#Shield-Wizard Comics

[chernobog13]

Shield-Wizard Comics #8 (October, 1942).  Cover by Irv Novick.

The Shield fights dirty - punch to the throat! - as he battles his shield-wielding nemesis, the Hun!

I wonder if the Hun was a not-so-subtle dig at Timely’s Captain America.  Despite the Shield being the first patriotically themed superhero, beating Cap to the scene by over a year, Cap quickly overtook him in popularity.

Not the result of some metallurgical mishap, the Hun’s shield was given to him by the spirit of Attila the Hun himself (with a swastika on his helmet, no less).  Attila wanted the Hun to carry on his “legacy of hatred.”

The Shield’s battle with the Hun is continued from the previous issue, and takes up the bulk of this one as well.

The Wizard, despite sharing the title of the book, gets relegated to the back of the book.  Despite the cover image, he does not assist the Shield against the Hun.  And don’t ask me who those little red Japanese demons are.

Luckily, Irv Novick’s art improved considerably over the next few decades.  By the 1970′s he was working for DC as the artist for both Batman and The Flash.

#Shield-Wizard Comics #The Shield #The Wizard #Dusty the Boy Detective #The Hun #MLJ Comics #Golden Age comics #Irv Novick

[evilhorse]

Shield-Wizard Comics #1

#shield-wizard comics #the shield #joe higgins #the wizard #first issue #drum and fife #huh #irv novick #mlj comics #comics #archie comics #40s comics #golden age comics

[smashedpages]

Remembering the late Irv Novick on his birthday.

#irv novick #comic book birthdays #comic books #comics #batman #wonder woman #the silent knight #shield wizard #fran frazer

[briteredoctober]

This thing is so pretty! It definitely feels weird putting stickers on an X bey, though.

#beyblade #beyblade x #corocoro comic #hells scythe #knight shield #wizard arrow #SPX #BX-00 #exclusive #dran sword

[bigandtalltales]

Hunter Black Page 101 - Something Something Dark Side Of The Force

The worst thing about pages that are mostly combat, for me anyway, is the fact that there is very little process to discuss on my end. I will say that we have multiple versions of this page with multiple versions of lettering, trying to make sure we get the magical mutterings JUST RIGHT. Jacob has been doing yeoman’s work in terms of providing us with cool sigils. I’m pretty sure my script, which isn’t in front of me, says something like: [SOMETHING MAGICAL!]

#fantasy #comics #noir #independent comics #amwriting #webcomic #hardboiled #revenge #magic #wizard #Stray #forest #explosion #shield

[shadowwingtronix]

"Yesterday's" Comic> Ultimate Spider-Man Cartoon Preview

BW's "Yesterday's" Comic> Ultimate Spider-Man Cartoon Preview

And yet he’s scared of elevators. Share Your Universe Ultimate Spider-Man Preview This is not tied to the Ultimate universe but the Disney XD cartoon that only shares the name. I reviewed the pilot when it came out. Marvel Comics (July, 2013) ADAPTATION: Chris Eliopoulos, from a script by Paul Dini EDITOR: Jordan D. White I’d list the art team but they don’t list one, just a bunch of art…

View On WordPress

#Disney XD #Frightful Four #Harry Osborn #Marvel Comics #Marvel Universe #Mary Jane Watson(-Parker) #Nick Fury #Norman Osborn #Peter Parker #Shield #Spider-Man #The Trapster #The Wizard (Marvel villain) #Thundra #Ultimate Spider-Man (cartoon) #Ulysses Klaw

[pulpsandcomics2]

Shield-Wizard Comics #6 Winter 1941

#superhero #golden age comic

[thecampjuicebox]

This was a request I got a bit ago from a lovely follower that I cannot seem to find the username of :((( But I hope you're able to find this and enjoy it!! This won't be entirely game accurate for the sake of story length, but I hope I do the prompt justice nonetheless <3

The Monastery

Pairing: Astarion x Tav(m)

Rating: 18+, Minors DNI

POV: 2nd person

Warnings: Angst, death, crying, game spoilers

Your legs almost don't move fast enough, the once grand creche falling down behind you in a cloud of dust and debris that shrouds you and your companions. Bodies collide with the ground around you, the screams of the Githyanki still left inside becoming muffled after the final rocks tumble. Silence. The air around you is thick with dirt and death. Obtaining the Blood of Lathander was no simple feat, and clearly reaped some extremely heavy consequences. The massive weapon facing toward the building should've been a sign to maybe not mess with the the monastery's contents, but the idea of the mace was entirely too tempting to pass up. The enchanted mace's light surrounds you in a soft yellow glow as you stare up at the sky, blinking through the dust. A heavy sigh heaves itself from your chest and you sit up from where your body had fallen, absorbing your surroundings and taking inventory of your party. Gale. Shadowheart. Yourself. Astar-

"Where is Astarion?!"

Your voice is hoarse. Pained with the thought of what could have happened to the vampire spawn. Gale scrambles to his feet, coughing from the particles still floating around the atmosphere, rushing to your side as you drop to your knees in a pathetic display. The damage is catastrophic. The Monastery now a massive pile of cinders and collapsed corridors. Had you known what exactly would happen from you stealing the weapon, you'd have been more inclined to ditch your efforts in obtaining it and been on your way to the mountain pass. The hole in the ground pales in comparison to the hole in your heart from your new realization. Astarion is gone. Caught in the rockslide. And it's your fault. He warned you of the cataclysmic danger of taking the coveted mace. Told you to just leave it behind. I should've listened. Gods, I should've listened!

