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storiesoflilies · 3 months

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Of Angels and Curses

Synopsis - In a world where Angels and Curses are locked in a never ending war, an unsuspecting seraph becomes entangled with the very thing she is fated to eradicate.

Pairings - Curse!Toji Fushiguro x f!Angel!Reader. Curse!Ryomen Sukuna x Reader. Angel!Satoru Gojo x Reader.

Warnings - Descriptions of violence and injuries, eventual smut.

A/N: Aaand he’s here!!!! Happy Valentine’s Day everyone, spread the love and feels, enjoy the chapter! <3 Ko-Fi.

Next Part - Chapter 5

-•-

Chapter 4

In the stillness of the dead of night, she felt it. An aura that somehow cast a veil of darkness so profound that it deepened the already foreboding sky of Hell. It was a spine-tingling symphony, a waltz of electricity, setting her heart pulsating with tantalizing anticipation. Unfolding in hues of emerald and midnight, it crept towards her, fueled by desire and urgency.

He’s here.

Y/N could feel him acutely, a phantom presence that transcended the actual physical distance between them. In the hushed serenity of her room, she sensed his approach to her – for her. Was she to be gathered and taken to his kingdom like a cherished flower? Or was she to be claimed and ripped away from Geto like a debt owed? It was as if she was a coveted prize rightfully won for eternally silencing the very thunder and might of the Angels.

Only a few hours had passed since her conversation with her brother, and she had only experienced bouts of fitful sleep amidst the pulsating back pain. So she had been awake well before she heard the door creak open and the light pitter-patter of footsteps approaching her bed. A hand placed itself on her shoulder, softly shaking it, and Y/N opened her eyes to look at who had disturbed her.

“Apologies for waking you,” a young girl with dark brown hair whispered softly. Another, her twin, with caramel hair, stood silently behind her. “Your presence is required, and we have been instructed to dress you.”

She knew these girls; she had seen them in Heaven not two moons ago. They were Geto’s young protégés, taken under his wing after their parents had died: Nanako and Mimiko. They must have chosen to follow him on his mission to rain hellfire upon Heaven. Y/N nodded her head, slowly rising from the bed, the sheets rustling as she moved. The twins hurried over, their arms hovering around her to support her while she found her footing. Despite the fiery pain in her back, she managed to stand, albeit shakily. Nanako swiftly moved over to the deep wooden wardrobe opposite the bed, and retrieved a black yukata from within it. Together, the twins donned the garment on her, and tied a simple white sash belt around her waist to complete the ensemble. Guided to the vanity table, Y/N settled onto the small wooden stool before the extravagant mirror, allowing the girls to brush and smooth her hair into a style reminiscent of Geto’s.

Indeed, she almost laughed at how similarly dressed she was to her brother. Had the twins done so intentionally of their own accord, or perhaps they had been ordered to? It was a powerful statement regardless; as if her and Geto were bound together by blood woven into the same familial tapestry, boldly asserting that she wouldn’t be so easily surrendered to him - to Toji. The twins seemed unperturbed by the charged atmosphere; Nanako looked almost irritated, while Mimiko displayed no particular emotion on her face.

Impatience.

“Mimiko, where is Suguru?” Y/N asked, hastily rising from the stool, spurred on by his emotions coursing through the bond, while the girls hovered close by her as she took urgent steps outside the bedroom.

Mimiko raised her eyebrows, perhaps surprised that Y/N even remembered her name, “He’s waiting for you in the throne room. We’ll take you there.”

The trio walked wordlessly down the seemingly endless corridors of Geto’s halls. The walls were made of dark stone, adorned with grand paintings depicting portraits, landscapes, and great battles fought both in Hell and on Earth. Memories of Gojo’s tower came to mind, but where his abode was pristine and crisp, Geto’s palace reflected his new enigmatic and frosty personality. Windows lined the top of the walls, yet no light shone through them, and Y/N doubted any ever had before. Perhaps no light could penetrate this deep into the Earth. How then, were they able to detect the passing of time? Did the residents of Hell simply yield to their passing whims, indulging in eating and sleeping whenever they felt like it?

She didn’t dislike that thought, it was almost liberating.

His aura intensified the longer they walked, and Y/N knew they must be approaching the throne room. She swallowed a thick lump in her throat, the gravity of impending events settling deep in her stomach. Her scar seemed sinister, a damning signature of Toji’s ownership; physical evidence that would be hard to deny his claim. After enduring her seemingly impending death in Mahito’s prison, she was going to face him again. Could he feel everything she experienced during her imprisonment? The air thickened in anticipation as Nanako opened the doors to the throne room, and they all stepped forward.

Y/N eyes immediately locked on to him.

The tension was palpable, charged with both peril and allure as they faced each other. His deep green eyes bore into her, dangerously enticing, moulding a direct connection between them that cut through the space separating them. His whole essence exuded power; his burly build commanded attention as he stood a considerable distance from Geto’s throne. His midnight hair was tousled, framing the contours of his jawline, and she couldn’t help but notice the scar gracing the corner of his lips; as deep and violent as he was. She was magnetized, her soul yearned for her body to be close to him, and yet she stayed put. The twins placed her to stand a step below the throne where her brother sat pensively, then quickly scuttled out of the room. The atmosphere seemed to have finally provoked a reaction from them, and perhaps they were wise to run from the scene.

Toji’s eyes hardened as he took her in, his jaw tightening, and his thick forearms flexed with barely restrained fury. A peculiar, worm-like Curse coiled around his build like a snake, reacting to the movement of its master. Y/N looked down, unable to bear the anger in his gaze, while Geto shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

“Bring him here,” Toji commanded lowly, prompting her to look up sharply at the sound of his voice.

He sounded like the rumbling of a distant thunderstorm; Y/N thought she could listen to him forever.

Geto nodded and waved his hand at an unseen servant lurking in the shadows behind the throne. Within seconds, a flaming portal materialized in the center of the room, and a disheveled Mahito tumbled through as if he had been forcefully shoved. He fell to the ground, undignified and pathetic, yet his eyes gleamed with all the madness of a cornered animal about to strike.

Rage.

A black flash tore through the air.

Toji reacted instantaneously, a violent burst of movement as he closed the distance between him and his prey with supernatural swiftness. He struck Mahito in a symphony of uncontrolled chaos, the ferocity of his brutal blows leaving no room for even an ounce of mercy. The air crackled as the tension broke through the whirlwind of Toji’s relentless attack, and Y/N felt an unsettling, sick sense of satisfaction, entranced by the visceral ballet of vengeance unfolding before her. Every strike echoed not only physically but also emotionally, as her kidnapper and Nanami’s killer finally faced his punishment. It was thrilling to even think that Toji was driven to such a profound level of violence just for her.

How much had she had changed since descending into Hell? Y/N found herself actually wishing pain upon a living soul – even one as black as Mahito’s – and it was a startling realization.

“You’re. A. Fucking. Child. You don’t know. What. The word. NO. Means,” Toji hissed between blows, his fury punctuating each word as he struck right into Mahito’s throat, robbing the Curse of any possibility of a reply.

His onslaught ceased as abruptly as it had begun, leaving the air heavy with the remnants of violence. Toji stood over the broken form of Mahito, his broad chest heaving; displaying a calmness that starkly contrasted against his previous fury. An uneasy stillness seeped back into the room, and Geto leaned forward on his throne, meeting Toji’s expectant gaze.

“What exactly did you have planned for this one?” Toji inquired, his voice now resonating like a loud thunderclap.

“I thought I would leave that decision to you, given the circumstances,” Geto replied carefully, his words deliberately measured.

Her brother appeared uncharacteristically reserved, walking on eggshells, carefully considering every word and movement in the presence of the superior king.

“Smart, but the question still remains of what to do with him,” Toji hummed, giving Mahito’s crumpled body a pointed kick. The Curse made no sound, lying there almost lifeless, yet his eyes and mouth were wide open, staring at Toji in shock.

“You can kill him if you wish, I have no objection,” Geto suggested.

He chuckled darkly and raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed with her brother, “I don’t need your permission or approval. Do you need another reminder of your place here?”

Geto said nothing, and Toji’s threat settled heavily in Y/N’s chest. What sort of torment had he inflicted on her brother? Moreover, what had Geto done to warrant it?

“I can’t kill him, the others would ask too many questions,” Toji muttered, crossing his arms. “I assume you haven’t told anyone else about… this situation.”

“As far as everyone is aware, you are hunting Satoru Gojo’s wife to eliminate her and his possible spawn. Nobody is aware of Mahito’s involvement in all of this… or your bond with my sister,” Geto replied smoothly.

Toji’s eyebrows raised once more, and he smirked, “Sister, huh? What a happy family reunion.”

His forest green eyes swept over Y/N again, and she sucked in a breath as she felt her body sway under his intense gaze. Their connection snapped into focus again, and she could sense all the churning emotions within his soul swirling like a stormy sea. It was so curious how he somehow managed to maintain his cool and collected exterior, while she was crippled and barely able to speak. Geto cleared his throat, visibly irked, abruptly interrupting their moment. Toji’s eyes flicked over to her brother, annoyance flickering in his irises, and his anger rose steadily like a wave building momentum to crash onto the shore. She tensed, fists clenching, readying herself to bear witness to another episode of violence between him and Geto. Yet, she refused to stand by idly and watch; Y/N would defend her brother just as he had defended her. He had saved her life more than once, and she was worth less than nothing if she didn’t attempt to do the same. Of course Toji noticed her shift in energy, his eyes flashing as he let out an exaggerated sigh, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.

Effort… dwindling anger.

“Mahito is to remain in prison for the rest of his days,” Toji gritted, eyes opening again to glare at Geto. “You say to the others that he deliberately hid her from me, despite knowing about the bounty, and this is his punishment. Is that clear?”

“Agreed,” Geto said, waving his hand once more. The same fiery portal appeared once more, sucking Mahito’s battered body back through it and zapping closed.

It was deathly silent now, and the pair watched and waited for Toji to continue his demands, the gears in his head turning as he deliberated.

“As for your sister, well… I have no cause to kill her. She is not pregnant with the Six Eyes’ child, and has obviously become one of us now. That’s what you and I will say if any of the others ask about her,” he continued.

Toji stalked towards the throne, his steps deliberate and menacing, until he stood a mere foot away from Y/N. He towered over her, staring deep into her eyes. Geto stood up abruptly, clearly unhappy with his proximity. What exactly he planned on doing she didn’t know, but her soulmate ignored her brother this time.

“Hey you, what’s your name?” Toji demanded, voice deep and haunting, lingering like smoke, as he addressed her directly for the first time.

“Y/N,” she whispered.

He licked his lips, savoring her name like a sweet, and a jolt of energy rushed through her as he hummed, “Do you want me dead, Y/N? For killing your husband.”

Oh, how she loved the sound of her name on his lips; it was divine. She could listen to him forever.

“He wasn’t my husband.”

Interest… relief.

Toji smirked, head tilting to the side as he continued. “I corrupted you, little angel. My sinful soul is bound to you now, and you’ve been cast out of Heaven because of me. Are you sure you don’t want to kill me anyways?”

Her heart hammered as he took a step closer, and she thought he might just reach out and touch her. Toji had figured out the reason for her becoming a curse quicker than she thought, but it wasn’t the only reason. Geto’s energy shifted dangerously, Y/N could feel his power gathering; dark shadows gathering beneath his feet like a serpent ready to strike if Toji took so much as another inch forward – who wasn’t fazed in the slightest. He stood taller than them all; a storm that wouldn’t be deterred from its course. She knew if he wanted to take her away by force, he absolutely could.

“No,” she finally said.

“Hmm, good. In that case, I think it best we have a little arrangement, you and I,” Toji said, finally turning his head up to acknowledge Geto.

“Such as?” Her brother asked, suspicion lacing his words, as his eyes narrowed, his power subsiding just a fraction.

“Consider us allies from here on out. I will not attack you, nor you me, although I doubt you even have the strength to attempt that. So long as Y/N remains here with you, she is not to ascend to Earth for any reason, and in return I expect that your doors are always open for me.”

Toji continued, his words reverberating throughout the room like thunder. “Us three in this room will not speak a word to anyone else of Y/N’s bond with me. You have enough enemies as it is Geto, and my old family aren’t exactly fond of me either. They all don’t need much excuse to kill a Fallen, you know.”

“You may be sending us both to war with this secret alliance,” Geto said. “The others will not appreciate an agreement like this. We are far too powerful united.”

Toji snorted. “We are by no means united, but let them try. If you both keep it together, nobody will figure it out.”

It was silent, and Y/N looked up at her brother, who met her gaze. She could discern any hint on his face as to what he would decide, but was it really a choice? If he said no, what would Toji do? Would it be considered war if he denied another King? In a way, it was just as when Gojo had proposed; only offering an illusion of choice.

“Well?” He huffed impatiently. “Do you agree?”

“Agreed,” Geto gritted, his jaw stiff.

Toji smirked, and looked down at her once more.

“Well then little angel, I’m assuming you would like to stay and catch up with your brother. I’m sure there’s so much you still have to talk about,” he mocked, sly and cruel, his scar stretching as he spoke down to her.

Y/N could only nod, his proximity both exhilarating and debilitating, but she was surprised. Toji had given her a choice, like a fleeting and fragile bloom that lingered just within her grasp. Geto had made it seem Toji would come plundering through his halls to whisk her away, dragging her deeper into his layer of Hell and all his sins. Y/N loathed herself in that moment, her injuries left her incapable of defending herself, and her grief silenced her from speaking up for herself. She was just a pawn in a chess game between monsters and gods; completely out of her depth, like a lost child, not much better than Mahito condemned in prison. Her back started to throb painfully, perhaps because she had been standing too long, or perhaps her self-depreciation had reminded her of the pain that had been there all along. Toji cocked his head at her, his eyes flashing, questioning her without words.

… apologetic?

“I suppose it’s getting late,” he yawned widely, fake and exaggerated. “Take care of yourselves and stay out of trouble, yeah?”

Toji snapped his fingers, and a flaming portal opened up behind him with a thunderous roar. He strode towards it, his back turned to them, the worm slithering menacingly around his arms in loops. Suddenly, he stopped just before the portal, his presence casting a looming and ominous shadow over the room.

And then, he was gone.

-•-

Soon, Y/N discovered, was entirely subjective to Toji’s passing whims.

Two months had dragged by since she, and even Geto for that matter, had seen her Curse in the flesh. Every morning, her heart leaped and mind raced, wondering whether that day would be the day she saw him again. But it never happened, and her brother thought it strange too, considering how fast Toji had arrived when he found out where she was. She couldn’t feel any of his emotions through their bond; perhaps it only sparked to life like a wildfire when they were about to stand face to face. Still, Y/N couldn’t shake the feeling a piece of his puzzle had slotted comfortably into her being – a constant and comforting presence that she yearned for, but remained in the background just out of reach.

Despite Toji’s absence, Y/N threw herself wholeheartedly into her recovery process, taking it one day at a time. Her wounds had healed over nicely, leaving two large scars resembling whip lashes on her back where her wings had once been. Though they twinged from time to time, she was no longer crippled, and that was what mattered most. Geto had even resumed sparring with her, trying to help strengthen her muscles and body again, which stirred deep memories with her of her old life.

“You and Nanami fight exactly the same way, and you don’t even use anything I taught you,” he had commented under his breath, as he easily dodged Y/N, preventing her from landing a critical blow.

“That’s not a bad thing,” she huffed, irritated that she had not managed to land a hit on her brother yet. She was still too stiff and wildly unbalanced, partly due to the missing weight of her wings. However, she found she was far more agile than she was before – if only she could control it.

“Hah, you’re like a baby learning to walk,” he snorted, as she fell over quite hard into the dirt, having overestimated how far up into the air she could leap.

She glared at him hard, wiping the sweaty grime from her forehead. “It makes no sense. How can I jump higher without wings?”

“It’s a blessing about becoming a Curse,” Geto smirked, holding a hand out to help her up. “I like to think it was done to help us fight Angels flying in the sky, although most of us learn how to fly without wings with cursed energy.”

“I know that already, but why can’t I control it?” Y/N snapped as Geto hauled her up. She wasn’t really angry; it was more annoyance of her own failings, and her brother’s perfection: his perfect robes, his perfect hair with not a single strand out of place, and his perfectly annoying ability to excel at everything.

Geto laughed gently, “You will sweet sister, one step at a time. Now… let’s try again.”

And such was the routine most days. The mornings and afternoons were spent with sparring, while the evenings were dedicated to swimming in a large, deep pool underneath the palace. It was connected to different rooms within the palace, like her bedroom and Geto’s room, via secret passageways carved into the foundations of the mountain where her brother’s abode was built. It led to the center of the mountain, where there was a large pool, and another small, narrow passage that led directly out of the mountain. Y/N enjoyed it; the water was warm, perhaps even scalding, but her body had well adjusted to the heat of Hell. It was also secluded, which she greatly appreciated, allowing the pair to swim without any other Curses overlooking them.

It was during these evenings that Geto taught her the politics and ways of life of her new world, and it was not long after Toji’s visit that Y/N had asked him about the threat against him.

“In Hell,” Geto began, a dark look ghosting his face like a fog. “If you challenge a King to a fight to the death and they lose, you have every right to take their place. And that’s what happened. I won against the previous King – Kashimo Hajime.”

Kashimo had commanded the very lightning of storm clouds; Y/N had seen his portraits still proudly hanging in the hallways of the palace. With hair as vibrant as a cyan sea and eyes to match, he looked every bit as crazed and untamable as the power he wielded; a force of nature confined to a Cursed form. Their battle would have been a sight to behold, a spectacle beyond compare.

“You challenged him when you first turned?” Y/N asked, surprised, her eyebrows raised as her arms rested against the edge of the pool while Geto sat with his legs in the water.

He shook his head. “No, he tried to kill me. I killed him first.”

“Why’d he want to kill you?”

Geto kicked his legs in the water, splashing her from the side. “How do I put this? Not all Curses here seem to think beings like us are equal to them.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, that true-born Curses do not deem Fallen Angels to be proper Curses. They think we are inferior to them, and they do not trust us or respect us because we were born in Heaven.”

“So… he tried to kill you for being an Angel? But you chose to fall, and other Fallen Angels are no different to true-born Curses energy, they’re all the same.”

“I know that sister, but how can you try and explain prejudice? Because that’s what it is, and that is the way Hell is. There are more true-born Curses nowadays than Fallen than in the olden days of Sukuna.”

Y/N was perplexed. “Well, what about Sukuna then?”

“What about him?” Geto asked, using his arms to push himself off the ledge and propel himself into the pool. His broad strokes cut through the water, and he leaned his head back as he swam, soaking his silken hair.

“He is a Fallen, or have they all forgotten?”

“They conveniently forget, I suppose. Sukuna’s power as a Curse is so great to the point that one forgets who he ever was before. It simply doesn’t register that he is anything other than a Curse. He was the original Curse, from where they were all born, even if his origin wasn’t a true-born.”

They were silent for a while, and Y/N did a few more laps of the pool before taking a break and swimming back towards Geto.

“So Hajime tried to kill you for being a Fallen?” she asked, bringing the conversation back around.

“Not exactly,” Geto said, letting her hang from him behind from him in the water, her arms draped over his shoulders like a cloak. “He claimed he didn’t like my plans for the war against Heaven, but I think he undermined in front of the others, so he tried to kill me to teach a lesson to other Fallen about what happens when they try to lead.”

“That obviously didn’t work,” Y/N remarked quietly, leaning her chin on his shoulder.

“No… no it didn’t.”

“So, how did you manage to anger another King of Hell during your first month here? Idiot.”

“Hmm, I admit after killing Hajime that I became a little… cocky. I challenged Toji for the rule of the Second Layer, my reasoning being that it would be easier to wage my war if I had two of the most powerful armies behind my back. I’d acquired power rather quickly, I wanted more, and I suppose it got to my head.”

Geto grimaced, and looked down at the giant ragged scar that reached all the way from his torso to his chest. “This is the result of my said idiocy.”

We’re both marked forever by his brutality.

“Why he let me live, I don’t know,” Geto continued, gently shaking her off his shoulders and exiting the pool. “Maybe you can ask him the next time you have a chat.”

Her stomach churned and bubbled with nerves at the thought of meeting Toji again, but she said nothing.

“Is he… a Fallen?” Y/N asked uncertainly, apprehension in her voice. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer.

“True-born, traditionally procreated between Curses,” Geto replied smoothly, squeezing the water from his hair. “He belongs to the Zenin Clan of the Fifth Layer, where his cousin Naoya is King. Toji left the clan hundreds of years ago; I think it had something to do with his lack of cursed energy. He changed his last name to Fushiguro some time after that.”

“I see.”

Geto motioned with his hand for her to come over. “Come, let’s go and eat. I’ll tell you more about the rest of the Kings.”

Her brother was true to his word. As they ate later that evening, he told her everything he knew about them all. Sukuna himself had never ascended to Earth since the day he fell from Heaven, keeping much to his own kingdom – the Malevolent Shrine was his palace where he was almost a recluse. He apparently only bothered with Curse business within Hell, and even then he rarely emerged. Whenever the Kings of Hell decided to meet all together, Sukuna himself never came – instead sending his representative Uraume to watch, listen, and report back to him. What he did with that information, nobody knew, for there never was a reaction or repercussion.

The Fourth Layer King was called Jogo, a cruel and ill-tempered Curse that seemed to be born from the very volcanic mountains that spewed the Earth in ash and malice. Him and his retinue were the most mistrustful and hateful of her brother, turning up their noses to him as if they smelled something foul. Geto guessed they would be the first to declare open enmity toward him if it ever came down to it. Meanwhile, Naoya Zenin was a smug and pretentious bastard, according to Geto, who spread venom and lies with his honeyed words. The Zenin’s had ruled the Fifth Layer for nearly as long as Sukuna had been a Curse, and their prejudice was by far the worst, especially against those they deemed lesser than themselves.

