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queerchoicesblog · 4 years

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The Carpathia (SC Titanic, Zetta x Adele Series, Ch. 13)

So, folks, here’s the new chapter of the series. Thank you so much for your support, hope you enjoy it!

Little disclaimer-favor: especially since the tags don’t seem to be working anymore, if you do enjoy it, please consider supporting the author & sharing this. A little gesture that means a lot!

Word Count: 3000+

Zetta x Adele Tag: @storyscaped @storyscapefanficarchive @marmolady @animus-and-anima @hayley-carter19 @escako @everlastingchoices @andrxrneda @aestheticsayeed @indescribablechoices @ahrielstuff @bornonawdnsday @nazario-sayeed @h-doodles @adele-serda @marlcasters @brightpinkpeppercorn @nightwhite13 @ramenwithaspoon @michelleconnoly @charliejane-blog @ghost-of-yuri @choicesgremlin @shadeofangelus @lanzhansguqin @orange-elephants

Zetta x Adele Series Tag: @eternal-langdon @nydeiri

➡️ Ch. 1, Ch. 2/1, Ch. 2/2, Ch. 3, Ch. 4, Ch. 5, Ch. 6, Ch. 7, Ch. 8/1, Ch. 8/2, Ch. 9, Ch. 10/1, Ch. 10/2, Ch. 11/1, Ch. 11/2, Ch. 12

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The lights of dawn warm our cold cheeks as hope kindles again in our hearts after the horrors of the night. A wave of relief wash over us all as we see another steamer, our savior, slowly reduce its speed until it comes to an halt not far from us. Waiting for us. Those who still have an ounce of energy in them cry tears of joy: never such sight has been more blessed. We are safe. We did it. Thank God we did it. "Is...is that real?" Adele's voice is barely a whisper. She hugs herself as she tries to sit straight, her eyes searching the horizon. I am about to say something but her sister anticipates me. Turning her head back towards us after spotting the ship, she gives a little cheer. "It's a ship! It's a ship!" she confirms with another cheer. Then she smiles broadly at Adele and meets my eyes again. "You were right, ma'am! You were right!"

The relived happiness exuding from here is heartwarming. You could see that could she, she would jump up and down and hug everyone at reach. The gleam in her eyes is almost blinding: she put all the fears of the night behind her and is now focusing back on the moment. On living. On this new dawn. "Why, I'm always right" I say jokingly, winking. I'm surprised I can still do that after tonight. But after all, a few hours ago I was winking and sharing a little joke with my love at the bottom of the Grand Staircase. Despite everything, despite the impending tragedy. "And it's Zetta for you, honey" I add as the officer stands and give our oarsmen the order to row us towards the steamship. It takes time to coordinate all the lifeboats in this sea of ice. We can see it now in the morning light: we're surrounded by a web of icebergs just like the one I saw with horror from the deck. They're everywhere, cruel testament of the mournful events of the night. Why no one spotted it? Why were we racing at high speed? I decide to leave my questions unanswered and hug my love as we move again. They don't matter now. All that matters is that we're alive. It takes hours and hours to line all the vessels alongside the steamship called 'Carpathia' and bring us all abroad. Which is easier said than done. Those who can climb up rope ladders, others are hoisted up in slings and the children in mail sacks. Our vessel is among the last ones to be boarded so when I finally set foot on the main deck of the ship, it is already crowded with passengers from the Titanic. As I take a few steps forward, the scenes of joy I witness move me to the point that I distinctly feel a lump forming in my throat and my eyes welling. I probably needed this: thee has been a moment I started losing hope to see this beautiful dawn. And this sight is...another dawn, in its own way. Families and friends reunited and hugging each other, cupping their faces and crying all the tears they've suppressed so far. It's a balsam to my aching heart. I hear someone saying something near me but I cannot tell if they're talking to me. I turn and a stewardess is standing at my side, handing me a wool blanket with a gentle smile. I smile back at her and wrap the blanket around my shoulders. I am freezing despite James's jacket so I am eternally grateful to her when a little warmth embraces me. I savour the feeling for a moment then I search my companions. They are all standing a few steps away. Hileni pulled Adele into a tight hug as Sabine is gathering blankets for them. Matteo and Jamie awkwardly stand side by side. Jamie is saying something I cannot hear that makes Teo shake his head but my nephew insists. He looks like he's begging him. It seems to be important...I can only hope he's not being unreasonable again. I walk towards my dear ones and approach my little Napoleon. Dark circles frame her bright eyes and mine too, probably. The night was rough, to put it mildly. We share a tired smile then I hug her. She tenses up at first, not expecting it, but soon relaxes in my arms. We're soon approached by another steward who invites us to follow him. They're gathering the rescued passengers in the dining rooms and serving coffee. We share a look and oblige him. We leave the deck and follow him and other passengers down a series of corridors and stairs. We must look like ghosts to the Carpathia's passengers stepping back at our sight. They wanted to witness this historical moment but they didn't know we would look that bad, I read it on their bewildered faces. When we finally reach one of the dining room a waitress welcomes us with a sympathetic smile and guides us inside. The room is almost full, only a bunch of table are still available. We all follow her, except James and Teo. We are already heading towards the table the waitress pointed when they leave. Last thing I hear from them is Jamie asking directions for the infirmary then they're gone. I'm too exhausted to inquiry further: if they're hurt or sick, the ship doctors will take care of them. We will check on them later. The waitress invites us to take a seat into a table nearby, before turning to attend other passengers. The table is a bit small for all of us but we hardly notice. We seat in silence until steamy cups of coffee are served. I take a huge gulp that almost burn my tongue but it's...resuscitating. The hot coffee injects new life in my veins. Surprisingly, Hileni is the one breaking the silence. "I've...I've heard that it was your birthday yesterday, ma' - I mean, Zetta" she says after clearing her throat. It's still quite weird to her to call me by my name only or so it seems to me by the way she stutters over it. "Belated congratulations" Hileni adds with a sheepish smile, her eyes wandering from me to Adele as if checking if she said the right thing. I wonder what exactly she knows about us, how much my love told her. Not knowing if I'm just an employer or something more than that in her mind, I thank her and flash her a grateful smile: I almost forgot yesterday was my day. I raise my cup and repeats in my best acting voice the words I said at my party: "Thank you, old friends and new, for being here with me to celebrate my twentieth birthday" They ring a bit hollow now, away from the Café Parisien. Adele and Sabine smile weakly, probably reminiscing when they first heard them, while Hileni looks at me with amused curiosity, raising her own cup. This time I change my next line, though. "...And that's all that matters now. All of us being here, together, drinking coffee at this table on another ship" I embrace all of them with one look. "It's the best birthday gift I could ask for after last night. I wouldn't trade it with anything" I add softly and God knows I mean every word. It's the first time that I see Sabine almost on the verge of tears at my kind words. I place my hand on her shoulder and squeeze it gently as she tries to shake the lump in her throat off taking a gulp of coffee. I continue sharing details of what a beautiful work my little Napoleon and Adele did with the decorations with Hileni. I know it may sound silly -some would even say disrespectful maybe- now talking about those things but my mind is frozen and it's the only happy thing that comes into my mind at the moment. For some reason I feel like I should talk, say something even little things like that to prevent us from drowning in our sorrow. I know that moment will come and I dread it: when it will all sink in, we will be shattered and we will need each other. For now I must try to fill the silence, the void...to patch our wounds even if temporarily. Adele is awfully quiet but her sister listens with interest and...gratitude, I cannot tell. Sabine tries to recover, sipping her coffee and adjusting her blanket. I'm telling Hileni that I will teach her how to waltz too when we will be in America and recovered from this tragic night, that Sabine and I will show them both around when someone startles me. All of us, to be honest. A hand grabs my shoulder and I turn to see a young woman standing at my side. Her hair and overall look dishevelled, she either refused or let go of her blanket as she's just wearing an unbuttoned wool coat. It takes me a moment to recognise the young lady Sabine and I bumped into as we ran to the promenade and saw the iceberg. I suddenly remember as a flash her walking past us at the arm of a young man. Now the look on her face is no longer numb...what's in her eyes is pure dread and frantic despair. "Pardon me, ladies, but I was wondering if you could help me? I'm looking for someone, maybe you've seen him. Here's a picture of him!" Both her voice and her hands shakes as she show us a miniature picture on the inside of her necklace. The young gentleman who was with her on the deck. In the picture he's wearing a uniform and a dignified smile is curling his lips. I grimace as we take a look and she continues, almost feverishly. "Name's Henry, Henry Atherton. He served in the Navy and...and he has quite an accent when he speaks, he's from Liverpool..have you seen him? We separated on the deck, he said he would get the next lifeboat I- I didn't want to go without him but he insisted saying we will be meet again when rescued but I can't find him anywhere, have you seen him?" My heart sinks as we all grimly shake our head saying that sadly no, we didn't see his Henry. Her face falls too but she won't surrender so soon. How long has she been searching for him? I wince at the thought of it. Sabine suggests her to go to the main deck: many survivors are still there or to ask directions for the other dining rooms. The young woman nods frantically and announces that she will go back to the deck. "Godspeed, we will come find you if we see him, Miss...?" I add as she's already resumed her search. She turns back and share her name before fighting her way through the crowd. Silence falls at our table as we share un uneasy look. I noticed a ring at her finger, I wonder if they're married, maybe even newlyweds. Maybe they decided to honeymoon on the Ship of Dreams...I pray she will find her Henry and her heart won't be broken in such a tragic way. In the days that follow, three days that resemble a haze, we soon realize that so many hearts broke or are bound to be shattered: so few of us made it to the Carpathia. Which means too many poor souls went to their watery grave. Fathers, husbands, wives, friends, crew, maids...even children. I hear that lifeboat 12 was filled with the corpses of those who froze to death on the vessels waiting for our rescue and abandoned there. I'm grateful I had already left the deck by that time and was spared such a sight. On a bright note, it seems the officer who came back to look for survivors manage to save three people in the end. The joyful hugs of sweet reunions of the first day become rare as hopes die when so many loved ones fail to reappear in the crowd. One of them is Henry: if he was here now, the poor girl would have no reason to sob uncontrollably in the arms of a maid. As we sail towards New York our hearts fill with a weird mix of relief of being alive and sorrow for all the lives lost at sea. Sabine takes charge of our group. I remember she mentioning being used to grief as she buried her family when she was young, and she tries her best to comfort me and the others. She tries to keep us busy, no matter how silly the tasks she suggests sound: "if the hands are busy working, mind aches less and heals faster", she explains, probably translating a motto a wise relative used to say to her. So she braids Hileni's hair and converses with her in French, or suggests card matches or literally anything that would prevent us from be quiet. Teo and Hileni sometimes oblige and joins her while James is ever absent. Always somewhere else, always lost in his own thought as if losing himself in a stupor. I wish I could talk to him but I have no words for him. Not now, at least: the wound is still too fresh. I return him his jacket and quickly hug him but that's all I can do for him. The one who concerns me most is Adele, surprisingly. The girl who left me speechless with her silver tongue during our short trip is now as quiet as a tomb. She tries to shake away her sadness when Hileni is around but the light in her eyes is fading. It's a terrible thing to see and it makes my heart aches even more. I find the idea of separating from her unbearable and I can only hope my closeness helps her somehow...even if I start doubting it. I escort her around the ship for walks because I can't bear the thought of her succumbing to her grief. I hold her close, uncaring of what others may think, but she's a ghost, a shadow of her usual self. I try not to think of what awaits me in America and make sure she eats, sleep, survive. I caress her hair hoping my presence is of some comfort to her. Maybe America will do her good too as it did for me. After the first year with Franz, that is. Maybe a change of scenery, a new job away, a new place to belong will help her moving on. Away from her past in England, from danger and this watery graveyard. I hope so...I can only hope so... One night I wake up before dawn and see her spot empty. A wave of dread runs down my spine as the worst thoughts crowd my mind. The others are sleeping, they didn't notice. Without thinking twice, I wrap a blanket around my shoulders and start looking for her, stopping every member of the crew on my way. Have they seen her? It's one of them telling me that he thinks he saw a girl meeting my description heading towards the main deck. I ran there full speed as I picture the worst: Adele diving overboard, Adele disappearing or freezing in the chilly night...but Adele is doing nothing of that. She's just...crying. She's crying, hugging her knees on a bench facing the ocean. Tears stream down her cheeks and she looks into the distance, into the darkness. I notice an officer nearby, probably wondering whether he should intervene, but when our eyes meet I gesture him I know the girl and he could resume his patrol. I walk towards her trying my best not to upset her. She doesn't seem to acknowledge my presence, lost in her own thoughts and sorrow. When I'm close enough, I reach out and caress her hair. My touch is gentle but sadly I startle her anyway. She looks up and meet my gaze: her eyes are puffed and red, I wonder how long she's been here alone on the desert deck. I smile down at her and nod to make room for me. She hesitates for a moment then scoot over and let me sit beside her. I wrap the blanket around her too and pull her close. We don't have to talk now, I can stay here, quiet and let her cry but she doesn't have to be alone. I kiss her forehead and caress her cheek: I'm right here, my love. Adele rests her head on my shoulder, grateful that I'm not forcing her to find words for the grief she's mourning. She holds on to me, wrapping her arms around my waist as if I am an anchor, her anchor in the storm shaking her soul. I stroke her back as her tears soak our blanket but I don't care. What I care and hope is she will feel a bit better after this: her wounds will take time to heal completely but grief needs tears at some point. When her breath slows down and normalises again, I sigh in relief: the storm is subsiding. That's when she speak, her voice hoarse from crying. Her words flow like waves and I'm glad she's opening up and not letting her sorrow eating her out. She's scared and broken. The horrors of that night are still vivid just like the memories of those left behind. The future is uncertain: she has lost everything, even the little she had, her savings...what are they gonna do in America? She blames herself: it's all her fault, she should have never dragged Hileni into this, how can her sister forgive her? However, I feel the real question here is how my love will forgive herself... I would like to say something but she continues. She has lost everything, including the only friends she made on board. "You and Sabine excluded, obviously" she adds, making me smile a little. I ask her who she's referring to. With a heavy sight, she explains she has not seen her cabinmate ever since. They parted ways on the ship, the water was rising fast in the Turkish Baths when she gave her friend directions to the decks. Adele is worried she didn't make it. "She broke her leg in the collision" she explains grimly before adding. "She provided the posters and pictures for your party. She...she had this dress made for me" Oh right, I think I remember. The cabinmate who is a huge fan of mine and works for Maison Lucille? I ask if it's Corinna she's talking about. "Her real name is Lena" she says but I glad to see her lips curl into a weak smile at my question. Then her eyes fall on her blue jacket and she goes quiet again. She categorically refuses to take it off. Ever, not even to replace it with something warmer. A sudden realisation hits me. I ask her if another friend gave it to her even if I already know the answer. So that's how I learn about Charlie Stoke, brave young steward who helped my love without never asking anything back. A fast friendship as it happens on ships, a friendship tragically interrupted. They parted ways in the engine room, she says. As soon as I hear it, I turn her to face her. My stomach turns at the mere picture of it. "The engine room? You went down there when the ship was sinking?" I ask searching her eyes. I am grateful I get to know this now: if I had known back then, I would have been shattered, utterly defeated. My foolish desperate love... "Yes, all the corridors were flooded and it was the only way out, he said. He was...right" she explains then she lowers her eyes and fresh tears run down her cheeks. "He didn't join you on the deck..." I wince, connecting the dots. No, he stayed down there to help the firemen keeping the lights on till the very last minute. That poor boy gave his life to save our, so many other lives who will never hear once of him. I immediately understand why he and Adele became so close friends in such a short time, two selfless and idealist gems casting a light so bright in this delusional world. I suddenly wish I got the chance to know this Charlie, we were strangers yet so close at my party... I caress my love's face as she regrets not saving him. She tried to stop him but he didn't listen to her. But then, maybe he would have been furious to her for not respecting his decision, his sacrifice. He allowed her to stay a bit longer but then encouraged her to go to the boats and survive this ordeal. "And I respect his decision, he saved my life and Matteo and Hileni but I feel...so lonely now. Without him and I know it's selfish of me when he-" Her voice breaks as her grief strikes hard. I pull her into an embrace and cradle her into my arms. I'm so sorry, my dear love, I'm so terribly sorry... When we part, I brush her hair away from her face, gently, and lean closer and kiss her tears away. No one is in sight or near enough to notice us. Then, I meet Adele's troubled gaze. It softens as I cup her face, stroking her wet cheeks with my thumb. "You are not alone, Adele, no matter how lonely you feel in the aftermath of this tragedy. You have Hileni and it's because of you, thanks to you she's here, quietly sleeping belowdecks. You went down to the belly of that ship and brought her to safety. You saved her. And Teo: you remember how you stood up for him with that officer? You fool" I smile tenderly at her, even if my forehead had certainly covered with cold sweat back then. "And Sabine! I'm pretty sure she has a liking for my former secretary. Tomorrow or when we reach shore we will try and find your cabinmate too, huh? If she's anything like you, I bet she's here somewhere. And...most importantly-" I take a pause: I want her to remember what I'm gonna say next. "You have me, Adele. You will always have me. I don't want to part from you anytime soon. I'll find a way, we'll find a way and- and maybe I can help you starting anew in New York, huh? I would gladly do it, if you let me. No, don't give me that look, my dear suffragette, I know you're an independent woman, I just wanna help" Adele suppresses a giggle at my last comment but I'm sure my words moved her. In full response, she reaches out and places her hand over mine. I follow her gesture and intertwine our fingers after one last stroke to her cheek. I look down at our hands as I choose carefully what to say. "I still want to believe that a renaissance is about to come. Mine, yours" I search her eyes again. "It's always darkest before the dawn, sweetheart, but our renaissance is just out there. I'm sure of it" Adele ponders my words then offers me a weak smile where I sense a little sparkle of hope. She rests her head on my shoulder again, pacified, and asks me if we can stay there a bit longer. Who am I to say no to my troubled Angel? "Tell me about New York. Is it bigger than London?" she whispers, cuddling up to me. I smile to myself at the thought of the city that I call home. The idea of sharing it with Adele makes me unbelievably happy. I tell her of the boulevards and high buildings, so high they look like they're touching the sky. Then the parks, my beloved Central Park, and the theatres, the cafes and restaurants, the movie theatres...the atmosphere. I have never been in a city like that. It's thrilling, vibrant but also quiet and comforting. You just need to know where to find what you look for. I savour the feeling of joyful anticipation of guiding my love through the streets and my favourite spots. To host her at my place and chat freely with her, not needing to refrain our affection. A smile is still lingering on my lips as I conclude my speech and press a quick kiss on the crown of her head. "You'll love it, Adele. I'll show you"

