#look a New angl- (gets taken out by a sniper)

[95zintheirownworld]

not one single bts song where vmin need to be doing all this btw

#vmin #park jimin #kim taehyung #bts #vmin updates #how many angles of this can i find and post challenge unlocked #LIKE??? im gojng to go crwzy with this yall pls dont mind me #WHATS WITH THE SMIRKS BTW??? #TAEHYUNGS ARM AROUND JIMINS WAIST IN THE THIRD GIF #ill keep adding wtv i get to this post hehe #look a New angl- (gets taken out by a sniper) #im sorry ive edited this post like four times to keep adding new gifs #and im gonna do it again!

[writeforfandoms]

Waking Lions 12

Find the series masterlist

Ace is in over her head, but she can swim.

Warnings: Swearing, brief kidnapping, threat of violence, new characters get plopped onto the chess board, spy shit.

Word count: 1.3k

Reminder: this is a slowwwwwww burn. But we will get there! Eventually.

The van finally stopped. You had no idea how long it had been - it was harder to judge the passage of time without sight and without any sounds other than the engine and generic road sounds. Not that you’d heard another car for a while. 

Your guess was that you were somewhere well outside the city. Finland had lots of open land, after all. 

The door opened and hands caught your upper arms, guiding you out of the car. You swallowed but went easily, stumbling only a little. You had two days still until Captain would expect a check in, Laswell had no idea where you were, and no one else was expecting you.

Okay. There were times that being an independent had some downsides. 

A door opened ahead of you, hinges creaking, and the air cooled a little as the sunshine vanished. You clenched your jaw as you were guided by the elbow before someone turned you and pushed you down into a chair. 

Light hit your eyes as the bag was removed, and you blinked a few times. Now there were three men: the two who had grabbed you and an absolute behemoth of a man wearing a… hood of some sort. Definitely the tallest man you’d ever seen. 

You couldn’t help but swallow at that, nerves alight with fear. 

This was going to end so poorly. 

“What were you doing with this man?” The leader held out a photo to you, and you took it. It was a shot of you and the informant in Ireland. Based on the angle, taken from where up high. Like a sniper nest. 

Well. Guess you knew who had killed him, now. And shot you.

“He was an informant,” you said slowly, frowning down at the picture. “That’s all.”

“An informant?” The leader leaned in closer, trying to use his height on you to his advantage. 

“I’m an independent intelligence agent.” You shrugged a little. “He was a lead.” 

“A lead for what?” 

You tipped your head slowly, looking up at him. “I was gathering information on a group in Russia,” you said slowly. He didn’t strike you as being allied with the Russians, and you were gambling on that. “He was providing me with a piece of that puzzle.”

“Yeah?” His lips curled a little in amused derision. “And was one of those puzzle pieces where to join up?”

You snorted. You couldn’t help it. “Not a chance in hell. The world isn’t perfect but I like it without a major war.” 

The man took the picture back from you, handing it back to his associates without looking. “So your interest in this Russian group is…?”

“Intel, like I said.” You shrugged a little. “I don’t get involved.” 

“Don’t suppose you have anyone to vouch for you.” The gleam of his teeth was an open threat.

“Suppose that depends on who you know.” You spread your open hands out, away from your body. “What would convince you not to shoot me?” 

“Tell me who you work for.” 

You clenched your jaw briefly. “I work for several people, that’s the point of being independent. But the people having me gather this information are American.” You paused. “And English.” 

“I need a name.”

“I can’t give you a name, not without risking my client.” You refused to be cowed, even when the big guy drew a knife that must have been as long as your forearm. 

“You’re not giving me a good reason to keep you alive.”

You frowned down at your hands, thinking fast. They’d shot your contact in Ireland (and you), because they assumed you were using him to join up. They assumed you were working with the Ultranationalist group, or possibly with AQ. The problem was that there was no easy way to prove that you weren’t. Not without compromising people, and you refused to do that. 

So you had left what you always had.

Information.

“Perhaps I can interest you in an exchange, instead?” You smiled a little. “My life for the information I have on the ultranationalist group.” 

He considered it, leaning back a little, fingers tapping against the butt of his pistol. Then he nodded once. “You give me everything,” he agreed. “You wait here while I verify information. If you’re not lying, I won’t kill you.” 

You nodded slowly. “Agreed.” You drew in a deep breath. “You might want to record this.”

The leader silently held his phone in his hand and nodded to you.

So you started talking. You told them everything, including the things you hadn’t gotten to Captain yet. (You did feel a bit bad about that but, well, needs must.) You gave them the few concrete links you had to AQ. 

Telling it all this way took a while, and you were parched by the time you were done, throat a little sore. But you were still alive. 

The leader nodded once and tucked his phone away again. “Wait here,” was all he said. He and the other man who’d grabbed you walked out.

Leaving you alone with the behemoth. 

You shifted your weight, careful not to make any sudden moves. At some point while you’d been talking, the knife had gone back into the sheath, but the man was still armed to the teeth.

Not that he needed to be. Looking at the size of him, you wouldn’t be surprised if he could rip you apart with his bare hands. 

So you kept quiet and unassuming and as still as you could manage. You did not reach for your phone. You did go over everything you’d told them and everything you’d extrapolated. 

The one thing that still didn’t make sense was why they’d shot your contact (and you). He hadn’t been involved. 

Unless he had, and he’d been feeling you out. You closed your eyes and grimaced. Damn. Someone had given you faulty intel and you’d nearly gotten killed for it. Twice, if you decided to count this encounter. You hated it when you missed things like that. 

“You are alright?” 

You blinked at the behemoth (you were just gonna start calling him Goliath soon), his voice quiet and accented. “Yes, thank you. Just realized something.” 

He nodded once, hood shifting with the movement, and settled back against the wall again. 

You weren’t sure how long you sat there, going through your intel, looking for holes or inconsistencies. But it was a while. Long enough that your ass had gone numb by the time the leader came back in. 

“Time to go,” he said to Goliath. He glanced at you, eyes dark. “You’re clear. But we’re behind schedule. You’ll have to find your own way back.” 

“Fine.” You’d take that over getting shot any day of the week. 

The leader nodded once and stepped out again. Goliath paused at the door, looking down at you. Way, way down. “I am sorry, for the shot.” He touched his own side where you had been shot. And then he was gone.

Well. Guess you knew who had shot you. And why. 

Relief made you a little dizzy, and you slumped in your chair. You waited until you heard the van start up and leave before you left the room. 

You had been absolutely right. Middle of nowhere.

And now you needed to find a way back to your hotel to collect your things. 

You thanked all your lucky stars that you had service, and then settled in to wait for a cab.

#waking lions #john price x reader #john price x you #f!reader

[jamisonwritestf2trash]

9. (Hate or Love) at first sight with RED Sniper and BLU Spy (Enemies to Lovers, or just homoerotic enemies since youre not writing a novel here. Btw youre doing great so dont worry about rushing through all your asks <3)

❤️Red Sniper + Blu Spy💙

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Ah, homoerotic enemies to lovers, my beloved 🫶🏻 Finally writing this paired with the fact that someone asked for Bloodysuit headcanons works very well, I'm sure. Uh! I added a bit more than the original prompt because I have this idea that I need to speak on❗️Also, this means I'm finally chipping away at all this piled up content! Would you believe I have over 40 requests piled up? Anyways! Enough about me. let's get to the gays.

Per the last fic with red and blu mercs, I'm just going to call them Sniper and Spy, they are red and blu respectively.

————————————————————

Sniper, even though he would never admit it, likes to recall the first time he met Spy, even if it was the start of his most infuriating rivalry.

The sun was beating down on everyone, making it unbearably hot. Sniper leaned back on his chair, stretching out slightly before quickly getting back into position, scoping the battlefield.

He stopped when his sights landed on Spy, hidden in the shade. Now maybe Sniper should have taken the shot right then and there, killing the man before he even became a problem, after all, that was his job, but he found himself unable to, only managing to stare him down. He was fussing with his clothes silently, probably despising the heat, not being used to the hot days, Sniper found himself enamored by watching Spy, wondering why he seemed so out of place. A weird mix of annoyance and intrigue washed over Sniper, and he found himself wanting to know everything he could about the strange man. He wanted to be close to him for reasons he's still not sure of. He knew the feelings rising inside him were a problem. He shook the memories of the term "love at first sight" from his head. That couldn't be right. He looked like such a pompous bastard, so arrogant, so, oh. He knew know why he was so fascinated, Spy pissed him off. That was all. That had to be it because that was a lot easier than Sniper having to admit he fell hard for a man he didn't even know. The mix of emotions in Sniper's head made him confused and rather irritated. So he did what anyone would do in order to cope with strange new emotions. He took a shot, sending a bullet drilling straight through his skull. Direct hit. He found his feelings muddled by his newfound pride in how clean his kill had been. He let out a soft chuckle and went back to work.

A little under ten minutes had passed before Sniper was distracted by a soft creak behind him. His hand slowly reached for his machete, but he was too slow. A knife to his back made him drop to the floor. He looked up as his vision faded to see the smirking face of Spy looking down at him. When he found himself back at the respawn, he knew his feelings had to be hate, and that this was the beginning of a battle. A battle he was determined to win.

That was about six months ago, and the fight between the two had only gotten more intense. Both sides were prideful and ready to best the other until one day, the outcome was different. Sniper found himself watching Spy through his scope, something that had become a routine lately. He'd find himself staring for a moment too long before taking the shot, admiring the man before him. He had tried to convince himself it was all out for trying to take the perfect shot, to get the angles just right, but deep down, he knew why he was really staring. He knew he had stared a second too long when Spy glanced around quickly, and a smirk quickly sprouted on his face as his eyes locked on to where Sniper was hiding. 

That look, so smug, reading him instantly and wordlessly. Sniper had been caught. Spy now knew Sniper was too distracted by staring at him to take the shot. That set something off in Sniper, breaking his concentration for just a second, his line of sight being broken just for one moment as he pushed back from his scope, he found himself being caught off gaurd, an emotion that came very rarely for him, he also found himself embarrassed. He figured Spy would find a way to use this against him, even if Sniper managed to blow his head clean off, speaking of that. Sniper's attention was regained quickly as he scrambled to realign his sights only to find… nothing. Of course, what else could he really expect? That Spy would stay there for even a second longer and just let himself be killed? He could only sigh, knowing Spy would be around soon enough. He held his hand over his machete, not moving away from his spot, hoping to somehow surprised Spy when he entered the room. And as if on que, he heard a slight creak from behind him made him fully grab his machete, getting up quickly to defend himself, but Spy only stood there, lit cigarette in, looking as pretentious as ever. It was laughable that even amidst the battle, he still seemed so keen on keeping up his appearance of class and elegance. Sniper could only bring himself to stare at him. Confused.

"You seem to have a staring problem, Bushman." Spy teased, his smirk from before creeping back. "I see now your insistence on seeking me out has been more for personal reasons than a true desire for composition." Sniper seethed quietly, infuriated that Spy seemed to have so much control over the situation, that he was so smug, that he had the upper hand. Then it clicked. Sniper walked closer to Spy, neither Sniper nor Spy's confidence wavering in the slighted. Sniper reached a hand out, grabbing Spy by the collar, no doubt ruffling it,

"So what if it is for me? I highly doubt you don't like the attention." And in that momen, Spy's facade cracked, as his looked changed in a way Sniper still can't decode. But it didn't matter. In Sniper's mind, the falter was enough to signify that he had won. He could only bring himself to laugh, now having to debate on killing Spy or watching how things would play out from here. Maybe he'd do both. Maybe he'd do neither. It's a fine line between love and hate, but Sniper had the rest of the match to walk it.

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Gay men, GAH!! I might have taken the subtext out of homoerotic subtext, but oh well, and I may also have gone feral a couple of times while writing this, but hey, at least it's done now. The rest of the flufftober prompts will get done soon, I swear, I'm going to get all these ask answered stat! Excuse any, um, possible plot holes, and anything that might not make sense, i am very tired rn :,) Sorry again for the long waits Pro! Hope you enjoy <3

Embarrassing how many times I rewrote this 💔

#tf2 #team fortress 2 #tf2 sniper #tf2 spy #bloody suit #sniper x spy

[jaded-falcon]

Spirit - REGICIDE

Task Force Hawk consisted of one full Binary; two hundred and fifty Special Forces infantry, equipped with jump packs, rifles, and iron will.

At least, they did in theory.

The journey to Battery HAWK had been a painful one for the Task Force. Of the two-hundred and fifty, nearly forty percent were severely wounded or dead, not counting the soldiers assigned to shuttle the wounded back to the landing zone; that left just one hundred and fourteen for the most difficult leg of the journey.

"Starcom! Take two points and get them moving up to the ridge!" Captain Sarita Pokhrel howled over the sound of mortars dropping on her Command Point's position. The squads were in the meagre cover of a slight gulley, trying to keep from being gunned down by a Blakist bunker emplacement. Bullets kicked up dirt on the edge and hit Third Squad's machine gunner; the assistant gunner immediately grabbed him and rolled him aside, then rolled back to take up the gun themselves.

"We're getting chewed up here!" one of the Capellans shouted. Their stealth suits, though capable, were not as useful in open combat when Blakists were filling every square metre of air with lead.

