be one hell of a long chapter. I also have like 2-3 one shots almost ready to post!

"I don't get why you're throwing me a divorce party. Carol and I separated on good terms." You shouted it over the music to your best friend Kate, who planned this party with the help of Yelena your other close friend. She was also the sister of your first ex-wife Natasha Romanoff. The two of you married young, it felt right at that time but you both slowly saw that it was a mistake to get married so fast and young. Though non of you actually regretted the marriage.

Kate scoffed. "We don't celebrate your separation Y/N. We're celebrating the start of your new beginning!" You still heard her cheerful voice over the loudish happy pop song that was currently playing. All of this made you wanna fleet fast, the good mood of the others wasn't something you needed right there, all you wanted to do was lay in bed and come up with an answer to why you couldn't ever keep a girl.

Your latest marriage with Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel was something so unexpected. You met her first after Thanos' snap and hit it off right off the bat. At the start she often times came back to earth, visiting you as much as she could before you decided to join her adventures through the galaxy. The two of you dated for a long while before marriage even came up but once it did came up you two eloped. But soon afterwards you missed the earth and the people on the planet. So Carol and you tried long distance again with you visiting her in the galaxy a bunch of times. At one point after undoing the snap, both of you realized that just didn't work anymore.

Your second marriage was bad timing, but you believe that there had to be more than just that. Sharon was an amazing lover, sadly her good heart that you loved most about her got her in trouble. She helped Captain America during the Civil War which made her a fugitive. Your wife was a wanted criminal, you didn't mind since you knew her honest and innocent intention of helping an Avenger but she had to hide for an unknown period of time. As time went by, growing apart naturally happened.

And there was your first marriage, your first true love Natasha Romanoff. It all started off as a cover for her to be in the country. Marrying such a goddess was not something you wanted to decline. You soon fell in love with her but she didn't, especially not with the amount of trauma she had but you didn't care. The patience and understanding you had gave her time to adjust and heal. She fell for you too and it was a bliss. Your marriage was far from perfect with you both being so young and naive and making mistake after mistake but it wasn't toxic nor did you guys made each other feel anything but loved. Reality hit hard soon and you both struggled with the weight of the world and the relationship on your shoulders.

Why couldn't you ever keep a girl tied to you? Why was the timing always wrong? What did the universe had against you loving women?

The misery had to be written over your face since Kate suddenly jumped up and down, trying to get you in a good mood. "Oh c'mon! Celebrating new beginnings is not bad." She was right but it still didn't help you and your failed marriages. And as if things aren't bad enough already, Natasha appeared next to you right when 'Hips Don't Lie' by Shakira started playing. It was your and Nat's song. She recognized the song immediately and raised her eyebrow at you. "The universe has it out for you today huh?"

You groaned, not sure if the noise covered it up. "It's all Kate's fault!" She jokingly put a hand over her heart. "First of all, RUDE. Secondly, blame it on the universe and not me. Thank you very much." Natasha giggled at your interaction. "I'm glad it's Kate's fault! I haven't seen you once in the last 5 years." That made you stop in your track. You took a long look at her from top to bottom. She was as beautiful as she had always been but she got more stunning and hot. You saw the wrinkles under the eyes from the heaviness of the snap, you knew what she sacrificed on earth since you were always near Carol when their virtual updates happened. You always felt guilty for not being able to help the ex-assassin back on earth but she also always assured Carol that she did not need more help down here.

The redness of her hair was now back again. The last time you saw her it was with short blonde hair so you did not waste a minute to tease her about it. "Finally back to red? Sick of the blonde?" She put her hand to her hair and with one swift motion the bun was undone and you could see the blonde ends of her hair. "I couldn't decide so I let my hair grow out. Now I have the best of both worlds!"