Choso Kamo was King of the Sixth Layer, and Geto didn’t seem to know much about him. However, he was the first instance of the product between a Curse and Angel procreating together. Therefore, he had received much abuse from the other Kings before Geto had arrived – who was now the new target of their malice, but his strength as King kept them from overstepping thus far. He ruled both the Sixth and Seventh Layer; the latter not really a kingdom, more so a breeding ground for Curses to be conceived and born. It was Choso’s duty to root through the dirt and find gold, and more often than not his prodigies were taken away by other Kings to join their armies instead of his. Y/N couldn’t help but pity him, wondering what became of his parents, for she’d never heard of his story before.

Until it happened to her, Y/N never even thought a Curse and Angel could become soulmates.

-•-

Y/N pushed open the door to her bedroom, her fingers absentmindedly twirling her freshly washed and smoothed hair. Another thing she couldn’t get used to in her new life was the twins. Nanako and Mimiko waited on her, helped her bathe and dress every morning and night, and changed her bandages whenever her wounds were more severe. They helped her to navigate Geto’s palace, a blessing; the amount of times Y/N got lost was too numerous to count, and the twins had somehow known where she was every time. From what she could tell, the twins seemed to like her well enough, though perhaps that was only due to her relationship with Geto, whom they adored. Which was fair enough – trust and respect had to be earned. But she couldn’t help but feel they all shared the same battle of being Fallen amidst true-born Curses, and therefore she felt some kinship to them already.

Y/N hadn’t faced open disdain from any of the other Curses in her brother’s court. Perhaps some hesitant and suspicious looks, but nobody really went out of their way to speak to her. However, they weren’t entirely opposed if she came up to them with a question – mainly about her brothers whereabouts, or about the identities of the faces in the portraits on the wall. It was strange; she hadn’t considered the possibility of prejudice until Geto had mentioned it, and now it weighed heavily on her mind. Y/N felt she had to tread even more carefully to avoid inadvertently causing offense; her brother had already risked enough to save her life and keep her hidden.

She shut the door behind her, and clicked the lock shut for the night. Her eyes had somehow sharpened over the past two months, and she could now discern the slight darkening of the sky, signaling night had fallen on Heaven and Earth. It helped to structure a rough routine for a time to sleep. The twins had changed her bedsheets for her, opting for a deep mauve color instead of bla–

Y/N froze.

Her balcony door was swung wide open, definitely not as she or the twins would have left it.

She cautiously approached the door, her senses on high alert. Had someone managed to breach through all of Geto’s defenses and entered her room? The thought sent a shiver down her spine, and her mind raced with terrifying possibilities. Had the real reason she was in Hell become public knowledge, prompting an assassin to come and kill her? She lightly stepped just before the doorframe, peaking out onto the balcony.

Toji stood leaning casually against the bronze railing of the balcony, an air of nonchalance about him as he gazed out into the dark expanse beyond the mountain.

“What are you doing here?” Y/N exclaimed, apprehension and relief flooding her, her paranoia crashing down like a waterfall. His presence was equal parts alarming and comforting.

He turned to look at her, shrugging casually. “Just passing through,” he replied cryptically.

His gaze lingered on her longer than necessary, and she shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny.

“Does my brother know you’re here?” she asked, looking over her shoulder as if he was going to burst through her bedroom at any moment.

“Probably not,” Toji smirked, turning his body completely towards her, his green eyes gleaming. “I did say I would be paying you a visit, didn’t I?”

“Yes, it’s just… been a while.”

“I’ve been busy, little angel. Hell doesn’t run itself you know? I would have come sooner if I could.”

Y/N studied him for a moment, trying to detect any deception or malice in his expression or through the bond, but could discern nothing but familiarity and a strange sense of intrigue. However, here was her chance; now that she was stronger and more resilient, she wouldn’t let him dictate the course of this situation any longer.

“Well, whatever it is you want, next time don’t surprise me here. These are my private quarters,” she said, injecting irritation into her voice, a spark of bravery edging her on.

Respect.

Toji raised an eyebrow at her, clearly not expecting her to respond that way. “My apologies. Next time, I’ll make a formal announcement and wait for you in the throne room where everyone can see us together.”

It was silent for a moment, a little bit of tension seeped through the air with his sarcastic response. He cleared his throat, leaned his arms behind him, and tightly gripped the rails.

“Well, I hope Hell has been up to your standards. I know it’s probably not as nice as to what you’re used to,” he said bluntly, an underlying tone of nervousness in his words that satisfied her.

“It’s… different,” she said, not really sure what else to say and not wanting to cause offense. “But I’m content, if that’s what you really want to know.”

“Hmm, I’ll bet. Your brother being good to you, yeah?” He pressed, his arms rocking him back and forth against the rail.

“Always.”

“Good good. I’m glad. You both staying out of trouble?”

“Is that why you’re here? To see if I’m behaving?”

“Sure, why not?”

This side of Toji was a stark difference to when he was in front of Geto in the grandeur of the throne room. Now, in the quiet and suddenly intimate setting of her balcony, he was almost… softened. Did he not feel the need to flaunt his power in front of her? His apprehension was surprising, but Y/N felt almost empowered by this unguarded side of him. It gave her a newfound sense of control she didn’t have before, and she was growing into her new world, like a fragile blossom emerging from the soil trying to reach for the sun.

“You seem… much better than before,” he said slowly, gruffly, snapping her out of her train of thought. “Stronger.”

“Yeah, I’m managing,” she admitted. “All my wounds have nearly fully healed. Geto has started training me again, it’s been good for me.”

Toji smirked at her, “Good to hear, you ever beat him?”

She smiled, a real one, and his green eyes sparkled at the sight of it. “Not yet.”

More.

“Hmm, maybe I can teach you my way to fight,” he suggested, a playful tone lacing his words.

“Maybe,” Y/N mused, walking slowly towards the railing and leaning against it, still keeping some distance between them.

She felt Toji looking at her with interest, making her face burn, and he turned around to lean against the railing once again. ““Humor me on this, though. How did you actually fight properly with wings? I mean, surely they’re just in the way.”

“Not really, I just did I suppose. The same way you can tell when night falls in Hell, even though it’s always dark.”

They stood together in silence, the warm night air carrying the distant sound of the city below the mountain. Toji wasn’t here to stir trouble, Y/N finally decided, as her earlier apprehension melted away. There was no hint of anger from him; instead he seemed almost… relaxed.

“I don’t think I would wish for them back though,” she continued, not sure where the urge came to open up to him, but it was there nonetheless.

“No?”

“No, I think I’m too used to being without them now. I feel… different, but it’s better.”

“I see.”

It was quiet again, before Toji asked slowly, “Did it hurt when you lost them?”

“I think so… I don’t really remember. I was in a fever dream; I couldn’t really feel or see anything at all really.”

He tensed, gripping the rails tightly. Y/N almost swore she could see the bronze metal bend just slightly.

“I could feel you were sick, you know?” He stated, his voice hard.

She was surprised at this. “Really? I can only feel you when you’re close.”

“I don’t really know how all this works, maybe it’s different for each of us.”

“Maybe…”

“Anyway, I could feel it. I didn’t know exactly what it was. It makes sense now you’ve told me, but at the time I thought your mind had broken.”

Y/N sighed heavily, “It did… I think I saw strange things. I don’t really want to remember.”

“I can imagine,” Toji muttered, his tone almost gentle.

They were silent for some time, comfortably so, watching the horizon. Y/N was the one to break the silence this time.

“I don’t think our bond was the only reason I became… a Curse,” she admitted, her voice trailing off.

“How so?”

Y/N bit her lip nervously, grappling with the sheer weight of what she was about to admit. Toji tilted his head at her curiously, patiently waiting for her to answer, his rapt attention making her even more shy. She took a deep breath in to steady herself before continuing.

“I was willing to stand with you against Satoru… I didn’t want you to die by his hand.”

Interest… surprise.

“And that’s enough for you to get exiled?” Toji asked slowly, digesting the information. “That’s harsh,” he added, his voice laced with disbelief.

“Yes, because I made the choice to betray my own kind, and I would have been in between you both if Nanami hadn’t stopped me. He would have done it too, I think, if I wasn’t… injured.” she said the last part slowly, carefully, softly. The memory of Nanami still brought her to tears if she didn’t steel her heart against the onslaught of emotions.

His emerald orbs softened, and he moved just a fraction closer to her. “Your friend must have cared a lot about you to risk condemning himself to Hell.”

“He was the best of us,” she sniffed, her firsts tightening, holding her breath to steady herself.

It was quiet for a long time after that. The gravity of Nanami’s sacrifice weighed heavily on her shoulders, and Y/N doubted she would ever be free of it for as long as she lived. She stole a glance at Toji, trying to find solace in his presence, but the question remained – was he going to prove himself worthy enough to justify Nanami’s death? The wind whispered mournfully, lamenting everything she had lost to bring her to this moment: her home, her wings, Satoru.

“Listen, I-,” Toji started, closing his mouth abruptly, clearly searching for the right words to say as he avoided direct eye contact with her. “I just wanted to say, I’m sorry for what happened.”

He was tense; clearly this was new to him – apologizing. She whispered, “What for exactly?”

Toji rolled his eyes and huffed, “For nearly killing you, what do you think?”

The scar on her stomach tingled with a faint, phantom-ache, and she instinctively placed her hand over it. Toji’s gaze followed her movement, his frown deepening, and his fists clenched the bar even tighter this time.

Shame… self loathing.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore, and you didn’t know any better,” she said, her voice soft as she placed her hand back on the railing.

He pursed his lips but said nothing, his gaze fixed on the city below. The air fell thick with tension again, heavy with both their emotions, as they both grappled with the weight of their unspoken regrets. Y/N wanted to change the subject to lighten the solemn veil over them, and to unravel the stories and battles that had sculpted the myserious Curse standing beside her.

“So you can feel me, huh?” Toji said suddenly, nearly making her jump, but there was a lighter tone to his voice. “What does it feel like?”

Y/N smiled shyly, searching for the right words. She couldn’t possibly tell him that he felt like smoke and lightning – powerful and elusive, utterly out of her grasp, and she doubted she would ever understand it.

“You feel… familiar. Like I’ve known you for a very long time,” she finally said, settling for a much less daunting truth.

His gaze became kinder, and he rested his head against his hand, staring at her and making her feel shy all over again. “I know what you mean.”

“What does it feel like for you?”

“Hmm… like you’re there all the time now, in my head. It’s like you know what I’m doing all the time, and you’re watching me. I feel I don’t have to tell you things because I think you already know everything.”

“I actually don’t, and I have been wondering what does a King of Hell do all day long?”

Toji’s lip twitched, “Oh? Does your brother not tell you what he gets up to?”

“I’m asking you, not about him,” Y/N rolled her eyes, smiling.

“Well,” he grunted, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. “I mainly handle my armies strategies and organization. I make sure they’re running well, and if they’re not, well, then that’s where I come in.”

“And when all is well in war, what then?”

“And then… maybe I’ll lend an ear to whatever squabbles the other Curses are having, but if I can avoid it, I will.”

“So that’s what you’re doing here then?”

And he finally laughed, a glorious and heart-stopping smile spreading across his face. Y/N was transfixed, her soul suspended in time at provoking such elation from her soulmate.

“No,” Toji chuckled. “Your company is just so much better than theirs, obviously.”

“Obviously?” She teased, feeling a flush of heat grace her cheeks.

He hummed in agreement, “Of course.”

An endearing and shy silence filled the air, and they enjoyed each other’s presence in comfortable tranquility, a paradox to the supposed suffering and agony in the depths of Hell. Toji shifted beside her, lifting his weight from the railing, and cleared his throat.

“Well… I suppose I better take my leave,” he announced softly, taking a few steps backwards from her.

“Might be best, I’m sure your subjects are wondering where you are,” Y/N jested, smiling. Her inner soul was jumping, and she tried her best to ignore it. She knew it wanted him to stay, screaming don’t go in a silent cry through their bond.

Toji’s eyes glittered, a genuine smile quirking his lips as he chuckled lowly, a gesture just for her. “You might just be right.”

He lifted his right hand and snapped his fingers together, conjuring a sizzling portal of flame that opened up behind him in a mesmerizing display. Y/N couldn’t tear her eyes away from him as the warm orange glow of the portal enveloped him, casting him in an ethereal light that illuminated every contour of his face. She felt a pang of longing as he stood there, a transient and fleeting embodiment of sinful allure against the obsidian backdrop of Hell.

“Sleep well, little angel,” Toji mumbled, soft and rumbly, his green eyes almost glowing.

“Goodnight, Toji,” Y/N replied, her voice quaking with all the unspoken feelings of her soul that she couldn’t possibly express in that moment.

He smiled at her and disappeared through the portal, leaving her grasping at the lingering wisps of his presence.

-•-

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fanonical · 2 years

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One thing I've been thinking about with, you know, everything that's happening in England right now, is the turning point when I realised that England was, in fact, not as great as I'd been led to believe. And now I realise I can answer the question of 'what radicalised you' with Horrible Histories.

If you don't know, Horrible Histories is a popular series of books written by Terry Deary whose mission statement is to teach kids history with the nasty bits left in, history your teachers won't tell you. It's been adapted into a million things, but its most well-known iteration is the TV show, which took a sketch comedy format, ran from 2009 to 2014, and won several awards. But that didn't exist when I was a kid, so I'm talking about the books here.

Many of the HH books are based around gross and gory bits of history, the kind that appeals to kids. There's poop jokes, there's fart jokes, there's stories about historical people dying in weird ways. That sort of material. And in books like Rotten Romans or Cutthroat Celts, that's all you really need. But the two books that stick out in my memory here are Barmy British Empire and Woeful Second World War, and that's what I want to discuss.

Barmy British Empire didn't really hold back when describing some of the horrific things England has done in the name of colonialism. It included contemporary accounts of slavery from people who had gone through it - never in a way that was inappropriate for the children reading, but not lying to them either.

I was in the Brownies at the time (do other countries have that? Precursor to the Guides, which is itself the girl equivalent to the Scouts) and it was this book that taught me that Lord Baden-Powell, who founded the Scouts, did so with imperialist ideals and was himself just a big piece of shit.

Woeful Second World War is the one that really stuck with me, though. It had a lot more lighthearted material, evacuees dealing with life in the country, people falling over in the Blitz, that kind of thing, but the overall mood was a lot more sombre.

One part I remember vividly was a cartoon, on one side of which was two Jewish children saying what they were told about concentration camps, and on the other side was two German guards discussing the reality of their situation. It was counched in simple terms ("They are shaving our heads to get rid of the lice."/"We are shaving their heads to use their hair to stuff mattresses.") but talked quite frankly about the Holocaust and exactly what happened during this time.

And I need you to understand - when I first read this, I was maybe six to eight years old. We'd talked about World War Two in school, but it was all the nice stuff, all the spin that England puts on these years to further its nationalistic ideas. Blitz spirit, dig for victory, life-was-tough-but-we-pulled-through. Nothing really about what we were fighting against and the reasons the war occurred.

But the other thing I remember was this quiz. As edutainment, the HH books had quizzes sprinkled throughout, and in this particular one it gave you a list of numbered statements and you had to guess which was untrue. It starts with the location - London - and then describes in detail a bombing raid that occurred in an urban area, in which thousands of civilians, including children, were burned to death. How there was no military target in the area. How they didn't have enough shelters for everyone. The fear and panic that spread through the people.

The fact that wasn't true? The location. This was not a German bombing raid on London. This was an Allied raid on Dresden. Everything else was true. This wasn't something done to us, this is something we did.

And again. The idea that we bombed people in World War Two is not exactly news when you're an adult with critical thinking skills. But I was six, and the idea that we were responsible for the same atrocities that we were told happened to us, that we were also responsible for the pain and suffering of innocent people...that was news. And that little spark made me wonder what else we weren't being taught in school about what things have been done in the name of England.

So, thanks for that, Horrible Histories. I know it doesn't seem much. But it really shaped my young life in a way I am grateful for, even a couple of decades later.

#Horrible Histories #Holocaust /#Child death /

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cheynovak · 2 days

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Sweet child o' mine

Part 1: Don't cry

Dean Winchester & Y/N Winchester (Daughter)

Warnings: Dead, fighting, trauma, abuse, ...

Side note: English isn’t my first language. Please be kind.

Fun fact: The titles of the series and chapters are Guns and Roses songs. In my vision/ this fanfic: is Dean even more traumatised by his father and the loss he suffered. And since this is a alternative universe, I also wanted to go with a (heavily) tattooed Dean so picture him like that.

This story takes place in an alternate universe. Where John didn’t die but found the bunker and helped/guided people during yet another end of the world situation. A world where Dean had a daughter Y/N who grew up in the bunker with him. And helped her dad and granddad run the military household/ camp.

The angels had fought their war leaving the world a cruel place, killing millions of people. Making it even easier for monsters to rule the world. And that was exactly what was happening.

Part 1: Don't cry

The nights at the bunker where always quiet, you could hear a pin fall on the floor, except for today. John, Y/N’s granddad and her father Dean had found new refugees and they seemed to have a difficult time settling in.

Y/N a young girl, just turned 10, heard her dad correcting the new people. “Listen, you either stay here and follow our rules or you can get the fuck out of this place!” She hated it when he had to act like this.

It made her nervous, crawling deeper under her blanked. But Y/N jumped out of bed after she heard a loud bang.

Even though she knew her dad could handle anything, he was her hero, she was still afraid something would happen to him. Afraid to lose the only person she felt that still loved her.

She opened her door, peeking outside. She saw the man of the new group on the ground. Her dad stood over him with his shirt in his fist. The second Dean saw the man’s eyes widen, looking to the hall behind, him he turned around.

“Go to bed sweetheart, I’ll be right with you.” He said in a sweeter than honey voice completely different from the one he just spoke in.

Dean had never raised his voice to her. Not once, he wanted her to feel loved like his mother had made him feel. His dad on the other hand had raised him a soldier. His wingman, his right hand in this operation.

Especially after his brother had died, Sam was his favourite, the smart one, but Dean was all he could count on now.

Young Y/N nodded and walked back inside, not wanting to upset her father.

A few minutes later her door opened. She saw her dad walking in. “Hi baby, sorry I woke you.” He saw her tucked in bed with the brown teddy bear he once gave her. “Dad? Why where you angry?” she asked while palming him in with her big doe eyes.

Dean crawled next to her in the bed, her little face snuggled against his flannel shirt. She loved the smell of her dad, it made her feel safe. “They just have issues with the regime and rules your grandad has sweety, nothing to worry about. They get it now.”

She crawled even closer to him, her little hand holding on to his shirt. Feeling how his large hands moved in circles over her back, until she falls asleep again. He had done this countless times since her had mom died.

Dean wasn’t a present father from the start, he met her a few years back when Lisa had contacted him. She told him she had a kid, his. Dean didn’t believe her at first, but the second he met her, he knew she was his baby girl.

He took her and Lisa to a fair, this was right before the whole end of the word shit happened. Dean had asked her why she didn’t tell him immediately. “I know your life Dean, a kid shouldn’t live like that.”

“Then why now?” he had asked. To which she responded that she was ill and that she needed to know someone would take care of her.

Dean was upset knowing he had missed the last 5 years of her life. Determined to be there as much as needed, so she could get to know him. That day he won the brown teddy she still sleeps with. A year later Lisa died, and Y/N moved in with Dean, 6months later the world fell apart.

He looked over to his little girl sleeping, seeing how she held on tight to him. He felt horrible that she needs to grow up like this, knowing how much pain her mother’s dead still caused her. She tried to pretend to be ok, for him.

But he knew her struggles.

-- Skip forward in time --

A soft knock on the door woke her up. “Good morning sweety. Are you ready?” her hand rubbed her eye. “I’ll be there in a sec, dad.”

Every morning, he woke her up to follow the daily meeting John insisted on having.

As usual she threw on some jeans she wore the day before, a new shirt and some old flannel her dad complained about losing, knowing very well she borrowed it when he was on yet another mission or hunt.

Every morning, she would see people walking out of their rooms to the control room. But this morning was different.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY Y/N!” the control room was filled with people, Dean walked through the crowed with her present. “Since you keep begging to ride baby, I thought this might be a good present.”

He handed her a small box wrapped in old paper. As she opened it, she found a keychain with one old car key on it. Her eyes widened. “I found an old Camaro. It still needs some work, but I think we can get it running by your 16th birthday next year. If... you help me out.”

She hugged her dad as tight as she could. “You’re the best!” Tears filling her eyes. She could feel his strong hand on her back, hugging her back.

“Right, can we start?” John’s voice filled the room. Dean gave his girl a kiss on her head and moved back to his usual space, slightly behind his father to his right. “As you know Eve and her monsters are still out there...” John continued, but Y/N was too distracted to listen.

After the meeting two of the other kids followed her to check out her present. “Oh my god I can’t believe he gave you a car!” one said. “I know right.” Y/N agreed moving her hands over the car. “She needs work, but she will be a beauty.”

“Don’t you kids have chores to do?” The teens jumped at the deep voice behind them. Dean stood in the door of the garage. Arms crossed before him, sleeves rolled up, showing an imposing man looking down at the teenagers.

Scars a crossed his tattooed arms, piercing green eyes who could see through all the bull shit. A firm hand in the control of this safe place. John trusted him although he would never tell him. John’s tough upbringing made him to the man he was.

To her it was just her dad. To the others Dean was the next leader, a man all adults kind of feared. Specially since he was the muscles for John. He looked like he had fought and won hundreds of fights. Which he probably did, one of the only people in this place who wasn’t afraid of the angels and other monsters outside.

“I’m sorry sir,” the teens mumbled and walked quickly past him. He looked over his shoulder to make sure they were gone before he turned to his daughter. “I know, I know you just wanted to see her.” He nodded to the car.

“But you to have your duty, young lady.” He said walking towards her. “Kitchen duty, woopy.” she said sadly. “It’s important to have food on the table.” “And why do all women have to take care of that when the men get to get outside?”

“Not all women.” Dean corrected. ”Right,” she rolled her eyes. “Jody is outside too.” He sighed, “It’s no fun going outside, it’s dangerous, trust me.” - “Exactly, you could use all the help you need!” she begged him.

“Y/N...” he tried to cut her off

“You were my age when you started hunting... a-and your brother too!”

“GODDAMNIT, Y/N!” he hit the roof of the car with his hand. Y/N’s eyes grew big in shock, he had never raised his voice to her. “I said no! I already lost Sam out there I won’t lose you too, understand!”