Tears sting in the corners of your eyes and your head falls back between your shoulders, a strained sob escaping your burning lungs. Sorrow rips straight through the middle of your chest like a newborn Gnoll. Sharp. Angry. Lethal. Gale clings to you tightly to keep you steady, head turning to look at Shadowheart for some sort of guidance. Shadowheart's eyes lower to the ground as the cleric rests on her knees, fighting back her own tears. She's just as lost as he is. After a moment of reflection, it's almost as if a torch lights a fire under Gale's arse and he stumbles to stand, hands fumbling for the small pack he keeps on his back. Potion bottles and scrolls scatter the ground around the two of you, the seemingly never-ending supply of random trinkets and parchment almost comical. Then he finds it. A small scroll with both ends wrapped toward the middle.

"A Scroll of Revivify!"

"We.. Have to have his body for that to work, Gale.."

Shadowheart's tone is somber and quiet, the cleric moving to sit next to your trembling frame. Soothing arms wrap themselves around your torso as you grieve. Warm tears stain your hot cheeks as you sob into your hands, fingernails scratching at the skin just above your eyebrows. How could you let this happen? You're supposed to be the fearless leader. Your earth shattering cries make it increasingly harder to focus their thoughts. Gale tuts. His pack hits the ground with a thud and he starts toward the rubble in an act of heroism that Gale isn't typically known for. Another cough chokes the wizard as he wades his way into the smoke, forearm coming up to shield his eyes from the assault, the cloud devouring his shape. You and Shadowheart wait with baited breath. Minutes pass, feeling like hours.

"I've got him! A little help, please?"

Gale emerges from the settling dust, Astarion's limp body held up in his arms. Your legs react before your brain and you hurry to your feet, running with a speed you've never known to assist Gale in carrying Astarion to safety. His eyes are dull and lifeless. Arms and legs mangled by the fallen concrete and brick. Lifelessness making his body stiff and colder than usual. You brush his hair away from his still open eyes, as if he'd the need to see his surroundings.

"We've got you, Star.. We've got you.."

Bottom lip quivering uncontrollably, you help Gale lower the lifeless spawn to the ground, taking care to adjust his limbs to his sides. Gale hurries for the scroll and opens it up, reads over the words a few times, and takes a deep breath. The air around you seems to stand still, blood pumping in your ears. Gale holds his hands out over Astarion's corpse, eyes glowing an electrifying purple, scleras and irises burning bright like the Netherese Orb itself. Magic sizzles through the filthy atmosphere, zapping the atoms and particles of dirt around you. Your hair stands on end. White light engulfs Astarion's corpse. With the delivery of a quick incantation, Astarion coughs loudly, chest heaving from the force of life. A careful hand moves into his soft white hair and you blink down at him. "S-Star..?" The spawn hurries to his feet, wobbling for a moment while he finds the feeling of his legs and the ground beneath him once more. His eyebrows knit together. Bright red eyes shoot in your direction and the intensity of his gaze nearly stops your heart.

"What in the sweet hells were you thinking, activating that lance? I was right there! Gods, do you have any idea how much that hurt?"

His tone is sharp like his daggers, cutting through you with a viciousness you've never heard him use before. Not on you, anyway. Sitting on your knees, you lower your head.

"S-Sorry.. I'll be more careful next time. Astarion.. I'm so sorry."

Guilt bubbles up like bile in your throat and you swallow hard. Tears threaten your eyes once more and you quickly lose the battle, droplets falling onto your cheeks and down your neck, leaving little trails through the dust and grime stuck to your skin. Gale and Shadowheart keep to themselves, checking their packs for supplies while you and Astarion speak. The delivery of your apologies makes Shadowheart snicker quietly and Gale shoves her shoulder with his own to quiet her. She can't help it. Something about Astarion's temper is entirely too funny to her. The spawn hisses, shaking his finger in your direction.

"Next time? No, no, no, if there is a 'next time', I'll be the one aiming the all powerful weapon. Thank you."

"I-I should've listened.."

Shaking hands reach out to touch the spawn's leg, the child-like nature of your crying making you crawl to him and cling to his scuffed boot. His arms lift out of your way in shock, eyes softening at your obvious shame and guilt. He sighs heavily and pats the back of your head for a moment out of pity. The affectionate display makes him uncomfortable and he chews on his bottom lip for a moment. You lift your head to meet his eyes and he grimaces. Tears and snot soil the entirety of your face, your bottom lip quivering still. Words cannot describe how sorry you are to him, and you rack your brain searching for the right things to say. Had you been more cautious.. Had you just listened to him for once, none of this would have happened. "I'm so sorry.." is all you can muster now. Over and over again. His resolve disintegrates at your quiet pleas for forgiveness. Shaking his head, he pulls you to your feet. His hands meet your shoulders, smoothing the dirt from your armor.

"I do appreciate you trying to fix your mistake. Just don't do it again."

With a solemn nod, you lower your head in shame. Astarion places his hands on his hips and shifts his weight to one foot, eyes moving around his surroundings. He quirks an eyebrow at the still giggling Shadowheart and exhales heavily, a single white curl falling into his eyes.

"Now, shall we go? Or do you have any other chaos to unleash here?"

