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cljordan-imperium · 7 months

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Heaven & Arthur Visit The LaVeaus

@call-sign-shark CELEBRATES 1K

This is part 1 of Heaven & Arthur visiting Mel and her family because I'm cutting it off at 2680 words. LOL

Modern AU

@call-sign-shark's OC Heaven and her husband Arthur Shelby travel to Louisiana to visit some military men Arthur served under and with in the military. But it is Heaven that gets the biggest surprise of the visit.

“We leave in an hour to pick up Arthur and his wife, Heaven, from the airport,” Cade entered the kitchen to let Mel know. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head, then looked around at Mama Marie, Dontanion and Francios. “You two, behave.” He pointed at the brothers with a serious expression. Arthur was suffering from PTSD from the Gulf and the last thing anyone needed was the two LaVeau brothers being assholes and causing him to have some kind of attack.

“One wandering ancestor and we will forever be doubted.” Dontantion smirked and winked at his sister, as his shoulders raised. “One wandering ancestor who wandered in on my friend who was getting dressed for her wedding and gave her a death prophecy.” Mel rolled her eyes as Cade took a seat next to her and planted a kiss on her cheek this time. “You are lucky she did not stroke out.” Casting a look over to her mother, “can you please make these two behave, mama?”

“Boys, do not make me resurrect your fathers.” The smile she gave her sons made everyone’s blood run cold. As loving and warm as Marie was, no one ever forgot she was also the scariest person currently walking the planet. Only Rasputin may have ever topped her, and she had far outlived him.

“Yes, mama.” Francois replied before putting a strong elbow into his younger brother’s side. Even at over one hundred and fourty, Dontanion sometimes did not act a day over 16. “No ancestors scaring Cade’s friend, or his lovely wife.” The look in his eye was serious. Even if the death prophecy HAD come to pass, and they HAD hated Mel’s friend, and it HAD been hilarious at the time, causing a brave soldier still bearing the mental wounds of war further trauma would not be something they would partake in.

“Please, he was over in the Gulf with me and some of the guys on the team. He was under Alexander. Has some bad PTSD, seeing spirits that he would think were hallucinations from there might just send him…” Cade raised his brows and tilted his head, he didn’t need to finish, both brothers were nodding. “His wife, I don’t know much about but he says she is an angel and shy. Her name’s Heaven. She seems to have dont him a lot of good, he seems to be healing more. Figured she and Mel would be the ones hanging out, maybe with Mama Marie too.” He winked over at the woman who was like a second mother to him and who could make anyone feel welcome and loved.

“Of course, any of your friends are welcome here.” Love and warmth emanated from Marie. While she had immense powers, which she did not hesitate to use to protect those she loved; she was, at her heart, a mother. All of Mel’s friends had been adopted as surrogate children. None were turned away if they needed a mother figure, that was just Marie and the time she came from.

“Thank you, mama.” Love radiated off of Melania too as her gaze alternated around the other four in the room at the time, before her attention turned to Cade. “When do the others get here? I know Alexander got in last night and is still passed out in his room.”

“Tomorrow.” Cade answered, picking her hand up off of the table and kissing the back where there was a scar that lay across running from just below where her pinky met her hand to the crease of her wrist. The last evidence of the whole ordeal involving Ambrose and Adama. Even though it was long ago, it still made his heart clench and sometimes made him want to ask Marie to bring the assholes back so they could kill them again. “So you girls will have twenty-four hours before testosterone rules the house.” He winked at her, banishing thoughts of the past.

“Lovely. Just remember, Archibald can contain you all if you get out of line.” The whole room erupted in laughter at the threat of having her pet albino alligator snack on people. Not that he hadn’t been used as nature’s body disposal device before when required, but not on people they liked.

*****

Louis Armstrong Airport in Kenner was a bustle of activity as Mel sat on Cade’s lap down on the first floor by the baggage claim. It seemed the easiest place for Arthur and Heaven to find them. Although, from what Arthur had told Cade over the phone, Heaven shouldn’t be too hard to spot with snow white hair and skin just as fair. A statement that had apparently gotten Cade promptly cussed out for mentioning she should fit in with the aforementioned alligator in the swamp. Mel had a feeling that her fiance was lucky he’d been on the other side of the ocean from Arthur at the time.

They watched as the flight from Heathrow Airport flipped over from “On Time” to “Landed”. It still amazed Mel that they had direct flights, and for no more money, not that money mattered to her family…with Ambrose and Nic “missing”, she had complete control over Meirs Enterprises Worldwide, which meant more money than she cared to think about. For friends of Cade, money was NOT an option anyway.

About 20 minutes later, Mel felt it, somewhere near was a powerful witch. Her hand went instinctively to Cade’s, their fingers interlacing. The signature was not one she recognized, the magic different, old world like her mother and brothers’. Her eyes scanned the crowd as people descended from the second floor on the escalators. She could more than stand on her own, but after the past events, having Cade there without her family was not something she was altogether comfortable with. If whomever possessed the magic was hostile, it could get ugly fast if they sensed her as well. Not since Adama had she faced down a threat, and that…she closed her eyes and swallowed before the thought fully materialized.

“Do I need my gun, or is this something of the invisible sort, babe?” Cade’s chin rested on her shoulder as he spoke just loud enough for her to hear. He knew her signs well enough. When she was tense, it was never a good one.

“Shooting them is as good as dropping a house on them, I guess. A lot easier when inside too.” She tried not to let her nerves show with some humor, but she was anything but lighthearted with the situation. As they sat there waiting for Arthur and Heaven, she did not stop scanning everyone coming in their direction. It was that scanning that produced what would be the biggest shock of the day, the revelation that the witch was Arthur’s wife. “You are definitely NOT shooting the witch.”

Cade chuckled, having no clue what had suddenly changed the beauty on his lap’s mind. “And that would be because….”

Mel stood as the pair approached them, “you must be Heaven,” she greeted the tiny woman with a bright smile and offered hand. There was no way that Heaven couldn’t sense her as well, but seemed to completely not notice. She then remembered that Cade had mentioned that Heaven was originally from France, and since Louisiana is a bilingual state, she had an idea to make the woman feel even more welcome. “Bienvenue en Louisiane où dans le bayou, les sorcières sont vénérées. Je crois que vous et ma famille vous entendrez très bien. Ma mère est une grande prêtresse du vaudou. (Welcome to Louisiana where in the bayou, the witches are revered. I believe that you and my family will get along very well. My mother is a high priestess of Voodoo.)”

Heaven’s eyes widened at her words, clearly not having expected them. “Comment le saviez-vous? (How did you know?)” The woman looked absolutely confused, which was when Mel remembered she still had the talisman on that Dontanion had given her when they were hunting Adama that cloaked her magic.

“Parfois, une sorcière en connaît une autre. J'ai aussi deux frères sorciers à la maison. C’est en quelque sorte une affaire de famille. (Sometimes a witch just knows another one. I have two warlock brothers at home too. It kind of runs in the family.)” Mel gave the woman a wink and then turned to Arthur and Cade who were both looking at her with rather confused expressions.

