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shytalia · 4 years

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A Prince & a Pirate’s Fate - 15

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Chapter Fifteen

Start at Chapter one here:https://shytalia.tumblr.com/post/611878754309079040/a-prince-and-a-pirates-fate-usuk-fanfic

Also available on my AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shytalia

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Alfred sat stock still, silent as the rocking of the ship made his head bob every so often. He was surrounded by men loyal to the Spade’s kingdom and yet he felt like he couldn’t trust any of them. Not that he felt he was in any danger himself, in fact he was in a rather comfortable position all things considered. He was sitting in a well decorated room, on a comfy chair, with food and drink at his disposal if he so much as uttered a word.

But, Arthur was not.

Despite trying to convince the navy men that Arthur hadn’t forced him into becoming a pirate and he had gone to him on his own, they treated his captain like a kidnapper. His wrists remained bound behind him, with chains Alfred quickly found out were enchanted to keep the wearer’s magic docile.

They interrogated the Brit about the bruise forming on Alfred’s face and on his back. Which technically had been from said pirate, but Alfred wasn’t angry about them at all. Arthur had the right to be mad at that moment, so he took the pain with a patient understanding. But with the way they spoke to Arthur it was like he wasn’t their future queen at all and just another, dirty criminal for them to seize and destroy.

Worst of all, they didn’t even allow him to talk to him, even though the man was effectively tied up and thus posed no actual threat.

He had tried repeatedly, but was blocked off from the bound blonde. He had been polite at first and asked for passage, only to be told it was too dangerous for him to be near his future queen. Talking about Arthur as if he were just some sort of wild animal sent a twinge of anger through Alfred and he raised his voice and demanded they let him through. He was their prince and they would obey his orders.

Even that didn’t work.

There were, apparently, direct commandments from the King and Queen that their son was not to let near such a savage man as Arthur Kirkland. He simply could not be trusted.

So, after several hours of trying to convince the guards to let him see Arthur, he gave up and went back to his own, designated room. They were sailing back to the main capital in one of the many royal navy ships sent to ambush Arthur and his crew. He hadn’t heard much but from his own desperate pleading he convinced them not to execute the entire pirate crew right then and there. Instead, they agreed to push their punishments down the line in favor of getting him home to safety back at the castle. As such, Arthur’s ship was also trailing behind them, its crew as useful as its captain.

He had also demanded to see Peter safe and sound, to which his sea-faring subjects almost seemed sympathetic. Almost.

He could see the distrust gleaming in their eyes at just the mention of Peter’s name. Their pity may have come from him being just a boy but the truth of his identity as a Joker turned that sympathy into one of suspicion and hate. This must’ve been what Arthur had been talking about before, the prejudice Peter faced based on nothing but a mark on his skin he never asked for. Even him being only a child meant nothing and Alfred could tell from the subtle looks that these men wouldn’t care if Peter lived or died.

Still, they assured him that the boy was safe. And it was true that after Arthur had been imprisoned on the navy ship that Mathias had lowered his gun from Peter’s head and handed him off, not to the navy men, but to two of his own crew mates. Tino and Berwald were tasked to dutifully watch Peter and ensure he didn’t try anything fishy while they rode to the capital.

At the time Alfred had balked, was enraged even, that the soldiers around him would allow Peter to be given willingly to a bunch of pirates, but now? Now he could see why and he truly understood what Arthur had meant. They cared little for what they saw as a monster in a child’s body.

So here Alfred sat, guarded in a nice room fit for a prince like him. But he felt far from deserving of its comfort as the sea rolled them forward to their destination.

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The return of the beloved Prince of Spades was loud and bright. People gathered by the docks and along the city streets to catch glimpses of the carriages that would be bringing the missing royal home.

They cheered when they saw him, not one taking a moment to understand why his blue eyes suddenly looked so dark. If they did, they chalked it up to being exhausted from whatever horrible life he had been living under the iron boot of Captain Kirkland.

Decorations of Spadian Blue blinded Alfred as he rode through the streets of the city towards the castle. He was propped up on a carriage and paraded around like a god among his people and they loved it, to see their kind prince again after so long with their very own eyes. They screamed his name and waved, and Alfred did his best to smile and return the gestures of affection they gave him only for the sake of appearance. However, in the back of his mind, he was still terrified.

He knew, though he wasn’t allowed to actually see him, that Arthur rode only a few carriages behind him still bound and hidden. Thankfully the Brit wasn’t in the public’s eye like he was, which Alfred was silently grateful for because he knew the crowd’s loving cheers would be nothing short of curses and rage at the sight of the terrifying pirate.

Soon enough, he could see the familiar sight of the castle coming into view and a chill ran down his spine. Never in his life had his home felt more cold and empty than in this moment. This was not how he envisioned bringing Arthur back home, this was more akin to walking him to the gallows rather than to his wedding vows.

Alfred didn’t get much chance to argue when Arthur was dragged away after they reached the castle. The Brit was carried off, his eyes cold and his tongue sharp against the men who pulled him out of Alfred’s sight.

Tired as he was, the prince was set on figuring out just what the hell was going on. It was easy enough to find his parents, the king and queen made a grand display of greeting him in their throne room surrounded by adoring servants.

But something felt off. Alfred couldn’t quite place it, but something about the look in his parents’ eyes made his skin crawl. If he didn’t know better, they almost looked predatory as they watched him with an unwavering gaze.

It wasn’t until later that he would find out why.

“What the hell do you think you were doing?” The King’s face was red and tense with anger. The three of them, the king, queen, and young prince, were now alone in a small but lavishly decorated room out of public view. “You went to find that monster on your own?”

For what little credit there was, Alfred at least appreciated that his father seemed a little worried about him, in some strange way. His mother, however, was more on the teary side.

“We were terrified! Oh my gods, we thought we lost you. You left a note saying you were leaving but didn’t tell us where, and I just--” She covered her face with her hands, muffling a sob.

“I had to! Arthur is my queen, it’s only right I should convince him to come back with me.” Alfred argued but the reality of the situation boiled in his veins. That isn’t what happened and now Arthur was being treated no better than any other criminal, if not worse. The trust he had worked so hard to build was shattered into a million, unmendable pieces.

“He is a murderer and a coward. He runs from his own fate.” The King snarled back.

“Don’t talk about him like that.” Alfred’s hands curled into fists at his side, a protective vice gripping him and making him shake.

“You do not tell me what to do, boy.” Was the sharp response, a threat lingering on the edges of each word. “He may be your queen but he is no less a rot on this earth that I wish I could erase. The only thing saving him from hanging on a noose is the mark on his back and you would do very well to remember that.”

Alfred was seeing red, a fury he had never felt before. “Don’t you fucking dare--”

Alfred was interrupted by a heavy blow to the side of his face, forcing his head to the side in an uncomfortable angle and his feet to stumble.

"Do not talk to me like that again. I am your king and your father, my say is final." The older royal glared.

Alfred brought a hand to his face and stared with disbelief. His father was never exactly the kindest man but he had never hit him before, not like that.

"You need to rest. Kirkland has obviously gotten into your mind, made you question yourself...and me." The King's frown deepened harshly at that accusation, ignoring the betrayed look on his son’s face. "Arthur Kirkland will become the next Queen of Spades but he will not be a free man to do with this kingdom as he pleases. He would very well run everything we've worked for into the ground. You will rule and Arthur will be there, but his power is no more. I have seen to it myself."

“What do you mean?” Alfred accused, voice raising despite the slight shake of his hands.

“I mean,” the elder man started. “He will be immobilized, metaphorically speaking. We can’t quite do so physically without ruining the public image, tainted though it already is with him being a criminal...but emotionally and magically, he will be eviscerated. He will never use an ounce of magic ever again.”

“What? You can’t do that!” The horror of it struck Alfred to his core. His own parents would do that to someone? To his queen, no less? He knew how seriously Arthur took his arcane studies and the thought of the man he loved losing something so important to him made his heart ache. Arthur would absolutely be destroyed.

“I can and I will. Our mages have already begun preparing it. Kirkland’s magic will be nullified and nonexistent by the time they finish with him. Just to ensure he is no longer a threat to you or the kingdom.”

“He won’t let you do that!” Arthur would never, would he? Though he did have enchanted bonds on, he may not have a choice and it could be forced upon him. The realization made Alfred’s face pale.

“Oh, but he will. Otherwise, I’m told his younger brother is very important to him and it would be such a shame if something happened to him should Arthur act out of line.” The King stated plainly, his intent clear. He was using Peter as a pawn against Arthur and had no remorse about it once so ever.

“It will be safer this way for everyone, Alfred. Especially you.” His mother spoke now, a bit softer but her tone did little to appease her furious son. No matter how kindly she spoke, she was still on board with these monstrous claims and her sweet voice held no regret.

Suddenly, Alfred remembered what Arthur had confided in him back on The Island of Britannia.

“You tried to have Peter killed even before all this.” The prince grit his teeth together painfully.

“We did.” His father agreed, unfazed by his son’s red-hot glares. “As would any respecting monarch in any of the kingdoms who found a Joker in their midst. You may ask them yourself, when they come to visit in just a few, short weeks. They intend to meet Arthur before the wedding takes place, as is custom.”

“What?” Alfred practically hissed, the pain in his cheek a dull throb. “Arthur hates me now.”

“And? You knew he would hate you when you so foolishly chased after him on your own.” The King waved his hand and turned away, seemingly done with the conversation. He almost looked bored, which only served to piss Alfred off even more. “Nonetheless, the new queen is here. The wedding will commence as soon as possible.”

With that, the ruler dismissed himself and his faithful queen followed suit behind him.

Alfred had never noticed how much his mother resembled a leashed hound until that moment.

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Ignoring the pleas of several worried servants, Alfred climbed his way through the castle and to the room they had imprisoned Arthur in. It was actually a very large room and extravagantly decorated, as most of the castle was. It was a room fitting for a future queen, and he supposed that was the point. If there weren’t two armed guards standing outside the door it would’ve been easy to mistake Arthur as an esteemed guest.

And yet, Alfred came face to face with the two armored men who stood at attention and nodded respectfully upon his arrival.

“Let me in.” Alfred deadpanned. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, resisting the urge to push the men aside himself and storm in.

“Sorry, your grace. However--”

“I don’t give a shit! You will let me in.” Alfred yelled back. “He’s already chained up, he can’t do anything!”

Why were they acting this way? They were obviously scared and yes, he understood Arthur was a powerful and sometimes unpredictable man with a temper to match, but he was already caught. They could treat him better than this!

“I’m sorry, your highness...”

Alfred groaned and backed off. He knew trying to fight them physically was not a good option, despite his urge to push them aside and fall to his knees in front of Arthur and beg for forgiveness. He didn’t want to do that, the men were simply following orders and Alfred knew better than to think his father wouldn’t lock him up as well if he lashed out.

No, he had to be smarter.

Turning on his heel, he stormed down the hall. He knew the castle like the back of his hand and, as the mischievous young prince he was, he knew more than his fair share of secrets. Much like he knew ways to sneak out of the castle, he knew ways to sneak around in it as well.

All he had to do was wait until nightfall.

When the sun had set, Alfred made his way to an unoccupied guest room, only one floor above the one Arthur was using. He snuck his way into the door, making sure to close it again as he entered, and ran to the window. He knew he still had to be careful, they were several stories above the ground and one wrong slip would send him tumbling to a very splattery death. But he was determined to show Arthur what he meant to him and so his own safety was disregarded in favor of getting to the grumpy captain below him.

Pushing the window open was the easy part, he tossed his legs across the window frame and carefully gripped the ledge. Slowly, he eased himself down and across the stone surface of the outside walls until he was just far enough down to drop onto the balcony below. He landed with a pained grunt, the impact hard on his knees and he flopped onto his side before he could catch himself.

“Fuck, that hurt.” He muttered to himself, attempting to push himself up onto his elbow only for it to send a searing agony through his left side. “Shit!” He hissed, rolling to his other side and using his good arm to push himself off the ground. He took only a moment to assess the damage done, unsure if his elbow was just going to be badly bruised or if he actually had broken something in it when he landed. He didn’t have the time to care, he stood up holding his throbbing arm and pushed forward.

Arthur’s room was dark and cold as he stepped inside. Thankfully the balcony door was not locked, he figured the guards knew that even Arthur couldn’t rightly escape from so high up without the use of magic to aid him. At least, not easily.

“Arthur?” Alfred whispered into the dark room, his blue eyes searching for any sign of movement. He knew there were still guards posted dutifully outside the main door and if they heard him then his struggle to get into the room would be for nothing. “Are you asleep?”

Suddenly, a pain rang out through his head as he was hit and he stumbled a ways away from the culprit.

“Leave.” Someone snarled.

Alfred jumped at the sound ghosting right into his ear, whirling around to catch a glimpse of glaring green orbs in the dark only mere inches away from his face.

“Arthur,” The prince spoke softly despite the pain, instantly stepping towards the familiar emeralds with his arms stretched out. “Artie, I didn’t mean for this to happen. I’m so sorry, I--”

“I told you to leave.” Came the cold response as the Brit stepped back and out of the other man’s reach. “I don’t care what your intentions were. I made mine perfectly clear, I didn’t want this, and you simply didn’t care.”

As much as he didn’t want to, part of him believed Alfred hadn’t planned this. Gazing into pleading, saddened blue eyes it was easy to see that the secret royal felt a guilt unlike any other. And yet, Arthur couldn’t find it in himself to give a fuck. He had made it more than crystal clear that he did not want to be queen and had told Alfred such many times, he had even told him why, which was a punch to the gut itself. Alfred knew the truth about his family and still, he lied. He used him like any royal would.

“It’s not like that,” Alfred begged softly, stepping forward again only for Arthur to mirror it and step back. “I wanted to find you on my own and to understand...understand why you didn’t want to be mine. But now I get it, and I wanted to tell you the truth but not like that, gods Arthur, never like that.” The horror stricken face when is mark was revealed was one Alfred never wanted to see on his betrothed ever again and it hurt to know that he was the reason it had appeared there in the first place.

“It doesn’t matter now, does it? You got what you wanted.” Arthur’s words were cold and made Alfred shiver.

“No!” Alfred clamped his hand over his mouth to stop himself from shouting too loud or else he would alert the guards outside the room. The last thing either of them needed was to be found out. “No, I didn’t. I want you as my queen, of course I do, but more than anything I want you to be happy with me. I can’t stand this, Arthur. I can’t stand you hating me.”

“I’m afraid you are in for a rough marriage then, dear.”

Alfred felt his fingers twitch, the harsh tone of Arthur’s voice striking a cord in him that he didn’t know he had. He was trying to apologize and make things right and Arthur was standing there mocking him! Without much thought, he reached out much faster this time and grabbed a hold of Arthur’s wrist and pulled.

“Oi!” The Brit started to protest but they were drowned out by lips crashing roughly into his own. His green eyes went wide in surprise at the sudden contact as Alfred’s arm then snaked around his waist and pulled him in tighter.

“Please, let me make things right.” The prince pulled back only enough to speak, his breath grazing along the shorter man’s lips as he whispered them. “I’ll fix this, I promise.”

“You can’t fix this, it’s already done.” Arthur muttered back.

“I will. I promised you, I would be your hero. Please, let me do that for you.” He ran a slow hand across the smaller man’s back, tracing his spine up and down with gentle fingers. “My father wants to...take your magic, says the royal mages are already planning some sort of nullification to take your powers away. He’s afraid of you.”

“He should be.”

Alfred flinched at that. It wasn’t the reaction he expected, it was as if it wasn’t a surprise at all to the Brit. He expected screaming and anger, not just an icy agreement. His stunned silence must’ve been all the question Arthur needed.

Then again, Arthur probably knew that blowing up and alerting the guards standing outside his room would end much more poorly for him than it would for Alfred.

“I know what he’s planning. The navy men who brought me here were not exactly keen on keeping secrets they thought would make me squirm.” Arthur mumbled, his lips softly moving against the side of Alfred’s jaw as he spoke. “Your father wants me to stand at your side and obey. It is exactly how I told you it would be...they want the body with the mark, but they don’t want me.”

“I want you.” Alfred corrected quickly. Despite his shock that Arthur knew his father's plans and his boiling anger that the navy personnel that brought him here were cruel enough to tease him, Alfred knew more than anything that he wanted Arthur for who he was and nothing less.

“Until you are king, what you want doesn’t matter, and by then it will be far too late.” The pirate said in return, his head tilting down and away from the warm breath. Still, he could feel Alfred’s kisses in his hair as he turned away. “If I don’t do what they ask they will kill Peter. The only reason they haven’t yet is they know what will happen if they do.”

Alfred’s grip tightened instinctively around the other man’s waist, drawing him even closer until he was squished against his chest.

“What will happen if Peter dies?” His voice was hesitant, barely audible at all. Deep down he knew he didn’t want the answer to the question he had just asked because he had a feeling he already knew.

Arthur didn’t answer immediately, he remained silent for a few, long moments and let the thick silence wash over them. “I won’t live if I lose Peter.” He finally voiced softly. “If I lose him, I’ve lost everything. I won’t allow myself to live if he dies.” He felt another arm wrap around him, though it was looser than the other he ignored that.

Alfred, as much as it hurt, used his injured arm to wrap around Arthur’s shoulders and into a hug. The implication that Arthur would kill himself should something happen to Peter wasn’t that surprising, but it was not something Alfred wanted to have to worry about. He planned on taking care of both of them.

For the first time, Alfred realized how small Arthur really looked in this moment. His eyes were cast down and his skin was ghostly. There was a sense of brokenness to him that had never been there before.

“I won’t let them hurt him.” He promised quickly. “I’ll be your hero, just like I said I would. Yours and Peter’s, I swear.”

“I won’t hold my breath.” Arthur muttered back, his arms still limp at his sides as if they didn’t work at all. They still did, of course, the blow to his head was proof enough of that, but for Arthur and his magic, they might as well be broken.

Realizing this, Alfred pulled back slightly and allowed his hands to roam from Arthur back down his arms. When they reached the pale wrists, he lifted them up and glared hard at the metal shackles encircling them. His face twisted into an angry sneer at the thought of Arthur’s magic being contained like this, of him being forced here and locked in a room like a cage.

His fingers shook as he stared down at the enchanted binds on his fiance with narrow eyes, mentally cursing his father as he did so.

“I don’t know how long we have until the mages are finished creating the nullification magic.” Alfred admitted as gently as he could, but didn’t fail to notice the way Arthur tensed up slightly.

“They can take my magic as long as Peter stays safe.” Was the quiet reply, but his voice betrayed the pain nuzzled between the words. Arthur was terrified, but he would be strong if it meant saving his brother. He would give up anything for him.

When Arthur said nothing else on the matter and only pitifully resigned to his fate, Alfred pulled him close again and buried his nose into his messy hair. He planted soft kisses throughout it, trying his best to bring some form of comfort. “You should rest, love.” He told him. “Come on, I’ll get you to bed.”

Walking to the large bed, Alfred pulled back the covered to make room for Arthur to lie down. The man did so wordlessly, normally fiery green eyes now a dull ember of what they once were.

“I’ll come back as soon as I can, I promise. We’ll figure this out together.”

And he did.

After Arthur was in bed, Alfred easily snuck out the balcony and avoided the patrolling guards with a light step. He knew their routines like the back of his hand and just how to get around them. It came with being a trouble making prince, after all.

It also helped him keep his promise, returning to Arthur night after night. During the day, he tried to reason with his unrelenting father for some sort of mercy, only to receive a scolding. It frustrated Alfred to no end that he was no closer to figuring out a way to save Arthur even as several days passed and talk of visiting monarchs began bubbling up more and more. Not that Alfred cared about them, he was too concerned with Arthur to give any potential guest a second glance.

