#literally anything but a fucking COP like are you SERIOUS dude. i hate this shit

[winderlylandchime]

I’m just gonna go ahead and say sorry in advance the man lost his mind with the next ep but 3x04 1/2 ‘He would make great marketing for durex. Remember their covid ads? Funny as shit. Why is she here? Why can’t she take the kid with her to the hospital? I thought i gave Brian permission to hit this fucking kid? Yeah! Eat the chips you little bitch.‘ we got to Mel and Linds picking donors ‘FRESH SPERM?! LINDSAY HE IS 19- What are the-THEY CANT GO TO A SPERM BANK? THEYRE GONNA PICK BETWEEN THEIR FRIENDS?! Girl, what makes you think any of them want a kid at all or better yet with you? There is no way Brian would let that kid get into the ‘vette. JUSTIN! WHY ARE THEY CASUALLY SAYING HEY TO EACH OTHER? oh Justin hates this kid (Mel and Linds pick Mikey) MICHAEL?! THEY ARE PICKING MICHAEL?! MICHAEL?! MIKE? MIKEY?! Because he invited a kid to a comic book store? THAT IS LITERALLY HIS JOB! Thank god the diner doesn’t have more male waiters because she would think someone wants a kid just cause they told her the specials’ ‘WHAT IS WITH THEM MOVING IN SO FAST? I THOUGHT THAT WAS A YOU PEOPLE THING *waves at me*’. ‘Have you noticed that whenever Lindsay and Melly want something from someone they make them a meal? (mikey and Ben are taking a shower and he actually fake gagged) The only shower scenes I like are Brian and Justin’ ‘he’s going through Brian’s stuf- he has a lot of dildos, why am i acting surprised..HE STOLE HIS BRACELET! How dare you, you little shit! BRIAN HE HAS YOUR BRACELET! HE DOES NOT OWE ANY OF YOU ANYTHING ESPECIALLY NOT MONEY! I know I said hit him but this *points to the toilet scene* is WAY fucking better! Do Ethan next!’ He is once again using Shazam to make his playlist even better. ‘Usually when people start doing drugs, they become fun before they ruin their lives, this dude is just hitting the gym? Boring. Oh he’s angry and jealous of Michael isn’t he? Well that’s not healthy’ he is once again using Shazam, this is getting ridiculous. ‘OKAY BRIAN!! Oh damn, I don’t remember him being all 6 packy before. Why is a cop there?’ ‘Why is he surprised that he wont have full rights? Dude, you’re a DONOR! But don’t worry they never hold their word, they force the donors to step up one way or the other. Make sure you have life insurance. THATS WHY THERES SPERM BANKS MELANIE!’ And thee scene is coming up (my cousin thankfully reminded me to record him here bc she knew he’d lose his mind and thank fuck she did. Usually i record him for big moments but i almost forgot here) ‘HE ACCUSED HIM OF WHAT NOW?! *pauses tv* OH FUCK HIM AND FUCK WHOEVER MADE HIM! That is such a horrible and serious accusation to make cause some people, HA, some people..good one (his name), GIRLS! WOMEN! aren’t believed! And boys! Oh don’t even get me started and i know it’s ironic because im yelling at a boy BUT DIFFERENT! WE DONT EVEN GET TO COME FORWARD CAUSE WE SHOULD BE HAPPY WE GOT LAID! And if it was done by a man? Well then we are forced to be quiet because we get mocked since apparently gay is worse than rape. But Brian is gay, so of course he did that and nobody would think otherwise. Because gay means predator in their peanut shaped brain! Meanwhile PRIESTS exist! Or those weird family friends that you have to change outfits for when they come over but nobody calls that out. HOW FUCKING DARE THEY? You know what? FUCK EVERYTHING AND ESPECIALLY FUCK THAT KID! His family better know better, i have no faith in them but they owe him that! Nobody will believe this, he literally hates kids!‘ He then got up and went outside to smoke. I forgot that when the whole Florida gay ban bullshit happened, this man FLEW to florida to protest (we are nowhere near florida) so I should’ve seen this coming tbh. And when he came back inside he just went ‘I do wish they showed him being interrogated because I know for a fact my man was giving sarcasm and anger and funny insults!’ ‘Well look at that, it’s almost as if you shouldn’t move in together after like a week!’

Melanie and Lindsay’s insistence on using known sperm over donor sperm baffles me and must be because for TV reasons because it’s so bananas. LOLing at them making someone a meal… that is so true!

Ben not becoming more interesting with a drug problem IS A MOOD. And true.

His reaction to this storyline is everything. Factually, false accusations are incredibly rare and yes, it’s a double-whammy for boys. The other part of this storyline I hate? Is that Claire is right to believe her kid. So rarely do parents believe their kids and go to the police, when they should. I hate hate hate this storyline with a passion. I get why it happens (Justin still believing in Brian and doing whatever needs to be done to clear his name) but FFS CowLip why why why do you have to create a narrative around a false accusation?

YOUR BROTHER FLEW TO FL TO PROTEST? He gets all the fist-ally’s in the world! I love him.

#ask winderlylandchime #dear sweet anon #queer as folk #a straight man watches qaf us 2000 in the year of our lord 2023

[undercoverangell]

thinking about pok lives and goes on spring break au heres everything in my brain atm

Pok gets enough money working for the government to get a new house so they no longer live in an apartment and instead are in like a nice lil 2 bedroom 2 bathroom house and the bad kids come over freshman year bc riz is like "oh my dad should know something about these palimpsets i feel like he'd know about them" and he's not of much use but like. to give yall some perspective on how i imagine pok in this au he's like this goblin w huge scars covering him who is like?? kinda athletic?? and he is also still a spy and still goes on missions so when they first meet him hes in this fairly nice house in like a button up and cardigan w plaid pants and has his hair like tied back (bc i think he would grow it out) in a low ponytail drinking coffee. and they've never met Riz's dad but suddenly just everything about Riz makes sense this guy is his fucking dad?? and he works for the government as an accountant?? dude this guy is cool as hell wtf.

He's just very eloquently spoken and seems to know a lot about things accountants shouldn't care about (why did riz send us to his accountant dad to look at a palimpsest why would his dad know anything about this?) and so thus begins the convincing riz who knows what his dad does that his dad is in the mafia.

also doesnt help that they do have a thing in the gukgak household about bringing new people directly to the house bc obviously pok does have a bunch of like secret rooms and drawers in the home and so the very first thing he says around them is "Kid you know how i feel about strangers in the home" and riz just goes "yeah yeah sorry i know we can meet at Basrar's or something next time-" "okay well im assuming its an emergency or something important if you brought 5 people over that i've never even met so what's up?" and its immediately weird bc... wtf.. hi ig??

"dude like why is he so like ..... that. like?? dude hes not an accountant i know that at least." "guys my dad is just some dude who works in accounting hes not a member of the mafia" "the ball im so sorry your dad has been lying to you he is a member of the mafia. does your mom know?" "i dont know?? probably??" "poor woman..." "oh my god"

theyre all so confused as to why he is so casual not knowing that like since he was 13 riz has known his dad is a spy and does missions and stuff and everytime they see pok literally just getting a coffee they confront him immediately even if riz is there

"so mr.ball....whats in that coffee???"

"vanilla. some cream and milk."

"theres no mafia secrets????"

"no. i got it with two shots of espresso."

"....weird....."

"if you want me to buy you a coffee you can just ask like a normal person."

"i dont need your MAFIA COFFEE....."

"okay, the coffee here is really good though."

".....maybe i would like just a small coffee with two shots of vanilla."

**hands them 10 bucks** "go ahead."

obv pok cant just tell his sons friends he barely knows that hes a spy so he just continually insists that he "works for the department of foreign affairs as an accountant. i work in accounting kids. thats it." and they all get it HORRIBLY WRONG and are like "oh yeah kalvaxis rlly wanted to eat an accountant JUST SAY UR A MEMBER OF THE MAFIA AND GO KINDA SUSPICIOUS THATS UR WIFES A COP ARE U TRYING TO MANAGE THE POWER SYSTEM SO U CAN GET AWAY W UR CRIMES???" and he just straight up "....YEAH IM A MEMBER OF THE MAFIA! YEAH U GOT IT RIGHT. IM A MEMBER OF THE MAFIA." and riz finds it fucking hilarious bc as hes busting out laughing his dad is going "riz the mafia is serious business u know this idk why ur laughing about it : (" and the bad kids think theyve cracked the case!! theyve done it!! (they have not!)

pok and garthy know eachother very well bc pok has been sent on numerous missions to Leviathan and so there's like little hints as to what pok does "oh you're still working for the department of foreign affairs! you been moved out of accounting yet?" and the bad kids are like "garthy he works for the mafia. sorry we had to break it to you...." and garthy who knows for a fact pok is not in the mafia just goes "....oh?? the mafia?? that's new! i cant imagine the wife likes that very much!"

Pok and Riz have a little moment in Leviathan where they just sit and talk and Pok assures Riz that he's cool and his friends like him and that he wouldve kill to be as cool as riz is when he was his age. Riz falls asleep on Pok and his dad is just glad hes getting some rest. he also sees the tattoos and goes "if your mom asks you got those when i was asleep and i didnt know."

He absolutely hates fallinel but hes been there on so many missions he is just used to high elves and their bs. "Ah.... Pook GikGuk..." "Mhmm. you got it right buddy." While there he just constantly looks so done with just about everything bc he has seen this place so many times there is like no "ooo new place!" value in it is literally just "yep. high elves and their high elven shit." he tells riz if he ever becomes a spy (which he definitely would btw i will die on the secret agent riz hill) to just. get used to this bc he is going to have to deal with this a lot.

In the nightmare forest he finally is like "guys im not apart of the mafia im a spy. i dont work in accounting lol u think my wife would marry some fucking accountant when shes as cool as she is??" and they're like "???? but... u admitted... u were in the mafia.. why would u lie..." "im a spy i literally lie for a living also i barely knew you guys except when you would come over to our house sometimes and stare at me suspiciously while I scrolled through twitter on my laptop" "MAYBE U WERE LOOKING AT UR MAFIA MEMBERS TWITTER" "WHY ON EARTH WOULD MAFIA MEMBERS HAVE TWITTER" "I DONT KNOW?? THEY WANNA LOOK AT MEMES!"

everything for this au is under the "pok lives au" tag bc i have. so many ideas. i am more than willing to take drawing ideas for this please ask me about this au (srs)

#d20 fantasy high #fantasy high #bad kids #d20 #gukgak #riz gukgak #pok lives au #pok gukgak #owlbears #dimension 20

[watcherinwater]

So I definitely liked some of it. But once again we barely got any new information. Just an FYI though, it’s been confirmed there’s going to be a season 2 so I guess it’s not too bad that they’re going so slowly. But I still wish they would give us more background. We barely saw anything of Sylvie/Loki’s childhood and we still don’t know what her nexus event was-is it because she knew she was adopted? Because she was born a girl in her prime form?

They just came and took her-and yes don’t be surprised the TVA would hurt a child-look at who they are. Loki is alive and appears to be in some Loki variant dimension (is the black guy a Loki or a Thor? He had a hammer so I can’t really tell). Classic Loki, Kid Loki, Alligator Loki! Love it. I wonder if Mobius is in some Mobius variant dimension? We see him later in the trailer so he’s not dead either.

I kept hearing how this episode was going to be weird and do new stuff but honestly I feel like I waited through the whole thing to get the best scene at the end. Would’ve been nice to see the other Lokis in the beginning. They better all be in the next two episodes for all the screen time!

Can we have one goddamn episode where Loki doesn’t get beat up?!

We don’t have to see him constantly throwing people left and right but can we have one fight that he actually wins?! Where is the whole “we’re going to see his powers in a new way?” Dude can stop a building but he hardly ever even tries to fight back?! After growing up in Asgard? And he gets hurt that easily? Can be thrown by a human? This is the guy who was able to handle Captain America, who even held his own with Thor for a while; who fucking survived the Hulk and got back up? Who “packed a wallop”? You’re telling me a punch from memory Sif hurts him that much? What the hell is wrong with this? I keep waiting for BAMF Loki with at least some new powers and I’m tired of hearing “Oh just wait for the next episode”. And don’t write me and give me excuses-this part-which is my main beef with the show-is basically just bad writing. I heard the head writer never watched any of the previous Loki movies before making the series. I thought that was a joke, but now I’m not so sure.

Btw memory Sif, instead of screaming about what he did to you, wait until he’s asleep and cut off one side of the hair on his head. Don’t get mad-get even. That’s actually the best approach with someone like Loki. Many pranksters-even when they go too far-have a weird way of respecting people who stand up to them using their own methods. 

While Loki definitely has some narcissistic traits, (and it looks like it’s going to get turned up to 11 if they go with Sylki 🤔) I wouldn’t say he’s an entire narcissist or that that defines him. Hello-look at where he grew up. Asgard is literally a narcissistic planet built on lies and a racial superiority complex. Royalty especially is going to be that way. Funny how Loki is usually the only one held accountable for Asgard’s sins.

I’ve always seen him more as a borderline with passive aggressive traits. One of those people who act superior because they’ve had too in the environment they’ve grown up in, been indoctrinated into it-and on some level believe it- but on another level hate themselves and try to cover it up with more grandstanding. His pranks were ways of passively-aggressively acting out when he couldn’t (or wouldn’t) act out in other ways. Emotionally neglected kids often do stupid and sometimes mean shit for attention because even bad attention is better than none. Loki at first hated the idea of other Lokis too and wanted to be the only one. They tried this narcissist stuff on Tony Stark too and while he definitely had some traits he wasn’t full blown either. And look how that turned out-Tony helped save the universe.

B-15 finding her memories and conscience because of Sylvie. She seems like she used to be a nice person and not the sadistic cop she came off as before. I’m guessing the TVA brainwashes it’s cops to be mean and aggressive. Ugh. Renslayer knows everybody’s a variant and she’s covering it up. It would seem she’s a variant herself because she used to be a time cop. Why cover it up? What does she know? She seems very conflicted-especially toward Mobius. It really hurt her to vaporize him. I’m thinking she’s in love with him. Mobislayer? I’m very happy Mobius is freeing himself and helping and I know we will see him again; but I have some serious issues with some of the stuff he did in this episode.

The time keepers being fake doesn’t surprise me. But who is really running the show? Will we find out next week? At the rate they’re going I’m not so sure-but at least we’re getting a season 2.



#loki series spoilers #loki show spoilers #loki #tom hiddleston #loki laufeyson #STOP NERFING LOKI!!!! #loki odinson #marvel #mcu #lady loki #Loki series episode 4 #sylvie laufeysdottir #sylvie odinsdottir #Mobius torturing Loki is not cool guys #loki laufeysdottir #loki odinsdottir #mobius m mobius #judge renslayer #fuck the timekeepers #fuck the tva #sophia di martino #owen wilson #kid loki #classic Loki #alligator Loki

[berkmansimagines]

Taken (Part 3/7)

A/N: Thanks for reading everybody! Getting closer to figuring out an end game. Let’s see where it goes! I think I’ll get Part 4 out some time next week.

Summary: Fuches kidnaps Barry’s daughter.

← Part 2  | Part 4 →

Barry wakes up in the passenger’s seat of a moving car. His head is throbbing. The last thing he remembers is finding you handcuffed to some bed in a motel room. It went dark after that. 

He reflexively tries lifting his hands so he can rub his eyes open, but he’s unable to. Then he realizes that his hands are bound in front of him, zip-tied to the metal bar underneath his seat. 

“You were out a while…”

Barry turns his head and sees Fuches behind the wheel. Barry’s eyes narrow in on him. He hasn’t seen his former handler in months. If Barry had it his way he’d never speak to Fuches again. The only reason he’s here now is because Fuches forced his hand.

Your father instinctively checks the rearview mirror. No one is in the backseat. 

“Where is she, Fuches?” Barry asks.

“She’s fine. Don’t worry about it,” Fuches nonchalantly replies.

“Where is she, Fuches?” Barry aggressively repeats the question.

“I said don’t worry about it,” Fuches reiterates.

“Where is she?” Barry asks again with even more hostility.

“Relax will you? Can’t we just-” Fuches begins before getting interrupted. 

“FUCHES!” Barry screams.

Fuches raises his eyebrows, a little taken aback by Barry’s outburst. He stays quiet waiting for Barry to speak up again.

“Where’s my kid?” Barry asks in a low, cold voice.

“She’s in the trunk,” Fuches finally answers.

Barry’s jaw clenches. He angrily shakes his head.

“Take her out of there,” Barry demands.

“Not yet,” Fuches counters, “It’s time for the adults to talk.”

Barry shrugs in defeat. He knows he doesn’t have any choice in the matter. Before seeing you he’ll have to talk to Fuches.

“What do you want, Fuches? Why are we going to Cleveland?”  Barry cuts to the chase. 

“We’ve got a problem back home that you need to take care of,” Fuches tells him.

Barry’s face drops.

“What? Are you serious, man? You did all of this so I’d do a job for you?” Barry groans.

Fuches shuffles uncomfortably in his seat. There was much more to it than that, but Barry would find out in due time. He had to take care of this problem first.

“It’s not just for me,” Fuches tries to explain, “There’s a hit you did a few years back. You offed some dude’s former accountant. You remember that?”

“Not really,” Barry grumbles.

“Well the police closed it because the crime scene was clean, but now some cop re-opened the case. He’s been trying to reach out to the guy who hired us, which means he’s getting close. We need to stop him from solving the case. You need to take them both out.”

“Fuches, I can’t kill a cop,” Barry shakes his head.

“Why not? You’ve done it before,” Fuches fires back.

Barry gives him a cold look.

“You couldn’t have just called me about this? You didn’t need to go after my kid.”

“And you would’ve answered my call?” Fuches challenges, “I figured you were still sour after what happened with your little acting teacher-”

Barry impulsively tries to jump out of his seat, but he’s held back by the binds. Fuches had no right to bring up Mr. Cousineau. Barry will never forgive Fuches for what he did.

“Guess I was right,” Fuches snickers.

“Don’t talk about Mr. Cousineau,” Barry warns.

“Sore subject, got it,” Fuches replies.

Barry looks down at his lap, trying to stop letting Fuches get under his skin.

“You kidnapped my… She’s my girl. That’s a new low. Even for you, Fuches. You crossed a line,” your father says coolly, “Why’d you do it?”

“Because you’d do anything to keep her safe and I didn’t think you’d go back to Cleveland unless I had some sort of leverage,” Fuches answers.

“She’s not leverage. She’s a kid!” Barry snaps. 

“She’s your weakness, Barry. Your enemies know it too,” Fuches sighs. 

Barry stays quiet. He doesn’t need Fuches to tell him that. He’s well aware that the Chechens and Bolivians all knew about you. They could use you to get to Barry at any time. The thought of those types of people going after you scared the shit out of your father. It’s what keeps him up at night.

The car is silent for a few seconds. And then-

“I need to see her. Can you let her out now?” Barry tries once again.

“The girl’s staying back there until you agree to do the hits,” Fuches insists.

Barry squeezes his eyes shut for a moment. He hates Fuches. The last thing Barry wants to do is start killing for him in Cleveland again. But he has to. Fuches was right, Barry would do anything to keep you safe.

“Fine. Yeah I’ll kill them both,” Barry concedes, “Just take her out of the trunk, man.”

Fuches nods and pulls over the side of the desolate highway. It’s very early in the morning and no one else on the road. He steps out of the car and goes around to the trunk. He unlocks the lid and opens it. 

Fuches looks down at you. Your hands and feet are bound, your mouth is gagged with tape and you’re hooded with a pillow case. Exactly how he left you.

You’re shaking like a leaf. You can’t see who opened the trunk but assume it’s Fuches. In a meager attempt to protect yourself, you try curling up in a little ball.

“You ready to see your dad, brat?”

Fuches’ rough hands pull you out of the trunk and he drags you a couple of feet. You hear a car door open. Suddenly the pillowcase is pulled off your head. The first thing you see is Barry’s reflection in the rearview mirror. He has a pained expression on his face. You’re panicking and try calling out to him, but it's all muffled by the duct tape.

“Look! She’s fine.”

“Take the gag off her, Fuches,” Barry says tensely.

Fuches shrugs and roughly pulls the duct tape off your mouth. 

“Ahhh!” you wince in pain.

“There. Happy?” Fuches rolls his eyes at Barry.

He shoves you into the back seat and slams the door shut. When Fuches starts going around the car, Barry uses this brief private moment to check in with you. He turns his head to look you in the eye. You’re lying across the backseat in the fetal position.

“Hey, kid. I’m so sorry this happened. Are you alright?” 

“I...I don’t know,” you weakly reply, “Dad, I’m really scared.”

Barry’s heart is breaking. His kid is literally trembling and he can’t do anything. He wishes he could hug you right now to help you calm down. It would calm himself down too.

“It’s going to be okay,” he tries to reassure you, “I promise I won’t let him hurt you. I’m gonna get you out of this. Do you trust me?”

Before you can answer, the door to the driver’s side opens. Fuches gets back into the car. Your stomach growls loudly. It’s been almost 24 hours since you last ate. 

“Have you eaten anything?” Barry asks with concern.

You shake your head. 

“What the fuck Fuches?” Barry glares at his former handler.

Fuches defensively puts his hands up, “I got her food. It’s not my fault she didn’t eat it.”

“Is that true?” Barry turns back to you. He doesn’t trust Fuches.

“Don’t lie you brat,” Fuches says harshly.

He raises his hand violently in the air, as if he’s about to strike you. You gasp and fearfully flinch. Barry’s eyes widen in anger as he watches this interaction unfold.

“He’s right! I didn’t eat. Please… please don’t...” you cry.

Fuches nods and lowers his arm. Then he gives Barry a smug look, “Told ya.”

Barry is so mad, he’s vibrating. Nobody raises a hand against his child and gets away with it. If Barry wasn’t bound Fuches would be a dead man. 

Your father sees you in the rearview mirror. You’re still shaking. Barry takes a deep breath. He knows he can’t make a move against Fuches yet, but he can at least try to take care of you now.

“She’s terrified right now, man. Let me sit back there with her,” Barry requests.

Fuches grunts in response. He then starts the car and continues the long drive to Cleveland.

--

Taken series taglist: @midnightseance​

#barry berkman #barry berkman x reader #barry berkman imagine #barry hbo #barry hbo imagine #barry berkman x teen!daughter #barry berkman daughter #bbtd

[hairasuntouchedaspartoftheamazon]

Okay, so imagine you’ve just left the house of this girl you have a major crush on. You were there because you agreed to be the wingman for your new friend(who you also have a crush on), who has been crushing on her forever despite the fact that she is so not interested in him and is instead pretty interested in you. You’re trying to work out the issues associated with the fact that you’ve been dressing as a guy for the past three months because you were in an accident and moving forward under a new identity was easier than dealing with the lawyers. You are totally into the girl you are supposed to be wooing on behalf of your friend, and she’s pretty into you, so you’re leaving in a pretty good mood when suddenly the girl’s bitch-ass cousin comes up to you and says he wants to fight. You do not want to fight this guy, he has a reputation and may have killed three people in a bar fight but you have literally no way out of this. So you’re squaring up for a fight, fully prepared to die and wishing that you got at least one kiss out of the situation that landed you here in the first place when suddenly the fight is interrupted by some random sailor dude you’ve never seen before. He’s all like “If you guys got a problem with this guy(the guy being you) you got a problem with me” and you’re like what the fuck, but before anything else happens the cops roll up and proceed to arrest the sailor guy ‘cause it turns out he committed arson or something a few months ago. (he’s all like ‘I have no idea who you’re talking about I was never here’ but the cops are like ‘dude, we know it’s you’ and he’s like ‘well shit you got me’) And as sailor guy is literally being led away in handcuffs he starts talking to you again, going “Ok, I guess this is what i get for leaving you alone for an hour but it’s cool. Babe, pass me my purse” and you’re like “what purse, I don’t fucking know you”, and he’s like “ha ha, very funny, can I have my purse back” and you’re like “Dude I don’t know who you are, seriously I hate it when people like you just barge into other people’s issues” and now the sailor dude looks like he’s about to cry and he’s like “Are you serious, I really thought we had something here Seb, but I guess...” and then he gets put in the cop car. Everyone who was about to watch you die in a fight is going like “what the fuck did we just watch a love confession what the fuck just happened” and you’re still reeling from the dude getting way up in your personal space because you’re a touch-starved gay and also wait he just called you by the name of your twin brother who you thought died in the same accident that started this whole mess what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck.....

Anyway Act 3 Scene 4 Part 5 of Twelfth Night is absolutely off the shit

#@lunaaugurium #you need to see this #twelfth night #shitpost #theatre #this play is batshit I love it

[woodchoc-magnum]

911:Lone Star 2x08 Hate Watch

Here we go, though I heard mixed reports that this episode was better than the OG's 4x08? So we'll see.

Diaz for strength:

And the hate is under the cut:

Things are almost instantly off to a bad start with TK as the very first person we see

Oh god SERIOUSLY WE'RE DOING THIS SOBER ANNIVERSARY FIRST FUCKING THING?

Like don't even ease us into it

We're just going right into the schmaltz INSTANTLY

"My parents got back together" oh TK you are in for a RUDE SHOCK MY MAN

No masks at this party

No social distancing

Pandemic, what pandemic?

Oh shit SHE'S MOVING OUT ALREADY

"We were right not to tell him" YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TELL HIM AT SOME POINT YOU ASSHOLES

Just when I think Rob Lowe can't be more of an asshole, there he goes, out-assholing himself

Oh do you guys call cash registers "tills" in America? I thought that was a British/Australian thing

Please let him blow up

Please let him blow up

Oh wait does Carlos have more than 30 seconds in this episode? WHAT'S GOING ON?

Damn he didn't blow up

Uh oh TK's come home to Lisa Edelstein moving out

RELAPSE?

Wait was she just gonna fucking LEAVE? WITHOUT TELLING HIM?

Oh TK you dumb fuck

God he can't act, he is such a bad actor

Everything is in a fucking monotone

It's a complicated question? Bitch you're pregnant with someone else's baby and you're also in love with that someone else

Oh shiiit TK you're so dumb

She came down to Texas, fucked Rob Lowe's brains out, rushed back into everything and now she's pregnant and fucking back off to New York – smooth move

Who is this mysterious Enzo? I would like to meet him

Ronen can't act. I know I keep saying it but he's like a robot.

Wow Carlos has been in SO MANY SCENES WHAT IS HAPPENING

Is his dad a cop? Did I know this?

I can't remember the name of the guy who plays Carlos but here's what I'm going to say – dude is about a million times better at acting than Ronen Rubenstein. There is actual EMOTION IN HIS VOICE AND ON HIS FACE

Is his dad a lawyer? What's the deal here?

I feel like this is a conflict? Should the dad be investigating the son? Oh he's a Texas RANGER

I still feel like it's a conflict, ngl

I'm bored

Dude's dad doesn't believe him and he's gonna be proven wrong isn't he

Wow this dad is almost worse than Owen, he has no faith in Carlos whatsoever

What a dick

Hey maybe you two should've just FUCKING TOLD YOUR SON THAT YOU WEREN'T GETTING BACK TOGETHER AND THAT IT WASN'T OWEN'S BABY, THE DUDE IS IN RECOVERY

And the lack of concern from Rob Lowe about his ONLY SON IS FUCKING STUNNING

Okay so my theory is that Rob Lowe allowed Carlos to have lines in this episode of the show provided that he was the one in the scene with him

Look at Owen actually trying to do the right thing here and not be selfish for once, amazing, we love to see it

What is with everyone in this show having terrible fathers

I'm bored AGAIN

"there should be a heart behind that shield" god give me a fucking break, you're nicer to Carlos than you are to your own son you dick

No masks anywhere at the scene, no masks on anyone at the fire

It's like they remembered about the pandemic for the scene at the bank and then forgot about it again for the rest of the show

Ooh is there going to be an EXPLOSION?

What is with me and things blowing up – look I watch this show with the understanding that bonkers things are going to happen and I'm a simple person who likes when things go boom, what can I say?

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM

Good explosion

Oh now daddy dearest knows that Carlos wasn't lying and he didn't fuck up

I bet he feels like a right fuckhead

I disagree with the assessment that this was better than 4x08 of the OG, at least the OG has people who can act – at the very fucking least

And no Rob Lowe

Oooh Carlos' dad is as cold as fucking ICE

Yeah Carlos you stand up for yourself, you're getting lines in this episode and I'm so happy for you

TK is such a whiny little bitch

His voice just grates on me, god he fucking sucks so much

OOOOH IT'S A TRAP

THEY'VE BEEN ENSNARED IN A SCHEME

That dude don't look so hot

God damn Nancy with the sick burns (her name is Nancy right?)

Oh TK leaving a CLUE what a smart little cookie, someone's been reading his Nancy Drew books hasn't he? (is that reference too old?)

"In American" BITCH

"we're not surgeons, we're paramedics" – he SAYS EVERYTHING IN A MONOTONE, there is no emotion in his voice AT ALL

Oh no Carlos is waiting for his man

Wait is Carlos going to save the day?!

No I bet Owen does, I will not get my hopes up

They're gonna perform surgery in a restaurant? I mean I suppose Hen and Chim could do it but I don't know about this bunch

Oh shit TK just knocked the FUCK OUT

It's about TIME

You know, if he actually relapsed because of these two assholes, they would totally fucking deserve it

Rob Lowe does not seem worried literally AT ALL

His son is missing and he's just like, okay cool

Oh wait he was playing it cool – okay fine, I retract my previous mean statement

I love that TK is just knocked the fuck out while the women do the work

Can I marry Gina Torres or is she already married or… what's the go there? Would she want an Australian wife with two cats?

These two dumb bank robbers really think this dude is going to live?

DO NOT STRANGLE GINA TORRES YOU MOTHER FUCKER

Oh shit the one nearly dead bank robber killed the other one

Carlos is going to find TK's special little clue and HE DID

What a good boyfriend

Good thing Rob Lowe has Carlos here, we can see who the brains are

Carlos is just out here solving mysteries, maybe HE'S the one who's been reading Nancy Drew (does anyone read Nancy Drew anymore?)

Ooh Carlos with the trusting of the gut YOU GO GIRL, go GET YO MAN

Though real talk you could do better

I mean ngl if this was Eddie storming in to rescue Buck I would be ALL OVER THIS, this shit is MY JAM but it's TK and Carlos so who fucking cares

OH SHIT HERE COMES GINA TORRES HERE WE FUCKING GO

OH YES NANCY

YES THE LADIES ARE SAVING THE FUCKING DAY

WAIT

ROB LOWE FIRED THE SHOT???? WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?

HE IS A FIRE CAPTAIN

WHERE DID HE GET A GUN FROM?

I think Carlos' dad is flirting with Rob Lowe

Look at him standing up for Carlos

Oh and NOW the dad is being nice, okay

How the turn tables

This Strand family drama is the most boring fucking shit ever, I legit don't care

OH GOD

WHY ARE JUDD AND GRACE DRIVING IN THE RAIN

NO

NO

WHEN DID IT START RAINING LIKE THIS?

SHE WANTS BABIES JUDD

THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A BABY

NOOOOOOOOOOO

FOR FUCKING SERIOUS IS THIS SHOW FUCKING SERIOUS DO NOT BREAK MY HEART

Look obviously they’re going to be all right because they already killed Zombie Tim this season, but still. Not Judd and Grace, the two best characters on the show!

Okay, this episode was marginally better than other episodes but it still sucked, so I’m giving it... 4 out of ten. Honestly, it does lose points because Rob Lowe is the one who shot the dude? Like actually wtf?

BUT it must be in Rob Lowe’s contract that nobody gets to do anything cool in this show but him so it does make sense.

Really not gonna miss Lone Star the next few weeks, see you after the hiatus for more hate watching!

And Eddie Diaz to cleanse our hearts and minds:

#lone star hate watch #hate watch #hey carlos got airtime!