“What, can’t one girl fluent in French welcome another? Do you know how often I get to use that?” She smiled, Cade giving her a look that said he knew better and she’d have to explain once that they were alone. “You must be Arthur.” She extended her hand to him, “it is such a pleasure to meet any friend of Cade’s. You both are now family, that is how it works here. We will spend a couple of days out on the Plantation, and a couple here in the Garden District. My mother has been up since dawn cooking, so we best not keep her waiting too long. Mama Marie is not one to be kept waiting.” Mel laughed.

Cade knew his fiance better than that. Those were far too many words for just a polite hello, and he did recognize enough to know that she’d found her witch. But, he was a good boy and would say nothing. Things normally worked out more in his favor that way. “You’re discussing how to bankrupt us in the French Quarter aren’t you?” A brow rose and he nudged Arthur with an elbow. “I hope you brought all your plastic, bro, my girl can shop!”

Arthur for his part either missed what the exchange was about or was so entranced by his bride he gave not one fuck. He did, however, growl at Cade’s remark, which told the fellow soldier that he probably had experienced a similar shopping excursion to the one Mel had more than once put him through. Although, to bankrupt them, Mel would have to literally buy the entire French Quarter, as in the land it was sitting on and all the buildings.

"Can you not behave for two minutes?" Mel’s brow rose as she looked between the two men, Cade trying not to laugh and Arthur about taken aback at her words. “No growling.” She raised both brows and looked pointedly at the Brit. Heaven giggled next to her, which just had Arthur rolling his eyes. “Now, you boys do the heavy lifting of getting the luggage, Miss Heaven and I are going to go get the car from the garage and bring it around. And you two can ride in the back.” She dropped a kiss on Cade’s cheek with a big grin and a wink over to Heaven. She already liked the striking and beautiful woman. Wait till her family laid eyes on her!

*****

From the airport, to River Road, Mel gave a guided tour to their guests of the historical context of each and every plantation along the road. Her mother had been alive for the building of many, although she did not share that quite yet. For Heaven, it might not have surprised her, for Arthur, he might have tried to exit the vehicle while at 60MPH. The latter was more her concern.

Finally they arrived at Vita Pacis Plantation (Life of Serenity). It had been renamed after Ambrose’s death, her mother choosing the name for what this now represented to them all. It was a place of peace, of respite from the life they lived in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, from the missions they went on collecting artifacts around the globe. It was to this estate, to the buildings that rested upon the land and had for over 300 years, that Mel and her friends returned to find peace and to be at peace. It would be on this estate where she would marry Cade in six months.

As they drove up the red brick drive, live oaks arching over it with their green leaves and the dangling spanish moss providing shade, she heard Heaven gasp as she got her first view of the grand plantation house mansion. It was impressive with white limestone exterior and grecian columns that rose three stories, the floor to ceiling french doors that served as windows to the rooms were framed with dark red hurricane shutters. It created an impressive picture when famed with the arch of the live oaks over the drive. Just the guest house had four bedrooms and was a sight, but the grand mansion was something out of a movie. Lovingly preserved by the Meirs family, and now the LaVeaus, it was a piece out of time and history. The dark stains of the past that it held could never be erased, but they would be made up for over time. Now it stood for the LaVeau legacy, and that was a strong, vibrant, and proud legacy.

Mel knew that when she had opened the wrought iron gates of the drive, it had alerted those within the guardhouse and the mansion of their arrival. No one got onto or off of the property without being noticed. If you tried to come on secretly, there were things seen and unseen that would greet you. You had better hope the former got to you before the latter did. So, when Mel pulled the large black SUV around to the back of the mansion, it was of little surprise that her mother stood flanked by her brothers, waiting to greet their guests. She could not wait till they discovered the surprise that lay in store.

Once the car was stopped, and everyone was out, Mel led Arthur and Heaven over to her family while Cade unloaded the luggage from the back. She could tell that all three of them immediately recognized in Heaven what she had and the adoring smile her mother cast on Heaven warmed her heart. Marie was known for taking in anyone needing a mother and love, and it was clear she was already looking that way at Heaven, no matter if she had family back home or not.

Marie was the first to speak, stepping forward and taking both of Heaven’s hands in her own. “Salve, fili mi, maiores te ad nos perduxerunt. Hic semper domum habebis. (Welcome, my child, it seems the ancestors have lead you to us. Here you will always have a home.)” Then she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss in the middle of Heaven’s forehead.

Arthur tensed and Mel leaned over, “my mother adopts anyone she feels needs love. She sensed that in Heaven and has welcomed her to always see this as a home.” She kept her voice low as to not embarrass Heaven who was now tightly embracing Marie and she swore she saw a tear on the porcelain skin of her cheek. “You too Arthur, Vita Pacis means Life of Serenity. Any friend of Cade’s is family here, where the mind can find peace when one needs.” With a soft and warm smile on her face, her eyes gently closed as she inclined her head.

The stoic man just inclined his head in return before turning back to the scene where both Francois and Dontanion were further introducing themselves to his wife, who seemed to be taking everything in stride. As dwarfed as the beauty was by her gruff husband, she looked absolutely tiny next to Mel’s brothers who were both well over six feet in height and broad shouldered. “See, I told you this trip would be good for you.” Cade finally made it up to them and clapped Arthur on the shoulder. “And Mama Marie and the spooky bunch has adopted another stray. I guess we’re brothers now, Arthur. Wait till you taste her food! We may never get you back to England.” They all laughed as they began to head in to see exactly how big of a feast Marie HAD prepared.

@call-sign-shark @raincoffeeandfandoms @saltysupercomputer @blind-the-winds @sunset-a-story @touloserlautrec @aziz-reads @toribookworm22 @outpost51 @late-to-the-fandom @writingmaidenwarrior @spookyceph

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bobapenguindolls · 8 months

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Gonna go out this weekend to see a concert so I gotta bring my main man Donnie with me 😂

#mutant mayhem #tmnt mutant mayhem #teenage mutant ninja turtles #boba penguin post #boba penguin photos #action fiction #photocard

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starcakes · 1 year

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Miss the period when Arcane was a thing

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rpgsandbox · 9 months

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kickstarter

Cthulhu Dreamt is a sci-fi horror Tabletop RPG and Original Soundtrack where you and your team of Survivors will explore a near-future Earth that is suffering under the influence of Cthulhu and his cosmic denizens. Using your talents, special tech from the secret government agency Salien-Welf, and even the tools of the old ones, you must rescue one of the few scientists who can help...

WILL YOU ANSWER THE CALL?

Horror, Science Fiction, and Cthulhu lovers will delight at the semi-futuristic approach to the mythos, and modern take towards the gameplay-focused storytelling.

Immersion is taken to new depths when the original soundtrack is brought into the mix, with cinematic tracks, metal music, and ambient soundscapes made specifically to score the campaign.

Set on a near-future Earth, this project offers a fresh take on Cthulhu by imagining the horror occurring in our world with the technology of the year 2034. Players will journey across the world, attempting a rescue mission unlike any other, trying to circumvent the abominations in their way, as the reality of their world unravels before their eyes.