But during the nights, when he could sneak easily through the halls and down a cobbled wall into Arthur’s private room, he felt his heart swell. Each greeting was like a breath of fresh air, sending his body into a blissful calm as he wrapped his arms tight against the man he loved so dearly. He wasted no time assuring him that they would be okay and reminding him that he truly did love him.

At first, Arthur was cruel. It was obvious his mistrust in Alfred was still weighing heavily on his mind and the prince did his best to right his wrongs.

Night after night Alfred climbed the walls to Arthur and eventually found himself falling into open arms instead of a nasty scowl. It was slow, sure, but he wouldn’t trade it for anything.

“I brought you this,” Alfred told him one night, his voice only barely audible. “I thought you might like it. It’s from the garden.” Reaching into his coat pocket, the younger man produced a crimson rose and presented it proudly to the captain. Its petals were slightly bruised and its stem was twisted from the journey, but he didn’t mind. “I know you love roses. I want to show you the actual gardens soon...once I get you out of here, I promise I will. You’ll love them.”

The motivated sparkling in his ocean eyes was enough for Arthur to actually believe him for once.

Nearly two weeks into Arthur’s confinement and the talk of visiting royals was more than just a rumor. Apparently, representatives from each of the other kingdoms wished to come and visit the newly captured queen. Alfred wasn’t sure of their motives, he knew Arthur had a lot of enemies not only in The Spades but in each of the other realms as well. Still, to appease his father and hopefully gain some leeway with him, the prince promised to play nice.

Only a few days before the other royals were meant to arrive, Alfred landed gracefully onto the Brit’s balcony once more. He had perfected the landing by now and greeted his queen with open arms as he stepped into the room.

“I’ve missed you.” He smiled, pulling Arthur close and leaving kisses across his face. “I always miss you, babe.”

The pirate let out a small snort at that but allowed himself to be dragged into a tight embrace.

“And I you, you insufferable git.” He muttered back, running a hand over his lover’s hair.

Alfred pulled back only enough to send the shorter man a large grin before snuggling his face into his hair. “There are representatives from the other kingdoms coming to meet you soon.”

“I know.”

“I don’t know exactly who’s coming yet...but be careful. I can’t bear to think that anything else might happen to you.” Alfred spoke softly. “You or Peter. I heard him and your ship are still in the harbor outside the captial. Most of your crew is still alive, but awaiting punishment. They’re in the dungeons...but I’m trying to convince my father to release them for rehabilitation instead of execution.”

Arthur let out another chuckle, this one darker and unbelieving. “Rehabilitation for a bunch of pirates? Your father must think you’re quite mad.”

Alfred returned the smirk with one of his own. “He already does because he knows I’m dead in love with you, but what he thinks doesn’t matter to me.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Arthur’s forehead.

The Brit let out a light hum, tracing his arms around the taller man’s neck and pulling him back down for another kiss on the lips. After the connection was broken, Alfred leaned his forehead snuggly against the other’s and stared down at him seriously. He could see the faint hint of hesitation in those emerald eyes.

“I’ll be there with you, you know, when the other royals come. I’ll be by your side, I’ll make sure of it.” He tried to smile encouragingly. “Come on, you look tired. Let’s get you to bed, love.” He said, putting his hand at the small of Arthur’s back and leading him towards the decorated mattress. But as he moved to cover the Brit up with the blankets, his motion was stopped by the pirate sitting up without warning. Without a word, the shorter blonde reached out and grabbed the prince’s shirt, pulling him roughly until he came barreling down onto the bed as well.

Alfred had to physically restrain himself from letting out a shocked yell, relieved that somehow the guards hadn’t heard the groan of the bed as he landed on it with a flop. “A-Artie?” He sputtered, his eyes wide as he watched the lean man straddle on top of him and glare. Normally the image of Arthur on top of him was a welcome sight, but this wasn’t exactly a friendly face.

“Stay for a moment.” The Brit commanded, sending Alfred into an array of confusion and bliss.

“What?” He couldn’t help the amused grin that tugged on his lips. When he only received a short grunt as a response he chuckled. “You know I can’t stay, Artie. What if we get found out?”

“I said only a moment.” Arthur echoed, only more annoyed this time. To complete his request, the captain shifted until he was lying down half beside Alfred and half on top of him, effectively locking him in place. He wrapped his slender arms around the other man and rested his head on the crook of his neck, inhaling the sweet scent that lingered there.

Alfred’s grin was still plastered to his face but couldn’t stop the beating of his heart when Arthur effectively wrapped around him. He’d be lying if he said this wasn’t the greatest thing he could’ve ever asked for. He reached up and began idly running his fingers through the Brit’s hair, earning him a soft huff of contentment as his eyelids began to feel heavy. He could rest for a while, he told himself, as long as Arthur was there and willing, he would gladly stay by his side as long as he could.

--- ♠ --- ♠ --- ♠ ---

Alfred awoke to a loud gasp.

His eyes snapped open but the maid was already scrambling out of the door, making way for the guards to enter instead. The prince tightened his grip around the warm body next to him protectively, growling at the predatory way the two uniformed men glared at them.

He hadn’t meant to spend the night with Arthur. Truthfully, he had fully intended to wait until the Brit fell asleep and then would slip out undetected before morning. It seemed, however, that his body had other plans and he had fully fallen asleep.

“Your highness,” One of the guards sounded both appalled and furious. “What are you doing here? You have to leave immediately.”

Beside him, Alfred could feel Arthur stirring and in an instant venomous green eyes were matching the glares of the two guarded men before them.

“Piss off, can’t you see we were trying to sleep? Are all you capital wankers really that rude to interrupt someone's sleep?” The tired pirate swore, sending them a snarl of his own.

They were caught, there was no denying it now.

“Please, just exit the room. I’ll be out in a moment.” Alfred urged, more gently than Arthur in hopes to get them to listen. Unfortunately, neither guard faltered.

“We’re sorry, your majesty. However, we can’t leave you alone with him.”

“Your father will be more than displeased by this.”

“We can’t allow him to remain here either, we will have to remove him to a more secure location.”

“Of course. Please, your highness, so we may proceed. The sooner we do this the lesser the punishment will be for your...queen.”

Alfred grit his teeth. To hell with what his father thought! Obviously he was unharmed, so why did they still distrust Arthur so much? Why could they not see they were the ones being foolish. He gripped Arthur tighter against him, his face scrunching into an angry sneer. They looked at his queen like he was little more than a wild animal in a cage and Alfred wanted nothing more than to wipe those judgmental faces right from them.

“I said I will leave on my own.” The prince challenged, finally relenting his iron grip on the man beside him in favor of pulling himself slowly out of the bed. He realized somewhere in the back of his mind that he had never even taken off his shoes before falling asleep. Not that it really mattered now anyway. “And you will not bother him. Am I understood?” The edge in his voice was unlike his usual, childish self.

He was the beloved Prince Alfred of Spades, the golden boy, a kind man with a spirited heart. His people adored him for this. But, when faced with a possible threat to the one he cared about, his warmth turned into an uncontrollable wildfire that threatened anyone in its path.

His darkened gaze did not go unnoticed, as he saw the subtle fall of the guard’s faces as he sized them up. He could take them, he concluded. Even if they were armored and held weapons, they wouldn’t use them against him of all people. He was the prince, after all. That didn't mean the two would not get physical if they needed to. Even still, Alfred was confident he could out match them even if the numbers were not in his favor.

“Sir, we really can’t do that. Your father--”

“To hell with my father!” Alfred shouted, successfully shocking both guards, Arthur, and himself. Not that he cared in this moment, right now he was only worried about keeping his lover safe from prying hands and potential harm. “You will not touch him.” He growled, fists clenching at his sides.

“Alfred, you’re not helping things.” Arthur’s brows furrowed together in confusion and even some irritation. They were in deep shit already now that their secret meetings had been discovered, the teen didn’t need to make things worse by getting into a fight with the guards.

His argument fell on deaf ears because the second one of the guardsmen braced himself and told Arthur to “keep your filthy mouth shut”, Alfred lost it and lundged right at him. He tackled the man to the hard ground with a carnivorous sound emanating in the back of his throat, possessive of what was his and unwilling to accept any threats. He raised his fist behind his head and brought it back down on the man’s face with painful accuracy.

He heard another shriek from the hallway, no doubt the same maid from before who was peering into the room. He didn’t care, even when he felt more hands on him, pulling him off the other male and holding him down.

It all happened in a flash, the blur of his anger blinding him to the rushing of more guards and even some mages into the room in a panic. He heard Arthur yelling something, but when he turned to look, the prince felt a sharp blow the to head and his world faded into darkness.

#usuk #usuk fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #hetalia #aph #aph america #america #aph england #england #cardverse #pirate au #protective Alfred is my jam #hot damn

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danny-chase · 3 years

Text

The Batfam as Tech Majors

AU where Alfred got tired of watching Bruce slap duct tape on the Batmobile and call it good, so he forced the children into college. He makes each of them complete an internship with Lucius in R and D so they have better knowledge of how the devices that their lives depend on work. Majors/minors/tropes under cut.

Dick:

Mechanical Engineering Major

He was in undeclared engineering for as long as possible

He settled on mechanical because it seemed the most broad

Plus he joined a car club, loved it, and there were a ton of MechE’s there

He ends up taking credit overloads most semesters because he always finds 1-3 random classes that he wants to take

Despite taking everything from advanced computer science classes (he somehow convinces even the most intense professors to let him into their classes) to hyper specific phycology classes, he doesn’t have any minors to show for it

He just gets bored with the subject after a couple classes

This gives him a bunch of random knowledge

When he talks to his younger siblings about classes, somehow he’s always managed to take at least one that they’re in, and offers advice.

He has the best RA stories. He most certainly did not need to be an RA. But the school was hurting for them and he thought it would be fun.

His residents loved him, but that didn’t stop them from playing beer pong in the common spaces at 3am.

He founds a circus arts club after his residents pull up information about his past and get overly excited about it

Specifically, he finds out they know about his past, because one of them decided it was a good idea to try and juggle knives, and because he’d prefer there not to be any additional bloodstains on the carpet he decides to start the club

He nearly graduated late because he forgot he needed to take specific classes for his major

Barbara:

Computer Science/Math duel Major

She’s a TA for Comp Sci 1, all the students fight to get her help because she’s amazing at spotting bugs and is super patient

Somehow she’s the president of 3 clubs and is on student senate

She’s the curve breaker

She gets homework assignments meant to take a week done the day they’re assigned

She and Dick went to a single party together, stayed for five minutes, decided it was too loud, and went to get ice cream

Along with her club, she’s in professional organizations, and is part of a women in STEM mentoring program

She started a petition to get more wheel chair ramps installed. Half the buildings are protected under some “historical grounds” bs that’s an excuse for not being accommodating

The petition didn’t go anywhere at first, but it was widely shared on social media and made the school look horrible, so they implemented some of her proposals

Jason:

Philosophy/Cognitive Science duel Major

He gets asked “There’s a philosophy major?” every time he has to do one of those stupid what’s your name and major icebreakers

Jason lives in the library

He’s fallen asleep in there at 3am after it gets locked up

He quotes philosophers at his siblings when they’re being annoying, and it effectively shuts them up, because he only quotes the most nonsensical arguments

He gets involved with the college’s community outreach program

He volunteers for a local robotics team

When people find out his majors, they’re genuinely confused, because he understands robotics really well

He lies his ass off about being really interested in it as a child

Dick convinced him to be an RA for a semester, and he almost had a heart attack

Someone choked in front of him on the first day

Despite seeming like a tough RA, he genuinely cared about his residents and had to quit because he was so stressed out that one of them would do something stupid and die

Cass:

Innovation/Design Major

She’s really observant, so she’s great at spotting flaws in infrastructure and coming up with ways to fix them

Spending time with Barbara made her realize the lack of systems designed with wheelchair users in mind

Her experience being illiterate and not knowing English has imprinted on her the need for signage that can be understood by anyone

She focuses on taking project based classes, where she can draw out her designs and build them, rather than figuring out the math behind them

She has patents for the inventions she created at WE

She was exempted from the “Alfred’s mandatory college degree program” but decided to go as a part time student for herself

It took her twice as long to graduate, and a lot of tutoring from her siblings, but she made it!

The family threw her an extra special party when she graduated - everyone else had minor celebratory dinners, but they went all out for Cass

There was not a dry eye at her graduation ceremony

Cass works part time with WE on and off as a designer after her first internship

She comes up with ideas during patrols, draws them and sends them to Lucius

Tim:

Computer Science Major with a minor in game design

He makes it to approximately 20% of his lectures

He nearly didn’t graduate on time because he put off his humanity courses for so long

He missed the actual ceremony, even though the family showed up

He starts all his assignments the day before they’re due

If at all possible he avoids groupwork and offers to do assignments by himself because he gives his teammates heart attacks when he starts his part the project at 3pm the day before it’s due

This leads to extremely frequent all-nighters

He always finds himself rewriting everyone else’s code to make it work more efficiently

This can, of course, cause some people to feel a little upset

Other students specifically seek him out as a teammate so they can half ass their parts

He participates in game jams when he has time, and got super into the hacking club

Against all odds, he joined a fraternity

Dick literally fell off a building when he found out

He makes up stories about partying for the heck of it, when in reality he and the guys just play Smash Bros together until 3am

He hasn’t seen anyone drink more than two beers, and he hasn’t tried alcohol there either

He joined on accident, he had just pulled an all-nighter and stumbled into a recruiting fair, he heard someone shouting about Mario Kart Double Dash, and bada bing bada boom, he agreed to rush because it involved being stuck in a room playing video games all weekend

Steph:

Civil Engineering Major with minors in Sustainability and STSS (Science, Technology, and Social Science)

She gets constantly shit on for being a civie

Every time she introduces herself someone mumbles “fake mechie” in the background

She and Jason complain about the disrespect together

She was genuinely shocked when Bruce offered to pay for her college tuition

She’d been planning on going and cutting costs any way possible

But Bruce took her aside when she was applying and offered to pay it all

She refused at first, but then money just appeared in her bank account, and what was she supposed to do, give it back?

She also participates in professional groups and is a member of SWE (Society of Women Engineers), and she mentors younger students

She ends up as class president by running a very successful social media meme campaign

She got and email saying she’d won and panicked because she had no idea what she was doing and was just having fun making memes

She ended up staying class president the entire time, and ended up getting really into it, and ended up with a pretty solid approval rating

She joined a sorority and had a blast

They worked with the local animal shelter, and she started bringing Damian along as well

Her sisters think he’s adorable and he secretly enjoys the attention

She gets her revenge on all the civil engineering haters by landing her dream job redesigning the poorer areas of Gotham to include more green spaces, increase affordable housing, and upgrading access to utilities

Duke:

Biochemisty Major with a minor in Neuroscience

Harper, Tim, Steph, and him are all in the same year

Tim convinces him to join the fraternity with him

He joins a variety of professional groups as well

He mentors other BIPOC, and joins NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers) and runs helps run professional development programs

But he’s also in like million other clubs that he does not put on his resume

He’s runs the college’s meme page club, is part of the Pokémon Go club, is on the competitive Overwatch team, consistently attends the anime club’s Dragon Ball Z watch parties, joins the Dance Dance Revolution club, and the list goes on and on

When Tim is awake, and Harper isn’t busy, they go with him, but both of them have too much inconsistencies in their schedule to join

He ends up meeting like half the campus

He unintentionally has become a god of networking

Unlike his siblings, he goes all the way for a doctorate

He researches Joker venom, determined to figure out a cure for his parents (in my HC, he eventually does)

He wins like every award imaginable for his groundbreaking research into venoms as he comes up with vaccines that save countless lives

He still works on the meme page, even after he graduates

Harper:

She somehow defies all odds and triple majors in Physics, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering

She takes credit overload every semester, and gets credit for her internships at WE

She and Steph were roommates freshman year, and Steph swears that Harper never sleeps

She is the most wanted partner for every engineering project

She thrives in college, and lives off of coffee

She’s in the front row in every lecture

She doesn’t leave the lecture halls, she’s gotten locked in more than once after falling asleep

She had a heart attack the first time she saw students using the machine shop

Half the students weren’t wearing safety glasses, she counted three people wearing slides, the machines were rusted over, the soldering irons were all broken, and she nearly watched someone break their wrist using a power drill

She refuses to work there

Her secret to success is prioritizing - she absorbs the material like a sponge so if homework is only worth 5%, it isn’t getting done, and she’ll just cram before the exam

She almost joined Tim and Duke’s frat (it’s co-ed), but she didn’t have the time

They let her in without rushing senior year because Tim ended up as the boss, and he said so

Cullen:

I don’t know a ton about Cullen, but I feel like he would be a comp sci major

He comes in when Harper, Tim, Duke, and Steph are upperclassmen, and he joins all of Duke’s clubs

They have a million inside jokes

To the other siblings, it seems like the two have their own language

He also joins a club that mentors LGTBQ+ students at the local high school, and encourages them to pursue STEM careers if they’re interested

Jason recruits him as a mentor for the robotics team (he’s the lead mentor at this point) after some of the kids in his mentoring program mention him at a meeting and Jason is like O.O

He avoids parties at all costs, and ends up joining the frat as well

It’s all Duke’s fault he’s in a frat

He does however, meet some lovely boys in the frat

Damian:

Aerospace Engineering/Environmental Engineering dual Major with minors in sustainability and biology

He nearly riots when he’s presented with the college’s idea of a vegetarian/vegan meal

He manages to get out of the meal plan after that, and begins rallying students to push for better options that contain actual protein

He joins a community service club that works with the local animal shelter, and secretly joins the circus arts club (that’s thriving even without Dick there)

He learns how to sew blankets out of old clothes for the animals

He and Barbara are the only siblings to graduate with a 4.0, simply because they were the only one that took the time to actually do all the homework, and remembered to turn things in on time

He refuses to live in the dorms, and instead lives in one of their apartments nearby (once again somehow managing to complain to the college enough to get his housing waived)

He literally walked in once when visiting Duke, and immediately walked out, and resolved never to step near one again

He makes a total of three friends while at the school, both are in the animal shelter club

They exchange vegetarian/vegan recipes, and get together to cook

He decides to move off campus with them his junior year when they needed another roommate, and he won’t admit it to his siblings, but he had a ton of fun

He and his friend group may have joined an animal rights hacktivist group and may have helped orchestrate some major hacks

Poisson Ivy finds out and feeds him targets and information when they’re supposed to be fighting (she just walks back to Arkham if the others aren’t watching, and slips him a list at the end)

Bonus Bruce:

He cries at every graduation

He’s asked to make a speech at every graduation

He never does - it’s about his kids, not him

He single handedly is keeping the school from bankruptcy - not that any of his kids (other than probably Barbara) know

He sobbed for days after Cass graduated

He genuinely didn’t expect Dick or Tim to graduate

After Dick graduated, he wouldn’t let Bruce touch any of the equipment, and the rest of his kids followed suit

He isn’t actually bad at engineering, his education was just super informal, and hey duct tape works 95% of the time in his experience

The real reason Alfred was annoyed was because he refused to take the time to properly fix something if someone was in danger, and then he’d forget that he’d just used duct tape to patch something

But now since no one lets him touch anything, he’s genuinely lost a lot of the knowledge

But in a pinch, he can fix stuff

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miracle-sham · 3 years

Text

Long for Who You Could Have Been.

| {Jasonette July 2021, Week 4, Day 19: Mistakes} |

———

| They might be monster hunters and that might mean their lives are fraught with chaos and danger. But there were moments in between the contracts and courts, fragile and wavering like the dying embers of a flame; where pasts, and hopes, and dreams were shared in the refuge of the campfire. |

| Word Count: 1,764. |

———

| A/N: So this is my second to last Jasonette July fic but the last to actually be posted in July since the other fic (Prompt: Loss) is taking longer than expected to write, whoops! Anyway here's a shorter Witcher au that's mostly fluff with a tinge of sadness here and there. Definitely feels weird to be using/needing so few tags for the first time in a long while! Lastly, thanks to my friend Saf whose reactions to the snippets I send her, absolutely fuel my will to write! |

| Also side note, Don’t Like? Don’t Read. Also also, please do not criticise any of my writing. This was written for fun and receiving criticism, even in a compliment/criticism sandwich, is the exact opposite of fun. |

———

The fire crackled gently, flames flickering in soft almost hypnotising patterns. The light and warmth were all that was keeping the chilling coastal mist at bay, from reaching their little makeshift camp.