Tears stinged her eyes when she nodded in agreement. “I can’t lose you too baby, I need you safe inside.” He saw the fear in her eyes melt away. “Promis me.” He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head. “I promise.” she whispered back.

“Good, now go do your chores, the sooner we’ll have some time to celebrate your day.

Y/N walked in the kitchen, hearing the other young women gossiping. “Y/N is always late, when we are, we get in trouble.” - ”Yeah must be nice to be daddy’s little princess.” - “You know what I heard? She isn’t his daughter, I heard Dean killed her family and that he took her to the bunker.”

“No way!” - “Oh yes!” -”No, no I heard he had slept with a married woman, and when her husband found out it wasn’t his, he threw her out.”

Y/N couldn’t listen to their horrible stories anymore. So, to stop them she walked in the room. “Sorry I’m late.” She apologised and got right back to her task.

Later that night Dean knocked on her bedroom door. “Still away Sweetheart?” He noticed her curled up in her bed. Hearing soft sobs. “Hey, what’s wrong?” He sat on the bed beside her, caressing her shoulder. But she turned away from him.

“Y/N? Talk to me, please?”

“I miss mom.” she softly sobs. Dean thought a second before he responded, “Is this because I was angry earlier today?”

“No... Yes... Maybe.” she sniffs looking at her dad who now took place in her bed. His back against the headboard. “I overheard Clara and Tammy talk. They were gossiping about me.” She saw how Dean frowned his brows.

“Do you want me to talk to them?” She sat up next to him. “No that will only make things worse.” He hummed in agreement. “So...” he changed the topic. “What do you want to do tonight?” She shook her head. “Nothing, I just want to sleep.”

Dean lifted his arm so his not so little girl anymore could snuggle against him like she used to do when she was younger or afraid. In the silence between them he could hear the soft music humming. Realising she had stolen one of his cassettes again.

With a soft smile his eyes scanned the room. “Is that my shirt on your desk?” He tried to sound upset, but she knew he was smiling. “How else am I supposed to sleep when your away at night?” She sighs, “It smells like you.”

The days went by like they always did, left in the kitchen. She heard the two girls’ approach. “Hi, Y/N? We are having a party tonight and we thought it might be fun to join us.” She looked them up and down. “Me? Why, you don’t like me.”

They smiled, “well we don’t know you do me? You never join us.” - “Oh, come on, it will be fun.” The other one begged. “Where is this party of yours?” Y/N asked folding the towel. “By the old junkyard.” Y/N’s eyes widened. “We’re not allowed to be there!”

“See I told you she was no fun.” Clara said to Tammy. “Well, I tried, but ones a daddy’s girl always a daddy’s girl.” - “I-I’m not!” Y/N tried to defend herself. “Fine than prove it. Steal a car and drive us.” They saw the doubt in her eyes. “We know Dean learned you to drive. So, what will it be?”

“Fine. I’ll drive.”

The whole day Y/N was thinking on how she was supposed to steal a car without getting caught in the night. But when her dad and grandpa where out for the night she saw her chance. Clara and Tammy were watching her kickstarting a random car at the garage.

“Too bad it isn’t your dad’s car.” Tammy said once the girls were outside. “First of my dad would be pissed knowing someone drove his car, and second, Baby would have made to much noise leaving.”

”Look what I got out of the liquor cabin.” Clara held out a bottle of whiskey. “No, you didn’t!” Tammy squealed.” Y/N looked at them feeling good about joining them. Maybe she would finally make a few friends.

Which wasn’t easy being the boss his granddaughter.

The girls arrived at the junkyard. To their mistake they started playing the music to loud catching the attention of what lurked in the dark. “Shh!” Y/N turned the music down. “Did you hear that?” Clara turned the music back on.

“Don’t be such a pussy.” Y/N walked around the car “No seriously, I heard something.” Tammy seemed to be scared. “Y/N stop it, this isn’t funny.”

And then Y/N saw the glimpse move between the old cars. “Get in the car! NOW!” She ran back to the girls. Desperately trying to start the car but if failed. “Come on, come on, come on!” “ Y/N...” Clara’s voice was filled with fear.

Y/N look up, seeing the werewolf provoking them by walking slowly towards the girls with his teeth bare. Y/N finally got the car starting. With squealing tires, she drove off.

The girls looked out the back window a few miles further up the road. “Did we lose it?” Tammy asked scared.”

“I have no idea.” Y/N said but when her eyes were back on the road she noticed the same creature a head of them. Making her yank at the wheel. The car tumbled on to the roof to the side of the road. The three girls were in shock. “Is everyone ok?” Luckly, they responded quickly to Y/N.

Y/N looked out the window, seeing how a set of boots walked towards them. Desperately she started tugging her belt, trying to get it loose. Just when the creature reached their car the girls hear a loud roaring.

The car stopped with screeching tires, and before they could think they heard two loud gun shots. Which made Clara yelp before covering her mouth. Dean’s head popped up in the window before pulling the car door open.

He cut the girl lose, lining them up before the beat-up car.

“Now can someone explain to me why the hell you were out here?!” Neither dared to speak. Dean looked furious. “Dad please...” His finger flew to her face before he bald his hand into a fist. Clearly upset.

“Don’t get me even started on you, young lady! I explicitly told you NOT to go outside!” He turned back to all three of them. “Do you have any idea how lucky you are I noticed you were gone?” silence filled the air, a big contrast to when Dean spoke. “Get in the car!”

He grabbed Y/N’s arm, he looked down on her. “I’m very disappointed in you.” Tears started to blur her sight. Then he let her go running to the passenger's side.

The drive home was silenced. All Dean could think about was that the creature now had their smells. Him showing up just scared it away. He had fired shots but didn’t kill him. So, all he wanted was to get the girl home asap.

Dean got out of the car opening the garage door, he heard howling. He looked at his daughter, she heard them too. This wasn’t one werewolf anymore. “Go! Get inside... Get John!” Y/N ran inside, doing what she was told. John rushed outside Y/N tossed him a gun filled with silver bullets.

By the time they got back, Dean was already beaten up, fighting three werewolves at the same time. His gun next to the car. John was shooting which made one come other him, Y/N witnessed the fight seeing how they couldn’t fight of all three at the same time.

On instinct she ran towards Deans gun, pointed it at the werewolf holding her dad, she took her shot but missed and hit its shoulder. John had just killed the other one, he witnessed how the wounded one ran marched towards Y/N.

Dean yelled out in full panic. “DAD!” But John had no clear shot. Y/N tried to shoot again but was out of bullets.

As Dean saw the monster moving to his little girl he ran towards her, without a second of doubt he blocked her body with his. The wolf pierced his nails in Dean’s back. Y/N looked in Dean’s green eyes while his large body hovered over her.

John got a clear shot. Once he shot the last one it let go of Dean’s body.

Dean leaned forward, Y/N tried to hold the weight of her father’s body. “Dad?” she slowly sunk down, holding him in her arms “Dad...” She saw the tears in his eyes. His hand took hers. John dropped beside them.

Y/N saw how the light in his eyes dimmed. “Dad, please, please dad... stay with me.” Y/N started to cry her eyes out. “Please, wake up... I’m so sorry dad. Please.” She pulled his shoulder up to hold him closer in her arms.

Her head against his hair, tears steaming down her cheeks. “Please dad... I love you.” She saw John standing up, “I’m sorry... I’m so, so sorry.” Y/N said towards him but more to her father.

Y/N stayed the rest of the night outside holding his body while John and the other prepared the funeral. By sunrise John stood over Y/N. “It’s time.” was all he said

The way he looked at her was not to describe. All these emotions, anger, disgust, pain, ... she knew he would never forgive her.

Neither will she.

Sneak peek part 2

“Dean! Wake up, you can’t be late again!” Sam yelled at his son. “Where is he?” Eileen signed. “Upstairs.” Sam answered. Eileen kissed Sam goodbye, ready to leave for work. But before she could set foot out the door...

“Eh... Sam?!” she called him. Sam walked towards the front door, seeing his old man standing there. John smiled soft, “Sammy... I need your help.”

Let me know what you think, like, share or comment <3

If you liked this, please check out my masterlist for other stories.

Tag list:

@suckitands33 @mostlymarvelgirl @yvonneeeee

-> If you want to be added let me know what you like to read!

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writersblockedx · 2 years

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Confessions for Another Day

Requested - ‘Hi there! I just stumbled across your blog and found out, that you write for Thomas Shelby from Peaky Blinders. Well, if you still write for him, can I ask you for imagine where you would write how Tommy and female reader fell in love during childhood because they both love horses? Thanks again!’ - @rangerelik

Pairing - Tommy Shelby x Fem!Reader Summary - As childhood friends, Tommy and Y/n were inserpable, spending an afternoon pettng a race horse. When years pass and said horse falls ill, it brings the two back together - where a certain confession is made. Warnings - Mentions of death and illness, implication of PTSD, angst. Words - 1.2K

A/n - I haven’t written for Tommy in a LONG TIME, I also orginally started writing this as fluff, I don’t how it ended so angsty.

MASTERLIST

Y/n's family were friend's with the Shelby's, as well as business associates. Though, when her and Tommy were young, they had no care for business, only each other. It was a sweet time they both still remembered to this day. They'd spend pretty much every waking hour with one another, rushing from their homes to meet in the midst of town.

There came one day, where the two must have been only ten, when they got word of a certain race horse that was being kept in the country side of Birmingham. Tommy was the one who arranged everything. And, the next day, the two were stood in the grass and the fresh air, with a beautiful horse starring at them. It was tall, taller than Y/n had ever expected a horse to be. It's fur had a certain golden tint that reflected the sun with deep brown pupils.

Tommy's fingers reached down to hers, interlocking them as he pulled her closer to the fence that separated them and the horse. "He's called Franklin." The young boy had informed. "And I promise he won't bite."

Y/n was hesitant; she'd never been this close to a horse before. "Yeah, but they do kick, you know?" She started rambling. "My father said a kick from a horse is worse than death itself." She went on, but it didn't stop Tommy as he dragged her from the plains of grass.

He stopped around a meter or two from Franklin. "They only kick if you aggravate them. Which I really doubt you're going to do." Tommy felt Y/n relax as her hold on his hand eased.

He looked to her and waited for the go-ahead. It wasn't until she sighed and her gaze jumped from the horse to him, he knew he had won. "You're lucky I trust you, Thomas Shelby."

With that, Tommy guided her palm with his and slowly pulled it towards the nose of the horse. "You okay?" He asked before going to make contact with the animal. Y/n nodded, never daring to take her eyes from Franklin. So, gently, he brought Y/n's hand down to touch the nose of the horse. It took the horse a moment (Y/n too) before the touch became comforting. Franklin soon soothed into it, making Y/n giggle as he nursed into her skin. "See, not so bad?"

She shook her head, "No." And continued to pet the horse.

Years passed, business weaved it's way into both Y/n and Tommy's life, a war happened and suddenly, there was no time for petting horses.

Franklin, however, still stood in that same field. He attended the race he was in Birmingham for and left with a broken foot, never to race again. So a farmer took him and kept him in that same field until his days came to an end. Both of them visited Franklin when they needed a reminder of how easy things used to be. But it was becoming a rare occasion - for both of them.

Y/n had been sorting out the books after a rather stressful day. The last thing she needed was Tommy storming in here. So, Tommy stormed in. "I haven't got time for whatever it is, Thomas. Polly wanted this-"

She hadn't even turned to face him. How the girl knew it was him was a question for another time. Right now, bigger issues plagued them. "It's the horse. It's Franklin." She turned; her face fading pale.

Y/n was already on her feet, already reaching for her coat. "Is he alright?" She rushed, her and Tommy already walking towards the car as they exited the house.

"He doesn't have long." Tommy informed. "Mr Smith, the farmer, called around an hour ago. Said the boy didn't have long." And like that, they were off.

The field was still that day. The pair stood where they had stood all them years ago. Good few meters between them and the horse. Only this time, Y/n was scared to get close because she was scared to say goodbye. So the two just stood. They stood in what should have been a rather tranquil silence, yet it was torturous and plucked tears at Y/n's pupils. Tommy, however, simply shoved his hands in his pockets and observed.

"Do you want to leave?" He asked her once ten minutes had passed.

She shook her head, "Not yet." Then she walked towards the horse, raised her hand and gently pet it just as Tommy had taught her to do. Y/n saved the moment, knowing it was the last. Then, with a sniffle, her hand dropped and she walking back to her place next to Tommy. Neither of them dropped their eyes from Franklin. "You know when we first came here, first found Franklin, we were so young, and still I was sure in that moment that I loved you Thomas." His head snapped to look at her. She never looked back. "I never had the courage to tell you. A few years passed and you got ropped into the business. There was this point in time where you were so happy to be working and then, you were shipped off to war. I never told you but I came here, to this spot, every day while you were away."

"Y/n-" Tommy started, prompting Y/n to finally turn her head and meet his awing gaze.

She cut him off, "I wasn't finished. You came back and you weren't the same person, Tommy, and I don't blame you for that. So when I came here, I would always sit and I'd always remember who you used to be. The boy I used to love." Then she finished and she exhaled a breath she had been holding.

He took a few steps closer, closing any correct distance that should have been kept between them. "Used to?" He reitated.

She was reluctant but nodded anyway. "I'm sorry, Thomas." She muttered and his sorrow stare looked back at her.

He stepped away, "I'll be waiting in the car." And like that, it was as if everything that had just fell from her lips had meant nothing. Maybe that was how things should have been. Or maybe, all them years ago, Y/n should have told Tommy how she really felt. Maybe things would have been different.

Tommy Shelby Taglist - @lyarr24

#peaky blinders #peaky blinders imagine #thomas shelby #thomas shelby imagine #thomas shelby x reader #thomas shelby x y/n #thomas shelby x you #tommy shelby #tommy shelby x reader #tommy shelby x y/n #tommy shelby x you #tommy shelby imagine #tommy shelby fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic #imagine #x reader #peaky blinders x reader

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theoccultz · 7 months

Text

🪅Mystery Monthly :October 🪅

-Occult museum's Annabelle

{NOTE: This reading is not to scare or intimidate Anyone,its just a reading out of curiousity and to debunk the misconceptions surrounding it ,not to change the respectable history ,the decision is always yours i'm not responsible for it .

>Feel free to ask me questions or express your views regarding this reading ,if you want me to add any other questions then send me ask for it }

Posted on : 6 oct 2023

Read here :Article

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>Do i have the permission

yes , pls note i addressed this demon as "the doll "mostly.

> is there a demon risiding inside the doll ?

Yes , an old Egyptian demon his aura is orange purple black green so there's multicolour meaning his aura is strong. Purple can know others intentions feelings from a distancs ,orange is a power seeking resource someone who has a lot of confidence in their ability ,black is protection & hidden sources ,green is essential and keeps the energy alive & secure. This demon is not an earth origin demon but its a big energy made out of materials of earth that's how his birth happened ,this demon is not seeking shelter inside the doll by its own consent someone has cursed this doll so it has been trapped . I found the information of ragg doll and witchcraft interesting tbh its widely used as a "source" in witchcraft i searched its meaning and interestingly

>Why was this doll cursed and with what intention?

Its made to sustain the development of a person the person will be likely terrorised by different kind of negative emotions ,doubting oneself and being physically unable to do anything the influence is that strong and it increases as you stay with it . The intentions are blockage and acquiring energies through weird means .

>What is this dolls relation with donna and angie ?

It was gifted to dona on her 28th bday by her mother - 2+8 is 10=1 something tells me donna was about to start a new business like she was about to succeed, she was in the process of it . Dona's energy is very lively and enthusiast she has a light worker energy her aura can shift others negative moods she has strong energy i'm actually getting its an accident that her mom bought this doll idk if this was given to her or she bought it from somewhere but that place has circus energy where people are constantly moving i'm hearing someone died on the ground and idk if the body kind of decomposed there *i'm getting very sad rn * yeah and the energy was made its like people didn't cared i feel like its a war zone is that a commorader yeah . I feel like the person who was selling this doll knew some kind of back history I'm getting gifted like won somewhere.

>Did the owner knew their mother?

YES ,the owner is suspicious to me i'm really getting she didn't wanted to purchase it but like it was given to her .like a trade or smth , I'm getting the one who have given this doll is not a good person this person carries this heavy energy of ego , unresolved issues ,restriction , shame,guilt and mainly envy it doesn't like to see people succed i think it might be a neighbour or a sister as well someone who's passive aggressive and blames others cause they are so shameful of themselve they cant admit they are wrong you cant piss this person off they'll play nice but they're not ,i'm not getting anything about angie btw it doesn't have anything to do with her but she does feel like an obstacle in some sort of task

Its a water sign 100% i keep seeing droplets of water and interestingly she didn't bought it by choice it was insisted by someone. The demon is guided to destroy some sort of creation . I think the owner lured it in but now its unable to move .

>Is it true that a girl named Annabelle is seeking shelter?

Nope not at all the demon doesn't even know who tf is Annabelle its just a bait to trap others in its energy the demon can only make your life hell if you reciprocate its energy also i think there's some rituals and talking sessions done by the owners which made them attached to the idea .

>Can the demon kill someone?

Nope , but it can scare you to death like hallucinations,fast heart beat , dissassociation , paralysis, marks , noises ,distractions, limiting resources there's this gloomy vibe to it like others cant be close to you if this demon is with you , this demon has the appearance of black shadow a big heighted looking man it holds a lot of yang energy .its giving me older male energy

There's this desperation,i feel like its intentions are frozen by someone, someone has put them to hold it cant succed in its purpose and without succeding the energy wont be released it will create more distruction for whoever they keep for .

I saw one video of a person feelin' nauseus in front of Annabelle and cameras acting up ,it doesn't do it on purpose but the energy is so strong despite of the prayers and the cage that it effects others who have lower vibrations it means like depressed people,low self worth ,sick people. Even the museum can have effect on your energy its everywhere and it cant be seen its foggy .

Why do i feel like the objects that are kept can effect you more on a physical level but not the doll because of the cage .

>Is the doll harmful?

Yes its very dangerous its like a cheetah waiting to attack i wont be surprised if we dont have the full information on annabelle it likely terrorised,made them physically weak ,mentally challenged yeah I'm hearing a lot if laughing, moving around , this doll feels like it moves like its a paranoia energy im picking up on and it does have the ability to physically harm you although its subtle.

>Can you release it ?

No its hard very tough actually this doll is resentful and demands things like attention,time ,energy plus it needs constant protection you cant just leave this doll as i said something abt the soldier and loneliness plays a huge part .

>Why is it advised to not stare at the doll?

Hmm because of its energy , the doll likely stares back ,it does look at you but i'm getting it remembers you if you try to connect with him through some sort of contact . It forms an alliance? Idk. Also it's like you are challenging him but i dont feel like its for most of the people it does try to make contact with people and i do feel like most of the people pick up on that whether they get sick or more attracted to it because that doll does demand attention as i mentioned above .

>Why is there "the devil" tarot card on the box ?

To keep the energy within, to keep it contained like tied.

>Is this demon open to interaction? Can you work with him?

No he's protective of himself also he dislikes religious figures i picked up something in my vision like he was looking left and right very slowly and he looked at the cross in front of him and there was blood dripping down so yeah it physically effect him thats why he doesn't trust religious figures .

>Why did Annabelle troubled its owners?

Because it was its purpose. It dislikes people in general and can go to any length.

>What kind of magic was used to trap this demon ?

Sex magic , bondage, ,deja vu*it just came to mind* water and mirror hold some significance for this demon //i heard some voice like ship or smth .

This demon's name include t, m,n . Also two & air is significant.

>Did the doll ever came in contact with another demons?

No it dispise others energies and will most likely drain you .

>Any thing this demons wants us to know?

It hates liar ,it hates distraction ,it hates strong smell it makes him defensive as if you're challenging him , if you're someone who wears strong cologne ,walks loudly ,talks or chews loudly ,has no sense of boundaries, and does not look organised then dont come in close contact it doesn't like it . Make your space clean as well as your clothes should be clean .

>Does the movie's doll 'Annabelle' holds some sort of energy? Which is now kept in the Warren's museum.

No its just the museums energy also the demons aware of the attention as it seeks it .its most likely have a lot of knowledge and information we dont know of .

>Something i picked up while chanelling -

I keep getting this another white entity i feel like this entity is also a very dangerous object that should be kept in a box its very intimidating. Also Annabelle is not a feminine energy its a masculine emergy but what's interesting is this energy can recognise or sense others emotions and intentions and light aura really attract this doll . There's something abt his voice too .This doll is tricky and manipulative not only it causes fights but everything that's discomforting.

Also It guided me to select green colour and to mark his eyes with paint .

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Thank you for reading!!