Based on an original D12 ruleset (designed by Adam Baffoni, creator of the Tether RPG) with an emphasis on travel and survival, characters (and players) will have to work together to survive against not only the horrifying otherworldly creatures, but also the harsh environments of the Earth... and beyond.

The game features a custom soundtrack, with songs composed specifically for scenes in the main campaign of the book. Facilitators will be able to scan QR codes present in the book to play original songs composed specifically to highlight cinematic moments from the campaign.

Cthulhu Dreamt RPG is a full-size 8.5" x 11" industry standard TTRPG Hardcover, with full color cover and interior.

The book is a Complete Game with everything you'd need in one publication. It features:

A fully playable campaign

Game rules for gameplay, players, AND Facilitator

10 playable specializations - Communicator, Engineer, Mercenary, Navigator, Survivalist, and more...

Dozens of fully original creatures (Flora & Fauna)

Easy to use stress tracking; both physical and mental

Additional Encounters (one-shot side-stories) with pre-built characters

QR codes placed strategically throughout the campaign to inform the facilitator which music from the OST is curated for that particular part of the game

Equipment (Armor, Weapons, Tools) lists

All content-expanding stretch goals

Existential Dread*

*Existential dread may vary from person to person

Original Soundtrack

The stream-safe sound world created by members of Cthulhu Dreamt (the band) will be featured and included digitally at all tiers, and is available to grab physically on CD, as well as a limited Kickstarter Exclusive vinyl pressing, which also includes a gate-fold jacket that can do double duty as a Facilitator Reference Screen!

Encounters are adventures that happen concurrently with the main campaign of Cthulhu Dreamt, but elsewhere in the world. They serve as one-shots for your group, complete with pre-written characters who have their own goals and motivations to immerse yourself in. We’ve created two especially for the Kickstarter.

Springfield Nocturne: This encounter is a perfect entry point into the world of Cthulhu Dreamt. It’s a two-shot set in a mid-western city undergoing a mysterious state of emergency, where players will need to get to the bottom of why Salien-Welf have begun evacuating citizens—if they can survive long enough to find out.

R’lyehian March: Wanna know what the team of EDGe troopers went through when Cthulhu finally awoke? Then this encounter is for you. Set on the island of R’lyeh before the events of the main campaign, this action-packed prequel story includes a party of pre-written EDGe Trooper characters working for Salien-Welf and dealing with the events that kick-off the main campaign.

Basics

Cthulhu Dreamt is built on a unique D12-based system originally designed by Adam Baffoni. Cthulhu Dreamt’s focus is primarily on travel and survival, where the players are more at odds with the world itself than with any wizards or dragons. Players roll against a target number (TN) to accomplish tasks; if they fail to meet that TN, they have the option to spend their attribute points like a resource (provided they can justify it narratively). For example, if a player wants to smash open a door and they don’t roll high enough, they can spend some Strong points to REALLY put their back into it. Players will need to be careful not to overspend these point pools, because once they’ve depleted them, they won’t be able to modify any of their rolls until they refresh the points by resting for the night.

Journeying

The Journey mechanic in Cthulhu Dreamt allows for players to cross great distances actively, rather than passively. Instead of happening in the blink of an eye, travel involves players selecting roles and narrating what they’ll do during their journey, assembling shelter, foraging for food, and overcoming obstacles cooperatively along the way. Travel also presents perfect road trip style roleplay opportunities for the players to grow closer and discuss the chaos of the world once it’s been upturned by Cthulhu’s awakening.

Combat

Combat in Cthulhu Dreamt is taken in rounds, with the players and NPCs alternating their actions back and forth—but that’s where similarities between Cthulhu Dreamt and other conventional TTRPGs end. Rather than enemies having health bars that players wail on over and over until it's depleted, Cthulhu Dreamt’s combat plays out more like a puzzle (that’s trying to kill you). Enemies still have a physical limit, but they can be defeated in a number of ways, and enemies are typically designed with unique facets that make each encounter feel fresh, keeping the players on their toes. Some creatures can be subdued through traditional means, but most will require the players to get creative and think outside of the box to defeat them.

Facilitating

Cthulhu Dreamt uses a system where the Facilitator can roll dice infrequently, instead focusing their attention on building creative outcomes for player characters, running a believable and engaging narrative world, and creating a more in-depth and welcoming experience for everyone at the table. Additionally, thanks to the incorporated soundtrack, Facilitators are equipped to build immersive scenes with music and ambient soundscapes during gameplay.

The Cthulhu Dreamt game book also includes several one-shot scenarios with pregenerated characters, fully written out and ready to play. These one-shot scenarios give Facilitators the ability to still run a Cthulhu Dreamt game night, even if a player cancels last minute.

There are many unique aspects to the version of Earth found within Cthulhu Dreamt: Unique characters which you’ll interact with, and horrific abominations which you’ll face off against. Cthulhu’s presence on Earth has had far-reaching effects, and they’re felt in every corner of the world… and every corner of your mind.

NPCs - From brilliant, planet-altering scientists, to people caught in the wake of these changes, NPC’s like Sheena, Simon, and Alya bring a knowledge of the world, and drive the players to achieve things that might feel impossible.

EDGe Troopers - The EDGe Troopers are the private military owned, operated, and outfitted by the world’s biggest biotech conglomerate, Salien-Welf. Trained in both military and ritualistic combat tactics, the troopers sometimes feel like the only thing holding the line between us and the all-consuming maw of the unknowable. But sometimes, holding that line puts them between the players and their goals, so the troopers are just as likely to be friends as they are foes.

TRACEs - When another plane of existence aligns with Earth, weird and dangerous things happen, and life as we know it can change. Not only will we see new plantlife, and other landscape features that weren’t there before, but we’ll soon find out that we are no longer the only life in this universe.

Specializations - The base game for Cthulhu Dreamt offers 10 different playable Specialties—effectively, backgrounds for the character you will create which translate to skills and abilities in the game. Examples include:

Kickstarter campaign ends: Fri, September 8 2023 3:30 PM BST

Website: [Action Fiction] [facebook] [twitter]

#RPG #kickstarter #Cthulhu Dreamt #Action Fiction #cthulhu #cthulhu mythos

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bendingthelaws · 4 months

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Demitri and Colt had left shortly after the meeting in Colt’s office to go and talk to some of their contacts. They also needed to decide how to handle the fact that they WERE still the attorney on record for Constant Rakeovich and neither of them wanted to remain such. After what had happened in his office, Colt thought it better for that conversation to happen somewhere that Abby would not overhear them again.

Sensing his dark mood, Abby covered the top of Colt’s desk in post-its. Each one with something goofy, or a question out of her Bar Exam study guide. He'd left those post-its of hers from the other night on his desk all night, ones she’s just put smiley faces on after he’d won his latest court case...she wondered what he'd do with all these. She knew if left to just the two of them, both Colt and Dimitri would stew. Somewhere in the last five years, she had become the one to break the tension, and this was her newest way. Dimitri would get a dozen pryaniki on his desk in the morning, he was brightened up more with food, and seemed to love teaching her to bake treats from his homeland.