"Tell me something I don't know!" Sarita shouted back. She'd taken over command after the original commander, STCPT Kenneth Fokker, had been killed while leading his Star of Elementals out of the DropShip hatch, and since then had been faced with a constant barrage of bad and worse news—not to mention the bullet she'd taken to the arm. "Keep up that MG fire! If we can get within fifty metres we can take the fight in close!"

Further down the gulley and out of sight, a group of Canopian Assault Commandoes slid into cover, choosing their shots as carefully as they moved—never out of cover for more than a second and always with covering fire.

"Lynx Four to Kukri One Actual—we've got eyes on the enemy battery. Twenty-two Long Toms, as promised," their squad leader reported. Sarita nodded, then winced as a bullet pinged off the rock she was crouched behind and sprayed her with little slate shards.

"Copy, Lynx Four—what range?"

"Three-four-zero metres. A bit beyond our Kingsfalls," Lynx Four answered, referring to the antiarmour launchers carried by the Assault Commandos.

"Fuck," Sarita grumbled. A mortar shell sent shrapnel into one of her fellow Gurkhas; immediately a medic was at their side, pulling the shrapnel out and binding the wound tight before a sniper's bullet hit their helmet, scraping off the medical cross. The medic looked considerably less surprised than they probably should've.

"All medics—scrap any identifying insignia," they all but sighed. "Blakists are targeting medics—"

"Enemy BattleMechs!" another Gurkha screamed. "Highlander! It's a Highlander!"

Sarita cursed audibly, peeking out of cover—sure enough, there was the distinctive cowling of a Highlander, coupled with what looked like a-

Crack! A slug punched clean through a nearby rock, turning one of the last remaining Elementals in Task Force Hawk into very, very fine salsa and shattering a very large rock just behind them in the process. Orders began flying--squad leaders began screaming for antiarmour launchers to be prepared to fire, right before twin azure lances tore off the distinctive cowling and melted the cockpit and a jade-green, pulsing laser shredded into a store of missile ammunition and detonating it in short order. Though the Highlander's CASE II system protected the 'Mech itself, the detonation threw up black smoke like a burning tyre, masking both the Blakist positions and the battered and bleeding remnants of Task Force Hawk from one another.

The Highlander collapsed; Sarita felt the ground shake, like it was still active. She peered towards the smoke.

Wrong proportions, awkward angles, two arms, two legs... holy shit, is that--

Whispers ran the length of Task Force Hawk's battleline.

The Black Marauder.

More laser fire; the Black Marauder vanished out of sight. Task Force Hawk began to regroup; Sarita saw a comm-message open on her Heads-Up Display with no speaker listed.

"This is Spirit, addressing all members of Task Force Hawk. Follow me."

Sarita glanced to the rest of the Command Squad, who stared back at her, one part dumbfounded and two parts awestruck.

Spirit? The Spirit?

Sarita tightened her grip on the Wolverine Rifle she'd been given and nodded to the rest of her squad.

"Well, you grim bastards?! You waiting for a better chance? Move your asses! Follow the Spirit!" she shouted, waving everyone up and over.

The smoke of the destroyed Highlander, normally, wouldn't have been a problem for the defending Blakists; many of their weapons mounted thermal optics. The issue was that there was a seventy-five ton distraction stampeding towards their positions at fifty-five kilometres per hour, and all of them had seen the recordings from the wreck of Toldare AeroSpace Base. Each and every Blakist recognised the Spirit of Helios as they dashed forwards, crushing bunkers and crossing trenches, leaving them vulnerable to the jump infantry that was cascading in behind the Spirit as Death Knell beelined for the twenty-two Long Tom artillery pieces and the infantry began clearing the trenches with as much mercy as the Blakists had shown them.

It had taken Task Force Hawk nearly four hours and in excess of one-hundred and twenty-five casualties to close within five hundred metres of Battery HAWK. It was secured within thirty minutes.

#silk hiding steel #battletech #mechwarrior #story event #the spirit of helios

[boundinparchment]

Spillways - VII

Karina Alexandre, formerly of Fontaine, serves the Fatui after a series of events forces her hand and her Vision no longer glows bright. Unluckily for her, such circumstances are all too fascinating to the Second Harbinger. Prequel to ‘Tell Me Who You Wanna Be’. Hints at Il Dottore x Original Female Character. ArchiveOfOurOwn || FF.net

In the weeks that followed, Karina found settling in to be far easier than expected.  The routine was easy.  Up at dawn, five minutes to wash up, get dressed, stand in front of her bunk for inspection.

The regiment heavily relied on the frigid and inhospitable environment, Dottore’s words echoing in her ear.  Scratchy blankets barely retained heat.  The unforgiving solar cycle in which the sun never crested the horizon but instead circled around it for all but a few hours; most of the days were spent in darkness pushed away by artificial lights.

Actual training courses were different beasts.  Morning runs in formation, the distance for the day determined by the temperature outside.  And then into the indoor training facility for other exercises.  Normal enough.  She tried not to be the first and to not be the last; the less she stood out, the better.  She wasn’t the only one with nightmares, if the quiet weeping and muttering around her was anything to go by.

Weaponry assignments and training was all anyone could talk about that first week.  Everyone wanted firepower, a Delusion, to look as badass as the Agents and the Mages training them.  The drill sergeant laughed in her face at the mention a lack of desire for a Delusion.

“You aren’t the one who decides whether you’re good enough for a Delusion anyway,” the older officer scoffed.  “What were you previously trained in, Alexandre?”

“Close quarters combat with a sword and pistol, sir.”

The officer shook his head and handed her orders.  “Swords have no place here.  You’ll start on marksmanship and get a knife for close quarter encounters.”

She gave her affirmation and waited until she was dismissed to move and head towards the next officer for her equipment.  Fontaine was one of the last nations to retain some of the older weaponry, out of tradition, despite being second in terms of technological progress. 

Having her choice taken from her was hardly new.  Her preferences didn't matter, not for the collective unit.  Nonetheless, Karina missed the way her sword felt in her hand, the perfect weight she'd learnt the right amount of force with, the correct angle to get the most efficient strike.  She knew the cadence of the swing, the footwork.  The revolver that hung at her side in Fontaine always went unused.  Guns were lethal and saved as a last resort.

All she had to do was follow her orders for the next three months.  She survived once.  A second was easy enough.

______________________________

Without any sort of elemental affinity, the only rifle she could make use of was a sniper rifle.  

The tedium would kill her, Karina was certain.  And she was one for routine and ritual.

So much crawling.  Learning to read patterns and cues to know when to move.  Monitoring an area, mapping, memorizing schedules of events and people you would never see again.

Maintenance was easy enough, methodical enough.  That part required perfection but it was a principle she knew by heart.  Take care of your weapons and they'll take care of you.  She no longer had a Vision as back-up, a safety net.

Her first shots were so off that her drill sergeant kept her going well after everyone else finished.  Heavy boots kicked her feet apart, corrected her elbows, coached her breathing well into the afternoon and early evening.  Every shot, outside of the lethal range.

Those who failed to meet the benchmarks were left out in the cold.

That wouldn’t be her.  Couldn’t be her.

She hadn’t needed a Vision to be good with a sword.  The same held true for a gun.

One shot made the mark, only just, as she imagined dark blue eyes and heavy hands pulling at her hair, keeping her eye pressed to the scope.  

The drill sergeant said nothing, boots thumping through the snowy mud, and Karina slumped against the stock.  At least she’d sleep in a bed tonight.

______________________________

Close quarters combat went worse.  Far worse.

All of her footwork and sense of space needed to be entirely returned.  The knife was heavy enough but far too light for her comfort.  Of course it wasn’t all knives and blades, but everything was based on efficiency.

There was no room for thinking, for analysis and assessment.  If you found yourself in a confrontation this close, the threat was to be eradicated as soon as possible.  No fancy movements or flourishes, no playing with your prey.  The blade would be the only weapon anyone needed and if that failed, your bare fists would have to do the job.

Fontaine’s training had been more akin to preparing for a performance than actual combat training.  How little they’d gotten away with simply by sweeping everything under the rug as if it never happened.

Against the younger recruits, she had a severe disadvantage; muscle memory retained the information it didn’t need and she took too long to think.  She froze far too often.  That first week, she was intimately familiar with the training mats against her face and back, limping off and trying to ignore the curious eyes as to how she had been an officer to begin with.  

So much for not drawing attention to herself.

______________________________

Week after week, shots became easier, her eyes finding the target with precision she only ever had with a needle and thread.  By the time they moved onto the obstacle course, she was one of the quickest shots, clean and efficient.  It was almost meditative, assessing the wind, knowing when to fire.  Time and patience were hardly her best friends but now they sat comfortably next to her as she waited for her opportune moment and struck at the perfect moment.

Close combat was something to be desired, however.  Drills were fine.  Her muscles were finally adjusting to the different stances, measures of distance.  As more and more of her fellow recruits began to utilize and learn Delusions, her disadvantage only grew when it came to controlling her opponent.  On more than one occasion, she froze mid-fight, the smell of Mist Grass from someone practicing with Cicins throwing her to a different place and time until she was blank-faced on her ass.  

There hadn’t even been Mist Grass that day.  Agents didn’t need it, after all.

It didn’t happen again though.

She faced off against another recruit, a Snezhnayan native with slicked back blonde hair and a scar across his nose; he had a punchable face and the angle of his nose, from being broken too many times no doubt, showed it.  The earring dangling in his right ear was against regulation but somehow, he was allowed to keep it.  A Pyro Delusion sat at his belt.

“Don’t make it too easy, Alexandre,” he goaded, rolling the knife handle in his palm once.

Karina said nothing, stepping back just in time to miss the burning blade.  Sidestep, duck, weave under his arm.  The only other option, if one couldn’t strike, would be to tire their opponent out; it went against the fundamentals of the training but they weren’t building stamina for nothing.  This was a game she knew by heart, one her commander loved to play when they were alone.

A leg reached out, swept her down, and she felt the cold blade against her throat until Pyro licked at the metal and a burning sensation seared her shoulder.  Her memory got the better of her as her fight instinct recognized that she didn’t do something , she was done for.  Desperately, she raised her legs and pushed her feet into his knees, staggering her opponent back.  She rolled, rose to her feet, and delivered another blow, and then another, and another, her own weapon abandoned.  All she could see was Sébastien’s face, her ruined home, the limp hand of her sister still warm to the touch…

“Enough!”

The illusion shattered and Karina found herself with a bloody fist in the man’s hair, her other hand posed to deliver another shot.  Sharp pain ran from her knuckles up to her elbow.  Instantly, she let go, the eyes around the training mat looking everywhere but at her.  Stronger hands grabbed her by the arms and dragged her off of the mats.  The looks of horror were one thing.  She could deal with those.  

But the words she caught in passing were enough to make her acutely aware of how they all truly saw her: “No wonder she was in Haeresys.  Wonder what the Doctor did to her.”  

#OC: Karina Alexandre #il dottore #dottore #il dottore x oc #dottore x original female character #verse: the heretic and the forsaken #tw: ptsd #tw: dark themes

[toomanyf4ndoms7]

MKX NPC Kombatants: Stryker.

Bio: A police officer in the NYPD, Stryker never knew he would take place in an Outworld invasion. Despite his lack of supernatural powers or abilities, Stryker signed up to stop the Outworld invaders alongside his new allies. Unfortunately, after his death at the hands of Sindel, his soul was taken by Quan Chi and twisted into a corrupt “revenant” form. He now serves his new masters in the netherrealm.

Base special moves:

Gunshot: Stryker pulls out his gun and fires two shots. Can be held and cancelled. Enhanced fires four shots from two pistols.

Grenade toss: Stryker tosses a grenade from his belt at the opponent.

Baton twirl: Stryker spins his baton, hitting the opponent multiple times. Enhanced is a launcher.

Cop Roll: Stryker rolls on the ground, grabbing the opponent and throwing them to the ground. Enhanced has him swing upwards with his baton, launching.

NYC’s Best: Focuses in his cop equipment. (Gains taser shot, Baton beat down, and Flash.)

Special moves:

Taser Shot: Stryker shoots his taser, shocking the opponent of it hits. Enhanced stuns for a short time,

Baton beat down: Stryker smacks with his baton, he continues into a stomach blow before an overhead slam to knockdown.

Flash: Stryker pulls out his flashlight and shines it in the opponents face. Only hits on very close range, but stuns on hit.

Riot: Gains a riot shield and tear gas. (Gains Riot parry and Shield charge, and a new throw.)

Special Moves:

Riot parry: If the opponent hits the shield while it’s up, Stryker will push them back. Enhanced for him to tackle the opponent and shoot them in the face.

Shield charge: Stryker charges forward while holding his shield forward.

SWAT: Stryker swaps out his pistol for an assault rifle to attack from afar. He also gains the ability to call in support. (Gains assault rifle, and sniper fire.)

Special Moves:

Assault rifle: Stryker pulls out the assault rifle and fires a few rounds. Can be angled upwards if desired.

Sniper fire: Stryker radios for an off screen sniper to fire a shot at either the head, middle, or legs of the opponent. Enhanced is unblockable.