You gave her a honest smile. "Looks great on you! Though I prefer short hair on you." Natasha didn't know how to come up with proper words so she smiled back at you. Her eyes were intensely on your face, trying to memorize every little new detail she either forgot or missed over the years. Then her stare moved down towards your chest that was exposed in the black top you decided to wear. Though you guys never had sex, with the amount of time Natasha stared at your boobs she knew for sure they got bigger. Hell your whole body had changed over the span of 15 years and she didn't mind it one bit. It was the opposite instead, it intrigued her even more. The thought of exploring your body gave her a huge surge of desire. When she looked back into your eyes you saw the lust in her forest green eyes. Her gaze got you all flustered but also aroused. "Nat, stop it." She knew exactly how her gaze affected you but she didn't stop, plus in addition all she did was having that shit eating teasing grin on her face that got your heart going faster. "Has anyone told you how attractive you are?" She whispered in your ear as if it were a secret. For you, it seemed like it was another attempt to get you all hot and bothered and it worked. Her raspy voice with her warm breath gave you shivers before your whole body heated up and you couldn't stop wondering what it'd be like to have her whisper more dirty words to you. "Fuck." You said as you bit onto your bottom lip.

Before anything could go further, Natasha's sister appeared and interrupted you with no shame in the world. "If that isn't my ex sister in law Y/N -" She stopped herself since she did not know with which last name she should address you. "Which last name do you prefer now?" The redhead groaned at her sister's attempt of cockblocking her. You gave Nat a little nudge as a sign for her to behave. "Y/L/N. I don't think I'll ever marry again. Marriage is just not for me."

"That's a shame. I really thought you'd be up to marry Natasha a second time so that we could be a family once again. I miss those times." You gave the younger sister a sad smile. "Sorry to crush your dreams. Though after the divorce, I never saw you any less of family. That is still holding up our promise to be sisters forever."

"Sometimes labels doesn't need to have the legal aspect in order for it to be true." Natasha told her younger sister.

"This is getting too sappy for me. I'm gonna go find Kate Bishop." And with that the blonde sibling left. Nat and you look shocked around, only realizing now that the archer wasn't around anymore. When did Kate leave you two alone? How come non of you noticed it? You started to laugh at the ridiculousness of everything. Natasha joined in but it died down soon afterwards, leaving you both smiling at each other. The moment of sexual tension was gone now but the spark between the two of you definitely was not.

#natasha romanoff x reader #black widow x reader #natasha romanoff #black widow #natasha romanoff x fem!reader #black widow x fem!reader #natasha romanoff x female reader #black widow x female reader

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photonsorbit · 2 months

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CarolMaria/StevePeggy Parallels

Alright, I’m making this post because it's SO insane that CarolMaria can have so many parallels to a canon ship and still be considered just friends especially when there's so much more depth to them than most couples in the MCU like come on... they lived together, they raised a child together!! I don’t even care for StevePeggy but I cannot stop thinking about this and I refuse to let this information go unacknowledged. So, let’s get into it!

Met while training to serve the U.S.

Peggy was assigned to Colonel Phillips’ training base where she met Steve, while Carol and Maria met at the Air Force Academy where they were roommates. During these times, they all faced discrimination from some of their colleagues. This led each pair to find comfort and understanding in their partners which helped them establish a deep connection with one another.

Carol and Steve both risked their lives on a mission that resulted in them being presumed dead.

Steve crashed a plane into a field of ice to prevent Hydra from bombing the U.S. He stayed buried for 70 years, which prevented him from pursuing a relationship with Peggy.

While on a mission to save lives with Dr. Lawson, Carol crashed their jet into the ground following an attack from the Kree. In hopes of stopping them, she blew up the jet’s engine and absorbed the blast’s energy. Yon-Rogg took her to Hala where she spent 6 years away from her home. Carol eventually made her way back to Maria (YAYYY) but left soon after and didn’t come back for 30 years (BOOOO). Nonetheless, they still kept in contact, so a win is a win!

Both of these pairings worked together to save lives.

In the First Avenger, Steve and Peggy worked together to defeat Hydra, whereas in Captain Marvel, Carol and Maria worked together to defeat the Kree. Like yesss, we love a couple who kicks ass together!

Also, I think it’s important to note that in other universes, Peggy takes on the Captain America role and Maria takes on the Captain Marvel role. And best believe, I'm praying to god that Carol & Binary meet and fall in love or something! I'll take anything jUST LET ONE MARIA RAMBEAU LIVE!

Maria & Peggy both founded organizations related to the work of Carol & Steve.

Maria created S.W.O.R.D., an agency dedicated to protecting earth from both extraterrestrial and extra-dimensional threats. I like to think that Maria & Carol worked together on some of these threats and fed each other information and maybe even met up to discuss them amongst doing other things together… who knows!