***

Colin was in danger, his intern being tortured and murdered, and Colt was in a fucking shitty ass mood from everything he and Dimitri had found out while they were out of the office. So when he opened the door to his office and saw the top of his desk, he came to a complete stop. The little imp that was his assistant had covered the top of his desk in pastel colored post-it notes…again. Dear god, there were dozens of them. He thought there had to be even more than the last time she’d done it. Her antics from the other night had been topped, but what the fuck had she put on them this time?

He went over to his desk and started looking at them. Her elegant writing was on each of them. Some made him laugh and others just had him shaking his head. What in the fuck was she doing?

Then it hit him and he felt like an idiot, she was distracting him. That's what she was doing. And she'd done a damn good job. While I'd been reading every single one, two hours had passed and I hadn't thought of where his brother was, or what was going on with him. He had relaxed. He had even laughed. It was what he needed. Damn little imp.

"ABBY!" Colt’s voice rang out it his office, more than loud enough for her to hear in her little alcove of an office off of their waiting room.

Abby's head peaked around the corner, her brows raised as she pretended not to know what was going on. "Yeah, boss? Has something more happened? You didn’t need the Smith filings until the morning, I’m still working on getting them all entered. I hate this case, just so you know." She gave him a sarcastic smile, still playing stupid

Had something more happened? So, the imp would play stupid. It almost made him laugh. "Yes, it has. SOMEONE has vandalized my office. I need you to call Detective Kase and tell him he'll need to come by. This is the work of someone devious. Boxes left on Colin’s desk and apparently pastel post-it notes on mine. Might be the work of the same person." He was smirking and he was trying to keep from busting up laughing.

"Vadalism? Are they threatening?" She stepped into the doorway. Surely he recognized her handwriting. "Are you sure it's not a friendly prank? Someone just being silly?" If he hadn't docked her pay in the past, he was going to now. Or maybe even fire her. Her heart raced and she felt light headed, the color draining from her face slowly once more.

Wrong day to be sarcastic, apparently it was the wrong day for Colt to do anything. Putting down the few post-its he had in his hand, he walked over to where Abby stood looking like she was about to panic. Demitri was eventually going to kill him for upsetting her, it was just a matter of time. Maybe he’d get a warning shot in the shoulder if he was lucky. Although he’d never known his partner to be especially generous in that department.

"Sweetheart, I was teasing." He took her face in his hands and tipped her head to look at him. "Just a tease. I knew it was you, and it has helped my mood." He leaned forward slightly to look her in the eyes. "You need to relax, or you're going to have your other boss kicking my ass." He chuckled as he looked down at her.

Heat flooded her cheeks, bringing with it a bright pink tinge. "Oh, oh god, I'm sorry, Colton. I guess I'm just on edge." The feel of his hands on her face was distracting, as was how close he was. The scent of his deep and rich cologne wasn't helping. You weren't supposed to be attracted to your boss. "I'm glad it helped. If Demitri gets too grouchy, I'll just pour more Yellow Spot in his coffee. That seems to do the trick." She gave him a nervous smile, trying not to get lost in those yellowish-green eyes of his.

"I'm sure it does help," Colt chuckled and moved his hands to her shoulders. If he kept them on her face, he was going to end up kissing her and then there really would be problems. She was a decade younger, and he was her boss. There was no way that it would get him anything but slapped and hated. "You know I'd never really dock your pay, right?" That had bothered him, Demitri was right that she was far better than either of them deserved.

"I, umm, well I would have deserved it if you had." Butterflies were filling her stomach and she felt very nervous suddenly. Her hands fidgeted nervously between them as she was now very acutely aware of how close he was, the weight of his gaze, and the feel of his hands still on her.

There was little she could have said that would have made him feel like more of an ass. They were going to lose her when she passed the Illinois Bar Exam. It was far past time to talk to Demitri about that. He wasn't ready for her to walk out of his life, maybe it took such a situation to make him realize it.

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behindthesemasks · 5 months

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“Whose gun was that?” Case asked looking at the rest of the team members still assembled in the room after Mel had left. All heads turned towards the table where the weapons had been laid.

“Fuck! Mine.” Gabriel growled before heading to the door to follow the petite brunette who had left the room stunned by her actions. None had ever even thought she’d do anything like she had, let alone use that kind of language. She had always been more of the quiet and reserved type of person. Now Gabe worried what she might do, and who else she might shoot, with his gun.

“Well, that was exciting!” Cam chuckled as he reached down and flipped the chair with Andreas in it back upright. Everyone was pretty much ignoring the whimpering of the man in the chair, although his groans when the front feet of the chair hit the floor again did make Cam chuckle even more.

“Come on; let’s keep her from killing someone. Erik, Cam…you two play nice with our guest here and see what he has to say. If he stops cooperating, let me know and I’ll have my granddaughter come back in.” Ambrose grinned and winked at Andreas. He was quite proud of Mel; he wouldn’t have suspected she was capable of such violence. One should never judge a book by its diminutive and graceful exterior though; it was all just a mask that hid what lay underneath. “The rest of you, come on. We have some work to do.”

Ambrose and the others left the room, leaving only Andreas and his two interrogators. The reduction of people in the room didn’t make him feel any better though. He was quite sure he wasn’t leaving the room alive and that one of his two cousins would be the one putting a bullet in his brain in the end of it all. That Mel would be back and inflict more pain also seemed to be a foregone conclusion in the man’s mind as well. He had known her for years, and never had he seen her like that. When she found the one that hired him, he did not envy what she or those around her would do.

Back in the suite, Mel had changed out of her dress and into a black tee and jeans. She was just pulling on her hiking boots when Gabe came in. “If you’re thinking of trying to stop me, I still have the gun and I’ve just proven I’ll use it.” Her eyes were hard and full of fury, but her expression also said that she didn’t really want to hurt him, which made Gabe relax some. He honestly didn’t blame her for her reaction to Andreas. She wasn’t the only one who wanted to shoot him; she was just the one that had.

“I’m not here to stop you Mel. I’m here to make sure that you don’t kill a friendly or get yourself hurt while you lash out in this anger.” Years of experience allowed Gabe to keep his voice calm as he spoke to her. Inside his heart was racing. He knew there was no way that if she went for the weapon that lay on the couch beside her that he could stop her in time for her not to get even a poor shot at him, and at this distance that meant a world of pain for him. Never had it crossed his mind while they’d been in the other room that Mel would take any of their weapons. All of his years of training and attention to detail was now nagging in his brain that he was an idiot for giving her the chance.

“I’m not going to hurt anyone. I’m going to the hospital. Alexander and Sasha are both there. I don’t know who that third man is, but someone needs to be there to keep an eye on them, and not just Caden.” Mel stood after tying the laces on her shoe. Picking up the pistol, she unscrewed the suppressor and tossed it to Gabe. “I don’t need that part. You can either come with me or stay here, but I’m not giving back the gun Gabe.”