X Ray:

Officer of the law: Begins with a running baton smack. If it connects, Stryker performs a series of blows that end with a punch to the jaw, breaking it. Afterwards, he takes out his baton and slams it into their groin, before finally taking out his pistol and firing it at their chin.

Fatality.

Having a blast: Stryker pulls the pin of a grenade and shoves it into the opponent’s mouth. As they struggle to get it out, he fires a shot from his pistol, exploding the grenade and their head. Stryker blows smoke from his gun as the opponent falls to the floor.

Heroic Brutality:

Under Arrest: Stryker pulls out a pair of handcuffs and locks the opponent’s arms. The opponent is forced into a police car that drives away on the direction of a prison. Final shot is the character in a prison cell as Stryker looks on.

Brutalities:

Point Blank: Final hit must come from X-RAY. The final gunshot blows the opponents head off. (Universal.)

Bombshell: Final hit must come from grenade toss. Mist hit the opponent on the head. The opponent’s head is destroyed by the explosion. (Universal.)

NYPD Professional: Final hit must come from Baton Beatdown. The final hit knocks the opponents head off their body. (Only in NYC’s Best variation.

Coming through: Stryker’s shield charge goes through the opponent. He looks around in surprise before the opponent’s head falls onto him and he groans in disgust “Figures…” (only in Riot variation.)

Backup: Final hit must come from sniper fire. The shot either blows a hole in the opponent’s head, chest, or destroys their legs. (Only in SWAT variation.)

Victory Pose:

Stryker smirks and checks his gun before walking away. Fade to Stryker in a police car where he’s getting a transmission from the radio. Stryker sighs “On my way” As he gets into the car and drives off.

#MKX NPC kombatants #mortal kombat #revelations and stupidity #kurtis stryker

[edmturnmeon]

Top 10 Best Cinematic Portraits To Kickstart 2024 Part 1

The dawn of a new year brings with it the hope of fresh and exciting art forms in the world of photography. The year 2024 is no different and the art world is buzzing with excitement over the countless new photoshoots and innovative methods that will undoubtedly shape the landscape of portrait photography. Even now, creatives are hard at work experimenting with portrait photography techniques and styles that will leave viewers speechless, inspired, and impressed. As a personal travel photographer myself, I recently had the pleasure of capturing some exquisite travel portraits, streets, landscapes, and unique neon-inspired photography while exploring the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur. After careful selection, I am proud to present the ten best cinematic portrait photographs from all that I captured- each promising to be a feast for the senses. So, as we enter the new year, let us celebrate the refreshing approach these photographs represent to the art of cinematic portrait photography, with resonant storytelling and a brand-new perspective on creativity.All I can say is, that using the SIRUI Sniper 23mm f1.2 lens has elevated my creative endeavors to new heights. It's been a game-changer for my portrait photography, ushering in a shift towards a more cinematic and evocative style. I was also learning to improve my videography skills which I have been doing so for my Fujifilm recipes on the YouTube channel.

Exploring More Into Cinematic Portraits

Cinematic portraits have always held a special place in my heart. As an avid fan of movies and music videos, I find myself constantly drawn to the idea of capturing that same film-look tone in my photography. There's something about the way that the light and shadows creep across the subjects' faces, the way that the colors and contrast combine to create a mood, that just speaks to me on a deep level.Whether I'm shooting indoors or out in the open air, I'm always looking for ways to infuse my portraits with that same sense of cinematic drama and beauty, which I've learned from the composition techniques used in films. And while I know that it can be a challenge to achieve that level of artistry, the reward of seeing my vision come to life is more than worth the effort. I'm glad I can share them with you, and I hope that they can bring some inspiration to your life.

10 SOOC Best Cinematic Portraits 2024

Previously having compiled a list of the best portrait photos in 2021, 2022, and 2023, I now have a brand new collection of photos to kickstart 2024 that I would like to share with you. Wow, time flies eh? These photos have been carefully selected based on their unique qualities, artistic merit, and ability to truly capture the essence and beauty of their subjects.These will be the first series of the best portrait photos for the first quarter of 2024. Fingers are crossed that there will be more for the rest of the year! Probably there won't be many talent shoots as I might have to slow down on shooting talents in 2024.Most photos featured here are shot with my favorite cine lens, the SIRUI Sniper 23mm f1.2 unless mentioned. I have been putting the Fujinon XF35mm f2 aside and might consider selling it off for some cash. :P The custom settings that I have been shooting with are the Downtown Bloom & Neon Obscura.

Fujifilm X-T4 // SIRUI Sniper 23mm f1.2 This is one of my favorite random portrait shoots with a traveler who was on holiday, or should I say a stranger? It was a chance encounter at a café with the hotel in Kuala Lumpur. The photo was taken with a SIRUI lens with the Fujicolor Superia recipe and I particularly appreciate the wide-angle that captures the surrounding environment. I didn't get near for half-body portraits as I was shooting from 2.5 to 5 meters away just to test out the wide-angle of the lens.

SIRUI Sniper 23mm f1.2 // Neon Obscura recipe Captured with the SIRUI autofocus lens and Neon Obscura, this stands out as one of my finest neon night portraits in Kuala Lumpur. It's likely that there won't be neon portrait projects in the future. While there were a few hit-and-miss out-of-focus shots, this lens truly excels in nighttime photography.

SIRUI Sniper 23mm f1.2 Engaged in a portrait session in Kuala Lumpur, I was focused on creating a modeling profile, commonly referred to as a com card in Malaysia. Throughout the shoot, I explored various styles, ranging from casual and fashion-oriented to cinematic aesthetics. Initially captured with Downtown Bloom, I later switched to Fujicolor Pro 400H — a Japanese film-look recipe that beautifully complements the lush greenery in the scene.

Fujinon XF35mm f2 R WR Captured indoors bathed in the gentle morning natural light, this photograph showcases the versatility of the Fujinon XF35mm f2 lens. Its exceptional performance makes it an ideal choice for portrait shots, especially in well-lit environments. The lens's ability to accentuate details and capture the nuances of the morning light adds depth and dimension to the image, especially the catchlight in the eyes, highlighting the subject in a compelling manner. I was unhappy with the cropped hand, it's a photography mistakes which is not nice for portraits.

SIRUI Sniper 23mm f1.2 One of my unique ways to shoot involves experimenting with different styles, creating double exposures, and utilizing reflections on a mirror. The Fujicolor Superia X-Tra 400 film recipe was employed for this particular photo. By skillfully manipulating the reflective properties of a mirror, I infuse an additional layer of complexity and depth into the photographs.

Fujinon XF35mm f2 R WR Embarking on a pre-wedding photoshoot amidst the lush greenery of a garden is a delightful and enchanting experience. The verdant surroundings provide a picturesque backdrop, offering a magical touch to the captured moments. This particular pre-wedding photoshoot in Kuala Lumpur holds a special place for me, as it marks one of my initial ventures into professional photography. Undoubtedly, the task presented its challenges, making it a memorable and transformative experience.

SIRUI Sniper 23mm f1.2 Engaging in yet another pre-wedding photoshoot in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, the use of natural light added an extra layer of complexity to the experience. Undoubtedly, this particular session proved to be quite challenging, demanding considerable physical effort and inducing a level of stress. Despite the initial hurdles, the end result turned out to be remarkably satisfying.Reflecting on this experience, I am inclined to emphasize the importance of preparation in pre-wedding photoshoots. While the spontaneity of this particular session led to successful results, having a moodboard and a loosely structured plan can help provide a roadmap, ensuring a more organized and stress-free process. Preparing in advance allows for a smoother execution of ideas, ensuring that the essence of the couple's story is beautifully captured while mitigating potential challenges that may arise in the absence of a structured plan.

SIRUI Sniper 23mm f1.2 Returning to the renowned Bird Park in Kuala Lumpur in the year 2024, I embarked on a captivating test of the SIRUI Sniper lens, and the results were nothing short of extraordinary! Contrary to my previous visits focused on avian subjects, this time, the lens was put to the test with a different focus—a living and breathing subject taking center stage in the photographs, shot with the Downtown Bloom recipe. . This photo was taken at around 10am and it was already start sweating. Make sure to stay hydrated!

Fujinon XF35mm f2 R WR One of my frequent go-to locations in Kuala Lumpur for fashion, travel, and casual photoshoots is a spot that has consistently proven to be a versatile canvas for creative expression. Capitalizing on the innate characteristics of this location, I leverage the compelling elements of leading lines and adhere to the rule of thirds to craft visually stunning compositions that offer a distinctive and captivating appeal for my clientele. A perfect cityscape background shot with the Downtown Bloom.

SIRUI Sniper 23mm f1.2 The portrait that I am referring to is one of the most notable pieces in my collection. This breathtaking portrait showcases the power of leading lines in photography. It was taken on a day with cloudy weather and luckily, there were no harsh shadows that could distract and ruin the beauty of the shot. Instead, it provided the perfect canvas to test out different exposure techniques. In this particular instance, the photographer chose to intentionally overexpose the image, adding a soft and dreamy quality to it. The ultimate goal in selecting this specific approach was to highlight the softness of the cloudy atmosphere and capture a gentle and flattering glow around the subject. The choice to take shots on a cloudy day not only resulted in a stunning and unique portrait but also emphasized the versatility of leading lines in photography. These lines were integral in guiding the viewer’s gaze towards the central focal point, thereby adding another layer of visual interest to the composition. Read the full article

#BestPortraitShots #OutdoorPhotoshootKL #PortraitPhotography

[thegamecollection]

‘SNIPER ELITE 5′ - REVIEW ROUNDUP!

This award winning series returned last week for its latest entry with Karl Fairburne, and we see you scoping it out! The mission in sight? To uncover Project Kraken in 1944 France.

Of course it’s always handy to be well informed on your target, instead of aimlessly taking a long shot with your hard earned cash! So, we’ve trawled the internet for the best of the big name reviewers to bring you the ammunition you need! Follow us down below for the review roundup on Sniper Elite 5...

Eurogamer - Essential

“Like a fleet of Allied landing craft storming the beaches of Normandy, Sniper Elite 5 has blown me away. I spent most of my weekend with it in a state of delighted befuddlement, constantly muttering 'isn't this brilliant?' as it delivered yet another incredibly designed level to creep around while turning Nazi skulls into cornflakes.”

Read the full review here.

GodIsAGeek - 8.5/10

“Sniper Elite 5 is an impressively layered shooter, where the wealth of options for how you tackle a level is vast. You’re rewarded for getting the job done however you choose, but following the quiet path of a sniper will be more beneficial when it comes to earning XP. [...] It may be a bit cheesy at times, and some of the voice acting isn’t great, but there’s definitely a solid gameplay loop, and the sense of freedom is what I loved most about it.”

Read the full review here.

GamesRadar - 4.5/5

“Had Sniper Elite 5 launched without its new Axis Invasion mode, I'd have been suitably impressed with what is a confident step up onto new-gen hardware. But with its inclusion, although hardly revolutionary in the grand scheme of online sandbox games, it adds enough spice to Sniper Elite 5 to elevate it above anything from its own back catalog, and the majority of its competition.”

Read the full review here.

PlayStationUniverse - 9/10

“Sniper Elite 5 is the series at its strongest to date. It's not a radical paradigm shift by any stretch of the imagination, but it doesn't need to be. Instead, it builds on what Sniper Elite 4 did so well by expanding on the scale of maps, stuffs them full of things to do, and polishes its already-compelling combat. If you're looking for a tactical, rewarding World War II-era shooter, Sniper Elite 5 comes highly recommended.”

Read the full review here.

TheSixthAxis - 8/10

“Sniper Elite 5 really feels like Sniper Elite 4 in a lot of ways, which is exactly what you’d expect and probably want. Sniper Elite 4 took a big step forward to more freeform sandbox levels where you could approach objectives from pretty much any angle, and this sequel builds on that. [...]  With a new WW2 tale to tell and Axis plot to foil, Sniper Elite 5 expands and refines a lot of the action that will be familiar to fans of Sniper Elite 4. There's a few rough edges, but this is a fun stealth action romp for Karl Fairburne.”

Read the full review here.

HardcoreGamer - 4/5

“While a few issues remain that hamper the experience, it’s a no-brainer to proclaim Sniper Elite 5 has taken everything that made 4 as great as it was and improved it. The signature gameplay loop and general premise of picking one’s shots is as satisfying as it always was. But it’s what the game has added on top, around those figurative edges, that makes this year’s release a thoroughly-entertaining package, be it entirely solo in its campaign or competitively elsewhere.”

Read the full review here.

In a series where you pretty much know what you’re getting, it seems Sniper Elite 5 has still found new ways to entertain and captivate both its loyal sharpshooting fanbase, as well as rookies looking to take their shot!

Grab your copy on PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series X/One right here at The Game Collection!

-Jack

#sniper elite 5 #karl fairburne #thegamecollection #TGC #review roundup #gaming news #hardcoregamer #eurogamer #thesixthaxis #GamesRadar #playstationuniverse #godisageek #video game reviews #ps4 #ps5 #xbox #series x #rebellion #sold out sales and marketing #sniper elite

[the-cult-of-russo]

Who's my Good Boy?

Pairing: Billy Russo x Reader 

Request: will you write the post you reblogged, the one that says billy likes to be called 'good boy' in bed? if not, can i request that? 👀 thanks!!!!