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #astarion #bg3 fanfiction #bg3 fanfic #astarion x tav #fic request

[sabrondabrainrot]

Hihi! What are 5 things that make you happy? (bonus, ask the last 5 people in your notes :0)

TMNT - Seriously like every show and movie is GREAT and I'm currently reading the IDW comic. I've literally adopted each and every turtle as my own son.

Trigun - Vash the Stampede is my BABY GIRL and MY HUSBAND. I've been into Trigun since I was a lee wass. I love Vash so much. I got my dad to actually watch Trigun with me so it's something really cool to bond over with family. Trigun stampede is also like SO good. I also read Tri Max in the library and didn't publicly cry. :)

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle / XXXholic / Magic Knight Rayearth/ Clamp - I'm super into these classical shoujo series. They shaped how I am as a person to this day. Clamp was a lot of firsts for me in terms of manga reading so they're forever in a special place in my heart.

Scum Villain's Self Saving System - This book lives rent free in my mind. I can't believe how funny it is. It's so insane and I love every second of it. How am I somehow Binghe and ShenQingQiu at the same time, but lowkey I want what CumPlane have IRL. that's the ultimate romance to me and they're platonic .

Lout of the Count's family - LITERALLY go read it this series. Cale Henituse, young master silver shield, is EVERYTHING. That sweet man who adopts everyone is just like me FR except we're nothing alike BUT I STILL LOVE HIM.

My secret 6th - DO YOU KNOW Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint is written by a married couple???? Kim Dokja is apparently modeled after the wife??? Hello??? I'm not normal. I'm not sane.

I'm asking you next @noname-nonartist @wrathofnature @wallstoothin @wizard-finix @tinyballerinadancer1 :>

real answers below

Art/ Creative Expression! Being able to draw pretty neat stuff whenever I want is so awesome! It's more then drawing, I like writing and making stuff by hand too.

Super generic answer but my family! I have a pretty small family and a bunch of pets. We're all super close and they bring me joy. I like helping and taking care of them and I like it when they help and take care of me!

Another Generic answer, my friends! Sometimes they're the reason I get up out of bed! Friends are awesome like that.

Brainrot! Zoning out about my latest brainrot is my life copium. I like to imagine my current fav character being horribly tortured by the narrative but it's ok because my brainrots always have hurt comfort. Or I just imagine bundling up my Oshi in a blanket and giving them a warm bowl of soup. It can go either way really.

Cartoons, Anime, Movies, Media/entertainment in general - I can't get enough of them. They're just so delightful especially the ones with whimsy.

#brainrot #what makes me happy #fandoms #tmnt #omniscient reader's viewpoint #orv #teenage mutant ninja turtles #lcf #lout of the count’s family #scum villains self saving system #svsss #trigun #trigun stampede #trigun maximum #Clamp #xxxholic #tsubasa reservoir chronicle #I am so unwell for them #I love them your honor #secret 7th is Ace Attorney

[azulaang-chakras]

I finished the Miles Morales game tonight, and there’s one thing that caught my ear during the ending:

Random Construction Worker: He’s so young

And that’s exactly it. Not only is this a great callback to the aftermath of the train sequence in Spider-Man 2, but it summarizes one of my biggest feelings towards Miles, especially his comic book version.

He’s so small. With the exception of Gangke and that one other roommate, Miles doesn’t interact with people his own age for the opening arc of his run. He’s surrounded by adults who tower over him, from family to SHIELD agents and Ultimates. What this does is it visually reinforces just how young Miles is and how unprepared he is for what’s to come.

He’s only 13. Peter is usually 15 when he becomes Spider-Man. Two years might not seem like much, but it’s a huge gap in this scenario. When I look at most versions of Peter, and even Miles’ film and video game versions, those extra years make them seem better able to handle becoming Spider-Man, even though they’re still teenagers. When I see ITSV Miles, I think “man, I wish I was that cool at his age” (even when he’s fucking up the shoulder touch. even in that moment he was cooler than I was at his age). I see comics Miles and I’m reminded of every little kid in my life, from family friends to young relatives.

It’s always tragic when a Spider loses their chance at a normal life, but it’s a much sharper sting with Miles. Miles’ fate makes me want to grab the world by the neck and tell it, “No. This isn’t fair. How dare you do this to him. He doesn’t deserve this. He’s a boy and you’re forcing him to become a man. It’s not fair.”

I feel towards Miles what Superman feels towards Captain Marvel:

But there’s no wizard for me to yell at. That spider could’ve bitten anyone. It just so happened to have bitten a 13 year old kid because his uncle robbed the Green Goblin.

There’s this old quote about Coraline and why it’s scarier for adults than it is for kids. Kids watch or read Coraline and see someone their age bravely thinking of a way out of a dangerous situation. Adults watch/read and see a child in danger, and our protective instincts kick in.

But we can’t protect them, not from everything and not forever. Eventually, all kids have to face their battles themselves. All we can do is help them whatever way we can, such as lying to a reporter who asks if we saw the new Spider-Man’s face.

Miles Morales. He’s our Spider-Man.

#it is too late at night to be feeling all of these feelings #miles morales #spider man

[superherobriefings]

The Wizard

Creator(s): Edd Ashe Jr, Will Harr

Alias(es): Blane Whitney

1st Issue w/Uniform: Shield-Wizard Comics #1

Year/Month of Publication: 1940/12

pdsh.fandom.com/wiki/Wizard_(MLJ_1)

#superheroes #comics #wizard #blane whitney #classic #golden age #red trunks #red underwear

[chernobog13]

And that, kids, is how Viagra was created.