Catching the suppressor, Gabe nodded. He wasn’t going to argue with her. “I’ll go with you, but will you give me a minute to go get another pistol. You happen to be holding mine and I don’t like being at a disadvantage.” Gabe gave her a half smile that was a little sheepish.

Nodding, Mel lifted the back of her shirt and slid the weapon into the back of her jeans, after making sure that the safety was on. As he turned to leave the room, she started to follow him. Their path was blocked by Klaus, Case, Nic, and Ambrose. The four of them looked at the pair expectantly, eyebrows raised.

“And you’re going where?” Nic asked, his eyes alternating between the two of them.

“The hospital.” Mel’s tone was flat and her gaze even.

“I’m going with her, but since she has my gun, I have to get another one.” Gabe followed up with a look of resignation on his face and a slightly sarcastic smile on his face as he held up the suppressor.

“I don’t think so.” Klaus challenged her, earning raised eyebrows and amused expressions from Nic and Ambrose. Had he just watched what they had? Did he really want to challenge her right now?

One eyebrow rose and Gabe stepped back as he saw the woman tense. “Excuse me? I don’t remember asking your permission. And what’s more…I don’t need to.” The challenge in Mel’s expression and tone of voice said that if thought he was going to stop her that he was severely mistaken.

Growling, Klaus’s jaw ticked. How had things gone so sideways? “Fine,” he ground out, clearly displeased. “But it won’t be just Gabe going with you. Case and I will be too.” It wasn’t a request, it was a statement. A flat out statement. His expression was a stubborn one and as set as hers was. It was going to be a meeting of the wills and the other four standing there weren’t sure who was going to win.

“Fine, you two can have a pissing match later. I need a gun.” Gabe sighed and started to move forward. He had a new respect for the female, but that didn’t mean he wanted to stand there and watch as she had a stare down with Klaus. He’d seen enough people do that over the years that he knew that it was better to just carry on and let them catch up later.

Ambrose reached behind him and pulled his weapon, handing it by the barrel to Gabe. “Take mine. You,” he pointed to Mel, “don’t argue and take all 3 men. You,” he pointed to Gabe, “keep them from killing each other. You,” he pointed to Case, “be the lookout, take up a sniper position when and where you can. I want you to be the ghost of the operation. And finally you,” his eyes met Klaus’s with an expression that said he was in control here and wasn’t going to be challenged. “You are going to make sure that she gets out of there exactly like she is right now. One bruise and we’ll have words. Got it?” Klaus nodded, as did the others.

Mel smirked and went to her toes to kiss Ambrose on the cheek. “You got it boss.” She gave him a wink before grabbing the front of Klaus’s shirt and started to pull him out the door to the suite. “You heard him, make sure I don’t get myself killed. Your job is to watch my ass, and I doubt you’ll have a problem with that.” She had mostly gotten her way, if she was going to have an entourage; she was going to give them hell.

Case about choked as he laughed and Gabe rolled his eyes as he followed the pair. They could both see the tick in Klaus’s jaw. Neither was exactly sure what he was restraining himself from…throttling her, or kissing her senseless. Knowing Klaus, it might be a mixture of both.

“Who’s driving?” Mel’s voice came from the front.

Case and Gabe looked at each other for a second before Gabe answered, “Case. You get to play pampered princess in the back seat with me and Klaus.” He slowed up a bit, half expecting her to come round at him.

“At least you have it down what my position is in this.” The sarcasm was thick in Mel’s voice and this brought a full on laugh from Gabe. She was going to give them hell every step of the way, he was sure of it. Not that he really expected any less of her.

“You’re not going to make this easy, are you?” There was no missing the resignation in Klaus’s voice that she was not going to give an inch and be in charge.

As they waited for the elevator, Case and Gabe took up positions on each side of Klaus. They were ready to block anyone coming from the back and shield anyone coming off of the elevator. Given they were taking the entire top floor of the hotel, the first wasn’t really too great a possibility unless it was another member of the team. And since this floor required a key to get to, the same was true of the elevator, but one never knew and you always planned for contingencies.

Mel turned to face him. “I’m going to do what needs to be done. That’s what I’m going to do. They’re after Alexander, Klaus; do you really expect me to sit her on my hands and do jack shit? It’s your cousin in there, who shot one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and would have put the red dot on Alexander’s head too. So, no, I’m not going to make it easy. You’re going to tell me when you run and op that it’s always easy? Of course not…so if you can’t handle things…”

Mels’s words were cut off as she found her back against the wall and Klaus’s face in hers. His eyes were hard and even she saw his jaw tick. “If I can’t handle it, what? I can walk away. NOT.FUCKING.HAPPENING. Feel me, doll? You can try to push me away all you like, it ain’t happening again.” His breathing was heavy and it was clear she’d hit a nerve. Still her face didn’t relax, she was defiant as ever and he found it sexy as fuck. Watching her when she’d been sad and meek had broken his heart, this was the woman he had fallen in love with all the years ago. The one who was ready to take on the world.

Before she could stop him, his lips crashed into hers. One hand was next to her head, against the wall, and the other was holding the back of her neck, his thumb by her ear. His kiss was rough, demanding, and possessive. All truth, he wanted to pin her against the wall and do much more than kiss her, but he knew this wasn’t the time or the place. His cock straining against his pants wanted to argue that point though.

There had always been something about his possessiveness and dominance that was a turn on and that was no different now. The fist holding his shirt tightened, digging a small pearl button into the palm of her hand. She kissed him back with the same passion, not caring about the two other men who were standing there. They were big boys, they could deal.

Finally Klaus broke the kiss, keeping his forehead against hers and looking into those clear blue eyes he adored. “I’m not gonna back down, doll. You want to take out my cousin? So do I. He’s gone too far. And I want to make sure Alexander is safe too. But you going off half-cocked and getting yourself hurt, or worse…it isn’t going to help a damn thing. So be pissed we’re with you if you want, but it ain’t changing. So we can have the rest of this discussion later.”

As the elevator dinged, arriving at the floor. Klaus’s lips curved into a smirk and he kissed the top of her nose. “Now get that sexy ass in line and let’s do this.”

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browngoblin · 1 year

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#michiko malandro #michiko to hatchin #a #michiko e hatchin #femme fatale #black anime characters #anime aesthetic #black anime girl #michiko & hatchin #anime #manga #animatedblackgirls #2000s anime #old anime aesthetic #animation #action fiction #adventure fiction #anime woman

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gameofthunder66 · 6 months

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The Boys (2019- ) tv series

-(finished) watchin' Season 2- 11/1/2023- 3 [3/4] stars- on Amazon Prime

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ppeuppeuppeu · 2 years

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Ryan Corr as Sam/Tommy in Bloom Season 1 (2019) pt I

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trulyinspiringmovies · 2 years

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Werewolf By Night

“Werewolf By Night” is a breath of fresh air when it comes to the endless content machine of Marvel’s Phase Four.