Peggy helped found S.H.I.E.L.D., a governmental counter-terrorism and intelligence agency tasked with maintaining both national and global security.

Steve & Carol both keep a photograph of their loved one close by.

Steve & Carol both visit their dying loved one.

In the Winter Soldier, Steve visits Peggy in the nursing home. Peggy has aged and is suffering from Alzheimer’s, which will eventually take her life, in contrast to Steve who still looks young and is immune to disease.

In the Marvels, Carol visits Maria back at home. Maria has aged and is suffering from cancer, which will eventually take her life, in contrast to Carol who still looks young and is immune to disease.

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how good Maria looks. She’s 60 something, dying from cancer, and STILL managing to serve face! Black don’t crack fr!!!

Last but not least, the similar lyrics in their songs.

In Captain Marvel, Carol & Maria sing karaoke to "Kiss Me Deadly." The lyrics go as following:

In Endgame, Steve & Peggy dance to "It's Been a Long, Long Time." The lyrics go as following:

In conclusion, CAROL AND MARIA WERE LOVERS NO ONE CAN CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE!!!! And if Steve can get his happy ending with Peggy then Carol needs to get her happy ending with Maria! Also, Nia’s initial pitch for the Marvels involved time travel which makes me wonder if Carol was gonna pull a Steve and travel back in time to be with Maria. Plus, in the audio commentary for the Marvels, Nia said she liked their connection so….. I'll just end on that.

#carolmaria #danbeau #maria rambeau #carol danvers #captain marvel #the marvels #marvel cinematic universe #marvel #mcu

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wolfsbanesparks · 5 months

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Do you have any holiday or Christmas headcanons for Captain Marvel?

Thanks so much for the ask anon!

I headcanon that Billy/Cap doesn't do much to celebrate the holiday season (at least at the beginning) because it's a reminder that he doesn't have a family to spend it with. But as they get more friends and family to spend it with, they get more into it. I headcanon that Mary and the Bromfields love Christmas so much, throwing huge elaborate parties and going all out with decorations and presents. Billy's a bit overwhelmed at first, but seeing how happy Mary is when they pull him into their family traditions helps him get into the Christmas spirit.

Captain Marvel is always helping out the community and I can totally see him teaming up with a local toy drive and donning a santa hat to deliver toys to sick and/or underprivileged kids in Fawcett.

Cap is also the type to volunteer for Monitor Duty shifts on Christmas day simply because he wants everyone else to enjoy their holiday.

One tradition I think Billy would enjoy is seeing the Christmas lights! Both as Billy and as Cap he would wander around town to get a look at all the best decorations.

To me Billy is the type to be very careful with his money so he's hesitant to spend a lot on presents. Instead he tends to make gifts for others so they are personal/sentimental. In return he prefers simple and practical gifts over anything fancy.

Bonus: since I headcanon Freddy as Jewish, I like to imagine that he digs out his grandpa's menorah each year so that he and Billy (and later Mary) could spend the week of Hanukkah together gifting each other small things like candy and socks if they had the money. it's all very laid back (especially in contrast to Christmas Day at the Bromfields)

Thank you again for this ask, it was so fun to think about! I would love to hear if anyone else has any holiday headcanons they would like to share 💜

#ask me whatever you want y'all #shazam #billy batson #dc captain marvel #mary bromfield #mary batson #freddy freeman #holiday traditions #headcanons #I don't know why but these just all feel right to me #like I hadn't thought much about it but the headcanons just burst forth fully formed like Athena from Zeus' head

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cerealboxlore · 1 year

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Billy Batson and the Super Sons Sleepover Party

Good evening, y'all. I am comfy in my bed with my plush frog from Build-A-Bear, and I got thinking. Man. I missed out on sleepover parties as a kid.

And then. Bam. Billy Batson ideas came popping in.

What if Billy Batson, pen pal/frenemy to Damian Wayne, was invited to a sleepover at his house after months of talking to each other through a school sponsored pen pal service? I think they'd be good friends, but also, imagine Billy not knowing Damian is Robin and meeting Jon Kent, Damian's other friend, at that sleepover at Damian's house.

Bruce and the batfam are happy that Damian is making normal friends who aren't involved in the superhero business.

Damian is glad to finally meet his pen pal/frenemy in person, and to talk all about animals with Billy. And also, prove Billy Batson wrong that Batman is better than Super man in a face-to-face argument.