#Shield-Wizard #Golden Age comics #the wonders of science

[evilhorse]

The Shield is born!

#shield-wizard comics #the shield #paul higgins #truth #courage #patriotism #origin story #first issue #harry shorten #irv novick #mlj comics #archie comics #comics #40s comics #golden age comics

[drdemonprince]

I love the name Devon! Howd you choose it

Before my name change, my middle name was Dawn. In my Midwestern accent, that name is indistinguishable from Don, and I got a real thrill out of people being surprised that I had a "man's name" for my middle name throughout my childhood. That probably led me to gravitate toward names that started with the letter D.

I was also besotted by a female cellist in my high school orchestra with the name of Devon; she was quiet and self-serious and incredibly talented in an unshowy way, and I just thought it was so damn cool that she had an androgynous, male-leaning name. I'd always found it so cool when girls had names like Ryan or Max as well.

Later, in college, I'd become close friends with a sarcastic, witty environmental studies major named Devon; we talked a lot about Sufjan Stevens music and got drunk together before a falling out between my boyfriend and his roommate kinda drove us apart. As an adult another Devin, this time with an "I" instead of an "o" became my friend through the Chicago Live Lit scene. He's a gay ex-evangelical and comic book nerd with a sweet disposition, encyclopedic knowledge of graphic novels, and a winningly boisterous laugh. So the name had only positive associations.

Around the time my transgender egg was getting cracked, I was on the tabletop role playing podcast @wheelandway. My character in the first season was a hillbilly wizard named Dale. I tried that name on for size because I liked the letter D, and I thought it suited my Appalachian background. Eventually I decided it didn't quite fit, it didn't have enough of an edge for me, but I was headed in the right direction.

I considered other, loosely similar names like Damon (yeah like Albarn, sorry), but Devon seemed the most appealing to me. It was English and kind of classy sounding to my American but British-and-Scottish-ancestried ear, and I liked that it meant "shield" and nicely matched my chosen last name, Price. I liked that it was androgynous but leaning masculine, with the majority of babies named Devon today still being male -- usually once a name becomes androgynous, it breaks in a more female direction, in terms of enduring naming trends. Devon is one of the few names to remain solidly neutral and something people will still willingly name their boy babies as well as girls.

All in all, it felt right, seemed like a name that both suited me and on that was appropriate for me to claim, it looked and sounded good with my last name, and it only evoked positive memories of other people for me. I'm so fortunate that I didn't google the name Devon Price before choosing it, because if I had, I wouldn't have become close friends with another social psychologist nearly my exact same age who has the same name and occupation as me.

I've had many names in the past and I don't view any of them as dead names or anything I feel any need to conceal from people. Part of me does experience regret over trying to distance myself from my dad and my hillbilly family by getting rid of their surname in favor of Price. At the time that I made that choice, when I was eighteen, some of it was motivated by a desire for respectability and a shame over my family's class background and how I might be perceived within academia. My current public-facing name is very friendly to being an academic and a noted public thinker, and I think it's kinda wack that I've profitted off of that. Sometimes I think if I ever attain enough notoriety that it becomes a real problem I'll switch back to my old last name to disappear into obscurity and reclaim the sides of myself that I used to run from, and the family that has largely died out.

[travlersjoy444]

An Unwanted Discovery

 ROTTMNT Donatello x Yokai!reader

Part five to The Junkyard at the End of the World, Midnight Comics, The Aftermath (And Normal Blueprint-maker Math), and ....Yeah. Friends.

Summary: The shields are down. Oh no.

Warning: Mentions of blood and people definitely die. No major character death though.

4k words

***

 I stitched a final yellow eye onto the left sleeve of Donnie’s hoodie as I monitored the tracker surveillance. 

  Most of the main group were out on missions today, with just Mikey and I left as the remaining commanders. Heck, even Splinter had a mission. 

  According to the maps, everyone was staying safe, which was a relief-

  Huh. My nose was running. Weird, it still seemed a tad too warm out  for that. Then again, it was December, so…

  Oh, what?!

  I looked at the tissue to see it was covered in blood?

  “Well that’s new…” I mumbled, and set Donnie’s hoodie a safe distance away from the bleeding. “Bizzare.”

  And it was. I never got bloody noses. Fantastic. At least Donnie wasn’t here to go ballistic about having a ‘biohazard near my tech!’ today, so I could continue hiding out in my nest of blankets and power tools.

  “(Y/N)! (Y/N), COME IN (Y/N)!”

  I jumped.

  “Micheal? What’s going on at the base?” Donnie’s voice crackled through the comms.

  “ISSUES! MAGIC ISSUES!”

  I glanced over at the map to see Mikey’s orange tracker quickly moving towards me.

  “I’m here Angelo, I’m here, what’s going on?!” I stammered into the comm. “Are you okay?! Is it bad?!”

  “It’s bad, man, it’s real real bad-” He coughed. 

  “Angelo- I- I’ll meet you at the entrance!” I hopped up and ran towards the doors. Outside the window stood Mikey…and a good ten to twentyish humans.

  And beyond that, the shield had glimmered into visibility. Which was helpful, considering had it not, we wouldn't have noticed the gash in the shield.