Jack Russell is a monster hunter who has been invited by Verussa Bloodstone, along with four other monster hunters, to a competitive hunt. They’re all competing to see who the next wielder of the Bloodstone will be. In order to find out, they must hunt a creature with the Bloodstone attached to its back. It turns out, Jack has a secret.

Like many other people, I enjoyed this a lot. There’s something nostalgic about watching a Halloween-themed television special. Pair that with the classic 1930′s and 1940′s horror aesthetics and you have something truly special. With all the superhero fatigue that’s been going on, it’s fun to watch the interesting lore of the MCU mixed with Universal monster-inspired characters. It expands the universe in a new and intriguing way, just as “Guardians Of The Galaxy” introduced space, “Dr. Strange” introduced magic, and “Loki” introduced the multiverse. It makes this world feel more than just superheroes and instead a place where this arcane power has always existed. It makes superheroes just feel like the latest iteration of those who wielded power. On top of that, it’s refreshing to get a property that didn’t concern itself with tying the characters with the larger MCU. Not everything in this world has to be connected. I think that was one of the biggest problems with the Star Wars franchise since it all had to be tied back to the Skywalkers. “Werewolf By Night” truly feels inspired because it’s made by someone who clearly loves the art of cinema. The black and white filter mixed with the film grain and cigarette burns really feels like a love letter to the movies that started it all. It’s just a shame that Marvel didn’t use this opportunity to shoot on film instead of digital. It would’ve made this television movie feel a lot more special. I loved seeing the practical effects because practical effects in older movies are what ignited my fascination with filmmaking in the first place. I hope this means that we’ll get more television specials that adhere to a more classic aesthetic. It worked for “X” and “Pearl”, so I would definitely love to see Marvel take another shot at it. Honestly, I don’t think I would mind the MCU making a hard shift from superheroes to horror if this is the level of quality we’d be getting. It would be a bold, but welcome way to shift the MCU to make sure it stays relevant. I also hope that this film shows Marvel that people want a more violent approach to the right characters. The only thing I would complain about is that I wished this movie was a bit longer to flesh out its characters a bit more. They were all interesting, but I feel like I didn’t get much from them. Other than that, this is one of those instances where loving to see something different really paid off.

★★★★

Watched on October 11th, 2022

#Werewolf By Night #October #2022 #Horror #Horror Fiction #Drama #Television #Television Comedy #Action #Action Fiction #Superhero #Superhero Fiction #Fantasy #Fantasy Television #PG-13 #Michael Giacchino #October 2022 #4 stars

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erika-mr · 1 year

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It's been a minute since I bought an action figure. I debated on getting this guy for months before I caved. Probably the best one in the lot next to Leon quality wise. Can't do any fancy light photos with him yet but I will soon.

#Bleach #hollow ichigo #Ichigo #zangetsu #Game Toys #action fiction #anime #manga #he tall

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booksofdelight · 1 year

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The Best Action Fiction Books of All Time

For those that love action books, there are many great books by many great authors. Robert Louis Stevenson and Jules Verne released many amazing novels and while they have come to define the genre, they are others that have also contributed. That is why we will be making a list of the best action fiction books of all time. Keep reading to find out which books made the list. Making these lists…

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#action #action fiction #adventure #Blog #blogging #book #Book Recommendations #books #books to read #classics #Fiction #list #lists #reading #writing

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gloryfic · 2 years

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CATHOUSE AEGIS

Part One: Blood In The Water Art By Glory Anna *Trigger warning alert: the topics and reality of abuse and violence against women are dealt with in this text.* Drip… The monotonous sound of a leaky faucet. Drip… Of rain in a downspout. Drip… Of blood falling from the opening of a fresh wound. Drip… “Counting down the blood in my hourglass. Drip by,” Drip… “How else would I keep…

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#action fiction #author #comic book fiction #comic book writing #creative fiction #creative writing #female protagonist #femme fiction #fiction #fiction writing #Glory Anna #Gloryfic #original fiction #women led fiction #writing

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lightyearsandbeyond · 3 months

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ANDROID 0173

Yeah so I published another book on Amazon. Android 0173 (https://amzn.to/491Adyy). It’s only $2.99. the more purchases in 1 wk the higher it’s placed on Amazon. I’ll be in your debt if you buy it. Who knows you might like it 🙃 and buy the other Android Hunters book 🤷‍♂️

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theawesomeally · 5 months

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Farewell and Goodbye Part 4

“Is she dead?” he repeat the question, even though he think I already know the answer.

Cade just smiles that awful smile.

“Don’t you want to know how we found her?” His voice is teasing. “It’s a great story.”

“Just because I’m a kid doesn’t mean I’m one of them.” His voice was very quiet and he wouldn’t meet his eyes but it sounded like the truth. The very first reaction he’d had to the subject was to try to put some distance between him and his peers.

There was a brief exchange of words, then, instead of showing the unseen newcomer in immediately, Billy looked up at him in surprise, stepping backward, Billy glanced around until he caught sight of a figure standing in the shadows beyond the light in front of him. Cade stood with his back toward Billy, gazing out into the hallway and the smile ran away from his face. There was something about Cade that made his blood run cold.

Billy again stepped in close, his rifle pointing at Cade’s face. “Cade?!,” he replied, holding his voice as steady as possible and then stopped. Lifting his head, Billy looked at Stefan and his blood froze.

“Stefan,” he breathed, horrified. Billy cleared his throat and peered up at Cade, hoping that he could at least delay the execution until he felt a bit better, but there was a haunted look to the eyes that Billy had not seen before.

“Hello, Billy.” The voice was unfamiliarly hesitant with his typical charm. He hid his surprise with an elegant nod of welcome. “How pleasant of you to join us! You're just in time for the moment of truth. Now, I would like to have the dagger back.”

Cade found himself gaping at the small, blond-clad figure striding purposefully toward the hallway that had set down in the midst of battle. Though he willed himself to move, to turn away, he found he could not. He remained rooted in place, clutching his unfired weapon, staring despite himself.

And in response, the figure of Cade turned and looked sideways, directly at Billy. The Brothers saw only light reflecting off Billy, and his own fear. But he wasn’t. The glance lasted barely a second. Then Cade resumed his pace, deep in thought as he strode toward him.

Cade moved forward slightly. “Your mother is gone. She was weak and foolish, like her little Billy.” Cade’s reply was replete with pity. And anger. In what he hoped was a casual tone, so he added, “So I gave her last wish. But such a small, insignificant request is easily granted."

Be quick, he told himself. That was the solution. Don’t think too much about anything. Let your instincts guide you.

His instincts weren’t doing a very good job on any other aspects of his life, but at least he was still alive. He felt safe trusting them once again, in the service of Cade.

Billy stood there trying to absorb all the information he was telling him. Making him hesitated in his reply, almost so long that Cade was sure he would deny his request. Finally, he answered after what seemed like an eternity. "No," he declared, and jutted his chin in his usual fashion. He winced at the movement, but Cade could see that Billy was not going to do as he was asked and so Billy shot Cade a sly grin. It was now up to Billy. In order to keep the game going, he was going to have to sacrifice his life in order to save Rocky's future.