[hwangdol]

n.jm: where were you?

summary: y/n does not know what the fuck is going on half of the time. 

pairing: highschool!fboi!jaemin x fem!reader

warning: a lot of cursing, drug usage reference, crackheadness, maybe a lot of grammer error. this is my first bullet-scenario au so yeah. also! this a collab with the lovely @huangsren in out nct dreamies alternate universe teehee. she has a lovely, fluffy renjun one up so go read it!

part two!

you okay let’s get this collab with @huangsren 

so at NCT High if you don't know Na Jaemin who the hell are you? like everyone knows this kid from lunch ladies to the freaking janitors 

its not a surprise since the dude is literally dead drop gorgeous and has a shit ton of social skills. like the boy deadass can swindle his way out of detention (which he did) with just a wink 

typical fboi but instead of it being a huge turn-off, girls still throw themselves on him even when he WARNS them beforehand that he isn't looking for a serious thing

still, they get attached and heartbroken when he tells them “this isn’t working out” 

his friends (aka art-hoe!renjun and student-athlete!jeno) always rolls their eyes when jaemin rolls up into the lunchroom with his arms wrapped around a new girl’s shoulder

“bet she’s not going to last two weeks”- renjun slapping down a 10$ 

“knowing him, this isn’t going to last more than a week”- jeno said but still sliding over a 10$ bill 

AND SUPRISE it doesn’t 

both renjun and jeno don’t approve of his philandering, but they stick w jaemin cause he’s still their best bud cause bros before hoes ya know what i mean?

this is especially true with jeno cause they’ve been bffl since they were like five but that doesn’t mean that jaemin is anything like jeno. 

nah man they both are the complete opposite of each other

like jeno is a quiet reserved student-athlete boi but jaemin out here acting like a little thotty 

nomin is like a package deal, no one can separate them

here where out little y/n comes in

surprisingly you’re childhood friends w nomin 

both u and jeno are neighbors and your families have been friends since before you were even conceived 

your moms’ have weekly tea times where they’d gossip about everything and anything while your dads would be watching the weekly soccer/football games drinking a cold one 

you and jeno would be playing with some legos or barbies 

jeno had a minor (major) barbie obsession which was probably induced by you

don’t tell anyone but jeno still binge-watches barbie movies;;;his favorite really be the princess charm school one 

like i said nomin is a package deal so expect jaemin to be taging along to yours and jeno’s weekly playdate

imagine you being the princess while jaemin pretended to be the prince and jeno was the dragon,,,yeah man it was so lit 

this isn’t a jeno fic btw keep in mind its still jaemin 

all of that stuff before was when the three of you were like kids

once highschool came around all three of you found ur niches: jeno was the student-athlete, jaemin was well that guy that was wanted by all the girls

and you were just a regular mundane student ya know,,,you weren’t extremely talented nor smart you just floated around 

u still hung around jeno tho but your friendship was really lowkey 

like both of y'all would wait until the other one was completely alone or do some ridiculous actions to deliver the simplest messages 

jeno would look both ways before slipping you a note in class that said “can your mom drive me home today?” and you would make sure no one was looking before nodding secretly 

or the two of you would hide behind bushes to say that y'all parents wanted to have dinner together tonight 

tbh yall could just text each other but where’s the fUN in that? 

jaemin, on the other hand, was someone you haven’t a solid conversation with since sophomore year bc of an incident 

basically, you had helped one of your friends into a relationship with jaemin that lasted for about two months,,, which was considerably a long time considering that it was jaemin.the two of them were a fat power couple 

ur friend, let’s call her ella, was probably one of the more popular girls at school. she was well-known for being the prettiest, kindest girl that everyone LOVES

anyways, things didn’t end so well bc he stood her up at hoco even though he was gonna be crowned homecoming king and her queen. 

no one knows why jaemin just ditched but he did. 

didn’t stick well with your friend tho cause she stopped talking to you as well not really giving you an explanation

and this led to everyone in your friend group to kinda put all the blame onto you 

this is also when jaemin picked up his heartbreaker reputation and began living up to that title

at first ur were hella mad and sad, but you got over it cause being outcasted and kicked out of that friend group led you to befriend the local stoner boi!haechan

honestly, you got over it but after ignoring and avoiding jaemin for a whole year it just stuck. 

yall never talked again 

here comes SENIOR YEARS BITS 

u were so done w school at this point, you had suffered and labored through junior year,,, SAT and ACT were the biggest bitches you ever faced in your lifetime and this is coming from someone who was friends with the resident shithead lee haechan 

so it’s lunchtime and you’re listening to haechan’s wild story about some shenanigan that he and his weed dealer/ older college friend mark had gotten up to the past weekend 

“so like we were just hitting a blunt this weekend in mark’s car and this cop pulls up next to us.mark rolls down the window and all of the smoke just hits the cops in the face” 

“you're a fucking idiot, haechan” 

“listen bitch, i’m not done” 

“so the cop is doing the regular illegal drugs bullshit and asked mark a question. understand at this point that mark is high as fuck so i kid you not the crackhead says quack. nothing else just quack. honestly, i still don’t know how we got out of that but we did and lee haechan is still in school.” 

you want to slap your friend with a big smh at this point 

but it so ridiculous and so haechan that you can’t say anything else 

and you don’t have too! bc someone taps ur shoulder pulling you out of your convo and boom it’s ella 

“hey, y/n” she starts out sweetly and you could feel haechan’s bitch face directed towards the girl, who seemed to just ignore the boy 

“what’s up, ella?” you were hella fucking slightly irritated and highkey suspicious bc like this was the first time that she talked to you in like two years

“this out of the blue, but you know how prom is coming up soon? we need extra hands on the planning community,” ella explained with a bright smile  “we need another person to work on making the centerpieces for each table, but we only have one person on that” 

“okay, so what does this have to do with her?” haechan’s bitchy tone soaked in each word 

ella’s smile faltered slightly at his words, but it was so subtle that only people with keen eyes could notice

“i hope that i’m not imposing anything on to you.” ella trying to reassure  “but Mr. Moon told me that you still need some community service hours for our graduation requirement so I just assumed that this would be a good opportunity for you.” 

oh shit 

you completely forgot about that and you still needed like another 10 hours to complete

“ummmm” 

“i wouldn’t ask you this but my workload is completely swamped” ella added “it would be a big help if you can help. haechan, you can help too!” 

haechan let out a loud gag that seemed to baffle her 

“oh hell no, i already got my community service hours done like freshmen year.” 

you gave haechan the most incredulous face you could make cause like this druggie who gets high every other week and vapes in the bathroom really finished his community service hours before you????how?? 

“don’t look at me like that.” haechan kicked you underneath the table “it was before i learned how to roll a blunt” 

“drugs aren’t good for you, haechan,” ella chided 

haechan made a mocking face,,you know the one he does like that one,,”not all of us can be little miss goodie-two-shoes like you” 

oKAy time to do some damage control before your shithead friend gets himself into more shit 

“i’ll do it. just text me the details.” 

“thank you so much y/n!” ella said before bouncing off 

“i hate her” haechan stated

“you hate everyone” 

CUE aFTerschool when you follow ella’s text to go to the art building where everyone was gathered 

the minute you walked in you realized that you should have just said no and done some other community service activity cause jaemin was present standing in the corner and other people who you once called your close friends that turned out to be fat snakes

now you gotta deal with them again (aww shit here we go again) 

ella is motioning you to come into the classroom which you obliged cause you figured that you possibly could survive w ur rbf on as you made your way to the other unoccupied corner

there was some whispering in the background but you ignored it cUASE like hyuk always says: “you just gotta get high and block out all the haters” 

well, he was right about the second half, not so much the first. 

“alright everyone! thank you so much for volunteering to help set up for our senior prom! we only have about three weeks so we have to get all of the decorations done as soon as possible!” ella said in a chirpy tone

a lot of people looked motived by the girl’s bubby short speech on how everyone needs to put in 100% of their effort. you zoned that out as you caught the sleeping figure at the teacher's desk 

“goddamn you mr.moon forcing me to be here” you grumbled in your head almost missing your assigned duty, 

“y/n!” your head snapped in the direction that your name was called 

you saw ella standing with jaemin and the sirens go off in your head 

FUCK THIS

you let out a loud sigh before trotting over to the two 

ella gave you a piece of paper that had the centerpieces’ picture on them along with a long list of decorations “all you guys have to do is make about 300. all the directions are on the sheet and the supplies are in the other room. it’s really simple, just have it done by next friday.” 

you nearly popped a blood vessel 

300 by next friday? today was wednesday so that meant you only had ten days to finish all 300 of them

so you and jaemin are walking to the classroom next door to get the supplies y’all needed,,, in your head, you were just cursing everything in existence for putting you into this position especially mr. moon 

“so how did she rope you into this?” you heard jaemin say from beside you as you both carried boxes out to the parking lot. 

you two came to the good conclusion to split the load so that he would do half and you would do half 

150 it’s not that bad 

15 a day

hell yeah

it was so strange and foreign talking to him since it’s been about two whole years.  

he had a nice voice tho ngl maybe that’s why he got out of that detention that one time 

“she somehow found out that i still needed to complete my community service hours before graduation” you murmured, praying that haechan remembered you telling him to wait for you after school 

he probably ditched you to get high or hang out with one girl he liked

all jaemin said was “oh” and the rest of the walk to the school’s parking lot was quiet 

the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife and the knife would break

“hey can i ask you a question?” jaemin asked when the two of you were about to go your separate ways 

you could see mark’s old beat-down car meaning that haechan, in fact, did ditch you but had the decency to call up mark to pick you up 

“yeah, go ahead” 

“how come you still talk to jeno, but not me?” 

i shit you not this was the quietest and deepest voice that you ever heard jaemin project 

you didn’t know how to reply so you looked down at the large box in your hand, mumbling some incoherent excuse

“can you repeat that?” 

“ i said, we don’t really have any other reasons to be friend's unlike me and jeno” 

“is that all?” jaemin asked, probably catching onto your bullshit

you were probably delusional but you could’ve sworn you heard some sadness in the tone he used

you nodded quickly trying to get to mark’s car hoping to avoid further conversation 

but boy was jaemin stubborn 

“that wasn’t a good explanation,y/n! ” jaemin called out after you. 

this time he sounded more lighthearted than before

you turn around to face jaemin who had a fatass smile on his face 

damn was he good looking smiling like that 

“give me a better reason tomorrow or else i’m taking you on a date!” his dazzling smile nearly blinding you as he made his way to his own car

inside your head little y/n is going whattheactualfuck? 

“what’s with that shook face?” mark ask as you climbed into the passenger seat 

“what the fuck?” you say 

“huh?”

you look at mark “what the ACTUAL fuck?” 

poor mark is like wtf is wrong with her,,,did haechan get her on some type of crack? 

that night while you were making the little centerpieces you were still going over what jaemin said 

you looked at the last centerpiece you finish making 

was he flirting with me? or was he serious?

he sounded sad when i said that tho? 

at the same, this was jaemin, a boy who is well-known for having flings left and right. 

he’s probably just flirting

until next day! jaemin pops up next to you as while you get your shit from your locker for your first class 

“did you come up with a good explanation yet? 

his sudden appearance startled you causing you to subconsciously let out a yelp 

“cute” he said, and you forced down the blush that was about to show 

“i thought i told you already?” causing jaemin to shake his head like a cute little puppy 

“i don’t accept it.i want a better one,” he said sounding like a spoiled toddler 

you gave him the “wtf do you mean look” and he was about to reply until you saw haechan walking through the school doors with a pair of sunglasses on which can only mean one thing

that little shit head came to school high again

you pushed passed jaemin and stormed towards haechan pulling him to some vacant hallway to lecture him

leaving jaemin standing there staring at your backs as the two of you left 

jaemin’s smile dropping significantly as he nearly glared over at the two of you leaving, specifically at the back of haechan’s head 

“dude, why do you look like you’re going to murder someone?” jeno asked as jaemin sat next to him at their lab station 

you weren’t in this chemistry class but haechan was,,,and it was his naptime

“how is y/n friends with him?” jaemin stared directly at a sleeping haechan 

jeno follows his line of sight, letting out a sigh once he notices it was haehcan

“she never really told me, but i assume it was because she stopped being friends with ella and that group” jeno said honestly. he raised an eyebrow in question at his bffl “why do you need to know” 

jaemin didn’t answer him, continuing to glaring at the sleeping male 

jeno rolled his eyes at his friend's antics 

but in a serious tone, he warns to his friend, “don’t pull your games with y/n.” 

except jaemin’s head wasn’t registering this warning,,he was solely focused on how lee fucking haechan the biggest stoner of NCT High managed to take a girl’s attention from him, na jaemin....it was simply ridiculous 

maybe he really was an attention seeker bc he made a beeline for your table during lunch instead of his regular one once he saw just how loud you were laughing at haechan’s joke 

“what’s so funny?” jaemin asked sliding into the seat next to you 

now both of you and our boy hyuk is like wtf 

immediately you’re on defense, “what are you doing here?” 

“you never gave me a good explanation!” jaemin pouted, giving you fat puppy eyes 

those aLMost worked 

“uhhhhhh” you try to find a good excuse but jaemin quickly cuts you off 

“it’s okay if you don’t have a good explanation,” jaemin reaches over and steals a fry from haechan’s tray eliciting a hissing sound from the boy “you just have to go on a date with me” 

then he winks 

and he's gone

“what in the holy fuck just happened?” 

the amount of time that y/n has said wtf is unbelievable 

haechan’s sunglasses slip down the bridge of nose and you could see his red eyes giving you a look of disappointment, “and you say i have issues” 

“stfu before i slit your throat” 

the rest of the day wasn’t any easier on you tbh. you learned that jaemin was really really stubborn and very very clingy 

the boy deadass scanned the whole hallway to find your face so he could tag along with you to your next class even though you could have sworn that his class was one the other side of the school 

he kept on bombarding you with questions on what you wanted to get after school and if you like roller skating 

by some means, you were able to hide in the library for the rest of the study hall period which meant that you could probably avoid jaemin until school ended 

you spotted a familiar boy huddled in the corner reading a book that made you squint your eyes. 

marching over to jeno, your eyes just say “explain” 

jeno looked at you with like those wide eyes he does when he’s shookth bc the two of you never interacting in school so puBlicly

“what the hell is na jaemin trying to pull?” you whispered-yelled plopping down in the wooden seat next to the athlete 

jeno is all like????wydm 

and you explain your whole situation to him and he just lets out the biggest sigh 

“he doesn’t like being left on read” 

“what do you mean?” 

“i mean, that’s what you basically did to him sophomore year. he was kinda depresso about how you just stopped talking to him out of nowhere. by the way, why did you do that?” 

tbh you really didn’t know at first you were mad at him

was it bc his actions caused all your friends to blame you for his inability to commit to a relationship,,, but it’s been two years since that incident

you got over it, so why were you still avoiding jaemin? 

“i dunno after him and ella broke up, i didn’t have a reason to talk to him.” 

jeno looked at you like “really? is that your answer?” 

“think about that question again because i’m sure that that's, not the whole answer.” 

now you’re more confused but also very mad about how both of them weren’t accepting your reason as valid! 

so as you were furiously making the stupid centerpieces that ella forced you into volunteering to do

angry y/n really got through a solid 50 of them 

you pondered on jeno’s words and you thought back to sophomore year 

you remembered still joking around lightheartedly w jaemin until he started dating ella 

he actually spent a lot of time and effort even ditching jeno sometimes for her which was okay cause jeno would chill w renjun or even you (mostly bc he could watch barbie movies w no shame) 

everything was alright until homecoming came around and jaemin flaked on ella leading them to breakup the next day 

and ella to stop talking to you which made everyone mad you or think that you were the one that caused the breakup 

WHICH YOU DIDN”T 

you were the one that hooked the two of them up too! so it was really unfair! 

it's like 2 am and you don’t know what came over to text jeno but you did 

y/n: why didn’t jaemin go to hoco sophomore year? 

you felt instant regret after sending that text bc like it probably made it seem like you were interested in jaemin,,,, which you were totally not!

seconds later jeno slaps you with the ”ask him yourself”  

fattest facepalm 

so that’s how you spent the entire night finishing all of your centerpieces that you were assigned to make cuz of your frustration

wow we love a productive y/n 

alrighty this is where shit goes down 

now that you were done with all of your centerpieces you took them to the art room the next day before school where ella was there doing her stoof 

she looked up with a giant smile when you came in with a giant box 

“you finished all of it?” 

“nah just 150. jaemins finishing the other half” you set the box down 

“oh okie,” ella nodded returning to whatever she was doing beforehand 

since it was just the two of you in the classroom and you’ve been dying to know the answer since sophomore year 

so fuck it 

“hey ella, can i ask you a question?” 

the said girl looked up with that same friendly smile that she gave everyone “of course!” 

“why didn’t jaemin show up to hoco sophomore year?” you blurted out 

in an instant, ella’s smile dropped and there was a sudden cold look in her eyes 

“you already know the answer to that, y/n, you don’t need me to answer you. now if you excuse me, i have things i have to do” ella said in a very unlike-ella-way 

her answer made you even more confused than ever bc how were you supposed to know the answer to THAT 

confused!y/n is even more confused 

however, all your questions were about to be answered, not really tho 

you’re on your way to the third period with the same burning question in your head: why the hell did jaemin not show up to sophomore year hoco??? someone help?  

tbh you didn’t even notice someone yanking you into the janitor’s closet until you were surrounded in darkness and someone's hands were clasp over your mouth 

“it’s me, jaemin” his soft whisper sent tings down your spine 

he let go of your mouth to switch on the light 

“are you fucking insane?” 

“yes, but it’s only cause i’m madly in love with you” 

you rolled your eyes “cut the bullshit, jaemin, what do you want?” 

“our date. you never gave me a solid explanation, so i want a date” 

you were about to reject him but then an idea formed in your head 

“fine” 

and with that one-word jaemin’s eyes glowed 10x brighter with his smile almost blinding you 

cheesy i know. 

“let’s go now!” 

the boy was really about to skip class just to go on this stupid date w you 

is he that bored? did he really run out of girls to date? 

but then again you really don’t want to go to math bc you’re pretty sure there's a test today that you haven’t studied for yet 

so that’s how you found yourself with jaemin at the local ice cream parlor 

jaemin INSISTED that y'all share a sundae, which he also fought you to pay for 

there a silence that falls upon you for a little bit 

jaemin breaks it though like he breaks heart (okay minnie that’s kinda mean) 

“ella told me that you finished your half of the centerpieces in two days. that’s pretty impressive,” he comments 

you nodded staring at the ice cream drowned in chocolate syrup 

“to be honest, i haven’t gotten much done yet,” he admitted, continuing to ramble on “it’ll get done. i might even pay renjun to do it, but i’m pretty sure he’s too preoccupied with this girl that he’s been pining over for a while” 

“speaking of which, are you seeing anyone right now?” jaemin asks out of nowhere. 

“lol i could be doing other things with my time.” 

jaemin observes your face closely taking in the faint blush on your cheeks from his direct gaze, “so what about that haechan dude?” 

“what about him?” 

“are the two of you a thing?” 

you nearly gagged 

“there no way in hell i’d ever get with haechan. besides, he’s having some of his own girl problems right now. he was being a little bitch about it too” 

“good” jaemin says really contently. 

“why didn’t you go to hoco sophomore year?” you finally asked

taken back slightly, jaemin softly smiles down at the half-eaten sundae

instead of answering you, he asked another question “why did you stop talking to me?” 

you gulp, but eventually, you had to tell him the truth even though it was kinda dumb and immature

“because ella was mad at me after the two of you broke up.” 

he shifted his gaze up to your own eyes 

“do you know why she was mad at you?” 

you shook your head

jaemin smiled again 

this time it kinda looked sad :( 

“because she knew that i was in love with you”  

#na jaemin #na jaemin scenarios #na jaemin angst #na jaemin fluff #na jaemin imagines #nct dream #nct dream au #na jaemin au #jaemin na #jeno #haechan #chenle #renjun #jisung #angst #fluff #highschool au #nct #nct imagines #nct sceanrios #nct au #umm maybe there will be a part two #idk mans

[phantomphangphucker]

Legless On Maim Chap. 8: Crime And Time Makes Me Fine. NOT.

Danny messes with a cop, Lewis messes with a ghost, Vee messes with a Eddie, ClockWork messes with EVERYBODY. And while Danny loves ClockWork, he also thinks they’re an absolute bastard.

Danny gets awoken almost violently and promptly slips off the branch he had climbed up onto. Deciding to just stay laying on the ground groaning rather than deal with his friends; especially hearing them laughing at him.

“Now that’s some quality blackmail material”.

“Dude! Wow you were not kidding!”.

Danny just groans again as Tucker tosses a pair of pants over his face. Fine, he appreciates actually having pants now -even if they weren’t on him, at least not in the way he’d like them to be- but knowing his friends they were probably patterned embarrassingly. Blinking open his eyes and blowing air strong enough at them to make them float up into the air, effectively confirming a stupid pattern; fucking pink with hearts, motherfuckers. “Jerks”.

Sam smirks and puts a hand on her hip as Danny pushes himself to sit up, “courtesy of my folks' refusal to accept that I’m not their personal dress-up doll”.

Danny snorts, “you’d think they'd give you more heartfelt gifts for a change, instead of using the opportunity to try and make you have a fashionable change of heart”. Earning matching groans and making him smirk. Getting up and flipping them off while hopping to get the (very hideous)pj’s on.

Tucker points at him, “least your legs clearly work”.

“Tuck pal, I think I’d be having a fair few fucking crises if they didn’t”, patting the pants off before straightening up and gesturing exaggeratedly at his legs, “I’m having a crisis as it is. The fuck am I supposed to do with this? How the fuck am I supposed to explain this guys?!?”, gesturing even more wildly, “I. Have. Legs. Again. They were cut off, and now. They. Are. Back. Is there any section of the endless expanse of the Zone where I am not fucked”.

Tucker shrugs, “body paint? Sam is rich enough for an endless supply”. Sam glares at him, crosses her arms, and then uncrosses them just to smack him over the head, “I am not a walking wallet!”.

Danny points aggressively at Tucker, “my folks are not utterly blind, Tuck”, shrugging, “sure it’s a close thing, but still”, glaring, “and that will immediately fall apart as soon as they want to do a systems check or something. Heck! They haven’t even gotten the CyberSteps working yet. Meaning I still got to test prototypes, which is literally impossible to do with having freaking legs again!”.

Sam and Tucker share a look, Sam shaking her head, “you could just be honest? They were chill with a bloody ghost Core, Danny, I think they can handle legs”.

Danny glares, “Cores and ghostly tails are solid ecto-energy, not flesh and blood and bone. It’s not the same. That shit can, apparently, just be explained away by me having a somewhat awakened ghost. Legs, fleshy human legs, are not a ghost thing”.

Tucker shrugs, “could just pitch it as ghostly healing? Though yeah, you almost might as well just tell them everything at this point”.

Danny huffs, he had a point. Considering the sheer amount of ghostly weirdness his folks have just accepted at this point. But still, the whole ‘I’m half ghost! Surprise!’ was more than just being half ghost. It also meant admitting he was Phantom and had been hiding and lying for two whole years. It meant his parents facing the fact that their life's work was effectively responsible for killing their son. That they had spent years telling him to his face how much they really badly and painfully wanted to dissect and destroy him. That they actually had tortured him once and injured him on nearly a weekly bases. Then there was the fact that they saw him get tossed around, impaled, stabbed, lit on fire, gutted, decapitated, cut in half, electrocuted, maimed, shot, and other things he’s probably forgetting, pretty much every day; and they just watched and did nothing to help.

Sure he didn’t resent them for all of that, how could he? they didn’t know. But they would be crushed and hurt, that mattered. And that’s without even mentioning that he would effectively disprove most of their work. And yeah, they had made some headway recently and were finally recognising that created ghosts at least could be a thing. Maybe, just maybe, born ghosts too. Ancients, they were only just now starting to listen to him. Willing to face and accept that ghosts might not be the evil emotionless monsters they always thought they were. Is it so terrible that he'd like them to not hate ghosts before finding out that he was one???

Apparently the universe thought so.

But no, fuck it. He will take this secret fully to the grave before the universes crap -which the Observants probably played a role in because they hate him and want him to suffer- forces this secret to light. Fuck the universe and it’s bullshit. Groaning at the sky anyway, “you know, I always imagined it would be something crazy, utterly impossible, undeniably ghostly; that would bang me up in a life-changing way. Would force secrets to light. Not something so damn simple, so normal, so human; as a car crash”.

Both of them chuckle at him and move to pat at his shoulders. Tucker snorts, “I think it was more car ‘massacre’ than car ‘crash’”. Danny shoves him a little because people fucking died.

Sam shakes her head though, “you’re not going to tell them, are you?”.

Danny snorts and shakes his head a little; happily taking the slight distraction, “naw. Maybe someday, but that someday is not today. Fuck the universes shitty sense of comedic timing”, crossing his arms and glaring down at his legs. He can still feel the whole bandage booty shorts situation, embarrassing but fuck it. He’s going to make Lewis have to witness his shit. Even if it probably won’t make his eyeballs bleed, that guy has seen way too much weird shit to suffer mental ocular trauma from anything. But still.

Tucker and Sam exchange a Look before looking back to Danny and speaking in sync, “spite”.

Danny nods with a slight smirk, “is there ever a better reason?”.

Getting another in synch response, “not dying... further”. Danny waves them off like he couldn’t care less.

Sam shakes her head, “on a slightly serious note, what’s the plan?”.

Danny shrugs, “well should see if I even can still modify my ghostly body on a molecular level to turn solid limbs into a gas”.

Tucker snickers, “and like everything else about you, when you say it technically it sounds like some body horror shit”. Danny just finger-guns at him before going ghost and easily changing to his ghostly tail; promptly doing jazz hands.

Sam and Tucker nod, Tucker pointing at him, “well that solves that, dude”, continuing at Danny’s raised confused eyebrow, “Danny-dude, just do that half transformation thing and leave your lower half in ghost mode”.

Sam smirks and nods, turning to Tucker and talking like this has already been decided as the plan of attack, “then we can just wrap bandaging over his Phantom legs before he switches to a tail, getting the bandaged look”. Tucker hums his agreement.

Danny sticks his arms out to the side and looks almost offended, “do you know how hard half transforming is to maintain? There’s a reason I never do that shit for more than emergencies or quick jokes”.

Sam rolls her eyes at him, “deal with it”. Danny flips her off. Though really, not much of another option. Having a ghost tail in human form was drastically harder to have and maintain than half transforming.

Danny transforms his upper half back human because, eh why not? And he’s been gone for a while. Chuckling down at the black ghostly tail before smirking at his friends, “I’m three halves of a whole now. Half a body, half transformed, and half-ghost in two different ways. I don’t think anyone ever put this much effort into half-assing so many things. All because so much of me just keeps on dying. I’m a real die-hard you could say. Really killed any effort for a fully functioning life. My apparent partial lifelessness isn’t a real tear-jerker apparently, so maybe I should add some flavour and start halving onions”.

Tucker grabs Danny’s head and shoves him into the dirt; even if they’re all laughing a bit.

It takes a while before they all calm down, laying in the grass and staring up at the sky. Tucker being the first to speak up again, “so, hows it feel to be amongst the legged again?”.

Danny changes back fully human and crosses his ankles, “very leggy”, earning a round of snorts. Honestly, it was a bit weird. Especially feeling fabric over leg skin for the first time in days. He also has never been so aware over how much legs weigh. Sure his human form was always heavier than his ghost one, but wow legs weigh a lot. Well technically legs and pelvis. And it was also weird that having legs again felt weird; really it should feel like a return to normalcy, instead the leglessness had become like normalcy, Either it was really easy to get used to or he was one overall adaptable son of a corpse. It was probably the latter.

The three scrunch their faces up and groan in sync as it starts raining, lightly at first before suddenly coming down in a torrential downpour; resulting in them scrambling up. Danny transforming and grabbing them up, intangibly and invisibly flying them back to his house. Returning to the visible spectrum in his room.

Sam takes two steps before stepping in something definitely still wet and grimacing at Danny, “this is why we never take our shoes off”. Danny just shrugs her off while changing back human, feet planting on the ground with a little plop, and flopping face down onto his bed.

His friends following suit on top of him. Tucker muttering, “ow”, after basically smashing his forehead into Danny’s shoulder brace.

Danny snorts, “I’m not paying for your concussion treatment”.

Seconds later Jazz practically slams the door open, “finally, where have you been Danny???”. Managing to actually startle Danny (since his nose was blocked by his bed), who startles everyone else by pushing himself up so fast his braces make concerning cracking sounds and his very human legs suddenly becoming a ghostly tail; which completely off balances him and, combined with his momentum, sends him falling to the floor. Landing on his ass/tail base with a startled ‘oof’, just as Maddie sticks her head in the doorway.

Maddie blinks and looks slightly apologetic, assuming she startled him enough for him to mess up with the floating, “oh sorry sweetie, I came up to let you two, four now I guess, know that supper will be ready in half an hour”, then scrunching up her face and realising something’s not right here. Pointing at his tail, “why is It pink, and covered in hearts?”.

Danny has to physically bite his tongue to avoid gapping as he glances down at his tail. What the fuck. It has never been that easy in human form? And he wasn’t even having to maintain it? The fuck?

Sam comes to his rescue near-instantly though, “uh, we wanted to see what would happen if he tried putting normal clothing over It and It just kinda absorbed it”. Maddie can’t help but smile at that, kids will be kids.

Danny awkwardly adding, “and it’s not like the, uh, bandaging is a forever thing, and, uh, I don’t think It would, like, look very good flesh-coloured?”. He, in fact, knew It wouldn’t. His mom makes a face and nods while his friends snicker at him, the assholes.

Maddie tilts her head, a little curious how his tail even did that. This didn’t happen when he had apparently had a hoodie draped over It when he first came home? Maybe -what she’s just going to assume is a ‘gift’ from Pamela for Sam. She will never see eye to eye with that woman. Sure her and Jack did push the kids to be hunters, but they didn’t try to control their entire lives- the pants were fairly tight around his tail? She’d ask but considering he looks a little startled, she’s not going to press. Shaking her head, “well hopefully you can undo it, in case this happens with any clothing you actually care about”, frowning slightly, “I also hope this doesn’t interfere with Dan’s work”.

Danny blinks, still confused enough by his body to be unphased by the Dan name, “uh, yeah don’t wanna go giving him a heart attack”. Everyone shakes their heads.

Maddie electing to head back to the kitchen, “I’ll call when foods ready”, the door closing behind her.

Sam and Tucker look to Danny’s pink heart-covered tail then to his face, “Danny, what the Hell”.

Danny throws up his hands, “I panicked alright!”.

“Since when does your panic help anything?!?”.

“Since now apparently!”.

Jazz blinks, “I’m going to guess this-”, gesturing at Danny’s tail, “- wasn’t intentional”, putting her hands on her hips, “and Danny, you are lucky mom just waved me off to go check on you and stayed in the lab. You’ve been missing for hours. You know how they get". Her chastising earning some apologetic neck rubbing, before Danny emphatically gestures at his tail which suddenly pops into pj-covered legs. Making her jump a little, “oh! Your legs! They grew back!”, quickly moving to sit down on the floor and grab at one of his bare feet. Then glaring at him for suddenly changing back to his tail; leaving her grasping onto the tip of his tail.

Sam and Tucker both jerk a bit from the sudden change themselves, before falling over laughing loudly, the pink heart-covered look was still not flattering. Danny looking baffled doesn’t help either. Though he does eventually snort and start snickering before flopping to lay on the floor laughing with them; Jazz just shakes her head at the trio's antics.

Danny snickers, “I guess the hearts really felt my hearts deepest desires! Really trying to be lovable! Since I was just being a total bleeding-heart earlier!”.

Jazz audibly scowls and stands up, “on that painful note, I'm going to help mom. I’m assuming this leg issue was why you just up and disappeared”. Shaking her head when Sam adds in, “and he fell asleep. In a tree”.

Danny throws out his hands, still laying on the ground, “it’s comfy!”, while Jazz heads downstairs.

Sam eventually glances at the calmly waving tail before looking back to the ceiling, “guess your body got so used to the tail that it comes easier now?”.

Danny huffs, “no fucking clue”, shrugging, “but probably. I doubt I’d even change back automatically from tiredness or sleeping or injury. So you can have your heart back”, intentionally turning back to legs purely to phase off the pj’s dramatically by flinging them up into the air; easily changing back to a bandage-looking tail. This kinda solved his problem, he still had a tail. Easily and naturally so. And! he had legs too! The best two for one deal ever! Which fine, he was glad to have again. Even though it was straight crazy that he could regrow entire limbs. Half his body pretty much. Sure Lewis has ‘said’ they were regrowing but them actually regrowing was a whole-ass-nother thing.

The three watch the pj’s float down out of the air onto their faces, Danny snickering and speaking mockingly, “ahhhh. Heart attack”. Earning hard hits from his friends.

Tucker rolls his eyes, “you already used that one today, and are you just going to stick with a tail all the time now?”.

Danny shrugs noncommittally. The answer was probably yes, in human form anyway. His friends obviously can tell he’s basically come to that decision since they both hit him again, Sam snapping without much feeling, “you fucking idiot”; everyone falling back into silence after,

Danny contentedly winding his tail around their legs. Which fine, he had become more than a little fond of being able to do that and his tail in general. He has a feeling ClockWork would, and probably is, actively smirking over him just sticking to a ghostly tail; just like them. Which yes, only serves to encourage Danny.

(Off in the far off realm of the Ghost Zone, a couple Observants hand trinkets over to ClockWork; having lost various bets. ClockWork simply smirks, one would think they’d know better by now. But no, most of their egos were a smidge too large. But it was a quite enjoyable way to teach the Observants a lesson about the future not being set in stone... And that Daniel tended to take the uncommon (and thus unviewable to the Observants) route)

Danny eventually grunting and lifts up his thermos with his tail, “so Skulker wants to harass the doc for my scraps”.

Tucker snorts, “poor bastard, only just met you and he’s already got a ghostly pest”.

“Oh I don’t know Tuck, seems more like a fast way to put whether or not the friendly-ish sorta cannibal can eat things past their expiration date to the test”. Danny would kinda like to know if Vee could eat him or not. Sure a human definitely couldn’t, ectoplasm was toxic after all. But again, fucking aliens. And Lewis seemingly thinks Vee can eat fucking everything.

Sam pushes herself up to glare down at him, “I find it seriously hard to believe a cannibal is ‘friendly’”. Tucker snickers, “yeah, probably steal your scraps from doctor dude or Skulker for a snack”.

Danny waves his hand around as much as the braces will let him, “oh he’s clearly a real people person. If they wanted my scraps they coulda just shown up in the amputee ward, they’d have some real meals on wheels then”.

Sam smacks him over the head with a very disgusted scowl, “your mind is a fucking sin and that so-called ‘diet’ is even worse”.

Danny smirks, “well if they feel like repenting via a little taste of religion, I know a few annoying priests that show up every month or so”. Seriously, he could really do without those type thinking ghosts were demons, or that Phantom was the ‘anti-Christ’, or Amity was a displaced section of Hell, or that Phantom was the second coming of Christ. Outside of the mixed messages, it was also supremely annoying.

All three jerk a bit from a very loud yell from Tucker’s pocket, “Jesus fucking Christ no! We are not eating a fucking priest! I’m not that depraved!-hey don’t you-I liked that coffee pot, you fucker and now look at it? It’s on the fucking ground. No I am not going to just ‘go get it’, you’re the one that chucked it out the window-no don’t you fucking-!”, followed by some scratching, clattering sounds, and a loud thump.

The three sit up and Tucker cautiously pulls out his PDA and everyone just stares at it. Danny tilting his head, he’s heard that voice before. Poking the PDA with his tail, “huh, I think Eddie hacked your PDA”.

Tucker gives him a look of deep offence before looking back to the PDA in question at the sound of a very long string of swears, “I’m going to fucking strangle you, I fucking swear. Jesus fucking Christ. Fuck you. I’m going to eat nothing but fucking pickles and salad dressing tonight-bitch don’t tempt me or I’ll set it on fire before I eat it-oh my god you baby”, there’s a bit of stomping and a slamming door, followed by what the three are assuming is the sound of glass jars hitting each other, “see look at these fucking pickles!-oh fucking watch me-oh fuck! Gak. They’re fucking expired. Oh god shit. Why me?-shut up bitch”.