  My mouth went dry as I shoved the door open to let everyone in.

  “Angelo…go to the safe. It’ll recognize your face.” I said evenly, calmly, too calmly (Y/N) you should be screaming but no-

  “Cass, lead the group to the basement.” I continued, and she nodded. 

  “Yessir.” She bowed in her own version of a salute. “OKAY, YOU HEARD THE BOSS. INTO THE EPIC BUNKER!”

  The group nodded, following after her.

  I swallowed as Mikey appeared behind me, safe in hand.

  “Guys, what's going on?!” Said Raph’s voice over the comm.

  “A…a lot.” I said, feeling the blood from my nose drip down into my mouth. Ugh.

  But I didn’t have the time to deal with that.

  For outside stood a small army of krang zombies.

  “Angelo…get those mystic hands ready.” I said quietly, raising my fists. My wrist tech beeped, which meant at least someone  on our team was back, but I tuned it out. “I’ll hold them off, you work on getting the shield back up, okay?”

  “How are you gonna do that?!” Mikey squeaked.

  I shrugged. “Water is powerful. You ever seen eroded rocks?”

  He stared at me nervously still, brow-ridges knit together.

  “Hey…trust me, okay?” I smiled weakly. “You may technically be a ‘better fighter’ or something, but you’re also like, a wizard, which we need. So save us with your wizard powers while I temporarily take the role of a European dragon!”

  Mikey blinked, smiling. “You’re lucky I own a copy of the DnD monster manual. Otherwise I would not have understood that reference.”

  I laughed, facing the zombies. “Tis an honor to serve with you, nerd. Now get inside! Save us all or something, I have faith in you!” 

  “Ditto!” Mikey yelled, ducking inside.

  “Aight zombie dudes, let's see what water magic can do…” I said.

  And with a deep breath, I hurled a wave of water at them, combining the molecules in the air.

  “Hehehe, try dodging that ya assholes!” I grinned. “Wipeout- Surfing joke, boom!” 

  “Help!” Yelled a voice in the distance, by the zombies, in Huo Hall…

  “Shit.” I hissed. The building was apparently not vacated…

  Well…could I risk it? I wondered, pushing back the zombies with another wave. Was it worth the risk to try to save Huo Hall…if it meant going through them…Woah, the ground was spinning….

  “(Y/N)! (Y/N)- What the heck is going on?!”

  I looked up to see a familiar purple jetpack.

  “Dee! Hey…” I waved, coughing. “I…I think I might’ve used too much magic.” I shrugged. 

  He landed next to me, propping me up with his metal arms. “You’re bleeding. Are you injured in any other way shape or form? How would you describe your symptoms? How-”

  “Look out, moron!” I yelled, blasting a krang-zombie with ice-cold water.

  Donnie looked over his shoulder. “Oh no.”

  “Oh, and the blood is just a nosebleed Tello, don’t worry about it. I’m just…kinda low on mystic energy…” I added, shakily standing up.

  Donnie glanced back at me, pulling me closer with the robotic arms until I was pressed against him. He swallowed uncomfortably at the contact, but tore his eyes away from me after a second. 

  “Mikey, how are the shields?” He said into his tech-bracer.

  “No luck.” Mikey’s voice said weakly. “Our mystic powers still aren’t working- just (Y/N)’s are.”

  “What the heck-” I coughed.

  “You’re a dragon, (Y/N), you run on a different sort of power.” Mikey answered. “C’mon, I thought you read the monster manual.”

  Donnie frowned, hovering off the ground while keeping me propped up with his mechanical appendages. “The monster manual is not a scientific source! Do we have any valid proof of that, Micheal?!”

  “It’s in these scrolls. You should read them!” Mikey said matter of factly. “They have pictures.”

  “I thought those were spell pages?! You read them?” I said in shock.

  “Uh yeah. It’s just like the monster manual!” He said, and I could practically hear the grin in his voice-

  And then suddenly the shield closed. 

  There was a beat of silence that hung over us as we stared at the wreckage.

  Donnie swallowed. “Mikey, what did you do?” 

  “What? I didn’t do anything-”

  “Oh hey,” I said weakly, looking out at the krang-infected-former residents of Huo Hall as they pounded on the outside of the shield, begging for mercy. “My nose stopped bleeding.”

  And then it went dark.

***

  Donnie carried me back into the engineering building in a blur, and the next thing I knew, I was on a cot in a room I didn’t recognize.

  I sat up, looking around. It was a tiny home with purple lighting just like the lab….Donnie’s tiny home, probably. I pulled the purple blanket over my shoulders and turned on my tech-bracer.

  “Hey…Dee?” I said, and my voice came out horse and scratchy.

  “(Y/N).” His voice said through the comm. “You’re awake.”

  “Yeah. How long was I out?”

  “About eight hours.” He replied. “I put you in my spare room because the med bay is full- and absolutely crawling with germs, which is not only gross, but also…well, we’ve made some discoveries.”

  “Oh….rad? I think? I guess it depends on the discoveries.” I mused.

  “Uh…yeah, these are very….well, they’re discoveries, and the pursuit of knowledge is always positive?” He said lamely. “Nervous chuckle?”

  “No…” I yawned. “...not if you’re in a Lovecraft novel…”

  “...No. Not if you’re in a Lovecraft novel.” He agreed quietly. “I’ll send SHELLDON to escort you to the lab, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  On the cue, there was a knock on the window, and the turtle drone waved at me.