Silence.

Oh, well. Dang. Apparently, after all his mouth does work better than his brain. Or at least quicker. That was the command Cade had given him, on threat of death. “Put it on the ground,” Cade growled and the dagger, which had moved away from Stefan's throat, moved back and the point eased into his skin. The sharp pain reminded Stefan that he was helpless and he slowly reached into his jacket to bring out the few coins that he had.

Stefan snickered and then asked, “Yeah, did you notice whether it was a child or…no is he just a little guy?”

Damon shot Billy a piercing glare for a long moment before turning his attention back to Cade. Then he backed away, too late, as he reached out with claw-like hands for him. Cade couldn’t help but laugh out loud and hung his head and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

“But why continue to toil when I on the other hand can get you your mother back just like that?” He snapped his fingers. “All I have to do is ask on your behalf. Come on, child. You’re almost there. Let’s make this deal, and I’ll get you across the finish line.” Cade made this chilling threat in a totally reasonable tone of voice. "But if the price of your cooperation is his life, then so be it.”

It was a price Billy could never have paid. He couldn’t take the chance that Cade was not bluffing. He nodded. A trace of a grin flashed across Stefan’s face. “Well, he’s got that part right.”

Similarly drawn by the sounds of conversation and disagreement, a third group of vamps had arrived. Held rapt by the confrontation, the squad of vamp looked on as intently as did the Salvatore Brothers and Billy. Fearful of taking an initiative that might be frowned upon, they awaited a command from Cade.

Stepping out onto the walkway, Billy moved toward Cade. There was no hesitation in his stride or in his voice. “That’s what I want you to believe,” he kept his voice calm, hoping not to appear too threatening. The boy looked scared and was visibly shaking but he wasn’t pleading—just stating a fact. Oh. Honestly, that’s the only response he could come up with at the time. Sure, heroic means well, but he’s liable to give them an earful well-deserved comeuppance that only he knows how to dish out. His brain did a mental tug-of-war on whether he should stick to the basic facts or tell himself how strange things were happening and he was on a mission to figure them out.

The safe option was the basic facts. He wouldn’t be lying and yet he could continue his games without the meddling of Rocky. His mother and father had left behind a legacy of fierce love, and a history Billy now ached to follow. They had also left him behind. He had thought he was alone, but in a moment, he would not be. In a moment, he would have a vast family—a brotherhood.

Billy's head instantly arose as he looked apprehensively over at Cade. “But it’s not true. I am no longer looking for my mother, give Rocky his wish and his future!” Billy waited for a nod from Cade before continuing.

Silence reigned in the room for what seemed like an minute. Finally, Cade answered since apparently something about the chid apparently had captured his attention. “If you want your precious friend to ever have a decent future, you’d better give me what’s mine… is also to know what I’m up to,” he laughed in a sinister manner, “well child, there’s only one thing I’m after…” he paused and stared at me briefly.

Billy looked back at him with a trace of amusement in his eyes, along a smile formed across his face, but one look at Cade showed that while he understood, he didn’t actually approve of the way he went about his plan. Raising one sceptical eyebrow, "I have the real dagger," tone was a mix of command and empathy. “You don’t need them. Not here.” he whisper to him with his tongue heavy and throat closing on him. "Not with me," he added, his voice smooth and measured.

Shook his head in something that might be amusement and stilled, giving him that long considering look again. “Power. Sweet, sweet, power,” he began, but Cade wasn’t having any backtalk. He gave Stefan a vicious shove and his equilibrium was still so out of kilter that he tumbled to the ground. He rubbed his hands together with joy on his face, and then he stopped. He stared at him, and his smile was back on, “for that to happen child, I’ll be needing that from you.”

Billy stood up to himself so they’d be face-to-face, not him looming over to him at the thought of that, his fear heightened. “I volunteered to take their place, because I…could sense this is important to you,” The voice was quiet with not a hint of a challenge in it. Now, he was in complete agreement with Cade and damned himself as he did so.

“Calm down child,” he annoyingly uttered as he wiped the remainder of the remnants from his mouth, “I can feel your fear from here,” added, then started walking towards him, slowly, taking his time until he was face to face with him.

“Hm.” The grunt hit a skeptical note. “Put it on the ground boy, slowly and carefully.” For some reason, the sight of the dagger was enough to give Cade a pause. He stared at him for a moment before reacting. “That dagger—is mine.”

Cade’s grim expression did not change. “Sorry to disappoint you, Billy,” he said in a low, hard voice. “This party is over.” He gestured, and all around the area, lights blazed to life. Cade curled his lips in a combination of amusement and pleasure. This is going even better than he had hoped. “Brave, but foolish, child,” he said gently to Billy.

The crowd went perfectly silent.

The boy was frightened and kept shifting his weight from foot to foot. He wished desperately that he hadn’t come with his ideas tonight but his fear of the man overrode any common sense. This time when he moved, it hit the old grandfather louder as it responded by chiming out of rhythm and time. As he turned the still-standing corner of a hallway, movement caused him to raise his stake reflexively.

Sparks danced in front of his eyes. The edges of his vision faded to black. Blue and dark swirls spun around him, wraith-like. He felt momentarily faint and wondered if it was possible to dissolve into the telekenisis. He was a speck caught in the updraft over a fire—yet somehow he had the audacity to try to command the fire to do his will. Frightened and unarmed, he found himself confronting inhaled sharply and froze.

“It’s settled, then,” immediately Billy replied, his voice rising into full oratorical mode with an offsetting smile on his face, one of confidence and calm. The fight began immediately, then an idea pops in his head. He presses the button on his watch, which transforms into a high-tech eavesdropping device. He puts it in his ear and is now able to hear The brothers and Cade talking. Quickly, Billy pushes another button on his watch, which fires a mini-dart at Cade. The dart goes into Cade’s neck line as well as injects him the venomous cure instead.

That seemed fair. Cade saw Billy throw a second grenade behind the line of approaching vamp. When it went off with a resounding crack, it blew a vamp backward like a bowling ball into other vamps knocking them off their feet. Some of them were the vamp flying, arms and legs flailing, ectoplasm exploding, knocking Cade out temporarily. But knowledge was not the same thing as experience, just as clever technology wasn’t the same thing as he was confident that he could defeat them at a fair fight.

Billy caught the dagger in his free hand and attacked again. But even with two daggers, he could not hold back Cade for long. Billy smiled and began to toy with him, knocking the extra stake out of Damon’s hand. Leaping and spinning down from the wall, he swung his stakes at Damon, trying to close into tight defensive groups, their stakes deflecting the bolts wildly. Billy hit a trigger on his proton pack. Two smaller proton pistols popped out. A skilled deadeye, started taking down Vamps with dual-hand ambidextrous precision. He then began firing with dual-hand precision. Billy gave himself over to the open area, to his awareness of his surroundings, to his sudden oneness with the Salvatore Brothers trying to kill him.