Crescent moon and stars twinkled above, shining their silvery light down to mix with the ghostly mist below.

It was almost haunting, in the precious silence, punctuated only by the gentle lapping of waves against the cliff rocks not too far away. And the low hum of the local nocturnal bugs and other such creatures; the flap of bat wings, the cry of an owl, the flutter of moths and beetles, the scuttling of hedgehogs, mice, and foxes. The air was still, not even the faintest sea breeze and yet the fret rolled and crept and seeped into every nook and cranny outside of the protective glow of the campfire.

Jason sat on one side of the fire, on his bedroll and worked on cleaning his silver and steel swords with a rag, not quite humming as he quietly mouthed the words to a jaunty little tavern song, the Fishmonger's Daughter.

On the opposite side of the campfire, on her own bedroll, Marinette had a cloak splayed out across her knee with a needle and thread in hand. Tongue sticking out slightly, in concentration, carefully she darned away at the numerous little holes that had formed from walking through the thorny bush filled forest that their current contract had led them into entering.

With a huff, Jason threw the cleaning rag at the saddlebag on the ground beside him. He sheathed his swords and pulled out his favoured weapon, the crossbow with steel and silver-tipped bolts. Immediately he began checking the bolts for any potential damage and ensuring the shooting mechanism on the crossbow hadn't jammed.

“Something on your mind, Blue Jay?” Marinette asked, glancing up from her needlework for a moment.

He tipped his head back and sighed. “I've been thinking…”

“That's new.” She responded, mirth glinting obviously in her eyes and the bubble of laughter in her tone.

Jason gasped in faux offence, mindfully dropping his crossbow and scrambling for the cleaning rag just to throw it at her face.

Before it could hit her, Marinette plucked it out of the air with two fingers. She hummed mock-thoughtfully. “Your aim's off.”

“You take that back! My aim is impeccable. Alfred said so!” He argued back.

She snorted. “Alfred is biased because he's your grandfather figure. And I'll take it back next time we get through an entire contract without you missing a single shot.” To punctuate her point, she tossed the rag back at him.

He half-dived for it, grabbing it with both hands and with it safely in his grasp, placed the rag inside the saddlebag beside him. Throwing his arms up in mock-exasperation, Jason scowled playfully at her. “C'mon! That's not fair, you've never gone an entire contract without messing up or missing with your magic either!”

“Yeah,” Marinette agreed with a nod of her head and a smirk on her lips, “but I've never claimed to be perfect at magic!”

Her words caused him to falter slightly. “Right,” he swallowed a breath of air thickly, “That reminds me of what I was going to say before we got distracted.”

She frowned, furrowing her eyebrows and putting on a softer tone. “What is it? As much as we joke, I'd never actually judge you for missing shots or anything else, you know that right?”

“Yeah, I know… I just.” He huffed in frustration. Hesitantly, he held her gaze with his own but not a second later, winced and shifted his to stare down at the flickering embers of the campfire pit. Avoiding eye contact with her. He clenched his fists. “D'you ever, I don't know, feel like this was all… a mistake?”

Scrunching up her face in confusion, she squinted at Jason. “What do you mean? As-as in taking the contract?”

“No! Well, yes but no. I mean…” He waved an arm, gesturing vaguely around them, “just everything. Becoming a Witcher. Or I guess in your case, a Sorceress. Do you regret it?”

When she didn't immediately respond, Jason huffed again, hunching his shoulders up and practically bristling like a particularly grumpy and grizzling moggy. “Look, never mind. Stupid question.”

“It's not stupid!” Marinette retorted, “I just… wasn't expecting a question like that at this moment.”

He stared at her expectantly. “Well?”

Tipping her head back slightly, she fiddled with the needle still in one hand and sighed. “I suppose I do, I know I shouldn't… but I miss the easy days. Like before I knew what I was capable of. Before I knew what horrors the world could bring. Back when my only worries were getting stitches right and not messing up when dealing with expensive materials. Or maybe having to worry if the Alderman's daughter was going to harass me at some point during the day.”

Marinette tilted her head forwards again, a frown gracing her lips, and shrugged. “What brings this up?”

There's not an immediate response, as Jason casts his gaze away from the fire—towards where the sea could be heard but not seen. His fingers twitched midair, almost as though plucking the strings of an instrument. “I never wanted to be a Witcher. I was a Child Surprise, dunno who was the one that offered the Law of Surprise though.”

“Ah, I sorta get that. I'm also a Child Surprise, didn't get to choose to be a Sorcerer either.” As she spoke, she nodded in solidarity.

Jason jolted, gaze immediately snapping up to stare at her, completely taken aback. “Wait seriously? You're a Child Surprise too? How'd that happen?”

“Well, my parents' bakery was attacked and Félix, y'know my mentor, saved them. He invoked the Law of Surprise, expecting to get bread or some other baked goods.” She snorted, “he was awfully surprised to end up getting me instead. And when I accidentally cast my first ever spell trying to escape the Alderman's daughter, I ended up teleporting to Félix.”

“So, wait Félix fucking invoked the Law of Surprise to get food? And got you instead. Holy fucking shit that's hilarious!” He wheezed, doubling over in raucous laughter.

Huffing, she cast a spell, causing a vine to sprout up out of the ground beside him and slap him on the knee. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up!”

“Ouch! Hey, no fair!” Jason mock scowled, choking back any further laughter. Quickly, in retaliation, he cast a weak Aard.

The telekinetic wave knocked into Marinette, pushing her onto her back from the weakened force.

“Wha—! Oh, so the vine isn't fair but throwing me to the ground is!” She griped, crossing her arms (carefully as to not prick herself on the needle) but made no attempt to get up.

Half-shrugging and grinning smugly, he replied, “you started it!”

She made an exaggerated groaning noise in response before slowly shifting her position to push herself back up into sitting cross-legged. “Well, now you know how I became a Sorcerer. How'd being a Child Surprise tie into you ending up a Witcher, if you don't me asking?”

“I dunno,” he shrugged with both shoulders this time, “I tried to steal the infamous Bat of Gotham's horse, he asked me my name. Reluctantly and after some bribery of hot food, I told him. Didn't think to give a fake one, at the time. He made a face, invoked the Law of Surprise owed to him and dragged me back to the Bat Witcher school.”

“Huh,” Marinette responded, “so if you hadn't… what would you have done with your life?”

Jason raised an eyebrow at her. “Seriously? This is me we're talking about. I'd have gone to Bard College, obviously. I'd have written poems and shit. And books, I'd have written books.”

Scrunching up her face once more, Marinette glanced down at the needle in her hand. “We're by the coast.”

“What?” He asked incredulously, giving her a bemused and questioning look. “What does that have to do with poetry and books?”

In a rush of words, she rambled, “we could take a holiday. I could find out about the spell to disguise your eyes… and uh hair too. That way no one will know you're a Witcher. And we can go to the bard college-town that's down the coast from where we are. We can scavenge together enough gold for you to attend, and you can write your poetry and books.”

Jason stared at her in shock, tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. Softly, as though anything louder than a whisper would cause the offer to shatter like his childhood dreams once had. “Oh, oh, could you really?”

As warmly as the fire between them, Marinette smiled, “of course! I'd have to ask Félix first of course. But he fell in love with Bridgette and she was a Witcher and he came up with a spell to disguise her whenever they weren't doing contracts or courtly politics. So I don't see why he wouldn't show me how to do it!”

Shakily, he wiped his eyes and smiled back. “Fuck, I'd love that!”

“Okay then! I'll contact Félix on the xenovox tomorrow.” As she spoke, a yawn slipped past her lips. “I think I'm gonna head to sleep now. I'll see you in the morning!”

“Good night, Marinette. I'm gonna stretch my legs real quick first.” He answered, hefting himself up and stretching his arms. “Sleep well, though.”

“Be careful!” Marinette yawned again and packed away her needlework for the night. She then wriggled into her bedroll. “And I'll try, g'night!”

“Night,” he whispered once more.

Quietly, so as to not disturb her, Jason slipped away from camp. Following the direction of the fret, he made his way down the safest cliff path he could find in the dark until his boots hit the sand. Step by step, he walked across the beach until the sea spray spattered against his clothes. He's close enough that the waves gently lapped at the toes of his boots.

Clutching one hand to his chest, just over where his heart was, Jason sighed and gazed longingly at the mist-shrouded sea.

“I never thought I'd get to continue my dreams after becoming a Witcher.” He whispered to the wind. “And now I can, thanks to her.”

He sighs again, heart warmed. And silently in the quietude of the beach at night, he cries alone. For his heart is too full with the kindness of another to contain the feelings any longer.

———

| Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this little fic! Comments, Likes, and Reblogs are much appreciated! |

| Also feel free to send me any comments with any questions you have regarding this fic, I’ll be more than happy to answer! |

| @jasonette-july-event |

#Maribat #MLB x DC #DC xMLB #Jasonette #Jasonette July #Jasonette July 2021 #JasonetteJuly2021 #JasMari #MariJay #Marinette x Jason #Jason x Marinette #Jasonette July Week 4 #Jasonette July Day 19 #Jasonette July Mistakes #Long for Who You Could Have Been #LfWYCHB #Sham's Posts #Sham's Writing #Sham's Fics

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temas-misc-gamework · 3 years

Text

Game List (as of 04/2022)

Released

Romano’s Stolen Lunch

Basic Synopsis: Romano has to go to the meeting in place of his brother and his lunch is stolen. He does not take this very well and decides that he’s going to figure out who did it and give them a few choice words.

What is It: Demo is Released, Full Release on the Way

Is it Playable: Yes Links:

Game Download Link

No One Asked for Puzzles

Basic Synopsis: Metagame about an Artist’s Struggles. Romano is made to solve puzzles and banter with an absent-minded Canada while making jokes at the camera.

What is It: Full Jam Game, Released.

Is it Playable: Yes Links:

Game Download Link

HetaRealms

Basic Synopsis: Once again the Axis and Allies are at one another's throats, but a leftover prank from years prior causes England's spell to once again go awry and launch the nations into an adventure in a parallel world that seems to know more about them then they first think.

What is It: Coded Demo (By Admin), shelved until further notice due to team collapse.

Is it Playable: Yes Links:

Game Download Link

In Development

[With All My Heart]

Basic Synopsis: Ludwig is an android who’s awoken to a mess and a scrambled memory. As he puts his home back together he has to remember the important things he’s forgotten.

What is It: In Development, On the Back Burner (It’ll Happen when it Happens)

Is it Playable: No

2p Dreamtalia

Basic Synopsis: When many 2ps are plunged deep into the mind scape, the others have no choice but to dive in after them.

What is It: In Progress

Is it Playable: Old Version Prologue Coded, Not Public

The Double Effect (Previously Hirchsprung)

Basic Synopsis: The German Brothers have a cabin, out deep in the Black Forest, which they politely ask to not be visited when they’re out there without warning. The Italian Brothers do exactly that, and it goes as badly as you expected.

What is It: Game Concept, In Development.

Is it Playable: Yes, Not Publicly.

England Has a Terrible Horrible No-Good Very Bad Halloween, ft. The Russian Federation

Basic Synopsis: England gets cocky about having won the last few Halloween scare contests the nations hold, and so a bunch of nations team up to give him the spooks. It goes just about as badly as you can imagine.

What is It: Concept

Is it Playable: No

Fool’s Paradise

Basic Synopsis: A game I plan to make regarding the appearance of Pin, an old rival creature of Britannia, and his plans with the nations of the current world after he was sealed away for many many years. He has a show he wishes to perform and the nations are unwilling actors.

What is It: In Development, In Need of Active Team/Rewrite

Is it Playable: Previous Version Prologue, not public.

Links:

Theory Doc

Insomnolence (Misc Alex Game)

Basic Synopsis: “Insomnolence” meaning, “Sleeplessness”. Example: After a week of insomnolence, Alexander was left exhausted and unable to focus on anything.

What is It: In Development, On the Backburner.

Is it Playable: Bit and Pieces of Old Concepts, but not Publicly

King’s Corner

Basic Synopsis: Alfred is off to get help to retake the throne after it’s stolen from him.

What is It: In Development

Is it Playable: No

Under the Vale

Basic Synopsis: The nations fall into a backwards world mirroring Under/Wonderland and get caught in the midst of a pseudo-war between the Red and White courts. They have to find their way out, try to not lose their minds, and also find out the source of this complex conflict.

What is It: In Progress, Needs A Heavy Rewrite and Team

Is it Playable: Old Version Prologue Coded, Not Public

On the Shelf

World End’s Umbrella

Basic Synopsis: Matteo, Ludwig and Elijah have lived in a city where a massive umbrella shields it from colossal storms. It’s been so long, that no one even remembers what the real sky looks like.The trio decide they want to see the “true” sky they've only seen in books, so they set out to climb the umbrella tower that protects them from the torrents of rain.

What is It: Concept

Is it Playable: No Links: Song Inspiration

He Doesn’t Have a CLUE

Basic Synopsis: A hetagame framed as a play, a game of clue, where you have to find out who killed Russia before the time is up with the help of Canada, at the detriment of the possible killers.

What is It: Concept, On the Shelf. Needs Heavy Rewriting

Is it Playable: Old Version Partially Coded, Not Public.

Heta-Andriods

Basic Synopsis: A FNAF crossover; Android nations exist with a bug that acts up at night causing them to act strange and aggressive. Do your job as the night guard and don’t die along the way, or work the day shift and snoop around during the day.

What is It: Scrapped, Interesting concept that might be worth reviving some day.

Is it Playable: No, Piece coded in Novel Maker and Ace, neither have anything substantial Links: None

The Mysteries of the Westport History Museum

Basic Synopsis: A small series of vignette games following the nations as they are spirits attached to occult objects in a history museum. Many shenanigans ensue.

What is It: Concept

Is it Playable: No

Halloween Game 2: Fear Boogaloo

Basic Synopsis: A sequel to england has a terrible halloween, a handful of nations go through a haunted house hosted by russia and end up being forced to confront their worst fears (but this time it isn’t actually Russia’s fault)

What is It: Concept, Shelved for Lack of Time/Ideas

Is it Playable: No

316 Concept Project

Basic Synopsis: Welcome to the OMNI-SIGHT CORP™

Where Knowledge is the Future!™

If you are reading this message, you are one of the few lucky companies/individuals given early-access to the Databank of the Future! No longer will you need separate algorithms running your tracking and data management, your security and your reference archives. Thanks to the power of OMNI-SIGHT technology, this and more can be condensed into a singular adaptive and learning AI with the power of hundreds of thousands of data management firms and scientific labs behind it.

Welcome to the Linked Universal Databank! Your L.U.D. is fully customizable and can be adapted to your every request and need. Thank you for your acceptance in the trail technology phase, please email us any inquiries about your L.U.D. through [email protected]

What is It: Game Concept

Is it Playable: No Links: None

Noir Germany Game

Basic Synopsis: Germany gets sucked into a mystery book he’s been reading and has to solve the crime or risk being stuck there for good.

What is It: Concept, Shelved for Future Use

Is it Playable: No

Enna Partner Church Horror

Basic Synopsis: A group of urban explorers wander into an abandoned, haunted church and have to fight for their lives to escape what is hidden within.

What is It: Concept, In Progress but On the Back Burner

Is it Playable: No

Identity Theft

Basic Synopsis: Prussia finds a mirror at a thrift store that will show him anything he desires, but the mirror itself seems to have other plans for its own desires.

What is It: Concept, Shelved for Possible Future Use

Is it Playable: No

GerCanMano Casual Crafting/Dating Game

Basic Synopsis: Germany lives in a small valley town, and does small jobs and forages items to make things to give to his husbands and help solve his neighbors problems.

What is It: Concept, was coded, but it was lost.

Is it Playable: No Links: None

The Puzzle House (With Alex and Mattie)

Basic Synopsis: Alexander and Matthew stumble into a haunted home that’s determined to keep them there indefinitely.

What is It: Concept, shelved for time.

Is it Playable: No, Just mapped partially.

MetaCanada

Basic Synopsis: Was originally a not-game concept I made for fun, and I have always wanted to go back to it. A game that is aware it is a game, in which Canada is trying to prevent the player from meddling in his affairs.

What is It: Was an Interactive Video Story, Now it exists as a concept for a game.

Is it Playable: No, but it was coded as an interactive story. Links:

Chapter Doc

Pied Piper Germany Concept

Basic Synopsis: A concept game idea based on the myth of the pied piper.

What is It: Concept, No Heavily Defined Ideas yet.

Is it Playable: No

Welcome Home

Basic Synopsis: Matthew wakes up in a home that isn’t his, and another opportunity opens itself to run away from his problems.

What is It: Scrapped Concept. Was a concept for a jam that linked to Forgotten Memories, but since FM was dropped, it was as well. Could be brought back with a rewrite though.

Is it Playable: One scene, not public.

#game work

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drewyth · 3 years

Text

Drawing Dead - Chapter Twenty-Two: Rigor Mortis

Read my Rusame Mafia fic, here!

Summary

Alfred needs money. He works in an obscure Russian restaurant, lives in a shitty apartment with his ex, and rent is on the rise. He thinks he’s found the perfect gig—Until his side job draws the attention of some of Manhattan’s less savory characters. He grows close to one, a mob boss referred to as the “Old Bear.” Ivan Braginsky may offer protection, and even a way to make quick cash. Then again, he could also prove the least savory of them all.

"Drawing Dead is when a player has absolutely no chance to win a hand, no matter what card is dealt next."

Human Mafia AU; Rusame focus, with references to past USUK.

Preview

“Fuck off—” As soon as Alfred’s mouth opened on that word, Ivan’s revolver jammed up between his teeth. Alfred’s breath caught. Metal scraped the roof of his mouth until he tasted blood. His throat convulsed, a fruitless attempt to swallow that scarlet ache. Behind his ribs, his heartbeat thundered.

Finally, Alfred’s eyes caught on Ivan’s. That cold, violet gaze struck fear into him. He’d overstepped his bounds, he knew it, and the revolver prying apart his jaws was evidence of that. Ivan never broke eye contact, but Alfred knew he was talking to everyone else when he said, quietly, “Leave.”

Anxiously, Eduard and Raivis shuffled away from the clearing. Alfred didn’t watch them go, didn’t dare look away from Ivan’s withering glare. They stared at each other, Alfred’s eyes wide with terror, and Ivan’s dimmed by apathy. Slowly, Ivan twisted the gun in his mouth. Alfred tasted metal, an old, acidic tang that flooded his mouth with saliva. Again, he tried, and failed, to swallow. When at last Eduard’s and Raivis’ footsteps dissipated somewhere beyond the trees, Ivan spoke.