#vd #pick a card #tarotblr #spirituality #psychic reading #intuiative reading #kpop tarot #annabelle doll

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acotars · 1 year

Text

books read in 2023

january

sweep in peace by ilona andrews

one fell sweep by ilona andrews

a court of mist and fury by sarah j. maas

sweep of the blade by ilona andrews

sweep with me by ilona andrews

my best friend’s exorcism by grady hendrix

kiss her once for me by alison cochrun

the seven husbands of evelyn hugo by taylor jenkins reid

i’m glad my mom died by jennette mccurdy

love and other words by christina lauren

sweep of the heart by ilona andrews

the only living girl on earth by charles yu

witches get stuff done by molly harper

you had me at hola by alexis daria

her vigilante by lillian lark

inconvenient daughter by lauren j. sharkey

anon pls. by deuxmoi

you are eating an orange. you are naked. by sheung-king

legends & lattes by travis baldree

bad vibes only (and other things i bring to the table) by nora mcinerny

signs of cupidity by raven kennedy

bonds of cupidity by raven kennedy

crimes of cupidity by raven kennedy

february

exciting times by naoise dolan

sweethand by n.g. peltier

you made a fool of death with your beauty by akwaeke emezi

something wilder by christina lauren

highly suspicious and unfairly cute by talia hibbert

you deserve each other by sarah hogle

this is how you lose the time war by amal el-mohtar and max goldstone

would you rather by allison ashley

march

meet me in the margins by melissa ferguson

king of battle and blood by scarlett st. clair

the exotic by hampton sides

river of shadows by karina halle

alone with you in the ether by olivie blake

lovelight farms by b.k. borison

the soulmate equation by christina lauren

before i let go by kennedy ryan

haunting adeline by h.d. carlson

the lies i tell by julie clark

one jump at a time by nathan chen

our wives under the sea by julia armfield

all systems red (the murderbot diaries #1) by martha wells

before the coffee gets cold by toshikazu kawaguchi

april

funny you should ask by elissa sussman

make a scene by mimi grace

sweeter than chocolate by lizzie shane

the kiss quotient by helen hoang

my favorite half-night stand by christina lauren

romantic comedy by curtis sittenfeld

icebreaker by a.l. graziadei

the wedding proposal by john swansiger

circling back to you by julie tieu

by the book by amanda sellet

a lady’s guide to mischief and mayhem by manda collins

love in the time of serial killers by alicia thompson

if the shoe fits by julie murphy

whispers of you by catherine cowles

the kiss curse by erin sterling

by the book by jasmine guillory

honey & spice by bolu babalola

one night on the island by josie silver

the bodyguard by katherine center

the reunion by kayla olson

the neighbor favor by kristina forest

crooked kingdom by leigh bardugo

do i know you? by emily wibberley & austin siegemund-broka

just my type by falon ballard

delilah green doesn’t care by ashley herring blake

happy place by emily henry

dating dr. dil by nisha sharma

icebreaker by hannah grace

count your lucky stars by alexandria bellefleur

stone cold fox by rachel koller croft

fake it till you bake it by jamie wesley

may

the dead romantics

motherthing by ainslie hogarth

the woman in the library by sulari gentill

artificial condition (the murderbot diaries #2) by martha wells

the last word by taylor adams

you shouldn’t have come here by jeneva rose

june

fourth wing (the empyrean #1) by rebecca yarros

the very secret society of irregular witches by sangu mandanna

love, theoretically by ali hazelwood

july

the traitor queen (the bridge kingdom #2) by danielle l. jensen

the beast by katee robert

baldur's gate: descent into avernus by by james introcaso et. al

forget me not by julie soto

the wishing game by meg shaffer

august

the true love experiment by christina lauren

pachinko by min jin lee

almond by sohn won-pyung, translated by joosun lee

hook, line, and sinker by tessa bailey

september

hey, u up? (for a serious relationship): how to turn your booty call into your emergency contact by emily axford & brian murphy

everyone knows your mother is a witch by rivka galchen

fangs by sarah andersen

a room with a view by e.m. forster

juniper bean resorts to murder by gracie ruth mitchell

one's company by ashley hutson

the mysterious affair at styles by agatha christie

solita: a gothic romance by vivien rainn

you, again by kate goldbeck

the undertaking of hart and mercy by megan bannen

my roommate is a vampire by jenna levine

the picture of dorian gray by oscar wilde

the vampires of el norte by isabel cañas

her body and other parties by carmen maria machado

evil eye by etaf rum

the seven year slip by ashley poston

october

keeper of enchanted rooms by charlie n. holmberg

the serpent and the wings of night by carissa broadbent

shy by max porter

down comes the night by allison saft

the unfortunate side effects of heartbreak and magic by breanne randall

the hurricane wars by thea guanzon

november

a witch's guide to fake dating a demon by sarah hawley

the wake-up call by beth o'leary

when in rome by sarah adams

the view was exhausting by mikaella clements and onjuli datta

hello stranger by katherine center

practice makes perfect by sarah adams

do your worst by rosie danan

december

bookshops & bonedust by travis baldree

the fake mate by lana ferguson

final count: 127/100

#kate’s reading log #read in 2023*#a little late but i wanted to get this up here !!#i’ll update as i go so if you don’t want to see this just blacklist kate’s reading log :)#we hit character limit so i had to reformat lol

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spiralcass · 7 months

Text

NEW X-MEN: THE ANIMATED SERIES - SEASON 3, EPISODE 2 (PART 2 OF 2)

We open once again on Okkara, thousands of years ago. This time, we are even further in the past. There are no demons and no battles raging. With a shining sun and a clear blue sky above, Okkara is a flourishing island paradise. Its Mutant population is happy and at peace.

The man known as En Sabah Nur, dressed not in armor, but in loose-fitting robes, sits on a rock, strumming a stringed instrument, a calm smile on his face. A small captivated crowd listens.

Nur's attention is turned away from his music as someone calls for him.

"Father! Father!"

Apocalypse grins as a little girl made of flames runs up to him with excitement. He picks her up and asks what's brought her such joy.

ORIGINAL WAR: "Death and I fought! And I won!"

APOCALYPSE, an amused father: "Ah, I see. No wonder you are proud. Defeating Death is no small feat. Even if he is your baby brother."

War continues to be smug over her victory as Nur holds her tight.

NUR: "Stay strong, my daughter. But remember, to fight is not your future. You are the war which will never come again."

In the present, Apocalypse and War stand in their laboratory. A scientist reports to them that everything finally seems operational. On his mark, they can deploy the X-Virus.

A different scientist speaks up.

SCIENTIST: "Please, Lord Apocalypse! Don't do this! We can weaponize the virus on a smaller scale. If you'd just think of the–"

The scientist is cut off as his throat is sliced open, blood gushing out. He falls over, dead.

Apocalypse puts an arm around War's shoulders.

APOCALYPSE: "Proceed…and end this fight."

At the Jean Grey School, Mercury and Bling! have been sent on a drug trip. Cessily is dazed as she hallucinates her body expanding and twisting in every which way as the world expands and twists around her. Bling! meanwhile gets shinier and shinier. It’d blinding. It gets more pleasant for them as bubbles start forming on Mercury’s skin and she pops them to tickle herself, while Roxy tosses on some sunglasses and revels in how cool she looks.

CESSILY, giggly: “This is so weird. Have you ever done something like this before?”

ROXY: “You asking that because of who my parents are?”

CESSILY: “What? No, I–”

Roxy bursts out in hysteric laughter.

The Cuckoos are also on this trip, laughing as they hallucinate. They’re continuously merging with and unmerging from each other.

CUCKOOS: “They’re so gonna thank us.”

In the mission room, we pick up directly where we left off last time. Cyclops, Kitty, Iceman, and Wolverine desire to go and stop Apocalypse, but Magneto and Emma believe they should allow his plans to play out, and Hellion and Surge think they may be right. In the face of Archangel’s murder, Iceman is enraged and has put Magneto’s neck at icicle point.

ICEMAN: “I don’t care if you won’t help, but you aren’t getting in my way!”

Without moving or flinching, Erik disintegrates Bobby’s stretched-out arm.

MAGNETO: “The loss of Archangel is painful. For myself, the loss of the Morlocks even more so. Children died in those sewers. Do you know where else children died? By the millions? Genosha. This is the only way the pain ends.”

SCOTT: “Emma, please. You’re better than this.”

EMMA, insulted: “Do you really think speaking down to me will change my mind? Humanity’s leaders have brought nothing but suffering to all but the very worst of their entire population. Gently guiding them into the night as we take our rightful steps into the future and preventing decades more of suffering for them is practically a mercy.”

MAGNETO: “Why is this such a difficult pill for you to swallow, Cyclops? You have killed before. You will kill again. All in the name of protecting your people. And in the long term, you will save far more billions than those who die here.”

KITTY: “Can we stop talking like these are numbers on a spreadsheet and not living, breathing people?! Living, breathing people with family and friends!”

NORIKO: “Humans, Ms. Pryde. You’re talking about humans.”

JULIAN: “Humans who wouldn’t hesitate to kill us all if the positions were flipped.”

LAURA, aghast: “What the Hell is the matter with you two?!”

Nori angrily explains why she has no shits left to give about humans. Her family abandoned her, groups like the Purifiers and U-Men keep forming to try and kill them, and even if a new one hasn’t popped up lately, she knows they weren’t the first, even if they were, Stryker and all of his followers, and all the engineers who agreed to work for him were why Nova was able to kill 16 million of them, they do SHIELD’s dirty work fighting their own people for them, but SHIELD never seems to help THEM, Cyclops, for all his hard work, has barely made any dent in improving public opinion of Mutants…

Julian takes over.

JULIAN: “They took my damn hands, my family, hell, half the families of the kids here abandoned us, and the X-Men couldn’t even do the one thing they were supposed to do for us: keeping us safe.” He glares right at Scott. “With how many times you failed Sofia, it’s no wonder she turned on us.”

Bobby shouts at the kids that this is NOT the time for a temper tantrum, but Scott silences him.

SCOTT: “Everything you just said is true. And I’m sorry for where I’ve failed, and the hands you’ve been dealt.” He turns to Emma and Magneto. “But I’m not ready to give up.”

In Apocalypse’s lair, engines pound, and lights flash. Apocalypse’s lead scientist informs him and War of the good news: the X-Virus has been released. Before long, his goals will be fulfilled.

Apocalypse laughs in triumph.

APOCALYPSE: “Thousands of years of pain…will finally come to an end.”

War hooks her arms around one of Apocalypse’s and congratulates her lord. New Okkara will be the greatest civilization the world has ever known. Apocalypse rests a hand on her head. He could not have reached this point without her.

Just then, all of the scientists started coughing, as their bodies undergo a series of rapid, horrific Mutations. By the end, they are nothing but beige splatters on the floor.

Exodus enters, cackling at the irony.

EXODUS: “Shall I summon Death and Pestilence to join us in our hour of glory?”

APOCALYPSE: “No. They are needed in their current positions.”

EXODUS: “And if the X-Men don’t arrive willing to simply enter your open arms?”

WAR: “Has all that hair gel gone to your brain? These are hardly the X-Men who bested you both in the past. The three of us will more than suffice to crush them.” While Exodus bristles, War raises clenches her fist. “One way or another, I will make them see the light.”

Back in Cessily and Roxy’s room, the girlfriends have started making out one on the best, while the Cuckoos are spead across the floor, each in a daze, fiddling with one of Roxy’s instruments.

IRMA, plucking a violin with her fingertips: “Hey…can I ask you all something?”

PHOEBE, banging a drum stick against a bongo: “Since when can you not?”

IRMA: “I know…I know…but, I was thinking…what if I changed my name?”

The other Cuckoos weakly laugh.

SOPHIE, fidgeting with the buttons on a trumpet: “What?”

ESME, ripping the strings off a guitar: “TO what is more like it.”

IRMA: “I don’t know. I was just thinking about it.”

SOPHIE: “I guess it’s okay as long as it starts with an “I”.”

Cessily pulls away from Roxy and falls off the bed, partially liquifying on impact.

CESSILY, as she struggles to put herself back together: “I…hate you all. And I’m going to regret asking. But why do you…”

Cessily trails off as she passes out mid-sentece.

CELESTE: “She’ll be fine.”

ROXY: “Cool, cool…so explain?”

The Cuckoos giggle.

SOPHIE: “We chose our own names. Sophie, Irma, Phoebe, Celeste, Esme.”

CUCKOOS: “SPICE!”

SOPHIE: “As in “Spice Girls”.”

Roxy burts out laughing at that. The Cuckoos’ expressions range from insulted to hurt, until Roxy clarifies why she’s laughing. Their taste in music for their routines may suck, but she can respect that kind of crazy passion.

The Cuckoos’ faces light up at the first positive response they’ve managed to get from Roxy.

Just then, Sooraya knocks on the door. She wants to make sure her friends are okay, as something horrible seems to be going on around the world.

The Cuckoos cackle as they open the door telekinetically, accidentally slamming it, and tell Sooraya to come join them. Sooraya is instantly distracted from her previous concern, as now she’s just wondering what in the name of Allah is going on here.

ROXY: “Gonna be honest…still not entirely sure. You don’t have to do anything, girl. I know drugs are challah or something. Just take a seat and soak in the moment.”

Cessily, as a puddle, woken up and squirmed over to Sooraya’s feet. Her face is in the puddle.

CESSILY: “Hi.”

Sooraya seethes before shutting the door behind her. She’s only staying to make sure these irresponsible heethens don’t die. The other girls all cheer.

In the mission room, the argument has devolved into a shouting fest, Scott and Bobby screaming back and forth incomprehensibly with Emma and Erik, while Laura does the same with Julian and Noriko.

The only one not screaming? The team’s designated mediator, Kitty Pryde, who’s watching everyone else and taking in the situation. As the wheels turn in her brain, she picks up her phone and takes note of the crisis going on around the world, as thousands of people drop dead.

Kitty cringes, eyes shut, before opening them, full of determination. She has a plan.

While everyone else is fighting, Kitty sends a text message. While they don’t go to check their phones, we hear the buzz going off in Wolverine and Iceman’s. Kitty then rushes Surge and Hellion and phases all three of them through the floor.��

Julian and Noriko are pissed, and question what Ms. Pryde is doing. And after everything she’s seen, why isn’t she on their side?!

KITTY: “Shush! Oh my god, be quiet.”

JULIAN: “You can’t shush us!”

KITTY: “You must be getting too big for your britches if you’re forgetting you’re still students and I’m still your teacher. Yes, I can shush you. And you’re going to listen to me.”

NORI: “But Ms. Pryde–”

Kitty shoots her down with a stare.

With the kids reluctantly quiet, Kitty takes a breath.

KITTY: “Listen, I…you know, I…”

As Kitty struggles to find the right words, Julian and Noriko glare at her with skepticism and disinterest. A vein bulges in her forehead as her emotions overwhelm her. But she has to keep going.

KITTY: “You’re not wrong.” The kids are visibly surprised by those words. “You’re not wrong at all. About what you’ve been forced to deal with. About how you’ve been forced to live. You two have been dealt more shit than anyone should ever have to face, and you can’t even so much as look at your own hands without remembering that. I get it! Letting someone else do the dirty work of wiping away all the nasty people who’ve hurt you, and then take out whatever evil Mutants are left? Get the happy ending just like that? I get what why you want that. But, in spite of everything, everything I’ve seen, everything I’ve faced, all the people I’ve lost…” KItty trails off as she laughs. “All the bullcrap I’ve had to deal with from my own teachers and teammates. Do you know why I still dream?”

NORI, disregarding her: “Because you’re just naturally that perfectly good?”

Kitty cackles.

KITTY: “Hell no! The stories I could tell you kids. I won’t, because trauma, but I could.” They don’t laugh like she’d hoped. “Anyway...what kept me going were the people I loved. And I don’t just mean Mutants. And I’m not going to say I’m talking about “humans” or “Flatscans” like you two have gotten so fond of calling baselines. It’s one gene of difference! We’re all still human!”

JULIAN, disregarding her: “You think “baselines” are worth keeping around just because a few of them aren’t the worst?”

KITTY: “It’s a lot more than a few. I promise. My parents never had anything but love for me. And I have so, so many friends who I know would do anything to help us if they could. You’re heroes. Superheroes. Do you really want to just let countless innocent people die?” With Julian and Noriko still not being reached, Kitty realizes she has to go deeper - more personal. “My dad is already dead. Killed alongside the Mutants of Genosha he considered his community. But you know who’s still alive? Sooraya’s mom, who Dust has been so, so happy to have back in her life.” Julian and Noriko hang their heads and cringe as they’re hit with this. “How about Roxy’s parents? Or Brian’s? Or all the other parents of kids here who still love them? Do you want to tell you “crew”, Julian, how you decided to let their parents die? You think they’ll understand? What about if people like Storm and Sofia don’t just get their powers back from this? Noriko…” Kitty hates herself for having to go this far. “...do you want Keitaro to die?”

Noriko and Julian scream in rage as they super-speed toward Kitty, but she simply phases through them before grabbing their collars and slamming them on the floor.

The kids start crying. They don’t WANT anyone to die. They don’t want anyone to get hurt. But nothing is getting better. Nothing is getting easier. They just keep losing more and more. They just keep losing people.

Kitty helps the two stand up. Like she said, she gets it. But this is why escalation isn’t the answer. Evil isn’t genetic. There are evil baselines and evil Mutants.

KITTY, to Julian: “Sure, baselines’ hate is what often provokes radical response. But we should be better, right?”

Julian bites his liip as his own philosophy is thrown in his face.

KITTY, to Noriko: “And most people? Most people are good. They all need to be protected. And we’re the only ones who can protect everyone, baseline and human.” Noriko’s eyes widen and light up and a switch clicks in her brain. “We’re all the same.”

There’s a quiet pause.

JULIAN, trying to still be bitter: “I…”

Nori hugs Kitty, apologizing for how she’s been thinking and acting. Kitty hugs her back and assures her she’s got nothing to apologize for. She was just scared and angry. She’s still a good kid. Still a hero.

KITTY: “You wanna get in on this?”

Iceman and Wolverine arrive, with Kitty glad they got her text, and thanking them for their good timing.

Julian brushes her off, but he does thank her for the wakeup call. Honestly.

KITTY: “Mission Room?”

ICEMAN: “Frozen solid.”

KITTY: “Good. Won’t hold Magneto and Emma, but we don’t want it too. Hellion and Surge are back on track. I need the four of you to head to Egypt NOW. Kids, you’re on Horseman detail. You aren’t beating them, but I just need to distract them for as long as you can. Iceman…”

ICEMAN: “I really hope you’re not about to tell me I’m fighting Apocolypse on my own.”

KITTY: “I mean, if anyone could.” Bobby is able to laugh a little. “But no. You can make copies of yourself. Hold Apocalypse back while your dupes disable his machines.”

HELLION: “This sounds like we’re being thrown to the wolves.”

KITTY: “Only if I can’t get our “leaders” to join us. I’ll work my magic on them too, and get them over to Egypt to help as quickly as possible.”

Everyone is aware this isn’t a great plan, but it’s the only one they’ve got. Just one problem: Magik’s not talking or getting out bed, their planes are fast, but can’t move instantaneously, and Nightcrawler can’t do long distance.

Nori laughs at their panic. Kitty and Iceman don’t actually KNOW what Pixie’s Mutation is, do they?

In Apocalypse's throne room, he sits on his chair, with Famine and War at his sides. While Apocalypse and Exodus track the plague's effects telepathically, War watches on her phone.

WAR: "I wonder what sorts of new weapons will be unlocked."

EXODUS: "Perhaps there will be an Omega with your weapon so we can replace you."

WAR: “Fine by me. I’m almost due for a promotion anyway.”

Apocalypse sighs.

WAR: “Is something wrong, my lord?”

APOCALYPSE: “No. Merely what we expected. The X-Men are coming. And they do not appear to be interested in joining us. Deal with them.”

EXODUS, sarcastic: “A shocking turn of events.” He smirks at War. “Are you sure you’re up to this? I can handle the battle myself if you think you might–”

APOCALYPSE, cutting him off: “Famine. Go.”

Exodus, frustrated shakes his head, before bowing and departing.

For the first time, War appears hesitant.

APOCALYPSE: “War…I know you wish to save them. But we can only help those Mutants who wish to be helped. If they fight, you may attempt to show mercy…but nothing can be allowed to stop us. Am I clear?”

War stands in place, frozen, as she looks down at her phone. Noticing her struggle, Apocalypse stands. He gently takes her phone from her and tosses it aside.

APOCALYPSE: “I did not expect this weakness from you.”

WAR, finally speaking up: “I am NOT weak!”

APOCALYPSE: “Of course you aren’t. You are among the strongest horsemen I’ve ever led. My blood runs through you. You did everything in your power to purge yourself of weakness. So why do you hesitate?”

War leans against Apocalypse’s chest.

WAR: “I only froze for a few seconds. You would have pause as well were it your family fighting against us.”

APOCALYPSE: “Oh, my child.” Apocalypse wraps an arm around War. “My family is your family.”

War shivers at those words. She quickly hugs him back before pulling away.

WAR, enthusiastically: “Should it come to it, I will bring you every last X-Man’s head, my lord.”

APOCALYPSE, grinning: “I know you will.”

War bows before flying off. Apocalypse, still smiling, returns to his seat and laughs.

In her dorm room, Pixie is freaking out. People around the world are melting or dying in other horrible ways, and she doesn’t want to melt, and she doesn’t want the school to blow up again, or for anyone else to get hurt, or to have to go back to living with her mom.

ICEMAN: “We don’t have time for this!” Bobby forcefully shows Megan coordinates on his phone. “Send us here with your pixie dust NOW, Megan!”

Megan whimpers, afraid of the situation and of Bobby.

Wolverine shoves Bobby away.

WOLVERINE: “I do not care if you’re angry. You do not scream at my friends. Cool off. And do not dare make a pun.”

Iceman backs off as Nori steps forward. Noriko asks Megan if she noticed they’re roommates this year. Pixie nods.

SURGE: “Well, I know I don’t exactly have the best reputation. Gonna be honest: I’m probably gonna annoy you as much as I do everyone else. Only girl who didn’t find me annoying is long gone.” Julian and Laura cringe. “And if you don’t trust the adults to keep us safe at this point, I can’t blame you one bit. But, feel free to tell everyone else: I’m an X-Man now. And you don’t have to like me or trust the adults as protectors…I’ll keep you all safe. No matter what.”

Pixie is able to start calming down and she weakly smiles.

Hellion steps forward with a smug look on his face.

HELLION: “And, when Surge inevitably screws up, because, let’s be honest with ourselves, she will, I’ll always be there to catch her and show her up.” Pixie giggles. “No one ever touches this school again.”

Laura smiles, happy to see her friends like this after their dark turn, while Bobby is impressed.

PIXIE: “Okay. Okay, let’s do this!”

As Pixie starts making her dust, Wolverine stands next to Hellion and Surge.

WOLVERINE: “Welcome back.”

Pixie wishes the X-Men good luck as she sprinkles the four with her dust, sending them away.

In the Mission Room, Magneto and Emma vaporize Iceman’s ice, freeing themselves and Cyclops. They all struggle to catch their breath.

EMMA, telepathically: “That young man is becoming far too powerful.”

Kitty races back into the room.

KITTY: “Hey, perfect timing. You all have a chance to calm the Hell down?”

Cyclops and Erik glare and huph at each other, while Emma turns her eyes toward KItty.

EMMA: “Where are the children?”

KITTY, smirking: “They left with Iceman. Off to save the world.” Emma is visibly pissed off. “If you’re worried about them, they sure could use you two backing them up.”