#storyscape titanic #zetta serda #adele carrem #zetta x adele #zetta x adele series

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witharsenicsauce · 4 years

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Chosen Stories From the War #23: The Outrider’s Mission

(Content Warning: This chapter contains descriptions of violence/gore, and implied drug use)

With the help of Vahlen’s phone, it didn’t take long to get hold of Firebrand, who had been panicking about losing four of the most important recruits XCOM had ever had. Eventually, she managed to get close enough to one of the trees that they were able to make the climb up to her. The ones who couldn’t climb rode on the backs of the stronger, more nimble Chosen.

As they landed in the garage and the door slid open, the group stepped off the Skyranger, rubbing sore muscles and nursing minor wounds, but with a general cheer about them. Bradford was waiting for them, as per usual, but this time Senuna had also joined him.

“Welcome back, Menace 1-5.” Bradford said with a smile. “Your mission was a big success.”

“Was it now?” Verge raised a brow. “No one from the ship is with us. In fact, they are all presumably dead.”

“No, but you found the UFO.” Bradford said. “As far as the mission is concerned, that’s all we asked of you. Good job, people.”

Gur-Rai crossed his arms as he met Senuna’s eyes. “Well Commander, it’s an honor to see you out of bed before noon.”

Senuna smiled irritably. “Don’t make fun of me, Darkstrider. I wanted to see you all back myself.” She pushed past him and walked up to Dhar-Mon and Malinalli, her eyes softening. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Malinalli saluted, her eyes against the floor, and Dhar-Mon bowed. “I must apologize, Commander.” He said. “We were careless in allowing ourselves to become lost.”

“Oh nonsense!” Senuna reached up and put a hand on his massive shoulder. “You survived out there and kept each other safe. If anything, it was my fault. I didn’t expect the forest to have a dampening effect on our communications.” She looked to Malinalli. “And you, little one, fared wonderfully.”

“Thank you, Madam.” Malinalli seemed to blush. “I try my best, each time.”

“Commander.” Kon-Mai stepped forward. “I believe we may have something of interest to you.” She held out the old phone.

Senuna’s eyes immediately widened, signifying she recognized the old device. She gently took it from Kon-Mai’s grasp, as if she feared her touch would break it. She turned it on, and let loose a small whimper at the sight of the picture on the home screen. They could see tears welling in her turquoise eyes.

“Where did you find this?” She asked.

“On the crashed ship.” Gur-Rai said. “It looked recent.”

“That photo is of you.” Malinalli said. “And Vahlen…?”

Senuna grit her teeth. “ADVENT can’t have gotten to her before us.” She turned. “I will have Shen begin work on opening this immediately. It might give us more clues to her whereabouts.”

“We need Shen to hack it?”

“Moira changed her code every other month because she was paranoid.” Senuna shrugged. “Or to keep me from ordering food using her card…the point is, I don’t know what her code was, but Shen can probably get into it.”

“Well, Shen might need help.” Gur-Rai rubbed his hands together.

“She might.” Senuna smiled. “But it won’t be from you, Darkstrider.”

He raised a brow. “...Did I screw up already, Commander?”

“Oh no. You just have another mission coming up.” She giggled. “And this one is gonna be fun~”

A good night's sleep was what they all needed to process what they had learned in the forest, though their dreams did not offer any solace.

The Shrinemaiden dreamt of a child she couldn’t see, with eyes that looked like hers, following her through the forest, seemingly only visible when the sun rays hit just right.

The Darkstrider dreamed of guns in his palm and riding shotgun in a beat up old truck, laughing with a joy he had not known since he’d been human.

The Hieromonk dreamed of a murky river, upon which he floated on a raft. From bubbles under the water came distinct notes of saxophones, drums and violins, and a man’s voice singing, the sound of which made him sad. It was a relief when his alarm went off, and he was jolted from his slumber.

The sun was already up, painting the sky orange behind thick clouds. He groaned as he sat up, rubbing the knot of muscles that was his neck. No matter how he tried, he never seemed to be able to fully relax. How his sister did so was beyond him.

Dhar-Mon rose from bed, running a hand through his hair, which had been growing ever since he’d arrived on this ship. For some reason, now that he was out of the Elders’ embrace, it seemed to grow faster. It was down to his mid back now. He considered cutting it…

Then he felt where the screws and bolts used to be, the ones that tethered those heinous red contraptions to his skull. They were gone now, ripped out by the medical team so they could perform his brain surgery, after his “father” nearly killed him. All that was left were the deep, ugly scars.

He stood and went to the bathroom, stared briefly at the toilet he would never have to use, and then looked at himself in the mirror.

Ugly: that was the first word he thought of. Ugly. Before all this he could have looked in the mirror and insisted that the Elders blessed him with the visage of gods. Now his blue skin and red eyes only served to distance everyone else on this ship from him, reminding him he was not-

There was a knock on his door, and he quickly threw on his robe (the very soft, plushy pink one Kon-Mai had made him), and pressed his ear to the metal. “Who is there?”

“Just me!” Malinalli’s happy voice replied. “You okay?”

He opened the door, so eager to see her that he forgot about his state and, as such, was embarrassed by her giggle when she laid her eyes upon him.

“You look so cute!” She cooed.

He blushed, his blue skin turning deep violet. “I…was dressing and...well it would be rude to leave you out in the hallway.”

“I can wait if you want me to come ba-”

“No, no no.” He stepped to the side. “Come in.”

She followed him inside and, suddenly, it occurred to him just how much smaller she was than him, especially when she sat on the bed that was literally twice as long as she was. He was 8’2, and she was almost half his size, maybe 5’5 at most. Her small body did not hold much muscle, but instead was soft and cushioned, her face round and her arms and legs thicker than he had seen before, but then again his frame of reference included only his sister and, maybe, the Commander. Malinalli was certainly chubbier than both, but it seemed to give her an even, healthy glow. If anything, it was fetching.

She looked up at him, looking like she wanted to say something, and he raised a brow in her direction. “Yes?”

“Hey, so, I had a question, before we practiced today.” She swallowed, looking nervous.

“You may ask me anything.” He assured her, straightening up in an attempt to look regal...in his fluffy pink robe. Thankfully, the attempt seemed to work, because relief flooded her face, and she looked up confidently.

“Can I braid your hair?”

“I...beg your pardon?”

She suddenly looked away again. “Braid it, like mine. When I’m working, I braid it so it stays out of my eyes, and your hair is getting longer, so I was wondering...maybe you wanted…” She coughed. “It’s not a big deal, really, just...something interesting. I thought it might be fun to try.”

Dhar-Mon stared at her for a moment. His priests used to tend to his hair, combing out each and every knot, carefully anointing it with oils to maintain it’s sheen, but...they’d never styled it. Never braided it. And it was beginning to get out of hand…

“...Very well.” He muttered. “Would you prefer I sit?”

“Oh! Yes! Please.” She giggled, her face lighting up in a way that made him oh so happy.

“I am not happy.”

“I know.” Mox said to his seething wife as she paced around the armory. “Perhaps the Commander will reconsider.”

“The ‘Commander’ does nothing but play games with us like we’re dolls!” Elena hissed, checking her gun and reloading the bullets again. “One mission with Darkstrider was enough. One mission I could deal with. But he’s going to be in our home, Pratal!”

“I know.” He stood. “It is very angering.”

“It’s in Reaper territory!” She cried. “And he KILLED the Reapers! Hundreds of us! He killed Major Eli!”

“I know.” He just kept repeating. “I can talk with the Commander and ask her to reconsider.”

“She’ll just get angry at you.” Elena pressed her fingers to her temples. “I just...I wish he’d never joined! I wish I’d…” She pressed her face against Mox’s shoulder.

“...Was it not five years ago, you said the same about me?” Mox chuckled. “And ten years ago, you claimed to Volk you would never look a Skirmisher in the face without vomiting.” He planted a kiss on her ear. “And yet, you now wake up beside me every day.”

“Well one day I may vomit after waking up beside you, but it will be for a very different reason.” Elena chuckled. “You...you were different, Pratal. You are different.”

“Perhaps I am.” He said. “But neither of us knew such a thing, until you gave me a chance.”

“But I don’t want to give him a chance.” She whispered. “...I look at him and...I see…”

Mox’s eyes darted to the floor. Her words hurt his own heart just as much as it hurt hers.

“I know it’s been 10 years.” She whispered. “And I love you so much, and I wouldn’t trade my life with you for anything in the world but...I still see his face when I look at him, and it makes me so angry.”

“I know.” He said, pulling her ever closer, squeezing her tight around the waist. “If you cannot work with him, Elena, it is okay.”

“No, it’s not…” She sighed. “I’m sorry. I just...need to move past this.” She took a deep breath. “Tomko is dead. Gur-Rai is not-”

“Gur-Rai is not dead, thank you very much~” That infuriating voice piped up behind her as he waltzed into the armory. He was sucking on a lollipop and it was turning his black tongue slightly green.

“You’re here early.” She growled.

“I wanted to add a new scope to my Darklance.” He chuckled. “And sharpen my machete. She still needs a name, if you have any ideas.”

“No.” Elena grumbled, going back to polishing her gun.

Gur-Rai shrugged and walked past her. “Mox! It’s been years, quite literally! How nice to finally be on a mission together, just like old times!”

“The last time I was deployed with you I ended up with severe brain damage.” Mox said, raising a brow. “And you exploded one of the helicopters.”

“Yes, but because of that, you now have a better paying job and a beautiful wife.” Gur-Rai gestured to Elena. “So if anything, Mox, you should be thanking me~”

“Point at me again.” Elena hissed, aiming her gun at Gur-Rai. “I dare you.”

“Well, someone is touchy.” He winked at Mox. “Luckily, some men like that in a girl.”

“I will shoot you.” She hissed.

“Will you?” He smiled. “I suppose you’ve done it before. Still have the hip to prove it.” He walked off towards the scopes. “Let me know if you think of any good names for my blade!”

Elena wanted to scream.

Kon-Mai had never been good with machines. That was her brother’s territory. She had a much better time with organic things. Notably, humanoid things.

So why was she down here in Engineering, she asked herself as she peered over the counter at the many half-finished projects Shen had left out. Most were a tangle of exposed wires and cords, some plugged in and powered on, some effectively dark.

Including Vahlen’s cell phone.

Kon-Mai picked it up and pressed the power button. The screen came to life and, once again, she saw that picture on the very front, displayed proudly: the Commander in a short white skirt and casual blue sweater. Vahlen stood beside her in equally relaxed clothing, their arms linked like a chain. In their free hands, they each held an ice cream cone.

She puzzled over the picture. How long ago was it taken? Senuna looked relatively younger, perhaps in the eyes, but her face always looked incredibly youthful, and her short hair added to the aesthetic. Vahlen’s brown hair was long, pulled into wavy pigtails, and her green eyes were bright. Kon-Mai noticed the scientist was actually noticeably darker in skin tone than the Commander, and in fact she was also a bit taller. She definitely looked younger than in the WANTED posters.

“Whatcha doin?”

Kon-Mai jumped, dropping the phone as she whirled around and met with the smiling face of the Commander herself, who looked like she was giggling at Kon-Mai’s shock.