  “Hi dude.” I smiled, swinging the door open. 

  “Hey (Y/N)!” Said SHELLDON. “How’re you doin’, bro?”

  I shrugged. “That depends entirely upon whether or not I like what Donnie discovered.” I said bluntly, folding the blanket and tossing it onto the bed.

  I stepped outside, taking in the damage that the zombies had caused. Huo Hall was empty with the exception of caution tape, which was…just fantastic, and the whole campus seemed devoid of people.

  SHELLDON hummed ahead of me, occasionally checking back to see how I was doing. I gave him a dishonest thumbs up, and we trekked on.

  Raph was at the door of the engineering building, and he let me in with a nervous smile.

  “So…how’s it hangin’, (Y/N)?” He said, following me down the corridor.

  I shrugged. “It’s….well, things are happening….?” I said, gesturing at the wreckage outside vaguely. “How was your mission?”

  “We successfully brought a few Yokai safely into the base,”He said, but his smile was hollow. (Reasonable.)

  “That’s rad, Raph.” I smiled genuinely. “I’ll see ya in a bit, okay?” I said, turning into the Lab.

  “Cool….cool.” He said. “Look, (Y/N), if you need help with anything- we’re here for ya, okay? It can’t have been easy, what you and Mikey went through today…” 

  I smiled, looking back at him. “Thanks dude. I…I appreciate it- and ditto.”

  He waved, and I stepped into the Lab.

  “Hey Dee….you called?” I said, my voice echoing around the space.

  “Yes. Micheal and Draxum had some quote-unquote ‘science’ to share with you.” He said, emerging from behind a stack of salvaged machinery. “I don’t understand this mystic nonsense, but…they do.” He added, a bit quieter.

  “Okay…does it have to do with the shields?”

  “Duh.” He scoffed. “Man, I just wish I’d been there myself for more than just the tail end of the action. Then maybe I’d be able to dispute or agree with their claims, but it’s all so frustratingly out of my realm of knowledge. Scoff. Stupid scientist wannabes….” He ranted, leading me towards a whiteboard covered in calculations and paragraphs of explanations.

  “Woah.” I said, sitting on the couch that faced the whiteboard. “That’s a lot of exposition.”

  “Scoff. They spent too much time on flowery language.” Donnie snorted, crossing his arms irritably as he sat next to me.

  I patted his shoulder in half-ironic sympathy. “Tough.”

  “Right?! See, you get it!” He exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air.

  “Donnie, (Y/N)!” Said a voice behind the couch, and Mikey stepped forward. “There you guys are! Draxum gave me this script to tell you about our findings, which I shall read from….now.”

  I glanced at Donnie, a hint of amusement in my eyes that was not reflected in his. His eyes remained narrowed as his brother stood in front of the whiteboard.

  “Ahem.” Mikey coughed, reading from the script. “You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's the signpost up ahead - your next stop, the Twilight Zone- Heeeyyy, this is the wrong script!” He scowled, and Donnie scoffed again.

  “You’re not a scientist, Micheal.” He said grumpily.

  “Sure I am! I’m Dr. Science-man, mystic scientist!” He said cheerfully.

  “That isn’t a thing.” Donnie groaned. “Now are you done with your juvenile presentation so we can talk about what the Baron told you?”

  Mikey scoffed. “Did I just hear you dismiss Dr. Science-man? Did you dismiss Dr. Science-man, Donald?!”

  “Uh, yeah, I thought that needed no clarification?” Donnie said bluntly.

  Sigh.

  “Boys, boys, you’re both beautiful, but I ain’t sittin’ through this.” I sighed, resting my face in my hand boredly.

  “Oh right, my script.” Mikey smiled, bouncing back to his cheerful smile.

  I nodded. “Yes. Gimme the diagnosis, Doc.”

  Mikey flipped through the script, skim-reading it. “Uh…you’ve been diagnosed with…a lack of mystic energy.”

  I snorted, a bit defensively. “Is that all? I…I feel like we already knew that, to be honest-”

  “Yeah, shows me for letting him into the lab. “ Donnie sighed.

  “No, you have literally zero mystic energy. None. Nada. Zip. None whatsoever.” Mikey elaborated.

  I blushed, irritated. “I know! I can’t do much magic or fix the issues that are staring us in the face! You can quit reminding me!” I snapped.

  Donnie nodded, glaring at him. “Yeah. Micheal, this isn’t new information, you’ve only succeeded at wasting our time.”

  “No-guys, that isn’t-” He sighed, and shoved Donnie’s goggles down onto his eyes. “Just look, Donald.”

  Dee raised his eyebrows, staring at me through the blue and red lenses. He tapped the side of them, furiously adjusting the settings before quietly giving up. 

  “But…but that’s impossible...” He stuttered.

  “What?!” I snapped, standing up.

  He raised the goggles. “You’re a Yokai, but you’re not showing up on my goggles that detect mystic energy. Mikey is, and so  am I, but you’re not?! What is going on? This makes no sense! Clearly you have powers, what with the whole waterbender thing-” He continued rambling, staring at his goggles in confusion, but I mentally tuned him out.

  I sat down, afraid that my legs would give way if I stood on them. 

  Mikey sighed, shoving Donnie back down onto the couch next to me. “See, this is what I wanted to talk about. You’re not mystic, you’re a different form of magic. You’re a dragon, (Y/N)...and you run on a different power source from the rest of us, which is why Draxum and I can’t affect the shield at all. Tada!”