CYCLOPS, smiling: “Nice work, Kitty.”

KITTY, smirking back: “Thanks. Nice job not letting Emma use your hair like puppet strings for once.”

EMMA: “Do you find this funny?! You have jeoprized our children’s safety!”

KITTY: “And here I thought you believed in your kids’ potential.”

EMMA: “Potential they are YET to realize!”

MAGNETO: “Enough!”

Erik apologizes to Emma, but they cannot bend now. Not with what is at stake. They must hope that, if Apocalypse was in a mood to speak with them, he won’t just kill Wolverine, Hellion, and Surge, and they’ll be able to save them. They already know from Storm’s loss that he’s sparing Omegas, so Iceman will be definitely be safe.

Erik’s words are able to calm Emma and allow her to recompose herself.

EMMA: “Yes. You’re right. That’s that then. Cyclops, Kitty…your move.”

Back over with the girls, Cessily, Roxy, and the Cuckoos are now all on the floor. Sooraya stands over them, wondering just what they took. She won’t take any herself, but figures it would be less awkward if she relaxed a little. She removes her hood and facemask and lays down next the other girls.

CESSILY, ROXY, and CUCKOOS: “WOOOOH! DUST! DUST! DUST!”

IRMA: “Take it all off!”

PHOEBE: “Eww, don’t be gross, Irma.”

The silence resumes as everyone except Soo’s eyes continue to glaze over.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Cessily burts into tears.

Everyone wonders what’s wrong, but she just keeps crying.

ROXY: “Oh. Babe. I wanna help. But I’m over here. And you’re over there. And…ugggggh.”

Sooraya crawls over to Cessily and takes her hand, filling in for her unavailable gf. Without slurring her words like the others, she asks what’s wrong.

CESSILY: “I just…I just feel like I’m being left behind. School won’t last forever. And when it’s done, I don’t want to be the only one who isn’t an X-Man. Three of us already are, four of us should be, Dust, your time is coming and we all know it, babe, you’re a genius, Brian’s got a gimmick, and you Cuckoos may be the worst, but you’re stronger than all of us.” She sniffles and coughs up some metal coins. “I only got put with you guys because I was able to fight Sofia BEFORE she could even fly straight. You all have something I don’t. That natural IT! And no matter how hard I work, I’ll never catch up. I’ve learned to be proud of being a Mutant, but if I can’t fight with you all, you’ll leave me in the distance. Just like they did.”

There’s a pause.

ROXY, still extremely high: “Oh. That’s rough.”

Cessily cries even harder. Sooraya glares at Roxy before holding Cessily.

Iceman, Wolverine, Hellion, and Surge appear in a flash of pink light in Apocalypse’s lair. While Noriko thinks this place is spooky, Julian makes some light for them. His attention is caught by all the murals of Apocalypse…

JULIAN: “And they say I have an ego.”

…with him also noticing one depicting him alongside a dark-skinned woman, their swords both raised in the air as their followers kneel before them.

NORI: “People really worship this creep?”

ICEMAN: “Baselines, Mutants, and everything in between unfortunately. Sometimes you just give up and want a god to make all your problems go away.”

Bobby coughs up a bunch of clones and sends them to scout this place out. No need for them to waste energy hunting for their targets when they can do it. The dupes will hopefully be able to find a horseman or two, and destroy the doomsday device, before they’re all taken out. Plus, if the four of them stick together, they’ll be more difficult to get the drop on.

LAURA: “Huh.”

BOBBY: “What?”

LAURA: “Nothing. Thought you were a clown.”

BOBBY: “I like to be. But my friend is dead. So today, you kids get someone with as much training as Cyclops.”

Iceman leads the kids further into the base.

ICEMAN: “By the way, that was a nice speech you two gave Pixie. I should have said something like that.”

JULIAN: “Only said what I felt. The X-Men have been letting me and mine down since our first month here. Ashida and I aren’t here at this point because we think you’re just so cool…”

NORIKO: “...we’re here because we’re the only ones we trust to do this job right.”

BOBBY, after a pause: “Sooooo, you’re teenagers.” The two pout as Bobby laughs at them after they thought they were sounding so cool. “No, no, I get it, it’s chill. But maybe you’re onto something. This team isn’t what it used to be. Maybe you two are just what it needs.”

Noriko slams a fist against her palm.

NORI: “No one puts my brother in danger. I know Ms. Pryde wants me distracting horsemen or whatever, but I wanna punch this Apocalypse guy in his big, dumb face. ”

“Oh, honey.”

The X-Men arrive in a golden, octacongal chamber, where Exodus and War await them. There are doors all around them. The building is a maze designed to lead trespassers back to this location.

EXODUS: “You’d break every last nail.”

The X-Men stand off against the two Horsemen, with Iceman’s eyes immediately filling with rage.

As Cessily continues to cry and Sooraya holds her, the Cuckoos visibly feel awful for her.

Sooraya tells her that she understands her fears, but she has nothing to worry about. The two of them have been together constantly, and she’s seen her grow so much. Even if she isn’t always getting real “experience” like the others, she’s always pushing herself and getting stronger.

DUST: “No, you aren’t Wind Dancer, Hellion, or Surge. I’m not either. Everyone else seems to think I’ll become an X-Man soon. But the way you push yourself? I know you will.” Cessily sniffles, and wipes her tears. “And even if you don’t? We will never abandon you. We’re not your parents, Cessily. We’re your family.”

Cessily is able to smile and wipe the last of her tears away as she hugs Sooraya.

CESSILY: “Thank you. I love you.”

SOORAYA, hugging her back: “I love you too.”

ROXY, flatly: “Love is awesome.”

CUCKOOS: “Awwwwww.”

SOPHIE: “This is better than Small Town.”

CELESTE: “Are you guys always this sweet?”

Cessily and Sooraya turn to the sisters.

CESSILY: “It’s just called being friends.”

The simplicity of that statement blows the Cuckoos’ minds.

PHOEBE, telepathically: “That’s it?”

CELESTE: “That’s how you make friends?”

IRMA: “Being honest? Vulnerable?”

ESME: “EWW! EWW! EWW!”

OTHER CUCKOOS: “Sophie?”

Sophie takes a moment to think. The other Cuckoos’ expressions change with hers as she decides what they need to do.

SOPHIE: “Well…that’s all we want.”

The camera cuts away from the Cuckoos.

CESSILY, eyes bulging out of her head: “What the Hell?!”

SOORAYA, equally shocked and covering her mouth: “What is this?”

Roxy launches up to her feet, feeling better, before noticing the Cuckoos and fainting.

Iceman turns his arms into blades, glaring with rage and hate, as Exodus welcomes them to where Eden will be reborn.

EXODUS, sultry, leering back at Bobby: “That’s quite the look you’re giving me, Iceman. Positively penetrating.”

WAR: “Why do you need to make this weird?”

HELLION: “And just who are you supposed to be? Iceman?”

ICEMAN: “Never seen her.”

War steps forward, holding out her arms.

WAR: “I am War. And we do not need to fight. We should not be enemies. Everyone in this chamber is an extraordinarily powerful Mutant. We should be working together.”

Hellion and Surge power up their auras.

SURGE: “Thought about it. Decided I’d rather kick your teeth in.”

ICEMAN: “You’re killing millions. And don’t pull the “just humans” thing on me. You’ve been killing our own. From defenseless children to the “strong” you claim to respect. You aren’t getting away with it!”

BEAT.

WAR: “Oh, are you talking about Death?” Bobby’s eyes widen. “He was hardly THAT strong.”

Bobby howls as he forms and launches a glacier to throw at the two horsemen. Exodus blows it apart and rushes Iceman at super speed, punching him in the chest and smashing him through the wall.

EXODUS: “Believe me, I get wanting to kill War. But I’ve already tasted one Omega today. And I want seconds.”

Iceman narrows his eyes and he jumps back.

Back in the main chamber, Hellion laments the plan already going to Hell, but thinking they may as well take War out together then.

HELLION: “We’re gonna break that tacky armor apart as easily as your bones. You got that?!”

While he, Surge, and Wolverine stand ready to fight, War shrugs. She falls back, catching herself in mid-air, and lays back with her legs crossed and her hands behind her head.

WAR: “I have no desire to fight any of you. Stand still and stay out of the way of Famine’s battle, and you will live to see paradise.”

Surge resents being talked down to like this, and is about to jump her, but Wolverine stops her.

WOLVERINE: “Think. Our job was to be a distraction for Iceman against Apocalypse. Now Iceman is distracted. If she is as strong as Exodus, then she’s right that we can’t beat her. If she does not want to fight…then it doesn’t make sense to fight. Not until Iceman wins.”

HELLION, cringing: “I hate that that makes sense.”

SURGE, also annoyed and spitting on the ground: “Seriously, who are you?”

War giggles at them.

WAR: “Within 24 hours? Your princess.”

Iceman vs Exodus begins. Bobby throws everything he has at Famine, from more enormous glaciers, to snowstorms that make the arctic tundra look like the sun.

BOBBY: “What are you even doing here, Exodus?! Last I checked, you hated Apocolypse as much as any of us!”

EXODUS, shielding himself from and blowing away all of Bobby’s attacks: “I did, yes. But Magneto lost his way, and now chooses to walk the path of sloth. Lord Apocalypse’s vision is a holy one.”

Exodus counterattacks at last and blows Iceman apart. He knows that he hasn’t won, and that Iceman can regrow from any chunk of himself. It’s why he can’t defeat him the same way he did Storm. Another reason to join Apocalypse is that, with his Omega-level molecular manipulation and god-like technology, he can make you stronger than you ever imagined. In his case, he was given the technology needed to steal x-genes, and the additional mutation of moisture absorption.

EXODUS: “But you? You are moisture.” He rolls his shoulders as he looks at some of the water drops which wound up on him. “You’re already making me wet.”

A full grown Iceman emerges from one of those water drops and punches Exodus in the face with a mace-hand, drawing blood.

ICEMAN: “What is WRONG with you?!”

Iceman after Iceman grows from the water, snow, and ice all around the room, and, freezing the floor underneath Exodus’ feet to make him slip for just a second, Bobby’s small army of himself gets in close and whales on him. While they do bust up his face and knock out his hair tie, they can’t put him down before he vaporizes all but one.

EXODUS, panting: “What can I say? I like what I see. And don’t you dare say I’m less appealing to the eye than poor, dead, Death.”

BOBBY: “Don’t you…! Wait, are you saying I–?”

With Bobby frazzled, Exodus finds the opening in his mental defenses and psychically brings him to his knees. As Bobby screams, Exodus sadistically grins and approaches him, readying the same hand he used on Storm.

EXODUS: “Don’t worry, Iceman. In a moment, your pain will come to an end. In a moment, you will be…inside me.”

Exodus slams his hand down on Iceman’s face and begins stealing his x-gene.

Back with the girls, Cessily, Sooraya, and even Roxy have gotten situated on one of those beds, the girlfriends both chugging water. Seated on the other bed, the Cuckoos smirk confidently at them.

There’s an awkward silence. Until…

ROXY: “Okay so what WAS that?”

CESSILY: “You said you got your noses done!”

IRMA: “And more!”

Sooraya doesn’t understand. Their unmasked faces were completely mangled. Did they shatter them?

SOPHIE: “No.”

PHOEBE: “They were made broken.”

ESME: “We just fixed them.”

Once again, there’s an awkward silence. And once again, Roxy breaks it.

ROXY: “No. No way. I don’t buy it.”

CELESTE: “Why? Do you expect us all to act like whiny victims?”

IRMA: “We’re exactly who we were meant to be.”

A look of realization slowly creeps onto Cessily’s face.

CESSILY: “BULLSHIT!”

The Cuckoos giggle.

Sooraya still doesn’t get it. The Cuckoos reason she may not have any context for what’s going on, so they decide to make it easier for her, and just beam the information into her head.

Sooraya’s eyes widen.

SOORAYA: “Oh. I…didn’t realize that was possible. Congratulations?”

Roxy gets a chuckle out of that. Some of the celebrities she introduced her to over the break were also trans, and it just never came up.

The Cuckoos nonetheless thank Sooraya, and all of them for understanding. They aren’t so sure everyone here would be, Mutant or not.

The sisters go on to say that, for as long as they can remember, they’ve known who they wanted to be, and how they wanted to live their lives. From being pop stars, to ruling the school, and being friends with all the coolest people. They thought they were cool and hot and powerful enough to force it, but that just ruined everything.

SOPHIE: “This is all still so new to us…and we didn’t know what else to do. We are sorry.”

With the Cuckoos actually looking like they mean it, the three friends turn to each other, unsure of what to say next.

In the Mission Room, Scott turns and paces away from Emma and Erik.

ERIK: “Do you remember when we spoke on Genosha? In no way did I infer that I had come to think the same way as Charles. What I told you was that I’d realized that attempting to dominate humanity would only ever divide Mutantkind. If there is no humanity, and Apocalypse is defeated later, there will be no division. I was chosen by Phoenix in its infinite wisdom to lead our people. It knows that this is the path forward.”

Scott takes a moment to respond. He doesn’t look back at Erik, but he does tilt his head.

SCOTT: “The same Phoenix that destroyed Genosha?”

Erik is enraged.

ERIK: “How dare you.”

Scott turns back to face him.

SCOTT: “How dare I? Do you really think this is what any of your people would have wanted?”

ERIK: “They are dead!”

SCOTT: “And clearly more dead bodies will stop the problem, right? Just hope that Apocalypse has changed slightly and if he hasn’t, take him out? Great, what happens next? You lead us? No one challenges that? You, of all people, are going to unite the remaining population of millions? Millions who, by and large, actively chose against moving to Genosha? After doing THIS?”

Magneto clenches his teeth and fists and forms magnetic bubbles around his hands.

SCOTT: “Go. Do it. Blow me up as easily as I know you can. Doesn’t change that the reason Apocalypse’s plan will work and yours won’t is the same reason you were never able to wipe out humanity.”

ERIK, stomping forward: “Are you calling me weak?”

SCOTT: “No. I’m calling Apocalypse the devil. And despite the horns on that helmet of yours, you just aren’t. You don’t have the stomach to do what you’d need to to force everyone to follow you. Even if you had his resources, you wouldn’t have the stomach to initiate this plan yourself.”

Magneto grabs Scott by the throat.

MAGNETO, through gritted teeth: “And what makes you so sure?”

“Because I still remember a kind old man who wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if he’d killed a single little Jewish, Mutant girl.”

Erik turns to look at Kitty as she finishes speaking. She mocks him with taunting eyes and a head tilt. He cringes and powers down.

Magneto sighs.

MAGNETO: “That is another tally on the board for you, Summers. I concede. And I am sorry.”

Scott puts a hand on his shoulder.

SCOTT: “We all want the pain to stop. One day, it will. But it will be through the dream. Not like this.”

Everyone turns to Emma, unsure if she’s gotten on the same page from all this.

Emma struts over to Scott like nothing is wrong and kisses him.

EMMA: “I have nothing to apologize for.”

The lovers share a smirk, but it’s quickly back to business. They have a big bad to beat.

SCOTT: “And you don’t need to hear me say I forgive you.”

In Apocalypse's base, Iceman attempts to resist having his powers stolen by freezing Exodus's hand, but against his telekinesis and telepathic assault, that can only do so much. Famine taunts Bobby with a slasher smile as he creeps into his mind.

EXODUS: “Of all people, you should relish the potential of our victory. You are Omega. You would live one step below godhood. Your full power will be unleashed, not suppressed.”

Bobby groans as he pictures both his solo victory over one of the super sentinels, as well as a flashback to when he was a teenager, being scolded by Xavier and laughed at by the rest of the 05.

EXODUS: “You will not fear yourself.”

Bobby moans louder as he flashes back to his interactions with Christian and Warren. Special attention is put on their smiles and Warren’s post-shower chest.

EXODUS: “You will have a lord who accepts you.”

Bobby screams as he thinks back to being a kid, slapped across the face by his father, with a cross on a wall visible in the background.

EXODUS: “Your loyalty or your weapon. Whatever your choice, you must submit.”

Bobby groans and struggles as resisting becomes almost impossible. His head is hung and his time is nearly out.

ICEMAN: “I…thank you, Exodus.”

Exodus raises his eyebrows in surprise.

EXODUS: “For showing you the righteous path?”

Bobby laughs.

BOBBY: “Hell no. For proving every telepath I’ve ever known right.” He manically grins up at Exodus. “Intrusive telepathy DOES beat therapy!”

Bobby flash freezes the arm Exodus has on him, and with an uppercut, shatters it. Exodus screams in pain and horror as Iceman powers back up and blasts away at him, hitting him hard enough to send him crashing through multiple walls, and outside into the surrounding desert.

Iceman, talking to Exodus as faces on water drops on his clothes, tells Exodus that he never dreamed he could be who he is now. He didn’t even fully realize who that was until just now. And you know who that is? The hero who will always step up. The hero who CAN always step up, because he can do anything, and because he isn’t smart enough to overthink a problem that has a villain to be punched. And also?”

ICEMAN, as he stands over Exodus on an ice bridge: “I’m gay. But you are so not my type.”

Exodus desperately attempts another telepathic assault, but Bobby counters with the Red Diamond.

Bobby smiles up. “Check what happens next, Warren.”

Iceman blasts again at Exodus, with Famine now the one struggling to shield himself.

Still standing by, Hellion and Surge cheer at the sight of Iceman kicking Exodus’ ass.

HELLION: “Better go running to your lord and master for safety. Once he’s done with him, you’ll have to deal with all of us.”

War turns her head toward where the fight is happening.

WAR, under her breath: “That buffoon.”

War lands on her feet, one arm behind her back and one hand on the hilt of her sword. Surge questions if she’s ready to start now.

WAR: “No. I still don’t wish to fight. I just wanted to ask you something. You’re all students at the Xavier Institute, aren’t you?”

NORIKO: “Jean Grey School. What of it?”

LAURA: “Don’t talk to her. This is obviously a play.”

Julian erects a forcefield around the three kids. He’s putting all his power behind it, and he doesn’t care how strong she is, she isn’t breaking it down. No matter what she says, they’re staying on defense.

WAR: “So suspicious. I only asked because I was curious if any of you ever happened to meet a girl I encountered. I believe her name was…Sofia Mantega?”

The eyes of all three young X-Men, including Wolverine, immediately become intense.

JULIAN: “Why do you know who that is?!”

NORIKO: “What did you do to her?!”

LAURA, not keeping her cool: “Steady heads.”

War shakes her head.

WAR: “It’s such a tragic story. A powerful young Mutant stripped of her weapon, all because she trusted fools who told her her place was to serve the weak. Made weak herself, and becoming as pitiful as any human, attacking her own people.” War paces forward. “Lord Apocalypse took note of her online acts. They spoke and, in the end, all was well.”

JULIAN: “If you so much as hurt one hair on her head, I’ll tear you limb from limb! You hear me?!”

WAR: “Hurt her? Never.” Beat. “I just put her out of her misery.”

Surge and Hellion snap, firing massive blasts at War, but the only thing their attacks successfully destroy is a good chunk of the base, as War somehow forces their tk energy and electricity to crash against the walls, rather than travel in a straight path toward her.

Wolverine, having lost all sense of leadership and composure, rushes War. However, she’s completely outclassed. War is fast and skilled enough to block all of her attacks with seeming efforltessness, she counters every move with a harsh body blow, and by the end of Laura’s attempted assault, she has Wolverine restrained by simply holding onto and crushing her arm.

War tosses the battered Wolverine at the other two X-Men’s feet. Hellion and Surge charge in next, both coated in forcefields, and while that, plus their superspeed, allows them to do better, War can still either physically block or otherwise deflect all of their attacks.

WAR: “If this is the best your school has, you need a better teacher.”

War sends the two flying back, scorching them both with her flames. Wolverine gets back up and tries to fight again, but she doesn’t even get to make War block this time, as War easily steps out of the way of all of her attacks, and just gets to beat on her.

WAR: “I am sorry it’s come to this. But the pain will make you stronger.”

Seemingly spontaneously, Wolverine is slashed all over her body, deep bloody marks covering her from head to toe. Laura screams, and with one more punch tot the face, War puts her down. Screaming like maniacs, Hellion and Surge try one more time to do anything they can against War, but War just puts her hand to her head like a telepath and, a moment later, Noriko and Julian collapse to the floor, with their heads in agony.

WAR, casually stepping past the kids in Iceman and Exodus’ direction: “If you wish to stand for something…if you wish to protect those who cannot protect themselves…the becoming the strongest and dominating is your only option. Otherwise? You’re just asking to be stepped on.”

Julian and Noriko try to get up, but a sharp, invisible pain keeps them down.

WAR: “I’ll see you in the new world.”

Julian and Noriko pass out.

In the girls' room, the eight teens are all sprawled back out on the floor, lying back in a circle. There’s a moment of silence.

CESSILY: “You drugged us. That’s really messed up.”

SOPHIE: “We tried just talking before.”

ROXY: “Yeah, well, next time, maybe stick to that.”

SOPHIE, perking up: “Next time?”

Neither Cessily nor Roxy responds.

SOORAYA: “I learned so much about American culture during the break. Things I never cared to learn while here. In so many ways, it is the free, wonderous place it promises. In others..” Sooraya trails off. “I’m still not sure if the country outside these walls is right for me. Much of it goes against…everything. Ommi is enamored. She loves it here. But even for baselines, it is more than it claims.” Sooraya looks at the sisters. “You threatened my mother. But I believe you have changed. I am not who you harmed the worst. The choice is Roxanne’s.”

All eyes turn to Roxy. She exhales.

ROXY: “You’re not the first girls I’ve met like you. Girls who’ve got everything and think that means they can take anything they want. Even people.” The Cuckoos faces fall. They don’t think this is going to end well. Roxy looks at Sooraya. “But last year, I realized the only difference between me and them was I threw tantrums when I didn’t get my way instead of pushing my pain onto others. I was just as entitled.” She looks back at the Cuckoos. “And another I learned last year? There are parts of us we don’t even know about just waiting to be uncovered. Good or bad, we’ve all got something else going on that we don’t show. I may regret this…but yeah, Sophie. You and your girls get a next time.”