Danny and Tucker both bend over wheezing, PDA falling unceremoniously onto the bed. While Sam raises her eyebrows and asks sounding almost annoyed, “why is eating veggies a threat? What’s so hard about eating vegetables? Seriously, what’s the hardest part of a vegetable to eat?”.

Danny snaps his head to her, grins, and shouts, “the wheelchair!”. Sam shoves him off the bed shouting, “that’s horrible!”. Danny just lets himself land on the floor.

“Oh shit! The phone’s still on. Fuck-WHY WOULD A VEGETABLE HAVE A WHEELCHAIR-different kind of vegetable, Vee. Use fucking Google. Living impaired guy, or whatever, is talking about people-PEOPLE ARE NOT VEGETABLES EDDIE! THEY DO NOT GROW IN DIRT-Jesus, just use fucking google holy shit. And-wait a minute, Dead Guy are you seriously using a fucking PDA? No way you’re not old using a fucking PDA, what is this? the fucking nineties?”.

Tucker straightens up and points aggressively at his PDA, “hey! You take that back! You’re gonna hurt Lisa’s feelings! PDA’s are a gift upon us all!”, snatching his PDA off the bed and rubbing his face on it, “don't listen to him sweetie, a phone could never keep up with all your glorious curves and circuits”.

“What the fuck? Is that what I sound like when I say Vee’s better than humans?-YES. LIKE A DUMBASS-fuck you-MY DUMBASS”. Tucker jerks away from the mic and everyone makes disgusted horrified faces at the strange kinda wet sounds.

Sam grimaces deeper, “should we ask?”.

Danny chuckles slightly, “considering Lewis’s tendril comments. No”. He so doesn’t want to hear about that.

A bunch of coughing sounds through the mic, “why is Dan telling people about my se-”, get cut off by the three teens shrieking or shouting and Danny shoving a pillow over the PDA. “NO!”.

Danny peals back the pillow and growls a little, “dude there are minors here, we don’t wanna hear about that shit. Oh my Zone. And I thought Lewis had a near nonexistent filter”.

“Eh whatever. Wait, how many people am I even talking to?-THREE, EDDIE. THERE’S THREE VOICES-well maybe I would have been paying attention to that if someone hadn’t tossed me out a fucking window-PUSSY-bitch”.

Tucker starts wheezing again, muttering, “how does this guy maintain a conversation with anyone?”. Which yeah, Danny slightly agrees with that sentiment.

“Hey, fuck you. It’s my job to talk to people. I’m pretty fucking good at it-OVER HALF THE PEOPLE YOU TALK TO TRY TO KILL US, EDDIE-bitch I don’t see you complaining about that when you get a snack out of it”.

Tucker wheezes a little more, “how have you not been arrested?”, while Danny and Sam scowl at the PDA in disgust.

Danny points at Tucker, “their city apparently supports their people eating. It’s, like, common knowledge”, Sam turns her disgusted scowl to him.

“Debatable. I think the cops are just scared we’ll eat them-WHICH WE WILL-no! We do not eat cops! How many times have I said that?-STILL GOING TO EAT THEM-no we will not!-EDDIE-no!-WHAT ABOUT CHOCOLATE DIPPED?-Jesus fuck. No”.

Sam mock gags, “could we not talk about eating people with a vegetarian present?”.

Tucker gives her a pouty face, “awww come on, we’ve all got our tastes”.

Danny points at him, “usually not people-flavoured though”.

“Isn’t it just like chicken though?”.

“No. No it’s not-MUCH BETTER!-I don’t think you’re a good judge of that babe-I AM AN EXCELLENT JUDGE. KLYNTAR HAVE MANY MORE TASTE BUDS THAN YOU FLESH BAGS”.

Tucker scoffs and crosses his arms, Danny’s already preparing for him to say something stupid. “I’m the real meat conisure here, I’ll be the judge of that”.

“Kid, did you seriously just ask-WE HAVE A SPARE LIVER IF YOU'RE CURIOUS-where the fuck did that come from!?!? Where even was that?!?! What the fuck Vee!?!!?! How many times have I said we don’t do take-out!-NOT AGAINST THE RULES IF NO ONE NOTICES-oh my god. That is not how rules, or the law for that matter, works”.

Danny shoves Tucker, “Tuck, what did I say about asking for snacks? Zone dude. Now they’re gonna show up with a fucking liver in a suitcase and with my luck someone else is gonna find that and think I murdered someone”.

“Finally got another name, nice. And eh you’d be surprised how easy it is to hide murder and body parts. And how much cops are willing to ignore”.

Sam snorts, “smooth spooky”.

Danny blushes a little, whoops, “you have no idea how bad my luck is”.

“Speaking of spooky, figured that echoey voice crap would sound way more fucked over the phone. You don’t even seem to have an echo. And blame whoever has the PDA, do you just not expect anyone to back-hack you? Sure that was some hard shit and I can’t access shit-”, Tucker beams very smugly at this, “-but you hacked me first. What was even the point of that? Even basic research makes it obvious dead guy is based in Amity Park. And you did that just to tell me I got your age wrong-HE’S MORE PETTY THAN YOU EDDIE-that is not a compliment”.

Danny smirks and transforms purely for his ghostly echoing voice, his friends rolling their eyes knowing exactly what he’s doing. Sam speaks almost dryly, “if anything ever gets spooky over here destroyed, it’ll be his sense of humour”.

Danny chuckles deeply, voice reverberating intentionally creepily, “it’ll be the death of me, seeing as I have killer timing”, waving his hand around, “and us spookies are petty creatures. We wear petty like it’s all that makes us pretty”.

“Huh, so you definitely can change your voice. Congrats Vee, your voice isn’t the only one that sounds ridiculously fucking demonic-APPROVE. FAR MORE THREATENING. LIKE A PREDATOR-I don’t think that counts as a compliment either babe-HE HUNTS HIS OWN! IT IS A COMPLIMENT!-eh, I guess? What’s up with that anyway, dead guy?-HE’S A PREDATOR, PREDATORS FIGHT, EDDIE. OBVIOUSLY-says the big bad predator who’d rather become one with the couch in a sea of chocolate wrappers and watch Alton Brown make people suffer-THEY DESERVE TO WEAR FLIPPERS AND ARM SPREADERS FOR BURNING THE LAMB!”.

Tucker nods his head a little, “yeah, burning lamb should be a crime”, while a little buzzing sound comes through the mic.

Danny rolls his eyes at him, “that’s the guy from Cut Throat Kitchen isn’t it? Doesn’t he buy stuff from BDSM stores for those challenges”. Tucker nods with a smirk, “and that’s kinky”, and gets smacked over the head by Sam.

Danny shakes his head and leans over the PDA, “I’m a protective fellow, I beat up ghosties to protect. Ya know, the typical hero schtick, but with death. It’s a real grim job, but I absolutely reap the rewards”, looking to Sam and Tucker, “one day I’m gonna cash in all these trauma points for a fucking yacht”.

Tucker quirks an eyebrow, “why a yacht?”. Sam adding, “you know I’ve got one. They’re okay”.

“One of you has a fucking yacht?!? Anne warned me I’d be out of my depth but holy fuck-NOT HARD WHEN YOU’RE PUSSY MADE-how the fuck do you know that term?!? And just eat your fucking tater tots”.

Danny snorts, “someone’s a real tater thot”, looking at Tucker, “one, because that’s one thing Frootloop doesn’t own”.

“Fair”.

“Wow you are really petty as shit”.

Danny scowls at the PDA, “dude fucking nearly caused the apocalypse, like, four bloody times”, rolling his hand, “and there’s the whole sorta have a daughter, or cousin, or sister, eh it changes; ‘cause of his cloning stunt-”.

Danny doesn’t get to continue as Vee butts in with, “WE’RE SPAWNING ASWELL-what, fucking what? What the fuck do you mean ‘spawning’? No you so do not get to hide in my body after that shit, get the fuck out here bitch. Oh my fuck, what the fuck. This is what Anne means by fucking communication issues. What the fuck you fuck. Jesus fucking Christ. What the fucking shit. That is not how you tell anyone anything, you fuck. Now I want a yacht to sail away from fucking everything and become a fucking pirate. Your oily ass will love that so much because there will be so many lobsters to shove up everyone's collective assholes but especially yours-SAME ASSHOLE SO GO AHEAD BITCH, THAT WOULD BE DELICIOUS-ha! Tricked you with the old lobster summoning, now the fuck do you mean spawning!-”

Tucker whispers, “Zone these guys have so many issues”. Sam and Danny just nod, not wanting to interrupt this because it is, frankly, hilarious.

“IT IS NATURAL EDDIE-I sure fucking hope so, otherwise we’ve got a fair few fucking problems going on-THEN STOP BEING A PUSSY WET BITCH-where do you learn this shit? Fucking fourchan? And excuse me for being an emotional asshole, asshole. I think I’ve fucking earned it considering-”.

All three teens turn their heads as Valerie flies in through the window and deactivates her board at seeing them sitting around a PDA but giving it a wide berth.

“-I’m apparently fucking pregnant!”.

Valerie blinks as her suit deactivates, “what have I just walked in on”. It sounds more like a cautious statement than a question.

Danny points at her, “technically, you flew”, she glares at him while he continues, “Eddie’s having some... issues, apparently”.

“‘Some’?”.

“Oh fuck the phones still on. You heard all of that didn’t you? Fuck-DUMBASS-fuck you, this is your fault. I need a fucking drink”.

Danny chuckles and smirks a bit meanly, “yes, yes we did”.

Valerie shakes her head and speaks down at the PDA, “are you okay?”.

“No”, Eddie promptly hanging up.

Valerie watching the other teens descend into fits of laughter for a bit before asking, “what did I miss?”.

Tucker wheezes, “probably one of the best random meltdowns ever”, smacking Danny’s arm braces, “you should probably warn doctor dude you gave his friend an accidental crises!”.

Danny just chuckles, he’s pretty sure he’s never heard anyone swear that much that quickly. And considering he’s somewhat friends-ish with Johnny, that’s saying something. Pointing at Tucker, “for the love of all the Ancients, tell me you recorded that. Because, by the Realms, that was glorious”. He also totally wants to show Johnny, and Skulker actually, maybe Ember and Kitty; they’d be fucking impressed honestly. Possibly Pandora too, if only for Eddie just straight up going feral rage mode for a bit there.

Tucker nods eagerly with a wide smirk, instantly being granted a high five; even getting one from Sam.

As his mom calls that supper’s ready, Danny pulls out his phone; because he is not calling Lewis while he might be having special time with the bone saw.

DPain: so stormed Area 51 might being having a mild melt down bout being pregnant

DPain: and it might

DPain: possibly

DPain: maybe

DPain: be my fault

Tucker chokes next to him, “dude, you do realise how that sounds right?”. Making Danny facepalm as the four (not three like Maddie was expecting, but she just sets another plate with a smile and head shake) sit at the table; Danny checking his phone when it goes off.

Tiethief: so you’re why I have 11 new voicemails

DPain: 😇

Danny barely gets through his (very mushy, fuck you Jazz) mashed potatoes before there’s a knock on the door. It’s not a scent Danny recognises so he tears off Tucker’s hoodie to cover his tail up. Rolling his eyes at the guy’s scowl, Danny would just blink his tail out of the visible spectrum if his not-in-the-know parents weren’t around. While one of said parents, his mom who hadn’t even sat down yet, gets the door.

“Hello Mrs. Fenton, I’m officer Jared Walker”, the four teens -and Jazz- all choke at that last name and share ‘seriously? Why is this our lives?’ Looks. “I’m here to conduct a welfare check for Daniel Fenton. May I come in?”.

Danny cringes, this probably wasn’t a good thing. FentonWorks wasn’t exactly... safe. Oh who was he kidding? FentonWorks was a mind field of danger and death; and not just ‘cause his dead ass was here. And what if he wants to check out his room? Oh Ancients he absolutely is going to want to check that out. Fuck.

Sam and Tucker obviously have the same worries as they finish their plates and start to move towards the stairs; probably to make a mad dash to his room to make it not look like a probable biohazard.

While his mom obviously lets the guy in, would arguably be worse not to, “sure thing, Danny’s at the table having lunch, his doctor’s doing a final shift at the hospital right now though. You could come back later to talk to him? Or would you like me to call him?”.

Jared steps in and looks at the two teens starting to head up the stairs and then to Valerie, “I’m sure you’d like to hang out with your friend and make sure he’s well, but I’ll have to ask you to leave”, tilting his head not unkindly, “this is a family matter; you understand”.

The three teens obey, because this is a cop for fucks sake; and they like to at least pretend to be proper law-abiding citizens. Sam and Tucker shooting him apologetic looks and Valerie giving him a little forehead kiss as they leave. Danny makes a damn point to make sure his smile doesn’t look painfully nervous.

Jared looks back to Maddie, “that’s quite alright, I’m sure I could get into contact if I need to”. Jazz offers him tea which he declines, “do you think you could go to your room, Jasmine? I’d like to speak with your parents and brother alone if that’s alright?”.

She nods, ruffling Danny’s hair up as she stands, which he of course scowls at and swats her hand away. Even if that, like usual, only accomplishes making her grin at him. Jazz completely ignores Danny’s bedroom door, knowing Jared would likely notice if she tried to go in.

(Sam and Tucker outside both decide that trying to sneak into at least clean Danny’s room wasn’t the best idea. Seeing as they had Valerie as a tag along and there was another cop sitting out in the police cruiser on the curb. Plus, cleaning Danny’s room would take a goddamn while and would be, frankly, disgusting to do. So they just hope Danny’s got something up under his spooky sleeves)

Jared joins the Fenton parents in sitting at the table, sending a smile to Danny, “you doing well today?”.

Danny gives an awkward nod and knocks his hand brace against his chest brace, “I’ll be better once I’m rid of these stupid things”, making the officer chuckle.

“That’ll hopefully be sooner rather than later”, turning to the parents’, “I'm just here to see how things are going, what sort of accommodations have been made or are being made, the state of the house, how school work’s being handled, and to speak with Daniel privately. Standard procedure”.

Jack beams, ever eager to brag about inventions, “we had a hover cushion built for him before he got home! So he’d have a way to get around right off the bat!”.

Danny grumbles at the cop, “I don’t like being carried or pushed around”, which was something of an understatement; his ghostly pride could only take so much of that. And that ‘so much’ was very little, ah the joys of being powerful. Made being ‘weak’ all the more bloody fucking awful. Maddie adds in with a warm smile at Danny, “we did order a wheelchair though”.

Jared looks pleased at this and notes everything down, “hospital approved? And could I see this... hover cushion?”.

Jack jumps up and gives Danny a curious raised eyebrow, “bedroom, next to the door, dad”, Jack nods curtly and bounds up the steps.

Jared raises an eyebrow at Danny, “any particular reason it’s not down here with you?”.

Danny blinks, oh because he wanted to get around on his freaking tail and doesn’t need no damn help to get around. He can’t tell this random cop that though. The tail is abso-fucking-lutely staying a secret if he can help it, “uh, it’s pretty snug and Doc said I should let things breathe here and there”, that’s utter bullshit, but probably accurate for normal amputation wounds. Realising he should probably explain how the Zone he got downstairs without it, “and there’s a pretty big difference between friends and family carrying me and, uh-”, blushing a bit both genuinely and to sell the lie, “-the girlfriend carrying me”.

Jared grins to himself at that, “ah yes, that is pretty different. She handling this well?”.

Danny nods and smiles, she was handling it about as well as most people would; maybe a little better. Him seemingly giving very little of a damn about his ‘leglessness’ probably helped slightly. After all, she did decide to give the whole ‘them’ thing a shot again. Jack comes back with the hover-cushion before he can even attempt to tell the guy any of that.

Jack shows off the device and powers it up, show that it does, in fact, work. Jared blinks and grins, “I’ll admit, I’m impressed”, and makes some more notes in his book, “it alright if I take pictures? Purely for documentation purposes. And the wheelchair?”.

Maddie nods, giving him the go-ahead, while moving to grab up her copy of the documentation for the ridiculous wheelchair Danny ordered and handing that over. “It’s not hospital approved but Dan said it would be fine, he was here when we ordered it”.

Jared nods acceptingly -obviously aware of who Danny’s doctor was- and tilts his head a little, “expensive, you footing the cost if the hospital can’t cover it? This isn’t a standard type either, athletic wheelchair?”.

Danny nods and grins almost meanly, “have you seen Amity?”, should he be sassing a cop? No, probably not. Jared nods a little, while Maddie speaks up, “we can cover the whole bill if needed. So long as Danny’s happy”. Jared nods and smiles at that.

“Alright, I’d ask if there’s been modifications to the stairs but you’ve found a different suitable workaround. Same with if everything has been moved to be in reach”, nodding at his notebook before looking back to them, “so how about schooling?”.

Danny rubs his neck awkwardly, “I’m working on the catchup and homework, uh, keyword being ‘working’”. Jared chuckles at that, typical teen behaviour.

Maddie pats Danny’s head, “Jazz made sure to talk with all his teachers. She’s friends with most of them. Sam and Tucker brought his work home for him”.

Jared raises an eyebrow at that, “and what about you?”. Jack laughs a bit loudly before rubbing his neck, “ah, the school prefers we don’t come unless we have to. We tend to break things”.

Danny’s pretty sure that’s a mark against his parents’ in the cops' book. So he tries to save face a little, “ghost hunting is a pretty destructive job”, he would know. Jared seems to think on that for a beat before nodding.

From what Jared’s heard and seen, ghost hunters were effectively cops here but for ghosts; which were much more dangerous than the average human criminal. He’s not about to fault them for their career. Schools didn’t particularly like cops showing up either, makes people on edge usually. And considering the school turned out to actually be a hot spot for ghosts, ghost hunters showing up out of the blue would absolutely cause at least a little panic.

Jack laughs a bit more, “plus! Frees us up to work more on the CyberSteps!”. Jared quirks an eyebrow at that so Maddie elaborates, “robotic prosthetic legs. Dan’s been helping as well”. Jack grins wide, “yup! Got to make sure they’re perfect!”.

Jared blinks, “you are... making your own prosthetics?”. Danny immediately blurts out, “walked on a prototype already. Not, um, quite good yet”, adding because holy shit he knows this is probably all kinds of illegal, Lewis kinda said so, “doc was there”. He’s going to get Lewis in trouble at this rate. He should probably shut up. Shutting up wasn’t one of his notable skills though.

Jared nods, “so you were... under certified medical care?”. Danny just nods, his folks nodding too. Jared notes that down as well.

Jared is pretty sure there isn’t much to worry about at this point. Bad or abusive parents wouldn’t go to the lengths of creating break through technology. And they were obviously putting the boy first, making him comfortable and happy. But that still didn’t explain certain things and that didn’t mean the house was suitable. From what he’s seen so far the house was... acceptable. Little messy and... odd. There were certainly some strange stains, burns, damages, and technological bits lying around. Certainly unacceptable for a small child, but Daniel was a teen.

Nodding to himself, “I think that covers that. I’d like to look around now”, with that the Fenton parents’ get up. Jared watches the teen easily manoeuvre into the hover cushion contraption, does a little spin in the air, and sends him an awkward smile. Daniel then squints at him and tilts his head, “Jared Walker... as in J. Walker, like jaywalker”, and starts snickering.

Jared rolls his eyes with a smile, “laugh it up kid”, that just makes the teen smirk.

Most of the first floor is marginally normal, acceptable, when Jack very enthusiastically points out the weapons vault though, “is this secure? And this is just for anti-ghost weapons correct?”.

Maddie nods immediately, she could see how a cop might have a few issues with this, “designed to be secure, from both humans and ghosts. Ecto-Fiber glass and sheets block them from getting in intangibly”. Danny mentally grumbles, because he had found that out the hard way and it had been inconvenient on more than one occasion. Jared just nods as they head down to the lab.

Jared glances around before raising a slightly disbelieving eyebrow at the parents’, the amount of hazards here were, honestly, uncountable. Bits of metal (some being very sharp), wiring, chemicals, samples, weapons, glowing... stuff, and the leg creation things.

Jack laughs, “yeah, it can be a bit of a mess! The kiddos are well versed in lab safety though!”. Danny resists pointing out that he usually cleaned the place. That probably wouldn’t win any brownie points.

Jared blinks and gives a rather disbelievingly, “uh-huh”, before responding in genuine, “is this the normal condition of things? And what about supervision while anyone’s down here? It is more than likely Daniel here will be a bit clumsy for a while”, this was unsafe in so many ways.

Maddie ruffles Danny’s hair as he grumbles incoherently and blushes, “Danny’s rather clumsy normally”.

Danny adding, “school still won’t let me handle fragiles”, even though he was much better, fuck you very much. Jared looks just a little unimpressed, he was probably trying to not show the fact that he was not impressed. Which Danny thinks is fair.

Maddie continues, “but yes this is how things usually are. This is the one place where we have a camera system, so it’s pretty secure and we can see if anything’s going on whether we’re home or not. We didn’t allow the kids down here when they were young, and they had to have one of us with them until they could show they knew what they were doing”. Jack butting eagerly, “a family of inventors invent together!”, shrugging, “or at least are all involved in the process”.

Danny looks around awkwardly, well aware that he at least partly died because of crappy lab safety on everyone's part. Jared notes somethings and glances at Danny but says nothing.

What then follows is Jared basically getting the lab tour, asking about nearly everything and taking notes. Eventually coming to the portal, always the last thing his folks showed off since it was their pride and joy, “and this?”.

Danny gives the blunt answer of, “ghost portal”, because screw him, screwing with people was fun. Jared gives him a Look, which Danny can’t help smirking at, before looking to his parents and raising an eyebrow.

Jack laughs and smacks the frame, “yup! This baby opens up right into the spookies backyard!”. Maddie grins and adds, “we use it mostly for research purposes, to return captured ghosts, and as a warning system in case of invasions”, then speaking a bit sternly, “going inside it is strictly forbidden and it has a genetic lock”. Danny tries to make it look like he wasn’t paying attention, seeing as he went through those doors almost more often than his front doors.

Jared still looks rather disbelieving, “you have a portal to another dimension in your basement?”, shaking his head a little, “I mean, I’m glad it has a strong lock. Do ghosts ever come through?”.

Maddie shakes her head a little, “we have used things to pull ghosts through intentionally. Research you know. But as for them coming through on their own? No”. Danny has to bite his tongue to avoid snorting at that, his folks were insanely oblivious. The portal was literally the main entryway into his home. He’s pretty sure the only ones who don’t almost always use it are Skulker and the Box Ghost. Well, and most animal ghosts.

Jared takes that answer for what it is and wonders how the Hell you're supposed to rate ‘has a portal to the dimension of the dead under his bedroom’ on literally any safety scale. He’d say this is something that should be in a government facility but the G.I.W. approval rate was abysmal. And with good reason based on basic research. But side-eyeing the teen, he seemed to give the portal a look of fondness actually... and annoyance; but fond annoyance. So he does make a point to mark down that the kid seemed to like the thing, for whatever forsaken reason.

Jared taps his pen on his notebook, “alright, is there any other rooms other than bedrooms?”.

Danny does the dumb thing and blurts out, “well, there’s the torture dungeon”, making the guy give a very satisfactory choke.

Maddie shakes her head at Danny fondly before looking to the officer, “something’s down there are on the medieval side”. Jack just chuckles, “the stockades are more for storage and old school equipment”.

Danny mumbling, “you mean like the Iron Maiden and other instruments of extreme pain and suffering?”, which Jared thankfully doesn’t hear.

Maddie smiles, “our family have been hunters for generations, so we’ve inherited older tools of the trade”, shrugging, “some that work, some that definitely don't. Family heirlooms really”. Jared nods at that, anything medieval could come off as ‘torture devices’ and he’s starting to get the feeling this teen has a serious sense of humour and likes startling people. Arguably this seemed on par with people keeping their ancestors' old weapons. Meant for ghosts or not.

“Alright, so just the bedroom now. Don’t worry, I only need to see his”, and smiles, totally missing Danny muttering, “and that’s not a good thing”. Jared continuing, “just one more question, regarding the family profession actually. Does Daniel hunt as well? With you? If not, are you training him to? If so, how are you taking into account his disability and healing?”.

Jack scratches his head, “eh, Danny-boy’s not particularly interested in ghost hunting. He is pretty good with tech though! Like every Fenton!”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “so no, they aren’t having me running, or floating, around with guns, shooting sentient beings for sport or science”, and he’s not going to mention his dad sorta trying to get him into weaponised prosthetics. Danny’s pretty sure effectively -literally really- attaching guns and knives and stuff to your kids robo-legs would be a big no-no. Especially to an out-of-town cop.

Maddie smiles and pats his head, “and if he wants combat training, survival training, or anything else of the kind, he can simply ask. I’m trained in a lot of different areas”.

Jared nods at that, “everyone could benefit from that. Good that you’re not forcing it though”, scribbling down a bit more before closing the notebook and tucking it away, “alright, I think I’ve got a good picture of how things are”, sending the parents a slight smile before looking to Danny, “now you feel up to giving this old man the bedroom tour? I’m certain you, like most teens, know it better than your parents do”. Jared absolutely mentally notes that while everyone laughs at that, Danny’s laugh is a little awkward and nervous; he probably had somethings in there he’d rather his parents not know about. He can’t help smirking slightly at that, ah teens. Danny just glares and gestures towards the steps, everyone heading up.

Jared nods at the parents’ as they sit at the table while he heads up to the bedrooms after Danny.

Maddie sitting down with a sigh. Jack speaking up after the two are out of sight, “think he’ll be okay?”. Maddie rubs her eyes, she’s pretty sure them not getting a call about the visit meant there was something else going on, “I don’t know Jack, I’m just a bit worried what Danny’ll say, what he’ll be asked”, looking to her husband, “our house and family isn’t exactly normal or particularly safe, Jack”, biting her lip slightly, “many people might think any child, especially a... disabled one, would be better off somewhere else”. Because at the end of the day, Danny was disabled now, CyberSteps or not. And he had been through what was arguably a traumatic event, he seemed fine but still; she’s sure Jazz was keeping a very close eye on him for that very reason. Most people would want a disabled possibly traumatised injured kid in a safe, sturdy, structured, adaptable, loving home and family. Her family had the last two in spades, but the rest? She be kidding herself if she even tried to think their household was ‘safe’ or ‘structured’. She forgot to get him supper till one a.m. for peat's sake! Not to mention actively and repeatedly testing out prototypes on him. Sure there wasn’t another option but still. Even ignoring that, things in the house often reacted to him; usually seemed harmless but not always.

But at the same time, what family or house could even understand or attempt to support someone like Danny? With his ectoplasm, ghostly tail, and Core? She’s pretty sure Dan was an extreme outlier in being totally unphased by those things, especially being from out of town. And like Dan, her and Jack were doctors. Sure it was in a different way and different fields, but they were effectively Danny’s doctors for his more... ghostly things. If anything Danny needed to be here, with his family, more than most teens needed to be with theirs.

Jack moves to rub her shoulders, “he’ll be fine, he’s a smart kid, Mads. And I’m sure the officer will see that -while weird and unconventional- he’s good here”.

Meanwhile upstairs Danny is hovering over his bed looking more than a little awkward and Jared is glancing around the room in shock. Jared blinks and scrunches up his nose, “kid, this smells worse than the morgue when the ac breaks”, lifting up his foot and putting it back down cautiously, making a faint squelching sound, “you know I’m gonna need an explanation for this”. There’s no pussyfooting around this, this is worse than literally every crime scene he’s ever been to. And he’s based from New York, so that should be saying something.

Danny chuckles and it’s extremely awkward, “yeah, uh, this probably ain’t gonna win me any points, but I like to joke that my room could make a crime scene investigator cry and the cleanup crew quit outright”, shrugging, “I have been meaning to clean, but uh, it doesn’t really bother me”.

“Kid, that ain’t normal. And that also doesn’t answer how this happened”. Jared is seriously hoping he isn’t dealing with some killer kid situation. Those were awful.

Danny rubs his neck, not entirely sure there’s any way out of this, he pretty actively screwed himself here, “uh, besides me not being very clean being a factor, you’re probably standing in a cesspool of pop, coffee, energy drinks, some cleaning solution stuff from when I actually mildly attempted to clean and just dumped it on the floor and shoved it around with my foot, probably some decomposed food, ectoplasm, and yeah, uh, blood”, then wincing slightly, because yeah, not impressing mr. Cop.

Jared glances to the floor, blinks, and looks back to the teen. Teens were lazy sure, but this was something else. This was beyond unsanitary, this was a downright biohazard and completely unliveable. And he might know the what, but the why? Heck, even the how. For the carpet alone to be this soaked, “whose blood. And the ectoplasm? Kid, for your floor to be this soaked you’d have to have dumped literal bucket loads of liquids on it. Bucket loads”. And watches the teen actively wince, obviously aware of this fact.

Danny looks around, actively avoiding eye contact, “I mean, you’re not wrong. My room’s kinda the ‘hang out’ spot, I guess, for me and my friends. So it’s not strictly my mess”, shrugging, “Tuck’s probably left a fair amount of meat scraps around and I’m pretty sure Sam’s trying to grow a rare fungus in one corner”. Valerie’s probably left a gun or two around too, but he’s not going to mention that.

“Kid, you have got to be kidding me. I know Amity is strange, but this is a little beyond”.

Danny shrugs again, looking back to the guy, “sorry pal, I’m probably certifiably the strangest kid in the entire town. Me and my friends are literally known as the weirdo trio. Sometimes the defect quartet when Val’s with us”, smirking a little to himself and knowing Sam will love him for this, “we are the weirdos mister”, and grinning cheekily.

Jared blinks very slowly, this teen just quoted a movie at him in response to him pointing out this was insane and that this floor was a biohazard. He blinks again and elects to just... ignore that, “still waiting on that ‘why’ for the... floor”.

Danny chuckles a bit meanly at the freaked cop before shaking his head a bit aggressively and looking around awkwardly, “ah, uh, it’s mostly, ah, mine? Which yeah I know is probably, like, super concerning. But it’s fine”, no point even trying to lie here, because a bloody fucking cop absolutely could just sample his floor and test it for, well, everything. And if he could avoid Tucker having to hack the fucking cops any more than he already did, by being just slightly honest. Then that’s what he’s gonna do.

Jared blinks again, arms slack at his side, before walking over and sitting down next to the teen on the bed. Daniel following suit by letting the hover thing float down to ‘sit’ him on the bed; this kid could read people at least a little, “buckets of blood is not ‘fine’, Daniel. And the ectoplasm?”, readjusting slightly, “honesty for honesty?”, something tells him this particular teen was well versed in dishonesty, “the main reason I was sent here is because of some things the first responders and nurses noticed. Namely, that you have a lot of... scarring. Unusual scarring. Does that have anything to do with the state of your floor?”, he’s making a point to try and be gentle here. This officially looked less ‘killer kid’ more ‘battered kid’.

Danny resists muttering ‘ah fuck, Ancients goddamnit’ out loud; talk about suspicious. He knew one day his scars were going to come and bite him in the ass. What is he supposed to say here? Obviously not the truth. Just ‘oh hey random cop dude, I fight ghosts totally not on the down-low but also technically on the down-low because it’s, like, a super-secret. Y’ know, like most superheroes. And ghosts are, like, totally really into maiming me. Also I’m kinda sorta a little bit kinda dead. So there’s that. My parents and girlfriend also shoot me sometimes, but you totally won’t report that to CPS, right?’. Alright, activate secret protection tactic three; sass and annoy ‘till they leave you the Zone alone. Ancients give him strength, “well first, I really do prefer Danny. I’m totally fine, cool as a cucumber or whatever. And welcome to Amity pal, people get hurt here a bloody lot. Couple abductions here and there, the occasional light stabbing; y’ know the usual. I get that you’re from outta town but that near non-existent crime rate means nothing”, shrugging and leaning back on his elbows, “and yeah the ecto’s mine too, so what I’m a little spooky? Not everyone’s full-blooded legged humans you know”.

Jared practically flinches back from the sudden change in behaviour. So that’s a check on him being defensive of his scarring. But there was no mention of his parents anywhere there, not to defend them or even to try and claim it wasn’t their fault. So, it’s probable his parents aren’t at fault here. Obviously something was going on, had to be for him to have more scarring than war vets. ‘Nearly more scars than flesh’ they had said. Though oddly his doctor had said nothing on the matter, even said the kid was fine; and he definitely did not report the state of the kids bedroom, which definitely deserved reporting. Furrowing his eyebrows at the kid, who doesn’t drop the ‘insufferable teen who just wants to be left alone and thinks you can shove it’ act for the previous nervous cautious behaviour. The doctor probably knew whatever was going on, or was very corrupt and seriously didn’t give a damn, “does your doctor know the reason behind the scarring?”, thinking on what Danny said, “and you have ectoplasm?”, that... that was a new one.

Danny huffs and rolls his eyes, his ecto-contamination was at least somewhat public knowledge in Amity. Dude would hear about it sooner or later, “yeah? So what?”, scowling a little at the cop, “don’t be givin’ doc shit, he’s cool. Knows when shit doesn’t need no reporting, shouldn’t be reported or recorded. I’m fine. My ‘situation’ or whatever, is fine. Perfectly peachy. Just stellar. We done here?”. Danny is probably not earning any good karma points here.

Jared blinks, okay, protecting his doctor was definitely not typical abuse victim behaviour. So definitely not the parents’ fault then. He seemed to be blaming Amity itself or the ghost issue instead. Which yes, this town was insanely dangerous and a lot of people -kids included- had scarring; but not to that degree. Maybe he got targeted more because of being related to hunters? Mentally pausing, or maybe he was a hunter and his parents -for some asinine reason- didn’t know? But then again, he said he wasn’t ‘shooting sentient beings for sport’ so maybe there was a conflict in ideals? Maybe he disagreed with his parents so he didn’t want them involved or putting in their two cents? That was fairly common in the force and other departments. But he was also implying that reporting this in any way -not just to his parents- was bad. So maybe something else was going on, or was he referring to having ectoplasm in his body. There were too many variables here, “that depends. Are you in any danger? You need to give me something here kid, Danny. ‘Cause right now your ‘situation’ seems decidedly not fine. Especially since you clearly get hurt a lot yet have an almost impressively sparse medical file”.