And Jon is just happy to be there.

The hilarious shenanigans that could ensue from Billy being inside the Wayne manor, trying not to reveal his magical identity as Captain Marvel while also noticing a strange magical energy source in downtown Gothom...that may or may not be a malicious threat to everyone.

There's also the option of a scenario where Billy's identity as Captain Marvel is known to the league and Super boy and Robin are allowed over to Victor and Rosa's house for a sleepover with the shazamily.

Damian would easily get annoyed by Freddy, but also impressed by his collection of information on heroes and Eugene's technological intelligence. Super Boy and Darla would be fast friends, 100%. Pedro tried to lift more weights than Jon. Mary would be the responsible one in charge and make sure the others don't stay up too late or watch any horror movies. Billy sneaks in a horror movie.

And I am cackling at the thought of Dr. Sivana choosing this as the time to attack the city, now having to face the wrath of not only the shazamily, but also two sons of major superheroes in their pajamas, furious that their sleepover was ruined.

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megamindsupremacy · 1 year

Note

Hello! Do you ever think about how Captain Marvel would probably be someone who helps out in the soup kitchens or raises awareness for actually good charities and homeless shelters (because Billy Batson has experience with which is bad and which is good for obvious reasons) and so because he's such an influential/charming hero it works and the charities, shelters and many other things just get an immediate and overwhelmingly amazing response afterwards with many donations and such and then it's sometimes on the news and Batman sees the news or reads an article as Bruce Wayne and just smiles a bit and thinks back to how his kids were struggling and thinks "another charity to my list of donation worthy ones" and then asks Alfred to prepare a cheque of about a ridiculous amount of money (because he's a billionaire and he wouldn't care if his bank account had a dent in it) and just showers the charities, and then Superman is like "hey! My pal Marvel is vouching for these places and works there sometimes, maybe I can get more people to donate by having an interview with him!" And so basically every Leaguer helps out in their own way and Captain Marvel becomes like the unofficial guy who let's everyone know about the charity/donation thingy and if it's good or not and he becomes a big fan favourite among the lower class and his merch becomes more widespread but because he personally asked the corporations making these (and also with the help of Bruce's lawyers) to make the merch cheaper and more accessible for everyone because he hates when things that bring joy are so overly expensive and unaccessible for people in the lower class and that just makes him an even bigger fan favourite, and whenever he passed by stores in his Billy form and sees people able to buy his merch for cheap with such happy smiles on their faces, he can't help but feel giddy and self indulgent at times and buy a pin or two, maybe a hoodie, the hoodie is just for the extra hilarity because one time he passed by Clark when he was looking for Cap and Billy was in the hoodie and he nearly lost his mind

Ohh my god this is such a lovely idea. Billy being the unofficial sponsor of all these charities and nonprofits and volunteer organizations. Because Billy knows what it's like to have nothing (because he still materially has basically nothing and emotionally he's so distant from his friends coworkers comrades fellow league members and he wants other people to feel better and good and loved) so he just. Pours himself into doing good, not just by punching bad guys and sealing rifts in dimensions but by volunteering at soup kitchens and talking people down from rooftops and rescuing cats from trees.

And think of his mantra: "Do good, and good will follow", and then seeing how his own acts of kindness, unthinking and conscious, are influencing the hero community and branching outward from there, that this Gotham City billionaire cited Capitan Marvel as his inspiration for his most recent donation to a Fawcett City organization, and Superman is following in his footsteps. I bet Billy saves up his money to buy his own merch for himself and also to pass out to people to help them feel better after a loss or a scary moment.

Also, both Billy and Clark are wearing Captain Marvel hoodies and Billy is fully like "is superman impersonating me??" before realizing, no, that's Superman's secret identity, walking around, looking for Billy, in a Captain Marvel hoodie. Absolutely he loses his mind.

#i should make an ask tag #billy batson #Capitan marvel #sorry for taking forever to respond thanksgiving break has been a whirlwind #i saw a long ask and i was like well! i will respond to that when i have the brain capacity. [five days later] I FORGOT ABOUT THE ASK-#god you have such good billy opinions and now i am having billy thoughts #hes a good kid! hes pure of heart! he's a little dude!#hes so nice to everyone even though it costs so much even though its not even a conscious choice #hngmgh. man. little guy

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deepdisireslonging · 1 year

Text

Some Old Favorites

I was reminiscing, looking back through my masterlists, and I wanted to reshare some smutty fics. They didn’t get a lot of love back in the day because I didn’t have many readers yet. Some of you have found them and loved to read them as much as I loved to write them. But I wanted to share them with some of my new friends/followers too. Happy Reading!