The Cuckoos all squee in delight, and even Cess and Soo seem pleased. Finally! Roxy won’t regret this. They’re going to be the best friends ever and run this school again.

The others glare at them like they can’t be serious.

CELESTE: “We mean by being popular.”

Roxy and Sooraya breathe sighs of relief.

CESSILY: “Well, the Hellions cannot come back for sure…but maybe we don’t need to be *totally* nice.”

Everyone’s a little intrigued by what she’s thinking.

We cut to Quentin’s room, where he and Brian are playing video games. Quentin has a “Magneto Was Right” poster on his wall, alongside various academic awards. The two boys are sitting back playing video games. We hold on this visual for a few seconds, until a giant, creepy monster pops out of the screen. Brian and Quentin scream in terror.

Outside in the hall, the Cuckoos, Cessily, Sooraya, and Roxy laugh at their prank. Quentin is so scared, he loses control of his telekinesis and blasts out the light fixture, making the boys scream more. The girls pause, momentarily worried, and the Cuckoos shut off the illusion.

QUENTIN, scared out of his mind: “Cuckoos! I know that was you!”

The girls still seem concerned…but then they burst out laughing again.

In Egypt, Iceman vs Exodus reaches a climax. Iceman laughs at the one-armed Exodus as he launches one ave of destructive tk energy after another, filling the air with sand. He keeps blowing Bobby apart, but he has no way of actually keeping him down.

ICEMAN: “It doesn’t matter how many times you blow your load. Even the desert can’t make me melt.”

Iceman freezes all of the sand Exodus has kicked up, sharpens it, and pelts Exodus with millions of hail shards. Bobby follows up with one more freezing blast to completely overwhelm Exodus.

As the attacks finish, Exodus is down. For Warren and for the Mocklocks, Bobby is going to take him out.

Exodus pants. Maybe he is about to lose…but he can still fight.

From his one remaining hand, Exodus launches a TK wave, not at Iceman, but at the section of the base they came from, where Julian, Noriko, and Laura are passed out and helpless.

Iceman screams in horror, powerful as he is, he can’t freeze the blast, or at least not as quickly as he needs to.

ICEMAN: “NO!”

The music stops everything stops. Everything stops except for Iceman.

Bobby is weirded out, and confused by what’s going on. But then he realizes it. He did this. He froze time.

ICEMAN: “I…I can do this?” BEAT “BWAHAHAHA! THAT’S SO COOL!”

With time now on his side, but feeling like he can’t do this forever, Bobby takes the time he needs to freeze and shatter Exodus’ attack, although doing so clearly exhausts him, as he’s already used so much energy. For Exodus, time unfreezes as Iceman skewers him with two sharpened arms.

ICEMAN, exhausted: “Congrats. You got me inside you.”

Fear of death overtakes Exodus’ face as Iceman freezes him from the inside out.

EXODUS: “This…this cannot be. I am the lord’s most faithful soldier. I cannot die to a clown.”

ICEMAN: “I may be a clown. But at least I’m no one’s b–”

Iceman’s victory quote is interrupted, and his victory is stopped, as a hellstorm of flames melts him down, the nature of the attack hurting him far more than Exodus’. War has arrived. With all the energy Bobby has already spent, the intensity of War’s heat makes it a struggle to reform his body. She shows no mercy as she continues to hit him again and again, cackling manically and leaving him a series of puddles in the sand.

WAR: “And he said I couldn’t fight an Omega.”

Exodus pants as he stands up and cauterizes his wounds.

EXODUS: “I…had the situation under control.”

WAR, mockingly: “Of course you did. Now shut off his brain. It’s the only way to kill him.”

EXODUS: “Do not presume to order me, you little –”

APOCALYPSE, telepathically, cutting him off: “Famine. War. You must leave at once.”

WAR AND EXODUS: “WHAT?!”

They’re both confused. They’re winning. And they’re about to kill Iceman.

APOCALYPSE: “The X-Men’s leaders are arriving. Famine, you are in no condition to face Magneto as you wish to. War, your psychic defenses cannot withstand a single attack from Emma Frost. You have done well. Now leave the rest to me.”

WAR, worried: “But my lord–!”

APOCALYPSE: “Do you doubt my ability to defeat them? Do you doubt my strength?”

War hates this, bending over and clenching her fists in frustration at this order, but she can’t argue.

WAR: “Show no mercy, my lord.”

War flies off.

EXODUS: “As I heal, I shall find our new people, and shepherd them to their true paths.”

Exodus flies off.

Right outside Apocalypse’s base, Cyclops, Emma, Magneto, and Kitty finally arrive in a flash of pink sparkles.

Emma’s first act is to breathe a sigh of relief. She senses that the kids and Iceman are all still alive. Down and out, but alive. They’re also in luck: it doesn’t seem like any Horsemen are present. Either they went down taking them out, or Apocalypse wants them all alone.

Magneto orders Kitty to retrieve the kids and get them out of the base; the base may not survive the upcoming battle. Once that’s done, it’s her responsibility to disable Apocalypse’s machinery, get out, and see what she can do about Iceman.

MAGNETO, looking to Scott and Emma: “Apocalypse wished to speak with us three. We shall grant that wish.”

Kitty doesn’t question these orders for a second, tells the others to not mess this up, and runs in ahead of them.

The three leaders dramatically follow behind her. Or, not so dramatically.

SCOTT: “Let’s a make bet.”

EMMA, not having time for this: “What?”

SCOTT: “Make it interesting. Losing isn’t an option. We’re going to win. So let’s make a bet for who takes him down.”

MAGNETO: “Are you being serious right now?”

SCOTT, smiling and shrugging: “You shouldn’t be complaining. Odds are in your favor.” He looks at Emma. “If I put Apocalypse down, I get to teach you how to fly the Blackbird, and if you win, I’ll learn to ride a horse?”

EMMA, continuing to glare at him in confusion: “Are you okay?”

Scott laughs.

SCOTT: “Oh god no.”

In Apocalypse’s throneroom, Apocalypse sits, all by himself, his servants no longer present. He wearily leans to his side, resting his head on a fist.

The leaders enter. Apocalypse,although still tried, grins.

APOCALYPSE: “You have arrived. Are you here to witness the apocalypse alongside it?” The three just glare back. Apocalypse laughs. “No. I suppose you aren’t.” Apocalypse takes a breath. “I cannot say I understand. I have observed you. None of you are weak. Not like Charles Xavier. Even you, Child of X. I believed that the overly gentle terms I have set would be…agreeable.”

The three continue to stare him down. Rather than respond to what he said, Magneto notices something else.

MAGNETO: “You are already gravely injured. Sick. That’s why you have shown humanity this “mercy”. Not out of any desire to reach out an olive branch. You don’t even have the energy for a prolonged conflict, do you?”

Emma questions how that’s possible. She and him have never had a chance to get acquainted, thank god, but isn’t he supposed to be immortal? Scott confirms this, and shares in her confusion, as if he did survive his last encounter with the X-Men, he should have needed to spend time in his regenerative chamber; the real reason they’ve never been able to stop him for good.

APOCALYPSE, nodding: “What you say is true. But a sacrifice was necessary. One I do not regret.”

Apocalypse questions if this is really what they want. To perpetuate the conflict among them. To prolong their suffering.

The leaders tell him that question was a difficult one for them to come to a consensus on. But this won’t stop the fighting either. And at the end of the day, there are good humans; there is no good in Apocalypse.

CYCLOPS: “Unless you mean to tell us you’ve changed your view of Mutants you don’t see as “worthy”.”

APOCALYPSE, smiling: “The weak have no place in this world but to be crushed by the strong. That fact will never change. But I have witnessed the weakest, most pathetic of creatures transform themselves into the very strongest, given the right circumstances. All Mutants will have a chance in my world. It is not my fault if they fail.”

Apocalypse knows that Kitty is also here and what she’s no doubt after. But they misunderstand. The plague has already been released. Millions have died, thousands have been born, and destroying the weapons of the old gods will not stop this from continuing. He explains that in granting each of his new Horsemen new Mutations, he set a condition on them: should they ever lose a battle, those abilities would fade away. He has put a similar condition on himself. If he falls, the plague will cease. That is the only way to stop it.

APOCALYPSE: “If I can not still crush any who oppose me…then I have no right to dictate the new world. And the new world is not ready to be born.” He sits up straight. “Do you issue the challenge?”

MAGNETO, stepping forward: “The X-Men do.”

APOCALYPSE, moaning: “Very well.” Apocalypse slowly stands up, cracking his muscles and drawing two swords. “I am the weakest I have been in thousands of years. I stand against two Omegas and an Alpha. I…shall grant you honorable deaths.”

Moving at super speed, Apocalypse rushes Magneto. Erik is able to hold him back with magnetic force, taking hold of Apocalypse’s hands to keep his balance, but this only lasts for a few seconds before Magneto is overpowered and sent flying through a wall.

Cyclops blasts Apocalypse, but his optic beams merely tickle the immortal, who sends Scott flying with a far more powerful concussive blast of his own.

EMMA, transforming into her diamond form: “You shouldn't have done that, Apocalypse. No one gets to beat that man but me.”

Emma attempts to fight Apocalypse head on, but the punches of the form which survived Genosha can do little more than annoy him. She’s backhanded across the face, and sent flying like the others.

Apocalypse is disappointed. He assumed if they were challenging him, without even knowing his condition, they must have gotten stronger. Instead, they are just fools.

Scott looks to Emma, and then up at the hole Magneto made. He whistles.

The ground shakes. All of the heavy machinery and everything else made of metal in the room shakes as well. Apocalypse appears more interested than afraid by what’s happening. Flying back into the throneroom, Magneto launches everything at Apocalypse. A is easily able to smash and slice apart everything thrown at him, but all of this is just a distraction to allow Magneto to nail him in the face with a ground-shaking punch. Apocalypse isn’t sent flying, but he is knocked back and visibly injured.

APOCALYPSE: “There it is.”

Cyclops and Magneto blast at him at the same time, and when Apocalypse blasts back, Emma steps in the way of Scott, blocking for him, while Erik defends himself. Without wasting an instant, Scott leaps off of Emma’s shoulder and targets Apocalypse’s head with a still-wider blast. Apocalypse telekinetically tosses them both away as he grunts, but is left open to be ravaged by a full-power magnetic wave.

The attack not only launches Apocalypse out into the desert, but damages the infrastructure of the base. This is seen as we briefly cut to Kitty, as she drags the three kids out of there. The crumbling starts.

Apocalypse remains standing, even if he is bleeding. Cyclops blasts Emma, launching her as a projectile at Apocalypse. He grabs her throat, ready to slash her head off, but she is merely a distraction, for Magneto to swoop in and tackle the titan. Apocalypse dissolves his swords, knowing they’ll do more harm than good at this stage.

With his whole body charged up, Magneto and Apocalypse engage in hand to hand combat, moving even faster than War and Archangel did in their duel. While Magneto is succeeding in further injuring Apocalypse, each one of Apocalypse’s blows takes far more out of him.

Eventually, Erik’s weariness and injuries catch up with him, and he slows down to the point Apocalypse sees an opening for a killing blow. He doesn’t get to deliver it though, as Emma is once again blasted by Scott, this time being positioned in between A and Erik to tank the hit. Magneto takes advantage of this, slamming his hands together and blasting Apocalypse once again.

At last, A falls.. He narrows his eyes at Cyclops. Scott smirks back.

We briefly flashback to sometime earlier in the year, Scott, Emma, and Erik seated around Emma’s desk. Each has a binder in front of them. Magneto is unamused and puzzled by what Scott has him looking at. Scott explains that it’s the X-Men’s strategy book. It’s a little list of tactics for each specific alignment of X-Men in the face of any given scenario. He updates it every time the rollcall changes.

SCOTT, extremely proud of himself: “Pretty cool, right?”

EMMA, lying and slightly embarrassed as she pats his shoulder: “Yes. Very.”

In any case, since Magneto’s in charge now, and many of these strategies involve him, he needs to study up. Magneto sees little point. There are few threats he cannot crush on his own.

MAGNETO, flipping a page: “Oh. Actually…this one could be of use.”

In the present, Apocalypse takes note of what his enemies have been doing. Cyclops acting as a distraction and Emma acting as a shield, so that Magneto can focus just on hitting him as hard as he can.

APOCALYPSE: “Hardly an honorable way to fight.”

CYCLOPS: “Maybe. But Break the Juggernaut Isn’t about honor.”

MAGNETO: ‘You did NOT name this.”

EMMA: “Oh, let him have his fun.”

Apocalypse gets pissed as he floats up and finally powers up, kicking up a sandstorm and destroying the rest of his base as he shakes the Earth in the process. He fires off a massive energy attack in all directions, forcing Emma to shield Scott, and Magneto to stand on his own and try to cut a path through it. He succeeds, only to be met once again by Apocalypse. Now using the full extent of his current power, Apocalypse grows two additional arms, and with them beats Magneto halfway to death.

APOCALYPSE, continuing to break Magneto: “You all think me evil? “No good” you said? I did not fail to stop a small, feeble human from causing the deaths of 16 million of us.”

He tosses away a barely clinging to life Magneto away like a ragdoll before leaping and chokeslamming Emma.

APOCALYPSE: “I have not failed my student.”

Using his molecular manipulation, he turns off her diamond form. Emma, while being strangled, knows he’s too powerful a telepath himself for her to just shut him down, but she is able to force him to let her go, letting her gasp for air. Scott blasts at him, but Apocalypse’s blasts are once again far more powerful, and a single shot puts Scott in similar condition to Magneto.

Apocalypse floats over Cyclops.

APOCALYPSE: “I have not abdicated my responsibilities.” Apocalypse holds out his arms. “None of you are fit to rule!”

BEAT, focusing on the battered leaders.

SCOTT: “Yeah. That’s the point.”

Cyclops removes his visor and hits Apocalypse with the full brunt of his power, at last able to make him feel it.

CYCLOPS: “You don’t want any tricks? Just power? Well here it is!”

Apocalypse’s shields are overwhelmed, and he’s launched higher into the sky. He’s immediately dragged back down by Emma’s telekinesis, dragging him back into Scott’s line of fire, and hitting him with her own psychic lightning.

Apocalypse’s knees bend, as the Celestial tech parts of his body begin to flicker and fail. He knows none of them can withstand another attack from him. He just needs to…

He doesn’t get to finish whatever he was saying, as from above, Magneto lets loose everything he has left, and applies the pressure needed to knock Apocalypse on his face, and keep him stuck where he is.

MAGNETO: “FINISH IT!”

As their attacks fill the sky along with the sandstorm, Kitty watches from a distance, in awe of what these three fighting together looks like.

Eventually, Scott, Emma, and Magneto are completely tapped out, and fall over, a cloud of smoke hiding the fate of Apocalypse. They all wait tensely to see if they’ve won. If they haven’t, it’s all over.

The smoke clears…

And Apocalypse still stands.

APOCALYPSE, slurring his words, all his tech destroyed or powered off, and bleeding all over: “Weak as I am. Strong as you all are. I cannot be stopped.”

Scott, Emma, and Erik look on in horror. The world is doomed.

Apocalypse takes slow, heavy steps toward them. We cut away to Exodus’ face, the man somewhere far away. He’s smirking maliciously.

EXODUS: “I think not.”

For a split second, Apocalypse’s eyes flash pink. At long last, it’s Exodus’ surprise psychic blast that brings Apocalypse down, knocking him out, as an explosion takes place in the remnants of Apocalypse’s base.

The three leaders look at his unconscious body in stunned silence, unaware of the betrayal that just occurred. One by one, they all laugh. They actually did it.

CYCLOPS: “Okay, you know what…I think we can call the bet a draw.”

Scott passes out, and the others are quick to follow.

Sometime later, back at the school, an assembly is being held. Many of the students are afraid following the recent events. Magneto, in a wheelchair, sits on the stage and speaks to them about the great tragedy that occurred. While the X-Men did succeed in stopping Apocalypse and his plague, the Morlocks are all gone, including their former classmates Artie and Leech, and 10 million baselines died in the process. A few kids are crying.

Magneto goes on to say that they should mourn and they will help them in anyway they can. A loss of life like this is always a tragedy. Baseline or Mutant.

The other day, he spoke to them all. Not in his words, but in those of their previous headmaster. And he is glad he did not speak to them as he would have liked to. While he may stand firm in his philosophies, they are not what should be passed down to the future. They should not need to be passed down to the future, even if he believes they are what will ensure it.

And in truth, when it came to stopping the ultimate evil, he and they worked better together than he could have imagined. Cyclops and Emma walk on stage. It is for this reason that, from now on, the three of them shall be equal partners in running the school and leading the X-Men. Together, they defeated the unstoppable. And while he will not promise there will be no more tragedies because there will be, they will still do all they can to help the children flourish.

There’s a slow, awkward applause.

Out in the hallway, soon after this, the three leaders walk with Kitty. Nice speech, but the kids may call them liars when they find out they weren’t actually able to finish off Apocalypse.

Kitty isn’t sure what happened, but by the time she reached the uncnocious trio, Apocalypse’s body was gone. Emma brings up that there’s also still the matter of the four horsemen as well. Hopefully Iceman (confirmed to slowly be re-forming) will be up for a rematch by then. Magneto laments that, short of the plague, they may have to do this all over again whenever Apocalypse finishes restoring himself. Scot isn’t worried. The X-Men have this covered.

Storm appears in their path, smiling. Kitty is relieved to see she’s doing better, as is Erik, who offers her his condolences; he more than anyone knows what she must be feeling right now. Ororo thanks them both…and reluctantly, thanks Emma for her part in stopping the plague.

EMMA: “Well, someone had to, while others were laying in bed.”

Ororo rolls her eyes. She needs to speak with Scott. Alone. Kitty gives her a hug and Magneto shakes her hand, before the three comply.

Scott asks Ororo what he’s done now, which just makes Storm laugh. Is that how he sees her now? The nagging big sister who’s always finding faults.

SCOTT, cheeky: “A little bit.”

Storm grins. She heard everything from Kitty. And she is so proud of her brother. When the ultimate test came, he stuck to what he knew was right, and did not allow himself to succumb to the darkness he’s surrounded himself in.

STORM: “Perhaps I lost faith in you too quickly.”

Scott tells her not to worry about it. He gave her reason to worry. Does this mean she’ll rejoin the team? They both know she doesn’t need her powers for the job. Ororo thanks him, but she isn’t ready to go that far. Especially not now. The Morlocks didn’t have any loved ones, but Betsy could use her right now. And after that…

STORM: “A young man witnessed my battle online. He called me, claiming to be my nephew. I’m intrigued.”

The two hug it out, and Scott wishes her luck with everything.

Storm begins to walk off, but…

STORM: “Oh, and Cyclops. When you find Exodus…kill him for me.”

Scott sneers and nods.

At the Grindstone, the three young X-Men and their friends, which now includes the Cuckoos and Quentin are all hanging out. Brian is annoyed about the girls bringing the Cuckoos, especially after the prank they all pulled on them, but Roxy counters if he can add “sweater-vest” to the gang, they can add the Cuckoos. The sisters play it cool, teasing that, really, they all have the fortune of now being in “their” group, but really they’re just so happy to finally be here.

NORIKO, slamming her hands on the table: “Is no one gonna bring up the three of us helping to save the world? Cause I think that’s a pretty big deal.”

JULIAN: “Yeah, no need to grovel, but a thank you would be nice. Groveling would be appreciated though.”

Laura rolls her eyes at them, as she reminds them that they all lost. Badly. All they achieved was getting Iceman severely injured, and keeping Exodus alive.

CESSILY: “I also heard something about you two wanting to let Apocalypse win?”

Julian and Noriko shrink, embarrassed. Everyone laughs at them.

Sooraya is just glad they came to their senses. That on its own is a victory. But who is strong enough to beat the three of them so easily?

QUENTIN: “Like it’d be that hard.”

Brian punches his shoulder.

Julian slams his fists together. You know who I think War is?

JULIAN: “Ms. Grey.”

The others think he’s crazy, but he tells them to think about it. She has flames, telekinesis, and is super strong. Who else could it be?

There’s a pause, as everyone considers this.

LAURA: “There’s also Prestige.”

JULIAN: “Tch! I don’t care if she’s Jean, her daughter, or her granddaughter from even further in the future, next time I see her, I’m taking her out.”

Julian, Noriko, and Laura all exchange glances.

We flashback to the three young X-Men in the medical bay, after waking up. They make an agreement. They don’t tell the others what War said about Sofia. Not until they know for sure she isn’t lying. And not until that heartless monster is dead.

In the present, Noriko gets up to go get everyone drinks. Milkshakes on the newbies!

Back in Egypt, we pan down on the wrecked base to reveal that Apocalypse had a second, underground base. Apocalypse appears barely alive as he can only walk with an arm around War’s shoulders, and her holding him up.

WAR: “Just a little further to your chamber, my lord.” She grunts. “Why didn’t you let me fight with you? We could have killed them!” Apocalypse weakly groans. War is clearly afraid. “Just a little further.”

The two arrive where his restorative chamber should be. Apocalypse’s eyes widen in horror.

WAR: “No.”

Someone has destroyed his chamber.

Apocalypse collapses against a wall. War bends down, not understanding how this could happen.

WAR: “I…I shall find someone who can fix it. I will make them fix it!”

War starts to rush off, but Apocalypse takes her hand and asks her to stay. It’s okay. It’s done.

War gets on her knees. He can’t be giving up. He’s Apocalypse!

APOCALYPSE: “I…will never yield. I will never die. But without my chamber, I will not wake up from my slumber for a long, long time.”

WAR, her small hands clasped around one of Apocalypse’s massive ones, audibly crying under her helmet: “No. No!” She bows her head. “This is my fault. You could have destroyed them with ease if I had–”

APOCALYPSE: “Shhh. Regret for the past is a weakness.”

WAR, knowing exactly what to say: “Action in the present is strength.” She sniffles. “What about our mission? We were meant to save the world.”

Apocalypse coughs up blood.

APOCALYPSE: “Our mission…is now your mission. Clan Akabba is yours to lead.” War whispers “no”. “Are you afraid?”

WAR: “Never!”