Danny huffs some more and rolls his eyes, okay, this wasn’t exactly... working, “I'm fine. I’m just a little ecto and Amity’s just a little dangerous”, sighing, “so no, I’m not in danger. In the past or now”. ‘But I fucking will be if you chase my shit’ being left unsaid.

“And in the future?”.

Danny levels the guy with a serious steely expression and puts just a tiny hint of power into his voice, tail coiling around invisibly, “I will be if you don’t butt out”, maybe warning the dude will get him to fuck off with this?

Jared blinks and nods, not entirely feeling like he’s actually talking to a minor here; which said a lot, “from?”.

Danny scowls, “not my family. Or friends. Or the doc. Or ghosts, for that matter”, Ancients dude, would you just drop it already?

“That doesn’t leave a lot of possibilities”.

Making Danny glare, “not your business”. Jared sighs and shakes his head a little, “it rather is. It’s my call what happens here, doctor turning the cheek or not”.

Danny scowls at him again, growling slightly because he is honestly getting frustrated here, “a little bit ecto, in the eyes of the government, equals a lot bit not deserving of human rights. And thus a very nice easily findable Christmas wrapped subject for some really nasty things I’d rather not experience”.

Jared blinks a few times, that was... not what he was expecting. But that would explain not wanting things reported, never going to hospitals, not wanting people to look into things, the doctor getting him out of the hospital abnormally quick and coming along, etcetera. Thinking of that, didn’t one of the secretary’s mention government agents showing up? Alright, so this kid was being testy for good reasons. Being defensive to literally defend himself... from his own government. Alright, the best thing he can do for the kid was to do nothing. To fudge his notes and report. Leave in the general weirdness but nothing that would encourage further investigating. This situation was officially way beyond his pay grade. Still though, his priority here was the kid's safety and welfare; not whether or not the government? knew he was ‘a little bit ecto’? “Alright then. Legally I should absolutely report this-”. He doesn’t even get to finish as Danny cuts in with an actual snarl, “and doc shoulda absolutely dragged me back to the hospital, your fucking point?”.

“Jesus kid, I’m trying to extend an olive branch here”, Jared shakes his head when all the teen does is huff, “I’m not saying I’m going to. The governments slightly dangerous opinions and interests in ghost stuff ain’t in my salary”.

Danny tilts his head and watches the guy for a beat, he seemed honest enough, “so you’re not going to mention my ecto-contamination, questionably bio-hazardous room, battered body, or being overly self-sufficient?”. Talk about dodging one Hell of fucking bullet. Holy Shit.

Jared blinks, okay this kid knew exactly what was up with his stuff. “I should, but I think I’m going to opt-out of doing that. Seems like that would do more harm than good”, leaning forwards a bit, “but when you say self-sufficient...”.

Danny rolls his eyes but relaxes some and lays back on his bed, he’s keeping his damn tail invisible and whatnot though, “put it this way man, Lewis thinks I’m a better surgeon than his lackies and I make a mean lasagna that doesn’t randomly gain sentience and try to stab people with knives”.

“Alright, I shouldn’t have asked”, his scars were self-treated, that... that is entirely unacceptable. And he’s just not going to ask about the Fenton parents’ apparently questionable cooking skills. Danny just snorts. So Jared speaks back up, “I take it ecto-contamination is the proper term for being ‘a little ecto’? And that it’s different from the general kind that -according to multiple sources- basically everyone in this town has? Even though your parents failed to mention it. I imagine this probably affects health and care”. ‘Contamination’ pretty firmly implied it being a health thing.

Danny sighs, “‘cause I got it from blatantly and aggressively ignoring nearly all forms of lab safety. Which would probably be a mark against them in your little book. But yeah fine, my ecto is little more unique. Common knowledge, though not really your business”.

“Again, it rather is. But I guess that’s understandable. Does it affect your health and care though? I would prefer to attempt to be thorough”. He’s glad he’s not wearing a wire or body-cam.

Danny looks him over and nods a little, yeah dude could probably get fired for not reporting all this crap. Would kinda make him a dick for no real reason to not answer that, “fair enough. It does, but my folks are pretty aware though. And they’re basically the leading ectologists. If they don’t know how to handle me, then no one does”, no one entirely human anyway.

Jared nods, enough information to be an answer, vague enough to tell him practically nothing. Kid’s smart. Grunting, “good enough”, squinting, “wait, would another family even be able to look after you effectively?”.

Danny snorts and actually laughs, “are you kidding? No, of course not”, as much as his parents being his parents resulted in ghostly injuries and being actively hunted and endless amounts of paranoia; it also saved his half-ghostly ass left right and centre. This legless/leg optional situation would be a bajillion times worse if he didn’t have parents that could build legs and get them to work with his spooky ass.

Jared shakes his head disbelievingly, so it didn’t even matter how he was being treated/looked after; he literally couldn’t get suitable treatment anywhere else but here. No wonder the doctor wanted him home, on top of the government trying to do who knows what. The doctor was actually looking out for his patients' best interests. “Well then I guess it’s best you’re home then. On that note, how are you coming along treatment wise? Healing well? And the prosthetics?”.

Danny snorts, “back to normal people questions huh?”, pushing himself up onto his elbows again, “my healings fine. Doctor approved. CyberSteps are getting there. My ecto’s ‘causing issues but also only reason they’ll feasibly work”, looking the cop over and tilting his head, “you're asking me shit, so I’mma ask you shit. You got any dead relatives who were really into white and a real stickler for rules. Maybe was a prison warden or sherif in the nineteen hundreds? Or maybe a mafia member that went to jail? Has a thing for black fedoras?”, he has to ask, ‘cause it would be just his luck to get stuck with a relative of Walker’s. Not to mention a relative of Walker’s that isn’t a dick and doesn’t utterly despise him. Yet at least.

Jared raises both eyebrows a bit disbelievingly, “Cordell Walker was a mafia member that worked up to being a prison warden after serving time there, nineteen hundreds yeah. How did you know that?”. Jared is insanely confused and a bit freaked out. Shaking his head, “that’s... good that the prosthetics might actually work”.

Danny glares at him and mutters, “Ancients seriously? Why me”, tilting his head and laughing, “wait so he actually was a criminal?”, then starts laughing at Jared’s confused nod, “oh my Zone! HAHAHAHA oh man! I am so bugging him about that. Oh he’s not living that down!”, pausing to snort before adding, “literally not living that down”, and flops to lay down on the bed, laughing more. Waving his hand at the confused cop, “don’t worry about it. It’s just- wow haha. It’s just that your great-grandpa, or whatever, locked me in jail a couple times”, continuing at Jared raising his eyebrows almost comically, “he’s the warden of a ghost prison just inside the portal. So, uh, congrats I know your family. He kinda hates me though so. And he’s kinda a dick, no offence”.

Jared blinks, “I... don’t think I have a response for that and I’m pretty sure this almost qualifies as a conflict of interest”. There isn’t any kind of training for ‘subject knows your dead relative and was apparently arrested by them once’. Swallowing, “what did he... arrest you for?”.

Danny blinks and laughs awkwardly, “uh, first time was driving illegally pretty much. Second, possession of illegal... things. And after that there’s been a lot of other things. Something like ten jail breaks slash destruction of prisons. Probably gives me another assaulting an officer and resisting arrest charge every time he sees me. Honestly man? He’d arrest me just for existing”, tilting his head, “I think he actually has arrested me for that”, chuckling, “like I said, he hates me and he’s a dick. Pretty sure he’s got a cattle prod with my name on it, literally. One of my scars is from him attempting to brand me”.

Jared blinks really harshly at that, he had heard Cordell was a sadist but Christ, “Jesus, that is insane in all honesty. I had heard some... less than pleasant horror stories about him but that seems a bit... much. He was the first cop in the family though, and many of us did brag about having mafia roots as kids”, shaking his head, “I certainly still do”. And this teen apparently destroyed prisons, what is up with this kids life?

Danny snorts, “I would too”, ‘cause come on, having roots to the mafia is just plain cool. Shrugging, “I could give you a really wild story to take back and uh, set up a meeting or something? Y’ know, in return for not possibly getting me tortured and killed? Or having to hack your police system stuff?”.

“Are you... bribing an officer?”, Jared is out of his depth with this kid, and he is absolutely positive he has a very mischievous side and very little regard for the legality of things.

Danny snorts, “not even close to the most illegal thing I’ve done. And might please Walker- uh, ghost Walker, some”, shrugging, “technically I’m bribing two officers”, and smirks devilishly.

Jared is pretty sure he shouldn’t be encouraging this, but this was... an opportunity that really was otherwise impossible. Meeting long-dead family that were something of a legend was quite the offer, “you are a rather sneaky teen, aren’t you? I can’t say I’m going to turn that down. But are you really well enough to do something like that?”.

Danny snorts and mutters, “if I’m well enough to get punched in the face, then I think the fuck so”. Jared pretends he didn’t hear that, he’s decided he really just doesn’t want to know. Danny looks to him, “eh, it’ll be fine. Just maybe don’t call him Cordell, dead-naming a ghost is a good way to get stabbed or shot or maimed or a lot of other painful things. He just goes by Walker now”.

Jared nods dutifully, yup he’s officially ‘compromised’ and no longer unbiased with this case. Best he keeps that to himself though, kid’s probably banking on this being a way to ensure he keeps his mouth shut. This kid was bolder than he seems, definitely not as ‘in the background’ or nervous as he acted at first. That was probably just a tactic to avoid people looking into his shit.

Danny smirks, “cool, I’ll coax him into the mortal realm at some point. Gives me an excuse to annoy the heck out of him”.

“You’re more of a trouble maker than I pegged you for. Please avoid breaking the law to do that”.

Danny blinks, “uh, no?”, activating the hover cushion and hovering around his room to adjust somethings, “so, any more questions that are ultimately pointless?”.

Jared quirks an eyebrow, “honestly? No. Since you’re right, there isn’t any point. But I really should ask what kind of punishments you get?”, he’ll get more than just looked at funny if he doesn’t ask the most basic child abuse question out there.

Danny shrugs, “a stern talking to? Maybe them having a meeting with a teacher and scaring them? Another parent/son bonding thing that turns into getting almost eaten by swamp monsters or getting abducted by the mayor and hunted for sport by his personal ghost science experiments? Getting shown more videos about how not doing my chores will blow the house up and kill everyone?”.

Jared glares at the kid who smirks, “do you just want me to have to scrap everything?”, grumbling to himself and jotting down in his little book, “I’ll just write down the first two”, before looking back to the kid, “what are your chores anyway?”.

Danny smirks, no point lying now might as well go all in, “cleaning the lab. Yup, the ecto-contaminated kid that reacts to hunter tech and ecto is the one who cleans the place filled with those things”, why his parents had him clean the lab was beyond him, not that he minded. Was a good excuse to snoop new inventions or drop off a ghost or two in the portal. Speaking of that, what the heck’s he gonna do with Skulker? If he releases the dude he’ll probably chase down the doc. Eh he’ll warn the guy to keep a bone saw on hand or something. Chuckling at the cop, “also vacuum the walls sometimes”.

Jared blinks, “neither... neither of those are normal. You have got to be kidding me. Why?”.

Danny shrugs, “no idea man. Though now I don’t have any chores, well except the chore of healing”, and floats over to the door, gesturing to it, “so we done? Cool to leave the crime scene?”.

Jared stands and lifts his phone, “I actually need to take some photos of your room, so maybe try to make a section not completely nightmarish?”.

What then proceeds is the two moving around a few things and Danny dumping a pile of cloths over a particularly unpleasant looking square of carpet, so Jared can get his photo. He also takes photos of the star-covered ceiling, hand-built rocket models, and his computer video-game set-up. Noting the space flight simulators, “you a fan of space? I have a cousin who’s an astronaut you know”. Danny zips right over into his face, causing him to fall on his ass, Danny stays in his face and follows him though, “what! Oh my Zone! What missions have they been on?!? Wait, have they been on any?!? Did they get to go to any planets?!? Or a satellite?!? What was the recovery like?!? Oh! Oh! What’s wearing an actual spacesuit like?!?...”.

Alright, Jared thinks, this kid was a little freaky and was officially seriously freaking him out. Interrupting Danny’s word vomit, “uh... I don’t know? I think ‘like’ might have been an understatement, you’re a bit... obsessive”.

Danny huffs and glares at the guy, how, no seriously how could he not know? Not ask? “You disappoint me, and shut it. Side-effect of the ecto”, practically hissing, “and I’m interested, not obsessive”. He knows a little echoey ghostliness came out there ‘cause space is not his Obsession.

Jared nods slowly and blinks at the wide-eyed teen that he’s pretty sure hasn’t blinked in a while, “uh sure thing. Could I... maybe get off the floor?”, which now that he’s not focused on the kid going a bit crazy, he’s noticed said floor is a bit more than foul-smelling.

Danny stares a little more and realises he’s effectively pinning the guy without actually touching him, backing off but grumbling, “deserved it, family goes to space maybe and you don’t know shit about it? Ridiculous. At least Lewis would ask”, Lewis was a curious dude, Vee just didn’t know shit.

Jared gets up slowly and makes a point to get out of the kids bedroom, the kid shooting him glares like he’s committed a crime the entire time.

Jasmine sticks her head out of her bedroom too, “everything alright and good now?”, looking from the slightly freaked cop to her slightly wide-eye brother who’s grumbling incoherently, “Danny stop frightening the guests”. Danny grumbles incoherently a bit more but in ghost just to be creepy because let it be known, he was a dumbass.

Jared studiously ignores the... sounds? the kid is making and lifts up the notebook, “we’re good here. My partner’s waiting so I should get going”. Jared heads down the steps, spotting the sister putting her hands on her hips and looking unimpressed at Danny, “what is wrong with you Danny? Are you trying to make him suspicious?”.

“His cousin is an astronaut and he knows nothing, fucking nothing, about that?...”, and looks to start wide-eyed ranting, which Jasmine looks fond? over. This family was... weird.

Nodding his head at the parents, who smile and look relieved. Telling him they were rather... aware, things weren’t really acceptable here. And here he was not reporting that because of a bribe of all things, and honestly? after that performance, he’d rather not see what that kid’s like mad. That’s not mentioning how awkward working with the Fenton’s would be if he did report this. Again, they were basically cops here; their own ecto-department, alongside the Red Huntress.

Maddie jumps up to get the door while Danny and Jazz come down the stairs to see him off, only for Danny’s ghost sense to go off and a (very manly) scream sounding from outside. Everyone rushing to the door to see Ember literally standing on the cop car hood, her stomping on the windshield with one boot and telling the ‘piggy to lick her boots’ and moving to strum her guitar.

Danny’s folks of course run out guns blazing, while he silently slips into the background to transform; and Jared rushes over to his partner, grumbling about Chester being more of a greenhorn than him. Chester, meanwhile, is wide-eyed, back stiff, and clutching his chair seat for dear life.

Danny Phantom flies out -with his ghostly legs being, in fact, legs- to the sight of the cops trying to peel out of here while shooting their standard issue ecto-pistols at the ghost. His parents chasing said ghost, who’s of course mocking them and sticking out her tongue.

Ember shouting, “babypop!”, as soon as she sees Danny and floating straight at him. So he does the smart thing and leads her on a little goose chase. Which, in typical fashion, results in him getting a guitar powered fist-shaped sound wave punch straight into the side of a building.

She shouts at him, “my babypops been missing a while Phantom, know anything ‘bout that?!”. Danny snickers, “you know, you calling us both babypop raises some serious questions”.

“Oh can it”.

Making Danny laugh and shakes his thermos a little, “already canned the tin can. Care to join? Not sure how much makeout room there is though”. Which promptly gets him slammed into the road, “keep this up and I’ll put a cement lock on the thermos!”.

She rolls her eyes and readies her guitar again, “that won’t work, we can phase through cement, dipstick”.

Danny pauses and holds up a finger, “actually, my folks are making a mass-producible ecto-cement”, shrugging, “which I’m sabotaging because oof, imagine slamming into a ghost proof wall mid-battle?”.

Ember chuckles, “yeah, would really ruin the vibes. Speaking of vibes, try these sound waves out”, and turns the nob to something Danny’s pretty sure is new. Great. Watching, and failing to dodge, a pink line of sound slice through the air... and his shoulder.

Danny watches the arm go flying into someone’s garden, “wow, some really cutting edge beats you’ve got there”, and promptly dodges another pink line.

The fight again pausing when the dude who owns the garden throws Danny’s arm back at him, which he just lets it bounce off the side of his head, “way to get dismembered asshole!”.

Danny holds up a finger to Ember, “one second”, looking to the guy as Ember crosses her arms. Danny snatching his arm out of the air and tucking it under his armpit, “okay first off, dismemberment requires multiple limb removal; I only lost one. Two, I’ll admit my arm wouldn’t make very good fertiliser, but was that really necessary? And three-”, smirking, “-thanks for the hand. I’ll make sure to put my act together. Got to stay handsome after all”. Turning to Ember and speaking quiet enough the scowling guy won’t hear; though Ember shooting him a few miles away into a tree helps, “got a girl to impress, ya know. I like to think she prefers the whole over bits and bites”.

That gets Ember to pause and actually smile, if this were a video game a little ‘!’ would have likely appeared over her head, “oh! You’re dating again? The goth? I’d ask if it was the techy but you said girl”.

Danny throws his hand out to the side, “why do you all always think I’m dating them?!?”.

Ember snorts, rolls her eyes, and puts a hand on her hip, “your two humans are attached at the hip to you. How are you not dating them?”.  

Danny pinches the bridge of his nose, “we’re close so what? I’m a protective asshole who likes to keep what’s mine close. Fuck off. I’m dating Red for your information”.

Ember giggles and shakes her head, “silly boy, and nice to see your death wish is still intact”, readying her guitar to restart their battle, “she know you’re one of us yet?”.

Danny chuckles as he stretches out his torso to avoid another fist blast, “naw, that info’s still ghosting her”, earning both another head shake and a pink slicing blast from the ghost.

Meanwhile, Lewis is just now taking his last shift break. Flipping through the Amity news because again, being prepared is nice and Danny’s a verifiable walking time bomb for physical injuries. And surprise surprise Phantom him is currently practically eating a tree with his face fighting some rocker chic. Eddie would probably ask her for a night of fun or something; though she might might be a minor. Maybe? It’s hard to tell. Well whatever, she’s currently smacking Danny over the head with her guitar. Squinting at the screen before sighing, the kid’s arm is definitely not attached to him. So check his arm brace, check his stitch work, make sure his bones are aligned right. Watching him get hit over the head again, maybe he should ask if Danny even can get concussions; he hopes not.

Quirking an eyebrow at his phone ringing, pausing the video, “hello?”.

“Dr. Dan Lewis? This is Jared Walker from the Amity police department”.

Lewis sighs, why does he feel like Danny’s at fault for this, “yes?”. Just the same as Eddie is literally always at fault whenever the San Francisco police call.

“I just finished up with a welfare check on Daniel Fenton, and just wanted to confirm that he’s indeed medically alright and that someone other than the Fenton parents’ are keeping an eye on the kid”.

Lewis grimaces, oh no way that went well, “he’s better than anyone else would be, so he’s quite fine; no need to worry. After this shift I’ll be taking something of a leave to stay at the Fenton household, I do intend to keep a rather close eye on him. That is my job after all. Do you need anything from me for your report?”. Danny must have done something to keep this guy from just outright reporting that the house was ridiculously unsafe.

“No, that’s alright. I think I’d rather not know whatever it is you do know”, alright so Danny definitely did something, something a ‘normal’ person wouldn’t really approve of, “so long as there’s someone more... responsible, watching him I’m not going to concern myself. Try to get him to clean his room, I doubt this’ll be the last time someone raises the alarm about that kid. I doubt ‘I know your dead grandparent’ is something he can pull again. And most less seasoned cops would not have reacted well to nearly being assaulted”.

Lewis sighs, Danny seriously can not keep his nose out of trouble. Though assaulting a cop is something he’d expect from Eddie not Danny. Though in Eddie’s case, the cop wouldn’t be alive to talk about it. “I’ve told him as much. I do hope my patient wasn’t too much of a hassle, he can definitely be a bit odd. Though that’s hardly unusual for the family”.

“Oh I’m aware. That kid is a bit more.... startling though. I don’t envy you. Thanks for taking my call, I imagine you’re a busy man”.

Lewis chuckles, “he hasn’t tried to kill or eat me yet, so he’s a fairly enjoyable patient. Very interesting. Have a good day”.

“Yeah...”, Lewis is pretty sure he hears the guy mutter, “what is up with people today? Everyone’s a goddamn nutcase”, before hanging up. Lewis barely gets the time to chuckle down at his phone before it pings from that private server Phantom chat.

DPain: so

DPain: that spooky from fore might

DPain: might

DPain: be lowkey coming for you for my scrappy bits

DPain: also

DPain: mighto scared a cop

NightShade: made pig squeal

Tiethief: so he told me

Tiethief: should I just give the spooky what he wants?

DPain: put it in a present, throw it at his face screaming bomb!

PDAxpda: not like you need it

NightShade: n tinman might actually stab you or something if you don’t

Tiethief: that is a rather convincing argument

Lewis tosses his phone into the tray, hopefully this ghost doesn’t show up mid-surgery.

And he showed mid-surgery. Very mid-surgery. As in, hands in someone’s intestines kind of mid-surgery with a number eleven scalpel. All his underlings just hug the walls, or slowly move out of the room, effectively leaving him holding a guy together by himself at the table. Cowards. Lewis swallows and is impressed with himself at sounding calm and slightly bored, “do you mind? I am rather busy. The secretary could give you a number if you need something”.

“Where’re the whelps skinnings?”.

Lewis sighs, lifts up the hand holding the scalpel and points it at the ghost, “rude. As I said, I have my hands full. And I imagine the ‘whelp’ wouldn’t appreciate my patient keeling over from your pestering”. Here’s hoping the ghosts are sorta friendly with Danny at least slightly and really are against using someone's Obsession for a cheap shot.

Skulker blinks and internally winces slightly, well aware of the whelps protective Obsession, “fair play to you. I will wait. Here”, and nods curtly.

Lewis raises a very disbelieving judgmental eyebrow, “no you’re not. I somehow doubt you are even close to sterile. And I would rather not have to explain to his wife how he mysteriously got ecto-contamination during surgery”. Lewis is honestly surprised the ghost tilts his head, shrugs, and just... leaves. Ghosts were very interesting. Though he’s not about to hang up his doctor coat for the ghost hunter spandex.

Brittney walks up next to him, shaking slightly and readjusting her glasses, “Dan?”.

Lewis simply gets back to work, gesturing the others over, “yes?”. Thankfully they listen and also thankfully no one passed out on him this time.

Brittney swallows, “what the fuck”. Which just makes Lewis chuckle.

Two hours later Lewis snaps off his gloves into the trash and turns sideways to nearly crash right into the ghost. Sighing, ghosts were incredibly determined bastards. Looking at the ghosts grinning face, “this better not become routine or I’ll have to start removing your organs or something along those lines. You’re already dead, so it wouldn’t count as malpractice”.

“If you make a habit of taking parts of the whelps pelt, then gladly”.

Lewis tilts his head, that was kind of tempting; but he’s pretty sure he’ll pass. “He doesn’t need it so I don’t see why I would”, now to figure out how to deal with this, he didn’t exactly have Danny’s scraps on hand; though he had been effectively given the go-ahead. Eh he’ll just walk out to his car, slowly, and drive home, slowly. Peoples reactions could be interesting and annoying the ghost might discourage him from doing this again. He could do without ghosts showing up in his ER. Walking off and gesturing for him to follow, “follow”.

Skulker raises a metal eyebrow, “very few would dare turn their backs on the mighty Skulker”. Impressed or insulted? The doctor had turned his back on the best hunter in all the Zone at their previous encounter. And the doctor had already threatened him with a weapon. So Skulker’s leaning towards impressed.

Lewis chuckles, “if you hurt me I have one friend who’ll beat you up and another who would eat you; or at least very aggressively try to”, tilting his head as he walks, “and a fiancée who would sue you out of your lair and everything you own”. Glancing at Skulker, who of all things looks impressed.

Skulker nods curtly, “you and the whelp run in fine circles”, explains this new apparent human pet. The little whelply Prince wasn’t one for acquiring new pets.

Lewis chuckles as they pass a few nurses who looking to be trying to point out the hulking metal ghost following him like he somehow hadn’t noticed, speaking towards them, “I’m aware. Just ignore him”, then addressing said ghost while the nurses undoubtedly add this to the gossip mill, “you seem impressed”.

Skulker laughs, “a good prize should be impressive! The boys accomplishments are many, he is strong, and he is rare”, and grins more than a little viciously.

Lewis pauses as they get halfway across the parking lot, turning to Skulker, “so you respect him then. You care”, shrugging, “in a way”.

Skulker huffs and very obviously pretends to not give a damn, “a hunter respects the hunt and fellow hunters, that is all. And it wouldn’t due for him to fail to someone pathetic and unworthy”.

Lewis can’t help but laugh, “a friend of mine is like him, none of their enemies respect them. They just don’t want them to murder them. Mind you, most of their enemies die the first time they meet”. Lewis pulls out his phone as Skulker grunts, “skilled hunter”, which Lewis nods at as he walks.

Tiethief: metal spooky with lots of guns already here and apparently respects you

Tiethief: but is also trying to pretend he doesn’t

Tiethief: he is not a good actor

DPain: eh

DPain: he’s helped me the odd time

PDAxpda: well that was fast

PDAxpda: guy knows what he wants

DPain: he isn’t trying to hurt you is he

Tiethief: no

Tiethief: no need to be overprotective

Tiethief: I’m just taking him to get scraps slowly

Tiethief: very slowly

DPain: *snort* hahahaha food

DPain: *good

NightShade: make him swear not to tell vampireass monochrome’s leggy situation in return

DPain: oh shit

DPain: smart

DPain: why didn’t I think of that

PDAxpda: ‘cause you’re a dumbass

NightShade: our dumbass

DPain: hsiabdajbfje

DPain: rocker just asked if I was dating you assholes and you go and say shit like that

Lewis shakes his head as he hops into his car, sending off a final, Tiethief: you’re young, live a little, before driving off; being followed by a freaking ghost. He knows the punning he probably just encouraged but that only makes him smirk at the other two teens expense. They messed up his patient files and made Eddie practically blow up his phone while getting insanely dangerously drunk and probably killing someone to blow off steam (neither of which was all that uncommon but still; doesn’t mean he wanted that bad habit encouraged), paybacks a bitch; and apparently punny.

By the time he gets to his place he’s pretty sure the ghost is suitably annoyed. Heading in, he’s glad Anne’s still at work, better to not drag her into this. Not that she would likely mind. Would handle it with the controlled grace and power she always did. Glancing at the ghost as he moves to one of the closets, “now this stays between us, no need for Vlad to know. As far as that old friend of mine knows Danny never lost his legs. We are messing with him some”.

Skulker huffs, “I only tell him anything because he pays me”, taking a bag from the doctor guy and glancing inside. Grinning extremely maliciously, “and this outweighs any money or upgrades”.

Lewis nods and puts his hands on his hips, “another form of payment for this little gift could certainly be leaving Danny alone enough to study. He'd make a nice surgical assistant”, smirking, “he’s very good with a knife and stitch work”.

Skulker tilts his head and chuckles, “pestering the whelp is half the point. The potential of him spending his human time cutting people up and taking others scraps is tempting though”. Making the Prince even more of a little hunter was very tempting. He cared not one bit for that space whatever human job he was chasing before. So the boys studying meant nothing.

“Then bite the Eden’s apple. I already offered the kid a job”, shrugging, “granted he makes it through medical school”, glaring at the ghost purely to make a point. Feeling very smug at Skulker seeming annoyed but smiling slightly; not that it’s easy to tell with the metal face.

Lewis chuckles, “also, I appreciate you making him regrow his legs. Now I don’t have to knock him out”.

That gets Skulker to give him an almost concerned seeming look, “you have a ghost knockout device?”, which Lewis just grins at as the ghost promptly leaves. Well, he just successfully intimidated a ghost. Like symbiotes and MRI machines. Looking out the window to the dark sky, it’s about time he checks in on his patient properly; and probably patches him up yet again. That kid needed to just have a doctor shadowing him at all times.

Danny flops his head into Valerie’s lap, tail swishing lazily in the air at random. Sam and Tucker are lobbing chunks of mystery substances at each other. Valerie pats his head, “I still can’t believe you bribed a cop and got away with it”.

Danny chuckles meanly before going slightly wide-eyed, “oh yeah! And get this, Walker’s first name was apparently Cordell. Cop’s his grandson or something”.

Tucker gets hit in the head by something purple and fuzzy, “seriously? Your luck man”. Making everyone laugh just as Maddie sticks her head in, “the next CyberStep prototype is ready, sweetie”, looking around the room, “oh! You kids are still here? You really should head home and let Danny rest”, almost glaring at Valerie, “you especially missy. Danny being... endowed... or not”;

Danny wheezes in laughter while everyone else chokes. Valerie promptly hits him, so he manoeuvres his tail to poke her in the head; she, of course, swats It away. Sam however, surprises him by grabbing It and yanking him to the floor as she goes to stand, Tucker following as they move to leave.

Sam eyeballing Valerie, “well?”. Who sighs and leans down to give Danny another pat and a kiss before getting up to leave herself.

Danny sticks his arms up at her, “lift me, am baby”. Valerie snorts and leans down lifting him up, “yes, big scary baby”. Danny laughs with a high pitched voice very intentionally, “spooky scary skeleton baby”. Valerie groans and drops him on the bed, “you’re awful, you damn fool”, shoving his head into the blankets.

Danny chuckles, “you’re the worst, you stupid fool-lover”. She just snorts while Danny stays there, with his face smushed into the bed as they actually do leave.

His mom coming over after she’s sure his friends have gone. Her sitting on the bed and patting it, giving his shoulder a little rub, “you are okay with testing the CyberSteps right? And the way the house is? It’s setup? You can get to everything fine?”, continuing as he turns his head to her, “I know we haven’t really been treating this like you actually are... disabled. We’ve been treating this like you’ll pretty much go back to normal”, sighing and looking to the ceiling, “I know with the CyberSteps you’ll be able to walk again, have legs again. But it’s... it’s not the same. And I don’t- I don’t know if you want us to teat you like you’re no different. Not give you extra help or do things for you”, looking back to him and ruffling his hair a little, she can tell he’s thinking, “I know you want the general public to treat you the same and not even know anything’s happened. But us? I guess what I’m asking sweetie, is if you like the way we treat you”, trying to lighten the mood a little, make this seem less serious, “and no, by help you out I don’t mean babying you. I know you don’t like that”.

Danny opens and closes his mouth a few times. His mom was obviously worried and was definitely always going to be bothered by his leglessness, but he wasn’t actually legless. But revealing that was more than a little unpleasant sounding. Regardless what his friends say, regrowing human(ish) flesh and bone was not the same as developing a ghostly tail. It wasn’t even in the same realm of same. Literally. Humans do not heal like he does. Not even close. And him revealing he doesn’t heal like a fucking human is absolutely going to make them question if he even is human anymore. If he’s been too changed by his Core and contamination to qualify as human. And his parents deciding the answer was ‘no. Not human’ was nightmare fuel that he simply did not want to face. That, his hybrid status, was getting pried from his cold dead hands, when it came to his folks. And besides, even if he did tell her, then she’d be worried about his weird-ass healing and humanness. Which she would probably be more bothered by than him technically being ‘disabled’. So that’s solved. Kinda. Not really. Something tells him that having legs -real ones- while human was going to be an uncommon thing; too risky to have them often. He has a distinct feeling that is making ClockWork smirk meanly at him.

(ClockWork was, in fact, watching the near future with a smirk; and drumming their fingers over their staff almost in eager anticipation)

Now the other dilemma Danny’s having is this whole ‘do you want us to treat you the same/help you/modify things for you’ question. He means, the answers were obvious to him: yes/no/no. But his mom was obviously having at least a little bit of a hard time with treating him like nothings changed. Obviously she wanted to help him. And that made sense. She was his mom, any mom would want to help their disabled kid. That meant he needed to give her a reason, make her feel good and better about him not wanting that. She needed to feel like she was helping him by not helping him. Huh, talk about an oxymoron. And funnier, doing that would make him feel helpful and his Obsession at least a little content. But the question was, how to go about doing that? Tilting his head -and knowing damn well his mom is just letting him sort through his head- he could just be honest? in a different way. He disliked being babied, them helping him when he didn’t goddamn need it, because of his ghostly pride. Because of that ghostly part of his mind. His ghostly brain. Which his mom had asked about. Had asked how his mind was different, was more ghostly. He could just... tell her? That’s pretty well what she wanted right? and it would keep her from being all weird about this. Maybe anyway. Hopefully. But also how to explain that? He wasn’t kidding that he really seriously didn’t know just how different his mind was. Where did his human pride end and his ghost pride begin? He had never liked being babied, but he definitely hated it much more since the accident. But he’s pretty sure full human Danny wouldn’t mind his folks doing things for him or putting stuff in easier reach. Heck! full human Danny would probably want nothing to do with robo-legs; especially robo-legs made by his explosion prone parents. Full human Danny would probably be fine being pushed around in a wheelchair. Halfa Danny definitely wasn’t.

Swallowing, alright brain, time to be on the ghostly side. Huh, for once he was actively wanting to be ghostly around his family, “okay uh, I think that -me being bothered with being babied so much- is a ghost brain thing. And um, you guys trying to help me unnecessarily -as in I could honestly do it myself just fine- is babying to me. Wounds my pride I guess”, shrugging. It didn’t help that he was a powerful ghost. He was a proud bastard alright? Ghostly proud for sure. Nowhere near as bad as Vlad though. That guy was, like, sixty percent pride or something.