“I am so sorry.” Kon-Mai stammered, putting the phone back. “I simply...I wanted…”

“It’s okay.” Senuna assured her, picking the phone up and handing it back to her. “...You like that picture?”

“I just…” She struggled for the words. “That is Dr. Vahlen? In the picture?”

Senuna chuckled and sat down on a nearby stool. “Yes. I know, time took its toll on her a bit since that was taken.” She stared wistfully at the phone for a moment. “...Stars. She was so young back then.”

“How old were you both?” Kon-Mai leaned on the counter in absence of a stool of her own.

“Moira was twenty-two.” Senuna said. “She had just been accepted to a Masters program all the way in Southern Ireland. To celebrate we went on a road trip from Munich to Barcelona. That’s where we took that. Have you ever been to Barcelona, Konnie?”

Kon-Mai nodded. “Once, but never to the beaches.” She examined the crashing waves in the background. “The water is so blue…”

“You’ll never swim in a warmer ocean.” Senuna giggled.

“So you knew the doctor, before XCOM?” Kon-Mai asked. “How did you meet her?”

“College.” Senuna chirped. “I was getting bored of my current job; I was making and selling jewelry at the time, which was quaint, but I needed something new. So I went to Germany and applied to Ludwig Maxililian for another degree.”

“...Another?”

“Yes. This one was in Bioinformatics. To be honest I just chose it because the name was cool~”

Kon-Mai blinked. “...What is that?”

“It’s basically using computers to design software to map the human body and figure out how things tick.” She giggled. “And I’m REALLY good at staring at screens and noticing patterns. Moira was in my Intro to Gene Mapping class, and we sat next to each other in the lecture hall.” She smiled wistfully. “She was kinda shy back then. But I talked enough for the both of us.”

“I think that is true for anyone who speaks to you.” As soon as she said the words, Kon-Mai turned pink, putting a hand over her mouth to stop herself, but the words were out. “I am sorry, Commander.”

Senuna laughed. “No no, it’s the truth!” She winked. “I don’t mind looking at myself in the mirror. Well, after I put my makeup on, that is”

It always seemed to be dark in Reaper territory.

The Darkstrider shivered; not with fear but anticipation. The clouds covering the sky gave the air a green, glowing tint and made him oh so excited. He could hear his prey slithering in the cracked streets and between the buildings, the groan of distant Lost, the gentle clatter of Chryssalids…

Gur-Rai ran his fingers along Darkclaw. “Tonight is a good night.”

“Indeed.” Outrider muttered. Even she couldn’t argue with his excitement: it was present in all Reapers. They were all hunters. It was in their blood.

Mox, on the other hand, heard the sounds and seemed wary. “We must meet with the rendezvous soon.”

“Already here.”

The three turned around at the sound of the soft, scratchy voice. A young woman who was nearly as tall as the Darkstrider himself emerged from the shadows. It was hard to see in the darkness, but the coat she wore was of green snakeskin rather than the usual black leather the Reapers donned. She lowered her hood to reveal stark white hair, chopped haphazardly, and green eyes that pierced the darkness with their intensity.

“Cruzita.” Elena said. “Where is Lars?”

“Behind you.” From off the bridge, a short, slender man jumped into view, emerging from the darkness like a dolphin from the depths of Hell. He landed in a crouch, his gun already drawn. “There are many snakes out tonight.”

“Wonderful~” Cruzita smiled, her teeth as white as her hair. “I do so need a new coat.”

“First we weed out the Lost.” Outrider said. “Then we-”

“Pardon me, Elena, but I don’t think I’ve met your friends.” Gur-Rai chuckled. In reality, they did look semi-familiar, but that part of his memory was lost to him.

Cruzita stepped up to him, looking him up and down. Despite his own great height, she was nearly up to his chin, and the burning look in her eyes was beginning to make him nervous. She looked like a cat waiting for it’s prey to make a move before she pounced.

Then she put her hand out. He noticed her nails were blood red. “Cruzita de Vries.”

Putting on his best smile, Gur-Rai shook her hand in return. “Gur-Rai Madron.”

“I like your skin.” She said, her lip twitching. “It’s very smooth...and blue.” Her eye seemed to twitch as well. “I love the color.”

“Well, I thank you.” He chuckled, trying to hide the absolute terror he felt in the presence of this insane woman. He turned to the man. “And you?”

“Lars Velasco.” The man said in an accent that was not quite German and not quite French. He lifted his head to nod, and Gur-Rai could see the glint of glasses under his hood.

“Now if you’re done-” Outrider began.

“Hold on now, let’s all go around the circle and say one interesting thing about ourselves.” He laughed at the look Outrider gave him. “I’m kidding, Elena.” He hauled his gun off his back. “Where do we start?”

“There is a group of Lost over by the old tailor’s shop, that way.” Lars pointed behind her. “I saw a pod nearby. Mostly Vipers.”

“Wonderful.” Elena said. “We start there then.”

“And then we get the snakes.” Cruzita looked excited.

“Of course.” Finally, Outrider smiled. “None shall escape the Reapers’ sights today.”

Malinalli loved running her hands through Dhar-Mon’s hair. It was so fine and delicate, with strands like pure silk. The softness was incredible, almost enviable. Her own curls took at least an hour of maintenance if not more each day, and here he had just woken up looking flawless. She often tried not to dwell on her appearance, but...how was she worth anything to a being like him? Perfect, beautiful, and yet here he was, right in front of her.

As she worked, Dhar-Mon seemed to grow more and more relaxed than he had been when she first arrived. His stiff posture was beginning to unwind, and his robe slipped off one shoulder, and that was when she saw it. The skin under was splotchy, a mix of light blue skin and dark blue scar tissue, and Malinalli felt a pang in her chest. Not thinking, she reached out to touch it. He flinched, hissing.

“I’m sorry!” She gasped. “Does that hurt? I’m so sorry.”

“No.” He whimpered, and it was an obvious lie. He went to pull his robe back around him but...then he stopped.

Her fingers tingled, and she had to ask. “...Did the Elders do that?”

“...Usually they did not leave marks.” He let his robe drop more, until the entirety of his back was exposed. Instead of dark scars like on his shoulder, there were lines, soft criss-crossing ones, They seemed to glow like his veins did and if you blinked, you’d miss them. But as Malinalli reached out to touch them, she could feel the heat radiating off of them.

“Do they hurt?” She asked.

“One can grow accustomed to pain…” He muttered.

“Not this.” She sighed. “I’m a nurse. I can’t let these just sit.” She touched them again and her fingers prickled even more, as though her hands were falling asleep. “Wait right here.” She stood up. “I’m going to grab something.”

“Wait, Mali-” He called out to her. “Did I upset you?”

“No, not you.” She gave him her warmest smile. “I’m just gonna get something to help you feel better.”

“...Did the Elders upset you?”

“The Elders always upset me.” She spat. “Now moreso than usual.”

“And then there was one time…” Senuna pressed a hand to her face. “Oh my god, I can’t believe we did this.”

“What happened?” Kon-Mai pressed her.

“Okay: we had just come back from a party where there was lots of beer, and we SHOULD NOT have been driving, both of us were pretty wasted. But since I handle my alcohol better, I was behind the wheel, and Moira was in the passenger seat.” She continued. “Well we’re driving, the road is completely clear, I’m going...I forget how fast, but probably too fast, and Mora decides to crawl out the window and car surf on the roof.”

Kon-Mai thought back to the Sectopod she had fought and shook on instinct. “That sounds terrifying. Why would she do something so dangerous?”

“It was college, she was young and we were both very stupid.” Senuna sighed. “So she’s on top of the car, and all of a sudden this REALLY sharp turn pops up. I hit the breaks as fast as possible; the car fucking spins, and I heard this loud ‘KA-THUNK’ as Moira topples off the roof and into the street.”

Kon-Mai gasped. “Was she alright?”

“She was fine, except for her knees.” Senuna chuckled. “It’s funny now but at the time, oh stars, it was so scary. She’d landed on her knees and basically tore the skin right off. Like, you could see bone, it was that bad.”

Kon-Mai put a hand on her mouth, and would have gagged if she had the ability. “What on Earth did you do?!”

“You’d think we’d have gone to the hospital.” Senuna shrugged. “Nope. We found a Drogeriemarkt and I wrapped up her knees in gauze and tape in the bathroom of the drug store.” Senuna sighed. “And that’s when I learned healthcare was not for me~”

Kon-Mai nodded dubiously. “...You two had such adventures together.”

“We did. She was…” Senuna stopped on that word, “was.” It seemed to drain the happiness from her eyes. “...She was my best friend. We made so many stupid decisions, but we kept each other safe.”

Kon-Mai smiled. “I know how comforting that is, Commander. And I’m happy you know as well.”

The darkness surrounded the Reapers like a warm blanket, and within its confines, they were safe. Gur-Rai especially cherished the warm embrace, like a mother’s hug. He could see everything from the shadows.

”Now remember. The Lost are drawn to explosions.” Outrider’s voice was scratchy in the comms. “No grenades or claymores yet.”

”Understood.” Mox said, the only one who didn’t seem enthralled by the darkness. He held his own, probably a side effect of being married to Elena, but he’d never be a Reaper, in love with the shadows themselves.

Gur-Rai took up a vantage point on top of an old warehouse and crouched down, looking through his sights. There were the Lost, and behind them, there was the old capsule of radioactive material, glowing green and smelling like sulfur. Being near it made his skin tingle, almost like the static that came with Psionic energy.

“I’m taking the first shot.” Cruzita said over comm.

”Affirmative.” Elena said. ”Lars, on overwatch.”

”Verstehe.”

There was a moment of silence broken only by the gentle moaning of the Lost. Then a bullet ripped through the darkness. Then another. Then another. Then another. Four lost fell dead in rapid succession, and the rest looked around in confusion as to where that had come from. A cackling laugh pierced the blanket of darkness around them. She might have been creepy, but at least Cruzita had the skills to pay the bills.

Mox came next. His gun was nowhere near as accurate as a sniper rifle, but he was still on the ground, within a few deadly feet of his target. He poked his head out from around a corner, and with everyone holding their breath, mowed down three more lost.

“You’re up, Elena.” Gur-Rai purred.

”For the last time. You will refer to me as OUTRIDER.” She snapped in a display of anger Gur-Rai rarely heard from her. ”And do NOT mock me, Darkstrider. I have fought more battles than you ever saw in your days with the Elders.”

“I don’t doubt that.” He chuckled. “I’m only trying to help.”

"You want to help? Do not speak to me unless I speak first.” He heard a gunshot, and three Lost dropped as the bullet cut through their skulls. “Are we clear?”

“...Yeah.” He muttered. “Crystal.”

They sat in silence for a bit, only speaking to pass the baton to one another each time it was their turn to shoot. Gur-Rai kept his mouth shut, his aim slightly off, missing more Lost than he hit. It bugged him. Outrider’s comments were stuck in his head, playing on repeat. Maybe he had been goofing off. Maybe he crossed some line he didn’t know was there. But why in the Void’s name was it always his fault?

As the number of Lost began to dwindle, he heard a hissing noise behind him and ceased his fire. “Outrider.” He hissed. “Something is behind you.”

Outrider didn’t answer, but he could hear her moving.

He repeated his statement. “There’s something on this roof. I’m going to relocate and I think you should too.”

“There’s nothing here, Darkstrider.” She snapped. “I’ve already swept the area.”

He wanted to believe her. But now, he could feel the slow creep of something slithering along the roof tiles. The hissing noise grew louder and he could hear it in Outrider’s comm too.

“Mox.” He leaned over the roof, trying to yell and whisper at the same time. “I need your help! Come get Elena!”

“What?!” Mox yelled up to him. He couldn’t hear him, and if Gur-Rai yelled, Elena was sure to kill him. With no other option, he sat in the darkness and put a hand on his machete, as the hissing came up behind him and rose, ready to strike.

Then Elena screamed. Something darted through the darkness towards him just as Gur-Rai whipped around, pulled his machete from his belt, and cut the encroaching Viper across the snout. It reeled back, blood spraying all over the Chosen man as it shook it’s head and hissed at him in pain and anger.

Instead of staying to fight, the Darkstrider took off to the other end of the roof, set up in a crouch, and aimed at the Viper that had recovered and was now careening toward him. He didn’t even have time to make a quip before he sloppily aimed and took the shot. The Viper fell dead, just as Mox’s ripjack pulled him onto the adjacent roof, where Elena was wrestling with her own Viper.

Lars was waiting, aiming with his rifle for a free shot, meanwhile Cruzita had dove to the ground and landed on the back of a third Viper that no one had even noticed. Black knife in her hand, she was riding it like a merry go round. Lars, instead, turned to that one and shot, but he aimed wide and missed.

Gur-Rai shot his grappling hook to the other roof and pulled himself over, just as the Viper bit down on Elena’s shoulder, drawing a huge amount of blood and venom. She staggered backward and fell, where Mox caught her and hauled her off to one side, ready to block the next strike with his own body.

Gur-Rai was going to make sure he didn’t have to.

Landing behind the snake, he took a shot with Darkclaw, cutting through the snake’s flap and drawing a trickle of blood. It whirled around and shrieked at him, and just as he was about to grab his blade, the snake lunged at his arm and sank it’s fangs into the metal plating of his armor. Normally that could stop bullets, but he could feel those fangs graze his skin. As he tried to pull back, they only dug deeper.

He fell backward, the snake still attached to him and now beginning to wrap around him, tail around his neck.

“You’re just like my ex.” He choked out. “She liked choking too.” He broke off as the tail squeezed his windpipe and cut off his air. He tried to reach around for his rife, but he was fucking laying on it so that wouldn’t work.

“Out, demon!” The rapid fire of a bullpup cut through the air, as well the snake that was holding Gur-Rai. The grip loosened just enough for him to wrench himself out of her grasp and grab Darklance off his back. As the bleeding Viper made one more lunge for him, he fired into her face. She fell back, bleeding and dead.

Before Gur-Rai could even say “thank fuck,” another hiss to his right set him off. He rolled to the side as another snake lashed out at him. “HOW MANY OF YOU ARE THERE?!”

“Too many!” Outrider cried. “We...we need to evacuate.”

“Bryni, we need a pick-” He gasped, scrambling back as the Viper went for him again. In his hurry to get away, he tripped and slammed headfirst into the pavement. He heard the clatter of his comm link falling out of his ear and hitting the ground, as the Viper teeth sank into the fleshy skin of the back of his knee.

He cried out and yanked, the teeth tearing his flesh as he broke free and, with sheer tenacity, reached out and pulled Darklance towards him. The Viper reared up, bearing down on him, and he let out a hiss of his own and pounded three bullets into her chest, her ribs exploding in blood and venom.

Despite the pain in his leg, Gur-Rai stood. “Outrider, what’s the plan?”