DC Comics:

Two Hoods, One Revenge: The reader has nightmares of the day that turned her into a vigilante. Jason helps her keep them at bay; first with soothing words, then with something more hot and heavy.

Hickey Victory: Dick gets his hands on a marshmallow gun… but he forgets about your nerf gun stash. Shenanigans occur.

A Night at the Theater: A mission demands the public appearance of Bruce Wayne and yourself at a theater. The mission is quickly put to rest, which leaves you plenty of time to appreciate your husband during intermission.

A Nightly Affair: Nightwing keeps mistaking your apartment for his and you two grow very close. Very. Close. So close as to put you in danger, unless Nightwing can find you first. [Series Masterlist]

Marvel:

In the Eye of the Beholder: Part 1 | Part 2 : The reader gives an unexpected lap dance. Bucky approves.

All in a Night’s Work: The reader come face to face with the sniper that has been evading them for years. When things don’t go according to plan, Loki distracts them till they can get some much-needed rest.

Dirty Lips: When Y/N introduces a swear jar to the team, Steve takes it upon himself to fill it all by himself.

To Love the Sea: Y/N is the daughter of a sea-side innkeeper. The area is known for its draw for pirates, but one pirate is feared above all others: Captain Loki. He offers to take her on adventures; is she willing to take the plunge? [Series Masterlist]

Supernatural:

The Pointy End: You are research headquarters at the bunker while Dean, Sam, and occasionally Cas, are on cases. Dean comes home to you after a very long case, with a surprise. (My very first fic!)

Deep in the Archives: Sam takes the reader to a rare books library while they look for a spell book not at the bunker. The reader is focused on the task, but Sam’s roaming hands are a distraction.

Satisfied: An imagine of Castiel using his grace on you.

SPN History Challenge: A Werewolf in Whitechapel: The Winchesters and the reader go to London during the Whitechapel murders, also known as the Jack the Ripper murders, with the theory that the perpetrator is not human. They are correct, but when the killings don’t stop, the team has to retrace their steps and riddle out what stone they left unturned. Written for @kittenofdoomage and @saxxxology-main SPN History Challenge.

Boxer!Dean AU: Consequences: Y/N gets dragged to a boxing match by her friends where she meets Dean “Raisin’ Cain” Winchester, a boxer who is forced to win or lose depending on how much money his bosses want to make in matches. Can their combined effort break the fixed boxing ring? [Series Masterlist] (No smut, but still a favorite)

Wrestling Fics:

Chiffon in the Streets, Lace in the Sheets: The reader and Elias are newly married and ready to enjoy their first night as man and wife, but a few things get in the way first. (WWE)

Dangerous: After defending herself at a bar, Y/N impresses the dark figure sitting in the corner booth. Prince Devitt further impresses her. One thing leads to another, and she welcomes knowing him better. (NJPW)

A Reflection of Us: The reader gets a slight injury in a match. Roman takes his time making sure the reader is safe but very satisfied. (WWE)

Troublemaker: The reader ran off with something belonging to Kenny Omega. He makes sure she pays for it. (NJPW/AEW)

Doubt Comes In: While Rosemary battles Su Yung in the Underworld, Y/N meets and welcomes a new face to TNA. But two battles are raging instead of one. If Y/N is victorious, can she settle the insecurities in Rosemary’s mind? (Answered request) (TNA)

Sister in Arms: Finn can’t seem to shake the effects of his feud with Bray Wyatt, so an old friend comes to help. Then Y/N finds herself battling on two fronts: in the ring and in her mind. [Series Masterlist] (WWE)

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misguidedasgardian · 6 days

Text

The Lifeaters (III.5)

V. Crush-ing it

MASTERLIST

Chapter Summary: Unlike last year, nothing was going to stop this school year

Pairings: Draco Malfoy x Fem!Reader (platonic)

Warnings: Cursing, magical objects, Mugglephobia, classism, charms and curses, might miss some warnings

Wordcount: 2,3 k

Notes: Anyways… let’s keep swimming

The night you spent all together in the great hall had been so much fun! giggling, talking and gossiping to late hours of the night, and then sleeping next to your closest friend

Draco had taken well the fact that you were trapped in Muggle studies, blaming it on Snape rather than on you, “my father will hear about this”, he said, and you were relieved

Your group was closer than ever, even Tracy, who for the last two years had been a bit of a “lone wolf”. Your group of 10 closest friends.