Maddie nods, making a point to not look too curious, she can tell a bit that Danny’s more certain about this than he’s letting on. So he was clearly not comfortable yet talking about how his... Core and ectoplasm affected his mind. Meaning this was probably him testing the waters a bit, him taking a bit of a leap of faith. She could understand that, it made sense, him hide anything about himself he thought was ghostly was what he was used to. He had ghost hunters for parents after all. So she needed to not be bothered by this, just like the tail and Core. But also just like with those, she was bothered, she just had to work on that and not let it show; because upsetting him, making him feel like he still had to hide parts of himself, would bother her much more. Though to get any confirmation that his mind has changed, who he is, his personality; was harder to swallow than his physical body being a bit different. And here, he probably had a point. She thought he had been more self-sufficient, more caring about his looks, and more capable as a teen. She had chalked that up to growing up, but maybe that was his ghostly influence showing. Tilting her own head, “well ghosts are prideful things. So I guess you being more proud, in a ghostly way, would make sense. Do you... have different kinds of pride? Like, human pride and ghostly pride?”. Not ‘ghost pride’ because he’s not a ghost; no matter how close to one he’s become.

Danny rolls onto his back and stares at his ceiling a little, “I think my ghost pride trumped my human one. I’m not sure I have human pride?”, tilting his head, “or maybe my ghost stuff just abducted my human pride and modified it?”. Did he actually know the answer here? No. And it’s not like he’s gonna ask Spectra how his mind worked. How human it was. That would be asking for punishment. Would really confuse her though. Maybe. She was one ghost he didn’t really understand.

Maddie nods and ruffles his hair, “your ecto-circulatory system and Core? That would make sense”, looking up at the ceiling too, “ghosts are impressions of the living, so your ghostly set up cannibalising your human pride and leaving you with the ecto-impression of it seems plausible. Seems logical pride would be something your ectoplasm would latch on to or overpower”, she bites back adding that ghosts were obviously proud since they seemed to think they were better or above the living when they were only the leftovers of the living. Effectively scraps. But that thought makes her squint a little, there wasn’t anything for Danny’s Core to be a ‘scrap’ of... The tail was obvious, but the Core? They had thought those were likely built of leftover emotional imprints or maybe the heart? That clearly couldn’t be right since Danny still had a heart -Dan had pretty well confirmed his heart being there- and, even with his aloofness, she’s still positive he was definitely all there emotionally. So the Core was an addition, not a leftover. Meaning that maybe... they were at least partly wrong. On their basic understanding/finding, of all things. Maybe the majority of a ghost was leftovers, but some were new?

Danny interrupts her thoughts, “‘ecto-circulatory system’? Is that just, like, what you’re calling my, uh, ectoplasm? And I think it’s more likely that ghost pride, or whatever, is stronger and more focused on, or something, and so the human pride is kinda redundant? Would be wasteful to have two, I think”, chuckling, “I guess ‘cannibalising’ is one way to put it. More like taking the old and upgrading it”, then very stupidly adding, “less ‘impression’, more ‘freed from unneeded baggage”, and instantly cringing because calling living, breathing, eating, organs, etcetera, ‘baggage' was probably simultaneously worrying and offensive. Maybe she wouldn’t take it that way? Even if it was... kinda true. Why have organs and bones when you can just be energy? Why be reliant on oxygen and food when you could just... not? But at the same time, why need to absorb ectoplasm, just one thing, instead of diversifying your needs? No ectoplasm equals some pretty fucked and probably fading ghosts. No cheese or beef just equals ‘eat something else you moron’. Still though...

Maddie gives her son a slightly concerned look, did he have that ‘ghosts are better than the living’ mindset? That could.... could explain his tolerance and even seeming fondness of ghosts. But he also clearly didn’t ascribe to humans being lesser; than ghosts or him. Like how some people just found cats better than dogs, better pets than dogs; but didn’t view dogs as some lesser beings. Was this part of his ghostly influences or just the way he would view things regardless? She should ask instead of assuming, assuming has gotten her in a bad way a lot it seems. And she told herself she’d do less of that. But first, his question. His curiosities were more important than hers, especially if he might be genuinely worried about anything, “your ecto-circulatory system is just what your dad rather dubbed your Core and ectoplasm. How it works and flows together. Like blood and a heart”, shifting a bit and biting her lip, “I guess having two kinds of pride would be unnecessary. But... do you? think ghosts are better than humans? Above?”, looking at his face and making a point to come off as gentle, “swapping ‘impression’ for ‘losing baggage’ sounds less like they are our leftovers and more like we’re garbage holding back our ghosts”. When it came to power she could understand, humans simply couldn’t match ghosts when it came to raw power. But they lost so much. Or that’s what research said, what she had thought for so long. But even if they were wrong about ghosts being emotionless and unable to feel pain. And, according to Danny, about being able to reproduce. Ghosts still lost organs. A truly physical existence. They were still bound to Obsession, even if Dan’s idea of them loving their Obsessions had merit. They still existed almost endlessly. They still were trapped in a form, ‘mind’, habit, personality, that could barely change at all. That was horrible. A loss. Not freedom or shedding off baggage. And certainly not better. Maybe it was good and better for the ones that never knew life.

Danny pushes himself to sit up and chuckles awkwardly, he sure loves making his life harder huh? “uh, I wouldn’t say ‘garbage’”, he pointedly ignores her slightly relieved sigh, “better comparison would be prototype to finished product. Prototypes are smaller, weaker, less effective. But more manipulatable, easier to deal with, informative. Prototypes you can practically upgrade or modify like crazy. Finished things go obsolete”, tilting his head and looking a little far off, “‘when things reach their ultimately conclusion, their final stage, they can go no more. But the universe is a thing of endless mores. There will always be a higher goal. A harder day. A stronger fight. A more expensive cost. To stagnate is to someday die out. To cease to exist when the universe requires beyond the final evolutions limits. But life is a thing of endless evolution. Of constant change. Always taking more and more and more. Never to rest’”, nodding his head with a smile, “‘and that, young one, is why I love life’”, chuckling and looking back to his slightly startled looking mom, “I might have made a stupidly wise friend”, shrugging, “sure they also then went on about why they love death. But you get the point I think”.

Maddie blinks, alright so maybe him being more grown-up had something to do with making -what sounds to be- a very smart friend. Likely an adult. Choosing to make light of this because that was a bit heavy and her boy clearly thought highly of this friend; he remembered them word for word!, “and here I thought I’ve met all your friends”, patting his head and getting lightly scowled at in return, “though I would like to know what they think of ghosts”, sighing and looking back to the ceiling, “as for what you said, most people consider prototypes inferior. So that doesn’t really change my question”.

Danny nods a little, fair enough, “well... uh, I think ghosts are better yeah. Kinda. In ways”, shrugging, “the strength. The durability. The powers. The sorta immortality and Obsessions though, heh”, he may love helping and protecting people, and enjoy satisfying that pesky Obsession of his; but it was still annoying pushy bastard. Shaking his head, “and my friend? They’re kinda a loner”, was a bit weird calling ClockWork simply ‘friend’ but he so doesn’t want to get into that. Chuckling, “‘death -in the way it is known for ghosts- is a finality in a way that finality is not. An end unending. Eternity, or at the very least the possibility of it, on a shiny silver plater. A steady star in space. Enhancing and overwhelming everything around it. Never bending for anything. It’s beauty and strength. Chaos and destruction. Pure and raw; leaving room for nothing else. And the universe is nothing without that’”, Danny nods and adds, “pretty sure they also said ‘think of it like this: without death, life is worthless. Death is the core and essence of life. Without it life is just a bled dry husk. And that’s something I care nothing for’ on the same topic”.

Maddie can’t help blinking again, this whoever seemed like they genuinely didn’t prefer one over the other. Reminded her a little of Dan actually. She’s not sure she agrees with the idea that the living are worthless without ghosts. Or maybe Jack’s wild on-the-spot idea of needed ghosts had some serious merit. As in, world would end without them, kind of merit. Then squinting, thinking on the weird emphasis Danny put on ‘Obsessions’; it couldn’t- could he possibly? “Sweetie-”. Only to get cut off by Jack barging in, holding up the CyberSteps.

“I got tired of waiting! So I figured I’d just bring them up! Plus! It might be more convenient to test here! Since if there’s some kind of reaction then Danny can just hop right into bed!”. Maddie tilts her head and nods slightly; he had a point.

Danny looks around his room and rubs his neck, thinking of all the shit he hid fucking everywhere in here, “uh, I’d rather not have anything that, y’ know, might explode or anything, in my room while doing things that would make it maybe explode or something”. His dad actually blushes at that and deflates a little. So Danny adds on, “still cool with testing though dad. Just not here”; earning a wide smile in return.

Maddie nods and sighs slightly, standing up with a smile; storing away her question and worry for later, “might as well do that now then”, smiling almost meanly at Jack, “since someone’s over eager”. Jack just chuckles and grins.

Danny flicks around his tail, feeling how easy it would be to simply have legs yet how not draining the tail still was. Super odd but fuck it, odd is him or whatever. Floating up off his bed and flying his face right up to the legs, more than a little curious what they've changed to account for his Core in a way that actually works in any way. Looking inside the legs, “so, think you’ve fixed the signals miscommunication issue?”, deciding not to add ‘without messing anything else up’.

Jack beams and nods, father and son chatting a little as they head out and down the stairs. Maddie watching from behind and smiling to herself, glad he didn’t seem to be closing himself off or act uncomfortable after their ghost-related talk; like he often did. Probably had something to do with her effectively reintegrating that they were willing and okay to hear him out on his opinions and ghost tolerance. Or maybe from them knowing about his ghostly influence and accepting that as simply part of him. Refocusing and watching his tail flick and swish around; which only makes her smile grow a little. He truly had gotten pretty good with it; not a wobble or falter in sight. He might even be able to give some ghost a run for their money, once he was healed up of course, which Jack would absolutely cheer and brag over.

Danny turns his head towards his mom just as they get into the kitchen -the currently designated blast zone, since doing it in the lab around sensitive anti-ghost stuff really was stupid- tilting his head at her giggling to herself, “what?”, and blushing when she glances to his tail; him coiling It around a little, making her smile crinkle her eyes a little. Guess his folks were finally -thank the Ancients- genuinely getting use to the tail. Turning back to his dad, who sets down the legs and gestures at them a bit ridiculously. Making Danny laugh and shake his head with a smile, “yeah yeah, alright”.

Grabbing the waist and slipping his tail in, instantly wondering what would happen if he went all leggy while wearing the legs. Legs on top of legs. Legs inside of legs. Fucking legception. That’s for another day though, even if he grins like an idiot over the thought. Moving for the thumbprint scanner and pausing, huh, they moved the timer. Nice, way less awkward. Shrugging and attaching the neuroreceptors, “where'd the timer go? Not that I’m complaining”. Considering that thing controlled the drain, he’d rather be able to see it without pulling some inhuman body horror shit.

Maddie walks up and taps on the neuroreceptors between his shoulder blades, “it’s on your back, we think shortening the distance between your brain and Core, and the timer conductor might just do the trick. With a couple other changes of course”, shrugging a little, “even if that increases the distance between it and your tail -the most accessible of your ectoplasm- as well as the main body of the CyberSteps”.

Jack adds in with a laugh, “and just like before! It’s completely protected from bumps and it can be locked so no one can go fiddling with it on you!”, and slaps Dannys back over the strip, then blushing and realising that was probably dumb to do.

Danny tries (and fails) to look over his shoulder at it while his dad turns it to actually start up, “uh, won’t it be kinda hard for me to adjust it there”.

Both parents blink like this hadn’t occurred to them. “Oh”. While Danny glances to his chest and tries to focus on what he’s feeling. Again, the draining is near nothing, which is good though foreboding.

Maddie shakes her head, “well we could add a small chest bar so it could be on your chest”, nodding and thinking to herself a little, “would fall right over his Core then”.

Danny raises an eyebrow before grumbling, “who am I? Tony Stark?”, snorting to himself, “well I am a literal metal ass. Rockin’ robotics”. Then deciding why not try walking, didn’t seem like anything was going horribly awfully wrong.

Lewis had walked in just during Danny’s little dig toward Ironman and had promptly muttered to himself, “considering the super-suit leading a merry band of heroes. Yes. Yes you are”, which he’s pretty sure Danny missed. As he watches the kid go to lift his ‘leg’ -what happened to him regrowing his legs???- only for said leg to practically high kick the air aggressively, sweep Danny clean off his other foot, and flip him onto his back; hard. Eliciting a little ‘oof’ from Danny and making Lewis sigh. What is it with walking in on the hero/vigilante type getting hurt? Especially Danny. Was like the boy felt a moral and physical obligation to get injured at the sight of a doctor. Which actually... does seem like something Danny would get a kick out of.

Maddie and Jack quickly move to help him sit up. Lewis puts his last bag on the floor and walks over. Danny rubs his head and mumbles in ghost, “o̸҉w̧͘͏,̕͡ ͞I’͝v̕ę ̴͝w͘h̵̨a͝c̴͠k̕ed̴͠ m̷̕y ̢͠͡hea̵d ͏͠͠a͝ ̢͢͝sh̷͘i̛t ̵̕t͘o͟n͡ ̨a͝n͞d̸͝ ͞s̶͏͢om͡e͜͡ho͠w ͠t҉̵h͜a̡͜t̡ was͘ ͜͞͝w͜ay҉ ̛mo̕͠r̴͠e͏̸ ͏̡p̡̨ai̴͘nf͟ưl̡͝͡”, and shakes his head. Making his folks blink in surprise and squint at him slightly, many times they’ve thought they heard him muttering in a strange language; never heard it so clearly before though.

Jack chuckles and gives a lopsided awkward smile, “I guess you knowing ghost speak makes sense, son”. Catching Danny off guard, “e͘͜͞h̴̵҉¿”. Realising his fuck up, he goes to stand up only for the legs to overreact again and basically toss him -back first, because of course it does- into the table.

Lewis stands up and shakes his head, hands on his hips, “well I’m glad you’re up and walking, but maybe you should turn that down a little. Before you put a foot through the ceiling or hurt yourself further”. Danny just stands there rubbing his neck awkwardly before glancing cautiously at the legs. Though really? Lewis is damn impressed these things are actually working at all. And that Danny’s braces don’t look destroyed, but that’s another matter.

Jack chuckles, checks over the timer/conductor, and scratches his head, “they’re still on the lowest setting actually”. Maddie sighs, shakes her head, and repositions the table back where it belongs.

Her sitting down and eyeballing the CyberSteps, “I’m really not sure what else we can try. Any lower and it’s not gonna pick up and convert the signals successfully”.

Jack snatches up the little tray of peanut fudge brittle Maddie made earlier and puts it on the table. One’s missing, so he’s guessing Jazz took one before she turned in for the night. Least Dan joins them at the table. Danny looks to attempt to but winds up on the floor again. At least he lands on his butt though! Or the CyberSteps butt really. Oh whatever, all’s the same.

Danny just sits there, ‘legs’ sticking out straight, and vainly attempts to reach over his shoulder to flick the dial. His own normal flexibility surprising him a little at actually being able to reach the thing and turn it. But in typical fashion he turns it the wrong way, taking more from him and watching the legs start smoking concerningly; promptly turning the dial the other way. Everyone watching the smoke while Danny chuckles slightly, “heh”.

Danny decides ‘fuck it, pretty sure these are already busted’ and changes his tail to legs. Promptly reminding himself of the fact that the hooks for his tail are actual hooks via him being actively stabbed. Alright, he really should have seen that coming. Changing back to his tail to hopefully not leak blood everywhere and ecto-burning away any blood that might (definitely) have gotten on the hooks. Using said hooks to use his tail to stand up and get out of the (still smoking)CyberSteps.

Lewis watches him float to sit and grab up some of the brittle, pretty sure there’s some specks of blood on the ‘bandaging’. Which come on really? How does something made entirely of ectoplasm bleed human blood? How? Danny’s body made so little sense. Eddie's made more sense. And Vee was a liquid.

Maddie pats Danny's shoulder, “you alright sweetie?”. Danny of course giving a solid ‘yep’. Which Lewis is calling bullshit on, “I’ll be the judge of that”, earning an eye roll.

Jack nods and rubs his neck, “guess you’d like to check him over right off the bat huh?”, then perking up a bit, “then me and Mads can take the CyberSteps down! Give them a little check over of their own!”.

Making Danny snort, “really splitting the work there. A bio mechanic and tech mechanic. Real two for one. How suiting. Built for me”. Lewis just shoos the pair towards the lab door, Jack scooping up the ‘legs’ and bounding over; Maddie right behind after ruffling Danny’s hair.

Danny mumbles at the table as the lab door closes, “what is with ruffling my hair today?”. Then scowling at Lewis for attempting to ruffle his hair with a small smirk, Danny going intangible to block him.

Lewis rounds on Danny, pointing at his tail, “now, why is that bloody? How’s your back and arm? Can you get concussions? And I thought you said you had legs again?”.

“Twenty-one questions much? Everything’s fine, doc. I discovered the CyberSteps qualify as an iron maiden for legs. If I can get concussions I never have I think. And I’m not legless, I’m leg optional”, changing to legs and crossing them for emphasis and to effectively show off his (still intact)fashion disaster. Feeling slightly cold chair against his bare legs, and possibly the bottoms of his ass cheeks; which he’s studiously ignoring, because Ancients damnit how do girls wear this shit and not feel awkward as Hell.

Lewis blinks, “I’m pretty sure this qualifies as a crime for me to see”, well, no wonder he asked for pants. No guy should be in anything like this against his will; least Danny was rolling with it.

“Fuck the law. Also, I might have encouraged Vee to eat a cop... and a priest”.

Lewis shakes his head and gets up, “again, you’re a bad influence”. Watching Danny as he gets up and walks around his chair, going to head up the stairs. Whelp, guess he can walk. And has the most insane healing factor imaginable. Eddie technically didn’t have any special healing, Vee can just put Eddie back together. Like a jigsaw puzzle that can regrow any lost pieces to boot.

Lewis shakes his head as he closes Danny’s bedroom door, “I am once again in awe of your body”, Danny gives him a really weird look at that and awkwardly slaps his ass. Lewis scowls at him, “no. Eddie can do that, not you”, gesturing for the boy to sit down so he can make sure everything’s as it should be for a healthy person.

Danny raises an eyebrow, giving his arm over, “Eddie slaps his ass at you?”, muttering to the side, “I think Tuck is winning a bet”.

Lewis studiously ignores that, he had more than a few people question if his friendship with Eddie was really ‘just friends’. Sure, he and Anne had talked about that, opening things up. But they were pretty agreed on that being a bad idea. At least currently anyway. Pulling at bandaging, “back to tail, I somehow think that’ll be easier to wrap and less wasteful”, both of them shaking their heads at the flesh-coloured tail. Lewis quirks an eyebrow at his waist coming to a clean smooth flat end before transitioning to the tail. Eh, least he was healed and wrap-able; positives Lewis, positives.

Checking over the braces quickly, only having to change out a cracked back brace surprisingly. And very closely checking Danny’s job of reattaching his arm, the kid was seriously too good at stitching; and bone alignment apparently. Leaning back and nodding at his own work, pointless as it technically was, “guess I don’t have to gas you now”.

Danny grimaces, he’s not going to underestimate Lewis’s seriousness about healing again, “you were seriously going to do that, huh?”. Lewis just smirks at him as Danny floats up off the bed.

Lewis speaks up before Danny turns his doorknob, “speaking of Eddie, what is up with everyone thinking you’re old?”. Danny’s grin is downright malicious, “what? Did you not believe me when I pointed out time travel is a dear friend of mine”, finger-gunning at the doc, “I do have basically the god of time in my corner after all. And a time slash dimension-hopping map”.

Lewis nods acceptingly, “I’m surprised time jumping is even legal. Though ClockWork seems like the type that might not care”.

Danny chuckles, “law means nothing to them. Time loves crime. We’re like twins”, and grins meanly before opening the door and going to head back to the kitchen; Lewis following. Maybe see what ideas his folks have now, inspire them a little; they seemed kinda stuck. Which at this point was fair. For every thing that worked, something else didn’t.

The two enter to the two parents glaring at the table and off-handledly munching on brittle. Danny blinks, looks to Lewis, shrugs, and turns back to his folks. Floating over to the table, “drawing blanks?”. Jack nods and hums; taking another bite. Danny moving to sit, cooking his tail around the seat.

Maddie looks at Danny and squints, “it’s like the timer conductor simply can’t work in proper alignment with itself and you”.

Lewis tilts his head, “well couldn’t you just separate the timer function and conductor function? Sacrifice a little space-saving in the name of functionality?”. This thing working at all is a miracle alone. It also being stylish, and realistic, and compact, and durable, and practically self-sufficient; seems straight-up impossible. “Like a friend likes to say ‘ain’t nothing wrong with the cheap n’ easy option’”, shrugging, “sure, he’s usually talking about food and booze, but I think the mindset applies”.

Jack shakes his head absently, mumbling into his food, “only the best for Danny-boy”. Maddie pats his arm comfortingly. Lewis points at him, “working at all might be the best though”. Jack just grumbles incoherently at that.

Danny shrugs awkwardly, “I’m fine either way. An extra dial is nothing really”. He is not going to school or walking around town without legs, Ancients Damnit!

Maddie sighs and nods, “we’ll see, we’d rather not of course, but we’ll see.  I’m not entirely convinced that would work anyway. Might make it even worse. Since the two need to communicate so closely and heavily. Control how much is taken, how, and stored. Control how much is released and where to at a time”.

Jack nods, joining the conversation more in genuine, “I think the timer isn’t working really. It’s just not strong enough. The conductor can’t take little enough, even with storing excess, for the timer to handle; without taking too little to even activate the conductor properly”.

Maddie nods and gives Danny a soft look, “your ecto’s just too strong. The conductor needs to be strong enough to keep up and handle you, but the timer doesn’t seem able to keep up with that. We’re pretty sure the timer’s maxed out”. Danny cringes and rubs his neck, looking around awkwardly. A more power-hungry ghost would be tickled green to hear that.

Jack nods, “feasibly, we could increase storage space but that would botch the design clear to the Zone. Definitely wouldn’t be able to match your physique. Noticeably so”, and glancing at him. Knowing full well Danny wouldn’t be happy with that.

Danny instantly grimacing, “yeah no. I’ll pass on that option”. Earning a round of nods.

Lewis leans back and taps his chin, “I’m assuming by ‘too strong’ you mean ecto-level right? And could you just... make a different kind of timer? Or a conductor that could compress his energy on top of storing it?”. Hey, sometimes an outside perspective helped.

Maddie raises an eyebrow at Dan, “oh? Danny explained ecto-levels, I take it?”, shaking her head, “this timer is our newest model. I’m not sure we can currently make something stronger. And everything we’ve got for compression right now are capture devices or would likely hurt anything that could actually feel pain”, and winces slightly from Danny’s sudden sharp glare; promptly getting a matching one from Dan. Right, she was supposed to be rethinking that. And she was, honest. It’s just, they had been so sure. Fiddling with her glove a little, “habit sweetie”. Danny rolls his eyes, like he always did when they would ignore or disregard his opinions; which made her cringe. She probably just took at least a small step back with him. Lewis just continues with the glare.

Jack nods, “we haven’t really had a chance to look into reviewing things, son”, chuckling slightly, “give us some wiggle room, would ya?”. Danny rolls his eyes again but this time he has a slight smile.

Danny shrugs, back brace scraping almost loudly against the back of the chair as he leans back, “well I definitely don’t want anything that hurts ghosts being used on me. And honestly? There was never any reason to think ghosts don’t feel pain”. Lewis just nods, this wasn’t really his fight here; he’ll interject if he thinks he needs to though.

Maddie gestures with her hands, “but they don’t have nervous systems, it doesn’t make any sense. There’s no brain to measure or process that stuff”.

Jack nods a furrows his brows, “same reason we didn’t believe they had emotions. Or the ability to love, or really care about anything other than their Obsession and chaos”. Even Lewis has to admit, he’s got no clue how something without a brain experiences things that require brainwaves and nerves to experience. Ghosts or symbiotes. Though he’s got a few ideas regarding Vee.

Danny blinks, in his opinion it was obvious ghost could feel; both emotions and pain. Literally just look at them and it was obvious. But yeah, he guesses from a purely slightly close-minded human-centric scientific eye it would seem illogical or impossible. And he’s never exactly questioned the ‘how’ of ghosts feeling anything. His ghostly self included. Maybe if he could find an answer to that then his folks might really truly genuinely change their tune on ghosts; instead of just pondering it. So how did he feel things a ghost? Okay stupid question, he felt through his ectoplasm of course. But how? Everything had a slight tingle in ghost form, he had figured he was just feeling his own ecto; but maybe that wasn’t the case. Kinda like how if you pressed your finger down on something and really focused or pressed you could feel your pulse. And Cores were often described -even by him- as like a brain and they effectively were ghost hearts. Maybe that was even more literal. His Core would pulse or vibrate harder if it was doing lots of work, but it would also vibrate pretty noticeably when he was happy; he got teased about ‘purring’ over that. And his Core did get colder and even felt harder when he was pissed off. Kinda wet when he was sad. Huh, he probably should have noticed the emotional connection a long ass time ago; though not really feeling his Core consciously was a good excuse for not, background noise after all. Emotions were effectively felt through the Core. And any pain he experienced did seem to be slightly worse around his chest. So It was probably processing, or whatever, that pain. Sure people didn’t feel head pain every time they stabbed their finger with a knife, but humans were less in-tune with their brains than ghosts were with their Cores. Humans can’t ‘feel’ their brains by just focusing after all. Same went for blood verses ectoplasm though. If anything, ghosts felt more than the living.

Danny blinks, staring down at the table before looking back to his folks; who are giving him curious looks. Well damn, ghosts felt everything with their Cores. He officially gets why they were all so damn protective of them; beyond just instinctively feeling protective. Part of why they were sacred. This also explained his parents' confusion too. They admitted to knowing near nothing about Cores, so they wouldn’t know everything Cores did.

Danny sits up straight and puts a hand over his chest brace, over where his Core was, “it’s the Core. How ghosts feel things. They feel it with their Core”, continuing at his parents eyebrows raising and basically matching Lewis’s curiosity; though he can tell his dad’s restraining himself, which Danny appreciates. “Er, not sure if it’s the same for me -doubt it- but It does react to emotion and general pain. Uh, sometimes before I mentally do”, shrugging awkwardly and trying to make the air feel less crushing, “Sam and Tuck like to poke fun at my, um, purring when I’m happy or really content. Heh”, and glancing around.

Lewis smirks meanly, Danny moving his glancing to him and scowling. It was just like whenever anyone -other than Eddie- called Vee’s little snake head thing ‘cute’; which it was cute. They do that cat bleb thing too, so it was their own fault they were cute. Both Venom and Danny being cat-like wasn’t a similarity he ever expected to find.

Jack kinda wants to ask, ask everything actually, but specifically if Danny could show it or let them feel it? his Core feeling things. But he has a feeling his boy wouldn’t appreciate basically show-ponying. And experiencing an emotion, even faked, at the drop of a hat was kinda hard. Plus! He believes his boy! So does he really need to ask? His wife speaks up before he does, which is so uncommon that Danny is probably weirded out by that. Maddie tilts her head a little, “‘before you mentally do’ so your... Core is actually more emotionally sensitive?”, and squints at the air.

Maddie’s not really sure what to do with that information. She could write it off as a side-effect of forming a Core while still having a brain, nervous system, etcetera. But... realistically it made more sense to think that his Core was very similar to practically the same as a regular Core; an ice Core type specifically. And trying to claim his Core could experience emotions and pain but a regular one couldn’t was a serious fundamental difference. Sure she had hoped his ghost would keep the ability to feel emotions when It fully formed, but for his ghost’s Core to already experience emotions and in a completely different way than humans did... It wouldn’t make any sense if the Core hadn’t come in with Its own emotional setup. Especially if It picked up on emotions first. And there was the whole complication of pain, because her job rather required ‘hurting’ ghosts; but ghosts ‘hurt’ each other so she’s not too bothered by that. But thinking on the ice Core thing, maybe she could jump off from that to try and place how maybe normal his was? Ugh, she seriously wishes they knew more about Cores. “Do you maybe feel things icily?”.

Danny gives her a slightly confused look, he's pretty sure that question wasn’t worded very well. “Like if my Core gets icy with emotions?”, he actually needs the clarification here. At her nod he continues, “uh, It’s always cold. But uh, more cold rock when I’m mad and ice water when sad? I’m not really sure how to put it”, rubbing his neck, “I know I drop room temperatures when I’m mad”, tilting his head, “Sam and Tuck say I literally suck the heat out of them if I’m sad or really bummed or whatever”, shrugging, “has to be, like, strong emotion for others to really notice. I think?”; he’s pretty sure people would say something if he chilled rooms every time he was mildly frustrated. Everyone would have to wear sweaters during tests.

Lewis blinks, maybe it was better his Core was all exhausted at the hospital. But hey, it was a step up from eating someones organs in response to annoyance. Or drinking yourself under the table and then the floor, having questionable gang bangs, and getting a tattoo of a horse eating pickles.

Maddie and Jack exchange a Look. Alright, so his Core absolutely could and did process emotions and in Its own way. They absolutely couldn’t deny that ghosts feeling -and thus caring, experience pain, having morals- was not only plausible but likely. And Danny was right, if ghosts had something they could feel with then there really wasn’t a reason to assume they couldn’t feel. Looking back and nodding at Danny. Jack sticking out his arms, “I guess ice Core ghosts are emotionally cold literally”. And grinning at making Danny snort and laugh.

Danny nods at his dad with an amused smile, putting his chin in a palm/hand brace, elbow on the table. Looking to his mom as she speaks up, “I guess Cores are a lot more than a vital energy source. And if this isn’t just a you thing, a modification of your Core due to being human still, then ghosts wouldn’t be emotionless. Wouldn’t be pure chaos and evil”, sighing and leaning back, “so I guess ghosts really can’t be purely evil. But I think we really need to actually encounter a so-called ‘good’ ghost, to see just what kind of good that is”.

Danny can’t resist a wide grin effectively splitting across his face. That grin becoming pinched and very forced, while his folks jump in their seats a little as a portal just opens up, in the middle of the kitchen.

Lewis’s eyebrows get lost in his hairline successfully and he’s wondering just how often do ghosts just pop up when Danny was involved in literally anything. He’s known Eddie for a year and he’s only dropped a criminal on him once, an alien once sorta twice but he never really had anything to do with Riot, and corpses (or on their way to being a corpse) once; Eddie was much better about giving ‘I’m eating out’ heads up now. Danny he’s known less than a month and there’s been what? Three ghosts dropped on him? The metal one, Skulker, twice. The biker, Johnny right? And that time he almost walked in on the ClockWork ghost, that didn’t quite count as an encounter though.

Lewis physically wheezes at the timing of this ghost as they stick their blue hood-covered head through the portal. While Danny feels the need to forcibly restrain himself from smacking ClockWork over the head, as they float fully through the portal in their child form.

Jack and Maddie blink, if they were a little less tired then they would have immediately whipped out pistols from their suits and held the spook at gunpoint; though holding back on firing until this strange ghost seemed hostile, if for anything to appease their (definitely overly ghost friendly)son and try out his ‘ghosts aren’t evil’ mindset.

Jack and Maddie’s sleep deprivation-induced hesitance gives the ghost the chance to smirk mischievously and speak, “you called?”.

Danny blinks and gapes like a fish, clacking his jaw shut to avoid yelling ‘what the fuck ClockWork?!?!?’ because seriously. What the fuck are they thinking? What are they doing? Has his guardian lost their damn mind? Has all their sense of reason and common sense utterly timed out? What’s their malfunction? Does their clock Core need Its batteries changed? The hands tightened? The clock face or case polished? The pendulum realigned? Danny tears his eyes off them and looks to his parents, opening his mouth back up, “uhhhhhhh”.

Lewis sighs into a hand, “and you are?”. Jack and Maddie glance at him quickly with looks of utter disbelief; was the man just utterly unflappable?

Danny just loses it at that, ‘cause take a fucking context clue mr. smart doctor man, “do you not see the clocks everywhere? Whom the fuck DO YOU THINK?!?”.

Lewis levels him with an unimpressed look, “I’m being nice”. This was probably ClockWork, but he wasn’t one for assumptions.

Jazz walks downstairs rubbing her eyes and yawning, “it’s five in the morning? Why are you-”, yawning, “-yelling? Why are you up?”. Then drops her hand, stops walking, and stares.

ClockWork grins, “hello Jasmine”.

“You... know my name?”.

Danny thumps his head on the table, “they know everything”, confirming who this was to her and Lewis really, while Danny bangs his head on the table repeatedly.

#Danny Phantom #phandom #CrossOver #venom #fan fic #danny fenton #maddie fenton #jack fenton #dan lewis #eddie brock #sam manson #tucker foley #valerie gray #legless on maim #skulker #ember #clockwork #major character injury #limb removal #reveal #amputation #mentions of murder and cannibalism #ectobiology #ghost prince danny #character growth #have a fic suck my dick #phantomphangphucker #my writing #injury recovery #eddie is having a... time

[ilovereadingandilovebreathing]

Lights Will Guide You Home (Ch. 1)

Story: AU in which Peter Parker, 16, is a homeless vigilante just trying to do his thing in Queens. Tony Stark is a rich superhero who flies onto the scene. Eventual IronDad will ensue.

A/N: Title from Coldplay’s “Fix You.” Sorry if this AU has been done like 10,000 times and if that song has been used like 15,000. Here’s another.

WARNINGS: Guns, gun violence, robbery, cussing, verbally abusive language

- - - - - - - - - - 

It’s only midnight, but Peter’s already feeling the weight of exhaustion creeping into his bones. He stands on the Queens rooftop looking out over the city; the fading yellow streetlights give him a strange kind of warmth in his stomach, a stark contrast to the burn of hunger that usually lingers there. He sighs and leans his head against the post next to him; he pulls up his red ski mask above his nose and inhales deeply, allowing his eyes to slide closed, allowing his ears to absorb the familiar sounds of the city, unhindered as he just exists for a moment.