  He bowed. 

  “I’m sorry what?”

***

  I sighed as I sat in the lab, this time the subject of examination rather than the examiner, much to my chagrin.

  Donnie prodded my arm with his bo staff, muttering things and writing down stuff that couldn’t possibly be helpful. All the while, the sound of the meeting that was going on in the office played over Donnie’s monitor.

  “So we officially lost Huo Hall.” Said April’s voice over the livestream. “But as my team was coming back in, we saw that the Krang zombies weren’t infecting people, they were just…taking them.”

  Leo frowned. “So you think they have some sort of…ulterior motive?”

  April didn’t reply audibly, but based on the deepening frown on Leo’s face, I assumed she had nodded from offscreen.

  “Maybe they’re using them for free labor.” Mikey suggested.

  Leo nodded, jotting something down in his notebook. “That is certainly a possibility. Any other ideas?”

  “Torturing!” Cass’s voice said a little too enthusiastically.

  “Torturing- valid point, they do seem like the type…” Leo added it to his list.

  “Ransom.” April volunteered. 

  “Food?” Raph said.

  “A bait to lure us out of hiding.” Said Splinter, coming onscreen.

  “Good points, good points.” Leo swallowed and wrote them down. “Okay. Meanwhile, Mikey and Draxum discovered a connection between the shield powers and (Y/N)- something something ‘ancient magic powered by bloodlines or dragons or something’, excetera excetera, so on and so forth.” He said, doing air quotes. “So that…is not ideal. (Y/N) is currently in the lab to run tests on this theory.” 

  The livestream clicked off as Donnie stepped in front of me.

  “So…(Y/N), I’ve got a few questions for you.” Said Donnie, finally setting down the equipment.

  “Oh boy, questions.” I said unenthusiastically. 

  Donnie ignored my comment. “So. Where were you when the shield broke?” He said in a bored-sounding monotone. 

  “Here, pretty much. I was monitoring the scouting parties as Leo instructed me to.”

  “Hm.” He said, typing something on his tech-bracer. “Okay. Did anything unusual happen before the events of this afternoon?”

  “Uh…not that I know of- Oh! I got a nosebleed.” I said.

  Donnie narrowed his eyes. “You didn’t get blood on anything, right? That is horribly unsanitary-”

  “No, Dee, of course not.” I sighed. I would never! When I bleed I’m smart about it Dee-

  “Good-”

  Wait. Wait, when I bleed? When was the last time I had to deal with blood like that?!

  “Hey, do you think- Dee, the shield closed when I stopped bleeding!” I gasped. “What if the magic is-”

  “-Somehow linked to your physical health?!” He said, eyes widening. 

  “Exactly!” I said, jumping up. “Think about it- that was the first time I’d been physically weakened since I put the shield up in the first place!”

  Donnie nodded, scratching at his forearms manically. “Yeah- yeah! We’d obviously need more evidence to say for sure-”

  “-Obviously-”

  “-But it’s a solid hypothesis, at least as much as it can be when working with magic!” Donnie said excitedly.

  “Ohmigosh, I’m a genius!”

  “Fibonacci, I’m a genius!” We spoke over each other, grinning.

  I held out my fist, smirking. He matched my expression with a smug look of his own, and knocked his fist into mine.

  “Boom.” We chorused.

***

  I trudged into the commons as the night began to fall, having reached a dilemma- Huo Hall was…not someplace that I wanted to be in tonight. Which sucked, considering I had nowhere else to sleep.

  Should I ask someone for help? I thought, fidgeting with my hoodie strings. I hesitantly glanced at my tech-bracer, considering the possibilities. 

  I could text April, she probably has room…no, no, April is probably busy. Uhm….there’s Raph, I’ve slept at his place before, but I don’t know, maybe he’s already asleep? Hm, Raph is…possible. Uh…Leo is way too stressed so that’s a definite no, and Donnie probably needs a break from me since I’ve bothered him enough today…uhhhhhh…

  I sighed, looking out the window to the silhouette of the now-falling apart Huo Hall, and the craziness of the past twenty-four hours caught up with me.

  People had died. And I couldn’t save them. What was the point of having cool powers if I couldn’t save people when they needed it?! 

  Woah there (L/N), you do help people. Said a part of me. If it weren’t for you, the base would have entirely run out of drinkable water by now, and more people would be put at risk trying to scavenge for it. 

  “If it weren’t for me getting a fucking nosebleed then thirty people would still be here.” I argued out loud, glaring at my reflection in the window.

  That’s not fair, you’re only human- of course you’re gonna be fallible. 

  “But that’s the problem! I’m not only human, I’m a quarter dragon! It’s my job, my freaking evolutionary purpose to not be fallible!” I exclaimed, scowling into the mirror-like window. My reflection scowled back, unsurprisingly, and suddenly I was laughing. 

  “This is absurd.” I managed to choke out, grinning. I was a sixteen year old talking to my reflection in the wake of a horrible event- this was ridiculous! 

  “It’s the apocalypse, (L/N), blaming yourself is stupid. Go to bed.” I said, and my reflection beamed back.

  I texted Raph. 

  You: Hey…sorry to bother you dude, but do you think I could crash at your place for a bit? My bedroom is kinda out of commission at the moment :,)

There was a moment of silence, and my phone dinged.