Outrider⁠—Elena⁠—looked green and her eyes were unfocused. Mox leaned down and helped her to her feet, and she kept most of her weight on him. “The venom, it’s…”

“I know.” He could already feel his leg tingling, and it was getting hard to breathe. “What’s the plan, Elena?”

She shook her head. To clear it? Maybe. But she didn’t say anything after. Mox was practically carrying her.

“Cruzita.” Mox called.

“Down here!” She called through the comm. Something was squelching in the background.

“How many more snakes do you suspect there are?”

“Probably two…” She paused. “Lars says three. I already have enough for a whole new wardrobe.”

“No, at least four.” Lars clarified. “I took down another one that was coming up behind me.”

“We must evacuate.” Mox said. “Elena needs medical attention.”

“I’m fi-” She broke off, her head lolling briefly. Mox caught her before she fell. “I’m okay…”

“You’re not.” Gur-Rai insisted. “And I’m not. And my comm is dead.”

“Firebrand is watching.” Mox said. “Do we have a flare?”

“I have a gun.” He said. “Not sure she’ll see it though.”

“Do we have antivenom?” Cruzita called from below.

Gur-Rai shook his head. “I probably should have thought to bring some.”

Mox growled, holding Elena close to him. “We must seek medical attention. Lars, Cruzita, begin scouring the area for supplies. Anything that can be used to slow poison.”

“I see planes on the horizon.” Lars said.

“No doubt they’re bringing in reinforcements.” Mox said. “We must retreat.”

Gur-Rai set up beside the two with his rifle poised. “Well then, get ready to shoot your way out of here.”

Malinalli caught a stray dribble of Aloe Vera as she slathered it on the remains of Dhar-Mon’s open wounds. He insisted they no longer hurt, but she could feel him relax as she did this. The unclenching of his muscles was noticeable.

“Has anyone ever tended to these?” She asked.

“...No.” He admitted.

“Not...not even the priests? Your own servants?”

“They were the Elders’ markings.” Dhar-Mon said, almost leaning back into her touch. “And thus, if they left scars, they were meant to remain untreated, reminders of my failure.”

Malinalli swallowed the lump in her throat. “...I’m so sorry…”

“Do not apologize, little phantom.” He smiled back at her. “Your presence makes me forget the pain.”

She blinked, then smiled at him. “I’m happy…” She said softly. “I’m happy you say that…”

He turned back around, and she laid her fingers in the crevice of one particularly deep scar, her finger tracing half-dead tissue. Running it down his back, she felt that prickling again. She closed her eyes, just working up the courage to keep going, keep looking at all this. It was so horrible.

When Malinalli opened her eyes, she gasped. “The cuts!”

Dhar-Mon cried out, not so much in pain, as in surprise. As Malinalli watched, the tips of her fingers glowed with the deep blue-green of her own psionic power. Around her hand, the skin began to shift, molding itself back together, enclosing the long exposed flesh. She dared not move as the largest gash finally fused back together, a faint line the only trace it was ever there.

“Oh my god…” She whispered. “...Tell me you felt that.”

“What was it?” Dhar-Mon asked. “I felt...tingling.”

“Your cut just...It just…” She covered her mouth. “It’s healed. It’s gone.”

“What?!” He jumped up, forgetting his robe had fallen off, and ran to the bathroom, turning to look at his back in the mirror. “...Nalla itzar…” He whispered. “Malinalli, you…” He looked at her, smiling widely with tears in his eyes.

She burst out laughing, her own face wet, and jumped up, running to him and throwing herself into his arms for a hug. “I healed you! I healed you!”

Dhar-Mon picked her up off the ground and squeezed her. “Thank you little phantom…” As his faculties returned to him, he quickly dropped her and grabbed a towel, wrapping it about his waist. “I-I am so sorry, I-”

“No, it’s fine, it’s fine!” She giggled. “We’ve seen each other naked before, it’s fine.” She wrapped her arm around and felt his back again. “How did I do that…?”

“You have an aura of healing.” He chuckled. “I do not know…perhaps your psionics are stronger than I once thought…”

“Psionics…” Malinalli began to look around. “Hey, do you have something sharp?”

“What do you need something sharp for?” He looked wary.

“Nevermind. Let me…” Malinalli rolled her sleeve up and bit down on her arm. She cried out a little bit as she drew blood, then held out her hand. “Try it, Dhar-Mon. Try and heal me.”

“Why would you do that?!”

“So I can test it! I have an idea! If it is psionics then you can do it too!” She nodded. “So give it a shot. Try and heal me.”

“What if I can’t?!”

“Then I’ll put a band-aid on it, I’m a nurse.” She took his hand and laced it with her own. “Just give it a try, Dhar-Mon.”

He sighed loudly and patted her arm. There it was, the tingling. “It will not work.”

“Yes it will.” She winked. “I know it~”

“Tomko…?”

Gur-Rai shook his head to clear the fog that was coming in. He could feel the venom in his veins, blurring his vision and leaving him sluggish and slow. His alien blood could synthesize it better. It probably wouldn’t kill him. Probably. Elena however…

He looked over at the sound of her voice. She lay back against the wall, her shoulder wound already beginning to ooze. Her eyes were clouded, pale grey in this cold orange light. Gur-Rai raised a brow and, reaching up, lowered his hood. “Elena…”

She blinked at him, slowly. “No.” She hissed. “You’re not him.”

“I know.” He put his hood back up. “I’m not trying to be.”

“I don’t want you back.” She spat, her voice shaking. “You’re not him, not anymore. And it’s too late.”

“I know Elena.” He growled. His whole body was burning and this was not helping.

“I hate you.” She said, and this time he heard her voice breaking. “I hate you because you took Tomko. You killed him. You killed him and took him away from me…”

Gur-Rai turned to look at her again. “How did I kill him, Elena?”

“You…” She searched her venom saturated mind for an answer that made sense. “You’re wearing his skin…”

“No. He’s wearing mine.” Gur-Rai hissed. “Tomko is the foundation I am built on. I WAS Tomko, Elena, you know it and so do I.”

That seemed to startle her, even scare her, and her eyes filled with tears. “...Why did you kill him…?”

“Because fate is a cruel bitch.” The Darkstrider snarled. “Maybe it was chance, wrong place, wrong time. Or maybe Tomko was always destined to end up in the tank, and from the moment he was born your love was doomed. But however it happened, it’s OVER, Elena. Tomko is dead; for the love of the stars, let him die with some FUCKING DIGNITY.”

Elena seemed to crumble at that, large hot tears streaming down her face. “I miss him…”

He turned away. “Yeah. I miss him too.”

“Darkstrider.” Mox hissed into his comm. “I have visual of the second pod.”

“Finally some good news.” Gur-Rai rubbed his eyes. If he’d had a stomach, he’d have felt like throwing up by now. Instead, he just felt like someone was rearranging his organs. “Elena is down for the count.”

The silence that followed conveyed Mox’s fear. “And you?”

“I can shoot.” He assured him. “Just...don’t expect heroics.”

“I will not expect much.” Mox assured him. “Lars and Cruzita, get into an overwatch position.”

“Yessir.” Cruzita sang. Gur-Rai saw her and Lars each get on either side of an awning, just as three Vipers and a Sectoid came marching down the street.

Only three? That seemed odd. Gur-Rai felt that prickling on his skin again. “Be careful, you two.”

“Careful?” Cruzita giggled. “Never heard of-” Her words morphed into a scream as the awning came down, sending them tumbling into the grasp of the Sectoid and two Vipers.

“Shitshitshitshit!” Gur-Rai fired off one shot blind and, off course, missed. But he did manage to draw the Sectoid’s attention, who turned and, upon seeing him, let out a screech that shook him to his core.

“MOX!” He screamed, reaching for Elena. “TIME TO RUN!”

“No…” Elena tried to wriggle out of his grip, obviously delirious. “No, not without Tomko…!”

“Tomko is dead!” Gur-Rai hissed.

“No, they took Tomko!” She screamed and pulled away. “I have to save him!”

“Elena!” Gur-Rai snapped. “You have a husband, remember?! A husband that ain’t Tomko! Even if he were alive-”

“I know that!” She screeched, her voice wavering as she tried to balance her rifle on her torn shoulder and aim for the Sectoid. “But he’s more!”

“More than WHAT?!” Gur-Rai yanked the gun away. “This isn’t the time to be star crossed lovers!”

“I let him go!” She cried. “It’s my fault he is gone! It’s my fault they took him! I can’t let him die again!” She tried to grab the gun, slipped and fell. Gur-Rai caught her arm and lowered her slowly, watching as she dissolved into tears.

“...It’s not your fault, Elena.” He whispered. He knelt down beside her, and looked into her eyes. “...I’m Tomko.”

Her unfocused gaze turned to him. “...Tomko…?” She smiled.

“Yep.” He smirked. “And I’m gonna hold off the Vipers for you. Your husband is coming, so go with him ok?”

Elena blinked. “...I’m married now…” She looked so happy, and yet so sad. “I didn’t wait for you…”

“I didn’t want you to…” He wasn’t sure if it was the venom that was making him dizzy, but he felt light headed. “Just go, Elena. You don’t have to save me.” He stood up. “I can do that myself.”

There were footsteps behind him, and Mox came running up, obviously out of breath. The second Elena saw him, her eyes lit up and she crawled to him, throwing her arms around his neck as he knelt down. “My love…” She whispered.

“I have made contact with Firebrand.” Mox panted. “She is en route. We must move to the rooftop of the building with the large “Staples” sign.”

“Gotcha.” Gur-Rai shifted, his leg nearly collapsing in on itself from the pain. He could feel his wound swelling but also knew if he took off his boot to look, he’d never get it back on again, so he hoped and prayed that the pressure applied somehow helped.

“I love you, Pratal…” Elena whimpered as Mox lifted her into his arms.

“And I love you Elena…” Mox hesitated. “Cruzita and Lars are in position.”

“Good.” Gur-Rai looked out over the dark streets. “I’ll cover you while you get Elena there.”

“Are you certain?”

“No.” He sighed. “But it’s the least I can do for dying.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Nothing.”

“You have done so much, Commander.” Kon-Mai mused, watching as Senuna played with the accessible buttons on the phone. “And you have learned so much. An intelligent woman like you; why did you not strive for a doctorate as well?”

“Eh.” Senuna shrugged. “Maybe I would’ve, given more time. It just takes so long and...normal things don’t hold my interest for very long.” She chuckled.

“And yet, XCOM?” Kon-Mai raised a brow.

“You could say XCOM was a family business.” She giggled. “My father founded it, it was only natural I take over~”

“Your father…?” It was strange to hear that. “I’ve never heard you discuss your family before, Commander.”

“Well, he wasn’t my 'biological’ father: I was adopted, you see. But he raised me, taught me everything I know...everything Earth had to offer.” She leaned on her hand. “You know he was a Doctor, he would have loved for me to get a doctorate but...that just ain’t me.”

Kon-Mai wanted to ask who WAS the Commander then. Who was Senuna, the woman who sat before her? But it all felt so intrusive. It was all right there on the surface and yet, still it felt as though Kon-Mai was unintentionally twisting the knife in an already deep wound.

“How did you convince Dr. Vahlen to join XCOM?” She asked, trying to change the subject back to something light hearted.

“Oh, that was difficult. You know she was actually scared? Vahlen! Scared!” Senuna laughed. “It’s so funny to think...I think she was afraid to leave the family she’d built in Ireland. But things were starting to head south with her boyfriend, and she has a tendency to cut ties and run.” Senuna shrugged. “I convinced her to leave. It was hard for her to go, but she was happier here. And she was the best Chief Scientist we ever had before Tygan.”

Kon-Mai nodded, smiling whimsically. “You must miss her…”

“...Yeah.” Senuna sniffled. “Every day.” She went to stand up. “We should probably get going.”

“Going…?”

“If you want to greet your brother on his return.” Senuna chuckled. “Firebrand is coming back.”

“I had not realized!” Kon-Mai straightened up. “Will you lead, Commander?”

“I’ll poke my head in, since I’m already heading that way.” She turned to the door. “What about you?”

Kon-Mai looked puzzled. “Who are you…?”

“Not you.” Senuna winked and cupped her hands over her mouth. “Wanna join us, Jane?”

Kon-Mai looked at the empty doorway...no. Not empty. Something was there…a wisp of brown hair as the shadow pulled away. “Major Kelly?”

Slowly, Jane Kelly poked her head out from around the corner and stood at attention, completely silent.

“Were you listening the whole time?” Senuna laughed. “You could have joined us!”

“I apologize, Commander.” Was all Jane said. “I became...wrapped up in the stories.”

Senuna raised a brow. “...About Vahlen?”

“...Yes, Madam.”

“Hm. You would, huh?” She approached Jane slowly. “Don’t flinch, child, you’re not in trouble.”

Jane nodded, but Kon-Mai saw her face turning red.

“Konnie, go ahead without me.” She turned back to Kon-Mai. “I’ll meet you there.”

“Yes, Commander.” Kon-Mai bowed and pushed past the two. As she left, she heard Senuna whispering something to Jane, in a voice barely above silence.

“She’d be proud of you. You know that, right?”

Kon-Mai held her head high and went on her way.

Dhar-Mon watched in wonder as the wound on Malinalli’s arm began to shimmer, then the skin stretched and closed itself back together. At first a scar remained, then even that faded, until all that was left was a slight discolored patch that was barely visible.

Malinalli looked up in wonder. “...Dhar-Mon. This is…”

“This is magic.” He said. He had known psionics could do a lot: they could bend the will of even the strongest mind or tear apart space itself, but...heal? He had never known this cosmic energy to be able to regenerate.

“Think of all the lives we could save!” She grabbed his hands. “We could teach others! Start a whole clinic based on psionic healing! She giggled. “You and me!”

“You and me?” He hesitated. “And you would want me there?”

“Of course! I lo…” There she went again, stopping herself. Her dark skin turned almost red as she blushed. “You’re my best friend.”

“And you are mine.” He smiled warmly. “My closest friend besides my siblings. I would trust you with my life, Molly.”

She pressed a hand to her cheek and beamed. “Thank you, Dhar-Mon, that’s all I ever want.” She straightened up. “We were supposed to go practice but-”

“Technically, we did.” He chuckled. “And we have developed something even greater because of it.”

“How about you get dressed then?” She giggled. “Your brother is coming back from his mission, we should show him our new trick.”

“He will undoubtedly need healing.” Dhar-Mon chuckled. “Let me dress myself, then I shall come along.”

“Mind if I wait in here? I won’t look.” She promised. She really wanted to look. But that would be weird.

“I suppose.” He chuckled. His hair was still in a braid. He decided to leave it.

The Darkstrider stepped off the Skyranger and into the arms of his sister, who was waiting for him. Her smile was worried, even more so when she saw Elena’s injuries. “What have you all done now?”