For a moment he feels like a normal person. Not a vigilante. Not a homeless teenager. Not a crime fighter. Not even a superhero, if he were to be so bold with such a title. For a moment he is just a human being, and that is all he could ask for after four straight nights packed full of activity. Nobody needs saving. Nobody’s chasing him down. Nobody’s crying, “Spider-Man! Help me!” For once Peter Parker can just exist, and for once that’s enough. It doesn’t feel like he has to earn his existence, like he owes the universe anything for allowing him to live when everything he loves has been stolen away from him.

But the moment doesn’t last. It never does.

Peter opens his eyes, blinking once before pulling his mask over his face. He crouches, carefully moving toward the edge of the building, and quiets his breathing as much as is possible, listening intently for what would follow the sound that he thinks is the tell-tale clicking of a lock-pick's handiwork. 

There it is. The rattle of a doorknob, the shuffle of feet. 

A break-in in his typical territory. These guys are getting bold.

Peter positions himself at the edge of the building, peering over but staying as inconspicuous as possible; they’re just a few buildings over in a store Peter has frequented. Had frequented with his Uncle Ben. Their last visit was a little over a year ago...before-

Peter snaps to attention when he hears the cash register shaking, the intruders trying to break it open with brute force. He can’t see them anymore from this building, so he tiptoes over the back edge and scales the back wall as quickly and quietly as he can. He comes around the left corner and listens, hearing nothing, and he comes out to the side, keeping to the shadows just in case. His tinted swim goggles, red ski mask and fingerless gloves, and blue sweatshirt and sweatpants aren’t exactly stealth material.

He can see the robbers more clearly now; one is carefully extracting something from what must be his back pocket, not paying attention to the other who has pulled a gun and is aiming at the cash register. A boom sounds through the open doorway, muted by the windows, and blinding emergency lights snap on. A screeching alarm blares throughout the shop and leaks out into the street.  

“Are you shitting me?!” A rough voice cuts through the din. “We pick the lock and creep around with no detection, and you just had to-”

“I’m...I’m sorry, Man-...uh, maaan.” The second voice is deeper than the first but timid, and Peter can hear two pairs of lungs breathing: one deep and heavy, the other shallow and short. “I just-You were struggling with the drawer, so I thought-”

“To shoot the fucking thing? With your piece of shit gun? Are you serious? You don’t have a silencer!” The owner of the first voice opens what Peter now sees is a tan bag and begins to shovel in money from the register. 

“Wh-what are you doing?! Shouldn’t we go?”

“We might as well get what we can and scram. The cops’ll take a few minutes anyway.”

“I was-Are you sure you could’ve gotten it open?”

“If can pick a fucking door lock, I sure as hell can pick a damn cash register lock!” 

“I just-I didn’t think-”

“You’re right, you didn’t think!”

“Well, I mean it didn’t seem like his security was that good.”

“This is at least a semi-successful sandwich shop, idiot. Of course he has decent security, especially when you go around shooting shit. Why the hell do you think I’ve been staking the place out for months?”

“I’m-”

“Don’t say you’re sorry. Don’t you fucking dare.” The leader has finished stuffing his burlap sack, and he throws it at the obvious younger of the pair. “I swear to god, if we get caught-”

“What? You’ll pee your pants?” Peter winced. Come on, Parker, are you five? 

“S-Spider-”

“Ah, yes, the Spider-Man.” The leader steps toward Peter with carefully measured steps, eyes gleaming beneath his own black ski mask. “The local superhero, here to save the-” He suddenly tries to bolt out the door, but Peter’s enhanced reflexes are too quick, and he easily stops him with a firm arm to the stomach. 

“You’re not goin’ anywhere. You didn’t even finish your-”

“Stop!” The younger voice is quivering, and Peter turns toward it, absorbing the gun barrel pointed in his direction. “Just-uh, just stand down, Spider-Man. Let us go, and you get to live!”

“My god, you idiot; you don’t announce you’re gonna shoot a guy! You just do it!”

“But that’s unsporting-”

“This isn’t a sport, asscrack! This is life or death, here! Shoot him!”

Peter’s hands are spread, palms facing each of the individuals in turn as he breathes, trying to sort out the best scenario for this situation. The one who has to be a teenager is too far for him to disarm without risking getting shot, and he can’t let the man on the floor get away either- 

“Hands where I can see them.”

Peter glances down, and his blood runs cold. The leader has taken advantage of Peter’s predicament and drawn his own weapon, aiming at Peter’s head with a wicked gleam in his eye.

“You’re surrounded, Spider-Man. No hope of escape.” The man on the floor lets out a rough chuckle just the first pitches of police sirens peel through the air outside.

“Shit. You really kept us going this long, didn’t you? What a sneaky trick, but now-”

“Freeze!-” A plainclosthesman is in the doorway, his gun drawn. “Drop your weapons-”

“NO, YOU DROP YOUR WEAPON, OR SPIDER-MAN GETS IT!” The leader screams from his spot on the floor, shaking his gun in Peter’s direction. “WHERE WILL YOU PIGS BE WITHOUT YOUR SUPER-POWERED DOG TO DO YOUR WORK FOR YOU?”

“PUT IT DOWN, YOU PIECE OF SHIT-”

The cop and the robber go back and forth, spewing insults and threats as the sirens grow louder, but Peter tunes them out, facing the one chance he has left.

“Hey, dude. You don’t want to do this.” Peter inches forward, but freezes when the kid tightens his hold on the gun. “Please. I....I know what it’s like to struggle, okay? I’ve been there.”

“You have no idea what my life is like. Don’t try to relate to me.” The kid grinds out, his jaw quaking to match his shimmering eyes. 

“Okay, you’re right. I don’t know your life. But I know mine.” Peter takes a steadying breath. “I know what it’s like to to be homeless. To pack up with whoever you can to up your chances of survival.” Peter nods his head toward the ground. “I use tape to hold my shoes together.” Peter gestures down to his bare feet. “Well, when I’m wearing shoes. Glad you found something thick that you could sew into it. That’s impressive. Did you know how to sew, or did they teach you?”

“Quit chatting!” The leader interrupts from the floor, eyeing the cop with the gun trained on him. “This isn’t a social gathering! Fly, stupid butterfly!”

The kid suddenly spins on his heel and takes off toward the other side of the store, vaulting over the counter and disappearing into the rooms behind. Peter shakes his head and sighs, turning back to the man sprawled on the floor. 

“What are you laughing at, shithead? We got what we came for.”

“He’s gonna have a hard time navigating back there; Delmar keeps this place fully stocked, so much that it’s like a maze to get through to the back alley.”

“I know that, you idiot; I drew him a map of the place and made him memorize it.”

“A map? But how-”

Another boom sounds, and the masked man drops his gun, screaming in agony as blood pools around and out of the bullet now lodged in his upper arm. 

Peter finally registers that a police vehicle has arrived. The driver enters first, shoving past the plainclothes cop toward the attempted thief. The cop yanks the ski mask off of the man’s head, and Peter holds back a gasp.

He, too, had been watching Delmar’s for a while now, and he really shouldn’t have been surprised to see that it was a recent hire under the mask. Likely in his 40s, the red-headed man is familiar to Peter; Delmar rarely took in people outside of his family, but the man has a soft spot for people who are down on their luck. He must have spun some kind of sob story to get Delmar to take him in.

“Huh, well I’ll be damned.” The plainclothesman speaks up first. “Manny the deli guy.”

The cop pulls the man to his feet and pushes him against the counter to book him, shaking his head as Manny continues to yell and the plainclothesman shakes his head. “Makes a damn good sandwich, too, Sucks ass for Delmar to lose this guy.”

The cops each take an arm and escort Manny to the cop car, somehow chatting casually amidst the animalistic howls emitting from their charge. 

“What about the kid? Did Lenox find him?”

“Nah. Back door’s open, so the kid’s probably long gone with the money.”

“Shit. Hate to have to break it to Delmar.”

“We got it from here, Spider-Man.” An officer Peter hadn’t noticed before, a woman with blonde hair and soft brown eyes was taping off the outside of the shop. “Thanks for your help, as always.”

“Oh, no-” Peter clears his throat. “No problem, ma’am. Happy to do my duty.” 

She nods and sets about her work.

It takes everything Peter has not to jerk toward the shuffling his ears pick up from the back of the store. “Uh-Delmar has a, uh, a cat, so I better make sure he’s okay.”

“Oh, sure.” The lady cop gestures over her shoulder. “Make it quick, though. The other guys have to come in here soon to check the place over.”

“Right, yeah, of course, thanks!” 

Peter hurdles himself over the counter and slips into the back rooms, ears peeled for the scuffle of plastic soles on linoleum. What he hears, instead, is heavy breathing, and he follows the sound to the walk-in refrigerator. Clenching his jaw, Peter carefully opens the door-

“Shit.” The kid is huddled on the ground, arms clinging to the bag desperately with his eyes closed, as if he’s bracing to be shot, too.

Peter puts his hands up in a show of peace. “Don’t shoot and neither will I.”

“You don’t have a gun.”

“It looks like you don’t either.”

The kid scoffs. “Dropped it when I was trying to get through this damn labyrinth of a backroom.” 

Peter looks around quickly, and then slips through the opening and into the freezer, pulling it shut behind him and leaving them in darkness. “Look, the cops are still here scoping out the place. They saw the back door, so they think you’re long gone. They’re about to actually search the place, so you might want to get outta here like yesterday.”

“What the fuck? Why’re you helping me? Aren’t you like the police’s dog or something?”

It’s Peter’s turn to scoff. “No. I work by myself and for myself; they just kind of come with the territory.”

“Still. Why help me?”

“....I know you can hear my voice as much as I can hear yours.” Peter’s tone is soft, imploring. “I was in a spot like you for a little while, but it wasn’t worth it. I got out, and so can you.”

“...How’d you leave?”

“A raid I was thankfully absent for. No one turned me over, amazingly.”

“Pack loyalty.”

“Probably. Probably hoped I’d revive the group, too.”

“Yeah. Anyway, this is a nice pow-wow and all,” Peter can hear the other boy shifting. “But I gotta bounce.” The kid stands and carefully opens the freezer door. 

“They’re all out front.” Peter quickly reassures him. He stares for a second then smiles when he takes in the face of his hiding place buddy. “Hiding in plain sight?”

“Exactly. Ski mask makes you stick out. Especially if you’re a black kid when there’s cops around.” 

Peter nods. “Sorry I can’t return the favor.”

“It’s cool. Vigilante status and all that.” The kid pauses. “Here.” He reaches into the bag and hands Peter a handful of bills, 20s from what Peter can see. 

Peter stares for a moment, and the kid shakes it toward him. 

“Street kids gotta look out for each other, you feel? This was a small bust, anyway. A practice.”

Peter’s heart sinks at the implication but eyes the money, the empty pits of his stomach crying out from weeks of going with tiny portions compared to what he needs to eat.

“I can’t. It wouldn’t be right.”

“Spend it all here, and it evens out, right?” The kid quirks a smile. “Don’t over think it.” He shoves the stack into Peter’s lap before looking around one last time and stepping outside of the chilly room. “Take care of yourself, Spider-Man. I’ll see you around.” And he’s gone.

Peter sits for a moment with the money in his lap, his mind spinning as he wrestles with the ethical implications of his actions. He needs to eat. He’s running himself ragged being Spider-Man with so little food to squelch his metabolism.  He used to shelter hop, staying at one place for a bit before switching to another for a decent flow of food, but after a while, he became a familiar, lonely face. They asked too many questions about him, his parents, and why his parents couldn’t ever come with him to stay. This would be his first real meal in weeks. The kid gave him the money, and if he doesn’t eat he can’t be Spider-Man...

Peter sighs, swallowing the guilt knotted in his throat before quickly organizing the bills and sliding them into his sweater for safe keeping.

He goes back through the front of the shop, waving to the cops out front before disappearing as is his M-O.

Peter decides to turn in early that night, thoroughly wiped now, so he carefully creeps up the side of a too familiar brick building. He finally makes it to the uppermost fire escape and pulls down the dufflebag he has stuffed there, removing the chemically produced webs he uses to hide his belongings where no one else can go. 

He really needs to sneak back into the school again soon; his supply is running low. He lives in anticipation of summer when he might be able to get away with making and taking more of the webs to use for fighting and not just storage and survival purposes. He has often daydreamed of what it would be like to use the webs to swing around town, hang upside down, or even make a giant web like real spiders. They would definitely up his superhero status.

Sighing at such fantasies, Peter throws the duffel over his shoulder and hauls himself up to the top of the apartment complex.

“Home sweet home.” Peter mutters under his breath as he crosses the roof for the final jump onto the top of what once was a garden shed. The tenants gave up on a roof garden years ago, so the shed usually sits empty save for cobwebs and gardening equipment long forgotten, a perfect storage place for the items Peter doesn’t want to expose to the rain. The roof of the shed is set at such a small angle that it is nearly flat and therefore not conducive to ridding itself of rainwater, but Peter loves to sleep under the stars, the honks and hums of the city akin to a lullaby, and he has managed to patch critical spots with some moldy tarps, some nails, and a hammer left in the shed. 

Now Peter sets his bag on the wearing shingles and stretches his back, his arms, his shoulders before pulling a warn fleece blanket out of his bag. He spreads the blanket and lays down, pulling off his mask and goggles which he stashes away before conceding to sleep in his Spider-Man costume just once. He’s too tired to change tonight, he decides as he allows himself to drift.

His heart stalls when he hears a low rumbling above his head, and his eyes snap open, searching the sky intently for something he knows he’ll never see. Every once in a while he’ll hear it. It’s never a stormy night, no clouds in the sky, no distant roar of thunder, no smell in the air, but he’ll hear a sound, a low rumbling akin to thunder but not quite the right timbre. Peter has never figured out what it is, but once he swore he saw a dark square floating in the sky on its own, like a ghostly apparition in the shape of a metal panel. 

No such sight appears tonight, but as Peter stares at the sky, his own words drift back to him: hiding in plain sight. Definitely a government conspiracy Ned would believe.

Peter sighs and rolls his eyes before turning onto his side and curling into himself, now fully allowing himself to fall into a well-earned sleep.

- - - - - - - - - - 

Tony Stark sits perched in the cockpit of his plane, gazing down at the city below him with little attachment or interest. 

“You really didn’t have to come with us, Tony.” Happy Hogan speaks up from his seat beside Tony. “I could’ve handled the shipment on my own.”

“Yeah, no thanks.” Tony quips with a scowl, absently fiddling with the Iron Man gauntlet engaged over his right hand. “I spent way too long customizing these arc reactors to have the recipients bitching and calling me as soon as they don’t know how to use them. Might as well go and write everything off as a business expense.”  

“Right, of course.” Happy rolls his eyes and turns his attention back in front of them. “I gotta say, though. I don’t think this plane needs any security from Iron Man himself.”

Tony throws him a look.

“The reflective plates are genius in their simplicity, Tony; no one even knows we’re up here.”

“Of course not, but I know about the plate incident from last year, Hogan.”

“Okay, we flew a little bit too low and bumped one of the panels on the new World Trade Center.”

“Hence why all of my planes are self-flying now.”

It’s Happy’s turn to dish out looks. “No one saw us or reported it. No harm; no foul.”

“Yeah because you left 5 hours late and no one was out to see you flying at 2am.”

“Hey, that delay was your-”

“Is that a kid?” 

“What? Come on, Tony, I know you hate to have your past blunders brought up, but-”

“No, look, down there.” Tony points through the window and down toward a building Happy cannot distinguish.

“Tony, how can you even tell?”

Tony taps on his glasses frames. “Elementary zoom function, My Dear Happy. But, yeah, there’s definitely a kid sleeping on a roof down there.”

“Probably just had a fight with his parents or something.”

“He has a bag next to him.”

Happy scoffed. “Obviously threatened to run away from home and only made it to the roof. I remember someone else pulled shit like that when he was a kid.”

“You have no proof.”

“Rhodey told me.”

“Rhodey wasn’t there. We didn’t meet until college.”

Happy just rolls his eyes again and settles back into his seat. “See anything else with those glasses.”

“Just a bunch of cop sirens.”

“I’m gonna take a nap. Wake me if something interesting happens.”  

“Gee, thanks, Forehead of Security. I feel so safe with you around.”

Happy just snorts, crosses his arms, and closes his eyes.

Tony rests an elbow on the window sill and puts his chin on his palm, languidly watching New York pass below, the lonely little figure soon left behind and forgotten for the moment.

#spidermanfic #spidermanfanfic #iromanfic #ironmanfanfic #spiderman #ironman #mine #mcufics #irondadfic #spiderbabyfic #mcufic

[the-coolest-mallard]

Like a Kickass Guy | ASC

Louie gets high at Mei’s party and texts Nemo and Tae.

@justkeepdancing-nemo​ @moon-yeongtae​

Louie: holy shit u guyyyyyy Louie: shit has been going dowwwwwwwwn. Or upside down? down and up really lol Louie: i may not have muscles n shit but guess WHAT I DID Tae: hulked out and killed someone? Louie: woah man no! Duuuuuude have u seen me? impossible Louie: i'm too cute to go to jail yet Louie: i mean EVER Louie: im too cute to go to jail EVER Louie: did a keg stand lol. sorta Tae: whoa nice Tae: how you feelin? Louie: a m a z i n g Louie: you won't BELIEVE how good i am Louie: i felt like IRON - no. i felt like CAPTAIN AMERICA. LIKE A KICK ASS Louie: GUY Tae: nice dude i'm glad ur having fun Tae: is mark there Louie: he was here somewhere. he asked me to come Louie: dunno where he went. maybe he's with johnny idk Louie: but who cares lol Louie: i'm great Louie: no more sads Tae: wow you're really drunk huh? Louie: nooooooooooooo Louie: haha I was gonna drink Louie: but then this weird girl showed up Louie: and now i'm super

Tae: but you said you did a keg stand Tae: that's like drinking isnt it? Louie: is it? i thought it was just a hand stand on a keg lol Louie: who knows? not me Tae: i mean i guess Tae: what weird girl Louie: idk blond. weird. she wanted me to CHEAT ON MARK WTF Louie: i mean she seriously helped me out but also Louie: wtf Louie: weird. so weird. but we went to the bathroom and she Louie: gave me t his stuff n i'm like Louie: wow i mean i can't stop talking Louie: i think I've said some seriously stupid shit Tae: wait Tae: what? Louie: what? i didn't tell you anything stupid did I? Louie: i don't think i did. thank god. imaigngi f i told u that Louie: lololol i'd die forever Tae: louie what are you taking about what stuff Louie: stuff? which stuff Louie: im not tellig Tae: what did she give you Louie: ohhhhhhhhhhh Louie: oh i can tell u that haha Louie: she called it all kinds of weird stuff like snow white or whatever which is bizarre af but whatever Louie: i like sniffed it and it felt super whack Tae: LOUIE WHAT THE FUCK Louie: and then it was like Louie: wow Louie: idk man i wanted to not feel sad and i feel good now Tae: holy shit what the fuck i cannot believe Tae: louie that was so dumb Louie: you're so dumb! Louie: no that's not true Louie: you're my faovriedgof person ever Tae: where the fuck is nemo why isn't he here to tell you how stupid that was where are you Tae: you're at mei's right Louie: yeh i crashed lol Louie: well no mark and johnny wanted to crash Louie: and since mark's been cool and let me stay at his place i was like Louie: well i should probs go Tae: yeah well THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD'VE FUCKING DONE COKE OR WHATEVER YOU DID jesus fuck Nemo: wait wtf did i just read Tae: yeah Tae: i have to go fucking get him Louie: why are you maddddd? im not bugging anyone! i'm having fun! Nemo: wait whats going on! Nemo: louie are you okay? Louie: i'm FINE Louie: i'm super Nemo: he did cocaine? Louie: super human Tae: he's at mei's party and he fucking YES Louie: you could say Louie: ughhh stop making this so big Tae: do you know how many kids my brother had to see in the hospital bc of drugs louie? Nemo: yeah that stuffs really bad Nemo: its human chemicals Nemo: do you feel okay? are you dizzy? Louie: do you know what else is bad? life. being sad. freddie mercury leaving too soon. presidents. earthquakes Nemo: louie D: Louie: tthe hunger games Tae: hey louie seriously how are you feeling like Tae: in your body Louie: that's a weird thing 2 akks dud Louie: im fine! Tae: okay but like Tae: if u close ur eyes and like idk try to feel what's happening like is your heart beating really fast? do you feel like puking? do you feel like you're moving? Louie: oh i mean yeah lol Louie: my heart is skipping faster n when i Louie: wait i gotta shut up shut up Nemo: tae yah is that bad? Nemo: would jun hyung know? Tae: i'm asking him right nwo Louie: so fussy you guys are fussy im gooood Nemo: louie just keep texting u ok Louie: look how good i am Louie: 

Nemo: very pretty Tae: yeah gorgeous how's your breathing Louie: wouldnt u like 2 kno Louie: how's your butt Louie: bet its still kicckable Tae: you have literally never kicked my ass at anything Tae: nemo does your appa know about this stuff? you probably shouldn't ask him huh? Louie: DON'T AOISFJPDOGN Nemo: its human drugs Nemo: so not really Louie: 4 THE LOV OF GOD Louie: that guy lredy probs haaaaaates me Nemo: his magic wouldnt work either i dont think Louie: im a toxin to freidn parnets Nemo: yeah if he ever finds out we woudl be banned from being in the same school i think he'd transfer me to that catholic place and appa hates catholicism Nemo: this is why you shouldnt do drugs louie :heart: dont yu wanna keep being my friend Louie: :cry: :cry: :cry: Louie: you're my best mate wgodidpsdggdfh Louie: you too tae Tae: wow rude Tae: oh okay Louie: wow Louie: dont be such a bitch tae Tae: well you started it when you did cocaine Louie: i used to think u were the coolest but maybe  im demoting u n promoing Louie: nemo Louie: nemo ur the new hottie Tae: the what Louie: what? Tae: louie i'm coming to get you Louie: whyyyyy the partys still partying Louie: ppl be FITIN Louie: man ud fit right in with your muscle bod Louie: well cept one fitghts girls Tae: where are you in the house Louie: idk the dance place. the life space Louie: where everyone is? Nemo: is jun going too? Nemo: aghaldkfjaskldfj Tae: yeah Louie: wait wait wait wait wait Nemo: ugh im sorry i cant be there Louie: where u going Nemo: louie im so sorry just keep texting us Louie: no Louie: i should dkslefadkad Tae: hey louie what's your favorite queen song Louie: skedlolde Louie: what? ohhhhh wow tough choice man i mean Louie: there are soooo many good SONGS Louie: lately i've been listening 2 somebody to love a lot cause i been dfpsogdpsjsd Louie: buuuuuut Tae: i like don't stop me now Louie: that's my OTHER FAVORITE Louie: man u vibe so well with me i hate it Louie: ha ha ha Louie: j k this is why we're bffs Nemo: hey queen was on the CD you gave me Nemo: ive been listening to it! Louie: reallyyyyy? did you like it? Louie: hey hey tae tae. taeeeeeeee. tae you should send a slefdie Louie: slefit Louie: sel fie Nemo: course! i love it Nemo: maybe i'll pick a song and choreo a dance for it Tae: you want a selfie? Louie: oooooo yes please nemo Louie: and def yes pls tae Louie: do smehthing cute Nemo [deleted]: ugh louiealkf Nemo: where's mark again? Nemo: im gonna text mark Louie: idkkkkkkk Tae: 

Louie: he went to do some stuff with johnny Louie: woahhhhhhhhh Louie: waogdisjdpsgjosg Louie: shit Tae: that's me coming to get ur dumb ass Louie: wait ur coming to get me? Louie: shit shit shit wait i gotta skedoled Louie: skedadled Tae: what? Louie: well much as i think ur great im ok Louie: also i thinkk hoooo shit Louie: gotta ifnd a window lol Tae: louie if you don't stay there i will fucking murder you Tae: i'm serious Louie: deth by tae or tdeth by uncle d when he fins out Louie: shit mn if i stay its a double featur Nemo: :/ Nemo: please louie, we're worried about you Nemo: we love you! we just want to make sure you're okay Tae: yeah Tae: you're gonna stay the night with me okay Louie: oh god Tae: it'll be great Louie: hahaahahahahahaha Louie: N E M O Louie: tell him why i suddenly Louie: sgosigdsgsdg Nemo: louie  i think you should Nemo: um drink water Louie: im good ill just find Louie: makr Louie: mark Nemo: that's also good please find mark Louie: n go to his place? Tae: what did i say Nemo: nothing he's on drugs Tae: i said stay put Louie: im really good thouuuugh Louie: n mark will look out for me Louie: marks nce Tae: well mark left u alone and you did cocaine so i mean not that that's his fault i'm just saying Nemo: ugh what if mark did cocaine Nemo: u dont think mark did cocaine did he Louie: dont blae me him 4 ME BEING ME Tae: DID MARK DO COCAINE Louie: honestly i dont dieossgodkh Louie: NO Tae: fuck Nemo: he might not have! we dont know Louie: i dont deesrve mrk naywayl ol Tae: nemo never do cocaine please Nemo: i cant see mark lee doing cocaine unless someone told him it was fun dip Louie: he n johnny were just doing fun stuff 2gether Tae: lmfao Nemo: id probably DIE if i did cocaine so dont worry ahha Nemo: big no no for fairies Louie: speaking of immenditd death Louie: we sure windows r no go Nemo: which is why u shouldnt do it solidarity c'mon louie Tae: if you aren't there when i get there i will be very upset Nemo: he will be Nemo: wont u louie Louie: im scared i dont want the lady 2 yell at me Louie: pls i wanna leave Tae: I'm almost there Louie: DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD= Louie: what if i hid in the bathroom Nemo: its gonna be okay louie :heart: Nemo: just um, sing a little queen Louie: no its not ill be ded 4ever n dragged home n stuck with my asshole fam n never escape n ded Nemo: you won't be dead you'll be safe Louie: shit someone said its the COPS Louie: im double triple dead Louie: n thats bullshit Louie: my fam isnt safe they suuuuuuuck Tae: WHERE ARE YOU Tae: fuck there are so many people Louie: trapped in the prison of xistance Louie: a house of horrs Louie: horors Tae: i'm serious louie i can't find you Louie: just make urself taller Louie: ill see you Tae: i'm gonna yell for you Louie: ok ok ok Nemo: ugh fksjf

#justkeepdancing-nemo #moon-yeongtae #t: like a kickass guy #r: lemo #r: taekwonduck #r: afternoon snack club #tw: drugs #i mean that's a main topic

[mumpkins]

Private OC Rating

Done by @cho-rates​, I just decided to have the balls to make it public and answer questions! (as well as fix some things)

cho’s comments and questions will be in BOLD. 

My answers and fixed places will be in ITALIC!

Name: Shotaro Kaneda

Hero/Villain Name (if applicable): N/A

Age: 24 ( An aged up verse, he’s a couple years older than 1-A. Though sometimes I will portray his teen years as well, I have more information on his adult verse. I do want to flesh out teen years at some point though lol )

Birthday: September 5 (a virgo eww)

Gender: Male

Orientation: Bi-sexual

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 133 lbs

Hair: ear-length, fixed but slightly unruly, black

Appearance: Athletic agile build, Asian descent, brown eyes, red tinted hands and feet, small red horns on his forehead, long spiked / devilish red tail

Body: Athletic agile build

Quirk: Steam – Kaneda can build up and blow a hot steam that can potentially burn (or even melt depending on the force) his opponents. (Ahaha, the quirk fits the body appearance. I bet this one is going to be a hot head or really sweet)

Weakness: Building up and releasing too much steam at once can cause overexertion to the point where he can and will collapse and not be able to move for a while. Also his fucking ego. (LMFAO, I guess we’re dealing with the former and not the latter!)

Personality: Kaneda becomes the main symbol of defiance, expressing anarchy behavior towards authority and absolutely does not accept blatant disrespect. Kaneda values loyalty and becomes vengeful when trust is broken. He is impulsive, hot-headed, egotistical, and maintains a tough exterior; however, he is brave, independent, and highly empathetic. As a leader, Kaneda will look out for the safety and well-being of his allies, and will throw himself in front of a bullet for them if need be. (This!! I like that you didn’t make him a straight jerk and that you gave him good traits as well!)

Do they work well with others?: You are either with him or against him. By default he will work well if not negotiate unless you have a badge stating your authority.

Family: Parents deceased; family is his gang of brothers, all misfits and loyal to the bone

Friends (other oc’s or in BNHA universe): OC’s; his bike gang

Enemies(other oc’s or in BNHA universe): literally by default does not trust the cops or heroes (LOL)

Romantic Interests: by happenstance, Izuku Midoriya (LOL pt.2)

What do they think about heroes?: Oh shit oh fuck uhhhh

A couple of things about heroes. He sees the rise of fame being motivation for pro-heroes lately. They seem real fake to him, and it runs along the lines of Stain’s idea of “false heroes”. But he also sees them as a bunch of buzz kills when he’s trying to ride out and do his own thing that happens to be illegal. (LOL this guy is so problematic in a very headass type of way and it’s really entertaining. He’s a really fun character to read about.)

What do they think about villains?: They’re somewhat easier to work with, but he does not associate himself with hardcore villains either. As much as he himself could easily be considered one, he considers himself more in a grey area. He won’t kill a hero – actually he hesitates to kill anyone – but he won’t turn on a villain either if only because any of them could either arrest him or kill him. (Ah, he’s smarter than he lets on. I wonder how much of this is empathy and how much of this is him saving his own ass,,)

In terms of villains, he’s very much along the lines of “snitches get stitches”. At this point it doesn’t matter what his views are with a villain or a rival gang, he’s not gonna call the cops or any heroes as that is a lower blow than trying to either run or solve the issue on his own. He would rather risk his dignity than call the authorities. 

Is their first reaction to danger: flight or fright?

Depends on the danger. If he knows it’s an even match, he’ll throw fists. If he knows he has no chance, he’ll turn tail (heh) and run. (i’m actually laughing omg stop)

If they had to be stuck on an island with one BNHA character, who would it be and why?

don’t don’t ever give him the option (brO TELL ME)

Favorite holiday and why?

Halloween. As a child he always loved to dress up as his favorite hero. As an adult, he’s more attuned to the day before Halloween as “Mischief Day” and takes “tricks” to the extremes.

Do they have a certain way of dressing/ style?

His wardrobe is casual and lazy punk clothes. He does occasionally sport a bright red jacket with his gang’s logo on the back.

Pet peeves: Assuming his character for his looks (I mean you right but he hates it) (LMFAO I’m trying to give a serious review here and you hitting me with all this lolol)

Favorite food: shrimp tempura and rice

Favorite drink: Pepsi (ayyeee, pepsi > coke)

What is their favorite season/weather?: Summer

What is their sleep schedule like?: Whenever (mood)

Introvert, Extrovert or Ambivert?: Extrovert

Quickest way to upset them?: Pull his tail (I….I’m so tempted)

What type of student were they/are they?: Given that he only went to school so he didn’t have to do community service… he did the bare minimum, still got held back once (got mightily pissed off about it), and left as soon as he turned 18. Will also add that the school he went to was one step closer to juvie.

Superlative that fits them best (class clown, teachers pet, etc): Most Likely Will Be His Own Boss

A song you associate with them: Survival of the Fittest - Robert DeLong

What’s their diet like?: He will inhale anything in front of him, but he has a real fast metabolism

What’s the last thing they ate?: McDonald’s burger combo

Hobbies: riding his motorcycle and sometimes play video games

Guilty Pleasures: I mean. If you got the dokis for a hero and you’re a real anarchist……..

When and what was the last thing that made them cry?: laid in bed one night. like you do. thought about where his life was. wondered where it was going. you know just one of those fun nights. (this got too real too fast and i feel mildly attacked)

General Extras: In general, he is a real neutral guy that doesn’t play sides unless you’re on his specifically. He doesn’t take being talked down to and will even argue his side to keep himself above it all. Even raise fists. But he is impulsive as shit and does not always think his decision through. Definitely not book smart, but strongly street smart and highly confident in his actions. (I get that vibe from everything you’ve said, you summarized it really well and took the words out of my mouth!)

Do you plan on filling out a roleplay form(No pressure if you don’t want to do it, this is more for me so I can keep your forms together if you send in both): nah I’m just curious about this one

Creator Name (that’s you!): Mumzy

Blog name where I can contact you: mumpkins

Did you have fun doing this?! (pls just say yes so my feelings don’t get hurt): I REALLY DID and eventually there came a point where I was literally like “well shit he’s kind of a dumb bastard what else is there”

PLEASE JUST SEND THE ANSWERS DIRECTLY TO ME I DON’T NEED THIS POSTED 8’D

I’ll post it private and send you the link!

*deep inhales* BOI. Shotaro is such an unintentional meme?? Like big crackhead vibes from him like…he’s really just a lil misfit goin around and doing as he pleases,, so much angst in this one like??? (i hope you dont take any offence to this,, i just really like his character lol) he seems pretty factious to me LOL. I like his quirk, simple and easy and his weakness is plausible, no OP oc’s here! His personality really shined through and you portrayed him well. That little paragraph you wrote summarizing him was a really solid description and would be perfect for a character sheet. The only inconsistencies were, at the top you put his age as 17 but in the “what type of student were they” you mentioned him turning 18 but otherwise he is a really solid character! I’m 20 something so I can’t crush on anyone younger than 20 but he’s really… *deep breath* …moving on. I love his personality and the fact that he’s this punk but in reality he’s an impartial dude who is chill unless something offends him or opposes him but he is also very loyal and empathetic, two qualities that I love!

Idk if you wanted questions since this is a private rating but i’ll put some either way and u can choose to fill em out or nah,, i mainly do it to help develop character and its just fun to talk abt oc’s sooo,,

What job do you see him having in the future? He’s not really here no there so i’m interested!

After he drops out of high school, he flat out does not know what to do. As he is familiar with criminal work, he stays to what he knows with his bike gang... and incidentally gets picked up by mob members. He begins as an errand boy for one organized group, but never is he ever initiated as a member. After having been exposed by a variety of assignments from various villains, by the age of 20 he’s doing all kinds of illegal work. He becomes a man for hire in the undergrounds, helping with drug trafficking, enforcement, body guarding, petty thieving, etc. You name it, he’s probably done it.