A/N: Oh man. This one… I had way too much fun with this one lmao It took on a life of its own and I don't know if it went in a direction you're okay with, but fuck me sideways, it went there 😂 

Warnings: cursing, smut. Like serious fucking smut, I'm not even kidding. Knife play, lil bit of blood, dom/sub bullshit. Sub!Billy for once and the little shit secretly loves it. 

If you're under 18 then please avert your eyes and scroll on by. If you're over 18 then enjoy and maybe cleanse yourself in some holy water when you're done lmao. I'd say I'm sorry but that would be a bare faced fucking lie 😂😂😂

------------

You glanced in the mirror and admired your appearance. The black lace lingerie looked good on you and you felt pretty sexy. It was a new set since Billy had already seen every piece of underwear you owned. It was time to cash in on your win and you knew just what you wanted. 

You and Billy often bet with each other over numerous things and more often than not, Billy would win. This time you'd actually won and like hell you'd be squandering this opportunity. He'd bet that he could get more girls numbers at the bar you'd been at and you'd gladly accepted. Never one to turn down his challenges. 

Maybe it was weird for a couple to go off and flirt with other people and get their numbers like that but both of you never intended on calling the girls. It was simply a fun challenge. And you wished you'd taken a picture of Billy's face when you both counted and you'd got 5 more numbers than him. He looked horrified, wildly offended, ridiculously proud and also pretty aroused. You hadn't cashed in then, two nights ago, and you hadn't told him what you had planned. But you most certainly had plans.

Billy loved being in control in every aspect of his life. It was just the way he was and that bled into the bedroom too. You were more than happy to play the sub to his dom and you loved it, but you often wondered just how Billy would fare if the roles were reversed. How would he handle you taking charge and teasing him to the brink of insanity like he did to you?

You were waiting for him to get home from work and once you heard the door, you grinned to yourself. You knew Billy's senses were sharp, perks of dating a former marine sniper, but you crept out of the bedroom and saw him sat on the sofa facing away from you. You knew you wouldn't be able to sneak up on him, not through lack of trying, so you weren't disappointed that he didn't jump when you leaned over the back of the sofa, wrapping your arms around him from behind. 

"Hey, baby," he murmured with a smile, tilting his head to look at you. His hands came up to stroke your arms and you could see curiosity burning in his eyes at your lack of clothes although he couldn't see from his angle just what you had on. You kissed his cheek sweetly and he smiled, leaning into the touch. 

"I'm ready to cash in my win," you smirked. He raised a brow, lips quirking a little as his eyes glittered with curiosity. 

"Really?" He asked, voice low and sultry and you had to remind yourself you had a plan. 

You were nowhere near Billy's level of patience and control but you'd try hard to stick to the plan. You unwound your arms from him, stepping back a bit and you saw his eyes trail down your body, taking in the black lace against your skin and the stockings you had on. The wolfish grin that spread across his face made your knees weak. 

He got up, slinking over to you like a panther, dark eyes drinking in the sight of you. You had to fight the urge to submit to him. To fall on your knees and worship his cock. Now wasn't the time. He reached out to grab your hips but your hands darted out, seizing his wrists tightly. 

"I didn't say you could touch," you said firmly, quirking a brow at him. His lips parted slightly, a dark chuckle leaving them as his fingers flexed but he made no move to escape your hold despite how easy it would be for him. He looked curious and delighted by where this was going, to see this side to you. 

You let him go, pleased when his hands settled by his sides, clenched into fists. You knew he would take it as a personal challenge but you also knew it would be hard for him not to touch you which is why you had plans for once you got into the bedroom. You grabbed his tie, yanking him close as your lips ghosted his. His clenched fists were still by his sides.

"No touching," you reminded him before you kissed him. He kissed back fervently, his tongue exploring every inch of your mouth and it caused you to moan. Drawing out a groan in response from him. 

When you broke away, a sly grin painted your lips and you could see his resolve for not touching you was wearing thin. You let his tie fall back against his chest before you turned on your heel, feeling his gaze on your ass as you sauntered into the bedroom. He followed obediently as you perched on the edge of the bed, crossing one leg over the other as you looked up at him. 

"Strip," your firm command was met by a smirk from him and he took his time to remove all of his clothes. The man was built like a god and you could feel how wet you were already as your eyes drank him in greedily. His smug smirk let you know he knew just what he did to you. 

You stood up, loving the way his eyes didn't leave you as you beckoned him over. He walked over with no hesitation and his hands went to grab you again. Before you had to intervene, they snapped back to his sides, balled up into fists and you smirked at him as your hands smoothed up his bare toned chest.

"Good boy," you murmured, your lips ghosting his. His groaned, head snapping forward and his teeth caught your lower lip. The only act of rebellion you'd allow for the night. 

You kissed him greedily, a hand fisting his hair as his mouth devoured yours before you moved away feeling breathless. You really needed to make sure you kept control over yourself. You pushed him to lay back, gesturing with your hand for him to scoot up and lay on the pillows. He did as instructed, his heavy lidded gaze never leaving you. You knew for a fact he was staring at your ass when you bent down to get his tie. You made a bit of a show of it and he groaned. 

He raised a curious brow as you returned with his tie in hand and you smirked, moving to straddle him. You sat more on his torso though so he couldn't find any friction from you. You grabbed his hands without a word and pinned them above his head, making quick work of tying them together and to the headboard. His almost black eyes pinned you in place from where he lay and it sent a thrill right through you.

"Y/N…" his low voice was silky smooth but it was full of warning. It was the voice he usually used before he made your ass cheeks red and had you begging him to fuck you senseless. You loved it. You fluttered your lashes at him with a coy smile, gripping his jaw before you leaned down to kiss him deeply. He kissed you back hard and it amused you how he was still trying to have some level of control with this. You'd soon break him. 

"I'm in charge, be a good boy for me," you purred against his lips. He groaned, shifting his hips as he tried to find something, anything, to rub against but he found nothing. You could see the frustration on his face. You moved to kneel next to him, really wanting to avoid his cock as much as possible to really drag this out and you started to kiss and nip at his neck. He tilted his head, giving you easy access as he hummed, hands flexing over his head as he gave the tie a tug to no avail. 

You kissed down his toned chest, giving his nipple a teasing lick and nip and he moaned softly, arching his hips again pointlessly. You couldn't help but smirk against his skin as you continued to kiss down his body. You purposely steered clear of his dick, kissing his thighs as you settled between them and biting them, leaving marks as he groaned. He kept tugging at the tie and you knew it was killing him not to be able to touch you. You were revelling in it. You left another mark at the juncture of his thigh that had him gasping and squirming and you really started to see just why he loved to tease you so much. 

"Shit," he moaned, head falling back as you started licking and sucking at his balls. You hummed around them as you lavished them with attention and he couldn't stay still as he kept arching up at nothing with frustrated groans. You grinned to yourself before licking a stripe up his lower belly, adjacent to his throbbing cock but making sure you didn't touch it. 

"Untie me, Y/N," he strained voice was full of authority as he punctuated his words with a sharp tug at his binds. 

"Ah, ah, ah. I'm in charge," you tsked at him, raising a brow. His nostrils flared at your defiance, a growl leaving his lips. But his eyes were sparkling and you knew that despite how unsettling the lack of control was, how frustrating it was for him to have you not do as he says, he was enjoying it at the same time. 

You moved to straddle him, once again higher up and leaving his cock with no purchase to rub against. You gripped his jaw tightly, leaning down with hard eyes as he blinked up at you.

"You're not being a very good boy, Billy. Only good boys get rewarded," you murmured, delighting in his answering moan. You reached over to the nightstand, grabbing one of his many knives that he always kept there. You twirled it with ease in a move that he'd taught you and you heard his breathing hitch. 

His black eyes glanced at it before going back to your face and you smirked at his groan of 'fuuuuck' as he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. You trailed the knife carefully down your neck and over your lace clad breasts and it wasn't lost on you how still he became. The knife was incredibly sharp but even through his lust filled haze he wouldn't do anything to hurt you, not wanting to jostle you and have you cut yourself. 

"You gonna be a good boy now?" You asked, blinking down at him. He nodded stiffly and your answering smile was devilish. You slipped the knife between your breasts under the bra, angling it away from you and slicing the material with ease. His eyes were locked on the knife now and his hands kept flexing into fists over and over despite how still he'd become. Your breasts now exposed, you kept the knife in hand as you slipped the straps off one by one and tossed the now useless material carelessly on the floor. 

His eyes drank you in with a hunger that made you wet and you smirked down at him. The knife then sliced through either side of your panties and you slipped the material off and it was discarded with the bra. Obsidian eyes drifted down to where your legs were spread on him and he bared his teeth a little before licking his lips. You took your time, surprisingly still calm and in control as you trailed the blade down from his neck to his chest. He shifted his hips up, once again finding nothing to help, but the tip of the blade nicked his skin ever so slightly and a drop of blood pooled on his chest. You knew he'd done it on purpose since he'd been so careful when the knife was on you. 

Locking eyes with him, you leaned down and licked up the drop of blood and he hissed, tugging at his binds again.

"Fuck… Y/N…" the authoritative tone was gone and replaced with a pleading one and you knew you were finally wearing him down. You gave him a wolfish grin as you set the knife back on the nightstand before giving him a deep kiss that he responded to willingly, his hips moving once more to no avail. 

"Do you know what I want?" You asked softly, lips a hair away from his.

"My dick?" He replied, not missing a beat. His voice was low and hoarse as he leaned up trying to chase your lips but you moved just out of his reach with a snort. You couldn't help it. His grin back at you made you smile despite the current situation. He always loved making you laugh and even this didn't change that. You placed a teasing kiss at the corner of his mouth and when he tried to tilt his head to meet your lips, you gripped his jaw firmly and held him in place. 

"What I want…" you kissed along his jaw, "is for you…" you kissed your way to his ear as he squirmed under you, "to beg," you purred in his ear. 

"Fuuuuck," he groaned, tugging helplessly at the tie. It made you smirk as you sat back upright and looked down at him all innocent like. Your hands trailed down your body, palming your breasts as his eyes took you in. He squeezed them shut for a moment as if that would help but it wasn't for long before his obsidian gaze was back on you. He couldn't help himself. 

He watched with rapt interest as your hand trailed lower until it reached between your legs. You moaned softly as your fingers circled your clit lazily, your eyes not leaving his face. His eyes looked wild now, desperate and you were just waiting for him to snap. 

"Y/N," he pleaded, making you grin wickedly. It wasn't enough though. You ignored him and his restless hips as he tried his hardest to find friction. 

You knelt up a little, allowing yourself to slip two fingers inside your soaked pussy with ease and you moaned, biting your lip as you started fingering yourself. 

"Shit… fuck… Y/N, please," he begged, sending a thrill right through you at how desperate he sounded. 

"Please what?" You asked breathlessly, another soft moan leaving your lips as you continued to pleasure yourself. His dark eyes were darting from what you were doing and to your face, his chest heaving as he squirmed. 

"Fuck me. Fuckin' touch me, I don't care. Do something! Please," he was so helpless and looked on the brink of insanity and it's just where you wanted him. Where he'd gotten you so many times before. 

Your fingers slipped out of you and you offered them to him, quirking a brow. He wasted no time in opening his mouth and sucking them clean, groaning like it was the best thing he'd ever tasted as his tongue swirled around your fingers. Fuck, if that didn't turn you on. 

Gripping his jaw, you rewarded him with a filthy kiss, all tongues and teeth as you tasted yourself on his tongue. 

"Good Boy," you breathed softly, earning a moan from him. You shifted down a little, kneeling up and he hissed when you finally grabbed his cock. You lined him up before sinking down onto him with a moan and the noise he made was downright dirty and you knew you'd file that away for a later date. 

You stayed where you were, unmoving, and when he shifted his hips up to you, you raised a brow in warning at him. It amused you when he complied and stilled immediately, worried you'd climb right off him after he finally got what he wanted. You still weren't done driving him crazy yet and you knelt back up, his cock almost slipping out of you, only the tip inside. You teased him, not sinking down all the way, not even halfway before you lifted back to just the tip and he whined. Billy fucking Russo actually whined and you smirked in delight at the noise you'd drawn from him. 

"Please. Please, please, just… fuck," he gasped, a sheen of sweat breaking out on his brow as he bared his teeth again. Having someone as composed and calculated as Billy like this was a huge turn on and you rewarded him by sinking back down fully until he bottomed out and he moaned loudly. The tug on his binds let you know he really wanted to touch you. If it wasn't for the fact you'd googled the best way to tie him up, you had no doubt he'd be pinning you to the bed right now and fucking you like an animal. He got like that sometimes. Practically feral. And you could see the glint in his eyes right now. 

You started bouncing on his cock, the pair of you moaning and you felt the relief the same as he did. You'd worked yourself up quite a bit but you were proud of yourself that you'd held out and got what you wanted out of him. You'd fully expected to cave to him way before it got that far. He was chanting your name like a fervent prayer, head thrown back in pure ecstasy as you rode him hard and fast. 

He was still tugging on the tie as his hips arched up to meet each hard thrust and you felt him hit all the right spots as you moaned. 