“You would embarrass me in front of my subordinates?” Ivan shoved the gun down, deeper, until Alfred gagged on it. His eyes stung with reflexive tears. “You, a filthy Rat, would make me look weak and foolish in front of men who surpassed your level of success by the time they were half your age?” Ivan’s lips peeled back in a cruel, inauthentic sneer. He looked Alfred over, satisfied when he choked on the revolver once more, and came to a decision. “Get on your knees.”

#hetalia #rusame #amerus #aph america #aph russia #hetalia fanart #alfred f jones #ivan braginsky #ivan braginski #hetalia fanfiction #hetalia fanfic #mafiatalia #mafia au #my writing

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kimberly-spirits13 · 4 years

Text

Right Hand Man (Loyal to the End) Pt. 7

Pairing: Damian Wayne x reader

Synopsis: You were like Talia’s daughter. The only thing was that you weren’t and instead, you had grown up in the foster care system and at a young age were taken by and personally trained by Talia. Along the way, you meet Damian and the two of you start to work side by side and eventually, after some time become closer and closer. However, when disaster in the league strikes, you face balancing an old, forgotten life as a normal child and the burden of right hand to the demon heir.

Note: I know that this is long and that there are a good number of time skips, but I didn’t want to make this into a series and just wanted it as a long fic because .... well because I can lol

Also, I didn’t want to have Damian so young in this so just go with it. I’m thinking maybe early 15 or almost 16 at the most. Idk I just don’t like writing for young Dami.

Warnings: mentions of murder, blood, brief mentions of torture but not for long

Word Count:1511

Masterlist for Series

From the day that you had collapsed, it had been a week. You could tell that the few weeks you had been at the manor had done some good with trust between all parties. Even Bruce was becoming more and more tolerable. You had met Brown who was exceedingly excited to meet you seeing as there would be another girl to level the boys when Batwoman wasn’t around. You and Damian both had started your mandatory six months of training before you could patrol which was going off very well on your end. And now, you were sitting in the living room scrolling through your phone as Damian sat next to you pretty much doing the same. There was suddenly the looming of another presence in the room which caused the two of you to look up.

“I have to inform you two of a gala that I am holding to raise funds for the Gotham City Orphanage. I’m introducing the two of you then to the public, Y/N, I will not be formally adopting you at your own request but you will be included as a family friend.” Bruce explained, “The gala is Friday, starting at 6:30pm. Clothing arrangements will be made and if you have any questions, you may ask one of the boys, Alfred, the girls, or myself at any time.”

Damian merely nodded and watched you fiddle with a golden chain around your neck. He had seen it before but had never questioned it. You always seemed to avoid showing it off at all. When Bruce left though, he asked you about it.

“Is that a new necklace?” He questioned.

“Uh, it’s from my mother and father.” You answered, “Talia let me keep it. I don’t really know why though. It’s kind of like my good luck charm as strange and naïve as that might seem to you.” You pulled from under your shirt to revel a gold chain with a diamond crescent moon and star pendent, “I don’t remember it well, however, I just remember my parents giving to me. The engraving on the back is a bit corny.”

You flipped the pendent over to show a small message relaying that they loved you to the moon and stars. You rolled your eyes a bit at the message but didn’t deny it made you feel closer to them in some way.

“It is very beautiful.” He commented, “You never wore it out. I hardly remember seeing you with it at all.”

“That’s because I always wore it under my suit. I didn’t want it to be stolen under any costs.”

“I’d be surprised of any fool tried.” Damian said making you chuckle.

“I wouldn’t, however I just wouldn’t want to be the one that stole something from me.”

After some time, you had gotten up to make arrangements for shopping with Brown and Gordon. It was important to have their input on what you decided to wear since they have been to galas before and you have not. This time, you were going to a different mall with higher end stores. This was where they swore you would find an outfit to wear. You didn’t doubt them, however you were dubious of whether or not you’d like anything truly.

_______________________________________________________________________

You were sitting at the vanity that was in your bathroom getting ready for the gala along with Brown and Gordon who were at the sink doing their own makeup. You didn’t want to wear any makeup, instead under their request opting for only some mascara. Even with that, you felt entirely different. Stephanie offered to do your eyeshadow but you declined seeing as you didn’t want to look ten years older than you already were. You told her that maybe next time you’d consider but today you just wanted to get a feel for how things worked as well as be as comfortable as possible. She understood what you meant.

_______________________________________________________________________

You and Damian didn’t leave each other side the entire night. Bruce introduced the two of you to everyone there and the prospect of talking to all the people was exhausting and by the end of the night, you were getting anxious to leave. Damian noticed you fiddling with your ring and looking for the nearest exit. That’s when Bruce brought you and Damian over to another man covered head to toe in garments that you thoughts to be more than your entire life over two times. The man smiled at the three of you walking over and loudly greeted your party. You smiled some and shook his hand, introducing yourself but not before getting a strong whiff of something that smelled like the drug they used to use on you in the league. Looking panicked, you searched for either an exit or a bathroom.

“It was lovely to meet you, excuse me.” You said quickly making your escape to the bathroom and into a stall where you immediately started throwing up.

Damian came in after you quickly knowing that he wasn’t technically supposed to be in there. He locked the bathroom door and went to your stall before knocking.

“Y/N.. are you in need of assistance?” He asked.

There wasn’t an answer from your end, instead he just heard faint sniffling which caused him to pick the lock of the stall and come inside. He hugged you from behind and held your hair back if you were sick again, the whole time knowing what caused your reaction. Bruce would have to not invite this person again if you were ever coming to a gala again.

“I’m sorry... I just can’t-“

“N/N, you don’t have to apologize, you had no idea or preparation for what happened.” Damian said braiding your hair back, “I’ll get you into the car without anyone seeing and you can go to sleep.”

You mumbled an agreement and Damian texted Bruce that he was getting Pennyworth to bring the car to the back. Damian picked you up bridal style and carried you outside and into the backseat where you laid your head in his lap the entire ride. When you got showered and asleep, he stayed since he knew that you’d be having terrible nightmares all night.

_______________________________________________________________________

You woke up the next morning with sunlight streaming in through the curtains in one of your oversized nightshirts that you had gotten with Gordon instead of some dress and heals. Damian was next to you already awake running his fingers through your hair. He immediately stopped when you awoke and sat up.

“How did you sleep last night?” He asked, “After everything I mean.”

“Fine... thank you.” You answered huddling under the covers some like you were almost trying to hide, “About last night, I don’t know what came over me. It was a mistake.”

“You don’t have to take responsibility for this one Y/N. I remember what happened at the league and I know for certain that you do. No one else found out about what happened, I know you take those kinds of things hard.”

“I appreciate it a lot Damian.” You didn’t really know what to say next but Damian started again.

“Y/N, I want you to tell me when something like that is happening. We’re meant to protect each other, not just you to me. I c-care about you more than anyone else, we’ve known each other since we were children. I don’t want anything happening to you for the sake of reputation.”

“I understand that.” You said still thinking about the last part he said, “I care about you too. I-I wouldn’t want to lose you either of anything like that.”

At that point you kind of wanted to just disappear. While you were typically a lot better at words than Damian ever was, today it just seemed harder. You glanced at him for a second to see him blushing. Thinking you said too much, you started to climb out of the bed to bolt for the bathroom to take a long shower.

“Wait, Y/N.” Damian grabbed your wrist, “I have to say this, just from what’s been happening between us recently-“

“Damian you’re killing me with this. I like you a lot, do you like me?”

He looked almost embarrassed with the suddenness of your question. While he was getting to that point, he wasn’t expecting you to be so forward to it.

“I do love you, a lot.” He said.

“Well damn it demon, kiss me finally!”

He chuckled some and did what you said, 15 years of shared trauma and memories attached to the few long seconds it happened.

“I’ve actually been waiting on that for years beloved.” Damian informed you.

“So, my name is beloved now?” You commented snickering some at his comment

“It is.” He nodded, “But, do you want to keep this secret for now?”

“Absolutely. Only if you’re in for it though.”

“I was actually hoping you’d say that.” Damian answered.

“Well my love, let the games begin.” You said getting out of bed and walking to get changed and grab coffee.

Tag List-

@we-want-mini-mini @a-door-into-my-mind @idkmanicantenglish @queengeorgiaaa @lucy-roo @wolfiemichele @grey-water-colors @random-fandom-girl-24 @crumpets-are-better-with-jam

#dc x reader #dc comics #dc characters #headcanon #damian wayne x you #damian wayne x y/n #damian wayne x reader #damian wanye #damian wayne imagine #robin imagine #robin x you #robin x reader #robin x y/n #teen titans x y/n #teen titans #teen titans x reader

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watchtower-feed · 4 years

Text

Death Do We Part (Part 4)

SSA Spin-off ✧ Jason Todd ✧ Physical Link ✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧ 4 ✧ 5 ✧ 6 ✧ 7 ✧ 8 ✧ 9 ✧ 10 ✧ 11 ✧ 12 ✧ 13 ✧ 14 ✧ 15 ✧ Notes: Hold out for the next part because I’m telling you it’s going to have the worst combination ever: smut and angst. Also, this is turning into a 6-8 part series and I feel like I’m running out of words. I might post fillers some days but this story will definitely be finished this month. Words: 2,700+

Your voice echoes in the cave and the only reply you get are their stares. You start laughing hysterically while looking around the room. “Is that what Robin really is? Someone so replaceable? You just find stray kids in Gotham and turn them into unknowing soldiers!”

You’re breathing through your mouth and you close it immediately. You walk up right to Bruce and glare up at his tall figure. “Jason died. As Robin. He was Robin. And he died because of you.”

Bruce doesn’t flinch. You keep staring at him, waiting for a reply. Then a thought hits you and your eyes widen. “This is why you don’t want him to know everything,” you’re whispering now and looking frantically at the ground, “If he finds out… Even with his memories, you’re afraid he’ll turn against you .”

Jason tosses and turns in his bed. He stares at the last words he wrote to you and the empty space where yours was hours ago. It’s true. He doesn’t know who you are. He doesn’t even remember who he is.

He grunts and sits up. He stares out the small window of his room. His cell. His prison. Ra’s and Talia told him he was free to go any time he wanted. What a cruel thing to say to someone who doesn’t know where he is. Not to mention wherever he is is surrounded by mounds and mounds of sand drifting endlessly with the harsh winds.

“Yeah,” he sighs to himself, “like hell.”

What does he even tell you? ‘Y/N, I think I’m in a desert somewhere. You have to look out for a secret base that’s heavily guarded by hundreds of assassins trained to maim intruders on sight.’ Knowing you for just a few hours, he already knows you would rush out and probably get yourself killed trying to save him. Then you’re both dead. Again.

“No thanks,” he jokes to himself. “Not again. Not for a looooong while this time.”

Jason suddenly grits his teeth and buries his face in his pillow, angry that he’s just talking to himself. But how can he talk to you now?

Sleep doesn’t come to Jason. The moment the sun peeks over the sands outside his window, there’s a knock on his door. Talia doesn’t wait for his answer.

“It’s time, Jason.”

She stands by the door. Jason grunts loudly and throws the blanket aside. He walks behind Talia as they enter the main chamber of the fortress.

When Jason last entered this chamber, there were hundreds of assassins clad in black just standing around, stiff and on alert. There was an old man seated on the floor in the middle in colorful garments of red and orange with some green accent. Jason almost laughed at how his mustache hung down the side of his face because of how long it was.

Now, though, all the humor has definitely left him. There’s only the old man sitting on the floor, Ra’s Al Ghul. Talia’s father. The leader of the League of Assassins. The deadliest secret army in the world. And they had asked Jason to join them.

“Have you made up your mind, young man?” Ra’s asks the moment Jason and Talia stood in front of him. Jason doesn’t answer and doesn’t look at him. Ra’s narrows his eyes at the boy and then glares at his daughter.

“Perhaps, father, some incentive will tip his decision toward the League.”

That definitely caught Jason’s attention, “What kind of incentive?”

“Information,” Talia smirks before she turns back to her father. “Knowing about his past will do no harm.”

Ra’s tightens his lips before nodding. Talia sits down and waits for Jason to do the same.

“What do you want to know first?” she asks.

Jason mulls it over. What does he want to know first? Should he ask about you? Do they know about your link? How much do they actually know about him really? Should he just go for the painfully obvious?

“How did I die?”

Talia smiles as if it was the right question to ask. “You were murdered. You were with your mother,” Jason flinches, “Trapped in a warehouse that was rigged to explode the moment a vigilante called Batman arrived near the perimeter.”

Jason’s eyes widen and Talia stops talking. This is definitely too much information. And not enough information at the same time. Why isn’t she saying anymore?

“Did the Batman rig the explosion?” he finally asks.

Talia raises an eyebrow, “Him? No. The man who killed you is a madman who murders for no reason. The Joker.” She pauses while Jason takes it in. “Batman,” Talia says the alias with softness, “he was trying to save you. The Joker has always been a thorn in Batman’s side and a menace to Gotham-- that’s where you’re from. He’s always trying to push Batman to his limits, trying to find a way to get him to defy his most-honored code: no killing.”

Ra’s makes a small sound, somewhere between a sigh and a grunt. Talia continues, much gentler this time, placing a hand on Jason’s leg, “He used your death for the same cause.”

“I don’t understand,” Jason is frustrated, “why me?”

Ra’s speaks up, “You’re Batman’s partner. You were also his adopted son. Bruce Wayne’s adopted son.”

Jason’s eyes widen. He shifts his eyes between the two of them, wondering if they’re lying. From everything you have told him, he knows that his parents both left him and he chose to live on the streets. Now Jason understands why you never told him anything beyond that. It’s too close to this. It’s the cause of everything.

“These names may not mean anything to you now, but once your memories return, you’ll know.”

“And did he?” Jason’s voice raises their curious glances. “Did he kill the Joker?”

“No,” Talia answers him, her eyes narrow as she stares into the distance behind him, “No, my dear. It’s clear that his code is the single most important thing to him. Over anyone.”

Jason clenches his fists. “I’ll do it. I’m in.”

✧ ✧ ✧

You wake up in your new room from someone knocking. You groan and bury your face deeper into the pillow. Your body feels heavy and fatigued even though all you’ve done for the past couple of days is sleep. Ever since your confrontation in the cave, you have less hope of making Jason cooperate and lesser will to help Bruce in his search.

The knocking continues. Louder this time and more incessant than all the other times. You want to stomp to the door and yell at Alfred but none of this is his fault. It’s all Bruce. If he hadn’t adopted Jason, the two of you would be working right now, living paycheck to paycheck, in a studio apartment, maybe with a dog. At most you would be together.

You hear a key jamming into the lock and you shoot up right away. You run to the tall window and hurry it open. When you’re holding the frames and getting ready to climb out, a familiar voice chuckles behind you.

You turn to Dick, standing by the doorway, amused. “Breaking your legs might get Jason to start talking to you again. Sure.”

You glare at him and then smile. You step away from the window frame and run to him. He catches you in his arms and hugs you. “You were gone too long!”

Ever since your fight with Bruce, Dick has been the only one who’s upfront with you with everything. He kept you company whenever you felt lonely and he would update you with everything that’s going on with the search for Jason. But two days ago he left to take care of something in Bludhaven.

“Next time, please take me with you. I don’t think I can lock myself in this room any longer.” Dick frowns and then turns his head to the side, avoiding your gaze and biting his lip. You narrow your eyes and sigh, “You’re leaving again, aren’t you?”

“The Titans need me. I’ll be gone for a month, at most.”

“A month!?”

“I’ll call you every chance I get, okay?” Dick chuckles, trying to lighten the mood. Then he stops and looks at you with a serious expression, “But you know, you should really start talking to Bruce again.”

You suddenly feel betrayed, “I have nothing to say to him.”

But Dick was having none of this today. Your sulking attitude has been going on for days and it’s not helping anyone. “If not to him, then do it for Jason. Tell him about Jason, about the things you might be feeling that can help find him.”

His words just make you angrier. He sighs and pats your head. “You know he blames himself, right? For everything. He’s hurting too.” Your resolve is weakening because Dick’s voice is turning into a whisper, “He loves Jason, too. We all do.”

He tries to look at you while you look at the ground. Finally, you return his gaze. “So I’m asking you. As a favor for me. Stop hiding in Jason’s room and go help Bruce.”

You don’t. But you do stop locking yourself in Jason’s room. It turns out that the manor is empty most of the time. Sometimes you’d find Alfred in the living room or one of the many studies every now and then and talk to him. He smiles every time you strike up a conversation.

You’re surprised to hear he knows so much about you and your family. Then a little sad when you find out why.

“Would it make you feel better to know that a lot of people attended?”

You shake your head, “Did my… did my parents cry?”

“Your mother was always trying to hold back her tears and your father cried when he and master Bruce buried your caskets.”

Your eyes quickly water and you have to look away from Alfred to rub them harshly.

“Ah, Master Tim, you’re back.”

“Yeah I was--” Tim stops the moment he notices you. You try to make yourself small and look away, stubbornly ignoring your tears, hoping he won’t notice. “Oh sorry.” It’s the first time you’ve seen Tim again since finding out he’s the new Robin. In civilian clothing, he really does look nothing like Jason.

He may be close to Jason’s height when you last saw him but Tim’s limbs look longer because of how slender he is. You wonder if he can actually hold his own in a fight. Can he protect himself?

Tim turns to leave, “I’ll just--”

“No, wait,” your voice surprises Tim, Alfred, and yourself. “I’m… sorry.” You rub the back of your neck but continue to avoid looking at him, “None of this is your fault. It doesn’t even have anything to do with you.”

Tim gives you an uncertain smile and chuckles a little, “Thanks? I guess.”

You don’t reply because you just feel embarrassed. That was a stupid and resentful thing to say.

“Oh hey,” Tim walks up to you while pulling out his phone. “We were checking out the surveillance at the graveyard and thought maybe you would want to see this.” He shows you a video of your friends visiting your gravestone. At first, it looks like one of them is crying and then someone hugs them. Quickly, unexpectedly, it turns into an intense makeout session over your grave which makes you cringe.

“You have a messed up sense of humor, don’t you?”

Tim places a hand on his hip and smirks, “Comes with the job. Pretty much a requirement if you want to work with the fairy godmother of Gotham.”

And just like that, you find that you don’t mind Tim so much. He’s not Jason but he can be your friend. You can definitely go to him to badmouth Batman once in a while. He seems to be good at that.

Then Tim sees the thin slash appear on your cheek before you even feel it. It shocks Alfred onto his feet as well. “Y/N, your cheek!”

Tim runs out of the room to get the first aid kit while Alfred asks you a barrage of questions. “Are you okay? Does it hurt? Is it master Jason?”

Slowly, you touch your cheek and feel the sting of an open wound. Your fingers are smeared with blood. “I don’t know…” you whisper in a panic.

Tim comes back and immediately dabs it with a gauze. “It’s not deep. But it’s definitely a clean cut. A bullet or a sword.”

Neither of those possibilities makes you feel better at all. You immediately take out the pen Alfred gave you on your first night.

Jason are you okay? Are you in trouble? Are you hurt?

The three of you wait for his reply, standing in a circle with your arm in the middle. After several minutes, Tim narrows his eyes and gives up. He goes through the first aid kit and takes out some antiseptic and a smaller gauze.

You let him tend to your wound but you never take your eyes off of your arm. Alfred finally sighs, dejected, and closes his eyes. He holds the back of his chair for support before heading for the door. “I’ll inform Master Bruce. Please tell us right away if there’s news.”