But also the night was a bit revealing, it turns out Black had tried to sneak into the Gryffindor common room, he had ripped a portrait that was the door to their private space

They were always in the middle of everything, weren’t they?

But you had your own things to worry about… your first match was coming nearer, and the weather was only getting worse

Trainings were brutal, you ended up moody all over, and the rain was making you slip from your broom and almost fall from it, Draco was all too happy watching you from the stands, claiming that he was going to be able to play in the actual game, but didn’t want to “chance it” with his arm, even though he was totally fine, at least to you.

You had to ask Marcus (who as he was in last year he had permission to go to Hogsmeade more often), to go to Dervish and Banges to buy some adhesive gum for the handle of the

brooms.

But the date of the game…

It was Thursday today, you woke up… feeling terribly uncomfortable… again, and lucky for you, it was pouring, and Draco kept whining about his arm

Flint looked at the two of you

“And what’s up with you Basilik?”, he asked softly, he always spoke softly to you, not to your other team members though

“I don’t feel very well”, you muttered, unconsciously wrapping your arms against your midsection, he looked at the gesture with a frown

“Oh I get it, I have two older sisters”, he grumbled, “I’ll talk to Hooch and Wood”, he said, and walked away

“Really?”, you asked

“Yes, we can’t play in this weather anyways”, he said with a small smile, “and I understand Basilik, but don’t let it be a bother again”, he demanded, and you only nodded

“Yes captain”, you said shyly

“Do you really don’t feel good?”, asked Draco, “what was that about?”

“It’s true”, you muttered

“Are you alright?”, he asked

“Yes! I will be”, you said surely

“Did you go to the infirmary?”, he insisted

“Draco”, you said, a bit more violet that you would like, “I’m fine”, from one second to the next his face paled, and he seemed horrified

“Oh! I’m sorry!”, he said quickly, looking into his pockets, “here, a chocolate frog”

“What? why?”, you asked him, receiving the treat from his trembling hand

“Just because”, he said simply. He smiled shakily and nodded. You just shook your head, and went back inside before a huge storm fell over your heads.

The school day was over, and you almost sighed in relief when you saw Pansy, with whom you’d had marvelous talks about… girlhood

With a look she knew, and you sat by her side in the couch

“Those days uh?”, she asked, you only nodded, but as Draco saw that Tracy, Daphne and Milicent joined you, he ran off to his own room.

But it was not an excuse for the Defense against the dark arts you had, double period, Friday.

You were sitting next to Draco, holding yourself to not cuddle against his arm, you needed to cuddle something, or someone…

But it wasn’t professor Lupin who entered the room next, it was professor Snape, to your disappointment

You admired him, he was the head professor of your house, but you could barely take him in the Potion’s classroom, and Defense against the dark arts was your relief. Even though this was the position he coveted the most, he was the best at potions!

“Turn to page 394”, he commanded with his drawling voice

“Excuse me, sir. Where's Professor Lupin?”, asked Potter

“That's not really your concern, is it, Potter?”, he asked, there is no one that he hated more than Potter, but he turned to the class nonetheless, “Suffice it to say your professor finds himself incapable of teaching… at the present time. Turn to page 394”, he insisted, to see there were some that didn’t even have their books over their tables yet

"Werewolves?”, you asked

“Sir, we just learned about red caps and hinkypunks”, said Granger this time, gods she was annoying, “We're not meant to start that for weeks…”

“Quiet”, he warned, there is nothing he disliked more than being contradicted, “Now, which one of you can tell me the difference...between an Animagus and a werewolf?”, you raised your hand, the answer in your mind, “Baislik”, he called, even though Granger was almost jumping off of her seat.