"Untie me. Please fuckin' untie me, I need to touch you," he begged, voice raw as he pulled more on the tie. You snarled, your hand darting out and gripping his throat, squeezing it a little as you kept moving. His eyes went wide, lips parted as he moaned even louder.

"No," you bit out, eyes blazing. His back arched, a gasp leaving his lips as he fucked up at you harder. 

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," he moaned desperately, actually whimpering when you squeezed his throat tighter.

You leaned down, hand still firm around his throat and you nipped at his lower lip. 

"Who's my Good Boy?" You asked breathlessly. 

"Me… I am," he moaned without hesitation. He looked completely blissed out and you felt the pleasure building up at a rapid rate inside of you. 

Seeing him in the throes of pleasure like this sent you over the edge and you cried out, clamping down around him as your hips faltered for a second, your release washing over you.

"Don't stop, don't… please, don't fuckin'  stop," he begged helplessly, his voice a mere breathy whisper as he kept rutting up into you. You obliged through your orgasmic haze and his moans got louder, hands balled into fists above his head before a loud groan filled the room. After a few more stuttered thrusts up into you, he stilled, as did you, and you smiled feeling heavenly.

You leaned over, easily untying him before you collapsed on his chest and caught your breath. He wasted no time in wrapping his arms around you, his hands smoothing the skin on your back as if making up for the time he hadn't been able to touch you.

"Holy shit," he murmured breathlessly, nuzzling your hair. You smiled tiredly before sitting back up. You took his wrists in your hands delicately. They were a little red from all his tugging and you placed soft kisses to each of them. When your eyes landed on his face again he was giving you a soft smile that made your heart stop for a moment. 

"Did you enjoy it?" You asked hesitantly. His smile widened, one hand on your hip as the other stroked your face.

"You're kiddin', right? I think it's obvious I did. Didn't know you had it in you," he smirked. You blushed and rolled your eyes playfully, leaning down and kissing him softly. You moved away to lay your head back on him feeling content to just fall asleep like this with his softening cock still inside of you. 

"I gotta say… I'm pretty impressed. You did me proud," he smirked into your hair as his fingers trailed lazily up and down your back. You hummed softly, snuggling into him more. 

"Well, I learned from the best," you replied with a sleepy grin. He chuckled and you felt him press a kiss to your head. 

"Don't think we're makin' a habit of it though. Was fuckin' torture," he snorted, making you giggle a little. 

"Now you know how you make me feel," you murmured tiredly. He chuckled, a hand winding into your hair as his fingers rubbed your scalp and you were helpless to succumb to sleep when he did that. The pair of you drifted off still tangled together and you still had a smile on your face as you remembered that you'd gotten Mr Marine to beg for you. 

#billy russo #billy russo x reader #the punisher #billy russo imagine

[thebaddestofbatches]

Startled || Crosshair x Fem!Reader

Summary: Crosshair and the Reader have a bad habit of scaring each other as flirting. Chaos ensues.

(Mild descriptions of violence against droids. Reader is nicknamed Shade due to her sneakiness.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(O)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was never your intent to scare the sniper. It just sort of happened. He was leaning on the doorway and you came up behind him and tapped his shoulder. The result was a startled choking noise and a jerk that nearly took his feet off the ground.

It was actually quite funny and you had to force out an apology as you struggled not to laugh. His brothers however, were not as kind.

This led to him getting you back the next day by firing a blaster shot right beside your head, causing you to let out a shriek.

He claimed he saw a fly. You claimed he was an asshole.

And so began your petty rivalry of frightening each other, spurred on and supported by Wrecker, whose dearest ambition was to catch Crosshair’s wide-eyed look of surprise on holovid.

You would sneak up on him, he would jump. He would create some mean-spirited prank, you would yelp.

Eventually though as you became more familiar with each other and less hostile, it turned into something like flirting. A game of wits and who would break first

And the rest of the Batch certainly never complained. It was free entertainment.

Now you crept up behind the sniper, moving like a silent breeze.

“Crosshair,” You said, breaking the quiet of the rooftop. You’d just finished eliminating a small company of B-1s on a side street and decided to pull yourself up to Crosshair’s hiding place to find a new target.

“Son of a bantha!” The sniper jerked where he lay flat on the roof, his rifle swinging wide as he whipped around to glare at you from beneath his helmet.

From your comms, you could hear Wrecker laugh and Tech snort.

“Shade, if we could stay on task please?” Hunter asked, using the nickname given to you by his vode.

A thin grin crossed your lips and you muttered quietly: “Sorry,”

In front of you, Crosshair huffed angrily and turned back to his work, eyeing the procession on the streets below. “You’ll be paying for that one later, sweetheart.”

“We’ll see,” You said, kneeling down next to him.

Carefully, your eyes scanned over the rooftops until you located Wrecker’s helmet peeking out of an alley. Another squadron of droids was going up the backroad behind him and he’d definitely be spotted if he wasn’t careful.

“Wrecker, mind your six,” You said into your comm unit. “There’s a group of clankers coming.”

“Got it.”

The sniper beside you bristled. “I could have warned him.”

“I’m sure you could’ve,” You replied easily, your lips curling into a smirk beneath your helmet.

Crosshair growled and that was when Tech set off his flare, the signal that the mines were in place and that Crosshair should take aim at the Seperatist tank procession below.

“You’re a little off,” You said, examining the angle of his rifle. “The clankers are moving slower than usual.”

“Don’t tell me how to do my job,” He scoffed, but adjusted anyway.

You snickered and he shot you a look before he fired, the blaster bolt crossing just before the tank’s nose and landing in the small divot Tech had filled with explosives.

There was a burst of heat and flame and the tank flipped, smashing into its brethren and causing chaos in the ranks.

From below, you could hear Wrecker let out a whoop as he charged into battle, laying waste to ranks of scattered droids. Tech and Hunter followed, emerging from their respective alleyways.

As quietly as you came, you hurried down from the rooftop, leaving only empty air behind Crosshair when he turned to look for you.

The sniper huffed again, but turned his gaze back to the streets where he caught flashes of your armor between falling droids and began to lay down suppressive fire.

You were about to drive your vibroblade into the droid’s chest when a blaster bolt sailed over your shoulder and hit it between the eyes, sending it crumpling to the pavement.

Now, none of the Batch on the ground would steal a kill from you, so you raised your hand holding your blaster and flicked a single finger into the air.

Crosshair’s chuckle rang through the comms, but you didn’t have time to address it aside from a quick scoff of ‘asshole’ as you rolled behind a chunk of smoldering metal to avoid fire from a few stray B2s.

“Heads up!” Wrecker yelled as he vaulted over you, another piece of scrap acting as his shield as he barreled into the droids. A laugh bubbled up in your throat as you followed after him, squeezing off a few shots from your blaster.

When it was all over, you gathered at the ground floor of Crosshair’s perch, helmets tucked under your arms. In the 30 seconds it had taken you all to arrive, Cross had managed to climb down and attain a new toothpick, seemingly out of thin air. He pointed said toothpick at you accusingly and said: “I never heard a ‘thank you.’”

“I had it covered,” You replied and he smirked, sidling closer to you. “I’m sure you did.”

“For Maker’s sake!” Hunter groaned. “Would you two just kriffing kiss already?!”

You turned red, but Crosshair’s sly grin just widened. “If you insist.”

And then he flicked his toothpick away and leaned down to press his lips to yours, letting his helmet fall so his hands could come up and cup your cheeks.

Surprisingly, you found yourself kissing him back, reveling in the warmth of him.

Crosshair bit at your lower lip, asking for entry and you gave it to him, allowing him to deepen the kiss and press his tongue into your mouth.

Somewhere to your right, Wrecker let out a wolf whistle, but you didn’t care, your hands coming up to link behind Crosshair’s neck.

After a minute, when you both were too oxygen deprived to continue, Crosshair pulled back, his gold eyes glittering with mirth and a hint of adoration before he turned to Hunter. “How was that?”

You smacked his chestplate. "Oi!"

#the bad batch #star wars the bad batch #star wars the clone wars #star wars #star wars x reader #the bad batch x reader #crosshair x reader #crosshair #crosshair bad batch #tech bad batch #tech #hunter bad batch #hunter #wrecker #wrecker bad batch #kissing #bad batch oneshots #bad batch one shots #clone wars one shots #clone wars oneshots #crosshair and reader #hunter and reader #wrecker and reader #tech and reader #y/n #reader insert #star wars reader insert #one shots #droids #seperatists

[dollscircus]

Devil of daliha

P1

Daredevil AU. (Not following the show)

Darlin’s less than savoury nightlife. Cw; death, violence and violence aftermath.

———

Darlin had been watching him for about a month before that night, his schedule was easy to remember. Mark Walker. A fat old bastard in his late 40’s. Working at a dead end accounting firm.

It was a cold night as they sat on the rooftop, laying on their stomach with the but of the sniper rifle pressing against their shoulder with their eyes staring through the scope.

Darlin should’ve been able to hear the busy city below by the headphones in their eyes drowned it out pretty well, the voice of someone reading played in their ears. The voice reading a news report to them.

“Mark Walker, accused of triple homicide has been found not guilty due to-“ They growled, plucking the headphones from their ear and tossed it to the side. Hearing the city now, Darlin scoffed and looked back into the scope.

Bastard should’ve been let out, killing his fucking family and get’s off based on what- the fucking police handling evidence wrong?

They readjusted their grip on the sniper, watching the guy move about the building but they hadn't got a good angle on his yet not until he sat at his deck. Gotcha bastard.

The rifle jolted in their hands as it went off, they could hear the shatter of glass and the faint screams that followed. Darlin felt a smirk play at their lips watching him drop to the ground.

They sat up, almost casually and started taking the rifle apart while watching people run out of the building causing a panic in the streets below when the gun was away in a black case.

Climbing down the build was easy, getting away was the harder part. Standing in the alleyway, looking at a graffiti of the devil of Daliha. That's what people had been calling him. A vigilante that had been causing chaos the last few months.

Coward.

They scoffed while turning to walk down the alleyway but paused seeing the figure down the alleyway, his figure dark with blue light flashing behind him.

Darlin hummed to themself and raised a hand to wave at him a more playful wave, the masked figure staring him down.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

———

Sam’s night was pretty normal before that point, he was perched atop of a building listening out of anything. Only really getting the usual sounds and smells, at least for the first three hours. That’s when he heard it.

The pop of a gun, shattering glass and screaming only a few blocks away. He listened to the clicking of a gun being taken apart and humming from the person climbing down the building where the shot came from.

They didn’t speak when he found them, he heard a slight chuckle from them and he could tell they were putting the case with the rifle on the floor. Sam didn’t speak either, he had a memorable accent.

He stretched his hands, as he began to walk forward towards the gunman. He heard them chuckle again and they moved toward him too.

The fight was quick and messy. Both landing blow after blow to each other, Sam was surprised they could keep up with him. Their movements were fast and they knew what they were doing.

There was a moment during the fight where Sam took a boot to his chest, slamming him against the wall and winding him. Sam held a hand to his chest trying to catch his breath, they unclipped a blade from their waist.

He barely recovered when they began to swing the knife, which he barely dodged. Damn they were quick like they’d been trained. Sam grasped their wrist and twisted their wrist behind their back. Pinning them to the wall, he was hoping to grab the other arms and tie their hands but then something happened.

Sam guessed they reached for a handgun and fired it off. Sam leaned away, not feeling any pain yet- just an intense ringing in his ears. Essentially deafened for a second Sam pulled away, he could smell blood but he wasn't the one hurt.

When his hearing finally cleared, the person was long gone when Sam followed the trail of blood. He lost it before he found them again. Shit.

———

Darlin slid open the window to their apartment, gasping in pain as they drug their bleeding leg through the window. Their fucking gun went off and popped a shot in their leg, got the Devil to back off. They crawled through the window and threw their gun case into their room before falling through the window themself.

They groaned with pain while rolling on to their back, staring at the ceiling while wincing in pain and eventually they forced themself to roll back over and crawl over to the kitchen. Fishing out their med kit, thanking god for the shot was through and through.

They were dazed by the time they finished stitching up the wounds, eventually just sitting against the wall staring at bloody bandages and clothes on the floor. They inhaled and exhaled before dragging themself to their bedroom.

Sitting by their nightstand and reaching up for a painkiller bottle on the side, accidentally knocking it off a picture frame which landed in their lap. They popped a pill or two in their mouth, while leaning their head back into the bed.

They adjusted their legs remembering the frame on their lap, tilting their head down to look at it. Barely visible in the dark but they could make out the shape of the faces of the faces of the unit they served with. After a moment they winced while pulling themself up onto the bed, placing the picture back onto the bedside table.

Catching a glimpse of another picture frame with much younger faces on them but they couldn’t keep their eyes on them for two long before they rolled back over. Letting themself fall asleep.

———

Sam barely had the energy to crawl in through his window, he pulled the mask off and tossed it to the side while just about staying on his feet while limping through his apartment. Hovering a hand over his rib’s which were aching.

Swelling the blood around his mouth before splitting it into the sink while he lent against it, his hand trembled while turning the faucet on and washing the blood of his knuckles the best he could before limping into his bathroom.