“You should go, too,” you mutter loud enough for Tim to hear.

He looks at you for a second but you’re still staring intently at the clear skin on your arm, waiting. Tim finally turns to go and closes the door behind him. You stand there for hours. You can see the sun’s rays dimming behind you.

Finally, Alfred returns. He looks upset the moment he sees you. He sighs and calls you for dinner. You shake your head and turn away so you don’t have to see him.

When he closes the door you immediately remember Dick. He’ll probably tell him what happened, how you’ve gone back to making no progress at all. Why are they obsessed with helping you anyway? They should be more concerned with Jason right now. Like you are.

Did it hurt?

The words are clear even in the partial darkness and your hands shake as you immediately reply.

No. I didn’t feel it. Are you okay? What happened?

You finally sit down slowly as you watch more writing appear on your arm, making you relieved.

Just some exercise. Got a bit careless. I’m okay.

It’s the most Jason has ever written to you, the most he’s been civil and sympathetic since you came back to life. You hope he doesn’t stop writing.

By the way, I found out about how we died.

You gulp immediately. Your pen is hovering over your arm when his next words arrive.

I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have had to go through that. How come you didn’t tell me?

You’re angry again and tears are pouring down your cheeks.

No, Jason. It’s not your fault. It’s not! I didn’t tell you because I knew you were going to blame yourself and

And? And what? Bruce told you not to tell him? Because he would never come home? You bite your lips.

reminding you of who you are is more important than that.

You cringe as you write it. It’s true but you also know you’re using it as a lie to cover up the truth. You quickly write something again before he does.

I would die ten more times for you. If it means we can finally be together.

Jason laughs and a small blush is growing rapidly along his cheeks. He finds your tenacity amusing.

Have you always been this sappy? Did I write corny shit like that back to you?

You almost scoff at his reply. It’s nice to see that his personality still hasn’t changed. You smirk and look at the small writing Dick had done on your other arm, the arm you and Jason don’t write on because of the last thing he wrote. You circle it and write beside it.

Like this?

You feel a little smug but then there’s a long pause and then his writing.

Did I write that just before we died?

You bite your lips and rest your head against the back of the chair. You pinch yourself twice. You still know how each blow felt like and sometimes your muscles would spasm when you see it in your head. The moving room. The floor meeting your face. That crowbar that you now know was used to beat up Jason.

You can still feel the sudden sucking air before the huge blast knocks your body away and the loss of all feeling before you even hit the ground. You lost your consciousness mid-air. You wonder if it was because of the strength of the blast or the sensitivity of your link, but from what Dick had told you, your body was thrown against the wall by an invisible force.

You hug yourself and watch new writing appear.

Did it hurt?

You lay your head to the side. Exhausted from this conversation. Already tired of this second life.

Jason, please. Come home.

✧ 1 ✧ 2 ✧ 3 ✧ 4 ✧ 5 ✧ 6 ✧ 7 ✧ 8 ✧ 9 ✧ 10 ✧ 11 ✧ 12 ✧ 13 ✧ 14 ✧ 15 ✧

✧ Watchtower Masterlist ✧

#ssa #superhero soulmate au #DC fanfiction #DC imagines #DC reader insert #Jason Todd fanfiction #Jason Todd imagine #Jason Todd x reader #watchtower-feed #atbucud #Jason Todd #Red Hood

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choco-glow · 3 years

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Fall Like Rain On Sunday, Pt. 6

Jason paid the check while Steph visited the bathroom, watching her purse with a careful eye against his side, entirely uncaring of the snickering little fucks two tables over. They couldn’t be more than sixteen, with girlfriends a tad younger, which already was making Jason’s blood heat as he stared them down with his best “Get Fucked” glare. They ordered expensively, which set his hackles up, and when their waiter, Geoff, came back with his card, Jason quietly asked the older man to wait.

“Hey, Geoff, quick question.” He swallowed, looking faintly worried, and Jason gave him a smile as he signed the card slip, a huge tip on the tip line and adding it up in his head with ease. “Those kids been in here before? I know it’s a trendy place, but it ain’t cheap.”

“…No, they haven’t, and I’m worried they’re going to dine and dash. We just got a new kitchen manager, and he’s adamant that any dashers come out of your tips…and we can’t run after them.” Jason nodded, and handed the slip back…as well as five crisp hundreds, much to Geoff’s wide-eyed shock.

“If they do, take it out of the tip I gave you on the card; I know they tax you guys on that, bullshit as that is. This is yours, though; if you wanna share with anyone who needs it, go for it, man, but I’ve watched you haul ass around her all night on a bad leg; my girl and I think you’re awesome, and we’ll be back again next week.” Jason murmured, and Geoff swallowed thickly, his eyes misting over before he shook his head, clearing his throat.

“…Sir, if you’d be so kind to give me your name, I’ll make sure you have a standing reservation at this booth.” Jason beamed up at him.

“Jason Wayne; I think Bruce Wayne’s a regular too, if I’m not mistaken? He’s my old man.” Geoff brightened at that, even moreso, which hardly surprised Jay. Bruce might be a bit of an ass to his kids, but his long-standing choice to write “put your current debt here” in the tip line is very well known among the waitstaff at these places. One of the few things we don’t fight over these days.

“He is, and I thought I recognized you, Mr. Wayne…”

“Please, just Jason; I have pretty humble roots back on Fourth and Ash.” He murmured, and Geoff’s eyes warmed even more.

“Absolutely, Jason. And your date?”

“Stephanie Brown.”

“I’ll make sure you two are in the reservation book. Saturday night still work?”

“It should, but I’ll call a few days ahead to change it if we need to. If we don’t show for some reason, by all means, fill the booth; I’m not going to be upset.”

“That’s what your dad says. That…helps. Thank you, Jason.”

“My pleasure, Geoff; hope the little shits behave, but if they don’t, you’re covered now.” He grinned, neatly trimmed salt-and-pepper beard and mustache curving up, and Jay thanked him again, standing up when Steph made her way back, looking just as radiant as before. “Hey baby, we’ve got a standing reservation now, if you’re cool with that?” He murmured, and Steph leaned into his chest with a happy sigh, kissing him in a way that had those girls swooning and the boys looking down at her plates now, which made Jay grin against her lips.

“I’m so good with that. Where to now, handsome?” He grinned and offered her his arm; she took it with a happy laugh, and they made their way out of the restaurant to the evening sunshine outside. Sunshades of every color in the rainbow protected tourists and locals alike from the harsher rays over their heads, rippling softly with the sea wind blowing through the streets and canals. Here was a look into both Gotham’s past…and its future.

The canals, much like Venice half a world away, had gondolas brought over by the Italian families and operated along Amusement Mile, where the Gotham River met the Atlantic Ocean, powered by the long guide poles and clever little electric motors as needed nowadays, full of romancing couples and delighted tourist families, and Jason admired the hard work alongside Steph, both of them happy to see something other than gentrification rebuilding their beloved city.

“Those are the new solar power shades, right, Jay?”

“Yup, Lucius had them put up a couple weeks ago, and so far, they’ve managed to cut the electric costs to the Mile by over half…” He murmured as they ambled along, neither of them in a rush to brave the heavy crowds heading in from the carnival to eat and drink and make merry. Steph gently tugged him to the back part, where the fishing docks lay quiet and calm, some leisure craft roped to the ancient oak pillars and walkways, but mostly, it was just a few people looking to escape the rush.

He breathed a sigh of relief alongside Steph, and they walked in the shadows together, comfortable in their surroundings. The Joker rarely came out of the Dixon Docks area of town anymore, and frankly, though Jason would have preferred to see him dead…seeing him without much of his support and former allies did help. Up here, at Amusement Mile, where he’d hated being for so long…he found he didn’t mind as much, with Steph by his side.

Of course, no one in their right mind had clowns out and about anymore, so that helped too. No, this carnival was a permanent one, with hand crafted trinkets and a few games, and several fun rides. The jewel of the Mile was the newly built replacement to the old Ferris wheel, this one a little smaller, but no less glamourous, and Jason caught Steph’s eye, nodding to the wheel with a grin, and she chuckled.

“Maybe later…still walking off that food baby, because damn did they give us our money’s worth.”

“You got it, babe, still wanna keep walking before dessert?”

“Is dessert those fuckin’ delicious paczki that I keep smelling?” He snickered, and she punched him lightly in the arm, still laughing. “I take that as a yes.”

“Yes, it’s paczki, you really think being a street kid wasn’t all about earning that sweet dollar-eighty to buy a bag of hot fried dough with jam?”

“Considering both Bruce and Alfred looked at me like I was crazy for craving them while I was pregnant, yeah…” Jason’s eyes softened and Steph sighed. “…I’m glad you knew that already. I don’t…like going over the details.”

“Can’t say I blame ya, Blondie…but yeah, I know. For what it’s worth, though…you’re an awesome mom.” She blushed, but the tiny smile she gave him when she looked back up made Jason’s heart beat a little faster, and he gently tugged her into the shadowy recess of one of the game buildings, the CRACK of hard rubber balls hitting the metal milk jugs hiding any sound they might have made. “I mean it…” She stopped him with a kiss, pressing her curvy body to his, and Jason leaned back against the support, pulling her as close as he could to kiss her back, losing himself in her soft warm lips, the little noises she made, the way she hugged him so tight.

“…Thank you…” She whispered when they both pulled back just a little for air, and Jason felt his heart flip-flop at the smile on her lips.

“For you, sweetheart, anything.” Steph sighed a little, happily, as far as he could tell, and he shifted her closer, tucking her under his chin and kissing her hair softly. “You okay?”

“…With you? I will be.” She murmured, and Jason felt his heart leap like he could fly.

“Then you got me, babe. For as long as you want me.”

#JaySteph #Stephanie Brown #Jason Todd #solarpunkgotham #gothambysunlight #Amusement Mile #It's an island city #full of Italians #there's gondolas #headcanon

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flannelpunkcalum · 4 years

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Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat - Chapter 2

last chapter

i know absolutely nothing about the law except how to break it babyyyyyy so if this chapter is inaccurate you can’t blame me. I tried. As always, if you’ve got comments, questions, feedback, lmk! content warning for some PTSD-like elements.

tdwk masterlist

ttlb masterlist (in progress)

* * *

Aspen would have really liked to drive with Calum to the DA’s office, but she was a logical person, she understood the value of taking separate cars.

Pros:

She could go straight home from the DA’s office

It looked less suspicious

She could pick the music

Calum got driven everywhere by Alfred anyways so it really didn’t matter to him

Cons:

There was no chance of stopping for car sex

Being such a reasonable and intelligent person, she didn’t complain when Calum said he would walk her to her car, then follow with Alfred and meet her again at the DA’s office. She just nodded, bundling her work into her bag and letting him lead her out without any shenanigans. They probably didn’t have time to get wound up before the meeting, and as much as she wanted him to push her up against a wall again she was willing to be patient. Since it wasn’t yet 5, the elevator was empty all the way down to the parking garage, and in the cube she leaned into Calum and rested her head on his shoulder.

She had never met with a DA or anything - hell, she’d never stepped foot into a courtroom. Calum had told her when Carl Finch had first gotten in contact that he was probably going to ask her to testify in person at Liam’s trial, and possibly Falcone’s, too. Calum hadn’t explained that it could put a target on her back. He hadn’t needed to. Aspen was pretty sure it wouldn’t matter, anyways. She was a loose end for the mob, but she also had the protection of the Bat on her side. If she didn’t speak up, who would?

Calum forgot himself as they left the elevator, and kept his hand on the small of her back as he walked her towards her car. It took him almost twenty seconds to remember himself. That didn’t sound like much, but Aspen would take whatever she could from him. By the time her car was in sight, he had dropped his hand, but the backs of their knuckles brushed as they paused and he reached out to open the door for her. She was always counting touches.

“Wait for me at the front door, and I’ll be by a few minutes after you, alright?” Calum said as she settled into the driver’s seat.

“Sounds good. See you soon.” She nodded as professionally as possible. He closed the door, but he didn’t walk away until she had pulled out and rounded the corner, cutting him out of view.

She took a deep breath as she wound her way through the looming Gotham streets. Every so often she forgot that she had been attacked by Liam and put through - through that whole thing. But every so often she’d catch someone staring at her scar or she’d work late and get nervous dropping down into the parking garage and it would all come back. She couldn’t unbecome who she was now, she knew that, but forgetting was a gift every so often.

She put on some nice 80s pop to lift her spirits, which Calum didn’t like. The memory of the first time she’d jammed out to it in front of him made her smile, and that helped her get to the DA’s office without sinking into her head too much. She only wondered about the possibility of some hired gun waiting for her to flutter into his crosshairs as she entered the courthouse briefly, just while she was waiting for Calum to show, and she considered that a win. And she didn’t get shot, so it didn’t really matter in the end.

She had half-expected Calum to nod and smile to every cop and receptionist they passed by, but he was in entitled-millionaire mode as the front desk directed them to Finch’s office. It made sense when she thought about it; neither Calum Hood nor Batman would have been rubbing elbows with the paralegals down at the DA’s office. She remembered being on the receiving end of that behavior. It had made Calum so hateable back then. Now, she felt a little special that his softness was reserved for her.

Once they reached Finch’s personal office, they had barely mentioned their names to the secretary before the DA was on his way out, straightening his tie and grinning warmly at Calum. Cal immediately eased up too; when they shook hands, he even patted Finch’s shoulder. “How’ve you been, Finch? Surprised I didn’t see you at the children’s fundraiser.”

Carl Finch shook his head almost sheepishly. He didn’t look ruthless, but Aspen tried not to think about him going toe to toe with Falcone. Maybe he could be formidible when he needed to be? She hoped so. She knew what that was like. As it was, though, he looked like he should be at the stands of some little league game, not wrapped up in... this. “Someone had to keep Gotham running while the commissioner was mingling. I didn’t expect you to come by.” He shrugged, waiting for Calum to laugh politely at his excuse before turning to Aspen. “Ms. McMichael, right? Pleasure to meet you face to face.”

It was Aspen’s turn to shake hands and make pleasantries. At least his handshake was firm. “Likewise. Don’t worry, I was at the gala, you didn’t miss much.” She said, smiling.

“Oh, were you? Well, I suppose - given what brings us here today, I should have figured.” Finch’s polite smile suddenly didn’t reach his eyes.

Oh no. She could feel how that had sucked the air out of the room all of a sudden. They all knew what had happened after. Should she try to acknowledge the elephant? Change the subject? She didn’t know how to recover from this. “Right, I guess you would know all the details, huh? I should have made that connection. But, uh, in case you were wondering the party really wasn’t that impressive anyways.” She tried to joke. It didn’t quite work.

“Glad to hear it. Well, shall we head into my office?” Finch said, looking at Calum.

“Oh, I’ve got some work to finish up at mine, I just thought I’d swing by and check in.” Calum said, and gave Aspen the tiniest of glances. Then, almost without a pause: “If you think there’s anything I should know, of course, I’d be happy to sit down with you two.”

That bastard! It took everything Aspen had in her to keep from glaring at Calum or stomping on his foot. He was going to try and get himself invited into her meeting so she couldn’t get mad at him for it. Well, if he thought he was being smart, he wasn’t. She wasn’t spineless, she could take care of this herself. She’d get him out of there if she had to fake a breakdown for it.

“That’s probably a good idea, Mr. Hood.” Finch was already walking towards his office, leading them both in. Calum was such a fucking dickhead. She didn’t look at him as they entered; she wouldn’t acknowledge his temporary win. “You’re both at least somewhat involved in this, so I think we should all, you know, be on the same page in this.”

“I couldn’t agree more. I think it’s only natural that I should want to be here.” Aspen could hear an almost playful edge in Calum’s voice, which she knew was meant for her, but she kept her eyes focused on Finch. She knew this was his delayed rebuttal to her argument earlier that morning - Liam and I are just unfortunate employees of yours. I think it might be a little suspicious - and she was only a little bit amused at his tactics.

If he wanted war, he’d get war.

Her mind was buzzing as she sat down at Finch’s desk. How could she get Calum out of this? Could she claim conflict of interest? Let herself cry and ask him if he could leave, she didn’t want her boss to see her this way? She was so busy trying to think up a way to subtly kick Calum out she almost forgot to be nervous.

“First things first, let me put you in contact with the case agent for the case against Liam Payne. His name is Raymond Flat, he grew up in Gotham but joined the national attorney's office rather than join his family firm, and he’s a great liason. He’ll be contacting you directly when you’re subpoenaed - well. Let me explain.”

Now the lawyer came out. Finch’s voice lost the boyish edge as he leaned in, elbows on his desk. “As it stands, Mr. Payne has been indicted by a grand jury trial for kidnapping, second degree assault, breaking and entering, and trespassing. However, his lawyers are seeking a plea bargain, and given the case the city is building against Falcone it… it would be in everyone’s best interest if he accepted it.”

“Given the danger he placed my employee in, that’s ridiculous.” Calum butted in. “How is Ms. McMichael supposed to believe that he won’t do it again?”

Finch didn’t look phased. “We believe that without the influence of Falcone, Mr. Payne never would have attacked your personal assistant. He’s not unstable, he doesn’t belong in Arkham, and after serving his time I personally believe he’ll be able to reintegrate into society quite well.”

“He was integrated into society when he attacked Aspen. He was holding down a good job at my company and doing regular things, and then he sedated my assistant, threw her in the trunk of his car, chained her to a chair, dangled her out a window, slapped her around, and stood by while she was tortured.” Calum was getting mad. The switch to her first name made Aspen nervous; Finch would probably notice that. She couldn’t even put a hand on him to calm him down without making the situation look worse, even though she could feel the anger radiating off him. She had been right to try to ban Calum from coming, but the confirmation didn’t feel satisfying right now.

...wait, he what? Aspen hadn’t known about the trunk of his car. She had never really thought too hard about how she got to the construction site, only - fuck. Her stomach twisted.

Finch was rolling with it well enough - he barely looked startled by the outburst. “In another world, you would have made a damn good prosecutor, Hood.” He said, shaking his head. “You make some excellent points, and I hope that you can pass them along to Raymond. Ultimately, since he’s being tried on felony charges, Liam Payne is being prosecuted on a national level and as a district attorney, I can only try to influence that. I can’t control it. I’m just trying to prepare you both for what’s to come in the next few weeks so you’re not surprised.”

She dared a glance over at Calum. His jaw was working, but his breathing was even. After a minute, he nodded. “Appreciate that.” He said, after another pause. “It’s just that it happened under my nose, at my company headquarters, targeting me. I want my employees to feel safe at work, sure, but beyond that I should have seen it coming. I should have fired Payne outright when he first started acting suspiciously. This shouldn’t have happened and I blame myself.”

“I don’t.” Aspen said. Both men turned to look at her. Fuck them both. Shaken or not, they had forgotten about her opinion in all this, and that pissed her off. “I don’t blame anyone but Liam and Falcone. Um, with that being said, I’d also be comfortable with Liam getting a plea bargain.”

“After what he did to you-”

“After what he did to me I’m in the best possible position to judge this situation, Mr. Hood.” Aspen repeated, not without force. “I…”

For a split second, she thought about the trunk. About Liam lifting her ragdoll body into it, tucking her gently into a fetal position before closing the door on her. His coworker, his friend, like a piece of luggage in the back of his car. Even the floor of the backseat would have been better. She looked up and realized she had paused just a second too long. “I - sorry - I think that if I had talked he wouldn’t have hurt me and he would have done everything in his power to keep me from getting killed. I think that Falcone is more dangerous and also, given how corrupt this city is, no offence, more likely to get off with a slap on the wrist. We’re lucky he hasn’t been released on bail. Maybe Liam won’t even take the plea because he doesn’t want to snitch, but I definitely support an offer.” She said, finishing strong. Thank god.