“An Animagus is a person that chooses to turn into an animal, after completing a lot of complicated rituals to become one, but a Werewolf…”, oh you shouldn't have answered

“A werewolf has no choice”, completed Granger with a smug face, “With each full moon… he no longer remembers who he is. He'd kill his best friend if it crossed his path… Furthermore the werewolf only responds to the call of its own kind”, Draco mocked Granger by howling into the class, making you laugh

“Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. That's the second time you've spoken out of turn, Miss Granger, are you incapable of restraining yourself or do you take pride in being an insufferable know-it-all?”, he growled, making you smile, was he actually defending you?, “Five points from Gryffindor”, Draco giggled by your side, nudging your side.

“As an antidote to your ignorance, and on my desk, by Monday morning two rolls of parchment on the werewolf, with emphasis on recognizing it”, everyone growled and you were so relieved to not play tomorrow

The class continued as nothing had happened, it was the most boring class of defense against the dark arts of the year, and you wondered that if Snape coveted this position that much, shouldn’t he put more work into it?

Draco started doodling a comic of Potter being struck by lightning while he was playing, and you thought it was hilarious, you actually helped him, drawing a quidditch player throwing a bludger at his head, with a tap of your wand, the picture started moving, and you giggled when Draco turned it into a paper plane and threw it at him

Did you really have to make this huge assignment?

You felt terrible, but…with the correct amount of chocolate you were ready to attend the game, even though it was pouring, a full storm raging on, you wanted to skip it, you really did, because, what was the point? you could barely see! but all your friends were going so… and Pansy so much as dragged you under her umbrella.

As you were walking towards the pitch, under a tightly held umbrella, you passed by Potter

“If only my arm was fully healed”, mocked Draco, “such a pity”, you even felt better at his words, and to see Potter’s face, Potter’s wet face

An artwork

“Let’s go to the boxes”, you insisted, you wanted to walk arm in arm with Draco, but… Pansy gave you pleading eyes so you were forced into facing the storm alone… until… Matthew wrapped his arm around yours

He was taller than you… and… sturdier… so you didn't complain when he hid under your umbrella, Greg on your other side

it was hard to watch, as you anticipated, but the storm gave the match something else, something powerful to it

It was even, you had heard that Hufflupuff had a new captain and seeker, and you could tell there was a big difference between them this year, and the last. Marcus had been so determined that you had been slacking in what Quidditch strategy is referring to.

So you did your best to keep in mind their plays, and strategies, even though they could have been changed due to the weather.

Thunderstruck the field, catching the broom of a player, you expect more than one injured player today, it was even more interested to watch, as the players kept slipping off their brooms

You haven't been in a game in almost a year, due to last year’s cancellation.

The game was intense, truly intense, the storm wasn’t waning and players went from one side to the next. It was electric! and not only because of lightning

You were watching an excellent maneuver from the Hufflepuff’s chasers when suddenly, everyone started gasping and screaming, you looked up and saw both seekers, going up, up, up in the air in the search of that little golden thing

The golden snitch

they got lost in the clouds and you tried to paid no more mind to Potter, but to no avail as Cedric Diggory fell from the skies to everyone’s surprise

From one second to the next, the sky was filled with Dementors, and Potter was plummeting to his certain death. Everyone was shouting, gasping and crying, pointing to the falling seeker.

It all happened so quickly, Dumbledore was watching the game, as he used to, and casted a spell so loud, the whole stadium

“Arresto Momentum!”, Potter stopped falling, landing slowly on the wet grass

Dementors were falling from the sky, over the pitch, and before you could do something, a blinding bright light covered the entire stadium, again, from Dumbledore’s hand, a spell so powerful it send all the Dementors away in a heartbeat

The game continued, despite it all, Cedric Diggory caught the snitch, and Draco was so shaken he didn’t even spoke against Dumbledore as he was also the witness to the most incredible spell any of us had ever seen

Say what you want about Dumbledore, he was a sucky headmaster, but he indeed was one of the greatest wizards that ever lived.

So the match had it all, intensity, a raging storm, players falling from their brooms, an incredible display of magic, but what was more important… A flagrant defeat for Gryffindor

You couldn’t stop smiling

Potter had a huge drop from the skies, and they had lost the match. He was in the infirmary next to a Hufflepuff that had been struck by lightning

it was still pouring, so you had no choice but to go back to the common room, that was buzzing with excitement

it was a nice, and cozy weekend, you stayed in the common room, the elves in the kitchen already preparing wintery comfort food, and you even took time with your friends for some studying, and helping those who were behind in class, and you even wrote the essay for Snape, even though it was a secret out loud that Lupin had clarified that you didn’t have to write it.