The warm shower felt nice on his bruised and beaten body, he left against the wall for support and let out a deep sigh while he just stood waiting for all the blood and dirt to wash off normally before scrubbing.

His mind flashed back to the sniper that got away, thinking of all the little thing’s he could remember about them- the things he could figure out. Height, scent and he kept thinking of that little tune they were humming. He could’ve sworn he heard it before.

Sam eventually crawled out of the shower, drying himself off before collapsing on to his bed. Falling asleep before he even hit the bed.

———

They hurt all over when they woke up. Rolling out of bed they sat on the edge of the bed while cradling their face in their hand for a moment before looking up at a mirror by their bed. God they looked like shit. The chain around their neck glinted in the morning fun and they watched the wedding bands sway slightly.

They scowled and raised a hand to hold the rings in their palm and bring it up to their face and kissed their hand before letting it fall and finally dragging themself from their bed. Wincing in pain and they stumbled through the apartment and into their kitchen, the pain still aching through their leg.

Darlin gasped in pain while leaning their body against the wall but jumped when their doorbell rang. Limping through to their door, Darlin took a deep breath before answering the door to be greeted by their neighbour holding a package under his arm.

“Sorry for this, Darlin.” His southern accent was pleasing to listen to despite their banging head, “But could I have some help with this?”

#redacted asmr #redacted asmr darlin #redacted asmr sam #redacted asmr au

[babyjamiebarnes]

Build-A-Bear

Part Twelve

Featuring: Bucky x Stark!reader, dad!Tony, Steve, Sam, bff!Peter Parker

Warnings: language, mentions of smut/sex tapes, blackmail/threatening

Summary: With Tony now on your side, you and Bucky are able to take steps toward stopping your blackmailer — until things take a dark turn.

Author’s Note: Ugh, it’s not as long as I’d like it to be but it’s a good lead-up to the final chapter and I won’t feel so bad about taking forever if I finally get something out there 😖 I haven’t been in the best headspace lately but things are kind of looking up so hopefully I get the conclusion out faster 😞

Series Masterlist

Tags: @amourmarvel @fangirlvoice @kennedywxlsh @devilswaldorf @what-the-hap-is-fuckning @alyispunk @fredweasleysbitchh @wearegroot @sunflowerbebe107 @prestigious-tea @brckenmemories @angelbabymed @charmedbysarge @cruelsummer-s @fandomlovver @ahahafudge @thebivirgin

You thanked every deity in existence that there wasn’t enough room for you and four grown men in the Jeep because your dad had to drive separately from you, Bucky, Steve, and Sam. Once the doors shut, however, there was one question lingering in the air.

“So… how’d it go?” Sam asked.

Bucky let out a sigh.

“I’m still alive,” he deadpanned.

“Are you gonna… you know… stay that way?” Sam asked slowly.

You couldn’t help the giggle that escaped your lips at the question. And when Bucky glanced over at you, he laughed quietly too. Which led to Steve chuckling at him and Sam smiling at the way he (unintentionally) relieved some of the gravity of the situation.

Bucky’s shoulders relaxed a bit for the rest of the drive, but you caught him growing tense again when you all met your dad in the underground parking garage. It was the only place in your apartment building with no windows and no audio, but you knew there was video surveillance. There was a chance your stalker had access to the video, most likely through hacking the system, but they wouldn’t know what was being said. As you approached your father, he pulled what looked like two sniper rifles out of the backseat.

“Barnes, Wilson. You’re coming with me,” he said.

“Dad,” you chastised, assuming he was only taking Bucky with him to keep him from you.

“He was a World War II sniper, [Y/N]. It makes sense to have him using a scope to check where this psycho was watching you.”

You were silent in response, mostly because you knew he was right. And you’d still have Steve with you in your apartment, so it’s not like you’d be left alone.

Bucky immediately checked the safety and pulled back the bolt handle to make sure it was fully unloaded. He didn’t expect it to have anything in the chamber since there was no magazine, but he learned to take extra precaution. And just like when he cleared your apartment all those months ago, something about seeing him wield the power of a firearm made you shiver. How very American of you.

“These are all connected to a secure line,” Tony continued as he handed everyone the type of flip phone you had in middle school. “I hope you all remember how to text the old fashioned way because we’re not calling unless absolutely necessary. Considering what was in the video,” his jaw clenched as his eyes shot daggers at Bucky, “there are probably audio and video devices all over the apartment.”

“We scanned for that when we first started staying with her,” Sam said. “I just figured the video was taken before her identity was released.”

What he said just solidified Steve’s assumption. You definitely knew who was blackmailing you.

“It was after,” you said. “It was… that night was shortly after the…” you hesitated. Everyone looked at you patiently, but you could see Bucky take a subtle step away from your dad. He knew when the video was taken. “Um, it was shortly after the, uh, the pregnancy scare.”

All eyes moved to Bucky and Tony. The emotions that flickered across your dad’s face clearly showed his thoughts: shock, confusion, realization... You wouldn’t be surprised if this was the straw that broke the camel’s back; Bucky must’ve had the same thought as he darted to stand behind you.

“The what?!” Tony barked. “You — Barnes! I’m gonna —” He cut himself off and just huffed out a heavy breath, his hands curled into fists by his side and his jaw tight in an attempt to calm himself down.

“Not to make things worse but it takes two,” you said. “I was a willing participant.”

“But did it have to be with him?!”

“Dad!”

“I’m just saying, pumpkin, it could’ve been Parker!”

“He’s a kid!”

“And he,” your dad countered, pointing at Bucky, “is a senior citizen!”

“Oh my god,” you groaned. “I’m not having this conversation now. We’ll argue about my taste in men later. Go check out the buildings.”

You twisted on your heel and pulled Bucky down for a very unnecessary kiss. You knew it pissed your dad off, but he was being so frustrating! With a snap of his fingers, Tony got Sam and Bucky to follow him out the doors to the street where they would split up and check out the buildings within view of your kitchen and bedroom to see which one the photos were taken from.

Steve led you up to your apartment so you two could stand in the kitchen for everyone to look for from their respective buildings. You hopped up onto the counter while Steve leaned against the fridge across from you, arms crossed and brow furrowed as your eyes met.

“I think you’re right,” you said plainly. Steve held his finger up to his lips and pulled out the flip phone. You were kind of shocked he knew how pre-smart phone texting worked, but he continued to surprise you.

What makes you say that?

It’s not easy to get in this building. It’s even harder to get in my apartment.

Right as you hit send, a familiar jolt of realization shot up your spine. There was one major thing all of you were forgetting. You leaped off the counter and ran to your bedroom with Steve hot on your heels. In your earlier panic, none of you thought to look for a camera in the bedroom. There’s only one angle that video could’ve been taken from and it would’ve had to be inside your room.

If your memory served you correctly, the camera would’ve been set up somewhere on or near your bookshelf. Steve stood in the doorway while you scanned through all your books. You practically knew your setup by heart, so catching the skinny book that was out of place didn’t take long.

You turned to face Steve as you said, “I don’t have a hard cover copy of ‘Romeo and Juliet.’” You turned back to glare at the book and mumbled, “I actually hate ‘Romeo and Juliet’.”

The book was pretty thin, making it stand out even more in your extensive collection, but the title was written in a clear, elegant script along the spine. It almost made you question your own memory — until you noticed the ballpoint-sized hole near the bottom. The black background made it almost indistinguishable, but when you pulled it from the shelf, the hole was evident. And when you pulled it open, you found wires inside the cut-out pages and a small camera tucked against the hole in the spine.

“That fucker didn’t even clean up after himself,” you spat, throwing the pseudo-book onto your mattress. Steve picked it up and checked it out before calling Peter.

“Hey, if I send you a camera, can you see if it’s being wirelessly streamed to a separate device?” Your head snapped back to Steve at those words. When did the old man become so well-versed with tech? The last you knew, he struggled to take an iPhone video. Just a few months ago, he asked what the difference was between a flash drive and a hard drive.

While Steve talked to Peter, you walked back to the kitchen to see if the other boys were all in place. You didn’t have the scopes and binoculars they did, but you could still take a guess at which building your stalker took the photos from.

There weren’t many buildings high and close enough for that kind of angle and clarity, but the one you eyed most was just a bit to your left and a couple stories above where your apartment sat in your building. It wouldn’t be cheap to get a place like that, which made you start to doubt Steve’s assumption.

As you stood in the floor-to-ceiling window frame of your kitchen, your flip phone started buzzing in your hand.

“Yeah?” you answered.

“Don’t say anything that might give us away, in case there’s a recording device in your apartment,” Tony said. “I’m in the building right across from you but the angle doesn’t feel right. I think your boy toy is in the right place.”

As if on cue, Steve stepped beside you and answered his phone.

“Hey, Buck.”

“Sounds like you’re right,” you said to your dad. “He just called Steve.”

“We’ll meet you in the parking garage.” With that, your line went dead.

“Okay, meet us downstairs,” Steve said before ending his own call. “Buck’s pretty sure he found the apartment the photos were taken from. Sent the address to Parker so we should get contact info soon.”

You just nodded and headed downstairs again. Things were finally starting to look up. You had two new leads on top of anything Peter, Pepper, and Happy had found and prayed they somehow linked back to Steve’s accused.

Unfortunately, your optimism was shattered when everyone met back up in the garage. Before anyone could say a word, your personal cell started ringing, but the caller ID was... Bucky.

No one said a word as you all met beside the Jeep and you showed everyone the “James 🐻” ringing on your screen, resulting in a lot of confused looks. Bucky pulled his phone out of his pocket and proved he wasn’t accidentally butt-dialing you, freezing your blood in your veins.

“They’re spoofing,” Tony concluded.

“Answer it,” Steve said.

“Put it on speaker,” Sam added quickly.

You nodded as you pressed “accept,” doing your best to keep your voice steady and unbothered.

“Hello?”

“You’ve really done it now, [Y/N].” The voice on the other end said slowly. They were clearly distorting the sound and you’d bet they couldn’t be traced. They’d never be that stupid. “Have your boyfriend search your name.”

You looked up at Bucky who was scrambling to search your name on his phone… and immediately paled. He almost looked like he had seen a ghost, though you’d argue what he actually saw was so much worse.

“They released the video.”

Your throat constricted as you tried to not literally throw up at those four words. And when Bucky shuffled beside you to show you the top results under your name, you weren’t sure how long you could hold it back. The first page of results was just news articles about your sex tape even though it had been released only 20 minutes ago. You snatched Bucky’s phone and clicked the link to the video and sure enough, it was you and Bucky. Two hours of you and Bucky.

“You son of a bitch,” you practically growled into the phone. “That wasn’t part of your fucking deal.”

“You took away my first bargaining chip so I played my second. And believe me, I’ve got plenty more videos. You two are quite the pair,” the unnaturally deep voice snarked. “But now you also know lives will be lost if you don’t listen. You now have three days or that man and his family die.”

The line cut out then, leaving everyone standing in stunned silence.

“I’ll get Pep on taking down the video,” Tony muttered before pulling his phone out to text Pepper. “We’ll have to swing by a couple banks and pull out the money.”

“Dad, I don’t want you to bail me out,” you practically whined.

“We don’t have any other option, [Y/N],” he snapped. “You don’t have to give a shit about him releasing sex tapes of you and the Vibranium Vibrator,” Bucky cringed at that nickname, “but I know you won’t let that other kid’s family die. We’ll keep trying to track them down, but we have to be prepared.”

You sighed. You knew he was right. If you ended up finding the culprit, if Steve was right, you could just put the money back. Plus, two million out of your father’s billions wasn’t enough to break him.

“Okay, fine. Let’s get ready,” you mumbled.

Steve interjected before anyone moved too far.

“I have a plan.”

#bucky x stark!reader #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x stark!reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes series #Stark!reader

[allzelemonz]

Warning Shot: Crosshair X Gender Neutral Reader

The Bad Batch was on yet another mission, one that called for a particularly precise set of skills. Crosshair sat atop a hill as his brothers caused enough chaos below for no one to notice him. He had his sights on the target, a Seppie commander. As he brought his finger to the trigger a gleam of light caught his eye. Before he could see what it was a blaster bolt hit just a few inches from his arm. A warning shot.

Crosshair got up slowly, keeping his rifle’s barrel pointed down. He tried to get a look at the other sniper, but was only met with another shot, inches from his foot. It urged him off the peak. He spoke into his comm to inform Hunter of the situation and made his way down the hill.

The Sep got away.

Crosshair sat with his brothers at a campground, all of them trying to come up with a plan to get the commander. In the end Hunter came up with a standard plan, counting on Crosshair to be expecting another sniper this time.

It would have worked too, if you didn’t practically live in trees and on mountains and rooftops. The toothpick of a clone was in your sights once again. You’d picked a spot a long time ago, anticipating what the clones would do. You knew where your employer, the Separatist Commander, would be. It wasn’t hard to guess where the clone sniper would set up.

You made absolutely sure that the sun wouldn’t reflect off of you again, because this time your shot wasn’t going to be a warning. You had your finger on the trigger and began to squeeze.

“I take another look at your target.” A sly voice advised as you felt a gun pressed against your head.

You peered through the scope again and saw nothing out  of the ordinary. Until the clone fell over. It was a decoy, a fake drawing that was mistakable at a distance. They’d tricked you.