“Nothin’.” Gur-Rai muttered as he collapsed in her embrace. As soon as she had a good on him, his leg finally gave out, and damn near took the two of them to the ground together. Kon-Mai gave a yell of surprise that was mirrored by his brother’s voice, as Dhar-Mon and Malinalli entered the garage as well. Immediately, Kon-Mai called for the nurse, but he waved her aside.

“Outrider first.” He croaked. “Then me.”

“Outrider?!” Malinalli rushed onto the Skyranger. “Oh!”

Dhar-Mon knelt beside his brother. “He has been poisoned.”

“Viper venom. I’ll be fine.” He smiled. His teeth were chattering together and he couldn’t stop them.

“He’s burning up.” Kon-Mai snapped, laying her cool hands on his forehead. “We need antivenom. Get Tygan.”

“Wait, Sister…” Dhar-Mon held out his hand. “This...works for wounds. I do not know how it will work for poison…”

“What works?” She watched as Dhar-Mon lowered his hand over Gur-Rai.

“Where were you bitten?”

“Leg…” He coughed. “Left leg…”

“That one consistently gives you trouble…” Kon-Mai sighed.

Dhar-Mon picked up his leg and undid the Velcro on his armor, pulling down the legwarmer, then the boot. The wound was already inflamed and oozing, and the skin around it was beginning to turn black.

He pressed his bare palm to it, and within a moment, both Chosen felt the tingling of psionics. Gur-Rai reached up, grabbing Kon-Mai’s jacket and hissing with the discomfort this brought. Then, he suddenly relaxed.

The wound closed beneath Dhar-Mon’s touch. The swelling melted away, the regular blue pallor returning to Gur-Rai’s leg. Soon all that was left were two, fain bite marks.

Kon-Mai looked up at Dhar-Mon like he was made of gold. “How did you do this…?”

Dhar-Mon smiled. “Molly discovered it. I merely learned from her.” He stood up. “Molly! Do you need help?!”

“Her wounds are a lot worse!” Malinalli called. “But...I think I got her stable. Can someone get Tygan?”

“I will go!” Mox said. Then he stopped as Elena reached out and grabbed his arm. “I will not go!”

“I will.” Dhar-Mon stood. “He will want to hear about these...new talents of ours anyway.”

Back in the med bay, once again. This time, the lights were all off except for the one in Tygan’s little corner office. Gur-Rai bobbed his foot back and forth, side to side. It felt fine, but he was still running a fever from the venom, so Tygan had insisted on keeping him overnight, the absolute worrywort.

He looked over at Elena, in the bed beside him. She had been in much worse shape than him, having to get a blood transfusion due to the venom coursing through her. With that, and the antivenom they’d pumped her full of, she’d managed to pull through, but to be honest there had never been any doubt that she would make it. Mox was sitting beside her in an uncomfortable-looking chair, but he had drifted off and was snoring lightly.

“Hey.” Gur-Rai called quietly. “You awake?”

“Yes.” She said, turning to face him. “Unfortunately. “ Her entire arm was bandaged and wrapped in a sling, and her skin was pale. She had definitely taken the venom worse than he had.

There was a silence between the two, and Gur-Rai wanted to say something. “I’m sorry.” He said.

Elena growled. “Shut up.”

“Look, I’m try-” He began, but she cut him off.

“I’m the one who is sorry.” She hissed. “If I hadn’t...if I’d listened to you, this wouldn’t have happened and I wouldn’t be in hospice right now.” She sighed and laid her head on the pillow. “...I’ve been cruel to you this whole time.”

“Well, I’m sorry for dying on you.” He said. “That was pretty rude of me.”

Elena’s eyes went wide. “...Darkstrider, how much...do you remember?”

“About?”

“...About Tomko.” He could read her face. She had meant to say, “about me.”

He looked up at the ceiling. “I remember you.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.” He raised a hand to his lips. “...We were a couple.”

“..Yes. We were.” She sounded so broken. “And I...I loved-” She covered her mouth, leaving the sentence to hang.

“I know.” He sighed. “You loved Tomko.”

“You're just like him.” She sobbed softly. “You talk just like him, you act like him, whenever I look at you…it’s like he’s back and…” Her voice was shaking but so silent, Gur-Rai had to strain to hear her. “I’m happy with Pratal, I love him so much, but I feel so cheated whenever I look at you, I look and think...you should be Tomko.”

He nodded. “You’re right.” He said. “I should be Tomko.” He turned on his side to face her. “What the Elders did...it was a fucking crime. And it can’t be forgiven or undone.” He looked her in the eye, his glowing irises cutting through the darkness. “But there’s no future for us, Elena. Not anymore.”

“I know.” She sniffled. “I’ll never regret marrying Pratal. Just...if they hadn’t taken you...do you think there was? Do you think…?” She let it hang.

He waited for a moment, breathing deeply. The silence was enough to destroy them both.Then he spoke.

“No.” He said. “Sorry, Elena...we were young. We were in a war. We were excited and...it all caught up to us.” He looked at her. “I loved you in the moment. And maybe Tomko always will. But we’d never have worked out.”

He heard her sob almost silently, and she turned away from him for a moment. And for a second he wondered if she was going to kill him. Wouldn’t that be a good way to die. He always knew it’d be at the hands of one of his lovers.

Then she looked up and, for once, her eyes were smiling. “That’s all I needed to hear.” She said.

“...It was?”

“Yes.” She said, turning toward Mox, who was still sleeping. “Tomko is gone now. We’re not…” She took his hand, and in his sleep Mox squeezed hers. “I’m not. And he’s not.”

“See? There you go.” Gur-Rai gestured to the still sleeping Mox. “You two were meant for each other.”

“I suppose we are. Fate does have a strange way of operating.”

“Kind of like us Reapers.” He chuckled, turning over so she couldn’t see his face.

He felt terrible for lying to her, for saying they had no future. For not telling her that, if Tomko had lived, he would have followed Elena through Hell and back. That Tomko would always love her, even in death. That he regretted not asking for her hand while he was alive...

But that was all in the past now. She was happy. And that was more than he’d ever wanted in this world.

The Sectoid that limped into the chamber, accompanied by two guards, immediately drew Vox Imdugud’s attention. He straightened his crippled back and floated over, looking down at the pathetic slave creature. “You have news for me of great importance.”

The Sectoid nodded, dropping to it’s knees. “Vox Zagre is alive.” The pulses from it’s mind were frantic and almost painful. “Please warn the others. The Chosen live, and they have betrayed us all.”

(The beginning of this chapter sees our gang returning from their previous mission and handing over Vahlen’s phone to Senuna, who sends it to Shen to be hacked. The next morning, Malinalli comes to visit Dhar-Mon and braid his hair, while Elena and Mox prepare for another mission with their former arch nemesis. Kon-Mai begins investigating the abandoned phone and, upon being found by Senuna, begins talking with the Commander about her past with Vahlen. The two met in college, and partook in many wild adventures before Vahlen went to South Ireland for a Masters program. On the Reaper’s mission, Gur-Rai meets two other Reapers, Cruzita de Vries and Lars Velasco, and Elena is obviously still holding a grudge against the Chosen, making it hard for the two to work together. Soon, they are ambushed by Vipers, leading to both Gur-Rai and Elena being wounded. On the subject of wounds, Malinalli finds old scars on Dhar-Mon’s back from his days with the Elders, and accidentally discovers that her psionics have the power to heal injuries. Still out in danger, Elena talks with Gur-Rai as though he were his human self, Tomko, and the two argue until they are extracted by Firebrand, leaving the last pod unkilled. Kon-Mai and Senuna leave to welcome Gur-Rai home, but Senuna is distracted by Jane Kelly, who was listening in on their conversation about Vahlen. Upon returning, Gur-Rai collapsed and Dhar-Mon uses his new psionic healing to treat his brother’s leg wound. Elena and Gur-Rai are transferred to the infirmary, where they talk about the past, and eventually come to an understanding.

Long one today, and I feel it was too brief in parts. But do let me know what you think!)

Archive: chosenstories.tumblr.com/

#xcom #xcom 2 #xcom 2 war of the chosen #xcom hunter #chosen hunter

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petitelepus · 7 years

Text

A Simple Femme In Beast’s Suit, chapter 5

So, I apparently forgot to post this little piece here on Tumblr last week. Well done me! Not. Shoutout to wonderful @rocksinmuffin, they made sure to give us another amazing Sin Day so maybe some angst will be what they need to finish the day off!

Swerve took a big breath. He needed to calm himself down. He wasn’t going to get a reprimanding from Ultra Magnus so he had no reason to be nervous. He was just going to have a session with Rung, the calmest and most understanding mech on the whole Lost Light. He understood why they would make him talk with Rung, but he couldn’t understand why he had to take Blazebite with him.

The said mech stood right behind Swerve, unconsciously intimidating him and curiously grazing her sharp servos against the tires on his shoulders. She must had been curious of them since she didn’t have any. The minibot knew she probably didn’t mean it, but her curiosity gave him creeps all over his spinal strut.

Suddenly door opened and Swerve flinched, jumping at the side to avoid mech leaving the office. Rung followed his latest patient and waved him off.

”Same time next week!” The orange mech called after them. Swerve gulped and Rung turned to him with a kind smile. ”Ah, Swerve, it’s great to see that you could make it. You’re early even!”

”Y- yeah, as great as this can be.”

Rung nodded in pleased manner and then his optics landed on big black mech that stood behind Swerve. Blazebite eyed the orange mech, her optics filled with curiosity. Who was this new mech, she probably thought.

Swerve made way as Rung stepped forward and offered his hand to femme like a real gentleman. ”And you must be young Blazebite I heard so much about. Are you ready to join our session? Oh where are my manners! My name is Rung and I’m ship’s psychiatric. If you ever have something bothering you then you can come talk to me.”

Blazebite tilted her helm in obvious confusion. ”…Ung…?”

Swerve tried not to snicker at the equal confusion showing on Rung’s face, but he couldn’t help a little to smile a little. Rung withdrew his hand and looked Swerve. ”Is she making fun of me?”

”No, I don’t think so, I doubt she even can. She’s just at sparkler’s level. That and I think she doesn’t know how to say R so it most likely isn’t anything malicious.” Swerve quickly explained. Rung nodded and smiled again. ”Well that certainly fits the profile that I received from her.”

The orange mech stepped aside and motioned to his office. Swerve and Blazebite entered the room and Rung followed them, closing door behind him. The minibot took a seat on the patient’s table and Rung moved to join him to his chair, when he suddenly froze in horror.

Swerve craned his neck to see what shocked the calm psychiatric so badly and he noticed Blazebite on other side of the room with one of Rung’s precious model ships in her big servos. The big femme crooned, her optics wide in wonder as she inspected the toy in her hands. Rung quickly sprinted to other side of the room and snatched the toy from black mech’s hands.

”Now, pardon me, but I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t touch my model planes! They’re very delicate and take great time to care for.”

Blazebite looked baffled, but more than anything, hurt. The femme’s lower lip started to quiver and coolant started to pool on her red optics and Swerve flinched in horror. He knew, Blazebite was going to cry and he didn’t want to hear that again.

Rung reacted quickly to Blazebite’s mood change and with a flick of his wrist he wished out of nowhere a box full of energon treats. The femme blinked and stared at the box, then Rung, who smiled and handed one energon stick to Blazebite. ”Here. I have also prepared something else for you.”

Blazebite crooned, coolant ebbing away and curiously nibbled the stick given to her. Once she realised that the stick was actually delicious, she started begging and whining for Rung to give her more. The orange mech chuckled, walked to his table and took out a metallic box that he opened for the giant femme to see and she chirped excitedly.

Swerve was curious to know what was in the box, but he didn’t have to wait long to know as Rung poured the everything inside box on the floor. Blocks of different shapes and sizes. Round blocks, cubes, triangles and stars. All painted with different bright sparkling paints.

Blazebite was absolutely overjoyed, sitting on the floor so she could play with blocks given to her. Rung put the box beside the femme and sat on his chair so they could finally start Swerve’s session.

”Now, we can start whenever you feel like you’re ready to talk. Take your time.” The psychiatric assured to metallurgist and placed his notepad against his leg.

Swerve twiddled his servos as he laid on a patient’s table. The table felt way too big for little old minibot, but he didn’t see it as a reason to complain. His gaze moved all across the secure office’s roof and once he got bored to it he switched to eye the vast model ship collection on the wall across the room.

Swerve instinctively looked at Rung who sat beside the table. The psychiatric was patiently giving him moment to collect himself and calm down. They said being calm helped a lot, but the minibot couldn’t calm himself down. Not with the large black femme in the room, piling blocks into a tower and accidentally knocking them over.

Finally, he sighed and turned his attention back to the ceiling.

”I- I don’t know where to start…!”

”How about how you have been lately?” Rung suggested gently. Swerve nodded and started from his nightmares, how they all began since they returned from Ovika 1.5 and what occurred in there. He didn’t go to details that happened to him during his time as hostage, leaving out the fact that he was orally satisfied and almost raped by the same big mech that was in the same room as he was.

But Rung being smart mech he was, always knew when someone wasn’t telling everything, but he didn’t pressure Swerve to talk about it. The minibot would tell him when he was ready. That didn’t stop the psychiatric from noticing how Swerve shot wary glances at Blazebite every other minute.

”I can see that Blazebite here is causing you distress. How do you feel about her being here during our session? Would you like me to call Brainstorm to pick her up?”

The black femme stopped fumbling with the blocks for a second when she heard her name being mentioned and she stared shorter mechs if one of them wanted her attention, but when she saw she wasn’t needed, she focused back on her blocks.

Swerve shook his helm slowly and unconsciously gnawed his lower lip. ”I… She’s fine here. She can barely speak and when she does she’s not even good at that. I doubt she can even understand what we’re talking about.”

”I understand.” Rung said. ”How do you feel about her in general?”

Swerve sighed. ”She’s… okay, I guess?”

”Just okay?”

”Well… she scares me…” Swerve confessed and started to twiddle with his servos again. Rung scribbled something down to his notepad and looked at minibot again. ”Go on.”

”I mean, she kidnapped me and almost killed my friends! What’s there not to fear!?”

”I agree with you, that is very traumatic to have happen to you.” Rung nodded. ”You have been through a lot since you joined the crew and to add—!”

”Her to my life on the ship! It’s like they did it just to toy with me and harass me! How can I know it wasn’t done just to bully me or something like that?” Swerve slumped in his seat after his little yelling and covered his face with his hands. ”She’s a monster…! I don’t trust her, rebooted or not, and I don’t know if I can ever forgive her for what she did!”

Rung scowled sadly. There was a gentle poke on his arm and he turned to look what needed his attention. Blazebite looked at him, her optics big and she pointed at her open mouth in needy manner, reminding him from Earth’s baby birds. The psychiatric smiled a little bit and gave her an energon stick.

Blazebite crumbled in gratitude, but instead of eating it, she crawled over to the table and sat herself beside Swerve who paid no mind to anything happening around him. Rung smiled at the sight. ”I think if Blazebite could understand what she did was wrong, she would feel regret.”