Calum didn’t look happy, but he settled back into his chair, relaxing slightly. Maybe he’d write off her little freeze up as a manipulative move. “...if you say so.”

Aspen almost physically bit her tongue to keep herself from firing back a response. She didn’t want to fight with Calum in front of Finch. She didn’t want to fight with him at all, really, but he had to get used to the fact that she had as strong a will as he did and she wasn’t going to let him dictate her life, no matter what he thought was best. She was gonna make the hard choices for herself. That was no one’s job but hers. And the quality of mercy was not strained, ok? Liam had tried to spare her, she was almost sure, and the least she could do was try to return the favour. Even if it was hard.

“Well, I’m glad we’ve had the chance to go over that.” Finch said, standing up. “Now, Hood, if you don’t mind, I’d like to go over testimony with Ms. McMichael for a minute. If you don’t mind stepping out - obviously, confidentiality and all -”

“Of course.” Calum said. His eyes tracked over to Aspen for just a second before he stood up. “I understand completely. Thanks for the chance to go over some of these details. I’ll let you know how it goes with Raymond.”

“Absolutely. I’ll walk you out of my office.” Finch said, giving Aspen a quick “wait here” look. “I meant to mention, I never see you at the club. How’s your short game coming along?” Calum laughed stiffly, and then he was gone and Aspen was left alone.

She had to settle herself. Talking about that night didn’t bother her so much anymore. She had told it so many times - to the cops, to her roommates, to her family - that it felt almost like something she could joke about. You think your deskmate stealing your pens is bad? She didn't know why that one detail was suddenly throwing her.

Her burner phone buzzed in her bag. Will u come to mine once ur done? x

Was she in trouble? Whatever. At least this way she could have dinner at the Manor and not have to go home before the night's watch started.

Finch was back. He noticed her leg bouncing anxiously at her side, she saw his gaze pause on it. "Thanks for waiting. I'm sure while you were working with Hood you got used to people vying for his attention."

"Yours was fairly dignified vying, Mr. Finch." Aspen smiled thinly.

He chuckled. “Thank you. You can just call me Carl, by the way.”

“Anytime, Carl. So, um, I just wanted to say that I’d be comfortable testifying in both cases. Falcone’s especially.”

Finch looked surprised. “Of - of course, and we’ll make all the necessary arrangements for your safety during that process. I hope you don’t feel pressured to do so, because - and if I can be honest, Aspen - it’s very possible that he will make attempts to keep you from testifying, one way or another. It’s not selfish to consider your own safety.” Parts of this speech seemed prepared; evidently, he had expected to need to convince her in this meeting. She had never given him permission to call her Aspen.

She bit her tongue. “Yeah, well, I’m already a loose end. The way I see it, he attacked me when I was of no consequence to him, so I don’t see why me not testifying would change much.” Not to mention that with Calum looking after her, she had the best bodyguard in the city. He saved her life once, he could do it again no sweat. She was tougher, now, too. If Falcone wanted her dead, he was really gonna have to work for it this time.

“Well, I’m glad to hear you’re willing to help us out.” Carl said, and then paused in a way that made Aspen very nervous. “There was another thing I was meaning to ask you about, if that’s alright?”

The “can I ask you a question” question. Aspen hated when people did that. What was she supposed to do, say no? Knowing that she couldn’t deny a request to request, but also knowing the question’s content was gonna suck? She girded her loins. “Ask away.”

“We’d like you to encourage Liam to take the plea deal.”

Aspen almost had to catch her breath. “What, like you want /me/ to try to convince him personally?” She said slowly, dread mounting.

“His testimony would help us build a really strong case against Falcone. He hasn’t said two words together to anyone so far, he’s refusing to cooperate with his council, and we think that given your personal history -”

“That’s not fair.” She interrupted, shaking her head. “You want me to - what, send him a letter begging him to do less time for what he did to me? I mean, I support the offer and all, I just - I can’t be the one to ask him that.” She rubbed her eye. There was too much nervous energy in her to keep still. Fuck, she was not getting enough sleep for this.

Finch waited for her to finish before he spoke back up. “Actually, we were hoping you’d talk to him in person.”

“...You can’t be serious.”

“Aspen -”

“Don’t call me that.” Aspen snapped, and she didn’t feel bad when Carl flinched. “I don’t care if this is special circumstances or whatever. The fact remains that - that he did what he did to me and I don’t want to go near him. Or hear his voice.” She realized her chest was heaving. Wow, this made her mad. In the stunned silence she could feel them both realize exactly how far she would go to avoid this.

Finch licked his lips, taking a moment for them both to collect themselves. “...Understood. I appreciate your candor in this. You know I had to ask.”

You didn’t. “I know.”

“As long as there’s no hard feelings -”

Aspen shrugged. She wanted this over with. “You’re just trying to do your job. You’re the DA, not my therapist. It is what it is.”

“I know this whole process has been hard for you, and I just want you to know that I appreciate your cooperation in all of these areas.”

Despite herself, she smiled. “You can give it a rest. I’m not gonna tattle on you to Hood, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I -” Finch stopped, and looked at her, and then he smiled a little too, like he felt like it was safe. “I won’t deny that’s a factor.”

“Yeah, I figured.” Aspen shook her head. She was just tired. “He’s been, uh, fun to have in my corner. I did not know he was going to be coming today, so that was fun.”

All she got in response was a confused look. “I know I didn’t invite him to the office.”

Shit. Was that suspicious? “Oh, yeah,yeah, I know, I mentioned it to him in passing when he was checking in on me at work. The man invites himself.” She said casually, waving her hand like it could hide her pounding heart. “Anyway. Is there anything else you wanted to go over, or…”

“No, that’s about all I had. Reach out to Raymond Flat - I’m sure he has your info but I think it’d be best for you to have a closer relationship with him. Liam’s case is obviously going to go to trial before Falcone’s, so when we meet next that’s what we’ll focus on.” Finch stood to show her out, reaching out to shake her hand across the desk. Aspen subtly wiped her hand on her thigh first. She didn’t want him to get an idea of how nervous this had made her.

“Sounds good. I’m glad I met with you today.” She said, and to her surprise she wasn’t really lying. It was good that this had happened. Even if it had dragged all that stuff up, they’d also moved forwards.

“Likewise, Ms. McMichael.”

Ha. He almost made it sound natural.

Aspen bit her tongue as he walked her out. Figuratively, of course. She made small talk, wished him a good evening, all that shit. Inside, though, she was bursting with things unsaid. She really didn’t mind him calling her by her first name, but she did mind him using it only when he was trying to manipulate her, and of course she wanted to tell him that so he didn’t think she was some kind of asshole, but that would involve acknowledging his ruse, and she was pretty sure that wasn’t polite? They both knew what he was trying to do, and she was pretty sure he knew that she knew, and - fuck. This was like Calum all over again. She had to stop playing these mind games with herself.

On the drive to the manor, she tapped her thumb on the steering wheel at every red light. If she wasn’t driving, she would be bouncing her foot, too, trying to get the anxious energy out. She didn’t know why being unknowingly shoved into a car trunk - fuck - made her get this way. She couldn’t even remember it, so why - why did she feel like she had to pull the car over to retch?

She wanted to speed, but she kept herself in check. Driving like a maniac wasn’t gonna be a good coping mechanism, at least not in this traffic. Maybe Calum had a private race track under the manor she could borrow one day. There was room for one, anyways. Who knew.

These days, who fucking knew.

#this is kind of a nonchapter #but i'm excited for what's happening next week!!!#every so often i write a chapter where you won't like it if you don't like Aspen #and that's just too bad!! she's a delight #My writing #ch blurb #ch fic #calum hood fic #5sos fic #ttlb 2 #ttlb #5 seconds of summer

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naruwitch · 3 years

Text

Code Geass: Paladins of Voltron Chapter 36: At Least With Sorrow

Shirley wished with all her heart that this was simply a nightmare that she would wake up from at any moment and find herself wrapped up cozily under the covers in her room on the Castleship. Possibly snuggling one of the pill bug aliens in the process (Milly claimed she'd already done it several times and had a few pictures to keep for 'later.' A.k.a. blackmail material in its finest).

But the screams from below and the flashes of violet lasers and red-lined ships only confirmed the hellish reality as through blurred tears, she and Zinnia smashed through a group of about five Galran fighters.

With a battle cry, Rivalz used Polaris's ice ray to freeze multiple fighters, and it was quickly followed up by Zen shrieking through them with her jaw blade active. The ice did nothing to quell the explosion that occurred a second later.

While from their position in the air, it seemed that the Galra were only targeting the area around the SAZ, they knew it was only a matter of time before they started spreading into the settlement area, and the Paladins knew that the Galra didn't care, and they certainly wouldn't take the time to see who was Japanese and who was Britannia before destroying any building or home in their path. The Emperor would gladly sacrifice an entire area of the empire if it meant getting his way.

'Mom, Dad,' Shirley thought sorrowfully, 'please hang on!'

"Heads up!" another voice that Shirley couldn't place right away shouted through the comm. Snapping her head up, the Orange Paladin gasped as she saw what looked like a glowing blade penetrating the center of a Galra ship before swiftly cutting through the front of it. Once the blast cleared from the destroyed ship, Shirley had to take a moment to gape in awe at the sleek black Knightmare frame that was now hovering not too far from Zinnia.

The Seishin Knightmare frame itself was black and dark grey, but all of the crevices that pieced the Knightmare together were glowing a faint blue color, identical to the Balmera crystal she knew was powering it.

"Thanks, um…" Shirley hesitated before the pilot answered.

"Asahina," the pilot responded, and Shirley's brain spat out the image of the bespectacled member of the Four Holy Swords. One of Colonel Tohdoh's men.

"Thanks, Asahina," she corrected quickly.

Though she couldn't see him, she was sure she felt him nod before his Knightmare sped off after another Galra fighter.

Around in the air, the Seishins, though some were more unsteady than others, swung and swiped at the fighters with the same blades, easily keeping up with the fighters' speed. Several were firing multiple rounds of laser bullets from their built-in shoulder guns while also trying to avoid being shot out of the sky as well.

Two Knightmares in particular, stood out among the rest. The red glow of the Guren's Radiant Surger was hard to miss, and there was a Seishin with two dark blue appendages by its head, almost like a strange cape.

The same Seishin sliced a Galra fighter clean in two with a spinning strike before expertly dodging a barrage of shots from another. Four more hovered around it, picking off and dispatching any fighters that targeted the first.

Many Knightmares were also descending towards the SAZ, lasers already firing at any Sutherland and Gloucester they could see, forcing the Britannians to stop shooting the people below and divert their attention to the Seishins above them.

A streak of purple and blue flashed by two ships before they exploded. Yoru roared thunderously as she pounced onto another, ripping the top of the fighter clean off.

"Suzaku!" Nunnally exclaimed once she saw the Purple Lion, "Suzaku, is Euphie…?"

There was silence for a moment until he answered, "She's in a cryopod. She'll be fine."

"Oh, thank goodness!" Milly gasped.

"Yes, I'm glad to hear that…" Lelouch whispered the relief he felt rippling through his very bones.

"Zero!" Ohgi exclaimed, his Seishin gliding next to Zen, "How do we know who's on whose side?"

"Cornelia and her guard are with us, along with the Glaston Knights," Zero answered, his link open to all Black Knights, "Other than that… If they're shooting at the Galra, they're with us. Protect the people and destroy any Galra ship you see!"

"Got it!" Ohgi said before steering away.

"Right… Hold on, Nunnally," he warned his sister before addressing his fellow Paladins, "Time to take this battle! Form Voltron!"

While to the Paladins, it felt like it several moments to form the robot, to an outsider's perspective, it seemed the Lions joined in a flash of light, and with barely a blink of an eye later, Voltron stood in their place.

"Form bow!" Zero ordered.

Shirley plunged her Bayard into Zinnia's port, and Voltron's bow and arrow formed instantly. A single arrow formed in Voltron's hands, and he pulled back on the bow's string. Multiple targets emerged on the Paladins' screens within the cockpits—dozens of Galra fighters about to meet a fiery end.

"FIRE!"

In a flash of blue, the arrow was released.

Despite the promise of providing back-up from the ground, Cornelia's forces, the few who were actually listening to her anyway, were having zero luck against any Galra vessels that shot near them or descended low enough for their bullets to reach. Even the Hadron cannon being fired from the Le Fey was only having partial success, only melting the ship's outer metal instead of destroying them. The Blaze Luminous shielding was taking significant damage as well.

They were able to eliminate several Knightmare frames that were still firing at the escaping Japanese. Despite being locked up for almost a month, Cornelia had piloted a Gloucester long enough that her muscle memory easily allowed her to dive into the hoard. She didn't earn the moniker Goddess of Victory for no reason after all.

She was also certain that most of the other Britannian Knightmares, besides her own hand-picked men and the Glaston Knights, were only assisting her because they didn't want to end up on the wrong end of her Knightmare's lance. They could weed out the scum later, and she would do it personally if she had to.

There was a flash of light above their heads, and Cornelia smirked when she saw Voltron appear in the air, fire an arrow, then blast off into the main fray.

"No!"

Said smirk quickly faded with Darlton's cry as one of the Glaston Knightmares was engulfed in flames from a fighter's blasts. Said fighter was destroyed moments later by the custom red Knightmare with the strange claw. Didn't Lloyd say that one was called the Guren?

"Alfred!" Edgar Darlton exclaimed before swerving to avoid a barrage of blasts himself.

Cornelia grit her teeth. While they had finally got back-up via the sky, they were still taking heavy losses. Their Knightmares were simply not equipped to deal with the Galra ships.

"Nonette!" Cornelia exclaimed over the comms, "Any word from the other Knights?!"

"No, nothing!" the Knight of Nine said, impaling a Sutherland with her spear, "It's weird! It's like something is jamming my communication with them."

"Perhaps they-augh!" whatever Bart Darlton was about to say was cut off as a rain of lasers practically cut his Knightmare in two before it also exploded like his brother's.

"Asplund! Croomey! Any word from Schneizel?!" the princess demanded next. As much as she wanted to kick her brother's butt for nearly killing Euphemia back on the island, they needed all the help they could get right now. In fact, it was strange that Schneizel wasn't already dispatching his own men onto the battlefield. So why wasn't he doing so? He wouldn't sit back and simply watch this!

"No, nothing from the Viceroy!" Cecile's voice shouted through the comms, "The Le Fey is taking heavy-"

Cecile was cut off by a large crash on the other end of the comm, and looking up, Cornelia saw the airship take a heavy hit from the side. From the laser's size, Cornelia could only guess that the blast came from one of the giant ships where the other fighters were flying out of.

"Oh, dear! We're going down!" Lloyd exclaimed from the ship.

Fortunately, the Le Fey didn't get far, as several of the space Knightmares latched onto the ship and were able to slow its descent to the ground. She saw several fighters fire at them, a couple exploding, but not before the escape pods fired from the main body.

"Princess, look!" Guilford exclaimed, his Knightmare halting and looking at the sky. Above them, Voltron's weapon had transformed from a bow into the giant sword they had first seen when Colonel Tohdoh had been broken out of his prison. The robot was flying straight towards the closest cruiser and, with a mighty swing, much like how the original Avalon was destroyed, sliced straight through it, dragging the sword with a metallic tearing along before exiting out the other end. The cruiser erupted into an inferno, lighting up the sky as if a second sun had appeared above them.

Voltron shot directly for its next target, not wasting precious seconds, the sword shrinking to normal (or normal in giant robot cases) size, slicing through ships and Galran forces almost every second.

Reinvigorated by her brother's attack, Cornelia charged forward, a righteous battle cry issuing from her throat, not even bothering to see if her men were following her as she knew already they were.

Commander Corza frowned as a large chunk of her forces were taken out in Voltron's counterattack. While she knew that such sacrifices were necessary, it still seemed like a blow to her pride to see one of the cruisers go down.

A glow of blue drew her attention, and her eyes narrowed as she saw the Altean's wretched castle itself join the fray, lasers and shots firing from the particle barrier and its other weapons systems. She growled when she saw a concentrated shot rip through dozens of ships and take out the front end of the second cruiser; however, the ship was able to remain airborne.

The control panel in front of her flashed red, signaling an incoming call, which she promptly answered. The face of Zarkon's trusted witch greeted her, her hood casting a shadow over her eyes.

"Commander Corza," Haggar addressed, "recall your remaining forces and regroup at once."

"Vrepit sa," she intoned with a salute before the video call was terminated. As ordered, the crew pulled her main cruiser away from the planet's atmosphere, and she commanded the remaining straggling Galra to retreat.

Corza couldn't help but scowl. Those fools on this backwater planet only managed to decimate so many of her troops because Voltron was kind enough to protect them.

"But…" she smirked sadistically, "Enjoy this small reprise while it lasts, you fools. It's only a small taste of what fate awaits your people."

Seeing that the Galran forces were pulling back, the Black Knights took this as their cue to land on push back the remaining Britaiannain forces, which wasn't too hard. One look at the Seishin Knightmares' weapon arsenal sent most anti-Numbers Britannians running or surrendering on the spot. What really sent them running was the Castle of Lions itself landing in the now destroyed area that would have been the SAZ. Lelouch was grateful for this. While the castle had a limited number of cryopods, he knew there were other medical supplies they could still use to assist.

"Cornelia!" Lelouch exclaimed, landing near his sister's Gloucester (Voltron had dispersed as the castle began to descend), the hatch of which had opened up to reveal the ex-princess. For the most part, she seemed unharmed, though she had a fair stream of blood coming from her forehead. She must have hit her head at some point in the fight.

"I'm fine!" she replied, waving him off, "It's not me you need to worry about right now."

Lelouch grimaced, then nodded. He ordered a small handful of Black Knights to create a perimeter around the zone, at least until the castle's particle barrier turned on again, but he knew that several Japanese would be making their way over from beyond the barrier's reach, so he informed Allura to keep it down for now. He then grabbed a first aid kit that all the Lions were equipped with and exited Zen to try and help any wounded he could.

As he approached a small family, the mother of whom was cradling a girl no older than ten, he saw from the corner of his eye that the other Paladins and Black Knights were doing similar acts, and he even saw the elevator from the Castle of Lions descending, likely with Coran and C.C. to help and possibly escort heavily wounded to the healing pods. He ignored the look of awe that the family, especially the child, gave him as he helped pull the girl's arm into a sling. After checking over the mother and father, he ordered them to start making their way to the castle, where they would be further accommodated inside.

This pattern continued for what felt like hours. Look for an injured human, patch them up as best you can, then send them (or flag another able-bodied person over) towards the castle. Repeat.

During this time, Suzaku managed to dig Cecile and Lloyd out of the now-destroyed Le Fey, and Nonette followed behind Rai after helping her out her Gloucester to assist with the injured.

Zero was about halfway through the strange Altean wrapping gauze (he was fairly certain he had bandaged a good few dozen civilians already and wasn't in the mood for his brain to hurt as he thought about how this is possible) when the particle barrier flashed to life above him, frightening the teen that he was wrapping the ankle of.

"It's okay," Lelouch assured him, "that's up to protect us."

He tied off the bandage before shooing the teen off towards the castle, supported by a girl around his age.

Looking up, almost automatically ready to attend to the next injured civilian, Lelouch had to blink to see that almost everyone was already attended to or making their way to the Castle.