“Why don’t you put down the blaster and come with me.” He ordered.

You let the rifle fall from your grip and got to your feet, hands in the air.

“Turn around.”

You did as he said. You faced the clone, now wondering even more how that decoy had tricked you.

“Walk.” He gestured with the blaster.

You glared at him with a hatred only someone being deprived of their money would know. The clone directed you to the bottom of the hill where he radioed his colleagues. You waited patiently, watching him in the corner of your eye. His rifle just needed to be pointed away from you for a moment.

You jumped at the chance. He’d let his rifle pint downward and you tackled him to the ground. He grunted as he hit the snowy forest floor and couldn’t react in time as you lunged at the blaster he’d dropped. You turned to shoot, but he grabbed at the weapon and kept it pointed away.

He threw a punch and you felt the throbbing pain in your jaw for a moment before the adrenaline rushed and you were able to kick him off. His grip on the rifle was better than yours, so he took the rifle with him.

You rushed to the clone, helmet now knocked off, and wrestled the rifle away. You only managed to toss it aside. You focused on the clone, trying to get a hit on him. His training was worth it because he kept blocking you punches. Eventually he managed to flip your positions, pinning you to the ground with no hope of escape.

The clone gripped your wrists on either side of your head and held your bottom half down with his own weight.

“You can let me go and I won’t bother you again.” You bargained. “I was just looking to get paid.”

“You’ll be arrested as an enemy to the Republic.” He spat.

“I’ll do anything, jail isn’t in my plans.” You pleaded.

The clone stared down at you for a moment before releasing your wrists. He sat up, still holding you down given the position.

“My team may benefit from two sharpshooters on our next assignment.”

“Yeah, yeah, I can do that!” You agreed.

Anything to get out of jail time. Pretty boys in prison do not do well. The clone stood and retrieved his weapon. You stood timidly, hoping he wouldn’t change his mind and shoot you.

“This way.” He led you further into the trees.

You followed close behind and pondered if the other clones on his team were as abnormal as him. You’d met clones before, but this one was very different. He was a bit taller, a hell of a lot skinnier, and much more… snake like?

You approached a group of clones, or maybe not? They were all different, not exactly the definition of clones. One of them was a hulking behemoth of a guy, another was missing an arm. These couldn’t be clones.

They were, in fact, clones. Wrecker had super strength, Tech had enhanced intelligence, Hunter had above average senses, Crosshair had impeccable sharpshooting ability, and Echo acquired a number of cybernetic enhancements. But, still, clones. You found it odd, but a job was a job and jail was jail.

Hunter, the apparent leader, briefed you on the mission. An assault of a Republic refugee camp was being coordinated for next week. That left you a few standard rotations to  spend with the group that called themselves The Bad Batch.

Most of that time was spent trying to outshoot Crosshair. He had you beat on natural ability, but you had the experience. Sitting in front of the target resulted in a victory for Crosshair, but an unpredictable practice round gave you the one up. There was one thing Crosshair would never be able to beat you at, holding a position. Camping a spot.

You held your spot until it was physically impossible, Crosshair was more mobile. Which meant that he had to get used to a new spot, while you had the advantage of already knowing all the angles.

Needless to say, your victories frustrated him. He was not used to being outshot. This particular training session was not going well for him. As usual, there were makeshift targets set up in the trees and Tech had programmed droids to walk around. You had taken out over half of the droids and a fourth of the targets. Crosshair had already lost. He had gotten frustrated a long time ago, and frustration did not do well for aim. He heard the rustling of leaves and looked over to see the tall clone jumping down from his perch in a tree. You gathered your things together and followed after him.

“You alright?” You called out.

He was a few yards ahead of you, walking uphill. He stopped in his tracks, clearly annoyed. You took a step back in precaution.

“Go away.” He spoke in a hiss.

You were going to do just that, but something made you stay. You walked a bit closer and rested a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off and turned to face you. His eyebrows were knitted together in anger and he looked ready to rip you in half.

“Look, Crosshair, I get it.” You raised your hands in surrender. “You’re having a bad day is all. It happens.”

“Every training session with you is impossible.” He seethed.

“Okay, so it’s me.” You nodded. “What can I do to help?”

“Go away.”

“That’s not gonna solve anything.”

Crosshair growled and took steps towards you. You matched his pace and backed away. You were stopped by a tree, and before you could move around it, Crosshair had a fistfull of your collar. You were pinned to the tree with a very angry clone trooper looking down at you.

“I’m sure we can work together, it’ll just take more time.” You reasoned. “We can-”

Crosshair had pressed his lips against yours. His hands moved to cup each side of your face and you felt the tenseness in him dissaperate. You hesitated for a moment before pulling him closer by the waist and kissing back eagerly.

“You’re distracting.” Crosshair mumbled against your lips after a separation.

“Sorry?” You guessed at an appropriate response.

Crosshair smirked and kissed you again, pushing you back against the tree. His hands moved up to your hair, grasping at what he could. You kept him close, a hand pushing him into you on the back of his neck. Your other hand began to trail downward, but a snapping stick made you both separate. With blasters poised you faced the source of the noise only to find Wrecker.

“Hey, guys!” He greeted. “Uh, Hunter sent me to find you because, uh, you’ve been gone for a long time.” He added a smile to the end of the statement as if there was something to be happy about.

Crosshair sighed and put his weapon away. He pushed past Wrecker and walked towards the camp. You and Wrecker stood there for a moment. You wondered if he’d seen anything.

“Hey, uh, Wrecker, can you guess why our training took so long?”

“Probably because you keep wiping the floor with Crosshair!” He answered excitedly.

“Exactly!” You encouraged.

Wrecker seemed very proud of himself as he turned around and went back towards camp. You let out a sigh of relief, getting caught making out with a clone would not be good for you right now. Crosshair probably wouldn’t be in good graces with the concept either.

#star wars #star wars clone wars #star wars clone wars x reader #the bad batch #the bad batch x reader #the bad batch x male reader #bad batch #crosshair #crosshair x reader #crosshair x male reader #crosshair x female reader #crosshair x gender neutral reader #x reader #x male reader #x female reader

[sneakingpasta]

Quirkless Deku with a Gun

- So basically, when Deku applies to U.A. he applies for both the Hero course AND the support course - Obviously, he gets zero points in the practical exam, so he enters the support course

- At first he’s shy to show his inventions and ideas with the others, but Mei helps him out of his shell - Those two bond over their notes and excitable natures, and over time they become the most chaotic crackheads in the entire school

- “MIDORIYA! CHECK OUT THIS NEW DESIGN! IF YOU WEAR IT LONG ENOUGH, IT TURNS SWEAT INTO A HIGHLY ACIDIC LIQUID!”

- “AWESOME! WE COULD ALSO ADD A WAY FOR THE ACID TO TRAVEL THROUGHOUT THE SUIT SO THE SUIT CAN SHOOT IT OUT AT ALL ANGLES-”

- Poor Power Loaded can’t keep up with the mad children 

- As Izuku works, he mutters like an absolute maniac

- Everyone else ignores him, but Mei listens intently, because Midoriya’s mumblings are filled with good ideas and facts

- As Midoriya continues to work, he realizes he has a knack for making guns

- Like, REALLY good at making guns

- At first Power Loader completely banned Midoriya from making them (WHO WOULD WANT TO GIVE ONE OF THE MOST CRAZY STUDENTS THE ABILITY TO MAKE GUNS) but as time went on, he began to appreciate Midoriya’s unique ability

- “Midoriya, why don’t you explain why I found ANOTHER gun in the trash?”

- “Power Loader! I’M SO SORRY! I KNOW YOU TOLD ME-”

- “Okay, hold up kid. I need to know what type of material this is. This piece of work is astounding.”

- “Oh-! Thank you. Hatsume and I made a reinforced metal we like to call “Might Metal.”

- Eventually, Power Loader lets Midoriya embrace his new hobby (under very strict regulations)

- Each of Midoriya’s guns never fails to surprise him

- Whenever one of the Hero students go to get a support item, they just a mound of guns surrounding Deku

- If they ask about their uses, Midoriya becomes too nervous to say much, so Mei explains everything 

- Student: Oooh, what does that one do?

- Midoriya: U-um, well, it- um, it con-con-

- Mei: That one is designed to shoot Magma bullets out of it! The magma solidifies in this chamber, but when shot, it’s instantaneously back to it’s liquid state! He almost burned the entire lab trying to get it just right! And then this one-

- Eventually the Sports Festival rolls around

- Mei is so excited about it 

Mei: Think about it! It’s the perfect commercial! We can finally show off our babies!

Midoriya: I don’t know... I doubt a bullet could do much damage against actual quirks. Especially Kacchan’s...

Mei: Bomb guy? 

Midoriya: Yeah, his quirk allows hims him to use nitroglycerin sweat to creatE explosions-

Mei: He uses his sweat?

Midoriya: Yeah? Why-? Oh. Ohhhhhh

Mei: Get your notepad Midoriya. We need all the notes we can get on these heroes

- Midoriya’s notes on the students quirks give them a HUGE advantage

- The two little shits make a gun that shoots a bullet faster than the speed of light

- After a long talk with Power Loader, they decide to use fake bullets. Midoriya never planned to use the real thing, so he was completely fine with it

- He makes fake bullets that he’d use against each student

- He makes a liquid that completely stops sweat from flowing through a persons body once the bullet makes contact (guess who that’s for)

- He doesn’t have enough time to make a specific bullet for each student, so he  makes a gun that shoots out an energy absorber, which leaves his opponent completely exhausted 

- However, then comes the issue of actually SHOOTING 

- Midoriya knows how to shoot, but shooting a moving target? Forget it 

- He needed a teacher, someone who get help him aim 

- Cue Midoriya tracking Snipe down and begging him to train him

- Snipe has seen the kid’s work and was impressed. He agrees  - They practice shooting for three months. By the end of their training, Snipe has turned Midoriya into a pro sniper. The kid can shoot a bee’s stinger off a mile away. Snipe was taken aback by how much the kid had improved. There is no doubt in his mind that this was the kid’s calling

- Snipe becomes a father figure to Midoriya

- When the day of the Sports Festival arrives, the four most nervous people on campus were Midoriya, Power Loader, Snipe, and Mei (worried for Midoriya)  - Power Loader and Snipe talk to Midoriya before the Festival

Power Loader: Okay, remember to stay calm and do not, under any circumstance go for the eyes, mouth, nose, or ears-

Snipe: MAKE ME PROUD, SON! YOU GOT THIS-

- (both of Midoriya’s teacher dads were shaking from head to toe) - Because Midoriya was too busy making bullets and the gun, he couldn’t use any support gear

- So the first two matches go down basically like they did in canon 

- Now, it’s finally time for Midoriya’d first match against Shinso

- They both enter the arena and everyone starts whispering 

- “The green haired kid is quirkless right?” “Yeah, he’s a support course student” “He didn’t bring any gear!”

- Shinso thinks he’s won. This little green bean child doesn’t look very strong, he could definitely take him on a fight-

- Then, this motherfucker pulls a fucking GUN out of nowhere

- Shinso is shocked, everyone is shocked, ALL MIGHT is shocked. Midnight has to explain that the gun is allowed because of blah blah blah

- Midoriya aims and shoots. Shinso is faster than he’d imagined, so the bullet flies past his ear

Shinso: Did you make that yourself? What do you think that’s gonna do against all of these heroes-in-training?

Midoriya: Take this seriously- Shinso: Walk over the edge - Midoriya starts walking, realizes his will, blah blah blah and breaks out of the trance

- He was one step away from losing, but once he breaks out of it, he turns his head to look at Shinso

- He aims and shoots

- The bullet hits Shinso dead center in his chest

- His energy depleted, he is forced to give up

- Midoriya’s victory is greeted with confusion and outrage

- “HE’S TOO STRONG!” “Yeah, a gun? That’s so uncool.”

- Meanwhile, Bakugou is watching this runt with a confused gaze

- “That shitty Deku! What the fuck is he doing?”

- Then the match with Todoroki comes along and Midoriya loses. I mean- a GUN against a GLACIER? But Midoriya is still able to display his skill before his loss

- He’s scouted by the Hero course. Quirks are important to become a hero, sure, but it’s true skill that turns a person into a hero

- He immediately accepts 

- It’s a bittersweet goodbye.

Mei: GO FOR IT! You and I can both make outfits for your hero costume, and we definitely have to add a jetpack and-

Power Loader: Don’t cause any trouble and do your best. You’re always welcome in the lab-

Snipe: HELL YEAH KID! 

- Midoriya is crying

- A kid in 1A was kicked out, so Midoriya takes his place

- Class 1A can’t believe they got the Gun Kid

- ESPECIALLY BAKUGOU

- Midoriya trains physically and keeps up with everyone

- Literally everyone is impressed with his aim

- He eventually becomes the Quirkless Number 1 Hero with a Gun 

#mha #bnha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #izuku midoriya #quirkless izuku #gun #quirkless au #mei hatsume #support course #power loader #snipe #Power Loader: What do you have? #Deku: A GUN #Power Loader: NO! #headcanons

[uponrightful]

You brought this on yourself 🤣 I love how you give Crosshairs point of view so often, but I gotta admit, I was wondering what Dutch was thinking here…it’s all about the spicy longing for me… so

Carefully he wrapped his arms around her, and covered her hands with his own; Caging in her upper body to stabilize the little shake of the gun by taking some of the weight off her arms.