”That’s the thing! She doesn’t know! She can’t apologise anything to me because she’s stupid and doesn’t even have any memories of what she did!”

”Swerve, look to your right and don’t freak out.”

The minibot moved his hands away from his face and turned to see the black femme offering the candy stick she got from older mech. Swerve flinched in fear without realising it. Blazebite crooned and humbly offered her candy to metallurgist. Swerve accepted the stick slowly and carefully, eyeing it like the stick itself would bite him.

”I don’t think this really helps…”

”It’s a starting process for healing. Baby steps.” Rung said, putting his notepad away and crossing his hands over his lap. ”Quite frankly, I must disagree with Rodimus’ decision. It’s not wise for you to mainly look after Blazebite. I’m going to recommend that she is moved to another quarter. I’ll try to get it done today, but I can’t promise anything. Until then, I suggest that you try to live as normally as you can with Blazebite to your side this day.”

Swerve nodded. At least it was something. He could survive from one day with the monster. It shouldn’t be too much trouble, he could tend bar with Bluestreak while Ten could watch after Blazebite outside the bar where she wouldn’t cause problems to any customers.

Swerve and Rung finished their session with a promise from psychiatric that he would try to settle things as soon as possible and the metallurgist nodded, but he didn’t hold any hopes up. He wasn’t just that lucky.

With a dark cloud and black femme hanging above him, Swerve made his way to his bar. He saw a bunch of mechs already rounded up to the door, waiting for the bar to open. The minibot groaned and tried to see his bouncer over bigger mechs. When he finally noticed big mech he hollered him over and Ten came, pushing his way easily through the group of mechs who also heard Swerve.

”Swerve what’s the hold up, can you open the bar?”

”Yeah, get it open!”

”We wanna get thrashed!”

”Yeah, alright, just give me a second here!” Swerve called back and gave Ten a hard look. ”Ten, I need you to look after the bar entrance and Blazebite here. I don’t care what you do with her, just remember the regular rules and don’t let her bother any customers. Did I explain it to you slowly enough?”

”Ten.” Ten nodded humbly and Swerve made his way to the door through the mech mass. It was surprisingly easy for some reason. Like they were making way for him. There was a rumble behind the metallurgist and he glanced over his shoulder. Blazebite was right behind him and drawing attention to them.

”Hey, who’s the hot femme?”

”Haven’t seen her before!”

”Can I get your comm number baby?”

Swerve groaned out loud. She was already causing problems with customers. He turned around and gave the big femme a very annoyed and angry look. ”Stay here! You’re not allowed in the bar!”

Blazebite lowered her helm and crooned as if she was feeling bad for being left behind. Swerve didn’t pay any mind to it. He turned to open his bar and he was about to enter when there came more crooning behind him and Blazebite tried to follow after him. ”Swee…” He heard her whine.

”Hey, did you hear that?!”

”She’s calling after Swerve!”

”That’s the first one!”

The calls from other mechs hit deep mark inside Swerve. Without realising it, he had already turned around and pushed Blazebite with all his might. ”Stay out of here! I mean it! Don’t think I won’t get Ultra Magnus to take you away because I will if I need to!”

He wasn’t nearly strong enough to push Blazebite away, but the femme still took a step back on her own accord. Mechs around them bursted out laughing, all of them thinking it as harmless fun and not looking any deeper into situation as they made their way past Swerve and Blazebite to the bar.

The femme’s horns on the sides of her helm drooped back like kicked mechanimal’s fins, but Swerve was too upset and angry to pay any concern to her. He slammed bar’s door closed behind him and the music blared to life inside the bar as mechs started to party and drink.

Blazebite whined sadly and slumped on her place like a wilting plant. Ten saw how upset the femme had become and gently put his hand over her shoulder. She glanced the other mech confusedly and Ten tried to cheer her up. ”Ten.”

”…” Blazebite stared him and tilted her head in confusion. ”…en…?”

Ten beamed and pointed at himself happily. ”Ten!” He said as he tried to introduce himself to her with his lacking vocabulary. The big black femme pointed at him with her servo, her curiosity overcoming her sadness. ”E- en…?”

”Ten! Ten ten!”

Blazebite smiled and opened her mouth, but when no sound came out she frowned. ”E- e- en…!” It was obvious that she was getting frustrated with her own limited ability to speak properly. She tried again, only to fail and this time she growled in frustration as her glossa wouldn’t work together with her.

Ten patted her sympathetically to the shoulder and Blazebite growled more, but someone else heard her growling and got the wrong impression of the situation.

”Hey! Don’t be mean to Ten!” Came a childish voice and both big mechs stopped on their tracks as a mech smaller than both of them and white like snow appeared between them. Blazebite craned her neck cables to see down and she was met with cutest looking minibot ever, glaring her like she was a Decepticon.

”If you bully my friend you have to go through me first!” He said and put his arms over his waist. ”But before me, you have to go through Cyclonus!”

”Enough Tailgate.” Came a more serious voice as a purple mech with white horns on his helm made his way to them. Tailgate whined and pointed at the dark femme. ”But Cyclonus…! She was growling at Ten!”

”Ten!” Ten said, shaking his helm and putting his hand over Blazebite’s shoulder as a message that she wasn’t bullying him. Luckily Cyclonus came to ease the tension. ”Tailgate, whatever she was doing, I doubt she meant no harm to Ten.”

”But she was growling! Growliiiing!”

Cyclonus sighed and turned his attention to confused Blazebite who was still staring at suspicious Tailgate. ”My name is Cyclonus and this is my roommate Tailgate. And you are?”

Blazebite crooned, tilting her head and she grouched down closer to Tailgate’s level. She was currently way too curious towards Tailgate to pay any serious attention to Cyclonus. The white minibot puffed out his chest before the big femme and it vaguely reminded her from something small that tried to intimidate something bigger in order to protect themselves from bigger things.

Blazebite’s optics glinted happily and she made quick chirping sounds akin to a reptile and suddenly snatched Tailgate into her arms, hugging him closely against her body.

”Ow ow OW! Too hard! You’re hugging me too hard!” Poor Tailgate cried and he tried to struggle out of the deadly hug of affection. Not knowing what was wrong, but recognising the sounds leaving minibot as sounds of distress, the big femme let go of him.

Tailgate gave himself a look over and when he couldn’t find any scratches or dents he gave Blazebite another glance, now taking in her horns, black paint job, wings over her back and crimson optics. His thoughts were flying around until he came to a conclusion and turned to Cyclonus. ”Is she a new crew member? I’ve never seen a mech with wings before! I want to guess her alt mode!”

The stoic purple mech hummed and gave black femme a look. She seemed harmless so far with her behaviour, but her appearance was truly more frightening. He decided to ask for her name again. ”Your name. Would you share it with us and your side on this galaxy?”

Blazebite rumbled thoughtfully, trying her best to understand what everything meant, but it still left her wondering. Name? She knew a name! Many in fact! Swerve, Brainstorm, Rung, Ten and her own! But maybe it wasn’t her name they wanted? Certainly they wanted to know that Ten was her friend?

”E- en…! …en… eeen…!” Blazebite tried her best to say a name he gave her, but she couldn’t say it right. Cyclonus and Tailgate seemed to understand either way.

”Ten? So you’re also a friend of Ten’s?” Tailgate asked curiously. The femme crooned and hugged Ten as she hid her face against his big shoulder plating. Ten was build to handle roughhousing so he didn’t mind Blazebite’s strong hug. He patted her on the back, minding her folded wings. ”Ten ten.”

Cyclonus nodded in understandment and turned towards Tailgate. ”It appears she has trouble pronouncing Ten’s name. She might not even be able to say her own name.”

”Aww…! That’s so sad!” Tailgate cried and ran up to hug Blazebite leg. The act caught big femme’s attention and she let go of Ten so she could wonder minibot’s behaviour. The said mech snuggled his faceplate against her leg and looked up at her with his blue visor shining brightly.

”Do not worry anymore! Me and Cyclonus will teach you how to speak properly and you can then tell us your name!”

”Her name is Blazebite.”

All four mech turned around to see Chromedome standing there behind them, probably trying to get to the bar, but the entrance was blocked by Blazebite and other mechs surrounding her. Rewind’s helm popped up from behind his lover’s back and he waved happily to Tailgate and his other friends.

”Hi guys!” The always recording minibot greeted them happily and stepped away from behind his Chromedome’s back to meet them, when he was suddenly pushed back by his Conjunx Endura. It took all the mechs present by surprise and even more when Rewind tried again, only to be pushed back again.

”Domey, what’s the matter? Why can’t I go and meet our friends?” He glanced at his partner. Chromedome didn’t even glance at his smaller lover, never taking his visor off from Blazebite.

The femme crooned and eyed Chromedome from helm to pede, twisting and tilting her helm curiously like a organic reptile. When she noticed the smaller mech hidden behind his back, she took a step to the side to see minibot better, only for Chromedome to step in front of his lover protectively.

”Domey!”

”Is there something wrong Chromedome?” Cyclonus asked calmly, trying to calm down the other mech. Chromedome flinched and glanced the purple mech from the corner of his visor before he turned his attention back to Blazebite. ”No, nothings wrong… I’m just being careful, that’s all.”

”Domey, I’m fine now and you told me she is harmless!” Rewind remarked with annoyed tone and tried to step out again, only to be pushed back yet again by his serious lover. ”I said she had reconditioning performed to her. I never said she was harmless.”

Blazebite crooned curiously and Tailgate stepped away to be by Cyclonus’ side. ”What is reconditioning Cyclonus?” He asked curious to know what it was.

The bigger mech hummed in grave thought. ”It’s a one way to perform mnemosurgery, but in reconditioning the surgeon removes and assembles mech’s mind, personality and memories to fit surgeon’s wishes. It’s normally performed only in strict supervision by an law enforcement and another surgeon.” Cyclonus explained and turned to look at Chromedome knowingly. ”It’s highly illegal to perform one without a permission from higher ups.”

”You forget Cyclonus that according to new law the surgery is allowed to be performed if by doing so means saving another mech’s life or prevent harm being done to any individual unable to defend themselves under an dangerous circumstances.”

The two mechs who who usually allowed their better and not to mention smaller halves do the talking were having a silent battle between themselves. Surprisingly it was Cyclonus who caved in. He hadn’t heard much, but he trusted Chromedome’s ability to judge situation if there was a chance of someone, especially Rewind, being harmed.

”I apologise. You were just acting by what’s the best for your Conjunx Endura. I shouldn’t doubt you.” The silent mech apologised humbly. Chromedome shook his head. If he had mouth then he would have smiled. ”You weren’t wrong about it being illegal, but I assure you, I made sure I had Ultra Magnus’ permission before starting and Brainstorm supervised the whole operation.”

Cyclonus nodded. ”I’m glad.”

The awkward situation now long gone and Chromedome actually noticed that his lover wasn’t safely behind him anymore, but standing beside Tailgate and gawking at Blazebite in wonder.

”Can you crouch?” Rewind asked curiously from her. Blazebite tilted her helm curiously to side, not understanding what the cassette mech asked her to do, so Rewind pointed down with his servos like he had seen Sunstreaker do with Bob when the mech wanted his pet to get down. ”I mean down. Can you get down?”

The giant femme crooned at little minibots and Chromedome was just about to jump at her, but instead of harming Rewind or Tailgate in any way she leaned down so she was closer to their height. Rewind smiled internally and petted the femme’s cheek, gently pulling his servos over her plating. To everyone’s surprise

”Cyclonus…! I think I know now what she is…!” Tailgate mumbled, his high voice grave for once in a life time as he turned to look his roommate straight into optics. On the side Chromedome felt coolant collecting to the side of his helm, the fear of the crew realising her true identity hitting it’s peak. That was, until Tailgate cheered. ”She’s like Bob! Only bigger!”

Chromedome let out a breath he didn’t even realise he was holding. Rewind patted Tailgate’s shoulder. ”Almost. She’s like us, but Domey rebooted her so it’s up to us to teach her how to be a good mech and Autobot.”

That only made Tailgate more excited! The happy little minibot turned towards Cyclonus, almost jumping on his spot. ”I can teach her stuff! I can teach her how to be a good guy like we Autobots are and how Decepticons are the evil guys!”

An almost faint smile ghosted over Cyclonus’ lips as he nodded. ”You must get Ultra Magnus’ permission, but otherwise I support your decision.”

Tailgate cheered like it was the day his Spark was forged and looked at happily smiling Blazebite, who had no idea what was going on, but minibot’s happiness was contagious. ”I’m going to teach you how to guess mech who’s transforming, how to play cards, how to play tag, how to—”

”I think we need to first teach her how to speak and read and then see where it goes.” Rewind chuckled in a good manner and glanced at his lover on the side. ”We will also help, won’t we Domey?”

Chromedome was quiet. He wanted to refuse and take Rewind to far away from Blazebite, but when he saw the hopeful look in his lover’s visor and heard how excited he sounded towards teaching her, he couldn’t deny it from him. So he nodded reluctantly. ”Alright, but only with me or Cyclonus supervising you all.”

Tailgate cheered and started excitedly to tell about all the amazing things they would do together, tuning off everyone else and anything around the mech’s little group. Blazebite had no idea what all the things minibot told him were, but when she glanced Ten for reassurance, the mech had smiled to her so she knew that something good or nice was being told to her.

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud screech of stools scraping across the floor, followed by mechs yelling and cursing at each other, followed by lots of punches and followed by Swerve yelling. ”NOT IN MY BAR TONIGHT! TEN, GET IN HERE!”

The bouncer immediately entered the bar to put a stop to the brawl going on, Cyclonus, Tailgate, Chromedome and Rewind following quickly behind him to offer any help he might had needed. Blazebite worried for her new companion’s disappearance followed behind them, but as soon as her pede touched the bar’s floor, Swerve yelled at her. ”YOU STAY OUTSIDE!”

Flinching in shock and fear, the giant femme backed up until the bar’s automatic doors slammed shut in front of her face and all the sound was muffled. Blazebite let out a long sad whine, her horns drooping in sadness. She was yelled and left all by herself alone. Somehow, the situation hit a painful spot in her...

”My, my, my, what an interesting conversation that was!” A new voice piped in, scaring Blazebite so badly she jumped on her spot. The femme looked to the side and saw a whole new mech standing there, his arms folded over his chest and his optics only on her.

Blazebite shrank on her place and carefully took a step back, afraid that the new mech held something against her. She didn’t understand where her fear came from, but it was present. The mech with blue eyes and yellow mouthguard raised his hands to air, palms towards her, showing her that he wasn’t a threat.

”Calm down, I’m not going to hurt you! I’m here to see you…!” He said with a calm gentle voice that coaxed Blazebite to leave her fears behind her and curiously approach him. The femme leaned close to the still mech, easily leaning over his form and sniffing him. The mech allowed her to take her time to get to know him. After a moment, she pulled away and chirped joyfully, accepting him to her presence.