But that’s only in the dark. To keep himself balanced, he’s also a bar back for a local bar in the sketchy side of town. An honest job when he meets people and can tell them what he does for work without putting off any red flags.

A couple of reasons why he does shady work is not due to enjoyment. Actually, he wishes he never got involved as everyday feels like he’s at risk of getting killed for angering the wrong person. He doesn’t plan ahead of his life only because he could step outside one morning and breathe his last breath. For one thing, his best friend who grew up with him and is part of his gang is in rehab at this point and Kaneda is the only person who he can turn to for help -- by this, Kaneda opts to pay those hospital bills with the quick and astounding amount of money he receives from criminal work. Another reason is plain and simple: once he has done work for one organized criminal group, once his name is spread around the underground as a reliable hire, there’s no way of suddenly dropping that life without risking it all.

Is there anything in particular he does to relax?? Tv, music, hobbies, etc,

The best way he can relax is riding his motorcycle in the late hours of the night. He loves the city, and will speed through until he finds open road where he will just continue to ride until he feels calm again.

If he’s especially frustrated and the steam has built up in his lungs, he will hold it in until he finds a safe spot (preferably home) to release it all and collapse for a while. Yes, his apartment would be a sauna if he doesn’t open his windows.

Sex also helps.

Is he a pessimist or optimist? He’s very unbiased it seems so I wonder what his personal mindset is,,

More of an optimist, but in a way where he prefers to mask sorrow and tension with humor and a lighter perspective. He can’t afford to not be confident, and he tries his damndest to pass that on given the circumstances. “This will work” he would say to an idea he briefly thought of, mostly trusting his gut and hoping that if he passes on the mindset and convinces others of his confidence, then yes in some way things will work out.

But I also say that he’s not very optimistic of his own future (sorry to bring this back). He lives for the moment, but given the life he lives, he does not trust it will be a long one. 

So it’s hard to explain, but he’d more say, “nothing matters in the end; do whatever the hell you want now”.

#save #cho rates #bnha oc

[cashtonwoah-blog]

Calum Hood // Rescued

Pairing: Y/N and Calum

Word count :

Warnings: Swearing, violence and abuse, light smut. Viewers discretion is advised.

Hope you guys enjoy this one!

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 4

Part 3

“Dude, you’ve gotta choose! Hurry up and make up your damn mind, Hemmings!” Ashton screamed at his band mate, throwing the takeaway menus at his face. Luke deeply sighed, trying to choose whether to have Italian food with you, Calum and Ashton, or join Michael and have pizza.

“Fine. I’ll have my usual. Hawaiin pizza” Luke said, chucking the pizza menu back at his band mate. Michael cheered in delight.

“Yes Luke! Now what about sides…..” he replied. All the other band mates groaned, knowing fully well that they would be waiting another 20 minutes for Michael to pick between normal fries or curly fries. You giggled, laughing at the boys’ dilemma. Things had been good recently. The boys had rallied around you, being incredibly supportive. They cancelled one of their gigs to be by your side one evening as the cops called you to confirm that they had found Brent and were arresting and charging him with battery. The boys had been your rock, helping you out with work and keeping your life as normal as possible. Fans finally found out about what happened, and became more supportive too, sending you supportive tweets. Of course there were a few who sent you hate, however you didn’t care.

In particular, Calum had been very comforting. He’d slept in your bed every night, by your side to keep you company. One night, you had an dream about Brent, and dreamt that he repeatedly kept punching you. Kicking you. You woke up, shooting up right in bed, sweat dripping off your forehead and chest. You started to sob, as it felt so real.

“hey hey its okay, what happened?!” Calum whispered, sitting up right beside you in the bed. He put an arm on your shoulder, comforting you.

“so-sorry I had a nightmare about Brent and it felt so real and he was kicking me an-” you replied.

“shh, come on it wasn’t real, I’m here” Calum interrupted you, lightly pulling your arm back down so you were lying on the bed again with your face facing his. You deeply sighed, trying to forget about the dream. Calum pulled his hands out towards you, wrapping then around your waist. He pulled you in closer, placing a gentle kiss on your wet forehead. You smiled, finally feeling safe. You looked over to the clock. It was 4am, and you desperately wanted to get more sleep, however at the same time you wanted to stay awake with Calum, talk about stuff, like the band, how he was doing after the situation. You knew he was struggling, after all he basically witnessed his best friend nearly kill his friend. Calum was incredibly close to Brent, they met through mutual friends. Calum was struggling without his friend, but acknowledged that they could never be friends again after what Brent did.

“Are you serious?! How could you. You are literally a piece of shit. Don’t ever text or call me again! You hear me?! You need to leave us alone” Calum shouted, screaming into his phone one day as Brent had been calling him repeatedly since the incident.

“look I’m sorry Calum, but she’s lying. But dude fuck her, I wanna make things good with you” Brent replied. At this point you walk down the stairs to be greeted by your friend Calum having a go at your ex-boyfriend. You are shocked to hear Calum talk this way, however you weren’t surprised. Brent really did deserve this, but at the same time you can see the heartbreak in Calum’s eyes.

“THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN DO EXCEPT LEAVING US ALONE. DON’T COME NEAR HER. YOU DON’T DESERVE HER!” Calum screamed back at him, before hanging up the phone, and throwing it across the room. You could feel tears forming in your eyes, seeing how angry this made your friend. You ran over to Calum, wrapping your arms around his waist.

***************************

“Cal, what did Brent say to you on the phone the other day before I walked in?” you asked lying in bed. Calum rolled over to face you. Even though it was dark, you could see the stern face he was pulling.

“Look let’s not talk abou-” you replied.

“NO Cal I want to know” you interrupted, crossing your arms across your chest, pouting. Calum chuckled at your actions. “Don’t you think I deserve to know?”

“Babe of course you do, I was going to tell you, but, honestly, I wasn’t sure if you were strong enough to handle it” he replied, concerned for your well being. You sighed, however deep down you knew he was right. Ever since the incident you’d be a mess. Crying was a regular habit. You’d lock yourself in Calum and Ashton’ bathroom frequently, just to escape from reality. You’d sit in there for hours and just sob. The boys would often come and check on you to see if you were OK, but deep down they knew you just needed some space.

“I get that, but I need to know.. Cal, what’s happened?” Calum sighed, getting out of bed and flicking the light on. You covered your eyes, before squinting them open to adjust to the bright light. Calum came and sat back on the bed, crossing his legs and sitting in front of you. One of his arms took hold of yours, as you looked up to him, he spoke.

“The thing is Y/N, Brent was arrested however is out on bail, due to lack of evidence. He called me as soon as he got out, demanding to see her. H-he says you hit yourself, and what you reported to the cops was a lie. He’s saying you lied”. You gasped, apsolutely shocked at what Calum had just said. You got Brent was crazy but not THIS crazy.

“WHAT THE FUCK” you screamed, shoving your face in the pillow, tears streaming out of your eyes. You were shocked. Why would you lie about what happens? What was Brent trying to do? Was he trying to get back at you?

Calum placed his whole body around yours on the bed, slinking his arms between your hips, in a spoon position. You continued to sob. You fully well understood why Calum tried to hide this news from you, it was destroying you. You looked up, to find Calum brushing away your hair from your wet, sticky face. You forced a smile, but felt your bottom lip shake as further tears poured out of your eyes. You continued to look at Calum, who slowly unlinked his arm from under you, to wipe away the tears under your eyes. You lightly smiled at his actions.

“You will get through this, I promise” he said, placing another gentle kiss on your wet cheek. You returned the favour by doing the same. For a moment, you both paused, looking into each others eyes. Calum looked shocked, yet a slight smirk came across his face. You weren’t surprised that this had happened, you and Calum were pretty close, especially recently, things had developed into more than a friendship. You definitely weren’t ready for anything serious, but you craved affection, love, lust. Suddenly, you reach towards Calum’s face, placing your hand behind his head, as your lips met. You gently kissed Calum. At first, Calum’s lips felt reserved, but after a while he felt more comfortable. He placed his hands on your cheeks, bringing your bodies closer together. You parted your lips, to allow Calum to enter his tongue inside your mouth. You lightly moan at this sensation. Calum then moved his hands down to your waist, before lightly picking you up off the bed whilst still kissing you. He gently pushed you over to the wall, and began to kiss down your cheek, neck and chest. At this point you were moaning loudly. You remember discussing with the boys your guilty pleasure during sex, and you said neck kisses were the best.

You lightly press your body against Calum’s, feeling his bulge pressed against your thigh. He lightly moans into your neck, as he leave slight marks in a trail. He then places his hands on the bottom of your PJ top, before removing it, showing your bare chest. You smiles, before placing kisses around your chest and breasts. You moan in pleasure. You wrap your hands around waist, before slowly moving them down to his bulge. Calum then grabs your hands, and holds them above your head. You stop kissing him at this point, pouting. He chuckles.

“This isn’t about me Y/N, I’m making you feel good tonight”.

********************************

Hope you guys are liking this series! Going to add more parts soon, masterlist coming soon too!

-L x       Masterlist 

#michael 5sos #calum 5sos #luke 5sos #ashton 5sos #5 seconds of summer #5sos #5sos3 #5sosfam #5sos fanfic #5sos imagines #request #calum hood #michael clifford #luke hemmings #ashton irwin

[one-deranged-son]

Tell Your Girlfriend to Fall Back

this plot is taken after Tell Your Homeboy to Fall Back

“I don’t know why you’re so obsessed with him.”

Here’s the situation: it’s 9:00 p.m. and they’re on the rooftop of the station. It’s February and the air around them is biting in the ass. One of them is smoking, the other one is just staring at the city lights.

New York is a busy city, indeed.

“The forensic shows that 80% of his blood is DRUGS. He murdered some important dude from Russia and almost tipped this country into having another world war. His house is fucking loaded with illegal firearms, he’s literally on the FBI wanted list. And he made us skip Taco Night! Alan, for fuck’s sakes, we never miss Taco Night!”

Melvin Rickman huffs the smoke outta his lungs. He’s frustrated, dammit. He always smokes when he’s frustrated, and lately, he’s been smoking a lot. Like, a lot.

“Are you even listening?”

“Sorry, what was that?”

“Sorry? Oh my God, you have a serious problem with that Revelator dude. The hell you got in your hand anyway?”

Melvin also talks a lot when he’s frustrated. He talks about everything and he asks about everything.

Not that it mattered, though. That question actually makes Alan smile from ear to ear. He’s ecstatic, oh my god. He feels like he’s back to preschool and he feels giddy because his Dad just came home and brought a huge present because he’s being a good boy, oh my god. His heart is beating so fast, oh my god. He can’t believe this is happening.

Oh my god, this is really happening.

Alan looks up from the brown envelope and takes a deep breath. “But you have to promise me you won’t ever, EVER, tell anyone.”

Melvin frowns, but he nods.

“Officer Barrera made a copy of the Revelator case for me.”

“She WHAT?”

“I KNOW, isn’t she like, the coolest person ever exists?”

“Alan, no! You know it’s classified. It was the FBI shit and the only reason why we could process him was because our captain managed to pull some strings. If they see you with that, they’re going to put your head on the SPIKE.”

“Stop making Game of Thrones reference, you hated season 8.”

Melvin raises his hands in frustration and quickly takes a long drag of his cigarette. His cheeks are red, either it’s the cold or the fact that he’s angry right now, Alan doesn’t care.

“You know what I’m saying is true. You shouldn’t have that file,” Melvin sighs, and it almost sounds like he’s whining, but Alan isn’t going to surrender because of that.

“Dude, can’t you see? This is a chance for us to find where the Revelator is. We could even get a Medal of Valor to bring him to justice!” 

“He’s been on the FBI wanted list since before you were born! This lunatic practically started doing all of this since… I don’t know, the 80s? He had outlived half of the population already and the fact that he was caught yesterday? We’re just lucky, man. He’s something else.”

“See! You admit that he’s cool.”

“That’s not the point, Alan!”

Melvin breathes hard until his fingers are trembling. His nostrils are flaring and he refuses to look at him, but he didn’t say anything else. He just breathes in until the red across his cheeks calmed down, then he takes yet another looong drag from his cigarette.

Alan sighs.

“Look, I know this is a wild—”

“And dumb.”

“—and dumb, yes, thank you for that, but you always wanted to be a detective. This is your chance to prove them that you have it inside you. The captain would totally recommend you.”

Melvin’s eyes haven’t quite met his, but Alan can see that there’s a spark of interest in it. He looks at him and to the file, then in one swift movement, he throws his cigarette to the ground and steps on the dying butt.

“Tell me what we have.”

Alan smiles.

“Alright, I’ve read this in the bathroom during break and I just know you will love it,” Alan says as he carefully opens the file for Melvin to see.

“Shoot.”

“So, apparently, the Revelator is actually... two different people.”

“You’re shitting me.”

They’re in Alan’s apartment room right now. Melvin has a beer in his hand and he’s sitting on Alan’s couch.

Now here’s the guide to conduct a super-secret-slash-illegal meeting, based on Alan. First, pull down the blinds. You don’t want a sniper to know where you’re standing.

Second, dim the lights. So with the covers pulled down and the lights barely giving you away, your neighbor would probably think that you’re having sex and that is way better than getting caught smuggling a super-secret-slash-illegal file.

Third, turn the TV on. You don’t have to put it on the highest volume, just make sure people on your side could hear you and whoever trying to butt in hears Berlin speaking “Tranquilo, tranquilo,” instead of whatever you’re talking about.

And that’s fucking dumb, Melvin thinks, but he doesn’t wanna argue with a riled-up Alan.

“The Revelator in the 80s is different from the Revelator we have now,” riled-up Alan says, to which Melvin just stares dumbly and say, “What the fuck.”

What the fuck, man.

Anyway, it’s been an hour since Melvin nearly woke up the whole New York City from screaming too loud. And it’s been 30 minutes since they flopped on Alan’s couch with Allan giddy giggles as he pulls out the papers from the enclosed brown file to shove it down Melvin’s throat.

And as Melvin’s face goes sour and sour and even sour as time passes, Alan’s face glows brighter.

“Why are you smiling?!” Melvin throws his hand.

“Because it’s our lead! For the last decade, people thought that he’s some kind of… I don’t know, Jesus? Messiah? Look at his face.” Alan throws a picture of a man to the coffee table. “Tell me that you would believe anyone who said that he could turn water into wine.”

Alright, maybe Alan has a point. Dude actually looks like some white Jesus or something without his mask on. Shaggy brown hair and surprisingly awesome beard, the only thing that makes him so different is he got blue eyes, and when Melvin sees the picture when half of his face is covered by a mask, those eyes pierce right through him to the point he has to look away.

“So, this man over here is named John. No surname, mind you, he just wanna be called John based on the interrogation tape. He’s known as the Revelator and it was a reference from a song titled ‘John the Revelator’.” Alan shows a mugshot of John. His cheeks are blotched with dry blood and there’s some cut at the corner of his lips. He was staring right at him with the same blue eyes, but it was... hollow. Completely different from the picture where he got all his tac gears on.

Although to be fair, his jawline is more structured than Melvin’s life.

“Now this is John Monsoon, also known as the Revelator, BUT this man was found dead at a shootout in 1998.”

Alan tosses another picture to the coffee table. Melvin couldn’t exactly look at his face because the only picture they got was the autopsy picture, but John Monsoon has similar shaggy hair and beard.

“So… what happened?” he asks.

“Apparently, a man from the FBI witnessed four people during the shootout whereas the 80s Revelator worked with only two people.”

Alan tosses two more pictures. Two mugshots with one black man with a box fade hair and ginger with sunken eyes.

“That’s Cole Hedlund and Paul MacCullagh, sentenced for a death penalty in the same year as the shootout. They didn’t tell us anything about the fourth shooter, refusing to talk a single word even in the courtroom. But! An FBI agent was so certain that there was another person there.”

Alan hands another picture. Now this time is a white man in an FBI windbreaker and in that picture, he was smiling.

“That’s Todd Russel. He led the Revelator investigation in 2002 before the case went cold and Russel was found dead at the beginning of 2003.”

The next picture was Todd Russel, still in his FBI windbreaker, but he wasn’t smiling this time. He’s looking at the camera, brown eyes devoid of any emotion and there was red in his shirt. Red in his pants, red in his windbreaker, red all over his hands.

There’s red all over him.

Melvin’s stomach twist.

“Autopsy shows that he was already dead before he was crucified in his own home. His wife and 5-year-old son were found harmless and I guess they’re still on the witness protection program.”

“Alan,” Melvin places the picture on the table and sighs. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”

Alan’s eyes bulge. “Wait! Why?”

“Can’t you see?” Melvin is scared, holy shit, who is he fooling? He’s terrified.

He sees what this dude has done to a shit ton of people for the past twenty years. He killed people for breakfast and crucifies them for brunch. He burns their motherfucking house down for lunch then drains their bank account for dinner.

No sane person would want to mess around with that.

“He killed an FBI, shit, is ‘killed’ a right word? The man literally did the same thing as what the Romans did to Jesus. An FBI agent, Alan! And we’re just regular cops!”

“That’s why we should do it. The Revelator won’t even notice it because we aren’t on his radar! This is our chance, Melvin, seriously!”

Alan walks over to the couch and sits next to him, and for some time Melvin just stares at him with furrowed brows.

“Think about it, man. Think about it.”

The apartment room behind the police line is painted in gray; there are some cracks and holes in it. The floor is made of wood that creaks when they step on it, and there are some dishes in the sink and an empty bag of chips plus more empty ramen cups on the round dining table. Every single of them is covered in plastic.

Surprisingly, the place looks habitable and… mundane for a super-secret-plus-illegal vigilante hideout.

“You sure this is where the Revelator lives?”

Melvin closes the door slowly so as to not make a sound. He pauses for a moment when he sees how many combinations of locks are placed in it. Guess they were just lucky that the investigating team only uses a thin yellow tape to barricade it.

“I’m 100% sure. I read it in the files, this is where he plans… everything.”

Alan walks over to the broken window, the splinters of glass cracks beneath his feet. In that quiet minute, Melvin moves closer towards a hole in the floor and squats next to it. There are planks placed neatly right beside it and there’s nothing inside it when he aims his flashlight into it.

“The NYPD and FBI must’ve wiped this place clean. There’s probably no clue left behind,” he says, standing up from his position to look over Alan. The Revelator seems to stash all of his guns and drugs beneath the floor and, judging from all the mess, the investigating team must’ve checked the walls too. 

From behind him, Melvin looks at Alan while he stares at the broken window like he’s trying to make a sense of it, and it doesn’t, really. The Revelator jumped from the second floor through a literal hard glass and landed without a single scratch. That doesn’t make sense at all.

The fact that they tried to look for clues also doesn’t make a single fucking sense as well.

“We should probably go,” Melvin says.

“There must’ve been something else here.”

Alan walks away from the window and starts to search from room to room, and Melvin just stares. It’s weird, it just doesn’t make sense. Alan doesn’t have any reason to get so fussed over the Revelator and he wasn’t even that crazy about the medal from the very beginning. The fact that he’s willing to go all through the process of searching a needle in a haystack is just fucking obtuse.

So he decides to walk over to the kitchen area. The sink is leaking droplets of water and everything else is just evidence covered in plastic. He wears his latex glove and opens the fridge door; nothing. He checks the trash can; nothing. He opens every single cabinet to check if the FBI left anything for them; nothing.

Every corner of the room is wiped from all possible evidence, and this is just dumb. Melvin should’ve just realized that they’re reaching a dead-end from the moment they even decide to do this. It’s a dumb idea, and to think that this shit will boost his career up is just the same. This isn’t even legal.

“Alan, let’s just go. The other tenants are going to suspect us,” he half-whispers as he walks over to the other rooms.

The first room he steps into is empty except for a mattress with newspapers below it. Alan isn’t there.

The second room is filled with more stuff than the other. There’s actually a bed with covers with it rather than a single sheet of fabric. It isn’t painted in gray like the other part of the apartment. The room got a personality on it.

And then there’s a desk but it’s empty from a single object. There isn’t any single dust in it like it was meant to be filled with something.

“Uh, Alan?”

Melvin steps out of the room and moves on to the next room. Alan is standing in the room next door, one that looks fairly the same, but with different paint, or, to put it simply, a different ‘personality’ than the previous room.

Melvin gulps.

“Do you think the Revelator lives with… someone else?”

Alan turns around slowly, a paper in his hand and a serious scowl across his face. He nods.

“He has kids.”

The ride is filled with silence. Though, to be fair, Melvin wasn’t sure if it was because of the horror, or the shock.

“I’m sure that there’s at least two of them, but all we have now is Elisa Miller. I’m going to look it up.”

Alan holds the piece of paper and hands it to Melvin. It’s a part of an exam paper with the name Elisa Miller and a school name. The rest of the page is ripped away, it’s like the owner was rushing or trying to hide things or… he doesn’t know. Both? Maybe.

‘Shit, they’re probably trained for things like this,’ Melvin wonders. It’s common sense! If the Revelator has kids, then they’re probably highly trained in combat or, if they don’t, they know what to do when this kind of situation arises. He doesn’t know. There’s just no way his kids are ‘normal’. There’s just no way that their family is a functional one just like the family you see on a cheesy, American TV commercial.

The worst case is that they’re abused. Shit, Melvin feels like he’s going to throw up at the thought. The Revelator wasn’t known for his kindness or his fatherly nature, right? Fuck. He’s an insatiable monster with a fucked-up moral compass.

How can he have kids?

“I still can’t believe that the FBI missed that clue,” Alan snickers as he looks over to the school ground with his binoculars. It’s the same school as the one written on the ripped paper. This is the only lead they have.

Melvin frowns. “This isn’t a joke. Shouldn’t we give this to the FBI?”

“Sssh… They can have it later when we are done busting his ass to the jail. Hey, check this out, I think that’s the one.”

Alan hands the binoculars to Melvin and points out towards the direction of a girl. She has medium-length hair with light tips and a permanent scowl, apparently, or maybe it’s just the sun. Melvin was just guessing.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, lemme check it again on the database.” Alan unlocks his phone and types on the screen. “Elisa Miller, adopted from a church in downtown New York by a man named… Jim? Wow, Jim Parker. Jesus, how many aliases does this man have?” Alan frowns as he scrolls through his phone.

Elisa Miller walks alone towards the school gate with earphones shoved in her ears when two boys, one Asian and the other is African-American, walks towards her, smiling and probably calling her name.

“Try checking out if Jim Parker adopts another kid.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Um… there’s another one named Brown. Peter Brown. He’s a Korean descent, raised at the same church.”

“So the Revelator does have kids…” Melvin mutters softly as his eyes tail Elisa Miller and Peter Brown. In some way, Melvin knows that the Revelator isn’t going to be there to pick them up as the three teens start to walk heading towards a nearby station.

“Any other info?” Melvin asks as he gives the binoculars to Alan, he takes Alan’s phone in exchange.

“From what I read, no. Jim Parker only adopts two kids and they came from the same Catholic orphanage. I look it up, there’s a database for a man named Robert Brown that we could interrogat—I mean, talk with, later.” Alan takes his eyes off the teenagers and looks at Melvin.

Elisa Miller and Peter Brown, along with the unknown teen, talks about something from afar. They’re moving away, but not at an alarming pace. They don’t look like they notice their presence, but even from here, Melvin knows that they’re being alert, judging by the amount of time they look over their shoulders.

“Where do you think they’re going?” Melvin looks at Alan, he has his eyes firmly locked to them.

“To where they are staying right now,” Alan answers, then nods firmly at him. Now there’s the sign he knows too well. Melvin starts the engine and tails them slowly; keeping an appropriate amount of distance so nobody will notice them. At some point, he nearly thought that they would get caught. They don’t know anything about the teens besides their name and probably some legal information recorded by the States, but what he does know is that they’re the ‘same’. The Revelator and his kids, they both have the same, piercing eyes, and that expression fades away when they talk to each other or stop being so damn alarmed. Maybe they don’t even realize what they’re doing, and that brings him to even more questions.

How much do these kids know about the Revelator? Do they help him? Holy, is the Revelator making another team just like what the 80s Revelator did?

“Melvin, hey, get it together buddy. They’re taking the subway.” Alan snaps his fingers in front of Melvin’s face. “Come on.”

Alan goes out of the car first, then Melvin follows him without skipping a beat. The subway is crowded and it’s just the perfect place to blend in. Elisa Miller and Peter Brown part way with the other teen and hop into one of the cars, Melvin and Alan, on the other hand, take the one right next to it.

The ride is slow and nobody speaks a word. It’s still crowded inside. Elisa Miller sits and Peter Brown stands in front of her. They didn’t talk at all.

“Do you think he’ll be there?” Alan asks, eyeing the teens through the glass window, and Melvin just shrugs. He doesn’t know what to expect, really. His goddamn heart is currently beating sooo damn fast. He’s excited and scared, like, how could he not? He doesn’t know what he will do if they really meet the Revelator. Fight? That’s really not a good thing to do when you’re facing an international vigilante even if there are two of them. Malvin saw what the Revelator did towards a group of cops. He remembers it all too well how they got him cornered in an abandoned church and how long the shootout lasted. One person, obviously injured and not in their best state of mind, versus a whole squad, and that one person nearly managed to run away.

And what if they run? That’s worse. Oh, man. The Revelator would track them. He just can’t think of a good ending for this.

Melvin feels the sweat running down his spine. He doesn’t know what the Revelator will do when he meets them, that’s even worse.

“They stop here. Let’s go.”

His heartbeat is spiking up, goddamn. They’re going back in the same direction of the Revelator’s super-secret-plus-illegal hideout, but this time, that dumb nickname doesn’t bring any smile to his face. He’s fucking tense, and so is Alan. He notices that his partner has been biting his fingernails on their way and he only does that whenever he’s nervous. And now they’re reaching another dead end when the teens get into their apartment complex. Melvin knows damn well that they couldn’t get inside because the other tenants will notice them and ruin their entire stealth mission, but they’re so close. So fucking close.

“Alan, we can’t.”

Melvin grabs Alan's wrist. They can’t take another step, they’d be found. Alan frowns at him like he’s losing his mind, but he doesn’t argue. He stays quiet and bites his fingers. From the look on his face, Melvin realizes that he’s thinking hard. Alan’s eyes roam over the surroundings. Damn right, Melvin knows he isn’t gonna give up and as much as he appreciates his partner’s spirit, sometimes he wishes that Alan would stand back.

“We are so close,” Alan whispers, and Melvin agrees.

Alan points over to a building. It’s abandoned and there’s a sign that shows that they’re going to tear it down. He doesn’t tell Melvin when he jumps over the low metal gate and into the building. With quick precision, he turns his flashlight, and Melvin follows.

“Where are we heading?”

“Third floor. We might be able to see them from here.”

And Alan was right. They can see the Revelator’s room exactly from their spot. With his binoculars, Alan gets the first exclusive look at the broken window of the Revelator’s apartment from where he lays on his stomach. Melvin gets the first shift of the watchman. With his guns loaded, he stays near the only exit they have. 

“Did you see anything?”

“Negative,” Alan answers. His voice nearly echoing around the hollow concrete room. The place is a total mess, really. It’s not empty of furniture, but it does feel like the developer doesn’t even bother to finish the construction. There’s probably some homeless dude staying here judging from the interior. Gray wall, gray floor, all of it made of concrete. There are gaping holes in the walls where the windows are supposed to be placed, and there’s a worn-out mattress at the corner of the room with the springs coming all over the soft cushion placed on top of outdated newspapers, just like the Revelator’s room.

Melvin’s hearts drop to his stomach.

“Alan,” he whispers, palms sweating and trembling.

“Ssh, shut up!”

“Alan,” he whispers again, this time nearly yelling. He looks around the room to find another exit. There’s none. The only place where they could exit the building is through the creaking stairs or from the window, which is entirely impossible because they are not the Revelator who could jump through three stories building and still be able to run like he doesn’t feel a single, fucking, pain.

“I think I saw a movement. Holy shit, we might just be right all along!”

“ALAN!”

“Dude, what the—”

“I think this is the Revelator’s hideout.”

They freeze.

It’s quiet.

“Damn right it is.”

Alan screams.

ㅤㅤㅤEverything turns to black.

ㅤㅤ

ㅤㅤ

ㅤㅤ

“Oh my God, oh my fucking God. Stay out of him you sick fuck oh my God, MELVIN!”

‘Alan, you forgot to give me blankets.’

That was Melvin’s first thought.

It’s cold, it’s fucking cold out here and he’s uncomfortable. His head hurt like there’s someone trying to drill a hole into it, and his entire body is sore, all his muscles trying to stretch and move and just, basically, trying to ease the pain.

It’s fucking cold here.

“Melvin.”

The whisper is the first thing that he registers. It’s small, it’s out of breath… it sounds… pained?

Alan.

“Alan,” Melvin word’s slurs.

It’s cold, it’s hella cold, and his vision is blurry. The air smells tangy and sour, but the room is bright. It’s oddly bright, why? Harsh white light flashing his eyes, blinding his already blurry eyes. He tries to focus, tries to control his breathing. It’s cold, holy fuck. Why is it so cold?

“Took you a while.”

Melvin raises his head, struggling to find where the voice was coming from. It’s no use, everything is blurry. The light isn’t doing anything good to his eyes.

“Get the fuck away from him!” that’s Alan again, shit, he sounds in pain. Melvin tries to shake the blur away, he wants to see Alan. He wants to see him—no. He needs to see him.

There’s a low chuckle. “Ya might wanna keep it down a bit, sweetheart. Yer going to need all those air for later,” the voice says, and he feels a soft touch under his chin, “ain’t that right, Melvin?”

His vision is still blurry when a rough hand caresses his skin, but he can already feel his senses getting back to him. First, it was his skin: once he couldn’t feel his legs, now he could feel the cold floor even better. Second, it was his ears: once the sound was muffled, now it is crystal clear.  He knows that voice, he heard it all over and over and over again in Alan’s apartment room. When the blinds were pulled down and the lights were dimmed, when the TV was playing the Masters Tournament in Fox Sports, he heard that voice before. “No, no, Melvin. Rewind. Rewind it again. Look at his face, what is he doing?” Alan had said back then, and Melvin thought that the idea was dumb, but now it’s just pure terror.

He can’t even try to pull away.

“Shit, kid. Did I hit ya too hard?” the voice says again, and Melvin has to bite his inner cheek and holds his breath for a moment. Third, it was his eyes: once everything is blurry, now his nightmare is manifesting in front of him.

He wishes that it would stay blurry.

Because now he’s looking at the same blue eyes just like the one he saw three days ago. When the blinds were pulled down and the lights were dimmed, when the TV was playing a documentary of lion cubs on NatGeo Wild, he’d seen those eyes before. He’s looking at the same piercing gaze like the one given by the teens. He’s looking at the same monster as he did back then.

“Melvin, eh? Heard a lot about ya, ’m sorry for hitting your head too hard.”

Alan sneers. “G—get the f—”

　　One click.

　　He hears the load of a gun.

“Stay.”

Melvin snaps his eyes wide and searches frantically towards Alan’s voice. He’s still in shock, but he can see his partner in the corner of the room—a closed space with white walls and shelves with boxes in it. It’s cramped and it’s cold. The floor, the wall, the air. Everything’s cold.

Alan’s hands are free. Alan’s legs are free.

Alan’s stomach is bleeding.

“Alan—”

Melvin scrambles his way towards him, but he’s stopped right on track. Shit. His head hurts so bad and he’s stuck in his place. He could feel his muscles tensing behind him, his wrist securely tied to a metal shelf by a rope. The metal is cold, and it hurts. It hurts and it’s cold, it’s cold and it hurts. Holy fucking shit, Alan.

“Ssh…” The gentle hands return to his cheek. It’s cold, cold like the rest of the room, cold like the pale blue eyes that looked more like it has always been gray this whole time.

“Your partner is bleeding to death, you can’t panic,” the voice says again. His tone is flat and his voice is low, but then he hears a chuckle. There’s blood at the corner of his lips, there are cuts and bruises across his face. There’s terror coming from those eyes, the manic gleam glinting under the harsh, white lamp.

“N–no—”

“Melvin, darling, I’m joking. He‘s fine, I stitch him up.” The cold hand tilts his head. “Come on Alan, tell him.”

Alan looks at Melvin and to the source of the voice. There’s a bob in his adam’s apple, but when he looks back at Melvin, Alan nods like he means it.

“Good boy,” the voice says again. The cold hands disappear, and when the voice’s owner steps back, Melvin has to hold his breath.

Standing in all black is the Revelator himself. He doesn’t wear his mask, his entire face, from those sharp jaws and hooded eyes, all the bruises and cuts standing in front of him. There’s a Glock in his hand, but Melvin knows the man enough to realize that it isn’t the only weapon he has. There’s gonna be an extra gun tucked somewhere in his pants, some combat knife under his tactical vest. There’s always something he hides.

It’s the Revelator.

“Thought you wanna meet me, Melvin Rickman.” The Revelator smirks. “Or do you prefer, ‘Melvin Russell’?”

Melvin’s guts twist like it has never been before. He hears Alan muttering something from afar, but he couldn’t tell. His heartbeat is racing like shit, and he couldn’t breathe.

The Revelator looks at Alan and smiles wider. “You didn’t know, did ya?”

Melvin knows that Alan is looking at him, but Melvin couldn’t look back.

“You didn’t really think that your partner is willing to go all out for some stupid medal, did you?” the Revelator says again. He sounds calm, too calm for his own good. Too calm for someone like him. Is this thing a normal routine for him? Just another Saturday of blackmailing people! What a fun activity.

The Revelator snickers and looks back at Melvin. “You ain’t fooling anyone, sweetheart.”

Melvin chokes.

“How did you—”

The Revelator shush him before he could even continue his words. He’s so gentle, it’s making him sick. He doesn’t even know which one is better, believing that the Revelator is a fucked-up sadist who skins his victim alive or realizing that he’s actually a gentle fucker who uses too many endearments.

He wants to puke.