“Confident?” He asked with a hint of mockery to hide his weakening resolve.

She settled back against him tighter, and with a resolved breath she answered;

“With you…? Definitely.”

Such a good fucking girl. He sprawled over her hips with his own, and pulled himself tight against her. Steadying his breathing just long enough to make sure she could follow it easily enough.

“Then take your shot.” He ground out heavily against the shell of her ear.

Crosshair watched the shot leave his rifle, and could already tell she’d made a direct hit. It was actually perfect, and he couldn’t help but loose his concentration from the sensation of her body jolting back against him. She’d handled it flawlessly, but he didn’t miss the little whimper that escaped her when the gun rocked back into her shoulder once again. He wanted her to take one more shot, begging for another just one more excuse to feel her underneath him. To Cross’ utter shock, Duchess began laughing happily at the mere sight of finally hitting her target.

Commentary Track for Coriolis Effect

Copy 500 words -or more- of any of my fics and I'll give you my thoughts/rambles on what was going through my head -or the character's- when I wrote it!

* send one in here *

*cracks my knuckles* "Ask and you shall recieve my loveley" I say as I chuckle deviously. In no way does my fianceé send a worried look in my direction as I start typing furiously.

***

To begin, Dutch chose to lay prone for a reason. It's actually not the best position for herself -fundementally- and she chooses to ignore that because it's how she pictures Crosshair doing it. That mental image of his shooting like this is ingrained in her mind, and Dutch has too much interest in him to try and position herself any differently. His rilfe is longer than standard, weighs at least six pounds more, his trigger is softer, and the scope sits a little too high to see from it clearly at this angle. All of that comes within seconds of holding it, but Duchess ignores all of that against her better judgement. It's a taunt, as much as it is an impulse to put herself in his preverbial shoes. She can literally feel Crosshair watching her, and althought that's a very distracting thought, Dutch is set on impressing him.

Note: This choice -of positioning- was made not just for logistics, but also because it fits her personality. Duchess isn't shy, and she is certainly not inexpereinced. I thought about this being a "standing" scene but Dutch wouldn't let me. 😅 Although she is extremely independent, her character's biggest weakness is a strong desire to impress -or be accepted. This stems not only from her time with Phantom Squad, but also from the lack of times in her life that someone has told her "good job". When she chooses to lay down, she's literally opting out of the security she would have of making an accurate shot, just to take a chance on impressing Crosshair. That's a risk/guess... But Duchess isn't afraid to try anyways.

The whole time she's actually a lot more concerned with making her shots than anything else. Constantly checking her form and doing anything she's learned in the past to prove that her size isn't a limiting factor like Crosshair says it is. Her shoulder hurts, and although it would otherwise be enough to make her stop -she has her own career effectiveness to worry about- Dutch isn't leaving until dominates this gun. It's not until she hears Crosshair's sigh that it clicks in her mind that he's still watching her struggle, but not taken the oppertunity to stop her from continuing.

Note: Weapons mirror their users. And when I created Duchess, I made the serious decision that a lot of her ability to characterize others would come from their armor and weapons. That's just who she is, and what she knows best. So, in this scene... Dutch is literally equating Crosshair's rilfe, as to a part of him. If it's harsh, that means he is as well... If it's a sensitive model, that says something about Cross. If she can't control it easily, that's an indicator of the man who wields it. Really pay attetion to the way I compare Crosshair to his 'Puncher throughout the fic. I do it with extreme purpose, and although it's not always easy to spot, there are many times I allude to their symbiotic nature.

The moment Crosshair is close enough to touch, all of that subtle teasing about his weapon from earlier is gone. Ultimatley, Duchess can have a smart mouth, and know how exactly how to use it. But Cross presents a whole new kind of intimidation that she doesn't know how to handle. For Duchess, power only comes in two ways: Physical Prowess, or Rank -wheather that by government facilitated, or sibling rank due to the Phantoms. She's never experienced the way Crosshair acts twoards her. Duchess knows he respects her -because of he he listens to her seriously- but he also challenges her to do things she'd be otherwise criticized for with a hint of disbelief. (Like mouthing off, or betting that she couldn't shoot his rifle, despite that being against regulation.)

The moment he puts his leg between hers, Dutch is a ball of nervousness. Sex is nothing new to her, but that kind of confidence in particular, is completely foreign. Normally she's the one who initiates things like physical dominance in personal space. Dutch is so caught off guard, and her whole body freezes up, because she's realising that she likes Crosshair doing that. It's a release of power that she's constantly holding up, and that kind of vulnerability is hard to let go of after making such a habit of about being the strong one. After all, since Phantom Squad, she's had to depend on herself alone.

It's when he grabs ahold of her jaw and tells her to relax that she's really down bad. 🥵 She knows it should be nothing but a technical comment on her form, but he's commanding about it . Literally ordering her to let go, and release that tension. That feels fucking amazing to hear and feel, coming from a stoic guy like Crosshair. She knows his rifle is harsh, and occasionally he is as well; But that's becoming all the more desirable the more he directs her. Pushing her down against the floor, guiding her back against him... Doing simple things, but silently demanding she follow his orders. Duchess doesn't have to do anything -or think about anything- other than letting him take the lead, and she's daydreaming about if he's like that in other areas.

Note: Duchess takes a fully submissive role here. She's fully receptive to Crosshair's leadership, and it's because she enjoys being thought of as weak -or little- on occasion. Her background is full of war accolades, and confidential missions she knows to be successful. All of it culminating in this unspoken war register of a badass woman who fights like a clone trooper. But that's not realistic to uphold all of the time. Everyone likes to be taken care of sometimes, and Duchess just happens to really like someone taking control every once and a while. And with Crosshair, she feels safe enough to let that happen, and also enjoy the sexual aspect she's been thinking about all this time as well.

Duchess admits to feeling confident with him here for two reasons. Number one, she's still trying to be a little teasing. It's natural to have a little fight in her all the time, and with Crosshair, she thinks that flusters him. (She's right by the way...) But secondly, it's her desire to show trust. Crosshair might be fit right up against her, whispering sexual innuendos in her ear, but Dutch ultimately feels safe like this . The rifle isn't going to hurt as bad, she's going to hit the target, and Crosshair's weight is emotionally grounding. They might be attempting to do some target practice, but Duchess is literally getting the equivalent of a weighted blanket and reassurance that her true self isn't unworthy of attention. Plus, it's coming from a man who otherwise appears completely disregarding of anything with a noticable flaw... That's something Dutch will never forget. The best sniper in the GAR is helping her... And he's happy to do so, by getting as up-close and personal as a man could get.

His hands cover her own, rough and calloused, but they're unbelievably gentle. Cross is almost hesitant, and Duchess can tell he's actively trying to ease her tension. The way he speaks is soft, and quiet... Making her feel like jelly. Being asked to follow his breathing pattern, his arms tight around her, legs somewhat twisted into hers, his thigh tight against her core... It's all seductive, and essentially surrounding her body with him. And Dutch can't help but eat it up. She wants more. No one has ever done something so simple, but effective in drawing out her desire to think of herself as something worth coddling -in a sense.

Duchess might hit that target in the end... But the only reason she did was because Crosshair had relaxed her enough so he could aim . (She didn't make that shot. Crosshair did all the work, she just pulled the trigger.) It was the first time Duchess felt like she was being tended to fully, and that's that had her acting so lighthearted at the end.

***

I fucking love writing these. Please don't ever stop sending them in!😅🤍

#uponrightful #uponrightfulwrites #coriolis effect #crosshair the bad batch #crosshair #commentary track #saltywintersoldat

[valaks]

Recoil

Ever since he had come to Russia he had been waiting. He had shot every single gun in the considerable armory Yassen had stored here with increasing proficiency.

Except the sniper rifles.

Alex wasn’t stupid. Objectively he knew what accepting Yassen’s offer would mean. Yassen was an assassin, he would train Alex to be one too. It still hadn’t stopped the wince that had come when he had first seen them. It made it more real. Shooting one would only make it worse but there was no going back.

He had thought they would have been one of the first things the man would put in his hands but instead they had started with side arms and hunting rifles. Alex was familiar with them and had enough experience with those to be comfortable. Ian had made sure of that. He had taken him to his first gun range on his tenth birthday after hours of lecture about safe handling and many of the same discussions on safety and cleaning that Yassen had put him through again. Alex hadn’t dared tell Yassen about that though, the man could probably tell he had some experience but with his luck there would be something Ian had left out that Yassen would hold him responsible for.

The massive text the assassin had given him filled in a lot of holes but there were some things that the book didn’t cover, things that only came with years of experience handling firearms in a variety of conditions. Like how the early editions of the Sig Sauer P320, a common gun for American police and Army didn’t include a mechanical disconnect which made it prone to drop fires or that the P229 Enhanced Elites failed to expel the spent brass and would jam, or that the Glock 17 was the preferred handgun in weather under -20C (which he hoped he would never be in but, depending on how long he was in Russia, he might not have a choice). They were small things but they could save his life one day. For Yassen to know them they had probably been hard earned lessons.

He learned about the sniper rifles just as he did everything else. Lectures, then disassembling and cleaning, then demonstrations by Yassen, but they hadn’t moved on to live firing yet. He had waited for the day to come for a month now. A month of diligently taking notes while Yassen explained every piece and part and how to repair and clean it. A month of hours disassembling and reassembling until he swore he could do it in his sleep. Maybe unconscious too. A month of cleaning it religiously every night along with the rest of the armory. A month of watching Yassen practice while explaining positioning and grip and how to take in external factors.

But never once firing a shot.

Today changed that.

Yassen had silently handed him an SR 25, bringing a second rifle along for himself. Alex found himself relieved, even a little excited. He looked for confirmation and while he was still trying to learn to read the Russian he seemed to radiate something akin to satisfaction.

They went out to the long range. It was a swath of trees that had been largely cleared before Alex arrived but they had made progress clearing more. Chopping down a tree with an axe provided a good workout and wood for the coming winter. It was just as efficient and pragmatic as he expected from Yassen. Their other workouts, outside of close combat training, were similarly situated to the surroundings - hikes, runs, chopping firewood and transporting stacks of it a kilometer back to the cabin, even clearing the rocky and rough soil with a push plow. The plow was the worst. It was nothing short of brutal. Yassen usually reserved it for the end of the day and even then only when Alex was filled with restless energy or had not performed quite up to standard.

They checked the guns thoroughly, he had never quite been able to shake the tension that the man would find something wrong - some part he had missed or a spot he had failed to fully clean. It had happened at first but it had been a while, Alex would prefer it to never happen again. Yassen appeared satisfied because he moved to assembling and Alex followed suit. He set up the gun with practiced motions from hours of handling it but Yassen’s was already on the ground waiting long before he finished. He laid prone and placed the butt up against his shoulder and extended his elbows to the sides as close to the angles that a Yassen had corrected the last time he had been allowed to handle the weapon. Still there were small adjustments to be made - a gentle kick to his right ankle widened his stance, a nudge to his left elbow moved it up and he adjusted that hand’s grip noticing that the prior position had strained him by comparison. The man crouched and shifted the butt of the gun just a millimeter or two to the left. He tried to internalize the feelings of the new positions so he could recreate them the next time.

Satisfied, the Russian laid down next to him. And passed him a magazine. Alex checked it over then slotted it in with a satisfying click. Finally. He looked over for permission.

“200 meters. One round.” The man hadn’t even looked away from his own scope. His voice was the soft, calm murmur he took on whenever his cheek was pressed up against the butt of a rifle.

Alex didn’t bother nodding, just turned back to the scope and found the designated target taped to a mound of earth and rock they had built up for precisely this purpose. He tried to relax the tension in each muscle. Clenching then unclenching from his feet to his face. Using the time to even out his breathing. He stilled. Then with a slight pressure, pulled the trigger. The gun kicked back into his shoulder but it wasn’t as painful as he had expected. He found the target in his scope.

Nothing.

He missed.

No, wait he had hit it but only barely, just a small indentation on the corner of the paper target was the only proof that he even fired beside the spent casing. Not even in the rings.

He hesitantly looked over, expecting disappointment but there was none. Just a neutral expression but with the air of patience that Alex had come to recognize as his ‘teacher face’. “You over anticipated the recoil.”

He had. Had seen the way the gun had jerked Yassen’s shoulder every time he fired and expected it to be far worse for him. Yassen had more experience and strength than him but he didn’t tense with it, just let it happen. It made sense, recoil would happen regardless of experience.

Alex nodded.

“You have felt it now, there is nothing to fear. Again.” He ordered.

Alex ran through his exercise again, calming the fear of a second failure as best he could and then focused on the target. He took a steadying breath and pulled the trigger again. The gun kicked but he barely noticed it with his entire focus on the target. This time he made it in the second ring. He was prevented from looking over for approval by two more magazines being stacked next to him. It was as much praise as he would get.

“Again.”

#alex rider #yassen gregorovich #inspired by devil and the deep blue sea #alex rider fanfiction