APOCALYPSE: “Then do…as I trained you to do.”

Apocalypse pulls War into his arms and removes her helmet, although the audience still can’t see who it is. We do see that she has long brown hair, as Apocalypse strokes it.

APOCALYPSE: “You are the strongest. Perhaps not in power, but in spirit. This world…is yours to conquer.” War continues to nod along as she cries into his chest. “Let these be the last tears you shed. Only the wives and children of your slain enemies may weep.”

WAR, still speaking in a distorted voice without her helmet: “ I will burn this world in the flames of war, for I am the war that will never end. I will make you proud.”

APOCALYPSE: “I know…you will.”

Apocalypse runs out of energy and enters a long, long sleep.

WAR: “Goodbye…Father.”

Elsewhere in the base, in Apocalypse’s backup throneroom, Exodus is in a perfectly good mood. Apocalypse may be lost, as are the powers of Famine, but he’s still more than powerful enough to lead the remaining Horseman to glory.

EXODUS, mockingly: “In the name of Lord Apocalypse, of course.”

Sitting across from him, lighting a cigarette, is a muscular Japanese man with a mohawk in a silk shirt, slacks, and a katana strapped to his back.

DEATH: “Forgive me, Famine, but I can’t believe in a loser to aid me in my revenge.”

EXODUS: “I am the ONLY Omega among us.”

“Boys, be nice.”

DEATH: “Such a scary little word you like to toss around. Maybe one day it will mean something.”

The fourth and final Horseman, Pestilence, reveals herself, and it’s a familiar face: Polaris. She sits with the two men.

PESTILLENCE: “Unless you actually want to kill each other. That sounds fun to watch.”

Death laughs as he smokes.

DEATH: “Perhaps I should lead us.”

EXODUS: “I *would* kill you if you tried.”

DEATH, casually reaching for his katana, unafraid: “By all means, go ahead and try it.”

Exodus powers up, ready to start another fight. Polaris grins as it looks like this will happen, her eyes turning purple.

“Quit your bickering!”

War stomps into the throneroom, getting the other three horsemen’s attention.

WAR: ‘Lord Apocalypse is gone. His mission is now our mission. Before he awakens, it is our responsibility to make this world strong. Before he awakens, we must cleanse the world of the weak. Of the human. And, most importantly…”

War sits on Apocalypse’s throne as her face is finally shown.

WAR: “Of the X-Men.”

Her skin is blue, but War’s identity is still clear. She is Sofia Mantega.

While Exodus sneers at her and Polaris chuckles, Death smirks and steps forward to kneel before War. And for War, there is nothing but hate and pain inside her eyes.

#new x-men: the animated series #new x-men #academy x #scott summers #emma frost #Magneto #kitty pryde #roberto da costa #bobby drake #illyana rasputin #laura kinney #julian keller #noriko ashida #sooraya qadir #cessily kincaid #brian cruz #roxanne washington #the stepford cuckoos #quentin quire

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stories-from-the-shaded-moon · 6 months

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Don’t really have a title yet

This is a part of the story that I’m writing (:

I just felt like I needed to post something not whumptober related so here :3

My stomach was full. This is my favorite part of the Everlasting Day festival. I loved eating food from different regions. And then there was the Kingdom of Dionysus, who always had something new to try.

The bad part was, it was, as the king/my step dad would say, ‘improper’ to get a second plate. It’s not my fault that food is addictive.

My leg bounced as I contemplated getting up to get another plate. Did all of the houses get their plates? How would it look if the host got their second plate first? I grumbled quietly.

My step father patted my back hard, making me yelp. “Isn’t that right, Dante?”

“Of course!” I said, possibly a little too quickly.

“Come on Oscar! The boy wasn’t even listening!” Dominic, the current king of Posidon’s kingdom nudged at the king of Thanatos’s kingdom, Oscar, my step father.

We were all sitting with our families. And, since the Kingdom of Thanatos was hosting the festival this year, our king went to the podium to address this year's elephant in the room.

“We are ecstatic to have as many guests as we do today, but we are missing one.”

The cafeteria grew silent with his words. We all knew what he was talking about. Who he was talking about.

“It matters not of another kingdom’s reckless endeavors. No matter how much that kingdom wants to ruin our festival, it will not come to pass.” King Oscar turned to the table that the Kingdom of Dionysus’s royal family sat at and gave them a solemn nod. “May your god guide you well in these times.”

Hums were heard coming from around the room. And, to be honest, I felt remorse for the Kingdom of Dionysus. First there was the D-Z War and now this. They needed a break. Plus, Ashton is trying his best. You try being a king at seventeen and having to deal with a war.

He deserves so much better.

He’s always been my step father’s example. “A king will lead his kingdom through thick and thin” and he once said “Being a king is like marrying your kingdom. You are to protect your kingdom until the day you die.”

Ashton curtly nodded back, his brown curls bouncing slightly. His piercing violet eyes seemed mostly unbothered by King Oscar’s statement.

Many of the houses began to speak up. The King was quick to pound his gavel and call for quiet. “The Kingdom of Zeus has betrayed the treaty our kingdoms signed so many years ago. The next question is: What do we do with them?”

“I say we take away their access to tomatoes. Then they can't make their precious tomato soup,” Astor, the king of the House of Aether, remarked. Around the room, many chuckled at his statement.

“That would only be an inconvenience,” King Dimitri of the House of Ares said, “We could make their clocks three hours late and make those cloud heads sleep through their religious sunrise.”

I snorted. “And I’m sure Dante would love to be the lead corporate,” Dimitri snickered.

“That, I would.”

“You’ve had something against Sarah ever since she gave you that book for your birthday. What was it about anyway?” A friend, Andrew of the House of Apollo, asked.

I turned to the table where Andrew sat. “The book that girl gave me was titled: Depression for Delusionists.”

Some were snickering, others went “oh”. Even the king atop the podium cracked a smile.

“That was eight years ago!”

“She’s an a-”

“Dante,” King Oscar interjected.

“Sorry.” I turned back around and faced forward on my seat. King Oscar cleared his throat.

“Excuse him.” King Oscar straightened his posture. “That is something we kings will discuss later. As of now, we all need to stick together as our forefathers did. If we let the Kingdom of Zeus split all of us, region by region, who would’ve won?”

The room went quiet for only a second. “King Oscar is right,” The face of the Region of Hades, King Seth, spoke. For being only one year older than me, his stone act was solid. It showed no weakness. “With the treaty from a century ago, it states that, if war were to break out between the regions, the region your House is in, is the region you fight for. Either you fight for the head of that region, The Houses of Zeus, Poseidon, or Hades, or you don’t fight at all.”

“That automatically puts the Houses of Ares, Iris, Pandia, Eos, Apollo, Hermes, Zephyr, Tyche, Boreus, and Athena off the roster,” I added.

Seth hummed. “After that, it’s up to the rest of the Houses if they choose to risk all-out war,” Seth’s voice stayed level, yet I knew that his head was buzzing by the dazed look in his eyes as he stared forward.

“King Seth is correct, as always,” My step-father said. “Also, I don’t believe heists are necessary, King Dimintri.”

It’s not the beginning or the end, it’s like dead center:)

@cal-the-duende

#the shady lad writes #my story!!!#greek mythology #greek gods #demigod #and kingdoms #(:

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quotesfrommyreading · 8 months

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Even though they wore their Guide uniform and were learning English fast, the Kindertransport girls were constantly reminded that they were foreigners in a remote part of Britain. Some of the adult villagers made it very clear that they were not sure about these foreign children. When Miss Payne asked the senior class to sing the hymn 'Glorious things of thee are spoken', the girls refused. It wasn't because they were Jews, but because the hymn shared the tune with the German national anthem. Only when the teacher threatened them with punishment did they comply. When a passer-by heard them singing, he complained: “First the British children sing God Save the King, and then the Germans sing their national anthem. Are they spies?” One of the London evacuee children called the girls 'Nazis', and others followed his taunting. “We just ignored them,” said Celia, “but it hurt.” The path the girls took to school ran through a wood in which a Scottish army battalion was camping. When the soldiers heard them speak in a mixture of broken English and German, Ruth felt even more alien when she heard one say, “Who are those children?” His friend replied, “Oh, they're prisoners of war.”

— How the Girl Guides Won the War (Janie Hampton)

#book quotes #janie hampton #how the girl guides won the war #history #military history #antisemitism #immigration #refugees #evacuation #children #education #ww2 #home front #britain #england #scotland #germany #nazi germany

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anonymousewrites · 5 months

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Of Two Worlds (Book 3) Chapter Four

Fushiguro Megumi x Half-Curse! Reader

Chapter Four: Knight

Summary: (Y/N) and Megumi have found each other, and now they can face the Culling Game together.

“You don’t seem injured. Have you encountered anyone yet?” asked (Y/N).

She and Megumi walked alongside one another through the streets. Once again, they were alone, no one else in sight. (Y/N) preferred that since her wounds had closed but not fully healed.

Whatever knowledge she had found within herself had helped her keep from bleeding out, but the aches and bruises remained. (Y/N) couldn’t be sure how she knew, but then again, neither Ieri or Gojo could explain how it really worked, either. Something had just…happened, and (Y/N) understand. It seemed random, but to (Y/N), it made sense. First, her curse marks had grown, and so too had her fighting ability. Now, she could somewhat heal. It was a progression that made sense, but what it really meant for (Y/N) and what was happening to her was still a question.

(Y/N) wasn’t sure she wanted to find out.

So, she ignored the way that even without her eyes turning silver, she was acutely aware of all the movements around her, like she sensed more than before, understood more. The more she fought, the more she discovered her own power, the more (Y/N) felt in tune with the world and felt it respond to her. It felt like everything rested just beyond her reach.

It was a strange, powerful feeling. Like she existed with the world, equal to it all. From Miku to Ryo to Naoya, each fight had shown (Y/N) that she could face anyone, calmly or not, and simply feel the way to victory. She just found her power and let it guide her.

(Y/N) pushed aside the feelings and focused on Megumi. It really wouldn’t do to focus on all of this.

“No, I haven’t found anyone,” said Megumi, lying outright. He didn’t enjoy lying to (Y/N), but to admit he fought the Curse of Love that made him admit he loved her? No way. “Did you just fight Naoya or did you encounter anyone else?”

“A pair of ballerina twins attacked me. I won,” said (Y/N).

Megumi nodded. “Good.” Once again, he didn’t flinch at murder. If it meant (Y/N) was alive, he was more than alright with anything. They would always make it back to each other. By any means necessary.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t ask questions. “You figured out reverse cursed techniques.”

(Y/N) nodded.

“How?” he asked.

(Y/N) was silent as she thought it over. “I don’t know. When I fight, I just know things.” She reached up and touched the space above her heart. “My power guides me.”

Megumi couldn’t quite understand other than his technique manifested when young, and it had just happened. He supposed that (Y/N)’s half-curse nature meant she had more about her abilities to explore. However, that didn’t make her a monster. She was still (Y/N).

“I’m glad you’ve grown stronger,” said Megumi. “I don’t like you getting hurt, and if you’re strong, you can protect yourself.”

(Y/N) glanced at him with a small smile. “I can protect you, too.”

Yes, but I don’t want you to, thought Megumi. “I know.” A comfortable silence enveloped them.

(Y/N) paused as they walked. Megumi glanced at her and saw her eyes narrow minutely. Her gaze swiveled to him. They were silent, but they understood each other immediately. (Y/N) had sensed something.

No sooner were both on alert than a woman lunged at them. Her hair, resembling a scorpion’s tail, whipped at them.

Lunar Cycle: Half Moon

(Y/N) blocked the sharp end of her hair with her war fans, and Megumi hit the girl with the flat of his sword before she could recover. Clearly inexperienced, she stumbled back and fell to the ground. She cradled her cheek and pouted.

“Why would you do that?” she said.

“Because you attacked us,” said (Y/N) bluntly.

“Hey,” said Megumi sharply, and the girl looked up. “Have you seen a sorcerer with pink hair and a hoodie?” They needed to find Itadori since he had already found Higurama. The three needed to be together before they could find Tsumiki.

“You think I’m gonna tell you just cause you beat me?” pouted the girl, sitting on her knees.

“Just answer,” said Megumi, an irritated irk mark appearing on his forehead.

�� “Okay, sorry…” said the girl. She thought for a moment. “I think I saw someone like that pass by not too long ago. I know what direction they went. I can tell you, but…you gotta do something for me in return.”

(Y/N) looked to Megumi to decide (after all, the last time she’d taken a deal was with Nox, and she had to kill Naoya to trade his life for Nanami’s).

“Alright, say it,” said Megumi, already over the entire thing.

“Say it what? Say it…please?” The girl leaned forward.

“Just spit it out,” snapped Megumi.

“Okay, fine,” pouted the girl. She batted her eyelashes at Megumi. “Will you be my ‘knight?’ ”

(Y/N) cocked her head. Quite frankly, she had no idea what that meant. Looking at Megumi for an explanation, he just sighed. (Y/N) (hopefully) interpreted that correctly to mean it was something stupid that he didn’t care about.

“Sure, whatever,” he said.

“Aww, you’re no fun,” said the girl, standing up.

“We’re in a hurry,” said Megumi. “Walk ahead of us.”

“Huh?! As my knight, you’ve gotta protect me!” said the girl.

(Y/N) didn’t entirely understand what she wanted, but she didn’t care, so she said, “We will if you’re telling the truth.”

Megumi’s eyes narrowed darkly. “But listen, you, if you’re lying, you know what’ll happen, right?” I’m not like Itadori. I have no qualms killing her.

(Y/N) felt the exact same way.

“Tch. Stop calling me ‘you,’ ” said the girl. “Call me Remi.”

(Y/N) and Megumi exchanged a look as Remi started walking.

“Hey, you—” Megumi didn’t care about her name “—you’re not a sorcerer from the past?”

“Why, do I seem frumpy?” Remi pouted and cocked her hip.

“What’s your reason for choosing to fight?” said Megumi sharply.

“Well…non-sorcerers who are non-players got to leave the colony,” said Remi. “But for players in the colony from the start, today is their twelfth day of the Culling Game! I’m not doing this cause I wanna! It’s kill or be killed.”

We can agree there, thought (Y/N).

“Spend time pondering the reasons to fight and you’re dead. You learn that after twelve days,” said Remi. “I’ve seen some players go mad with power. So stop thinking in terms of past and present sorcerers.”

And yet the past sorcerers have binding vows with Kenjaku and experience fighting, thought (Y/N). “Hey, you. Where are you taking us?”

“Nuh-uh, not telling! What’s to stop you from bumping me off as soon as I do?!” said Remi.

“You could die before,” said (Y/N) bluntly. “And then we wouldn’t know where to go.”

“What if you died?” challenged Remi.

(Y/N) tilted her head. “I’m harder to kill. You’re easier.” A curse or sorcerer with limited skill could kill Remi since she was clearly unskilled, but that same being would struggle with (Y/N). It was all relative.

Remi stared at her. “God, you’re weird.”

“Just tell us,” said Megumi.

Remi glanced at him and sighed dramatically, batting her eyelashes again. “Fiiine, if you insist. I’ll give you a rough idea. I saw the sorcerer head towards Shinjuku, got it?”

She turned away and started walking again. (Y/N) and Megumi couldn’t do anything but follow her. Megumi was quick to interrupt when Remi started to take them to a path that was a tactical disadvantage.

“If you’re planning on going through Ikebukuro towards Shinjuku, don’t,” he said before Remi could go any farther. “This area has lots of supplies, so we’ll run into other players.”

“There’re two reasons to go this way. This route is simple, and I have a base nearby,” said Remi. “So at least let me take a shower. I’ve barely rested since yesterday.”

Megumi gritted his teeth in annoyance, and (Y/N) just blinked in resignation as they followed Remi. She walked through the district and to an abandoned apartment building. She led them confidently into the building and up the stairs. The tiny corridors and stairwell felt constricting, and (Y/N) was on edge as they went.

They turned the corner and came upon a man in a tunic of paper slips. He smirked as he looked at them. Megumi’s eyes narrowed, and (Y/N) prepared to summon weapons.

“Expecting someone else?” crooned the strange man. “Sorry, but I’m Reggie. She fooled ya~.”

Megumi turned a dark glare onto Remi, and she flinched but put on a smile.

“Why the harsh glare? You don’t scare me,” said Remi. “I’m warning you. Reggie’s tough as they come.”

(Y/N) glanced at Reggie and Remi. “Tough people die.” Lunar Cycle: New Moon. Her daggers appeared on her hands.

“Let’s not waste our time here,” said Megumi, forming a sign with his hands. His Shinigami wolf appeared from the shadows around him.

(Y/N) and Megumi looked coldly at Reggie as he observed their techniques materialize. He smirked and clapped.

“Not baaad! You pass,” said Reggie.

Megumi scowled, and (Y/N) tilted her head. “Huh?”

“That’s enough. Your shikigami and weapons-summoning is sufficient. I can see you’re strong,” said Reggie, pleased. “Otherwise, I’d just kill you.”

“What do you mean?” said Megumi.

“You should join us,” said Reggie.

I don’t understand this tactic… thought (Y/N).

“How much do you know about the Culling Game?” continued Reggie.

“It’s a ritual for using the cursed energy of players inside the barriers to take Japanese people to the other side so they’re no longer human,” said Megumi.

Reggie cocked his head. “Hm? Do you know Kenjaku?”

A sorcerer connected to Kenjaku, thought (Y/N).

“I think what you just said about using players’ cursed energy is a bluff,” said Reggie.

(Y/N) and Megumi paused and let him continue.

“Or rather, it’s for a second or third plan,” said Reggie. “Think that for three reasons. The number of players, the differing levels of player skill, and the barrier rules. Suppose a thousand players are equally divided among ten colonies. That means each colony has a hundred. But among the players, some, like Kashimo and Higurama, are much stronger sorcerers. Those two alone have already weeded out roughly sixty sorcerers. Each barrier probably has one player like that.”

Megumi’s eyes flicked to (Y/N). He felt (Y/N)’s strength. It wouldn’t surprise him if it turned out (Y/N) was one of the strongest sorcerers in their colony. At each turn, she defeated any challenge that appeared before her.

“The strong weed out the weak early on,” said Megumi. “You’re saying the game will reach a deadlock?” The colony has been quiet.

“Here on Tokyo No.2, that’s already happened,” said Reggie. “The transferal when individuals enter a colony is a way to spread them out, but primarily it’s for stimulating early second awakenings in modern-day sorcerers. Some die during the transfer. If the goal was using players’ cursed energy, a lengthy melee among many sorcerers would be best. That bit about ‘long-lasting’ in the rules is just a cover for real plan. You can be certain that Kenjaku will drop a bomb when only the strong remain, and then the Culling Game will have served its purpose. I don’t know what that bomb will be, but it may drop any time now, so I’m preparing by gathering strong allies and storing up points.”

“She isn’t strong,” pointed out (Y/N), pointing at Remi.

“People let down their guard around women, so she tricks her marks and lures them in,” said Reggie.

(Y/N) considered. Maki did talk about men being weird with women sometimes. Maybe the two concepts were tied. ((Y/N) never dealt with that stuff since people avoided her for being a half-curse).

“And when you’re done using her, you’ll kill her for points, right?” said Megumi pointedly.

“How can you say that? I would never,” said Reggie.

(Y/N) was terrible at reading people, but she knew for a fact Reggie was lying.

“Reggie is my true knight!” said Remi. “If I do a good job, he protects me!”

“How lucky for you,” said Megumi. “Do you and your allies’ points total one hundred?”

“Yes, of course,” said Reggie.

(Y/N) and Megumi didn’t have to check with the other to know what they were going to do.

Megumi’s Shinigami growled. “Give me all of yours, and we’ll consider joining you.”

Reggie shrugged. “Negotiation breakdown.”

Silver flames crawled up (Y/N)’s daggers. “Then we’ll force you.”

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whenimgoodandready · 5 months

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*Goosebumps (2023) Season 2 Theories

I read that the producers were really interested in expanding the new Goosebumps series’s by adding in the other books, most definitely Night of the Living Dummy ones, and that’s awesome! I mean, think about it, Kanduu said he can unleash more monsters, weeeeeeell what if he meant the monsters from the other books! 🤩It’s the perfect seasonal plot for Season 2! He could unleash all the other monsters and we’d get them all for Season 2! Picture this:

Calling All Creeps!-This can be about Kanduu summoning all the monsters to awaken and them slowly coming alive.

The Girl Who Cried Monster-I wanted Margot to be the one to tell the others about the monsters coming back, but then I thought, maybe Allison should! We barely knew anything about her other than being Isaiah’s jealous girlfriend, so maybe this’ll give her some characterization and become a member of the group finally when she sees there’s more to life than just the social status of high school.

Monster Blood-One fan suggested this when they said that the dupes blood can be the monster blood, but what if it’s the blood of the monster the teens defeat and when they think they won, the blood slowly moves to its next host to possess!?

The Beast from the East-Those creatures (not all the monsters are caused by the monster blood mind you, some are original monsters from the temple that were unleashed) can play that overly complicated game of tag with the teens. Also, for those who read the books, if one of the “dupes” survived, the beasts will let them go as they’re “Level 3” players😉

The Werewolf of Fever Swamp-The monster blood gets on a lone wolf dwelling in a swamp and infects it turning them into a werewolf.

The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight-The monster blood gets ahold of a simple scarecrow that attacks people at midnight.

The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb-The monster blood gets onto to a mummy at an Egyptian exhibit in a museum that awakens it from its sleep.

Phantom of the Auditorium-The monster blood infecting an actor in the schools/town theatre’s play of “The Phantom of the Opera” and kidnapping people to be the only star.

Attack of the Mutant-The monster blood infecting a cosplayer at a comic con into the character from the graphic novel, but they’re evil and delusional to think everyone at the convention is the real deal.

The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena-The monster blood infecting a yeti statue outside of an ice cream parlor in Pasadena the teens were at for a traveling thing.

Vampire Breath-Not an actual vampire in the show per se, but what if a student accidentally created this kind of potion and it’s fumes turned people into blood sucking monsters!?

The Blob That Ate Everyone-The monster blood forming together to create a giant blob that consumes everything.