A Bluetooth phone device stuck in his ear. Then Billy pulled a fake dagger from his pocket and threw it at the closest Cade. The dagger flew uselessly past the man’s ear and leaped into the air. He took advantage of the noise and tore through and sprang his hidden blades at ready. Billy saw Damon’s shadow and turned, too late to draw a weapon, but not too late to stare into Billy’s blue eyes as the slender metal pierced his throat from behind, closing in on the few vamp guarding the siege weapons.

Billy stared at his hand, seeing the blade activated, lean and lethal beneath the five digits—no, there were four, he had only four on his right hand, the ritual—

“I can do this,” He said, staring at the ceiling. he jumped when fingertips touched his skin, but he tried not to tense. He could see the worry in his eyes when the buzzing began.

Billy stood toe to toe with Damon, and they looked directly into each other’s eyes. He stabbed the closest enemy while running past him.

Each blades were unique. He had adjusted the mechanism on one of his gauntlets to enable him to fire his blade as a projectile weapon, turning it into a throwing knife. His other blade, knew, was twin-pronged. Two poisoned knives flew in, their blackened blades burying themselves into the backs of two vamps. In a flash now, he flicked his left wrist and plunged the two sharp metal points into the belly of the lone vampire standing beside him. As he doubled over, he snatched the man’s own stake, sprang back, whirled it around, and drew the stake’s point along the vampire's neck fell upon the enemy.

Billy caught this only fleetingly. He was busy taking down those who might follow him. He punched one vamp, who stumbled backward, whirled to slice the throat of another charging vamp behind him, then completed a full circle to seize the vamp’s head and slam it into the dusty, hard-packed ground.

At least it made him drop to his belly. The aisle he had been climbing had no cover. He had nothing to hide behind. Billy took more time to line up the second dagger, but the injured vamp was still alive and thrashing around. His elbow slammed into the side of her jaw, and pain shot through his head. Frustrated, he shoved him away. Cade in the aisle used his distraction to shoot again, but his wounded comrade was just as much of a distraction for him.

The bolt missed him and hit the chair behind him, kicking up marble debris. Billy exhaled and waited a second for the steadiness he needed, ignoring the ringing of foot steps coming up the aisle from behind his target, and threw.

The stake slammed into Damon’s heart. He jerked, his runestaff went dark and clattered free, and slumped onto the floor. Billy shifted around to check on Stefan’s fight, only to see him further down the rows, clutching the shoulder of his brother drenched in blood. It was Stefan. One of the vamps coming up his aisle prepared to shoot again.

Without taking time to aim, Billy grabbed a stake from Damon and threw it at Stefan. The Stake hammered into his chest, and he flew backward, the staff escaping his grip. It banged on the edge of the wall before sliding back down the aisle, back into the darkness of the amphitheatre.

Billy heard a faint whistling sound. Then something thudded into his shoulder. He looked down to see that it was a bone dagger, he looked up for a moment, catching his breath, his eyes on the biggest threat present—Cade. The man was not only massive and a cunning pyschic, he was intelligent. That was why Billy, had selected Cade as his own target.

Forming, at last hearing, a request. A request that wouldn’t go away, he knew. It would never go away. He made up his mind. Instead of retreating, he advanced. Instead of running for safety, he took up the challenge. There was no real choice, he told himself as he advanced to the edge of the walkway. Looking down at his watch again, there wasn’t much time left as he knew his plan hadn’t worked. Billy looked down at his blades; he couldn’t kill him; he knew he was going to slaughter him. Billy felt cold, the dreadful feeling of impending danger creeping into his bones. A small figure knelt hunched in front of it. He raised his gun and called out, all but snarled his reply. “Cade!" The word escaped his lips involuntarily.

Billy's voice caused Cade to freeze where he was. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Billy turn his gun toward his advanced on him. Billy leapt at high speed. The gun discharged harmlessly into the air. Cade saw the dark figure at the safe lunge and heard the discharge of a revolver. He dove toward the floor and returned fire. A second shot sounded within seconds of the first.

Cade’s back arched as the bullet struck him. His hands slowly slid away from his shirt and he slipped to the floor. He watched as the light from the lamp seemed to recede into the distance and it occurred to him that he was suddenly cold. Hadn’t he remembered to build up the fire? The pain intensified and he found it harder to bring in the air that he needed.

He began to panic and with as much strength as he could summon, while still hid in the shadows.

“Wait.” Billy breathed, trying to catch his breath he had to count to three before he dared to open his mouth. "Come and get it.” When he felt them angling in toward him, he twirled his bone dagger in line while he took his fighting stance, and batted Cade away from the brothers. Awaiting his pleasure, rising from his hiding place.

Billy didn’t waste energy on speech, blocking each of Cade’s moves and driving Cade a step backward. Frustration made him strong, even if he presently had no outlet for that strength. Bringing down the ceiling could kill both of them and probably wouldn’t have a profound effect on the ground. If it really was distributed across the entire planet, it could be unkillable.

Billy stepped slowly at first, then came on in a sudden rush, his dagger coming in hard, right to left. But with only a slight movement, the fake dagger stabbed under the other dagger, then lifted up, and Bill'ys dagger went flying harmlessly high of the mark. With a slight reversal of his wrist, Billy stabbed straight ahead, and Cade had to throw himself backward. He brought his dagger across as he did, trying to parry, but Cade had already retracted his blade by then and had settled back into perfect defensive posture

“Don’t be embarrassed, Child. As you can see, my powers are far beyond yours,” Cade said with complete confidence and calm.

“I don't think so,” Billy countered, moving toward him in a more measured and defensive manner, his borrowed dagger held across his body diagonally, up over one shoulder.

Against that posture, Billy's sudden flurry of attacks seemed exaggerated and inefficient, for Cade. Now, as the battle played out between Cade and Billy, who the child showed its brilliance proceed to leapt and spun, slashing side to side, chopping and thrusting, but all of Cade's movements seemed far more efficient. He followed a single line, front and back, his feet shifting to keep him constantly in perfect balance as he retreated and came on suddenly with devastating thrusts that had made Billy move backward. “Child, you disappoint me,” Cade taunted. “You holds you in such high esteem.”

Billy steadied himself and shifted his dagger from hand to hand, getting a better grip on it. Then he exploded into motion, coming on again fiercely, his dagger flashing all about. He kept a better measure of his cuts this time, though, reversing his angle often, turning a wide slash into a sudden thrust, and he soon had Cade backing, the dagger working furiously to keep Billy at bay.

Billy pressed forward more forcefully, but Cade continued to fend off the strikes, and then his momentum played out. He was too far forward, while Cade remained in perfect balance, ready for a counterstrike.

And then it was Cade suddenly pressing the attack, his dagger stabbing and retracting so quickly that most of Billy's cutting parries hit nothing but air. Cade had to jump back, and then back again, and again, as those thrusts moved ever closer to hitting so Billy stepped forward suddenly, stabbing low for Cade's thigh. Down went the dagger to intercept, but to Billy's horror, retracted his weapon and thrust it right back out, up high and across the other way. Cade couldn't get his weapon.

Cade gave a little growl and thrust forth his hand, loosing his grip.

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