  Dee :) : Yeah, no problem so long as you bring your own blankets. 

Oh shoot. 

  You: Ahh sorry to bother you, Dee- I meant to text Raph lol

There was an unsettling bout of silence. I swallowed.

  Dee :) : …Are my quarters not proficient? /hj

I smiled, tension lessening. 

  You: Nah, I just don’t wanna bother you lol

  Dee :) : Again, (Y/N), if you were, I’d tell you so with very little tact. So don’t worry about it dear lab partner.

  Dee :) : You know, since SHELLDON likes you of course. He added.

  I smiled. 

  You: But of course. 

  You: Okay, just let me know when I should head down.

  Dee :) : Now is good. Allow me to just grab a Jupiter Jim DVD from Leon’s collection.

  You: Cool :)

***

  “What do you think you’ll do when we run out of those?” I asked, glancing over at Donnie as he drew his eyebrows on with a sharpie.

  His eyes flicked over to me before he looked back at his reflection. “...I’ll make some permanent ones with tech stuff, probably? What’ll you do when you run out of eyeliner?”

  I shrugged. “Stop wearing eyeliner, probably. Hey, why do you draw yourself eyebrows anyways? None of your brothers do,”

  “Well, I’ve been told that it can be hard to read my…emotions. So. They help with that.” He said simply.

  “Huh. Like how you say ‘scoff’.” I noted.

  “No, that one I started doing ironically. But then it stopped being ironic after a while.” He replied.

  “Ooh. Reminds me of how I started stealing Leo’s aviator glasses ironically but now they’re a staple of my apoca-licious wardrobe.” I grinned at the mirror and flicked the stolen sunglasses onto my eyes.

  “Exactly.” Donnie smirked, looking at my reflection. “Has Nardo noticed they’re missing yet?”

  “Of course- did ya read what he sent to the group chat?”

  Donnie pulled up his phone. “...No, I did not.” He grinned as he read Leo’s message. “Dearest Michealangelo, I know you took my sunglasses. Return them or die. Frowny face emoji.” He read it out loud dramatically, looking up at me. “Framing Angelo. Nice.”

  “Yup.” I smirked, tossing my head dramatically. “I’m cool like that.”

  “Oh god, no! Now you look and sound like Nardo!” Donnie bent over, laughing. 

  “Hm. Uh…I’m hot and beautiful and uh….tubular. Kiss me, beautiful men.” I said in a bad impression of Leo.

  “Oh- oh that’s worse-” He gasped, burying his face in his hoodie sleeves. 

  I grinned, taking the sunglasses off to flop onto the bed next to him. “So- which film did you steal?”

 “An Atomic Lass focused one, obviously.” He answered, reaching for the DVD.

  I nodded in approval. “Yes, that shall indeed prove sufficient.” I said in a Donnie-impression.

  It went over his head. “But of course. You know as well as I do that my taste is simply undeniably good.”

  “Of course, of course.” I nodded, biting back laughter- knowing him, he was probably 100% serious and would be confused by that reaction.

  “Man, I can’t believe we skipped Halloween this year.” I said as I regained my barings. 

  “What?” Donnie said. 

  “Y’know, we could’ve all done Jupiter Jim costumes. Too bad we were all too worried about that whole doomsday thing.” I smiled, only half joking.

  “Snort. My incorrigible brothers would spend so much time fighting over who gets to be Jupiter Jim that we’d miss trick or treating.” Donnie smiled.

  “We’d settle it by letting April be Jupiter Jim, obviously.” I shrugged.

  “Ooh. She’d definitely like that.” Donnie nodded.

  “But then that begs the question. Which one of us would get the honor of being Atomic Lass?” I said dramatically, putting the sunglasses back on.

  “Gasp! You know full well she’s my favorite! This is a betrayal of the highest degree!” He said, clutching his heart as though in a soap opera.

  “All's fair in Halloween wars.” I said darkly, but then he smiled so I had to smile back. “We’re being ridiculous.” I acknowledged, falling back onto the bed and splaying my arms out.

  He fell next to me, still smiling, and I glanced at him before looking back at the ceiling. 

  “Hey, Dee?” I said softly, for once not overthinking my words.

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m glad we’re friends now.” I said simply, staring at the intricacies of the ceiling. “It’s nice, hanging out with you.”

  Donnie hummed in reply, and his mechanical arm patted my hand. 

  “Likewise, my dear lab partner.” He said with a smile.

#rottmnt x reader #rottmnt donnie x reader #donatello hamato #rottmnt donnie #rise of the tmnt #rise of the tmnt x reader #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #leonardo hamato #donatello #donatello x reader #donnie x reader #rise donnie #rise donnie x reader #rottmnt #the junkyard at the end of the world

[bigandtalltales]

Hunter Black Page 99 - Pulling Out The Guarantee

I have sat at comic book conventions and looked parents in the face and told them that for the most part, Hunter Black is appropriate for their kids. I did warn them that there might be a brief instance of profanity here and there. Most parents are pretty sanguine about language and stuff, but I really don’t want to restrict the audience unnecessarily. But the Stray in Panel Four…I could not control my laughter when I noticed it. And I couldn’t argue against keeping it in there, even though I wanted to.

#fantasy #comics #noir #independent comics #amwriting #webcomic #hardboiled #revenge #magic #wizard #Stray #The Guarantee #One in the head #archer #forest #shield