"Lelouch…"

The Black Paladin jumped a little and turned to see that Nunnally had wheeled her way out of Zen and found him. His heart nearly shattered when he saw the look on his sister's face, her eyes brimming with tears as she sadly gazed over the landscape.

"Big brother, what are we going to do now?"

Lelouch could only sigh, "I don't know, Nunnally," he murmured, "I'll think of something soon."

Nunnally just nodded, hugging her sides and desperately trying to hold her tears in.

She gasped when she felt her brother's arms encircle her, and her tears finally overflowed, and she clung to him as she let it all out.

Lelouch was also silently crying under the mask, but these tears weren't just of sorrow.

'Charles zi Britannia,' he thought through gritted teeth, a hot red rage building in his chest, 'I swear… you will pay for this atrocity!'

It was a rare yet terrifying sight to behold when Schneizel el Britannia was angry. Out of all the Royal Family members, the Second Prince was considered one of the calmest and most level-headed of the emperor's children. Not to say that he didn't get frustrated or annoyed from time to time, but everyone knew that it took a lot for Schneizel to lose his temper.

And right now, he was at his boiling point.

The Viceroy's office doors swung open with a resonating bang as the Second Prince stormed out and walked briskly down the hall. A flabbergasted Kanon matched his speed while a profusely sweating Bartley actually had to jog to keep up with the two.

"Get me an audience with the emperor this instant!" Schneizel snapped at the closest officer he could lay eyes on, most of whom were scrambling trying to establish order again within the palace itself. It didn't help that Bismark, Gino, and Anya had mysteriously vanished shortly before the emperor's announcement.

"Your Highness, all of our communications with Pendragon have-urgh!"

The officer was cut off as a barrage of lasers melted through him like butter, dropping dead to the ground.

"Dear god…" Kanon gasped before the three registered the sound of metal clamping against the tiled floor. Schneizel's eyes narrowed as several silver robots crowded the halls, either taking the palace staff hostage or shooting the ones who fought back on the spot.

Staying calm, Schneizel slowly lifted his hands in surrender, and he saw that Kanon and Bartley were mirroring him. It would be foolish to get killed now.

"Wh-what is the meaning of this?!" Bartley stuttered before feeling a sharp butt of the robot's gun against his back, pushing him and the others forward.

The robots lead them outside where Schneizel saw several more robots corralling soldiers away from guarding the Knightmare frames.

"So…" a purr of a voice drew Schneizel attention to the center of the courtyard, where several dark grey ships were parked. In the midst of the robots, he spotted a purple furry being with a slender yet muscular figure, large cat-like ears, yellow glowing eyes, and hair (at least he was sure it was hair) tied in several braids and tied back. Her armor was bright red, accented with black and dark grays. The woman (?) held out a long slender blade to the prince's neck, "...This is my partner, is it? I'll admit, I find myself disappointed."

"Why you-!" Bartley gasped in offense despite the situation, "You dare raise your blade to a-"

The man was promptly shut up as burning pain shot through his head, emanating from his right ear. The man shrieked and clutched the area now flowing with blood where his right ear once was, now hanging precariously from the tip of the alien's blade.

"Oops," Corza sneered insincerely, "I couldn't figure out where your off button was. I bet it's underneath all of that fat you're lugging around. Perhaps I'll save you the trouble and shave some off, hmm?"

This sadistic threat coupled with the pain from his severed ear had Bartley collapsing to his knees, keening and sobbing like a frightened child.

"Enough," Schneizel said as calmly as possible, "There is no need for violence here. What do you want? Present your terms, and my men and I will adhere to them."

Corza chuckled mockingly, returning her sword to Schneizel's neck, "So, there is someone with a brain here after all. Well, for your information, your so-called 'emperor' insisted I keep you alive, which by the way, Lady Haggar only felt the need to agree to because you're more useful as a prisoner at the moment. But let me make one thing clear," Corza leaned close to Schneizel's face, "behave yourself. I may have orders but… As the saying goes, 'everyone makes mistakes' now, don't they?"

Schneizel fought to keep a straight face. This creature reminded him too much of Luciano Bradley in terms of bloodlust, and from the demonstration with Bartley's ear, she wasn't lying either about killing them if they stepped out of line.

As of this moment, he was in a deadlock.

The best he, and hopefully his subordinates, had of surviving was to accept their situation and wait for the right moment to either escape or fight back.

From the outside, the SAZ seemed completely deserted, now laying in ruins, and the bodies of dozens of Japanese men, women, and children littered the streets, all lost to a selfish emperor's order.

At the center, though, shining like a star in a moonless sky, a large cyan dome illuminated the battlefield, the survivors of the SAZ all herded safely inside… For now.

Many of the survivors were still in need of medical treatment, so all of the cryopods in the med bay were quickly filled. Coran pushed the pods into their highest and fastest setting that could be used safely so that they could attend to as many injured as possible.

The rest (both Japanese and Britannian) who were mostly uninjured or only suffered fairly minor injuries were currently gathered in the Castleship's ballroom. Above the crowd, situated on the balcony, stood Nunnally, Guilford, Darlton, Nonette, Ohgi, Sayoko, Tohdoh, Kaguya, and Kirihara. Zero was standing in the very center of them. Cornelia, Lloyd, and Cecile had also been brought up to the Castleship, but Cornelia had insisted on checking on Euphemia first, and Lloyd and Cecile kindly (being the word Lloyd used) offered their services to Rakshata's research team in the Knightmare bay.

In the front of the group on the balcony, Rover hovered faithfully, waiting for the signal from Rai to begin a worldwide broadcast.

It was time for Earth to unite, to fight against the intruders who had invaded not only their country but their very planet, the planet that all humans called home.

The Galra may have surprised them, but now Voltron had a little surprise for them.

"All set on my end, Zero!" Rai's voice crackled in Zero's commlink, "Whenever you're ready."

"And this will be broadcast to every electronic device on the planet?" he inquired.

"Yes, this program should keep any viruses the Galra develop at bay for a while."

"Very well," the Black Paladin nodded, "Begin."

"Got it!"

Zero could hear the righteous fury in his half-brother's (Lelouch was still getting used to calling Rai that) voice as Rover beeped in affirmation, and his camera blinked three times, signaling him to start.

At that moment, every digital device, televisions, laptops, jumbotrons, and even smartphones were hacked simultaneously, all broadcasting this very message.

It wasn't just Japan, though. It was broadcasting in the Chinese Federation, the European Union, and all other nations of the world were tuning in to this announcement.

"Attention, people of the Earth," Zero began loudly and dramatically, "and all who are oppressed by the empire of Britannia! Long have I waited, all through the struggles against Britannia's injustices, I've waited for them to come to their senses! The Special Administrative Zone of Japan, created by the kind-hearted Princess Euphemia was a genuine attempt to unite the world against a common enemy and end the fighting that has long since plagued our world, spearheaded by the fascist Britannian Empire! And how was she repaid for this act of selflessness?! Betrayed by the very man she called 'father'! Who would prefer to throw his lot in with a hostile alien regime and sell out his own world to save his own skin!"

The people down below began to scream in outrage. Not only the Japanese but the brave Britannians who willingly chose to oppose the emperor's actions.

"Never forgive the emperor!"

"Murderer!"

"Filthy coward!"

"Hypocrite!"

"Burn in hell Charles zi Britannia!"

"But fear not!" Zero continued when the cries started to die down, "For from this moment forward, we hereby declare the independence of Area Eleven from Britannian subjugation! But don't take this to mean the resurrection of your fallen nation! It is the birth of something new, a nation where nobody is oppressed for their gender, race, ideology, or even species! This is… The United States of Japan! And with that, I also hereby announce the formation of the Voltron Coalition, with its first member being the Planet Earth, and the nation of the United States of Japan led and protected by the Black Knights!"

This announcement resulted in even more cheers from all the Black Knights, Paladins, and gathered citizens.

'The United States of Japan?' Suzaku thought as he looked up at Zero from the crowd. He had to give Lelouch credit, he was going all the way and showing no signs of slowing down.

'They've done it,' a fanatically smiling Diethard hidden among the audience thought, 'Despite everything, they've actually created a whole new nation!'

"Once the land of Japan breathes freedom once more, we will continue our crusade of freedom to the rest of the planet, from the tyranny of Britannia and the Galra alike. From there, our cause will continue to spread beyond, reaching every planet and people in the universe, until the cries of the free will never be extinguished again! For freedom!"

"For freedom!" the crowd roared in response, fists pumping in the air.

"For freedom!" Kallen shouted, followed by Rai, Tamaki, Chiba, Asahina, Urabe, Senba, and all the rest of the Black Knights in the crowd.

"For freedom!" Ohgi shouted, raising his fist high, along with Kirihara, Kaguya, Sayoko, and even Tohdoh raised his katana. "For freedom!"

Even Guilford and Darlton, though hesitant at first and feeling out of place, raised their fists and joined them. "For freedom!"

"My first objective was successful. Princess Euphemia li Britannia is dead. However, unfortunately, I could not fulfill the second objective regarding Princess Nunnally. Forgive me, my Lords."

V.V. couldn't keep the small scowl from his face at this news as he and Charles stood tensely on Haggar's command ship. Nebrios was their most skilled assassin in the Geass Order. His Geass, dubbed 'Ward of Absolute Suspension,' was the perfect weapon for assassination and other related jobs. Therefore, it was a no-brainer on who would be responsible for removing his two meddlesome nieces. Well, at least one was out of the way. He could deal with Nunnally later.

"That's fine," Charles intoned next to V.V., "We still have time to correct this error. Remain on standby until further instruction."

Nebiros glanced at V.V. from his side of the screen, and he nodded. It still irked V.V. that Charles insisted on capturing Nunnally instead of simply killing her (the true order V.V. gave out). It seemed even in death, his brother was still soft with anything involving that bitch Marianne.

"Yes, Your Highness," Nebiros bowed before cutting off communication.

"I warned you, did I not?" the voice of their newest 'ally' made the twins jump and turn around. Almost melting from the shadows, Haggar approached the pair, "Once again, you underestimated the Paladins as well as Voltron. That is what led to this failure and all your past failures until now."

Charles scoffed, "They're only children! They-"

"And yet you yourself use children to do your own dirty work," Haggar interrupted with a sneer, "Your arrogance is blinding your judgment. Fail to contain it, and it will be your downfall."

"How dare you-" V.V. choked as Haggar raised her hand, causing his body to be engulfed in a violet aura and rise from the ground. The immortal's hands clawed at a non-existent hold around his neck before he felt himself being thrown backward and crashing hard against one of the ship's steel pillars. He felt several vertebrae in his back snap on impact as he cried out in agony.

"Victor!" Charles exclaimed, but he froze as Haggar raised her hand towards him as well, forcing him to his knees.

"Remember our agreement," Haggar hissed, "Earth will be yours to rule, but only from within the Galra Empire. As of this moment, you are both servants of Emperor Zarkon. Do I make myself clear?"

As V.V. struggled to sit up through the pain as Charles bowed submissively, though he grit his teeth furiously.

A low beeping sound drew Haggar's attention to the main screen again, and she waved her hand to answer the call.

The being that appeared on the other end made Charles's blood run cold. He was sure in another life, he would have been in a similar position, with those under his command cowering below him.

V.V. also, through the pain of his slowly repairing back, felt himself shaking in genuine fear at the sight of the figure before them.

Now, they were the ones cowering as the face of Emperor Zarkon flickered onto the screen.

"My Lord," Haggar bowed in respect, "have you successfully received our latest weapons?"

"Yes," Emperor Zarkon's deep, haunting voice vibrated, "the druids are making final preparations. When they are ready for launch, I myself will be joining you at your location, Haggar."

Haggar's poisonous smirk widened, "Of course, my Lord."

Meanwhile, back on Earth, the Castle of Lions was a buzz of activity. After Zero finished his speech for the entire planet to see, the Black Knights, along with their latest Britannian recruits, got right to work. Coran was herding the Britannians down the armory to fit them in their spacesuits and then give them a crash course of how the suits functioned and how to properly use the Seishin Knightmare models.

Despite the crew's hustle, though, there was a layer of distress as well. While the Paladins and Black Knights managed to rescue many of the SAZ's attendees, many more died, and even more were succumbing to their injuries before they could be placed into the cryopods in time. Even though the pods were working at near overdrive, and human doctors and some Altean medical droids that Coran managed to reactivate were treating them, the reality was that even they couldn't save everyone, and the infirmary was still overflowing with injured.

Nunnally looked on with sorrow as she saw one of the pods with a young child inside. The little girl had been shot several times in the chest and stomach, and her arm had gotten badly mangled in the attack. Coran was honestly unsure if the pod could completely fix it. Even if it repaired the muscles, the nerve damage was extensive, meaning she may never have full use of her arm again.

Lelouch and C.C. together managed to shoo Cornelia out of the medical bay to get fitted in her armor with the promise she would be updated on Euphemia's condition.

So far, Euphie was stable, though Coran did note that the assassin who attacked her knew what he was doing. She had been lucky that the bullet had only nicked her heart wall. If she had been brought up only a few minutes later, she would have likely bled out and went into cardiac arrest. The cryopods could pull someone from the brink of death if they are put inside in time, but they couldn't do anything with a corpse.

The pod had frosted over what was below Euphie's neckline to preserve her modesty. Due to the severity of the injury, they hadn't had time to change her into a cryosuit. This wouldn't alter the healing function, but it was likely that most of her dress would dissolve during the process. From what they could see from her face, though, she didn't appear to be in any pain.

"The fellow in the third cryopod should be done in another varga," Coran informed, the depressed quiet of the room getting to him.

"That's good," Shirley whispered half-heartedly.

The feel of death and destruction was being felt by all of the Paladins, feelings of sorrow, anxiety, and even rage permeating the room, though some were better at hiding it than others. Rai and Kallen looked especially angry, but the clenched fists that Suzaku and Lelouch shared made it clear what their feelings were as well.

"Dammit…" Kallen muttered, clenching her teeth and fists so hard she was sure they'd be bleeding if she was barehanded.

Despite the Paladins' effort to keep their feelings suppressed, Allura showed no such action.

"What kind of disgusting, ludicrous, quiznacking kazrlgi must you be to willingly join the Galra!" she ranted furiously whilst pacing. She looked two seconds from tearing her hair out, "How can someone be so stubborn and shameless?! How could…" the princess faltered, "...How could it come to this?"

"Why are we acting so surprised?" Rai asked bitterly, "We knew with Haggar on Earth, the rest of the Galra weren't far behind. Maybe she struck a deal with the emperor. One that he couldn't turn down."

"A deal that includes enslaving his planet and people with himself on top?" Milly asked skeptically, "Since when does Zarkon actually agree to a partnership like that? From what we've seen of the psycho, he doesn't seem like the type."

"He isn't," Coran confirmed, "Alfor attempted to negotiate a peaceful solution with Zarkon when he was still alive, but he couldn't sway him from his ways."

"I'm quite shocked that Charles agreed to this as well," C.C. said, "As we've stated before, Charles is just like Zarkon. He won't negotiate unless it ends with him as the sole ruler and beneficiary of the deal he's struck. He's not the type to submit to anyone. The only person he sees as his equal is V.V., but they're partners at best. He only trusts himself to fulfill his plans. And yet… He still did this."

"Do you think… Maybe Zarkon's Geass did something?" Shirley suggested quietly, "Maybe he's using it to control the emperor and V.V."

"It's a possibility," C.C. admitted, "but we can't know for sure, especially without knowing the type of Geass Zarkon has, or if it can affect a Code Bearer."

"It doesn't matter," Lelouch finally snapped, "Charles made his choice, and we've made ours. There's only one path left for us… Straight forward."

Everyone in the room looked up at the Black Paladin before Rai rose from his spot by one of the pods, "No turning back, right?"

Slowly, one by one, everyone got to their feet.

"Let's do it," Kallen said, cracking her knuckles.

"No way am I turning around now!" Rivalz exclaimed.

"Same here!" Shirley nodded.

"...Right," Suzaku murmured, his eyes blazing.

"We promised we would support you, Lelouch," Milly said solemnly, her bayard suddenly flashing to life, "and that hasn't changed."

Trance-like, in unison, everyone else's bayards flashed to life. A bow, a rifle, a katar, a kusarigama, a katana, a cestus.

Allura gasped softly, and Coran's eyes widened. C.C. also looked intrigued as she took a small step back.

"What's…?" Nunnally began before her brother stepped forward, his hand traveling to his waist. When he removed it, a small knife wrapped at the hilt was grasped tightly in his hands.

All meeting in the center, the seven Paladins of Voltron raised their weapons above them.

"No turning back," Lelouch intoned strongly.

"No turning back!" the rest of the Paladins echoed.

There was a silent awe in the room as the four outliers watched the Paladins make their vow, the Warrior's Bond forging anew.

As the Paladins slowly parted, C.C. smirked, "Well, don't leave us out of the fun. We're in this just as much as you are."

"Quite right!" Coran exclaimed, "We're with you, Paladins! No point of the universe is treacherous enough to deter us!"

"Yes," Allura nodded resolutely, "We, Voltron, are meant to protect the weak, defending them from those who would wish them harm! That mission has not changed, nor will it now."

"We're with you, Lelouch!" Nunnally piped in, her hand gripping his arm.

Lelouch couldn't keep the grateful smile from his face as he squeezed his sister's hand back, "Thank you… All of you!"

After smiling at his team, his face soon relapsed into a stoic mask, "Kallen, Rivalz, Milly, Shirley. Head to the settlement and get your families. Now that your faces are known, I doubt the military will be leaving them alone. Bringing them to the castle is the most secure place to hide them. Rai, Coran," he turned to the two in question, not waiting for the latter four to respond, "Head down to the launch bay and assist Rakshata's team with our newest recruits. Run them through the Knightmares and weapons operations. Suzaku," he looked towards his oldest friend, "You're with me and Allura. We'll regroup with Tohdoh and the rest of the leadership to organize our forces. Everyone understand their orders?"

When no one objected, he nodded, "All right! Move out!"

"Lelouch, is there anything I can do?" Nunnally asked as most of the rest quickly exited the room.

Lelouch knelt on one knee (Nunnally was still in her hoverchair), "Just stay here with Euphie, Nunnally. If she wakes up sooner than expected I think seeing a familiar face will help her stay calm."

Nunnally nodded in acceptance before wheeling closer to her sister's pod. Lelouch then looked towards C.C., "Will you look after them?"

C.C. nodded while shooting a look at him that said, 'You still had to ask?'

Lelouch smiled a little bashfully before turning to leave the room himself, only to stop short when he saw Suzaku standing at the doorway.

"Suzaku?" he asked in concern. The Purple Paladin jumped, looking embarrassed.

"S-sorry, Lelouch," he stuttered, "Can you just…? I'll catch up with you later. I need a moment."

A sympathetic look crossed Lelouch's face before he nodded and patted Suzaku's shoulder. "Take your time."

Suzaku nodded and jogged down the other hallway as Lelouch rushed off to catch up with Allura.

Neither Paladin noticed C.C.'s concerned look as she watched Suzaku disappear.

"This must be unbearable for Suzaku," Nunnally said softly from behind the immortal, "I mean, big brother loves Euphie too, but not in the same way that Suzaku does. Lelouch tries to hide it, but I can see the pain in his eyes… I can only imagine what Suzaku's feeling right now."

C.C. frowned and looked back down the hall.

"Nunnally, stay here for a moment," she finally said, "I'll be right back."

Suzaku trudged down a deserted hallway, wondering if this is what it feels like to be a zombie. No emotion, no thoughts, he felt like he didn't even have a heartbeat.