“Now, I hear that you guys are looking for me.” The Revelator drags a chair and sits on it. With his legs crossed on top of a knee, he pulls out a combat knife from one of his boots and starts juggling with it between his fingers. ‘Every move is calculated, but not necessarily planned.’ The letters from the file resounding inside his head. Back then, it didn’t make any sense, but now it does. It’s coming together now. Every time Melvin thinks that the knife is going to slip, he just picks it back and continues with the same, steady pace. The knife play isn’t a show of control, no, it isn’t. The Revelator isn’t trying to prove his capability, Melvin knows that he’s just bored. He knows that the Revelator thinks he’s way above that already to prove himself.

‘Every move is calculated, but not necessarily planned,’  he thinks again.

So does the Revelator know that this would happen? Did he calculate this? Did he know that there’s a chance for two young cops with barely one year worth of experience will try to snoop around? Have they been in the equation? If yes, since when?

Did the Revelator already know that this would happen the moment he nails Todd Russel in front of him?

“That’s Todd Russel. He led the Revelator investigation in 2002 before the case went cold and Russel was found dead at the beginning of 2003.”

Yeah, he knew that long ago. He knows.

Melvin is there the whole time.

He wants to puke. So bad.

“You find another side that you don’t know, good for you,” the Revelator says, “and I respect that. Not a lot of people could find some good lead easily.”

The Revelator drags his chair closer to Melvin, then he leans back. It’s the same pose all over again. His head is tilted to a side, just like what he did during the previous interrogation with Detective Nashton, but this time he’s flipping a kali knife in one hand and he has one foot crossed over a knee. Melvin wonders if he’s going to sit like this if not because of the cuffs back then.

“So, imma give ya punks a special time to interview me. Oh no, don’t get excited too easily. I only accept three questions,” he continues. The Revelator tilts his head to the other side and smiles at Alan. And it’s so sweet, sweet and gentle just like everything he does. Sweet and gentle like the way he touches his cheeks a moment ago, sweet and gentle, just, so different from the way he dresses. So different from what the file told them.

“W-who are you working for?” Alan tries to make his voice as menacing from the corner of the room, but he’s breathing heavily, puffs of white smoke coming from his lips. His face is pale from any colors, be it from the blood loss or the cold, Melvin just wanna run at him and hold him close. 

The Revelator stops his knife flipping and covers his mouth. “You can’t be serious,” he says, holding his laughter back, and Alan just stares at him wide-eyed, completely baffled at the response.

“It’s in the file, isn’t it? I saw it in your room. You should’ve kept it in a better place besides the bottom of your drawer, kid.” The Revelator smiles at Alan, then he glances at Melvin for a brief moment and wink. What the fuck.

It shouldn’t be surprising anymore, but Melvin couldn’t help the violent contraction inside his stomach. He stifles a groan, it hurts so bad and he’s fucking stressed. The Revelator already knows his real name, his real identity, then what else does he know? How many things does he know about them? He finds Alan’s place, and he might’ve already had Melvin’s address in his intel from a long time ago.

How many things does he know about them?

“You…” Melvin breathes in harshly, struggling to control his heartbeat. The Revelator eyes him with his sharp gaze. The gray irises—Melvin is completely sure that it was gray by now—swallowing his pupil until it left only a speck of black.

“Did your kids… know?”

The Revelator stays quiet, the curve of his lips turned flat, and there isn’t any sharpness inside his eyes anymore. There’s nothing there, nothing to indicate any sense of distress or anything else. No hostility, no emotion. Nothing.

It’s like staring into the void and hoping that it will give you something, but no. No matter how long you look at it, there’s just nothing there.

Does it mean he hit the right spot?

“Well,” the Revelator looks away, and when his gaze returned, the same sharpness returned. There goes back the confident look on his face, the same gentle smile that doesn’t suit the bloodlust coming from his eyes.

“There are… a lot of things a parent hides from their children,” he begins, “maybe you’ll understand better when you’re older. There are sacrifices you gotta make, you know, some dirty things you have to do for love. Honestly, I thought you, of all people, would understand it better.”

Melvin looks away. “How can I? You killed Todd Russel.”

“Yes, Melvin, sorry,” the Revelator rubs the bridge of his nose, “but your Daddy broke his promise to me.”

Melvin bites his tongue. They’re playing a mind game, he finally realizes. The Revelator doesn’t want to answer anything, at least, not in a way. With every question they ask, there’s a truth, then there’s also a threat ready to just jump back and tackle them. It’s a sick thought and Melvin hates it. He hates that the Revelator has the upper hand no matter what he does. He runs away from the police, survived a chase, and the fact that the room is fucking cold doesn’t help a thing. Now Alan is coughing and it’s cold and oh my fucking God, how long have they been here?

“One more question,” the Revelator says, and he smiles again. It’s sickening. It’s sickening how even fate picks his favorite.

Melvin looks at Alan. He’s so pale.

“What promise did Todd Rus—that, Dad, broke?” Melvin half-whispers, and the Revelator chuckles.

“The same promise I’m making with ya.”

There’s a loud sound of metal hitting a tile. The blade glinting under the harsh white light.

“I’m gonna let you kids live your life a bit longer, just enough so you guys could cut off the sexual tension and start dating each other and have some glorious sex. I’m letting y’all do it, I even booked two plane tickets to the Bahamas for you. I’m letting y’all do it, as long as you let me live my goddamn life. You ain’t coming anywhere near me, near my kids, near my fucking apartment or my fucking boss or my fucking friends, ‘cause if you fucking do,” the Revelator stands up and walks to him, “then I’ll fucking come at you, kid. I will fucking send swarms of flies upon thee and upon thy goddamn servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses. And yer houses shall be loaded shit of flies and also the ground whereon they are but maybe I ain’t talking ‘bout some weak-ass flies. Listen to me, sweetheart, maybe I’m talking about something else. Something’ exploding that you won’t ever forget, something that you will always, always pop out in your goddamn head whenever you close your eyes. Something, something similar like the one I give to yer Daddy.”

The Revelator stands tall and steps on the knife he throws. In one single movement, he slides it in Alan’s direction and starts walking away towards the exit. It’s a metal door and the only thing holding it from closing completely is a single, dumb red brick.

“You know me, Russel. You don’t wanna mess with me.”

The Revelator walks away and shuts the door tight.

It’s quiet for a moment. He feels his heart sinks to the floor.

“Melvin—”

Melvin turns his gaze away from the metal door. Alan is still there, his face is still pale, and there’s still some smoke coming from his mouth.

“Shit, Alan!”

Melvin struggles to slip away from the knots, but it’s no use. The ropes are tight around his hands. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

“Well,” Alan’s eyes are hazy and he looks so fucking tired, but he flashes a smile. “He shot me in the leg and stabbed my abdomen, but I’m good.” Alan laughs like he is reminiscing a cute memory from his childhood days.

“You sick fucker, how can you still—alright, shut up, I’m going to find a way to get out of this… wh-what are you doing?”

Alan drags himself towards Melvin’s direction with the knife in his hand. He realizes it’s the combat knife, the same knife that the Revelator juggles, and the same knife that was thrown into his feet a while ago.

“Oh, shut up. He gave us this,” Alan cuts the rope with the knife, his breath panting heavily as he struggles to keep his hand steady. Melvin’s heart aches. “For... this.”

The ropes around him break loose and Melvin sighs heavily when he feels the tension leaving his shoulder. Alan slumps back to the nearest wall and shuts his eyes.

“God, Alan, what the fuck—”

“He stitched me up.”

“What?”

“The Revelator.” Alan pulls his shirt up to show a bandage. There is dried blood on his stomach and bruises covering the rest of him, but the dressing looks… neat. “He stitched it. My legs too, he takes the bullet out by himself,” Alan says, his eyes don’t quite meeting Melvin’s.

Melvin stares wide-eyed. “B-but why?”

“I don’t know, Melvin. I really don’t know.”

Alan sighs and tries to sit upright. He can’t, he slumps back again with a moan. “When he hit you on the head, I was so mad and I… I just came at him with empty hands. Then he stabbed me and shot me in the leg, and I was... dying. I thought I was gonna die and you’re going to see me covered with my own blood and I started to beg.” Alan is now completely avoiding his eyes. “He stares at me like he doesn’t care, then he hits me in the face, and when I wake up, my wounds are clean.”

“Alan that’s…”

“It’s weird. I know. He… he doesn’t make any sense at all.”

Melvin stares at him for a moment until Alan finally looks at him. In some way, he doesn’t know what to say. The thought of not having Alan in his life anymore sounds bleak. It looks bleak. It feels bleak. He doesn’t want that.

Melvin holds Alan’s wrist. “We’re taking you to the hospital,” he says. Then he quickly stands up even when he feels like tumbling down again, even when his head starts screaming “sit the FUCK down” and his legs feel like jelly. He limps his way towards the door and tries to open it by the safety release handle. It doesn't budge. He rings the safety bell, there’s no answer.

Melvin pants. He’s doing everything too fast to the point he forgets that they’re stuck in a closed space with a temperature of -10° F and low oxygen level. Fuck, his heart is beating too fast and he’s about to hyperventilate. “We’re stuck,” he whispers, but Alan doesn’t look like he gives a fuck. He rolls his eyes and looks at Melvin, deadpan. “Yea, genius. Just get back here now and warm me up.”

Melvin shakes his head. “No, no. We can’t give up. There must be, there must be something we could do.”

“No, Melvin. There isn’t. The only thing we can do now is wait until someone found us and that’s the hard part because it’s cold, Melvin. Don’t you feel cold?”

Melvin nods.

“It’s a walk-in freezer, Rickman, and if we don’t,” Alan coughs, “if we don’t keep ourselves warm, there’s no telling how we could survive that wait.”

Melvin stares at Alan again. Once again, the fear found him. It makes his brain go numb and his legs all jittery. There’s this urge to just scream and throw himself on the door, but he knows better than to do that.

He looks from shelves to shelves to find something—anything. Anything that could keep them warm for some unknown time. Anything that could cover both of them for the night. There’s nothing, and he’s scared. He’s fucking scared. He’s so scared that he might start to cry right now.

“It’s really cold, don’t you think?” Alan jokes, but Melvin doesn’t crack a single laugh. Melvin stops looking and sits next to his partner instead. “We’re gonna get out of here,” Melvin says, his hands founding its way around Alan’s cold body. “We’re gonna get out of here.”

They stay like that for what seems to be eternity. Alan’s body grows colder and his breathing gets heavier, and so does Melvin’s. He doesn’t know how many hours have passed since the Revelator left the room. Seconds feel like minutes, minutes feel like hours. And he just wants to cry, fuck, he wanna cry so bad because it hurts. Melvin looks so pale and out of it, and he’s scared. He’s scared. He’s out-gunned. They’ve stuck together for so long and they always won. They’ve been together from the beginning and they will always be until the end. Alan has saved Melvin over and over and over again, but right now, when Alan needed him the most, he couldn’t do anything about it.

“When we get out of here,” Alan smiles at him, but it doesn’t really reach his eyes, “wanna have some dinner together?”

Melvin hugs him tighter and nods. Yes, that sounds great. They’re going to get dinner when they’re out of here. They’re not going to miss any Taco Nights and they’re going to watch the Yankees together. They’re going to do a lot of things when they get out.

If only. If only they get o—

“NYPD GET YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!”

The metal door opens forcefully and a swarm of people in tac gears rushes into the room. Melvin tenses in his place and hugs Alan even tighter. It’s Sergeant Jones.

“Huh, Collins and Rickman. I should’ve… what the fuck, we need a medic!”

The tac teams look around the room as Sergeant Jones walks towards them with heavy steps. “H-how did you…?”

“There’s an anonymous call to the precinct saying there’s a hostage situation. We tracked the phone and it comes to this address. The FBI is waiting outside,” he continues as he kneels in front of them. The tac teams leave the freezer to make a room for the medic. Two men quickly come to lift Alan’s limp body to the stretcher, and another one quickly wraps a blanket around Melvin’s own freezing self.

“Why is the FBI here?” Melvin asks as Sergeant Jones hoists him up. The older sergeant and the other medic help him walk outside the room.

“You know who called, Rickman?” The Sergeant’s eyes are sharp at him. Melvin shakes his head.

“It’s the Revelator.”

“Is he gonna be alright?” Melvin asks as he looks at Melvin. He’s sleeping right now, the blinds are pulled down and the lights are dimmed, but the TV isn’t playing any random show and there isn’t anything to hide now. Not anymore.

“Doctor said that he’s lucky,” Sergeant Jones says with his thick Brooklyn drawl. “He lost a lot of blood, but his sutures are neat. I can’t believe the fucking Revelator actually did that. What the hell happened, Rickman? You know what, don’t tell me. Save the answer for the Captain later.”

Melvin doesn’t reply, he’s still looking at Alan. “Don’t be so bummed, kid. Nobody is going to lose their job.”

He smiles. “I’m thinking of quitting, Sergeant.”

Sergeant Jones’ eyes go wide.

“Alright, I know that was crazy, but take your time to think about it.”

Melvin looks at him for a moment, but that’s all he does. He says nothing and just stares at Alan’s peaceful form.

“What are you gonna do after this, kid?”

He looks at the Sergeant.

“Dinner, I guess.”

#prosit in vitam aeternam #tw: language #tw: violence #tw: death

[noneya-business-me]

Married life pt.2

Lance was seething, he slammed the door of the cafe open and stormed out to the car. He had driven Keith out to the cafe, but at this point he didn’t care. He could find his own way back into the city. “Shiro’s probably hiding nearby anyways.” He grumbled, putting his sunglasses on and flying out of the parking lot. He took a deep breath trying to calm down before he got to his and Zarkon’s favourite lunch spot. He greeted the valet with a warm smile, handing him the keys to the car. He was escorted inside, right to his table where his husband was patiently waiting. “Hello darling,” Zarkon greeted, rising from his seat and planting a kiss on his cheek. “Hello honey.” Lance greeted back with a matching smile. Zarkon pulled out the seat for Lance to sit in before sitting back down himself. “How was shopping?’ He inquired. “Good as usual. We defiantly have to start tipping Casey, she is a gem.” He laughed, before his eyes narrowed sharply. “How did the meeting go?” He asked cooly. “They agreed to merge with us, as expected.” Zarkon replied with a smirk, “just like you said they would.” Lance’s grin widened. “I’m always right, aren’t I?” “That you are.” He liked being able to show this side. The person that he really was; and the only person he could show and still be loved was his husband. He raised his glass of red wine up to his lips, taking a slow sip. “We have to stay on our toes from now on.” Lance added. “How so?” Zarkon asked, raising a brow. “They’re on to us.” Lance replied, “Or onto you I guess.” If it was even possible Zarkon’s brow raised even higher. “They still think that I have nothing to do with the ‘business’. They think I’m your stupid trophy husband.” He explained, looking at his nails. “I mean it could be an advantage in the long run, but still.” “That’s interesting.” Zarkon stated simply. “It could be because most of my ex friends are on the police force.” He laughed, “They still see me as the person I used to be.” Zarkon chucked lowly. “Anyways I guess they’re close to finding something, because Keith said ‘at this rate I’ll be going down with you’.” Lance stated, taking another sip of wine. “You were talking to him?” Zarkon asked in surprise. “Yeah, I ran into him today while I was shopping.” Lance replied, with a laugh, “basically spilled everything to me.” Zarkon shook his head with a snort. Soon they were done lunch and were heading back to the mansion. Zarkon jumped in the car he had brought to work while Lance followed him back in the Ferrari. Once they reached the front doors the driver was there to take the cars back into the garage. Zarkon waited on the step for him as he bounced up and took his arm. They both walked up the steps and into the house. Suddenly Lance froze in the doorway and looked back out across the large lawn. “What is it Lance?” Zarkon questioned in a whisper. “Something’s not right.” He whispered back, stepping into the front foyer and closing the door. He looked at Zarkon in worry. “I just thought back to what Keith was saying.” Zarkon gave him a questioning look. “He couldn’t have just come here to warm me,” A slight panic took over his tone, “they have something on you.” “Shit.” Realization took over Zarkon’s face. “What do we do?” Lance asked, “I can’t lose you!” Zarkon gently took Lance’s face in his hands and guided them to look up at him. “It’ll be alright.” He cooed, “I promise.” Both their eyes narrowed at the same time. “We have to take matters into our own hands.” Zarkon stated. “I have plenty of favours I can call in.” Lance added pulling a small notebook out of his coat pocket. “Let’s get started.” Zarkon said, opening the door to the study, “We don’t know how much time we have.” Police (POV) They had set up in the local police station, filling the borrowed office with their boxes of case files. “You talked to him today!” Hunk yelled in Keith’s face, “we’re supposed to have zero contact with him.” “I know, I’m sorry. He kind of caught me off guard.” Keith sighed. “Dude, it was the only rule for you and you broke it.” Pidge added, taking a sip from her coffee cup. “I know!’ Keith snapped. “You’re lucky that we’ll have the warrant in our hands in a few hours or you would be screwed.” Pidge giggled. “Then this whole mess will be over with.” “Did the witness show up yet?” Shiro yawned, walking into the office. “Not yet, he should be here soon though.” Keith replied, “he sent me a text saying he was on his way over.” “There’s an officer with him right?” Shiro questioned. “We weren’t in charge of him, so I don’t know.” Hunk replied, ruffling through some of the case papers. “Shit.” Shiro hissed, stepping back into the bullpen, but was surprised to see Officers running out the doors. “What’s going on?” Shiro demanded, grabbing one of the Officer’s arms. “Murder.” He stated, “right in front of the station. We have to get his body out of there before people see.” He followed the stream of people, catching a glimpse of the man. He was the witness that was the key to finally getting Zarkon. “Damn it!” He shouted. He seethed in anger as he slammed the door back into the station. “Call the Judge!” He yelled, “We need that warrant now!” Pidge was already on the phone waiting for them to pick up. Normal (POV) Lance smiled as he hung up the phone. “It’s done.” He stated, “how’s the paper shredding going?” “Very well, thank you.” Zarkon replied, throwing the shredded paper into the fireplace. “My inside guy says the team has a warrant in progress but they still won’t have it for another few hours.” Lance said, “we still have time to leave.” “That would make us look even more suspicious.” Zarkon replied, “we want to maintain that we’re innocent.” Lance sighed heavily, “I’m this close to calling in the family.” He hissed. Zarkon smiled warmly. “This is why I love you,” he leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Yeah, Yeah. Whatever.” Lance pouted, “I’m going to go change into my pyjamas.” He yawned loudly going up the stairs to the bedroom and changing into short black shorts and a blue tank top. He glanced out the window as he was coming down the stairs, seeing multiple bright headlights headed towards there secluded mansion. His eyes widened in sudden realization. “ZARKON!” He screamed, “THEY’RE COMING!” He stumbled out of the study and up the stairs to where Lance was staring out the window. He looked at Lance who’s face was creased in worry. He grabbed his arm lightly and guided him into the bedroom. “Just pretend we’ve been asleep.” He whispered, using the automatic app on his phone to turn off the downstairs lights. Lance shook beside him as they heard the multiple vehicles pull up outside the doors, and the loud scrape of feet on the gravel. He stilled as a smirk made its way onto his face. He leaned into Zarkon’s ear and whispered something before with one loud bang the doors were forced open and the yelling started.  Orders were being shouted and soon enough loud voices were coming up the stairs towards the bedroom. He screamed as the door was forced open, and the lights turned on. HIs husband was dragged from the bed and down the stairs before he could even process that this was actually happening. “You’re not allowed to do that!” He screamed, latching onto one of the armed officers. “Stay back!” He grunted elbowing Lance’s face. He fell to the ground clutching his nose that immediately started gushing blood. His room started being torn apart. “Stop!” He screamed, as he jumped to his feet. He ran from the room and down the stairs still holding his face, when he could hear Zarkon shouting at the Officers. He stumbled down the stairs nearly falling, blood dripping on the clean marble. His house was being ripped apart. In the study papers were flying everywhere, he hoped Zarkon had been able to burn everything. The furniture was being ripped apart looking for any sign of weapons. He fell to his knees with a loud sob, he could barely hear the desperate yell from Zarkon. All too suddenly there were hands on him. He looked up to see the familiar face of Keith. He narrowed his eyes dangerously, a face so full of hate and malice took over. “Don’t. Touch. Me.” He hissed, getting to his feet and gaining the attention of the rest of the team. “What happened to your face?” Hunk asked. “One of your fucking police buddies elbowed me in the face!” He screamed. “Lance, you need to calm down. We’re only here to help.” Shiro stated. “Help? Are you serious?” He snapped back. He spread his arms wide, motioning to the chaos around him. “Does this look like you’re helping me? People are literally tearing my life apart! My house is destroyed, my face got bashed in, and my husband is in the back of a police car!” His gaze shifted fully onto Keith. “I asked you specifically not to ruin my life Keith.” He growled, “Specifically.” “What happens now?” He asked, his nose still dripping, “Do I stay here? Do I go with him?” Keith looked down at the ground in shame. “Answer me!” He yelled, “I may be pissed, but I’m still confused.” “Just come with me.” Shiro said, grabbing his arm, and dragging him outside. “I don’t have shoes on!” Lance yelled, as the stones dug into his feet. “If you’re going to act like a brat, I’m going to treat you like a brat.” Shiro snapped, slamming him down on the front of the squad car. He quickly search him, and cuffed his hands behind his back. “I didn’t do anything!” He wailed, “You’re the ones that assaulted me!” “Shiro, what are you doing?” Hunk hissed, “we don’t have any charges on him.” Lance smirked his face still facing the cop car. “You c-can’t d-do this!” He sobbed, when Shiro ignored the others and threw him roughly into the van with  Zarkon. “Lance, darling. What happened to your face?” He asked with concern. “T-they h-hit me.” He wailed sitting up. He gave them one last glance as the doors were shut and they were left alone again. His sobbing immediately ceased and he sat on the bench next to him, resting his head on his shoulder. “All according to plan.”

#voltron #lance mcclain #keith #zarkon #hunk #shiro #Pidge #crime au #mafia?

[misterbitches]

i want you to watch king the eternal monarch ( it's a het couple between a cop and a king ) just to see your essay about how the real good ending would be the end of the monarchy and the police department ❤❤ where's our revolution bro??

i am so so so so so so so so so so so so sorry for this and how long it is. out of myf rustrations with south korea and all this shit i really have an affinity to old korean history i think bc of dramas lmao

omg my first anon :O (well i have one very mean anon b4 this, but that’s ok)

i hate to say this bc usually i am very open to suggestions (and thank you, if you think i would like anything else i am totally open to suggestions and trying i promise)

however...i....don’t like kim eun sook (at all), or lee min ho (at all), not a huge fan of go eun. i LOOOOOOOVE jung eun chae—her acting and her face—and i think like many women who like men...or anyone...who does....woo do hwan O>O but he never does anything i am interested innnnn or if he does i find it my boring

did you watch my country? i had a serious problem with the decision-making in that show but the long hair and the excessively lonely and strange romance he had with that one dude was sort of enough crumbs. i also learned a lot more about joseon and the ....what were those things called fuck the like fucked up shit bang yi won did...the purges? BRO IDK ANYWAY so minor knowledge of sk history here...

THEREFORE!!! i love that you bring up “end of the monarchy” because i have seen a few sageuks and while korean history is gorgeous and interesting...every single one having to do with the “old country” and/or present-day monarchs (or like live up to your name where he comes 2 the future....i have seen a lot of kdramas anon lmao) they NEVER EVER EVER EVER E V E R have the lack of a monarch a solution. 

one of my favs is nokdu flower and i fucking loved that show but the way shows depict the peasant revolution...which wouldn’t have succeeded anyway, i’m sure, doesn’t mean the effort wasn’t something that had to be done. and i think a part of this revolution had seen the end as like monarchs doing better? but then again the clan that started it had their own philosophies. (did you know 100 yrs earlier the first and last literal slave revolt was put into place? if you don’t know much about the haitian revolution you should read up a bit. it’s fascinating how history can repeat itself in strife. this is the only successful one tho but having that history could be a blueprint)

i digress.... the way revolution is kind of characterized and interpreted now is always in context of “reforming” the monarch and powers that be.

reading about goryeo to joseon and then the monarchy of joseon is really unfortunate to me because it’s the age old adage. they like to say: it was the PEOPLE not the EXISTENCE of monarchy that was the problem. same with chaebols and capitalism (and cops.)

it’s wild to me that there was er, for the time/in asia, “decent” rights for women that were then revoked as the years went by. doesnt that show us what can’t be done?  obviously sejong’s hangeul is like one of the best things a leader could ever do but....

(and just like ACA was like something hUUUUUGE that obama did. effective politicians who did fucking major shit i suppose but...so much strife...and the way they are both depicted will always be as like “the best” because that’s the best we have and/or could imagine)

also fuck all cops u right. i dont think i could see  a prominent SK drama ever really depicting the cops poorly...tbh any drama...we have so much copaganda in the US lol i can’t imagine that :/ 

i was also talking to a friend of mine who is korean and they were like there was no transition period before the occupation so i think that counts for something (as in monarch - monarch - occupation) so going back to the “old”korea... pre-occupation, no american “intervention”, unification, and no state actors that want to punish the people isn’t a solution either. i’d argue that it’s pretty much the case for most of our countries and that leads us to....

in general...can we develop a world in which monarchy and policing arent the answer? the idea of an “eternal” monarch omfg and it’s so aptriarchal and oppressive. just because something is tradition doesn’t mean it’s right.

u didnt ask for this lmao yet here i am. again ty for the suggestion and even wanting to hear my thoughts. i try not to turn people down. rly it’s kim eun sook (shakes fist) and i really wish i could stomach mr sunshine (but i also hate LBH...so...)

literally anyone can come in2 my mentions talmbout revolution bro i’m (stomps foot) there

#MY B #a thot

[waveridden]

FIC: greatest story ever told, boy

Steven has a lot of things. A master’s. A lot of unpaid student debt. Four copies of the Constitution. A tenure-track position at a moderately nice university. And, for some goddamn reason, he has Cib as his best friend. Cib, who really loves pissing Steven off with conspiracy theories. (A National Treasure AU. 1.5k, gen.)

AUcember || title lyric

#

“Okay, okay, hear me out.” Cib claps his hands together.

Steven waits. When Cib doesn’t say anything, he waves a hand without looking up.

“Ahem,” Cib says. Not like he’s clearing his throat, just saying the word “ahem.”

Steven gestures again, a little more impatiently, which must be enough for him, because he claps his hands again. “Are you familiar with the book known as the Constitution?”

“Not a book,” Steven says, “and also not a great joke you’re making.”

“So you have heard of it?”

“I’m a historian.”

“Steve, it’s a yes or no question.”

Steven finally, finally looks up at him, and Cib is staring in wide-eyed seriousness. “You know that I’m a literal historian with a concentration in revolutionary America, right?”

“Duh,” Cib says, “I’m just checking. For context.”

“I have four copies of the Constitution in this office, right now.”

“You’re a professor, you don’t have anything.”

Steven has a lot of things. A master’s. A doctorate. A lot of unpaid student debt. Four copies of the Constitution. Several dozen published papers on early American history. A tenure-track position at a moderately nice university. And, for some goddamn reason, he has Cib as his best friend. Cib, who makes money bussing tables and selling copies of his EP to strangers, and who really loves pissing Steven off with conspiracy theories. Cib, who he wouldn’t change anything about for the world.

“I,” Steven says with dignity, “am going to shove one of those copies up your ass.”

“Good,” Cib says. “Could use a little freedom in me.”

“Ew.”

“Point is!” Cib claps his hands three times in a row and smacks them down on his knees. “We’re not talking about that.”

“About what?”

“The Constitution.”

“What are we talking about?”

“Declaration of Independence, idiot.”

“What the fuck about it?”

“I think it has secrets.”

“What kind of secrets?”

“Secret map to buried treasure, dude!”

Steven snorts so loudly he has to clap a hand over his mouth. “You’re not serious?”

“I’m so serious!”

“You think there’s a treasure map on the Declaration of Independence?”

“Yes, dude.”

“Are you fucking with me right now?”

“No, dude!” Cib leans in, looking suddenly serious. “I know things.”

“Mmhm, what kind of things?”

“Things I can’t repeat.”

“Legally, or because you can’t remember?”

“Legally,” Cib says. “You know, we’re not supposed to tell you these things.”

“Who the fuck is we?”

“My organization.”

“What organization?”

“The one I’m in. I can’t tell you, dude.”

Steven sits back in his chair, eyeing Cib. It sounds like the normal bullshit he spits out, about Illuminati and aliens and whatever else, but he’s not saying it like it’s normal. It sounds weirdly earnest, the way a lot of his secrets do.

“Cib,” he says warily, “are you trying to say you’re a member of a secret society?”

“Course not,” Cib says, but he nods emphatically.

“I don’t know how to take that.”

“Take whatever you want from it, I’ve told you what I can.”

“About a map on the back of the Declaration of Independence? And a secret organization that knows about the map?”

“I think I have friends in it,” Cib says. “I think you do, too.”

Steven shakes his head. “You lost me. You’ve gone straight past acceptable crazy and into too weird for me, man.”

Cib looks disappointed, but he shrugs and moves on. “Why do you have four copies of the Constitution, anyways?”

“Oh, my god, it’s my actual job.”

“To have four copies? Not fourteen?”

“I am a professor,” Steven says, loudly, like that’s going to make Cib fuck off. It never does. It’s not going to work this time.

“Sure, dude,” Cib says, but he’s grinning lopsidedly, and Steven decides to let it go. Just this once.

#

And then Cib’s gone.

It takes Steven a couple days to figure it out, because sometimes Cib doesn’t answer texts. But then he keeps not answering them. And then he keeps not showing up at Steven’s office or apartment to bug him. And then Steven goes to Cib’s apartment and it’s… empty. Messy as ever, looking lived-in and warm, but Cib’s not there. It looks like he hasn’t been there in a few days.

“Shit,” Steven says out loud, standing in the middle of the apartment. “Shit.”

He files a missing persons report. He calls his friends. He does everything he can, which is a ton of fucking nothing. And he goes back to work.

Around the one-week mark, when Steven doesn’t have anything left to do, he finally remembers that last conversation. And secret societies. Which aren’t really Steven’s area of expertise, but he works at a big university. He has a lot of colleagues. So he goes door-knocking.

The guy who knows about secret societies is named James, and he laughs when Steven asks him if he knows anything. “Only, like, all the things.”

“Really.”

“Well, not all of them. They still have secrets.” James shrugs. “But a lot of things.”

“Okay, great.” Steven sucks in a breath through his teeth. “Cool. I have a crazy question.”

“What kind of crazy?”

“My best friend went missing a week ago.”

The smile vanishes off James’s face. “Shit, dude, I’m so sorry. Are the police looking?”

“Yeah, but that’s- not the point. Right before he disappeared, I think he said he was a member of a secret society.”

“Really.”

“Maybe?”

James raises his eyebrows. “Okay, what kind of society are we talking here?”

Steven sighs. He doesn’t remember much, because he wasn’t completely listening to Cib, why wasn’t he completely listening to Cib? And it’s not like it made sense anyways, but he could’ve remembered… more. “He said something about a map on the Declaration of Independence.”

“Like, the original?”

“I mean, I would assume.”

“Huh,” James says thoughtfully. “You know, I’ve heard a couple things along those lines.”

“Really,” Steven says flatly. “You know, not that I know you well enough to accuse you of this, but if you’re fucking with me after my best friend literally went missing-”

“Nonono, dude, swear.” James goes over to his bookshelf and runs his thumb along the spines of a few books, pulling a couple out at random and shuffling them around. “Right! Okay. Don’t have it with me, that’s cool. But there are stories about Freemasons and stuff, and them hiding maps on documents.”

“Freemasons?”

“Don’t you teach early American stuff?”

“Well, yeah,” Steven says, because he definitely knows what the Freemasons are. “But… you’re being serious.”

James shrugs. “Is it any crazier than you asking me if I know where your best friend went?”

“He’s Canadian, can he be a Freemason?”

“Freemasons technically aren’t a secret society, on the surface.”

“And if anyone could get under the surface, it’s Cib,” Steven mutters. “Okay. Let’s just assume, for the sake of argument, that the Freemasons actually kidnapped my best friend. What can we do about it?”

“Do about it?” James repeats. “I mean, you can’t tell the cops a secret society took him, but you probably knew that.”

“But is there anything we can actually do?”

“Well, why would they have kidnapped him?”

“I don’t know, because he told me he was a Freemason?” Steven shakes his head. “No, I didn’t even think he was serious.”

“Well, maybe the society wasn’t what mattered,” James suggests. “Like, he didn’t say it by name, but he said that there was a treasure map on the Declaration. Maybe they don’t want people knowing that.”

“So you think it’s something to do with the map?”

“What else could it be?”

“Okay,” Steven says. “So the Freemasons don’t want people knowing about the map.”

“Or,” James says, eyes wide, “maybe they want the map.”

“You mean the Declaration of Independence.”

“Yeah, that.”

“One of the founding documents of our nation.”

“Get over yourself,” says James. “It’s a map right now. And they took your best friend to get it, dude.”

“What does this have to do with anything?”

James shrugs. “Take the map, I bet they’d give him back.”

“That seems like an escalation.”

“Think about it. He knows about the map, maybe more than the average person.”

“This is verging into conspiracy territory.”

“Says the guy who thinks his best friend was kidnapped for being a member of a secret society.”

Steven sighs. Hate it though he does, James has a point. There’s not anything really conventional about this, and if he’s going to commit to this, he might as well commit all the way. “Okay. So they want the map.”

“They want the map,” James repeats.

“And we don’t want them to have it.”

“No, we don’t.”

“So we need to get the map.”

James points at him with both hands. “Bingo.”

“And by which you mean we need to get the Declaration of Independence.”

“To get your friend back.”

Steven’s best friend has been missing for a week. And, fuck, stealing the Declaration of Independence isn’t a great idea, but if there’s a chance in hell it helps him figure out where Cib is? Then that’s worth it. It’s worth it any day.

“Fuck it,” Steven sighs. “Let’s go steal the Declaration of Independence, I guess.”

#ship pine 7 #shipping pine 7 #ragehappy #waveridden.fic #aucember17 #rpf for ts #again not really shippy but eh. take what you can get #also HEY happy halfway point! #idek how many people read these it's hard to get a gauge but for the record if you have read any of aucember: thank you i love you #sixteen down fifteen to go!!!