The mech put his hands down and patted Blaxebite on the side like he was petting her and she happily leaned towards the kind touch. ”I’ve heard so much about you! You and I are pretty similar Blazebite, did you know that? Different from others, but only in a good way. No one else can see it, but I can see it crystal clearly. You’re a rough unpolished diamond and once I’m done with you, you will shine like no other femme ever did!”

Blazebite crooned curiously, her optics glinting and the mech laughed heartily. ”Where are my manners! My name is Getaway and I’m here to be your friend!”

The femme clicked her glossa as she tried to pronounce the new word given to her. ”…F- fiend…?”

Getaway grinned internally, the grin only visible in his bright blue optics. ”Friend, but close enough. Don’t worry though, we’ll get there sooner than you think…!”

#reader #reader insert #Transformers #Swerve #My Story #rung #Rewind #Chromedome #Tailgate #Cyclonus #Ten #Getaway #simple femme

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midnightluck · 7 years

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after that ace and tiny!sabo ficlet, could you maybe do a sabo and tiny!ace one. preferably before sbo regains his memories, so hes bewildered by this tiny child clinging to him. ( i loved the tiny!sabo fic, btw. that line about ace not being hurt that Thatch liked sabo better was killer

The thing about confidence, Sabo thinks bitterly, is that the only time it’s not arrogance is when you can back it up.

Well, this is what he gets for going into things blindly. The mark isn’t the dumb minion they thought he was, and Koala’s still outside.

“You may as well surrender,” Sabo says, lungs heaving but pipe steady. “We’ve got you cornered.”

The guy just looks at him. “You lie,” he says. “And it wouldn’t matter if you didn’t.”

That’s--well, worrying. “You’re right on both counts,” Sabo concedes, “but it doesn’t matter, because I’ll be more than enough.”

“I’d like to see you try,” he says, so Sabo grins and spins in close. He swings a high round, but it’s baiting, and sure enough the guy gets up a hand to redirect so he pivots off his toes, twists from the hips and slams the pipe straight down instead.

The guy’s smile turns sour and his face flashes into something else altogether. “Iron,” he hisses, and Sabo hesitates a second and falls back a step. That’s not the usual reaction he gets when his pipe touches skin.

“It’s steel, actually,” he says. Well, lies, really; he doesn’t know what the pipe is made of, only that he coated it in powdered seastone.

The look the guy gives him is cat-eyed and creepy, and Sabo adds that to iron and backpedals hard. “You’re not from the Committee at all, are you?”

The guy also takes a step back. “The what?”

“The Committee,” Sabo says, letting his pipe fall out of the line of sight. “We were supposed to meet someone here, and--” he fades off into a gesture instead of top secret details.

“I am not,” the guy says, pulling himself up to his full height, which seems about a foot taller than was previously possible. “And I have no time for your games.”

Right, okay, that’s--this is fine. Sabo quick-steps back a bit and sweeps off his hat with his free hand. “I meant no offense,” he says, talking fast and trying to remember stories from long ago in a voice he’s long since forgotten. “If any was taken, it was given in error!”

The really not-human thing pretending to be a guy stops looming and starts listening, and that’s the only opening Sabo needs. “Offense was given freely,” he says, and Sabo shakes his head.

“I had thought you another,” he says. “I mean no disrespect to you or yours, really.” He’d offer to make amends but he knows better than to give an opening like that, and the only other thing he has to pull from is one exchange of blows. “You are an honorable opponent,” he tries because it’s all he’s got.

The far-too-big eyes narrow at him and that pupil is slit vertical, yeah, that’s not human at all. “You burned me,” he says.

“I humbly beg pardon for my trespass,” Sabo says, but his chin is up and his eyes are steady. “I had thought you a foe.” And then he takes a chance and adds, “I would that I were wrong.”

There's a beat and then the creature says, "Oh, I like you," and it's not a compliment. "In fact, I like you so much I think you deserve a gift."

Ah, yeah, no. How to refuse delicately…? “Surely I’ve done nothing to warrant such a gesture,” he says, careful not to flash his teeth.

That grin is bright and sharp and nasty, and he says, "That's why it's a gift. Freely given, of course.” And then he turns on his heel and is gone.

No smoke, no sound, nothing--just a blink and empty space, and a small shudder spreads across his skin.

“Koala,” he says, and heads for the door. What if the thing went outside, what if--?

He doesn’t make it because the breath's punched out of him. There's nothing visible, just force against his diaphragm and lungs, paralyzing him and he falls to his knees and he can't breathe and there's a blinding headache unfolding behind closed eyes and oh it hurts--

--but only for a second. Then he's on all fours, gasping and just barely stopping the retches from pulling up bile. The headache fades into a quiet kind of awful down at the back of his mind and there’s a soreness in his ribs and footsteps right in front of him.

He jerks backwards, overbalancing and sitting down heavily, but the feet are tiny and so is the kid standing there. “What,” Sabo says, for lack of anything better, and there’s an awful taste like ozone lingering in his mouth.

The kid sighs and props a hand on his hip. “What’d you do now, Sabo?” he asks.

Sabo blinks at him, but just then the door slams open and Koala steps into the gloom of the warehouse. She blinks, looks around, and then locks eyes on the kid. “You okay?” she asks Sabo.

“There was…” Sabo starts, and then takes a breath and sits up straight, tucking his legs into a tailor seat. “There was a fairy?”

Koala gives him a look for that, but the kid nods. When they both glance at him, he sighs. “Still doing stuff without thinking it through, I see,” he says, and then turns to Koala and bows. “Hi! I’m Ace; it’s very nice to meet you.”

She bows back, probably more out of instinct, but at least she doesn’t give him her name. “Nice to meet you too,” she says. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

“There really was a fae,” Ace tells her. “And Sabo pissed him off, so the guy ripped out his memory into a person.”

Sabo blinks at him once, breathing. He doesn’t remember this kid at all, so it can’t be his memory. Unless…

“Sabo pissed off a fairy?” Koala asks, and he knows that tone, that’s the I-promise-I’m-not-laughing-at-you voice that means she’s really laughing at him a lot. “How’d he manage that?”

Ace just raises his eyebrows and tilts his head. “How do you think?” he asks disgustedly. “He opened his mouth, that’s how.”

Well, that’s hardly fair. “I didn’t--” Sabo starts to say, but Koala laughs and steps forward to ruffle the kid’s hair.

“I like you,” she says. “You can stay.”

Because the kid knows his name and clearly knows Sabo well enough to to be exasperated, and that’s not nothing. “I don’t know you,” Sabo says anyway, and the kid--Ace--turns.

“You--” he says, and stops. He closes his eyes and breathes and then opens them again. “You forgot us,” he says quietly. “You forgot us, Sabo; you forgot me and Luffy and--” and he can’t finish, turning his face away and clenching small fists.

It hurts his heart, kind of, which is weird because he doesn’t know the kid, he doesn’t, and he shouldn’t care, but, “I forgot a lot of things,” he says flippantly, because it’s not an excuse but it is a reason.

Ace turns back to him, sudden and sharp, and his chin comes up and his eyes flash. He walks forward, purposefully, right into Sabo’s personal space, and Sabo lets him. The kid goes in like he’s going to hold Sabo’s face, and then his hands go further back and he grabs Sabo’s ears instead.

“You,” he says, while Sabo squawks and flails wildly, “are an idiot. Now listen up, cause I’m only gonna say this once.” and he drags Sabo’s head forward by the ears and slams their foreheads together to stare directly into his eyes. “We’re your brothers, Luffy and I, and even if you forgot us, we never forgot you. My name is Portgas D Ace and if you forget it again I’m gonna kick your ass.”

“Okay, okay!” Sabo says, probably too loud, and he swings up and over, using the kid’s arms as runways to pluck the hands off his ears. It hurts, but Ace ducks and steps back on his left foot, which is the perfect dodge to his usual follow-up hook. Which he didn’t throw this time, because it’s still a kid, geeze, but still. “You’re Ace! I’ll remember!”

Ace huffs. “And while you’re at it, remember the rest of your life. You forgot; how are you that careless? Don’t misplace your memories again, idiot.”

And Sabo sighs and rolls his eyes. “That’s not how it works, Ace,” he says, because that always happens; it’s not that Ace misunderstands so much as he interprets things differently. “You know what amnesia is, stop trying to sound smart.”

“I am plenty smart!” Ace yells at him, tiny arms flying up. “It anyone here’s not smart, it’s you!”

"Hey now," Koala says, "Just because it's true is no reason to be nasty."

"True--!" Sabo splutters, and they both ignore him.

"You're good," Ace tells Koala. "I like you. Thank you for being a reasonable person."

Koala grins real big at him, and Sabo can see the way her fingers are twitching. She probably wants to glomp him. Ace bites, but he's not about to tell a traitor like her that. Let her find out for herself. "You're a cutie," she says instead. "Hey, tell me about tiny Sabo. Was he always like this?"

"Yes, Ace says promptly, then squints. "Wait, like what? Hardheaded, with a sharp tongue and a temper to match? Yeah, no, he came that way."

"I'm Koala," she says, sticking out her hand. "You're a blessing."

He takes it and bows over it and Sabo nearly chokes on his tongue. "When did you learn manners?"

"It wasn't from you," Ace bites back and straightens. "I know who you are, Koala," he adds. "I am kinda from him, after all. He thinks you're nice."

Sabo explodes forward out of his seat to try to tackle Ace. "Shut up!" He howls. "I totally don't! Ace, no! Come back here, Ace!"

Koala scoops Ace up instead and props him on her hip. Ace lets her, the little bastard, and makes a face at him over her shoulder. "Come on back to the ship with us," she says, "and tell me all of Sabo's dirty little secrets, won't you?"

"Of course," he tells her, smiling angelically.

"No!" Sabo cries, and runs after them.

He never had a chance, though; he's got stamina, but Koala's a sprinter. She keeps a few steps ahead of him, even with tiny Ace in her arms, whispering awful lies to her. Sabo catches a few words here and there, mostly things about lion pits and alligators and that one time with the cliff and the stream and that was Ace, not Sabo at all, the little liar.

"I hate you," he calls at them, but Koala just laughs and keeps going.

And as Sabo runs, he finds himself laughing. A gift, the creature had said, and meant it as a curse, but it isn’t really. He may not remember everything, but this is good.

Even if he doesn’t remember everything, he knows that.

He catches up to them on the deck of the little schooner he and Koala came here in. Koala laughs and sets Ace down, and when he swoops in to grab Ace, the brat kicks him in the shins and runs some more.

Sabo lets himself fall over onto the deck in a dramatic swoon. “You’ve hurt me,” he says, clutching his chest. “You hurt my heart.”

“Get up,” Ace says, but he comes to check on Sabo anyway, like Sabo knew he would. That puts him well within grabbing distance, and Sabo easily tackles him into a hug.

“Lemme go!” Ace says, fighting madly, but Sabo just hugs him tighter.

“Nope,” he says. “I just found you again; why would I want to let you go?”

Ace grumbles but stills in his arms, and Sabo squeezes once more and then sets him down. “You’re the worst,” Ace says once he’s back on the deck. He straightens his oversized shirt and crosses his arms.

“No, you are,” Sabo says, sticking out his tongue. “And this headache you gave me just won’t go away.”

Ace is unrepentant. “Small price to pay for my presence,” he declares, nose in the air. “Consider it a gift.”

"Yeah, sure, thanks," Sabo says, and for all he gives it a sarcastic lilt, he means it.

"Oh," Ace says, and turns to look at him. "Oh, you--I wasn't ready."

"Ready for what?" Koala asks, and Ace holds up a hand. It's glowing and breaking apart. "You're leaving already?"

"I was a curse," Ace answers. "Made from spite. Spite is strong but short in people like the fae."

"And I thanked you," Sabo says, because if Ace isn't gonna point out his failing, he will. "Fairy creatures contract can be broken with gratitude, freely given."

Ace looks at him with sad eyes but won't confirm it, and Sabo knows he's trying to make him feel less guilty. That'll never work, but he can let Ace think it did. He gives a small smile.

"Stop that," Ace says, reaching up to shove a small hand into his face. "Don't smile like that, Sabo. It hurts."

"Sure," Sabo says, and picks Ace up. He's so light, all glow and dreams.

"Love ya, bro," Ace says, and his smile is more blinding than usual. And then he shatters into glitterlight, and Sabo's hands close on nothing but air.

Koala stands behind him and rests one palm on the back of his shoulder. She says nothing, which is the exact right thing to say.

Sabo stares forward, not crying and not breathing and not moving. Finally he blinks himself out of it. "Hey," he says, leaning back just the slightest bit into the comfort his partner is offering. "Hey, the Moby Dick's still in Paradise, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Koala says. "Last I heard, over at Frangibelle Island."

That's not that far at all, really. "Think Dragon would mind if we were a bit late?"

And Koala lets her hand drop and says, "I'll make him understand."

"Thanks," he says, still staring forward. "You're the best."

"I am," she allows. "But it's not for you; I wanna meet the real him, too."