Being numb wasn't a foreign feeling for Suzaku. He remembered this feeling well eight years ago after driving a knife into his father's heart. The months that followed came in flashes to him, but he knew that it took forever for him to start feeling decent enough to function again.

Now the feeling had returned tenfold. Like a huge hole had been punched through his chest. He had held the love of his life in his arms as she was dying. Bleeding out from an assassin's bullet, and he couldn't do anything to stop it at the time. He had promised he would protect her, and he had failed. Just like he always did. Why? Why did this keep happening?!

Eventually, the Purple Paladin slowed to a stop. The hole he felt inside him suddenly grew hot. His breath came out in short hisses as it exited through his clenched teeth. His vision became blurry as anguished tears built in his eyes.

With a cry of agony, Suzaku brandished his Bayard and swung it wildly against the wall, leaving a dark scar in the pristine white of the Castleship's walls. Letting this new bubbling rage guide him, he kept swiping at the walls. Eventually, this wasn't enough for him, and he threw his Bayard, still in sword form, to the ground and his fists collided with the wall. He knew deep down that he wasn't accomplishing anything by doing this, but right now, Suzaku's feelings were completely feral. He was a rabid and broken animal that couldn't find solace.

A hand snatched his wrist, keeping him from punching the wall again. This act felt like an icicle to the back, icy cold reality hitting him and the furious rage vanishing. Looking to the source, tears and even snot covering his face, Suzaku saw C.C.'s somber face staring back at him.

Only now was the reality of the situation sinking in. The Emperor of Britannia had shot Euphemia through the hands of an assassin. Her own father didn't so much as bat an eye as she lay bleeding to death on the SAZ's stage.

Now Suzaku wasn't an idiot. He'd heard enough stories both from Lelouch and others about how stubborn the emperor was, but this… He actually had the audacity to side with Zarkon?! Not even Lelouch predicted that his father would make such a move, so… Why?!

With these thoughts buzzing in his head, all fight left his body, and he sunk to the floor.

"If there's one thing I know about Charles from my years of knowing him," C.C. said as if reading Suzaku's mind, "it's that he's an incredibly ambitious man. More importantly, when he sets his sights on something, nothing is off-limits, and he will resort to any tactic possible to fulfill his goal. Sacrifice anything… Or anybody."

Suzaku didn't move from his spot on the floor, but he was listening.

"I'll admit, even I was blindsided by his decision to side with the Galra, but when you think about it, this actually isn't too out of character out of him," C.C. paused to think about to word this correctly, "Voltron represents everything he disagrees with about humanity, but it also stands as his biggest obstacle toward his goals, and right now he's trying to remove that obstacle. In his mind, siding with the Galra is the most logical choice."

Suzaku finally reacted with a hysterical laugh. "Logical?! What is so logical about this?! We were offering an olive branch, a chance at a peaceful resolution! We were so close! So close to finally achieving peace! The dream that I… that Euphie thought was possible!"

C.C. sighed, "Suzaku, what you must understand about Charles is that he isn't interested in peace. His only interest in life is making the world the way he wants it. He wants his version of peace, not anyone else's."

Suzaku fell silent again, just staring sightlessly at the floor.

C.C., apparently tired of the silence, speaks again, "Suzaku, I want to ask you something, and I want an honest answer. When you first joined the Britannian military, did you really do it to change the system on the inside? Did you truly believe that Britannia could change?

Suzaku doesn't answer right away. His head and his heart were screaming two different answers. His heart was saying yes, he did! But his head was louder this time, and the truth was…

"...When I met Euphemia, I really believed that she had the power to do it. To change the system, to change Britannia. And I was ready to give her my full support, even my life if I had to. That's how much I believed in her. But… when I first signed up… when I first became an Honorary Britannian… No. I didn't believe that."

"You only told yourself that so that you could put yourself in a situation where if you died, you would die a "heroic death" and redeem yourself for what happened to your father," C.C. said.

"Yes…" Suzaku nodded slowly.

"So… What are you going to do now?" C.C. asked, "I hope you're not planning to give up now, especially not after that display by the cryopods. I won't tell you what to do, but there are people here who truly need you, and Euphemia is one of them. When she recovers, and she will, she might have family and friends who are there for her, but she might need you even more; that is if you truly feel the same way she feels about you."

Suzaku's mind wandered again, this time starting from the very moment they shot into the sky in Polaris, meeting Coran and Allura, becoming the Purple Paladin, finding his Lion aboard the Galra cruiser, forming Voltron for the first time, and training and bonding with all of Paladins. Then learning Lelouch's true identity as Zero and the shock and horror he had originally felt, but still agreeing to help if only to not break up Voltron, as thanks to Lelouch's first attempt to leave they all learned were hard to find. All of the battles the Paladins went through and the crazy training trips Coran sent them on. He noticed that over time, something slowly changed in him, in all of them. He stopped silently questioning Lelouch's plans, began following orders more willingly, and began risking his life not just because it was convenient for the circumstances but because he wanted to. He wanted to follow Lelouch and his other friends. He wanted to protect people. He wanted to save the universe from the Galra.

And Euphie… Dear sweet Euphie. Not one day went by on the Castleship that he didn't think about her and miss her. He constantly thought about what she would think if she was in his position. One thing was for sure though, he was sure she would have persevered, even if it was painful.

"If I stop now…" he started, "I won't just be failing my team, I'll be failing Euphemia too. It would be a mockery to her dream, the one I know she still has. I'm ashamed it took me so long to see reason, but… I'm not going to let this chance go to waste."

Standing up fully, he turned to C.C. and held out his hand. "C.C., I want to form a contract with you."

C.C. actually took a step back in surprise. Out of all the Paladins, the immortal had honestly believed Suzaku would be the one not to get a Geass, much less ask for one.

Suzaku noticed her look and said, "You've made contracts with everyone else so far."

"Yes…" C.C. said slowly, "But there was no telling the type of ability they would get or how it would manifest. The same still applies to you, including the risks involved."

"I know that," Suzaku nodded but didn't lower his hand.

"...Are you sure this is what you want, Suzaku?" she asked again, "If you're making this decision purely based on your emotions there can be negative consequences on your mental state… Like with Mao."

"I know," Suzaku said, "I'm sure about this, though."

"...All right," C.C. relented, reaching out to grasp his hand, "Just make sure you don't become too dependent on it."

With this final warning, her hand fell on top of his, and Suzaku's world burst into color.

"We're sorry! We're working as best as we can!"

"We weren't fast enough! We managed to keep the news off the Net, but there are insurrections all over the map!"

"Not just Elevens either! Even Britannian forces! Voltron is absorbing and rallying all of the masses against the settlement!"

"With so many honorary Britannians, and even full-blooded Britannians turning on us, our enemies number in the tens of thousands!"

Corza growled, "You Earthlings can't even keep control of your own people? Pathetic!"

Schneizel remained silent with two Galran sentries looming over his chair, rifles raised, knowing that speaking up or correcting her would likely worsen the situation.

"Report in! Our units have been unable to detain the Fenette, Cardemonde, and Ashford families. They all managed to escape!"

"What?" Schneizel said aloud, but more out of confusion than shock as he was sure he never issued an order to capture those families. However, he quickly confirmed his own suspicions and figured Charles had given that order instead. It was logical from a strategic point to take hostages, especially if they are friends or family of the enemy.

"There are reports of the Orange, Blue, and Yellow Lions intercepting the units. The targets were gone by the time they left. We've also confirmed reports of the Red Lion attacking the Eastern Penitentiary. Several inmates are confirmed to have escaped, likely on the Lion!"

"Likely gathering more forces that way," Corza mused, but chuckled, "Not that it will matter. Plenty more Galra vessels will be arriving shortly. It won't matter how many humans stand against us. They were doomed from the start."

"Okay, let's fire this one up!" Rai called as he was lowered back to the ground. He had just finished installing a Balmera crystal into the Lancelot's power generator. Despite the Le Fey being unsalvageable, Lloyd and Cecile managed to lead some Black Knights to retrieve both the Lancelot and Gawain Knightmare frames from the wreckage. They were also in the process of modifying the remaining Glaston Knights' Knightmare frames. They didn't have time to install everything, but they had a much higher chance of surviving the upcoming battle now compared to using normal Knightmares. The Gawain had also been modified to one passenger seat instead of two.

"All right, Lancelot startup sequence beginning… Now!" Cecile announced. With the engine roaring to life, the Lancelot's system booted up, the Balmera crystal's energy syncing in. Like with the Seishin Knightmares, the Lancelot outlines began to glow a faint blue, and even the green 'eyes' of the Lancelot shifted into a cyan color.

"Oh my! This is greater energy than I ever anticipated!" Lloyd exclaimed like a kid in a candy store.

"Well, if you're a good boy, Lloyd, I might let you take a look at my notes from the original test runs," Rakshata smirked.

"'Might'?" Lloyd pouted.

"Might." Rakshata giggled while Lloyd continued to sulk. Cecile rolled her eyes while Rai and Coran shared a chuckle.

"Excuse me," someone cleared their throat from behind them. Turning around, the group spotted Claudio, David, and Edgar Darlton, and they were all clad in their new Black Knight space uniforms and armor.

The armor looked fairly similar to the Paladin armor, but with several distinct design changes. The helmets were nearly identical, but small three spikes were branching out from above the forehead (above the dip in the 'v') and two off to the sides of their ears. Altogether it looked much like the symbol for the Black Knights. The suits' arms and legs were armored in the same way as the Paladins, but the neckline was tighter and the shoulders broader.

The only other major difference was the color scheme. Compared to the white and black with different colored accents for the Paladins, the Black Knights' armor was black, the undersuits dark rusty red, and the highlights silver.

On the back of each of the uniforms, just beneath the jetpack that bore the Black Knight symbol, was another feature. A single homing device. This was sewn into the suits as a safety precaution. Just in case one of the Black Knights got 'lost in space,' or otherwise, the Castleship could hone in on the device and retrieve the wayward pilot.

They were also designed to withstand all of the extremes of space, from 2.6 to nearly 5810 Kelvin ("If I'm converting your Earth measurements to the ship's correctly, that is," Coran had said), and (according to Earth standards) were completely bulletproof.

"Ah, Andreas's little boys," Lloyd greeted, "How do you do?"

"You're surprisingly chipper considering the situation," David scowled back.

Lloyd just shrugged, "Eh, what can I say? It's my nature as a sociopath."

"Perfect timing, though," Rai interjected, "We just finished modifying your Knightmares a couple of dobashes ago. We didn't have time to upgrade them completely, but they're better than nothing. You should have time to do a couple of practice runs around the moon to get used to it."

"'Around the moon,'" Edgar echoed softly, before laughing in disbelief, "I can't believe I'm actually hearing something like that."

"Thank you," Claudio nodded, "We were actually coming to inquire about that."

"So… about the suits," David said, examining his helmet skeptically, "Is this seriously supposed to help with the interfacing?"

Coran laughed jovially, "Of course not, young man!" The three brothers looked at him dubiously, "It's supposed to help keep you alive out there!"

At this admission, the Glaston Knights felt themselves pale and glanced at one another. Rai smiled sympathetically while Cecile bit her lip.

"From the reports that are pouring in, it seems that most of the settlement has been evacuated," Ohgi pointed out from his position on the bridge, "So I don't think we'll have to worry too much about civilian casualties."

"Good," Zero nodded to everyone presented, which included Suzaku, Tohdoh, Allura, Ohgi, Cornelia, Darlton, and Guilford, all of whom were looking over the terrain of the settlement on the screen, "Then we can continue with final preparations. The Castle of Lions will provide support, while Voltron engages the Galra head-on. In the meantime, the Black Knights will attack the stragglers in the Britannian military. It's a shame that we couldn't collect any further support from the other branches."

Guilford and Darlton both scowled at this reminder. Shortly after being taken aboard the castle, the two had attempted to contact any military personnel they had connections with. Much to their disappointment, though, most of their allegiance remained steadfastly with the emperor's decision. Only a couple of newer Privates and other soldiers who were brave enough to desert answered their call.

"It seems that several of the outlying rebel groups still in the area are offering assistance as well," Allura said, "Many are providing weapons and other resources at their disposal."

"Yes, General Katase made contact with me about an hour ago," Tohdoh nodded, "Several groups from Yamanashi and the remnants of the Blood of the Samurai are being rallied as we speak."

"Good, we'll have them focus on the Britannian ground troops," Zero said, "Try to keep them out of areas heavy with Galra forces."

"Still no word from the Knights of the Round?" Suzaku asked, glancing at Cornelia. Nonette was currently in the engineering area getting prepped for the Lancelot's new modifications, but she said she'd try to make contact with her colleagues in the meantime… She also admitted that it was unlikely they'd help due to being under the Emperor's direct orders and answering almost exclusively to him.

"No nothing," Cornelia shook her head, "We've been unable to make contact with any of the leadership either."

"You mean there's still no word from Prince Schneizel?" Guilford gasped.

"Nothing yet," Cornelia said with a frown. She still wanted to gut Schneizel for his stunt on the island, but having him as an ally at this point would be a hundred times better than not. She and Lelouch knew that it was extremely unlikely that Schneizel would support this, so if they couldn't get in contact with him, it was likely that the enemy had captured him. They would likely have to come up with a rescue operation if they managed to at least locate him.

"Well, we should find him then!" Suzaku said, "If he's with us, I'm sure more Britannian forces will be willing to side with Voltron."

"Suzaku, as much as I do agree, we don't have time," Zero said, "We don't even know where to start looking, or whether Schneizel's even still in the settlement or not!"

Allura had heard many mixed reviews about the Second Prince, most of which took a nosedive after Shikine Island. However, if cooperating with this ambiguously moral individual meant this planet would survive, she was willing to swallow her pride and do it. She had already agreed to work with Cornelia after all. "If we do manage to locate him during the battle, we'll assign a team to retrieve him," Allura decided, "But until then, I'm afraid Zero is correct."

"That's it then," Darlton said gravely, "Unless there's anything else that needs to be discussed?"

"No," Zero shook his head, "You all have your duties and squads assigned. It's time to get moving!"

With this final exclamation, everyone except Allura, who would monitor the battle from the bridge and provide the support Zero mentioned, exited the room.

'If the Britannian military wishes to side against us, so be it,' Lelouch thought gravely as he marched briskly toward Zen's chamber.

This was it. This was only a few Earth minutes until midnight. All the Voltron Coalition forces and their supporters from the insurrections had surrounded the settlement and were waiting anxiously for Zero to issue the order to attack. Up above the ruins they now occupied, Voltron himself hovered strongly at the front of the settlement, surrounded by hundreds of Seishin Knightmares, the Lancelot, Gawain, and the remaining Glaston Knights.

On the ground, there were also multiple ground-units, including tanks, armored vehicles, and infantry.

While Voltron's troops looked impressive, the settlement was also heavily guarded. Not just by the bulk of Britannia's military stationed there, but also a small Galran fleet. Dozens of Galra ships hovered around the Tokyo settlement, circling it like hawks ready to swoop in and snatch its prey.

"Hear me, Britannia! This is Zero!" Lelouch exclaimed from Voltron's head, "A rebel against oppressors who abuse their power! We will wait until midnight. You have until then to surrender! This is your only warning — heed it. Twelve midnight, not a single tic later!"

Lelouch didn't expect a reply, but according to the scans of the enemy they were picking up, the foe had begun to converge around the edge of the settlement. It seems they had their answer.

"So be it…" Lelouch murmurs mostly to himself before turning to the comms, "Rai, is the virus ready?"

"Affirmative!" Rai answered, "I have it automatically set to activate at midnight just like you said."

"Good. Now we wait, it seems…"

"Um… Lelouch?"

Lelouch blinked, and if one had been looking at him, they would have seen the faint circle of red around his iris.

"Milly?" he responded mentally, "What's wrong?"

"Well… This may be a bad time to bring it up, but when I went to Ashford to pick up my grandfather, I tried to look for Nina too. I couldn't find her, though. Shirley and Rivalz said they haven't seen her in a while either. Do… Do you think she's okay?"

"I'm sure she's fine, Milly," Lelouch reassured her, "She's likely been evacuated with the other civilians. Besides with us, that's likely the safest place she can be right now. We can try and find her after the battle."

"If you say so…"

The ring in Lelouch's eyes faded. They had yet to completely test out how far Milly's range could reach, but depending on it, especially if the Paladins were separated on different missions, Milly could easily be a liaison between teams. The only drawback they'd found with her Geass so far is that she could only use it on one person at a time, and she had to say the person's full legal name to connect to them.

"Lelouch," this time, it was Kallen's voice that drew his attention, and he turned on the video camera.

"What is it, Kallen?"

"I was just thinking… We know that Haggar's here somewhere, whether in the settlement or one of those ships. So… what the chances that Zarkon's here too?"

Lelouch didn't answer at first, but he felt his hands shake slightly. Despite not having seen the Galra overlord for a couple of months, the thought of facing him still terrified the Black Paladin. The… Violating feeling he felt when Zen was ripped from his grasp at the Galra HQ still haunted him, and he wondered if he was strong enough to stand up to the warlord this time.

Shaking his head, Lelouch looked up, "There's nothing we can do about that now. If Zarkon does show up, we'll deal with him."

"Um…" Now Rivalz's face joined Kallen's on Lelouch's console, "Not that I want Mr. Negative here, Lelouch, but the last time we fought Zarkon, he nearly wiped the floor with us. He almost killed Kallen and Suzaku, and they're the best pilots out of all of us!"

"It doesn't matter!" Suzaku's face joining the conversation, "We weren't expecting to fight Zarkon the last time. But we've gotten stronger since then. We're not going to let him beat us around this time!"

Lelouch nodded with a small smile before he sent a signal to Shirley, Milly, and Rai to turn their monitors on too.

"Listen, before this all starts," he said after the three appeared alongside the others, "I feel like I need to apologize to you all. I feel like I dragged you into my problems-"

"This again, Lelouch?!" Milly exclaimed, annoyed, "How many times do we need to tell you? None of this is your fault!"

"Yeah, if your dad weren't such an asshole, we wouldn't be in this situation!" Rivalz agreed.

"We all agreed to stand by you and see this through to the end!" Rai said, "No way we're backing out now!"

"We trust you, Lulu!" Shirley held up her fist confidently.

"We've been through a lot already as a team," Kallen said, "and we plan to keep it that way. So you're stuck with us."

"I...We're not abandoning you, Lelouch," Suzaku said, "Not like he did."

Lelouch struggled to keep the tears in his eyes from falling as he smiled at them all in gratitude.

"Thank you… All of you…"

With a final round of nods, his fellow Paladins cut the comms just as the timer reached zero.

Almost like a rippling earthquake, the Tokyo Settlement rattled at its foundation before collapsing in on itself like a giant sinkhole. From Voltron's head, Lelouch could see that a majority of Britannia's forces—Knightmares, tanks, armored vehicles—got caught in the shock of the attack as streets were ripped apart and buildings crumbled, some of which took out several enemy planes with them, and collapsed under them, leaving them buried and destroyed.

This seemed to spur several fighters into action, but before any could fire, the Castle of Lions descended from the clouds and with a blast from its central cannon, and shot straight through a Galra battleship, nearly cutting it in two. Seconds later, it erupted into a fiery inferno.

"You told me to learn the gambles of war, Father," he whispered aloud. But these words were not for him. They were for his sworn enemies, Zarkon and Charles zi Britannia, who had brought this tragedy to Earth, "But I think I've already learned them. Have you? You think your Galra allies will save you? You think Zarkon will come and protect you? None of that will change your fate. Hell, I welcome it even. It's what you wanted right? You want a war? Well, now you've got one."

#fanfic #code geass #voltron

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