The week came nonetheless, soon it was monday and the classes started long for Muggle studies and Care for magical creatures, which was now very boring because Hagrid had lost his foot after what happened with Buckbeak

You still had to prepare a huge work for Muggle class, to find an object you could find in a muggle house and write a paper, describing it, how it was made, how it work, and what is was for, and you were panicking, you didn't had a clue, neither did Theo or Matthew

Draco had decided to take off his bandages, even though his arm was still tender, you had a game coming up, one that you couldn’t shake off, Ravenclaw, as opposed of Hufflepuff, and Professor Hooch didn’t care anymore if Draco’s arm wasn’t exhaled by then

It was in a couple of weeks, at the first Saturday of December

Now you were in potions, it was a light class, and there was an air of relief and happiness over your house, mainly because the Gryffindors were looking so gloomy.

Draco had taken full advantage to the fact that he didn’t had his bandages anymore, and perform great impressions of Potter falling off of his broom that had you cackling, even Snape was smirking when he thought nobody was looking

Weasley cracked sooner than you expected, Draco was in the middle of his impression when he was hit, straight in the face, by a wet and slippery crocodile heart.

“Ah!”, moaned Draco, and you actually didn’t want to touch him as he had goo on his face

“What is wrong with you Weasley?”, you asked him

“50 points from Gryffindor”, said Snape who was on the other side of the classroom but managed to turn just in time to witness the throwing

“50!?”, asked Weasley, you mocked him good yourself, when he was not looking, you threw a little dead slug in his cauldron, it was going to make the potion turn soggy, not at all what Snape was asking for, and at the end of the class, he got a bad grade

You were so tired of them, what happened last year coming back to you, If they thought you were the worst kind of person, maybe you should be, at least to them

Another week went by and you found yourself with broom in hand, ready to start the game

“Draco, watch out for Cho Chang, the new seeker”, muttered Flint, “we have faster brooms, but look over your shoulder, she tends to be a follower”

“Yeah, I’ll lose her in no time”, he muttered

“The Ravenclaws are smart”, said Pucey, “but we are faster than them”

“Yes, Beaters, you know what to do, keep the Bludgers into the kill zone, Basilik”, he called

“Yes?”

“You know what to do as well, you are still small enough to slip in, you need to keep that going, alright?”

“Yes Captain”

But it didn’t work

You sometimes forgot that you weren’t the only ones who watched every single game in search of the other team’s weaknesses, that they also studied your strategies, and consequently, had also devised ways to… try to win

You couldn’t have a window, you spend more time trying to evade the bludgers the Rvaenclaw’s beaters were throwing at you, they wouldn’t let you receive, pressing you between them both as soon as you got the Quaffle, and then they practiced the Parkin’s pinzer, and you fell for it

It was a good game, usually with the Ravenclaw it was quick, smart, with lots of strategy behind every play, the Slytherins were resourceful and clever, to Ravenclaw’s wits and intelligence.

You felt like they took out the best in you, in a wordless strategy with your captain, you fought back, with strength, waking up from your stupor

Draco had no interest in Cho, so he went to search for the snitch, rather than wait for the slippery little thing to come to him, so you usually found him going from one place to the next, also assisting in pressing on the other team

Your beaters got you an opening, so you did the classic movement in your team, Adrian and Marcus with the quaffle, taking all the attention of the Ravenclaw’s beaters so you swoop in from the outside of the pitch, Adrian passed on to you, and you managed to score

The only you you managed on the entire game

One goal by every chaser, and then, a bludger hit you on your side, taking your breath away, you were luckily closer to the ground, and managed to stay atop your broom, but you had to stop to recover, for only a few seconds, Marcus was going to ask for a timeout, but to no need…

Draco caught the snitch

DRACO CAUGHT THE SNITCH!

The next thing you knew, you had a horrible bruise over your ribcage, and you had trouble moving your arm but, Marcus’ friends of seventh year raised you in the air of the common room, as they did the entire team

Around you, a party was unraveling, the music was playing loud and they were all cheering for you

And it was only the first game of the season! this was going to be amazing!

You were on top of the world

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