#sabo the revolutionary #portgas d. ace #koala #fae and fairies #spare me as i'm gone au #answer in the form of a story

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delusaedisillusa · 7 years

Text

The lion's mistress - last chapter

"The whore has to go. Jaime will never see her again." He was his big brother, the saviour of the family and the quintessence of being a Lannister. Cunning, powerful, the one who cared about him, the one who had tried to make another Kevan out of him. Tywin was Kevan's God, Genna's hero, Tygett's rival, the King's hand, Lord Lannister, destroyer of two houses, punisher of poor defenceless women. The great lion of house Lannister. He couldn't look him in the eyes, he had always joked about Tygett and his incapacity not to take everything so seriously. He wished so much that he could just laugh, reject this story with a simple shrug of his shoulders. He desired. But he wasn't able to. "I'll take her away" He turned the back to his brother, he would take the poor girl away. Away from the dangerous beast that he called brother. The girl refused to take any milk of the poppy. The maester tended her wounds, two servant girls took care of her. He didn't post any guards since his brother didn't want to punish her any further. She was safe. He laughed bitterly. "Cersei, we have to talk" She was sitting on her windowsill, pale with swollen purplish neck "I... tried to... stop them" The words came painfully slow, the worst thing were her begging and fearful eyes. 'Believe me please' this was he could read. She didn't need to feel sorry, it wasn't her fault. He was the one who destroyed her. "Cers...Sweetling, I know. I don't blame you, but you see, this changes everything…" "Jaime…" She rasped, he hastened by her side and noticed how she winced from his touch. "Sweetling you can't be Jaime's mistress anymore." "But, but…" "Sweet girl, Jaime will marry Lysa Tully and Lord Tully will not tolerate you… Ever." He paused observing the girl. "You see this marriage is very important, it's a pity you both are so young, he just can't keep a mistress before marrying. He crowned you his Queen of love and beauty before half of Westeros! Lord's Tully pride will not accept this…" He knew he had to add a further injury "...Jaime will not accept what happened to you either…" She had been a strong and proud little thing, but after what she had gone through he wasn't surprised she started to wail. Raw and heart wrenching. He had dreaded this. She tried to speak but he couldn't understand the words. "I'm with child" She sobbed full of phlegm and pain." .Jaiiimeeee" Fools, golden fools. Jaime, the girl and worst of all himself. She would alternately cry and speak. With him only. Tywin was on his way to Kingslanding and Gerion was glad. Jaime's stay was prolonged to his nephew's dismay and his own relief. Tywin would take care that Jaime would be away from the Westerlands for a year or more. He knew how much his nephew hated to write, and he felt awful reading Jaime's letter to him and for Cersei. His love for her, his wish to make a babe as soon as possible. 'Please uncle Gerion take care of her.' One could say he was taking care of her. Still he felt the lowest as he made her believe that due her spoiled status Jaime wouldn't have wanted her anymore. That the men were surely sent by Lord Tully. That she needed to go far away, to have her child. As he saw how desperate she was he knew he had to give her some hope thus he lied again. He lied about pleading her cause and maybe after some time when Jaime would pardon her and Lord Tully would forget her, he would take her back to Jaime... Awful lies. She couldn't stay in Westeros if Jaime shouldn't find her. He had wished to tour the Free Cities as long as he could remember, but this journey would forever leave a bad taste in his mouth. He spoke with Lena about his journey and to his surprise she was adamant to come with him. Trying to reason with her wasn't possible. She didn't wish to marry and this was the reason they had started their tryst. "No one will marry a barren and spoiled daughter, no matter how rich my dowry would be." She had stated. Intelligent and funny, Lena. "If I travel with you my father will not be able to sell me to that awful fat merchant with seven children. Spoil my reputation more" A female presence would have been good for the girl, he told her as much about Cersei's life without divulging Tywin's role in her misfortune. Lena's eyes shined strangely as he told her about Cersei's pregnancy. Gerion Lannister, his mistress, the mistress of his nephew and his crew sailed on the "Laughing Lion". No one felt like laughing. She was miserable, she looked so young and lost, despite the pain she must still have felt she didn't lament. During the night she forgot her stoic behaviour. She cried and called for Jaime. He didn't know if it was the pregnancy or the motion sickness, but she vomited all day. He almost hoped she would lose the babe, so she could start a new life, but Lena told him the child would give Cersei the strength to survive. Unfortunately Cersei didn't open herself to Lena, when she wasn't puking, she watched the sea, when she spoke she could only talk about Jaime and the son she was carrying. "She hopes Jaime will take her back if she'll have his son" Lena suffered with the girl, but sadly they remained strangers to each other. Lena wasn't a noble, but her family was rich, Cersei the bastard daughter of a whore and an unknown father… no, the two ladies didn't have much in common. The ship ride wasn't the happy laughing matter he had dreamt about. It was uncomfortable and painful and he was happy as a they reached Lys. In Lys he rented a small sunny house. A house Cersei didn't leave for the whole duration of her awful pregnancy. The birth was something he wished he would forget someday. Her not ending screams and suddenly the silence. Lena came out radiant, smiling through tears a wailing bundle in her arms. "Did she die?" "No, look at this little jewel, she is perfect, isn't it?" "I mean Cersei…" He looked at the little bastard. Jaime's first born daughter. A squealing pink thing. So little, so precious. He didn't fight as Lena put her in his arms. "Hello, little cub. You are the pinkest thing I've ever seen. What's the name of this sweet darling?" He asked Lena. "Cersei wanted to name her Jaime, but I think she believes she is a boy. The maester gave her a generous amount of milk of the poppy. Oh you are the cutest little girl, Gerion she looks like you!" "She is a Lannister she can only be beautiful...how is Cersei?" "She is sleeping!" Did he hear some contempt? "Now this little lady and I will go to the wet nurse. You are hungry aren't you, my little cub?" Cersei was still weary as he spoke with her. "Cersei, you did wonderful. Your daughter is beautiful" "Daughter?" She chewed the word confused. "Yes, she is healthy and...pink and without a name." "Jaime, my son Jaime" she fought to keep her eyes open. "It's a girl. You have a daughter." "Jaime. Jaime." "How long does she have to take the milk of the poppy?" A week passed and Cersei was still abed, still drugged. He was afraid, childbirth scared him, his mother passed away soon after his birth, he didn't want for the girl to die. With Cersei dead everything would be easier, but she suffered enough, she didn't need to die to simplify the life of the Lannisters. Lena was holding the babe in her arms, already a familiar sight for him and everyone else in the house. Lena was always with the babe. She slept in the room with the wet nurse and the babe. "Gerion, she is hurt, the maester gave her something to stop the milk flow and this makes her sleepy." "Wouldn't it help if she nursed the little one?" The babe was becoming more beautiful everyday. He marvelled, the little thing survived the rape, the journey and she came out pure and clean, little pouty mouth, golden hair and green eyes. A little Jaime as a girl. "Do you think she is fit to be a mother? Gerion, she is a child herself, she can't be trusted with such a task." "Lena, we will not stay here forever. Cersei needs to be trusted with this task, she is the mother. I'll leave money enough for a tutor for… the child needs a name!" "The child needs a name and a family" She was firm and she looked in a way he didn't want to understand. They had taken her baby away. It had been awful, Lena and the midwives had bossed around. Push, breath. Blood and shit and pain. So much pain. And then the babe came out. All this pain for a daughter, a daughter she never saw. Ser Gerion asked her to name the child, Jaime should have named his daughter. Ser Gerion could name her. A bastard she may be, but still a Lannister. Gerion named her Joy. Not Joanna for the daughter of a whore. A servant brought her in the late morning. The babe screamed and Cersei was glad as Lena took her away, this way she could sleep. She didn't want to think. Cersei feared not to be as beautiful as she had been anymore. Lysa Tully with her auburn hair, big blue eyes and her tight virgin cunt infested her dreams. Jaime had loved her breasts, he hadn't been able to keep his hands or mouth away for too long, her breasts would have sagged if she had nursed Joy. Her own mother hadn't nursed her and she had grown just fine. The wet nurse with the enormous teats had surely more milk and Lena had approved her decision. The bitter potion that the maester gave her made her so sleepy, she hadn't any force to hold her little girl, not like her daughter seemed to mind. Joy was always crying, the few times the nanny and Lena allowed her to hold her. She preferred Lena and Gerion. She didn't know what her feelings towards her daughter were. If only she would have been pregnant sooner, Jaime would have never had done this to her. She loved how delicate and beautiful she looked, just like Jaime. After the birth she had cried her breasts full with milk, her body not understanding that it was over. She was just Cersei, not the maid slut, not the lion's mistress, not the used whore of Lannisport. Now that she wasn't with Jaime's child in her womb, she felt how empty she was. She would never feel whole without him. She had wanted to be the mother of Jaime's child, but his daughter rejected her like her father before. She exploded one night as she had wanted to hold her, one of the servants had brought her a cup warm wine with egg and sugar, this helped her to sleep. Joy had been sleeping peacefully, Cersei had been almost afraid to bother her, but she was her mother! A mother should have been able to kiss her baby. Joy had opened her eyes and after recognising her, started to cry. The late hour, the wine, the memories of all the pain she had endured...Cersei felt hate towards the loved and pampered babe. Her voice dripped with venom "I forgot Lannisters don't like whores! But you aren't a Lannister. You aren't better than me. Your grandma was a whore, your mother is a whore. Your father will never recognise you, like mine didn't. Why are you always crying? Why don't you like me, you little bastard? You are like me, no one wants you. You will become a whore like me. You are no better." She was yelling, shaking the babe, Joy was crying at the top of her lungs. She never heard the nanny and Lena shouting, suddenly Joy was gone, and someone was hugging her. "You didn't want me to nurse my baby because I'm a dirty whore." She wasn't sobbing anymore. Lena had been outraged and would have liked to yell at her, but he ushered her out the room. "No, it's just, you are a child yourself, just a little girl…" "She hates me, I'm her mother and she doesn't want me, Jaime doesn't want me, no one wants me…" Maybe Lena was right. "I know what she had to suffer, but I know that Joy deserves more than the girl could give her. It isn't her fault, but she was raised to be a whore, what she had to endure was awful, but it doesn't change the fact, she will not be a good mother. Joy is a Lannister, don't you want her to be happy and safe? No one would touch a Lannister, but the daughter of a whore is free, wild. She is adorable! She could be my daughter, our child. Think about this." He explained her Lena's plan. They would raise Joy as his and Lena's daughter. She would get enough coins to live comfortably, the house, a few servants, a tutor to teach her to write and read. She nodded. He'd believed it would be a good idea to take her outside for a walk. They would travel back in a fortnight, Lena was happy and couldn't wait to come back with 'their' daughter. They had strolled at the port, Cersei was slender and even more beautiful and womanly than before, in Lys her beauty surpassed those of the women around her and many men looked after the girl. She was stiffer than before after they walked by a brothel. Looking at him strangely. In the night she visited him. "I'm not a Lannister but I pay my debts too." She whispered stripping her nightgown. "Cersei, sweet girl you don't need…" "Don't you like me?" What a question. She looked like the Maid in flesh, and Gerion's body couldn't help but responded to her beauty. He hadn't slept with Lena in months and… "You don't want this" He stated, her hands were trembling. He wouldn't sleep with an unwilling woman. "But I have to, and you will not hurt me" Her voice was flat and unsure "You have to? Well you are young and if you want to take a lover…" "I'm not supposed to sell myself?" "Why would you? I told you, you can live here…" "And you showed me the brothel where I can work." She was still naked and trembling. "Please put your robe on. You don't have to be a whore anymore. I'm rich, my family is rich, my brother was...generous" He hated calling the man who hurt her generous. "Your bills will be paid. If you want to sleep with someone it will be because you want to." "I want Jaime…" She threw herself in his arms, he hugged her back. In his mind damning his body, his brother and men generally. They took Joy away from Cersei. The route to Lannisport was an easier one, Lena sang and played with 'their' daughter. Back at home they decided to live together at Casterly Rock, his family accepted Joy. Jaime came back. He had to lie again. It wasn't a lie, it wasn't a lie, it wasn't a lie "Jaime, she was a whore. Whores lie. She was scared you'll like your bride more than her and since she wasn't pregnant she fucked some other guys. This way she could have greeted you with a pregnant belly and you'll have recognised her bastard as your own." "Don't be disappointed, whores are like...rats, they try everything to survive. As she saw her plan was ruined she packed her things. It's for the best, she'll be back at King's Landing, with people she knew." Jaime believed him. Every world he had spoken. Why not? He trusted him, he was his uncle but more like an older brother to him, he bought him his first pony, his first woman. Images of her hunted him. Her body beaten and bruised. Her screams as she birthed Joy. That night as she tried to seduce him. The brave girl, the crying girl, the shaking girl. He would be a father to her little girl, but it would never be enough. In this moment he saw how the innocence left in his nephew's eyes died The same way it died in Cersei's. They still were beautiful and golden, but something in them was lost He believed him, of course he did and left him with a nod. He couldn't bear to be near Jaime, couldn't bear to taint the poor girl no more. A quest. This is what he needed. Doing something heroic or dying while trying. Lena would care for Joy and with a mission to fulfil he would maybe be able to forgive her, himself and the whole mess. "I'm going to find our ancestral sword" He dreamed of her every night She fucked some men, men without a face, but sometimes even friends of his. Soldiers, bakers... it seems to him that every man he spoke with, would visit him in his dreams. She moaned, screamed wild and beautiful. An obscene bacchant shamelessly offering her body to all the cocks around her. A whore in body and soul. He saw her everywhere even in his children's faces, in uncle Gerion's little bastard...everywhere. It didn't help that she was as blond and green eyed as his family. He could have choked on his hate. In bed with his wife he had to control himself, Lysa wasn't Cersei. He wouldn't hurt her. He bedded his wife every second day, but he hadn't slept in her room, not even one night. After he spent himself inside her, he would thank her and would go to his chamber, with a hunger that the couplings with his wife couldn't assuage. She had replaced all his blood with poison and it burned him from within. He would find her. She would look at him with the smile he had thought was her genuine smile, the innocent smile of a young girl, she would lie to him, maybe she would cry and throw herself in his arms. She would kiss him, lure him with that lush rotten treacherous body of her. He would play her dirty game, he would suppress the urge to kill her and instead he would kiss her, he would offer his pardon and take her back with him, in her new home. Her new home would be a basement without windows, without light. He would rip her clothes and put some chains on her. She would only allowed to be on all four like the bitch she was, she would have to eat without using her hands. She would loved to bathe and to be clean, would have to shit and piss in one of the corners. He would fuck her from behind, no more kisses and caresses for the whore, took her hard only for his satisfaction. He would knock her up, not the one child she had wanted before finish her career, no she would whelp each year, without any help, like an animal, and he wouldn't miss a birth, he would be there to see her suffer. He didn't have any idea what to do with the bastards, but he would make her believe he would kill them. The stunning butterfly would become an ugly, sagging, deformed creature. Her skin wouldn't drink the sun, her eyes wouldn't blaze anymore. She would finally stop haunting him. How long could she last? She would lose her mind, but just before, he would wrap his hands around her pale throat and it would end. And he would have paid his debt She dreamed of him, every night. Sometimes she dreamed that he stopped the men that had raped her, he would wrap her in his cloak and take her far away. In the free cities, she would be his wife, have his little beautiful blond curled children, and he would love and respect her. One day they would go back and he would be the Lord of the Rock... She hated this dreams, because they couldn't become reality, in her bed she cried remembering that they did rape her and that she had lost their daughter. Her favourite dreams were the one when he would find her. He would beg of forgiveness, he would swear he didn't give the order, that he'd killed her tormentor and that he still wanted her. He would kiss her and she would be warm again, he would love her and she would be clean again. He would be there for her, he would protect her. She would tell him about their Joy, their perfect little girl, and she would live with her daughter at Lannisport. Maybe they would even have another child, but she wouldn't insist about it, she would respect his wife and be happy with the time he could spend with her. She didn't crave power anymore, she just wanted to be near him, to be loved by him. Because he was her dream, he was what she has wanted to be. He was her knight and she wanted to lean on him, how she had loathed the foolish dreams of the girls, but now she ached to be his. He would come, he loves her, her mind had been wrong, she hadn't listened to her heart. Her heart was sure. He loved her. Sometimes she was afraid, after the men that had tainted her, would he still want to touch her? She couldn't admit to herself that she was scared of his touch, would she feel the brutal hands of her tormentor on her? That night she had a beautiful long dream, Jaime was her husband and they had three golden haired children… She wept in her sleep, like every night since her rape, but those were tears of joy. He would come for her, a Lannister always pays his debts.

#asoiaf fanfiction #cersei x jaime #jaime x cersei #the lion's mistress #aSoIaF

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