How to Kill a Monster-After finding out how all these monsters keep showing up, Margot will try to figure out a way to stop it from the spell book she now has. She’ll also use it throughout the season as a guide to look up the monsters and find other spells to repel them.

——————————————-

For the Night of the Living Dummy, these will go deeper into the Kanduu storyline when he now possess Mr.Bratt.

Night of the Living Dummy lll-This’ll pick up right where we left off with Mr.Bratt discovering Kanduu isn’t dead and getting possessed again. Poor guy can’t catch a break!

Slappy's Nightmare-This’ll deal with Kanduu before the war and how his life was growing up in the 19th century and he probably didn’t have a good life judging by that era (dirt poor? abusive parents, no friends, etc.) which got worse by the war.

Bride of the Living Dummy-This one I’m excited about cuz what if Kanduu had a love interest that they forgot about due to obtaining all that power, but then something triggered that memory. Maybe he sees all these happy couples (ex.Margot and Isaiah) and remembers his sweetheart, Mary Ellen! Maybe he’ll try to bring her back by using a doll he bought from a garage sale and going to her grave to say a spell to bring her back!? Or a teacher from the school falls for Mr.Bratt and Kanduu (still possessing him) will use her as the vessel to bring Mary Ellen back!

#goosebumps #goosebumps 2023 #goosebumps 2023 season 2

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lullabyes22-blog · 7 months

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I would like to submit a character for your contest 🥰

This is for the teenage girl Sumpsnipe who Jinx smooches.

Here she is.

Vairea A.K.A Rea - her name means "sparkling water" a name her mother came up with when she was looking at the polluted waters in Zaun, and reminiscing on the clear waters she used to swim in back in Shurrima.

Vairea (called Rea by her friends, and Glitter by Jinx) she has light brown skin, bright eyes, perfect white teeth, and straight black hair, that falls down to the small of her back, she wears it in a singular braid.

Her name and physical characteristics are Samoan, but for the sake of the story her family originated from the coasts of Shurrima, her family migrated before she was born to escape some dangerous people and have called Zaun home since.

She draws in Jinx's attention with the glittering face paint adorning her cheeks (Rea has always tried to live up to her name), and the shining stones and shells weaved through her hair (her family makes accessories using the glow stones found throughout Zaun, and makes a hair chain for Jinx made from pink stones).

Her family are really good fishermen (they tend to catch more fish than anyone else due to generations of fishing experience in their family) and are generally left alone by gangs because Rae's father struck a deal to provide them with extra fish as well as protection racket money. In order to make a bit more money for her family Rae, her mother, and two older sisters make jewellery from scraps, glow stones, shells, and sea glass. They also restore old artifacts fished up from the Pilt and can generally fetch a good price on the Black Market, often their pieces are bought up by Pilties looking for a thrill by owning anything from the Black Market. This isn't enough to make them rich, but they are well off enough to support themselves and pay their employees well enough to keep them loyal (which is how Rea is able to form her own gang later on).

Rea first started hero worshipping Jinx when she was thirteen. She was on her way home from the market when a couple of men snatched her off the street, they kept talking amongst each other about how good of a price they'll fetch for her and we're debating if they should risk seeing if she was deflowered or not. Rea had never been so scared and all of their talk was terrifying her even more, just as the guys decided to "check anyway" with these sinister smiles on their faces, a shot rang out and one of the guys fell to the ground screaming and clasping his leg. The other guy, before he could react, followed suit shortly after.

Rea sat on the ground in shock, and untouched, and watched in shocked bewilderment as Jinx came skipping out of the darkness with Silco following close behind. Rea can't recall what was said, she just answered questions when asked and stayed silent when not. What she does recall is how Jinx moved a bit closer to her and gave a cursory glance over Rea to check for injuries (this is Rea's perspective, Jinx could have just been admiring Rea's colourful clothing and bling as well as showing a bit of concern) and stayed close by with her gun still at the ready.

She remembers Silco ordering two female members of his gang to guide Rea back home, and when she took one last look over her shoulder, made eye contact with Jinx who in return smiles and gives her a little wave goodbye. This was followed in quick succession by the sound of two shots and the faint thuds of the kidnappers bodies hitting the ground.

She's been a fan since and on the day Jinx won them the war, vowed to show her appreciation and gratitude by offering Jinx something of use. This comes in the form of magical artifacts found on the Black Market, she and a small gang she organises tracks them down using her connections, and finds an opportunity to approach Jinx with her findings when Jinx stops by her Mother's stall drawn in by all of the sparkling accessories.

She isn't in love with Jinx and doesn't expect Jinx to be in love with her ever. Jinx isn't but she does have an innocent and gentle, by Jinx's standards, attraction to Rea.

However, Rea is proud to cross "snogged by idol" off of her bucket list 💋

Sorry for the long character bio, once I started I found it hard to stop 😅 I hope I followed the prompt correctly, either way this was fun.

fgfds she sounds like loads of fun (and sparkly, which Jinx would absolutely appreciate among her growing collection of 'trinkets.')

She will be bestowed her Jinx-y snog by either Act V or VI<3

#asks #arcane league of legends #arcane #silco #arcane silco #forward but never forget/xoxo #forward (never forget)/xoxo #arcane jinx #jinx #oc contest

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mcgnagallsarmy · 1 year

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Spuffy style Reading Challenge - #18: Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge

A-Z: A fic with the letter Z in the title

Zeno's Paradox by williamthebloodied [PG-13]

You deserve this, Buffy thought to herself. You deserve to feel every second of this guilt because it’s your fault. Spike was suffering, truly suffering, as he grappled with his newly-won soul, and it was killing her a piece at a time to watch. And god help her, she loved him.

A-Z: A fic by an author whose name starts with A or Z

Stars For Wars Like Ours by ashcrashed [NC-17]

There's trouble brewing in Big Sky Country, and it calls for help from the original Chosen One and current General of Slayer, Inc. Buffy travels to the picturesque town of Bozeman, MT to assist a slayer contingent, and discovers a highly organized crime syndicate terrorizing the tourists, with plenty of muscle and a pesky aversion to sunlight. And it's there, she finds--much to her surprise--a familiar face also working the case, very much alive (though thankfully not on fire).

A-Z: A "comprehensive" fic

A (Mostly) Comprehensive Guide to the End of the World by Annabellee [NC-17]

After a worldwide pandemic wipes out over 99% of the human population, the only way for those left to survive is to find others and make deals. Buffy, a potential slayer who's already watched people near and dear to her die, understands that the only person you can truly count on is yourself and has no desire to make connections with anyone else. Everything changes when she finds a little girl in the woods, makes a deal with a blonde devil, and discovers that there's more to the disease - and maybe the devil- than meets the eye.

The Same, But Not: A fic with the color red or the word "read" on the banner

Like Red but not quite by Miss Marisol [NC-17]

They talk about the meaning of the color red, discovering that they're both associating it with something important...

The Same, But Not: A retelling of a classic

Little Red Riding Hood & The Big Bad Wolf by Twinkles [R]

A fairy-tale, of sorts. Response to a challenge by hcconn: Buffy gets her little red riding hood costume at Ethan's instead of the Victorian dress.

What's The Dish: A fic with a mug or cup on the banner

Do I Know You? by tbd [PG-13]

Post Buffy & Angel. Two people in a coffee house are drawn to each other. Not knowing the other but can't help but want to get closer.

What's The Dish: A fic with a food related pun in the title

Appeasement by Girlytek [NC-17]

This time, Willow gets the fresh peas. Too bad they were grown on the Hellmouth.

What's The Dish: A fic about food from another culture

How to Eat (A Slayer's Guide to Conquering the Kitchen or Die Trying) by talesofstories [G]

The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. The second hardest thing is to feed yourself. (Or: After Sunnydale, Buffy decides to conquer the kitchen.)

What's The Dish: A fic about gossip

Beloved in Blood by Holly [NC-17]

Season 3, Lover's Walk. Spike returns to Sunnydale to kill the Slayer. He’s just too drunk to do it properly, and ends up getting himself into the deep without even realizing it. Perhaps worst of all, he has no memory of his actions the next day.

Memories: A fic about memory loss

From That Dream's Apocalypse by OffYourBird [NC-17]

Spike wakes every morning in a room he doesn’t recognize, and nothing about his world is ever quite the way his mind tells him it should be. Not to mention the woman always nearby—Buffy, the Slayer, his jailer, a stranger, a lady—a beautiful image from a dream he can’t remember.

Memories: An author whose name you remember easily

The Darkling by OffYourBird [NC-17]

When Buffy’s quest to get Spike returned to her is fulfilled in an unexpected way, she finds herself in a complicated relationship with an intrigued master vampire who isn’t the man she loves, but who might be someday… if she can convince him to step out of the dark.

Memories: A fic with the word "remember" in the title

The Body Remembers by sandy_s [PG]

Post-series. Buffy still gets triggered sometimes.

Back to Basics: A classic fic

Promise of Frost by Eurydice [NC-17]

When a snowstorm strands Buffy and Spike, they are forced to turn to each other for strength, especially when a missing Giles, mysterious visitors, and way too much magic threatens to turn it into a not so very merry Christmas. Set mid-S4.

Back to Basics: A fic by a well known author

Thing of Doom by Sunalso [Adult Only]

AtS S5. Things go a little off canon in Destiny and Buffy ends up with a whole lot more than she bargained for. Human? Demon? What makes Spike who he is and what’s a girl to do with the love of her life when he’s double the trouble?

Time is Ticking: A fic with a clock on the banner

The Future is Ours by DarkEternity96 [NC-17]

What if in mid-Season 4, Spike demands another spell from Willow, in a last-ditch attempt to get Dru back... but rather than having her cast a typical love spell, Spike wants to travel forward in time, to experience the future Drusilla claims she ‘sees’, and prove to her that there is bugger all between him and the Slayer. Cue the spell going awry, and S4 Spike being trapped in the body of his future self, in the very unexpected world of Season 6. And you can only imagine Spike’s utter shock when a lust-fuelled Buffy turns up at his door...

Time is Ticking: A fic about time travel

Jump by Holly [NC-17]

Spike makes a deal to go back in time to stop Buffy from taking the dive off the Tower. Things don't go as planned.

Time is Ticking: A suspense fic

A Christmas Wish by all_choseny [PG-13]

On one lonely Christmas Eve, Buffy makes a wish to a stranger and is given a glimpse of what might have been with Spike.

Time is Ticking: A fic to pass the time while your favorite author finishes their next story

Hunger by Sunalso [NC-17]

AU. Spike killed his third Slayer, but Dru was already dust. He's been lost, but when his supper turns out to be more than he bargained for, it leaves him hungry for something else instead. And Buffy? She's just hungry.

Til the Fat Lady Sings: A fic about body image

Night Reflections by honeygirl51885 [NC-17]

He watched her from the shadows. She was a thing of beauty, but he wanted more. Needed more, always. “I’m not what men want.” Her words were a whisper in the dark. “You think you’re not desirable?” He would show her, make her see what kind of woman she really was. Buffy and Spike embark on a night of passionate exploration, showing each other what’s reflected within.

Til the Fat Lady Sings: A space opera

Spacecation by MaggieLaFey [NC-17]

It’s just before s9 and Buffy is feeling as directionless as ever. So when she finally has a day off from her sad job, of course she asks her maybe-ex-probably-friend vampire to take her on a tour of the universe on his spaceship. Going star-sightseeing should be just what she needs to relax, right? Surely nothing big is gonna happen if she takes a day off. And if Spike’s space bugs keep insisting she and him belong together, well. They’re giant bugs, what the hell do they know?

Til the Fat Lady Sings: A fic with the word "over" in the title

Angel Got Runover By A Reindeer by Sunalso [Adult Only]

Post Series. Spike and Buffy carve out some holiday time to themselves in an out of the way place. A little snow, a little blood...but who's that lurking outside the window?

Til the Fat Lady Sings: A fic about a singer or musician

Black Satin Voices by Eurydice [NC-17]

When Willow is kidnapped by strangers with a mysterious agenda, Buffy is forced to chase after them to New Orleans, with a reluctant Spike along for the ride.

It's All Relative: A fic that relates to an interest you have

Chiaroscuro by OffYourBird [NC-17]

At first, Buffy wasn’t even sure it was him. He was all the way across the gallery, far enough that he was reduced to chiaroscuro in motion—a shock of white hair swathed in rich black leather, his eyes dark and glittering and his skin nearly ivory in the bright gallery lights.

It's All Relative: A fic about finding family

And Then She Knew by Addie Logan [PG-13]

Spike does something different – faster and more clever – and everything changes. (Goes AU during "The Gift")

Cover Up: A fic with someone on the banner who could use some clothes

Rough and Tumble by Holly [NC-17]

It’s Halloween, and Buffy is tired of lying to herself, especially in a world that has already killed her twice. She takes Spike up on his offer for patrol...and other things.

Cover Up: A fic with a blue banner

Something Blue's Clues by cawthraven [PG-13]

Willow is just fed up with the way Buffy and Spike act around each other. What are they, five?

Cover Up: A fic with multiple fonts on the banner

Full Circle by Cockney Cecilia [R]

Sometimes, if you run far enough, you might just find yourself back where you started.

Cover Up: A fic where the author's name is above the title

The Cyrano Factor by medievalchic [PG]

For Buffy's eighteenth birthday, Angel gives her a book of poetry. This is the story of a book that meant something and a message written inside that meant less than it appeared.

Taking The Plunge: A fic with a picture of a cliff or ocean on the banner

Just to Reach You by Sunalso [R]

Post-Series. Spike and Buffy have been a couple for almost two years. The honeymoon is over and together they're discovering they still have a lot to learn about themselves, each other, and how this whole "normal" relationship thing works.

Taking The Plunge: A fic by an author you've always wanted to read

Let's Get Lost by Herself [NC-17]

She'd gone far far away from Sunnydale. From herself. Her name. Her calling. She didn't want any contact with the old life. Much less him. That pain-in-the-ass vampire. "Spike." She punched at the eyes floating before her; but he ducked and she pitched forward. He caught her before she fell face down in the filth. "What is this?" She wrenched herself free. "Since when do you help?" Set immediately post season 2.

Taking The Plunge: A fic over 600 pages (~300 000 words)

West of the Moon, East of the Sun by KnifeEdge [NC-17]

I keep having the strangest dream. Every night it's the same thing: a dark room, a big bed, and a silent vampire that I can feel, but not see. I'd be wigged, except it's just a dream, right? It'll be a cold day in hell before I ever willingly sleep with a vampire again...

Shorts: A fic set somewhere you might wear shorts

Summer Nights by spikesdeb [NC-17]

Set after Graduation Pt. II. Buffy is off for the summer to visit her father. Naturally, he's called off and leaves Buffy alone at the beach house he's rented. Buffy is ready for a month of relaxing in the sun and getting over her break-up with Angel. A certain blond vampire has other ideas.

Shorts: A fic under 150 pages (~37000 words)

On The Steps by MillennialCryBaby [NC-17]

They had to stop meeting like this.

Shorts: A series of short stories

Fade to Bright by Holly [R]

A reunion following the fall.

Locations: A fic by an author who lives in another country

The Stranger by tempestt [R]

In an alternate S6 Buffy is all alone until she meets a stranger who makes her want to live in the world again.

Locations: A fic about a movie being filmed on location

A Different Kind of (Sunny)hell by OffYourBird [Adult Only] - this will make sense around chapter 29

Between juggling a New World Order, a bothersome Council, wayward magic, and – as always – some much with the confusing time travel, there is never a dull moment in Sunnydale for Liz and Elly. This is Season 6 as it exists in the Jumpverse (beginning with A Different Kind of Hell and followed up by A Different Kind of Wedding). Fair warning: if you have not read the previous installments of the Jumpverse, this will not make any sense.

Crossing Over: A fic with the word "bridge" in the title

Broken Bridges by Dusty [NC-17]

Buffy reunites with Spike just when she really shouldn't.

Crossing Over: A fic about a ghost

The Beginner's Guide to Dating A Ghost by sweetprincipale [NC-17]

Buffy hears the news that Spike is back from the dead— sort of. His ghostly form is haunting Wolfram and Hart, popping in and out of the netherworld. Definitely not the kind of dating drama a Slayer needs, right? Wrong. Buffy thought she lost her right-hand man once and she’ll do anything to avoid making that mistake twice. She’s already dated a vampire or two, how hard could some ghostly dating be?

Crossing Over: A fic that crosses two genres

Pardon My French by Girlytek [R]

In retrospect, it was probably a bad idea to let Buffy perform a spell in French. Begins at No Place Like Home.

Crossing Over: A fic with and X or a cross on the banner

Lost by Holly [NC-17]

Spells go wrong all the time. Very rarely do they go wrong in the right way. When Buffy finds herself in a world that is nearly too good to be true, she knows the smart thing to do is embrace it. The price isn’t much—just the man she loves and the sister she left behind. But even with versions of both her vampire and her sister to lean upon, not to mention the watcher she thought she’d lost forever, it turns out that for Buffy, there truly is no place like home.

Childhood Days: A fic about the circus/carnival

The Carnivorous Carnival by bewildered [NC-17]

In an AU season 5, a mysterious carnival has popped up on the outskirts of town – and Spike’s kittens are lost in it! Buffy and the Scoobies must navigate a maze of rides, animals, and deep-fried treats to help Spike capture all his kittens and repay his gambling debts. What happens in the story? It all depends on the choices you make. How does the story end? Only you can find out! And you can keep reading and rereading until Buffy and Spike have had not one but many incredibly daring (and possibly smutty) experiences! Choose your own adventure! More than 20 possible endings!!

Childhood Days: A fic set within 10 years of your birth

What Remains by MrsAkers [NC-17]

As the lone survivors of the final battle with Glory, Buffy and Spike run away from Sunnydale. Battling with guilt and an unfulfilled death wish, Buffy finds solace in Spike's company while the vampire just does his best to keep her alive. Goes majorly AU at The Gift.

Childhood Days: A coming of age story

Beneath the Surface by The Danish Bird [NC-17]

Spike returns a little earlier to find his gem. The mayor decides that shooting Angel with a poison, which only Slayer blood can cure, is simply too risky for his Faith. And suddenly, Buffy finds herself locked up in a strange underground room in the company of her mortal enemy and the vampire who just broke her heart. But maybe it isn’t all bad. Maybe, this way, Angel will see that this idea about leaving for her own good is bad. Right? Spike, he just wants to get out, but if that’s out of the question, well then at least he’s going to try to have some fun! Starts out right after The Prom and before Graduation Day pt.I.

Legends: A fic about a mythical creature

The Hunt by Eurydice [NC-17]

Buffy is forced to seek asylum with Spike when a new enemy targets her. Set mid-Season 5, Joyce is still alive, and Spike hasn't told Buffy about his feelings yet.

Legends: A fic about a legendary hero

World Enough, and Time by toooldforthis [R]

“You came back wrong,” he told her, all those years ago. He was right, but it took them a very long time to realise exactly what that meant. It meant a hundred more apocalypses, a thousand battles. It meant a journey, a prophecy, a war. They’d lose one other, and find their way back, and choose, again and again. And all the while, the earth was failing. There are a lot more people than you think who are here for the long haul – like, the really long haul. This is a story about two of them.

Legends: A fic about a lost treasure

Something Worth Dying For by violettathepiratequeen [PG-13]

In a swashbucking tale of body-swaps, mermaids, and shark attacks, Spike and Buffy trade their stakes and fangs for pistols and cutlasses, while the rest of the Scoobies discover what really happened to Buffy when she jumped off Glory's tower...

Legends: A fic by an author you consider amazing

Reformation by OffYourBird [R]

When a Buffy from another dimension rescues Spike after he’s left beaten in Dead Things, his and Buffy's world is irrevocably turned upside down.

Alternating: A fic with alternating timelines or narrators

Something Renewed by DarkVoid116 [R]

After being together for half a decade, Spike and Buffy have much to be thankful for. Spike's desire to celebrate the anniversary of his first holiday with Buffy brings the couple closer than ever.

Alternating: A fic that features a classic car

Down the Road I Go by Megan_Tam [NC-17]

A Slayer. A vampire. A 1959 DeSoto. Spike kidnaps Buffy and heads back to Brazil in a misguided attempt to appease Drusilla. What starts out as revenge turns into an experience neither will forget. If they don't kill each other first.

Alternating: A fic that takes place on both land and sea

Beautiful Dangerous Chaos by Passion4Spike [NC-17]

A Slayer, a vampire, and a Chaos Demon go into a bar.... What could go wrong? Or right?

Alternating: An alternate history

Liebestod by Iamblichus [NC-17]

They really should have known the First Evil wasn't done with them after Sunnydale... Enter: Time-travel, mysterious prophesies, and lots of poetry. BtVS Post-Season 7; Angel AU Season 5. All's well that ends well.

Musical Inspirations: West Side Story - A tragic love story

Benign by Jim Wicked [NC-17]

They’d been hopeful after surgery and chemo. But the same cells that quickly regenerated to heal The Slayer’s wounds—the same cells that kept Buffy looking healthy throughout treatment, to the amazement of oncologists—also replicated malignancies at a startling rate. After two years cycling through remission and relapse, the cancer had finally metastasized to her bones, lungs, liver, and brain.

Musical Inspirations: Sweeney Todd - A fic about revenge

Fool me Once by Miss Marisol [NC-17]

Some weeks after Something Blue: When Tara helps Buffy find out the horrible truth - that Willow (with Xander's approval) has been dosing her with love potions, so that she thinks she loves Riley- she is furious. She is going to get her revenge on Willow and Xander in the most hurtful way she can think of – by dating someone they desperately wanted her to stay away from...

Musical Inspirations: Phantom of the Opera - A fic about a hidden world

Dreamscape by Holly [NC-17]

While her nights are occupied fighting evil, her dreams are haunted by a devastatingly sexy if not totally evil vampire. But how thin is the line between dreams and reality? More importantly: how thin does she want it to be?

Musical Inspirations: Chicago - A fic set in a jail or prison

Prisoners of Love, Blue Skies Above by bewildered [NC-17]

Spike finds himself on the wrong side of the law, and Buffy ends up managing his rehabilitation. Unfortunately for both of them, the law just keeps on winning.

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